‘Park-ing’ in Perth BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » thesundaypost - New 2 Borneo |
- ‘Park-ing’ in Perth
- Bringing the shine back to Fort Alice
- Local tattoo artist beats the odds
- A humbling life lesson
- Giant winds
- Absentee fathers
| Posted: 07 Dec 2013 02:02 PM PST by Chang Yi. Posted on December 8, 2013, Sunday A GOOD half day Park-ing at the Lake Bibra is a grand and refreshing outing for a tired mum and her kids. The traffic is sparse, the breeze mild and the kids get to run around to their hearts' content. Furthermore, she knows she has chosen a park where the toilets are clean and safe. Karen Tan (not her real name) is spending quality time with her two children in the park for half a good winter's day. The over-worked mum sits down on the park bench and soaks in the winter sunshine. She stretches her arms and her legs. And she watches her kids. "Mum! The water birds are so cool. I love them," shrieks the little girl, all dolled up and pretty. She has such a cheerful disposition. At another table sit two senior gentlemen, exchanging food and enjoying a deep conversation. Wrapped in warm clothes, they must be frequent park visitors. Park-ing in Perth is a "done" thing in the city, known for its parks. It's done throughout the year by all park enthusiasts. In fact, in one of the brochures, the City of Perth itself is known as a parkland oasis. Within the city boundaries, "there are 18 parkland areas, covering a total of 140 hectares in area, of which 10km is river foreshore." Bibra Lake: University student K Tiong enjoys a two-day break by just visiting the Bibra lakes to watch water birds and enjoy a good brisk walk in the bright sun. The outdoor temperature is only 14 degrees Celsius. "The grass is dry, everyone is exercising, the air is fresh and you get a lot of good vibes. You cannot ask for more." He brings a light lunch of cheese, biscuits, hot tea, salad, fruits and smoked herrings to enjoy with his sister and mother. "This is really a good picnic. We must do it more often," he said. Beeliar Regional Park: In another part of Perth, Beeliar Regional Park is made up of two chains of lakes and wetlands, and is situated between the Darling Escarpment and the Indian Ocean. Beeliar is an Aboriginal name indicating the Aboriginal people lived and hunted in the area. Although the Beeliar Park is not open to visitors in winter, they can still drive around the area and look at the trees and the huge expanse of land properly fenced and managed. Canning River Regional Park: In the winter of last year, when she first landed in Perth, P Ling sat by the River Canning every Friday morning with a brunch pack and book in hand. She enjoyed the quality "me" time of sitting on the bench alone. It was her day off from work and the relaxing moments were what she treasured she remarked. It helped her get on with life in Perth. And the Canning River reminds her of her home in Sarawak. Nowadays, with more work given to her, she continues to go to a park on a Friday and enjoys the fresh air. She loves park-ing in winter especially. "It's sunshine without the heat and humidity. I just love it. It's so cool. I call this a private makan angin session for me," she remarked. Canning River Regional Park is within the Perth metropolitan area and covers about 6km of the Canning River between Nicholson Road and Shelley Bridge. Canning River is a major tributary of the Swan River in south western Western Australia. The Shelley Bridge is beautiful. Coogee Lake: Aunty Shirley, who has been in Perth for more than 20 years, suggests a nice lake called Coogee. "You must visit Coogee. It is brilliant!" She has also advised Sarawak students to enjoy the parks, the open spaces. "Going to the cinema is expensive in Perth — not like at home. Eating in restaurants is prohibitive. Try to have simple cooking outdoors and the parks provide all the facilities. Learn to do things the Aussie way or better still, Perth-way." The Aboriginal name Kou-Gee was recorded in 1841 by Thomas Watson and variously spelt as Koojee, Coojee and Coogee. The suburb of Coogee takes its name from the lake. Originally, this lake and the nearby suburb were named Lake Munster after Prince William, the Earl of Munster and later King William IV. The name was changed because of the negative connotation with the television show, The Munsters. — (Wikipedia) "It's important for Sarawak students to be politically correct here in Perth. There are many names which are aboriginal and they must also learn more about the Orang Asli here too," Aunty Shirley said. "Overseas students should learn not to use sensitive terms here and they should be properly oriented the moment they arrive. Respecting others is a very important value." It's lovely to see families coming out in the bright sunshine. Young children are particularly happy when they go to the park. The park management also takes special care to manage the security of the whole place, including the toilets. Most parks are open to public. Some, like Araluen, charge an entrance fee. However, park goers also must remember some parks do not open their toilets because of lack of personnel. So they have to take this into consideration when visiting different parks in Perth. Senior citizens also get to come out sometimes in bus loads. And this is the way a caring society goes. Usually, the carer of these seniors will lead them around. It's a good gesture to wave them off as their bus