Monday, December 22, 2008

iPod craziness




Since the launch of iPod , the world seems changed. Changing the way people listen to the music. We used to listen to the radio or music at home or in the car. Since the introduction of Walkman many years ago, people listen to the music in a private manner using a set of headphones.

Now everybody is using it. When i came to the States, i see everybody is wearing the headphone. It becomes an accessory wherever they go. The campus area is full of iPod that students hang them to their ears day or night. It even tags along with them when nature calls. That i believe an iPod addict.

When i was in the UK a decade ago, i was an audiophile. I bought some expensive hi-fi separate equipment that costing thousands of GBP just for the pleasure of serious listening. I admit that being audiophile is reserving your life to the sound and music. I was almost changed my degree to Audio Engineering, mind you!

The world is changing. You dont have to spend a fortune no more for a serious listening. The invasion of mp3 as a digital music file has abruptly changed our lifestyle , especially the young (and the students at the campus). They can even talk to you with the earphones on. Yes they are so addicted to mp3 players like iPod, Sony Walkman etc... Believe me, it may give you hours of pleasure listening with good definition of music that you crave for. 

I dont think Im addicted yet, as I am kinda audiophile. I still love my long serving NHT floorstanding loudspeaker, Marantz cd player, pre and power amps, Audiolab amplifier etc. 

Yes the world keeps changing, so do I...
I have two "best friends" now... iPod and Sony Walkman...
hahahaha...





Gelora di Hati Sara

I was so gazed and addicted to watch this serial drama now aired on RTM1. But i watched it by coincidence when one of my friends, Tet introduced it to me. I had the chance watching it on Youtube, now it is already in the final episode. 

It started when Azrul (Rosyam Noor) married Sara (Fauziah Latiff) while they were studying together in the UK. Azrul wanted to surprise their parents on his marriage whenever he came back to Malaysia but things were not as his expectation when his mother wished to marry him with a woman of her choice, Tengku Marina (Watie). 

He got no choice than to accept it as her mother is having a heart problem, he is afraid if his "surprise" would worsen her mother's health condition. At the same time Sara works at his father's company as a lawyer. His father (Datuk Rahim Razali) is becoming affected to Sara as she shows dedication to her job. He falls in love with Sara day by day without knowing she is Azrul's wife. Azrul never tells their parents about his marriage and keeps it  secret though Sara becomes pressured and jealous when Tengku Marina seems so intimate with him.

Until then, he married Tengku Marina lovelessly while Sara's feelings become more terrible. She asked for a divorce but Azrul does not want to as he still loves Sara. 

This drama reminds me of my UK days when many of my friends married during the study without parents knowledge. Some of them going well until today and some just lead a separate way. Life is so varied and uncertain. Though we succeed in our profession, it doesnt grant us a cheerful personal life. God Knows...


The National Landslide Mishap





It was a huge shock when I watched Tv3 over the net, the landslide at Bukit Antarabangsa. As far as i concern it is an elite housing area where many professionals and well off people live. 14 bungalows were swiped by the mud. 

One of the victims appeared on the tv giving comments is JPS consultant. I see him everyday coming to my office doing the project of Flood Mitigation in KL area. Yes he is rich. Pity on the victims, they lost everything now. Sehelai sepinggang the malay proverb says.

I just wanna question the role of authorities in Malaysia, especially in deciding on any projects undertaken on hill slope. For your information, prior to giving consent on any project, there are several government agencies involved in the committee providing technical reports to the District Officer (DO). The agencies are mainly JKR, JAS and JPS, plus some others. Normally we achieved consensus on case basis and hill slope is a big NO. But what happened now is really mischievous. The people might think the other way and start to blame the government.

The urge of having hillslope development by the contractors has forced the authorities to grant approval without paying concerns on its consequences. The destruction done to the environment plus risks to the dwellers do not stop them from making profit at all. Previous experience seems not a lesson to be learned. The Highlands Tower incident was not a history to remember perhaps...

From JPS point of view, development on the hillslope must be accompanied by thorough studies, hydrologic analysis with detailed precipitation data and reports etc. Have we ever been consulted prior to the development? Who has given approval for the projects? If the projects known to be risky in the future, why was this proceeded? 

On the other hand, Kuala Lumpur City is in the demand of rapid development. As the development grows, the infrastructure (drainage system) has to be improved to cope with the growing population. Improper drainage system can also cause flooding in low lying areas instead of landslide. 

Water is associated with the stability of slopes. Landslides and mudslides are geological hazards that are often associated with prolonged periods of high intensity rainfalls. These hazards are threats to lives and their occurrences are due to development on hill sides and hill tops including road cuttings. The hazards occur more frequently now than before, both in urban and less developed areas including highland resorts.

