PLASTICS, LIKE DIAMONDS - ARE FOREVER!

Last year, I’ve been transferred to teach different program. From American to Australian Program. Teaching in both programs brings different experiences. To cut it off, one of the subject that I taught was Issue Analysis. This subject is basically encourages students to analyse and at the same time to think critically on any issues discussed. Among the issues, one stood up (to me). It is an environmental awareness issue. The specific subject (matter) was plastic bags. We were actually discussing various aspects of plastic bags. Therefore, I would really love to share our discussion (me & Aussie 7) on the said subject.

In everyday life, PBs are part and parcel of it. Nearly every day we will be given PBs upon purchases. For my family, those PB will be stored for future usage (one of it- jadi plastic sampah. *How irony it is). But, the question is- do we really care and know where the PB will be thrown? And what would happen to the thrown PB? Hhmm....

Allow me to introduce PB briefly. According to Knight (2008), average plastic shopping bag is made from polyethylene- a thermoplastic made from oil. The person who created the first man-made plastic was Alexander Parkes in 1862. Basically, plastic have only been around 146 years but unfortunately no one can be sure how long they (plastic) take to break down. However, environmentalists, scientists and manufacturers somehow agree that the process can take anything up to 1000 years. Can you imagine it?

Ok. Let me share with you guys one fact. First, look around you. Nearly everything was made from plastic as it is most widely used material in the world. The basic components of plastic are molecules derived from crude oil or natural gas called monomers. (Please be dictionary-friendly for better understanding). To make a plastic, many monomers are joined together like paper clips in a chain to form a very long polymer molecule. (Ok, this is the most important part) – The polymers in a plastic are so tightly intertwined that they create a surface that cannot be penetrated by water or the bacteria that normally do the job of breaking down matter. So, can you see now? How would the PB break down if they were created not to be broken down easily?

Now, I would like to introduce to all of you to Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). This GPGP is actually a huge dump of plastic debris floating in the Pacific Ocean. The first person who had found this GPGP is a sailor named Charles Moore who was actually on his way home to Los Angeles from a yatch race in Hawaii. Based on subsequent research, it is determined that there are actually two (2) patches of GPGP. They are Eastern Garbage Patch (EGP) and Western Garbage Patch (WGP). The EGP is believed covers an area twice the size of Texas, between California and Hawaii. On the other hand, the WGP is off the coast of Japan. So, according to Moore, he estimated that more than 100 million tons of plastic are swirling around in the two patches. About 20% is thought to have fallen off ships; the rest has come from the mainland countries of the Pacific Rim. (You guys may Google the image of GPGP for clearer picture.)

And now, it is believed that this issue had been threatening the ocean life ever since. I think it is enough said coz I don't think it could be explained here. So, in return I'll paste some pictures that I really believed had affected myself personally after the discussion had over. And this pictures are the result of my effort in analyzing the issue in-depth. However, in the next entry, I will share with you guys about one of the town in Europe who had amazingly support and made the effort in curbing this enviromental issues. Therefore, it is hope that we could contribute with and/or by any means in supporting our awareness of this global issue.

p/s: enjoy the photos and THINK!

So, how they are threaten? Look it yourself.

This photo (above) particularly, shows that how plastic bag(s) is look alike a jellyfish. And the victim is: TURTLE

And this is the most touched photo for me. How could the bird survive!? By no means it could pull the plastic by itself, right!

So, lets do something for the earth. I've started a lil bit. Still, it is an effort.. Join me! (",)

REFERENCES:

1) Fraser S 2008, 'What a Dump', Current Science, vol.94, iss. 2, p.6

2)Knight 2008, 'Plastic bags, Marine Conservation Society, viewed 9 October 2008, http://www.adoptabeach.org.uk/pages/page.php?cust_id=41

and speacial thanx to my aussie 7 2008 specifically aishah, afina, iqbal n luqman!

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aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....geramnye!!!!

~pengalaman yang baru di tahun yang baru~

Today is the first day I enter my Malay Studies class. I could say it was 'quite' horrible. The students were all fine n fun. Eh, lupa nak inform u guys. I am actually been offered and so-called instructed to teach commerce students a different code from my so-called expertise which is English (at least that was what my degree is). So, nak dibuat citer..I kena mengajar subject 'malay studies' ni sbb the lecturer who is supposed to teach this code is taking a leave to finish up her PHD. So, I lah yang menjadi pengganti dia together with another colleague.

One thing to share is I tak tau la plak yang students kita boleh amik this subject and at the same time, subject ni wujud. Sebabnya, subject ni adalah satu subject/code yang sebenarnya disediakan oleh SACE Board (yang dulu dikenali dengan SSABSA-Senior Secondary Assessment Board of South Autralia) khas untuk pelajar Malaysia. Kalau diikutkan kefahaman I la kan...students commerce selalunya akan ambil this subject. For science students lak, kalau result physics diorg kureng, maka they will be advised to enrol themselves in this subject.

Yang agak kelakarnya, bila I dapat curriculum statement yg sah2 disediakan oleh SACE Board tuh. This subject according to the curriculum statement is Malay Background Speakers Level Stage 2 and here(malaysia) my class is named Malay Studies. Takdelah kelakar mana pun, cuma ada satu part in the curriculum statement is actually explaining that the students must know to use the grammar in their studies. It is stated there: "Students will already have a significant understanding of the function of grammar in Malay through prior knowledge or study." Masalahnye skang, I rasa statement tu macam sesuai jek jika ditujukan kepada I. Dan penyataan 'will already have' tu amatlah tidak sesuai.

