One beautiful morning I brought Mom to the Kajang Passport Office for her passport renewal. Am impressed with the fast service from submission of documents and payment to delivery of the brand new passport. 1 hour 5 minutes from payment to collection :)
Granted, we had filled in the form beforehand, having downloaded it from the Malaysian Immigration Department website (http://www.imi.gov.my/). Brought the required RM300 in cash [Text added on 2012-8-14: , her expired passport,] and 2 passport photos as per stated requirements. One thing we left out was a photocopy of Mom's identity card (IC). No problem, got that done at the shop opposite the passport office.
With completed form and all other needed stuff in hand, we joined the queue to take a number. 1039. First we got called to submit the paperwork for processing, signing, and rolling the thumbs on the thumbprint reader. Okay, done in less than 10 minute after getting the number.
Next, wait another 10 minutes for them to call our number, this time for payment. Paid the required RM300 and the officer gave us a receipt, and mentioned that it takes 1 to 2 hours for the passport to be ready. Okay. Time for a break - reading newspaper, breakfast, hanging around the Kajang Bus Station building, whatever suits you.
Half an hour after payment, saw 1006 collecting her passport. Wow. She must have arrived at 7:30 am. I said to Mom, looks like your passport will be ready pretty fast. Sure enough, at 9:35 am they called her number. Sign here, check. Thumbprint reading, check. Check the details page to make sure everything's ok. Done!
So yes, I'm happy that passport renewal has become such a fast, straightforward procedure. Another plus point: Kajang Passport Office is open on weekends. Yes, that's Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 1 pm, except public holidays. Isn't that great?
Monday, July 30, 2012
Down, down, down
At times it seems that one's life is a failure and everything is down, down, down. Feelings of depression set in and cause the downward spiral to become worse and worse. Triggered by a major setback or a series of unfortunate events, the overall effect can be debilitating.
Being down can manifest as a see-saw effect. Okay some days, depressed some days. It's a sick feeling to look into the future only to find no end in sight. Even if one is on the road to recovery, it's not a straight line going up. It's like a stock market graph going up and down. Relapses and flashbacks of down feelings happen if triggered.
What can cause it? The loss of a loved one or loved ones through death, divorce, accident, illness or any cruel factor. Failure in relationships, career growth, financial and material accumulation, or inability to achieve success in any way defined. Feeling less successful in life compared to one's family members, friends, peers, seniors and juniors. Stressed out by toxic environment and poisonous people. Receiving a major shock from bad news.
Left unchecked, these feelings of uselessness and negativity can drive a person towards suicide. Yes, the intention to end it all can manifest because one feels like a burden to society, family, and people. That's why it's very important to have at least one trusted person to talk to if one reaches this stage in life.
If you feel down and want to end your life because you can't see a way out, please pause for a while. Ask for help from someone you can trust. Seek help when you need it. Find someone you can talk to in confidence.
Being down can manifest as a see-saw effect. Okay some days, depressed some days. It's a sick feeling to look into the future only to find no end in sight. Even if one is on the road to recovery, it's not a straight line going up. It's like a stock market graph going up and down. Relapses and flashbacks of down feelings happen if triggered.
What can cause it? The loss of a loved one or loved ones through death, divorce, accident, illness or any cruel factor. Failure in relationships, career growth, financial and material accumulation, or inability to achieve success in any way defined. Feeling less successful in life compared to one's family members, friends, peers, seniors and juniors. Stressed out by toxic environment and poisonous people. Receiving a major shock from bad news.
Left unchecked, these feelings of uselessness and negativity can drive a person towards suicide. Yes, the intention to end it all can manifest because one feels like a burden to society, family, and people. That's why it's very important to have at least one trusted person to talk to if one reaches this stage in life.
If you feel down and want to end your life because you can't see a way out, please pause for a while. Ask for help from someone you can trust. Seek help when you need it. Find someone you can talk to in confidence.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
PADI Open Water Diver: Advice for Newbies
From personal experience, I strongly recommend those intending to take up PADI Open Water Diver to take the Confined Water Dives in their local area first before heading to the islands to finish up with the Open Water Dives. Why?
Because trying to finish up everything in 4D3N can be too rushed and may not be possible if there's any delay caused by bad weather or learners taking a longer time to pick up the required skills. Even if "zero to finish" could be done in 4D3N for those super fast learners, it's still very rushed and you won't have a relaxed on-holiday mood.
I shall say it again. Take your Confined Water Dives in KL, PJ, Subang, Klang or wherever is most convenient for you if you're in the Klang Valley. Do it after working hours on weekdays, on the weekends if you prefer, or during the day on working days if your schedule's flexible. Take a month or less, or a couple of months. It depends how long it takes for you to get used to clearing your mask underwater or opening your eyes underwater.
