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I am not a dominator 8 November, 2009

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I am guilty for two things; for thinking too much and and for trying to fulfill everyone’s wishes.

I don’t do the threatening part to well; it’s not in me (now) to yell and make threats at people.

This event might be a non-event if key persons cannot attend… ’nuff said, this is why I regret taking the job.

It is not my intention to incite a rebellion, to make people do things when they don’t want to.

I am not a dominator.

I respect the views of others, even if it clashes with the current opinion on things.

I am not a dominator.

It doesn’t make me meek, lazy or slacker. But I hate imposing my will upon others as others impose their will upon me.

I love debate. I love democracy.

But I hate the schism that is tearing this beloved part of mine apart.

I fear for the future.

 

Fates.Time.Death 2 November, 2009

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A wheel turns.

Life begins.

Life ends.

A wheel turns.

Syncophantium Maximus Gigas 30 October, 2009

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I am human.

I am also inhuman.

I am kind, respectful of others, a good friend, brother and a filial son.

I am also a selfish basterd, with a mind as dark as the Space.

I smile when I’m glad.

I also smile when I’m angry.

I think about the future and what it holds for me.

I also think on the millions of ways to horribly dismember people that I hate.

I am who my parents named me.

I am also called by the name that I chose for myself: the personification of rage.

We both exist in the same person.

One a mirror of the other.

And for once;

We agreed on something.

Woe betide, who smileth and stabbeth us, who talketh to us and talketh down on us, who playeth a game and knoweth not the rules…

We have a concord.

And you, Syncophatium Maximus Gigas, will be exterminated, as a species, and as a whole misbegotten stain you are.

Convocation! Parte Uno 25 October, 2009

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It has been a roller-coaster ride for almost six years, since I finished my SPMs…

Five of it spent slogging through all sorts of nonsense and things that most people in tertiary education never experienced…

But it all ends in one satisfying sentence the revered Tan Sri Vice Chancellor uttered in his baritone voice.

Thus ends Part One of my journey in the tertiary education system.

I can’t help but be emotional throughout the ceremony, as I relived the years of pain (Yes, pain. If you had been through what I’ve been through, you would be either folded or be as insane as me), time spent and wasted, the instances when I had wished that time-travel was very much possible, real and easy as pie to do… It  all ends as the Tan Sri Vice Chancellor was ceremoniously escorted out of the Dewan Sri Budiman.

I had disappointed a lot of people, but it all was absolved as I walked across that stage, bowed and accepted that folder from Tan Sri Vice Chancellor. I had met so many people during this arduously long journey of mine, friends and enemies alike, and I’ve tasted life as it should be, both the sweet, and the bitter.

I thank all these people for reasons stated and not stated thereafter:

  1. Mum and Dad – for the years of patience and support. I was never the filial son, but I’m on the road to redemption. Though it may be a long road ahead of me, I will never tire nor surrender.
  2. My love - for the support you’ve given me since we met and committed ourselves together. Three years is a short time, but for me, it has been an eternity. I can’t wait to spent another eternity with you.
  3. Ilham Hafiz – the ONLY person outside the family I deem as a brother. Your words of wisdom has helped me since we first met.
  4. My numerous lecturers and teachers – I can’t list all of you here, it’ll take at least another page. I’m thankful for the support and the knowledge you have given me all these years. I know that I’m not a model student at times, but I pulled all stops when I have to.
  5. My brother and sister – both of you are precious to me, my only siblings. Even at time when I want to strangle the two of you and bury you two in the back yard. I’m the eldest, it is my duty to watch out for the both of you. And it is thine duty to keep me sane and insane when it counts.
  6. My OTHER love - you may be gone from this world, but I still remember the love and support you’ve given me. The weeks we shared as you lay wasting away was bittersweet, but it taught me to be the man I am now. I love you still, but I have another guardian of for my heart.
  7. The government – for giving me this opportunity to redeem myself after my first and disastrous foray into the tertiary level education. MARA had given me much needed help, and for all the detractors out there, it ain’t free and swinging good time for me. I had to repay the money spent, and I’m on the road to it as I type.

I’ve missed a few people that never got the opportunity to see me walk down that stage, but I still carry their memories in my heart. I may be uncaring and a callous man at times, but I do have a heart.

I care not that I did not finish my diplomas with a bang. I care not that the hall did not gave me an ovation as my name was displayed on the screen. I care for none of that.

