The view from Masjid Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Ramadhan 2006.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Friday, October 13, 2006
Colors of Pangkor
stacks of baskets used to carry fish and dried products
boat frame, under construction.
this is some machine, not quite sure what it is for...
chemical drums lying around. no trace of pollution though...
busy fishing jetty. i have not seen any of the yellow boats moved before. perhaps they start sometimes during late evening
a door at a temple on the other side of the island
the mooncake festival was at the peak. colorful tanglong (lantern) for sale.
Produce of Pangkor
Captured during my short trip to Pangkor. I was killing time waiting for berbuka puasa. I hired a motorbike for RM20 for half-a-day. A 70cc honda cup. I look like a Mat Rempit with a camera. The helmet was gross...
ikan bilis
solar drying ikan kering
more ikan bilis
Perfect for mee soup.
ikan bilis
solar drying ikan kering
more ikan bilis
Perfect for mee soup.
Friday, October 06, 2006
it's just not the same…..
Life without passion isn’t life.
I have friends who still burn the midnight oil almost everyday. I have colleagues who work like robots. They just don’t have a life.
I cannot understand that kind of people.
I agree you need money to pay for your mortgage, holidays, cars, bicycles etc. Yeah…but, money is not everything!
I hosted a dinner at last night. I was very honored to be surrounded by the owner of Pura Tanjung Sabtu, a very good friend, an established writer who just came back from a writers’ workshop in Ubud, an acquaintance who found Kota Gelinggi (the lost city in Johor).
The company was fantastic! The ideas were wild and just keep on flowing! The ambience was warm and friendly! It’s like suddenly you know for a fact that you were with a bunch of good people, who share a deep passion as you.
Nobody. I mean nobody asked: ”So, what is it for me?”
It is different when you do things out of passion, compared to doing it for money.
I have friends who still burn the midnight oil almost everyday. I have colleagues who work like robots. They just don’t have a life.
I cannot understand that kind of people.
I agree you need money to pay for your mortgage, holidays, cars, bicycles etc. Yeah…but, money is not everything!
I hosted a dinner at last night. I was very honored to be surrounded by the owner of Pura Tanjung Sabtu, a very good friend, an established writer who just came back from a writers’ workshop in Ubud, an acquaintance who found Kota Gelinggi (the lost city in Johor).
The company was fantastic! The ideas were wild and just keep on flowing! The ambience was warm and friendly! It’s like suddenly you know for a fact that you were with a bunch of good people, who share a deep passion as you.
Nobody. I mean nobody asked: ”So, what is it for me?”
It is different when you do things out of passion, compared to doing it for money.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
pulau pangkor folks
A fisherman, fixing the baits for his next fishing trip. Visibly an English soccer fan..
Boat builders, leaving their "office" for lunch. I was diappointed. I want to take individual pictures of them in action, but hey, they gotta eat too!
Auntie, could be the big towkeh's wife. Perhaps she is the towkeh. Sorting out ikan bilis. I watched her hands and fingers movement... almost hypnotic! Her little grandaughter was around too, but she's scared of camera... or me?
3 pakciks ship fish from Pangkor to Lumut port. They work like machines. No verbal communication needed. They did their work rather quietly but fast, almost on automatic mode. They left the jetty waving at me with smiles...
This chinese lady makes mee swa. She explained to me how it is done. 3 big bags of flour needed in a day's production. The mee is green because they use spinach for coloring which also give a nice subtle flavour to it. I bought 2 packets home and it's gooood! yum yum!
A boat driver in Lumut. He transports workers to worksites.
My friend posted a question while looking at these photos...
"What would life be without these folks?"
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
shooting spree @ masjid india
I have been procrastinating to make my baju melayu this year because I have been busy travelling. I finally got the chance to do it last weekend. A friend of mine, who is an avid photographer has been wanting to capture the festive mood during ramadhan when KLites busy with their Hari Raya shopping.Perfect!
KL traffic is never my favorite about the city but photography and baju melayu were the two main motivators of the day. I braved my way to Jalan Masjid India, jam central especially in the dawn of Hari Raya and Deepavali. Yes, I did break the (traffic) law to get into a parking lot faster. (They change the traffic flow!)
The sky was slightly overcast; therefore the weather was quite mild for KL standard. That could be the reason why most of the people I encountered were friendly and never hesitated to get their pictures taken with carved smiles in teir faces. Perhaps they thought I was from the press who could give 15 minutes of fame. Or, perhaps they were very happy with the brisk sales of their merchandise. In any case, the mood was festive, everybody was happy, including me!
It was the sights of warna warna (colorful) Malaysia. The foods, the fabrics, the flowers… even the people.
Perhaps I have taken KL for granted. I am beginning to think (and I think I am absolutely right) there is so much KL can offer, comparable to the markets I have been abroad. We have so much, at least the sights and feel of festive season, to offer.
I was not born in KL. I did not even grow up here when I was a teenager or younger. I can't help to feel very at home here.
KL traffic is never my favorite about the city but photography and baju melayu were the two main motivators of the day. I braved my way to Jalan Masjid India, jam central especially in the dawn of Hari Raya and Deepavali. Yes, I did break the (traffic) law to get into a parking lot faster. (They change the traffic flow!)