leaves. And they will all happily wave back at you! Most parks provide running and cycling tracks and these are different from a lot of parks in Malaysia where cycling is not allowed. So Malaysians, and especially Sarawakians, when they are in the Perth parks, they have to be careful to give way to cyclists. Dogs are usually allowed in the parks. In winter, the best parks are those in the wetlands where park goers can watch water birds, swans and ducks. It's very soothing to hear bird songs. And when swans swim slowly and gracefully around the lake, one feels so much a part of Earth's beauty. The trees and plants, which are slowly being submerged, give a very eerie feeling to a Wetland visitor. One can really feel the global change in climate. A friend one day suddenly remarked: "If only some of the former rulers had known and cared about global warming, all these trees would not be suffering in this way. People should see now and take quick measures before habitats are destroyed by man's carelessness." Although the colours of winter here may be a bit dull there's nothing dull about the life in the lake. As temperatures drop, the birds feel cold — some are already shivering on their lakes. Woodman Point: This is another good park-ing place, some 8km south of Fremantle along Cockburn Road. It has an intriguing history and features in Nyoongar creation stories. Fishing is a favourite pastime for young and old alike. The white beach attracts lots of families and young couples. The sea is turquoise blue. A group of Sarawakians are enjoying a visit and some fishing. Fishing is a serious hobby here and when a fisherman gets a catch not to his liking, or is undersized, he just throws the live fish back into the sea and let it live! Baits are usually store-bought or prawns they have already hooked. Behind Jervoise Bay beach is the John Graham Recreation Reserve. That's another place where one can have a good picnic under lots of trees with birds flying around. Lots of school children come to this great picnicking place, well chaperoned by their teachers. King's Park: "If you want to see Perth, you have to go to Kings Park," a friend suggested. It's true. For a very good view of Perth, you should see the city from a vantage point in King's Parh. "The King's Park and Botanic Garden is a place of inspiration, relaxation, recreation and wonder." Park-ing in Perth is such a contemplative activity. It's healthy, rewarding and peaceful. Each visit will be different from the previous one. And you will also gather in your mental bank different sounds, sights and smells over the different seasons of your visit. You can gather lots of information and very memorable literary statements. The rewards are greater than you can imagine. Indeed, at King's Park, on one of the memorials, you will meet this lovely engraved statement: "Let silent contemplation be your offering."  To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names.  |
| Bringing the shine back to Fort Alice Posted: 07 Dec 2013 01:56 PM PST by Irene C, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on December 8, 2013, Sunday FORT Alice has been left to the mercy of the elements after outliving its usefulness as a military outpost, built by Charles Brooke, the second White Rajah, more than 100 years ago to defend Simanggang (now Sri Aman) against attacks by warring tribes. After being abandoned, its dignity as the Division's bastion of defence during a turbulent period in Sarawak's history descended to the crass level of "a local den for drug addicts." And parents were quick to warn their children to stay away from the crumbling building for fear they may get injured by falling shards – or harmed by drug addicts hanging out there. The long-forgotten over a century-old Fort (kubu) has also been described as being dressed down layer after layer like superfluous decks of outer dresses, coats, petticoats and shifts, worn by vain Victorian era ladies as they endeavoured to become the most wooed debutantes at court. Passing through different hands and transcending time, the Fort had been given several facelifts to suit the needs of different owners – or simply follow prevailing trends. Some added rooms and some added extensions, thus upping the ante for the restorers to bring the original shine back to the worn-down Fort. Before the start of the restoration project, the Fort resembled a two-storey wooden bungalow although there are ample proofs to show it was a wooden structure built on stilts. During its heyday back in 1864, Fort Alice was the centre of Simanggang town, bringing life to the surrounding jungles and riverbanks. Identifying the different add-ons and dismantling the Fort is a delicate procedure so as not to damage the existing architecture. The original structure is hardier than the newer added on materials, making it easier to tell the old from the new. The dismantled parts were carefully inspected and labelled while some of the rotting timber replaced and the still hardy materials reused. Since the restoration project started in May, the whole Fort has been dismantled and replacement parts will be fitted together piece by piece – like building a house from Lego blocks. According to architect Mike Boon, consultant for the Fort Alice restoration project, progress has been made with the contractor having already put up the main framework. The structure sits on a new reinforced concrete pad footing and some of the buried decaying lower