Happy New Year 2010

Happy New Year 2010...

Appetite

My girl and mom in a wedding reception at Triang, Pahang recently. Only at this function that I came across of my girl having a good appetite on food. At home, she only take rice.

Recycling Practice

I noticed these when attending a wedding reception in Triang, Pahang recently. The restaurant owner practices recycling in daily operation. I thought this is good practice for promotion when it comes to 3R. While photo on the left shows that bottle was used to cover the sauce container from flies, the right one shows the wine carton was cut to half as ash tray.

Not at Home

My girl was without her grandma for the last few days. My mom went to Guangzhou for a tour. Instead of missing my mom's presence and getting closer to me and my wife, she does not care much. She found new ventures with her cousin. She decided to stay at her auntie's house tonight. Well, she is only 3 years old.

Dispenser with Time

I noticed this dispenser in the toilet. It is dispensing the perfume to get rid of the odours. What amaze me is the time shown on the screen. I wonder what the purpose of having the timing. Is that for supervisor to monitor the frequency of dispensing the gas? Is that for patrons to look at the time? I cannot figure out the purpose and thought this might be unnecessary feature.

Chopstick?

I found this at a souvenir shop. I thought it is interesting as many might have thought the chopstick, the spoon, the bowl and the holder are meant for dining only. Creativity prevail. A combination of these made the presentation of gift showing Chinese culture in food a good one, I presume.

Pledge A Tree

In celebrating the 2009 World Town Planning Day, I pledged and planted a tree at the Cyberjaya Urban Forest Park. To be exact, the location of the tree is at N 02.56.318 and E 101.39.490 with elevation at +50 meter. Thank you for the advancement of GPS. I am now able to monitor my contribution geographically and visually.

Eco Handicraft

These are handicraft and souvenirs made from recycling paper such as newspaper, magazine and cardboard. I found these so interesting, and more importantly environmental friendly. The items are made by women group during their spare time together. The effort has also brought in financial return to them. Starting as a gesture for 3R, the program has developed into an income generation venture. I presume, this is a truly community sustainable initiative in practice.

Waste

I am not talking about the unfinished food on the table, but rather the cups, plates, containers, forks, spoons and any utensils you name it. These are items made of polystyrene. What make me sad is these were widely used for serving during an open house celebration by a supposedly high environmental conscious organisation recently. Well, corporate social responsibility towards environmental stewardship is not a slogan, but a doing.

Innovation

I took this picture in the toilet of a Bak Kut Teh Shop in Old Town last week. I was surprised to notice the innovation the shop owner has in controlling the in flow of water supply. While the gadget is commonly used in the water tank of toilet for flushing, to fix it in the container must be new, at least for me. This shows that innovation and creativity is not exclusive for certain people and place, but can be any where and by anyone.

Geneva

In the midst of cleaning up my files in the computer, I found this digital image. This photo was taken in Geneva, Switzerland during the SusDev Conference in 2005. I was invited then to put up display for Local Agenda 21 exhibition and attended the workshops. It was refreshing knowing what others are doing for the sustainable development.

David Zon

Before meeting David, I could not believe that a waste contractor can be so environmental friendly. Meeting and listening him on initiatives to reduce the waste and to green the environment is very refreshing. Seeing him involving himself in the organising of the Organic Day 2009 PJ is very encouraging and motivating. I should believe that if we have more businessmen with similar heart and action, Green CSR can be achievable with ease.

Mid Autunm Festival

Mid Autunm or Moon Cake Festival is traditionally celebrated by the Chinese. I am equally surprised to notice this signboard when I was in Hanoi on 24/9/2009, last month. Vietnamese are also celebrating the Festival by having moon cakes.

Happy Moon Cake Festival.

Dragon Dance

This is dragon dance performance captured in Hanoi, Vietnam. Apparently, the head of dragon is smaller and the body is shorter compared to those we used to see n Malaysia. Nonetheless, the origin and purpose is the same: to celebrate during big occassions.

