10 June 2011, a day I've been waiting for almost a month but it just ends so fast. I wake up early but ended up rushing to airport since my friend who supposes to drop me at airport wake up late. Thank god that we made it, i can’t afford for a new ticket especially in Malaysia Airlines. Once weighted, our total luggage weight is 66kg for 3 people. It suppose to be 20kg per person, luckily the kind-hearted person in charge didn't include the extra weight. Each extra kg would cost us RM15.
Upon entered into the flight, i notice the flight is kinda different from other flight that I took before this. It was the new Boeing 737-800. It has a new dynamic livery, higher ceiling and mood lighting.
Once settle with my hand-carry and sat on the comfortable seat, I notice something on the back of my front passenger seat. It looks like a mini LCD TV. Being curious, started to use it, it is pretty easy to handle. It is the new in-flight entertainment digital LCD screen.
This time i felt the traveling is much less hectic. Next time i gonna travel, MAS would be my 1st choice. They provide comfortable, food and entertainment at reasonable price. Since i'm back to KL after so long, its time to relax and enjoy with family and friends =)
When I first came here, I know I would come across this day. All this while, I’ve been so excited about it, but now, as the time for me leaving this place getting lesser and lesser, my heart feels heavier. As I’m packing my stuffs I feel something is missing in my luggage. Try to find for it all over my room but I’m sure I left nothing behind. Am I leaving something so important in here? A feeling I felt when I had to leave my home 4 years back. Feeling which say u belong here.
Although our acquaintance wasn’t long, u guys made a big impact in my life. The friendship that you guys have given me, the joy you guys bring my soul has filled me with such strength that would resides in me until end. We maybe start like total strangers, have different opinions and judgement, different culture, race and belief but I’m glad we manage to establish friendships out from all this. A friendship that I hope would last forever.
To think now, 4 years seems like such a long time.Many ups and downs but we manage to get through all. Thanx for the memories, for the laughter and the tears. They would linger in my heart. When I have a glance of it, feel like it’s all a dream, I couldn’t help but think and I realized then this was no dream, all those years that passed us by when I feel what I did was just a blink.
No matter what, I need to move on, there is a future waiting ahead for me and so do u. I’m not sure where it gonna lead me but along the way, I wish I have the chance to meet u guys at least once again in my life. To cherish the good moments we had together. I’m not perfect, if there is any resentment along our journey together, please accept my sincere apology as it is not intended. Thank you everyone..
-I won’t say goodbye my friend, for you and I will meet again-
Dedicated to everyone who been a part of my 4 years life in Sabah..
Been 4 years in Sabah, but didn’t even once get chance to be a part in the Kaamatan Festival. Kaamatan is the Harvest Festival for Sabah ethnic tribes such as Kadazans and Dusuns. The essence of this festival is as thanksgiving for a plentiful harvest. It is held on the 30th and 31st of May every year. Usually, I’ll be home during this period but since this is my last year here, I’ve planned to attend this festival.
On May 1st of each year, the Kaamatan Festival is launched. This gives chances to numerous ethnic communities to promote their unique cultural heritage as well as multi-cultural peace, understanding and harmony. 30th and 31st is the final days of the Kaamatan Festival.
Enterance of KDCA
We went to KDCA, Penampang where the festival is held. It also sometimes referred as Hongkod Koisaan (Unity Hall). Here, we can visit all the ethnic groups at their respective houses. The style and design of the houses varies according to their native costumes.
I even come across bouncing floor that really amazes me. It’s a lifetime experience.
Bouncing floor
To the multi-sounds and tempo of traditional music, multi-ethnic cultural dances are performed to show guests and visitors the rhythm of life that they too can experience for a moment in time by their participation in action.
All around are cheap sales of local products, where one can have the best of choices and great bargains in purchasing the finest native handicrafts direct from the producers themselves. I didn’t get one since already got few but my friends spend quite a time there.
Numerous varieties of unique traditional food and beverages are served too. Various local deserts and delectable rice and coconut wines are completely free until they last.
And lastly for the main highlight of the Kaamatan Festival, Unduk Ngadau. This event stirs the crowd towards the main hall. I didn’t get a good spot to enjoy watching since it is packed until full capacity. But I manage to sneak in for few of the Unduk Ngadau selection.
