SOMETHING extraordinary happened last Saturday. From the Americas to Asia, ‘greenies’ danced, celebrated, cycled, sang, trekked and dived in what the organisers dubbed as the “most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history”.

It was the International Day of Climate Action. 

Action at the Great Barrier Reef. Courtesy of 350.org

Hundreds of activists organised local actions in 181 countries as a little reminder for leaders to “do the right” thing at the upcoming UN COP15 conference. 

The number 350, which was displayed prominently in all the actions, is the ideal level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Scientists say the current level of 390 CO2 parts per million is dangerously high and action must be taken now to mitigate climate change. 

I’m ashamed to admit that I missed the action here in Perth  

Back home, my friends from Malaysian Youth Climate Justice Network (MyCJN) tell me they had a fantastic time. 

“We’re proud to join people around the world on this day – what is probably the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet’s history,” said Shenn Chong Kae Jiun, the main coordinator of MyCJN-350 Dance for the Planet event. 

I imagine the Malaysian mob’s flash dance must have gone down well with shoppers and tourists at KLCC and Pavilion.

“We had an awesome time,” Chong said in her text to me later that night. 

I admire the folks from MyCJN. Their story is new- a baby in the local environmental scene. But they’ve managed to pull some impressive feats (350, conversations on climate change series and attending the Bangkok Climate Change talks). 

A passionate Adrian Yeo, MyCJN co-founder and long-time friend, said the strong sense of ‘injustice’ was the main motivation to rally for climate action. 

“So much more can be done. …the decision-makers now will not be alive in 50 years time,” Yeo said.  

“They’re not the one who will have to pay the consequences.” 

Politicians in Western Australian are squabbling over-get this-shopping hours! 

Shops here are required by law to close at 5-6pm on weekdays and on Sundays. Only the Central Business District and “tourism precincts” are allowed to open late. Imagine that! 

WA Premier Colin Barnett wants to extend trading hours to 9pm, two hours more from the normal closing time. But he is facing fierce opposition from critics who say that extended hours could affect small businesses and family time. 

Compare this to the shopping haven Kuala Lumpur, the early closing hours seem remote. As much as us girls would like to tell the boys "sorry honey. It's tapau tonight because I didn't make it in time to shop", I can't imagine KL going to sleep by 6pm. Heck, some of us get off work later than that!

Shopping for the average working person here means a mad dash to the stores after work. This means leaving work early (good) to whiz into the shops trying to tick off as many items on the grocery list (not so good because of the stress). 

Or do a big shop on Saturday. Apparently, the sixth day of the weekend is the busiest as everyone flocks to the stores then.

The young people and city dwellers are all for the change with many saying it is time to ‘modernise’ Perth. They see the short trading hours as ‘embarrassing’ and ‘backward’. 

But those in the country say the shorter hours promote family ties which makes sense (but then again, most people are usually only free during the weekends)…… What about those poor souls who have to work during the weekends? 

Oh well… 

Thankfully, I stocked up on Indo Mee and Milo (hurrah!) the moment I arrived. :) Or I could ‘bungkus’ from the restaurants although I don’t see any ‘gerai makan’ around……

 I’m missing the cheap, open air all-night food stalls …. I say bring on the Ramlee burgers and char key teows!!  

Cheerio from Perth. 

PS: I’m away for a month in Perth as part of the NST-West Australia exchange programme. From politics, environment to fashion…yes FASHION, I think I’ve got my hands full for now!

The wispy blanket of mist is lifting slowly. It’s only 6am but the rainforest is stirring. Like an unfailing clock, the cicadas sharp siren calls pierce through the jungle, waking its inhabitants.

Dusk from the Segama bridge at Danum Valley Field Centre

The fervent whoops of the gibbons rising to a crescendo and cacophony of bird calls motivate me to get out of bed early. I don’t want to miss any jungle action!

So there I stood on the verandah, a cup of tea in hand, watching this fascinating organism-the jungle-awake and it casting a hypnotising spell on me.

Then it hit me. An unexpected epiphany.

Now, forests and beaches have always been a part of my childhood. But it was during a recent trip to Danum Valley that I realised just how magical our rainforests are.

Segama river. The Danum Valley Field Centre is in the back

Many naturalists, environmentalists or nature-lovers feverishly hope that they would encounter the regal Pak Belang (Malayan tigers), elusive sun bears, elephants and elegant Orang Utan when they trek in our forests.

Malayan sun bear (Photo courtesy of Wong Siew Te)

Most would do almost anything to see these big animals in the wild, but I think what makes our rainforest spectacular are the little creatures-the ones you would miss in a blink of eye unless you paid close attention.

Take the raucous cicadas for example. I’ve never seen them in the wild. Only the ones that accidently fly into the house. But even those are different species.

What about the leeches? I’m terrified of these little blood-suckers but they’re incredible creatures. With the angry red stripe branded on their body, tiger leeches are quite beautiful (when they’re not sucking your blood!).

And have you seen the Kinabalu Giant Red Leech?? At 30cm long, this bright orangey-red leech sends shivers down my spine…except I’ve never seen it before.

