Monomyth

Have you come across John Cambell's 17 Stages of Monomyth before? Have a google around, and see what you can come across with.

A good friend of mine often shares interesting books and stories with me. We two have an almost synchronized book cycle every time. By the time I finished my Figes' "Russian revolution: A people's tragedy", he's just wrapped up his Gaiman's "American gods". While I'm still struggling with my 1200+ pages (solid 8pt font, at that)  of MacCullough's "A history of Christianity" at the moment, he's just embarked on Applebaum's 800+ pages of "Gulag: A history". I've not decided on which book I'd like to concentrate on after MacCullough's, either Blatt's "The Swerve" or Esposito's "Islam: The history", though my friend has already listed Cambell's "The hero with thousand faces" in the queue.

So we're talking about monomyth, and it's quite interesting to reflect this on oneself.. The stages of becoming a Hero.Why don't you find out at which stage are you at the moment?

The END is nigh!

This entry will be dedicated to the years spent waiting...and waiting!

After the submission of the thesis, one has a window of "uncertainty" before the final showdown comes around. Yes, a PhD means one has to defend their years of hard work, days and nights spent in the lab and in front of the computers. I have a total of 4 years of work compiled in a 280-pages thesis, to be defended intellectually in the coming months! The first two weeks after the submission, I felt a huge relief, a mountain nudged off my shoulders. In the last week or so however, the jittery feeling started haunting me in my waking hours. I hope this does not descend into my sleeping hours too!

Let me explain why I think I am at this stage. I see no rocks left unturned in the last years of work. I did everything I can to my best in all the works I performed. It is probably a cliche, but I honestly did all of it because I need to satisfy my curiosity. Logically, one should not be bothered about the viva, even when the thesis is examined by the people who revolutionized/found my field of research, since this is Physics, and every argument is backed with most basic laws of nature. This flutter I feel in my stomach originate from the scary stories from others who had graduated and were given a ride through hell during their 6 hours (some even skipped lunch & dinner) of viva. One bright person that I know of has it reduced to being stumped (in his own words: looked like an idiot) when some members of the jury vehemently disagreed with his theories. Others, slightly more fortunate, were asked about whether or not any Nobel Prize winning works somewhat related to their works, and if so, how, justify and elaborate those connections.

This-the power of scary stories-I learnt is not confined to PhD vivas. If one cares to have a glance at the Malaysian newspapers (mainstream or alternatives), there are strings of ridiculously incredulous scare-warmongering stories remarked by the politicians from both sides of the divide. On one hand the incumbent government goes around towns to poison the wells; apparently, and unknowingly to me, voting for the people other than their kind would stamped the entire country voyage to the rough sea of ruins. Much like "Mariana trench" during huge thunderstorms scenes in the "Life of Pi" movie. And oh, I forget to mention the classic one: the country will descend into chaos because everyone will be doing demonstrations. I give such talks the benefit of doubt. The Penangites that I have met and spoken to have expressed better satisfaction with its current state government now than ever. Plus, if the authorities care enough to listen and mediate the citizen's grouses, there is no need for mega rallies. 

On the other side of the coin, the Opposition pact is hell bent on ..oh well, everything really. The best one I read was that the BN copied PR's manifestos... And here I was thinking that it should be I, the citizen, that matters. Manifestos, regardless of where they come from, must serve for the benefit of the citizen. So what if BN copied PR? The fact that these manifestos are good for rakyat is all that counts. That BN copied PR only amplify how incompetent BN is and therefore there is no need to character-assassinate BNs. So, I don't understand it why PRs are making a mountain out of a mole for this. There are other things more important, more urgent to be attended decisively. Like make our education free of politics, and get those racists eat their own words, etc.

Coming back to my experience with the thesis, what do I do with these scare stories, then? Despite Physics laws being the most consistent, objectively derived with deliberate might of minds over centuries, the interpreters are human in any case. There are biases, and yes, polarized views on the interpretation of the laws. I probably see my work as objectively as I could, but my examiners will be seeing the work perhaps in a different light than mine. I believe in the importance of being earnest to myself; if I didn't know it, then it will only serve as a catalyst to learn better. I must have reasons that are logically backed with well-constructed arguments to defend what I believe, and emotional pleas have no place in this process. I think the same can be applied to May 5th too. I must have informed decisions not base on emotional attachment to any of the parties. If the person is competent and capable, he/she/it will get my vote! I hope you, my fellow Malaysian, will make an informed decision.

Comment: The end is nigh, BN! :)

The Converts

Easter Triduum has been concluded last night. It was a beautiful ceremony, to celebrate my Saviour resurrected and conquered death. Saturday Vigil has always been my favorite mass of all the masses held in Church. It is the time when I feel tremendously moved by the music, chants, and words that hung in echo of the Cathedral. The awesome time of the year!

Speaking of which, just today I have finished watching a soul-searching movie by the late Yasmin Ahmad, Muallaf (The Convert). I have always been an adoring fan of Yasmin's movies and ads (she did quite a lot for Petronas). There are always fresh messages in her creative works; something untangible that one has to contemplate the meaning of it all. It is always surprising at what each one can come up with.

In any case, Muallaf: I learnt many lessons from the movie alone. How my belief and others, Islam and those who do not believe in God or prophets, have so much in common. In my case, I strive to find God in some ways. Solace, peace, you name it. Being a scientist does not add to the ease of taking a great leap of faith. I constantly find Science that I believe (of course with the advent of many irrefutable evidence) at logger heads with the Faith that I embrace. Big Bang and Darwinian school of thought make more sense to me than what Genesis gives in the first 5 chapters.

