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We’ve come to the end of the year again, and anticipating to enter the new year of 2009. So, what’s you accomplishment this year? what have you archived and what’s not? For me, I have archived half of the the new year resolution & another half, still continue struggling to achieve it. Let’s list down my accomplishment for 2008:
(Refer to my New Year Resolution (31/12/2007) post)
List of things I hope that I can achieve in 2008:
1. To be a braver person
2. Discover my potential; job-wise, talent-wise etc
3. Trying to be extrovert ( OK, now i sound desperate.lol)
4. Try to have more fun with friends
5. Save! save & save!
Comment:
1. Yep, I am a braver person than before now. I can drive all the way to the north & south by myself. I can try to fit in the the group of people I never thought would be as fun as dull as they look. ha,ha.
2. I am still discovering my potential etc. But the question now.. which road I want to take..?
3. Erk. I’m extrovert now than before I started working. So, fine 
I’m happy with it. woooohooo.
4. Indeed! I had a blast in a large group outing as well as spending time with a couple of close friends. yep.
5. Erk… not yet achieve this as all I’m doing this year is to spend, spend & spend. lol. Shall carry this resolution to next year. bluek!
What do I want to achieve in 2009?
1. Have more (and more) fun! Trip to Fiji with bestie perhaps?
2. Enroll into MTech programme. yep!
3. Register myself as assistant consultant;
4. Appreciation of nature & knowledge;
5. To be very serious in photography (Photography is crucial in scientist daily life, as well as tree-huggers). Yeah, I’m taking at least 200 photos for my field work;
6. My own crib (with the illustrated interior & finishings from the previous post mentioned) in Tropicana/Dsara/Mutiara/anywhere nearby the campus;
7. Start back on my work-out regime! erk.. this include polishing tennis skills, start to jog, muscle build-up, I want to join back Bodyjam (!!),
8. (This is crucial) To overcome my hydro-phobic (sounded like I’m some sort of intermolecular forces)
Ok peeps! Got to go back to work! and to plan a New Year dinner tonight
Have a blast new year! Cheers.
In the mean time, enjoy the random shots.
Wedding reception at Kg. Changkat, Gombak
One of my favourite xmas mall decor – The Gardens
I just love the bridge shot!
Xmas plastic bottle chandelier decor at Bangsar Village II
Different exposure from the bulb – Midvalley Megamall
My first attempt to control the shutter speed to create an impression of motion i.e. cars
Newlywed photoshoot at Melinsung Bay
I’ve been pre-occupied with work training for the past few days and i have been slow in updating this blog in daily basis. What really occupied my mind and time for the past 3 days was a seminar I attended in one of the hotel here.
The company decided to send 2 executives from the Audit & Monitoring division and me from the EIA to the training on the use of Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix method for the impact assessment in the planning level particularly in strategic impact assessment (SEA) which was alien to me before. ha.ha.
The seminar can be divided into two: the introduction to SEA and the use of rapid impact assessment matrix in SEA process. SEA is a form of impact assessment which integrates environmental considerations done at a high level of decision-making. On contrary, EIA is a form of impact assessment done at a project level.
In the P-P-M Cycle (Policy-Planning-Management), SEA falls into the Policy –> Planning stage. It do not replace the other assessment done at project level but an added-value to the aforementioned. Influential to the planning & project levels assessment and has potential to address those concerns on environmental-related issues at early stage of decision-making.
Another plus point to the SEA is that it forces through in looking up for the cumulative impact of several projects or policies and forces to look for other alternatives at EARLY stage of planning. Phew.
SEA can be used for legislation matter especially in formulating international treaties and green& white papers as well as economic policy in term of budget, privitisation, subsidies, taxation, integrated plan, national/regional/local development plans as well as plans for conservation areas.
Other sector includes policy/strategy/programme on agriculture, transport, energy, coastal management a well as international aid. Bear in mind that it can be done ONLY in policy, strategy and programme level.
The process is pretty much like an EIA except for additional crucial step that is absent in EIA process. Usually the steps start with defining the boundaries, screening, scoping, external factors considerations, analysis and last, documentation and reporting.
The second part of the training, the most anticipated introduction to rapid impact assessment matrix or in short, RIAM. It is a tool that improve or enhance the organization of an impact assessment study.
