This week is kinda slow...no jobs at all, a rig had equipment problems and another is drilling at a snail pace...only 20meters in the last 24hrs. Last week here was kinda hectic...with jobs back to back...everyday. Pulled all nighters for a couple of days. From rigs to rigs. What I don't like is the jobs that happens at night. Middle of the nights, the temperature drops to 0 or 5 degrees. Not that I mind with my handy terrorist hat. LOL. But it's the wind that gets to me. The wind chill is kinda high in during the nights as winter approaches.
Well, I will be back here during the middle of winter. Hopefully I can survive, I am from a tropical climate country. And previously worked in the hottest place on earth! And now working so near Siberia! Last winter the lowest temperature recorded was a low -42!! Practically the rigs frozen. Steaming the equipment barely worked.
Slow Week....Bored.....
Another Cold Day in the Oilfields
Another day, another Tenge. Not much to do these few days, still waiting on jobs to come along. This camp I'm in has nothing much but at least the Petro Kazakhstan camp has something to offer. Every alternate day, a few of us head over to their gym to workout. Kill some time and get in shape.
There are some activities planned by the local people here...soccer, volleyball and even the occasional sauna. A little room that is usually packed. Something to look forward to after a long cold night of working. Temperature is dropping lower after a few days...a few nights ago it was around 0 degrees. Last winter was one of the worst ever in Kumkol...it was around -42. Which all the rigs have to cease operations...in such cold temperatures, the pipes and structure tend to freeze and become brittle. Steam is useless to warm them up.
Let's see what else is there to do later in the day.
Rocket Launch From Kazakhstan
Apparently I had brought along my USB cable. It was hidden somewhere in my luggage bag. Here is the video that I manage to capture with my digital camera. Removed the sound for better bandwidth. Incredible sight.
Greetings From Kazakhstan
It's been 2 weeks since I left home to come here. Smack in the middle of the 9th largest country in the world. People here are friendly though. But my base camp is place to be desired....literally. LOL.
I had to come online and post something that I have seen 20minutes ago. The most fascinating spectacle....I get to witness what you guys in Malaysia can only witness through the television screen. I was staring up in the sky in awe as our first Malaysian astronaut being catapulted to space. The rocket was launch from the west, from what I gather, the launch was only 350KM away from where I was.....it went all the way to the eastern horizon and disappeared. As it was climbing, I can see sparkling debris falling from the sky. It's just beautiful.
Now that is something that you really don't see everyday.....or your lifetime. LOL.
What a blessing to be here eh?
I took wonderful pictures and videos of it but guess what....I forgot to bring my camera USB cable....so I couldn't upload it to gloat!!!!
Prison Break Season 3
It is finally here.....the 3rd season of an exciting tv series that has everybody glued to their chairs. The first episode titled Orientación was aired in the States on the 17th but thanks to some good samaritan we get to watch it almost on the same day.
If you haven't watch any of it...I suggest start from the first season. Most exciting! And yes....the charming Wenworth Miller.
My Tounge is Fat!
I have never visited the dentist much, maybe once a year for a checkup. Apparently I have very strong teeth and gums. So I never had to face any drills, syringe or even big shiny pliers....till today. And my first had all of the above used at the same time....to remove one of my wisdom tooth that is embedded beneath my gums.
Kinda nervous at first....but hey.....I have been through worse.....and I mean much much worse. After sticking me with 2 syringe full of painkillers, the left side of my face began to tingle and soon I don't feel my cheeks anymore. And here comes the scalpel to cut open the gum.
The wisdom tooth is embedded quite deep and the doc had to use a drill and cut it into 2 pieces to remove it. Alot of drilling and it vibrates my skull. He used a plier and yanked both pieces out and begin to stitch it close.
It wasn't a bad experience....I was in good hands today. And now I have "chipmunk cheeks" for a few days. Haha. Talking funny and spitting blood. Cool.
Selamat Berpuasa.....
Last night was the first Buka Puasa of the month of Ramadhan. A friend Randi and I invited us to Hotel Istana KL for their Buka Puasa Buffet, she works there as the Marketing Comm Manager. FREE makan! Another good perk! Took quite awhile to get there though....with everyone trying to get home for buka puasa.
The buffet is at the Taman Sari brasserie, nice cosy place. As we walked into the restaurant, a local band performing Ghazal, not sure what is that but it was very cultural. When we were greeted and I panned the restaurant, it's amazing big the place was. They are serving more than 100 dishes each day with 8 different menus rotating throughout the month! Sweet! And that makes the RM89++ per person well worth it.
