Divide and Devour

 Lazing here in the lounge of my own home , I am getting in touch with the one thing that I am most passionate about . Music .. It's amazing how I could drift to one place to another , from flashes of memories to a flood of emotions . 

Recently I find myself in love with this song in which I have been playing on repeat . My dogs probably have memorised this song too . 

This song particularly reminds me of this special someone that recently came into my life . I miss you so much right now and just hope that you would be able to find that bliss you yearn . I know it has not been long but I guess we all know when we meet that singular one .

You have made me wanna ride the rainbows and I love you loads xxx

You know who you are ....

This song goes out to everyone and nobody 

No warning sign , no alibi
We faded faster than the speed of light
Took our chance , crashed and burned
No , we'll never ever learn

I fell apart , but I got back up again,
And then I fell apart , but got back up again,
yeah

We both could see crystal clear,
That the inevitable end was near
Made our choice , a trial by fire,
To battle is the only way we feel alive

I fell apart , but got back up again,
And then I fell apart , but got back up again,
And then I fell apart , but got back up again
away oh
away oh
away oh

away oh
away oh

So here we are , the witching hour,
The quickest tongue to divide and devour
Divide and devour
If I could end the quest for fire 

For truth, for love, and my desire ,
My desire
And I fell apart, but got back up again
away oh , away oh , away oh , away oh , away oh
away oh , away oh , away oh , away oh

I fell apart , I fell apart , I fell apart
I fell apart. I fell apart
But got back up again

Yeah , you know it !

A preparation for the final journey

 So we meet again after months of isolation on the island ...

I am certainly not dead .. more alive than most :)

My ride leaving paradise

After having said goodbye to many wonderful individuals , it was finally my turn to bid farewell to the island . I am sure you guys remember me saying , fuck the 3 day friendship . Yeah , I still feel the same about the whole thing . The next time you wanna hang out with me , let's make it a good couple of weeks huh ? 

I am now back in the comfort of my rainforest kicking it with mother nature . Life is good but I must admit , I miss all those responsible in making the Ecoteer Perhentian Village project a fuckin' awesome one .

What a good run guys and as I promised , I will be documenting each and every moment we all shared together in the posts to come . I have got some inside photo's and quotes that is sure to bring a smile to all those involved :)

Back to the place I belong

 I will be heading back to the village in weeks to come and I am quite excited about seeing paradise while it is pouring - When the monsoon thunders come out to play !!

As for now , I am gonna be drinking beer , pumping up some hardstyle , eating shit loads of food and making up for the 14kg's that I have lost whilst at the village !

Bring out the goodness of hops :)

Farewell to the island

You add the caption

 It is weird ...

I look out of the window and I don't see the clear ocean no more 

Instead , I'm overwhelmed with the sight of buildings and the ever deafening vehicles 

I see people walking on the streets with an obsession to a fast paced society 

I wonder what is going through their heads right now 

They don't look at ease but they sure are walking it 

I miss the hills that stood high on the island

The mist that subsides at dawn 

And the bats that used to fly narrowly missing my face

The locals who walked by greeting me 

As I sat there smoking on my bright blue porch

One season passed and many friends made

Memories that one would cherish

But could never chase

Grab your snorkels to the tide that we embrace

I now sit humbly on the corner of my bed

Fuck me , the world is getting smaller

But time seems to be pacing 

Dare to dream and dare to live

Are you in a rush to get somewhere

Why do we even bother 

It's been a good run of faith and dedication

Snap back in the real world 

Kickin' it like a rock and rolla

Dreams are made for a reason

And the reason is nothing but a bare self confession

Still all about the paradise

Was really hoping to blog alot more but I must admit , things got quite busy out here and I have had an amazing time throughout . Life is still all about the island , it's been a while since I saw a car and I move around in boats everyday . It is a big change in scene but most definitely , a very pretty sight daily

Heading home in my RIDE

To summarise a few , couple of weeks ago , we had a wonderful oppurtunity of working with the students from Alice Smith International School from Kuala Lumpur . We had a bunch of 10 who were out here doing their part with conservation and community development as well as completing their respective dive courses .

