Saturday 30 January 2016

Ha ha ha ha sula Haze, Fog Or Mist?


Last year, it's 2015, I just remember. Malaysia has been affected by severe smoke haze due to forest fires in the region periodically and recently a wild fire from Indonesia. This is due to the common practice of open burning to clear land for agricultural uses. It can be made worse by dry seasons, changes in wind direction and poor precipitation. Prevailing winds sometimes carry smoke haze produced by the forest fires over Malaysia skies.


It's tuesday, It's my first day of work. I woke up around 6:30 in the morning to fixed myself. Then, around 7:00 in the morning we go out on this Kondo Mutiara all the way to our company that we've been working with! 

While I'm driving my car we have a little conversation with my friend, normally we talk about life, family, religion, career, any topic that would come up into our mind. Then, suddenly he notice that it's quite foggy outside.  And another question and answer start...
 
Here's how it goes...
 
Friend: What do you think about that smoke outside, is it haze or fog?
Me: I'm not sure, I think it's fog..
Friend: What is the difference between fog and haze?
Me: ha-ha.. I laugh but I'm thinking what would be the right answer. Haze is caused by factory smoke and forest wild fires.. then, fog I think it's caused by water condensation.. hahaha.. But I'm not really sure with my answers!
Friend: Then, what is mist?
Me: hahaha.. LOL! It takes me sometime to think what to answer, I think my brain come's out with a smoke. The only thing that I remember is the HIDDEN MIST from Naruto series. Hihihihi... MIST?!, I cannot define LAH!.. hahaha..
 
So, I made a research to get the right answers of Haze, Fog and Mist.
 
HAZE- an aggregation in the atmosphere of very fine, widely dispersed, solid or liquid particles, or both, giving the air an opalescent appearance that subdues colors.
The haze is largely caused by illegal agricultural fires.
 

MIST- is a phenomenon caused by small droplets of water suspended in air. Physically it is one instance of a dispersion. It is most commonly seen where warm, moist air meets sudden cooling, such as in exhaled air in the winter, or when throwing water onto the hot stove of a sauna. It is often created artificially with aerosol canisters if the humidity and temperature conditions are right. It can also occur as part of natural weather, when humid air cools rapidly, for example when the air comes into contact with surfaces that are much cooler than the air.

FOG- Like clouds, fog is made up of condensed water droplets which are the result of the air being cooled to the point (actually, the dewpoint) where it can no longer hold all of the water vapor it contains. For clouds, that cooling is almost always the result of rising of air, which cools from expansion.
 

 

Tuesday 17 November 2015

Dependant Pass: Expatriates in Malaysia


My family dependant pass was just recently expired after 2 years, and there's a new Malaysian Law that Expatriate below salary of RM5,000 could not apply to renew the dependant pass or visa and I'm very quite uncertain why some of the Expats below 5KRm still able to get the Dependant Pass. Hmmmm... ('', Anyway, I just got some usefull information regarding the EXPATRIATE-EP pass category. Please refer below information. Hope could help.


What is Dependant Pass?

☼ The dependant pass is issued to spouses and children of foreigners possesing an Employment Pass. The dependant pass may be filed for application together with the employment pass application, or after the approval of employment pass. Normally, the maximum duration of the dependant pass should also be aligned with the duration of the employment pass of the expats. Once your family obtain the dependant pass, they were allowed to stay in West Malaysia and children can continue their studies here in MY. 


Here's the...
Expatriate EMPLOYMENT PASS CATEGORY i just got this info from Expat Service Division. Actually there are 3 categories of Employment Pass.

