Rare beauty

I couldn’t help it when I landed on the website of one of the government agencies in Mukah Division. A light bulb suddenly went on, brightening that very corner of my brain, highlighting that small piece of memory I thought I’ve lost. I frantically clicked every link I could find for a photo of him but unfortunately, none I’ve found. Oh well, it’s been really long since I last met him!

He was one of the finest looking Foochow guys I’ve ever met so far. The time machine of the mind brought me back to the time when I met him for the first time due to my work. Before I met him face to face, I saw his photo on their organization chart. “Crap. Another unfriendly chap. Hmmph.” Being a person who is not very keen of meeting government officers, that was the first thought I had. The wait wasn’t too long before my colleagues and I were invited into his office together with the other officer whom we met just the other day.

I looked around at his huge office with not-so-much anticipation. Would there be anything good coming from this guy? I was skeptical. After a few unpleasant encounters when dealing with government officers, I’m no longer fond of them. Well, why should I be, anyway? Most of them have given me quite bad impressions, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one’s the same. However, I have to admit that there is still exception.

Then a man walked in. He was well-dressed, very tall, well-built, and above all that, good looking. I looked at him wide-eyed (I didn’t mean to be rude, just couldn’t help it!). He exchanged handshakes with us and started introducing himself. WOW. He has a deep tone of voice (he should be able to sing Bass well, hahaha) and very soft-spoken too! My colleagues were very impressed with him as well and they were saying that he is one of those who are really concerned with the matters of the people. What can I say? He definitely belongs to the ‘exceptional list.’

Yeah, I know. Don’t be shocked, ok? I know I am crazy, but it’s not wrong “adoring” someone who’s good looking, right? Don’t worry, I don’t and won’t “lust” over him like some people do. At least I only remember him when I saw that particular website (which I don’t visit that often unless I need some information for work-related matters only).

So… yup, that’s my story. For me, the most interesting thing when it comes to meeting strangers is that we are received with such hospitality and kindness, which do not occur frequently, especially with the government sectors. Don’t you agree with me?

My Carbon Footprints

What is carbon footprint? Find out all about it here. Also take a look at Odie’s (my comrade!) site as she’s done quite a good job bringing up the whole matter.

(Click to enlarge)

The total carbon footprint I’ve left behind annually is 9.241 tonnes. Hmmm… that’s A LOT! When I thought that all these while my carbon footprint should be minimal, at least of the country’s average or lower, but little did I know that mine is higher than the country’s average! Whoa, that’s something really scary!!

I made a compared with Odie’s carbon footprints. Besides all the carbon produced from secondary sources, most of my footprints are from flying. As a job requirement, I fly quite often. I tried not to as I love my own bed and everything at home.

I can say that I’ve done my best to conserve energy at home, and so far my family is quite cooperative as well. They switch off the lights when nobody is in the living room. Sometimes when I came home at night after outings with friends, I found myself in the dark, and sometimes I tripped over chairs when trying to find the switch to the light. They don’t do that last time, so I’m surprised when they finally took up the practice.

Hmm… looks like something must be missing... or else, what is the reason for my secondary output of carbon to be that high?

Now, your turn to take the Carbon Footprint calculator and see how much carbon you contributed. Oh, I mean “contributed.” Hehe.

Taxi drivers, what have you done?

Tsk tsk tsk... taxi drivers, you guys are not even on par with our politicians whose names appear every now and then in the papers, but you made yourselves name and at the same time tarnished Malaysia's image. You are more famous than our politicians now.

Aren't you proud of yourselves?

Shame on you!! (excluding those courteous drivers)

Jansz has a story to tell, while Mr. Beagle has "good" recommendations on what we can learn from the taxi drivers.

Today's news (18 September):

Malaysia's 'worst in the world' taxis tarnish national image

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - - The ads promoting "Malaysia: Truly Asia" aim to welcome visitors with a warm smile to a prosperous and modern nation, so the taxi fleet branded "the worst in the world" can come as a bit of a shock.

Even the locals are not spared the shabby service of unkempt and hostile drivers behind the wheels of decrepit vehicles who refuse to use the meter, overcharge and pick-and-choose which destinations they will travel to.

At the popular KLCC mall under Kuala Lumpur's iconic Petronas Twin Towers is a typical scene, as a gang of cabbies negotiate with a young Norwegian couple just metres from a signboard warning against "taxi touts".