When it was time to makan, we went around surveying the dishes....very impressive especially their presentation. Local, Chinese, Japanese, Italian and even Mediterranean. And at the dessert section, all sorts of cakes and pastries. They even have a chocolate fondue fountain with assortments of fruits and marshmallows for dipping.
After 3 rounds of food....and desserts. I can barely move. Haha. The food was great. Sadly I forgot to bring along my camera for some snapshots. You guys would be drooling all over the keyboard with those pictures. I definitely recommend Hotel Istana for their buffet.
Not filled with Wisdom after all...
I finally got everything settled to go to work next week Wednesday....flight tickets all booked but I had to postpone the my flight to the following week. Why? Woke up this morning and felt a mind throbbing pain at the back of my mouth. Thought I was just heaty, but the pain got worse and my gum started to swell to a point where I can't even close my mouth. By now the pain was excruciating! Even my head hurts.
Went straight to the dentist, after an X-Ray the doctor says that I have a wisdom tooth making a punching bag out of my molar. It grew sideways and pressing against the next molar. And now there is a little infection which is causing the swelling and pain.....whole lotta pain! And I can't even eat now. Cripes! After seeing the X-Ray (which is only 2 square inch)....very small and cute...looks something like the picture below.
Now I gotta take some meds to curb the swelling for the surgery next week. Was kinda hoping that it can be done today. Gonna remove 2 wisdom tooth, the one at the top gotta go too. Fear of future complications. Aiyai yai. Shall take some gory pics of the surgery.
AC leaky leaky...drippy drippy
Was sleeping one night and a sound rudely awoken me. The sound of water dripping....practically sounds like a M4A1 with the silencer attached! HAHA. Turns out that my air-conditioner is taking a "leak" in the middle of the night. Sheesh!
Apparently it was clogged....in dire need of service. Called the technicians but they cannot come over till Monday. Cripes!
They arrived today....my saviors! They have a new technique nowadays, they service the blower unit while it's attached to the wall....putting a canvas and channeling the excess water and dirt into a pail tied to the ladder. At least it gets the work done.
And now.....my room feels like winter in the Sahara! Brings back memories.
Happy Birthday Malaysia! Merdeka!
MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA! 50 years ago, Malaysia was independent! And we have came a long way. Anyhoo, it's been many years I have even stepped out of my house for a Merdeka celebration. Usually just stay at home for a movie or at mamak with family and friends. This year is different, there was a International Fireworks Competition held at Putrajaya. And since there will be nice fireworks on display, why not go and enjoy it. The news reported that there were estimated 100,000 people at Putrajaya on the eve of Merdeka!
At 9:15pm, we were on the Kesas Highway almost reaching the Cyberjaya/Putrajaya exit. And there were was a looooong line of cars. I was thinking.....crap! Since we're already here, might as well bear with it. Turns out that the line of a few hundred cars were all queuing for the cash booths. The smart tag line was clear! In your face you cheapskates! LOL. No hard feelings eh?
Didn't look too good when we pulled up near the overhead bridge just before turning into the Putrajaya city center road. We decided to go a little ways and make our way back.....so that we can leave immediately after the fireworks. And it turns out to be a wise decision made! At midnight, there were a thousand cars lined up all the way from the city center to where we were. Luckily we were on the other side of the road.
We waited for the fireworks till 12AM, and all of the sudden.....little flares shot up from the horizon.....and BOOM! It has begun! The pyrotechnics on that night was prepared by Japan. It was spectacular! With fireworks that explodes into flowers particularly our Bunga Raya....just beautiful, stars, saturn-shapes and even hearts! Some were so big that when it explodes in the sky, the sound and shockwave took 2 seconds to reach us and even sets off some car alarms! The best was the last string of fireworks.....massive.
It was the best Merdeka ever! Happy Birthday Malaysia!
iPhone Unlocked!
Some dude in Malaysia has it!! Jeless!!No, that is not mine....yet. LOL. I have been eyeing on the iPhone since the design was released some time ago. And when it launched in the US, I was thinking of getting a friend to get me one and courier it to me. But to my dismay, turns out that the iPhone is sim-locked with AT&T which means it only works with that service provider. News of the availability of the iPhone in Asia is 2008.
