Sunday, November 9, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Merdeka Ennui
As of late, I'm getting more and more confused about the meaning and usefulness of heritage. Wait, what do I mean by "heritage" here, you may wonder. I'm talking about a general sense of belonging. HOME.
Am I on my way to joining so many disaffected people all over the world? Or is age fast catching up with me. Or is it because I lack history?
Am I on my way to joining so many disaffected people all over the world? Or is age fast catching up with me. Or is it because I lack history?
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Historical GIS of Penarikan
Let me share with you a little bit about my current preoccupation called historical GIS.
Historical GIS can be defined as using geographical information systems to map and understand past landscape changes.
In the US, UK and Europe, integrating geography and history in GIS is now commonly done in this brand new field, which is about 10 years old.
In Malaysia, land use/ land cover studies using GIS are plenty but specific case studies on historical sites are still lacking.
As a geographer who has a keen interest in history, I figure I can contribute to this endeavour to enhance our Malaysian heritage knowledge.
My current research is on the Penarikan in Jempol. Visit this site for more information:
http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/1207/malaysia_land-use.html
Historical GIS can be defined as using geographical information systems to map and understand past landscape changes.
In the US, UK and Europe, integrating geography and history in GIS is now commonly done in this brand new field, which is about 10 years old.
In Malaysia, land use/ land cover studies using GIS are plenty but specific case studies on historical sites are still lacking.
As a geographer who has a keen interest in history, I figure I can contribute to this endeavour to enhance our Malaysian heritage knowledge.
My current research is on the Penarikan in Jempol. Visit this site for more information:
http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/1207/malaysia_land-use.html
Friday, August 15, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
a tool for conjuring feelings
Photographs are definitely one of the wonderful tools that humans have invented. This one I took some time in 2003 of an irrigation dam in Negeri Sembilan. Notice the photo date in the lower right corner. That's technology for us.I can't remember much about the day that I took this photo, but maybe if I spend a bit more time looking at it I may be able to recall more: the sounds, smell and feelings I had at the time.
yes it's slowly coming to me: I was admiring a tree species near the dam... the grass was still dewy so I gingerly walked on it not wanting to attract any hungry leeches .... and it was as sunny morning...
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
termites
If you drive around in the villages in Negeri Sembilan, you'll notice that the number of "heritage" houses overgrown by semak belukar (bushes for the lack of a better term) is not small. The reasons for the abandonment are numerous but often it's because nobody bothers about the house or the kampung (household compound).
If you're the adventurous type, I encourage you to check out these houses. Yes check them out. Get out of your car and get close and personal with the houses. You'd be surprised that despite the years of abuse from the weather, the weight of lianas on the walls, roofs and floors, these houses can remain standing.
And maybe you'll notice the bee hives hanging on the beams or the trails of termites on the woods.
Speaking of termites, in Australia these white ants cause more damage to homes than storms and fire combined and this problem is a major concern for the country's Department of Housing.
I wonder if anybody is worried about termites eating up our heritage homes.
If you're the adventurous type, I encourage you to check out these houses. Yes check them out. Get out of your car and get close and personal with the houses. You'd be surprised that despite the years of abuse from the weather, the weight of lianas on the walls, roofs and floors, these houses can remain standing.
And maybe you'll notice the bee hives hanging on the beams or the trails of termites on the woods.
Speaking of termites, in Australia these white ants cause more damage to homes than storms and fire combined and this problem is a major concern for the country's Department of Housing.
I wonder if anybody is worried about termites eating up our heritage homes.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Citizen Science
That's a phrase that I just learned today, although it was coined many decades ago (just “wikipedia” it to find out more about its history).
If citizen science allows people with no formal scientific training for that particular project to participate effectively, e.g. conducting bird counts in some remote site (notice that a physicist is a scientist but she’s not trained as an ornitologist), how can we do the same for heritage conservation? That is, how do we involve “ordinary folks” to be interested and thus participate in heritage project?
citizen heritage, anyone?
If citizen science allows people with no formal scientific training for that particular project to participate effectively, e.g. conducting bird counts in some remote site (notice that a physicist is a scientist but she’s not trained as an ornitologist), how can we do the same for heritage conservation? That is, how do we involve “ordinary folks” to be interested and thus participate in heritage project?
citizen heritage, anyone?
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Thursday, January 3, 2008
My BC
Happy New Year 2008!
I was born, and it's stated in my birth certificate, in 1973. So that means I'll be 35 years old this year.
My birth certificate is a work of art. By that I mean the "facts" contained in it can be beautiful, but not necessarily correct.
For example, it's stated in the BC that at the time of my birth my father was earning a living as a rubber tapper. I asked my father about this and he said at that time he'd just retired from the Askar Melayu Diraja (makes a lot of sense to me) and was not tapping rubber. He added that he wasn't all that sure that I was born in 1973 because they, for reasons still unknown to me, decided to report my birth to the authority several months after I was born!
At any rate, I love my BC.
I was born, and it's stated in my birth certificate, in 1973. So that means I'll be 35 years old this year.
My birth certificate is a work of art. By that I mean the "facts" contained in it can be beautiful, but not necessarily correct.
For example, it's stated in the BC that at the time of my birth my father was earning a living as a rubber tapper. I asked my father about this and he said at that time he'd just retired from the Askar Melayu Diraja (makes a lot of sense to me) and was not tapping rubber. He added that he wasn't all that sure that I was born in 1973 because they, for reasons still unknown to me, decided to report my birth to the authority several months after I was born!
At any rate, I love my BC.
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