My journey never ends here. This is only the first stop of the foreseen four. The next one is (hopefully) in another two years; the third in another two and the fourth in a foreseeable five. I’m not done studying, nor am I done in the pursuit of knowledge.

That pursuit, and this journey, shall only end as I exhaled my last breath and my heart beats its last.

Condiments 101 24 October, 2009

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This is for Vidya.

Condiments makes life seems fun, when you are not in the mood for it. Like pepper you use to season meat, condiments makes life tastier.

Most of the time.

Friends  and family are your condiments.

Some you have to have, some only when you need them. Some taste bad in the beginning, but you gradually learn to swallow them. Some taste bland, but keeps you grounded. Some are spicy and hot, tempting and risky, but you down them nonetheless, learning to handle your burning tongue.

Condiments adds spice (literally) to your life.

Spice it.

Word of the day: What annoys you may appeal to others, and vice versa.

Studying Organizational Behavior while listening to music and blogging and Facebook 22 October, 2009

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Sounds like a recipe for disaster… but who cares?!

I got Cobra Starship in my playlist, playing it over and over again… And I’m trying to understand why stress at workplace is bad.

Seriously??!

This is the crappiest subject I’ve ever taken. Ever. It’s hard to wrap the theories and make it malleable. I can’t write verbatim; I need to understand it first. Soooo… if I can’t understand it, there’s no point for me to write it down, right?

Yeah, if you are not taking the subject.

So what am I doing blogging? I should be studying for the test!

Word of the day: Keep things in perspective, and keep a perspective on things.

Gratitude.Thanks.ADHD 21 October, 2009

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Yesterday evening was a Godsend event. I was tired, need a little reminder of life, and then my phone yelled at me. It was Omar, asking whether I want to join them for coconut shake. I grabbed the lifeline and said yes…

There was four of us; Adderly, Omar, Vidya and me. We were teasing Vidya all the way to the coconut shake place (Klebang), and instantly I likened her to a goldfish: short attention span. But that’s for laters.

At the stall, I asked Vidya about the BASS dinner. Surprise surprise, she launched into a vicious diatribe of everyone’s ignorance and idiotic behavior. I was quite shocked to hear it all from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, but from what I read on her blog, that night was NOT her night.

I gave my two-cents worth (not much, yes I know that) of advice. This sister of mine is troubled, so why not cheer her up? And cheer her up we did. We teased her again and again and again until Omar dropped us at Tun Mamat.

But the highlight of the whole dinner/lifeline trip was this:

“Guys, kat mana ada toilet yang bersih kat sini?”

Vidya, after the coconut shake and dinner(@ Tanjung Kling/Pantai Puteri), apparently has a full tank. The car’s own tank is approaching empty. So, it was unanimousy decided that we should make Vidya uncomfortable. Adderly started making jokes and such. Omar and the traffic cooperated with us. Me? I added ‘condiments’ where it was needed.

I learned a few lessons last night, although it was highly inappropriate as it is.

  1. If you want to have two girlfriends, make sure they are living in the same house and studying in the same course.
  2. Vidya has the attention span of a goldfish. But she can debate my arse off.
  3. Omar has good luck with traffic lights.
  4. Coconut shake is DELICIOUS!
  5. Eating dinner while watching the sun set at the beach is the best kind of dinner.
  6. Never do #5 if you’re out with guys.
  7. Ingrates are everywhere
  8. Vidya is suspected of having ADHD
  9. I owe Adderly a dinner.
  10. I owe everybody else a thanks

Well, the night ended in a sour note of sorts (I planned to kip a bit and wake up at midnight. Plans got screwed the moment my head hits the pillow) but guys and girl, thanks for helping me cheer up (God knows I needed it yesterday)

So, let’s get back to reality that is life. And the never-ending  workload.

Lest you forget life, all you could do is yell at every mistake everybody does, but never your own.

Word of the day: Gratitude is served warm, but revenge is served cold.

