I met Rahmat Haron at The Annex Central Market recently – during Freedom Film Festival. Initially I did not intend to say hi to him but I needed to light up my cigarette.

After exchanging greetings I found him very friendly and we ended up having a drink together with a bunch of friends and talk about the cause they are fighting for.

Shot this picture with my Nikon F601-M using Black and White film ISO 400 and 50mm Nikkor fixed lens.

Rahmat Haron - Pengarah filem Al-Fatehah Memali,

A few days later I shot him an email.

Subject: Satu puisi untuk saya?

To: "pukipuisi@yahoo.com "

Cc: "kahwaisin75@gmail.com "

Date: Sunday, October 11, 2009, 6:46 AM

Dear rahmat. I have a blog: choratchoret.blogspot.com. I want to paste your photo I took in it. Could u pls write me a poem of whatever, for me to accompany your photo in my blog

Salam

M

This is what I got from Rahmat:

apa yg kau mahu

dariku, sipenipu yg tidak tahu apa2

pengembara yg tidak berganjak

menerawang hanya otak

memburu angan2

menelanjangkan mimpi siang

dan kembali bersendiri

berasmara dengan sepi.

This is an extract from Rahmat Haron’s blog sampahseni.blogspot.com:

Dalam ekologi kehidupan ini, kita akan melihat kitaran makanan dan bahan buangan.

Begitu juga dalam kehidupan berkesenian.

Akan ada pengguna/pemakan.

Akan ada makanan.

Dan akan ada bahan buangan - yang disebut sampah, taik ataupun kotoran.

Jadi, Sampah Seni adalah rahmat haron.

Malah, rahmat haron juga disamping menjadi sampah/kotoran/bahan buangan dalam masa yang sama adalah pelahap pemakan sampah/kotoran/bahan buangan atau dalam bahasa Inggerisnya disebut, "scarvenger." (ha,ha,ha, tak reti eja)

Tak kisah, ini hakikat seburuk apapun perlu diakui. dah memang buruk takkan nak jadi cantik pula.

Yang cantik molek adalah para pemakan yang melahirkan bahan buangan/sampah/kotoran seperti aku.

sampahseni@gmail.com

Bella Italiana - 16

I just realized I have not updated the progress of the Fiat 850 Coupe for a while now.

There has been progress but rather slow.

These pics were taken way back in August, 09.

I have learned from the previous restoration project not to push the workshop too hard if you want a good result.

This bodywork is not a standard bodywork thing. It requires a good craftsman to put it back into it glorious past.

Ah Seng is the only ONE guy who is doing the detail bodywork if the car and I trust he will do it well.

From what I observe, it's like a patchwork thing that he is doing. Chop off the old rotted / rusted / corroded parts, cut another piece of fresh metal into the same shape, paste it by welding.

Then ketuk ketuk ketuk and apply anti-rust enamel - done! And then he has to look at other vulnerable spots and the same process go on and on and on. There must be hundreds of those spot.

Each time I visit the car, I told him to take his time. Good workmanship is more important!

Reinforcement of the section where the bumper is located.

Reinforcement of the section where the hinge of the bonnet.

The (bottom half) newly "paste" door panel.

Ah Seng cut out the whole sidestep panel, reinforced the structure and fix a new panel on top. He goes all the way deeper than the skin.

Reinforcement of the doorframe

The front wind-shield frame

New reconstructed bottom half of the door.

Ah Seng at work

He always makes a point to explain to me what he is doing and take pride of his work. It is not easy to get people like this. And most importantly he can communicate quite well although it took me quite a while to understand his English words in thick Chinese accent.

He is proudly showing another part which re recently constructed.

Water channel from the roof to the back. Heavily corroded and will be given back its original state and look.

Part of door panel which was chopped off and newly constructed one behind. Damn! it's a lot of work!

Bujang Tet is inspecting the progress comparing to the Fiat 850 write-up which I downloaded from the Internet, in Italian.

Ah Seng is convincing us that he follows the Italian brochure closely and understand well that I want it to be O.R.I.G.I.N.A.L.!

Ah Seng is explaining to BT who is always curios about mechanical stuff.

A sturdy steel rod to support the body (structure) of the car - could be weaken when certain parts of the cars are temporarily missing.

