nanda666

2012-01-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

So......what does 2012 have in store for the Kumars??????

Since Malaysia is clearly heading nowhere with BN or PKR, we have decided to move over here permanently. Yup! We'll be applying for our PRs. With the PR will also come the intent to purchase our own home too. (Guess there's no turning back now!! hehehehe!!)

Of course, once the house is sorted then the other needs will be addressed too......

Have a good 2012 everybody!!! hehehehe!!

2011-12-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

The Malaysian Expat in KL

After declaring Malaysia being no longer suitable for myself and my family, Perth became home. (As detailed in my previous posts)
So it did come as an interesting surprise to be posted back to KL as an Expat!!

Spent the last month and a half in a nice executive apartment, AUD$ allowances and expat treatment in KL. My Aussie employer ensured that I was well taken care of, my family provided for and that we were all happy with the assignment conditions. Life as an expat in KL was really good.

Hard to imagine that this was the same place where I fought to get a raise, was denied my bonuses and basically where I was treated like crap by my own fellow Malaysians!!

It was nice to see friends and family again but after a while, the reasons why I left started becoming clear again.
- Cabs that don’t go to where you want to go.
- The horrible driving and traffic
- The non-existence of pavements or ramps for the kids in their buggy.
- The constant hassle of “out of order” stuff…i.e ATMs, Government office computers, etc, etc.
- The horrible heat followed by the crazy storms.
- The constant fear of your safety and security
- The political racist crap in the media everyday

Guess the list above could go on and on but the point is, sad to say, I really wanted to go home….to Perth!!

2011-09-15T21:33:00.000-07:00

Perth - we now call it home!!

The move is complete.

Yup. Mary, the kids and I have our daily routines and chores.....I have tennis and diving.....Mary has running and yoga......Maya has dance and kiddie yoga classes.......and Rohan has....hmmm....loads of attention!!! hehehe!!

We got a good bunch of friends and life is really fun again!!

We're just waiting for Rohan to get a little bigger and then we'll start to explore Australia!!

2011-07-20T00:26:00.000-07:00

Perth, Australia - Part 2

Part 1 ended after week one and now…….part 2……2 months later…

The basics are DONE!! We now have a beautifully furnished home with all our stuff from KL and all the heating, internet, phone, etc hooked up. Banking, bus route, driving, etc, etc,…..all sorted out. Although it all took quite a while.

Well....that’s what they say.....WA (Western Australia) stands for……WAIT AWHILE!!

My parents arrived and we’ve never been happier to see them. (The kids were driving Mary to the brink!! Hehehe!!) Mom has taken to Rohan and he adores her too!! Maya has both of them wrapped around her fingers and gets away with everything….almost.

We’ve found our favourite stuff as below:

1. Shopping mall has to be Garden City Mall. It has everything that Mary wants!!
2. “Local shop” in Kong’s in Vic Park. It has everything I want for my “Masterchef” kitchen!!
3. Milk, fruit and veg get delivered to our door by Aussie Farmers Direct.
4. Fish, Prawns and scallop from Sealanes in Freo are awesome!!
5. The nearby playground by the Esplanade is Maya’s favourite.
6. Walks around Mount Pleasant keeps Mom and Dad so happy.
7. Little Indian/Sri Lankan shop in Willetton is great.
8. Bunning Hardware is my one stop centre for my DIY.
9. Carnegie’s is my new Backyard!!
10. 92.9fm keeps me company to and from work.
11. Masterchef Australia is what we all sit around to watch after dinner
12. With mum & dad around....Mary and I get a little time to check out the night life too!! (Not much in Perth though!! hahaha!!)

Yup….life in Perth is all about balance and we got it going on pretty good. My fitness regime starts next week with tennis at the Blue Gum Tennis Club…..but that will be stories for part 3!!

2011-05-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

Perth, Australia – Part 1

The adventure began weeks before we arrived on the 29th of April 2011. Selling the condo and cars….packing…..settling bills, loans and banking…..phone lines, Astro and internet to cancel, meeting friends and family.....We were misplacing documents, forgetting stuff to do……..just plain crazy!!

The company I work for really helped make the shift great. Crown relocation took great care of our stuff for the move.

With flight tickets, visas and passports in hand…..we were off!!! Flight went well….with Rohan sleeping quite a bit and Maya enjoying her own TV!!

We cleared immigration and custom with easy……having 2 cute kids goes a long way…hehehehe…

The usual “Indian” cab driver helped us get to South Perth. We decided on a quick stop to get the essentials (Was told that Perth shuts down at 5pm) like bread, milk, etc so we pulled over at a little roadside shop….just our luck…..run by Malaysians!!! When we got to the apartment, we were pleasantly surprised that the office had already stocked up for us. We had Milk, juice, butter and cheese in the fridge, bread and biscuits……Nice.

Our temp home was a fine 3 room service apartment in a really nice suburb called South Perth. Oak trees along the nice clean roads….fresh air with the view of the river…..Nice.

The next week was a fun filled exploration ride…..ferry across the river….drives around town…getting the bus to work…..shopping….just getting our feel of this new place we now call home.

We have some great friends here that really helped us get into the groove of things.

Next week….phase 2….new house and new car and our own stuff has arrived from KL!!!

2010-10-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

TIME TO GO......Again!!

The first time:

I left Malaysia in 1991 to pursue my Marine Engineering in Singapore and was off sailing all over the world for the next 11 years. Almost everywhere I went, I was asked the same question, " Are you indian?" and my response use to be..."No, I'm Malaysian. Not Indian."

It's now coming to the end of 2010 and it's been 5 years since I started working in KL for a government linked company. They have, time and again, made it clear to me that "No, you're not Malaysian. You're Indian."

Sad, huh???

IN MY OWN COUNTRY, I'M A FOREIGNER/NON BUMI/PENDATANG. EVERYWHERE ELSE, I WAS A PROUD MALAYSIAN!!!!!!!

Well, if I'm always going to be Malaysian INDIAN, and be treated "officially" 2nd class, I might as well be Australian INDIAN and be treated "unofficially" 2nd class, right????

I guess that is what it's come down to. Which is better, officially 2nd Class in your OWN country or "unofficially" 2nd class in another. (Australia, Canada, US, UK, NZ, etc, etc)

Well, my normal point form explains my reasons:

1. Better job with better salary.

2. Better quality of life for me & family.

3. Better education system.

4. Better future for my kids.

What will I miss when I go???

Food??? But I do cook pretty well so I doubt I'll be missing much.

Friends??? Well, we seem to be in contact electronically more than physically anyway so no worries there.

Family??? Guess this will be the hardest part especially for Maya who's so so close to her Tata & Ava. (Grandparents.)

If/When we head to Singapore.......45 min flight away.

If/When we head to Perth...........4 hours flight away.

I guess it was a sign....."WHEN THE BEEMER GOES....WE GO!!!" HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

2010-09-20T23:21:00.000-07:00

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE!!!

Well....it's been a good 10 year partnership but every good thing must end....

This baby is on sale now!!

My tip top condition BMW dream car!!

A little history about this machine......

I had this obsession with BMWs when growing up and promised myself that "ONE DAY", I will own one.

With my sailing career doing well and the USDs rolling in, I decided to get my Beemer in 2000. The Millinium Beemer!! The idea was to get a second-hand unit but the interest rates were terrible while a new 2000 model E46 had 4.25% (And this was great in those days!!) financing. Price tag on the new E46.....a whooping RM 206,000!! (But only USD 54,200 la........that's what I said!!)

And in August 2000, I drove this baby out of the Auto Bavaria showroom. At age 28, it was the ultimate party machine........

For 6 months of every year from 2000 - 2005, it was my dads "pasar malam" and "around the town" car. (While I was away.) When I was back on holidays, it was my "clubbing" car!! It only did 30,000 kms in those 5 years!!!

It also spent a lot of time parked outside "Broadwalk" pub in Phileo Damansara!!!!

For the next 5 year, when I started working in KL, it was the daily commute from Klang to KL that raked up the miles......an additional 150,000 kms.

It was our wedding car 2007 and the car that brought Maya home from the hospital in 2008.

Now, in 2010,..... the babyseat just doesn't go with the 17" M3 sports rims, the rims won't handle the bumpy potholed roads of Dutamas/Solaris and eventually.....the space won't fit the "additional" family member expected in 2011!!

My honest opinion........it looks and rides better than it ever did but.....sadly......

All sentimental value aside, this machine will have to make way for something bigger and stronger........

So.......coming soon:

Hahahaha!!!!

2010-08-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

My 1Malaysia

Our country is about to celebrate its 53rd year of independence. What does it all mean to me??? Well, I wouldn’t really know as I was not around for the “troubled” years. I didn’t see British rule, the fight for independence, MAY 13TH, the split with Singapore, communist insurgents, Japanese occupation, bombs, war, famine……nope….none of that.

My Malaysia was comfortable. Grew up in a nice neighborhood, nice house, nice car(OPEL CADET was a nice car back then!!! Hehehe!!), good food and a pretty normal life. Dad was a teacher (Government job!!) who felt every cent he made was owed to the kindness of the “government”. “We should be thankful for what we have. People in India are starving”, he used to remind us.

I went to school knowing there was a quota system. I knew my Malay friends will get better deals for education. I knew my Chinese friends had to do even better than me if they wanted to succeed. I spoke better English than Bahasa Malaysia, better Bahasa Malaysia than Tamil and better Tamil than a few “white” Indian friends!! We played together, studied together, ate together, hell… we did everything together. That was and still is my Malaysia. (Regardless of what the politicians try to tell me!!)

I left in 1991 to study in Singapore and it was a country that I never warmed up to. It was cold, heartless and just felt fake. It was like LEGO land. Just too perfect to be real. I knew why I was there and what I had to do. Get a good education. Period. I longed to leave as soon as I could.
From there, it was off to sail the seven seas!! Across the continents, across the oceans, across borders I went for 11 years. In all those years, in all those different countries, I was always Malaysian. “But you look Indian”, was the standard response. And there I was, explaining my Indian origin time and again but always insisting I was Malaysian and NOT Indian. My Malaysian Chinese buddies had to endeavor the same fate.

So for 11 years I fought hard to ensure I was respected as a Malaysian outside my country but only to realize when I came home in 2005, that I had to fight equally hard to be considered Malaysian at home!!!

Where have we gone so wrong???? I guess that long story is everywhere on the net so I’m not going to bother even remotely trying to explain that one!

I love this country not because it’s 1Malaysia……it’s my 1 and only Malaysia!!! Whatever ethnic background I may have, I know my stand. It may be different for some politicians but I’m surely MALAYSIAN FIRST, INDIAN SECOND!!

So to all my Malaysian friends, let the politicians say whatever they want…..This is our Malaysia so let’s make it the best it can be!!

SELAMAT HARI MERDEKA MALAYSIA!!! Someone still loves you!!

2010-08-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

PLAN FOR A NEW RIDE

It's finally time to let my last remaining "toy" go....yup.....Nanda's all grown up and it's time for the family car to take over.

First, I'll have to say goodbye to the German engineered dream machine which kept me company for the last ten years. (At times, I even thought it drove me home all by itself like KITT!!!)

So what comes next???? Well... below are my options:

Option 1: Chevy Captiva - RM 160K, 2.0 Turbo Diesel 7 seater SUV

(The standard model doesn't come with lowered suspension and 20" rims as above, though!! Hehehe!!)

Option 2: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport - RM 166K, 2.5 Turbo Diesel, 7 seater "Bad Ass"!!

(Again, version above is what I'll make it look like!!!)

Option 3: Volvo XC 90 - RM 355K, 2.4 Turbo Disel, 7 seater "Luxury SUV"!!

(If I spend RM 355K on this, it gonna look pretty standard as I won't have any money left!!!)

If anyone has better rides to suggest or comments, let me know!!!

2010-07-04T22:20:00.000-07:00

FOOTBALL AND GOD

FIFA has recently warned Brazillian players to comply with the FIFA ruling that does not allow t-shirts worn under the jerseys of the players to have religious, political or any other slogans or messsages.

Interesting.....

I really don't understand how GOD fits into the whole world of sports anyway.

Asamoah Gyan, the Ghanian striker was praising GOD for his winning goal againts USA in the post match interview. It was GOD that wanted Ghana to be in the last 8! It was GOD that made him shoot like that, he said. PRAISE THE LORD!! (GOD wasn't a USA fan, I gather.....!!)

What really suprises me is that, we don't see him in a similar post match interview where he says GOD made him miss the penalty and therefore he should not rely on this GOD anymore!!!

As i've always said, "GOD is a fantastic product as it can never fail!!"

Yup!! If your team wins...THANK GOD!!

If your team loses....PRAY HARDER AND GOD WILL REWARD YOU THE NEXT TIME!!!

Is there just no accountability for this GOD????

GOD that we spend time and money on.......a GOD that humans have gone to war and died for......a GOD that huge monuments, churches, mosques and temples have been built for......

And bookies have better control over match results!!!! (I love the Chinese for their simplicity....it's all about the money....!! Assuming that the bookies are Chinese la....)

Yeah! Yeah!.....heard all the "faith" arguments before but really....come on la.....

100,000 people in the stadium...all praying to their own GOD for a win.....somebody's GOD has to lose, right???

I honestly feel, if there is a GOD.........he/she/it really should/would be looking at more important things in this world rather that the games we humans play!!!

But if you have to watch the World Cup.......thank GOD for HD!!!! hahahahaha!!!!

2010-02-17T20:50:00.000-08:00

AVATAR – THE MOVIE

I went to see this movie with Mary (Left Maya with our great babysitter, Kakak Mia) at GCS premier class in 3D.

WOW!! The special effects was seriously mind blowing and…….well….that’s it!

