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Spending my last few days in Bintan was one of the most enjoyable times of this year, it was truly pure relaxing and fun, with the accompany of  my fellow ah bangs.

I’m quite glad that the whole trip finally pulled of successfully, it proves that i am quite a great planner actually Though i was rather afraid that there might be some coordination problems with the accommodations and logistics, but it all turned out well and smooth.

Day 1

We took the earliest ferry to Bintan, hoping to maximize the amount of time we can have there.

The moment we reached there, there’s no time to waste. Its banana boat time! There were decent tanning decks around, despite the low cost resort we were staying.

When Mr Sun decides to shun off a little, we went off to our next activity, Kayaking. Now i finally understand why kayakers have such nice arm shape. Its really tiring even after a short distance of rowing.

We had doubles kayak, me and DW, while CS and JH. The fitness level is quite imba of the 2 teams. Unfortunately, me and DW’s boat capsized within like minutes. The waves was just bringing themselves onto the shore, and its difficult for us beginners especially to get the ball rolling. But it was not until too soon that we got the hang of it and managed to row to and fro the coast.

Sadly, all of us were in the waters, so no pictures taken.

The food prices there are exorbitantly high. Its all in Sing Dollars and a meal can easily go up to SGD20.

Luckily, we got our rations ready beforehand. We brought lots of cup noodles, biscuits, chips and even mineral waters. Being the typical Singaporean, we will not let ourselves be slaughtered at such places, spending money on unnecessary commodities.

Rain started pouring and we have not much choice but to stay indoors. We were all tired after the kayaking hence the visiting of the zee monster was inevitable.

We visited Pasar Oleh-oleh in the evening, it was probably the only place we managed to find cheaper food. Actually, what was cheapest there was… BEER. Check out the price.

There wasn’t much to shop there also, while waiting for the arrival of the coach, we spent most of our time in one particular store, while up and down to waste time. Also on the store which sells mind games.

Day 2

Looking at the prices for water sports, it seems that kayaking was the cheapest and worth the money. So we decided to go for another shot of it. This time, me and DW took single kayak. While JH volunteered to be our photographer.

Single is definitely more tiring, but it requires lesser coordination.

In the afternoon, after our cup noodles lunch, we headed down to the beautiful Nirwana Resort Hotel. It was the higher class version of our resort. Since it was under the same organisation, we are able to use their facilities.

We were there swimming, Jacuzzi-ing, playing sun tanning.. The number of sun tanning beds there is scary. Its all over the resort.

Back to reality, this is our resorts at Beach Club, which has great budget rates.

We spent the night playing cards, spamming the chips and biscuits and other food stuffs we brought for dinner. Check Jiahao out after he drank “Bintang” which is their local beer. He started going like a drunk dog and started his acronym fever.

Something like instead of saying ‘Orange Juice’ he says  ‘OJ’.

Day 3

Knowing that we wouldn’t be eating for the rest of the day, we spammed the breakfast at the resort. Ordering as much as we could, since its charges is inclusive of our room rates.

We got our room checked out and headed to the beautiful Nirwana Resort Hotel for more fun and activities. There was this huge chessboard there, check out the position that i am standing at.

I’m the KING!

And we started messing around with the chess pieces.

The last few stuffs we did was archery and rifle shooting, not very encouraging due to the super strong wind, which teo describes it as more powerful then Mitsubishi Speed 4.

True enough, the wind speed there was really very strong regardless of the timing. Especially now the monsoon season, where it is directly blowing down from the South China Sea.

The 3 days was truly well spent, with the company of fellow brudders.

Actually most of the time, we were just lying on the tanning bed enjoying the breeze and the sun. Something which is not achievable on Main island. To escape from the urban life and slack, real slack without worries.

It would be long till the next one while we spend our time the next 2 years serving the nations.

Play hard.. 11 more days!

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The title’s self explanatory.

This’s year band dinner was a total different experience from the previous ones i have had years ago. Well, probably of the venue, its not a hotel, its at some restaurant. I can’t really remember the name though.

The food’s quite bad i should say, maybe it’s my taste. It’s either too salty or too sweet and the variety for the buffet is like not even 10 course. So.. i more of less stuffed myself with fruits. I finished almost half a watermelon and another half of a honeydew.