Hanoi, Vietnam

I am now in Horizon Hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam attending a seminar on Hanoi 3R hosted by the JICA and URENCO. The seminar is to conclude the 3 years pilot study of 3R in Hanoi and participants from neighbouring countries are invited to share their experiences and best practices. The presence of the 3R champions at the community and ward level are the surprising lot as the stakeholders participation is the main contributing factor for the success of this project.

Food Display

The photo shows the display of foods in restaurants. This display using model is commonly found in most restaurants in Japan. The display is clear, precise and of course attractive. It is good for a person like me who cannot understand Japanese language. Perhaps we should explore this artistic piece in Malaysia. Food is an art, I presume.

Recycling Box for SDA

This is the recycling box for small domestic appliance places in Japan. The SDA includes computer, mobile phones, camera and etc. The appliances will be collected by the recycling factories once it is full. It is a trial project since no specific legislation unlike the home appliances has been drafted. The economic return from recycling the appliances will determine how this project will go on. No businesses are interested in doing this unless it is profitable.

Restaurant

This is a typical Japanese restaurant in Japan. It is abnormal because of its location at the city centre of Tokyo, a common scene in Japan. We can notice a lot of such restaurants in the big cities in Japan. The wooden structure with ancient design and decoration served with authentic Japanese food is unique because the eating place is sandwiched by many concrete and high rise buildings. The existence of these wooden structure and restaurants is a sign of Japanese value towards history and culture conservation. Perhaps this is what we Malaysian should learn. We always see the old building being demolished for new building or being renovated for modern facade. I presume we like new structure and have no attachment for old value.

Kita-Kyushu Market

This is the wet market of Kita-Kyushu. It is covered and lined with stalls. It is clean, dry and odourless. The stalls are typical the same with Malaysia. Many groceries and food stalls apart from the vegetable and meats. I wonder if we can have similar environment in our traditional market?

Vehicle

This is the transport commonly found in the fish wholesale market of Tsujiki. An electric-driven vehicle with trolley at the back is very tiny and flexible moving around easily within a limited space. The drivers are so skillful that loading and unloading is becoming an easy job. This is the first time I saw such vehicle.

Sashimi Lunch at Ueno

This is the sashimi lunch I have at the Ueno pedestrian shopping mall, Tokyo, Japan. It is fresh and tasty (of course with the wasabi), and importantly affordable compared to other parts of Tokyo. A bowl of rice with salmon fish, tuna fish and scallop only cost me $ 500 yen, some what $ 200 yen lower than elsewhere. I do have a good bargain.

Sashimi Breakfast

I likes sushi so much that I cannot resist from having a sashimi breakfast early morning at the Tsukijishijo Fish Market on 21/8/2009. There are so many stalls selling sushi and sashimi, and surprising so many tourists are taking them. I guess everyone comes to witness the fishes auction will not feel mission completed without having the sushi or sashimi there. I hope my friend, Li Lian who was there but decided not to have the breakfast will not regret later.

Tsukijishijo Fish Market

When I reached there on last Friday morning, I was taken a back seeing the large size of tuna fish. I have never imagined of seeing tuna fish with this size. There are load of tuna fish and other species at this famous Tsujikishijo Fish Wholesale market. Apart from having many variety of fishes, the attraction of this market for most of the tourists is the bidding system of tuna fish. Individual buyers put up their bidding price in a secret, yet fair manner. This system avoids monopoly by certain groups and at the same time protect the interest of the fishermen. I think similar arrangement should be practiced across other sectors and, if possible in all countries. The fairness will ensure farmers and fishermen do not victimise by any unscrupulous practices.

Mount Fuji

This is a picture of mine taken at the 45th Floor of Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office, Block 1. I was there to grasp the chance to see Mount Fuji from the watching gallery. Unfortunately, the sight was blocked by haze due to the bad weather. Well, next time must go to the Mount Fuji physically.