Only after you've familiarized yourself with those required scuba dive skills and your confidence level has gone up, then go to the islands. Too bad KL doesn't have any nice beach or decent diving spot within 1 to 2 hours' drive. The islands are all at least half a day's drive away or 1 to 2 & a half hours by plane. Might as well have an enjoyable, relaxed holiday, correct?
From an Internet search I came across a well-written article by "tjs282" on Yahoo Answers. A former full-time scuba instructor himself (PADI # 609394), he gives an excellent, helpful answer to the kind of questions asked by newbies on what to expect for first-time scuba learners. I've included it below for reference because I think it's a good one.
=====[The following by tjs282]=====
While you may well be the youngest person on the course, that's not necessarily a bad thing. By and large, the kids and teens I've taught have picked things up a lot quicker and easier than the older students, and tended to get less discouraged by any setbacks or difficulties. They can also thus act as a spur for the more nervous adults -- "if s/he can do it, so can I!"
The PADI OWD syllabus includes 5 classroom sessions, to review each chapter in the manual (i.e. the knowledge reviews), and do the 4 multi-choice quizzes (10 questions each) and final multi-choice exam (50 questions, pass-mark = 75%, or 38/50); 5 'confined water' (CW) sessions in a pool or shallow (<5 m) open water, where the instructor demonstrates the scuba skills you need to learn, and then you have a go; and 4 open water (OW) training dives, where you show your instructor that you can do the the skills without seeing a demonstration first.
Actual course scheduling is down to the individual instructor/dive centre, and depends on what facilities they have available, and when. If you're particularly concerned, it would be best to phone up your chosen dive centre and ask exactly how they are planning to run the course. To pack everything into 2 days without breaking PADI's course standards, my best guess would be that they're counting on you (and the other students) to learn all the theory on your own time, which will allow the instructor to limit the classroom sessions to just the quizzes and exam (which would take maybe 90-120 mins total, assuming no holdups), and concentrate primarily on teaching the practical dive skills.
The CW sessions can be run together to some extent (although the skills should be taught in the prescribed order), so they could do a CW session on one or (more likely) both mornings. That would leave each afternoon free to do 2 dives, but all dives are likely to be very short (maybe 20-30 mins) and shallow (max. ~10-12 m) for logistic reasons (when I was still teaching, we weren't allowed to take OWD students out for more than 2 open-water training dives per day, although this may have changed since). Please note that the above wouldn't be my preferred way of teaching an OWD course, but I was teaching holiday-makers in tropical resort settings, not local divers on weekend courses.
Regarding the DVD, PADI Standards do not (AFAIK) require the student to watch or own the DVD prior to the course. The DVD is an additional or alternative means of learning the theory (e.g. for people with dyslexia): it contains the same information as in the manual, structured in the same way, but with video footage, animations and a voiceover, rather than photographs, static illustrations and text. The only real drawback to missing out the DVD before the course is that it also includes video footage of every confined water skill, which may be easier to follow than the step-by-step descriptions in the manual (after each chapter). But generally, if you can follow the manual, then watching the DVD is not necessary -- and your instructor will (or should!) be doing in-water demonstrations of all the skills.
PADI Standards DO require that the student be issued with their own copy of the manual to keep, to allow him/her to review the basics after the course ends (e.g. once a year, and/or directly before a diving holiday). While your OWD certification is good for the rest of your life, regularly reviewing what you have learned (and routinely practicing the emergency management skills) is highly advised, especially for new divers and/or those who do not dive regularly. If you prefer to buy and watch the DVD in order to do this, rather than re-read your manual, that is up to you.
I wish you all the best for your course, and happy diving.
Source(s):
Former full-time scuba instructor (PADI # 609394)
Article from: http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120407131738AAC7Lvt
Because trying to finish up everything in 4D3N can be too rushed and may not be possible if there's any delay caused by bad weather or learners taking a longer time to pick up the required skills. Even if "zero to finish" could be done in 4D3N for those super fast learners, it's still very rushed and you won't have a relaxed on-holiday mood.
I shall say it again. Take your Confined Water Dives in KL, PJ, Subang, Klang or wherever is most convenient for you if you're in the Klang Valley. Do it after working hours on weekdays, on the weekends if you prefer, or during the day on working days if your schedule's flexible. Take a month or less, or a couple of months. It depends how long it takes for you to get used to clearing your mask underwater or opening your eyes underwater.