But now my friends! Everyone can own it! A six-man team called iPhoneSimFree has released a software that can unlock the iPhone carrier's lock! No need to mess with the hardware. It has been tested and reviewed by the experts at engadgets.com.
"We can confirm with 100% certainty that iPhoneSIMfree.com's software solution completely SIM unlocks the iPhone, is restore-resistant, and should make the iPhone fully functional for users outside of the US", said hardware expert Ryan Block.
...and that is good news to us all eh? Now all I need is an iPhone.
Adieu Mon Frère
Haih....just came back from the airport. My brother has left for Abu Dhabi, back to work. A month ago I was worried that I wouldn't get to see him as I was suppose to leave for Kazakhstan too. But turns out that he came and left.....and I'm still here. At least we get to spend some time together as a whole family. Hopefully when he's back for CNY 2008, I will be able to meet him in Malaysia for my break.
We all miss him dearly....pray that he gets his rotation.
Young and Dangerous?
It's been awhile since I last posted on me blog. A busy month. Although the funeral was a lengthy ordeal, I managed to get through it. Seen alot of stuff during that 5 days....some funny....some weird. But the thing that caught my attention was on the 3rd night, about a hundred of gangstas came to pay their last respect....Hong Kong style! I only thought it only happens in the movies! Friends of the family.
What a hectic month....
It's been a long 2 weeks....a little of joy and grief. A week ago, my family and I went on a 5 days trip down to Singapore. Had a lot of fun and had very little sleep. Some holiday huh? Will post more of this event later....with pictures.
And this week, things didn't turn out quite good....my grandmother passed away yesterday afternoon. Although we weren't very close, it's sad. I have no idea how the chinese customs are about these things....apparently we are holding a 5 day tribute to my grandmother before she is laid to rest.
Will write more after I get back from the night ceremony....a lengthy process.
Out.
MyKad....Never Leave Home Without It!
It's amazing that our Malaysian police force can go to great lengths to persecute and prosecute a person who did not commit murder, rape nor armed robbery. This is a case of a 19 year old teenager, for his only "crime" is failure to present his identity card to a police officer.
Being detained, charged in a court, slapped with a RM1000 bail and now in a prison cell for months awaiting for a retrial. Wish the gomen can show such tenacity towards "real" criminals. Good effort....wrong reasons.
Remember to bring your MyKad wherever you go!
Full story: The STAR: Teen detained for months after failing to produce MyKad
Get In Line!
A nice read and a nice reminder of Malaysian "un-common courtesy". Refer back to my old post.
Source Malay Mail
04 August, 2007
I CANNOT stand people who jump the queue. Whenever anyone commits this transgression in my presence, I take a deep breath and look at it as a personal invitation to do some scolding. One time, this well-dressed man cut my line to pay a parking ticket. When I realized what was happening, I marched to the paybooth to point out what he had done. Without even looking at me, he curtly said, “I’m in a hurry.”
Big mistake. I made sure I blocked his exit path and expended some of his precious time to let him know that other people’s time mattered too.
I am a bit impetuous, and looking back it was lucky he didn’t shove me out of the way or worse, smack me. But I strongly feel people shouldn’t think their time matters more than others.
The only time I held my tongue was when I was about to pay a parking ticket. I was about to tick off the rude man who cut my line, when I noticed his young son staring at me. On one hand, I could have politely reminded him that he was doing wrong. But I was concerned that witnessing his daddy getting reprimanded might somehow irrevocably scar the boy’s psyche. I kept quiet, and if the situation ever repeated itself, I still don’t know what I’d do.
While you might grumble when people cut your line, here’s what to do the next time it happens.
1. If it’s a case of someone letting his friends cut the line, then tap the person on the shoulder, and in the most friendliest, loudest voice, politely ask that since he’s being so generous, you’d like to be in front of him too. He will most likely be defensive. Smile. Ask again, and again, until he is embarrassed.
2. If it’s someone who is trying to inch into the line, then inform him where the line starts. During a warehouse sale my colleagues did this, when a young girl cut into the line of those who had been queuing for close to an hour. What bugged her was that while a pregnant lady and a mother with a toddler could line up, the young girl chose to cut in. The offended party immediately directed a volley of words towards the social sinner, throwing the line, “You don’t deserve a Malaysian passport.” It caught on as a catchphrase in the office for a while.
Oh, in case you’re the one planning to cut the line, then just remember this. You might just be unfortunate enough to do it in front of me.