Employment Pass (Category I)
     
  • Eligibility of Criteria:
  1. Applicant must earn a basic salary of RM5,000 per month
  2. Applicant must have an employment contract valid for a minimum of 24 months.
  • Benifits:  s
  1. It allows the Holder to be employed in West Malaysia by the hiring company
  2. Spouse and children under 18 years old of Employment Pass holder are eligible for Dependant pass.
  3. Children over 18 years old and unmarried are eligible for Social Visit Pass
  4. Parents/Parents in Law are eligible for Social visit pass 
  5. Eligible to Hire foreign maids. 
  • Documents Required:
  1. Latest resume
  2. Copy of Highest Educational Certificates translated into English (if applicable) and certified true copy of Embassy. 
  3. Copy of Passports (all pages)
  4. Recent passport photo (photo sized 3.5x5.0 cm) light blue background
  5. Other documents might be required upon request during renewal of EP. 
Employment Pass (Category II)
     
  • Eligibility of Criteria:
  1. Applicant must earn a basic salary of RM5,000 per month
  2. Applicant must have an employment contract valid for less than 24 months.
  • Benifits:  s
  1. It allows the Holder to be employed in West Malaysia by the hiring company
  2. Spouse and children under 18 years old of Employment Pass holder are eligible for Dependant pass.
  3. Children over 18 years old and unmarried are eligible for Social Visit Pass
  4. Parents/Parents in Law are eligible for Social visit pass 
  5. Eligible to Hire foreign maids. 
  • Documents Required:
  1. Latest resume
  2. Copy of Highest Educational Certificates translated into English (if applicable) and certified true copy of Embassy. 
  3. Copy of Passports (all pages)
  4. Recent passport photo (photo sized 3.5x5.0 cm) light blue background
  5. Other documents might be required upon request during renewal of EP
Employment Pass (Category III)
     
  • Eligibility of Criteria:
  1. Applicant earns a basic salary of between RM2,500 to RM4,999 per month
  2. Applicant must have an employment contract valid for less than 24 months.
  • Benifits:  s
  1. It allows the Holder to be employed in West Malaysia by the hiring company
  2. Not allowed to bring dependants
  3. Not allowed to hire foreign maids
  • Documents Required:
  1. Latest resume
  2. Copy of Highest Educational Certificates translated into English (if applicable) and certified true copy of Embassy. 
  3. Copy of Passports (all pages)
  4. Recent passport photo (photo sized 3.5x5.0 cm) light blue background
  5. Other documents might be required upon request during renewal of EP



Thursday 12 November 2015

How to Renew Your Philippine Passport at Kuala Lumpur, Phil. Embassy



What's the process of Renewing your Philippine Passport in Kuala Lumpur, DFA, Philippine Embassy? 






  • How to go at KL, Phil Embassy?
  • How early should I go?
  • What's the total processing time?
  • How quickly can I collect my passport?

Me and my wife just recently renewed our Passport at Kuala Lumpur, DFA, Phil Embassy. I'll give you some advise and tips especially for those first timers who wants to renew their passport and how you can speed up your process without wasting too much of your time. 

How to get here....

Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines
    Address: 1, Changkat Kia Peng, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Phone:+60 3-2148 4233.
    Office HoursMonday to Friday (8:00 am - 5:00 pm)For Public Transactions : 9:00 am - 11:30 am and 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

I am staying at Butterworth, Penang and from Chai Leng park Bus station, it took 5 hours to reach Puduraya Sentral station. Then, by taxi, it's about 15 mins going to Embassy. So, just plan your time accordingly.


What documents do I need to prepare? 
  • Please bring your old passport and photocopy of pages 1,2,3. And also the pages showing the latest Bureau of Immigration departure and arrival stamps. 
  • Your working permit or Visa permit photocopy
  • Your Letter of Appointment from the company (contract)
For dependant/spouse requirements:
  • Old passport and photocopy of pages 1,2,3. And also the pages showing the latest Bureau of Immigration departure and arrival stamps.
  • Photocopy of old Dependant Pass or Visa
  • Marriage Contract
How early should I go?
  • To give you some perspective, I arrived 7:46AM at Phil. Embassy and there were >10 people already waiting to process there passport. Once you arrived, make sure you get immediately the priority number at the counter. Just press the letter Buttons for Passport. Luckily, were number 7 for passport renewal on that day. 
How long did it take?
  • From the time I arrived to the time I was called to process by DFA Officer, it took about 4 hours. 
How much does it cost?
  • For passport fee it cost RM240 for 5 years validity.
How quickly can I collect my passport?
  • It only takes 1 month to get you're new passport. 
How to check that your passport is ready to pick up or not? 
  • You can check the progress of your passport application through Phil. Embassy Passport Finder.
  • Once you key in the application number to the system, example; 292660720. Once it's ready, the system will pop-up that your passport is ready for pick up. You can either claim it personally, or ask someone to claim it for you but you need to have an authorization letter, you can also arrange a courier service. But for me, since passport is quite important I'd rather collect it personally rather than other people collect it for you. 


