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Had the happiest weekend.
Great Diwali photowalk - me happy with the shots
Great photoshoot - client is happy with the shots
Great shopping - taukeh is happy counting money behind the counter
Was seen stalking people with my camera on Saturday along Jalan Masjid India and Brickfields. Had a small family gathering on Sunday, okay not quite small as we had aunts and uncles and cousins from all over but twas a merry one with lots of great food - ketupat, rendang, sambal kacang, kuah lodeh, nasi minyak and ayam masak merah, laksa, lemang....shall I continue?
Managed to catch MPH's Warehouse Sale before the gath. Was there for about half an hour as I was in a bit of a hurry. Got this three with a lovely price:
1- The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night Time - Mark Haddon
2- A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon
3- The Life And Times of A Thunderbolt Kid - Bill Bryson
I'm starting with the first one. Planning to find the talking horse and the sad girl and the village under the sea by Haddon.
Today must be my lucky day.
I've been under a lot of pressure with work of late. Learned that gathering content is not as easy as it may seem. I've been dealing with a lot of slow replies from all the distributors which is totally frustrating.
My last straw came about yesterday - one email to GSC for a quick follow up.
This morning I finally received a reply from their distributor team which was a very very favorable one on my part. They will get the trailers ready by next week and have it sent to us monthly.
Now i believe, there's always a silver lining waiting on a cloudy day.
I am so going to reward myself with something today. Cookies? Mmm....tempting.
I was out the whole day yesterday with no mood whatsoever, trying to get my life sorted. I was generally pissed and disssapointed.
Went to the hypermarket with MN and Elyna. Picked up a lot of unwanted candies and chocs. The three of us was sitting on the bench over-looking an empty parking lot, eating them tootsie rolls when she turned around and said 'this feels good....with friends hanging out and do nothing'.
It sounds like a line from a movie scene with her wearing baju kurung and me looking so miserable.
Also, got a friendly reply from Robert who's interested with my street shots. Oh man, if there's any opportunity that he could help me to exhibit them in Berlin...i'll run around in the street and yell 'Mak, anak omak dah berjayo!'
My Bon Odori picture was published online. Seen on Reuters.
It's nothing but heck...its not everyday I see my name credited on reuters. Tsk, tsk. The height of super-poyoness, i know.
You can click on the image and view it large to see how poyo I am.
My weekend was crab.
I was really in dire of some refreshment after all the emotional turmoil on Friday, so Saturday morning MN and I headed down to Pulau Ketam as early as 7.30am out of spontaneity. I honestly think that MN deserves nothing to be waken up that early on a weekend but the trip did his chubby cheek some justice.
We were half way towards the island when MN told me about the water crisis in Pulau Ketam. Wow! Another great reason to go and pay the place a visit! Apparently, water supplies to the fishing villages (including Kampung Sungai Lima and Bagan Teo Chew) was disrupted since last Monday following a serious leak in the 17km underwater pipeline that connects a reservoir in Pulau Ketam from the mainland.
We were a bit lost while on our way to the Port Klang despite MN's high tech Global Positioning System. Pulau Ketam is accessible by ferry from Port Klang, and actually driving there was a huge mistake for us as the journey was longer than we thought. It’s more convenient to use the KTM-the jetty to Pulau Ketam is just next to the Port Klang KTM station (we found out upon our arrival....an hour and a half later). So take note of that.
We boarded an old rusty ferry after much hassle trying to avoid knocking off any uncles carrying vegetables. The morning ferry was a fun ride even though it was cramped and packed with Indonesians, Vietnamese, chickens, vegetables and local tourists hunting for seafood and crabmeat. I was horrified to see a dead pig floating in the sea whilst waiting for the other passengers to board. Well, we cant really got off since we've already paid the fare but I knew what to expect on our advent - stinkyness. A Jackie Chan movie made the 40 minutes ride less suffering for us. I will tell you which movie was played on our journey back later.
