Earth Hour

Excerpts of an interview (fictional) with a reporter, covering Earth Hour 2009 on Sat 28th March.

Q: Are u aware of the Earth Hour event held last Saturday??
A: Yes

Q: Did u participated in it?
A: Yes & proud of it

Q: How do u spend the hour?
A: We switched off all lights at home & went to Subang Parade to have dinner & waited for the completion of one hour.

Q: What's the comments of your other friends on this event?
A: Some were very enthusiastic on this & encouraging others to join in. Some thought this was just an useless publicity stunt. Some just don't bother.

Q: Why do they think like that?
A: Apparently the argument is about what one hour of saving electricity can do to help save the Earth. Others probably just being ignorance of what's goin on out there...

Q: What is your thought about this then??
A: This is not about an event on saving electricity. This is about creating awareness of the current environmental issues happening in our Mother Earth, which will affect us at the end of the day. We're sending a message saying if every single one of us play a small part in helping the environment, it's can be worthwhile & make a BIG difference if we see from the larger picture. Whether it's issue of global warming, deforestation, depletion of ozone layer or even dumping of materials, it's important to know that we dun need to be Barack Obama to get our message across & that ordinary people like you and me can make a difference if we play our part.

Q: What's your comment on the Malaysians' response in general about safeguarding the environment?
A: Basically, we're just being ignorance & don't care of the complications. Governmental regulations (which are not being fully adhered to) are partly to be blamed. In the name of development, people has taken advantages of the loose implementation to their advantages. Besides, the awareness of the current environmental issues are lacking in schools - supposely the place of nurturing the future generations. How do u expect the younger peeps to help safeguarding the environment when they dont even know what is global warming all about??

Q: What's your hope for the people?
A: For the educators to go back to the basics to help create a civic minded society. Everybody know throwing rubbish everywhere is wrong but most people just dont' bother. Those days during my primary school days, we were made to listen about creating a clean environment, almost on daily basis by the principal (whom I respect till today) & it's compulsory for everybody to spend 10 minutes cleaning the designated area in school before starting class. The authorities, especially at local council level should be more strict with themselves on the implementation of regulations & not bowing to demands. If that place is a designated "green lung", then maintain it & ensure it still remains one over times.

Thanks.

Langkawi Langkawi

Okay, Akurians..this is the wayyyyy toooooo long for me to call tis an overdue post. But its better late than never rite?? This is the 2nd edition of annual Akurians reunion trip held in Langkawi last 29th-31st Dec 2008. Some of u may suggest might as well spend the New Year Eve on the island. Excellent idea in fact but being true frens we are, we adapted the timing to the schedule of certain someone, who ffk in the end...P Anyhow, we go ahead with only 4 persons this time; Maj, Nei, Ray & myself.

Got ourselves a rented Hyundai Accent at rate of RM 200.00 flat for 3 days duration once arrived (pretty cheap I would say during tis triple peak season) & checked into the Aseania Resort hotel. This hotel is strategically situated at the junction between the Kwai-Loh invaded Cenang beach & the serene Tengah beach. Room is pretty comfy, air-con working nicely & hot water available...way better than Pangkor rooms and swimming pool is sooo tempting that u just wanna jump into it even with your clothes on. No prize for guessing what's the first thing we did after checking in. There's mini jacuzzi, water slides, giant mushrooms falls, man-made waterfalls & even man-made rivers, all in one. Being camwhores we are, I can safely say 1/4 of total photos taken for tis trip are scenes from tis swimming pool....

Pantai Cenang. Sundecks need to be rented with separate pricing for umbrellas

See me practicing the new Zen exercise - floating over the water

Freaked out over an uninvited guest emerging from the pool

1st day dinner was at a Spanish restaurant, Tapaz, one of the many multi-fusion restaurants at the Telaga Harbour situated just in front of countless millionaires' toys (we called them yachts in proper term) parked at the harbour. The harbour's ambience makes you truly feel like one of the rich & famous, coupled with oldies music played by live band whole nite long. And yes, the ex-PM Dr.M's owned bakery's The Loaf was located here as well. Next day stop is to Langkawi Oriental Village where we took the cable car ride to Mount Matcinchang. Here placed an overhead skybridge, which should be highlighted in Discovery Channel's Extreme Engineering.

Millionaires' toys parked at Telaga Harbour

Langkawi Oriental Village

The Skybridge - not for the faint hearted

Akurians with the Skybridge at the back

Looking at the height & condition of the hanging bridge, even AJ Hacketts will probably need to think twice before introducing bungy jumping here. When it's windy, u can really feel the bridge is moving. Later, we took the car for round island trip before stopped by at Pantai Pasir Hitam (Black Sand beach). Understand the sand colour here is due to natural cause & not oil leak or whatever. Went to Kuah town for shopping after that. The whole island is duty free, in case u dunno. The wide range of chocolates & liquors here certainly put the airport duty free shops to shame. Bought few cans of foreign beers for testing, costing only approx RM 2.50 each. You see, a can of beer here is way cheaper than a bottle of mineral water. Eagle Square is a must for all visitors to this island especially during dusk. Photo enthusiasts will be thrilled at the heavenly sight of the sunset.

The quiet & serene Black Sand beach, notice the colour of the sand

The island mascot at Eagle Square

Scenic sunset, as if the Light shining down from Heaven

Despite of being in late twenties, all of us seems to have the tendency to jump around whenever we posed, no thanks to the inaugural jump we had in pangkor last time..:) Had seafood dinner at Cenang beach before testing all liquors/beers in the room. Next morning, we took the morning walk to Tengah beach where lots, lots & lots of camwhoring shots taken before lunch along Cenang beach. Later, we catched the evening flight back to KL, just in time for New Year Eve celebrations.

We jumped at the pool, familiar sight huh??

at the beach....

on the Skybridge, some 652 metres above sea level.....

and even on room beds...

Collections of beers & liquors. All the beers suxx, except for Budweiser maybe....Tiger is da best !!!

Trip this around truly lived up just like what I expected earlier. Fun in the sun with great company. Never mind the small number of people, it's the quality times spent with people ur comfortable with that matters. So peeps, start look around for places for 3rd edition ya...Enough said bout the island, to the officials of Langkawi Tourism Board if ur reading this, can I demand a commision of sorts for promoting the island here???