Monday 2 November 2015

Me & Philippines


Philippines, my beloved country, might be receiving a lot of hate by many people nowadays, but with reasons that I fully understand. You know what I mean! But for those people who don't seem to understand, I'll tell you this is a country with great personality. Filipino's are awesome people!

Majority of the people here are courteous, polite, happy people, and religious even though we have various cultures. Filipino's are hardworking, industrious and resourceful in spite of some problems and challenges we encounter in life. We are born friendly and smiling people. ('',) We also preserved our traditional culture especially family close ties that symbolizes our respect. 

Even though the Philippines is a poor country we have a good people and we care for those who are in need, we never leave our families behind and we kept on trying and trying until we reach our dreams, even though sometimes we feel like there's no hope. Normally, we express our thoughts in a very simple smile and our dark times in a tear from our eyes. Even though we are in third world country we will still be truly and forever a Proud Filipino.     

The Philippine's is rich in natural resources and some sources of income would come from fishing, farming, mining and agriculture. Sceneries, hmmm, overall we have very beautiful places and and great landmarks where our mother nature is nurturing our beautiful islands.   

Just my point of views, if Philippine Archipelago (island's) is really connected to each other, same like with other neighboring South East Asian Nation's, I bet you if it's physically connected with these other SEA countries. I may guess, Philippine Economy would have grown faster and might be a good candidate or chance to be a first world country like Singapore?! Ha ha, not sure. I am a Filipino as I say it's my country. Really! Philippines is a beautiful place to live and life in here is enjoying if you have such money for enjoyment. ('', My country is the most promising nation in Southeast Asia. It is a potential powerhouse in the East someday. 



Thursday 15 October 2015

Aquaria KLCC

Me & Pepper
Actually the Aquaria is just a walking distance from Petronas Twin Towers. So after you explore and roam around this Tall Iconic Tower, normally visitors who come from the shopping centre may take the path through the underpass tunnel connecting from the lower-ground level of Suria KLCC (next to MayBank) to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. From here it is a just 5 minutes walk through the tunnel to Aquaria KLCC. 

The aquaria KLCC is a state-of-the-art aquarium showcasing over 5,000 different exhibits of aquatic and land-bound creatures over a sprawling multi-level space in the Concourse Level of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. 

From the tropical waters of the Asian region to the rainforests of the world, Aquaria KLCC takes you on a journey to discover the fascinating nature of aquatic life as well as the unique behaviour of animals and crawly creatures above water. 

Immerse in an absorbing aquatic experience (without getting your feet wet!) from the moment you enter Aquaria KLCC. An educational study charting the course of natural waters flowing from the highlands to the streams and deep sea is devised to help visitors appreciate water as a habitat and ecosystem. 

General Information: Did You Know That.. 


Aquaria was Designed by Experts 
Aquaria KLCC is a world-class aquarium that showcases animals & marine life from Malaysia and around the world. Aquaria KLCC was initiated, developed and is wholly-owned by Aquawalk Sdn Bhd, an MSC Status company incorporated in the year 2002.




It is Simply An Adventure and amazing 
Their Oceanarium boasts a 90-metre transparent tunnel with a moving walkway to take you past Sand Tiger sharks, Giant Stingrays, Marine turtles and shoals of other fishes.





An Ocean of Discovery 
Aquaria KLCC will take you on a journey of discovery that will simply take your breath away. Learn more about marine fauna found in Malaysia and the region, while taking advantage of our Aquaria experts as they share with you about how they interact in their natural habitats.




