Friday, December 16, 2011
Today I went for an interview at Tan Tock Seng Hospital for the place and train programme and well I was suprised cause I felt more comfy than when I had the interview the other day at NUH. Hopefully tomorrow will be just as comfy and not so awkward. The interviews will go on through till next week.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Trip To Botanic Gardens
On the 9th of Dec, I brought the children to the Botanic Gardens. The weather wasn't really that bad but the mosquitoes were irritating. Pretty interesting stuff you can see there. They are still upgrading. Take the MRT to Paya Lebar MRT and change to the circle line, from there you can take directly to Botanic Gardens station. I would like to attach the photos but unfortunately could not attach.......
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Endangered crocodile finds new life at nuclear power plant By Eric Pfeiffer | The Sideshow - 19 hours ago
It sounds like the plot for a Syfy movie of the week, but the moral of the story is more heartwarming than terrifying: There's an unexpected newfound harmony between a nuclear power plant and a 15-foot-long endangered species of crocodile.
The Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Florida has been so good to the American crocodile that the reptile was recently taken off the endangered species list. But the croc's newly thriving condition has nothing to do with nuclear power itself; rather the species has cottoned to the 168 miles of manmade cooling canals that surround the plant, adopting the system as a new natural breeding ground.
"The way the cooling canal system was designed actually turned out to be pretty good for crocodile nesting," said John Wrublik, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "It wasn't designed for crocodiles, but they've done a very good job of maintaining that area."
The recirculating water system at Turkey Point works by pumping water from the canals through a condenser, somewhat like a car's cooling system. The canals and berms used in the process have unintentionally become a nesting habitat for the crocodiles, that has helped lower their risk status from "endangered" to "threatened."
Federal wildlife officials say the crocodiles have experienced a five-fold population increase since the late 70's. And the crocs living in the canals are doing even better than their counterparts at the state's other two official sanctuaries, which still classify the enormous reptile as threatened. In 1997, the American crocodile population was down to just 300, while today, it's estimated to be more than 1,500 and growing.
"We wouldn't advise people to normally make those types of impacts," Wrublik said of removing wetlands to make way for a nuclear power plant. "But this just so happens to have benefited the crocodile population."
What's more, it's not just the crocodiles that are thriving in the power plant canals; dozens of other protected species are booming there as well, including the manatee and loggerhead turtle.
Aside from the canals themselves, the plant's remote location has given the creatures a safety zone rarely found in the state after years of development destroyed most of their natural habitats. And even though humans regard the crocodiles are fierce creatures, they're actually very gentle and intelligent, according to researcher Mario Aldecoa.
"They are very misunderstood. All reptiles are," Aldecoa said. "They are a lot smarter than people think. And they just look like dinosaurs
The Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Florida has been so good to the American crocodile that the reptile was recently taken off the endangered species list. But the croc's newly thriving condition has nothing to do with nuclear power itself; rather the species has cottoned to the 168 miles of manmade cooling canals that surround the plant, adopting the system as a new natural breeding ground.
"The way the cooling canal system was designed actually turned out to be pretty good for crocodile nesting," said John Wrublik, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "It wasn't designed for crocodiles, but they've done a very good job of maintaining that area."
The recirculating water system at Turkey Point works by pumping water from the canals through a condenser, somewhat like a car's cooling system. The canals and berms used in the process have unintentionally become a nesting habitat for the crocodiles, that has helped lower their risk status from "endangered" to "threatened."
Federal wildlife officials say the crocodiles have experienced a five-fold population increase since the late 70's. And the crocs living in the canals are doing even better than their counterparts at the state's other two official sanctuaries, which still classify the enormous reptile as threatened. In 1997, the American crocodile population was down to just 300, while today, it's estimated to be more than 1,500 and growing.
"We wouldn't advise people to normally make those types of impacts," Wrublik said of removing wetlands to make way for a nuclear power plant. "But this just so happens to have benefited the crocodile population."
What's more, it's not just the crocodiles that are thriving in the power plant canals; dozens of other protected species are booming there as well, including the manatee and loggerhead turtle.
Aside from the canals themselves, the plant's remote location has given the creatures a safety zone rarely found in the state after years of development destroyed most of their natural habitats. And even though humans regard the crocodiles are fierce creatures, they're actually very gentle and intelligent, according to researcher Mario Aldecoa.
"They are very misunderstood. All reptiles are," Aldecoa said. "They are a lot smarter than people think. And they just look like dinosaurs
Pontianak – Malaysia’s undying vampire
By Susan Tam | Yahoo! Malaysia Newsroom - Mon, Dec 5, 2011
The video recording doesn't show any figures or apparitions, but you can hear the laugh of a girl breaking the quiet of the night. The recording was made at 1.48am at an old abandoned Chinese cemetery in Sungai Petani, Kedah in March 2009.
