It's no easy being me

I'm an ATC, an air traffic controller. Officially I've been in this profession for about 4 years, but technically I've been doing this for 2 and a half years. These 2 different terms that I used basically to point out that early in my career, what I do for a year and a half is study, taking courses and exams! 

It's not easy to become an ATC, I have to passed 3 courses in a year, transferred to KKATCC (Kota Kinabalu Air Traffic Control Centre) and continue for almost 6 months of local procedure training and live rating exam, and passed that rating check to finally work as a controller. However, because of my paycheck grade as my employment requirement, I was required to be able to work as radar controller. Hence, another course added, another 3 months of studies and exams. Then, back to training of local procedure for radar environment, and of course the live rating check and finally I got my rating license. 

If you think that's the end of it, you wrong my friends... In Malaysia, an ATC have multiple rating, I don't know how it's works in other countries, but Malaysian ATCs' especially the higher grade rank, able to do radar, area planner, approach and approach radar and tower as in aerodrome and ground control. I've taken 3 courses and have 3 ratings, as area planner, area radar and also tower (thats include the live rating). So, if I want to have all the 5 ratings (it's better to finish all the courses early as the brain still young), it means I have 2 courses to go, which I'm pretty sure I will going to attend one of it this year, plus other technical courses offered such as SAR (search and rescue) and PANS OPS. In the end, throughout my career I'll be attend courses, taking exams and of course yearly proficiency check with theory paper exam for each ratings that I have!

And then I'm asking myself, why... Oh why did I applied for this job? Beside all the studies and exams, and rating checks, added with high stress working environment, sometimes overwork when you being recalled during your off day, with government paycheck... This is a satisfying and self rewarding career. I cannot explain how satisfying it is when you talk to aircrafts non-stop for an hour, do coordination at the same time your mind working on plan A, B and C, and D, and so on, and your adrenaline suddenly kick in rushing through your body making you stomp your feet continuously. Once it all over, you like... Yeah, I did that, proud and relief. However, it can be disappointing sometimes when all the hard work your pour in was not recognized by anyone especially in the aviation industry itself. 

Good day!

It's been a while

It's been a while since I post something or anything that matter, in fact it's been 3 years since my last post. I meant to write something but the world of social media seems like not including blogging anymore. Short status and what's happening or what's on your mind are the trend now in social media world. I too thought blogging is dead, but... I feel like I'm not fully used of my time and mind wisely... It need to be tune up and turn on so I don't feel wasted watching tv and kdrama/jdorama and erm...YouTube all day all night.

So here I am again, trying to write an explanation on why suddenly this seems to be dead blog after 3 years have a new post. In fact, I don't think people even bother the read anything here... It just me whose writing it and me who's sort of read it latter kind of...thing. Basically, I'm writing this for myself, for my self conscience, my deeper inner self who wants nothing but study good...ENGLISH.

That's right people, the initial reason I've started this blog because I wanted to improve my English, and I did... Well for me I think I'm improved, but because I barely speak English now (because I'm not teaching anymore), and all the English that I spoke were aviation phraseology, so now I'm back to the slump days. Hence, be prepared of anything and everything bulls*** that will come here, and I do know I'm need to read A LOT but again, reading is so not my thing. 

Good day

New Year, yet another new place....

Hi y'all! Another post after months!

It seems like I'm at a new place each year. I was in JB 2009, MaVA 2010, and now back to KK 2011. Finally, after a year or so in MaVA aka Malaysian Aviation Academy, I finish all the necessary courses for me to be able to work as an ATC. I still need to take area radar though for my post conformation, but so do everyone in my intake, well I guess I'll see MaVA soon....

Report duty at 16 at KK center

Anyway, today is the last night I'm in MaVA. The forwarding company has taken all my things, which surprisingly over a year has accumulate so much that it really need to be ship out! At first I thought I just need approval for shipping my car, I never think that a few boxes of stuff can be ship out too. Thanks DCA!! A few boxes meh....turn out this morning I have total of 12 boxes of books, shoes, cloths, hangers and much more that I can even remember what I put in those boxes.