Only after you've familiarized yourself with those required scuba dive skills and your confidence level has gone up, then go to the islands. Too bad KL doesn't have any nice beach or decent diving spot within 1 to 2 hours' drive. The islands are all at least half a day's drive away or 1 to 2 & a half hours by plane. Might as well have an enjoyable, relaxed holiday, correct?
From an Internet search I came across a well-written article by "tjs282" on Yahoo Answers. A former full-time scuba instructor himself (PADI # 609394), he gives an excellent, helpful answer to the kind of questions asked by newbies on what to expect for first-time scuba learners. I've included it below for reference because I think it's a good one.
=====[The following by tjs282]=====
While you may well be the youngest person on the course, that's not necessarily a bad thing. By and large, the kids and teens I've taught have picked things up a lot quicker and easier than the older students, and tended to get less discouraged by any setbacks or difficulties. They can also thus act as a spur for the more nervous adults -- "if s/he can do it, so can I!"
The PADI OWD syllabus includes 5 classroom sessions, to review each chapter in the manual (i.e. the knowledge reviews), and do the 4 multi-choice quizzes (10 questions each) and final multi-choice exam (50 questions, pass-mark = 75%, or 38/50); 5 'confined water' (CW) sessions in a pool or shallow (<5 m) open water, where the instructor demonstrates the scuba skills you need to learn, and then you have a go; and 4 open water (OW) training dives, where you show your instructor that you can do the the skills without seeing a demonstration first.
Actual course scheduling is down to the individual instructor/dive centre, and depends on what facilities they have available, and when. If you're particularly concerned, it would be best to phone up your chosen dive centre and ask exactly how they are planning to run the course. To pack everything into 2 days without breaking PADI's course standards, my best guess would be that they're counting on you (and the other students) to learn all the theory on your own time, which will allow the instructor to limit the classroom sessions to just the quizzes and exam (which would take maybe 90-120 mins total, assuming no holdups), and concentrate primarily on teaching the practical dive skills.
The CW sessions can be run together to some extent (although the skills should be taught in the prescribed order), so they could do a CW session on one or (more likely) both mornings. That would leave each afternoon free to do 2 dives, but all dives are likely to be very short (maybe 20-30 mins) and shallow (max. ~10-12 m) for logistic reasons (when I was still teaching, we weren't allowed to take OWD students out for more than 2 open-water training dives per day, although this may have changed since). Please note that the above wouldn't be my preferred way of teaching an OWD course, but I was teaching holiday-makers in tropical resort settings, not local divers on weekend courses.
Regarding the DVD, PADI Standards do not (AFAIK) require the student to watch or own the DVD prior to the course. The DVD is an additional or alternative means of learning the theory (e.g. for people with dyslexia): it contains the same information as in the manual, structured in the same way, but with video footage, animations and a voiceover, rather than photographs, static illustrations and text. The only real drawback to missing out the DVD before the course is that it also includes video footage of every confined water skill, which may be easier to follow than the step-by-step descriptions in the manual (after each chapter). But generally, if you can follow the manual, then watching the DVD is not necessary -- and your instructor will (or should!) be doing in-water demonstrations of all the skills.
PADI Standards DO require that the student be issued with their own copy of the manual to keep, to allow him/her to review the basics after the course ends (e.g. once a year, and/or directly before a diving holiday). While your OWD certification is good for the rest of your life, regularly reviewing what you have learned (and routinely practicing the emergency management skills) is highly advised, especially for new divers and/or those who do not dive regularly. If you prefer to buy and watch the DVD in order to do this, rather than re-read your manual, that is up to you.
I wish you all the best for your course, and happy diving.
