Thursday, December 31, 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR

New Year Goes

New Year Comes




Tomorrow is 2010.

I was in Bukit Aman yesterday to settle all my speeding fines – it’s equivalent to a roundtrip economy ticket to Europe. That is so unnecessary, and stupid!

I also just came back form the bank to pay my credit card bill. Now my balance is not zero but very small.

My resolution:

1. Will not exceed any speed limit when I drive especially my weekly trip to Kuantan – the bulk of speeding tickets are from East Coast Highway stretch.

2. To only use credit card for business (claimable) purposes. If I use it for personal reason, I must make sure I can pay in full at the end of the month!

3. Will there be love?

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Buskers Shot!

Shot at the Asian Heritage Row - downtown KL. Busker's festivals.

Some of the shots were published in TELL magazine.


Friends like Central Perks


While backing up my files into an external hard disc, I stumbled upon this photo, which I shot a couple of years ago at Alexis (Bangsar Shoping Centre) during one of our group buka puasa.

Very candid.

I like candid shots.

This photo was used in one of my friends wedding slides.

I brought only the 50mm fixed lens with me during the event. I had to walk very far to capture everybody into one frame – so far and they thought it was funny.

15 years from now, we all will look back at this photos and remember the good old days.....

Monks

Monday, December 28, 2009

Sunrise in the sky



The view of sunrise on a Firefly’s Fokker flight thousands of meters above Banjaran Titiwangsa. It was literally at the break of dawn.

Beautiful!



Terengganu Ku

I actually asked my nephew to make a u-turn just to capture this image. It’s an idyllic kampung scene with typical Terengganu architecture.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Coliseum Cafe & Hotel REVISITED




Stone has been quite a regular Sunday lunch partner.

Today we selected (or was it my idea?) to have nasi beryani at Restaurant INSAF on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.



After lunch we decided to go for a drink at the colonial restaurant. It was established circa 1920.

Time hasn’t moved much.





(Extracted from The Malaysian Life)

AT 86, Ho Seng Fong (picture) is as sharp as ever.

The restaurant captain, born when Coliseum Cafe & Hotel opened for business, does not ask regulars their orders.

Neither do they bother to remind him about what they fancy from the bar or restaurant.

Ho works from memory, easily remembering their orders and favourite tables.

He has been doing so for 40 years since beginning work at the restaurant.

His favourites include Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Ho’s first pay packet in 1967 was RM180 a month, a princely sum at that time.

Pura Tanjung Sabtu

Pura Tanjung Sabtu

As usual I make a point to visit KuWe when I go back to Kuala Teengganu. I like to listen to his gossips (trust me! he knows a lot of secrets!), business ideas, stories of Terengganu and his younger days growing up in Dalam Kota. It’s hilarious history lesson over a cup of coffee and keropok lekor or what ever I can grab on the way to Pura Tanjung Sabtu.



Potrait of HH Sultan Zainal Abidin III. KuWe's great grandfather.


KuWe gave me a special tour of the newly renovated one of the suites, Rumah Atas Tol.

Indah.


Terengganu Ku

A typical Terengganu architecture circa 1960.




Terengganu Ku

TRADISI TEMBAGA TERENGGANU







A subtle composition of craftsmanship, art and metallurgy.

terengganu Ku





Tukang Tembaga




The traditional boats of Terengganu, batik and songket cottage industry, craftsmanship of copper/brass-smith.



I learned these trades are quite geographical even within Kuala Terengganu. You can only find copper/brass-smith in Kampung Ladang in Kuala Terengganu.



I am quite curious as what had been the determining factor for such a phenomena.

In fact, Ladang is also where traditional keris-makers used to reside and base their crafts trade. Ladang was like, the metallurgy super-corridor of Terengganu at one point of time or possibly the centre of the today East Coast Corridor.



I met Mi, a brother to the coppersmith in Ladang who helps his brother to run their cottage copper workshop.

You can roll you eyes when I say this, but I can see clearly, it’s the passion that drives it.. and I can sense he feels responsible to continue his family craft tradition.

It’s in their blood.



Still, the facilities in the workshop are quite “primitive”. Not trying to change the traditional way or their scopes, but the place can be better with proper workshop organization. It needs a subtle commercial / industrial setup.



The government have not done enough to ensure these craftsmanship preserved, properly.

Sometimes they can’t use the kiln (oven) to bake their craft simply because air naik – flooded.


The state in which the industry is in now is not even close to economically viable. If you look at the cost of labor and other resources and material, there is no way they can survive well without government assistance.



They need their basic infrastructure. It should be modernized with time without losing the essence and the spirit of the crafts.

As a rakyat, I wonder where all the Wang Ehsan went….



Gembala Kambing

This shot was taken when I was driving on the Atlas, the highland of Morocco. You can see snowcap mountain from afar.

After a few drive we encountered dessert town with dessert palm trees, the typical Middle East landscape.

And a couple of hours drive can take you to the beaches of the Atlantic ocean.

Now, thats Morocco for you.

LOVE @ 1st Sight - 41




Strolling with Brondong on Christmas Day.

this pic was shot near Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, KL


It was really fun!

