Old pictures bring back old memories. My students put back their old pictures in the Facebook. Looking at them before and now, they are totally different. Thru the facebook they are re-grouping themselves and arrange for the re-union. I have attended several of their re-union events and I felt happy and joyous to see them as most of them are successful people. Like fathers, at time my tears flow when look at their old photos. I know that I am leaving them soon while they have a long way to go.

MY STUDENTS ARE THE BEST

I have several students who are doing very well and also ham operators. A few work with Petronas, lecturers, managers, bankers and successful business people. I am glad I still live to see them as they are. Luckily for me also that I do not retire and live in poverty.

I would like to convey my greatest thanks to a couple ( husband and wife ), Zaini and Norlela, who created a web page for me so that I can meet my former students. Norlela is running a Secret Recepi in Jitra and Alor Setar, and Zaini is a big time contractor. They are rich and wealthy.

I know my students and their mind set up. Those who started with the We Got To Be Number One moto will still remember the school they built till it became a well known institution.  Good luck to them.

Top                                               

BELIEVING IN THE ALMIGHTY

People do not fear God because they do not suffer any immediate paint when committing sins. Hence they continue with the cheating, bluffing and robbing spree. And killing innocent people under the name of killing the enemy.

The believers should not pre-defined God wrath in term of human view. We can't even see the wrath though some holly people tried to associate it with major natural disaster like earth quake, fire cyclone and Sunami. There is no prediction and guessing. 

Some mysterious things do happen some time. May be or may be not God interferes with human affair. I believe that prayer and asking for God's help can help. And those who are too cruel will somehow get the earthly payment in a mysterious way. By God's will government can change hand.

Like criminals cruel people would not see or admit their cruelty. They fear no God nor God's wrath. 

Recently I went to see Nik Aziz's house to have some idea of his life. I just had a look and then drove away. There were no guard's house or body guards around. It is not a palace but merely a small abode. I wish great leaders from big nation would visit his house.

True that big house does not mean bad people is living in there. People with 100 body guards do not mean that they fear of being murdered. 

Above is the image of a milky way. There are million of stars out there. Look at them and THINK. Think the natural law of physic and chemistry and the behavior of each thing associated with them. And think of the many co-incidences. Are they co-incidences ?

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10 METER IS ANOTHER NEW CB BAND ?

The comment by foreign hams about 10 meter as a new CB band should not be taken lightly though it is a general statement. A lot of foreign hams are monitoring it. I am pretty sure the MCMC did not. Even if someone did the monitoring, I think he would not know what it was all about. I really don't know who replied to which stations on 10 meter. But people were learning what sort of hams were there. If it were concluded as another new CB band by many, then those many would not participate and probably would not answer calls except for some stations deemed as normal hams.

It all came back to the question of morality. I read a blog writing about morality on issues of politics, which mentioned the phrase 'unknown of shame'. When foreigners graded our universities we made a lot of noise pointing at the fallacy. But that's the view of the foreigners, true or false like people say I am bad, which it is not my position to say I am good. I would have to feel sorry to myself and not to howl all over saying I am the good guy. I have to have some morality.

I have not been to work on 10 meter for my own reason. I heard guys bragging on 2 meter about their DX communications. I was guessing that the communication could have been with people of the same kind, generally no-coder hams originated from the CBs. Then one or two 9Ms stations narrated that they had a pile up on the band. Later I heard the unfavorable comment.

If the MCMC took things seriously and monitored the 10 meter probably it would not even put further openings of band in the 2010 draft. I would just believe on the 'Tidak ada' and 'Lebih kurang' attitude as being debated in the newspaper currently. I happen to know that impertinent questions would be asked on HF band by a few local hams because they have done on the local band. These were never put in the RAE question papers.

An essay by Bakri Musa in this web page is to show how really educated we are by the standard and quality of education in Malaysia. How much the high profile people know about meritocracy and majority and the danger of the later, and constitute the majority. How well can we think by seeing both world, the West and the East. You read the blog and see how people argue things.

The debate on about 'The Malays are lazy and Stupid' is to open our mind by looking at ourselves why we are being duped as weak people.

They are all related. Even about the failure of Industrial Master Plan and the failure of Perwaja and the murder of Jalil in case of Bank Bumiputera. They are all about our mentality. We keep on repeating doing the silly stuffs. The failure of many educational programs adopted from the West had wasted a lot of resources.

That 10 meter comment is not a small thing.

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I AM A DUMB

I dared not  publish my profile for fear of someone would call me stupid and secondly would say I am trying to show off. Nevertheless at last I put up a part of it on the first page of the 9m2ar.com to avoid repeated question on my background. Didn't you hear graduates are called stupid ? I just kept on wandering who are the smart guys. You want to know how dumb I am you just take a look at my stupid thinking in the flow below. It is the complete algorithm for counting the number of students getting what grade in what subjects.