Paranormal investigator and Malaysian Ghost Research founder Augustine Towonsing said the "girl's distinct laugh", recorded during his investigations, is one which most people have described as the laugh of a Pontianak.
Towonsing is a firm believer that ghosts exist in the form of pure energy which has no fixed physical appearance, rather they are based on electromagnetic fields, making their presence felt on electrical scanners and cameras.
"Therefore, seeing ghosts in the form of Pontianak, for instance, is only an explanation of another metaphysic of a ghost appearance, and this appearance may still be relevant in modern days based on how we like to see them," he told Yahoo! in an email interview.
But, despite having almost a decade of experience in paranormal studies and ghost research, Towonsing still believes configurations like the Pontianak exist based on evidence he obtained from that investigation in Sungai Petani. This belief is strengthened by his ability to "see" spirits, which caused Towonsing to continue his career in the paranormal field.
History of the Pontianak
In Malay and Indonesian folklore, the Pontianak is known to be a female vampire or a ghost of a woman who has died in childbirth. Some researchers argue that the Pontianak evolved from another type of vampire, known as the Langsuir, while others believe that the Pontianak is actually a "child" of the Langsuir. These theories are raised in a popular source of Malay folklore, Walter William Skeat's book, "The Malay Magic — An Introduction to the Folklore and Popular Religion of the Malay Peninsula".
He writes that a Pontianak was formed after a woman of dazzling beauty dies from the shock of hearing that her child was stillborn.
"On hearing the terrible news, she clapped her hands and without further warning, flew whinnying away to a tree upon which she perched," he wrote.
The Pontianak is known to wear a green robe, accompanied by a mark of "beauty" — her tapering nails and long jet black hair, which she allows it to fall down to her ankles. Most believe she lives like an owl, perched on trees while others believe she lives near banana trees.
"Stories have it that her hair is left that long to hide the hole in the back of the neck, through which she sucks the blood of children," points out Skeat. Others believe the Pontianak specifically targets newborn babies.
Based on Malay mythology, the strategy to combat a Pontianak is to catch her and cut her nails and tresses, stuffing the hair and nails into the hole behind her neck. Skeat explains that this method will turn the Pontianak into an ordinary woman.
Fishing villages and newborns
There are other versions about the Pontianak's existence. Some believe that as a ghost of a woman who died during childbirth, the Pontianak returns as a vengeful spirit, bearing hatred for ordinary women. The Pontianaks then would appear to men as ordinary women to seduce them and suck their blood.
Another take on the Pontianak is that these woman-vampires are also fond of fish and are often "seen" sitting amidst the crowds at the fishing stakes at the river mouth, waiting for the chance to steal the catch of the day.
This notion of association with fishing villages could be explained in this recollection of how Kampung Pontianak in Pulau Pemanggil off Mersing earned its name and illustrates another version of the woman-vampire.
Villagers from Kampung Pontianak told paranormal investigators from Singapore that on the island, there lived a Pontianak who fed on newborn babies. This type of Pontianak could detach her head when she began an attack, usually at night. This woman vampire favoured male babies. One particular night, the Pontianak had heard the groans of a woman in labour in the village. The Pontianak detached her head from her body and flew to the house in question, unaware that a group of villagers had set up an ambush. The villagers captured her with a net, resulting in her body rushing to unite with it. However, another group of villagers killed the Pontianak's body by setting it on fire. Hence, without a body to return to, the Pontianak was destroyed.
Lifetime legend
The Pontianak myth is popular in all different mediums, particularly the silver screen. The first movie ever made on the Pontianak was created when Malaysia achieved independence in 1957. Sadly the then film producer Cathay Keris owner Ho Ah Loke threw the films away in a mining pool due to lack of storage space in his home.
But though the the woman vampire in Kampung Pontianak is destroyed, she continues to "live" in the modern world.
More than 50 years later, comedies like "Tolong! Awek aku Pontianak" still receive a strong following - it's no surprise that Malaysians still love the Pontianak.
By Susan Tam | Yahoo! Malaysia Newsroom - Mon, Dec 5, 2011
The video recording doesn't show any figures or apparitions, but you can hear the laugh of a girl breaking the quiet of the night. The recording was made at 1.48am at an old abandoned Chinese cemetery in Sungai Petani, Kedah in March 2009.
Paranormal investigator and Malaysian Ghost Research founder Augustine Towonsing said the "girl's distinct laugh", recorded during his investigations, is one which most people have described as the laugh of a Pontianak.
Towonsing is a firm believer that ghosts exist in the form of pure energy which has no fixed physical appearance, rather they are based on electromagnetic fields, making their presence felt on electrical scanners and cameras.
