Saturday, September 22, 2007

11. How People Look



"Mummy why am I not as pretty as her?"
"But you are darling..."
"But she is prettier!"

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but studies has shown that most of us usually agree when saying who is beautiful or handsome regardless of our gender. So, what exactly is beauty and is does it come by nature or nuture?

Undeniably, beauty is very subjective, but there are several determinants which we often we look into such as height, symmetry, facial features, physique, skin tone, waist to hip ratio and so on. For example, research has shown that women prefer men who are taller than them whereas men prefer women who are younger and low waist-to-hip ratio (whose body bodies are shape like an hour glass)-features are associated with fertility.

As society places to much emphasis on beauty it is only natural that attractive people tend to be more intelligent, better adjusted, and more popular. This is described as the halo effect - due to the perfection associated with angels. Research shows attractive people also have more occupational success and more dating experience than their unattractive counterparts. The television sitcom "Ugly Betty" documents the life of a girl faced with hardships due to society's unwelcoming attitudes toward those they deem unattractive. Sadly, when too much emphasis is place on physical attractiveness, people begin to forget about inner beauty and this leads to social problems such as anorexia and bulimia just because they wanted to look like supermodels or their idols. Some even went to the extent of going under the knife to look beautiful-i.e. plastic surgery.

Unfortunately, beauty is determined by genetics. However, a balanced diet, exercise, drinking plenty of water and getting enough sleep also helps! For instance, exercising helps to burn extra fat and keeps the body in good shape. Furthermore, healthy people more attractive then those who are sick. It is important to point out that although physical beauty is important, inner beauty which comes from the heart should never be overlooked. Kindness, tenderness, compassion, creativity and intelligence are values that make human, a human. Although scientific studies has yet to proof that inner beauty counts in choosing a mate, it cannot be denied that people prefer to be around those who are cheerful and happy as the feeling is shared with those around them. Beauty does not guarantee happiness but kindness and love does.



To some up, although we cannot totally change how we look but we can change our inner beauty, and inner beauty is reflected out as one's true beauty.

"You may not be someone to the world, but to someone you are the world."

10. Where home is...













We always took things for granted when we have them. So, when I left my home place, what was there to miss? Bintulu is just a small town; what is it compared with KL? There are no hypermarkets or anything to see. But as months pass by, I began to realised that I rather be at home than any place in the world. This week, I am going to write about transport and tourism. So, I want to compare and contrast the differences between my home place with Kuala Lumpur, near where I am studying now, at Uniten.
Firstly, I will talk about the traffic. In Bintulu there are cars and traffic jams usually at peak hours or during weekends(look at the picture of the tamu/market)but it is nothing compared to Kuala Lumpur! Although I got my driving licence, there is no way I am driving on my own in Kuala Lumpur. Heck, I don't even know which road goes where. So, I rather take the bus or taxi if I am in Kuala Lumpur. At night, in Bintulu, the traffic is gone and it would be very quiet. KL, in contrast is still bustling with activities at night.
Secondly, about tourism, there aren't many interesting places in Bintulu. However, I may be wrong because I live there all my life, so everything is the same, nothing unusual. There are a lot of shops in Bintulu, not the gigantic shopping complexes like in KL but more like small grocery shops and many coffee shops. There are supermarkets like Farley, Sing Kwang, MDS and the new Walmart or something(not sure, just opened so I have not got the chance to explore it yet) and City Point, where teenagers usually hang out apart from cyber cafes. If Kl, people have KLCC, then n Bintulu, we have an old clock tower which has been there since time immemorial(honestly, I forgot when it was built). There are two beaches in Bintulu, the Tanjung Batu Beach(inset) and the more famous Similajau beach in the north. The Similajau National Park is an interesting place to visit or you can just go to Taman Tumbina(yup, it comes from Tumbuhan@plants and Binatang@animals) if you aren't into jungle trekking and that sort of stuff. There is a orchid farm, bird and butterfly garden inside. Or if you like ships, machines and pollution, then go to Bintulu's industrial site in Kidurong(just joking). The Bintulu Developement Authority is still in the progress of rebuilding the waterfront from the Bintulu port till Tanjung Batu Beach, so that is something you can look foward to.
To sum up, I prefer living in Bintulu than KL(no hard feelings, KL lovers) . Although Bintulu is often overshadowed by its neighbours, Miri and Sibu, it is developing very quickly. Although I am happy on the progress Bintulu has made, I hope it will not lose the peacefulness and tranquility it has on its residents.