We were greeted by a huge banner stating that the rescue team was there for the water crisis. The town was surprisingly quiet, the huge Kuai Lok Hian restaurant was totally empty. I do not know the reason and didnt quite care to find out as our main reason to go wasn't to find food. We rent bicycles - seems to be the main transportation here besides walking.
I was absolutely in awe looking at the colorful, unique looking houses. The houses are all on stilts and a narrow set of sidewalks runs between them. The island has a full sized school, a police station, a bank, several temples and stores and a small hotel. I was surprise to see how a sleepy town like this has a great wi-fi connection. 3G connection sucks in my area where I live (definitely in the heart of the city).
I have to say nearly 98percent of the residents are Chinese who doesn't speak Malay so basically MN and I were nodding and waving to all the warm, lovable Hokkiens. They were busy doing their daily chores whilst cycling back and forth to carry the water supplies from the Pusat Bantuan to their homes. No riots, no people pushing one another into the sea (and float with a dead pig) to get water supplies.
Saw lots of selling and buying activities going on, as well as cooking, frying, peeling prawns and drying the shrimps. No trouble documenting street here, as everyone was so friendly - we had a little girl following us with her bicycle twice her size, hoping to get her photograph taken, maybe.
Environmentalist might hate this place though as rubbish was thrown indiscriminately here. You can see them almost on every ground you walk/cycle on. Not to mention, dog poops. Almost every houses keep dogs as their pets. If you travel here, be careful with the roaming ones.
Despite the poops, ugly smell and the fact that we were being stalked by a 5 year old, we really love the island. It certainly has its own charm and nostalgic feeling that you wont get elsewhere. Its not your dream getaway but this town is definitely an eye-opener. We had a lot of fun cycling around too!
Oh, the movie on our journey back? They played CJ7. We didnt get to the end, so I'm thinking of buying the DVD.
We arrived in KL at about 4ish with the smell of Pulau Ketam on our shirt. Went to KLCC and Bukit Bintang for another round of street shooting. After the crab visit, I saw the city in a totally different way. My lense refuse to shoot any porcelain-looking dolls in KLCC or those so-called emo/punkrock-whatevayourmacallit-kids that litters around in Bukit Bintang.
Somebody should send those kids to Pulau Ketam and make them wear 'Visit Redang' t-shirt with seluar katak and nothing else.
p/s you can view my street shots of pulau ketam in my flickr.
I finally got the blind rolled up again and let the sun peeking in and smile. One thing that makes a good start for me is the morning light. It reflects hope.
I was talking to a close friend the other day about freedom.
Freedom to do whatever you want to do.
Freedom to feel however you feel it in your heart.
Freedom to write, to photograph, to listen.
Are we free? Are you free?
I remember the famous quote "Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains".
Probably I am. I mean, how can I be, when my mind thinks from the moment I wake up in the morning until I fall asleep at night. No moment of rest. It creates thoughts and also receives thoughts from the outside.
I want to make my mind quiet and enjoy real freedom.
You know the feeling of being tied down to something and not be able to wriggle free? That’s exactly how I feel right now. Break the chain, my friend said.
I’ve been dreaming of my late dad these past few days. The kind of dream that told me I’ve forgotten about him.
I have forgotten about a lot of things, a lot of people.
I realized these during the time I was really sick for three weeks back then. I could count with fingers how many people who were really there for me, been kind enough to send sms-es and asking about my condition. Some even take the effort to visit.
And I realized, those that did, were my friends whom I’ve known long enough to know that friends, no matter how close or far away they are, would always stick to you without asking for anything in return.
Without asking where I have been missing.
Without asking why I have not ring for so long.
Without having to be emotional about the whole concept of having friends.
*pause*
There are people who complained about not having many friends or how friends dumped them etc. These people should know how lucky they are that no matter how few friends they have, this and that, they are still be able to just give a single call and say ‘hey are you free to hang out?’ and meet them.