Introduction to SCUBA Diving 21 October, 2009

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Table of Contents

Contents

Page
In Class Activities

2
1.0  Introduction

1.1  Title

1.2  Reason for Choosing Title

1.3  General Purpose

1.4  Specific Purpose

1.5  Central Purpose

1.5.1     Definition of SCUBA Diving

1.5.2     Types of SCUBA Diving

1.5.3     Reasons for Diving

1.5.4     Basics of SCUBA Diving

3

4

5
2.0  Body

2.1  Definition of SCUBA Diving

2.2  Types of SCUBA Diving

2.3  Reasons for Diving

2.4  Basics of SCUBA Diving

6

7

8

9
3.0 Conclusion

11
References

12
Appendixes

13

In Class Activities

Week

Dates

Activities

Notes

1

6/7 – 12/7

Start of Lecture

2

13/7 – 19/7

Lecture

Types of Speech

3

20/7 – 26/7

Lecture

Preparation Outline

4

27/7 – 2/8

Break

5

3/8 – 9/8

Lecture

Title and Table of Contents

6

10/8 – 16/8

Lecture

Central Idea

7

17/8 – 23/8

Lecture

Awal Ramadhan – 22nd Aug 2009

8

24/8 – 30/8

Presentation 01

9

31/8 -6/9

Presentation 01

Merdeka Day – 31st Aug 2009

10

7/9 – 13/9

Lecture

Review of Presentation 1

11

14/9 – 16/9

Lecture

12

19/9 – 27/9

Mid-Semester & Aidilfitri Break

Aidilfitri – 20th & 21th Aug 2009

13

28/9 – 4/10

Lecture

Consultation for Presentation 2

14

5/10 – 11/10

Presentation 02

15

12/10 -18/10

Presentation 02

16

19/10 – 25/10

Presentation 02

17

26/10 – 15/11

Final Exams

18

16/11 – 27/12

Semester Break


1.0 Introduction

SCUBA Diving is a fun, team-based activity that lets you explore the least known environment on Earth – the seas.

Water covers almost 60% of our planet, and many take it for granted. Pollution, overfishing, land reclamation, global warming will strip bit by bit of our Earth’s treasure, and the seas hold many of these.

SCUBA diving can be done where there is a large enough body of water, may it a swimming pool or a lake, and most assuredly, the great blue beyond. But some will not even want to dive, saying that this activity is dangerous.

Any activity can be dangerous, but if you follow the instructions and guidelines, SCUBA diving is as safe as driving your car to work every morning – routines and consistent good behaviour can make a difference in SCUBA diving.


1.1Title

Introduction to SCUBA Diving

  1. 1. Reason for Choosing Title

Based on the table above, SCUBA ranks the lowest in percentage of incidence and number of reported injuries. It is also has the lowest number of participants worldwide[1].

It is clear that while SCUBA has its risks, it can be considered safer than most recreational activities offered.

  1. 2. General Purpose

To Inform

  1. 3. Specific Purpose

To inform the audience about the basics of SCUBA diving

  1. 4. Central Purpose

1.0

  1. Definition of SCUBA Diving
  2. Types of SCUBA Diving
  3. Reasons for Diving
  4. Basics of SCUBA Diving


2.0 Body

2.1 Definition of SCUBA Diving

  • US Navy Diving Manual, 6th revision. United States: US Naval Sea Systems Command. 2006, defines SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) diving as  a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater for recreation, commercial or industrial reasons
  • Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus, 2nd Edition. Great Britain: HarperCollins Publishers. 2000, defines scuba as an apparatus used in skin diving, consisting of a cylinder or cylinders containing compressed air attached to a breathing apparatus. (from the initials of self-contained underwater breathing apparatus)
  • Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus, et al, also states that dive, diving(verb) as to submerge under water


2.2 Types of SCUBA Diving

  1. 1. Recreational Diving[2]

Performed purely for enjoyment

  1. 2. Professional Diving[3]

Performing tasks related to running of a business involving deep water – oil exploration, underwater welding, and offshore construction

  1. 3. Military Diving[4]

Direct combat, infiltration behind enemy lines, perform search and recovery/search and rescue operations

  1. 4. Scientific Diving[5]

Marine biology, underwater archaeology

2.3 Reasons for Diving

Type of Diving

Classification
Pleasure, leisure, sport Recreational
Underwater photography Professional, Recreational
Crude oil industry and other offshore construction and maintenance Commercial
Underwater mine clearance and bomb disposal, disposing unexploded ordnance Military
Search and recovery (salvage) Commercial
Search and rescue diving Police
Marine biology Scientific
Underwater welding Commercial