Sujartha K.
Assistant editor, Lifestyle
Audi R8 Ciplak
Left: Audi R8 / Right: Kia CoupeWanting to compete against BMW, Lexus and Mercedes. Kia came up with their very own "supercar", a new 2.0L turbocharged engine that is being developed by Hyundai. A lookalike of the Audi R8 which cost only a fraction of it. The fact that the coupe bears some resemblance to an Audi is not by chance, since Kia tasked ex-Audi designer Peter Schreyer to design it.
So for all the Wira-Evo-Wannabe owners, soon you'll be able to own a Kia-R8-Wannabe.
A Day With the Fishies
It was me gal's birthday a few days ago so I took her to a special place....somewhere different. The Aquaria at KLCC. I was surprised at how well maintained the place was, for a Malaysian tourist spot. The fishes were all fat! Which means they are really well taken care of.
We arrived there at about 3:40PM, hoping to catch the shark feeding but had just missed it. Anyways, we still got the whole place to explore. The entrance fee for MyKad holders is RM 28 but with e-coupons I printed out from their website, we got RM2 off per ticket. Nice.
Started the "expedition" with the DNA Pool, where 3 shallow tanks is filled with docile sea animals for visitors to touch. When I saw a pool filled with sharks....baby sharks to be exact...I immediately stick my hand in and stroke them little buggers. Soft, smooth and squishy! Me gal joined in the fun, she grabbed one of them long enough for me to take a snapshot.
First section is the turtle and terrapin tanks, with all our local variety of armored swimmers. Such majestic creatures, swimming gracefully with their calm look. Can't imagine people would slaughter them for their shells.
The rainforest section has little display cases with smaller and more elusive animals. Reptiles and Amphibians. 2 frogs caught my attention, one is HUGE! and the other is weird and slimy looking. Cool but weird!
Can you spot the geckos?
The part I was looking forward to the whole trip was the 90metre underwater tunnel! It even has a travelator! This is a gigantic fish tank that houses all sorts of marine life that you will only see in documentaries. From Napoleon fishes to SandTiger sharks. We felt that we were really scuba diving and the sharks were so close that we can almost feel it.....creepy! There were a couple of sharks that are really big, up to 10feet long...or even longer! With rows of sharp teeth!
A little ways further, a section for the weird and wonderful. And it really is, there was a little cylindrical tank with floating seashells....to my surprise they were Nautilus...the living fossils! What a sight. They survived unchanged for millions of years! They look like aliens with tentacles and BIG eyes.
What an experience! I'm glad that I brought her to aquaria, something that we both can enjoy and experience. There were many more pictures that I didn't upload and many more things that we saw. Just a review and our little expedition.
Long Awaited Family Reunion
Ahhh.....what a day. My brother came back last nite from Abu Dhabi, mom and dad have not seen him since February. He's been working there for almost 2 years but I have met him in Dubai occasionally.
But now he's back for a full month! Long holiday. At least I get to spend some time with him before I leave for Kazakhstan. Yeah, I received my LOI a couple of days ago....visa will be ready soon.
In addition, my aunt from Singapore is back too. Been going out makan and lepak-ing for a couple of days now. Lack of sleep! LOL. Supposed to be relaxing eh? Anyhoo, this is the best time. Being able to meet a close family member who is away for a period of time is......ecstatic!
Remember guys....treasure your loved one's company. Make the most of it everyday.
Mouse Transformers!!
I just gotten a new gadget to tinker with and it's FREE! A gift from my gal which she got it from a Sony launch...Oh the perks! Checked it online and found out the price of this little wonder....RM 299!!
The Sony Vaio 2 in 1 Mouse and Phone is a very nifty piece of hardware. It sits on my mousepad clicking away but when there's a phone call coming in from Skype....the mouse "transforms" into a phone! How cool is that! Only problem is that now I can't do anything when the mouse is a phone. The designers at Sony must be fans of Transformers.
This little contraption is suitable for people on the go...like myself...who has a laptop. If I am talking on the Vaio Phone, I still can use my touchpad to navigate. The mouse looks very sleek and fashionable, as expected from Sony. The middle of it's body is a strip of chromed metallic finish with a scroll button as volume when in phone function.
When a call comes in, an LED at the top of the mouse blinks. It also has hands free mode, to activate it I just press a button on it's side and it automatically raises the handset to a 45 degree angle. And I just speak into it. Cool eh?
Hands Free mode