A conversation in 'Life of Pi' between the mother and the son gives assurance: 'Science can teach us what's out there' (mother's hand stretch to the sky), 'but religion teaches us what's in here' (mother's hand gesturing to her chest). It is an apt conclusion.

I personally knew people who have grown cold to religions, shrugged it as ignorance, and to a certain extent criticize and mock those who'd done the unspeakable in the name of Lord/God/Allah as the representative of that religion itself. On the other end of the spectrum, I knew as many people grappling to latch onto any beliefs that make their hearts flutter. 

Ignorance is the first step of descending to hell, I believe. Be it towards other faiths or towards what we professed. Once one stepped onto this stage of hell, there it will roll downhill. Hatred snowballed, what started to be a jest becomes a cancer that doom to damn one's soul. But amidst the fog of damnation, one can reach out his/her hand for help. For I am sure, there is always an Angel hovering next to the cliff where we have fallen from.

Comment: Just as much as I would like the authority to stop playing the bigots on the "Allah" issue, I plead my brethren in faith and those I have known from other religions to exercise grace. I am quite sure we'll share the same Heaven as my Father promised us, just as Allah has promised you too. And who knew, maybe we even see the God's/Allah's prophets and messengers playing Chinese chess together?!

People of subtance

This video is the second part of the 16 mins long clip. For some reasons, I couldn't get the first part of the video up here. The link to it is Global Witness: Sarawak CM's expose.

I feel sick to the stomach listening and watching these people treating the Sarawakians. These 'pengkianat' should be sentenced the strictest law we have! You make your own judgment. Share this with your lovely Sarawakian family and friends!

Comment: Accusing the indigenous of 'squaters' in the land where their ancestors have thrived and evolved is one I cannot stomach!

Back, for the adventure!

Oh ho!

How long has it been since I last wrote a piece here? July 2012!! It felt like many light years ago. The good news is that I am back, not from the land of the dead, from the land of adventure!

Even a briefer introduction of what I've been stealthily doing the last year of silence is appropriate here. The last 6-7 months had been hectic: thesis writing, conference's invited speaker, another collaboration with a lab in Frankfurt, writing up an article for journal publications.  All of these are in no particular order. Now, the thesis has been submitted, the article is published, the collaborators offered me a job in their lab, the speech was overwhelmingly received and since then I have a barrage of emails asking for a position in our research group. People say I am more famous than my supervisor. I say it's luck. So lets stop self-glorifying here, I felt a somewhat narccistic promoting what I did in the last few months!

Lets talk about now! At the moment, I am learning how to canoe, and sew! These two are unconventionally put next to each other, I agree. The first, canoeing, is really a fashion to do in our department. Being guys, my friends had been nudging me for hours to join the fun. I always have a reason to back out: I've got experiments to do in the lab. Now that the thesis had been submitted, I ran out of luck, and so I am joining the guys tackling the rivers (and at some point, waterfalls!) in NZ with a canoe. Unfortunately, despite having learnt to swim properly and overcoming water-phobia (I actually think it's not the water/current, but more of the flash of memories I have from watching Hollywood's Jaw 1-4!), I am still a novice in the water. So, in the next couple of weeks, I'd be spending my time with my canoe in a swimming pool (boohoo!) practising for real stuff. So far, nothing exciting yet happening in the pool (there's nothing 'adventurous'!), therefore I've got nothing to report on that.

The second, sewing lessons, are awesome. I picked up sewing after accidentally clicking on one of the most cutest skirts I've seen on the web. And the tutorial about how to go making it is superbly easy to follow, even for a noob-sewer like me. Mind you, the last time I tried my hands on needles was...10 years ago? And that was for a school project making a pouch (which I got rated a B+). I hated sewing then, it takes up too much time when I rather do calculus! It's a different feeling now, because 1) I do it with a machine, 2) I sew what I want. So in the past few weeks, I was learning from the pros' posts in the internet on sewing terms and tricks. I am proud to say, until now, I have 2 dresses, and 1 skirt made from scratch by myself! I've worn 2 of them to school, and the compliments I have received ("Wow, that's a nice dress you've got! Where'd you get it?", "I love your dress!") have been flattering. Perhaps, it was because people rarely see me in girly dress. It's always khakis, jeans with wacky printed T's back then, you know, those apparels that help you move faster and tackle 8 flight of stairs easily.

So, there. A good start of blogging this year.. Well, stay tune for the next post. I've not decided what I want to put up yet, but maybe my new summer dress? I should go shopping for fabric then!

Comment: 2013 is going to be a superb year to accomplish things that I never imagined I could do! I hope it's going to be a fabulous year for you too, be it for a career, family or personal achievement outlook!

Soldier of Love

Fingers flexed? Yup..

It's raining hard outside, and it's foggy. I am of course viewing this wet Sunday from my office.. Yeah, some people do work 7 days a week.