Watch a video of the Kinabalu Red Leech here

Unlike its lowland bloodsucker cousins, earthworms form the main diet of these intriguing creepy crawlies. They swallow the earthworms whole!! Ugh.

If you stop to look around, you’ll find a dizzying display of fungi on the forest floor. The cool and damp ground filled with decaying matter is just the place for them to flourish. From button-like, oysters-like mushrooms to minute fungi which thrive in tree roots, they’re all simply delightful.

Ahh..and the birds. How wonderful they are! I imagine crazy old witches when I hear the maniacal cackle of the Helmeted Hornbill. Oh and what about the confusingly-named Black-backed Kingfisher?? Far from being black, the bird is a living and walking rainbow!

The psychedelic Black-backed kingfisher (Google Images)

Our rainforest is a wondrous world teeming with life. Clearly, people who go trampling in the jungle and complain that they didn’t see anything marvelous have missed the point!

The jungle, as a whole, is spectacular. It is even more so when you dissect the ecosystems and get to know the little fellas who help shape the forests.

 I guess size doesn’t really matter when you’re in the jungle eh? :D 

Adib! This one is for you :)

I've been thinking a lot about a fruit lately. The tarap.

Oh, how I crave for its sweet juicy flesh! How I miss it!


A very happy girl with her tarap :)

Eating a tarap is an occasion itself. One never eats the tarap alone. It must be shared amongst family or friends. A tarap session is always messy and noisy! :)

Aahh..but my craving will only be satiated come June when I go back to Sabah. You see folks...taraps are found only in Borneo.

The Ibans treat diarrheoa by boiling the tarap tree roots. But only roots which extend across the paths used by villagers are effective!
Ash from the leaves are used to treat scorpions and centipedes bites. But if you add coconut oil to the ash, the paste is said to treat 'kudis' or 'kurap'. :)

Hanging a leaf on the door keeps evil spirits away and prevents female ghosts from entering the house to steal the occupant's testicles!! How about that?!

Also said to be to prevent pimples (good for vainpots like me! :)) and body heatiness. Said to be rich in Vit C.

Bloody useful tree and fruit eh? :D

I'm back!

I had barely recovered from my indulgent year-end break in Sabah before I was whisked away to Kuala Terengganu to cover the by-election.


Green was the chosen colour

It was my first by-election and I was terribly nervous. But my colleagues eased me in gently. :)


View of the hotel which our home for more than two weeks

The first few days were a struggle as I adjusted to the language, culture and life in the east coast. I admit to feeling stifled as I could barely understand the accent. Read about Sean and my experience here

Innocent faces

I had reservations about KT but it turned out to be a fantastic experience. The by-election itself was quiet but I experienced working in a bureau with limited resources. I also met odd characters who made my day with their outrageous dress sense and remarks :)


Trying my best to look busy

The people were great too. And oh how I miss the beach! The food was great too :)

I look forward to go back to KT soon :)

Since I had to give the Penang Bridge Marathon a miss this year due to my dodgy knee,  I pressed on with the journey to the north for a food marathon instead. :)




I enjoy good food and Penang is never short of it. It never fails to amaze me how the skies seem bluer once you're out of the bustling KL metropolis. I love my sun, sea and blue skies and I certainly had a good dose of it last weekend!


A traditional shophouse
The recognition from Unesco as a World Heritage Site has certainly boosted morale and more importantly, driven tourists numbers up.

Several locals whom I chatted to said there were more tourists (although not significantly) since Georgetown and Malacca were jointly named by Unesco.


Antique rickshaws lined outside Cheong Fatt Tze mansion

"Boleh lah... Ya lah. Kita pun bangga yang Georgetown dapat Unesco tu kan," Ali, a trishaw driver told me.

He said competition for passengers was stiff but in the same breath said how there were less trishaw drivers now.



"Industry ini pelan-pelan nak mampui...Ya lah, yang tarik beca semuanya biasanya yang tua kan. Dulu banyak, hampir seribu orang tapi kan mereka dah tokde lagi...," Ali said wistfully.

He and other trishaw drivers confirmed my fears that the younger generation were not interested to take after them.

"Saya tarik beca pun kerana kecik-kecik dulu tak nak sekolah baik-baik. Ya lah, budak-budak zaman sekarang mana nak tarik beca..nak susah-payah," said Ali who has been ferrying passengers around Georgetown for more than three decades.



Who would want to toil, come rain or shine, for only a measly pay, the wiry sixty-something man said.

I remember the Heritage Commissioner Prof Datuk Siti Zuraina Majid had months ago, said the government will do everything it can to preserve the intangible culture which gives Georgetown and Malacca its charms.


I love this old-skool door into the barber

What and how is being done? She couldn't tell me then.

Maybe she has the answers now.

PS: I hope you like the photos :)

I was repeatedly called a "donkey "and described as stubborn in the most loving way possible today.

I was bestowed this affectionate term after I refused to follow  my wonderful NST friends' advice to rest my dodgy left knee and continued running until yesterday.

I had fallen and injured my knee during a particularly intense game against Harian Metro at the recent futsal tournament.

