When Terengganu Eats

This post is dedicated to my fellow buddies from Terengganu, namely Crushio, Anggok and Jai.

May you salivate!

These dishes were prepared by my lovely sister in law who never failed to impress and feed me with her cooking, each time I go back to Terengganu.

There nothing like home cooked Terengganu food.

I will try to label these based on what we call them at home (I hope I don't mislead you here):

kacang boto

samba blacang

ikang (selayang, i think) panggang

khabu pauh / pelang

timung cine (as ulam, not dessert)

sutong masok pedah

sayo masok lemok

singgang ikang aye

Of course all the ingredients were bought fresh from Pasar Marang, a couple of hours before lunch. The fish and the veggies were sweet and fresh.

Even I am salivating right now.

LOVE @ 1st Sight - 38

The FIAT Siblings

Over the weekend, I went to Torino Auto.

A writer wants to write about the 2 Fiats.

The 500 was there too, for the shoot.

It is so cute.

If anybody know where I can get a FIAT 500, please tell me.

I want to get one and start restoring - so that it will look better than new, but the key work is: ORIGINAL to at least qualify The Concours!

Let me share with you the double Italian beauties.

Iconic Mama

The Jing and Tok Nik Escapade at Tok Jembal

Hairkunst job landed me into another photography assignment.

A young couple, both from Terengganu, living in KL who are passionate about horses.



The assignment is to photograph their horses, stable facilities and riding activities at site in Kampung Tok Jembal, Kuala Terengganu.

Some people might say – how can you get it wrong to shoot horseback riding with beautiful lady on the beach.

I totally agree, but it is not as simple as that.



You have to take into consideration of the weather (what if it rains?), the sunrise (what if it’s a cloudy morning with no sun on the horizon), unpredictable behavior of subjects (horses and human beings), or even the mood of the photographer (that’s moody me).

Like always, I didn’t want to miss anything – I woke up at 5.30 am to get everything set up. Breakfast was a bar of Snickers and a pack of chocolate milk.

It was a laborious task, but fun nevertheless. It enhances the versatility of my portfolio and also the familiarization to my newly acquired full frame camera body.

I just love the new (camera) body.

* 12.1 megapixel full-frame sensor (8.45µm pixel pitch)
* Image Sensor Cleaning (vibration) *
* ISO 200 - 6400 (with boost up to ISO 25600 and down to ISO 100)



* Multi-CAM3500FX Auto Focus sensor (51-point, 15 cross-type, more vertical coverage)
* 5 frames per second continuous with auto-focus tracking
* Optional MB-D10 Battery Pack (same as D300), increases burst rate to 8 fps *
* 3.0" 922,000 pixel LCD monitor

Second day was raining. Luckily we shot the sunrise on the first day.



Lesson to learn (not the hard way):

If you can shoot today why wait till tomorrow?

ASEAN Summit was called off, but not the parties!
The lovely host – as always.

I had an awesome time during my recent short holiday in BKK.



Catching up with BG and LL was really fun. Really envy their healthy lifestyle (minus the G&T). They both look good. In fact, younger.

Deep inside me, I said to myself:

Gotta get back into PT and stick to it boy of you will be grumpy and old fat fart!



BG lost so much weight, we is wearing a 32 501s while I am still stuck to my 34. The best part is, he cant even wear his nice Italian suits, and guess what?



BG gave me one of his Hugo Boss suit which fits me well and I have got that color.

Thanks buddy!

Can’t say the same thing about Kamal (their cat) who is so fat when LL took him to the vet, people thought he was a dog!



The Party Party Party



Yes, 3 parties.

In fact I could have gone for more but I – as always – know my limit that I don’t intend to cross.


Coincidently some friends from SG and JKT were also having Songkran holidays. Perfect company to enjoy our holidays.

Among others,

I lost a cheap tee shirt

My favorite leather shoes got stepped on big time on the dance floor.

I learned how to recycle ;-)

Oh.. the after party 2 hour massage was HEAVENLY. We (I mean our body) so deserved it.

Ahhhh!



The Luncheon at The Sukhothai

As a finale, LL was kind enough to arrange for a nice lunch at fabulous restaurant, The Celedon. The food and the service was just immaculate.



No complaints, just complements (even they were having problem with the credit card machine).



I have my customary Tom Ka Gai - white coconut based chicken soup, served in a coconut.



Despite our stretched stomach line we still ordered and array of Thai succulent desserts.

Heaven!



Wrap Up.

I got wet on the last day and LL and I got splash while riding on a tuk tuk! Oh well, it’s Songkran.



LL’s 4th Songkran, 1st time to got wet.

My first Songkran, I got wet!

I am glad I got splashed at.




In ONE line,

Bangkok was wonderfully WET.
(However you want to define it, I don’t really care!)

Woo Hoo!



Oh, by the way….



What riot????

of colors, perhaps?

I am having a good time in Bangkok.

It is so relaxing.

I don’t make any plan.

I don’t even make any plan to photograph anything.

I just wanna let it flow.

This is a holiday.

Wake up, cook breakfast, check email, check facebook, comments on people’s status, lunch on the streets in my scruffy no shower self, buy groceries, shopping, massage etc etc.