"Therefore, seeing ghosts in the form of Pontianak, for instance, is only an explanation of another metaphysic of a ghost appearance, and this appearance may still be relevant in modern days based on how we like to see them," he told Yahoo! in an email interview.
But, despite having almost a decade of experience in paranormal studies and ghost research, Towonsing still believes configurations like the Pontianak exist based on evidence he obtained from that investigation in Sungai Petani. This belief is strengthened by his ability to "see" spirits, which caused Towonsing to continue his career in the paranormal field.
History of the Pontianak
In Malay and Indonesian folklore, the Pontianak is known to be a female vampire or a ghost of a woman who has died in childbirth. Some researchers argue that the Pontianak evolved from another type of vampire, known as the Langsuir, while others believe that the Pontianak is actually a "child" of the Langsuir. These theories are raised in a popular source of Malay folklore, Walter William Skeat's book, "The Malay Magic — An Introduction to the Folklore and Popular Religion of the Malay Peninsula".
He writes that a Pontianak was formed after a woman of dazzling beauty dies from the shock of hearing that her child was stillborn.
"On hearing the terrible news, she clapped her hands and without further warning, flew whinnying away to a tree upon which she perched," he wrote.
The Pontianak is known to wear a green robe, accompanied by a mark of "beauty" — her tapering nails and long jet black hair, which she allows it to fall down to her ankles. Most believe she lives like an owl, perched on trees while others believe she lives near banana trees.
"Stories have it that her hair is left that long to hide the hole in the back of the neck, through which she sucks the blood of children," points out Skeat. Others believe the Pontianak specifically targets newborn babies.
Based on Malay mythology, the strategy to combat a Pontianak is to catch her and cut her nails and tresses, stuffing the hair and nails into the hole behind her neck. Skeat explains that this method will turn the Pontianak into an ordinary woman.
Fishing villages and newborns
There are other versions about the Pontianak's existence. Some believe that as a ghost of a woman who died during childbirth, the Pontianak returns as a vengeful spirit, bearing hatred for ordinary women. The Pontianaks then would appear to men as ordinary women to seduce them and suck their blood.
Another take on the Pontianak is that these woman-vampires are also fond of fish and are often "seen" sitting amidst the crowds at the fishing stakes at the river mouth, waiting for the chance to steal the catch of the day.
This notion of association with fishing villages could be explained in this recollection of how Kampung Pontianak in Pulau Pemanggil off Mersing earned its name and illustrates another version of the woman-vampire.
Villagers from Kampung Pontianak told paranormal investigators from Singapore that on the island, there lived a Pontianak who fed on newborn babies. This type of Pontianak could detach her head when she began an attack, usually at night. This woman vampire favoured male babies. One particular night, the Pontianak had heard the groans of a woman in labour in the village. The Pontianak detached her head from her body and flew to the house in question, unaware that a group of villagers had set up an ambush. The villagers captured her with a net, resulting in her body rushing to unite with it. However, another group of villagers killed the Pontianak's body by setting it on fire. Hence, without a body to return to, the Pontianak was destroyed.
Lifetime legend
The Pontianak myth is popular in all different mediums, particularly the silver screen. The first movie ever made on the Pontianak was created when Malaysia achieved independence in 1957. Sadly the then film producer Cathay Keris owner Ho Ah Loke threw the films away in a mining pool due to lack of storage space in his home.
But though the the woman vampire in Kampung Pontianak is destroyed, she continues to "live" in the modern world.
More than 50 years later, comedies like "Tolong! Awek aku Pontianak" still receive a strong following - it's no surprise that Malaysians still love the Pontianak.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Fish magic - A Must See
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Beware Of Johore Immigration.
Subject: Fw: Beware Of Johore Immigration...