Now, before you say in disbelieve 'WORK?'; lets settle on the 'light editing' job. Thesis writing is time consuming, I'd rather go back to the lab and do more experiments with the time I spent on writing. It's ridiculously intense; don't let anyone tell you PhD is as easy provided that one work hard enough. It's NOT good enough to work hard. One must put their mental agility on the chopping board to deal with the frustration and contemplation, ever moving effervescently every time one thinks about his/her PhD projects. And sometime, it can be a little frustrating to see some people strutting around with the Dr. (PhD) title, but talk nonsense (a kindergarten is a much better articulate person to me). An example of this is one guy called Ridhuan Abdullah. I've no problem with him being a racist in the closet; what happened in his mind is his own business. It's what he spit out matters because it degrades the entire institution of academic, the learnt scholars. Here's the first thing he said that I read (Ridhuan Tee's BS), and I promised myself I will NEVER waste my time ever again on reading his crap. For those who aligned, or very much would like to read more of him, he writes blog. No, don't ask me where is it; ask Google! (My faith does not condone bashing people because of their race, color or whatever. I find Dr. Asri Zainal Abidin's coretan interesting and intellectually stimulating to read and take perspective on)

Enough of stomping on stupid remarks from a self-claimed learnt person like Ridhuan. It ruined my mood. Lets talk Physics instead... Before someone's mind go to hibernation upon seeing 'Physics', I'd like to share this interesting paper from a group of fun physicists in the UK.. The paper is about Batman! Batman and batcape...This is what I found on GoogleScholar... Yeah, some work on Sunday right? It's not much, just 2 pages. Minimal equations, you can even skipped them if you want because the idea is not revolved around the equations (FYI: the sets of equation are the well-known Newton's 1st and 2nd Law. We knew them like the back of our hand while we're still at high school..). If you're an impatient person, like my type, go straight to conclusion. I find it hilarious to read and get some new overview of things I take for granted. In this case, I take Batman flying for granted. This reminds me to share another article (this year) about the physics of coffee handling... If only I could find the open-access reference for that!

Meanwhile, let me share a picture I've got from trekking the Great China Walls. It's done about a year ago while I was in Beijing for a conference. Love the trek, and I will tell more of Beijing/Great Wall in the next post...

'The key to lasting union...' Juyongguan Pass, Great Wall of China

Comment: What's with the entry title-content?

Euphora of THE General Election

Politic? Stay out of it!

That's what my mother often tell all of us, my siblings and I. She's admonishing us when we talk about blatant corruption going on in the district governance, she'd scoffed us even more when we intend to join in the solidarity of marching in the name of freedom rights. And she still does it over supper talks when we get together, chit chatting about BERSIH and the intention to join NGOs such as that. Although I do not know the political leaning of my older siblings, I am quite certain of that of my father's. ABU. Anything But UMNO.

I won't rant about who is what here, that'll be for another story on another day. I've my own preferences, it's suffice to say I'd rather gamble my future on a clean slate government than being continuously dogged into bribery and corrupt government (of the day).

I just wish to note down here that I've applied to register as a voter for the coming GE, about a month ago. I was so elated that when I checked my name this morning, my application has been received and is now being processed. Have you registered to be heard? Check here: Semakan Daftar Pemilih SPRM

Comment: UPKO? STAR? PKR? or PAS? in Kuala Penyu? I long for the day when someone who's as bright as Rafizi Ramli, as compassionate as Kamalanathan, as the ever more humble as Tok Guru Nik Aziz, as courageous as Ambiga to take charge of my district.

Back AGAIN!

And here I am! When I looked at the last post I made, I gasped! Was it already that long I've not pen my thoughts?! Some apologies are due; maybe not many read my blog, but I regret it very much that I don't write as much as I aimed I should. No excuse.

Spring Velvet Rose, Wellington Botanical Garden

So, what's been happening in that...wait for it... a year?!

Lets update you with the things that are still me: a poor student, unmarried (at this age, I guess it's normal for people outside the perimeter of KP), a lovely girl! With the emphasize on the last one.. Yup, I've got about 8 months to go to finish my degree; and fingers crossed make myself employable to save up some money to get hitched and go for vacation a lot. At the moment, things are tough. The thesis writing part I mean. I started about 4 months ago, and I'm less than 40% of readying my first draft! And it's not procrastination-I can assure you-it's more like I'm at the end of my wits of how to translate things I've learnt and discovered so far in research into words that are not mumbo-jumbo, present ideas in a flow that is easily accessible to me long in the future. Who knows I might not be in this business anymore once I'm capped?

On the other side of the coin, a lot has changed. The last time I went back home, about a year ago, my brother in-law passed away because of a suspected heart attack. He was a very heavy smoker. I missed the funeral and only managed to get there the day after the burial. It's a fateful reunion for the family I'd like to think. Months prior to the passing, I've been tinkering with my flight tickets to a conference in Beijing to make a stop over in Singapore so that I can make it our thanksgiving day. My brother booked a ticket home from Johor for that purpose too. So are my other nearby siblings. It was when they've reached home-that late evening-my brother in-law fainted and passed away on the way to the hospital. He was buried the day we've marked for thanksgiving reunion. To another not-so morose incidents, most of my best girlfriends from SMSL have gotten married. And trying hard to be pregnant. Some got lucky, some are still praying for the miracles. I'm glad for them, to be adventurous on having a family of three. I cannot imagine the antics the baby made at nights, but they seemed happy with those.

Comments: In that ONE YEAR, I've done several hikes and sightseeing as well. I should be able to weave some stories of my journeys soon when I am able to share the pictures. Don't give up on me!

No woman no cry...

Late Winter welcoming the Spring! Yosemite National Park

I am listening to this version of Marley's awesome 'No woman, no cry', by Katherine Jenkins (feat. Cody Karey) while typing this entry...

Sigh, I think it's been like..a couple of months since I last put a piece in here. Many things to do, yet not enough time and hands to do all of them.