parts of the columns which have spliced on the existing woodwork, have been replaced with new belian materials. "The columns have irregular connections because when the originals were coated with modern acrylic paint or bitumen, it was not permeable (the timber can't breathe) and rotting started to occur from the inside, moving upwards. That's why we are replacing the bottom parts of the columns. "We cut away the rotted parts bit by bit until we reached the solid part of the old column. Then we made a new piece of timber with the same shape and slotted it in like a jigsaw piece," he explained. Some of the bottom column parts, requiring bigger belian pieces, are left hanging with the help of props because the new parts have not arrived yet. If not propped up, reconstruction will be delayed because all the parts are interlocked with bearers tying the frame together. When the bigger timber arrived, all that had to be done was slotting them in from the side, Boon said. The next step is putting in the floor joists which is expected sometime in December. Students site visit In November, Boon brought 40 local students on a tour of the project site. They are participants of a community engagement programme called Reminiscing Forgotten Treasure – Simanggang which involves a series workshops by local historian Goh Kaw Sze. The tour – the fourth to be organised – comprised first, second and third timers to the site. The number has more than doubled the 18 students from the initial site visit. The students were shown how plant-extracted tar was melted and how parts of the timber were covered with it. The purpose is to prevent water seeping into the wood. This is important since the timber parts will be planted in the ground while the face of the timber and the joints exposed to the elements. Even the bolts have to be dipped in tar. As the tar was very hot, the students were cautioned not get too close. Tar was poured into the spliced timber and the excess scraped off and once cooled, it will solidify and caulk the gaps. Thick oil will be painted on the column face to make it waterproof. The timber will soak up the oil slowly, just below the surface of the wood, and will be repainted with thick oil over time to create a thicker waterproof layer. "Paint is not a good idea because it will not bond but peel off over time. Besides, constant repainting will cause the layers to crack, allowing water will seep in and cause bubbles on the surface of the wood and affect the timber," Boon said. The second hands-on process was lime-wash. Research shows the Fort had been lime-washed before. It was the finishing used during that time – before the invention of modern paint. Boon said the method was introduced by the Brookes and usually used on masonry up to 1960. Based on the illustrations left by the Brookes, there was a formula for a waterproof lime-wash as an exterior coating. Further research reveals the formula originated from Queensland, Australia, and the waterproof version was introduced after government officers at the time complained about the hassle of lime-washing the Fort every year. Based on the recipe, glue is needed besides lime and water but there is no specific ratio for the ingredients. Thus, a series of experiments was necessary to ascertain the correct quantity. "The original lime-and-water recipe produced weak bond and there was no clear indication what the glue really was. In Vietnam, cowhide or cartilage gelatin is used. So we include cowhide gelatin in our experiments. Other items used are soap and starch," Boon disclosed. "Soap has good bond but is powdery to the touch when dried. We worry the rain might wash it all off. Cowhide gelatin, mixed with water and boiled to glue-consistency, works well and we are trying to figure out how much is the correct amount to use." Boon said too much cowhide gelatin would make the mixture impermeable, hence defeating the purpose of the wash. During the experiments, the students got to mix lime and water and see how the mixture bubbled and gave out heat when mixed. They also got to smell and touch the cowhide gelatin, and see first-hand the melted cowhide, water consistency and colours. The different recipes were exposed to the elements to test the effectiveness of the lime-wash. The best results will be used on the Fort later. The students were also given the opportunity to touch the different mixtures as well as paint the lime-wash on pieces of wood. This was followed by a third experiment to show how timber is cured or seasoned by boiling belian materials for four to six hours. When boiled, the hard wood leaks red sap. The students were shown samples of the red sap at different boiling stages. The colours varied from light reddish to almost dark brown. "We need to season the wood claddings (wall planks) before using them so that when we paint the lime-wash, they will not turn red," Boon explained. Boon's son, David, an architecture student, visited the site for the first time and really loved the trial-and-error part of the project in contrast to modern construction which adherers to strict guidelines. Following in his father's footsteps, the 19-year-old is interested in conservation and plans to get involved. He enjoyed watching the lime-wash mixing and the tar wood treatment which, he said, were "very hands-on." "Modern construction uses premix and modern materials but for Fort Alice, it's experimental," David noted. For Sri Aman-born Lai Jie Ling, a