Some of the boxes I've pack

The experiences that I gain in MaVA and ATC training that I've been through has been a BLAST! I met with interesting people, makes new friends (in fact ALOT of friends) a long the way, I cry and laugh at the same time, stayed up all night studying for final exam, I've been pilot, coordinator and of course the controller, we gossiping and watching some couple blossom in MaVA (erm...), we criticizing the unsatisfactory, waited till 8pm for the exam's result, we celebrates birthday of friends and instructors, and many more that I can even describe in words. I have this slide show moving in my head just writing this...all of what we have done in MaVA. T_T

Mava is EMPTY

Thanks friends, instructors...MaVA for this experience. I'll see you guyz again for Area Radar!!!

A song I dedicated to you all!!

So, you wanna be an ATC...

Hi everyone...

It's been months since my last post. I just quite lazy with blogging, and with Facebook and twitter came along, blogging kindda 'old school', and bored. However, the reason I start blogging anyway because I wanna improve my English...so I think I need to continue writing even though no one actually reading this...hehehehe

As from the previous post, I currently in-training to become an ATC, or Air Traffic Controller. When I told my friends and family I got a job as an ATC, they were like...what?? "Oh...the one that wave to the aircraft to park" like this one. I was also confuse myself of what actually I'll be doing as an ATC at first, that's why in order to work as an ATC, we have to train for about a year or less (depending on your work requirement) both in theoretical and practical aspect of air traffic control.

Another interesting conversation with fellow "aviation" partners aka airport and airline staffs about ATC is..."Oh, you the one that crash the planes" and what worst is the fact that some of them didn't realize that we are exist! Unless your are a pilot, the chances that you heard about us, an ATC is slim. During the one week orientation before the ATC Primary Course started, most of the instructors and guest speakers told us that an ATC is an unsung heroes of the aviation industry. People didn't know us, no picture what so ever will be publish anywhere commercially about ATC, and we the one that keep thousand of planes safe in the air and land on the ground every day, but one mistake is enough to ruin your whole career.

Instructors and fellow ATCs also jokes about how an ATCO is actually "Aku Tak Campur Orang". Literally means that we don't mix with other people, which is partly true. Once your work as an ATC, there is no 8-5 job, all operation are in shift (unless you work in HQ, which usually fill by "experience" people) coz this is 24/7 operation, as long as there is planes in the sky, Towers and ATCC (air traffic controller center, or we called it as "center") will be open for business. Hence, when regular 8-5 people go to work, we usually sleep and when we work, they will be sleeping. Moreover, when we talk about "traffic" (as in air traffic) they have no idea what we are talking about. Even if we talk about this to other fellow aviation industry people, they having a hard time to understand it!

Most of my instructor told me how ATC gonna change our personality and attitude, mostly towards our daily life. I'm still in training, so I do not notice any personality change in me so I do not know this, but they said we will be more firm and particular with our daily life as what we do actually is giving instructions every day and the pilots will definitely follow them. If the pilots cannot accept route A, we give route B, or route C, or D.... if none of the above, we still give route A with restrictions, or B with restriction or C with restriction, if still can't comply...well we give pilots more restrictions as it is not only 1 planes in the sky, it is hundred to thousand of planes flying in Malaysian airspace every day. Pilots can't see other planes when cruising...for example FL300 (30000 feet) in the air, they are flying blind with instrument in the cockpit to help them, they need ATC to guide them the wright way and to separate them with other aircraft.

I think I wrote long enough for my first post in 8 months. Maybe next time I try to update regularly....well we'll see...I'm a lazy person...

Ciao....

New year, another new place...

