Hermit Crab

I saw this when I decided to go for a hike yesterday. It was at Monkey beach. I think it was washed ashore by the wave and was franticly trying to go back to the water again when I saw it. When it saw me approaching, it quickly hid back into its shell, hoping that I wouldn't do it any harm. It's very rare to see hermit crabs in Penang now. Since it is very sensitive to excological change, a slight contaminant will sure kill the whole population. I took a picture of it before I threw it back to the sea. An interest search on the net shows me it is considered to be exotic pet in the US and endangered species in Australia(http://www.hermit-crabs.com/perlatus.htm). But in Malaysia nothing has done about it. Hmm...
Anyway, it was an excellent hike and it cost me nothing. Well ok, RM3 of fuel and RM2 for my breakfast and lunch. I wonder why people need to go so far to enjoy the same stuff I am enjoying at Penang National Park?
This little creature also reminded me of the people surrounding me. Some of them just act like the hermit crab. Their world is bounded by the four walls of their shells. What happen outside is none of their concern eventhough the change can affect their lives. When danger comes, they just hide inside their shells by hoping that their shells will protect them. I don't understand this kind of thinking. Can't they just think outside the box sometimes? I find it very annoying when talk to this group of people. Often time it will come to my nerve, and I just want to beat them up.
Still no news from my job search. Time is running out for me.

Not really into zen mode

I met this person this afternoon, who was in the office talking about kitchen cabinet. After I gave him the estimate, he was quite happy and wanted me to go to his new house to take measurement. With mom as back seat driver, I sat in front, and we started talked about our job experience.
This guy is working for Komag, a multinational company that specilaizes in hard drive. He asked me abt the prospect of hard drive. Frankly speaking, wuith the advent of solid state meory device, i.e. SD Card, Memory stick etc, it will soon be taken over. I can foresee the future of computer using only solid state memory as a means of data storage. I told him I went for inteview at the company he's working before but I didn't get the job. He looked surprise and said people like me should be highly sorted by his company. Well, probably my so-called honesty and professionalism cost me the chance of working there. I told my interviewere that I wasn't optimistic about the prospect of hard drive and soon solid state memory would be taking over. Unless Komag changes their business strategy, we won't see the brand Komag after 10 years. I never heard from them again.
I don't know what kind of mentality the local management here. Maybe they are not willing to hear the truth. In the computer industry, things get change faster than others. In a few seconds new things pop out. Today state of the art equpipment may become obsolete just in few weeks. When I asked them what was their plan to deal the "invasion" of the solid state memory, either they refuse to acknowledge the threat or they did bother to answer my question.
I think they want to hire someone to follow order, not someone who can stand up and question theirs when in doubt. No wonder after so many years of so-called development of the country, we are still lacking behind by other for a large margin.
But it won't stop me from looking for job again. I currently apply for three different positions at various corporate companies and hope I will hear from them soon!

The world is my oyster

I am just thinking about this religion thing. There are few changes from the people that I know of. The people whom I am very close with. For some, it maybe very difficult to swallow, or should I say, not willing to accept that someone he loves dearest has decided to embrace a religion that's different from what he was brought up with. Well for me, this is their choice. Religion is a way of life; a philosophy of life of one group of people think the perfect world should be. We are all adults. We have freedoms to choose what to believe or what guidelines to follow to live our lives.
I broke the news that I was baptized when I was in the US. For me, it was out of convenience. It doesn't change a thing. I still eat pork. I still go to temples. I still burn joss sticks. I still make fun of those follow the teachings of their religions religously(literally). I can never be a religious man. It is my nature to be a self rightous nincompoop. One of my ex-es used to say in front of her friends that I am an asshole who is also a typical MCP(Male Chauvinist Pig). But still, we stayed together until she left for her home country. She also tried to change my view about religion. Well, it didn't work, and she ended up on my bed and lived a miserable 7 years with me. What has this got to do with what I am trying to tell here? My point: A vulture is always vulture. It won't change a fact if this vulture decides to be a vegetarian or to be a good bird. It is still a vulture. I become a Christian? Maybe next life. No one has succeeded convinced me. Not even the one that I cared so much. She also couldn't(She's an angel. That's why I don't dare to touch her). So to the one who cares about me. Don't worry. I am still me. I still womanize. I still drink. I still smoke. I still listen to Nine In Nail and still think the world is about myself and cycling. The most important thing is, I still burn joss stick, attending Cheng Meng and say a prayer to our ancestors traditional way. The only thing that I cannot stand about the way the pray in temples is why do they have to burn papers? Those are environmental hazard. Burn less paper. Safe the trees!
Reading around my brothers blogs. I am quite concerned of one. Since when he becomes so religious? God will help those who help themselves my ass ok? There is the statement that those buggers who can't explain why people are struggling in their lives since they are doing nothing wrong. It is a self pity statement, and franky speaking a lame one! I am a scientist. I always believe human beings will one day become very powerful that they can claim that the world(or the universe in that matter) is their oyster.
Speaking of oyster, I stumbled upon this one and posted it on Malsingmaps forum. It created some interests, and we discussed about it. So I decided to do some searches on it. This is basically the one that's used for fried oyster in hawker center in Malysia and Singapore. I think the same fried oyster in Taiwan also uses the same species. It is called Tiram in Malay or Slipper cupped oyster. Smaller in size and quite abandon in Penang. The Phillipines are commerically culturing this oyster big time. So next time when you eat fried oyster, you know what it is called now!
Anyway, the thing about religion is just my thought. Nothing personal. Although you may find some of it very offendsive, don't take it as personal attack. I won't stop for what you believe. That's your choice. But don't try to pursuade me to become one. I don't plan to become one. Yes, my life is miserable now. You can also say that guy up there is purnishing me. So what? He can't take my personality away right? That makes me so unique.
Who say bad boy no good?