Feeding Sessions 
One of the signature experiences that many look forward to at Aquaria KLCC is our interactive feeding shows scheduled throughout the day around entire the aquarium facility. Here, visitors can witness how our friendly exhibits are fed by our professional team.



Other Activities:
Dive with Sharks, Cage Rage, Sleep with Sharks, Birthday Party, Marriage Proposal

The aquarium is open daily from 10.30am – 8.00pm.
(Including Weekends and Public Holidays)

So, for you guys who want to experience the fun with your family here's the info for admission fees. 

Admission Fees:


Admission Ticket:                        Admission Rate:                             MyKAD Admission RATE:    
Adult:                                             RM64                                                RM46
Child:                                             RM53                                                RM35
Senior Citizen :                                RM43                                                RM35


Other ways to Get Here...

From The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre

Aquaria KLCC is located on the Concourse Level and can be accessed by walking downwards from the main entrance located along Jalan Pinang.

From The KLCC Park

For those who prefer a more scenic route, a brisk walk via the KLCC Park will lead to the West Entrance of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. From here, it is just a short distance to the entrance of Aquaria KLCC.

Public Transportation To Aquaria KLCC

By RapidKL

Aquaria KLCC is a short walk from the Suria KLCC, RapidKL Kelana Jaya Line station. From the station, simply enter Suria KLCC and make your way through the underpass tunnel connecting from the lower-ground level of Suria KLCC (next Maybank) to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. From here it's a 5 minute walk through the tunnel to Aquaria KLCC.

By Bus

For those of you traveling via public buses, the most convenient way to visit Aquaria is by getting to the Suria KLCC Bus Stop. After that, just make your way to the underpass tunnel beside Maybank.

For passengers of the KL Hop On-Hop Off Bus Service, you may get off at the KLCC Garden Park stop (West wing KL Convention Centre).

Parking at AquariaKLCC

Parking is available at the adjoining outdoor car park and multi-level covered basement car park of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. For your convenience we recommend that you park at Suria KLCC as there is usually more parking space there.

Point of Interest-Petronas Twin Towers (KLCC)


The Petronas Towers, is also known as the Petronas Twin Towers. (In Malay word they call it Menara Petronas, or Menara Berkembar Petronas), so they are the twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)'s official definition and ranking, they were the tallest buildings in the world from year 1998 to 2004 and remain the tallest twin towers in the world. The buildings are a landmark of Kuala Lumpur, along with nearby Kuala Lumpur Tower.

Soaring to a height of 451.9 metres, the 88-storey twin structure is Kuala Lumpur's crown jewel. Majestic by day and dazzling at night, the PETRONAS Twin Towers is inspired by Tun Mahathir Mohamad's vision for Malaysia to be a global player or icon. Together with master architect Cesar Pelli, the international twin tower icon powerfully captures the nation's ambitions and aspirations. 

Go visit Malaysia and experience first the PETRONAS Twin Towers. Begin your tour with interactive displays that showcase the journey, from idea to completion. Scale 170 metres in an elevator with a futuristic edge. The doors will open at the Skybridge, a connecting structure between the towers and the world's highest 2-storey bridge. Ascend even higher to level 86, where the story of Malaysia's vision unfolds amid breathtaking views of Kuala Lumpur. Then wrap up your visit with exquisite souvenirs at the gift shop. 


Did You Know That.. General Info.

Got this from wiki and google search... Please do read..('',) 

KLCC Park View


KLCC Park
Spanning 17 acres (6.9 ha) below the building is the KLCC Park with jogging and walking paths, a fountain with incorporated light show, wading pools, and a children's playground.

