Rooting for Raja Petra

Update: 10th March 2013... just in case, I have long ago given up on this individual... he is a turncoat and is not worthy of support any longer...  I rest my case...

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I thought I was the one going haywire...

Just read in the news that Raja Petra of Malaysia Today was arrested under the draconian Internal Security Act...

The government under Barisan Nasional is clearly going haywire... it is disintegrating...

If Raja Petra is telling lies under the Malaysia Today banner, why fear?

If he is lying, sue the lights out of him...

Use the court of law, but not some old out-of-place evil tool devised by the British colonists ages ago for another purpose...

As many have said, an UMNO stooge blurts out racial slurs and remains unrepentant despite uproars from Malaysians from all walks of life...

He gets three miserable years of suspension from UMNO membership... big deal...

I have a good friend, a Malaccan baba...

His family speaks Malay at home...

He talks to the chinese contractor in Malay...

And that UMNO stooge calls him a 'penumpang'?

Sheeesh... this is unforgivable...

Pakatan Rakyat just announced that the September 16 plan is off course...

I say, off course for now...

I still look forward to the day when we can throw these scoundrels to the pits...

In Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party is also fighting for its life...

Although I have no voting rights here, I am cheering for the Democratic Party of Japan, the largest opposition party, to give the LDP the boot...

As with Malaysia, we need to change the cook as many people are getting sick of eating the same fried chicken year in and year out...

As for the sickening UMNO and her Barisan partners, it is way over time that they get a big fat kick on the butt...

In closing, I say to the reckless Malaysian government... FREE THAT MAN, and for that matter all the others put to jail through the damned ISA...

Ok, back to work... serious...

Home-bound to Alor Star...

Am now at Changi International and flying Singapore Airlines...

Feel good to be passing through here as this airport was a little bit like my old 'hideout' for over three years in the 80's when I was under the employ of Singapore Airlines...

These days, no matter how many times I come to Changi International, I always leave impressed...

Imagine, according to the information leaflet, this airport has about 500 internet terminals... free for use for travellers...

Compare this to our Kuala Lumpur International... pathetic...

Anyway, am now on transit to Penang, after which we shall take a taxi all the way back to my village in Kedah...

Was at Bali for about 10 days, scuba diving at Tulamben...

Did almost twenty dives, of which about half were at the Liberty Wreck...

Good as it is, was getting a bit sick of the same dive site and the herds of divers...

Good that our dive guide suggested Kubu and Seraya...

Muck diving at Seraya was particulary fun as there were lots of unusual creatures that I saw for the first time...

Overall, Bali was very nice... the general atmosphere, the friendliness of the local folks... the local food...

And we were lucky to stay at a very private and rather luxurious 'villa'... the pool and views of the morning sun was like, just ours to enjoy...

The weather was just marvellous, dry, and cool... compared to the un-earthly temperatures of Japan at the moment...

Spent 2 days or so at Kuta before departure...

But this place is... ooh, not too good a place to chill out... too many touts and taxi drivers honking to offer you a ride...

Our last trip to Bali was in 1983, about 25 years ago...

If we live long enough, we shall be back in 25 years' time...

Hellfire at Takamatsu

As in all Japan, there's hell burning at Takamatsu, where I live...
Today, the mercury shot up to 36 degrees... wooh...
Am now in my office, clearing all 12 years of gomi (rubbish)...
Have to be careful not to cool the room too much, or I shall risk catching 'summer' cold...
Many buildings in the university are now undergoing renovations...
Part of the plans to strengthen the buildings against earthquakes...
It has taken me days and I hope to have almost all the packing done today...
Shall be moving to the a room two days later (23rd)...
As expected, was wondering why things that I should thrown out years ago, they are still here in the room...

Been keeping up with the happenings in Malaysia, of course...
As usual, am knocking my head trying to understand what the fish the Malaysian police are doing...
The ruling politicians seem to be pancking and running out of ideas...
Who really believes that Anwar sodomised that fellow?
All these are actually good, as I think the ruling politicians are really tightening the noose around their own necks...
Would love to see them hanged... the sooner the better...

Gib me piptee...

Yours truly turned fifty today...
What more can I ask for... as work is fine... and family life is, should I say, still exciting even after all these years?
Am thanking my lucky stars to be here as I am... in one piece...
In less than an hour's time, shall be congregating with my work colleagues at a beer garden by the sea...
Wooh, nice... only that I cannot drink because I am driving... dei!
Anyway, isn't it lovely to be around and still kicking up dust?

Daegu, Korea

Am now in Daegu University, Korea...
Man, am very impressed with the size and the green of the campus...
Compared to the tiny campus of my university, that is...

Japan, for all her wealth and her economic prowess and position...
I always wonder why her (national) university campuses are almost always so shabby looking...

Except for a handful of exceptions, most of the buildings in the (national) university campuses are greyish and without character...

Private Japanese universities are not so bad... so I can console myself somewhat because Daegu University is private...
Its dormitories can house over 1000 students... wooh, a dream for universities in Japan...

Am here to sign some agreement papers and also to negotiate over some exchange programs...
We had five Daegu students at our university last season and we hope to have a new bunch coming again soon...

While it is fun to visit this beautiful campus, my stomach is also having a jolly time churning away at the local delicacies...
Hmmm... Korean food... my mouth waters just to think about it... and I just finished dinner a while ago...

Shall be moving to another university tomorrow to offer my greetings...
After that, shall be free for about two days...

While I have to catch up on work (which I brought with me), I am looking forward to absorbing the sights, plus, of course, the 'bites' too... wooh...