For the millions (Or was it billions??) that James Cameron spent on the effects, he could have spent a little more time and effort on the @#$@# story la!!
Let me give you the run down on the story…. (Since everyone I know has seen the movie and I’m only putting this post up now….shouldn’t spoil it for anyone, right?)
The American want to mine a particular metal on Pandora and don’t give a @#$% about the local tribe, the Na Vi. (Trying hard to mirror the conflicts in Afghan and the Iraqi war but failing miserably!) Then one particular disabled “low ranking” army guy decides to save this poor tribe from the “clutches of the oppressor” something along the “Last of the Mohicans” storyline. (Because of some….predictably…. GIRL!!)
The battle scenes are so so spectacular that the producers hope that they can blast logic out of your head and keep your brain disconnected from your eyes. If they did not manage or failed to do this, these are a few things that you may have thought about during/after the movie:

1. The humans cannot breathe on this planet. Shouldn’t the Na Vi look at messing with their air supply to get rid of them? Terrorist style? Rather than taking on the entire “high tech” arsenal of weapons which the American had, on a civil war approach!!
2. The NaVi took their attack strategy from a private in the army of the Americans???? Haiyo…at least if the $%#$$#@ was a general…ok la. And he was only there for a couple of days/weeks!! What the @!#$ does he know about your talking trees and “multiple connect” tails that can feel (This was a little corny to me too but ok la…) the dragons, etc??
3. The main battle scene was the attack on a huge tree where the radiation/magnetic flux prevented radar guided missiles to be used. This doesn’t mean that the Americans had to hover directly above the tree and drop the bomb from the back of a truck, right????? Even in medieval times there were catapults that could launch rocks some distance away la….AARRGGHH!!

Honestly, after the first 2 hours, the movie was getting painful to watch and at the end, as we left the theater, we said that this will be the last James Cameron movie we’re ever watching…unless he makes the Mahabharata in 3D…with 1 blue dude we all know soooo well!!! Hehehehe!!

Note : Avatar is derived from the Sanskrit word “Avatara” meaning incarnation. Cute huh?

2010-01-06T19:07:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2009 gone…..hello 2010!!

So…what was 2009 for me….well…..

1. Maya turned 1 year old in March.

2. Mary and Maya went off to Ireland for the summer..without me!!!  (Which ensured that I was at Backyard on most days!!! hahahaha!!)

3. Became my own boss after my boss got suspended (until now still status quo) in July. Same salary though!!

4. Managed to sort out most of my credit card bills. (Still got some la…)

5. Bought a new ride for the wife. (Although the 4WD function was more in my interest for dive trips…hehehe!!) Still managed to keep the Beemer. (Hurray!!)

6. Certified 10 open water divers and 2 NITROX divers. (Not bad for a part time instructor.)

7. Got diagnoses with heredity high cholesterol so on 20mg of Lipitor every day.

8. Got my snoring/sleep apnea problem fixed with a throat operation that hurt like #@$% for 2 weeks!!

9. Spent our first family Xmas in Malaysia. (Last year was the “pandi” fest in Ireland!! Damn..I missed the black pudding and superb pints of Guinness!!) Was really fun here too with our own turkey and ham dinner.

10. Turned 37 on the 31st!!! (Uncle already la….)

Plan for 2010……

1. Get a better salary…hopefully ASAP.

2. Head off to Ireland for Mary’s sis wedding.

3. Have some good family holidays.

4. Have some good dive trips.

5. Fix up the condo with any money left over after doing the above….hahaha..which means this will happen in 2012!!! Hahahaha!!!

2009-09-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

CAMERON HIGHLANDS HOLIDAY!!

We headed out on a bright and sunny Saturday morning (A day before Hari Raya...hmmm...not too bright, huh??) and were pleasantly suprised by the smooth flow of traffic on the PLUS highway until we got to a "Hentian sebelah" or rest stop, near Tapah. Stuck here for an hour, just to move 200m!!! (Why Malaysians behave this way during the holiday season will be another posting!!) It was a better drive once we got off the highway and started our accend through the trunk road from Tapah to Tanah Rata. It was a great drive up to the top from there. (Maya slept through the entire winding climb!!)

We stayed at the Old Smokehouse Hotel (Pretty pricey but worth it la...) and it was impressive. Built in the old Tudor style with multiple fireplaces and an amazing garden. Actually, as I turned into the driveway of the hotel, it felt like I was somewhere in the UK. (Or pulling into the driveway at Mary's parents in Portloise in Ireland)

The garden was their best asset and Maya just ran around all day, even when it rained.

And then there were the scones!!! Emmmmmm...

The scones, jam and Devonshire cream were seriously the best I've ever had. (RM 8.50 for 2 of them.....good things never come cheap, do they?)

The temperature was a chill 18 Degree C so the fireplace was the place to hang out in the evenings. (The bar had a fireplace too!!)

Oh...almost forgot to mention a very important fact......the food is NON HALAL!! (So all you "bacon, eggs and bangers" people....the English breakfast is a REAL English breakfast!!)

We did do the regular tourist route of the tea plantation, bee farm, butterfly park, etc but we did some other pretty weird stuff like helping a Punjabi bunch of kids with their "amazing race" around Cameron Highlands, lunch at Starbuck's (Why??? Becos it's there??..duh.??) and a full blown "Mutton Peratel" banana leaf dinner!! (Maya loved the papadams!)

Overall, Cameron highlands still has it's charm as colonial hill station and staying at the Old smokehouse did indeed deliver that experience.

2009-09-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

MY NEW RIDE!!

Been a while since I did this bloggin thing but I'm back!! hehehe!!

This is my new ride. (Coming soon la..) The Perodua Nautica 4WD 1.5L.

It's a cute 5 seater that handles well, and is ideal for my dive trips to Tioman, etc as well as cosy enough for Mary. (The X5, XC90 and gang are just tooooo hugh!!)

FYI, this unit is a CBU from Japan. (Toyota Rush)

And YES.....I'm still keeping my beemer la........hahahaha!!

2009-07-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

GADOH – The movie

Amrit got this DVD at the launch in Laundry, the Curve on Sunday. He brought it over to my place and we watched it over a couple of cold ones.

Directed by Brenda Danker and Namron, it is produced by Big Pictures Production for KOMAS, a Malaysian human rights organization.

Damn! This was an “In your face” movie about racial tension in our schools.

It did play along the lines of the movie, Freedom Fighters. (I had an earlier post on that one) The plot revolves around 2 school gangs (Malay and Chinese with the lone Indian kid stuck in the midst.) and how they work out their differences by the strength of their similarities.
The script was well written and the acting of most of the cast was decent if not good. It is nice to see Malaysians finally saying stuff on the big screen which they say everyday at the mamaks and kopitiams.

It’s truly worth all 70 minutes of your time.

Let me know what you think if you do find time to catch it. To watch the trailer check out their site:

http://komas.org/gadoh.

I think it’s available via download as well.

2009-07-19T22:18:00.000-07:00

The Indian Divers + 1 crazy Aussie

Finally got around to posting our dive trip to Tioman. The weather was good and the diving was great. The duty free status of Tioman Island was the best!!! Hehehe!!
The trip started out with the 5 hour drive. KL – Ayer Hitam – Kluang – Mersing. No bemmer this time but instead we had the brilliant CHEVY CAPTIVA 4WD courtesy of my Indian expat buddy, Siva!!

This was my first time driving a 4WD diesel driven vehicle and man, it had some horses under the hood. We were doing 160km/hr at 2000revs!! (Max revs were at 5000, I think.) It handled the winding road of FELDA NITAR like a pro.
We (Prem, Siva, Adam and I) spent the night in Mersing and crossed over to the island early the next morning. Diving began after lunch.
We did 2 dives on Friday and 3 on Saturday and my gang was certified!!

Let the party begin. Salang is a pretty nice stretch of beach with a bar and a couple of restaurants. We had a good dinner (Siva, our Brahmin diver, ate fish for the 1st time in his life!!! He swears it’s better than chicken!! Hahaha!!) and headed off to the bar. To make the long nite there a short story, the party ended at 3 30 am. (I , of course, had to pay tribute to MJ with some moves la…)
The dive the next morning was just Siva and me. Wonder where Prem and Adam were??? Zzzzzzzzzzz

Overall, we had a superb and much needed holiday. Can’t wait for the next trip!!

Ps. The nonexistent MAXIS signal, no sound of traffic and just the pure sound of wind in the trees and waves crashing on the beach…ahhhhhh.....and then some underwater yoga......

2009-06-11T00:23:00.000-07:00

Taiping & Penang Holiday

Managed to carve this holiday out of our busy schedule and we were off!!
The drive up north was scenic on a nice sunny morning and Maya being asleep all the way was a bonus. With daddy next to me (watching the speedometer) and the rest of the gang (Mom, Mary and Maya) bundled in the back, we still had a comfy ride. (Was quickly up to 140 – 160 km/hr when daddy wasn’t looking.)
We spend 2 days in Taiping and stayed at Kamalodge at the foot of Maxwell Hill. (or Bukit Larut) It had a nice pool and was just next to the Lake Gardens.

Parents were at my aunt’s in Kamunting. So…what to do in Taiping??....EAT la…. The food was really good and just like our “Ireland” trip, we looked for all the nice “panddi” stuff. The roast pork for breakfast was nice!!
While my parents chilled in Kamunting, we (Mary, Maya and I) headed north to Penang for a night.

A pretty “classy” night at the E & O hotel. (This is my attempt to copy the E & O "artsy" photo)

Now this hotel was something else. The classic look, the services, the bell boys dressed in Khakis, the “English tea”….. I was looking around to see if someone was going to say, “Hey boy, leave the white lady and child and be on your way!!” hehehe!!"

(Decided on the classic shot!!)

The room was so impressive that we actually spend more time in it then out.

So what to do in Penang???....EAT again la….the “nasi kandar” and “kambing sup” was awesome!!

(Note the "licin" plates in the background!!)

Although our trip was only for the weekend, it was a much needed break.

Now back in the city, I do miss the slow traffic and clean air.

Well....I'll be off diving soon so that a relief!!!

2009-04-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

RELEGATED...AGAIN!!!

Well, it's happened again.

Will we fair better in League one? Will we ever see the premiership again?

As Metallica said, "SAD BUT TRUE!!"

At least they can count on 1 Malaysian fan who'll still follow his team as the Saints go marching on!!!!

2009-04-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

THE 11TH HOUR

Watched this documentary last night and it had quite an impact on me.

It had all the usual, " How humans are screwing up this planets' resources, how it is just unsustainable and how we drastically need to change the way we do things."

The only difference was that it showed how dependant we are to all these consumer products. How we are unable to move without vehicles, have food without grocery stores or just have fun without man made gadgets!!!

A lot of the blame seems to be going to the Oil & Gas giants like ExxonMobil, Shell, etc, etc, who have recorded a profit of USD 33 Billion last year.

Although I do agree that this is an absurd sum of money, shouldn't we also see that their products ensure we have fuel for the cars we drives and the planes we travel on???

I strongly feel that the entertainment industry is far worst. We pay million or even billions to subsidize entertainers with their extravagant lifestyles. what is their contribution actually worth???

Footballers, NBA & NFL stars, actors and actresses, SEGA, PLAYSTATION, XBOX, etc, etc. What amount of our income goes to stuff like this?????

Our world is slowly becoming unreal.

Humans shed tears for the likes of Liverpool and Man U but barely blink at death tolls of a major disaster. (Unless it's football related!!)

We play futsal on artificial grass under floodlights.....Why????? Toooo hot la in the day time!!! Too busy working to make money la!!!

I do agree that I too spend a considerable time of my day to "make ends meet" but are my "ends" too far from reality???? Do I really need to renovate my house??? Do I really need another car????

Well, the answer for me as of yesterday is NO!!

Me and Mary, for the benefit of Maya and her generation, are going to start to do things different from today. This is our plan and hopefully, it will be adopted by my buddies too!!

1. Reduce the use of lights, fan and AC.

2. Use my balcony to plant food. (My mom used to do this in our garden in Klang so I don't see why I can't do it.) Plants that can be grown are chillies, herbs, brinjals, tomatoes, etc, etc.

3. Spend more time together with my family and friends without TV and other gadgets.

4. Play outdoors more. (I do play tennis and my diving does get me outdoors too.)

5. Eat organic and buy products that are from sustainable sourses. (Fish, furniture, etc.)

6. Get my condo to have recycling facilities for plastics, metal and glass products.

7. STOP SPENDING MONEY ON LUXURIES!! (Yup! I'll just keep the beemer as the one and only luxury item!! But it's already 9 years old so I doubt it's a luxury item any more!! Hehehe!!)

Well, that's all I can do for now but I'll be looking into other means of reducing my "Carbon footprint" on this planet and will keep you guys updated.

"SAVE THE TREES, SAVE THE WORLD!!!"

2009-04-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

DADDY FOR A YEAR NOW!!!

Maya turned 1 on the 25th of March and it just made me want to look back to see how far I’ve come from the crazy sailor boy to being a responsible “grown up” daddy.

My artsy “bachelor pad” is now a multi colored theme park where you can just name a color and I’m sure I have it strewn across my living room floor in the form of a ball, block, etc, etc.!! My chairs and tables have “fenders” (Like the rubbers tires around a tug boat!!) for collision protection and my plain, light purple, velvet sofa has so many food stains that it now resembles some exotic animal!! Gone are the cool table top decor....replaced by stuff that is either chewable, washable or throwable!! I do occasionally get to see my IKEA carpet...or glimpes of it when the toys are put away......

That my living room, version 2009.

What about my bedroom, version 2009??? Well, it depends….Is it the room that used to be my bedroom or the “spare” room that I’m in now so that my snoring doesn’t wake up Maya???? Yup…just like Southampton…I got relegated too!!! Hahahaha!!

The TV, version 2009??? Channels available have drastically reduced to channels beginning with 6xx. Honestly, I find POCOYO and THE YOUNG EINSTEINS pretty entertaining!!

My precious Beemer also now comes with a 2009 baby upgraded version. Baby seat with all boot space taken up by the pram. The 2009 version also comes with rattling accessories (multi colored, of course) and massively annoying, nursery rymes emitting, electronic devices!!

So…a full year of a constantly changing baby, constantly changing schedules and constantly changing lifestyle….opps...almost forgot....and constantly changing nappies!!!!

The reward…..

That SMILE!!!

My little "nutcase" (That's what I call her as she is usually hysterically happy to see me when I get home everyday!!) and all that she gets up to!!

