Line 4 Dead

Biar Lambat Asal Selamat


When I returned to h3666, Senadin on the 8th me and my roomie Hallod was left 4 dead with no line to connect us to the outside world. I was busy with training that time and Hallod took the initiatives to go to town and get a Celcom Broadband, or the Blue Cube thingy. Hence we could online since then until now and allow me to write this post tonite.

The saddest thing is, its Broadband or more commonly known as Narrowband. Hallod got choked out as he was paying RM499 for the device in the picture alone, I suppose it was the 'Sarawak import tax' plus the 'expensive Boulevard rent tax' plus 'You're not Sarawakian tax'. If I'm not mistaken it was only RM300 in the west and fortunately the monthly payment remained the same. And then there's the speed. OOOOOOOWWWH GODDDDDDDDDD the speed (I rarely use His name under petty curcumstances but this one is a real sin that I should bring up on Judgement Day). So slow was the speed that I was staring at a blank white screen for 15 seconds before the Google page loads up. You can do the maths for the load time for Facebook and Blogger etc. The Braodband uses whatever line it can get to let users online, and here in Senadin it was either GPRS or 3G. And we all know 3G is limited in town areas, imagine residential areas like Senadin; almost non-existent. So in the end the device automatically switches between GPRS and 3G with different speed (all slow) and it limits users to a 5Gb download per month. Goodbye Gundam 00.

Hallod was kind enough to share his Broadband via LAN cable (the green cable in the pic, it's Hallod's laptop) without charging me, so I was happy enough to settle down with a shared 2.2Kbps, I repeat 2.2 Kbps and I repeat again 2.2Kbps line. I'm going for a wait-and-watch mode to see if my new house is going to be completed in time this semester, so I can save the trouble of registering a line then transferring it to the new house. So it's 2.2Kbps line for me for the moment. It's already Week 1 of the semester and I've already started to feel the pain of the slow line when I try to access Perth server and even the Miri campus server. Slow to the max with the occasional blank white page with the word Done in the lower left corner. So I'm lucky if I can see the webpages after 5-10 minutes sitting lifelessly on my Made in Malaysia plastic chair staring at the blank white Loading screen.

Drinking Cold Water Causes Cancer

So is eating bananas or lemons during sinus, but that one does not cause cancer. Ham is not a doctor nor is he in Health Science.

Today alone I got 2 new info on eating safety. First one was bananas and lemons. Avoid eating those when you are having a sinus because they worsen the sinusitis [WTH is Sinus?]. I can't find any online article to support this yet, because it came from a friend who had sinus not long ago and got an advice from his doctor to avoid eating the said fruits. I'm guessing the banana's potassium or other content promotes the 'thickening' of the sinus that leads to one of those nasty total nose block that leaves you sleeping with your mouth open. For the lemon, it could be the citrus that may cause tingling sensation to one's nose, but causes a nasty chemical reaction from a sinusitis nose that tries to respond appropriately to the tingling effect.

Next is the cold water cancer thing. They say (yeah 'they' as in 'my friend told me' and 'this e-mail says') drinking cold water causes cancer. Here's how the message goes;

Subject: Drinking Cold water after meal = Cancer!

For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion.

Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine.

Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

**PLEASE BE A "TRUE" FRIEND AND SEND THIS ARTICLE TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS YOU CARE ABOUT**

Source: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/cold-water-cancer.html

And then 'they' say again that's why the older people reminds us to drink warm water in a meal instead of an icy one. Too bad this claim was debunked. You can read more about this cold water cancer thingy at the this link, or Google for some more info. Thank goodness it was a false claim, I've been drinking cold since, um... 5? 3? For those who is still worried and thinks the claim is true, go on ahead and drink warm or hot water. And then it's up to you to spam your friend's inbox with the message above. Cheerios~

Semester 1, 2009 Commences!

Battlefield control online.

Semester 1, 2009 officially commences today and my Second Year 2nd Semester kicked start at 8am on the same day. There's some major upgrade noticeable around campus; Phase 2 and the new Lake Café near Lakeside Apartments that replaced the previous Remang Café. Let's see the new Phase 2 Building first. Due to the heavy floods and wet weather in the past few months the building did not get it's finishing touches but hey it's operational. Construction is still on going for the next building behind the current building seen in the pic below, and a few touch ups is still being made to the current operational building. For those having classes here, wear double or bring a thick jacket, because it can be super cold. Not put-you-to-sleep cold but the wake-you-up-and-max-your-attention cold. For me anyways.

Phase 2 Building exterior view

Phase 2 Building interior view

Phase 2 Building greenhouse-friendly design

Then there's the Lake Café. I've been here before during training 2 weeks ago but as a patient customer. This time I came as a critic and brought along my hardcore-critic buddy Dr. Suhas to see how good Lake Café is.