The Spiny Hill Turtle

I didn't realize the turtle that I saw during my last hike in the Penang National Park was an endangered species. It has been reported less visible in the wild now. The name's Spiny Hill Turtle and is a highly sorted pet in the western world and considered to be delicacy by rich Chinese. I don't know whether they make it up by claiming that eating of this turtle in China also one of reasons they become less in the wild. I don't eat exotic animal anyway.
So next time you see this creature in the wild, remember they are endangered species and must be protected!

More info on Spiny Hill Turtle or Sipny Terrapin:
http://www.ecologyasia.com/verts/turtles/spiny_terrapin.htm

The Project

Just called them not long ago. As expected, it was a bad news. I can't say I am disappointed upon hearing this since I already sensed something fishy was going on weeks before. I still felt lost after I got them to tell me that we are out of their pictures.
No luck with my job search too. Life sucks? You bet. Especially in the place where TGIF doesn't serve good fried mushroom and think bluecheese is spoilt cheese!!

Think I am going to get myself drunk tonight to temporary forget all this shit.

Went Hiking

I decided to go hiking to clear up my mind about what happened last night. Don't ask. I don't want to say it. Just say I haven't decided yet on what will be my next course of action. It may be drastic, and it may involves the welfare of Little David and my unborn child.
The Custom department has yet informed me of their decision. Now they decided to call in other vendors. I am call them up again next week as they promised they let me know next Monday. Whether it's on or not, at least I want a firmed answer since I don't like to be hung in the midair.
Oh awesome hike. Met my doctor friend again. Her name's Joy. A joyful woman!

Research

It triggers me to write about this when I was discussion something about roads on the Penang map that I am working on. One of the contributors asked me why was there a road named J Maxwell on the map while in actual it didn't exist. The map showed there were roads running parallel to each other but actually there was only one. So being in a good mood I decided to gave him a small lesson on the contemporary history of Penang. There was road called Maxwell road before KOMTAR and Prangin Mall were built. Maxwell Road was given way to development when the authority began phase 2 of the KOMTAR construction and later on the Prangin mall. It used to be very busy with open air bus terminal, cinemas, hawker centers, wet market etc. The city folks of George town regarded it as the center of activities. It ws also served as a junk pier for loading and unloading stuffs from ships and the mainland. You see, the one who asked the question was young. He doesn't know this tiny piece of history. It's quite ironic that he has to rely on outsiders like me who is not from the island itself to tell him this. I wonder what has those social science students done in their time when they were doing their course in the only university in Penang?
Research has not needed to be engineering related. It can be anything. Doing a report, finding clues or to understand the history of one place is also called research. And it doesn't neccessary need powerful mainframe computer power to come out simulation in order to understand the history of Penang. It just needs a dedicated group of academics to spend some time to run through archives in the library, talk to the old Penangites to come out the very thing that I was telling my friend.
Wake up Malaysians. If you still have that kind of spoonfeeding and passive mentality, the Vision 2020 thing will remain to be a vision. It won't happen ok?

