So yeah, I always procrastinated with writing assignments. But I was good on the plane to Australia for Christmas and got all of my photos so far together and captioned where applicable. That and consumed as many free Tigers as possible so please excuse any spelling errors.
That said, please follow the following links to the albums I've put up documenting the last few months.
Sri Lanka / Melaka (scroll down for the newer ones)
Cambodia
Taman Negara
Bangkok
Pulau Pangkor
Bukit Frasier
Bali
Oh, one piece of advice to toss out there. If you're ever walking through the streets of Bali (say around 4am after bungee jumping 45m in the back of a bar) and a 6' trannie pulls up next to you on his/her motor bike, marches up to you, grabs your crotch (MANhandles really) and asks you if you want a good time...check your pockets cause she's really just trying to pick them. That said, she didn't get any from me, in any definition of the word.
Happy New Year!
Photos of Christmas/New Years in Aus should be forthcoming once I pick through the 1200 of them.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Monday, August 23, 2010
More Photos
Added some more photographs to facebook. A little glitch on my end, they're (happy JK?) in the same album. Note, I've been throwing captions on most of them which will make the most sense if you read them through chronologically.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Two Week Update - Plus Photographs
The first batch of photographs has officially been uploaded to facebook. If you would like to view them simply follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2043743&id=21601772&l=5d35d92b4d
Kindly read below for a quick update on my status.
Accommodations: moved into my apartment over the weekend. It's in the Marc Residence about a block and a half from KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Center - Petronas Towers). It's not huge but pretty nice. The footplan is a rectangle cut in half lengthwise. On one half you walk through the door into the kitchen, then small eating area, then living room. On the other half, to the left of the first, you have laundry room, bathroom, and then the bedroom. There is a sliding partition between the living room and bedroom. Past the living room and bedreem is a small balcony that runs the width of the apartment, 18th floor. I'll post some photos of that anon. Signed a six month lease for this place so it looks like I'll be in Malaysia at least that long.
Work: going pretty well. As I've told those I've spoken to recently, I'm at the bottom of a few different learning curves here. One is that I've never looked twice at an Air Cooled Heat Exchanger. Two is that I've never been involved with a project in this respect: material procurement, project scheduling, etc. Three, never used the ERP software (Lotus Notes) that Jord uses for everything so I need to learn how it works on top of how they have it set up. Four, language barrier. Definitely tough to do business when neither party understands the other.
Wow, I started that last paragraph saying that work was going well and then went on to complain for a couple few lines. Work is going well, I'm definitely learning a lot and am climbing my way up those learning curves. I have a couple small projects I'm in charge of on the Malaysian end that will keep me busy for the next few months. My opinion that Jord is a good fit for me has only been bolstered since I started working for them.
Play: Worst hangover ever last Friday. Granted I had some wine followed by mojitos followed by beer, but the cause and effect didn't quite add up. I think if you throw in some residual jet lag and maybe some weird other side of the world bugs the equation might equal out. That aside...Thursday night was quite the good time.I haven't really done much touristy stuff since I've been here, which isn't a bad thing. On one hand I haven't had an excess or free time with work and moving into the apartment. On the other I generally hang out with all of the people that have been living here for awhile so a lot of the tourist attractions aren't really on the list of things to do. One thing that I really want to do is to go up in either the Petronas Towers or the KL Tower to get a good view of the city. I'm starting to get a feel for my way around KL, thanks to (Bob and Mary Lu for the map that I cross check once in awhile.)
I've been looking at classes for getting my dive certification, I think Brad is going to do it with me. In a couple weeks we'll have a Friday and Tuesday off for Malaysian holidays. We're planning on taking that Monday as well and probably get a group together to go someplace tropical w/ beaches and a dive school.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2043743&id=21601772&l=5d35d92b4d
Kindly read below for a quick update on my status.
Accommodations: moved into my apartment over the weekend. It's in the Marc Residence about a block and a half from KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Center - Petronas Towers). It's not huge but pretty nice. The footplan is a rectangle cut in half lengthwise. On one half you walk through the door into the kitchen, then small eating area, then living room. On the other half, to the left of the first, you have laundry room, bathroom, and then the bedroom. There is a sliding partition between the living room and bedroom. Past the living room and bedreem is a small balcony that runs the width of the apartment, 18th floor. I'll post some photos of that anon. Signed a six month lease for this place so it looks like I'll be in Malaysia at least that long.
Work: going pretty well. As I've told those I've spoken to recently, I'm at the bottom of a few different learning curves here. One is that I've never looked twice at an Air Cooled Heat Exchanger. Two is that I've never been involved with a project in this respect: material procurement, project scheduling, etc. Three, never used the ERP software (Lotus Notes) that Jord uses for everything so I need to learn how it works on top of how they have it set up. Four, language barrier. Definitely tough to do business when neither party understands the other.