The newly crafted door panel by Ah Seng, my man!

Hari

*M*E*R*D*E*K*A*

ATAU

Hari

Kebangsaan?

That’s the question!

Baru baru ini ada seorang tetamu choratchoret memaparkan persoalan, menanyakan perdapat saya yang mana satu yang saya fikir lebih ideal untuk kita namakan hari ulangtahun yang penting dalam sejarah Malaysia – 31 Ogos.

Saya bukanlah pakar dalam bidang ini. Malah saya tak empunya “authority” untuk membahaskan soal sebegini.

Namun jika diberi pilihan, saya suka sekiranya 31hb Ogos dinamakan Hari MERDEKA, bukan Hari KEBANGSAAN.

“Hari Kebangsaan” pada pendapat saya tidak membawa erti yang mendalam. Mungkin saya ini seorang yang kurang membaca, tapi tak pernah pun saya jumpa apakah makna Hari Kebangsaan. Jika ada sesiapa di antara kita yang terbaca, sila lah kongsikan bersama.

Bagi saya perkataan MERDEKA itu dalam maknanya. Tak perlu diungkai secara terperinci pun kita mampu faham akan maksud perkataan tersebut.

>C*O*N*T*O*H*N*Y*A<

Hamba yang bebas – maksud nya MERDEKA.

Waktu di bangku persekolahan, selepas kertas ujian terakhir, kita MERDEKA.

Setiap kali perkataan MERDEKA disebut, terbayang-bayang sedutan filem Bapa Kemerdekaan dengan penuh semangat melaungkan MERDEKA, MERDEKA, MERDEKA.

Ada rasa semangat. Ada rasa semangat kebebasan dari belenggu penjajahan.

Namun, nama apa yang kita pilih sekali pun, memang penting. Tapi bagi saya lebih penting kita faham ertikata kemerdekaan yang sebenarnya.

Kita sudah MERDEKA lebih dari 50 tahun. Kita MERDEKA dari belenggu penjajahan BRITISH.

Adakah ini bermakna kita benar benar MERDEKA dari segala aspek kehidupan kita?

Kalau kita nak berbincang soal (contohnya) seksualiti (bukan mempromosi seksualiti tertentu, tapi hanya berbincang untuk mencari kebenaran) - pun susah, MERDEKA ape ke jadah nya namanya tu?

Mungkin kita masih lagi dibelenggu oleh penjajahan minda yang wujud dalam berbagai bentuk yang datang daripada berbagai sudut, dari dalam dan luar negara – dari dalam dan luar diri sendiri?

MUNGKIN?

Sampah Bersepah Sepah

While I was struggling climbing Genteng Peres on my bicycle, oxygen inhaled rapidly into my lungs to burn the energy in my body then transferred to the paddles via my legs.

My mind was normally everywhere – a trick to forget about the pain as a result of lactic acid built up especially in cycling muscle group esp my legs.

Fresh morning air with beautiful tropical green jungle around me, suddenly after a gentle switchback, this appeared lurking to greet me.

It is just smelly.

Ulu Langat is in Selangor.

Kalau masalah sampah sarap pun tak boleh, macamana you all nak selesaikan masalah sampah masyarakat atau sampah politik?

Ini perkara asas.

Rakyat has got to be convinced that you guys are running the state better?.

The Thunderbirds

They were in town a few days back and I forced myself to drive to Subang Royal Malaysian Air Force base – on Saturday 031009.

I was disappointed at the beginning of the show because the day was quite cloudy, heavy overvast, almost colorless. In fact it rained at some point.

The weather and the rain is something I could not control. However, the camera and the lenses are certain variables I can control (most of the time, that is).

Among others, the challenges were the weather, the speed and the spot to photograph. But then again, if you always dream about getting the most ideal spot to shot, than I think you will be missing a big point in photography.

I make full use of what I have in my camera bag and captured this.

I don’t think I can capture these images without at least a 70-200 lens or a camera body which I can push to more than 8 frames per second bursts.

Enjoy!

Note:

I was very disappointed after the show to notice lots of garbage on the floor left by the spectators after the show.

Susah sangat ke nak buang sampah dalam tong sampah?

Mak bapak tak ajar ke?

Atau Mak Bapak pun 2 x 5