Malacca Trip

Journal on the memorable Malacca Trip

On 29th & 30th of October, I went to Malacca with the other students who are P6 in my School.
On the first day(29th),we are required to arrive to school by 6.30 a.m.I was tired but excited as it was my first time going overseas without my parents.
First, we took some time to pass through the Tuas and the 2nd Link for immigration and custom clearance.We also stop for a while at Yong Peng for coffee break before continuing our journey to a Chinese school in Malaysia.
When we are at the Malaysian Chinese school ,we are being briefed about the school's background and mission after watching a Welcome Performance from the school's students.After that, we are ought to share and give the storybooks to a student.We also play games with the local students.
After our lunch ,we are being guided to the City Tour Orientation where we visit some places of interests in Malacca.At the evening,we ate our dinner at local restuarant where they serve Peranakan dinner there.About 8 o'clock in the evening ,we check in to the Renaissance Hotel and spent our night there.

The next day, becuase of the cold of the air-condition, I woke up at about 4.3o in the morning but I accidentally woke my roommates up.That's why we went down early for breakfast.After breakfast ,we board the bus to Kampong Indah where we make our own Batik painting ,Ketupat casings, play spinning tops and Silat.
After having our lunch,we headed back to Singapore which took us about 4 hours of Bus ride.But after passing the Tuas ,the bus driver didn't know the way back to our school that we reached the school about 7.30 p.m.

I hope that I can have our of such activities in future.

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Michael Jackson's death stuns world, spotlight on role of drugs

LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's cause of death will not be confirmed for several weeks, officials said Friday, as attention turned to the possible involvement of drugs in the tragic King of Pop's demise. As a global outpouring of tributes to the tortured icon showed no sign of abating, Los Angeles coroners began the task of trying to determine what caused the 50-year-old star to collapse and die at his home on Thursday. After an autopsy lasting several hours, Los Angeles County coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey told reporters that examiners had found no evidence of "external trauma or foul play" on Jackson's body. However Harvey said a cause of death had been deferred until the results of exhaustive toxicology tests were known. "Those tests, we anticipate, will take proximately four to six additional weeks to complete. At that time, once those test results have been completed, we anticipate being able to close the case and issue a final cause of death," said Harvey.
Jackson's autopsy took place Friday amid heartfelt tributes to the singer, and as speculation mounted about the cause of death for the 50-year-old who sold more than 750 million records and whose music defined the 1980s. Jackson lawyer Brian Oxman said he and family members voiced concerns over the star's use of drugs as he prepared for a gruelling series of comeback concerts in London designed to relaunch his career. "I know Michael was rehearsing and working extremely hard to get in shape in order to perform in London," Oxman told ABC television's Good Morning America. New age guru and Jackson confidante Deepak Chopra -- a qualified cardiologist -- told CNN bluntly: "I think drugs killed him." Jackson's former producer Tarak Ben Ammar denounced the doctors around the late pop icon as "criminals." "It's clear that the criminals in this affair are the doctors who treated him throughout his career, who destroyed his face, who gave him medicine to ease his pain," he told France's Europe 1 radio. Celebrity website TMZ.com -- which broke the news of Jackson's death -- reported Friday that the star had been injected with the powerful painkiller Demerol about an hour before he lost consciousness. A Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said investigators spoke with the doctor briefly Thursday, but they wanted to speak with him again.
A tape-recording of the 911 call from Jackson's home was released Friday in which a caller could be heard telling an operator that repeated attempts to revive Jackson had been unsuccessful. The caller also said Jackson's personal physician had been the only witness to the singer's collapse. "(The doctor) is pumping the chest but he's not responding to anything, sir, please," the caller is heard saying. Jackson's family, including the star's three young children, were reportedly huddled at an estate in the northern Los Angeles suburb of Encino. Meanwhile there were tributes from Jackson's close friend Elizabeth Taylor and a spokesman for US President Barack Obama. "My heart... my mind... are broken," Taylor said in a statement. "I loved Michael with all my soul and I can't imagine life without him... I still can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. It can't be so." White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Friday the US leader regarded Jackson as an icon but thought aspects of his life were sad and tragic. "The president... said that he had aspects of his life that were sad and tragic, his condolences went out to the Jackson family and fans that mourned his loss," Gibbs said. Fans staged gatherings across the world. At Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, fans left flowers and lit candles. While Jackson ruled the charts and dazzled audiences with dance moves like the "moonwalk" in the 1980s, his once-stellar career was overshadowed by his startling physical transformation and multiple allegations of child abuse. He lived as a virtual recluse following his 2005 acquittal on charges of child molestation and plotting to kidnap his young accuser. Despite the acquittal, the trial was a body blow from which the pop music superstar, who named his ranch after Peter Pan's "Neverland" and furnished it with Disney-inspired rides, struggled to recover. Born on August 29, 1958, Jackson made his show business debut with four of his elder brothers in the Jackson Five pop group, and went on to lead the stage clan with a piping soprano and dazzling dance moves. In 1979, Quincy Jones produced Jackson's first solo album for Epic Records, "Off the Wall," a huge disco-oriented success that sold 10 million copies. They teamed up again in 1982 for "Thriller," which became the top-selling album of all time, with sales exceeding 41 million.