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim zzn
If Right(App.Path, 1) = "\" Then
FileCopy App.Path + "headkos.mdb", App.Path + patlima + "headcount.mdb"
Data3.DatabaseName = App.Path + patlima + "headcount.mdb"
Else
FileCopy App.Path + "\headkos.mdb", App.Path + "\" + patlima + "headcount.mdb"
Data3.DatabaseName = App.Path + "\" + patlima + "headcount.mdb"
End If:
Data3.RecordSource = "headcount"
Data3.Refresh
Dim kk, das, namaexam
sp = Space(10)
das = 0
For r = 1 To jumpel
Label1 = sabjek(r)
gred = "P" & Trim(Str(r))
tak = "M" & Trim(Str(r))
Data1.RecordSource = "select nama," + gred + "," + tak + " from spma" ' where ting like '" + tingkat + "'"
Data1.Refresh
Data1.Recordset.MoveLast: ProgressBar1.Max = Data1.Recordset.RecordCount: Data1.Recordset.MoveFirst
ProgressBar1.Min = 0
ju(0) = 0
ju(1) = 0
ju(2) = 0
ju(3) = 0
ju(4) = 0
ju(5) = 0
ju(6) = 0
ju(7) = 0
ju(8) = 0
ju(9) = 0
zzn = -1
DoEvents
Do Until Data1.Recordset.EOF
zzn = zzn + 1: ProgressBar1.Value = zzn
cc = cc + 1
For I = 0 To 9
If (Val(Left(DBGrid1.Columns(1), 1)) = I And Len(Trim(DBGrid1.Columns(1))) <> 0 And Left(DBGrid1.Columns(2), 2) <> "TH") Then ju(I) = ju(I) + 1
Next
If Left(DBGrid1.Columns(2), 1) = "T" Then td(r) = td(r) + 1
Data1.Recordset.MoveNext
DoEvents
Loop
gpa = ju(0) * 0
gpa = gpa + ju(1) * 1
gpa = gpa + (ju(2)) * 2
gpa = gpa + (ju(3)) * 3
gpa = gpa + (ju(4)) * 4
gpa = gpa + (ju(5)) * 5
gpa = gpa + (ju(6)) * 6
gpa = gpa + (ju(7)) * 7
gpa = gpa + (ju(8)) * 8
gpa = gpa + (ju(9)) * 9
juma = (ju(0) + ju(1) + ju(2) + ju(3) + ju(4) + ju(5) + ju(6) + ju(7) + ju(8) + ju(9))
If juma > 0 Then gpa = Left(Str(gpa / juma), 5)
Data3.Recordset.AddNew
Data3.Recordset.sabjek = sabjek(r)
Data3.Recordset.jumcalon = juma
Data3.Recordset.a0 = ju(0)
Data3.Recordset.a1 = ju(1)
Data3.Recordset.a2 = ju(2)
Data3.Recordset.b3 = ju(3)
Data3.Recordset.b4 = ju(4)
Data3.Recordset.c5 = ju(5)
Data3.Recordset.c6 = ju(6)
Data3.Recordset.d7 = ju(7)
Data3.Recordset.e8 = ju(8)
Data3.Recordset.g9 = ju(9)
Data3.Recordset.th = td(r)
Data3.Recordset.cgpa = gpa
Data3.Recordset.Update
gpa = 0: juma = 0
For kk = 0 To 9: pp(kk) = pp(kk) + ju(kk): Next
pp(10) = pp(10) + td(r)
Next r
For kk = 0 To 9: tot = tot + pp(kk): das = das + (pp(kk) * kk): Next:
If tot > 0 Then das = das / (tot)
Data3.Recordset.MoveLast
Data3.Recordset.Edit
Data3.Recordset("jsc") = tot
Data3.Recordset("jc0") = pp(0)
Data3.Recordset("jc1") = pp(1)
Data3.Recordset("jc2") = pp(2)
Data3.Recordset("jc3") = pp(3)
Data3.Recordset("jc4") = pp(4)
Data3.Recordset("jc5") = pp(5)
Data3.Recordset("jc6") = pp(6)
Data3.Recordset("jc7") = pp(7)
Data3.Recordset("jc8") = pp(8)
Data3.Recordset("jc9") = pp(9)
Data3.Recordset("jth") = pp(10)
Data3.Recordset("selcgpa") = Left(das, 4)
Data3.Recordset.Update
Label2.Visible = False
failheadcount.Show
Unload Me
Set headcont = Nothing
End Sub

Number one it has no comment. It is called a street programming. Number two the argument is of low class. But that is my thinking and my thought. People reads mind thru the codes above. If you can't read my mind get computer programmers. They can confirm my low thinking procedure.

There is a Malay saying 'Enggang sama enggang, pipit sama pipit' meaning people of high rank should be together and not to mix with people of lower rank. It is not proper for the smart guys to mix with the dumb people like me. But I am not the only dumb persons. There are many others having narrow mentality and poor thinking method.

Being dumb is not all the time bad. Most people who see us won't know that we are dumb. Dumb persons cannot teach other people but could share knowledge with them. Ask what we don't know. Better watch of what we say else we might talk nonsense. I dare not talk about antenna because I don't know the howness and the radiation pattern. I dare not talk about quadruple conversion because I don't know how and at what shape the wave flow from one stage to the other. I don't even know the RG value of coaxial cable.

But at time I got confuse when people say people don't use CW anymore because I have been hearing thousands of stations when the band opens and the Japanese, the Chinese, the Russians, the Europeans and even the Americans came on the mode. I seldom hear the native Malaysians and the Malays on the mode. And this confused me a little.

But I am delighted to know that some Malaysians are smarter then the rest of the world like the Japanese, the Chinese, the Koreans and the Americans. Even some are smarter than the scientists. God be with the smart guys.

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LOVE - Bung Mokhtar is a law maker. Syariah court slapped him with RM1000 fine and one month jail for breaking the law. A fine of RM20,000 is not a problem but the jail term does. The judge will be accused as cruel for the high penalty. His first wife would say 'serve him right' and the second wife should go to jail too.

The law pertaining to polygamy was formulated by the government as a result of women's demand.

But Bung is honest. He marries not flirting or uses the woman as many other political leaders do. There are middlemen who would supply women for used and the adultery hidden.

I don't criticize him but I think it is too harsh to put him to jail. Put a bed and jail the wife too so that they can honeymoon there.

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YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN CONTROL ?

The desire for control is to protect the public against chaos and disorder. ISO is a form of control. Scanning individuals for criminal records is also a control. Exercising a procedure for control is a work to be done. Even a highly democratic country believing in human right is exercising control thru various laws and regulations. The recent outcry in Arizona, USA, concerning the illegal immigrants is one of them.

One has to pass the driving test before one can be given the license to drive. Why not we just give away the license without any test ?

One item beyond control is the computer network. While at one time it was difficult to get the blue material, nowadays even kids would come across the exclusive sex pictures and videos. Some say it is harmless but many believe it can cause moral decay and threatening the old value in our society.

 Control would not hinder progress or hurt the general public. Rules and strict enforcement in some areas would very much protect the general public and people can live peacefully without fear of being robbed or murdered. 

On extreme case is that you won't want anybody at all just to come into your house and does anything he likes. He could have said that your house belongs to God, and you belong to God, nothing you owe belong to you but God.

Tests and exams are good control agents to filter competent individuals or individuals with desired characters. There are firms which employ low quality workers in some fields were causing problems to the clients when interacting with the later, either due to the lack of knowledge or poor in communicating skills. Some are not expert enough. If you own a firm, you would not want to employ people without thorough knowledge on their background and ability.