Wow, I started that last paragraph saying that work was going well and then went on to complain for a couple few lines. Work is going well, I'm definitely learning a lot and am climbing my way up those learning curves. I have a couple small projects I'm in charge of on the Malaysian end that will keep me busy for the next few months. My opinion that Jord is a good fit for me has only been bolstered since I started working for them.
Play: Worst hangover ever last Friday. Granted I had some wine followed by mojitos followed by beer, but the cause and effect didn't quite add up. I think if you throw in some residual jet lag and maybe some weird other side of the world bugs the equation might equal out. That aside...Thursday night was quite the good time.I haven't really done much touristy stuff since I've been here, which isn't a bad thing. On one hand I haven't had an excess or free time with work and moving into the apartment. On the other I generally hang out with all of the people that have been living here for awhile so a lot of the tourist attractions aren't really on the list of things to do. One thing that I really want to do is to go up in either the Petronas Towers or the KL Tower to get a good view of the city. I'm starting to get a feel for my way around KL, thanks to (Bob and Mary Lu for the map that I cross check once in awhile.)
I've been looking at classes for getting my dive certification, I think Brad is going to do it with me. In a couple weeks we'll have a Friday and Tuesday off for Malaysian holidays. We're planning on taking that Monday as well and probably get a group together to go someplace tropical w/ beaches and a dive school.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Toad's Turnpike my Arse
I've been sitting shotgun for a week now on the 50 minute drive to and from work. Brad and I decided that this afternoon I would drive home from work. I had known this was coming, I did purchase my International Drivers Permit back in the states. The past week I had kept half a brain out while Brad was driving trying to get my mind ready to get behind that wheel.
Please keep in mind that not only does driving in Malaysia include the steering wheel and the vehicle on the opposite side, but also a multitude of Asians zipping between cars on motorbikes. If you consider the lane a cars territory, the line in between is the territory of the motorbike. This line must be respected.
Prior to plopping down into the drivers seat I had decided that this would be like playing Toad's Turnpike on Mario Kart, just set on mirror mode (my apologies to the few of you reading this who don't know what that is, ask your children, or their children.) You see mirror mode is weird and confusing, but if you slow it down a bit you'll get to the end of the race without killing yourself. Sure, traffic is going the wrong way but you'll get used to it.
I was wrong.
Ok, I guess I was half wrong. It is definitely like mirror mode, the turns should be going the other way and so should traffic. The part that I failed to consider is that you would also need to cut that controller in half and put the directional pad on the right side and the buttons on the left. I can't tell you how many times I flicked the blinker with my left hand and for some ungodly reason the wipers went off. Or how I grabbed the door handle when I had intended to put the transmission in reverse. I don't know what I would have done if it was raining...
Anywho, we made it back safe and sound. I think that was partially due to the fact the 97% of that drive is on divided roads. Meaning I didn't have the option to slide into the right lane. Someday I might even try this on a manual transmission.
Please keep in mind that not only does driving in Malaysia include the steering wheel and the vehicle on the opposite side, but also a multitude of Asians zipping between cars on motorbikes. If you consider the lane a cars territory, the line in between is the territory of the motorbike. This line must be respected.
Prior to plopping down into the drivers seat I had decided that this would be like playing Toad's Turnpike on Mario Kart, just set on mirror mode (my apologies to the few of you reading this who don't know what that is, ask your children, or their children.) You see mirror mode is weird and confusing, but if you slow it down a bit you'll get to the end of the race without killing yourself. Sure, traffic is going the wrong way but you'll get used to it.
I was wrong.
Ok, I guess I was half wrong. It is definitely like mirror mode, the turns should be going the other way and so should traffic. The part that I failed to consider is that you would also need to cut that controller in half and put the directional pad on the right side and the buttons on the left. I can't tell you how many times I flicked the blinker with my left hand and for some ungodly reason the wipers went off. Or how I grabbed the door handle when I had intended to put the transmission in reverse. I don't know what I would have done if it was raining...
Anywho, we made it back safe and sound. I think that was partially due to the fact the 97% of that drive is on divided roads. Meaning I didn't have the option to slide into the right lane. Someday I might even try this on a manual transmission.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Abyss of Mediocrity
But nay, nay! Do not allow thineself to plunge into the depths of the Abyss of Mediocrity!
~T. Dowd (kind of)
For the profound respect I have for my good buddy Kadian I decided to start this blog out with a quote. The above was oft mentioned by an old Hilton High chemistry teacher to us industrious scholars. It kept popping into my head in the past few weeks after I accepted the job with Jord so I thought it might be a fun little way to title the blog. And imagine my luck, the name wasn't taken! So welcome to the blog and I hope you enjoy my writings as I make my attempt to keep out of the Abyss.