Source(s):
Former full-time scuba instructor (PADI # 609394)
Article from: http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120407131738AAC7Lvt
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Suicide of Lam Ho Kit (Kit Chai) in Hong Kong
Tragic suicide case of Lam Ho Kit 林豪傑 a.k.a. Kit Chai 傑仔 in Hong Kong. Struggling with depression, traumatized by the sight of his mother's suicide on 911 day, failure in studies, failure in getting a job, dashed ambitions, worried about how all this would affect his family, he followed his mom's footsteps by burning charcoal in a confined space. News video in Cantonese with Mandarin subtitles. English transcript follows below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXAl9mmGmm8
Kit Chai... Waaaa... [wailing, crying]
19 year old Kit Chai committed suicide by burning charcoal
"I just want to be back at my mom's side
I'm tired, I'm suffering
Sorry... I love you all
Please forgive me"
10 years ago, on the day of 911
9-year-old Kit Chai came home after school to Tsuen Wan Centre Apartments
Originally mother and son relied on each other
But mother couldn't stand the stress of divorce
Committed suicide by burning charcoal
Kit Chai's fragile heart was deeply hurt
Afterwards, he followed his Kung Kung (maternal grandfather) and Por Por (maternal grandmother)
They moved to Tsuen Wan Fuk Loi Estate
Relied on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance for living
He did what should be done, he studied hard
Aspired to be a rescue personnel
However, his exam results weren't good
He enrolled into the Yi Jin Programme - Certificate in Uniformed Forces
And took an additional English course
But his results still couldn't meet the requirements for candidates
Two years ago, Kit Chai went to Australia for a working holiday
To learn English
Upon returning (to Hong Kong), Social Welfare Department staff told Kit Chai
He had to find a job upon turning 18 years of age
Otherwise it would affect the whole family's Social Security Assistance
Sadly, depression-afflicted Kit Chai
Still couldn't find a job in the end
Only by moving out alone
Kung Kung and Por Por could get HKD10,000 in Social Security Assistance
In two months
He didn't update his family members about his address
He moved to Tsuen Wan Tso Kung Square cubicle apartment
Last Friday after meeting with Social Welfare Department staff
He returned to Fuk Loi Estate for dinner
Perhaps due to being stressed out, he couldn't say anything
After that he disappeared for two days
Kung Kung kept calling him but couldn't get through
"I just want to be back at my mom's side
I already have serious depression mental problems
I can no longer pretend to be normal
I'm exhausted, I'm suffering"
19-year-old Kit Chai
Ended up following his mother's footsteps
Committing suicide by burning charcoal
Aunty, please let go of him
[Waaaa...]
Please come back, Kit Chai, Kit Chai... Waaaa... [wailing, crying]
[Maternal grandfather of the deceased]
Ten years ago my daughter, his mother, burnt charcoal
Committed suicide by burning charcoal, it was in the newspapers
Ten years later my grandson did the same
[Lee Tak Shing, Psychiatric Specialist Doctor]
A lot of times, young people misunderstand
Thought they exhausted their mothers to death, will have feelings of guilt
Even if they think that's a way of solving problems...
He said family members should pay more attention
To young ones who go through unfortunate experiences
When there's a need, should seek specialist help
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXAl9mmGmm8
Kit Chai... Waaaa... [wailing, crying]
19 year old Kit Chai committed suicide by burning charcoal
"I just want to be back at my mom's side
I'm tired, I'm suffering
Sorry... I love you all
Please forgive me"
10 years ago, on the day of 911
9-year-old Kit Chai came home after school to Tsuen Wan Centre Apartments
Originally mother and son relied on each other
But mother couldn't stand the stress of divorce
Committed suicide by burning charcoal
Kit Chai's fragile heart was deeply hurt
Afterwards, he followed his Kung Kung (maternal grandfather) and Por Por (maternal grandmother)
They moved to Tsuen Wan Fuk Loi Estate
Relied on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance for living
He did what should be done, he studied hard
Aspired to be a rescue personnel
However, his exam results weren't good
He enrolled into the Yi Jin Programme - Certificate in Uniformed Forces
And took an additional English course
But his results still couldn't meet the requirements for candidates
Two years ago, Kit Chai went to Australia for a working holiday
To learn English
Upon returning (to Hong Kong), Social Welfare Department staff told Kit Chai
He had to find a job upon turning 18 years of age
Otherwise it would affect the whole family's Social Security Assistance
Sadly, depression-afflicted Kit Chai
Still couldn't find a job in the end
Only by moving out alone
Kung Kung and Por Por could get HKD10,000 in Social Security Assistance
In two months
He didn't update his family members about his address
He moved to Tsuen Wan Tso Kung Square cubicle apartment
Last Friday after meeting with Social Welfare Department staff
He returned to Fuk Loi Estate for dinner
Perhaps due to being stressed out, he couldn't say anything
After that he disappeared for two days
Kung Kung kept calling him but couldn't get through
"I just want to be back at my mom's side
I already have serious depression mental problems
I can no longer pretend to be normal
I'm exhausted, I'm suffering"
19-year-old Kit Chai
Ended up following his mother's footsteps
Committing suicide by burning charcoal
Aunty, please let go of him
[Waaaa...]
Please come back, Kit Chai, Kit Chai... Waaaa... [wailing, crying]
[Maternal grandfather of the deceased]
Ten years ago my daughter, his mother, burnt charcoal
Committed suicide by burning charcoal, it was in the newspapers
Ten years later my grandson did the same
[Lee Tak Shing, Psychiatric Specialist Doctor]
A lot of times, young people misunderstand
Thought they exhausted their mothers to death, will have feelings of guilt
Even if they think that's a way of solving problems...
He said family members should pay more attention
To young ones who go through unfortunate experiences
When there's a need, should seek specialist help
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