You need to know of persons' educational and family background when they come to seek help or vocally demanded for something. You won't be surprise to find out that they are usually of poor academic ability or school dropouts. And you can even guess their ethnic group.

Work will be easy without enforcing the control and law and order. Each month just wait for the salary.

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ELECTRICITY BILL

My wife likes to have electrical stuffs run all the time whether we are there or not. 2 big freezers are running 360 days on end. I saw things inside them but don't know what they are. The TV in her room would run whether she is around or not except when we went for holidays. I pay for the electricity bill. Generally my bill is RM150 without any use of air conditioning. With an intermittent use of the air condition it would raise up to about RM200. At one time the general electrical usage were RM250 a month.

I asked around thinking mine is too big. Then 9M2LC said his is about RM450 and 9M2OFO also about the same amount. I would feel a bit relief because my usage is a little less than them. When I asked my school friends they said theirs about RM200 plus.

I paid electricity. My wife paid the phone bill because she always use the phone. She paid for water. Water is just around RM12.00. Happy for her. At time I simple did not remember that my tap was running all the time when I went out to town. But I just kept quite, not wanting to tell her about my negligence.

At one time I told my wife that we are not going to live long. Why be so stingy. Use part of our retirement fund for the utility bills and for holidays. That explains some time we want to stay at the 5 star hotel when going for vacation, and eat expensive food at good restaurants. We are not going to bring the money along with us when we die.

We are so used to electricity that a night without it is just like a night in dungeon. That time the battery powered radio would break the silence and drove away the night chill. We would wait and wait until the lampt glow and lighted the whole house. The sound of the TV over rode the the transistor radio.

Never go to war with electricity bill.

 Top

THE FACEBOOK

For quite some time I had been hearing the word facebook. I did not know what it was and did not want to ask people about it. I didn't want people to know I was dumb. Only a couple of weeks ago one student open a facebook for me. NOW I have one. The husband created the facebook for the wife. The wife created one for her teacher. I taught her Data Processing. The husband was in other trade course. She told me to create profile and put pictures in there.

Day by day I began to see my old students with their spouses and kids. We began to communicate. One said,"Cikgu, I got a slap from you because I hammer another student. Thanks to you because now I am somebody....". I almost shed my tears. I am extremely happy to know they are doing well and a few are extremely well.

Each day the number of friends increase. Cikgu Subkhiddin the grand refree you have been seeing on the TV was not my student but he worked under me, now is in my list. He said he remembered me well because of my computer activities.

I thank God and my student who created me the facebook at this critical juncture when amateur radio is giving me pain. I have different philosophy on the value and grandness of real amateur radio whereas the authority starts talking of giving free band to some incompetent people. I need to run away from people I called n-code hams, and have been looking for alternative ways to kill my time. Facbook does kill time and it takes away part of my usual radio time. A portion of the time is taken away by writing short articles like this.

Now I know what facebook is all about and am still learning about it. But I have no idea what Twitter is all about yet. Right now I am not interested in knowing it.

You see before retirement you should start thinking about time killing. And facebook is one of them and fun when old boys put back the old pictures in the facebook.

I don't read blog except the Limkitsiang.com to see what's going on in terme of opposition's view. Sometimes I agree with it, sometimes I don't. They Mahathir has his own blog. Anwar has one. And most others have their own. I am not interested at all. From time to time I would peep my radio friend's blog.

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SHALL THERE BE A 9M2NET/9M6NET/9M8NET ?

This is a free country. People is free to form a net or society and club. Some people are comfortable to intermingle with their own kind rather than mixing around. Some don't matter. Some feel it is OK to have the intra and inter communication. 

The 9M net is a place where the 9M meets to test or exchange views among themselves. If others than 9M want to have communication with everybody else there is always other frequencies which they can meet. While some 9M do not like to hear 9W, so are many 9W who do not like to hear the 9M. This is the moder phenomena. The freedom to form a group.

For the 9M2 in my opinion 7.043 is a suggested frequency. This frequency had been rejected by some senior and experience hams as unsuitable for reason that it does fall on 0 or 5. It is said suitable frequencies end up with either 0 or 5 such as 7040, 7045, 7050,7055 etc. 

It does not have to be like the Malaysia 40 meter net format. Just go there if one 9M2 is looking for another 9M2. They continue to chat there or move somewhere else. Moving out means it is alright for anyone to join in the chat. Of course this would not be claimed as our grand father's frequency. It is still a free frequency base on first come first serve basis. We expect 'gentleman's agreement' to be applied as we have done on 7050 and 7055. Whether I hear people or not, I would not to the frequency to call CQ.

Likewise the 9W can choose their own frequency for their own net if they want to. But they should not condemn or criticize other people with what they want to do. Isn't there an ASTRA, MARTS, MARES and many others ? Weren't there any jumping out and form another rival group ? 

Human being cannot all the time see each other's face. Try to imagine if Osma Ben Laden became a ham operator and Bush is still a President and a ham too. Or Lim Kit Siang and Najib are both hams. Or both the North and South Korean leaders. I suppose Saiful and Anwar should not be mentioned here. The meaning of friendship is not without boundary and limit.

So far in my ham days, as far as I know, there are PAS and UMNO members whom I pretend not to know their political beliefs. Because of the understanding, I enjoyed having chats with them. We spoke the same tone. I felt comfortable with them. 

Remember it is not that I claim 7.043 is mine or belongs to anybody. But the frequency has been regarded as a pariah frequency. Because it has been discarded then let it be utilized as something else useful.

Top

SUPPLEMENTS AND ALTERNATIVES

Friends have been coming to my house and talked about their bad health and sufferings that they had been having for quite some time. Then they would talk about the poor blood flow in our body due to the unhealthy water and food that we consumed daily. And finally said how their health return to normal after someone introduced a kind of supplement taken from some remote organic stuffs. Then they showed you the tablets or whatever that possess the magic.

I felt I was conned after I purchased and found there wasn't any effect at all. Then I told myself to be extremely careful about the sweet talk.