I believe this parenthood thinggi is gonna be a great ride!!!

2009-03-10T23:56:00.000-07:00

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

I was fortunate enough to be sent for free training by MISC/PETRONAS recently and I just wanted to share something pretty simple yet facinating.

The presenter made this statement about how people have varying reactions to taking on responsibility for their failed actions. These reactions fall into 4 categories in declining levels of conviction:

1. To Quit.

(Example: My job screwed up so I quit!!)

2. To Deny.

(Example: Who said my job's screwed up? it's fine.)

3. To Blame.

(Example: My job screwed up because of that other fella la!!!)

4. To Justify.

(Example: My job screwed up because of the economy la....it was sure to happen!!)

You can see this phenomenon in the newspapers with our politicians all the time.

It was also interesting when I actually looked at some of my friends and realised that most of the time, their actions fall into these 4 categories too.

When it comes to girlfriends, job satisfaction, salary or even life as a whole, they either QUIT, DENY, BLAME or JUSTIFY but seldom actually take responsibility.

The faults are blamed on God, the heavens and stars, fung sui, other people, fate, work commitments, money or lack of it, etc, etc but rarely do they say, "Hey, that was my fault so I'm gonna do something about it to fix the problem!!".

This post is just for you guys to think about the next time you have to explain a mistake or failure. Try not to rely on the 4 categories above and see if you can make a difference by your own actions!!

Let me know if it works!! Hehe!!

2009-03-02T17:30:00.001-08:00

...SAINTS GO MARCHING ON!!!

We won 2 in a row!!!! hurray!!!!

Yeah..yeah..we're not in the big leagues but a win is a win, right???

Ipswich on Tuesday so let's see if we can make it 3!!

2009-02-10T21:21:00.000-08:00

FEELING SAD n SICK

This is how I felt this morning after a chat with my wife on the current political situation in Malaysia.
She is a foreigner and it’s so hard to explain our sad and sick politicians.

What am I talking about? Well…..

1. The UMNO youth demonstrations with racist comments, shown live on Bernama TV.

Yup. They had signs “INI TANAH MELAYU, BUKAN TANAH SINGH!!” (THIS IS MALAY LAND NOT FOR THE SIKHS!!) in full view. Not even discrete!! She was asking me why the ISA was not used on these guys as it was inciting racial hatred.

2. Police reports made against Karpal Singh by UMNO youth all over Malaysia.

I remember trying to make a report about an accident in Klang at the PJ police station and the cop said I couldn’t. I had to report it in Klang. She wanted to know how these guys can make reports about something in Perak in another state?

3. MP in Kedah states his reason for quitting is that he and his family have been threatened by BN.

Police report? Protection from the police? No….he disappears. “If an MP can’t trust our police force for protection, what about us normal folk?” she asked.

4. UMNO Youth leaders say “By any means necessary”. Murder, Bloodshed, Genocide????

She asked me how far they would go. I’m afraid to answer. Really.

5. Police officers charged with murder have their faces covered ALL the time.

Since they’re handcuffed, I guess their police buddies helped them bundle up? I recall the police not allowing defendants in other cases to cover their faces. (Although most try sooooo hard with their T shirt, newspapers, etc.) “Even if they’re found guilty, what if they are secretly released and are back it the police force? Will anyone know, since nobody know what they look like?” she asked again.

She was comparing our current situation to that of countries in Africa....only good thing here is that we've got oil, so money and jobs are ok...for now.

As I was left with no answers, it really made me sad to think how far we've come socially and economically only to have daft politicians send us back to the racial riffs of the 60's.

If this is the path that our political scene is taking us, I’m really getting worried for the safety of my family and friends.

Will all my vocal friends disappear too?? Will supporting a certain party be considered treason?

Will the "Truly Asia" slogan means we become like other Asian countries like Cambodia, Burma, Laos and Phillipines with incapable and corrupt leaders?

2009-02-02T22:37:00.000-08:00

MALAY or ENGLISH??????

I’ve been hearing this issue of Maths and Science being taught in English and it’s getting pretty tiring.

I really don’t get these education ministry fellas…

Let me break it down in my usual point form on what the problem is and how to tackle it:

The problem

1. Level of proficiency in English in Malaysia is on the decline.
2. Children in rural areas don’t speak English at all.
3. Lack of teachers who speak good English.

The solution

1. GET BETTER ENGLISH TEACHERS!!
2. TEACH ENGLISH MORE OFTEN!!!!

I mean, why mess about with Maths, Science and other subjects. Just put in more hours per week for English lessons.

During my backpacking days, I’ve met so many backpackers in India, China and Indonesia who were teaching English as part of some volunteer program. Get these guys over here la!!!

Leave the primary schools subjects in Malay while concentrating in making the kids really good at English as a subject on it's own and when they get to secondary school, teach the technical subjects (Maths, Science, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, etc.) in English.

Then we’ll finally get somewhere!!

2009-01-20T21:46:00.000-08:00

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - THE MOVIE

I watched this movie over the weekend and was truly impressed.

The cinematography (correct ah my spelling????) was superb, great storyline and very "indian" in it's coincidences!!

The visuals of the slums of Mumbai was as real as I remembered them when I was there years ago. The background of the begging children and their operations were so real that I actually had trouble sleeping that night.

It had all the ingrediences of a great Hindi movie (Love story, fights, drama, vulgar language..in Hindi, of course) and I guess bagging a couple at the Golden Globe Awards didn't hurt.

Do get your hands on this movie. It's worth your time. (And the "DVD 9" is pretty good, if you know what I mean!! hehehehe!!)

2009-01-04T23:24:00.000-08:00

SO COLD IN IRELAND

The land of Guinness and leprechauns…at a nice and chill 3 degrees Celcius!!

That’s where I spent Xmas and welcomed 2009.

It began with a rather uncomfortable 13 hour flight to London followed by the usual mess of having to transit through Heathrow Airport. The fear of being deported for being mistaken for a Tamil Tiger or an Islamic terrorist was always on my mind. I made a conscious effort not to say words such as Bomb, Terrorist, Jihad, Islam, etc.
Having cleared immigration, I was off to Dublin via BMI. (British Midlands Airlines) A short uneventful flight and we landed in Dublin shortly after an hour of being in the air.
It was great to see Mary and Maya at the airport. There was my bundle of joy, wrapped in a huge bundle of clothes. It was freezing cold!!! We left the air port and headed into the midlands. ABBEYLEIX, COUNTY LAOIS…HERE I COME!!!

The following 2 weeks was a thrilling ride through the culinary delights of Irish Cooking. I can honestly say, I would have easily consumed an entire pig during my stay over there. The pig came in various forms, everyday. Ham, Bacon, sausages, rashers, white pudding, black pudding (Can’t say what it’s made of…eh hemm), roast, etc, etc.

My favorite was Mary's mom's signature dish....BACON n CABBAGE with an onion sauce.

And I, being from Malaysia, a beautiful muslim country, LOVED all the piggy stuff!!! HELL, YEAH!!! The only HALAL food I had over the 2 weeks must have been the “Thosai” that I made for everyone with my mom’s famous Onion Chutney!!

Next on my Irish Food Safari were potatoes. The Irish consume potatoes the way we, over here, have rice. Loads of rice here, Loads of potatoes there.

They came in one form. Mashed.

And for one night only, by special Xmas request, they came baked!!

Now don’t get me wrong, just like the pork, I loved the mashed potatoes but after a week or so, I needed my chilli!! My Malaysian Indian “powers” were fading fast without chilli. I didn’t care if it was Thai Chilli, Indian Chilli or even the English CURRY. I needed some spicy fire!!

My chance came when I was asked to make some Hainanese Chicken Rice at Una’s. Chicken with dark soya sauce, rice cooked with chicken fat….but wait…drum rolls please…fresh CHIILLI, ginger and garlic dip!!!
I made some power chilli that, as Mary said, “Would put hair on a WOMAN’s chest!!!!”

Hehehehehehe!!! My batteries we recharged.

It was time for desserts. YUMMY!!!

Loads of homemade cake, puddings, biscuits, pies, etc. Mary's mom outdid herself with an awesome Xmas fruit ice cream pudding. Just when I thought desserts couldn't get any better, Mary made a "Jamie Oliver" Birthday cake for me.

2 chocolate sponges with rasberry and cream and topped with molten chocolate!!!!

Finally I was ready for the most important part of the holiday celebrations.

The drinking.

Now you’ll have to understand that the Irish don’t have many exportable natural resources so GUINNESS, BAILEY’S and JAMESON’S are pretty important economic commodities. I did my fair share in contributing to that part of their economic sector over the duration of my 2 weeks stay.
The pubs were old and cold. The drinks were smooth and my holiday was getting smoother.

So there you have it….good company, good food and great drink. Good Thanni and great Pandi!! (Tamil for drink and pig!! hehehe!!)

What more can you ask for from a holiday?

Overall, it was a fantastic, rejuvenating and much needed break before I take on the challenges of 2009.

2008-12-11T20:45:00.000-08:00

A truly Malaysian word

What would you consider a truly Malaysian word??

Nothing vulgar but just a plain English word that when used in a Malaysian context means something else.

Well???

Any guesses???

My truly Malaysian word is......

SIMPLY

I've elaborated the use of the word in my Conversation between my wife (Irish) and me:

Nanda: My buddy is coming over in a few minutes.

Mary: Why?

Nanda: SIMPLY

Mary: Huh??? Simply what?

Nanda: Simply la..

Hehehehehe!!!!

2008-11-30T16:17:00.000-08:00

DEVIL'S PLACE BY BRIAN GOMEZ

The launch was great fun and the free flow of beer was an unexpected bonus!! Thanks, Brian!!

My buddy, Marlin and his band, FISH, played a couple of songs and so did Brian's band.

Premo was there too.

Got my copy at the launch and read it over the weekend. I honestly think this is the best book I've read this year. (And I do read quite a bit!!)

It beats John Grisham's THE APPEAL and even Khalid Housini's A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS. (THE KITE RUNNER was last year!! That one is difficult to beat!! Hehe!!)

YUP!! Devil's Place moves like a Quentin Tarantino movie (But Malaysian content la..!!) and is filled with large amounts of humour!!

If you liked PULP FICTION and RESERVOIR DOGS, you'll love this book!!

I even had to leave the room a few times for fear of waking Maya with my laughs!!

For example, the police calling the cab company for info and getting the unmistakable response of, "TAXI COMING IN 10 MINUTES, YOU GO DOWN NOW!!" was just one of the few "Uncontrollable laugher" moments.

I also won a free copy at the launch and that's going off to Ireland as a gift to Mary's niece.

Brian Gomez can say his book is even read in Ireland!!!

2008-11-24T22:17:00.000-08:00

www.thefloatingturd.blogspot.com

A friend of mine introduced this site to me a couple of days ago.

The posts are absolutely hilarious. Is this guy a stand-up comedian or what?

The author/blogger is Brian Gomez........anyone heard of him???.... I haven't.

Well, do check it out if you need some laughs during a stressful day!!!

He's launching his first book this Friday in Hartamas so I'm going to this thinggi just to see who this guy is!!
Hey, If the review in the Malay mail is as good as it sounds, having an autographed copy of this book may be a good thing!!

A buddy of mine is also in the band that's playing that night!!

The place? It's at Bojangles...i think...

2008-11-19T00:29:00.000-08:00

Late 30’s… here I come!!!

December 31st 2009 approaches. I’ll turn 36. What does this mean?...well…

This is what it means to me.

That nagging pain in the left shoulder and that creaking sound in the right knee, well, they are here to stay!!! So is the palpitation of my heart, the reflux of my esophagus and my blurring vision after a hard day.
Where the hell did all of these come from? Why is this happening to me?

Hmmmm…..

Could it be the “Annai's nasi lemak kambings” at 3am at Darus after Broadwalk?

Could it be the excessive drinking during my “sailor” years?

Was it the unlimited “duty free” cigarettes?

No la.....surely it's the.......POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE LA!!!! HAIYO!!! HEHEHE!!

The truth is, from the age of 19 to 31, my body took the constant beating. But maybe the fresh salty sea air, during those long sea passages, kept the ailments away.

Now, as 36 looms around the corner, the “malfunctions” are coming fast and furious!!

How do we handle this is today? PILLS!!

My “fixes” come from a multi-vitamin called Revicon, 2 glucosamine tablets, 1 B & C Vitamin tablet and my powerful CELEBREX tablet to fix my joints. (When you need more than a single glass of water to “down” your pills, you know something ain't right.)

My New Year and birthday resolution……to eat and drink healthy.

Since I’ll be in Ireland at that time, I guess it means ONLY eating LEAN PORK and drinking ONLY good quality GUINNESS and JAMESON!!!!!

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!

2008-11-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

Nite of Glitter at the Royal Commonwealth Society

Mary and I attended this Deepavali gathering last Saturday and it was a blast!! We were invited by my colleague, Capt. Rahim, whose father-in-law was the Chairman of the organization. We had the “MISC” table with a couple of other colleagues including Siva, our Indian Expat who brought along his Dad!!

This is what his dad had to say about the night:

“I am delighted! I had been around many countries, only to note that Malaysia is THE best country in maintaining harmony and respect people of all races. During the “Nite of Glitter”, I never felt out of place and thanks for all who treated me and my son as one of their family members. I am also happy to express confidently that my son and his family’s stay in Malaysia is pleasant only because of the good hearts of Malaysians like you all. Thanking you all once again for all kind supports. Best regards, Sankaran”

Yup!! It was truly amazing. Everyone, regardless of what race or colour, was partying to “Bangra” and Indian music. We were even singing along to “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”!!

Like someone on our table highlighted, “To bring all the races together……all we need is a great party with lots of booze!!!!” The booze at this club was duty free too due to some old British regulation from long ago.

That day, we all ate and drank together and did not care about what another “Malaysian buddy” was eating or drinking. We became…..Malaysia…Truly Asia!!!

That is exactly what my Indian Expat's dad saw that night.

Hopefully one day, a similar mood is created all over Malaysia for all occasions!!!