I sebenarnya dah lama tinggalkan bahasa melayu yg sebenar. Yang I guna selama ni hanyalah Bahasa Melayu pasar. Tapi xpe..I am looking forward this opportunity in a very bright side which I would be gotten the chance to memperbaiki my true bahasa melayu. Meantioning about Bahasa Melayu, this code/subject however is not actually or 100% about the language itself. It is more towards like literature. You read novels, you watched certain movies, analyzing, evaluating, criticising and stuffs.

Soo..what had happened just now was..
I entered the class and began speaking Malay. MasyaAllah..berterabur BM I. Bila masa mengajar B.I, sibuk nak cakap melayu. Tp bila kena speak malay, sibuk lak nak cakap omputih. Maka, satu incident telah berlaku di mana I explain to the students that in a year, they have to read 4 novels. Sem ni kena baca 2 biji novel. Then I realized and wondered..and I began asking-"Guys, novel 2 biji ke 2 buah?" Hahahaha...saje kasik students I pakat gelak dgn soklan cepu emas I tu..(soalan ini bertujuan mencari jawapan yg betul tau..bukannya I tanya utk test students). Neway, xpe..sbb some of the students ex class I last sem..n the rest sure tau I camne..maklumlah I agak glamer dlm bidang ke'lagho'an bersama students nih.. After all, I found it to be a lil bit akward but xpe..I have another year insyaallah bersama diorg ni utk 2 sems. Tapi, I kena berguru ngan si ishan la..coz dia pun dah further masters in that field. Cuma..dia asyik ponteng class jek..ni yg risau nih..hmmm...Mcmne tok guru??

Apa-apa pun...Good Luck to myself! (",) Kawan2..sokongilah daku..
p/s: by the way, jwpn kepada soalan di atas adalah 2 buah novel.

HARI BARU, TAHUN BARU, DIRI YANG BARU.

Assalamualaikum everyone!

Saya rasa tak terlambat untuk wish u guys out there "Selamat Tahun Baru Hijrah (1430) and Masihi (2009)! Tahun ni adalah tahun lembu - if we refer to Chinese Calendar.

Sebenarnya saya bercuti panjang 2 minggu yang lepas. Maklumlah, cuti tahunan saya ada 30 hari dari June 08 - June 09. So, for the first half year (June-Dec 08), I've to make use of 15 days leave and another 15 days from Jan-June 09. Being in a profession as a lecturer, cuti tak boleh sewenang-wenangnya. I can only apply my leave(s) when the students are on holidays. for normal days of semester, I couldn't do so. Therefore, I've taken my leave yang panjang from 20th Dec 08 till 4th Jan 09. That's the reason for me not to updating my blog at all (ye mr thinker). Cuti buat cara cuti la kan??? hehehehe...

Sepanjang cuti saya yang lama tuh, macam2 saya buat. Hantar mak ke airport (mak balik kg! yeehaa..), meronggeng & membeli-belah di shopping complex(ES) selama 3 hari berturut-turut bersama cik Hada n cik Nafisyah (habis duit saya), watched movies, mengecat bilik, mengemas bilik, bertukang dan yang terkini - hobi baru saya: GARDENING.

Menyentuh ttg isu bertukang, saya telah menyambut New Year di rumah bersama cik Nafisyah (x sambut pun). Ketika manusia di luar sana sedang terkinja2 melaungkan kata2 azimat (& ada hamba allah tu menyambut NY dengan menikmati hidangan "western kegemaran" beliau-hehehe), saya pula sedang sibuk bertukang di rumah. Dan ketika bunyi mercun kedengaran, saya pula dok memegang hammer dan mengetuk paku. Wahh...sungguh ironi kehidupan ini.

Ha..tiba2 ada gambar pokok bunga. Inilah hobi terbaru saya. -g.a.r.d.e.n.i.n.g. Ntah kenapa tiba2 saya agak menggatal nak bergardening. Tapi, saya gardening setakat membela pokok bunga gantung sahaja. Rumah saya tiada tanah untuk bercucuk tanam. Datangnya inspirasi gardening ini adalah kerana saya terlihat nursery pokok bunga di TESCO & pada yang sama saya terlihat sejenis pokok yang dahulunya dijaga oleh arwah bapa saya. Maka, saya pun tanpa berlengah lagi membeli 3 pasu bunga itu. Tapi, saya lupa lah namanya yang sebenar. Tidak silap saya, PETUNIA. (tidak silap saya lah).

Apa kaitannya hobi terbaru saya dengan NY?
Saya ada terbaca satu column horoscope di dlm sebuah majalah. Diramalkan saya perlu lebih mendekatkan diri dengan alam sekitar dan memelihara pokok bunga adalah sesuatu yang bertepatan. But mind you, I am not into gardening after I've read the column. It is just a coincidence. Huhuhuhu.... (",)

Therefore, Happy New Year 2009! Moga segala-galanya berjln dgn lancar dan dirahmati!

Wassalam.

bEsT nYeR!!!

Nak tahu apa yang best!??

Hari ini I pi keje, jalan tidak lansung Jam! I keluar rumah pukul 9.02am, sampai di shah alam pukul 9.12 dan tlh mem'punch' in pada pukul 9.22am. Amazing sebab I dapat sampai di office dgn sekejapnye! Kalo tidak, I keluar umah pukul 9am n I akan sampai office pukul 10am walaupun jarak sebenarnya tidak lebih dari 30min (itu pun jika anda membawa kereta seperti sang kura-kura).

Tetapi, kegembiraan I tidak berterusan. Karena, keje sedang menanti I. huhuhuhuhu... malasnya nak keje...dah 2 bulan i menggoyang kaki karena students telah bercuti.. Apa2 pun, nothing is exactly like what we had wished for. This is r.e.a.l.i.t.y.