But things keep on coming. On several occasion I knew the state of health of the sellers. They were having diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic illness. I would immediately reject giving some excuses. Now I don't believe in the many new supplements and alternatives. I believe a person should go to hospital for treatment rather than finding other shortcuts in curing the sickness.

Buying a normal vitamins from pharmacy is something else. I am talking of stuffs which can cure diabetes and other heart diseases. 

You will find plenty of articles written by famous people talking of the research done. Yet I would not believe in them. The good research product would go into the hospital.

Young people should take care of the health and observe the food they take. There is no need for supplements and alternatives. Excessive food intake is dangerous.

Today when I go for my medical checkup I find the number of Chinese are as many as the Malays; diabetics and hypertension. It indicates the Chinese too believe in Western medicine and don't go for exotic roots to cure the excess blood sugar or cholesterol. And of course it is cheaper. Never mind about the wait.

I am a diabetic. I also suffer from hypertension. And I lost my manhood. I know a few ladies who still think I am attractive. But I have to keep away from them. One of my friends recommended viagra and viagra relatives, I just don't believe it. Some say they know the good 'bomoh' who are good in 'urut'. I don't believe it also. Don't tell me supplements and alternatives can do it.

But one thing for sure, you can trust me with your wife. I am harmless. If you need to travel oversea alone and want somebody to take care of your wife, I am OK. The cock will not crow and will always sleep soundly. 

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ALL THE BLAME GAME

Recently Dato' Musa Hitam said, "I'll quit if I am not suitable." That's the words of a great man. The leadership quality in Musa was seen when he was a small kid. He didn't play football but he bought a ball and let his friends play and watch them. And recently also the post mortem was made after Malaysia was defeated by China in the Thomas Cup match. And you have heard plenty of cases where people are pointing fingers at the others when something went wrong.

The PSC has always talk on accountability and responsibility. Yet the Ministers are fond of blaming the rest. And my humble apology to the police; sometimes we heard the police blame the public for the increased crime.

Yes the public can be blamed for choosing the wrong party or people to represent them. There is no other choice and no other people to be blamed. But if the general public pressed the government for higher salary scale and the government approve it the any responsibility thereafter will have to be bored by the government, for instant the immediate spiral inflation. The government cannot blame the public. There was  elections or by-elections only the voters are to be blamed.

The lost in badminton is nobody's fault. Our players had done their best. It is just because the Chinese team is far better in many aspects. The Japanese beat Malaysian men. The Koreans beat the Chinese women. We have to recognize their superiority. And study their attitudes. 

Don't we still have the 'cincai' attitude ? Tidak Apa. Lebih Kurang. Hobby only. And we ignore the idea of attitude buildings. We only realize the value of the outbound schools and some parents even pay a big sum of  money to send their kids to this school. If we study the apprenticeship system here we will find it is a system of attitude building; a young boy went to work as a mechanic without pay for years. He only get free lunch and dinner. He stays patiently for several years with obedient.

The survival rate of the Chinese is higher than the Malays because they are left to struggle without the help of the government historically.

Laziness is another bad attitude beside begging for things. Laziness is not a racial property. It is there in America, Europe and all over the world. But not everybody is lazy. The other night I skyped Go in Sabah saying it is quite OK for old folk to be lazy but not the younger guys. Imagine a PMR guy wants a pay equivalent to a doctor, a SPM guy wants the same scale and the STPM guys also want that amount.

That's about attitudes. The blame game could be avoided if each one wants to bear the responsibility and be accountable for any error that happens. These errors could be avoided with comprehensive study of happenings worldwide and the understanding of human behavior and culture.

It is not impossible for Malaysia to become the world champion again. Be patient and heavy engagement in espionage work to study the other team. I think Malaysia exposed things too much.

Top

North Korea was accused of sinking a South Korean warship. The South promised of a sure retaliation. Clinton gave a severe and strong words that the North must pay for the consequences. Now the world is waiting for the outcome.

North Korea has been seen as a nation that post the greatest threat to the world security by exporting nuclear warheads especially to the Muslim nation. The Israel, USA and South Korean intelligence are working hard to bring down the North thru internal changes like what was done in Soviet Union.

Will there be war in the near future ? Better don't guess. We just wait and see. This time America won't fight unless it is a sure win. All the military hardware are focused on North Korea, scanning every inch of the soil.

South Korea could not take North Korea alone. In case of war there will be a union of nations standing behind and even be on the aggressive.

 Top

My electronic keyer has to be supported by G-Clamp to make sure it will not dance when I am slapping both paddles. The rig IC706 MK2G has just returned home from Suneast Singapore, sent for repair. The laptop contains electronic logbook.

7800 is the next dream rig

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THE SPEEDY BUS

Why the bus keep on speeding on the highway ? I have not been on many busses in foreign countries except in USA and Vietnam. In USA I had been on Greyhound traveling from Los Angeles  to Las Vegas, from Newark to Ithaca New York and from Athens Ohio to Bloomington Indiana. In Vietnam along highway I can't remember it's name. In foreign countries busses follow the speed limit.

Why the drivers in Malaysia dare driving at 110 or 120  km/h despite of several accidences and cry ? Is it because there is no enforcement ? Is it because of normal politicking ? Or the bus owner and the JPJ people are playing the back scratching game ? It won't be appropriate for us to pinpoint which but we know there must be something wrong somewhere.

When a bus is grounded the owner says the JPJ or government is causing problem to the public and he is losing money. He probably shed his tears and begging for pity. Then the vicious cycle repeats itself over and over again. The speeding will go on until somebody dies and there will be another debate. Then a little later things would go quiet again.

So we began to smell something wrong with the driver, the bus owner and the authority. And the government agencies are viewed with contempt. The weakness is due to either corruption of the 'tidak apa' or the 'cincai' attitude. 

A speedy bus MUST be booked and fined. The driver's license shall be revoked after 3 arrests. The company must be slapped with a very heavy fine. If there is any political cry just ignore it. The general public will not support those parties trying to be heroes to the road criminals. 

As it is now, we are continuing to see speedy express busses on the highway overtaking vehicles running even at 110 km/h.

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WHY ARE THEY SO GOOD IN CW ?