Fruits buffet.

Such dinners are mostly about enjoying and taking pictures, so i shall cut the crap and post photos.

Here goes….

Mrs Tan, the most motherly figure in the band. She’s pregnant with another baby, very responsive to the government’s effort to increase birth rates.

The handsome boy clement, whom dressed so like a waitress i can’t help it but asked him to clear my plates. But he’s funny in it anyway which somehow spiced up the whole event. Especially in the limbo event.

This is just so candid. Pris just pop out of nowhere and it so fits the picture of laughing at Wei Jie’s Bird Nest hair.

My 2 legend band mates for 6 years.

More spastic photos, in appreciation of the flowers yuqing made.

So what group you think this is? The biggest party in NYJC Band.

Some post dinner activities, drinking. But it so doesn’t feel like it when there’s limited budget and time.

I shall post the rest of the pictures that i own in my gallery soon.

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The Bintan’s trip finally finalized and we are really embarking on it on the 28th. So, if i happen to have internet access there, u probably can see me online. If not you will see me back here in 3 days time.

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Stepping foot onto Sentosa once again equates to more tanning. However, sad to say the intensity of the Sun isn’t that great today especially with the light showers in the afternoon, so we had only mild tan.

But according to TDW and LJH, such sun intensity is great for more solid tanning. Just like the slow cooker, it takes time to produce a good bowl of soup/dish. Too much fire will cause it to get burnt(human skin as well) easily. So believe it or not.. I’m a little more tan now than this morning.

This is the scene of Coasters during the high tide and heavy rain, when they tried to salvage the situation by retrieving their tanning beds and chairs back . Apparently, it wasn’t very successful due to the strong wind and rain.

Dinner was what we were waiting for, after starving the whole day and so much activity going on. Pariss International Seafood Buffet @ Marina square, with AMKSS Band Teachers, conductors.. and guest Kenneth’s girlfriend.

Seriously, i think the food’s pretty decent, not very extraordinary, but alright. Unlike BT and DW, i don’t really like mussels, so there isn’t much expensive food for me to spam. Unless you want to include fish, which i think was the main animal of the day and abalone.

Something which might interest you guys, especially if you are a chocolate lover.

Esther, you looking at this? Jealous..? haha..

And they actually took a whole bowl of that chocolate from the fountain to the table. Easier access to the chocolate, haha.

There was this waitress, quite unfriendly one. She came to our table and collected the used plates. Apparently she didn’t see that there was still fish on one of the plates, maybe the fish camouflaged itself too nicely with the colour of the plate.

I think we posses some kind of eye power, when she removed the plate from the table. All of us didn’t make a noise, instead we locked our eyes on the plate as she took it away from our table. Within seconds, the waitress placed the plate back on the table.

Great isn’t it?

It’s so another day of shiokness, but right now i’m feeling so darn shag. After few days of hectic schedules i’m more or less burnt out.

 More events lining up for me, got to rest more to survive the fun.

Till then,

Have MORE FUN everyone!!

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Alright, my grandmother’s been admitted into hospital again, period.

Its the almost 3rd of 4th time since she has visited there a few years ago , mostly due to diabetic conditions of further complications leading from diabetes.

Sometimes i really feel that old people are bunch of stubborn people, they refuse to heed the advice of people and carry on with the unhealthy dealings they are doing.

Take for example my grandparents, they folks know clearly that they are not really in the best of their health, yet they continue to eat all the most unhealthy food they can find.

What’s worst, my grandfather smokes, even with past records of heart and lungs problem.

What exactly is their problem i don’t get it, really i don’t.

Its not that i am trying to dampen the relationships between them and me, or try to be an unfilial grandson. The fact that we provide them with the best information and advices for them to lead a better life ahead, they just can’t get it into their head.

What’s the joy of scrimping every cent of them they have, only have to suffer the pain illness, which is going to cost even more money still.

Why can’t they understand that it is not going to implicate themselves but also the people around them. I can see my dad these few days, running topsy- turvy to and fro the hospital to visit my granny.

Well, its definitely the responsibility of a child to take care of their parents when they age. But do it have to end up this way where one is lying on the bed, while the other by the bedside looking after?

I guess what’s best is to get them to live healthy NOW!, yes now, before its too late. I’ve seen too many cases of illness due to persistent unhealthy lifestyle and i would not wish that to strike on any of my family members.