In 2002, the ‘Development Guidelines for Highlands’ was accepted and enforced by all State Governments in order to achieve sustainable development in highland areas. Another step forward taken by the government to address landslides was the initiation in 2004 of a study on the master plan for slope improvement measures in Malaysia. On 1 February 2004, Slope Engineering Branch was set up in the Public Works Department, primarily for managing road slopes and other slopes associated with the development of government projects.

Malaysians never learned! But Malaysians are only shocked when something happened, we only learned by precedence. That is the Malaysianistic approach. Fuuuhhhh Malaysian Boleh! 


Sunday, December 21, 2008

My long time friend...

Askum semua...

It's been a long time since the last posting. Exams and presentations made me out of hand. Chasing me all over the place. I just couldnt get my own time to sit and write something here. I had the exams last 2 weeks. Thats was such a Merdeka feelings for me. Tamatlah segala keperitan semester ini. i am free right now, and sitting here thinking of writing something for this blog.

First and foremost, i just wanna congratulate my dearest fren, Elviza Michel Kamal , my long time fren in UK, a profound Law graduate who now has made her way to fame. Creating her own blog and become a writer of current issues. She can be reached at her blog here . Mich you are a great writer i can say. never had i "sangka" a dedicated lawyer could become a good writer in the end. I guess youre still a practising lawyer now and busy with all your court cases.

i remember when we met somewhere this year (mid 2008 agaknya) at KLCC Aseana Cafe. Pardon me if wrong. Many of Sheffield's Alumni were there. And I also remember the striking yet fancy look of your Prada handbag which you proudly showed to me. We had a good time meeting each other after months and years not doing it, plus a mini celebration for Zura and her mat salleh husband, Ryan. Ryan is a belly man now, his "spare tyre" is growing to almost a truck tyre gitu. Sembang2 and flashing back our sweet memories in UK over coffee, was sooo mesmerizing and transported us back to UK lovely moments. Do you still remember 506 City Road, 21 Glencoe Road... you know what i can still remember the postcode S21GE.. hehe...oh my God.... what a memory thats hits my brain like a heavy rock! I just couldnt forget it all. Zira and Yusry as usual, a perfect husband & wife i can recall until today.

I missed Yanti, Noen, Kopen, Nurul, Jojo, and many more laaa.... I really want to see all of you again in the near future. Shall we lepak somewhere at KLCC or Pavilion? My God.. i am missing all those things... That time, i had to go early after the chit chat at Aseana... had a Ministry dinner at a restaurant Jalan Conlay or something representing my Dept... Sorry for leaving early, i didnt want to go, but i did have to... arahan jabatan gitu... hehe

We have a very diversed portfolio each one of us. That make us unconventional. We talked on different topics , cases, issues, variety.... In fact hal rumahtangga is never exceptional. Sorry Im not married yet, but im learning it....

Thats life. From being nobody in gloomy Sheffield days till today, now everyone of us has made his/her own way to success. Though i missed the great time in UK, the InterCity Train to London, the cold but no-snow Xmas then snowy Raya, the summer barbeque, Mark & Spencer (hey i worked here!), groundshaking bass of Zul's Home Theatre, the romantic and syahdu snowtime, we were all wild, young and free... all those made us a man now! Terima Kasih Allah... for giving us a life, a colourful life... Now i am all alone in Nebraska... I can never forget the greatest moment...

i feel like coming back to Malaysia this winter holiday. Wanna see all of you. Shall we repeat the best time like the past? But this time , in a matured way. Polite and schematic gitu. I wish for it...

hey you know what, i recently wrote a complaint to Utusan Malaysia regarding the slow internet service by Telekom Malaysia. You may read it here. I can tell you that I am using a 3 Mbps speed now at home. I am just fed up with TM bullying us with its slow service and overcharged us unfairly. Annoying aint it? that is not what I want to tell you, I have already published my short write-up in the newspaper!!! No, no , no... please... i am not a writer! It was just a usual complaint from an ordinary person...

However winter has come. Surely we are gonna have a white Xmas this year. It is freezing like Antarctica here, yess it is -20C degrees. I can never live like this for months to come. The snow keeps falling... I hardly come out from the house to take a walk or what not. I rather stay in. Snowtime is nice, but the coldness is not. Does it make sense? hahaha...

Xmas is the time for shopping just like Thanksgiving. Huge markdown is everywhere here, mind you. Oh spend me some $2k for shopping, never had enough of it. You be crazy! Looking for some styles for Spring 2009. Feel like flying to Los Angeles next week. Wish that i can singgah Denver and Las Vegas on the way. Yeah Im gonna have Xmas in LA.... I am coming to LA.... I am coming to LA....

Meet you in LA....yahoooooooooooooooooooooooo!









In the coldness and tranquil snowy weather, my door was suddenly knocked. "A parcel for you Sir!"... As expected, my Coach bags have arrived in a nice gift-pack... hehe