Sometimes I tried to wonder into the mind of those, other than the professionals, who are too good in CW. What make them so good. I saw a Japanese space scientist working 55 wpm Morse just like that. He made CW looked simple. I hard a BY station with a Malaysian reciprocal, the Japanese and several international ragchews sending without flaw. They said these people used computer sending and receiving.

9M2ZN, Mazwan, read and send high speed and when I first saw him, I never thought he was a very young man. I heard about 9M2SZ but so far had not work him.

The new 9M2s whom I had worked several time and able to do an initial assessments are  9M2MGL, 9M2GET and 9M2YAS. 

Many Indonesians are superb but I think they do a lot of trainings. Even the CW net on 7.025 is a form of training CWers. But people like Mazwan does not undergo as much training as the others. What make them so good in Morse ? I think smart people are always smart in anything not only in Morse code. So far I have not met anyone bad in study and others is good in Morse. But I have met several students of mine who were poor in study but could recite the surah of the Holly Quaran extremely well.

I believe the Americans and the Russians do train people to read RTTY by listening for the espionage work. Even lay people like us could recognize the RYRY digital sounds.

The codings of the Morse codes would be interesting to try though it is easier to try with a software designed to code and decode it. Only stations with the software would be able to understand the messages. So far I don't remember any regulations prohibiting the coded Morse. Again it would not be interesting if we use computer to do the work for us. I think it takes a really very special mind to master it.

CWers used to say 'Practice Make Perfect'. In other words to be good in Morse one needs to do plenty of listening and sending exercises. May be nothing to do with a smart brain. Any normal person can do it and be very well verse with high speed listening. If it is , it sounds very encouraging to many of us which mean we can be good CWers if we want to and do plenty of trainings and exercises.  

When the band open there will be thousands of CW stations but most would be on high speed. It is a good time to practice listening. During the contest periods even more stations would occupy the band. Now at least one native station from 9M6 land would be flying the Malaysian flag and had been successful in winning several awards in CW contests.

No matter what I would still call these people as the smart lots with high IQ.

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A JAPANESE SWL REPORT

MCMC and the rest should know a little bit of foreign SWL. Below is one of them from Japan.

This is Nobu JR1FCA from Kamakura Japan. Good evening.
Thanks for live contact like this. A little while ago I hrd ur sigs.
I have been enjoying SWL with HAM.
This is my digital document SWL reception report card for you.
http://www.geocities.jp/oono_nobukazu/pdf/20100524_SWL_REPORT_to_9M2AR_14CW.pdf
If you would like,
Please reply email with INFO and/or card as follows:
1. digital document abstract confirming INFO(reply email format)*
* example: http://www.geocities.jp/oono_nobukazu/acfm.html#1
2. digital document confirming INFO(reply email format)**
** example: http://www.geocities.jp/oono_nobukazu/cfm.html#3
or attached...
3. digital document QSL card(document format; pdf,word,excel,etc.)
4. digital image QSL card(image format; jpg,bmp,png,etc.).
Vy sri, I want no paper QSL card or no eQSL.cc card.
Continue...
http://www.geocities.jp/oono_nobukazu/My_e_note.html
Cu agn. Gl dxing es gokigenyo sayonara 73&88.

P.S. My QSL INFO: http://www.qrz.com/callsign.html?callsign=JR1FCA
My new archives: http://www.geocities.jp/oono_nobukazu/My_topics.html
My digital archives: Amounts of more than 2000!
http://www.geocities.jp/oono_nobukazu/index.html#My_digital_archives
If you want a paper SWL card, pse print above document card yourself.

To Radio 9M2AR
Alorstar, Man san (qsl->digital document)

I HRD UR SIGS {Producing date(m/d/y): 5/24/2010}

JR1FCA SINCE 1970 QRA: Oono Nobukazu HANDLE: Nobu
ZONE: WAZ 25, ITU 45, GL PM95sh, JCC 1105
QTH: 1586-15 Koshigoe Kamakura Kanagawa 248-0033 Japan
RIG: Icom IC-756PRO2 wid MMVARI beta ver 0.42 SW, Windows XP SP3 and Intel Pentium D 3.20GHz PC.(output 2 Watts)
ANT: 5el yagi beam tribander 12mh http://www.geocities.jp/oono_nobukazu/My_ant.html 
RMKS: 2nite hr wx is rain, wid 20c es 70% in my shack. So psed cu for 1st time. Anyway, as our memorial this is my digital document SWL reception report card on PDF format wid email for you. Sri, I want no 'hardcopy QSL card and eQSL.cc card' but I like either your digital QSL card(document format; pdf, word, etc. es image format; jpg, png, etc.) if you are ready, or your digital document confirming INFO on all text, with each reply email. Thanks for ur QSL INFO on internet. I have been enjoying almost CW and PSK31 wid low PWR, and SWL, email contact wid QSL or SWL card on any digital document file, HAM's digital archive(one of them*)、homemade HAM desk**、etc..GL DX 73 NAME CARD: http://www.geocities.jp/oono_nobukazu/My_namecard.html
QSL CARD (face): http://www.geocities.jp/oono_nobukazu/pdf1/JR1FCA_QSL_card.pdf  
QSL INFO: http://www.qrz.com/callsign.html?callsign=JR1FCA  * http://www.geocities.jp/oono_nobukazu/e.html  
** http://www.geocities.jp/oono_nobukazu/  <- -Pse click each URL.

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HOW MUCH WE CAN CHANGE

Over a period of time we can change so much. My students put plenty of old pictures of me looking young, rounded and handsome. I compared with my last picture. How old I do look now. But everyone has to pass the time. Though many people are afraid of ageing, I am not because it is a reality. You want to stay young, you have to invest alot but in the long run you may have to suffer. You will see changes that you would not want to see. You wish you were not alive.

I met many old students at the re-union. I can't recognize almost 95% of them. They seem to be proud of the school and proud of what they are and what they become. Most have big kids. And everyone said I was thinner. Everyone seems to recognize me.

How much have I changed ? Very much. Physically I am very much thinner. That was me when I was a kid. I was never a fat kid and was so until form 3. I wore spectacle in 1964 and just threw it away at the age of 63. One student of mine said "Cikgu you look better without glass..."

