I got to be good in something!

Goodness I got to be good in something. I am already 52, there must be something that I do well besides the usual bellyaching and whimpering. Well, I am a pretty decent and good person, let say I won't take your money before asking you. Just kidding. Hmmm ... I pretty good at making new friends. Come to think of it I do have friends whom I know for a very long time. Today I met up with Edi. We been friends since 1982 which means we have known each other for 26 years! I remember Jeff Kwong was the one who took me to meet Sam and Edi. Poor Jeff, been dead for so many years now. Jeff is quite a character, literally grew up with Bangsar. He was already making a mark there even before it became the 'it' place in Kuala Lumpur.

I am also pretty good with the camera. I like photography and lately been getting some results and recognition. That aside I always have the 'eye' to look at thing differently so its easier for me to create something 'beautiful' in the conventional standard. I am also afraid my photographs maybe too 'pretty' .... a trap I willingly fall into. I wonder if I can ever be an edgier camera man with a raw bite. We shall see .....

Cameron Highland

It was just a 'on-the-spot' kind of decision. Tong Seng said the gang is taking a short break in Cameron Highlands. I jumped at the chance. The last time I visited was more than 10 years ago! I remembered we stayed in the HSBC Bungalow courtesy of Andrew Lim who was working with the bank then. That was a good trip. So many memories.

We left early last Friday. The worst part of the whole trip was being caught in this horrific traffic jam. It took us almost an hour to get to the Sungai Buluh rest area. I was so glad to get out of Kuala Lumpur. We had a piss break at the Tapah rest area and pig out in the KFC corner (well we were in holiday mood). Alex (the driver for the trip) missed the turn off to the Highland (it was almost next to the rest area), so we drove further down to the next one, Simpang Pulai. I thought this route was more scenic and less demanding. In my younger days going up the Highlands was always a challenge because most of my aunties will get car sickness from the winding roads.

Alex drove a Toyota Alphard so the journey was very comfortable. I hardly felt the corners and ascent. Anyway I was too engrossed with the beautiful sceneries to mind the steep climb. Our first stop was the Boh Tea plantion. Along the way we passed through lots of vegetable farms. The vista of the tea plantation was breath taking, the open space totally covered with either jungle or tea bushes. We had a light lunch in the cafe. Needless to say the air was terribly invigorating, just as if someone had switched on a giant air-conditioner. After lunch we toured the little tea museum and factory. Although the displays were few but I found them interesting.

My primary reason for this trip is to exercise my camera. Unfortunately the weather got a bit dicey. I got a call from Stephen later in the day telling me Kuala Lumpur was practically flooding in a big storm. No wonder we had billowing clouds and intermittent showers all the time. Nevertheless I was stopping Alex every now and then so that I can take another shot. Poor guy was most patient.

We stayed in the Century Pine hotel. I guessed the room is decent enough. I had a big room with the balcony facing a copse of green trees. Dinner was sitting out in the open with a huge cauldron of seafood and vegetables. Yummy. After dinner we just while our time walking the one main street. I guessed the highlight was me finding a shop that stocked Mah Meri carvings. They were so gorgeous but for me still expensive. A small mask cost RM400! I know they are worth it since it is one of a kind and totally unique because no where in the world makes them. Maybe the next time.

The next day was a whirlwind of hotel hopping, farm visitation and even a stop at a Temple. So my camera was kept busy. We visited the other Boh tea plantation. This one much older. I even climbed up to the very top of the hill. Unfortunately it started to rain just as we 'conquered' the summit. I couldn't do much snapping because the rain was rather heavy. For dinner we went ang mor but the food was a big let down. That evening was a big wash out because it rained the whole night. I went and salivated at the Mah Meri masks again. Good sense prevailed and I did not buy anything. Maybe my lost. Aaaaargh.

The next morning, after breakfast, Chung and me hightailed to the little garden across the street. We went hog crazy taking pictures of all the flora there. Every blade and bloom was fresh and wet! The air was just incredible. We left the Highland early and along the way we did some vegetable and cactus shopping. We then beelined to Bidor. This place brought back so many memories. We ate at 'Pun Chun', of course we had their famous 'Arp Tui Mee' (duck leg noodles). I still remember my father always took us (I was pee wee then) to this shop on our way to Ipoh. I was always glad to see Bidor, it means we are almost reaching granny house.