Skybridge


A skybridge connects the two towers

An inside view of the skybridge

View to the northwest from the Petronas Towers skybridge, including the shadow of Tower 1 and the skybridge, and the Public Bank Berhadbuilding

One of the Petronas Towers spires
The towers feature a double decker skybridge connecting the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-story bridge in the world. It is not attached to the main structure, but is instead designed to slide in and out of the towers to prevent it from breaking, as the towers sway several feet in towards and away from each other during high winds. It also provides some structural support to the towers in these occasions. The bridge is 170 m (558 ft) above the ground and 58 m (190 ft) long, weighing 750 tons. The same floor is also known as the podium, since visitors going to higher levels have to change elevators here. 
The skybridge is open to all visitors, but tickets are limited to about 1000 people per day, and must be obtained on a first-come, first-served basis. Initially, the visit was free but in 2010, the tickets started being sold by Petronas. Visitors can choose to opt for package one which is just a visit to the skybridge or go for package two to go to the skybridge and all the way to level 86. Visitors are only allowed on the 41st floor as the 42nd floor can only be used by the tenants of the building.
The skybridge also acts as a safety device, so that in the event of a fire or other emergency in one tower, tenants can evacuate by crossing the skybridge to the other tower. The total evacuation triggered by a bomb hoax on 12 September 2001 (the day after the September 11 attacks destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City) showed that the bridge would not be useful if both towers need to be emptied simultaneously, as the capacity of the staircases was insufficient for such an event. Plans thus call for the lifts to be used if both towers need to be evacuated, and a successful drill following the revised plan was conducted in 2005.
There is a two hinged arch that supports the skybridge with arch legs, each 51 metres (167 ft) long, that are bolted to level 29 of each of the towers. After being constructed on the ground, the skybridge was lifted into place on the towers over a period of three days in July 1995 but instead of being directly connected to the towers, the skybridge can shift or slide in and out of them to counterbalance any effect from the wind. Residing on the 41st and 42nd floors, the skybridge connects a conference room, an executive dining room and a prayer room.

Lift system

The main bank of Otis Lifts is located in the centre of each tower. All main lifts are double-decker with the lower deck of the lift taking passengers to even-numbered floors and upper deck to odd-numbered floors. To reach an odd-numbered floor from ground level, passengers must take an escalator to the upper deck of the lift.
There are 29 double-deck passenger elevators, but there are different sets that service certain floors of the towers, specifically two sets of six of these double-deck passenger elevators to floors 1–23 and 1–37 respectively. Another set of 5 passenger lifts transport passengers to the 41st and 42nd floors where they can switch lifts to reach the upper zones of the buildings, each double-deck passenger lift with the capacity of 52 passengers or, 26 passengers per deck. There are also 6 heavy-duty elevators for utility.
From the ground floor, there are three groups of lifts. The "short haul" group of 6 lifts take passengers to floors between level 2/3 and level 16/17. The "mid haul" group of six lifts take passengers to floors between level 18/19 and level 37/38. There is also a set of shuttle lifts that take passengers directly to levels 41/42. To get to levels above 41/42, passengers must take the shuttle lifts, then change to lifts to the upper floors. These connecting lifts are directly above the lifts that serve levels 2 to 38. The pattern now repeats with the upper levels, one set serving levels 43/44 to 57/58 and one set serving levels 59/60 to levels 73/74.
Apart from this main bank of lifts, there are a series of "connecting" lifts to take people between the groups. Unlike the main lifts, these are not the double-decker type. Two lifts are provided to take people from levels 37/38 to levels 41/42 (levels 39 and 40 are not accessible as office space). This spares someone in the lower half of the building from having to go back to the ground floor to go to the upper half of the building.
The lifts contain a number of safety features. It is possible to evacuate people from a lift stuck between floors by manually driving one of the adjacent lifts next to it and opening a panel in the wall. It is then possible for people in the stuck lift to walk between lift cars. During an evacuation of the buildings, only the shuttle lift is allowed to be used, as there are only doors at levels G/1 and levels 41/42; therefore should there be a fire in the lower half of the building, this enclosed shaft would remain unaffected. Firefighter lifts are also provided in case of emergency.


Getting Here

From KLIA to Kuala Lumpur Twin Tower
From: Kuala Lumpur International Airport, 64000 Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia To: Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
By Taxi or Walk
The Petronas Twin Towers are in between Jalan Ampang and Jalan Raja Chulan. It is also next to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and opposite The Ascott.

By Light Rapid Transit (LRT)
The KLCC station is on the PUTRA LRT line.