public int getAccumulatedSeconds() {
        cal = new GregorianCalendar();
        
        // what if...
        // the current second in the minute is '12'
        // and the second on the hour it started was '31'?
        // we would need to reduce no. of accumulated minutes by 1
        int second = cal.get(Calendar.SECOND);
        seconds = second - startSeconds;
        
        if(seconds < 0) {
            int left = seconds; // suppose 12 - 45 = -33 seconds
            adjustAccumulatedMinutes();
            seconds = (60 - left);
        }
        
        return seconds;
    }