Water pollution ;

What Can You Do?

If you want to help keep our waters clean, there are many things you can do to help. You
can prevent water pollution of nearby rivers and lakes as well as groundwater and
drinking water by following some simple guidelines in your everyday life.

Conserve water by turning off the tap when running water is not necessary. This helps
prevent water shortages and reduces the amount of contaminated water that needs
treatment.
Be careful about what you throw down your sink or toilet. Don’t throw paints, oils or other
forms of litter down the drain. Use environmentally household products, such as washing
powder, household cleaning agents and toiletries.
Take great care not to overuse pesticides and fertilisers. This will prevent runoffs of the
material into nearby water sources.
By having more plants in your garden you are preventing fertiliser, pesticides and
contaminated water from running off into nearby water sources.
Don’t throw litter into rivers, lakes or oceans. Help clean up any litter you see on beaches
or in rivers and lakes, make sure it is safe to collect the litter and put it in a nearby
dustbin.
Laws and conventions
There are many laws that protect the world’s oceans, rivers and lakes from unnecessary
water pollution. Each continent and country may differ in which laws they enforce but
they aim to have the same overall positive influence.

In Europe, there have been a number laws enforced to protect the surrounding ocean
from marine dumping.

In 1989, the dumping of industrial waste was terminated in all countries in North-Western
Europe, apart from the UK. Dumping was terminated in the UK in 1993.
In 1990, the dumping of sewage sludge was terminated in all countries in North-Western
Europe, apart from the UK. Dumping was terminated in the UK in 1998.
Guidelines have been developed and are currently being reviewed regarding the
dumping of polluted materials.
Dumping of nuclear waste in European waters has been terminated since 1986.
There are a number of directives given in the European Union Environmental Legislation:

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The proposed water framework directive aims to achieve a number of objectives
regarding health and environmental issues:
– Enforce sufficient drinking water provisions.
– Enforce sufficient provisions if water for other economic requirements.
– Protection of the environment from water pollution.
– Provide alleviation of the adverse impacts of floods and droughts.
– The directive aims to achieve a good status for ground waters and surface waters in
Europe by the year 2010.
The urban waste water directive aims to protect surface inland waters and coastal waters
from pollution by regulating the collection and treatment of urban waste water.
The nitrate from agricultural sources directive aims to protect waters against pollution
caused by nitrates, especially nitrates from agricultural sources such as fertilisers. This
will enable marine and freshwaters to be protected from eutrophication.
The drinking water directive aims to establish strict standards regarding the quality of
drinking water. The directive provides parameters and analysis methods, these
standards must be met to ensure safe drinking water.
The surface water for drinking water abstraction directive and measurement and
sampling of surface waters directive and information exchange decision are integrated to
form a framework that deals with wate protection of all waters, not just those used by
humans.
The fish water directive and shell water directive aims to protect waters from pollution
that are primarily used for fishing.
The groundwater directive aims to protect groundwater from dangerous pollutants by
controlling the direct and indirect discharges of certain substances into the groundwater.
The bathing water directive aims to keep good standards in the quality of bathing water in
freshwater and coastal water areas.

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veryone understands that clean water is vitally important. Yet, many things we do can
contribute to water pollution in different ways. This post describes some easy and
inexpensive ways to protect water by doing certain things at home and in the community.

Dispose of Toxic Chemicals Properly:

Household solvents, pesticides, and cleaners might not seem that bad. But, bleach,
paint, paint thinner, ammonia, and many chemicals are becoming a serious problem. If
you combine millions of people every month dumping toxic chemicals down the drain or
flushing them down the toilet, the effects add up. This is why proper disposal is
important.  

Many household chemicals can be recycled. Your community may have a recycling
center that can take the old paint, used motor oil, and other chemicals and recycle them.
Community collection centers and drop-off sites also exist in some areas. Your
community may even have a hazardous waste collection day where those toxic old
chemicals can be dropped off for safe disposal.