second-year architecture student, it was her first site visit and "a very good experience." The 20-year-old knew about the programme through her mum and it coincided with her semester break. "I learned many new things during the site visit – like using tar to join the spliced wood pieces and I look forward to the next visit to learn more about this historical building right in my own backyard. Even my parents do not really know much about the Fort, apart from its name," she said. Second timer Desmond Kii of SJK (C) Chung Hua Simanggang loves participating in the programme because "it is very hands-on" and he can learn traditional carpentry skills from it. As the 11-year-old loves history, he wants to know about the beginning of Fort Alice so that he can tell his parents what he has seen and learnt. "My parents don't really know much about the history of Fort Alice and now they will learn more about it from me," he said. For fourth-timer Yvonne Derrick Warren of SMK St Luke, she decided to take part in the programme out of boredom but is now looking forward to the next site visit. "Previously, Fort Alice is known as a local haunt for drug addicts and my parents warned me not to go near it as the building was crumbling down and I may get hurt. Also, there may be drug addicts using the place," the 15-year-old said. "Since the reconstruction of the Fort, I became interested to see how it looks like when restored to its former glory. It's good to know the historical sites of my own hometown. I will continue to participate in the programme to follow the rebuilding progress." "Reminiscing Forgotten Treasure – Simanggang" is 100 per cent NGO-run, involving the Sarawak Heritage Society, PAM Sarawak Chapter, Soon Heng Society, the Sarawak Museum and Talents and Arts Performing Group Kuching. The CSR sponsor is NS Bluescope Lysaght (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd. All the processes and procedures on the work done on Fort Alice are recorded on the blogs friendoffortalice@blogspot.com and johntingarchitect.blogspot.com. 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| Local tattoo artist beats the odds Posted: 07 Dec 2013 01:52 PM PST by Joanna Yap, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on December 8, 2013, Sunday A STEELY determination to succeed in the face of overwhelming odds propelled Eric Kueh to a first-place victory at the 7th Tattoo Conventie Alkmaar held in the Netherlands on Nov 16 and 17. It was the first success for the local tattoo artist in a European competition which drew about 100 international tattoo artists this time around. Eric's win in the Best Backpiece category comes as vindication for the many years of blood, sweat and tears he has poured into his passion. His award-winning tattoo depicts a scene from the story of Zhong Kui, the Ghost King – popular in Chinese folklore as a protective and benevolent figure. According to Chinese mythology, Zhong Kui was a scholar who travelled with his friend to take part in imperial examinations in the capital. He achieved top honours but was stripped of this recognition by the emperor because of Zhong Kui's disfigured appearance. Disappointed and angry, Zhong Kui committed suicide, thus condemning himself to hell. However, the King of Hell saw his potential and decided to put him in charge of maintaining and enforcing order amongst the ghosts in hell. Later, Zhong Kui returned to Earth to give his sister in marriage to his friend to repay his friend's good deed of burying his (Zhong Kui's) body. Eric who operates his own tattoo studio – 71st Skin Slavery – estimates it took a staggering 90 sessions spread over more than a year to complete the winning piece. "Each session would last about three to four hours – with about three sessions per week on alternate days. My client is a very tough guy," the 32-year-old said. Adversity no barrier What makes Eric's achievements even more extraordinary is that he is self-taught. Whatever skills and knowledge he has acquired came mostly through self-study and practice. His interest in tattoos was first piqued as a 14-year-old secondary school student. With parts taken from a transistor radio, he managed to fashion a rudimentary tattoo gun through trial and error. He then did his first tattoo on himself. At that time, it was not easy to find information about tattoos from magazines and mainstream media, and he had to rely a lot on the Internet to feed his growing interest. However, when he finished schooling, the pressures of working full time and making ends meet forced him to put tattooing aside. Accidental tattoo artist But as fate would have it, one of Eric's friends came to know of his abilities and asked him to do a tattoo. Other friends saw the results and asked him to also tattoo them. Gradually, what began as favours for friends expanded into something bigger – thanks to word of mouth and referrals from his growing network of clients and fans. Eventually, he left his job to become a full-time tattoo artist. Four years ago, however, Eric's hopes and dreams were almost snuffed out by a fire which ravaged his studio. He only managed to salvage his laptop, a camera and some of his tattoo equipment. The blaze set him back around RM80,000. Some people may look upon the incident as an ill omen but for Eric, there was never any question he would find another way to continue doing what he loves. While looking for a new place to rebuild his tattoo studio, he worked out