Until then…..RCS (Royal Commonwealth Society) anyone? Hehehehe!!

2008-11-02T18:18:00.000-08:00

DUH??...WHAT??....MALAYSIA'S "CHAR KUEY TEOW" POLITICS

Malaysian politics is really looking totally #@$%@#!!!!

I really just don’t get it any more and looking at the blogs, it’s become more of a joke!!

Let me just put it all in my usual format:

1. Najib is the new UMNO boss – HUH? 191 divisions say he’s the best? What? How?...uh duh…???

2. Deputy bosses – Khir Toyo? Isn’t he being investigated based on all the info the new Selangor MB has dished out?
Muhammad Muhammad Taib? Didn’t he have a million bucks in a suitcase in Australia??

3. Razak Baginda acquitted – HUH? And the motive for the cops? Duh…???

4. The REVAMPING of the NEP – huh? Does anyone know what any of the politicians are talking about on this one??

5. Helicopters? Submarines? – 1.604...huh? 1.6....Huh? MAYBE 1.7 bILLION???

6. Tomboys and YOGA – what’s next…MTV? Hey….maybe TV? Radio? Does the Taliban come to mind?? Huh?? HUH???

It’s really happening, isn’t it?

Even the foreign press has given up reporting this stuff. I guess it’s just too dumb to even logically report!!!!

Suddenly all the talk of my buddies heading off to Canada, US, Australia, etc. doesn’t sound too bad after all………

2008-10-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

JOHN LENNON - DECLASSIFIED

This was an interesting documentary on the History channel yesterday and the entire scene played out to roughly what is happening in Malaysia today to certain bloggers. Only this was in the USA and happended 30 years ago to a prominent and influential musician.

John Lennon said, " We (The Beatles) are more popular than Jesus." And the sparks began to fly!!! The FBI opened a file on him!!

He then goes on to criticize the Nixon Administration for the Vietnam War and rallies great support based on his massive fan base. The FBI files get thicker!!!

The various efforts by the goverment to shut him up are very similar to what our goverment is doing right here and now too. Even the way peaceful protest were violently broken up had uncanny resembelances to BBC and Al Jazeera footages shot in our capital city some months ago.

So, is it going to take us 30 years to get our civil rights in order too?? And until then I guess we have to just "IMAGINE"...................

2008-10-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

MY FIRST 3 STUDENTS

Andrew Chin, Alix Chan and Jan Muir. They were great!!

I was a little nervous at first. Here were 3 people trusting me with their lives....."better do it right Nanda", I kept saying to myself. As we went along, their confidence grew and their confidence in me grew as well. I taught them the PADI way and of course added the Nanda way which they loved.

As usual, decending was the first problem we encountered. How to dive if you can get underwater la????? Haiyo!!! hehehehe!! Taught them how to exhale, relax, etc.

Once that was settled, then it was all about buoyancy control. Up and Down they went...and as a good instructor....so did I. We did the PADI buoyancy exercises over and over until they got them right. As Jan said, "You really must have patience to do this, Nanda!!!". Well, my honest feeling was that there is only one way to do things.....THE RIGHT WAY!!

At the end of the course, I achieved what I wanted:

1. All 3 of them knew what it meant to have good buoyancy and how it helps divers stay off the coral. The fact that they truly appreciate it was worth all the effort.

2. They knew that safety should NEVER be overlooked. Things that they should check for themselves and buddy checks were emphasised.

3. They saw the beauty of the underwater world and all it had to offer.

4. They enjoyed the after diving chats about anything and everything!!! (And the beers too!!!)

5. They ALL want to dive more!!!

It was a great close to the Malaysian East Coast dive season and I'm looking forward to 2009 when, I guess, my scuba instructing will take off at a larger scale.

Maya will be a year old and it will be time for the whole family to become beach bums again!!!! (Mary really misses the islands too!!!!)

The beach we left behind......sigh!!

2008-10-08T18:56:00.001-07:00

INTEGRATION BASED EDUCATION

As usual, I would like to look at this from a rather "cold" context. (As otherwise, it tends to get rather heated!!) I'll leave the politics out of this one and stick to education.

Just like mixing chemicals, we can only know the outcome when we know the details of the individuals components and what makes them tick. So in a similar fashion, I would like to look at the 3 major races in Malaysia, what their likes and dislikes are, then look at common likes and dislikes with the other communities and finally, how do we put it all together and have a dynamic, progressive mix without explosions and bad reactions to move to a MALAYSIAN IDENTITY.

Hope you join me for the ride and feel free to add anything I may have overlooked. Please do NOT take this exercise as stereotyping a particular race or racial profiling but more of a "general" view and perception to better understand integration.

Let us begin with:

THE MALAYS

This is a society which is very much rooted to religion and "adat" or culture that forms their basis of everyday life. Respect is of primary important. Obedience is another strong trait. A community that has had it "easy" (You can read the "Malay Dilemma - Tun Dr M" to better understand this.) for a long long time. A community that is rather contented with what GOD and government provides and the drive to strive for more is lacking considerably.

Likes:

1. The Malay language. - The majority would consider speaking anything else among Malays as rude.2. Islamic rules/law. - Obeying the rules of the Quran/Hadith is mandatory to most.
3. Food. - HALAL it is. Large variety and the more of it, the better.
4. Socialising. - The community enjoys large occasions with song and dance, i.e. Kenduri, Open house, etc.
5. Malay humour and entertainment. - A slap-stick, 3 stooges type of humour combined with the likes of Akademi Fantasia gives rise to entertainment that's vastly different from what the rest of the world enjoys. The reason I've listed this seperately is that the other communities seem to sometimes have problems with this brand of humour and entertainment.

Dislikes:

1. Other languages. - Although this may be changing, (Can't really verify) finding Malays that speak Tamil, Chinese or any other language or dialect that helps them understand other communities is rare. (English is taught in school and is mandatory so I won't bother with that.)
2. Demanding jobs. - Only a small number of Malays are willing to push to their full potential and become high achievers.
3. Non muslim values. - Consumption of Pork and alcohol by the other communities is a primary dislike. The dog is another "islamic" issue that is disliked. Education on other religions are frown upon.
4. Obeying simple traffic laws. - Use of helmets, obeying traffic lights, etc.

THE CHINESE

This a community that throughout history has been through the worst and survived. They have weathered the most demanding rulers, torture and hardship before they got to our shores. This community stops at nothing to get what they want. Money is GOD or almost GOD in their culture. Their business sense is sharp and sometimes perceived as ruthless.

Likes:

1. Money. - This is their main driver. Enough said.

2. Education. - They strongly believe that this is the key to success. The uneducated will strive to educate the next generation.

3. Chinese culture and language. - Since they have a long history of civilisation behind them, pride of their origins run strong and deep.

4. Food. - Their food is very much a part of their culture and history. (i.e. The wedding tea-ceremony, funeral dinners, food for the ancestors and ghost, etc.)

5. Socialising. - Involves large amount of food and drink. (Of the non-halal kind.) The Kareoke culture (And the women that go with it) is also largely their thing in Malaysia although it is catching on with the rest.

6. Gambling. - Luck is also traditionally a chinese phenomenon.

Dislikes:

1. Other races. - Sad truth but a community that is so proud of who they are and what they have achieved, tend to be this way and this has been true throughout history with most strong communities.

2. Losing. - This can be physical or just the "losing face" aspect of it.

3. Unproductiveness. - Relaxing, holidays, sitting back and watching a sunset, etc, etc, all fall under this category. ("This time can be spent making more money!!" is the general sentiment.) The "Bumiputra" status is also considered here for them.

4. Social etiquette. - They can't really be bothered with talking softly, eating quietly, not making a mess at dinner, etc. (Can be quite unnerving to the non-Chinese.)

5. Obeying simple traffic laws.

THE INDIANS

This community arrived in large numbers during the British era. Mostly uneducated and unskillled labourers, brought into the country to work the plantations. Predominantly from South India, they were Tamil speaking and highly rooted to the caste systems from their homeland. Today, they are the most backward community in Malaysia in terms of economics and education. (Although they seem to be the largest "English as 1st language" speaking community.)

Likes:

1. Tamil entertainment. - Songs, movies, Sun TV, etc, etc, take a major share of their time.

2. Tamil language. - The passion for this language is sometimes mind blowing.

3. Food. - South Indian food has become part and parcel of Malaysian life.4. Religion - They are extremely passionate Hindus, Christians and muslims. But as studies have shown that the belief in religion is inversely preportionate to education, this therefore could be the reason.
5. Socialising & Drink - Vast majority of pubs, bars, etc thrive on Indian customers.

Dislikes:

1. Poverty. - They don't like being poor but find it hard to get out of this.

2. Malay "bumiputra" status. - Strong feeling of "being left behind and nobody cares". (2nd class citizen feeling.)

3. Being associated with crime. - Indian have been branded thugs and gangsters.

4. Obeying simple traffic laws.

And there you have it!!! The things in common:

1. FOOD

2. SOCIALISING

3. DISREGARD FOR TRAFFIC LAWS

We love to eat and drink and we love socialising .And we're ALL horrible drivers!!! We don't have a common language we all love to use, don't feel the same way about education, don't feel we are equal human beings and generally get along but don't really like each other for deep rooted reasons such as religious differences, social status and just a lot of history of "bad blood".

So...what do we do now?????

Well, let me give a few suggestions based on the above:

1. The Malays need to relax a little on this non-halal issue and we'll be able to enjoy a Malaysian food experience and be able to socialize as a group of Malaysians better.

2. The Chinese and Indians need to lose this "country of origin" identity and absorb the Malaysian Identity.

3. Think of GOD but please please do what is GOOD. (This includes obeying traffic laws!!!!)

4. Forget the "sensitivity" issue and ask cross cultural questions. (Why Hindus got so many gods? Why Muslims don't eat pork? Why Chinese burn massive things at funerals?? etc, etc)

5. Give and take respect. But do demand it when it fails to come.

As I've said before, this is just my innocent view on my friends around me and how we can once again become what were back in the old days.

Feel free to comment.

2008-10-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

BABY MAKES THREE

Kind of just realized that I haven’t really written much about what’s going on in my life recently. What’s it like having a 6 month old little girl? How has it changed me?

I guess I’ll need to go back in time a little. To the time when it was just Mary and me. The times when we would be heading home from work and say, “Ahh….let’s swing by to Backyard for a pint”…and like the KITT car from Knight Rider, my car would make the GPS auto correction and get us to a cold pint of GUINNESS!!! No worries about what time we get home, in fact, no real worries at all. We would sleep in on weekends and only be up in time for lunch. (Which was also conveniently provided at mummy’s in Klang!!!) We’d go out for dinner and movies, meet some friends and hang out. Hell, we even threw some really cool parties at the renowned, BALCONY of Menara Duta!!

When Maya came along, the changes that came with her were “fast and furious” to say the least. She became the center of my world and everything revolved around her. Pool?? Backyard?? Diving?? They all became a distant memory.

The initial 3 months were the toughest. As new parents, we followed the books, some parental advice, tips from friends and for most of the time, gut feeling.

My parents were with us for the first month ONLY. Yup!! After that, it was Mary all on her own with Maya until I got home from work. Now how did she handle a crying baby, making lunch, doing the laundry and cleaning the house? I REALLY DON’T KNOW…But she did a great job!!

My duties on the other hand was, get home, make dinner, clean up and take care of Maya while Mary has a shower and some much needed rest.

All sound good and fine???????....NOT!!!

Think about it…..Mary is breast feeding so she’s on call 24 – 7. She is exhausted by the time I get home and can’t wait to handover our little “bundle of joy” to me. But I’m working the whole day and am equally exhausted!!
Opps….did I say “equally”???.....hehehehehe!!! No way did Mary agree on that one!!! After many heated “discussions” and some months in re-negotiations, the breakthrough deal was done!! We had a maid come in twice a week to assist Mary.
We also had the assistance of a “life saving” baby tool known as the BABY MONITOR. (They can make huge statues of this and I’ll pray to it!!! Hehehehehe!!) Gone were the days of sitting by her bed and the constant checking if we were in another room. This device was GOOD... or you could even say GOD………

Maid, Baby monitor, baby food, baby diapers, baby stuff, etc, etc, all becomes......baby financing!!! And boy or boy did it take some financing!! 2 sentences used to scare me when Mary said them....."WE NEED TO GET..." and "WE NEED TO BUY..."

And as some people would say that a baby brings good luck, I got promoted and got a raise too!!!

Now that we had figured out our time, our help, our surveillance system and our finances, we had to only figure out one last thing.

OUR BABY!!!

Is she crying because she is:
- Hungry?
- Tired?
- Sleepy?
- Wet?
- Poo Pood? (Or full of S@#T??)
- Teething?
- Wants to play?

This guessing game is SOOOOOOO much fun…really…especially when you get it right and the reward is that the crying stops!!! Hehehehe!! But honestly, she is a great baby and in all my life, I’ve never rushed home the way I do now.
An innocent and pure smile or laughter from her can light up my darkest days.

So for the guys at the party recently who asked the question, “Dude, what’s it like being married with a kid???”

IT IS GREAT!!

2008-10-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

CRIME IN THE KLANG VALLEY

It is now at shocking levels!!!

I was at a party last week and a friend was telling us his unfortunate encounter. He was car-jacked at 2am while walking to his car after some late night supper in Klang.

The story then gets worse.

They bashed him on the head and threw him in his car and kept hitting him while they drove off. They took his IC and drove to that address. As it was his old address, they demanded to know where he lived. (Again, by bashing him heavily.) Once they identified his home, they drove him to an isolated “pondok/shed” and tied him up there and went into “breaking and entering” mode.

The remaining part of this ordeal comes from his brother, who was also at the party, who was in bed at home that fateful day.

They broke in and immediately established that any resistant will be trouble for the brother which they already had locked up in a shed somewhere. They also had “parangs/large knifes” and used this to ensure that everyone followed their plan. It was a miracle that the entire family escaped with only minor injuries but they lost 2 cars and anything of value in the house.

Now….why is crime getting to these levels in our own backyard????

