Your Opinion Does Not Matter
Today I had had two good meetings on the same issue with the core members of the project group. However, one bad news came in at the end of the working day. Though it’s not over yet but the attitude of certain people is now the same as one systems integrator we worked with two years ago…and that has given me some thoughts as to what kind of game plan they’re playing. I can guess and some of those guesses have gone smack on the mark.
Let’s see how the world spins…on its own, or as I will it to?
Songkran festival originates from the Dtai people who still live in Northern Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. The word Songkran originates from the Pali language of the Buddhist scriptures. In Pali the word is Sankhara. In Sanskrit it is called Sankranti, which was later changed to Sangkran (Thai), and later to Songgran (Thai pronunciation) and Songkran(Thai spelling). It refers to the movement of the sun from one zodiac to another (Aries to Taurus).
The festival stretches over 4 days:
April 13th – Wan Sangkhan Long: People clean their houses and prepare for the new year festival on this day.
April 14th – Wan Nao: On Wan Nao people prepare cooked and preserved food to be used in Buddhist merit making on the next day.
April 15th – Wan Payawan: On this, the first day of the new year, people gathered at the wat in the early morning to offer the food prepared the previous day, fruit, new robes, and other goods to the monks. Traditionally this was the day when subdued water play started, but this has devolved to the exuberant water throwing that stretches over the four days of the festival.
April 16th – Wan Park Bpee: On this day people pay respect to their ancestors, elders, or people worthy of respect due to advanced age or position. Scented water is poured over the hands of the individuals being paid respect who in turn bless the participants in the ceremony.
In the past people might sprinkle a bit of scented water on your shoulder to wish you a happy new year, but this has deteriorated to getting dowsed with a bucket of ice water by an individual on the back of a moving pickup truck.
One of the memories of the Langkawi deployment two years ago was this installation trip at the top of the Alor Setar Tower. The wind was extremely strong that day, and I remember catching this spout that came from a large storm cell and almost touched down. Luckily it dissipated before it could touch down.
That’s me (taking a photo of Alice who was taking a photo of us) on the left, Rozamin (a very loyal soldier who used to be under my command twice when I was inthe Air Force), and Muaazam.
Sweet memories…of good times.
Should have pondered on this issue some time ago…
Do you fancy some of My Juice? :p
It has been a bad start for 2006. First was Laurence Thong’s passing at Jarak. Then a diver passed away near Johor Baru. Then another diver passed on in Sarawak. Not long after, another one, an experienced instructor in Tioman. Then a Divemaster Trainee got himself injured by a boat’s props. Today, another bad news. Between one to two Discover Scuba Diving students died at Redang.
I’m still waiting for full report on these deaths (or death).
Nevertheless, it has been a bad start.
A lot has been said and mentioned about illegal motor racing and the negative impact it has on the society. No matter what amount of enforcement the government takes, the attitude of the parents is undermining the effort to combat this menace.
As I drove to the office this afternoon, a group of schoolchildren from a high school jumped the red light, doing illegal U-turns, most without any crash helmet (and I doubt if any has a driver’s licence) as they left school.
The government, especially the Transport Ministry, should amend the law and give stiffer jail terms, NOT ONLY to the offenders, but also their parents for allowing them to ride these potential weapons.
I, for one, don’t give a damn if their children die in a motor vehicle accident (although it would be a waste of life if that happens), but I would give a damn if one of these bastards run into my children or the children of those I know.
One other thing the government can do with the removal of the petrol subsidies is to provide free bus transportation for these children to go to school, instead of relying on the (blatantly stupid) generosity of their parents who would rather see their children break the law than abide them.
This pic was taken like two months ago before I left KL for Koh Lipe. She now has 7 teeth altogether. And I’m losing more hair and number of days left to live.
People should learn from Hamlet.
…and god apparently comes in many flavours…
SeaDemon Says 
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