Friday, September 21, 2007

9. A Letter From Mars














CE 750 Gagarin Base,
Solar Highway,
Andromeda Colony,
Sector 5,
Mars.
Year 3031, 17 February.
Dear Joey,
How's life at Earth? I hope you and mum are doing well. Congratulations on your results for SPM (Space Pleminiary Maths). You actually scored GPA of 3.97! Wow! Dad sent you congrats as well from the International Space Station 2 near the asteroid belt. I guess I have to bring you a present from Mars. Sorry, no Martians or anything like that. We aren't allowed to take any souvenirs home according to the International Space Treaty.
You wanted to know about space developements and how it will affect our future for your academy project right? Well, uhm, the first successful orbital launch was of the Soviet unmanned Sputnik I mission on October 4, 1957. The satellite weighed about 83 kg and is believed to have orbited Earth at a height of about 250 km. It had two radio transmitters (20 and 40 MHz), which emitted "beeps" that could be heard by any radio around the globe. Analysis of the radio signals was used to gather information about the electron density of the ionosphere, while temperature and pressure data was encoded in the duration of radio beep. Then, we took a step further and the first human spaceflight was Vostok 1 (Sunrise 1) , carrying 27 year old cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961. The spacecraft completed one orbit around the globe, lasting about 1 hour and 48 minutes.
We have gone a long way since then. From Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon to the set up of the International Space Station and the recent colony on Mars. Undeniably there has been critisms on space exploration since it began in the early 21st century. Many people believe that space exploration is a waste of money due to the escalating cost and shortcomings in space exploration. Some people also have moral objections to the huge costs of space travel, and say that even a fraction of the space travel budget would make a huge difference in fighting disease and hunger in the world in the past. However, I believe that space exploration has made a huge impact to the world we life in. Besides the large amount of planetary data returned by spacecraft, there have been many indirect scientific achievements: development of the modern computer, lasers, etc. For instance, even the protective suit that fire fighters wear are designed from astrounaut space suits. Even aeroplane and jet builders have borrowed technology from NASA in their research. If there was no space exploration to begin with, we probably won't even have live television broadcast or handphones! Using satellites, we can predict the weather, determine where we can find oil, locate objects using remote sensing satelites and so on. Space tourism which once was considered only for the rich can be afforded by common people. Oh ya, I did promise to take you to visit our sis on the moon base 2, last summer right? Remind me when I get back.
So, I think the future holds infinite posibilities for space exploration and the way we would live in the next hundred years. With the recent colony in Mars, we are trying to find ways to cultivate vegetation in closed green houses and extract water using gravity from the sub-layers of Mars. I won't be surprise if we can establish a new civilisation on Mars in next hundred years but they are still significant obstacles to overcome. I am still figuring how to plant rice on Mars unusual soil that is full of iron(III) oxide! Being a biotech scientist is not that easy..haha.
Ok, before I sign off, I want you to remember this words which will inspire you to reach your dreams to be a spaceship pilot. Neil Armstong once said that his step on the moon was "one small step for a man, one huge leap for mankind." It means you and I can make a big difference in space exploration. So, ne
ver give up. Lastly, reflect the words of the Sir Stephen Hawkings, renowned British theoretical physicist in the 21st century; he said that "I don't think the human race will survive the next thousand years, unless we spread into space. There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet. But I'm an optimist. We will reach out to the stars."
Send my regards to everyone at home. Bye.
Your brother,
Joshua
PS I am going back earth this coming March. So, see you then.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

8. A Handphone's Life
















Sophia's autobiography...


Hi! My name is Sophia. I am a handphone and my proud owner is the author of this blog.


Let me tell you a bit about myself. I was born in Japan before I was shipped to Malaysia. I am blasted silver in colour with a black armor on my chest. My genetic code is K750. My family carry the name of the Sony Ericsson. There are those from other clans such as Nokia and Motorola. However, we, handphones do not usually mix with those from outside our clan. I am not sure why but father says that their is fierce rivaly between different clans and I should be proud as my clan carry a good name. Ironically, we share the same ancestors...the Telephone. Being one of the latest models at my time, I was pitted against many other handphones for potential masters.


I was glad when I finally found my master. I always do my best to serve him well in whenever he needs me. Not only that I help him to make important calls, but I also sing to him when he is feeling down and help him to take pictures with my 2.0 Mega PIXEL AUTO FOCUS eye. I also have a impressive memory of 1GB. Furthermore, I help him to remember important dates and organize his daily planner. Thats why my master loves me and brings me along wherever he goes.


Generally, we handphones are a necessity to human beings. They depend on us to do a lot of things. Therefore, it is not surprising that almost everyone has at least a handphone. Sadly, sometimes we get blame for things that is not our fault. I don't understand why some people accuse us for spoiling their language and criminal is activities such as cheating people of their money, spreading lies and pornographic materials. It is not our fault. We are only tools, serving our masters the best we could, whether what they do is right or wrong. It is also saddening and frightening that some of us will get thrown away or traded in for newer models after we serve our masters so loyally for so many years. I hope that it won't happen to me but I trust and have faith that my master will take care of me even when I am in my old age. With regards, Sophia Ericsson.