Presentation

I did the presentation of Proposed Implementation of E-Waste Management in Malaysia on behalf of the participants on the last day of our course at JICA, Tokyo International Centre. The presentation is the summary of our proposed application of Japanese best practices for recycling economy. It is modified according to our local circumstances. We enjoyed the session with inputs from our facilitators from JICE, METI and JOEA.

Harbin Restaurant

I noticed this signboard when I was walking along Ueno area towards Akihabara, Tokyo last week. It is a restaurant selling Harbin food, a city at the North East of China. I have an interest of it since my other half comes from this city.

Ginza

I am standing at the main street of Ginza, Tokyo, Japan last Sunday. The road was closed on weekend for pedestrian passage. I do not think I have other opportunity to stand at the centre of the busier road and have a relax photo taken. This must be chance once in a life time. If you have come here on weekday, you cannot imagine that you might have the luxury of hiding yourself under the canopy and have a sip of coffee. Ginza, known as the most expensive central business district in the World is home to many high end shopping complex and flagship shops, the goods that I cannot afford.

My Girl is 3 Years Old Now

On 18th August 2009, my little girl is 3 years old now. Happy Birthday, girl. Looking at her days by days, do not realise that time flies and she will be going to kindergarten next year. Another stage of life for her.

DIY Photos Developing Machine

I notice this machine at basically every busier street in Tokyo. This is self help machine for developing photos from our Sd card, pen drive, hard disk, mobile phone memory card and others. The instruction shown on the screen of machine is very precise and clear in which basically everyone can develop photos on their own. This modus operandi and the popularity of digital camera will revolutionaries the whole filming especially the photos shop industry world wide. We might one day witness the closing of many photos shop, and this trend is inevitable unless the traditional photos shops reinvent themselves. Perhaps the trend of DIY is coming very soon to Malaysia, but of course for safety reason, it will not be on the streets but guarded area like shopping centres.

Raining

The day I departed from Odate City, it was rained heavily. My luggage was wet while waiting for the bus to the airport. It must be rare experience for the local as annual rain flow level is not that high in this part of Japan. However, having the rain is not as bad as of getting typhoon, flash flood and earth quake in other part of Japan. Some of my friends jokingly said Malaysian should experience the earth quake and typhoon rather than the normal heavy rain, but for me it is better not.

Lake Towada

Lake Towada with depth of 328 meter is located at the Kosaka Town of Akita. An hour drive from the Odate City is worth the journey. The scenery from the observatory post at Hakka Pass is wonderful and refreshing. It is so calm and peaceful with cool wind brewing on your face. The green, with some artificially planted landscape integrated well with the blue water. This is an experience equivalent to the Lake Toba of Indonesia, i thought.

Odate Town, Agita

I am now in Odate Town, Agita after spending more than 5 hours on the plane and bus traveling from Kita-Kyushu City back to Tokyo and then to this town. This is an agro-based country side town with a lot of greenery and paddy field. Well, perhaps it is time to explore the other side of urbanised Japan.

Mojiko Retro

This picture of me was taken in front of the pedestrian bridge at the Mojiko Retro of the Kita-Kyushu City, Japan this Saturday afternoon. The scenery at the sea side with the buildings integrated well with the nature is so beautiful, more so during sunset time. A lot of tourists especially the local are spending their casual time here. This must be the first tourists spot I visited Japan so far. The area is famous for its strategic location, the siting of railway museum, a train station and jetty for cruise here.

Scrap Metal

Can you imagine what is the cube that i am holding? It is the outer body of a car after hard press process. It is scrap metal, the final output at the automobile recycling factory at KitaKyushu City I visited last Friday. After dismantling the engine, windows, coolant, seats, tank, carpet, battery, bonnet, lamps, doors, wires, the car is hard pressed into ferrous scrap before sending for melting for steel.

