Please excuse the odd formatting and any blatent spelling errors. This computer doesn't pick up on English errors all that well.
I am quite bored at work right now. I have been working on this presentation to the office for quite some time now, and I’m bored with it. Although it is interesting, I’ve just been looking at it for too long. The presentation compares LEED to GBI. LEED is the US-based green building standard and GBI is the Malaysian one. It is interesting, because sustainability seems to be half-hearted here. I am surprised and not at the same time. Although there are many luxuries of a developed nation, as a whole, Malaysia is still a developing place. It is also no secret that much of the rainforest here has been, well, raped and turned into palm oil plantations with most of the oldest rainforests in the world gone forever. Sad, yes, but at the same time, people who are struggling to make it in a rapidly developing world and be able to compete on a global market often have no other option. As a whole, Malaysia treats their forests better than Indonesia. However, I knew this before I got here so it’s nothing new to me.
The Amazon has a similar problem. It’s sad and it’s wrong, but corruption in the government leads to exploitation without thought of long-term consequence regardless of development level as a whole.
There are some surprising things of note though. Every take-away meal is complete with a Styrofoam box and a small plastic back. Two things that are virtually indestructible. I didn’t notice this until I came here, but in the US there is much more cardboard/paper disposable containers and sturdy corn-based take-away boxes are becoming the norm. Granted these things cannot be recycled if they are stained with oils and food, however, they do decompose. I think that given its food culture, Malaysia should adopt a more sustainable means of doing the whole take-away thing. Especially since recycling is practically non-existent here. It’s actually cheaper, and I don’t really understand why you need a plastic bag when you can just hold the carton in your hand.
§ However, they are more energy conscious here in the home.
· Fans, tvs, lights, ect are not left on when no one is home. This includes air con. It goes even further, where typical homes only have air con in bedrooms and if you are wealthy enough in the living room (although it is only on when occupied). Furthermore, because MY does not follow the IBC (international building code) corridors and hallways of public places/residences (excluding malls) are naturally ventilated.
· Every outlet has an on/off switch. This stops the small amount of electricity from flowing through your appliances even when they are turned off (and also the obvious reason of child safety).
· I’ve also noticed that hot tap water is hard to come by, as is cold. It’s room temperature, saving on the energy costs of heating and cooling water. The standard shower also uses instant hot water.
o Yet even still, faucets and water appliances are leaky and rarely turn off immediately.
§ I suppose overall it has its ups and downs just like the USA. However, sustainability in design (aside from throwing on a green roof or green element somewhere) seems to be an afterthought at best. Orientation is considered, as well as natural light, but in terms of energy saving strategies and the like I don’t see too much of it.
In terms of my week, it has been simply work, gym, and catching up on things from back home/working out my trip to Bali. I went out to dinner at a Mamak (Indian) place and had some delicious roti (unleven bread, comes with some spicy dips) with a bunch of CSers in Bukit Bitang. BB is essentially a techy’s wet dream. There are stores selling all kinds of electronics at discounted prices. I need to go there at some point to get my point and shoot fixed (yes, I found it...in the depths of my dirty laundry of all places…). However, I had a limited amount of time so I just had dinner. In a frenzy to get home in time to talk to MB (we hadn’t talked in a really long time) I forgot to pay. Fortunately, I’ll be seeing my CS buddies soon at a meet up in a jungle lodge so I’ll be sure to pay them back. I don’t like owing people money though. Thanks a bunch for covering for me E!
Don't ask why this is bulleted, or formatted weird. Just take it for what it is lah.
TGIF party in, party in (Q was singing that song this morning and it is still stuck in my head...but I guess that's what I get for teasing him all the time.)
-M
Please excuse the odd formatting and any blatent spelling errors. This computer doesn't pick up on English errors all that well.
I am quite bored at work right now. I have been working on this presentation to the office for quite some time now, and I’m bored with it. Although it is interesting, I’ve just been looking at it for too long. The presentation compares LEED to GBI. LEED is the US-based green building standard and GBI is the Malaysian one. It is interesting, because sustainability seems to be half-hearted here. I am surprised and not at the same time. Although there are many luxuries of a developed nation, as a whole, Malaysia is still a developing place. It is also no secret that much of the rainforest here has been, well, raped and turned into palm oil plantations with most of the oldest rainforests in the world gone forever. Sad, yes, but at the same time, people who are struggling to make it in a rapidly developing world and be able to compete on a global market often have no other option. As a whole, Malaysia treats their forests better than Indonesia. However, I knew this before I got here so it’s nothing new to me.
The Amazon has a similar problem. It’s sad and it’s wrong, but corruption in the government leads to exploitation without thought of long-term consequence regardless of development level as a whole.