1. The official police response: “Biasa/normal” occurrence!! Can you imagine????

2. The official police response: The police force is “demoralized” to do anything as the task of getting rid of criminals/gangsters in Klang was a mammoth one.

3. The gangsters are protected by corrupt politicians and a corrupt police force.

4. The corrupt judiciary or lets just say the ability to manipulate the judiciary to ensure these criminals/gangsters can get away from being prosecuted.

5 . The police force is NOT “demoralized” to conduct road block and speed traps at silly locations and for ridiculous reasons.

6. The police force is NOT “demoralized” to question bloggers for hours on end or to arrest them.

7. The media is terrified to report the truth as follows:
- Indian politician control the Indian gangsters/criminals.
- As long as the victims are also Indians, the police can’t be bothered.
- The Malaysian police force is corrupt at even the highest levels.

Where is all this heading????

Many of my buddies have left the country already. Why?

As they said, “It's better to be alive in some racist country rather than dead in this one!!!”

But like so many other TRUE DIE HARD MALAYSIANS, I am NOT gonna let the country I love go down like this.

We need to stand up and fight this!!

2008-09-22T01:24:00.000-07:00

FREEDOM WRITERS - THE MOVIE

I watched this movie last night on HBO and it was a deeply moving true story on racial intergration in the US of A.

It was about a school that was all white until 1992 and in 1994 was overrun with black kids from the getto projects, Latino kids from the ganglands, Cambodian kids and other "colored" kids. How one dedicated teacher decided to educate them and conduct actual racial intergration to the best of her ability was what this movie was about.

Getting these student to see that most problems they had were similar in nature. Getting them to see what racism and hate can do in terms of the holocaust. Getting them to unite for the betterment of all.

Her dedication has led to a foundation that today brings the idea all across America.

We Malaysians, on the other hand, have been racially intergrated for much much longer!!! My dad was in a racially intergrated school. so was I and so were all my friends!!

Yes!! Indians, Malays and Chinese kids all playing together, learning together and even eating together!!

Where are we now? 2008??

Similar to Blacks, Asians and Hispanics in America...we are EXTREMELY segregated in our schools right here in Malaysia!!! (Only difference is that our kids don't have guns to blow each others brains out!!) We are segregated at work and even in sports.

What makes our scene worst is that while the US is moving forward with racial intergration, we had it going well in the past and are heading in the wrong direction today!!

How do we stop the decline???

Well....I have my view but let's hear from you guys first!!!

But do try to catch the movie on HBO...worth your time!!

2008-09-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

TOLERANCE DURING THE FASTING MONTH

Here we are at the fasting month again.

It is a month where Muslims are to abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. It is the month where they have to be at their best behaviour.

It is a month of tolerence and restrain.

Working in a government link company, I've begun to see the entire fasting month in a new light. The greater tolerance and restrain seems to be coming from the non-Muslims!!

What do I mean?? Well, let me explain in my usual point form:

1. Tolerance to terrible driving and jams.

- Muslims rushing home for "buka puasa" seem to disregard yellow boxes, traffic lights, signals, right of way, speed limits, etc but the non-Muslims seem to patiently let it be.

2. Tolerance to lower work rate and output.

- The non-Muslims again show tolerance and actually take on additional work.

3. Tolerance to eating habits.

- The non-muslims refrain from eating in front of their friends, refrain from a cup of coffee during meetings, drink coffee in their cubicles, etc. Even our office "tea lady" stops making tea and coffee and this is tolerated by the non-Muslims too.

4. Tolerance to change in meetings and schedules.

- The non-muslims are suddenly in meetings that go on through lunch hour.
- Urgent meetings and decisions cannot be made after 4 pm.....why? The muslims have been given an hour off early to avoid jams. (Refer to 1)

5. Tolerance to all social and fun activity involving Muslims being cancelled.

- Meetings that get suddenly cancelled, sports activities get cancelled, etc.

I just found it amazing that the tolerance levels of non-muslims here in Malaysia was so high!!

Keep it up guys and gals.....at least the fasting month has lent itself to being beneficial in making us non-Muslims better individuals in terms of tolerance, patience and caring about others.

2008-08-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

MY FERRY RIDE FROM TIOMAN

This was the scene on my ride back from Tioman Island to Mersing using the Bluewater ferry.

The "additional seating arrangements" were again out in full force in the form of red plastic chairs all along the aisles.

There was also convenient "standing space" provided for foreign tourist too!!!

I screamed at the operator only to get a blank stare in return.

In honesty, the trip started out well as we were about to pull out of the jetty at Salang at 10am, an enforcement officer actually explained to passengers that the ferry was at its maximum capacity and they had to disembark. He told them to get on the 11am ferry arriving an hour later. The pasenggers did complain but understanding that it was for everyones safety, they complied.

All good and fine and we departed for Mersing. (Leaving the enforcement officer behind at Salang Jetty.) The next stop....Tekek Jetty...without the enforcement officer......

I bet you can guess what happens next and let just leave it as "A photo speak a thousand words".

It truely left me feeling disgusted. Families were boarding with little children and knowing very well that the ferry was full, the operator just picked up and handed out the plastic stools without a care in the world!!

I wanted to scream, " IF THIS FERRY SINKS, YOUR KIDS WILL SURELY DIE LAAAAA!!!!"

The question that is always playing on my mind is, "Who's at fault???"

Is it the operator trying to maximize returns????

Or is the passengers who are willing to risk it rather than wait for the next ferry????

2008-08-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

What it means to stay

With all that has been happening in our Local Malaysian Political scene, a friend of mine has decided to migrate to Canada. Some of my buddies have left for the U.K, some for Australia and some to various other parts of the world where life is "so called" better.

As for me, I worked all over the world for 12 years. Sailed around the world 7 times. Worked in America, Europe, Africa, Australia, the Middle East and Asia. I've been to some of the most remote locations in the world while working as an engineer on those massive crude oil tankers.

So..what has all those places shown me????? How have all those people I've met touched my heart and my soul???

They had shown me that the world is a very small place. Problems? It's the same all over.

Money and Love

Yup...even religion, war, politics, scandals, etc, etc, all come down to these 2 simple problems.

So as for me, all I looked at was where in the world can I have these 2 elements in my life in a proper balance.

LOVE - from my wife, daughter, family and friends in MALAYSIA.
LOVE - from the variety of food in MALAYSIA.
LOVE - from the variety of pubs and bars in MALAYSIA. (Hehehehe!!)
LOVE - from the peacefulness of never ever having heard the sound on a bomb, gunshots, air raid, etc in MALAYSIA.
LOVE - from the beautiful beaches and dive locations in MALAYSIA.

MONEY - from my job in MISC Berhad that pays the bills.

So yes, for me, Malaysia still provides all that is important to me.

So as some of my buddies have said, "Malaysia is great......we just want to make it even greater!!!"

And I'm all set for that fight!!!

2008-08-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

A small step to the train station, a large step to a greater nation

It was a joy this morning to see the headlines of the Sun. Instead of the usual squabbles between political parties, the police, the judiciary and so on, we see our very own PM making a change.
Yes, I’m sure some skeptics will say it’s to do with the by-election or something along those lines but I don’t care. When someone does something good for the benefit of others, it should be applauded.
I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him to do what he did (Even I’m afraid of taking the train during rush hour!!) but this is exactly what the people want from our respected, elected representatives in the government. Solving our “everyday” problems by experiencing them first hand.
It would be great if he could also take a bus ride around the city, an express bus ride to other states, Commuter rides on our electric trains and some ferry rides to our islands too. He will then see the deplorable levels of service, timeliness, safety, efficiency and care provided by these services to the common taxpaying citizen.
Hopefully the small step that he has taken will be mirrored by other leaders in our community.

***Sent this to the Sun earlier this morning too!! Hehehehe!!

2008-08-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

FULLY CERTIFIED SCUBA INSTRUCTOR

Yup!! I finally decided to go all the way and over a hectic weekend in Tioman, became a fully certified PADI scuba instructor.

It was great to be on the island (My maxis phone didn't work so it was sooooooo relaxing!!!) and away from my office environment. It was great to be away from all the politics, newspapers, blogs, etc.

So all of you interesting in taking the plunge into the deep blue......let me know.

The "Friends & Family" discount will apply!! hahahahaha!!!

2008-08-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

MY TAKE ON CURRENT MALAYSIAN POLITICS

I feel it is best to put it into the way I normally sum up my engineering stuff, so...here goes:

BN

Pros:

1. Been in power for 50 years. Know how to run a multi racial country.
2. Brought considerable development as compared to many other Asian countries.
3. Excellent medical policy for the public than very few other nations can compare with. (Malaysian pay RM 1 for medical treatment, foreign workers pay RM 5. No insurance policy requiments, etc as in most other countries)
4. Maintaining English as mainstream media since independance (Not translated to Thai or Bahasa Indonesia) has made Malaysians marketable worldwide and made the world open to Malaysians.
5. Made BM the national language that everyone (Indian, Chinese and Malay Malaysian) speaks well. (Not the "divide the population by language" policy adopted in Singapore) Gave the non-Malays an additional capability of speaking at lease 3 languages well.

Cons:

1. Deciding to use racial based politics. (UMNO, MCA & MIC)
2. Deciding to continue with race based politics for 50 years.
3. Rampant abuse of power. (You can put all contract awards/Tenders/NEP/PETRONAS/ETC all under this.)
4. Rampant corruption. (This covers our Police Force and Judiciary)
5. Control over the media with limited free speech.
6. ISA used as a tool to silence opposition or unfavourable responses.

CONS WIN 6 - 5

PAKATAN

Pros:

1. Change from race based politics.
2. Promises to eradicate poverty regardless of race.
3. Promises to eradicate corruption and abuse of power.
4. Promise to re-instill trust and commitment of our Judiciary and Police Force.
3. Has shown promise in Penang, Perak and Selangor so far.
4. Dynamic leaders. (Anuar, Karpal, etc)
5. More educated leaders.
6. Well planned agendas.
7. Seem to have large support base and growing.

Cons:

1. No proven long term track record. (Mostly promises)
2. Dynamics leaders may have hidden agendas.
3. Weaker coalition with party members. (Keadilan, PAS and DAP have very different ideolody.)

PROS WIN 7 - 3

I GUESS, JUST AS WITH AN ENGINEERING SOLUTION, THE QUANTITY, QUALITY & FREQUENCY OF THE ABOVE POINTS WOULD HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED PRIOR TO DECIDING BUT I HOPE THE SUMMING UP HELPED THOSE WHO WERE A LITTLE CONFUSED WITH THE LOADS OF COMMENTS, VIEWS AND WRITE-UPS THAT WE HAVE BEEN BOMBARDED WITH!!

2008-08-04T18:32:00.000-07:00

THE TIME WE SPEND ON THIS PLANET

As I watch the battle between McCain and Obama, Pak Lah and Anwar, North and South Korea, Hindus and Muslims, Christians and Jews, etc, etc, it really makes me wonder what the end game is.

We seem to be caught up in these games and spend large amounts of energy, time and money either talking about it, blogging about it and some even spending large amounts of time and money praying about it. (My view on the prayer part is, of course, as my earlier post!!)

If that's not enough, we seem to spend a large amount of time, money and effort on entertainment!!!

Yes....Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal, even Southampton,etc, etc, is just that!!

So is WHATEVER music, TV or movies that we watch and listen to!!!

I do agree that we need to spend time to vote, to make a contribution to our democratic system of government , to relax after a hard day's work but how much time do we spend helping people that need help???

How much time, money and effort do we put into helping those that need immediate help??? Like homes for the underprivileged, orphanages, really poor people.

How much time, money and effort do we put into saving our environment? Endangered animals?

Which is more important, getting my rich buddies to vote or getting them to help others?????

Rather than making any judgement on our politicians, systems, etc, I rather spend my time, money and efforts on making a difference MYSELF!!

I'll of course help some of my "politically inclined" buddies but I'd rather spend my time on this planet helping others!!!

Anyone interested in doing this, let me know and I'll show you guys how you can change the planet and like Michael Jackson said, " Make it a better place, for you and for me and the entire human race". (AND THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SMALL CHILDREN!!!!! HEHEHEHE!!)

2008-07-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

My take on religion

To eat or not to eat…beef, pork, fish, etc, etc…..Religion and their mysteries….

I read a book given to me by my dad called “How the great religions began” by Joseph Gaer and it pretty much summed it all up for me.

We (Man) first began to pray to the sun. When we discovered that it rose everyday, we stopped.
We then prayed to the moon and stars. That soon stopped as well.
Next came the rain, wind, clouds, trees, mountains, fire, water, etc, etc. When praying to the rain god couldn’t bring rain during the draught, when it couldn't stop the rain during the monsoon, we got creative again.
“There must be a supreme, unseen, all knowing, all powerful god” Out there somewhere. Surprisingly, this concept appeared at about the same time all over the world. The changes occurred in civilizations where the poor and weak were being oppressed and seem to always have one key person making the change. So, are we going to consider Richard Dawkins (The leading atheist) and Barack Obama (The man of “Change”) in similar light?
I believe that Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, all the swamis, etc, etc, were teaching people around them to be good. I learnt from their words and deeds, used my intelligence and let logic do the rest. Organized sectarian religions (Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Taoism) although having initially good lessons, just seem today, to have a greater disruptive potential rather that anything else.

As my topic suggested, this is MY take on it and I think the entire “One God” concept is just plain weak.
Books like “The GOD Delusion” by Richard Dawkins and “In GOD we doubt” by John Humprey further drove the point home. My Mainland Chinese friends and colleagues during my sailing days also helped me understand the “No religion” concept.
I haven’t prayed in years and so far, my up’s and down’s in life have been pretty much the same as the last 30 years of my “believing” years.
“Shit happens”……yup…and life goes on. “Good stuff happens”…yup…life goes on too.
An old friend once told me, “Nanda, do you know what the difference is, between you and me?”……”You believe in GOOD and I believe in GOD”

Well, I’ll take GOOD over GOD anytime. But for those who still believe in the One God concept, by all means, carry on if it makes you happy.