But coming back to my intent on the thing that I'd like to publish today, no woman no cry. Rivetingly true, I've to admit.

When I hit that age of breaking away from my mother for a 3-days-2-nights school camp, I remember sobbing uncontrollably with a whole continent of people watching me, puzzled. I still do now every time I leave my beloved mum home.

I still remember crying endlessly when my sisters hurled some words that cut me deep as a result of my stubbornness antiques. In the dark, even. I still do now, for them, in the dark but for missing them dearly when they're most of the time out of physical reach and hugs.

There was a time when I get to know bright and awesome girls back in school days and enjoyed raptuous candours of gossips and boys. Then it hit me like an oncoming truck when we've to lead our own lives paths, pursuing what we needed to achieve as we chose to go to other colleges. I remember I cry for ages, refusing food and living only on photographs of our great school days. I still do now, whenever I go through those big smiley photographs of angel like girls--cried a few buckets at that but this time with few cookies in a hand!

"Lunch for 1, La Castanogla, San Francisco"

So, you see, if there's not a woman in my life, I don't think I'd shed so much tear. But without a woman in my life, neither laughters nor bonds coming my way.

Comments: A strength of woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she can be until you put her on hot water.

What a ROYAL week!

Splash across the newspapers websites across the globe are the pictures of the newly wed Brits popular Prince.. Well, I don't know what to comment more since everybody has already their put their two cents here and there.. I guess I'm taking the 'indifference' mood this type.

On the serious note, I had just finish writing and submitting papers for peer-reviews. Man, what an intense week it had been! Finally today I've some time to sip my coffee, and read newspaper properly which leads me to write this entry (or otherwise I would make an excuse for myself to keep procrastinating it..).

I've come across this section in TheStar that was reviewing something about brain drain and Malaysia. Phew..I just cannot believe that I said those words in a breath. As if both of them are parallel to each other since the beginning of time.

Anyway, the report was based on the published findings of the World Bank (http://www.worldbank.org/my) that says every 1 out of 10 Malaysian brains migrate out of the country. With a population of about 28 million, that makes it 2.8 million talented Malaysians are abroad!

Well, I don't wish to engage in the issue of brain drain affecting the country here. I'm sure that there are many reasons why one leaves, returns, or ways on how the authorities are doing to tackle this diaspora.

I think it's unfortunate that the talents are leaving the country in search for greener pastures, but it's unavoidable (unless the country is going to strict regime like North Korea). I think while we can still try our means to attract those who have left, we should focus our energy even more on educating, properly train and equip those who stayed behind.

An example of such a measure is actually already in place some years back, when the government announced that mastery of Science and Maths in English is the way forward. I lauded it back then and still is now, though I cursed them for not introducing the plan years earlier when I was in high schools. One may have to despair a lot of the time with the switch, but gradually it's always a win-win situations.

I have been educated in a system with Malay as the medium of instructions, learnt everything about Science and Maths in Malay. So when it was time to enter university and sit for SAT exams, I found it cripples me to re-learn everything and express it in terms that the world understand, English. Now, after years of learning everything in English, I find it impossible to help with homeworks for my nieces and nephews. The Physics jargons that I know by heart in English now seems so alien in Malay. I bet my nieces have thought low of me now that I couldn't help but ask them back to explain what the questions want to know.

So, bring back the English as the medium of instructions for Science and Maths. I know from heart that deep in the rural areas in Borneo (or anywhere for that matter), someone will one day come out and say it out loud that if it's not for English-taught Science background she/he had, she/he would not be where it's now.

Comments: Too tired to process my hike to one of the best Day's hike in the world, Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a couple of days back. Like I said, it WAS a week full of royals and majestic landscapes!

Stop sensationalize frivolous issues from dumbing us down!

Maybe it's just me, being away for so many years from home, seeing and reading everything from a distance, through a 3rd person eyes.

Every day, I usually make an effort to read newspapers portals (pro-and anti-governments) over the net--just to keep abreast of issues at home, in particular education-related matters. Such raised news that made it to the front pages usually have high fidelity with my soul. Perhaps, it's because I'm very much a campaigner of a better education for deserving children of Malaysia.

Sadly, in recent years it has become very much politicized, to its core that it just completely turned me off. I feel the same way as reading rubbish comments on how the work of literary Interlok being riddled with 'racism' and what nots to reading the latest new-found sex tapes allegedly involving some political figures. These kind of things (sex tapes etc) are not suppose to make it to the front page for our children to read at school. If you're to ask me why not, I'll tell you straight in the face that you might as well allow public screening of any porn videos in cinemas, as much as you want to publicize (or character assasinate) a person (or a group of people) bedroom antics in national newspapers (and the Parliament!).

It all comes down to what our mentals are curious of. And at the moment, it seems like our news room are feeding us with junkies that will not contribute to empowering national development, improving economic standing, reducing poverty and crime, to list but a few. Rather than engaging in discussions that can lead towards betterment of English proficiencies and competence of generations of talented Malaysians globally or how to tackle the rising cost of living of average Malaysians, for example, people in the higher echelon of the House prefer spending time watching smut videos and that too at the expense of the citizen time and money.

We cannot allow such trivialities making their way to the top of the country's priorities and dumbing us down along the way.

Comments: In the recent natural-disasters affecting the world, when tens of thousand people died, cut out of basic necessities, unaccounted for, I find it befuddling that inconsequential matters like smut videos printed in bold, huge fonts on the country's newspapers frontpage.