Dear All,I left for Singapore on the 7th August 2011. Upon arrival at the Second Link, I presented my passport to the Immigration Officer to be stamped and guess what ? He told me just to walk through and I did just that, not knowing and not thinking of possible implications and serious consequences. The lesson is: Always have your passport stamped when you leave or return.Subject: Fw: Beware Of Johore Immigration...A good reminder for us!Most interesting and unbelievable!!!Send this to all your friends around the world. Ask them to be careful of Malaysian Government Cheats !!!Read the incidence cited below.All foreigners beware! This is not the first time that has happened. They purposely did not stamp in the passport in order to create a reason to nab you when you leave the country. It is the Malaysian Immigration tricks played on Singaporeans and foreigners to get side income. They cannot be trusted!!! They are a shame to this country.When anyone pass the Malaysian immigration check point, make sure they actually stamped in your passport. In addition, the white card must also be stamped and enclosed in your passport. My Japanese friend was played out without a white card.But shouldn't it be the duty and responsibility of the Immigration officer at the entry point to stamp their passports in the very first place?What a horrible and lousy impression for visitors to Malaysia !Still Malaysia Boleh?$2,600 fine for no passport stampBy Joyce Lim, The New Paper | Mon, Jan 10 2011A couple was detained at Johor Bahru immigration for missing a passport stamp.THEY had planned to spend three nights in Malaysia as part of their new year celebrations.But Singapore expatriates (above) Thorsten Tatzki, 41, and Ni Hao, 21, were forced to spend an extra two nights - in detention.The couple were held by Malaysian immigration officers when they tried to leave Johor Baru and enter Singapore at the Causeway, by car, on Jan 2. The officers could not find any stamps on their passports.They spent two nights in separate cells at the immigration office before they were released on Jan 4, after paying a fine of RM3,000 (S$1,270) each and another RM100 (S$40) each for a special pass to leave Malaysia .When contacted, an officer from Johor's Immigration office, confirmed that the couple were detained, but declined further comment. Our queries were routed to the director of immigration, who could not be reached for comment at press time.On Dec 30 last year, Mr Tatzki who is from Germany , drove to Malaysia with his girlfriend, a Chinese national, in a rented Toyota Altis."We drove past the Malaysia 's immigration checkpoint at about 5.30pm and headed to Kuala Lumpur (KL) for the night," recalled Miss Ni, who has been living in Singapore for the past five years. "We did not realise that our passports were not stamped."The couple spent a night in KL and the following two nights in Port Dickson before heading back on Jan 2.Added Miss Ni, who works as a business development executive: "When we arrived at the Malaysian checkpoint, the officer told us that she could not find any stamps on our passport to prove that we have entered Malaysia legally."We showed her our hotel and shopping receipts and also the receipt for topping up our Touch N Go card, hoping to convince her that we were there for a holiday and were not involved in any illegal activities."But things were not so simple.Said Mr Tatzki, general manager of an Australian company in Singapore : "We were led to a room where we waited for 45 minutes before another officer took us to another room. We spent another two hours in the room before one officer came in and told me that my girlfriend and I had been arrested."He added: "I asked him to explain why we were arrested and how long we had to stay there, but he wasn't very helpful. We had no idea what was going on."In cell with women cryingThe couple were allowed to make one phone call before they were taken to separate cells. Mr Tatzki called to inform his boss that he would have to miss work the following day. Miss Ni managed to make a call only the next day, informing a friend in Singapore of her plight.Said Miss Ni: "We had to remove all our belongings, like shoes, watches, mobile phones. The cell was very smelly and cold. There was also no proper sanitation. There were three other foreign women with me in the cell and two of them were constantly crying. It was very traumatising for me."Said Mr Tatzki: "(It was noisy) and the lights were left on the whole night. We couldn't sleep at all."The next day, an officer told me that I could choose to pay a RM3,000 fine or wait to go to court. He said that if I didn't pay now, the procedure would take longer and maybe I would end up paying more later. I felt that I didn't have a choice."The officer told him that they only accepted cash and asked him to call a friend in Singapore to deliver the money by 6pm that day.Even though Mr Tatzki's friend met the 6pm deadline, he was not released. The officer told him that he would have to "submit a report to higher management for approval" before they could leave.
The couple had to pay RM100 each for this special pass to leave Malaysia.So the couple were held for another night and were released at 4pm the next day, but only after a bit of drama over having to pay another RM200 for "special passes".MoneySaid Mr Tatzki: "One officer came into the cell and asked if I had the money. I said yes."He then told me we needed to pay another RM100 each for a special pass to leave Malaysia . I was very angry because the day before I had asked him many times if it was just RM3,000 each. And he said yes. I had some Malaysian ringgit left in my wallet. But I was still short of RM40 (S$17)."I told them that it was very unfair to us as we were not going to stay in jail for another night because we were short of RM40."Fortunately the sister of Miss Ni's friend, whom she had telephoned the day before, visited her at the immigration office and paid the RM40.The couple were given back their belongings and left the checkpoint at about 5pm on Jan 4.Said Mr Tatzki: "I understand that we made a mistake by not checking for the stamps on our passports. "We hope that our horrible experience will warn visitors to Malaysia to check their passports before they leave the checkpoints."Said a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman: "Singaporeans should ensure that their passports are stamped at entry when entering Malaysia . It is within the jurisdiction of the country to impose a penalty when this rule is flouted. We do not keep a record of these cases."Photos: TNP, Jonathan ChooThis article was first published in The New Paper.-- Always cultivate good in order to get the full blessing in whatever you believe.CULTIVATE GOOD TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF YOUR LIFEfrom K K Lim
The US National Library of Medicine (ailments and explanation)
The US National Library of Medicine (ailments and explanation)