If you’ve been experiencing a slow Internet connection in Kota Kinabalu & Malaysia (even slower than normal), you might also have noticed that it only affects some sites, most notably the ones in the US.

The Short Explanation

So what’s the story and why is the Internet connection in Kota Kinabalu & Malaysia so slow?

Well, said Telekom Malaysia in a small announcement that was only posted on their website 24 February (and I only discovered recently after some extensive searches), it’s a broken/faulty, sub-sea cable.

Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) wishes to announce that there is a disruption of its Internet services since 18 February 2009 due to circuit fault on the Asia Pacific Cable Network 2 (APCN2) between Kuantan – Katong in Singapore and Shantou – Tanshui in Taiwan linking Malaysia to the United States (US).

Due to this, customers using Internet services may now experience slow browsing while accessing content hosted in the U.S. In addition, customers using other IP services such as Virtual Private Network (VPN) and other critical business applications linked to the US may also experience some service degradation.

To alleviate the problem, some of the links have been rerouted to alternate routes to ease the congestion.

During the restoration process, traffic to Northern America may experience minor degradation while traffic to other countries is not affected. TM expects the complete recovery of its services by 5 March 2009. TM will make further announcements on the progress of the restoration works.

TM wishes to assure its customers that it is undertaking all necessary measures to restore communications services for its customers as soon as possible.

They’re making promises about the speed at which they will restore services that took  them 6 days to realise were faulty?  Maybe their services are usually so slow they didn’t realise the difference.  But I digress.

Depending on where you are, traffic degradation will be anything but minor.  Here in KK we’re experiencing major degradation.

The Long Explanation

So what are these APCN2, Kuantan – Katong and Shantou – Tanshui that they’re talking about?

In this modern day and age of satellites and data flying through the ether, it might be difficult to believe that the entire planet is spanned by unbelievably long cables that run along the ocean floor.  Yup, thousands upon thousands of kilometres of cable run between the continents and that is what really connects the world.

Alarmingly frequently, these cables are cut. Anchors, fishing lines, friction, earthquakes – they can all cut or damage the cables and impede our communications.  The cables carry not only Internet data, but also phone calls, and data for banks, airlines, newspapers, media, etc.

What is causing the slow Internet in Malaysia, is only indirectly causing it to be slow in Kota Kinabalu too. Let me explain.

APCN2 is a cable network that connects countries in Asia Pacific.  Most notably, it touches China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.  However, the network has specific ‘landing points’ where it reaches a country – from there a hub regulates traffic onto or from domestic lines.

So when Telekom Malaysia says there is a fault between Kuantan – Katong and Shangtou – Tanshui, it means the problem is along the line between Malaysia/Singapore and China/Taiwan.  That’s a long piece of cable and it’s the same one that was responsible for the very slow Internet we experienced after it was damaged in several places by the big earthquake that hit Taiwan in 2006.

This cable has a bandwidth capacity of 2.56 Terabits per second.

How fast is that?

Well, 2.56 Terabits is equal to 327 Gigabytes. If your laptop is about a year or so old, it probably has a 160 gigabyte hard drive – and you know you can cram a lot of stuff on there.  So this line can transfer TWO of your 160 gigabyte hard drives every second. Tick. 327 gigabytes just went down that line. Tick. Another 327 gigabytes. And so on.

Now imagine all the millions of people in all those countries that use a little slice of that bandwidth for their email, YouTube, web surfing, chatting, Skype, etc. and the banks who use some for transfers, transactions, etc. and the other people like the stock markets, weather services, airlines, etc. etc. Because this line has such a big bandwidth capacity that can serve so many people, when it’s broken many suffer.

Kota Kinabalu & Borneo

But APCN2 doesn’t server Borneo.

APCN2 lands in Malaysia in Kuantan, which is west Malaysia.  Excluding satelites, it seems Borneo (Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei at least), get Internet through a hub in Brunei called Tungku.  The line that services that hub is called SEA-ME-WE-3 – South East Asia – Middle East – Western Europe 3.  The name tells you which parts of the world it connects.

So let’s say you’re in Kota Kinabalu and you want to go on Facebook, which is hosted in the US.  You type the address and hit enter.

The browser sends your data request via first KK’s network and then Burnei’s network to the hub in Tungku.  There it gets onto the SEA-ME-WE-3 cable. SEA-ME-WE-3 runs below the South China Sea, past Singapore and around to Penang.  In Penang, it gets off the SEA-ME-WE-3 cable, and via west Malaysia’s data network it goes to Kuantan.  In Kuantan it gets onto the APCN2 cable and zooms off to the hub in Shantou in China.   From Shantou it goes to Tansui, Taiwan then on to Chongming in China.  From there is goes to Pusan, South Korea before it ends up in Kitaibaraki, Japan.

Another route for data to travel is via Singapore and the Philippines to Emi, Japan (which is likely how our data is being routed now, due to the fault on the other route).

Either way, data is funneled to Emi, Japan from where it gets onto the Tyco Global Network (TGN) or Japan – US Cable Network (JUS), which goes to the US and lands in either Hillsboro, Oregan (TGN) or Manchester / Palo Alto / Los Anglese, California (JUS) and onto the US local data network to make its way to Facebook HQ.

Your browser then gets the information from the server via pretty much the same route, and loads it on your computer.  If all cables along the route are in good repair, this entire return journey takes less than a couple of seconds.

Of course, as it stands such a request takes quite a lot of time.  The main highway is broken, so traffic is being rerouted.  As we all know, that causes traffic jams, which slows everything down.

Luckily they expect things to be patched up by March 5.  And because I believe Telekom Malaysia is not involved in the repairs, it might actually happen on March 5.  Here’s crossing my fingers.

In January this post appeared on the WetPixel forum and showed pictures of shark finning in Sabah on Mabul near Sipadan, which is popular and famous for its diving treasures.

As WetPixel is a dive forum, it quickly garnered a lot of attention amongst divers and it spread to other dive boards and in doing so got attention and coverage approaching viral status. What made matters worse was a reply from the Sabah Fisheries Department’s Director, who said that shark finning is technically not illegal, as long as it’s within the boundaries of the fisherman’s license.

When I finally got linked to the forum, being the eco-warrior (and blogger, and traveller) that I am, it was outraged not only that this was happening, but that it was happening in Sabah and on Mabul and Sipadan. Sabah is constantly marketing itself as an eco-destination and Mabul and Sipadan are marketed as pristine, world-class diving destinations.

Shark finning just doesn’t feature anywhere near any of these two images that Sabah Tourism spends a lot of money on projecting to the international dive and travel markets. I should say that some think the sharks are not caught in or around Mabul and Sipadan, but rather a triangular area between the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, where marine life is prolific. It doesn’t make the act of catching the sharks and finning them on Mabul any less atrocious though.

If you tell a friend who tells a friend who…

So I told Julia, Julia SMS’ed Datuk Masidi (Tourism, Culture & Environment Minister) and he replied (to the media at large), with this SMS:

“Mabul is not under the jurisdiction of Sabah Parks. However, since the island is a popular tourist destination especially as a transit point for diving in Sipadan, the alleged whaling and shark processing activities would in a way affect the tourism industry in the State.

Nature lovers and the global conservation community are fast becoming very influential lobbyists whose action could hurt the State’s tourism industry in the long run if they decide a boycott of Sabah to protest against activities perceived to be cruel to whales and sharks.

We need to be sensitive to the global views to protect our tourism industry if we want to continue attracting more foreign visitors to Sabah, especially from the high-end markets.

A small mistake or even inaction could have a major repercussion on the industry”

Daily Express picked up on it with this article on 31 January. Julia did a bit more digging and on 16 February she wrote this article for New Straits Times, which is a national newspaper, has some quasi-government connections and obviously makes people in high places sit up and take note.

Especially when there’s a graphic picture of dead, bloodied sharks being finned accompanying it.

So meetings were held and I think the only solid conclusion of those meetings was that it was a bloody shame that this got so much attention.

They obviously realise that all those divers in the forums who said they will avoid the very expensive Sipadan for as long as this goes on, could make a serious dent in pile of tourism dollars Sipadan generates. Yet there’s money to be made from shark finning.

Poo in nice wrapping is still poo

Daily Express, on Tuesday, reported about the outcome of the meetings held by the Semporna Tourism Action Council (STAC) and tried to put a positive spin on it. STAC consists of members of the Tourism, Culture & Environment Ministry, Sabah Tourism, Sabah Parks and Sabah Fisheries. WWF and local tourism players also have a say in it, although how much is unknown.

It should be noted that Sabah Fisheries is not an environmental body – in fact, their directive is to get the most out of Sabah’s fish stocks. It seems as if they interpret get the most in dollar terms only and not longevity. Sustainable fishing, however, suggests some form of conservation and limits, but I’m not sure that’s how they roll.

Anyway, Daily Express put the positive spin on the top by titling the article “Ban shark finning activities” and in the opening paragraph they say how STAC has proposed a ban be placed on shark fishing and finning in Mabul to protect the diving industry.

But either this was said early in the meeting, or I think they’re bargaining on the fact that most people don’t read to the bottom of articles. Near the end of the article they say that the council actually wants to restore the shark population, but for the purpose of seeing if shark finning and fishing is sustainable, which means they don’t have to ban it.

We all know shark finning is lucrative, but dwindling shark populations clearly indicate that it isn’t sustainable. Good luck with restoring the shark population while doing nothing about the finning.

But the cherry on the cake is when the article concludes with

“While thanking the public for their concern, the council felt that the issue had been blown out of proportion, which could effect the local communities that depend on tourism for their livelihood.”

Damn skippy it will influence your tourism.  You want to kill and fin sharks in the very location where tourists and divers come to see those sharks alive in the wild!

The math is simple

You can’t have it both ways – either you protect the sharks and make money from people who will come again and again to see them, or you condone finning and kill them to make money from somebody who will eat the fins once.

One shark alive (with a conservative 20 year lifespan) viewed by only 1 diver per day (or per week for that matter) paying upwards of RM500 per day, or a once off payment of maybe RM100 per fin times about 5 or so fins per shark. Ummmm…..

Here’s a handy adapted saying perfect for this situation:

you can dive with a shark many times, but you can only fin it once.

So I got the equipment kit from Singapore last weekend and it came bundled with a lager ingredient kit.

However, I thought my house might be a bit hot for a lager brew – I don’t have air-con and it’s been a hot couple of days, which always heats up the living room, usually my coolest room in the house. So I got a Canadian India Pale Ale.

Ales, as I understand it, is the beer brewed at highest temperatures, so I thought perhaps it would be best suited as my first brew. Also, Brewerkz in Singapore’s Clark Quay does a mean India Pale Ale, so I knew I would enjoy the brew.

Anyhoo – that’s what I had in my brew bucket right up until a couple of hours ago. Here’s the log, for myself, if nobody else cares.

16 February

21:15 – I followed the instructions to a tee and the wort mix is complete.  The starting gravity is 0.039, which I adjust upwards by 0.003 to compensate for the near 28°C of the room and liquid.  So the reading is 0.042, which is about right.  I stash it in the cool corner and it sets off at 28°C.

17 February

00:30 -  Before I turn in I have a quick peek.  The foam I stirred up as I was mixing it is gone and it looks calm at the surface. No bubbles yet.

05:30 – An early start as I send Julia to the airport and have a quick look at my brew.  A tick froth has appeared and is starting to cover the surface.

12:10 – Home for lunch – the froth now nearly covers the entire surface.  Temperature has gone up to 29.5°C. I’m a little worried about the heat.  There’s also a thin layer of sediment at the bottom.  Is it undissolved dextrose? I’m pretty sure I stirred it until it was all dissolved. I leave it, in case it’s  nothing to worry about.

20:30 – Rich foam on top now.  The deposit at the bottom looks thinner.  No bubbles yet, maybe it didn’t seal right?  Temperature outside today is scorching, even at this time of night it’s 31°C.  Inside it’s about 30°C.

18 February

12:30 – Temperature is still 30°C. Froth is down a lot, but still no damn bubbles.  Where’s the bubbles?  I open and reseal the lid.

18:00 – Sediment bothers me. What if it is undissolved dextrose and the brew doesn’t have enough food?  I open it and stir it with a sanitised spoon.  Oops! It’s yeast.  Now I remember, there’s yeast fall-out as a result of the brewing process.  I take a gravity readin – it’s 1.024 if you include the temperature adjustment. Wow – busy yeast.

19:30 – Bubbles started, finally.  They’re about 22 second apart.

20:00 – Wtf!?  I was out of the room just to do the dishes, come back and it’s stopped completely.  I’ll give it one more stir.

23:59 – Ok, now it’s bubbling fast and furious again.  Bubbles are 10 seconds apart.  I wonder if I didn’t aerate the wort properly, or perhaps I put the yeast in wrong.  I just opened the packet and sprinkled, but Homebrewing for Dummies suggests dissolving it in some lukewarm water instead.  Note to self.

19 February

08:15 – Surface is clear, bubbling much slower.  Temperature still an alarming 30°C.  Now bubbling about once every minute.

12:00 – Bubbling has gone down, maybe once every 2 minutes.  Gravity reading is 1,014 including the temperature adjustment.  It smells a little like cider now, I think I might have contaminated it with my opening and closing the lid.  Slight bitterness to the sample too, not sure if that’s called hoppy or spoiled.  It certainly does have alcohol in it.