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Work



Work Work Work




I have been very busy lately.

That should explain why choratchoret has been ignored for quite sometimes.

I was inspired several times on what to write while driving to Kuantan every week, but by the time I reached the hotel room, I will normally be busy with diner meeting and preparations for the regular Tuesday morning conference call with the head-office.

Every Tuesday I have to attend 2 long calls at 7.45am and 9am. Each is about 1 hour long and by the time the calls are over with all the implementation plan, I will rushing to the mine deep in remote Pahang then back to KL.

Very punishing, yet rewarding – Quite ironic, kan?

Bella Italiana has some progress. It is about 80% completion. I hope to update this soon. This (almost) final stage is critical, and from my little experience, it takes the longest as it involves very fine details and a lot of sourcing for small-small parts.

I promise to update it soon.

Watch this space!

Kalau sudi lah.

Kulit Manis



It’s OUT!

And Proud!



I have been working with TPR for a couple of years. I have to admit that I didn’t get involve until the completion – due to work and priorities. I am proud, nevertheless. Loads of credits to TPR for her perseverance to make this happen.

I am happy to see quite a bit of my photography work has been used in the book, too bad a lot of them are quite small to see the quality of my work. Another thing, I am not that happy as all the photos, and photographers’ credits are lumped together so nobody could really tell which photos belong to which photographers.

I am proud to be part of the team effort, in the process to preserve Terengganu heritage and culture.

Check it out. It’s being sold in bookstores near you.

The coffee table book – Kulit Manis, A taste of Terengganu Heritage - will be officially launch on December 20th by DYMM Tunku Ampuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus Tuanku Aishah Rohani,YMM Tengku Ampuan Bariah Terengganu, at Mayang Sari ballroom and foyer of the J W Marriott Kuala Lumpur

A Taste of Terengganu’s Heritage, retailing at RM250 each will be available at leading bookstores nationwide.

Check it out!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Kunang Kunang

My maiden Firefly voyage.


I was impressed the moment I arrived at Terminal 3 after a traumatic experience passing Terminal 1 and it was there anymore. Sad to see an ugly industrious building with striking green color that looks horrible from a far.

How I hate to think about what they did to Terminal 1.

Back to Terminal 3. Yeah, it was nice, not too big (and NOT small either), pleasant décor, logical flow, variety of restaurant and the menu is NOT expensive at all.

People are warmer.

KLIA, in many ways, is rather COLD.



Saturday, November 14, 2009

The Beach








Kuantan has been a weekly event lately. I guess it will be like that for a while due to work commitment.

I don’t have a social life in Kuantan. Just pure work.

Typically, after dinner (normally mixed with business discussion) I will have no mood to do anything else but to hit the sack.

There are some nights I do talk a walk along the beach to breath in fresh air and enjoy the view of the full moon.

You should hear the waves.

Its beautiful.


Friday, November 13, 2009

loVE @ 1st Sight - 40




Breakfast with Brondong




Just had breakfast with TFF who updated me about her active (as always) social life and activities, and movies and upcoming holidays.

At the corner of my eye, the brondong still captured my eye and I took my handphone and shot this.

Turkey ham at the new Decanter sucked. I complained, of course. I hope they will change the breakfast menu soon.

I even told them that their breakfast menu has been there for ages and its boring - my exact word.

Before I left i assured TFF to get my free photography services for her non profit activities she's doing with her good friend.

Happy friday!

Sunday, November 08, 2009

David's Pride and Joy



BMW E21 is the body designation for the first BMW 3 Series compact executive car, produced by the German automakerBMW from 1975 to 1983. This series was the immediate successor to the BMW 2002 and was superseded by the BMW E30 platform.

What David is restoring is the BMW 323i E21 Bauer.


Always excited to show new parts he managed to get from I seriously don't know where. He goes to Penang, Ipoh, JB, even order from the UK.



He has done up the engine and is in good running condition. In fact there was nothing wrong with the engine when he acquired it. Not much to be done, really.


Everything is original. Especially important are the seat. Leather, original. I like the color too.




The Baur is actually a convertible independent rear soft top. Nice!

David has all the new sets of lights.


Original alloy sports rims. Very light, apparently.


The kidney grill is being restored and David bought brand new kidney for the grill.


Baur




Independent rear soft top




Original rims with original tool.

The car currently in Puchong for reupholstered. I can't wait to see teh finished product. Hopefully I can borrow from him for a weekend... or two.

Good luck David!

Bella Italiana - 17




David visited the workshop the other day.

He was quite happy with the progress.

He spent quite a bit of time talking to Ah Seng. At some point they have different opinions about certain issues in this restoration job.

Like in many occasions, I have to be the mediator to calm them down.


They both have their own strength and both worked well to me.

Ah Seng is good at doing up the bodywork while David is very resourceful in hunting for parts and David, being trained in Turino, Italy, knows every detail of the Fiat engines.

I just have to make sure they treat each ot


her well and get the job done. I need both of them.

Ah Seng complains all the time saying that there are too many holes and damaged parts of the car needed to be fixed.

I did bluntly say to his face:

Ini kereta sudah 42 tahun wor. Mesti banyak karat punya! Haiyya!