Category: Daily Whatevers

Here’s wishing Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad a speedy recovery. May he get well soon.

Don’t mind me whine about my life.

It’s been a crazy week, in fact. I have been so busy at work lately, and this is made worse because some people are so indecisive – therefore, I cannot move forward until they do. On top of that, I lost a cousin who was very dear to me last weekend due to complications that arose from breast cancer.

It will be the month of May soon. Initially, I thought of making a dive trip somewhere; but looking at my schedule, I shouldn’t even be thinking about going on one. I know some time next week I may have to make a trip to Kemaman, to go back on one of our vessels for an inspection. The last time I was on board this particular vessel was when I was offshore Sarawak back in 2009, starting my hitch in Miri and ending it in Bintulu.

Me watching the sunset as the KPV Kapas passed 4N 113E sailing on the “Miri Roads” towards Bintulu

The following weekend I will be involved in the Group’s bowling tournament. Not that I am a good bowler, but almost everyone else on the management level will be competing. So I was asked to form a team.

I will have to complete another audit report by the end of next week; sit down with people from the Dulang and Angsi fields to complete a bridging and Specific Instructions for Simultaeneous Operations (SISO) documents for each of the field because by mid-June, our rig will leave offshore Sabah and head towards Terengganu’s Angsi Field for two months before doing a 3-year stint at the Dulang Field, also offshore Terengganu, come August.

The good thing is: I won’t be traveling by crew boat to the rig anymore after this. The bad news is, it would also be by helicopter during the monsoon season.

I have also been programmed to go to Pasir Gudang to undergo the Lifeboat Coxswain Training, a 4-day course to qualify me as a lifeboat pilot onboard the rig. Although we use the twin-fall lifeboat onboard, I would also have to learn to pilot a freefall lifeboat.

One of four twin-fall lifeboats on our rig

The good thing is, I will be spending the long weekend in Genting Highlands with my parents and my family (seven kids and all), and I am so looking forward to this good break. I just hope the kids won’t stress the wife and I out.

Well, that’s it. I’ve spilled it out…it’s off my chest now. I guess I will have to plan for a dive trip in June or July now. Luckily I’ve already booked a flight out to Tawau for my next trip to Sipadan in November. Let’s just hope I am able to maintain my level of sanity until then,

I was supposed to write about something else but I guess this time I shall write about something that has become a plethora of jeremiad, tirade if you must, against the norm of these days. I have written about this several times before but I guess there is a need to write about it again.

The recent Sarawak state elections have proven yet again how diverse the Malaysians are, both in terms of the colour of skin and religious-belief. It is what that makes Malaysia unique; much akin to the USA which is a melting pot by definition itself. And the USA is 200 years ahead as a nation than Malaysia is; but using that as an excuse to not try and tone down the racial and religious sentiments just because the USA has yet to achieve that, is so wrong.

And here I go again lamenting over what it used to be like back then, four decades ago. This blog readers would remember how my father put me in a Chinese kindergarten, not two years after the race riots of May 1969. My aunt is married to a Chinese while my sister married an Indian. My wife is half-Iban. We’re a pretty mixed family. My parents speak in English to me, but it doesn’t make me any lesser a Malay. I know more Malay words, original Malay words, than the newsreaders of RTM, BERNAMA, RTM put together can come up with. I don’t use bastardised words like “OBJEKTIF” in any of my Malay writings because I would rather use the word “Matalamat” that is derived from two root words: MATA (eye) and ALAMAT (address) – the object that the eye sees.

I have a friend whose late father adopted an Indian girl and brought her up as if she was his own. I was there when this girl arrived with her biological father. She had just lost her mother to some illness, and her father had to travel in search of work. This friend is now a special officer to the current Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Seriously, playing with religious and racial sentiments is, to say the least, archaic. I cannot understand people who go around and find it fun to promote racial and religious schism among the people through their incessant nonsense-filled philippic. In the end, a political chasm is created between two groups. In the end, it is the nation that suffers ignominy in the eyes of the international audience.

I would commend the Prime Minister’s 1Malaysia initiative, but if we look at the reality, racial polarisation is more apparent in urban areas such as in KL, Penang and Ipoh, while in Johor Bahru, most smaller towns and in the rural areas, the only identifier of one’s race is his/her name. They eat together, go out together – we hardly see that happening, except amongst more educated people of my generation. If you see the cartoons by the cartoonist, Datuk Lat, we often see multi-racial characters mingle together. If you ask Datuk Lat if this is muhibbah he would tell you that there is no point in calling it muhibbah because people will just gel with one another. True, but this may be a bit difficult to see nowadays.