There are some surprising things of note though. Every take-away meal is complete with a Styrofoam box and a small plastic back. Two things that are virtually indestructible. I didn’t notice this until I came here, but in the US there is much more cardboard/paper disposable containers and sturdy corn-based take-away boxes are becoming the norm. Granted these things cannot be recycled if they are stained with oils and food, however, they do decompose. I think that given its food culture, Malaysia should adopt a more sustainable means of doing the whole take-away thing. Especially since recycling is practically non-existent here. It’s actually cheaper, and I don’t really understand why you need a plastic bag when you can just hold the carton in your hand.
§ However, they are more energy conscious here in the home.
· Fans, tvs, lights, ect are not left on when no one is home. This includes air con. It goes even further, where typical homes only have air con in bedrooms and if you are wealthy enough in the living room (although it is only on when occupied). Furthermore, because MY does not follow the IBC (international building code) corridors and hallways of public places/residences (excluding malls) are naturally ventilated.
· Every outlet has an on/off switch. This stops the small amount of electricity from flowing through your appliances even when they are turned off (and also the obvious reason of child safety).
· I’ve also noticed that hot tap water is hard to come by, as is cold. It’s room temperature, saving on the energy costs of heating and cooling water. The standard shower also uses instant hot water.
o Yet even still, faucets and water appliances are leaky and rarely turn off immediately.
§ I suppose overall it has its ups and downs just like the USA. However, sustainability in design (aside from throwing on a green roof or green element somewhere) seems to be an afterthought at best. Orientation is considered, as well as natural light, but in terms of energy saving strategies and the like I don’t see too much of it.
In terms of my week, it has been simply work, gym, and catching up on things from back home/working out my trip to Bali. I went out to dinner at a Mamak (Indian) place and had some delicious roti (unleven bread, comes with some spicy dips) with a bunch of CSers in Bukit Bitang. BB is essentially a techy’s wet dream. There are stores selling all kinds of electronics at discounted prices. I need to go there at some point to get my point and shoot fixed (yes, I found it...in the depths of my dirty laundry of all places…). However, I had a limited amount of time so I just had dinner. In a frenzy to get home in time to talk to MB (we hadn’t talked in a really long time) I forgot to pay. Fortunately, I’ll be seeing my CS buddies soon at a meet up in a jungle lodge so I’ll be sure to pay them back. I don’t like owing people money though. Thanks a bunch for covering for me E!
Don't ask why this is bulleted, or formatted weird. Just take it for what it is lah.
TGIF party in, party in (Q was singing that song this morning and it is still stuck in my head...but I guess that's what I get for teasing him all the time.)
-M
Please excuse the odd formatting and any blatent spelling errors. This computer doesn't pick up on English errors all that well.
I am quite bored at work right now. I have been working on this presentation to the office for quite some time now, and I’m bored with it. Although it is interesting, I’ve just been looking at it for too long. The presentation compares LEED to GBI. LEED is the US-based green building standard and GBI is the Malaysian one. It is interesting, because sustainability seems to be half-hearted here. I am surprised and not at the same time. Although there are many luxuries of a developed nation, as a whole, Malaysia is still a developing place. It is also no secret that much of the rainforest here has been, well, raped and turned into palm oil plantations with most of the oldest rainforests in the world gone forever. Sad, yes, but at the same time, people who are struggling to make it in a rapidly developing world and be able to compete on a global market often have no other option. As a whole, Malaysia treats their forests better than Indonesia. However, I knew this before I got here so it’s nothing new to me.
The Amazon has a similar problem. It’s sad and it’s wrong, but corruption in the government leads to exploitation without thought of long-term consequence regardless of development level as a whole.
There are some surprising things of note though. Every take-away meal is complete with a Styrofoam box and a small plastic back. Two things that are virtually indestructible. I didn’t notice this until I came here, but in the US there is much more cardboard/paper disposable containers and sturdy corn-based take-away boxes are becoming the norm. Granted these things cannot be recycled if they are stained with oils and food, however, they do decompose. I think that given its food culture, Malaysia should adopt a more sustainable means of doing the whole take-away thing. Especially since recycling is practically non-existent here. It’s actually cheaper, and I don’t really understand why you need a plastic bag when you can just hold the carton in your hand.
§ However, they are more energy conscious here in the home.
· Fans, tvs, lights, ect are not left on when no one is home. This includes air con. It goes even further, where typical homes only have air con in bedrooms and if you are wealthy enough in the living room (although it is only on when occupied). Furthermore, because MY does not follow the IBC (international building code) corridors and hallways of public places/residences (excluding malls) are naturally ventilated.
· Every outlet has an on/off switch. This stops the small amount of electricity from flowing through your appliances even when they are turned off (and also the obvious reason of child safety).
· I’ve also noticed that hot tap water is hard to come by, as is cold. It’s room temperature, saving on the energy costs of heating and cooling water. The standard shower also uses instant hot water.
o Yet even still, faucets and water appliances are leaky and rarely turn off immediately.
