Small thought for road safety

It seems that nowadays, Ministry of Transportation, MKJR and MiROS are busy with their agenda. A shot from TV3 showed some motorcyclists riding helmets has opened up my eyes again. Somehow, as a researcher I feel needed to find some resolution for this social matter. Authorities need to do something not only focusing in enforcement. We cannot have police traffic everywhere to watch and assure the road users are obeying the rules or not especially in rush hours.

Malaysia is actually lack of a lot of things in road environment technologies. Our VMS (Variable Message Sign) are not everywhere. We have it in KL of course but they are not giving so much information as what they have in Japan. ETC systems in Japan are actually similar to Malaysia but they have better in incident-detection management. I have the opportunity to see how they manage the traffic flow for Hanshin Expressway when I went to the Osaka Hanshin Expressway Headquarter last year.

The screen shows the route that facing the traffic jam with red colors.

There are a lot of things to talk about our road signs also. Road environment in our country is better than other East Asia country maybe but, we need more research or transfer technology in order to build up our roads towards ‘Safety First’.

Campaigns, commercial, enforcement or free helmets can’t solve the problem. We know the reality to change the attitude will take longer time than we thought. Maybe, our road users need to be alerted. If only we have the ITS technology that built in the vehicle that could aware us to use helmets or seat belts, maybe the road users will get the safety message. Or we maybe we can have the road signage that can make the road users alert about their environment. Well, it is all about the communication between the vehicle, the road environment and human. Japan did manage the communication between these sub sets.

And me, I am doing in psychological way and will try to find a way to think as creative as those Japanese!

Getting blurred

For this time being, I am still searching for confidence values in my research. No special plan for 2009. But yet, it is a graduation year for some colleagues – the KIT’s undergraduate boys and girls, Firdaus Kun and also Kak Farihah. Not forget our charming Kojek. But Kojek will come back to Kyoto University for PhD. Also for Mahendra – I heard that he will buy a Volkswagen before go back to Malaysia.

Still after a year, my progress is like an escargot crawling on the ground. Pi Mai Pi Mai Tang Tu jugak! It is not an easy thing to defend your objective and idea of the research. Of course, the sensei s just eagerly comments and condemns the ideas. I think for these time, I am lack of confidence on what am I doing. Thus, one year of PhD is just like building the confidence in the research or understanding on what actually happen to me. This psychological phenomenon happens, I think is because of my less knowledge and experience in the topic that I work for.

It is not because I am not trying hard, but it is the case of I don’t know which part that I am suppose to focus more. I found out that my objectives for this study still not has been strengthening yet. That’s why each time after presentation or meeting, I am getting blurred and blurred. I have the basic idea, but have difficulties to explain this idea to sensei because actually I don’t have confident on it. I want somebody to discuss about the idea but sometimes I feel environment in my lab is not so supportive. Foreigner is still a foreigner. But luckily I have Petr besides me. Recently, we talked a lot about the research. The problem is, Petr likely to talk in philosophy’s way.

After a year and 4 months, the words regrets and frustrated always come into my mind. Yet, I never give up finding the strong research and knowledge that I can bring back for Malaysia’s society one day. I am still standing even I don't know the correct path to split or maneuver or whatever it is....For this time being, only Allah can help me…..

Some say that, road for success is always underconstruction.

pictures of 2008

Nagano (Iwatake Hakuba) Jan 2008

Arashiyama (winter) Feb 2008

Kumamoto (Mount Aso) Feb 2008

Fukui Ken Mac 2008

Tokyo Disneysea
Kansai Taikai Bowling (Osaka)

Amanohashidate & Gion Matsuri Julai 2008

Mount Fuji August 2008

Aidil fitri Sept 2008Hong Kong Sept 2008

Mount Rokko Oct 2008

Arashiyama (Fall) Nov 2008

Nagoya and Ise Trip Dec 2008

Meota Iwa Dec 2008

Too many pictures in 2008. These are some of it. More to go in 2009. But 2009 is a hard year for kenkyuu...... But experience is another thing needs to be explored. JAUH BERJALAN LUAS PERMANDANGAN.

People just don’t care about others….that’s why…

People's in HK don't really care about others. They just want to make sure their business in a good run.

Well I’m talking about my research. I’m searching for the answers of tons and tons questions that apparently appeared from my sensei’s mouth and also from the black hole inside my brain. Na…..I’m not going to develop a new theory of attitude or behavior. I just want to understand and make other people understand (one day if I could) that people’s are just so self- centered, selfish, egoistic and so on. They just don’t care about others. That’s why the accidents happen. Why people like to exceed the speed limit and claim that they have the power (machine, money, status), so why need to follow the rules? People that always point out their fingers towards others just don’t care about others…. People who don’t care about others just live in this world according to their own perception without noticing that it could be influence other peoples too.

For many cases in this life, self-centered are the causes of the unbalance situation. Politic, economic, management, social relationship, family matters, etc. It is just so human nature. That’s why when we are dealing with the human behavior, it takes longer time than we expected…. It is so complicated if people don’t want to understand that their behaviors have an impact to the society, world and others’ feelings or life. For us, let’s be more noble and generous. Try to be unselfish. Maybe we can help other people to understand the appropriate way to behave.

Don’t speed! It could increase the fuel consumption and it is danger for you and also other vulnerable road users. You can change it!

P/S : Thanks to some friends – who are not being selfish in this relationship.

Sayonara Random Walk!!!