Winning the hearts and minds

It all started off with a presentation and briefing at Tuna Bay Resort which went awesome as we had the attention of almost the entire resort at dinner time . The message was quite clear and people did get pretty shocked with some of the statistics we laid out in front of them regarding the decline of turtles in Malaysia and around the world

The walk of fame

While the students were at it , we did a massive beach clean up at one of the most visited beaches on the island . The beach is called KK Beach in Perhentian Besar and many corporate companies use this beach for teambuilding and weekend events

Getting right to heart of it all

One thing they fail to hold up to is the fact that this beach is fuckin' dirty thanks to litters from the hundreds who turn up every week . How disappointing ..
It was however brilliant to see the campers watch us pick up their litter . They must have felt a little bit of guilt right there . Epic !

The gorgeous sunset with the Ecoteer team

It's amazing how people throw away something in our beautiful beaches and expect it to disappear magically , wake up and smell the shit people !

The TEAM

The final part of the event with Alice Smith ended with a bang when they donated funds that was then channeled towards making up a classroom into a marine theme .



The boys cleaning off the walls

This was a great day out for the students , the volunteers as well as the local kids as we worked together in making this a success . Part of the funds will also go towards our Turtle Needs Trees Club held at the school every Friday as well as improving the village in many ways . 

The artists at work watched on by curious kids

It did take alot of work to make this an awesome event but the end result was great . Nothing could beat the smile the kids displayed as they walked in the next morning . 

The class started taking a turn

It's amazing how we have so much interest from great people from abroad . It however does make me think of the level of contribution we as locals sometime pump back into the system . We can't blame politics for every shit that happens in our life and perhaps we can start pointing a finger back at ourselves this once and ask yourself when was the last time we thought of others ? More can be done for the little communities that surround us here in Malaysia , what we need is a layout .. a follow through and implementation .
However , please be warned of fuckin' big corporations that claim to be charity based . They use more than half of the charity to pay off their staff wages . If you wanna get something done , get some people together and DO IT YOURSELF !

A very happy group . Well done !

We may be behind some western countries but there is no point floating around in the present as we are indeed a growing community . Make a difference by being the first to lead the rest . You don't need to be a follower for life . Start off by lending a helping hand to another that needs it . We will achieve unity by hook or fuckin' crook :)

 

Life on the islands

An eye opener , simplicity and amazing sincerity . These are the 3 main things I have come in terms with since my arrival here at the village . I have been able to mingle with the locals pretty much the way I'd like to and they are beginning to open up to me 

A photo taken during my evening dip

I am starting to adopt myself to the relaxed and mellow way of life . Although slightly difficult in the beginning as you start getting restless at times , you will gradually get used to being one with nature and living at ease thus being happy with what you have

I have done a bit of work with my new house , organising the things as well as repairing leaks and holes around the place . It is really starting to look good , I reckon in times to come , this house is gonna stand out !

BEFORE

My workspace AFTER

To those who are in a daze about what I am going on about . I am working with an International Conservation company called Ecoteer . I am currently positioned on an island in the middle of the South China Sea , approximately 60 km's from the South of Thailand . My mission is to mingle with the local villagers ( 1000 inhabitants ) , working closely with the kids of the village spreading messages of conservation as well as finding ways in improving the living standards and the local economy for the people .

Well , that just sounded so formal but life in the end of the day is all about doing what you love and enjoy what you are doing . The last week has been pretty awesome , I could boldly say that I know most of the people here and the sense of satisfaction I get from this internship is nothing but amazing .
Ecoteer , founded in Plymouth , UK and making a difference in the deep corners of our country . When are we gonna grow up and learn to take control of our actions ? It is indeed time to watch , observe , learn and imitate .

This reminds me of a song .. The chorus of Knife Party at the Niko when Chino sings :
I can float here forever ...

Regards x

Pack and Paddle

Months of the normal city life later , I decided to pack my bags and head out in search of a new scene . I have left in order to seek something more in life , I must admit I got sick of the fuckin' routine that we all obey and commit to . Someplace where you can make a difference and share whatever it is that you are good at .



The view from the classroom . Seriously !

It was rather hard saying goodbye to my family as it is not a norm for us to find time to be together very so often . Saying goodbye to my friends was a little easier as I know they may just well pack up and hunt me down !

As we fled through the purity of mother nature

My journey took 9 hours by bus .. I was not anticipating this as I hate being in one small confined space for too long . Plus , you gotta be really vary about not wanting to pee too much or running them loose as I learnt the hard way - never drink beer before a bus journey as the passengers won't be too amused when you make the driver stop for you too many times . Burp !

