Platform Products

Technology greatly extends human capability and effectiveness in doing works. It also makes possible the propensity of our mind to move forward or backward in time and pick up matching activities. Thus, the kids in us, adults, can remain so and be entertained so. The adults in kids, viz. the urge or rush to grow up and do the things adults do, also to some extent can be fulfilled.
Nakamora saw an adult playing FreeCell and Solitaire games on his laptop while at an airport lounge the other day. He was oblivious to his surroundings. He was immersed completely in the game. Isn't kids like that too? We were like that when we were kid; if we can still recall. That person playing computer game at his laptop was not the first one that Nakamora saw. he has seen it before, elsewhere. But the current thought occurs to him only at this occasion.
Think of the mobile phone. It's now in the hands of kids just graduating from kindergarten. Isn't mobile phone an adult-oriented product?
That perhaps is a trend that is going to become ever more familiar with new technology products. They no longer answer the needs of any particular age groups. They now serve purposes that are defined by their users. User-defined purpose product that can be useful to all, irrespective of any age groups. If we can borrow the concept underlying the phrase 'platform technology', then these products are actually 'platform products'.

KK in Perak

Whereas KK in Sabah is Kota Kinabalu, in the Peninsular it stands for Kuala Kangsar, the royal town of Perak. It is a nice town, easy to drive around, and everything seems to be within reach. Everything reasonable that is; food, rest area, place of attractions, etc. Direction to the KK Swimming Pool is generously placed at various part of the town. The Masjid Ubudiah, just next to the Istana, is within walking distance, by Western standard, but only a short drive away, by the local standard, from the riverside food stalls. Perhaps the high humidity here in Malaysia makes the local populace prefer the comfort of an air conditioned car to walking even a short distance to move around.
Not very far from the the town center is Kampong Sayong, well-known for Labu Sayong - a specialty pottery. Access to the area is by a narrow and winding asphalt road. It may seem isolated, but once inside the atmosphere of a traditional village is obvious. The pottery is synonymous to the village, it is quite unique in design. In fact several pieces of Labu Sayong are also used as landscape components for the Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery.

Land Below The Wind

The left and right sides of the road from Magellan Sutera to downtown, where the Centerpoint, the Wawasan, Philippines Market, and the riverside stalls and markets are located are busy with constructions. Huge hotel and commercial complexes will be a feature of this area in the future. This trip is a bit special as he was also able to take a photo of Kota Kinabalu, or KK as it is affectionately known, coastline as the plane approached the airport. He has been wanting to do that for quite some time; but some things just have to wait. The last time Nakamora was there was two months ago. But then it was only for a while, most of the time was spent traveling to Kudat and the Tip of Borneo. The return trip, by bus, take a good 6 hours or more. The long ride nevertheless was an enjoyable one.
He has seen quite a bit of this part of Malaysia. Sempoerna, Sipadan with beautiful diving spots. There is also a sea weed research station somewhere along the ride by boat from Lahad Datu to Sempoerna. The water is blueish, clear, and peaceful.
It was in early 2000 that he went to Danum valley. It was Ramadhan. Taking a 4WD from Lahad Datu again to the middle of the Danum Valley, where a resort is located, at the late hour of the day their path was crossed by two pigmy elephants, perhaps on their way going home, wherever that was.
Taking the ride on a small bus through the Crocker Range from KK to Tenom was also an experience that is hard to forget. The journey is filled with beautiful sights. Tenom can be reached by train from KK, and the journey would have taken less time, but the service was closed at that time.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Yes. Nakamora believes that.
So, he takes many photos whenever possible; and he started using it in the last posting at this blog.
But he thought a picture cannot be left alone to do the talking. The 1000 words, constructed by the viewer may not be what he wants to actually convey, and the original intention of the photo being there can get twisted. Hence, a picture need to be accompanied by some texts, words of the one who put the picture there. At the very least there ought to be a caption.

Aomori, How Could It Not Be Memorable?

Nakamora is back home now flipping the tourist brochures given to everyone in his group while they were in Japan. The cover exclaimed "A Memorable Journey, Aomori/Japan." How could it not be memorable, he thought. It was snowing starting from the day they arrived, and stopped only on the day they left.
It was indeed an interesting assignment. Yes, he went there on duty, not as a tourist. But he thought part of learning is to be sensitive and observant of any new surroundings.
Aomori is the northernmost prefecture of Japan on the Honshu Island. It is served by two airports: at Misawa and Aomori City. Every prefecture has regions, and in Aomori they are the Tsugaru, Nanbu, and Shimokita Regions. The Tsugaru Region makes the prefecture famous for its apples, and mount Iwaki, which is dubbed as the "Fujiyama of Tsugaru." It is also home to Shirakami Mountains, which is one of World Heritage Sites. The Shimokita Region, facing the Pacific Ocean is home to Rokkasho Village, or Rokkasho-mura, an important site for nuclear energy in Japan. It is called a village, but the village is a big one, measuring more than 250 square kilometers, with a population count of more than 11000 in 1998. Nuclear fuel reprocessing, uranium enrichment, and low level radioactive waste disposal centers are located in the village. The region has one BWR nuclear power plant operating at Higashidori, supplying 1100 Megawatts of electricity. Those are just technical details.

Swords Should Stay Alone

The three groups should unite, settle their differences and give Europe the leadership, said Sakawa. Chris couldn't agree more. His friend shares his view.
Nakamora just listens. He toys around the chopsticks. A range of Japanese food already laid out on the table. He marvels at the rich spectrum of taste in a Japanese meal - miso soup, tempura, kikkoman sauce, radish, wasabe. Ranging from something that is more or less tasteless to something that tastes good at first but gradually bites you like hot peppers. All are served in one serving, but each in small quantities.
This is the first time this Belgium guy, Chris, is in Japan. On chopstick he agrees that the Japanese ones are easier to operate than the generally lacquered, and hence slippery Chinese ones. He remarked how his other half lost weight while in China just by using chopstick when eating. The conversation moves on to about traveling, about seeing the world, learning from experience, and the many different peoples and cultures. Sometimes they are much more different, and the opposite of what we originally expected.
So, why is it that in Japan you drive on the left hand side of the road, asked Chris.
There are reasons for everything, quipped Sakawa. A sword worn by a Japanese should not touch another. It is an invitation to fight. Swords are worn on the left so that it can be drawn out easily using the right hand. To avoid accidentally touching other people's sword while passing each other, they walked on the left hand side. When we have cars, we just follow the convention. Sakawa explained, but did not confirm if that is the truth. Doesn't matter. There is always something new to learn. Nakamora too did not know that.