Note: My friend who asked me about what happened to J Maxwell pointed out that he was not originally Penangites but from somewhere else. My apology for the error.

Head Hunter

One head hunter called me last week to see I were interested to work for another furniture company as BDM(Business Development Manager). I will be taking charge of helping the company to set up local francise shops, and my major activities will be in the Klang valley. At first, she doesn't want to reveal much and after my constant probe in, she said it was a local company. She asked where my actual interest lies. It was a tough question. If I told her the truth, I can guarantee you that she will not call back. My true passion is in academic research in aerospace engineering. I am very fascinated in Hypersonic Transport Aircraft and the electric propulsion system, which can propel space craft to a maxium speed of close to the ligh speed(since theory of relativity dictates that it will not be possible to achieve actual lightspeed we can only go at close to it. In other word, we will be infinitismally close; somethig like delc -> infinity. It may sound very sci-fi but yes we did discuss this at jet propulsion lab!). All other things I just do it for the sake of survival. I was struggling in between whether I should tell her or not. At the end I decided to tell her. I was anticipating her to end the call. But we continued to chat after that. After the conversation, she wanted me to fill up some forms. Well, it shows a sign of me dropping off from the list now.
I still have form with me. I promised her I would send her the list by tommorow. I still don't know if I should fill it up because the info this head hunting company is looking are all in my resume. I think I am going to send them my resume instead.
Anyway, it doesn't look good. The projects that I am working are either they decide we couldn't do the job or it was Nigerian scam. Long hair hinted that I may have to expect a new family member maybe on his/her way now.
I have to find way to get out of this shit hole. The job market is pretty bad. My disadvantage is I have left the corporate world for too long that I must have something to prove that I am still able to be competent in this dog eats dog world.
Sometimes I feel so helpless and does not have the energy to live on in this aimless life. I have myself to blame for when I decided to come back 10 years ago. It was the greatest mistake I have ever done and I am now facing the consequence of my mistake!

Nothing to write about. But my itchy hand wants me to scribble something about me today.
I was thinking of going cycling just now. But the weather has not been good lately. It was a sunny day before I was about to put my bike into my car. Then all the sudden the sky turned dark and voila, it rained again.
A friend came for a visit. I have not seen him for quite some time, five years to be exact. So it was a pleasent surprise. He gave me another surprise by handling me a wedding invitation card. So what he has been doing for not appearing for so many years! Good for him though. I think amongst us ex-Otisans that still keep in touch he was one of the few bachelors left. I have not met his loved one yet but I am she would be a stunner.
Dreamt about her again last night. It has not happened for the last few weeks. Something's going on? She's facing trouble? Hmm...
Think I'll call her next week to find out.

The Project

Called the middleman this afternoon. It didn't look good. There has been no updates from the customer. It really looks like I will have shelf this one again!

My blog

Recently I was bombarded by my friends about this blog. They discovered it by accident when they type turbo snail on the search engine. This blog is supposed to be private and shared amongst my kins and my very close friends. That's why I am a little daring when it comes to write something about myself and the people I know.
Some asked me who is that lady that I mentioned in this blog. Is she someone that they know? Sorry folks, for the sake of her privacy, I am not going to reveal her identity. Just say she's very special for me, and I value very much of her friendship and her companionship. That's all I can tell you. Nope, no pictures...:) One time my friend commented that I was very protective of her. Yup, I am still am eventhough she has found her better half!
Btw, I have public my blog at the public listing disabled. Sorry guys, it will be very difficult for you to find this blog now! Checked my traffic data just now, the number of visits by god knows who has virtually reduced to zero. That means it works, and I am glad!

The Nine Emporer Gods Festival

It happens on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese Lunar Calender every year. The followers would start observing vegetarian diet nine days before the the day that claimed to be the birthday of this Nine Emporer Gods.
I have not seen such festival in the Chinatown of New York or in Taiwan. Probably they do it in a smaller skill. But it's different here. Suddenly you see make shift tents sproad like a mushroom rightafter raining. The usual casual drive to that areas can make a patient man into a road bully. I have nothing to against this festival as I always believe it's everyone's right to believe in whatever they want to believe. I am not the one who likes to criticize others religion beliefs as it's none of my business, and I don't get paid to critize one's philosophy of life. But this has to be stopped. It creates a nuisance to other road users. Can't they find a place to set up their stores somewhere other than doing it by the road side?
Civic awareness is virtually non-existence in this part of the world. If one voices out about this, he is going to ask for trouble. People will not appreciate it, and he will get shot down by not being "appreciative".
Anyway, thank god it's the last day today. Man, it's over 9pm. I'd better pack up and go see my little David now.