Hi all,

It's been a while since I post anything in this blog. I'm in a busy mode after final exam as I was preparing some documents for my new employment. And now I'm already start my training in Sepang, or specifically in Malaysia Aviation Academy (MaVA) located near to the F1 and LCCT. The training is the same like attending classes but of course with more discipline because what we learn here actually what we will be applied when we start working. I want to write more...I really do need to update regularly but with the busy schedule and the lack of the interest of me to take pictures of every events that happening in my daily life leave me with zero ideas to write about. The pictures below are from a friend's phone to show you guyz what I've been doing since the new year.

The last night of 'Suai Kenal' activity, with my group mate...all are "future" ATCO.

This is a sort of jungle trekking....if you want to called a palm oil estate as a jungle....


The final night of the orientation week, we have to sing a group song and listen to the Director of Department of Civil Aviation's speech.

Speaking about a group song, I personally wrote the lyrics and come out with the melodies (kembang hidung kejap...hehehehe), and here it goes;

Don't be sad don't be mad
You will gonna be alright
Let's make a pact
Don't be late
We will always at your back
We pumping fire in your eyes
Always fire-up!

Our group motto is ALWAYS FIRE-UP, so that's how the song came about. Bah, thats it for now...

ciao....

Unplanned is my thing...

I like doing something random. Well, not really 'random' because obviously I've talked about going somewhere to my friends before, it just I don't have the courage going alone. Simply say, I don't like to plan ahead whenever I'm going to a "journey"....

Because I can't get a ticket to langkawi, I go to Bukit Tinggi instead. The reason why I can't get a ticket simply because I don't like buying ticket in advance. Even with plane tickets, I'll wait until I completely sure of the date (even though I know if I stall any longer the price will be more expensive than previous one).


Well, first Bukit Tinggi that you saw in the picture is totally different from the 'real world'. I was like, "that's it!!!" Unfortunately yes, that's it, nothing more. Once you reach the top (if u sabahan, the way up is easy compare to Kundasang), at the Colmar Tropicale it exactly 15 mins walks from the car park to the Colmars' and back with pictures taken. My advice, unless u going to slept at the hotel, just look at the pictures...at least its prettier. And one thing, it doesn't even cold up there. I see fog though....that's it! Genting maybe much more interesting.


Japanese garden is a tiring one! I drove myself there without taking the shuttle bus because I felt it so unnecessary as I know where exactly it located. Oh boy, big mistake! Shuttle bus can drive all the way up the entrance, while the public car park is located around 5 mins walk up! I mean 'walk up' like 5-storied high....well maybe 4...3... it a hard climb you know! I don't even felt japanese up there! I saw pond with 'koi' fishes, green tea and ppls with rented kimonos and japanese style huts/buildings. But again, that's it! Oh well, they have a super expensive (for me it expensive) Japanese restaurant. I like the jungle walk though.... it therapeutic for me...

Now, who's wanna go to Langkawi with me?

Backup, backup and BACKUP!!!

HELLO!!! It's been a very long time since my last post. I've been busy with my final exam last month... but frankly I'm just very laaaazyyyyyy. Didn't I said my final was last month!! I just move in with my bro's new home in Kulai, and Internet here is quite slooowwwwww.... So, I wrote something last few weeks about the IMPORTANT OF BACKUP!!! Seriously, WHY I DIDN'T DO THAT!!

17/11/2008

I'm literally crying out loud right now, silently in my heart. I'm now writing on my old laptop, which was in the 'bag' for over 6 month with no OS at all, until now. Why you said? Well people, this an advice I always tell my ex-students...BACKUP, BACKUP and BACKUP! My new stylist laptop just CRASH! Yup, you heard me right. I don't know if it's a virus or whatever, it totally 'eaten' my OS. I can't enter the OS and I was like “thank god my data in E:\”... but honey, I can't even reformat it!! Which means I can't even get access to my data. Being a Sc. Comp student, of course I know there is a way to get back all my data....but frankly I DON'T KNOW HOW! To make matter worse, it was happen one day before my final exam... for my very final papers! And all my notes were in that laptop (I don't print them because I don't have printer and to print all of them will cost me $$$...I'm CHEAP!).