Everyday, do something that makes your heart sings!

Back from holiday mood! It felt surreal, having holiday I mean. Time flies so fast that I didn't feel I've enough of wondering the world out there!

For a start, let me just share you a story, a true one, that I made along the 3 weeks stints I've in California.

I went camping at the Yosemite National Park. Camping for consecutively 3 nights with my loyal NZ summer tent and my synthetic sleeping bag. And through it all, there were snow and blizzard days and nights I was there. And you can imagine how cold was it. No, don't imagine just yet and let me tell you my story before your imaginations take place.

Day 1: I arrived on bus from Merced at Yosemite at around 12 noon. The weather was alright, not too much soon nor was it gloomy. Perfect for hiking the trails that I've been wanting (or rather dying) to get my feet on. I went to the designated camp site:free, and arguably most deserted one as it doesn't have any of the facilities that other camp sites had to offer. Set my tent under a tree, stow my food in a metal locker and off I lurked around the park in my boots. The rocks that formed the mountain there are mammoth, giants and huge! I feel so small standing there in awe. Such is the greatness of nature! Had dinner by 6 pm after satisfying my walk about to the rather short (3 miles) trail to the Mirror Lake overlooking the Half Dome. That night, as I slept the snow started to fall. I got excited, since it's my first time camping in the snow, so the cold didn't really get to me. For now.


Day 2: As I woke up that morning, opened my tent door and I saw bears paw prints on the snow near my food metal locker. Strangely enough, I didn't hear a thing last night! Snow was my knee deep (2 feet!) and it's still snowing. I told myself it's going to get better by the day and my hike plan was still on! In fact I was roaring to go that I got all my hike gears on me in no time. As I continued to do one of the hikes that goes all the way up to 2000 feet elevation to the top of Yosemite Fall, the snow got worse and I wasn't able to see anything beyond a meter around me! It's all white..Felt like in Alice's Wonderland! So I decided to pull out and walked down and do rather flat walks around the park.. I said to myself lets go to the Mirror Lake again! And I did.. Snow didn't stop the whole day, by the time I hit the Mirror Lake it's not that easy to maneuver around in thigh deep snow. But I felt so blessed: I saw many reindeers, bobcats, squirrels along the way. Was truly a day! I returned to my tent only to find out my tent is almost collapsing under the snow weight. Had to dig that one out before I could get in my tent and rest for the night. Snowing still...
Day 3: When I got up, it was impossible to open my tent door as the snow was waist deep! Had to work my way out of the tent a bit. It's now snow blizzard. Couldn't see anything but snow flakes falling from the sky! Beautiful.. I couldn't bear myself to stay the whole day in the tent so I've to keep moving if I don't want to die from cold. So I went to all the short treks that are full of the history of the park, significant buildings etc. It was so cold by the time I get back to my tent in the afternoon (5 pm) I was shivering cold. Down jacket, rain jacket pants and almost everything were wet from the outing. Had to survive for the night...Have to! Slept shivering...
Day 4: Must leave the park today as the roads were cut and closed for all vehicles. Hitch-hiked to Merced, or San Francisco. 2 guys I've chatted with earlier the days before remembered me as they pass by their hotel lobby. Told him my story, bus isn't coming and I'm wanting to get off at SF for my flight home. The 2 guys were very kind to give me a lift, and along the way asked me if I've a place to stay. Told them I've no one in SF and that I'm staying at a backpacker hostel. David said, 'Look Jess, we've a room in our house that you can crash in for as long as you need'. Gasp..Lovely Americans!! Stayed in a house that is on top of the hill called Diamond Heights overlooking SF city lighted up in lights everyday until the day I left. I found my family in SF.

Comment: 'There are no strangers in the world, only friends we've not met'

National Red and Black Day--04/03/2011

Today I wore and walked down proudly my black & red colored T-shirt with my black jeans to school. My 20 minutes walk was somewhat sombre when I noticed that there's very little Aucklanders showing solidarity towards the Cantabrians that are badly affected by the recent killer earthquake on the Feb 22. It was televised and published elsewhere in the mainstreams and the internet that today the nation will support the devastated Christchurch, yet it seems that only a handful of people remembered this. Sad.

On the other hand, I've great pride of this country I call home. As I walk with black & red clothes today, I've that goosebumps feeling that I wouldn't choose other countries to call mine despite the tragedy. It's been 9 days since the earthquake struck our once most beautiful city, and in that time I've read and watch people of all alignments, both government and opposition members stand together in 1 solid side--no politics, no nothing but supporting shoulders. During this time, it almost is the time that I wished for not only for my Kiwi brothers and sisters but my fellow earthlings. The days when we agree to each other towards a better cause, to distribute resources to help the unfortunate and sadly, to grieve for the lost loved ones and remember their living memories to move on.

Christchurch will certainly never be the same again, more than just the removal of the cities historic buildings, sacrificed lives and forecasted utterly sluggish economic & tourism recovery. Today, more than ever, Cantabrians know that the whole nation, citizen and visitors alike, will take our shirts on our back off to help them.

Comments: International donation to people of Christchurch at the Salvation Army website is available here

Hike Trail: Feb 2011

Torea Saddle (beginning of uphill ascent)

The second installation of this hiking entry will be from my recent walk (in fact I just got back from it today!) at the Marlborough Sound, NZ. The Queen Charlotte Track is actually a 71 km long track and trampers are expected to hikes for at least 3-4 days to finish the walk. My day walk was the last third of the length-- 22.5 km from Torea Bay to Anakiwa. All and all, this walk was designed for moderate trampers, i.e. people with moderate physical fitness and a good pair of walking shoes. I am planning to come back again and do the other two-third of the length when I am able to. One thing I love about hiking in NZ is that its track are all properly maintained, thanks to the DoC care. It's one thing that Malaysian Govt should learn to encourage bush walks tourism.