Pretty girls, not from the Unduk Ngadau
To the Kadazandusun, paddy is not only their staple food, it is also a sacred plant, a living symbol of Kinoingan's love for his people. Many believe that “without rice, there is no life”..
1st of May, Labour day? It happens to be Malaysian Royal Navy (TLDM) Open Day 2011 in Teluk Sepangar Naval Base. It was my first time being there. Kinda excited since I missed my chance last year. The place is quite big, with tight security. We were asked to park nearby the front gate. luckily shuttle buses were there since its a long way to the event venue.
The warship, transport vessel, destroyer and assault are open for public to view. I have a friend working in Navy. He gave us a short tour inside his warship.
Many activities been done on that day, some are;
Maritime exhibition
Boat ride
Concert by local artist
Fishing Competition
Dart competition
Car show
Mini Superbike race
There were also a lot of stalls selling from foods, fruits and souvenirs.
Me inside a Top Anti-aircraft mount gun. I may look comfortable inside it, but the space is so compact. Have trouble getting in and out. Not everyone can fit into it.
Weapons are displayed for people to view, touch and take pictures. I didn’t miss my chance to grab few of the weapons. Love the Glock 17, wished could bring it back. Other than that, FN minimi, M4 carbine, stery-AUG, chain gun and flare gun were also spark my interest.
There was once in my life i thought wanna be a navy, but now i changed my mind, even though it is exciting to work in ship and vessel with accommodation, weapons etc, i find it quite boring job. Can't imagine myself working months on sea. Of all the forces, if i given a chance, would like to "TRY" Air Force..It look more cool but then i might change my opinion once i went for their open day..lol
Finally have my own sweet time to update this blog. My time in the other side of Malaysia is getting less as my studies going to finish. I’m really going to miss this place a lot, especially the friendly people. But now it’s time to enjoy my last days here. It start late with lunch in Kahve 1Borneo.
Kahve
G820, 1Borneo, 88450 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Tel : 088-448897
The interior design is nice. Not very comfort but got a lot of space.
Spaghetti Carbonara was satisfying. The pasta is nice, made using cheese and egg.
I am not the sort of person who would look for black pepper anything but this one is worth trying. Grilled Chicken Black Pepper. I kinda like the light black pepper source.
After that, we went to GSC. Watched a movie that I’ve been waiting so long, Fast and Furious 5. Well, this is one good movie to miss. Really enjoyed every scene of the movie. The theater is full even though it was weekday. Next movie on the list would be Transformer! Can't wait for it. Hoping for more good times while i'm still here =)
Think of the last really memorable talk or presentation that you attended. Now, was that easy to do, or did you really have to rack your brains to remember one? Sadly, too many presentations are easy to forget. And that's a big problem because the only reason the presenter gave the talk was to communicate something to you.
However, there are four basic things that you can do to ensure that your verbal messages are understood - and remembered - time and time again. Although somewhat obvious and deceptively simple, these are:
Understand the purpose of the presentation
Keep the message clear and concise
Be prepared
Be vivid when delivering the message
Understand what you want to achieve:
Before you start working on your talk or presentation, it's essential that you really understand what you want to say, who you want to tell and why they might want to listen. To do this, ask yourself: Who? What? How? When? Where? Why?
Who are you speaking to? What are their interests, beliefs and values? What do they share in common with others; how are they unique?
What message do you wish to convey? One way of answering this question is to ask yourself about the 'success criteria'. How do you know if and when you have successfully communicated what you have in mind?
How can you best put across your message? Language is most important here, as are non verbal cues such as body language and expressions. Choose your words and non verbal cues while keeping your audience in mind. Plan a beginning, middle and end. If time and place allow, consider and prepare audio-visual aids.
When? Timing is important here. Develop a sense of timing, so that your contributions are seen and heard as relevant to the issue or matter at hand. There is a time to speak and a time to be silent.
Where? What is the physical context of the communication in mind? You may have time to visit the venue, for example, and rearrange the furniture. Check for availability and visibility if you are using audio or visual aids.
Why? In order to convert hearers into listeners, you need to know why they should listen to you – and tell them if necessary.
The Importance of Simplicity:
When it comes to wording your message, less is more. You're giving your audience headlines, too much information will overload and bore your listeners.. They are not expecting to become experts on the subject as a result of hearing your presentation, therefore simplicity is best.