19:30 – Gravity reading is now 1,011 and the bubbles have stopped completely.  According to Homebrewing for dummies, my yeast has consumed more than 65% of the sugars, and it’s technically ready to bottle.  I also read on Morgan’s website that opening and closing the lid late in the fermentation stage can let oxygen in and spoil the brew. Shit! Time to bottle.

21:00 - Phew! Everything is bottled.  Lots of bubbling as I was filling the bottles. Didn’t read about this anywhere, not sure it’s normal – but could be down to technique.  Putting the carbonation drops in before filling the bottles prevented them from bubbling over.  Also waiting the minimum time in between filling bottles cut down the bubbling.  Sticking the filling tube off-centre to the side of the bottle bubbled less than putting it square in the middle.

23:30 – Mess cleaned up and equipment washed and sanitised.  30 PET Bottles are now stored in the not-so-cool-but-still-ok corner where it can do minimum damange should it explode (which I certainly hope it won’t be doing).  The first-run cup didn’t taste half bad.  Bitter, which I would like to call hoppy, with just a slight tangy taste – bacterial infection, says the articles, but I’d like to pretend I was experimenting with some odd Belgium variety.  Two weeks to wait, let’s see how it goes.

24 February

13:30 – All the beer in the bottles are almost completely clear.  Visible sediment on the bottom, no trace of the carbonation drops (small sugar lumps).  No visible bubbles in the beer, but the PET bottles are all hard, which means they’re compressed at least a little.  I’ve read the cider-like taste could be caused by the dextrose I used, nothing to worry about yet.  Next batch will be made according to the instruction in Homebrewing for Dummies – which is without the 1kg of dextrose.  Difference will might be interesting, although even after a few days of rain my living room is still too hot for lager.

Shortly after the start of the year, Julia and I found ourselves in Time The Bookshop. It was right then and there, seeing a For Dummies book, that I predicted my hobby for the new year – homebrewing.

I love the For Dummies range of books.  I’ve got 4 already and they have all been exceptionally helpful.  So Homebrewing for Dummies became number 5.  Ever since reading the first page I couldn’t wait to get my hand on the equipment and ingredients that I needed to get started.

Two month’s later, following a multi-purpose trip to Singapore, I finally have my first batch brewing in the corner.  It was quite a mission to source everything that I need locally. Although Kota Kinabalu is rife with homebrewing (think Tapai, a local rice wine), proper brewing equipment is virtually impossible to track down, and people brewing beer at home I don’t think is at all common. So I had to wait for a chance to go to Singapore.

There, in stark contrast, it seems home brewers grow on trees, and it was with little effort that I tracked down a few suppliers.  Shortly after arriving in Singapore I walked down the road with my very own brew-kit, containing everything I needed to start brewing right there on the sidewalk, if I wanted.

Back at home, I started the process immediately. The ideal temperature for homebrewing around 25°C.  My living room averages about 27°C across day and night.  Unfortunetally, it seems as if stirring my brew has jacked up the temperature outside, and we’ve been experiencing scorcing heat over the last 3 days and now the coolest part of my air-condtionless house is a pretty average 30°C.  Not sure how my brew will feel about that.

The homebrewing experience has spurned a totally new section and, so far, 1 sub-section on my blog.  There is the general Homebrewing Beer section and then the What’s Brewing Now section under that.  Check it out (if you’re interested) – I intend to keep a detailed log of what I’m doing. – for my own reference, and perhaps as a reference for somebody else who can learn from my inevitable mistakes.

January 2009 has been written to the history books.  It’s gone.  If you missed it, you missed one hell of a month. Welcome to February 2009.

Here in Kota Kinabalu time hasn’t stood still either (although sometimes it seems like it).  Nope, time has flown past and Chinese New Year has come and gone.  As a whole, I must say, the displays of Lion Dances around town has not inspired me, nor thrilled me.  It’s not like I go around town attending all the Lion Dances, but you know, the ones I saw where, well, low grade.

There is an exception though, and that exception is the Chinese New Year Lion Dance at The Loft.  It’s a bit of tradition already, as this was the 3rd Lion Dance I attended at The Loft, which is located on Kota Kinabalu’s Waterfront.  I don’t know why, but they always seem to get the best Lion Dance troupe and boy, are those guys good.

Anyway, I wasn’t really prepared to capture this event on film, but I did have my Canon Ixus 85 handy, which although it ain’t no video-cam, it still managed to capture half decent video.  OK, fine, in the low light it was actually pretty crap video, but I gave it a bit of gain in After Effects and at least you can appreciate some of the Lion Dance stunts.  The audio isn’t bad, so far as the ku-ching-tak-ku-ching goes.

Enjoy the Chinese New year Lion Dance at The Loft, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.