Shop with Water Pollution in Mind: 

You can avoid issues with household chemicals and pesticides by not buying products
that contain persistent and dangerous chemicals in the first place. Many companies now
sell non-toxic cleaners and biodegradable cleaners and pesticides. Spending a little extra
money on those products automatically cuts down on water pollution.

Do Not Pour Fat and Grease Down the Drain:

Grease, fat, and used cooking oil should be disposed of in the trash or kept in a “fat jar”
for disposal with other solid waste. Your pipes might clog and cause sewer pipes to clog
and back up into yards and basements. The waste also contaminates local bodies of
water.

Use Phosphate-Free Detergent and Dish Cleaner:

You can further cut down on water pollution by using just enough of these cleaners to do
the job. Phosphates aren’t the only harmful chemicals in cleaners. Phosphates lead to
algae blooms and kill fish and other aquatic animals by reducing the oxygen in the
water. 

Check Your Sump Pump or Cellar Drain:

Sometimes these devices drain into the town’s sanitary sewer pipes. This connection
dumps biological wastes, heavy metals, cleaning chemicals and more into the system. If
you have a sump pump or cellar drain and aren’t sure where they drain to, you should be
able to find out by checking with the city’s pollution control department.

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Dispose of Medical Waste Properly:

Never flush medicines down the toilet, and never dump them in the nearest pond or
creek. The drugs tend to accumulate in the water, and in fish and other wildlife.
Hormones and other compounds end up causing a variety of health problems in fish and
birds and contaminate drinking water that people and livestock use.
Eat More Organic Food:

While chemicals can be used on organic foods, they tend to be produced with few
synthetic chemicals. Eating organic reduces the amount of chemical pollution that ends
up in the water. The food we choose to eat has a huge impact on environmental quality,
between the chemicals used to grow food, the fuel used to transport the crops, and the
fuel used to power farm equipment on industrial farms.
Report Water Polluters:

Many cases of illegal waste disposal and other forms of water pollution go unreported
and often aren’t cleaned up. Report people who pour oil in storm drains, toss bags of
trash in a stream, and so on.  
Support Environmental Charities:

No matter where you live in the country, there are going to be charities working on
watershed protection, water pollution cleanup, and similar causes. Find an organization
that’s active in your area and make a donation every year. Your support may even lead
to expanded anti-pollution work.
Cut Down on Meat Consumption:

Raising animals for meat takes lots of water for the grains and other foods they need, as
well as to keep them alive. Further, the antibiotics and solid waste both tend to end up in
groundwater and rivers.

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Reading strengthens your brain
A growing body of research indicates that reading literally changes your mind.
Using MRI scans, researchers have confirmedTrusted Source that reading involves a
complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As your reading ability matures,
those networks also get stronger and more sophisticated.
In one studyTrusted Source conducted in 2013, researchers used functional MRI scans
to measure the effect of reading a novel on the brain. Study participants read the novel
“Pompeii” over a period of 9 days. As tension built in the story, more and more areas of
the brain lit up with activity.
Brain scans showed that throughout the reading period and for days afterward, brain
connectivity increased, especially in the somatosensory cortex, the part of the brain that
responds to physical sensations like movement and pain.

Why children and parents should read together

Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic recommend that parents read with their children
beginning as early as infancy and continuing through elementary school years.
Reading with your children builds warm and happy associations with books, increasing
the likelihood that kids will find reading enjoyable in the future.
Reading at home boosts school performance later on. It also increases vocabulary,
raises self-esteem, builds good communication skills, and strengthens the prediction
engine that is the human brain.

Increases your ability to empathize

And speaking of sensing pain, researchTrusted Source has shown that people who read
literary fiction — stories that explore the inner lives of characters — show a heightened
ability to understand the feelings and beliefs of others.
Researchers call this ability the “theory of mind,” a set of skills essential for building,
navigating, and maintaining social relationships.
While a single session of reading literary fiction isn’t likely to spark this
feeling, researchTrusted Source shows that long-term fiction readers do tend to have a
better-developed theory of mind.
The Matthew effect sums up the idea that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer — a
concept that applies as much to vocabulary as it does to money.

Researchers have foundTrusted Source that students who read books regularly,
beginning at a young age, gradually develop large vocabularies. And vocabulary size can
influence many areas of your life, from scores on standardized tests to college
admissions and job opportunities.

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A 2019 poll conducted by Cengage showed that 69 percent of employers are looking to
hire people with “soft” skills, like the ability to communicate effectively. Reading books is
the best way to increase your exposure to new words, learned in context.

Want to be sure your home is reader-friendly?

You may want to pick up a copy of Nancie Atwell’s “The Reading Zone.” It’s a quick,
inspiring read penned by one of the most influential reading teachers in the world and the
first recipient of the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize.
Helps prevent age-related cognitive decline
The National Institute on Aging recommends reading books and magazines as a way of
keeping your mind engaged as you grow older.

Although research hasn’t proven conclusively that reading books prevents diseases like
Alzheimer’s, studiesTrusted Source show that seniors who read and solve math
problems every day maintain and improve their cognitive functioning.

And the earlier you start, the better. A 2013 study conducted by Rush University Medical
Center found that people who’ve engaged in mentally stimulating activities all their lives
were less likely to develop the plaques, lesions, and tau-protein tangles found in the
brains of people with dementia.

Reduces stress
In 2009, a group of researchers measured the effects of yoga, humor, and reading on the
stress levels of students in demanding health science programs in the United States.

The study found that 30 minutes of reading lowered blood pressure, heart rate, and
feelings of psychological distress just as effectively as yoga and humor did.

The authors concluded, “Since time constraints are one of the most frequently cited
reasons for high stress levels reported by health science students, 30 minutes of one of
these techniques can be easily incorporated into their schedule without diverting a large
amount of time from their studies.”

Prepares you for a good night’s rest

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic suggest reading as part of a regular sleep routine.

For best results, you may want to choose a print book rather than reading on a screen,
since the light emitted by your device could keep you awake and lead to other unwanted
health outcomes.

Doctors also recommend that you read somewhere other than your bedroom if you have
trouble falling asleep.

Helps alleviate depression symptoms

British philosopher Sir Roger Scruton once wrote, “Consolation from imaginary things is
not an imaginary consolation.” People with depression often feel isolated and estranged
from everyone else. And that’s a feeling books can sometimes lessen.

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Reading fiction can allow you to temporarily escape your own world and become swept
up in the imagined experiences of the characters. And nonfiction self-help books can
teach you strategies that may help you manage symptoms.

That’s why the United Kingdom’s National Health Service has begun Reading Well, a
Books on Prescription program, where medical experts prescribe self-help books curated
by medical experts specifically for certain conditions.

May even help you live longer

A long-term health and retirement studyTrusted Source followed a cohort of 3,635 adult
participants for a period of 12 years, finding that those who read books survived around 2
years longer than those who either didn’t read or who read magazines and other forms of
media.

The study also concluded that people who read more than 3 1/2 hours every week were
23 percent likely to live longer than those who didn’t read at all.

What should you be reading?

So, what should you be reading? The short answer is: Whatever you can get your hands
on.

There was a time when remote regions had to rely on librarians traversing the mountains
with books stuffed in saddlebags. But that’s hardly the case today. Just about everyone
can access vast libraries contained in cellphones and tablets.

If you’re pressed for time, devote a few minutes daily to a blog on a niche topic. If you’re
looking for an escape, fantasy or historical fiction can transport you out of your own
surroundings and into another world altogether.

If you’re on a career fast-track, read nonfiction advice offered by someone who’s already
arrived. Consider it a mentorship you can pick up and put down when it suits your
schedule.

One thing to note: Don’t read solely on a device. Flip through print books, too.

Studies have shown repeatedly that people who read print books score higher on
comprehension tests and remember more of what they read than people who read the
same material in a digital form.

That may be, in part, because people tend to read print more slowly than they read digital
content.

Bypass the binge-watching from time to time

There’s nothing wrong with watching an entire television series, start to finish, in a single
weekend — just as there’s nothing wrong with eating a large, luscious dessert.

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But binge-watching TV probably needs to be an occasional treat rather than your main
source of intellectual stimulation. Research shows that prolonged TV viewing, especially
for children, may change the brain in unhealthy ways.

The takeaway
Reading is very, very good for you. Research shows that regular reading:

improves brain connectivity

increases your vocabulary and comprehension
empowers you to empathize with other people
aids in sleep readiness
reduces stress
lowers blood pressure and heart rate
fights depression symptoms
prevents cognitive decline as you age
contributes to a longer life
It’s especially important for children to read as much as possible because the effects of
reading are cumulative. However, it’s never too late to begin taking advantage of the
many physical and psychological benefits waiting for you in the pages of a good book.

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The Importance of Being on Time

Note: Be sure to read our follow-up article on how to be more punctual.

The life of George Washington was characterized by a scrupulous regard for punctuality.

When he asked a man to bring by some horses he was interested in buying at five in the
morning, and the man arrived fifteen minutes late, he was told by the stable groom that
the general had been waiting there at five, but had now moved on to other business, and
that he wouldn’t be able to examine the horses again until the following week.

When he told Congress that he’d meet with them at noon, he could almost always be
found striding into the chamber just as the clock was striking twelve.

Washington’s promptness extended to his mealtimes as well. He ate dinner each day at
exactly 4 o’clock, and when he invited members of Congress to dine with him, and they
arrived late, they were often surprised to find the president halfway done with his meal or
even pushing back from the table. To his startled, tardy guest he would say, “We are
punctual here. My cook never asks whether the company has arrived, but whether the
hour has come.”

And when Washington’s secretary arrived late to a meeting, and blamed his watch for his
tardiness, Washington quietly replied, “Then you must get another watch, or I another
secretary.”

George Washington’s passion for punctuality was born from his youthful study of “The
Rules of Civility” – his repeated copying of maxims like “Undertake not what you cannot
Perform but be Careful to keep your Promise.” For Washington, being on time was a way
of showing respect to others, and he expected to be treated with the same level of
respect in return.

We may no longer live in an age of knickers and powdered wigs, but being punctual is
just as important as it ever was. It has been called “a homely, but solid virtue,” and it
certainly doesn’t cause one’s breast to swell in the way that pondering courage or
resolution does. But related as punctuality is to discipline and self-mastery, to integrity
and respect, it is – if not particularly sexy – still an essential component of the character
of an upstanding man.

Today we’ll explore why this is so, and then on Wednesday we’ll cover why some men
struggle with being on time despite their best efforts, along with tips on how to overcome
the habit of always being late.

Why Is Being Punctual Important?

“The habit of being prompt once formed extends to everything — meeting friends, paying
debts, going to church, reaching and leaving place of business, keeping promises,
retiring at night and rising in the morning, going to the lecture and town-meeting, and,
indeed, to every relation and act, however trivial it may seem to observers.” –William
Makepeace Thayer, Tact and Grit, 1882

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The importance of punctuality is not universal and varies from culture to culture. In some
places like Latin America and the Pacific Islands, life moves at a different pace and
meeting times are meant to be fuzzy. But this does not negate the value of punctuality to
a man living in a culture that does define being on time more strictly, just as the well-
rounded man of the West seeks competence in things like shaking hands, wearing a tie,
working out with a kettlebell, and holding open doors for women, even if such things are
not practiced the world over.

Here’s why.