From channelnewsasia.com

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Malaysian firm recycles used cartridges, bottles to make benches

KUALA LUMPUR: With the widespread use of computers and other machines, office trash has emerged as a growing environmental problem. One Malaysian company has tapped into the durable nature of plastic to turn used toner cartridges and bottles into something much more environmentally friendly. Benches that are made entirely from recycled toner cartridges and bottles are a common sight at many monorail stations, parks and schools in downtown Kuala Lumpur. The company behind the initiative said it costs nearly US$300 to produce one bench, but the money is well spent.

Lim Eng Weng, managing director, Ricoh Malaysia, said: "We actually pay a dollar per cartridge to our technical team to collect (these used cartridges) from customers. "We've been able to do up to 60 per cent – the other 40 per cent still get thrown away. With more awareness on recycling, some people actually do it out of their own initiative and find it a joy to recycle plastic." Ricoh sells over 1,000 copiers a year in Malaysia. On average, at least 3,000 toner cartridges are thrown away each month. As only half of these cartridges get recycled, the company hopes to raise this number to 85 per cent. The company's green message has gone down well with Malaysians. One said: "I always think that recycling is a good idea because you don't waste too much." "It's a good idea to make our world greener than before," another added.

Malaysia is has started to be an example to help to recycle and make the world greener.WE should also try to follow Malaysian to help our EARTH!

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Singapore confirms 50 new H1N1 cases

Flu Outbreak
SINGAPORE : Singapore has confirmed 50 new cases of Influenza A (H1N1) infections. This includes a new cluster of three cases at Pulau Tekong Camp, all of whom are full-time national servicemen. Five more new cases came from nightspot Butter Factory, while Republic Polytechnic reported eight new cases. Maju Camp also reported four new H1N1 cases. The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 365. In addition to the 50 new cases, 48 other cases were pending investigation on Thursday. Of these 98 cases, 45 have been investigated. They comprise 32 local cases and 13 imported cases. The remaining 53 cases are still being investigated.

From channelnewsasia.com

I think that more and more people in Singapore and other countries,I hope that H1N1 flu will stop so that schools can open again no one will get sick easily anymore.

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Traffic delays expected during AYG Torch Relay

SINGAPORE: The torch relay to mark the opening of the inaugural Asian Youth Games (AYG) 2009 will be held on Sunday and Monday, showcasing more than 180 torch-bearers and over 70,000 participants from 45 countries. Highlighting the theme of the games, "Igniting Sporting Passion in Asia's Youth", the AYG torch will travel to the five Community Development Councils here.

The torch will also make its way to shopping malls including Tanglin Mall, Ngee Ann City, Centrepoint, Raffles City, Suntec City and Marina Centre.

The following roads will be affected by the AYG Torch Relay between 2pm and 5pm on Sunday: Tanglin Road, Orchard Road, Bras Basah Road, Raffles Boulevard, Temasek Boulevard and Raffles Avenue. Motorists and members of the public are advised to use alternative routes.