of his home. Finally, he settled on the present location at Jalan Padungan where he has been based for the past three years. Having to start over again from ground zero was very challenging. In addition to writing off the losses from the fire, Eric also had to find funds to rent and renovate the new studio as well to replace equipment, including RM15,000 for the autoclave unit to sterilize tattooing instruments. He is deeply thankful and grateful for the strong support and encouragement from his clients – many of whom have also become his friends – which helped him get through the worst of that difficult period and back on track. It was around this time Eric also began taking part in local and regional tattoo competitions. To his delight, his designs and works were well accepted and he managed to place in many of the competitions. To date, he has travelled to 14 conventions in various countries, including Taiwan, the Philippines, Nepal, India and Indonesia to share his craft and also learn from others. The eye-catching details he puts into each piece speak for themselves. As photos of his works made their way online, they caught the attention of tattoo fans worldwide. He has given interviews to tattoo magazines and websites the world over, including London, Brazil, Mexico and Indonesia. His tattoos have also been featured in various coffee table books. There's no denying Eric has travelled far through diversity to reach where he is today. He still marvels at the fact that he is living his dream of being a tattoo artist, the possibility of which did not even occur to him when he was still a schoolboy. Many of Eric's clients are businesspeople and professionals with steady jobs and incomes, including doctors, engineers, lawyers, and teachers, effectively debunking the outdated perception tattoos are only for gangsters and people of disreputable backgrounds. He estimates he has inked at least 1,000 tattoos in the eight years since starting 71st Skin Slavery. Eric himself does not conform to the usual image most people have of tattoo artists – heavily tattooed with multiple body piercings. He only has a handful of tattoos on his legs which he did himself. "Actually, I don't like the pain," he said, laughing when asked why. "But maybe I will have some more done in future." Brains and brawn required Tattooing is not just a creative art but also a physically demanding one. Eric has done tattoo sessions, lasting 12 to 13 hours in a single sitting. "It's tough but sometimes it cannot be helped – like when the client such as a tourist is only in Kuching for a limited time. It also happens during conventions where once you start on a tattoo, you must finish it," he shared. How long a session lasts generally depends on the size and intricacy of the design and how much pain the client is able to tolerate although it is advisable to keep sessions shorter to ensure both client and tattoo artist are physically and mentally at their best. Eric draws inspirations for his unique designs from his surroundings and experiences. He credits the Internet, other tattoo artist friends he met online and at conventions as well other forms of art for fuelling his creativity. The décor of his current studio reflects his tattoo style – a tasteful, pleasing combination of traditional Sarawakian, oriental and modern design elements which only invites people to take a closer look to appreciate the fine details and careful thoughts which have been put into it. His collections of traditional Sarawakian crafts and antiques are displayed next to pictures of tattoos he has inked, a glass display case holding the various awards he has won as well as oil paintings and fantasy-based sculptures he has made himself. "Usually it doesn't take me very long to design something. Once inspiration hits, I can finish it very quickly," Eric said, adding that he is also inspired by traditional Sarawak designs. In addition to custom tattoos, he also provides laser tattoo removal services. 71st Skin Slavery is located at No. 75, Jalan Padungan (opposite Everrise Supermarket). Business hours are from 12 noon till 6pm from Monday to Saturday while Sunday is by appointment only. 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| Posted: 07 Dec 2013 01:47 PM PST by Joash Kong. Posted on December 8, 2013, Sunday YEARNING — an intense or overpowering longing, desire, need or craving — as described by the Collins English Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged. This was how I felt, writing this after attending a music festival in Singapore. Funny I should feel this way as I did not suffer the same post-travel yearning following a previous trip there three years ago. Perhaps, it was because my trip to the city state was not the same as the one before. This time around, it was a working trip the first time — to cover a music festival billed as Sundown Festival. Covering one of Asia's music extravaganzas was scary enough but the thought that three more nations — the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia — had been added to the cast just upped the ante that bit more. On the day of the Festival, I arrived at the F1 Pit at Marina Promenade which had been specially designed for the event, and I couldn't help but marvel at how scenic the stage looked with the Singapore Flyer (Lion City's version of the London Eye) and the island state's horizon as backdrop. Loud thumping music, courtesy of a DJ, helped to prep festival-goers