Amazing isn't it?

I am now in Kita-Kyushu City, about 2 hour flight time south of Tokyo. It is a model of Eco-town transforming from the heavily polluted industries. It is now becoming the front runner in showing recycling industries, basically all type of used products are recycled for new resources and material for other types of industries.

This picture was taken at the lobby of the City Council office while waiting for briefing to start. The lobby is full of display panels exhibiting the history, places of interest, unique crafts and tradition and many more that will make you felt not to miss any one of them. Well, of course apart from time availability, it is costly to cover everything. I have to make a choice. Since environmental protection and innovation is so highly talked about here, the environmental museum, the Eco-town service centre and the parks should not be the places to give a miss, I hope.

Building and Nature

I found this shop while walking my way to the YoYoGi-Uehara Station of the Chiyoda Line. The placing of flower pots along the narrow street and junctions no only beautify the area and it is very refreshing.

If similar scene is happened in Malaysia, I believe either the plants will be removed and confiscated by the authority or be run over by the approaching vehicles.

First Day of the E-Waste Management Training

This is a picture showing the first day in class for the E-Waste Management Training Course at JICA Tokyo International Centre, Japan. My colleagues were busy preparing for the country report presentation and for the next few days, we will be in the Seminar Room 15 for our lectures. We have a very helpful program coordinator, Mr Yamaguchi san to sail us through.

I m in Japan, Tokyo

I am in Tokyo, Japan now for a training course on E-Waste Management. I will be staying in this tiny room at the JICA International Centre. Well, bigger than what I was told by some friends who have been here before. The ambiance is pretty good with Internet connection, shower, TV and etc.

I start enjoying here now and hope to maintain the spirit throughout.

This is not top soil or waste in ballet form. This is fertiliser producing from the earth worm. It is the unwanted waste from the earth worm, but raw material for our plant.

It is a life cycle of resources in process. While everyone is complaining about the scarcity of resources and if we do not thrift on the utilisation of non-renewable resources, we are in trouble very soon.

But, why can't we explore ways of turning somebody waste into a raw material for another person? I found the earth worm composting is refreshing.

Urinal Bowl

When I saw this toilet urinal bowl, it reminded me the comment made by the children during a forum recently. The children commented that many public facilities have been provided without taking into consideration of their needs. For example, the height of the toilet urinal bowl is normally beyond the reach of kid and at time difficult for them to "do" it right. These bowls were found in a hotel at a heritage building in Penang. Perhaps older generation is more thoughtful when it comes to considerations of need.

New Family Member

I have a new family member last week. My counsin sister was getting married, finally after "n" years. It must be the most happiest moment for my aunt and all of us.

Team Work

Children can be motivated to work as a team, if they are going after something interested them. I took this picture at PJS1 recently. They moved the goal post collectively for a game. I am wondering if this spirit is extended to other fields apart from sport activities, perhaps we can have a better future and living environment. How nice if i have a youth next door helping an old couple to look after their garden.

This is not a vending machine for beverages or snack, but a machine for hand phone battery chargers. I found this in the lobby of a hotel in China. It is interesting as many of us might experience the hassle of hand phone running out of battery while having an important conversation. It is frustrating.

It is win-win-win situation, while the advertiser can have their advertisement, the users can enjoy the services and the hotel operator is portraying their care and responsibility.

When are we having this Malaysia?

Line Dance

Line Dance is getting popular now at the grass root level. It is a dance initiately made popular by the senior citizen, but is becoming "youthful" now with the participation of young adult. It is a common scene of lines of people dancing at the community halls, basketball courts and parks early morning or late evening. While it is a exercise for healthy lifestyle, it is also a platform for social networking and interaction. I wish I can start it, but first to eliminate my fear of ...

My little girl

My little girl, Xin En is getting "naughty" now. She is excited of learning and doing everything, and not too patience waiting to do it the first time. She must be super active, I think.