Properly maintained track is important to minimized damages

I hopped onto the chartered boat cruise, Endeavour Express as early as 9 a.m. to kick start my journey. By 9.30 a.m. I was well on my way up to where the real hike walkway starts at Torea Saddle. This is the start of 8 km of majority of uphill walk; I am expected to take 4 hours to finish this section.

Kenepuru Sound

Looking back to uphill ascent walk. Boy, did it kill my legs or what?!

The view from high altitudes are spectacular. Here's the Kenepuru Sound magic bursting through an overcast day. It's a shame that the Sun has been hiding behind the thick clouds, but nevertheless this did not diminished the views as far as my eyes can see. After walking for an hour or so, it started to drizzle and pouring a bit here and there throughout my first section of the walk. I looked at the bright side and put away contempt for the awful weather and sitting on it.

Some greens I've found in the pathway..

It's probably this quite cold weather that helped me cut the walk time down to 3 hours. I was so surprised that I've finished this ascent hike in time for my lunch break. I had a stop overlooking the Te Mahia Bay for my 20 mins lunch break. The weather improve slightly in that it's not trickling anymore around noon, despite it's being overcast.

Te Mahia Saddle

Second part of the walk (14.5 km)

A little bit more to go!

The rest of the track is as easy as this..

By now I've realized that I may be running out of time to catch my boat home if I delay my second section of the walk by any minute. My backpack are lighter too now that some fruits are eaten and water is down to half.

The second section is a 14.5 km long cruise walk. It's through thick bushes with no extreme uphills ascent in contrast to the 1st section I've done earlier. I am supposed to take 4 hours for this walk. This walk is through much of private property lands; so essentially some fences here and there.

Rewarded with a view of Omahau Bay

I managed to finish this section in 3 hours. Again a feat that I was a bit disappointed of since it's much easier to navigate yet it took me quite a while to finish it. Maybe my legs are getting too tired or my pace gone down. Either ways, I've much time to actually fell asleep waiting for my boat at the wharf while reading my book. I've got an extra 45 mins time, so I didn't feel guilty falling asleep!

End of Walk, Anakiwa Wharf

Terribly heavy eyes...

By the time I got into the boat, I met another hiker who'd done the 3 days feat tramp of Queen Charlotte track. Boy, did he looked terrible after the tramp! As we talked, we've become acquaintances and I got to know that he, Yahael, an Israeli is on a 3 months mission to sightseeing NZ. A feat that I doubt I can last.

Yahael as it turned out had tramp around North Island for the last 1 month, and this is the start of his hike on the South Island. The poor guy apparently has ran out of water and food since 11 am that morning of his 3rd day, and I feel pitiful for him that I offered my energy bar which he declined respectfully. Not giving up, I persuaded the guy to take my water since he's sounded like he's losing his voice while earnestly making a friendly conversation with me! Yahael took several sips, and I felt like I've offered half of my inheritance to a a beggar! :P

At the end of the conversation, I offered him to come to stay at my backpacker hostel since he's got no planned stay. Luckily we've got room left for him to stay for the night, and we've become good friends in a matter of hours! I shall talk more of him and Israel in my future entries.

A bird eye view from Cessna of Queen Charlotte Track

Comment: Yahael is my 2nd encounter with an Israeli who's from Israel so far. I think it's magic meeting given that my passport would never allow me to go near to his country, yet thousands of miles away I get to meet an Israeli and carry on a conversation as if he's my neighbor for centuries! Sometime I don't get it why our govt barred us from entering Israel...

Hike Trail: Jan 2011

Well, this was supposed to be written in January when I did this day walk. But as you can see, it's now dated February--and I am desperate to share this over 16 km walk covering a third of the Motutapu Island. It's a feat to finish it in less than 3 hours, and admittedly I felt the walk was rather easy. There aren't many battling hills and thick bushes in this conservation island and I feel much like going there for a picnic away from the city.

I started off at Home Bay, where the ferry dropped me off at the little jetty that they've there. It took the ferry about 30 mins from the city harbor to reach there. The funny thing about the ferry schedule is that its frequencies to Motutapu Island is every second and forth Saturdays of each month of the year.

When I got off, it smelled like sheep and cow dungs everywhere. Yes, these animals are scattered around the perimeter of the island, where the DOC rangers reared them for some reasons or another. Anyhow, as I walk through the Rotary Centennial Track (consisted of thick planted native trees for conservation) the smell fades away. When I re-emerge from the other end of the 10 mins walkway, it almost felt like surreal! As if a parallel world exists!

View from the Rotary Centennial Track

View at the end of the Rotary Centennial Track

At this end, I saw some relics from WW2 military post in the island. These concrete+metal buildings looked old, and decrepit. So I walked on (clearly I wasn't interested!) and embarked on the 1.5 hours walk along the valleys to reach the north point of the island (aptly named the Billy Goat Point). And along the way I stopped here and there to rest my eyes on the undulating fields.