Malaysian Ringgit = 0.3178 USD (rough calculation is to divide by three, estimates it on the high side)
So Malaysia...pretty cool so far. Lots of excellent food, which is going to make it pretty difficult for me to keep my token trim figure. In my first few days here I've had Malay, Thai, Chinese, Irish, Italian, Halal, Indian and even some American. Everything has been tasty and prices are cheap. A normal meal at a local place is about 10 Ringgit. These restaurants are generally open faced with lots of ceiling fans and an eclectic mix of beat up old tables and chairs. The nicer restaurants are often open faced, usually with air conditioning. These are pretty clean, similar to a nice casual restaurant in the states. Meals here are 30-50 Ringgit.
Booze and other white folk things (cigars, bottled water) tend to be more expensive. Beer and liquor here are a good deal more expensive than in the states, but everything else is cheaper so I tend to not worry about it too much.
Brad Moody is my boss at Jord while I'm in Malaysia, he's been here for about 18 months (from Australia originally) and lives with his girlfriend Rhi. Both Brad and Rhi are cool people, they've introduced me to their group of friends here and we've gotten together outside of work just about everyday. I'm benefiting greatly from all of their experience including where to eat and what to avoid (like utility caps on sidewalks, they tend to break or shift and allow your foot to plunge into a pool of muck.) Hopefully Jord will put up a little extra cash to put me in the same building as Brad and Rhi. Brad and I drive the 50 minutes to work together in the morning so it would make sense. Their building is quite nice, couple infinity pools on the roof and a tennis court where I whooped Brad last night.
50 minute commute, yes it sucks. But it did cut my old commute by more than half. Brad will be working longer days than I will probably need to for awhile, but that gives me a chance to catch up with the western hemispherians electronically at the beginning and end of the day. I'm also contemplating getting PADI dive certified which I could possibly do the first part of online. The office area is attached to the workshop where they build the ACHE (air cooled heat exchangers). The first floor of the office is being renovated now so everyone is packed into the second, it's a bit tight. In a month or so it should be pretty comfortable.
Ok...enough of a start so far. Hope all is well with everyone! I think it will be easier to use facebook for photos. When I put them up there I'll attach a link in the blog too.
~T. Dowd (kind of)
For the profound respect I have for my good buddy Kadian I decided to start this blog out with a quote. The above was oft mentioned by an old Hilton High chemistry teacher to us industrious scholars. It kept popping into my head in the past few weeks after I accepted the job with Jord so I thought it might be a fun little way to title the blog. And imagine my luck, the name wasn't taken! So welcome to the blog and I hope you enjoy my writings as I make my attempt to keep out of the Abyss.
Malaysian Ringgit = 0.3178 USD (rough calculation is to divide by three, estimates it on the high side)
So Malaysia...pretty cool so far. Lots of excellent food, which is going to make it pretty difficult for me to keep my token trim figure. In my first few days here I've had Malay, Thai, Chinese, Irish, Italian, Halal, Indian and even some American. Everything has been tasty and prices are cheap. A normal meal at a local place is about 10 Ringgit. These restaurants are generally open faced with lots of ceiling fans and an eclectic mix of beat up old tables and chairs. The nicer restaurants are often open faced, usually with air conditioning. These are pretty clean, similar to a nice casual restaurant in the states. Meals here are 30-50 Ringgit.
Booze and other white folk things (cigars, bottled water) tend to be more expensive. Beer and liquor here are a good deal more expensive than in the states, but everything else is cheaper so I tend to not worry about it too much.
Brad Moody is my boss at Jord while I'm in Malaysia, he's been here for about 18 months (from Australia originally) and lives with his girlfriend Rhi. Both Brad and Rhi are cool people, they've introduced me to their group of friends here and we've gotten together outside of work just about everyday. I'm benefiting greatly from all of their experience including where to eat and what to avoid (like utility caps on sidewalks, they tend to break or shift and allow your foot to plunge into a pool of muck.) Hopefully Jord will put up a little extra cash to put me in the same building as Brad and Rhi. Brad and I drive the 50 minutes to work together in the morning so it would make sense. Their building is quite nice, couple infinity pools on the roof and a tennis court where I whooped Brad last night.
50 minute commute, yes it sucks. But it did cut my old commute by more than half. Brad will be working longer days than I will probably need to for awhile, but that gives me a chance to catch up with the western hemispherians electronically at the beginning and end of the day. I'm also contemplating getting PADI dive certified which I could possibly do the first part of online. The office area is attached to the workshop where they build the ACHE (air cooled heat exchangers). The first floor of the office is being renovated now so everyone is packed into the second, it's a bit tight. In a month or so it should be pretty comfortable.
Ok...enough of a start so far. Hope all is well with everyone! I think it will be easier to use facebook for photos. When I put them up there I'll attach a link in the blog too.
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