Among the non-malay names I can remember who were in the same class I was when we were in Standard 6 are Chow Kah Sung, Jeffrey Cheah, Michael Leong, Yong Choon Wah, Amrit Singh. There were more in our class of 30 but I have forgotten most. Definitely more than one-third non-malays in a class of 30 in a national-type school. The school my daughter has less than 20 non-malays in a total student population of 1,900. The various Ministers of Education have failed to identify the root cause for this glaring problem. Why do non-Malay students prefer vernacular schools? My take on that would be the obvious Islamisation of schools by the schools’ authorities. Second, the right to protect your mother-tongue, which to me, has gone overboard.

I would rather have every single student in a single school where everyone learns each other’s language and culture, with Bahasa Malaysia as the common identifier. They would also have good command of the English language and good comprehension of Mathematics and Science. The more children are separated, the more trouble this nation will be in when these kids grow up. What about religious classes? What about them? My only formal class on Islam was for 40 minutes per day, 3 days a week, taught by an ustaz in a Christian missionary school. I did not have to know Arabic, so on and so forth, yet I have been to Mecca four times. I know of some people who can recite the Quran yet have never set foot in Jeddah, let alone Mecca; and their view of Islam is so myopic you have no idea why are they so hostile for most of the time.

It is with the children that we must concentrate the most effort in ensuring unity as one people is achieved, but parents should also be supportive of this effort. Politicians advocating racial segregation should be shunned. There is no point having the people fight each other when politicians actually sit, eat, drink and joke together at the Parliament when they’re not at each other’s throat.

It is time we see beyond colour.

Screw Bieber.

No, I wouldn’t screw him even if he was the last girl on Earth. And if ever another movie is to be made about a real person, it should be of this guy:

Ted Williams, the man with the golden radio voice – courtesy of courtesy of Johann Generao

Ted was a homeless guy who was discovered on a YouTube clip of a news report from Columbus Dispatch. According to Ted, a Brooklyn-born panhandler, he made the mistake of doing drugs and drinks, and that got him roaming on the streets; and as a result, never saw his mother for 20 years.

See the interview with Ted’s mother when she discovered his overnight fame

Since becoming an overnight Internet sensation, CNN affiliate, WEWS, reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers have offered Ted a job and a house.

Ted has since been reunited with his mother: click here

Watch his interview on WNCI here

If there is a movie to be made of someone who is an overnight success, it should be of Ted Williams, the humble guy who is always thankful to God.

Work-wise, 2010 has, as the preceding years have proved, to be a year of mixed fortunes. Bitter, sweet, bitter, sweet kind of year. It started off with my transfer to the drilling subsidiary from looking after offshore support vessels; initially as a representative in a 75/25 joint-venture company, where I was looked upon as an enemy spy, to a full-fledged employee of a 100 percent locally owned and operated drilling company (after we kicked out our former partner). In that sense, going from zilch to a full-understanding of drilling operations in less than three months, really wasn’t an easy path for me. I would say that I am now at 96 percent efficient at what I do, the other four is because I am the only person in my department that is doing what I am doing. I had my salary adjustment (though not to the level I had expected but I am not complaining). And I am earning the respect of both the offshore crew and onshore staff, as they now recognise the importance of what I do.

I also underwent several courses to enhance my knowledge (and up my value): I did two investigation courses, an auditor’s course, as well as a drilling course; chalking up course certificates as I go along. I have also identified several courses that I would like to attend in 2011. I hope the boss will let me attend them.

My health has been relatively good, except for the episode where I was interned at the National Heart Institute for a stress-induced Atrial Arrhythmia. Other than that my BP, heart condition, lipid and triglycerides count, Cholesterol level – are all within the normal range. Weight is what Wifey and I have been trying to reduce. So, on 1st October 2010, we started our diet which went well at first; commencing at 95.0 kilograms for me. At one point it went down to 93.1kg. But good offshore food shot that up to 96.4kg two weeks ago, and my last count today was at 95.8kg. Therefore, I am 0.8kg heavier than when I decided to go on a diet.

On the personal side, life gets better. I finally managed to buy a new car. So, we all travel in relatively more comfort than before. It costs me about 10 percent of my gross pay for its monthly installments, but hey! This is what life is all about. The better you earn, the more comfort you want. My daughter, Farhanah, did relatively well for her SPM examination last year, and is now attending college at a private university. I hope she will excel and make herself have the edge in the job market later on. My daughter, Fazira, earned 7As for her PMR examination, despite my thinking that she was going to fare badly. She will be moving in to stay with us and will be attending the school nearest to our house.