My bicycles

Just took my bikes out and oiled them. I have not been riding them since I came back from the last Ipoh fellowship ride two months ago. I am riding another one. Just for the record, I own three mountain bike and briefly a road racing bike. That road racing was my second one, and it was a pianful moment when I decided to let it go since I knew I wouldn't be able to get another one for a long time. Again, long story.
They have been with me for the last four years. Some of my riding partners already change their bikes more frequent than they change their clothes or girlfriends. Call me a sentimental lot if you will. I tend to become attached not only to people I am closed with, but also to the stuffs that I own or use. Everytime when I want to replace them with a newer ones, I always have that kind of feeling. It's like a feeling that I am letting go someone I love. It is going to be an emotional departure. For the first few days, my mood would be at the rock bottom end and having no apetite for my favorite food(funny I still want a cup of freshly brewed coffee in the morning even when I am feeling blue). I still remember I cried when I let go my Giant TCR. It was very painful for me to see it being carried away by its next owner.
Because of that, I didn't call my friend for the last three months. I know I wouldn't be able to control my feeling if I call her. I know I was going to be very emotional. Though we never become intimate, it is still painful to see her going out with someone else. My logical self tells me that for the good of her, I'd better stay out of her life. I think I make a good decision for fading out from her life. The recent crash of my eletronic gadgets help too.
I still haven't heard from them yet. I think we are out of their picture now. Oh boy, how am I going to do? Time to look at Jobstreet.com again, I guess?

The Dengue Update

So far it's getting more serious. The death toll has already risen to 10 in Penang, and the infected areas is preading wider day by day. I am quite concerned for my friend and little David who are currently in Penang.
Speaking of little David, he has been sleeping early since he came back from the hospital. His mom is worried about his change of schedule. I think it's probably the medicine that he is taking, which could be sedative. Anyway, I am glad he's okay now.
No news from the project yet. The latest was the call that I made to them, which told me that they had yet come to the decision and already referred to their KL HQ. I was also told that I would hear from them again this week. Today is already Thursday. We only have two and the half months to complete the whole thing if we were awarded. I told my middleman that I would need to readjust the price if they come back at later dates.
I hate waiting, and I hate people being inefficient. It's wasting resources and time. I think it's the attitude of the society towards commitments. I call it Chinaman mentality, and it really drivesme crazy. That's why I always say I feel so trapped.
Lets see what happen. By Friday if I don't hear from them, I'll KIV this project.

The Penang Malsingmaps.com gathering and little David

I have been in and out of hospital since this Saturday. So I did not have much time to update the blog. Finally little David got discharged from the hospital yesterday. It was a relief to hear that he did not contract dengue.


The gathering was a success. I only stayed there for a short while and then rushed to hospital to see how was little David doing. We decided to do it again some time in future. He was already asleep when I arrived at the hospital.

Oh the picture taken was on the day before he's got discharged. See how active he was? Who could believe that he was having a high fever??

Little David Is In Hospital

He's there again. He had a high fever yesterday. His mom sent him to Gleneagle. We were told to take him back with few fever prescriptions and to bring him back if his fever persist today. I checked his temperature last night. It seemed the temperature had dropped. I thought he was going to be okay but I decided to stay overnight there just in case. Woke up this morning(I hardly slept actually) and saw him watching his favorite cartoon(Mr. Incredible). Checked his temperature again, 38.6°C. It was still high. But when I saw him was quite active, I was thinking it was going to be fine. So I went to see my friend, who came back from Singapore on vacation and had brunch with him and his family.
When I was about to tell my friend that I would drop by his place tonight, my phone rang. My heart skipped a few beats because it was ringing with special ring tone, which means it came from someone I am closed with. Yup, he was admitted to hospital due to high fever, and the doctor decided to put him there for further observation!
What am I going to do? Cancel my appointment at 8pm tonight that I planned and organized since two weeks ago? Fuck the enquiry from Greece and rush to see him now(Like my supervisor whom I was working with used to say, "The dealine was yesterday!")? I don't know. I think the reply to Greece can wait as it is already Saturday now. But I can't cancel the appointment now as I will have visitor from out of town coming over.
Of course I am going to brave the long face from his mom about my insistence to go to my appointment. Anyway, the hell with it. I am going.