My new home far away from the world

I arrived at my destination quite early and I had decided in advance that I was gonna hitch hike my way to the next place . To my delight , the bus I needed to catch was just on the other side of the road . It was a pretty smooth journey I must say .. there was this girl who sat next to me , offered to share her peanuts with me and played lovey dovey Malay tunes on her mobile almost throughout the entire journey . It was amusing cause it really made me smile :)


Dan doing some measurements

 Got to the island after an hour boat ride and met up with my mate Daniel Quilter ( founder of Ecoteer ) who then proceded to show me around the fishing village and my new found home . It was a completely different world altogether .. people seemed much more relaxed and they were smiling almost everywhere we went . The surroundings are beautiful .. a much needed fix for someone like me . The water is sooo clear and you could literally see the fishes feeding right next to the jetty .

There is also an awesome hill standing right behind my house screaming come on Pavin .. Yeah , made plans to summit the hill this coming weekend with Mike , a researcher from Portsmouth , UK with whom I will be living with for the next months to come . It is all falling in place .. The house we currently stay in , is more than a luxury to me . It has everything a house will need and I have already mind mapped a list of things I wanna do to make this place even more of a haven ..

This one was taken to TEASE you

 Went for a dip at a secluded spot yesterday and had one of the best swims ever . Nothing beats jumping in crystal clear waters after a long long journey . Floating like a feather amongst the green hills and the blue blue sea . At that moment - I could not think about nothing but Amirthan , Shanty and my bru Robo being there with me , you guys would have fuckin' DIED in awe !



Let the snap speak for itself

Our humble home is situated quite strategically so we get quite alot of kids coming around and playing board games or just swinging on the hammock in our home . It feels awesome how well behaved and respectful these kids are .. Made a short visit to the local school and to sum it all up , it was all just awesome . There is so much we can give to the community out here and I think we have got the right people for the job . Let's get in action guys .. let's fuckin' do this !


Mike learning the local card game

There is a list of things that need doing this week with the local school , the house and also got some wikid activities planned for the kids . Will keep you guys posted . Laters x

Shark Finning

I know it is despicable , but I have an confession to make ..

Chinese Cuisine - Shark Fin Soup

 Just like millions of other Malaysians and Earth Siblings around the world , I was ignorant enough to make the Shark Fin Soup part of our lifestyle when I was younger . Being abroad and having being exposed to some wonderful information and people - my awareness soon took over my emotions and I have been clean and have reviled this dish for the last 6-7 years .

It still bothers me to the fact that Shark Fin Soup is still widely being served in renowned restaurants and hotels , why must we act ? If that is the question that’s running through ya’ head , that’s the reason why I am writing this post .

What it MEANS !

Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins and the discarding of the rest of the fish . Shark finning takes place at sea so the fishermen only have to transport the fins 

Please click on the link below ( Graphic Content )




Here are some vital information you need to know about sharks
These are nothing but FACTS !

Fins on display

•  Sharks kill fewer than 5 humans a year while humans kill 73 million sharks annually ( That's 11,400 sharks per hour )
• You are more likely to be killed by a bee sting , lightning strike or a falling coconut compared to being attacked by a shark
• Shark finning means catching the shark , slicing off it's fins and dumping the live shark back into the ocean . Fuckin' inhumane !
• Shark fins are actually tasteless and contains high levels of toxic methyl-mercury 

The bloodshed

 What we all fail to realise is the fact that the ocean plays THE biggest contribution towards our ecosystem whereby the containing life that absorbs most of the carbon dioxide and converting them into the 70% oxygen that we breathe 

Like an angel without wings

 Destroying the shark population will only contribute to a further devastation of our ( already in the proccess of getting fucked mother nature )  

Sometimes it is rather disgraceful how selfish we get in order to get pleasures in our lifes . The important thing about it all for me simply gets laid down to what you are gonna do rather than what the fuck you have done in the past ! If you wanna make a difference , the time is now and the word has to be spread !

A total shameful act

I am proud to announce that I came across a wonderful group in Malaysia that has started their campaign against these mass killings of sharks . Let our voice be heard in a very forceful way , may there be awareness in this 21st century .

An event - Save our Sharks from a Bowl of Soup campaign is being held at the Malaysia International Dive Expo at PWTC early July 2011 !

The information

You can click the link below to check out their youtube promotional video !



This post was dedicated to two of my wonderful friends who make such an awesome effort with conservation and awareness in Malaysia - Paul Henry and Azimi Azmin

So guys , to end the note - the next time you are served this devilish dish
THINK AGAIN
AND SAY NO TO THIS SELFISH ACT

Thanks for your time !