From channelmewsasia.com

I hope that the AYG torch will not have any requirements for stoping the AYG.

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Valuable lessons from AYG for Youth Olympic Games

SINGAPORE : Singapore's hosting of the Asian Youth Games (AYG) has provided invaluable lessons for next year's Youth Olympic Games (YOG). One lesson is planning for contingencies. Apart from preparing for the AYG in just one year, the games' organisers also had to worry about the H1N1 outbreak and putting in place safety precaution measures. Five youth footballers had come down with H1N1 and their team mates had to be quarantined.

Another challenge was the poor ticket sales as the athletes are relatively unknown to Singaporeans. But organisers are confident that once the competition begins, sales would pick up, especially for events that local athletes are likely to perform well in. Another important learning point for the Youth Olympic Games is to be prepared for the worse. Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Teo Ser Luck, said: "For YOG crisis management, (it) could mean a very big scale one because there are 200 over countries and anything can (happen). "It's not just about disease, H1N1 or virus. It could be anything else, in terms of social issues, (either local or imported). There are other issues, such as diplomatic issues and all that." From channelmewsasia.com

I hope that the AYG and the YOG will carry out successfully despite the Flu Outbreak.I will also give support to Singapore,and hope that Singapore will win!

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Australia set to raise H1N1 flu alert level

SYDNEY: Australia said Sunday it was set to raise its H1N1 flu alert level as the number of victims hit by the pandemic continued to mount while Thailand urged calm after a sharp increase in cases. Australian Health Minister Nicola Roxon said that, with the national tally nearing 1,500 cases, the whole country would soon move to the "sustain" phase in line with hotspot state Victoria. The "sustain" phase, Australia's second-highest, gives authorities the power to cancel sports events, close schools and restrict travel, although officials say extreme measures such as closing national borders are unlikely.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) raised its global alert to a maximum six on Thursday, saying H1N1 flu had reached pandemic status because of its geographical spread. H1N1 flu has so far infected almost 30,000 people in 74 countries and claimed 145 lives since it was first detected in Mexico in April, according to the latest WHO figures released Friday. A total of 1,458 cases of the A(H1N1) virus have been counted in Australia, the worst-hit Asia-Pacific country, with the fifth highest number of cases worldwide. "As the numbers gradually increase in jurisdictions there will be steps over the coming days to move to a consistent alert level," Roxon said. "It's inevitable that the disease will spread. That's the nature of this type of flu," she added.

Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva urged the country not to panic after H1N1 flu cases suddenly soared and a cluster emerged in a key tourist hub. Health authorities reported 106 confirmed cases of the virus late Saturday -- nearly seven times the tally just three days earlier. Officials last week said 21 of the new infections were found among nightclub workers in the coastal city of Pattaya, who were tested after two Taiwanese tourists said on returning home they had contracted the disease there. "People should not panic. The death ratio for the new flu is probably lower than normal flu," Abhisit said in his weekly television programme. He said the government was taking extra measures whenever cases were reported to stop the spread of the disease. Health authorities in Canada announced Saturday that a fifth person had died of H1N1 flu and reported 540 additional cases, bringing the country's total since the start of the outbreak to more than 3,500. But while millions could catch the flu, governments and health experts around the world have sought to play down fears that the A(H1N1) virus could become a major killer.

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on Friday stole a march on competitors by announcing it had completed a first batch of its vaccine for pre-clinical trials. A spokesman told AFP it hoped to have a vaccine in production by September or October. Novartis said it hopes to start trials on patients in July and to gain a licence soon after. It said more than 30 governments had already asked for A(H1N1) virus "vaccine ingredients".

The US government gave Novartis 289 million dollars (205 million euros) to help develop a vaccine. It also placed an order with Sanofi-Pasteur of France which said it hopes to have doses ready for clinical trials in coming weeks. British-controlled GlaxoSmithKline said it could produce a vaccine in four to six months and that it was ready to convert a donation of 50 million doses of vaccine against H5N1 bird flu for the WHO to H1N1 flu doses.

The southern hemisphere is currently heading into winter and the height of its flu season. Northern hemisphere countries expect to see a H1N1 flu surge when their winter starts later.