The ball  had suddenly appeared in front of me and I had no choice but to kick it as hard as I could, fully aware that a) the team would kill me if I didn't try to score since I was only inches away from the goal and b) because my life depended on that bloody goal in that split second.

So, I kicked hard with my left leg (I'm right-handed) and landed quite spectacularly and ackwardly on the left knee.

Anyway, it has been dodgy since then. I rested it for about a week before running again.

But the pain and discomfort has just grown so I finally gave in and saw the doctor yesterday.

The reason I've been postponing the dreaded trip is because I know what he'll say.......

And I was right. No running or any hard-impact sport for the next four weeks....

Sadly, this means I won't be able to run in the Penang Bridge Marathon which is on this weekend.:(

I've been training so hard...........Oh well...

There is always next year :(

A few weeks ago, I discovered a stinking secret which made me angry and ashamed.

Malaysians, it seems, will happily dispose their rubbish in the worst manner possible.

I found out about a world-class conservation center which dumps all its rubbish into a hole in the ground which has served as an unofficial landfill for the past (get this!) 20 years!!


A shameful dirty secret

I did more digging and found out that another management of a well known tourist spot and birding haven has been gladly chucking rubbish by a hill slope..also for more than 20 years!!

How could this be?

It gets worse. When I spoke to my environmentalist friends, they tell me that the problem isn't new and that islands like Tioman, Perhentian and Redang have serious waste management issues too.

All this is on top of the seemingly small(er) problem of wanton littering.


Which idiots could have done this for more than two decades?!

The root of the problem is that we have a shoddy and confusing national waste management plan.

At present, waste management falls under the Housing and Local Government ministry. Waste management varies from each town as the respective local council intepret, translate and decide how best to dispose the people's rubbish.

What we need is a concrete plan on the federal level which will act as a guideline to the states. But the proposed Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 is itself problematic.

The controversial Act which was passed earlier this year and expected to be enforced by next month will see the privatisation of the council services to concessionaires.

The Pakatan Rakyat-led states have objected to this Act.

Tomorrow will be the Waste Management Conference and Exhibition 2008. I'm interested to see what comes out of this two-day pow-wow.

Don't forget to read the New Straits Times on Thursday to find out about the two places which is harbouring this reeking secret!

Great news!

The NST won a futsal tournament last weekend. We won in both the women and men's categories! Hurrah for us!


Pain is no obstacle for that winning shot :)

The women's team win was nothing short of a miracle considering half of us were futsal newbies and training (only two sessions, mind you) was held a few days before the competition.

For the first time, I, a) played in a team sport, b) didn't run away from a ball despite being a born kaki bangku!

I'm well proud of myself!


Those yoga sessions are paying off

I had such a blast as the game brought together colleagues from different desks, sections and bureaus together. We had players from the news and sports desk, from New Sunday Times, graphics and even the advertising department!

Oh, and Regina and Farah from Putrajaya and our star player Jasmine  from Johor took time out to join us. Fantastic.

The tournament was exhilarating although the team was reduced to a hobbling and moaning lot after the weekend! There were pulled and strain muscles, blisters and impressive bruises.


Queing for a much-need massage while waiting for the next game

I endured an hour-long sports massage two days after the games because as the masseur put it, "Muscle you strain lah, dik. Lagi kena align kaki dan tulang belakang you ni...:"

The boys didn't suffer as badly as us. Only minor hobbling observed.


Plotting our winning strategy

Our coach-cum-manager and senior journalist Ridzwan Abdullah is proud of us and he wants to keep the team going. We're going to start a regular training session soon, he says.

I'm just glad I won in a team sporting event (for the first time!) :)

Just let me bask in the winner's glory a little while longer....

Good luck to the competitors of the Sahara Race 2008 which will kick off this weekend.

If the Sahara is anything like the Gobi March 2008, I'm sure it'll be a roaring success.

This blog started when I was sent to cover the Gobi March 2008 earlier in June and since then, I've always had a soft spot for RacingThePlanet, the organiser of the 4Deserts ultra-marathon series.


Competitors getting ready at the starting line atGobi March 2008

About 160 competitors from 60 countries have signed up for the Sahara Race which starts on 26 October and ends on 1 November.

Some of the people I met at the Gobi will also be competing at Sahara. I wish them all the best!

I heard from Ryan Sandes, winner of the Gobi March 2008, a few days ago. This was what he sent:

" Hi! Sorry only replying now. I have been well thanks! Started taking it easy-resting for Sahara:) I have done quite a bit of training for Sahara, about 100-150km for the last 2 and a bit months. The weather has been quite cold in Cape Town lately so I hope I do not battle with the heat too much but hopefully I will be fine. I feel a bit more pressure on me this time but will be happy with a top 5 and anything above a top 3 wil be a bonus!
   I think the heat and sand dunes will be the major challenge in the Sahara race. Hope you are keeping well. Whats news are you going to be at the Sahara race?

Cheers,
 Ryan"

Ryan did amazingly in China when he won every single stage. His fellow South African Paul Liebenberg also performed spectacularly.
Paul hopes to be the first to finish all 4Deserts in one year.

Inspiring, eh?

Good luck everyone!

-e-

Keep track of the competitors or to  find out more about the 4Deserts series at