As I have always believed and maintained, the truth will prevail; and after a three-year exile from the family, my parents have finally found out the culprit behind the breakup of my previous marriages (as well as my brother’s), and Wifey has gained parents-in-law. I know my mother loves her very much, and that makes me happy. My parents will turn 72 in the first quarter of 2011, there isn’t much time left for us all to enjoy this long-overdue happiness. I, too, don’t think I have that many years to go before the curtain call. I just want to enjoy the rest of my life.

I would love to have done more dives in 2010, but work had demanded most of my spare time; and in my line of work, everything is so uncertain that it is difficult for me to plan ahead. Well, I could, but events could change that. Nevertheless, I had had some good dives in 2010, and managed to get Wifey her dive computer.

One of my photos was displayed at the National Arts Gallery. I never meant to take that photo; it was something I had snapped while waiting for my turn to take photos of the Pygmy Seahorse at Mabul. I’m glad I took that photo anyhow.

2011 I believe will be a more difficult year; thrift and prudence in spending would be wise. At the time of writing, the price of crude oil is at USD89.84, and by or before the end of 2011, it would be at USD103.00. There is hardly any new exploration; shallow water fields have all but dried up. Of the 4 wells that we have drilled at this one particular location, only one have shown to contain black gold while the rest contained water. Deepwater drilling is an expensive business, therefore production costs will shoot higher as concerns of crude supply shortage heightens. Never mind the sabre-rattling in the Korean peninsula; the global price of oil will shoot up.

So, no government, be it the present or the future (if there is going to be a change of government in the next general elections) will be able to subsidise fuel costs or keep price of goods down. It will be a global phenomenon. But, if you choose to believe in lies, be my guest.

Here is a summary of what had happen in 2010 for me:

January

We ushered in MMX with the Usual Suspects

February

We ushered in the Chinese New Year

March

My photo that has made it to the National Arts Gallery

April

I did a pre-deployment safety survey at EWDP-A and EWDP-B

We went with good friends to dive Sipadan

May

My brother-in-law, Shah, becomes a diver

June

In June, we went to Tioman again, this time with my parents-in-law

July

I went to inspect a sour field off Miri

And went diving again

August

Ramadhan came and several times we broke fast at Raju’s

Ramadhan also meant joining my former batch mates for our annual sahur gathering

Ramadhan also meant food trips – and one of those was a day-trip to JB for berbuka at Tip Top

And another to Genting at Savor Jaya

September

And what is Ramadhan without the annual Ramadhan al-Murtabak dive trip?

We celebrated Hari Raya as a family together at my parents’ place – albeit without Medina

We also celebrated Hari Raya in Batu Pahat

As with Ramadhan, what is Hari Raya without the annual Eid ul-Diving trip?

We also attended Tan’s and Hosanna’s wedding reception at Cyberview Lodge

We hosted our first Hari Raya Open House

October

We made our own lemang

My lovely sister-in-law and her husband came back for a little over one week

And Kazu discovered diving

The kids enjoying Halloween

Our Halloween decor

November

I went on board our rig offshore Sabah

We also went to Cherating because I had to attend a seminar

And we attended my cousin Sara’s wedding

December

My squad mates and I from Intake 52 had our gathering. 14 of 36 attended

My mom met my mom-in-law for the first time

We attended a dear friend, Alfian’s wedding

I also had to go offshore for an audit

I had to go offshore again the following week to conduct an investigation

And we celebrated the December babies at my parents’ place

In summary, 2010 was an okay year that saw my brother and I going back to the family’s fold, and my parents finally finding out who was behind the bad-mouthing of us.

I hope 2011 will be a better year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011 EVERYONE

On the publication of her 78th book, Kathleen Norris said the following:

“All writing is difficult. The most you can hope for is a day when it goes reasonably easily. Plumbers don’t get plumber’s block, and doctors don’t get doctor’s block; why should writers be the only profession that gives a special name to the difficulty of working, and then expects sympathy for it?”

Easier said than done. The last time I actually wrote was almost a month ago, during the Eidul Adha celebration, about my experience of going for the Haj. Between then and now, I had millions of topics ranging from religion to politics to bitching about stuff, that went unwritten because a topic would simply be overtaken by events. And this would go on and on and on that I never got down to writing anything.

