Farhan Turned 5 While Hana Turned 15

I haven’t posted the pics of the twin birthday celebration. Hana turned 15 when she was away in Kedah, while Farhan turned 5 on Christmas Day. So I took them to Victoria Station. Here are the pics:

Hana and Farhan
“Hana” and “Farhan”

Farhan on my bed
Farhan on my bed watching cartoon before the dinner

My daughters
My daughters: Nisaa, Fazira, Iqa and Hana

Nisaa sulking
Nisaa sulking because the mother was an hour late and she had to wait to eat

Happy Birthday, Bri

Bri taking a break

My bad.

Sorry Bri, dear.

Happy birthday to a wonderful person. Be as cheerful as you always are for always.

Bri and I
Bri and I

Bri and I
Bri and I underwater

Bri one nightBri the other night

My Girls

No…

I’m not going to talk about my love life here.

Not that kind of love life anyway, but I do love these girls with my life.

As I was chomping on some Marks and Sparks’ Cranberry & Orange Cookies given to me as part of ‘S’s Christmas present for me, my eldest daughter Hana walked into my room, giggling, then showed me her PMR results.

I looked at her sternly and asked, “You failed some of your subjects?”

“Ayah tengok la dulu,” she laughed.

6A’s 1B and 1C. Not a perfect score but far better than what I had anticipated. I was bracing for the worst.

I hugged her, a bit emotional, and congratulated her for having done well. I know she had tried her level best to score.

Her younger sister Fazira scored 4As and 1B in her UPSR the other day and won herself a nice Sony Ericsson 3G phone.

Now I wonder what to get Hana since she has a lot nicer phone than I have.

Aiyah…having to squeeze my uner-utilised brain again.

Ratcha Anachak Thai’s General Election

Kingdom of Thailand

In two days time, Thais will be going to the polls for the first time since the military coup of September 2006. It would be interesting to see if a Parliament could be formed as I would predict a hung parliament. Despite being in exile, Thaksin Shinawatra still commands the majority of the Isaan region because of his popular poverty eradication programs that was in place when he was the Prime Minister (Nayok Rattamontri). Although his Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) have been banned, most of its members will be running under the Phak Phlang Prachachon (People’s Power Party) led by Samak Sundaravej. In November, independent polls find the PPP commanding 39% support from the general voting population, while its seriously strong challenger, Phak Phrachatipat (Democrat Party) led by Abhisit Vejjajiva commands 32%. The rest of the contenders only command 10% or less support respectively.

Other parties that will be contesting include the Phak Pua Pendin (For The Motherland Party) led by Suwit Kunkitti; Phak Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana (Thais United National Development Party) led by former general Chettha Tanajaro; Phak Matchima Thippathai (Neutral Democratic Party) led by Prachai Leophairatana; Phak Pracha Rat (Royal People Party) led by Sanoh Thienthong; and Phak Chart Thai (Thai Nation Party) led by another former general, Banharn Silpa-Archa.

Another interesting aspect would be to see the solution that can be borne from the winners of the general election for the troubled South. I can guarantee that they won’t be supporting a Thaksin proxy party there for sure as they blame Thaksin for aggravating the situation there. Although all parties involved in the forthcoming general elections have mentioned something as a solution for the South, it seems that there is a syncopation in effort.

It would be interesting to be there and watch the drama unfold. Alas, I will be stuck here until after Christmas.

To all aspirants, and especially to the Thais who will be choosing their government: CHOKE DEE.

Okay Divers

Okay divers. Let’s play a game. Here’s some simple mathematics for you since you will not be doing any diving until early next year (except commercial divers):

You are to do a technical dive. Your maximum depth is 100 meters. Your RMV/SAC is 17 liters per minute. Your bottom time is 25 minutes.

Using a PPO2 of 1.4 for travel and 1.6 for decompression:

1) Name me your travel gas and its mix

2) At what point (depth) do you switch to your bottom gas

3) What decompression gases would you use and at what depths?

4) If you are using AL80 tanks in a twin configuration for your travel gas, and in single tank confiuration for your bottom gas, calculate how many tanks will be required to travel, and how many tanks are required to sustain the diver for that 25 minute-bottom time.

Hi Boy (A Monologue With My Proton Saga)

I’m sorry I have been neglecting you lately. The last I drove you before this morning was on the night before I went for my trip. But we both had fun this morning, didn’t we? You had your legs stretched to the max, and you gave that Rexton a run for the money.

You’ve always been a fast car. 15 years old too. Despite your age, you still handle the roads pretty well. You and I have also had lots of fun together – making speed to aircraft crash sites, and remember how fast you went when Mat Yaha’s boys fired at us in Betong while we were making our getaway after that failed negotiation?

You were also my home for a few months back in 1997-98.

Soon, boy, I will make sure you look new, and you WILL feel new.

I will change your suspension, brake servos, brake pads; reinforce the engine mounting, then you will have a brand new engine, from one of your sporty Mitsubishi cousins. You will sport a new speedometer, tachometer – your new speed, I’m sure, will be in excess of 220km/h. Easy.

Then we shall burn rubber again, my good friend. I won’t be diving much between now and February, so I guess you and I will again break personal speed records.

For now, boy, you rest well.

More Over And Underwater Stuff

I slept the whole day. My breakfast tasted bland so I couldn’t finish it. By the time I woke up, I was so hungry I could eat an elephant. Then Adik called me up telling me that he would be meeting Deepblu at Rasta’s. He could pass me my tray and handle for my underwater casing. I took Farhan to the clinic first, he was having a temperature of about 39.1C. Sent him home and off I went…body still aching, temperature still…still drowsy from the cough mixture I took at 4pm.

Just as I got into the jam past the toll house, my phone rang and it was Din asking me if I would be free next week for a job at the Kemaman Supply Base, to do some underwater cutting of metal rods. I said okay so he’s asked me to call back on Tuesday. The job is for a duration of 3 weeks, but I don’t think I can stay that long.

At Rasta’s, Adik had Spaghetti Bolognaise and a burger. I ordered a chicken chop as well as a burger, being famished. I went for the chicken chop first, and the same thing happened like last night’s Wasabi…I couldn’t taste a single thing. Same goes for the burger…juicy with mushrooms…and it tasted like paper.

Just my luck. Anyway, managed to order a connector for the arm for the video light while I was there.

It was drizzling when I drove back, and this song played on the radio: