full ahead both engines!

last weekend, i got a phonecall from my batch mate, sudin about a thanksgiving(kenduri doa selamat) in roy’s house. interesting! i thought this going to be a big gathering. only later i  found out that we are outnumbered by others…..
jo,sudin,jo deng, sk and myself attended the thanksgiving(should i say party,is inappropriate). lucky for me not to be fully dressed in baju melayu, which i will have to endure a series of questions from the other half.
we arrived quite late, but then  the host was very grateful for us to  drop by. he even prepared the tables and food by himself. after exchanging pleasantries, we got down to the waterline. just as normal  as any malaysians, we discussed a lot  about the current political and economic situation,gossips(men do gossip you know), old stories, new stories, cars, houses, lands,marriage,kids and also the never ending story  in a  man’s life : the other  sex  : women.
along, i did bring my guitar from the last night’s jam session, along with discussion, played some old(and new) numbers.old dong lyrics like intanku kesepian are still being remembered.time went very fast since we last met. the discussion carried on until 0330 in the morning.

i remembered faintly the lessons during the dreaded subject of "gyro and magnetism". the lecturer told us that how much force you are acting upon a magnet of similar polarity, they will repel each other. that means opposite poles attract each other. just like a woman and a man, male and female, introvert and extrovert, antagonist and protagonist, the list will go on and on.

those faint recollection of scattered memories were stimulated again during 3 compass adjustment session with my friend, a compass adjuster. very interesting work it is, compass adjustment. because we are doing thing that we can’t see, literally. it is just like the faith we have, we can’t see it, but we know it is there.
first ship was a newbuilding. most landlubbers didn’t quite understand why a magnetic compass need to be adjusted. this is because various magnetism will act upon the magnetic compass, basically we can divide it into 2, hard iron magnetism and soft iron magnetism. why it is called so? hard iron is permanent magnetism while soft iron is induced magnetism. to correct the compass so that it will continue to point at the magnetic north and the errors are known to the navigation officer. instead of going west, we will go the other way if the compass is not right.

speaking of opposite attraction, it is a very peculiar human behavior to be attracted not to their same kind. what i mean is that most couples are of totally opposite character. do we complement each other? does that make a couple contradict each other? two wrong doesn’t make a right. opposite view is good for each other since all the available means of calculating the risk will be taken. how about the risk? some does take the  risk, but some doesn’t want to take risk at all.

anyway, that colours the world as it is today. but some might take to the extreme end of the spectrum and cause discomfort to the other party. might lead to more serious predicaments if not controlled. anyway, thoughts and considerations are to employed in this matter, not just a matter of heart and soul.of any contradiction, things can be solved by diplomacy, rather through violence. only when the other party thinks that everything must be on their side, this is where the problem began.

but then, we must remember, Almighty Allah SWT decided to create us as varied and different to each other so that we will learn to appreciate and know  each other whatever the circumstances of the case.we have to accept each other strength and weaknesses.

the second of the new generation patrol vessel was commisioned on the 3rd of august 2006 by the Chief of Navy,on behalf of His Majesty Yang Dipertuan Agong. this is the second time i went to deliver my "baby" to her new owner, Royal Malaysian Navy. finally the two vessels went into naval service in their new squadron.
down goes the red ensign and when the Chief Of Navy announced the commissioning, up goes the white ensign for the first time on the ensign staff, followed by her ceremonial colours, with our national anthem, Negaraku played by the RMN’s brass band.
to all her officers and crew, have a pleasant voyage and may god protect all of those who sailed on her.
yet to be completed is the third ship in the series of 6. hopefully , the ship will be completed in time and we can test her to the limit.