before the concert as did the side acts and cultural performances, featuring the barong (an Indonesian story-telling dance form), muay thai as well as a performance by the Tinikling B-boys, mixing traditional Philippine pre-Spanish bamboo pole tap dancing with a modern twist of breakdance. As I still had some time in hand before the concert, I decided to test my taste-buds at the 'food street' set up for the Festival — courtesy of Singapore food portal Hungrygowhere.com. It was interesting to note the food stalls featured cuisine from all the nations participating in the concert — Korea, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines. Some of the more widely known foods were also featured such as Taiwanese bubble milk tea and sausages, and Indonesian curry and soto, but what caught my eye was a stall selling Taiwanese bear-paw buns. These cute-looking munchables were not only shaped like bear paws but looked like yummy burgers as well. Although the fillings were usually fried chicken, spiced up with a variety of sauces, one special thing this store did was giving the bear paws a tropical makeover by introducing a gelato filling instead — something unconventional for a hot day. At last, just as the sun was setting, the concert began. With the friendly and entertaining emcees from KissFM engaging the crowd, the first act begun with the Filipino rock band Rocksteddy. With steady (pun unintended) drum beats and guitar riffs, the once Christian-rockers-turned-alternative-rock group hyped up the crowd with songs like Superhero, Love Is Your Bullet and the slightly mellower Drown. They then gave way to Thai self-described PopPunk group No More Tear which resembles a Thai version of Paramore with the feisty front-woman's flame-tinged hair. For me, this group was quite the understated group and definitely took me by surprise when I did listen to them. Even though I don't understand a word of Thai, the emotion portrayed through the songs — Don't Have Tears and Effort — resonated through, and I was pleasantly surprised when FukFang displayed her chops through a rocked-up version of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. Adonia Shao, girl wonder from China, displayed her new electronic-dance inspired tracks, and Nidji brought a mix of rock and electronic music to the Festival which refreshed the lineup and kept the crowd going throughout the night. Cantonese actor and singer Bosco Wong regaled the crowd, proving himself to be quite a fan favourite among Singaporeans. Rico Blanco amazed with his powerful vocals and incredible stage get-up, briefly transforming the stage into something out of a technicolour Amazon jungle. Halfway through, festival-goers were granted a brief respite from upbeat rock by Yoga Lin who performed some acoustic songs before bringing the hype back up again. Kpop group AOA brought a sugary sweetness to the show, mixing it up with a band performance with their new song Moya before transforming into their dance unit and sending screaming fans into a rocking frenzy with slick dance moves to the tempo of songs "Elvis" and "Love Is Only You" before showing off their sophisticated and mature side with Confused. Of all the concert's visual impacts, nothing could beat visual-kei groups — SCREW and D=OUT — from Japan with their amazing stage costumes and makeup. I found it interesting that despite both being visual-kei bands, it was almost as if SCREW were the 'shadows' to D=OUT's light as the former's music was slightly darker and edgier while the latter had some catchy and upbeat tunes. Regardless, the one thing prevalent throughout the entire Festival was the universality of music that united people, regardless of race or musical preference. This was evident on the part of the fans who fully supported all the bands even if many had no inkling of the groups and their bias towards others. I found that beautiful to watch, and was touched because I was reminded of ibu pertiwiku Sarawak and how, despite being hugely multi-racial and culturally diverse, we still manage to make it through day after day without any major conflict. Thank you, Singapore for the humbling and unexpected life lesson and fret not I shall return. To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. 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| Posted: 07 Dec 2013 01:36 PM PST by Alan Rogers. Posted on December 8, 2013, Sunday MARY Margaret's most apposite article published in Nov 10 thesundaypost was purely coincidental following the Super Typhoon Haiyan, which two days before swept over the Philippines. Her article drew our attention to the greater frequency of such gigantic storms in the last three decades. Devastation, destruction and death from such violent atmospheric turbulence have been regularly reported in the world's press with graphic and heart-jerking reportage. There is certainly much debate amongst the world's leading meteorologists over the impact of human-generated influences on the causes of climatic change. This is simply because our knowledge base, through in-depth collection of meteorological data and modern technology, has radically improved in less than half a century. Three weeks before Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, I experienced, where I live in the South West of England, the sting in the tail of a Mid-Atlantic Ocean hurricane. Wind speeds reached up to 225km per hour. The aged Victorian tiles on my roof rattled but did not take off in