Its not a case of denying the role and responsibility of a child, but think of it. Wouldn’t it be good for both party if both can enjoy the bliss of family happiness without much suffering pains and trouble.

You guys get the punt?  

You never know what’s going to happen in due course, start early and reap the good karma in the long run.

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Well, I’m currently in the AMKSS Band Room, using the ingenious method of obtaining wireless connection using the school LAN Ports.

The dreadful exams have finally ended like 2 days ago for me, and somehow the feeling is just a block of emptiness in my mind, though i have tons of stuffs that can keep me accompanied with.

The life in Nanyang was a swift one, in a twitch of an eye, its all over. Reminiscing the early days in there where i practically hated everything there, the school , the system the band, the people and stuffs. But i had to succumb to fate that NY was truly my school and i’m going to spend the rest of my 2 years of pre university education there instead of AJ, though ii am quite glad now that i have made the right choice that is more suited for me.

After about 1 and a half years there, though short, but still something that had left an impact in my life and will be remembered through the memory lane in the later part of my life.

 Some of the nitty gritty things  that i will probably miss..

• Chasing the 133 Bus from my house’s busstop.
• Sleeping in the library with 0603guys during breaks.
• The hell load of fun during the PW period, where we gamed more than we worked.
• The tremendous amount of tutorials AK would throw at us.
• The criticism and sarcasms of TJW.
• and a the list goes on and on…

Now that exams and schooling is officially over, its kind of weird doing things that we don’t usually do in the past, or for the pass few months and weeks.

I was lazing around the bed the other day, then i suddenly had the thought that i was supposed to like not waste my life around but to revise through my notes and stuffs. It was only then i realised “hey man, alevels’ over, exams’ over”. Its not like a sinful thing to just lie on the bed, looking aimlessly on the ceiling, unlike the past.

Its a breakthrough from the monotonous life that we once walked on, going through the same procedures over and over again everyday. Waking up and heading to a fine destination to mug, and then back home.. SLEEP.

After the 12 years of education, this is like the biggest transition in life. To get into the workforce and serve the nation(for guys) and stuffs. This is the point where it marks adulthood. No more concession fares for students, be it on buses, gyms or swimming pools. I guess the burn in our pocket is just going to get bigger when January 1st strikes.

Congratulations to Bio Students which apparently just finished their last paper.

Till then

Happy Holidays

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It seems that my life without studying is rather busy still.

My body seemed to be still under the fatigue of the studying of the alevels. i don’t really feel as energetic as before i don’t know why.

But anyway, i have been too tired to update the last few days, especially after the wedding dinners.

At least after 2 nights of wine and delicacy, i’m in a more refreshed state now.

Some picture from the wedding dinner.

My handsome brother trying to act cool..

I shall embark on the last paper for A Levels, and probably the last time i am going to wear the piece of brown cloth.

I shall keep my updates going soon, been rather busy these days. Especially after A’s, ironically.

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It feels great to be back on the track, in the swimming pool and in the gym again. Now i can feel a little aches here and there which makes me feel great.

I think its more or less time to revert to my normal healthier lifestyles, exercise more and eating out less. Knowing that if i eat at home, the food would be like 937649 times healthier than outside stuffs. But sometimes its a little hard to keep the taste buds down yea also..

But looking at the dealings i have after 20th Nov, it seems that it is almost impossible to eat out less looking at the amount of dealings i have..

17Nov - Wedding Dinner

18 Nov - BBQ w WestWinds

18Nov- Wedding Dinner

21 Nov - AMKSS Alumni Band Dinner =x

26 Nov - Dinner with teachers

27 Nov - NYJCSB Band Dinner

and a couple of family gatherings at restaurants..

Hmm, somehow i am looking forward to these events.. haha. Well, with some exercises along the way i guess they wouldn’t add up to that much of carbo.

Any one interested for run or swim or any physical activities pls come look for me.

I got free lobang for swimming pools entry. Yes FREE.

How i wish Physics was over.

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This is what happens to me when i get so obsessed in getting AAAAAAAAAs..

Haha, kind of scary isn’t it.

I’m kind of reaching full employment, i am on the PPC curve now.