2.4 Basics of SCUBA Diving

  1. 1. Checklist for SCUBA Divers[6]
  • Have basic swimming skills, which is able to swim 200 meters unassisted or 300 meters using mask, fin and snorkel
  • Overall in good health, particularly the respiratory and circulatory systems
  • Mentally mature attitude, which means having good judgement and self discipline. All must be able to follow guidelines and principles required for safe diving.
  • Must complete a medical statement form prior to diving.
  1. 2. Open Water Diver Certification
  • · The most basic type of diver certification
  • · Minimum age of certification is 10 for Junior Open Water/Junior Scuba Diver (adult supervised diving), 15 for Open Water Diver/Scuba Diver certification[7]
  • · A prerequisite for more advanced certifications
  • · Consists of three segments – Confined Water Dives, Knowledge Development and Open Water Dives[8]


  1. 3. Basic SCUBA Equipment
  • · Dive mask
  • · Snorkel
  • · Fins
  • · Buoyancy Control Device (BCD)
  • · Scuba tank
  • · Regulator
  • · Submersible pressure gauges
  1. 4. SCUBA Diving Principles
  • · Self-discipline

Divers must be self-disciplined in taking care of themselves, particularly knowing their own limits in diving. Exceeding that limit is foolhardy and dangerous, which can lead to severe injuries or death.

  • · Teamwork

Divers must be able to work in a team, and knows the signals associated with communicating underwater. Divers must keep a lookout for other divers within the same area, no matter if they are part of the dive trip or not. Divers must be able to trust their dive masters and their dive buddy (pair) in emergency situations.

  • · Diligence

Divers must ensure that all equipment is functioning as it should prior a dive to avoid complications. Regular maintenance and servicing of equipment ensures safe and fun-filled diving.

3.0 Conclusion

SCUBA diving is an activity that promotes teamwork, trust, discipline and also instils a deep and abiding respect of the Sea, which covers almost 60% of our Earth. It is an activity which brings us closer to Nature and lets us see the denizens of the deep in their own habitats and lets us truly enjoy the wonders of God’s creations.


References

  • Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus, 2nd Edition. Great Britain: HarperCollins Publishers. 2000
  • PADI Open Water Diver Manual. California, United States: Professional Association of Diving Instructors. 2005
  • US Navy Diving Manual, 6th revision. United States: US Naval Sea Systems Command. 2006
  • Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia. “Scuba diving”. February 2009 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuba_diving)


Appendix

Blog address – http://kai626.wordpress.com/

[1] Based on survey done by Divers Alert Network

[2] From Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuba_diving

[3] From Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuba_diving

[4] From Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuba_diving

[5] From Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuba_diving

[6] PADI Open Water Diver Manual, pg 4-5

[7] PADI Open Water Diver Manual, pg 5

[8] PADI Open Water Diver Manual, pg 6

Exam Pains… 14 October, 2009

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Here’s a thought…

My exams are going start soon (a mere four days after my convocation), and right now, two weeks before the exams, I’m swamped over by assignments, tests, quizzes, politics…

I have no idea that you can push on without (adequate) sleep for more than four days. I discovered that only days ago.

Now, as I’m pushing myself to achieve the NEAR impossible, i.e completing all tasks BEFORE the next Friday, I’m struck by a sudden epiphany: I haven’t met my significant other for almost four months.

That is a bloody long time without someone you care, that you share your pains, your problems, the one that you go out and hang out, eat dinner with, etc etc… I just miss her.

With exams looming near, pressures of uni life, missing her enormously, I am emotionally spent. I have no smile left for orphans, no scratch behind the ears for the resident cat, no spirit whatsoever in participating in any fun-mayhem-merriment… If I do join in, it will be sooo fake you cannot spot it even face-to-face.

I AM AT WIT’S END, FOR I HAVE SPENT MORE THAN I HAVE WITH ME

Here’s my epitaph:

HERE LIES A MAN,

BROKEN AND BROKE,

SPENT AND EMPTY,

MISSED AND FORGOTTEN.

Penyakat of the Children: At Wit’s End 13 October, 2009

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The title is a pun of a well-known movie. If you can’t get it, go bash your head to the wall.

I’m officially nuts, for I have TONS of work that needs to be done, and have so little time to do all of them…

“I’m screwed,” said Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg.

And I have broken my emergency stash of money…

“Money for nothing and get your chicks for free,” sang Mark Knopfler.

And I am at wit’s end on what to do…

“You don’t know the power of the Dark Side,” threatened Darth Vader.

So, is there anything/anyone that can help me right now?

“Which one would you choose? The blue pill, or the red pill?”