Breathing in the glorious lunch break at Waikarapupu Bay Point

Waikarapupu Bay

Sandy Bay with Rangitoto at the background

When I reached my end of the track (back to Home Bay where the ferry picks me up), I've got some time to kill and I took that opportunity to lay down on my back and eat my apple. I saw rich people cruising in their expensive yatchs, making me long for winning the lottery by millions! Jealousy is indeed a grave sin!

Home Bay

Comment: This is the beginning of my hike highlights entries--planning to go see the lush sceneries around every month! :)

Egypt Raising!

I'll be writing something about politics, and Gen Y.

We learn one of the biggest historical moments just happened this week in Egypt, and Tunisia--and perhaps other repressed countries will soon oust their corrupt leaders. As I go through the webpages on BBCs, the force behind the rallies that free the countries from these selfish leaders are the Gen Ys. Those who are educated, awarded degrees that merit respects, have to end up selling stuff in an illegal market (for example) or even worse remained unemployed more years than they spent earning their qualifications. These are the people who got fed up with the self indulging, enriching leaders while they (the people) lose many nights of sleeps working hard to earn themselves meals for the week.

I'm proud to be on their sides, the Gen Y. They are the living examples of people who are willing to die to gain freedom. They bled, sweat and cried through the uprising because they want their hopes and voices to echo deeply into the palatial mansions of the self serving politicians. We the Gen Y, can say it out loud that we don't want a corrupt person/people to continue enjoying all the benefits by themselves exclusively. And they ring across the Internet world, and like the domino effect they merged into one uber-power that not even any guns can stop.

Bag-packing!

Oh! Summer is here, and we're about to see the end of it when the dark clouds that loomed over New Caledonia and north of Australia arrive Auckland from next week as forecast by the weather-guys at MetService.

Traveling is one of everybody's hobbies. I mean, who in their right mind will despise travelling and sight-seeing?! Personally, travels associate themselves with holiday--at least to me anyway. It doesn't matter if once I reached my destination, works are going to eat me alive.

I think the most juicy bit about traveling is the preparation for the journey itself. Packing your luggage and back-packs, that is. I think it's one of the most stressful stages of traveling. The top one is of course when you've not a dime in your pocket. Selecting clothes that are appropriate for the weathers, weight and space. Bundles of socks and undergarments. A mini first-aid kit (really it's just a combination of Iburofen and band-aids supplies). A damn good walking shoes. A torchlight. A toothbrush. A sunblock. And... A nice dress. Just in case a nice gentleman ask you out for dinner at a not-so-fancy restaurant.

So there, the essentials list out for me. Emphasis on the toothbrush, and I always force myself make a good, big notepad with 'TOOTHBRUSH?' written on it by my room door. I've about a dozen or so of used toothbrush that I accidentally collected as souvenirs from my travels, so there! Make it a point to pack a toothbrush!

I'm elated--in fact I've planned in my head my luggage contents for my trip to California. Soon! Of course, I'm there on work. But above all my mind already works its wonder on hiking around Yosemite Grand National Park--after the conferences of course. One of my favorite nature's photographers, Ansel Adam took a defining moment at one particular spot there--and I'm determine to walk a few days (if needed) to breath in the spectacles of Half Dome.

Here's the taste of Yosemite that I can't wait to go to (courtesy from Ansel Adam webpage photos).

A new year, a new you!

Wishlist:

To self.
1) A change of heart. A heart that is a bit wiser, a bit kinder, a litte braver too.
2) A change of habit. Take a deep breath before I say anything. Don't charge in. Don't rush through it.
3) Keep my mouth shut. Talk only when necessary. Argue only with facts.
4) Forget my past. Everything. Including my achievements. And start anew, from scratch, every day.

To friends.
1) Remind them that I think of them every now and then.
2) Let them know that my hand is in theirs. They can reach out for me regardless of their shortcomings and flaws and perfections too.
3) Apologize to them when I've said something out of place. No buts, no laters.

To home (where the heart is, NZ)
1) Our children and the weaks (including animals) are protected from abuse. Physically. Emotionally. Mentally.
2) Greener. Say no to plastic bags. Cycle, walk, hike, bus around. Recycle.

To home (where I pledged my loyalty, Malaysia)
1) Transparency. Ideally, in all areas. But if it proved to be too much of a hard job to accomplish, then the economy.
2) Greener. Say no to plastic bags. Cycle, walk, hike, bus around. Recycle.
3) Go an extra mile effort in dumping thrashes responsibly. Rivers, seas and forests are not the designated bins.
4) Release emotional baggage. Concede that the other party can also do and say the right things. Result orientated governance, not pure rhetorics.

Comments: Will again missed voting for the next GE @ M'sia. Make a difference. Vote to be heard.

A smarter planet!

As we nearing to the end of the wonderful year and to the new beginning of exciting year, lets just pause for a second on our actions that may have saved the planet life.

Most of us didn't think each one of our action can powerfully influence the course of the Earth's life. Well, at least we're not aware of it physically. I recently got into quite a heated argument with my loved ones over the prospects of them wanting to get a new car on top of the already cars they've. If you want to know who lost the argument, well, I won't make it much longer for you to guess--I lost it.

You see, my arguments are based on preserving and preparing this beloved planet for the future generations. I say something like carbon footprints, effects on the Earth, global warming and whatnots. They sounded convincingly true to me, I mean I've all the facts and data backed up from my reading from learned journals. I've prepared list of pros and cons of the idea of a new car and the cons weighed more than the pros. Yet, it failed to impress them. On one hand I've been stunned by the overwhelming belief that scientists alone can solve all these problems for the entire human race.