So, whether you eat beef or pork, drink alcohol or don’t, smoke weed, fornicate like rabbits, listen to “Death Metal”, are gay or bi, go to church or temple….. you’ll be my friend if:

1. You are sincere and trustworthy.
2. You don’t lie or cheat.
3. You care about the things and people around you.
4. You’re polite.
5. Respect your elders.
6. Respect the views and opinions of others.

Generally, just be nice and life as a human being on this crazy planet is easier to handle!!

2008-07-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

A third of the world's reef-building coral species are facing extinction.

This is from the most recent BBC report:

That is the stark conclusion from the first global study to assess the extinction risks of corals.
Writing in the journal Science, researchers say climate change, coastal development, overfishing, and pollution are the major threats.
The economic value of the world's reefs has been estimated at over $30bn (£15bn) per year, through tourism, fisheries and coastal protection.
"The picture is frightening," said Alex Rogers from the Zoological Society of London, one of 39 scientists involved in the assessment.
"It's not just the fact that something like a third of all reef-forming corals are threatened, but that we could be facing the loss of large areas of these ecosystems within 50 to 100 years.
"The implications of that are absolutely staggering - not only for biodiversity, but also for economics."
The analysis shows that reef-building corals are more threatened than any group of land-dwelling animals except amphibians.

'Incredible' destruction

The most dramatic decline in recent years was caused by the 1997/8 El Nino event, which caused waters to warm across large swathes of the tropics.

CORAL - KEY FINDINGS
Known species of reef-building coral: 845
Enough data to assess 704
Critically endangered: 5
Endangered: 25
Vulnerable: 201
Near threatened: 176
Least concern: 297

When water temperatures rise, coral polyps - tiny animals that build the reefs - expel the algae that usually live with them in a symbiotic relationship.
The corals lose their colour, with reefs taking on a bleached appearance, and begin to die off because the algae are not there to provide nutrients.
The new analysis shows that before 1998, only 13 of the 704 coral species assessed would have been classified as threatened. Now, the number is 231.
"It was a devastating event in terms of the destruction of corals, with 16% of reefs irreversibly destroyed - an incredible amount," said Kent Carpenter from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, in the US.
"The big problem is that if these bleaching events become more frequent as temperatures rise, as we suspect will happen, then we will see whole tracts of coral wiped out."

Adding to this, scientists have come to realise in recent years, is ocean acidification. The water absorbs some of the atmosphere's extra carbon dioxide, making it slightly more acid, enough to compromise the capacity of corals to build their skeletons, and snails to build their shells.
"We know that high sea surface temperatures are bad for coral, but we also have an idea that some might be able to adapt," said Professor Carpenter.
"But ocean acidification is a much more insidious thing. We don't know how bad it will be, but the evidence suggests it will be absolutely devastating, perhaps on the order of decades, perhaps on the order of years."

Complex web

But carbon dioxide is not the only culprit.
Overfishing in many regions - especially the use of dynamite to fish in East Asia and heavy trawls that reduce reefs to rubble - the excavation of building materials from reefs, coastal development, invasive species and pollution are all fingered in the new analysis.
The Caribbean shows how the threat jigsaw fits together.
Coastal development and farming produce effluent, which stimulates the growth of types of algae that smother growing coral.
Meanwhile, fishermen are catching fish that would usually graze on these algae.
In this stressed condition, coral then fall prey more easily to disease, such as white-band disease which has swept through elkhorn and staghorn corals in the region.
The line taken by many scientists and campaigners is that these problems should be easier to tackle than the rising tide of greenhouse gas emissions; so this is where attention should be concentrated.
Along Australia's Great Barrier Reef, protected areas have been established in the sea, and the use of fertilisers controlled on land to reduce pollution.
Recent research there has also shown that algae-munching fish can clean up smothered coral.
But there is another view; that these measures can only reduce and delay the inevitable impacts of rising greenhouse gas emissions.

The political response to climate change, said Alex Rogers, could be likened to "fiddling while Rome burns".
"Could you imagine if a single event wiped out 16% of the Amazon forest, or 16% of ecosystems in the UK?" he asked.
"I don't think politicians and the public are aware of the gravity of the situation we're in regarding coral reefs and other marine ecosystems."

Beyond value?

About one quarter of marine species are believed to depend on coral at some stage of their development. Many fish live their entire lives on reefs, while others use them as nurseries; presumably if the coral dies out, so do the fish.
The economic impact of losing coral is also significant.
Estimating the monetary value of natural ecosystems is far from being an exact science.
But one assessment published two years ago by the UN Environment Programme (Unep) concludes reefs provide services worth on average between $100,000 and $600,000 (£50,000 and £300,000) per square kilometre each year.
That gives a total global value between $30bn and $180bn (£15bn and £90bn) annually. In some regions, such as Sri Lanka, the value has been estimated to be 10 times the global average.
The same assessment concluded that protecting areas of reef costs about 0.2% of the value they bring.
The new assessment forms one element of a major project to measure threats to ocean ecosystems, the Global Marine Species Assessment, a joint initiative of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Conservation International (CI).
It will form part of the new IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, due to be published in October.
The IUCN's director general, Julia Marton-Lefevre, said world leaders faced a stark choice.
"We either reduce our CO2 emissions now, or many corals will be lost forever."

2008-07-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

Malaysians and the cry for a decent salary

The Sun carried an interesting article on their front page today. It was about a Malaysian born, world authority in keyhole surgery in children, paediatric surgeon, Prof. Dr. Tan Hock Lim and his "so called" eyebrow raising salary of RM 168,000 a month!! (USD 52,000)

In other articles recently, we Malaysians lamented that the minimum wage should be raised to RM 1,500 from the current RM 600-700 range.

So...are our salaries too high or too low????

I work in the Oil & Gas industry and find an amusing yet prevailing Malaysian mindset in our senior management that prevents them from paying capable Malaysians a decent wage.

We seem to be willing to pay consultants, expatriates, foreign contractors, etc. millions of dollars but find it sooooooo difficult when it come to our own local talent.

I have expats working with me, getting paid USD 1,200 per day as project managers. (USD 36,000 a month)

So back to Prof. Dr. Tan.......

How much do we expect to pay a " Malaysian born, world authority in keyhole surgery in children" la???? RM 10,000......RM 20,000.......PLEEEASE LA........

I received similar responses when I came home to work from working abroad for over 10 years. "Wah...we cannot match your USD salary la....." was the standard response.

When are we gonna understand that we have good Malaysian workers who would love to be back working in Malaysia??? Actually....we do..........but they work for Shell or some other multinationals!!!

Another good example was my cousin, who is Malaysian, and was recently made an offer to return to Malaysia (He's currently based in Dubai) and work for the national airline. Salary in RM. (Pretty low)
He insisted that since he has been trained overseas and has been working with international airlines all over the world, he should be paid international standard USD wages.
Their response was the killer............"You give up your Malaysian passport la....get another country passport and then we can pay you the expat salary package!!!!!"

So the bottom line is.......FOR THE SAME JOB IN MALAYSIA, AN EXPAT WILL BE BETTER PAID!!!! .......Sick isn't it???

And this is after 50 years of independence!!!

Prof. Dr. Tan should just get an "Aussie" passport!!! Hell...any "Mat Salleh" passport!!

2008-07-01T23:56:00.000-07:00

SODOMY

O.k....that's the charge againts our ex-deputy PM Anuar.......AGAIN.

Now I really was not sure what this was about so decided to get some proper info. Below is the actual legal "stuff"....

Statute: Section 377 of the Malaysian Penal Code: Unnatural Offences
Penalty: 20 years/caning and fine
Restrictions: None

Unnatural Offences 377. Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20 years and shall also be liable to fine or whipping.
Section 377a. Outrages on decency. Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years."
Explanation - Penetration is sufficient to constitute the carnal intercourse necessary to the offence described in this section.

Now my question is......If you were sodomised, and your @#$ hurt, wouldn't you report it ASAP?

I mean, if my boss did something like that when we went on a business trip, etc.......hell......wait a minute......how does it even get there la???

I can imagine if my boss says, "so how tonite???" (Seeing that my boss is a 50 year old Punjabi guy....hmmm...he might!!)

....My reaction....."@#$@ OFF You freak!!!!!" AAARRGHHH!!!!

Right???

So then, what's with this guy?????? He was o.k. with it...........for a while????

Then he woke up one day and felt "Dirty" ????? Then decided to make a police report????

Wouldn't it be better to say, "Hey Anuar.....give me some $$$$$ or I'm gonna tell the press how you made me scream your name last night while you @#$%@# me up the #$#!!!!! I also have the videos.......which I'll put on YouTube.......in 2 parts, of course..."

On the other hand.....what if Anuar says....."Hey....he actually made me scream his name la......"

Does that mean the charges are on the other guy????

Pretty hilarious, isn't it???

Let me know what's your take on it guys!!!!

2008-06-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

Oil companies back in Iraq

The true reason behind the invasion has finally arrived!!!

The big boys are in.

After billions of dollars spent, lives lost, homes destroyed and property in shambles, the "liberation" is complete.

The US have control over the Iraqi oil fields.

What better time to do it too....when the price is USD 140++ a barrel.

The 4 companies above are now signing contracts with the Iraqi goverment which will give them control for years to come.

"Money is the route to all evil" was an old saying but we are now taking it to levels that may even scare the Devil himself!!

Obama is screaming for change, Anuar is screaming for change, Al Gore is screaming for change.

Osama is also screaming for change.

What do we change into? Lets look at that....

Jesus said, " Love everyone the way I love you."....we surely don't!!!

Jesus said, " Thou shall not lie."....Hahahaha...that's a laugh with the amount of lawyers out there.

Mohammed asked all muslims to give a percentage of the income to the poor. To our friendly politicians, this means their "taxable" income.

The Hindus and Buddist don't believe in material wealth......yeah..right!!!

So....back to the hippies 70's question....Is GOD dead??

I'll let you guys ponder on that age old question while you keep one eye on CNN and BBC......

2008-06-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

The death of humanity

As I keep one eye on the news and one eye on the things happening around me, I feel a shiver....

We talk of rising fuel cost and how we are "suffering". Yet we have a roof over our head, meals on our tables, electricity and water like "magic" as we hit buttons on the walls.

While trying hard to save the turtles, sharks and other indangered species, it made me think of one species that may really need help too!!

OURS!

What have we, as a society, done for the victims of the Tsunami? Hurricane Katrina? Earthquakes and floods in india and China? Starving kids in the middle east and Africa?

They collected donations from large nations that amounted to what????...a few million dollars???

Yet we spend billions in sports and entertainment. Billions on space exploration and weapons programmes.

It's scary to watch MTV or other stuff that have the richest people in the world "throwing" money on luxury homes and yatchs while half of the world have there homes destroyed by wars and adverse weather.

For me, it has become so easy to switch channels and watch football once the CNN coverage of earthquakes and its victims becomes too sad to view.

If I don't see it, it didn't happen? Is this what I'm doing?? I don't know.

With a family, a house, a car and bills to pay, I still owe more than I own. Is this just what I say to convince myself that I'm a victim too??? So I don't need to help??? Do I reduce a couple of pints? Do I buy a cheaper carpet? car?

Or wait for the richest people of the planet to do something? Bono? I don't know..

If we look deep inside ourselves, I'm sure we all wanna help.

How, ...is the question......

2008-06-09T00:46:00.000-07:00

SAY NO TO SHARK FINS!!!!!

The above photo shows a whale shark, the largest fish in the sea. A gentle giant that eats plankton and krill. (A small sea organism.)

To see it gracefully moving through the water was a sight I'll treasure for the rest of my life. The photo is from my own collection.

The leopard shark above is another harmless creature that is rarely sighted in Malaysian waters. (Don't even ask about the earlier whale shark.) I took this photo off the Similan Islands in Thailand.

I'm sorry I don't have any photos of the white tip or black tip sharks.

Why???

Those fishes are so terrified of humans that the very moment their senses detect a diver/human, they're gone!!

It's these smaller sharks that fall prey to "sick" individuals still killing them for their fins.

This a link for those who have a heart : http://www.savingsharks.com/

Hopefully you'll also find the facts below worth considering:

Sharks have been around for more than 400 million years
There are 375 shark species
Sharks are intelligent and can be trained
100 million sharks are killed each year for their fins
The largest shark is the Whale shark, averaging 9 metres (30 feet) in length—the size of a large bus
Whale sharks are not aggressive. They eat zooplankton, small fish and squid
When a shark loses a tooth, a new one grows in its place
Mako and Blue sharks are the fastest swimming sharks
Sharks can take hours or even days to die after being finned
Sharks are a critical part of marine ecosystems

So please don't support the consumption of this "sick" soup of cruelty.

2008-06-02T01:14:00.000-07:00

BIRYANI

This, I feel this has to accompany the last 2 recipes, right?? and if you're wondering how I'm generating these recipes so quickly, I actually have a little folder with "originally" written recipes that I'm now transfering to this blog!! (No cut and paste or downloading from the internet!!! All recipes are my mum's!!!)

This is just the recipe for the rice....without any meat in it. Serve this with the Rendang and Tomato Chutney and you'll see what a Malaysian Biryani experience is about. (German cloudy beer helps too!!!)

So here goes...

INGREDIENTS:

4 large onions sliced thin
4 cloves of garlic
2" ginger
1/2 cup almonds
6 tbsps ghee
1" stick of cinnamon
5 cloves
3 pods cardamom
8 peppercorns
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 cup yoghurt
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsps finely chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsps finely chopped mint leaves
1/4 cup roasted almonds
1/4 cup raisins
Salt to taste
2 cups Basmati rice

Method:

1. Blend almonds, garlic and ginger.
2. Heat the Ghee in a pan and add the whole spices - cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns.
3. Fry the spices and 2 onions till your kitchen smells like little India!!
4. Add the ginger-garlic-almond paste and spice powders and fry for another 2-3 minutes. (By now...you'll also smell like an Indian cook!! )
5. Now add the rice (wash the rice first la....) and stir for a minute or two.
6. Kill the fire!! (Yup!! Switch the heat off!! and if you're hot and sweating, now's the best time to grab that German beer!! hehehehe!!)
7. Dump all the stuff from your pan into a rice cooker.
8. Add the yogurt and lime juice and water to cover the rice by about an inch or two. (depending on your rice cooker.)
9. Add salt to taste.
10. Let the whole thing cook as you would with normal rice.
11. As a garnish, add fried onions (Remaining from the initial 4 that you had chopped earlier) , finely chopped coriander and mint leaves, roasted almonds and raisins before serving.