It is so refreshing as long as I control my spending.

As I am typing this song, I actually at the dining table with my lovely hosts listening to songs from my laptop and we just talk and talk and sing and sing.

At the moment we are listening to True by Spandau Ballet. I also introduced the to Indonesian jazz – Syaharani – Whiter Shade of Pale. I also played old songs – Breath (Raise your hands to heaven), Enigma and Skid Row’s I Remember You.

I am having so much fun.

OK, gotta go. My friends from Jakarta are also here and we are going dancing!

Woo! Hoo!

UMNO before the arrival of money politics.

I shot this at PWTC during UMNO General Assembly recently.

It was placed in an easel in Bernama booth.

Bernama people didn't even know the source of this image.

Please click on it to view the larger version. You can spot Dato' Onn Jaafar and Tun Hussein Onn.

I was told this photo was shot in 1946.

Kamal (Lally's cat) is so fat that when she took him to the vet people thought he was a dog!

I am in BKK.

I am actually sitting in the dining with my lovely host, Lally.

We do this. Both of us sitting at the dining table with our laptops surfing and talking and smoking – between delicious dinners and lunches, exotic breakfasts by the busy BKK kakilima, tuk tuk rides, shopping like nuts in Emporium, massages, manicures & pedicures blab la bla.

I enjoy Bangkok.

I frequent BKK a lot before, but it has been a while.

I just asked Lally,

When was the last time I visited you guys?

Hmmmm.. 2007!

Oh really?

Yeah, last year you were in Jakarta too many times.

Oh……

Hmmmmm….

The milk company which selected Babu Canana to be the Icon Mom wrote this to Babu Canana when she asked whether I can be credited for the pics I took.

This was their response;

Dear N,

I think it is quite difficult to credit M for his photography in our newspaper advertisement. He did fantastic work. Jocelyn and all of us here loved them.

I’ll let you know if we can put his name in.

Thank you.

Babu Canana

She walked (not quite unlike a man, in some ways) from the Ascott via KLCC to Barbarran in a tube smaller than my hankie, a skimpy short little leather skirt that could hardly cover her ass (pardon!) (not!), a pair of knee-high leather boots.



Shooting babies are definitely not as easy as I thought.

That doesn’t sound good.

I mean, It’s not easy to photograph babies because they are very unpredictable, and their attention span is rather short.

Very short.



I had a good time, nevertheless shooting Babu Canana for her being selected as icon mom by a baby milk company.

It’s amazing to see the transformation (for the better, of course!) she went through. Simply unbelievable!

This mother of two was actually dancing on the table at Barbarran, once upon a time.

Congrats!

Icon mom aside, the best part is – you have a lovely family.

DG wrote his status:

Malaysia – 2
BN – 1

Insinuating the results of the three simultaneous by-elections today.


I wrote back in disagreement.

This is my thought:

Don’t get me wrong, please.

But Sarawak is not really Malaysia. Sarawak can live without Malaysia, especially now. BN definitely needs Sarawak to get the majority in the Parliament – without which the result of the last election could turn 180 degree, against BN.

So, in actual fact the score is:

Malaysia – 2

BN - 0

Yes (new)Prime Minister.

I am very sure almost every adult Malaysian has been talking about these issues since the last General Election, be it over the tarik sessions, or after a very nice Sunday ride in beautiful kampungs in Ulu Langat with a bunch of expatriates, or after a corporate board meeting at the twin-towers of KLCC, or while waiting for the sea to calm down on a small fishing jetty in Seberang Takir, Terengganu before gambling their lives in the open sea…….

Everybody talks about it. I mean EVERYBODY.

Yet, both Barisans have been bickering. I do not think rakyats Malaysia has been ignored to this extend since Merdeka, or probably before.

People have been disappointed and seriously angry and they took it to the street.

Why?

Do Malaysians, for example, really want to walk the street of Kuala Lumpur under hot sun after Friday prayers for fun? I don’t think so.

There is something seriously, seriously wrong in our system.

The sad part is the Barisans seem to be deft and blind.

So, my dear (new) Prime Minister, the Malaysians have no choice, at the moment, but to be hopeful for you to make a CHANGE.

CHANGE is not just about glorified speeches, election campaigns, fancy oversize billboards, political promises, half-baked websites or spinning news headlines stating the obvious things the Government should do as a GOVERNMENT anyways.

CHANGE is about winning back the heart of ALL Malaysians in Malaysia and abroad.

Why?

Because we the rakyats are sick and tired, really!

You can have your own fancy KPIs and what not.

As rakyats, we have been observing and we will still be observing the whole antiques and we don’t quite like it. In fact we detest it.

Meluat.

We are disgusted to a certain extend on how the rakyats’ money have been spent “macam datuk dia punya duit!” – among others.

The rakyats will eventually decide in the next General Election.

So, my dear (new) Prime Minister, like us all, be it a clerk, a driver, an entrepreneur, or a CEO of a GLC. We all cannot “cakap kosong” all the time. Eventually we have to deliver.

Now, you have been given the mandate by the rakyats.

We have not been happy since last General Election.

And make sure your cabinet line up, and you are spic and span.

It’s time for you to start cracking and,

DELIVER you should!