So, I start to reformat my old laptop back using Ubuntu. I wanna learn how to use Linux anyway so I'm finally force to start using it. Now I have one working laptop... all I need is an Internet to 'google' my problem. But wait.... there is no Internet in this new lovely big house!!! Why do you think I'm not online anymore! So, I just send it to the shop where my warranty still valid. Unfortunately they can't solve the problem either, so I was force to find the main HP care center in JB...which is VERY VERY far from UTM, let alone Kulai! When I arrived there, the lady told me that the shop on the right can do the backup for me. But I have approximately 70GB of data, and the place is super far for me to actually coming back and forth(well Kulai-Johor Jaya...), I just wanna get over with it and send it to the HP care which will confirm the fully 'termination' of my hardisk! Bye bye my songs... bye bye my movies... bye bye Queen Seon Duk(I still not finish watching this!! ..huhuhu... )... bye bye my 1n2d...bye bye my jdrama... bye bye all... oops, the important one... bye bye my journal's references(for my master's project)!!!

I'm crying right now....heavily.... TT__TT

UPDATE: A week later I got my laptop back and they have to replace my harddisk with a new one....it fried maybe....they don't discuss what's going on!!

Update...

It's been a while ha... This semester I was like....gosh!!!! Can I have my sleep now??? Super duper crazieeeeeeeeeeee!!! Tons of assignment have to be done and this week is only the 5th week of the semester....can't imagine our workload after Raya, tons of tons of tons of assignments!!! HELP ME.....!!!!

Anyway, even with that 'tons' of works I have to do, like I said to friend yesterday (during our chat meeting via FB...you know who u are right...) work, study and play is one word for me. I have to do that all at once...if not I go "미치겠어,정말 미치겠어(michigesso, chungmal michigesso)"(sing it like MC MONG...u don't get it ha....). Move on...well what I'm trying to say is, I still do play whenever I want even though I have a lot of work to do. Something like 'work hard play hard', except I play hard more than work, erhm....not good, not good....

Movies

I can't relate to Harry Potter T_T...Maybe I'm too old for this (sad to admit!!). Overall, don't like it because less action and too teeny for me! My sis gonna love this though...

It's better than I expected after reading an online reviewed that rated it as "the poor man's Transformers". I do love the action and because of that it still enjoyable. But the dialogue is so cliche, and most of the scene is like 'I seen it a thousand times before' kidda feeling. When I can predict who the bad guys is and what coming up next...means I watch it because there is nothing else to watch! Enjoyable though...

After feeling kidda disappointed watching high explosive action-CGI movies (erhm...Transformer...GI Joe...Harry Potter...what esle ya??), I turned to the girly flick...the romantic comedy that sure is so over CLICHE but gonna make my heart smileeee...arh...so sweet... This movie is not a disappoitment. It has all the right ingredients for romantic comedy, hot guy, super nice house, great scenery and of course got family feeling...ah....so sweet... WTH! I admit it, I like it! What to do, I'm old and single...of course I like this stuff! Moving on...

I also watched "Ghost of Girlfriend Past"...not good!

Music

Currently addicted to Doping Panda-Decadence. The whole album is on repeat in my mp3. Particularly I like 'Crazy One More Time', 'Lost & Found', 'Best Addiction' and 'Standin' In The Rain'. The album is super great!!

I'm also listening to 2NE1 new mini album. Hard to admit it, I like it very much. The entire album is non-stop playing in head! Not to be forgotten, MC MONG - Indian Boy!!!

Drama

Because US TV series still on 'vacation' till next month, I go for my usual fave, JDORAMA and KDRAMA. Currently watching Buzzer Beat, Orthros no Inu and Queen Seonduk. Just 3...for now, I do watch some online...so....hehehehehe

Why all the sudden I update about movies, music and dramas?? Because that's the only things I can do while writing my assignment!! Make sense ha... Of course I do play Mafia wars and farm town on FB, and still exploring the YT. Like I said, I play hard....really hard...should the other way around right..!!!