Never be afraid of ageing because we all are going that way. And never be scared of death because we are heading that way too. While living and with a little time left, do what you want to do. I enjoyed my computing and going places.

We all do change whether we like it bor not

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MANAGING DISASTERS

Every nation including Malaysia has formed a unit to manage disasters like quake and flood. In Malaysia the JPA3 and reserve units like Rela and probably the military would be called in case more manpower is needed. There people in JPA3 must have gone thru the training in rescue procedure. The military has the expertise and ample experiences.

Communication equipments in managing disaster are vital and today the government has provided expensive tools for the purpose. We should not underestimate the capabilities of the unit to manage disasters. The police and the army have been using the communication equipments for decades even before the existence of ham radio. To claim that amateurs are better and possess expertise is a mere conjecture.

How can amateurs help during the disaster period ? They can help just by getting ready and stand by in case of being called. JPA3 may called amateurs to help whenever they might find difficulty in getting thru the communication line and probably lack of manpower. Hence hams should not rush in like heroes to run or coimmand the officers in charge.

The role of the radio is merely to relay and receive messages. Nothing more. It has to be done in a specific manner in a specific way by authorized people.

But hams could be the life line when a certain isolated area is hit by disaster. The hit area may not have the JPA3 or the police. The electricity may be cut off. The ham in that area need to use the most saving energy device for the communication. This is where the idea of QRP is utmost important. The report will have to be on the environmental assessment, number of death, the request for food and medical facilities and the doctors. 

It is imperative for hams to know CW in such a situation.

In time when are not requested and the sudden rush of the people into the area could be a problem and confusion. Even requested the volunteers should be registered and given some sort of an ID like an arm band. Otherwise thieves and robbers with handy can go and steal things under the guise of amateurs. These were reported to happen during disasters. People just took opportunity.

A radio equipment is not an ID that one is a ham. Today thousand of people are owning transmitting equipments and talks like hams. A man carrying a handy can be anybody.

Ham radio operators are not the masters and expertise in managing disaster. They can assist and provide support when requested and proper procedure must be followed to ensure they are recognized. They can help by getting ready and standing by.

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THE BALANCE

There is a public outcry about the police shooting youths to death. And we also hear people blaming the police on the rise of crime rate, snatch thieves, car thefts, house breakings etc. It is quite possible that when a criminal as those mentioned was shot to death by the police or general public there will a havoc and anger from the parents.

If a robber enters your house and you shoot him, you would be accused as a murderer. Then what is our limit in fighting crimes ? You lock your house. Don't bring along too much money. And the snatch thieves will continue the robbing spree.

In some part of the world the people waited for the criminals to appear, caught and killed the thieves, brought the dead to a remote place and burned the body. So when I heard about unrecognized body get burned at a remote place, I was thinking that he could be a criminal too.

What the parents and the politicians expect the public to do with drug pushers and snatch thieves ? What the parents and the politicians expect the public and the police to do when the criminals were trying to escape after committing crimes ? If you are being mugged while stopping at the red light, would you not chased and ramped the mugger ?

As far as the police is concerned there must be video recording for each of the operation. Public can see what really happen during the operation. And the parents should not expect their kids to be treated like Kings after caught pushing drugs or robbing people.

If their kids are missing in actions and probably being murdered then nobody can be blamed. Even the parents would not know their kids are being thrown into the sea or river. Most of us know that previously in Thailand criminals especially drug pushers would go missing. Nobody knows who did. But only left to conjecture.

My teacher told me that during the Japanese occupation you can sleep with the doors and windows open. You can leave expensive things unattended. At the market place there were a few poles with heads hung on them. Those were the heads of thieves. Uncivilized ? Cruel ? 

Put away the bad hats and the whole society lives in peace.

The problem with the police is the image. The old mata-mata would walk alone with a 'chota', no gun and people were afraid and salute the mata-mata with respects. The police was not seen as any political tool whereas today some members of general public distrust the police and see the profession as political tools. So to stop the continuing blame use whatever technology on disposal to record any work that may deal with the general public.

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CAN I CHANGE THINGS ?

Can I change thing ? NO. I am nobody. However harsh I write on my web site is just like 'a dog barking at the mountain'. But if you have big guns behind you and the manpower of 8000 backing you up you may change the policy of radio regulations. So why worry about me ? There is no point to amass the whole world against me. So if everyone see thing white then white it is though my single vision sees it red.

A single man can change thing if he is the President, the Prime Minister or a very wealthy person. He has a greater command among the mass. He has the power in term of support or money, or military hardware. Head of Department can determine the change of policy.

So knowing that I can't change thing what do I do ? Nothing. I just got to wait and see what will be happening. It may or may not happen. If it happens , happens. I can only look at it voiceless and tearless. I should not even throw any blame and say anything. The world has been that way for a long time and people begins to accept changes for good or for bad.

Honestly, I have been seeing so many sex videos and read true stories of politics and sex in the West. It is like a cup of coffee and spouse exchange and free sex is nothing. Those are the results of freedom and human rights. It is the new way of thinking by the global population. The people of religion just can see but can't stop the phenomena. Majority likes it. When it happens it happens. Who has the power to change it ?

So I see differently but I am only one. In no way I am can threaten anyone or any policy.

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ANY CHEAP QRP RIG ?

Finally I realized the importance of QRP. I am looking really for a low power and very cheap rig. My eye sight is extremely poor to homebrew. I remember the late 9M2GL said on TV3 that even with the small battery the small transmitter can reach India.

QRP is not for fun though it is fun to have communications using just a few watts. I just realize that if I were trapped on an island struck by disaster and everything was cut off, I need to send a kind of SOS with a low powered device so that I can conserve the energy for a few days. QRP would be handy then even without a receiver. I would just send  signals repeatedly out using CW.

I remember when 9M2HC, Choo, was the SWL he tested with a single transistor transmitter on 7 mhz and I was able to read him at about two miles away and that Choo did not use a proper antenna. Of course the current commercial QRP rig costs more than RM1 K. I wouldn't want that kind of a gadget. That would be good for practice to see how far it can go with merely 5 watts. It would be more fun if a transmitter only consists of a couple of transistors producing 3-5 watts.