"Flat rate, flat rate, no metre," one driver insists as the tourists try to find a cab to take them to their hotel, less than two kilometres (1.2 miles) away.

Anxious to escape the baking heat, they agree to pay 25 ringgit (7.22 dollars) for a trip that would have cost less than three ringgit on the meter.

"Is it expensive? We don't know, we thought it is normal here," said the woman as they piled in with their shopping bags.

More frequent visitors, however, are vocal in their criticism and say that aggressive and unprofessional drivers are tarnishing the nation's image as a squeaky clean and hospitable destination.

"I first visited Malaysia in 2006 and I was impressed by everything I saw except for the worst taxi service I have endured," said Kabir Dali, an Indian tourist waiting in vain for a metered taxi at another mall.

"I paid a whopping 260 ringgit (74 dollars) from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to town and was later told that was twice the proper amount."

Complaints about taxis are common in many countries, but in Malaysia it has escalated to an outpouring of frustration, on blog sites and in letters to newspapers.

In a survey by the local magazine The Expat, some 200 foreigners from 30 countries rated Malaysia the worst among 23 countries in terms of taxi quality, courtesy, availability and expertise.

The respondents lashed the fleet as "a source of national shame" and "a serious threat to tourists -- rude bullies and extortionists".

Salvation is in sight though, as a number of smaller, up-scale operators enter the market to provide a more expensive but quality taxi service for frustrated visitors and locals.

The uniformed drivers, behind the wheels of smart new multi-purpose vehicles and sedans, switch on the meter as a matter of course and do not refuse destinations -- surprising and delighting commuters in the capital.

Abdul Razak, operations manager for Dubai-based Citicab which launched here in January, said that even in poorer nations such as Thailand and Indonesia, taxis are smarter and the drivers far more courteous.

"I would say it is the worst in this region, undoubtedly. I have travelled to all countries in this region and our company operates taxis in many parts of the world. The situation here is the worst I have seen," he told AFP.

"The vehicles are in shabby condition, the driver will take you if he likes your face -- that is, if he agrees with where you want to go for the price he insists on."

The government has called on taxi firms to lift their standards, but various campaigns have achieved little, and many blame the lack of enforcement on rampant corruption in the police and bureaucracy.

"It is difficult for the roads and traffic department to take stern action," said a security officer at one city mall as he watched the touts swoop.

"Taxi operators and the company which hold the licences are all linked to some politician or another," he said. "Drivers here are ruthless because they are unchecked by authorities who are almost non-existent."

John Koldowski, from the Pacific Asia Travel Association, said that "less than desirable" taxi drivers have an outsize impact on a nation's image.

"The first contact a tourist gets with locals is often during airport transits to hotels and it creates a very, very strong first impression, either be good or bad," he said.

"Authorities certainly need to do their jobs and act upon any complaints strongly, quickly and visibly." (News Source)

Which Malaysian Blogger Are You?

Dammit! As much as I H-A-T-E this dude who's got very thick skin, I'm actually... another replica of... of... hiiim?!?!?!?!

*puking hard*

Congratulations Fish, you are...

Kenny Sia of kennysia.com

You have it all, or so you think. Big balls, big bird, big everything. Also a big heart and ever-ready big hug to give out to everybody who needs one. But you didn't know this. You're the one who need a hug the most. So hugs to you!

Which Malaysian Blogger Are You?

Mr. Brown Show: NSF = National Sex Force?

Warning: You must be 18 and above to understand this podcast.

Malaysia is expecting a population increase to 70 million by year 2100 (source). As of September 2008, our population amounted 27.73 million (source: JPN). And so is Singapore after they realised that their population needs some boosts.

However, Singapore came up with an exciting... I mean, sexciting programme called National Sex Force (NSF) to give training and encouragement to men and women on how to "produce" and increase their "productivity".

Well, of course that's not true if it's from Mr. Brown Show!

To think about about it, if Malaysia has something like NSF, surely almost everyone would love to be registered! Don't you? Hahahah.

Click here to listen to the podcast.
Another quality production by Mr. Brown.
Quality guaranteed by Ms. Fish. *wink*

Dissatisfaction!

How very true it is!

I met my good pal today, who's also a consultant in another environmental consulting company. She told me her encounter of the reviewing process for EIA and EMP. Amazingly, I have the same experience and like her, I'm sick, sore and tired with all these. Enough is enough. I believe that the other consultants in Sarawak may have felt the same way too... being ridiculed.

What do we get after all the hard work, and we are sincere in what we do? Being ridiculed.