Perjalanan masa tidak pernah berhenti. Tetapi pasti ada saja sesuatu yang akan berakhir. Satu-satunya kedai yang menjual majalah dan buku-buku bahasa English di Kyoto – Random Walk- akan ditutup pada 15hb Januari. Sekarang sedang berlakunya SALE 50-70% bagi semua majalah dan buku-buku. Inilah satu-satunya kedai di mana saya dapat melampias rindu atau gian untuk membaca buku-buku atau majalah ringan seperti Reader's Digest. Atau lebih tepat tempat membunuh rasa bosan dan stress apabila perlu.

Random Walk akan ditutup kerana satu-satunya syarikat yang mengedar buku-buku international telah jatuh bankup. Aduhai sedih, kerana sangat sukar untuk mendapatkan buku-buku bahasa English di Jepun. Jika ada sesiapa tahu di mana kedai buku atau majalah bahasa English di Kyoto ini, sila maklumkan kepala saya. Biarpun pada zaman ini, segalanya mudah dengan maklumat di hujung jari, tetapi saya kurang gemar membaca melalui internet. Pergerakan terbatas. Teknologi internet tidak dapat menggantikan nilai sentimental yang ada pada buku………

Sayonara Random Walk, harap-harap 15hb Januari saya dapat menjejakkan kaki ke jualan SALES buku-buku tersebut untuk kali terakhir………………

time to change

Hari Isnin datang kembali. Hari Isnin adalah hari yang penting kerana ia merupakan permulaan bagi satu minggu bekerja yang baru. Hari Isnin perlu ada azam baru dan keinginan untuk memperbaiki hidup.

PhD bukan sahaja berkenaan memperolehi ilmu penyelidikan untuk membawanya pulang ke Malaysia. Bukan saja hanya sekadar untuk mendapatkan gelaran Dr, tetapi tempoh pembelajaran PhD itu adalah satu proses mematangkan diri, memperbaiki kesilapan dan berubah menjadi lebih baik. Bukan sahaja dalam konteks keilmuan tetapi juga insaniah. Ianya lebih banyak berkisar tentang bagaimana mengawal kecelaruan emosi, berdiri atas kaki sendiri, mempelajari proses menyelesaikan masalah,menerima kelemahan, mengatasi ketidak seimbangan hidup, dan memperbaiki kehidupan. Kejayaan di hujung PhD bukan sahaja terletak pada graduasi, berapa banyak paper journal dihasilkan atau berapa banyak conference yang telah di hadiri. Tetapi objektifnya tentu sahaja menghasilkan manusia yang cemerlang duniawi dan ukhrawi - pendidik, penyelidik, pemimpin,'manusia' serta hamba tuhan yang baik.Dalam proses ini, ada banyak kesilapan, rasa lelah, letih dan penat tetapi Tuhan tidak akan menduga manusia di luar kemampuannya. Dan proses tarbiah dari Tuhan ini berbeza-beza pada setiap individu.

Hari ini

Saya memulakan hari dengan agak baik. Alhamdulillah. Mata tidak terasa mengantuk dan badan tidak terasa sangat letih sebagaimana yang saya sangkakan akan berlaku pada setiap hari Isnin kerana sindrom Monday Blues. Saya cuma terfikir, jika saya terus berada dalam lingkungan kemalasan, kemurungan, tidak ceria, tanpa pemikiran positif dan tidak berusaha berubah, saya akan terus menjadi diri saya yang banyak kekurangan walaupun bergelar Dr. Jadi pagi ini, saya bingkas bersiap dengan semangat yang jarang-jarang saya ada.

Rantai Aisyah

Sedang bersiap-siap, saya terpandang rantai pemberian Aisyah, anak perempuan Dr. Mail. Saya kemaskan simpulannya dan saya gantung di dinding. Ajaibnya, tanda ingatan dari seorang kanak-kanak mampu memberi inspirasi. Terharu juga bila Aisyah ingat pada saya dan menghasilkan satu imiginasi yang kreatif. Keikhlasan dan tanda ingatan ini menyebabkan saya rasa saya perlu jadi orang yang lebih bersemangat untuk merealisasikan bermacam impian yang ada. Jika ada kesempatan lain, saya akan ceritakan tentang anak-anak Dr. Mail yang menghiburkan ini.

Ini pula satu lagi suntikan semangat pagi ini. Bunga-bunga mawar ini segar mengembang di tepi meja. Saya cuma mengikut nasihat mama, agar letakkan bunga di dalam rumah agar rasa lebih ceria dan bertenaga.

Perjumpaan dengan Yoshi Sensei

Yoshi Sensei telah memberikan idea-idea menarik untuk kenkyuu saya. Tetapi terasa susah kerana memerlukan banyak maklumat dari Malaysia. Ini belum jumpa dengan Kitamura Sensei lagi. Memang pening dan pening dan pening lagi tetapi....saya harap akan ada jalan penyelesaiannya. Saya juga berharap supaya ada 'luck' yang membantu. Saya akan cuba berusaha sedaya mungkin.

Saya menanti-nantikan Hari Rabu untuk melawat ke headquater Hanshin Expressway Management. Mungkin lebih canggaih dari sistem ITIS DBKL di Malaysia? Saya akan buat wrap up tentang itu...insyaAllah.

Jya. Sama-sama kita berusaha untuk minggu ini!

Cuba dan terus mencuba!

Ya Allah permudahkan jalan.
Ya Allah tali peganganMu jadi peneman.
Tiada aku tanpaMu
Tanpa kasih sayangMu
Tanpa lindunganMu

"Ya Allah, aku berlindung kepadaMu dari rundungan sedih dan duka Aku berlindung kepadamu dari sifat lemah dan malas Aku berlindung kepadaMu dari bacul dan kikir. Aku berlindung kepadaMu dari beban hutang dan penindasan orang."

Amin.