The sky was slightly overcast; therefore the weather was quite mild for KL standard. That could be the reason why most of the people I encountered were friendly and never hesitated to get their pictures taken with carved smiles in teir faces. Perhaps they thought I was from the press who could give 15 minutes of fame. Or, perhaps they were very happy with the brisk sales of their merchandise. In any case, the mood was festive, everybody was happy, including me!
It was the sights of warna warna (colorful) Malaysia. The foods, the fabrics, the flowers… even the people.
Perhaps I have taken KL for granted. I am beginning to think (and I think I am absolutely right) there is so much KL can offer, comparable to the markets I have been abroad. We have so much, at least the sights and feel of festive season, to offer.
I was not born in KL. I did not even grow up here when I was a teenager or younger. I can't help to feel very at home here.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
beautiful songket
Interesting anecdote behind a piece of songket.
Like batiks to the Indonesians, you are born with it, you even die with batik. It is customary to use batik as a piece of bed sheet or blanket for newborn babies or even a piece of batik cloth to cover a coffin when you die.
Closer to home, I was told by a prominent songket weaver and designer that in early 80’s a very prominent leader actually commissioned him to design and weave a piece of songket to be used as the cover of his coffin for his very own funeral.
He is still alive and kicking today and very much vocal about several political (local and international) issues.
He is a forward thinking man, indeed.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Duyong, the last frontier?
These could possibly be the last generation of the traditional boat builders of Terengganu we will ever see should their knowledge and skills are not preserved.
To me, they are artisans with unique skills we can’t find else where but from our very own backyard.
I was sad when I look at them as I know for a fact that that they do not get paid much for their skills and passion.
This financial factor is the barrier of entry for younger generations to take up the skills and preserve it.
With unique boat building and construction techniques, this could very well put Duyong in the map of boat building world.
It is sad really. The people of Terengganu had been great seafarers in the region for centuries. They have been trading with the regional kingdoms using the boats made with their own hands, based on their very own knowledge and skills, using their very own local materials and inspirations to conceive such beautiful pieces of arts that expand Terengganu horizon into the regional trade then.
My very own grand father was a Nakhoda before.
When my father was young, he used to follow my grand father to sail even to Chiang Mai!
Unfortunately, if you go to Duyong today, the only person who is passionate and doing something about preserving the traditional boat making is Christoph Swobada.....a German.
I admire his passion and perseverance. I know for sure he will get the boat completed and it is going to be a beautiful Made in Terengganu boat. By then, a lot of people will take credits out of it…..
To me, they are artisans with unique skills we can’t find else where but from our very own backyard.
I was sad when I look at them as I know for a fact that that they do not get paid much for their skills and passion.
This financial factor is the barrier of entry for younger generations to take up the skills and preserve it.
With unique boat building and construction techniques, this could very well put Duyong in the map of boat building world.
It is sad really. The people of Terengganu had been great seafarers in the region for centuries. They have been trading with the regional kingdoms using the boats made with their own hands, based on their very own knowledge and skills, using their very own local materials and inspirations to conceive such beautiful pieces of arts that expand Terengganu horizon into the regional trade then.
My very own grand father was a Nakhoda before.
When my father was young, he used to follow my grand father to sail even to Chiang Mai!
Unfortunately, if you go to Duyong today, the only person who is passionate and doing something about preserving the traditional boat making is Christoph Swobada.....a German.
I admire his passion and perseverance. I know for sure he will get the boat completed and it is going to be a beautiful Made in Terengganu boat. By then, a lot of people will take credits out of it…..
have a blessed Ramadhan!
Hi. Sorry I didn’t tell u that I’m moving permanently to Bangkok nxt wk.
I don’t know how long I am staying there.
I will give you the number, address and new email when I get there.
Hope 2 c u at least before I leave?
Sorry for the short notice.
I hv no choice.
They hv chosen me as the……..
Next Prime Minister of Thailand.
(Have a blessed Ramadhan)
I don’t know how long I am staying there.
I will give you the number, address and new email when I get there.
Hope 2 c u at least before I leave?
Sorry for the short notice.
I hv no choice.
They hv chosen me as the……..
Next Prime Minister of Thailand.
(Have a blessed Ramadhan)
kueh bakarI am quite certain almost everybody who carries hand phone (I think that’s everybody!) gets the above sms. I myself get 3 of the same message back.
One:
It’s a bloody good business for service providers. Within 2 days before Ramadhan the sms volume could be close to what they use to collect during Akademi Fantasia of jokes about Siti & Dato' K's wedding, perhaps….
stuffed periok kera (like lemang, but nicer)Two:
WHO actually is the author of the sms. He/she must be a genius! For a short massage like that being used by possibly millions of phone users. Or perhaps it’s the phone companies themselves that create the message and spam it, from then on it just go wild…..
good old goreng pisang (or is it pisang goreng?)Three:
The best thing is, by receiving this message with “Have a blessed Ramadhan” attached to it, it gives a sense of togetherness among the Muslims greeting each other welcoming the holiest month in their lunar calendar with open arms.
roti jalaYes, have a blessed Ramadhan everybody!
*images of food were taken in Kampung Paya Tebu Hitam, Rompin, Pahang.
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