I need to expand out my PPC curve, to memorize more things for Economics and Human Geography.

Some factors that can expand my PPC curve includes Supply Side Policies. Some of these policies can include..

• More cash for newer toys like PSP, or set up a PSP fund for me.
• Some nicer people in my life.. hmm heh..
• MORE SLEEP
• Get to use more of muscles than the brain..

I’m getting madder as the day passes, don’t be surprise that i visit Buangkok before 20 November.

All these mugging better be fruitful, if not its will be so sad.

T_T

Love, (mugging)

Daryl

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Here i am once again blogging at MacDonalds, taking a break away from the overwhelming ageing population policies.

This would probably be the last time i would be here overnight as my papers resume on Tuesday. As what i can feel on myself, persistent mugging and having the owl lifestyle is nowhere beneficial for health. Funny health symptoms starts appearing and thats when you know that your body is telling you 

 ”hey.. time to give me a break ! “

I’m starting to love geography more and more. Its getting more and more comprehensive as i start to delve more into it.

Geography, as scary it may seems on the part of memorizing, is one of the subjects that i feel that can change the way one think and be of great use if life even if your future career doesn’t depend on it.

The content of geography is so down to earth that its all around us, just that we do not really  bother about the causes and effects unless we really go into the studies of it. It’s everywhere.

Looking back at the time i had spent in JC, it suddenly struck me that i actually learnt so much things in the course of 2 years.

Ranging from volcanoes to river floods, atmospheric conditions and hazards like global warming, cyclones and drought.  As for the human aspect, the economical globalization of the world, the changing demographic patterns of societies and the development of cities in urbanization. And all these is just for geography only, not forgetting other subjects like Math, Economics, Physics, GP….

As hateful i might depict JC life to be in my heart, but truly i feel that there aren’t much educational levels that allows student to absorb so much things in a mere 2 year course.

Though it has its own set of complains that people raves about that the stress and workload level is unbearable as such. Its probably some of the sacrifices that we have to put in for  education.

So, for those who are contemplating whether to embrace JC life or some other institutes, ask yourself if you are ready for college, and whether is college ready for you. Are you prepared to put in the extra effort and sacrifices to go thru the arduous 2 year course.

It’s almost inevitable to suffer setbacks and emotional states during the course of 2 years, its part of the growing process that makes you a stronger person, being able to deal with more challenges in the later part in  life.

I have reached the end of college life in a blink, its fast, especially this year when events like SYF and other stuffs just take up all your time that one wouldn’t have much time to think about other things other than school most of the time.

For those who are still hanging on to college, continue and bear with it! Its halfway thru the journey and not worthwhile to give up just like that.

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Its the society that we are living in, the level of competitiveness we have for one another. Its the harsh fact that however friend we might be with one another (your counterparts), we are still competiting!

Was having a short conversation with Deborah in the afternoon, who she is now mugging for University exams. I cannot imagine myself, having to go through all these all over again in like another 365 days if i make it to Uni. Very glad, very, that there is NS to tide me over and give a break to studying. Hopefully that the brain wouldn’t turn rusty.

This is reality, the reality that in order to step into society with more glam, we need qualification, a mere piece of paper. What do we want to achieve in the over decades of educational life we go through? Paper?

Is it really that we want to achieve, if that is, i think it’s kind of sad. What is the main motive in life that is actually keeping us going..

We shall look for the answers ourselves, if we ever find it.

The reality is this, paper it is.

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Shall sum up things with pictures.

I was packing some of my cupboards when i found this. Nostalgic ain’t it. This name tag is currently extinct, as the school has switched to sewn on name tags.

 I found this too, anybody tried dismantling hard disks? It looks like this in the inside. Just one piece of metal disc, where all your information and data are stored.

 How does it feels to own McDonalds? Yes, indeed, how about being the ONLY customer left in there.

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Mugging hasn’t been more tiring than this before. 

Its really a terror to study full swing for arts subjects. All one just have to do is to memorize and analyze, lacking the calculation and thinking part which is needed for science subjects which probably give more tinge of satisfaction when the correct answer is worked out.

I’m realizing, more of realized that i don’t actually have much time left .  Geography and Economics, its burning me out.

Somehow, i feel that at such critical period, the differential line that filters off the good students and the mediocre  is the mere word..

Concentration

Its quite hard i have to agree, but i just have to force it upon myself this word. There are thousand and one things in the world happening around us that can grab our attention away, and it is to our own determination whether we can shun them away or accept it in fate.

In order to maximize the efforts on learning, i can’t stress more on the importance of the above.

We have come this far, it is utterly stupid to get distracted by little things now that will affect the brightness of our future.

Hang on people, and myself, its going to be over soon before we know it.

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Some sidetracks, i was kind of appalled at some of the things grownups do nowadays.

Daryl’s definition of grownups refers to someone that is older than him, cause he consider himself getting older everyday with books and memorizing work turning lots of his hair white.

I was at MacDonalds yesterday, and it was almost midnight timing that 3 aged 20 plus walked in with their laptops. They were carrying their laptop, and at that very instance my instinct tells me that they are University Students and are most probably doing their FYP or something like that.

Here’s Reality

Out of curiosity, i walked closer to have a look..

They were actually tapping on the wireless@SG, playing maplestory!!!

Yes, its maplestory and i am not blind. The 2D online game that was designed for children, and its not them only, i’ve seen many people doing this same thing at public locations.

Well, i can’t say much, wireless@SG is a public good, and there is non-excludability in consumption, provided you have a notebook.

Look at the cute cartoons, imagine adults playing them. Some of my friends out there play that too, i don’t know why..

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There’s going to be serious flooding in UK, due to the storm surges.

Are our exam scripts going to reach there safely?

Will our scripts be wet?

Bullshit!

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Introducing a new tool, superb for hardcore bloggers like me. The Windows Live Writer.

Windows Live Writer is a desktop blog publishing application. It features What You See is What You Get (WYSIWYG) Authoring, Photo Publishing and Map Publishing.

Its somewhat similar to Microsoft Word, just that you can set up your blog with this software and not login to any websites to post your blog entries. With this software, you can do writing of blog entries in advance offline and save them as drafts before publishing them when you have the internet connection.

It has a friendly interface, the design and colour of the interface looks cool too.

Some of its features,

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Today marks the end of my maths life. Its the end of A Levels Mathematics Paper, and the rest are mostly writing and memorising.

Say goodbye to my lovely Graphic Calculator, displace numerical values and symbols out of my mind for the moment. There’s a huge pile of notes beside my table top now, they consists of notes and works of the completed subjects and paper. Its growing, and i can’t help but feel happy about it.

I smell freedom, its near.

I have 6 days to prepare for the upcoming papers, the more challenging and tough ones. Economics and Geography Paper 2, considering that i haven’t touched them since aeons ago, kind of rusty already. I wished i had a delete button integrated in my brain, so that i can easily clear those stuffs i have memorized for Physical Geog, GP, Math, etc, and store in new stuffs. Sad to say i don’t have a lot of storage space allocated for studies, its kind of little i must confess, and i tend to remember things that is unnecessary. Absurd.

As said on my title, correction, its more than half way already. 6 out of 10 papers down, four more left, 14 days. Mug on!

Should i study in Starbucks, or library…? Hmm.. Choice, decision, sacrifices, delusions, fantasies.. REALITY!

Its the productiveness that counts though, without the extra perks while studying.. Haha, i don’t really get what i am saying here.

I guess its probably the end of O’levels exams already, DON’T GLOAT!, its not the end of your educational path, its just a transition point. Similar for A Level students though, but somehow i think NS is quite a good place for guys, to get away from studies for a while and grow some muscles, to be a man. Sad for the females, where they will once again embark on their arduous journey to study and mug, though its a whole new environment but somehow the life would be the same revolving around notes and more notes.

Seems like i’m starting to embrace NS with a smile. 1 month and 4 days to my enlistment, anyone want to send me off at Chua Choa Kang MRT? Sad to say i only have 2 invitations to the Police Academy and they are taken up by my family members. A send-off at CCK MRT would be good enough, take some photos with old friends before we meet again and till i have hair all over again.

Till then..

Happy mugging!

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With the uprise of the number of blogs and bloggers in Singapore and all over the world, it has slowly become another avenue for companies to make use of these sites as a medium to advertise their products. I have viewed many blogs by famous people around, many of them have a certain degree of advertisements being presented on their blogs.