§ I suppose overall it has its ups and downs just like the USA. However, sustainability in design (aside from throwing on a green roof or green element somewhere) seems to be an afterthought at best. Orientation is considered, as well as natural light, but in terms of energy saving strategies and the like I don’t see too much of it.
In terms of my week, it has been simply work, gym, and catching up on things from back home/working out my trip to Bali. I went out to dinner at a Mamak (Indian) place and had some delicious roti (unleven bread, comes with some spicy dips) with a bunch of CSers in Bukit Bitang. BB is essentially a techy’s wet dream. There are stores selling all kinds of electronics at discounted prices. I need to go there at some point to get my point and shoot fixed (yes, I found it...in the depths of my dirty laundry of all places…). However, I had a limited amount of time so I just had dinner. In a frenzy to get home in time to talk to MB (we hadn’t talked in a really long time) I forgot to pay. Fortunately, I’ll be seeing my CS buddies soon at a meet up in a jungle lodge so I’ll be sure to pay them back. I don’t like owing people money though. Thanks a bunch for covering for me E!
Don't ask why this is bulleted, or formatted weird. Just take it for what it is lah.
TGIF party in, party in (Q was singing that song this morning and it is still stuck in my head...but I guess that's what I get for teasing him all the time.)
-M
Please excuse the odd formatting and any blatent spelling errors. This computer doesn't pick up on English errors all that well.
I am quite bored at work right now. I have been working on this presentation to the office for quite some time now, and I’m bored with it. Although it is interesting, I’ve just been looking at it for too long. The presentation compares LEED to GBI. LEED is the US-based green building standard and GBI is the Malaysian one. It is interesting, because sustainability seems to be half-hearted here. I am surprised and not at the same time. Although there are many luxuries of a developed nation, as a whole, Malaysia is still a developing place. It is also no secret that much of the rainforest here has been, well, raped and turned into palm oil plantations with most of the oldest rainforests in the world gone forever. Sad, yes, but at the same time, people who are struggling to make it in a rapidly developing world and be able to compete on a global market often have no other option. As a whole, Malaysia treats their forests better than Indonesia. However, I knew this before I got here so it’s nothing new to me.
The Amazon has a similar problem. It’s sad and it’s wrong, but corruption in the government leads to exploitation without thought of long-term consequence regardless of development level as a whole.
There are some surprising things of note though. Every take-away meal is complete with a Styrofoam box and a small plastic back. Two things that are virtually indestructible. I didn’t notice this until I came here, but in the US there is much more cardboard/paper disposable containers and sturdy corn-based take-away boxes are becoming the norm. Granted these things cannot be recycled if they are stained with oils and food, however, they do decompose. I think that given its food culture, Malaysia should adopt a more sustainable means of doing the whole take-away thing. Especially since recycling is practically non-existent here. It’s actually cheaper, and I don’t really understand why you need a plastic bag when you can just hold the carton in your hand.
§ However, they are more energy conscious here in the home.
· Fans, tvs, lights, ect are not left on when no one is home. This includes air con. It goes even further, where typical homes only have air con in bedrooms and if you are wealthy enough in the living room (although it is only on when occupied). Furthermore, because MY does not follow the IBC (international building code) corridors and hallways of public places/residences (excluding malls) are naturally ventilated.
· Every outlet has an on/off switch. This stops the small amount of electricity from flowing through your appliances even when they are turned off (and also the obvious reason of child safety).
· I’ve also noticed that hot tap water is hard to come by, as is cold. It’s room temperature, saving on the energy costs of heating and cooling water. The standard shower also uses instant hot water.
o Yet even still, faucets and water appliances are leaky and rarely turn off immediately.
§ I suppose overall it has its ups and downs just like the USA. However, sustainability in design (aside from throwing on a green roof or green element somewhere) seems to be an afterthought at best. Orientation is considered, as well as natural light, but in terms of energy saving strategies and the like I don’t see too much of it.
In terms of my week, it has been simply work, gym, and catching up on things from back home/working out my trip to Bali. I went out to dinner at a Mamak (Indian) place and had some delicious roti (unleven bread, comes with some spicy dips) with a bunch of CSers in Bukit Bitang. BB is essentially a techy’s wet dream. There are stores selling all kinds of electronics at discounted prices. I need to go there at some point to get my point and shoot fixed (yes, I found it...in the depths of my dirty laundry of all places…). However, I had a limited amount of time so I just had dinner. In a frenzy to get home in time to talk to MB (we hadn’t talked in a really long time) I forgot to pay. Fortunately, I’ll be seeing my CS buddies soon at a meet up in a jungle lodge so I’ll be sure to pay them back. I don’t like owing people money though. Thanks a bunch for covering for me E!
Don't ask why this is bulleted, or formatted weird. Just take it for what it is lah.
TGIF party in, party in (Q was singing that song this morning and it is still stuck in my head...but I guess that's what I get for teasing him all the time.)
-M