“I have always been a quarter of an hour before my time, and it has made a man of me.”
-Horatio, Lord Nelson

Why Punctuality is Important

Being punctual strengthens and reveals your integrity. If you tell someone that you will
meet them at a certain time, you have essentially made them a promise. And if you say
you’ll be there at 8:00, and yet arrive at 8:15, you have essentially broken that promise.
Being on time shows others that you are a man of your word.

Being punctual shows you are dependable. Punctuality demonstrates you’re reliable. A
man can always be found at his post, carrying out the duties needful for that time. People
know they can rely on such a man – if he says he will be there, he’ll be there. But if a
man is not punctual, others cannot depend on him — they do not know where he will be
when they need him. His associates will begin to feel he cannot organize his own time,
and these doubts will seep into matters beyond the clock, as it naturally raises the
question: “If he is careless about time, what else is he careless about?”

Benjamin Franklin once said to an employee who was chronically late, but always ready
with an excuse: “I have generally found that the man who is good at an excuse is good
for nothing else.”

Being punctual builds your self-confidence. Showing up on time not only tells other
people you are dependable, it teaches you that you can depend on yourself. The more
you keep the promises you make, the more your self-confidence will grow. And the more
you gain in self-mastery, the less you will be at the mercy of your compulsions and
habits, and the more in control of your life you will feel.

Being punctual assures you’re at your best. After riding someone’s bumper, speeding like
a maniac, scanning for cops, and cursing at red lights, it’s hard to then turn your focus to
making a presentation at a meeting or charming a date – you’re shaky and depleted from
the adrenaline and stress. But when you show up on time, better yet a little early, you
have a few minutes to collect your thoughts, review your materials, and get your game
face on.

“Soldiers should be minutemen. Punctuality is one of the most valuable habits a soldier
can possess.” –Christopher Columbus Andrews, Hints to Company Officers on Their
Military Duties, 1863

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Being punctual builds and reveals your discipline. The punctual man shows that he can
organize his time, that he pays attention to details, and that he can put aside this to do
that – he can set aside a pleasure to take care of business.

“’There is great dignity in being waited for,’ said one who was in this habit, and who had
not much of which he need be vain, unless it was this want of promptness.” –John Todd,
The Students Manual, 1854

Being punctual shows your humility. That bumper sticker maxim: “Always late, but worth
the wait” shows that tardiness and an overestimation of one’s worth sometimes go hand
in hand. People will be glad to see you when you arrive, but they would have been
gladder still had you come on time.

Being punctual shows your respect for others. Being chronically late is a selfish act, for it
puts your needs above another’s. You want an extra minute to do what you’d like, but in
gaining that minute for yourself, you take a minute from another, which is why….

Being late is a form of stealing. That’s a tough truth, but it’s a truth nonetheless. When
you make others wait for you, you rob minutes from them that they’ll never get back.
Time they could have turned into money, or simply used for the things important to them.
In coming to meet you at the agreed upon hour, they may have made sacrifices – woken
up early, cut short their workout, told their kid they couldn’t read a story together – and
your lateness negates those sacrifices. If you wouldn’t think of taking ten dollars from
another man’s wallet, you shouldn’t think of stealing ten minutes from him either. Being
punctual shows you value time yourself, and thus wouldn’t think of depriving others of
this precious, but limited resource.

“It has been said that time is money. That proverb understates the case. Time is a great
deal more than money. If you have time you can obtain money—usually. But though you
have the wealth of a cloak-room attendant at the Carlton Hotel, you cannot buy yourself a
minute more time than I have, or the cat by the fire has.” –Arnold Bennett, How to Live on
Twenty-Four Hours a Day, 1910

Being chronically late disturbs the experiences of other people. Your tardiness not only
robs others of their time, but of the fullness of their experiences as well. The student who
interrupts a professor in the middle of his lecture; the family which climbs over you to get
to their seats at the middle of the row in the theater; the man who opens the creaky door
in the middle of a eulogy. When an old man was once asked why he had been so
punctual in arriving at his church on time for decades, he replied, “I made it my religion
not to disturb the religion of others.”

Being late strains your relationships. When you’re late in meeting other people, it makes
them feel under-valued, that whatever you couldn’t pull yourself away from was more
important or that they didn’t mean enough to you to warrant allotting sufficient time to
arrive on schedule. The guest who flies in to see you feels like a dope standing at the
airport alone, your date feels awkward sitting at the restaurant by herself, and your child
feels abandoned as she waits with her teacher for you to arrive, all the other children
having already been picked up from school.

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Being late hurts your professional career. Whether you’re an employee or in business for
yourself, being late can hinder your professional success. Many companies have strict
policies about punctuality — get a few write-ups and you’re gone. Of course, if you arrive
late to the job interview, you probably won’t land the position in the first place. And if
you’re trying to win over a new client, arriving ten minutes late isn’t going to get things off
on the right foot, in the same way that promising to get something to him by a certain
date and then failing to do so, may have him looking elsewhere for your services.

Being late takes a toll on your life. Always running behind simply hurts you in all areas of
your life. It results in lost opportunities: missing a plane, missing a meeting, missing an
important part of a lecture, missing a wedding. It creates stress and can lead to car
accidents and traffic tickets. It results in embarrassment and forces you to come up with
excuses for why you’re late, putting a strain on your honesty. Basically, it makes your life
more complicated; for men seeking to simplify their lives, cultivating punctuality is an
essential part of that path.

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Why Labuan?
Because Labuan was proclaimed as a Federal Territory and it is also a duty-free island.
It is an island that you get to enjoy the beach and diving activities here.
It is best for a weekend getaway which only takes about 2 ½ hours flight from KL to
Labuan.
The food is cheap especially the seafood and you get to explore the island by renting a
car here.
Labuan is a peaceful place and everyone living in harmony.
Grab car service is convenient here. Furthermore, most of the grab drivers are driving the
imported car (because of free tax) hence you get to experience to sit in different types of
cars. The grab service was relatively cheap where some distance just cost us RM2 per
ride only.

he Chimney Museum
Our first stop was the Chimney Museum, which takes 20 minutes to drive from downtown
to there.
The famous “Chimney”, a 106 feet high red brick stack believed to be linked to the coal
mining days of Labuan. The Chimney is still very much a mystery until today.

Along the way, we stopped by at the Palm Beach Resort & Spa beachside (which just
took 3 minutes’ drive from Chimney Museum) to enjoy the wind and wave.
It is another memorial spot located in Peace Park. From the history, this is the place
where Japanese forces officially surrendered their ruling on Labuan to the Australian in
charge.

From here, you get to see a nice view of the South China Sea in front of the beachside.

As far as mysteries go, Labuan’s Chimney is among the more bizarre ones you’ll
encounter.

But this adds to the quirkiness of the attraction.

Standing at 32 meters (105 feet), the Chimney uses more than 23,000 red bricks shipped
over from England.

Despite its imposing stature nobody knows why it was built or what it was used for.

Some suggest the Chimney belonged to a demolished factory. Others say it served as a
ventilation shaft for the coal mines.

Nobody agrees.

A small museum offers insight into this strange chimney’s construction and the current
theories about its origin and function.
Mortar Café
During the evening time, it is good to have a tea break at Mortar café to avoid the high
temperature outside. The contemporary design and relaxing music in the cafe make you
wanted to stay longer in the café.
There are many varieties of food to try in Mortar.
Mr. Crab
For dinner time, we went to Mr. Crab Restaurant to try out the food.

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The seafood here is relatively Fresh & CHEAP!
Kg Patau-Patau
Another place of attraction in Labuan. It is just 6 minutes drive from the town.
This is the water villages which are mostly lived in by the Brunei Malays.
Floating villages rising precariously above the water are a common site in Borneo.

Wooden stilts stand in the water supporting a village with shops, mosques and schools.
A matrix of rickety wooden walkways connect one part to the next.