I guessed its about time that i make use of my blog and make some extra cash for myself.

Having researched about the current advertising scene in Singapore, i noticed that Ad Sense Google is one of the most used advertising company by many blogs. However, in my opinion, i feel that the advertisements they provide are not exactly appealing the the eyes on the cosmetic aspect. Most of them are merely words and I find it more irritating, i would not want to press on those links lest they bring me to some other non-related pages.

Having thought through for a while, here i present you with…

Advertlets.com

Advertlets.com is giving away cash for putting advertisements on your blog. All you have to do is to do a review about Advertlets.com on your blog and you are on your way to earning money for posting on your blog. What beats earning money while blogging, isn’t that killing two birds with one stone?

Now, with Advertlet’s Advertisment on my side widget bar, i am one step ahead than all of you out there in making my first million dollar.

Some of the things that i like about advertlets.com

For Bloggers,

• The design of the widget looks pretty interesting and attractive with good combinations of colours. It adds on to the appeal of your blog!
• It is not a mere advertising widget, it also lets you keep track of who your readers are and provides you with detailed statistics of the traffic on your blog
• Bloggers can get access to free website tools to upgrade their blog further
• Easy and friendly interface of advertlets.com main page to aid you in navigating around
• AND MOST IMPORTANTLY…you get to earn money.

For Advertisers,

• You get to advertised your goods and services at the appropriate targeted audience to maximize results.
• Get accessed to more mediums of advertising to follow the uphill trend of weblogs advertisments.
• Generate more revenue when the targeted audience click on the link and get ready for more businesses coming your way!

Advertlets.com is a local advertising network that are built and managed by Josh Lim & Associates. Advertlets.com it is currently the 385th most visited website in Malaysia. Having only started only for less than a year, they are able to achieve such results, it is indeed a remarkable achievements.

Many people out there have already received their cashouts from advertlets.com, with the minimum payout set at RM100, it will be in no time that you will recieve your cheque from them. You can google ’advertlets" and see how many of these bloggers out there have already received their monies and are feeling happy about it.

So, what are you waiting for. Visit www.advertlets.com now for more infomation and get ready to see pleasant looking advertisements flashing around on your site.

This is a sponsored review

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Time for more news updates and commentary of some issues that are of concerned to geography.

BLITAR, Indonesia - Continuous tremors rocked a threatening volcano on Indonesia’s main Java island on Friday, a scientist said, warning it could erupt at any time.

Authorities placed historically deadly Mount Kelut on red alert more than two weeks ago, but until Thursday when hundreds of tremors shook the peak its activity had remained largely calm.…….

Many returned home despite evacuation efforts when the alert was initially raised, or refused to leave altogether.

Officials said they were planning to set up cinema screens and invite pop singers to perform at evacuation shelters in an effort to lure people to safety.

“We will set up an outdoor cinema at several shelters in Blitar district in order to attract people to evacuate,” said Kamtono, a local official from one of the two districts that would be affected by an eruption.

“We are having big difficulties asking people to evacuate. They don’t want to leave their livestock untended in the village and they also still believe the elderly people who are saying that Kelut won’t erupt soon,” he told AFP………

To read more,  press here.

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Right here we are looking at Indonesia, situated at the belt of Pacific Ring of Fire,who is home to 129 active volcanoes. Looking at the article, i can’t help it but feel sad for them.

The people that live there feel more for their possessions, like their livestocks, than their life actually. The local government even had to use the carrot stick method, to attract and lure them out from their den.

Somehow its not very right to put the blame on them, considering the level of standard of living they are experiencing and the level of education they received.

Right here in Singapore, we might think that they are not making a wise choice to not abandon their homes and seek for safety and shelter. But if we step into their shoes and think, what they have in their cupboards are probably all that they have, their fields and livestocks are their main source of income and livelihood. Losing them would equate to losing their monetary support which would make life even more unbearable for them; without food and money.

It seems that the evacuation  job of the local authorities would not be a easy job, especially when most of the families are in the kind of situation as mentioned above. Furthermore, there are many elderlies that have the religious/superstitious mindset that the volcano would not erupt as soon, or that it is the act of God and they should just accept it.

This is part of the Hazards and Management of Lithospheric Management, where the tectonic activities which results in volcanic activity have to be managed.

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