The design of the café was hotel-ish, complete with music in the background that gave it a typical hotel café ambient feel. Comes complete with a post-modern counter (no alcohol).

First time I came here we were serve by students who can improve their serving and waitressing skills. This time when the semester began real full time waitresses were in play, and this one here is a trainee. Dr. S observing how skillful the waitress serves his RM0.50 warm water (luckily it was raining heavily so ordering a RM0.50 pandan/vanilla leaf scented warm water didn't make us look like cheapskates).

They have a karaoke stage near the dining tables. No one dared to show their skills so far.

Food wise, they can improve on their presentation. But darn it the food is inarguably good tasting despite their simple made-for-the-students looks. This one here is a Thai style fried rice that is Thai-spicy, but surprisingly did not fail to overpower the other flavours in the fried rice that most restaurants tend to do. Food range; RM5.50 - RM7.00 for typical rice/noodle and chop meal, and RM11.00 - RM13.00++ for the more exclusive food. From the critics; no complain, veli good, we expect improvement over the semesters.

O-Week Training to O-Week Degree to JCLA

All in the time span of 2 weeks; First the training that begun on the 9th to14th, then the real Orientation 16th - 20st February and John Curtin Leadership Academy Advance Workshop on the half of 20th - 22nd February. Booked to the end until semester began on the 23rd, Monday. Wohoo. I don't wish to type out all those events here, because I prefer the pictures in Facebook to tell the stories (and the comments that spam my inbox...).

Orientation Semester 1 2009 Second Training

Degree O-Week Semester 1 2009 (Foundation's orientation next week)

(JCLA Advance Workshop, Mariott Resort & Spa)

Sibu Sungai Baleh's Giant Snake

The big-assed mother of all snakes of Sungai Baleh, Sibu

Well the news is kinda old-ish. But it was interesting nonetheless considering its involvement of Sibu, and we have to admit that's ONE BIG-ASSED snake. So anyways the picture was alledgely taken by a dude with his obviously somewhat low-pixel handphone while he was scouring the area in a helicopter [citations needed]. I really wonder why people with 10 megapixel of good Sony handycam never gets such shots, only people with blurry and budget tech equipments. It makes it harder to see things clearly, and easier to make it real due to the low-qualitiness. So as for this one, a snake in Sungai Baleh, Sibu, I have to say it's a prime example of a poor Photoshopping skills at its best.

Why?

Because the said snake and the picture was taken during the big 2009 January flood, why is this river not teh-c-peng in color as the other typical flooded rivers in Sarawak?. And the next reason why I say it's fake is this video on YouTube (for those with slow buffer speed, just focus on 0:13 - 0:15):



It was added up like, in July 2007? and not in January 2009 so... hm? The Sibu giant snake is a hoax people, no need to go grab your hunting gears and go on an expedition to find the giant Sarawakian serpent. Cheap way to make hot news and get people talking at kopitiams and cafeterias. Well at least it makes Sibu slightly famous.

Happy 2nd B'day & Happy V-Day

Wow, by the time this post is up K4L is already 2 years old. Anywho happy 2nd birthday to Kampua 4 Life, all the best for the upcoming years.

Owh and let's not forget happy Valentine's day to all as well. I wasted mine mostly on Orientation training and an uber BBQ at Asfanz' house with kamchengs. Photos should be up later when everything settles down when the semester starts.

I'm gonna name it Ah Boi :)

End of Summer Break

Well my 3 months summer break is over. Today I'm going back to Miri with ETA 8:00pm Taiwan GMT +8. Gonna start with the second part of the SOARs O-week training this week and then proceed to the two orientation weeks after that, and the advance JCLA workshop at the end of it. I seriously need to get a new planner, barely the start of the new semester 1 2009 and I'm booked. Well gotta go pack now, and if there's no updates for the next few days that means our line in h33666 has been cut, aiyaks XD Oh well, Second Year Second Sem here I come!

Oh 11th ( ^__^)o-

Look at What I Found in My Longkang

Flood washing a variety of flora, fauna and junk onto the porch of Sibu homes

The flood have caused other fellow Sibu denizens to come out and play. Sibu crocs, turtles, snakes, loan sharks etc. rarely seen by public are now hanging out around most of Sibu homes as they try to seek refuge from the flood. Please do show some courtesy to the refugees by not beating them to death, shooting them with senapang patah or poking them with sticks, unless they start making trouble first. These fellow Sibuians are displaced and will naturally return to their homes when the flood is over.

This little fella has been around my house since the flood began. I think this is the offspring of my pet turtle that ran away 10 years ago (citations needed) when I let it loose around the compound. Anywho it could be a different turtle (forgot how the old turtle looked like, plus it should be bigger now, AND I'm no zoologist to recall all the markings to confirm it's him OR his offspring) and just let him roam around. I guess he's going through a tough time, being displaced and popping in his head everytime something comes near can be stressful.