Labuan has two floating villages, which give an insight into this enigmatic lifestyle.
Kampung Patau-Patau is near Labuan Town. Kampung Bebuloh sits further to the west.

Ferries connect each village with the mainland.

Descendants of Labuan’s early fishermen, sailors and traders live here today.
War Cemetery
Next, we continued our road trip to the war cemetery.
According to Wikipedia: “This is a Commonwealth World War II graveyard in Labuan,
Malaysia. Many of the personnel buried in this cemetery, including Indian and Australian
troops, were killed during the Japanese invasion of Borneo or the Borneo campaign of
1945”
The place was similar to the place where I have visited in Kanchanaburi Thailand
八仙庙 Ba Xian Temple
It would be easier to search the temple by typing the Chinese name: 八仙庙 cause it was
a struggle for us at first to find this place via google map.

Luckily enough the local people willing to guide us and they even showed us the temple
by driving the car to there.

Coconut Pudding
Our last mission was to try out the coconut pudding at Labuan.
After booking a grab car, the driver stopped us at the restaurant and take away the
pudding then sending us to the airport for departure.
While on the way, she shared with us if we have known her earlier, she would have
recommended us to try out another seafood restaurant in Labuan.

Labuan’s Botanical Gardens is a tropical paradise within minutes of Labuan Town.

The public park has hundreds of plants, colorful flowers and shady spots.

Back in the middle of the 19th-century, the British Government House stood inside the
grounds. It was completely destroyed during World War 2.

Follow the paths around the park and discover mini-gardens, rare species of palm and
the ruins of Government House.

Keep your eyes open for Labuan’s oldest graveyard, which dates to 1847.
Labuan Bird Park houses more than 580 birds inside semi-wild enclosures.

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Step inside and meet dozens of species including hornbills, kingfishers and cockatoos.

Ostriches, eagles and mynas live in other sections of the Bird Park.

Learn about the millions of birds that live inside Borneo’s ancient jungles.

Most travelers spend between one to two hours inside one of Labuan’s most family-
friendly attractions.

Both Labuan Bird Park and the Chimney Museum are close to each other on the
northern coast.

Labuan’s Sikh community moved to the island in the 1860s.

The British encouraged migration from India to work in the coal mines and security forces
among other professions.

Gurdwara Sahib is the best example of Sikh architecture in Labuan, if not Borneo.
Covering two stories, the white-washed structure is the island’s largest temple.

Four golden domes top each corner.

The best place to snap a photograph of this majestic building is near Botanical Gardens.

Labuan Clock Tower opened in 1906.

After irreparable damage during World War II, it was demolished. Today’s stately clock
tower replaced the original in 2002.

The white-washed structure blends different architectural styles over its three tiers. Each
section has its own design.

The clock face sits under a pyramidal-shaped roof.

Capture the grand structure’s elegance in front of the orange-red canvas in the sky
during sunset.
Diving to four shipwrecks
Search for a bargain in the duty-free shops
Spend the day on a secret beach
A slice of serenity in the Botanical Gardens
Discover Labuan’s seafaring past at the Marine Museum
See jungle birds at Labuan Bird Park
Try to solve Labuan’s biggest mystery
Discover how Labuan evolved into a thriving financial center
Gurdwara Sahib: Labuan’s most majestic Sikh temple
Appreciate Labuan’s role in World War II at the largest war memorial in Malaysia
Spend the night in a water village
The grandest clock tower in Labuan
Labuan’s most historic site
Serenity and sunsets in Peace Park
Stand where World War II ended in Labuan

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Quality time and family relationships

Quality family time is about making the most of the time you spend together as a family.
Here are some ways you can make quality time happen in your family:

 Use everyday time together to talk and share a laugh. For example, family meals
and car travel can be great times to catch up on the day.
 Have time together when devices are turned off and out of sight. This helps to
keep everyone focused on what you’re doing or talking about at the time.
 Have one-on-one chats with each family member to strengthen individual
relationships. It can just be five minutes before each child goes to bed.
 Set aside time with your partner, if you have one. You could explain to your
children that it’s good for your relationship with your partner to have this quality
time alone together.
 Do regular, fun things together as a family. This can be as simple as a family
soccer game at the local park on Saturdays, or a family board games night each
week.