2008-06-02T00:59:00.000-07:00

Tomato chutney

Now this is an original recipe from my mum. It's really nice to serve with Biryani rice and rendang/curry/kurma as a side "dip" kind of thinggi.

Ingredients:

6 large ripe tomatoes

2'' young ginger (shredded into fine strips)

50g raisins

2 teaspoons of chilli powder

1 cinnamon stick

2-3 cloves

1 star anis

2 tablespoon of brown sugar

3 tablespoon of butter/ghee
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Boil the tomatoes (halved) in water for 10 minutes. Then remove the skin. Leave to cool.

2. Using a large frying pan, heat butter/ghee.

3. Once hot, fry the cinnamon stick, cloves, star anis, ginger and raisins.
4. Reduce to low heat and add the chilli powder and stir well. Add a little water (if required) to prevent chilli powder from burning.

5. This should start smelling great!!

6. Add the tomatoes.

7. Stir this whole mix well.

8. Add the sugar and salt.

9. Still on low heat, keep stirring until mixture thickens to a paste like consistency.
10. Remove and serve once cool.

The amount of sugar and chilli can be varied to create your own taste.

2008-06-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

CORRUPTION INDEX

Since I mentioned press freedom, might as well look at the corruption index too, right?

It's interesting to see how Malaysia stacks up here!! Singapore is way up there but was really low on the press freedom index so I don't really think I'd like adopting their system very much.

What is really nice to see is that the Scandinavian countries seem to be up there on both counts. (And so is Ireland!!) I'll find out more on how they do things and will post that soon.

Until then........make your own judgement on the list below:

The ranking list (Again summarized to the relevant & interesting countries.)

1 Denmark, Finland, New Zealand
4 Singapore - This is where they differ greatly from the Taliban!!!
5 Sweden
6 Iceland
7 Netherlands, Switzerland
11 Australia
12 United Kingdom
14 Hong Kong
17 Ireland - and here is Ireland again!!
18 Japan
20 USA
32 Qatar - the top middle eastern country.
34 Taiwan
34 United Arab Emirates
43 Malaysia - Good to see we're not too bad here.
72 China, India
84 Thailand
94 Sri Lanka
123 Viet Nam
131 Iran, Nepal, Philippines
138 Pakistan
143 Indonesia, Russia
162 Bangladesh
172 Afghanistan
178 Iraq
179 Myanmar

2008-06-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Lately Malaysian journalist, writers and blogger have been asking the goverment to change laws that have been suppressing freedom of the press and media for ages.

I decided to check how we rank as compared with other countries on the Press Freedom Index 2007. The whole list is pretty extensive so I've just listed the countries that have some relevance...

The ranking list

The top ten

1 Iceland, Norway
3 Estonia, Slovakia
5 Belgium, Finland, Sweden
8 Denmark, Ireland, Portugal

Yup!! Ireland is in the top 10!!

24 United Kingdom
28 Australia
32 Taiwan - Seems to be the highest asian country.
37 Japan
48 United States of America - Hmmm.....They don't rank too high, do they?
61 Hong-Kong
63 Kuwait - The highest middle eastern country.
65 United Arab Emirates
91 Angola
98 Lebanon

Where Malaysia la......coming soon...hopefully...

100 Indonesia - Hey....at least they made the top 100!!
103 Israel (extra-territorial)
120 India - O.k. la...

AHHHH... here we are...

124 Malaysia

Then come reporting with the likes of BORAT....hehehehe..

125 Kazakhstan
128 Philippines
134 Bangladesh
135 Thailand - Our closest neighbour....

What about the other neighbour...singapore???? Hmmm....

137 Nepal - I think the Chinese have something to do with this!!
141 Singapore - Howdy neighbour!!
142 Afghanistan - Good to know that the S'pore media is as controlled as the Taliban!!!
144 Russia
148 Saudi Arabia
152 Pakistan
156 Sri Lanka - I'm sure this is the work of the Tamil Tigers!!
157 Iraq
158 Palestinian Territories
162 Vietnam
163 China
164 Burma
166 Iran
168 North Korea

Please go to www.reach.com.my/memo to endorse the memorandum for free press in Malaysia!!

Hope to hear comments on any of the countries listed. Especially on how Ireland is in the top ten!!

2008-05-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

Chicken Rendang Recipe

Since I did mention that I'm into cooking, well....this is my rendang recipe that was even tested in Ireland!!!

Ingredients:

1 Chicken

3 large red onions

5 cloves of garlic

1-2'' young ginger

4 sticks of lemon grass

handful of dried chillies (WARNING!!! Hehehe!!)

1 cinnamon stick

5-6 cloves

1-2 star anis

1 coconut (milk)

1 cup of grated coconut

1/2 cup of Soya oil

Method:

1. Soak the dried chillies in some warm water for 10 minutes. Then blend it.

2. Blend the onions, ginger, garlic and lemon grass and add to the chillies.

3. Fry the grated coconut (without oil) under a low flame until golden brown. Keep this aside.

4. Now.....we start putting it all together.

5. Fry the cinnamon stick, cloves and star anis in about 1/2 cup of soya oil. (It may look a bit too much but you can remove it at the end if it 's too much but if it's to little, your dish is @#$%ed and won't taste good)

6. Add the blended stuff. (Chillies, Onions, etc)

7. Fry until your whole kitchen smell like a food stall. (Kind of an indicator)

8. Throw in the chicken and stir well.

9. Pour in the coconut milk and add water (If required) to fully cover chicken. Add salt to taste.

10. Mix well, and let it cook under medium heat. (May take bout an hour to reduce)

11. When the whole dish starts to thicken, you have to keep stirring. (Otherwise the chicken would tend to stick to the pot. But do this carefully to avoid breaking the chicken up to small pieces)

12. When it looks almost dry, bring it down to low heat and add the grated coconut. Stir for about a minute.

13. TADA!! You have chicken rendang.

14. Serve when it cools down a little with a ice cold beer. (Taste better!! hahaha!!!)

Hope my make-shift recipe works!! Good luck!!

2008-05-26T02:05:00.000-07:00

The cruelty of sucking gallbladder juice (bile) from live bears in China

My trip to Vietnam last week was tainted by dinner at a Vietnamese "Forest" restaurant which served the above item.

I can't even stomach to write about this so I'll let the article below elaborate why it needs to stop!!

World Journal, Wednesday, April 15, 1998(By Youn Show Lee; translated by Vicky Ho Lynn from the Chinese)

"The cruelty of sucking gallbladder juice from live bears in China"A few months ago while on a business trip, I had a chance to visit Angel Bridge at the foot of Long Day Mountain in China. At that time, we also went to explore a large bear farm which is surrounded by forest and beautiful scenery --- it is truly an isolated paradise. All of sudden I saw about fifteen large cages with bears in them. The farm owner told me this is a gallbladder farm, the purpose of which is to continuously extract fluid from the bears' gallbladders. Because of the high demand, it is an extremely profitable business.

When we arrived at the farm, the bears and the caretaker seemed to be getting along very well, all was calm.

Suddenly four huge men showed up and the bears suddenly started screaming fearfully and rocking their cages hard as if they saw a ghost. The caretaker told me every morning at eight o'clock liquid is drawn from their gallbladders. Around seven-forty-five, the bears become agitated and have no appetite to eat and they start screaming and crying desperately for help.In white uniforms, and without any emotion on their faces, the four men went into one of the cages. They quickly used a steel wire to snatch the bear by the neck, at which point the bear's eyes bulged out and it started gnashing its teeth and crying. They are so scared to death and this trauma causes them to defecate at the same time.In the bear's stomach, there is a hole with a steel tube inserted directly into the gallbladder. Outside the area there is a plastic tube connected to the steel tube for drawing the liquid. The area is covered tightly with surgical tape. When the time comes, the tape and cover are removed and a syringe is used to withdraw the green liquid from the gallbladder. Three big men went in and pressed bear's 4 legs with force and inserted a syringe into plastic tube. When the dark green gallbladder juice was sucked from bear's body, the poor bear opened her mouth so big, her two eyes were bulging and her entire body was trembling so hard throughout the whole procedure.This kind of severe torturing went on for about two hours until all the bears had been subjected to the same torture. The crying and screaming was so hard and loud and echoed the entire mountain and valley. It frightened me so much, my heart ached and my head started spinning.After this unthinkable torture, the bears used their paws to hold their stomachs. They curled up and shivered and I could see tears in their bright little eyes...

Around 10:30, someone cried out that there had been an accident in cage number 5. We followed the owner to rush into the bear farm and were shocked at what we saw. A brown bear had managed to pull out his own intestines and was holding them up in the air, roaring and screaming, as if he were madly "protesting" the cruelty and insanity of the humans. There was blood all over the cage. It was so difficult to watch such a suicidal scene. Never in my life had I been in such shock or so devastated. At that time, someone rang the security alarm, immediately people rushed into the bear farm and waving the sharp ax and big steel hook. The owner shouted :"Hurry to 'rescue' the bear paws!" The man in the cage was reluctant to continue to go forward. But the owner stamped his feet and kept yelling: "You have to cut them off while the bear is alive. That is the only way they are saleable!" Right after that, I saw the sharp ax swung and the number 5 bear's paws were immediately chopped off with blood gushing out.....Perhaps the killing smell filled in the cage number 5. The other bears then suddenly started to cry and scream sadly and desperately again and had the tendency to be violent. It shook the whole island. The farm owner had a butcher background.

When the bears appeared ready to act violently and workers were panicking and running away, the owner stopped them and ordered them to put "steel jackets" on five of the most aggressive bears and give them a shot of morphine. As soon as the bears saw the "steel jackets", they immediately became quiet. It seemed the bears all got the painful lessons from the "steel jackets", otherwise they would not calm down so quickly.

This whole unbelievable incident affected me so deeply that their sad and innocent faces haunted me day and night and will continue to haunt me until the day I die. I felt a strong need to expose this incident to the world.

Please widely distribute this true story and hope that everyone who reads this will do something to stop this kind of insanity from Chinese bear farms and to help these desperate poor creatures. Definitely, the Chinese Animals protection law needs to be improved, urgently.

Reference: Vicky Ho Lynn, founder of "Asians for Humans, Animals & Nature(AHAN)".

email address: AHAN@worldnet.att.netTel: 415-379-9937 , Fax: 415-379-9938Address: 3739 Balboa Street, Suite 228San Francisco, CA 94121 U.S.A.

2008-05-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

SPEEDING TICKET

This happened to me a couple of weeks ago and I'm sure has happened to many of you too.

I was driving along the road/highway leading to Desa sri Hartamas and was stopped by a huge 6 team police road block and pulled over.

"FOR WHAT???", I screamed at the cops.

"Speeding, Sir. You were doing 94km/hr in an 80 zone.", was the response from the good officer.

Firstly, why they had an 80km/hr speed limit on a 4 lane, almost accident free, section of the highway was a mystery. (But that's something else la...)

Now, the officer steps up to me, repeats a "question" twice, "I will have to issue a summon for this, what do we do now?"

What was running through my head was...... the sicko bus & lorry drivers paying these guys off, unjust detention of friends like Premo, better things for 6 cops to do.....what the opposition are fighting for.....corruption free goverment.........AAARRGGHHH..... I snapped!!!

Yup!! I screamed at the officer!! "Why the hell you asking me what to do???? You 're the one that said I was speeding .......if you have to fine me...then do it la!!!!"

Well, I went away with a RM 300 fine when a 50 bribe would have done the trick.

BUT THIS TIME I COULD NOT DO IT COS IT MADE ME SICK!!!

I really felt the, "If the giving stops, the asking will." kind of thing!!!

Now I really want to report the whole thing and stop this nonsensical road-blocks at "pocket money" spots the cops set up.

Would also like to reduce that summon though.....hehehe!!

2008-05-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

DUBAI, UAE

Well, it was a hot week in Dubai and even hotter onboard the vessel I had to inspect in the Dry-dock. But I'll have to say, Dubai is impressive.

The architecture is breathtaking to say the least. Magnificient hotels, towers and malls. (As you can see from the Burj Al arab and the Burj Dubai above.)

But who actually does all the work in dubai?? Who operates all these amazing spots and maintains them??

It's these guys.....

A couple of million of these indian workers.

These guys in Dubai will forever remain foreign workers (no matter how many generations live there) as the UAE does not grant any PR or citizenship.

Their passports are held by their employers and they live in cramped hostels located away from the city limits.

They toil in the heat and sand to keep Dubai looking amazing for the tourist and the 40,000 arab residents. (YES, that's right! only 40,000 locals in Dubai.)

It made me think of how my grandad and the likes must have worked in Malaysia a long time ago.

So how did a very different scene play out in Malaysia? My grandad was made a Malaysian and that made me one too.

After independence in 1957, the Malaysian goverment could have easily replicated the UAE system here too, right?

I'm afraid to think where and who I'll be today if that happened.

It just a thought when I see the way we seem to constantly complain about our "dire" situation here in Malaysia.

Fighting for indian rights and all sorts of other stuff when so many people all over the world are fighting for only one thing......survival.

The grass is always greener on the other side but do look at the hot dry grass on some other sides too!!!

2008-05-07T01:54:00.000-07:00

TURTLE EGG EATERS!!!! AAARRRGGGGHHH!!!

Yup!! Those are turtle eggs on sale in Terengganu!!

When are we ever gonna learn???? Elephant tusk....Tiger claw....Tiger penis.....Rhino horn.....Bear paw.....

I still recall the logo for PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Assosiation) was a leatherback turtle. remember him??? With the dark glasses??

Seen any leatherback turtles recently?????? Does "Rantau Abang" ring a bell??? What is sooooo dificult to leave some things just the #%$ alone!!!!!