The good thing about this, is that the matrix has been developed into software that provide real-time recording and rapid judgement made. So you can just key in your range value (RV) derived from the environmental score (ES) that falls within the respective description of range band.
There is a simple formulae where you can get the ES based on the RIAM criteria (Group A and Group B). It is not as complicated as it sound now but I’m too lazy to elaborate more. For further information on this tool, you can check out the official website at www (dot) pastakia (dot) com (slash) riam
The good thing about the training was, the initiator himself giving out the introductory course to us. He gave the step-by-step explaination of the tool in a very systematic & informative way with heaps of case studies abroad, regionally and even local example in Sabah and Miri. So yeah, bravo Mr Pastakia.
I have downloaded the software in *.xls form as I can’t use the *.exe as I’m using Mac. So, I’d settle for the excel matrix. I have yet to test the software but i will definitely try it out soon. Or perhaps, I can use it as a trial for my new Project?
Alright. I’m not particularly good at presentation but somehow I can’t escape it. The 3 of us, the executives were given Project to present in front of director of various gov departments. argh. The boss assigned me to do presentation regarding the quarry project while the other two on the housing & temple. I got to start polishing my presentation skills from now. My presentation would be early next month after the Harvest Festival whereas theirs a day before the celebration. dang.
Anyway, nothing much happening today in the office. I have received TOR approval letter for my proposed mixed development Project. yeay. I shall proceed with the final report. The setback for the Project is that the development plan is not confirmed yet, soil investigation is still pending and etc. I got to attend the consultants meeting again next week for the finalization of DP and other pending stuff.
Once everything confirm, I shall start doing the baseline air, noise & water sampling, ecological study, as well as proposing some of the mitigation measure to minimize the impact of cutting slope. I gotta read more on the slope bioengineering so that I can suggest way to minimize the environmental impacts towards the slope area. But for me, not the slope that would be the major impact to the surrounding area. I would say there would be an increase in traffic as the location strategically located between the city centre and the international airport. Though they are proposing to build ramp to channel the traffic to and out of the proposed area, I will still believe it would indeed increase the traffic especially when the international airport here able to accommodate more people & flights once the new building open. Anyway, lets just leave that problem to the traffic consultant. My worry would concentrated more on the trees & mass wasting. LOL.
Oh gosh, I think my blog getting bleak & boring. I just can’t help it, blogging about work. I wish I could be that interesting & blog about some mushy-ishy stuff like flirting, party in da’ club or whatever it is. *sigh*
This weekend, I might visit another sunset bar around west coast Sabah. I’m thinking of chilling at Coast restaurant & bar, Rasa Ria Resort but then the gazebo looks like it is for fine dining. I wanted place for where you can chill with friends, talking, giggling over the singer (muhahaha), sipping margarita, eating finger snacks & watching sunset and of course, cam-whoring. LOL. Guess Coast restaurant is not for friends-outing as we need to dress smart casual (no shorts & flip-flop) to enter that. I’d settle for Sampan Bar then! Shall start calling the ‘kaki’s of sunset bar for this weekend then. :)
Sampan Bar, Shangri-la Rasa Ria Resort, Borneo Sabah
I just came back from the job interview. Well, nothing much to be said here just that (refer to this blog post title) X= ! Ha.ha.
Anyway, I thought I overdressed but when I think back, well, I’m being so clean & formal. Isn’t that the future employer want to see in you?
Even my mom asked my why do you dress like a lawyer? I just kept quiet. Not like a lawyer. dang! I wore a long sleeve shirt with knee length black skirt and a black shoes. OK. The shoes may made me look too formal though. It’s a shiny pointed tip, solid black with 3 inches heels. So, yeah. I wore my normal (untrimmed) hair, put some eyeliner & mascara & my rosy lipgloss. and walla! me!
When I entered the office, the girl asked me to wait for the boss because she’s not clock in yet & asked me to write an essay on topics related with the environment. The essay should be no less than 50 words.
At first I kind of blank & don’t know what to write about it. I sat next to the guy; I guess he’s the office guy or something like that. Chatted with him & he said to write anything you can think of. He said the boss only want to see what you think of the environment.