If you're using slides, limit the content of each one to a few bullet points, a single statement or a very simple diagram.
Preparation:
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. In fact, it is the most important factor in determining your communication successes. When possible, set meeting times and speaking and presentation times well in advance, thus allowing yourself the time you need to prepare your communications. Each minute of a presentation deserves thirty minutes preparation.
Of course, not all communications can be scheduled. In this case, preparation may mean having a good, thorough understanding of the office goings-on, enabling you to communicate with the knowledge you need to be effective, both through verbal and written communications
Successful Delivery:
The manner in which you deliver your speech or presentation has a lasting impact on your audience. Again, preparation is paramount here, in order to hold the listeners attention. Some useful tips for keeping your presentation vivid include:
Use examples to bring your points to life
Keep your body language up-beat - don't stay stuck behind a rostrum
Don't talk to fast. Less is more here too. Pauses are effective.
Use a variety of tones of voice
Use visual aids.
Presentations and public speaking, although daunting, can be a very enjoyable, rewarding experience, once adequate time is taken to prepare and rehearse them. An enthusiastic speaker who is confident with their material will make a lasting memorable impression on their audience.
The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a food safety incident in the People’s Republic of China, involving infant milk powder adulterated with melamine. Melamine is a small organic molecule with a high nitrogen content that can easily fool the quality control equipment into thinking that nitrogen is present at normal levels and so the milk is passed as good. Melamine is used to manufacture melamine-formaldehyde resin, a type of plastic known for its flame retardant properties. This plastic is often used in kitchen utensils and plates, often called melamine wares.
When products contained melamine is consumed, the melamine remains inside the kidney. It forms into stones blocking the tubes. It can lead to the loss of kidney function and will require kidney dialysis or lead to death because of uremia. The effect is more serious in infant because of their kidney size and amount of milk consumed. Nearly 13,000 infants hospitalized during the incident period. The symptoms and sign of melamine poisoning are irritation, blood in urine, high blood pressure and signs of kidney infection.
The existing methods for melamine determination using a triple quadrupole liquid chromatography mass spectrometry after solid phase extraction are often complex and time consuming. However, electrospray ionization coupled with mass spectrometry allows a rapid and direct analysis of samples with complex matrices. The native liquid samples are directly ionized under ambient conditions in their original solution. Ultrasound-assisted extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (EESI-MS) has been developed for a rapid detection of melamine in untreated food samples.
If one suspects anything, they may do a urine test. The urine test is a good screening for injury to the kidneys. Furthermore, Ministry of Health Malaysia is advising those who consume milk-derived ingredients from China during the incident to perform urine test. They also advising consumers to avoid products reported contaminated, banned dairy products from China until further report. Retail stores selling food items imported from China that could contain significant amount of milk or milk proteins is recalled.
Ministry of Health Malaysia in close cooperation with Royal Malaysian Customs Department, Department of Agriculture Malaysia, other federal agencies and NGO advising consumers not to purchase infant milk powder manufactured in China from internet sites or other sources. They also sampling and testing milk and milk-derived ingredients and finished food products that could contain melamine. A list of safe to be consumed milk products also been produced as references for consumers. Imported goods and food products from China is quarantine and checked for any trace of melamine.
Prevention is better than cure! Parents should be alert of the ingredients added in their infant’s milk. They should be aware of the recent issues related to infants dietary. The increasing demands for powder milk have caused incidents like this to occur. Milk powder producing companies added melamine to be competitive in market and endanger the health of infants. Lastly, it’s better for parents to change from powder milk to mother’s milk. Mother’s milk without doubt is the best food for infants since it provides all the nutrients needed. Whatever Nature has given is always good!
How can a student play his role to cope with environmental issues in terms of food?
Before a student takes any action to cope with environmental issues, I think they supposed to be exposed to environmental problems that the worlds are facing now. Environmental awareness is the best way of preservation which would make them realise their responsibility towards their surroundings. Even though it seems like not much a student can do to handle the environmental impact, students can minimise and save energy and water even at home, school or universities.