Flood is Not Kind to Vegetarians

With flood becoming a daily occurrence, vegetables is either becoming pricey or not available at all

For the past 2 days my dining table is getting less and less greener. I for one is not fond of vegetables but I'm not happy with the scenario. Sure I have issues with vegetables (but not vegans :P) but seeing the lack of greens is an alarming sign. This is actually bad news to farmers who are making a loss and vegans as well as dieters who rely on balance intake of vegetables. Restaurants are now either becoming kedekut or not serve vegetables in their menu at all since the price skyrocketed over the days. Supplies are scarce and a vegetable black market is imminent, with cheap and low quality vegetables coming in and potentially causing mass food poisoning.

Plus I used to fork out and put aside the greens in my mee goreng basah for years and so it felt like an age old honorable battle that never ended. But seeing the greens missing, it felt like kicking a disabled person who is already fallen off the wheelchair. Hopefully no one will be kicking fallen diabled person soon due to the vegetable shortage. The flood level is rising, and so is the tension... wondering when Sibuians will snap.

Tun Abang Hj Openg Road on Hold

Whoever bet that the new road will open after CNY may win that RM50 :P

The new road as mentioned in this old post, is not going to be completed anytime soon. I was told that all the contractors available were urgently sent to Sibu-Mukah road to repair it. The dying dilapidated road, the only route that connects Mukah & Balingnan ato the rest of Sarawak by land, is being ravaged badly by the flood and weather. How bad is the road? Read this older post. Imagine those pictures you seen worsened 3 times, 5 times when it rains. Now what was once a 1 hour drive turned into a 3 1/2 hours drive and recently, a 5 hours drive. The government don't wish to have another Tatau-Bintulu incident (yup, the road collapse that left Nothern Sarawak cut off from the south not long ago). For now we need to bear driving on the unfinished sharp gravel roads while we let the contractors save the west coast.

Sibu Flood: Location Blamed

Damn there's so many posts about the flood I can add a label for it

Location, location, location. The location of Sibu is blamed for the recent series of super floods in Kampua Town. It sounded like a generic desperate excuse because the next thing the officials can blame is God. But judging from the map, the claim may be logical. Situated near the Rejang Basin, Kampua Town is susceptible to flooding whenever there's a King Tide. The feng shui is just not there I guess. It was just a matter of time when the river will claim the town due to the siltation and erosions along the river. The loggings around Sibu and of course, the occasional sand theft is helping Sibu to become the next Venice, or better; Atlantis. Oh let's not forget the Great Global Warming that is increasing the sea level. Looking at the odds, I think we should start saving our money to buy boats and not Toyota Ninja King...

Related post; Sibu flood mitigation plan is not going anywhere

KFC - Kitchen Fresh Chicken

Finally a post not related to flood but food

Been eating out from time to time because of the flood (okay so the post MAY be related to flood). And when I checked out KFC's design of their packagings to find out why on Earth did they change to a lame reddish maroon theme, I confirmed one of the global market's untold story. KFC is no longer known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, but Kitchen Fresh Chicken. Um, it feels like I missed something over the years but KFC seems like quietly changing their image by changing their acronym, without telling anyone. The last time I checked (a decade or so? lol) the bright signboard outside a KFC shows a white board with red blue stripes and the sketch of Colonel Sanders appearing with the text KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN. Did I miss their commercials saying they are now Kitchen Fresh Chicken? Now the new generations are going to grow brainwashed and recognize KFC with the new acronym. Now I'm starting to feel like how our grandparents feel when they said Kuching was called Sarawak long long time ago. It's lickin' finger good~

Sibu Flood Aftermath

There's so many assholes on the roads after the flood temporarily subsided

After days of flooding in most parts of Sibu the damages can be seen all over town. In addition to the constant rain daily, the already bad roads of Sibu roads are deteriorating at an alarming rate. Just earlier in January some of the potholes were already patched but by the end of the month 3-5 more holes appear over the last one.

The worse hit potholed areas are notably the Sg. Merah roads, Deshon and Brooke Drive. So bad are the potholes that dodging them has become a mini-game for me when I drive. And newer holes that appeared overnight (yup) increases the challenge and difficulty level. But Kampua Town is not going down without a fight. Foreign Bangladeshi laborers and local Sibuians can be seen working hand in hand driving in their big-assed dark green SMC or contractor lorries laden with barrels of tar in which they used to cover up all the holes, causing minor traffic jams due to their Slow Men At Work attributes. But seems like they're losing the war as the number of potholes is growing and infesting out of proportions boosted by the rain. I won't be surprised if one of the small 6 inch pothole grow into a 10 meters sinkhole that ultimately cut off Sibuians and trap them in their own town. Fight hard road warriors, make good use of the rakyat's tax money.