In my opinion it is best to go CW with QRP. For several time I worked 9M6YBG not knowing he was using a QRP transceiver and hardly copied him on phone, but when he came on CW on my request the signal abruptly increased to 599. I also had a hard time working 9M2FT, Monti, on phone because of his low power rig.

SWLing is good. Scanning a band tells us many things. We can even come across a distress S-O-S called on Morse code or a Meyday call on phone. It can one out of a million chance for us to hear the distress call. Even that eventuality is very important. Weak signals can come from the QRP rig.

Old timers, may they be a ham or SWL, may keep a simple but working low power transmitter. Go and dig them up and put on your table visible to you. Bring them to exhibition and do the demonstration. Publish it in the blog.

How far a 5 watt rig can go ? I don't know. 9M6YBG would be able to tell us for he has been working the world over on CW using QRP.

If you don't know CW and people have problem in copying your SSB signal you might want to depart with your rig cheaply.

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A POUND OF SIGNAL STRENGTH

Never have you heard a pound of signal drop onto your antenna. It sounds stupid and silly. But it carries some sensible meaning. Let me say a pound of signal drop onto your antenna. You can convert it to kilogram or a metric ton. But the amount is the same.

Now that your meter can read the pound, it can either read exactly one pound, a little less or a little more with the same amount of matter. If you set it to read 4 pounds, it is 1 pound. If you set it to read half pound, it is 1 pound.

But we don't measure signal strength by the pound or kilogram. We used the RST standard. You give a report base on the meter reading. No matter what meter reading you set it out the signal strength is the same. It comes with the same amount. You want to see higher reading you can open up the meter and change the resistance value. But the incoming signal remain the same.

Factory setting is usually almost accurate as a guide. A guide to a signal strength. A person having seen the S-meter for 20000 times would come to know the reading just by listening. If one day the S-Meter goes kaput, he would still be able to give the report like an experience foreman who can tell your engine just by listening to the sound.

If by adjusting the reading of the S-Meter the incoming signal increase following our adjustment we are all happy to tell the world to adjust their S-Meter in order to receive us better.

We also need to know why in the contest people usually give 599 though the real signal is 549. There are reasons for some exceptions that we need to venture around rather than jumping to conclusion. 

However with the same 'amount' of signal could be heard differently by different receivers. ICF 5900W can read it better than 2001. Different antenna height, configuration and antenna type gives different reading.

Well say you are a wealthy man and you give away RM50 each to 100 people. Some recipients say that is a big amount. A few says not much. The rest might say too little. Whether a lot, not much or too little the amount is RM50.  Please get the conception correct.

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YOU WANT THINGS WORK FOR IT

Everyone wants to be somebody. Then everybody can demand from any person in charge that they want to do those jobs. To cut short we usually say, you want to do  something go and work for it. Basically go and study and sit an examination or start to be a con man. During disaster when services are not required you see some people would go and make themselves busy. At that time there were enough people doing it.

I just don't believe in free ride and strong men living on begging. You need money you and work then go for the ride. I can't imagine a group of people sitting lazily and demand for special care and attention. Of course begging is better than robbing. But robbing is not an easy job either. It is a job.

Working means study, sit for exam, apply for whatever once passed and work hard when in the world of work. There are many people who apply for jobs but don't work when jobs are given. Is it not boiled up  to attitudes ?

People with good attitudes will work and don't ask for free stuffs. You don't agree with me it is your right and fine with me. I would stay put with my beliefs.

Manan used to say 'No pain no gain..' That's why people without training or qualification found it hard to get jobs. Talking about jobs not everyone on it are good workers. One bad worker can spin the whole office and shake the organization. Many employers are complaining about bad workers especially the Malaysians. They prefer the Banglas. 

Teach your kids the same thing ' work hard for something..' When I was a kid my friends got plenty of money. 'Where do you get the money ?', I asked. I shine my father's shoe I got some money. I help my neighbor buying things for them I got the money. I take the chicken for slaughter I got the money...'

You want things work for it.

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UNIVERSITY STANDARD

Private institutions including universities need to survive. Running a university need big capital and big money to spend for building rentals, utilities, and salaries. They have to depend on the number of students enrolling, the more the better. If there is a lack of local students , they have to attract the foreign students with all sort of advertisement and other attraction like painting rosy pictures of job availability in the country. The foreigners are more interested in money making rather than studying.

If the failure rate is high there will be the declining of students. I believe there will be a lot of juggling, magic shows and illusion going round to tell the general public and the government that the university has a high standard and at the same time the failure rate is low.

A good university has good lecturers, qualified and wrote enough number of books. There is no trade in exam questions, tough, not a low passing mark, straight in markings and those who can't fail. The university also runs well known research project and new findings are published.

You want to have a high class university, you simply don't take any dropout or low achievers. Students who can't will fail and kicked out. Professors must know their stuffs and strict with their jobs.

University has to be ranked so that the world should know the status. The ranking procedure and process is done professionally not just by the stroke of a pen in an air conditioned room.

The government head of departments have enough experience with their officers and know their capabilities. Imagine a graduate with an A in computing can't contribute even a simple program. And they always give excuses when asked to do something in relation to the scored subjects.

Try to apply MIT USA or Cornell; do you think you will be easily accepted ? There are many Malaysian universities offering places to Form 5 students even with a low pass.

Moreover lately we heard of buying of the degrees, ghost writers writing PHD thesis for someone and leaking questions just wanting their own students to pass. At time I have been wondering whether a certain claimed PHD is a genuine one. 

It is not easy for a certain employer to find a worker though there are thousand of graduates from local universities applying for the job. At the end someone who just graduated from MIT USA was offered the job. 

Many dissatisfied  universities are against university ranking for fear of the declining popularity.

Malaysia is fond of lowering down the standard of many things. Right now the education system is moving towards it. We are going into school based exam rather the national exam. Even that question papers are leaking and people are making money. The JPA is very well aware of the standard and it's importance. We want to put the right people at the right job and job done well.

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AM I A MALE CHAUVINIST ?

How can I say that men and women are the same. They are different. I would always say that men are superior to women. If you are in a class in USA full of American women and said 'men are superior to women' what do you expect ? A fight ? As far as my experience went, they just smile. And when they smile and said nothing I would think I was making a fool of myself.