Students mainly should concentrate on three main ideas, reduce, recycle and reuse. In terms of food, students can buy organic food or locally grown food. This would reduce the need for food to be import or preparation of non-organic food. If possible, they can grow their own fruits and vegetables using organic gardening practises. This would reduce the need for transporting, preservation and packaging of foods and thus reduce the energy needed for the food to be prepared.
Students also can consider becoming a Lacto-vegetarian or vegan at least few days a week. This would reduce the need for meat. Meat uses more energy and water to be prepared compare to vegetables or fruits. Besides that, they should reduce eating processed or packaged food such as can food, bottled drinks, instant noodles etc whenever possible. It is always better to consume fresh foods where it not just energy and water saving but it also prevent them from chemical additives and fatal microorganism contained in the packaged food.
Students are encouraged to purchase food wrapped with products containing materials that can be recycled such as paper, glass or aluminium. Recycling these materials requires less energy than producing then from brand new raw materials. Non-biodegradable wrappers should be banned. Last but not least, for reuse, students can switch from disposable to reusable products such as their food and beverages container, cups, plates. They also can donate these products to homeless shelters or orphanage so the products would be reused and less of these products would be remade. All this are my ways as a student to be a part in saving Mother Nature in terms of food. Done your part??
These were entries for a Washington Post competition asking for a rhyme with the most romantic first line and least romantic second line:
Love may be beautiful, love may be bliss
But I only slept with you, because I was pissed.
I thought that I could love no other
Until, that is, I met your sister.
Roses are red, violets are blue,
sugar is sweet, and so are you.
But the roses are wilting, the violets are dead,
the sugar bowls empty and so is your head.
Of loving beauty you float with grace
If only you could hide your face.
Kind, intelligent, loving and hot;
This describes everything you are not.
I want to feel your sweet embrace
But don't take that paper bag off of your face.
I love your smile, your face, your eyes-
Damn, I'm good at telling lies!
My darling, my lover, my beautiful wife:
Marrying you screwed up my life.
I see your face when I am dreaming.
That's why I always wake up screaming.
My love, you take my breath away.
But what have you stepped in to smell this way?
My feelings for you no words can tell,
Except for maybe "go to hell!"
What inspired this amorous rhyme?
Two parts vodka, one part lime..
People used to say varsity teaches us a lot, true enough. In my 3 years in local Uni, I’ve learn a lot, not juz education wise but a lot other new things. Some are for gud, but most are bad. I can’t deny I had fun but at the same time, there are things that really heartbreaking n disgustful. I met many kind of people, quite astonished by how people react for various situations. So from now on, I’ve plan 2 to share about whatever I’ve been thru in this 3 yrs by timeline.
It all starts in my 1st year, seems like a good beginning of campus life. Met a lot of batch mates which seems very frenly and open minded. Before entering Uni, I wont mix much with Indians, mayb I didn’t get such an opportunity but now im glad. Ok, back to d story, I didn’t hesitate to mix with all of them because im far away from my home and they are the one who gona be with me for the next 4yrs. So, start to build so called friendships. Neva had any bad impression on anyone and I was true to everyone.
As the saying goes, show me your frenz, I’ll tell who u are. This saying is very interesting, I didnt understand its meaning at first, but now I do. Mayb we can oni understand its meaning after learn about frenship. Most of us might have been thinking abt the frenz surrounding us, their attitude, characteristic, and their mentality, so do I. I came across few so called frenz tat have their extraordinary attitude. I have been wonder am I with literate o a bunch of typical people. Some of their attitude and mentality I find very hard to digest.
As I’m open minded, and used to mingle with open minded people back at home, I had trouble to tolerate n adapt to this kind of situation at first. So, I just follow the flow. As im getting closer with them, I began to act like them. Mayb I juz neglect d bad stuffs as they are my frenz o belittle and who cares, we live our life our ways. I was slowly losing my consciousness especially when having fun doin bad things repeatedly. To think now, I feel so dump. Don’t I have brain to distinguish the good and bad?
As I was getting drown in sea of hell, my so called frenz nature originality revealed. Things like vulgar words, jealousy, underbred, people who avail o take advantage of others for their own benefits, double-faced, deceitfulness, backstabbing while feigning friendship and plenty of other things become so common. Do I need to give examples? I began to question my morality. What the hell wrong with me? I have been acting like a moron. Is this what I really am? What I suppose to do at this stage?