Thus I turned to this blog and put an entry to call for opened hearts to gather momentum to save, even for a little, our planet. We know it's the only one the entire universe so far, and that it's the only place that we can be sure to be able to breath to live.

Take a walk when your destinations don't require more than few minutes drive. Perhaps, you may have just save the ozone layer from being botched. Cycle to and fro when the places you'd like to go to takes more than 10 minutes drive. Just maybe, you saved some remote islands in the Pacific from the rising seawater from the global warming. And if your journey takes more than an hour or even days to reach by foot or bicycles, maybe hop onto shared transportation. Or get yourself a hybrid car. While you're still puffing out gases that are killing our planet, your contribution percentage is decreased by the number of collective share. Perhaps, you've just saved a small area of productive land from being turned to another Sahara Desert. Or if you can't afford either the twos, grab a book and a hot chocolate. A page can take you thousands miles away from where you're sitting (or lying). I know this for real because I fall under this category.

Happy new year everyone! Lets make a smarter planet :)

Comment: Stumbled upon the best website in the world: http://www.aldaily.com/. Check it out!

Of Einstein and Physics

"The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before."

The above is a quote I recently came across while translating some quotes of the most famous physicist of our time, Albert Einstein. I really like this quote, I mean I like almost all of Einstein quotes but this one resonates more than the other emotionally to me. One should, I suggest, in spare time read his published revolutionary papers from the 1900s and I can guarantee you that his papers will not bore you down with equations and equations and more equations to explain not-so-simple things back then.

Why is it that such a simple, very obvious statement (I mean anyone, not only Einstein, is capable of thinking and blurting it out right?) affect my inner soul, I think comes to 2 points. The woman. No one has ever been before.

I'm partially feminist. What I mean by that is I'm supporter of women's right to say, do, think what's good for them. I don't agree with burning of bras' and whatnot. The latter looks like a messy politics to me. But that aside, I'm all in for a woman independence from being continually subjected to patriarchal hierarchy in the society (we see that everywhere still, even now). My upbringing started out with what looks like male-dominated family. I mean I can recall only small things where my mother, or sisters have a say on stuff. Be it opening your bank account to school report card signatures--it'll always wait for the alpha-males in my family. Of course, girly things like wanting a pink pencil box for new school term are in my mother's prerogative, subject to a nod from my father.

So when I was offered to go to a boarding school (which is just few hours away by water ferry), my mother was devastated. She changed her mind almost every time we speak about whether or not I should accept it. In the morning she'd say something like it's better I'd be sent to such school to straighten me out of my non-budge-ness waking up early in the morning. Later in the afternoon, she'd say something like she'd like to keep me around so that I can learn/practice cooking meals for my own future family. But (thankfully) my dad gave her the ultimatum: I'd be attending the school for the next couple of years for better education. I must say it wasn't very easy for her to let me go on the day we went for my registration at the new school, and she almost made me want to change my mind--to go back and practice my cooking for my own future family. But I didn't. From that moment, I'm all by myself. No familiar faces. No relatives. Just me and a bunch of other kids who look equally worried as me on the first day.

If there's one thing I really love about the school, I'd say it teaches me great value of independence. I mean to say that despite us being overly (sometimes excessively) protected from outsiders influence and all, we still have to work hard to adjust ourselves inside this cocoon. The atmosphere there wasn't very welcoming in the years I've spent my secondary education. Lots of stupid (both IQ and EQ), and even more alarmingly envious girls (oh, and boys too!) in the school. So when moments (sometimes months) I'm subjected to bullying and threats by the senior girls, I tell myself to upfront this and tie myself to a goal, not to focus too much on dwelling personal feelings about the evildoers. And thus, I'd like to always be on my own (sometimes with a couple of good girlfriends) doing things. True enough, the bullies go no further than their crowds, and they're a bunch of losers. Einstein quote is truly true to this part. And I, walking alone have seen myself in places no one has been yet, at least not for the losers.

Doing Physics for your tertiary education and getting your degree from it perhaps opens up only limited opportunity for money-making careers out there. I mean, the dozens of smart kids I've privileged to be friends with are doing something with the machines (engineers), preparing clients ledger accounts, cutting up bodies, and most popular ones running up and about courts. So it's a bit awkward going into a gathering and I hear my good friends talking about things that are real. They must think physicists in general worries about things that are not in the reality. So sometimes I do feel like an outsider, even on general things like American drama series, gameshows and musical idols, as I am admittedly too ignorant to spend my time on such things.

As it is sometimes hard enough to front the good friends I've with my dim career choice, in the department itself sometimes it can be overwhelming. I mean to say that I'm in a department that is 98% of the staff members are male (dominantly white), and male graduate students ratio to female graduate student is about 8:1. Surrounded by men 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week for several years makes me feel like I'm one of them already. It is a fact that I detest it very much when the time of the month creeps in and sometimes slow things down for me. I mean men don't have to worry about getting up from a white seat with some unintentional marks left there, right? But nevertheless, I've always been treated like a princess here. Because 1) I wear nice smiles that everyone love here, 2) My supervisor will lift up big things in the lab for me because he's worried I'd hurt myself. In summary, I couldn't imagine myself doing Physics and being treated with kind respect here had I stick to the crowd.

It's a good thing to wander off the crowd. Sometimes, in a crowd, one finds it hard to know where one is going.

Comment: I've never managed to straight myself out from jumping out of bed earlier than 8 am to this day, despite all the repetitive routine from my high school that starts at around 5 am.