Please forgive me to say that I prefer women workers to men. I found that they are serious in their work, neat and tidy, give preference to detail and more reasonable. When I argued with some, they seem to be very intelligent, full of logic and arrange the facts well. I would say to myself ,"Women looked stupid but they are much more smarter than me." In fact they are very cunning, pretend to be stupid but would observe you well without your knowledge.

However I did come across strange women. They tend to define things different from many of us. To these few a car is faulty only when it no longer can move. As long as the engine starts and can move, it is alright even though the break might be creaking or the gear become harder to push. I also came across a wife whose car had a broken glass due to her negligence, went home and scolded her husband for the accidence.

In a spouse arguments wives would say they are right, always right for whatever reason. A husband a word, the wife would say 100 words. Am I making things up ?

How can they be the same as men. But they can pilot an airplane, fight in a war, command space crews, scores straight As and at the same time can be a good mother. Superb.

I am glad that God creates women otherwise human specie would multiply probably like plants. The Chinese mythology said a person named Pan Ku whose sweat became the sea and his hair become another human. Having given woman with a special sex organ, it accommodate the the male gun and caused multiplication. Both enjoy the processes.

Women emancipation gives a new meaning to motherhood. A kid now has several mothers. He has the natural mother at the office and the unnatural mother at home and another one at the kid's school. Else the kids got be sent to the grand mother. 

Because of the lack of time for cooking, we can see the growth of fast food industries and hawkers everywhere. We buy breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is easy that way. 

In spite of this women in offices are still good cook.

Am I a male chauvinist ? I think so with divided mind.

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ERASE SUBSIDY BECAUSE GOVERNMENT HAS NO MONEY

To tell you the truth I really don't know who Idris Jala was and even now I don't where he is. I heard about him when he came into MAS. When Idris asked the government for help, immediately I said to myself that it does not need Idris there. Take any beggar and put him there he could solve MAS problems that way too.

I am not against the cancellation of subsidy. Our PM has been talking about for some time already. But I wonder why is our government going to get bankrupt ? During when Pak Lah was a PM, he already wanted to cancel the mega projects which Dr. M found it offended and quickly turned against Pak Lah and did a road show to bring Pak Lah down, and Pak Lah had wanted  the anti-corruption to do their work well. Both indicated that the PM at that time was briefed about the mega projects and the wastage due the corruptions as happened in the Port Klang scandal.

Employing consultant to boost an image of leaders and the country is sometimes a must. We spent million of dollars to clean the image of our palm oil in the US when the oil was deem to cause cancer. But to pay a huge sum to meet an American President, an advertisement to boost our self image, burning millions with cigarette lighter during the election campaign is an untold story. Is it not Dr M is controlling the railway project ?

Articles written by several including Tunku Aziz about luxurious and uneconomic expenditure was done long before Idris Jala. But reading on it, I could conclude either one of the two things would happen.

The first will be Barisan National will totally be erased in the next GE. For sure.

Secondly Najib will say NO to erasing subsidy for the sake of the Rakyat. Therefore Najib will be the savour and feels what the rakyat feels. People must vote for BN.

I read about DAP's cry on the issue. I think all the opposition should have just keep quiet about it. Let the government erase all the subsidies as listed from fuel to health and education. Isn't the DAP wants to topple the government ? This is the best chance and the opportunity. Then make less noise and let the rakyat experience the new Jala's economic policy.

It will certainly be fun.

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AMATEUR LICENSE AND AMATEUR OPERATOR

We should all be aware that there is a slight different between an amateur license and an amateur operator. There are several persons in Malaysia who have the license but do not any ham gear and who have not been on the air at all. But the number has to be looked into detail.

It is not so easy to define even amateur radio operator. A person with a license but only speak on the radio for 4 times in 5 years, should he be included as an amateur radio operator ? And again there should be a clear definition of what really constitute a QSO. Is sending a signal to a robot and get back the reply considered a QSO and hence amateur operator ?

When people are talking about the growth or decline of amateur population, probably they are talking of the license amateurs. There could be a sudden surge of people getting the ham tickets and would make the airwaves busy, and a year or two later they began to disappear and probably would not come back again. I don't think there was any research made on this category of hams.

Especially in Southeast Asia lately there exist some fuzziness on amateur operators. There are people who speak like hams but allowed to come on commercial frequency by the authority. And there are others without license but are using the ham frequency using the ham lingo.

The number of old timers in Malaysia is certainly declining for some reason or the other. A few are known to shift to internet communication; voice and digital. One or two went completely missing. 

Counting the number of licensees and people on the air, it does not seem to match.

Why some people are concerned about numbers ? Numbers means money. People can start radio business, selling communication equipments. And society has more members and therefore more money. A few would for opportunity to make money by some other means.

Some research body in USA are finding the ham population is declining despite of the no-code policy. They believe in the coming of internet and other communication technology.

Cell phone like the I-Phone could be the next choice if the monthly rate is low. In Malaysia the government policy helping the vendors that protect the monopoly, which make the rate high. 

It is desirable to make a certain kind of research to as the number of license hams and amateur operators in the country to see whether the demographic pattern mean something to us.

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THE LOVE OF THE STUDENTS OF THEIR TEACHERS

29/06/2010 a few students managed to bring 50 families to Pendang Lake Resort for the re-union of 1992/1993 students of Vocational Secondary School Alor Setar. Because the ceremony and the program were at night many of their teachers could not attend. I made myself available though I could not drive at night. I hardly see the road but at about 9 pm I arrived the resort.

The way the students talk and express themselves I knew then they love their teachers very much. It was touching when they narrate back their relationship with those teachers. I think teachers should know this. I did not teach everyone except for one class. They never expressed anything but I realized they cared.

Each of the students went up on stage and had a brief introduction of himself/herself. At the end there group pictures taken. And I am waiting for them to upload the pictures taken to replace  the ones on the top.

I mingled around with them after the photographic sessions and most talked back of their school days and their teachers. They felt sad that the teachers they wanted to see were not there. They were determined to organize the next one the soonest and to ensure they have the beloved teachers with them.

I was very happy to see them. They always remember their teachers.

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