the same way as a third of my roof disappeared in a more violent storm in October 1987. Yet, some beautiful trees were uprooted in the surrounding fields and power and telephone lines blocked roads. The sting in this deep centred area of low pressure spun its course as air was injected downwards from the overhead jet stream in the upper atmosphere many kilometres, in its route, above ground level. The sheer power of Typhoon Haiyan, at wind speeds of 320 to 380km per hour at the exceedingly low pressure of 858 to 884 millibars, rapidly sucked in air from slightly higher pressure areas beyond this vortex. Winds blow from high to low pressure areas, replacing air that rises in areas of low pressure. Essentially, the Philippines are a multitude of islands. As the typhoon passed over land frictional drag caused much devastation and as the typhoon continued over open water with a reduction of friction wind speeds again increased with little energy loss. As there is a sting in a scorpion's tail, so there was a sting in the tail of Typhoon Haiyan. This came in the form of a storm surge in seawaters which rose to a height of six metres. As the typhoon hit the city of Tacloban, its sudden low pressure pushed waters up into the funnel shaped bay, thus concentrating its impact. This was equivalent to tsunami destruction as most houses were just a few metres higher than normal high tide level. To date, from United Nations sources, 13 million people in the Philippines have been affected with three million displaced persons, some 500,000 homeless without food, drinking water, sanitation and the smell of death of unburied bodies. Tacloban, once a city of 218,000 people, has lost at least 10,000 of its original population. Is a typhoon different from a hurricane or a cyclone? Not really, for it depends upon which area in the world we live. The word cyclone is derived from the Greek word 'kyklon' meaning air moving in circular coils like those of a snake. The Nasa shots from outer space confirm this anticlockwise circulation of air in the northern hemisphere. Captain Henry Piddington, whilst stationed in Kolkata in 1789, first coined the word. Typhoon could have originated from the ancient Arabic 'tafon' or more likely from the Chinese 'tai fung' meaning, in each language, a big wind. Whatever terminology is used, all have one thing in common – deep low pressure areas with winds sucked in from neighbouring high pressure areas to replace the rising air in the low pressure system. The steeper the pressure gradient between low and high pressure areas, the faster the winds. Just as closer contour lines on a topographic map indicate a steepening of gradient and greater energy for humans to expend in climbing a steep hill, so on a meteorological chart the closer the isobar lines the steeper the pressure gradient and the faster the wind speeds. A one-time naval captain later buccaneer, William Dampier, who was born in the village of East Coker, Somerset, in the United Kingdom, only 60km from my hamlet, circumnavigated the world and in doing so recorded wind speeds and the direction of ocean currents wherever he was. He observed, in particular, seasonal changes in the Trade Wind patterns whilst on visits to the Malay Archipelago, witnessing a severe storm near Banda Aceh (Sumatra) in 1698. His book 'A Discourse of Winds' was published in London in 1705. This publication influenced Captain James Cook and later Admiral Horatio Nelson in their voyages. Dampier's first mate, William Funnell, is referred to by Alfred Russell Wallace in his book 'The Malay Archipelago' (1869), recalling Funnell's experiences of earthquakes at Amboyna (now Ambon in the Banda Sea). It is likely that the early 18th century records by Dampier of winds and ocean currents influenced Charles Darwin, Alfred Wallace and a famous German meteorologist, Alexander von Humboldt a century and more later. Dampier Strait (Selat Dampier) between Irian Jaya and Utara still retains his name. He is also accredited with introducing such exotic words as avocado, barbecue, breadfruit, chopsticks and sub-species to the English language. A true recorder of currents, tides and atmospheric events, he died in relative poverty in 1715, at the age of 63. Just imagine, based on the evidence of climatic change and global warming, if the winds above Sabah, Brunei, Sarawak and Kalimantan dropped lower by a few degrees of latitude. How would we cope with roofs ripped off and inevitable power cuts as electricity poles and trees collapsed on roads and buildings, disrupting all means of communication? Where would we go for shelter, even with national meteorological warnings, to avoid storm surges which could affect all settlements below 10 metres above normal high tide mark? The plight of our near neighbours, the Philippines, brings home to the entire world, the fragility of our planet in all forms of life. In the Banda Aceh tsunami in the Indian Ocean earthquake, it has taken almost a decade for the people there to rebuild their lives. Wherever we are in the world, we need to heed the warnings of our local meteorological services of impending severe storms and batten down our hatches and explore possible means of escape. The devastation in the Philippines has awoken the world to mankind's plight when the forces of nature exceed 21st century living. For more read 'Ready for changing temperatures?' by Mary Margaret in the Nov 10, 2013 thesundaypost and 'The sting in the tail of a tropical cyclone' by Alan Rogers in the Sept 25, 2011 thesundaypost. The Malaysian Nature Society To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names. |