The only time for me to meet my late dad is in my dreams. And he was my best friend who came to ‘see me’ and told me that I have forgotten of him.
How sucky I am. How lucky are you?
Perhaps, most of the time we only have the idea in our head that we have forgotten or being forgotten.
Gosh, i think too much. I have to be above my own thoughts to enjoy the state of mind. Here I list out forty freedoms (to awaken and stir that secret part of you that knows living in any kind of bondage is a lie) by Guy Finley.
You're Well Along Freedom's Path When:
1. You have no desire to change places in life with anyone else.
2. You step over setbacks without stopping or looking back.
3. You accept and appreciate praise, but never take it to heart.
4. You don't overeat or feel driven to diet.
5. You don't think about your sex life.
6. You meet and do what's true without fear of the consequences.
7. You really don't want anything from anyone.
8. You stop thinking about how much money you may or may not have.
9. You don't carry any upset from the last moment into the present one.
10. You have no interest in old resentments.
11. You start spending more time alone and enjoying it more.
12. You stop dreaming of the perfect vacation.
13. You're neither frightened nor shocked by the evening news.
14. You stop making deals with yourself.
15. You dress for comfort, not for compliments.
16. You lose all interest in trying to win mental arguments.
17. You don't blame anyone else for the way you feel.
18. You forget what it was you didn't like about someone.
19. You're awake to and spontaneously considerate of the needs of others.
20. You see beauty in life where you never could see it before.
21. Your life gets progressively simpler.
22. You see where you're wrong sooner than later, and stop defending yourself faster.
23. You do what you don't want to do, and you do it with a lighter spirit.
24. You're not afraid of having nothing to say or do, if that's your true condition.
25. You can take criticism without cringing away from the truth it may hold.
26. You have no concern for what others may think of you.
27. You stop trying to make others see life in your way.
28. You enjoy the sound of silence as much or more than the sound of your own voice.
29. You see the same unpleasant traits within yourself that have made you shun others.
30. You say what you want, and not what you think others may want to hear you say.
31. You actually enjoy hearing about the good fortune of someone else.
32. You see more and more just how unfree you and others really are.
33. Your moods are fewer, lighter, and move on much quicker.
34. You see that society is destroying itself and that the only solution is self-change.
35. You can listen to others without the need to tell them what you know.
36. You don't find a thrill in any kind of fear.
37. You know that forgiveness of others is the kindest thing you can do for yourself.
38. You realize that the world is the way it is because you are the way you are.
39. You'd rather not think about yourself.
40. You can't come up with one good reason why you should ever be anxious or frightened.
Something to ponder on a Friday afternoon.
I am not too sure where my two weeks have been – it seems like I was really busy with stuff but I cant really recall what went on for the past fourteen days since I last wrote.
Have too many things to think about now that life is back to it’s busy track. I did spend my time wisely right after raya hols; finish up with this and catching up with friends. But most of the time, I just plonked my ass in bed in the name of saving up.
Went to Bijou Bazaar last Saturday with my girlfriends – wait did I just said saving up? Okay that went the drain when I bought these two pairs of vintage looking sling bags and an off-shoulder top; everything for RM70! I really need a sling bag for my roadtrip and its really cool to finally replace my old one. I love Bijou! Everything is frikkin' cheap that I did felt suffocated browsing around the bazaar. There was just tooooo many stuff to pick on!
Sunday was a chill too. Finally got the chance to do my raya round to my close friends’ which I missed last year due to work. Subang, Rawang and back to KL. It was a great fun to finally have the chance to really sit down and chill with all of them. I was a bit flattered when one of my friend was all excited to cook for us - delicious bolognaise thats really worth the time driving all the way to Rawang!
Wow, looks like I'm gonna have yet another ridiculously crazy weekends ahead! Raya gatherings, birthday party, open houses…but most importantly, MN and I have to settle one very significant task this month.
Maybe, just maybe, I will spill the details once we have a confirmation on the matter.