There seem to be numerous Turtle conservation programmes running all over the country managed by Universities, resorts, NGOs, Foreign companies, etc yet we still see the common sight as the picture above openly in Terengganu!!

AAAARRGGGHHH!!!!

How and why?? hmmmm......let take a look....

Well, the guys employed by the Fisheries Dept. get paid RM 300+ a month. How the hell are you to survive on that????

1 turtle nest can yield 200+ eggs. RM 3 per egg......that's RM 600+ a nest.

Now.....couple of nests per day..........you do the math....

TO POACH OR NOT TO POACH??? THAT IS THE QUESTION.....

If I was making RM 300 per month with a wife and 3 kids, @#$% the turtles, dude!!!!!! My family needs food!!!!

So now....who are we against? Poachers? Sellers? Consumers? or....

Is it the guys who make the policies???? Pay the wages??? Issue the licences????

Opps!!! is this becoming a political post???? Well I would say that the goverment seems to have a rather large role here, right?

We all know how slow those guys work so I guess it up to us "rakyat" again. (If we could save the indians.......we can save anyone!!! hahahahahaha!!!)

But seriously.....

I'm working with the diving community to increase the awareness as well as with W-O-X (the company that Mary work's for) to try and find solutions.

The MUW (Malaysian Underwater) forum has provided a brilliant platform for discussions and putting words into action.

We can't wait until Turtles have become as rare as Tigers before we do something.

Really would like my kids to see this for real and not just from my photos!!!!

Anyone willing to help, let me know!!!

2008-05-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

Interesting Accent

I thought this was hilarious so decided to share it!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!

The following is a telephone exchange between a hotel guest and room-service, at a hotel in Asia, which was recorded and published in the Far East Economic Review...

Room Service (RS): 'Morny. Ruin sorbees.
Guest (G):'Sorry, I thought I dialed room-service.

RS : 'Rye.. Ruin sorbees.. morny! Djewish to odor sunteen??
G : 'Uh.. yes.. I'd like some bacon and eggs

RS : 'Ow July den?
G : 'What??

RS : 'Ow July den?... pry, boy, pooch?
G : 'Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry, scrambled please.

RS : 'Ow July dee bayhcem... crease?
G : 'Crisp will be fine.

RS : 'Hokay. An San tos?
G : 'What?

RS : 'San tos. July San tos?
G : 'I don't think so

RS : 'No? Judo one toes??
G : 'I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what 'judo one toes'means.

RS : 'Toes! toes!... why djew Don Juan toes? Ow bow inglish mopping we bother?
G : 'English muffin!! I've got it! You were saying 'Toast.' Fine. Yes, an English muffin will be fine.

R : 'We bother?
G : 'No... just put the bother on the side.

RS : 'Wad?
G : 'I mean butter... just put it on the side.

RS : 'Copy?
G : 'Sorry?

RS : 'Copy... tea... mill?
G : 'Yes. Coffee please, and that's all.

RS : 'One Minnie. Ass ruin torino fee, strangle ache, crease baychem, tossy singlish mopping we bother honey sigh, and copy.... rye??
G : 'Whatever you say

RS : 'Tendjewberrymud
G : 'Oh, God. Now, what?

RS : 'Tendjewberrymud
G : 'OH, you're welcome'

2008-05-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

Maya's videos

This is the 1st video I took while some 80's music was playin in the background!!

Will load the temple ceremony video soon.

2008-05-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

SOUTHAMPTON SURVIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY!!!!

Ahhhh.......this team can seriously cause heart problems!!! for those unaware of our championship relegation situation....Here's how it played out yesterday....

We were playing Sheffield United at home at the St. Mary's and we had to win....even a draw and we were heading out.

The visitors took the lead at 23 mins.....Haiyo...0-1.

Saints equalized at 42 mins. Halftime 1-1.

Saints were looking good on 53mins. 2-1.

Back at the bottom 3 of the league on 66 mins. 2-2. AARRRRGGGHHH!!!!

Saints comeback!!! 3-2 at 68 mins and they hold to win!!! YEAHHHH!!!!!

All this was going on my computer at home being updated every 5 minutes...Yup!! That's how a fan of the Saints has to do it.....no live ESPN or Star Sport!!! (Just like the old days of listening to the radio for a game!!)

I slept well last night and so too did baby Maya!!! (A saints fan in the making, I guess!!! hehehe!!)

2008-04-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

Tioman Island!! Expand or not to expand, that is the question!

The new plan is to expand the airport to take 737's!!

The corals and beaches around the island are already in a sorry state so I have pretty mixed views on this.

Talking to the locals who run the dive centers and resorts, they seem to think this is good for business. These flights will bring in more divers, tourist with $$$, weekend golfers, etc.

The conservation guys, on the other hand, feel that all this development (The Marina. airport, monorail plan, road expansion plan, etc) will only cause further damage to the already suffering ecosystem there.
Malaysia somehow seems to have the development people at loggerheads with the conservation groups in most areas be it the national parks, beaches, turtle conservation, reef and coral conservation, endangered animals and the list goes on. This is the case in Tioman too.

As an avid diver, I do contribute to this entire mess too!! (All divers do...although some choose to ignore that fact.)
Directly, I use the resorts that have nice AC and hot water. (Knowing very well that a diesel guzzling generator is spewing out black smoke somewhere behind the kitchen) I didn't notice a sewage or waste water treatment plant anywhere on the island. (Did I ask or insist the resort had one?...hmmm...don't think so.)

Would I pay more for my stay and dives if the resort and dive center was Eco friendly?

Yes, but how much more will I be willing to pay? How much more will other "El cheapo" divers be ready to dish out?

Indirectly, I contributed to the further distruction of this island by supporting it's duty free status.....(I'm Indian la....cheap booze is a must on holiday!!)

I also supported and used the fastest ferry and the biggest and fastest dive boats with huge outboard engines...yup....the massive diesel guzzlers!

A huge group of divers from MUW (Malaysian Underwater.com) attended the ecodiver certification course on the island this weekend while I was doing my instructor course. I salute them. They will be part of a monitoring programme of our coral reefs in Tioman. My concern is that the group is surely going to report deterioration of the coral reef. Then what?

The Malaysian authorities are well know for going to extremes. Kick all resorts of Sipadan was their corrective measure there. Will that be the case on Tioman and every Malaysian island after we have initially screwed it up? Then wait a few hundred years for the corals to recover?

Dead coral?? or Live corals??

I guess we have to decide soon....

2008-04-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

COME ON SAINTS!!!

I know we're not Liverpool or ManU but we sure know how to give a fan some drama......every bloody season!!!

First, it was beating Liverpool at home and away the season that Liverpool won the Champions League....yup...I was at Broadwalk pub with my Saints jersey!!! (1 lonely Saints fan in the pool of red.)

Then came the relegation battle....then the fight to make the playoff last season.....and now....

This time it's trying not be relegated....... again!!!! Yup...we're in the bottom 3 of the championship with 1 match to go.....We play Sheffield United on Saturday......(Ya..ya...alll you premier league guys are goind...who????....)

As I've said before....WE'LL BE BACK....don't know when....but we'll be back....hehehe!!

Would be nice to hear comments from any none premier league club fans.....and if there are any Southampton fans...even better!!!

Anyone else having last game blues?????

2008-04-28T01:59:00.000-07:00

TIOMAN DIVE TRIP!!

Yup!! just got back from Tioman Island and I'm now an ASSISTANT SCUBA INSTRUCTOR!!

The island was really nice but I felt bad leaving my baby behind....REALLY la!!!!!

The course was fun but pretty tough. Teaching is not easy.....especially underwater.

Stayed at Babura resort where the food and accomodation were excellent.

I'll write a little more about the trip and the island soon. (Including the development plans that SUCK !!!!)

2008-04-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

Revitalised Blog!!!

Hehehehe!! With the help of blogger "Sifu" Bala....this blog is looking good. I'm still working out some hiccups in the photo department....but that's o.k right??? (Still got Facebook la... :) )

I was given a reality check on "Playing pool on weekends in Backyard"........ARRGGGHHH.....spend time with your baby girl...DADDY!!!! were the wise words from the Blogger Guruji !!! ... :P

(Since I can't actually play pool on weekends now....at least let me lie on my blog la....HAIYO!!!)

So..."what's it like being a daddy????"...Well, that statement was driven home when I sent my parents back to Klang, after staying with us for a month, last weekend. Now it just Mary and me....and Baby makes 3. Conversations at home are now mostly about baby Maya's milk, sleep and the all important POOP!!!

You wouldn't believe the amount of books that people have written about babies and their POO!! Every FART is documented somewhere with "Causes & Effects" !!!!

Couple of chapters on Burping alone !!

Another cool book I was given was "How to have a smarter baby"............first thought that came to mind was....."Don't marry an Irish person"........hahahahahaha.......Mary, my Irish wife, didn't find that very funny!!

Main instruction for the first 4 weeks: Let the baby concentrate on Black and White objects. Her eyes focuses best on these colours.

(Well...her daddy's eyes couldn't agree more with a pint of GUINNESS!!! hahahaha!!)

In all honesty...she's great and really not too much trouble at all except for the screaming and shouting.

Baby Maya is great too!!! :)

2008-04-20T23:51:00.000-07:00

Post Election

It’s been quite amusing reading the various “post election” articles in the Sun over the last couple of weeks.
What seems to be obvious is that the opposition (or should I say alternative?), who are now the state government in 5 states are trying hard to clean up dodgy contracts, policies, etc. and start a new era of governance.
The ruling government, on the other hand, seems so caught up in conducting “post mortems” of what went wrong.
How can it be so blindingly clear to the “rakyat” but so unclear to our elected BN reps?
Didn’t we say, in countless instances, that we felt corruption was rife and could see no signs of it reducing?
Didn’t we say that we felt that the safety of our children and families were not sufficiently protected by our police force?
Didn’t we march in unison, in the thousands, to demand equality, and honesty?

What I really feel hard to understand is…..what is it that went so wrong for the BN anyway?

The BN have still been given the mandate to run the country, only this time without the 2/3 majority. THEY DID NOT LOSE.

Shouldn’t our PM be saying that this is a good thing?

The current status will allow the government to now become more transparent and MPs will have to truly perform to gain the trust and support of the public. Both the BN and the opposition will have to work hard FOR the people to ensure they stay in power. The “rakyat” now have a positive choice to decide what they want for their future.

Isn’t this really good?

Doesn’t this clearly show how Malaysia and Malaysians have come a long way, 50 years since independence?

The bottom line is clear. What our leaders need to do is:
Work for the people. (This is what a government is supposed to do in the first place!)
Get ministers into office which have sound education, intelligence and a high level of performance.
Listen to grievances of the people with an open mind.
Raise salaries of deserving government servants to make corruption ineffective. (Take Singapore as an example to achieve this.)
Give incentives to deserving police personnel. (Again we can look across the causeway for advice on this as well.)
Move away from racial and religious issues. The people have clearly shown that quality of a candidate is the far greater factor.
STOP SPENDING MONEY ON NONSENSE!!! (Like the astronaut programme, buying jet fighters, etc)

I hope they will see this past election as a new start to creating a better government.

2008-04-02T23:34:00.000-07:00

MIC and Malaysian Politics (In stand-up style)

The Election 2008 has come and gone………just like the MIC.
Yup…don’t see many of them in the Cabinet…(And that’s not to do with the fact that they’re dark la!!!)
Speaking of the MIC……me and some buddies of mine had tried to join the MIC some time ago…
1 engineer, 1 pilot and 1 banker….all without any financial issues caused by MAIKA problems.
The form given was simple but I guess they missed out the “REAL” questions:
Which gang are you affiliated to?
What rank do you hold in the hierarchy of the gang?
Which MIC leader is the patron of the gang?
What tenders and contracts are you interested in?
If the answer is NO or Not Applicable to all of the above, then pls proceed to question 200…..??????
Question 200 is……. “Why you want to join MIC la, macha???”
Our educated answer was……..
“To make a difference by contributing to the Malaysian Indian population in a positive way without expecting anything in return.”
I’m sure the guy handling our application was thinking (in Tamil), “I should whack these fellows with a worn-out slipper!!!!”
Indians who speak Tamil will know how beautiful that sentence sound in its original form.
Then came the all mighty question,” You fellows can speak Tamil ah?” (Shaking of head included)
My pilot friend who was a nice and polite, 6 feet tall, teddy bear natured guy (who incidentally does NOT speak fluent Tamil……….but, of course, knows most of the swear words) became a rather angry bear!!!!
“DEY!!!,” he said in his most convincing “Indian movie gangster ” style!!
“You guys are the Malaysian INDIAN Congress or Malaysian TAMIL Congress ah????”
I’m sure the guy handling our application was thinking AGAIN (in Tamil), “I should whack these fellows with a worn-out slipper!!!!”
At that point we decided, enough of this, we said thanks and left. While shaking our heads of course...

Now let’s look at other interesting issues:

Menteri Besars in Perlis.
How many Menteri Besars la for such a small state??
MB is Menteri Besar….so the other one is what…..MLB…Menteri LAGI Besar ah????
I think if the issue is too much of a problem……we should just sell that damn state off to Thailand!!
It’s so far up north anyway right?
Think about it……if you sell it to Thailand…..your drive to Thailand get closer and you have one less state to explain to your kids that you know nuts about!!
We’ll have another 2 less states to explain if we can do the same to Sabah and Sarawak too!! Sell them off to the Indonesian or the Filipinos.
But I was told that half of the members of Parliament are from there so selling them is no longer an option.
But the government can really use the Sabahans and Sarawakians.
With the other half of the Parliament being opposition, the blowpipe skills of these tribesmen may come in handy!!
And what about all these Malaysian “beer and alcohol drinking” Indian guys supporting PAS???? Do they know what will happen to their pubs? Huh?? Huh??
What about the Chinese PAS supporters??
Ba Ku Teh? Char siew pau??
How?
Well,
If we follow the plan…they can all go and party in Perlis la…..it’s already in Thailand what!!!

2008-03-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

Yup!! did the facebook thing recently and now it's time to reactivate this blog.