| Posted: 07 Dec 2013 01:32 PM PST by Dr James Dobson. Posted on December 8, 2013, Sunday ABSENTEE fathers are increasingly common in modern living, especially in the urban setting. What keeps a father away from his family? The reasons may be many and varied. Pressure of work and over commitment is one of the main reasons. These days a man is required to work longer hours if he wants to be successful. Sometimes it is not a matter of choice because of his boss' expectations. Added to that is the time taken to commute to and from the office and this can exact a hefty toll on his time and energy. The common scenario is that of a father coming home late and exhausted. He has no time or energy left for his family. He can only hope to make it up to the family during weekends or holidays. Even then, if it is not carefully guarded, family time can get replaced by other activities including leisure activities. Lack of parenting skills is another reason. A man who grew up with an uninvolved father may find it difficult to relate to his children, especially teenagers. He does not know how to communicate love and affection naturally, and so he compensates by working harder to better provide for them materially. He lacks the skill to build bridges of communication and establish good rapport as well as discipline when needed. Or when he tries to communicate with his children, he gets discouraged when given the cold shoulder particularly by his teenage son or daughter. Whatever the reasons, fathers will do well to remember that children, especially teenagers, need their fathers as well as their mothers. Question 1: Would you speak about the impact of what has been called 'the absentee father' – especially during the tougher years of adolescence? It is stating the obvious, I suppose, to say that fathers are desperately needed at home during the teen years. In their absence, mothers are left to handle disciplinary problems alone. This is occurring in millions of families headed by single mothers today, and heaven only knows how difficult their task has become. Not only are they doing a job that should have been shouldered by two, they must also deal with behavioural problems that fathers are more ideally suited to handle. It is generally understood that a man's larger size, deeper voice, and masculine demeanour make it easier for him to deal with defiance in the younger generation. Many mothers raise their teenagers alone and do the job with excellence, but it is a challenging assignment. Question 2: As a father, what should I be trying to accomplish with my son in these teen years? Someone once said, "Link a boy to the right man and he seldom goes wrong." I believe that is true. If a dad and his son can develop hobbies together or other common interests, the rebellious years can pass in relative tranquillity. What they experience may be remembered for a lifetime. Let me address your question directly: What common ground are you cultivating with your impressionable son? Some fathers play racquet games or go swimming with them; some construct small models or make things. My dad and I fished together. There is no way to describe what those days meant to me as we went out in the early hours of the morning. How could I get angry at this man who took time to be with me? We had wonderful talks while coming home from a day of laughter and fun. I tried to maintain that kind of contact with my son. Opportunities to communicate openly and build the father-son relationship have to be created. It's a goal that's worth whatever it takes to achieve. Question 3: How about a little equal time? Talk about a father's impact on his daughter and what he should hope to accomplish through that relationship. Fathers have an incalculable impact on their daughters. Most psychologists believe, and I am one of them, that all future romantic relationships to occur in a girl's life will be influenced positively or negatively by the way she perceives and interacts with her dad. If he rejects and ignores her, she will spend her life trying to replace him in her heart. If he is warm and nurturing, she will look for a lover to equal him. If he thinks she is beautiful, worthy, and feminine, she will be inclined to see herself that way. But if he thinks she is unattractive and uninteresting, she is likely to carry self-esteem problems into her adult years. I have also observed that a woman's respect for her husband is significantly influenced by the way she perceived her father. If he was overbearing, uncaring, or capricious during her developmental years, she may disrespect her husband and question his judgement. But if dad blended love and leadership in a way that conveyed strength, she will be more likely to live harmoniously with him. None of these tendencies or trends is absolute, of course. Individual differences can always produce exceptions and contradictions. But this statement will be hard to refute: A good father will leave his imprint on his daughter for the rest of her life. Questions and Answers extracted from 'Complete Marriage and Family Home Reference Guide'. To enable your comment to be published, please refrain from vulgar language, insidious, seditious or slanderous remarks. This includes vulgar user names. |
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