Positive communication and family relationships

Positive communication is about listening without judgment and expressing your own
thoughts and feelings openly and respectfully. It helps everybody feel understood,
respected and valued, and this strengthens your relationships.

Try these positive communication ideas to strengthen your family relationships:

 When your child or partner wants to talk, try to stop what you’re doing and listen
with full attention. Give people time to express their points of view or feelings.
 Be open to talking about difficult things – like mistakes – and all kinds of feelings,
including anger, joy, frustration, fear and anxiety. But it’s best to wait until you’ve
calmed down from strong emotions like anger before you talk about them.
 Be ready for spontaneous conversations. For example, younger children often like
to talk through their feelings when they’re in the bath or as they’re getting into bed.
 Plan for difficult conversations, especially with teenagers. For example, sex,
drugs, alcohol, academic difficulties and money are topics that families can find
difficult to talk about. It helps to think through your feelings and values before
these topics come up.
 Encourage your children with praise. For example, ‘It’s a big help when you bring
the bins in without being asked, Leo. Thanks!’
 Let everyone in the family know that you love and appreciate them. This can be as
simple as saying ‘I love you’ to your children each night when they go to bed.

Positive non-verbal communication

Not all communication happens in words, so it’s important to pay attention to the feelings
that your children and partner express non-verbally. For example, your teenage child
might not want to talk to you but might still come looking for the comfort of cuddles
sometimes!

It’s also important to be aware of the non-verbal messages you send. For example, hugs,
kisses and eye contact send the message that you want to be close to your child. But a
grumpy tone of voice or a frown when you’re doing something together might send the
message that you don’t want to be there.

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Positive communication can be about respecting someone’s desire not to talk. For
example, as children move towards the teenage years, they often want more privacy. But
you can stay connected with your teenage child, both through everyday activities and
planned time together.

Teamwork and family relationships

When your family is working as a team, everyone feels supported and able to contribute.
It’s easier to work as a team when everyone understands where they stand, so it helps to
have clear expectations, limits and boundaries.

You can encourage teamwork in some of these ways:

 Share household chores. Even very young children can enjoy the feeling of
belonging that comes from making a contribution.
 Include children in decisions about things like family activities and holidays. Give
everyone – including young children – a chance to have their say before you make
the final decision. Family meetings can be a good way to do this.
 Let children make some of their own decisions, depending on your children’s
abilities and maturity. For example, you might let your 12-year-old child decide
whether to walk or cycle home from school.
 Create family rules together that state clearly how your family wants to look after
and treat its members. For example, ‘In our family we speak respectfully to each
other’. Rules like this help everyone get along better, and make family life more
peaceful.
 Work together to solve problems. This involves listening and thinking calmly,
considering options, respecting other people’s opinions, finding constructive
solutions, and working towards compromises.

Appreciation for each other and family relationships

Valuing each other is at the heart of good family relationships. Here are some ways you
might be able to do this:

 Take an interest in each other’s lives. For example, make time to go to each
other’s sporting events, drama performances, art shows and so on.
 Include everyone in conversation when you’re talking about the day’s events. For
example, ‘What was the highlight for you today, Izzy?’
 Share family stories and memories. These can help children appreciate things that
aren’t obvious, or that they’ve forgotten – for example, Mum’s sporting
achievements when she was younger, or the way a big sister helped care for her
little brother after he was born.
 Acknowledge each other’s differences, talents and abilities, and use each other’s
strengths. For example, if you praise and thank your teenage child for listening to
a younger sibling reading, your child will begin to see themselves as helpful and
caring.

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