Now for the blame game. My job has taken much of my time that I would be so burnt out during my spare time that I no longer read. In the last three months, I had bought me no less than five books to read; and the only one I got to read was by Paulo Coelho which I never got to finish. The sub-plots were going round and round, and things got monotonous that I gave up reading the book. It is still on the towel hanger inside the bathroom. I went back to reading defense magazines while on the porcelain throne.

Work has definitely taken a lot of my time; trying to juggle the year-end matters – rig inspection offshore, daughter’s school transfer, having to go back to my wife’s hometown for some kenduri, rushing my car to the workshop, juggling finances etc. It has been a stressful December for me so far and not being able to go diving makes it worse; not that I could if I had the time because the monsoon is here and to go anywhere else would require me to request to go on leave.

Talking about leave, I had to take six days off from my balance of eleven days of annual leave as we are only allowed to carry forward five days from this year’s leave. I get 20 days annually but only managed to take five days leave this year. The other four days were the emergency leaves I had taken. I am supposed to have like four days of replacement leave when I had to work over weekends and public holidays but I cannot be bothered to request for those days as it is so difficult for me to get any leave as it is now. The only reason I get to go on leave at the end of this year is because my boss is going on leave as well.

Other than that, November and December have been rather wonderful. I attended a three-day seminar in Cherating followed by a drilling-related course here in KL. And my mother and mother-in-law met for the first time over lunch at my mother’s house. My daughter, Farhanah, has also turned 18 yesterday – and I hope now that she’s 18 she’d learn to be more responsible towards her studies (that’s probably what my parents had hoped for 26 years ago).

Gosh! Reading back, I don’t think any of the above makes any sense at all. I hope to be able to write again soon, and write better. Well, I hope I’d get to write again upon my return from offshore.

I have had it with the lawlessness that prevails in my area. Therefore, I decided to bypass the local police station, the OCPD, and the CPO who is a close friend of mine, by writing a complaint straight to the IGP’s office. This was what I wrote:

Daripada:

Kapt (B) Hj John F Seademon
xx, Jalan xxxxxxxxxx
Taman xxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx KUALA LUMPUR

Kepada:

Unit Pengaduan,
Urusetia Ketua Polis Negara (Integriti)
Ibu Pejabat Polis Diraja Malaysia
Jalan Bukit Aman
50560 KUALA LUMPUR

Tuan,

Rujukan dibuat kepada tajuk di atas.

Berhubung dengan perkara di atas, saya ingin membuat aduan mengenai kurang cekapan para anggota yang bertugas di Pondok Polis xxxxxxxxxx, Taman xxxxxxxxxx. Agak selesa saya nyatakan di sini bahawa kurang cekapan ini telah lama menjadi bahan mulut para penduduk di sini.

Selama saya berada di kawasan ini (sejak pertengahan tahun 2008), baru dua kali saya terserempak dengan para anggota membuat rondaan. Ketidak kerapan ini menyebabkan satu keadaan ketiadaan hormat terhadap undang-undang berlaku di kawasan ini. Paling ketara ialah para remaja, murid-murid sekolah, kanak-kanak bawah umur yang membawa motorsikal tanpa segan-silu, tanpa memakai topi keledar, berlumba di jalan raya, dan tidak menghiraukan keselamatan diri sendiri, apatah lagi keselamatan lain-lain pengguna jalan raya. Oleh kerana mereka ini adalah murid sekolah (ramainya di bawah umur), maka sudah tentu juga mereka membawa motorsikal tanpa lesen, bukan sahaja ke sekolah, malah untuk ke kedai dan sebagainya. Lampu isyarat juga langsung tidak dihiraukan oleh mereka. Sering beberapa kali saya sendiri hampir melanggar motorsikal yang memintas di hadapan kenderaan saya untuk membelok ke arah lain dan sebagainya. Keadaan ini menjadikan kawasan ini tidak ubah seperti jalan-jalan tanah merah di dalam FELDA.

Saya amat berharap agar pihak PDRM serius dalam menangani gejala tersebut. Sekiranya kesalahan menjadi suatu kebiasaan kerana ketiadaan penguatkuasaan undang-undang, maka rasa hormat orang awam terhadap PDRM dan integriti pasukan secara amnya akan terhakis. Agak sedih bagi saya yang telah membesar dalam keluarga PDRM sekiranya hidup untuk melihat perkara seperti ini berlaku.

Segala tindakan selanjutnya daripada pihak tuan didahului dengan ribuan terima kasih.

Yang benar,

Kapt (B) Hj John F SeaDemon

Let’s see how quick they reply and act on this.