So I wrote, about the environment then. I started off with.. Environment. We live in one. We die in one. Bla bla… I relate it with the case of the Easter Island people where when we do not take good care of our place, environmental degradation will happen & eventually lead to societal collapse. OK. This is from the case study of The Easter Island. It is one of my favorite book, Collapse by Jared Diamond. I ended the essay with everyone is responsible in taking care of our homes so that it stays in equilibrium. LOL. Kill me! for writing such a crappy essay.
Perhaps I should put more bombastic terms that people always use such as Sustainable Development, ecological footprint and some others. Hmmm… but then I want it to make it more like me. Like the words come from my heart instead just to impress people with those bombastic terms.
Anyway, I think I got advantages & some disadvantages too. First, I do have the right qualification for the post, I know roughly what is EIA all about. So, that’s a plus point there. 2nd, I’m a Sabahan, I do have driver’s license & a car. I live nearby the office too. I know how to use ArcGIS and other GIS softwares. Another plus point there. She asked me about my parents too. Well if they need link to get projects, it will become easier if I’m there. I guess. I do plenty of research too. When she asked about me not familiar with the 2-tier environmental department here; I told her I’ve been reading about the state enactment etc from the EPD websites. Another plus point. And I told her I managed to see projects from their company listed in the Terms of reference (TOR) for projects. I did asked her how they can managed to get job done for all the projects done when they only have a handful of staff. She told me that they needed more environmental engineer/executive to do that. Somehow they can not cope with the projects.
When she asked me on my plus & minus point, I told her that when I do work I make sure it is done before the deadline etc. My minus point would be that I might be hard in understand things in the beginning but when I understand it, I should be able to do work as expected. So, yeap.
Another setback is that I’m a fresh graduates. So I definitely be in lacking of experiences. She told me too that after 2 years I might be registered as Environmental Consultant. So, great. I want to be one
Anyway, enough about me. I got to get rid of the eyeliner & mascara.
Ciao!
OK here is another thing that been bothering my mind for the last hour. I got a call from one environmental consultant company back at home, inviting me to attend the job interview for the post of environmental engineer/executive. The interview going to be held tomorrow AM.
It’s good. I can gain experience & knowledge just by attending the interview. Getting the job is another story. So, I feel it’s good then. In less than a month I’m back at home & I already got a call to attend job interview.
But that’s not the point here. My point is, I feel that I can’t grow up here. Living with family. I want to but somehow they do not want me to grow up.I am capable of taking care of myself for the last few years I’m not staying in the house (as I was away attending classes in the university). I managed to get good grades, able to avoid some unnecessary trouble, staying alone & able to get my way around KL too.and still, they think I’m not capable of growing up?
I know, being the only child the first thing that come to your mind, my dear reader; is that the only child is normally a spoilt brat. Well I don’t think I am one. I may be having trouble juggling my personality to be extrovert or introvert. I am both actually & it depending on the situation. and when in large group, i tend to dominate.
So it’s normal. I’m growing up in the environment where I am in the centre of attention. I don’t share things with people. I might not get close so easily with strangers, and i tend to do things out of the normality.I observe more than go with the flow.
It’s just me.
If you still can’t get the picture, go google ‘ dilemma of the only child’ and click on the first link!
So my point here is, I want to grow up. but they won’t let me grow up.I can’t give good example here because the real example is always good but I don’t want to publish it on the internet on what my real problem is.
It’s just that what is been buggering me is that I can’t make my own decision. It’s always them make decision for me. I WANT to make my own decision. How to tell them to let me grow; get hurt & learn from the hard way to be a good adult when they can’t let go of me?
Help me here.
p/s: When I think back, towards the last year I have been telling everyone (including the great one, almost everyday) that I don’t want to grow up. I don’t want to start working. I want to be trapped in the student life forever. I LOVE studying. I LOVE all my classes, assignments, field trips, professors, laboratory exercises & so on.
The fact is, I’m scared of taking responsibility & being an adult, responsibility a death penalty contract that you can not release yourself from unless you are going cuckoo. I want somebody to catch me when i fall. So last year, I don’t want to grow up. I refused to grow up.
New year changed me to be more responsible. I’m going to be 23 in less than 2 months. I shall start taking responsibility & not just let anyone else be responsible for what i do etc.
So, I want to grow up now. It’s time for me to grow up.
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