Now, this message is for all the agencies who are involved in the review of EIA, EMP and similar kind of assessment reports:

Look, we are humans too and we admit that we make mistakes. No matter how much experience we have, we still err, because we are merely humans. We always try our best to produce the best flawless report for the project proponent, but still, we are bound to making mistakes. If you produce a list of comment on our reports, can we kindly ask you not to just keep it to yourselves? If you do not circulate all your comments to us, how do you expect us to improve? And what's the point of you keep complaining about our reports when we are not even told of the mistakes we've repeatedly made? How on earth can your comments be "private and confidential"? It just doesn't make any sense at all! Tell us, what is there to be private and confidential about??

Now listen, y'all. You've got only 2 choices:

1. Keep complaining about the same thing and keep your complaints secret; likewise, all of us consultants shall keep making mistakes and give you more trouble. Anyways, it's not our fault to make mistakes, it's YOUR FAULT for not helping us improve! Or...


2. Talk to us sincerely and discuss issues with us properly and kindly instead of screaming and raising your voices at us. Tell us what mistakes you've detected, and kindly send us all the comments from all the agencies involved. If you have done that and we choose to ignore it. Then yes, the blame is definitely on us.
   

We have made ourselves clear, I hope?

At the same time, I would like to convey our gratitude on my friend's behalf, to the few sincerely kind NREB officers whom we have met. Thank you so much for your help and your kind assistance, and for being so patient with us when we missed out an issue or two in our reports. Keep it up, and two thumbs up for you!

Meaning in the name

I found this at my friend's blog and decided to try out what mine means. Here goes...

What My Name Means

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way. And because you're so lucky, you don't really have a lot of worries. You just hope for the best in life. You're sometimes a little guilty of being greedy. Spread your luck around a little to people who need it. You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Okay, let us do some analysis of what are being said of me...

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row.

Not really the case... I'm more of a "What is mine, is mine, and I am in control and it's none of your business until I ask for your help."

You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace.

Oh really? So far I'm not a threat to my colleagues yet. Haha.

People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality.

Hahaha. Exactly.

You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

Including when I'm at work. Well, I tried my best not to get into trouble.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection.

Haha. Almost. But I have to admit that I'm always striving for perfection, although most of the times I failed. Sad, isn't it?

So now you get to know a little bit about me. See, I'm not too bad a person, am I? *Chuckled*

Losing it's purpose?

Photo courtesy of Cartoon Stock.

I attended a simple training course for EIA consultants in Kuala Lumpur this morning. Very interesting indeed, and it is more interesting when there is a chance to meet so many other consultants. The experience we exchanged is priceless, simply priceless. However, I do have one question in mind as I look at these fellow comrades. Are they working for the sake of the business, or for the protection of the environment?

For the developers and construction-based companies, EIA is a nightmare. It means the out-flowing of their resources in the form of dollar sign. Incurring more cost, which may also mean a little less come-back, and with those tedious environmental laws that are a total burden for them, who would like it that way?

For some consultants, (well, perhaps most of them), it is how much the company earns, how well-known the company is in the local market, and how competitive they can be that count. They work to be paid. The environment may never be the factor, but they try to address every possible impact that can be foreseen. They work hard only to look forward to 3 things: 1. Approval by DOE or NREB; 2. To impress DOE or NREB and their clients; and perhaps, 3. For their own good name.

Doing it just for the sake of doing it without knowing its actual purpose. What good can EIA make?

During my undergraduate years, the lecturer posed me one question, “Do you think EIA can solve the problem?” Innocently, I answered, “Yes.” Until I acquired some real personal experience in the field of EIA, I would not have known how useless EIA has been. Maybe not in other countries like Australia and America, but in Malaysia, I would say that it isn’t that successful at all.

If EIA is a planning tool, why don’t the developers and construction companies make good use of it? Worse still, some companies refuse to cooperate with the environmental consultants in terms of providing the needed information. But the worst of all, it is our Government who is always keeping some data to themselves and refuse to share, with the excuse that these are private and confidential.

When environmentalists and environmental consultants are not supported by the Government, what hope is there for us if we are serious about protecting the environment? The accountants have their Malaysian Institute of Accountants; the bankers have their Association of Banks in Malaysia; the medical doctors and surgeons are registered with Malaysian Medical Association… who is protecting us, the environmentalists and consultants?

Enough said, I guess?


*EIA = Environmental Impact Assessment