Besides the famous noodle, you must (de riguer) buy the 'chicken biscuit' and 'sat keih mah' from the shop. Outside the shop you can buy 'petai' (just gathered from the jungle) and seedless 'kai see kor' (jambu).

I am so glad I went for this trip. Not for anything else, just all those old memories are themself priceless.

.... what am I to do?

Do I stand still in the stream of time and let changes flow around me or do I go with the flow to become someone I do not recognise?

3 things

Thank you Kai .... I found this in your site.

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back:

1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity

Three things in life that can destroy a person:

1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Unforgiveness

Three things in life that you should never lose:

1. Hope
2. Peace
3. Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable:

1. Love
2. Family and Friends
3. Kindness

Three things in life that are never certain:

1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams

Three things that make a person:

1. Commitment
2. Sincerity
3. Hard work




~ Anonymous

In the Mind, In the Heart.

The last time we met was many weeks ago. Since then I had travelled thousands of kilometers. Yet you are no further than a thought away. I would really like to put you in the back burner but the mind is a funny thing. I see you in all the little things around me like the wallet in my pocket or the handphone I bring with me to Ho Chin Minh City. I even found you in a Vietnamese song 'You are not from here' by My Tam. Imagine that!

Move On

Two little words that has such an impact on me. This seems to be the popular term to use when someone wants to break up a relationship with you.

'Move On'. But where to? I got accustomed to everything we do toghether. So what constitute 'moving on' for me?

Resolution - to make or not to make?

I am a person who do not like to make promises I cannot keep. In this case a resolution is a promise to myself. Maybe because I do not have to account to myself, it is easier to break them. Could it be in a perverse sense that because of this reason I am capable to fufill my new year resolutions!

So for the year 2008, I resolute to;

1 Loose Weight,
2 Save Money,
3 Blog more,
4 Be nicer to others and
5 Improve my photographic skills.

Happy new year to all.

A very beautiful poem

This poetry was part of an anthology paper about Chinese funeral. Even the writer of the report did not know who wrote this beautiful poem.


Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there,
I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain

When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight,
I am the soft stars that shine at night ……..

Do not stand at my grave and cry
I am not there
I did not die

Election is Coming?

Election must be near. I saw hordes of workers busy resurfacing the roads in my housing estate. Needless to say whoever is in charge of the project is as dumb ass as the person who made that decision. For maximum effect the workers decided to show off their diligence by carrying out their duties during peak hours (lunch) on a Saturday! Several main arteries leading to the othewise very busy streets of Pandan Perdana were closed. You can imagined the utter chaos and frustration faced by drivers. Traffic jam backed up for miles even and a more than usual massive congestion at the MRR2. All these are so unecessary! Look at the roads now, blanketed in black stones here and there. New depressions formed from the raised level. No one in sight to put in the road markings, making driving even more dangerous. It's only show the kind of administration we have, don't they consider the convenience and well being of the community?

Looking at my photographs?

For me taking a picture is more than just putting my eye to the camera viewfinder and pressing the shutter button. Perhaps to some people this is enough. Like my friends will say 'Why make life complicated'? However my pictures are mportant to me. The task itself is equal to stealing a moment in this fast changing world. When I captured an image, I owned it to myself that this what I want to share with you.

So when you look at my pictures I want you to be emotional about them. It matters not if you throw bricks at me, at least I know I have taken pictures that matters.

However please be patient because I am learning. I am only now teaching myself how to use my camera correctly. I am only too happy if you can point me to the right direction. I have a Canon 400D. According to magazines and forum this is a good tool to start with.

I know sometimes it is very frustrating and difficult to find answers to help me solve my problems. I am writing a series of blog based on my understanding. Hopefully this may help someone who may be in the same boat. However if you feel that my information is wrong please let me know. This is the only way I can progress in this exciting road to better photography.

Now for my journey and this is my first step.

This came too soon.

I supposed this will happen one day but I thought it would not be so soon. Two days ago my neighbors for the past 6 years told me that they have bought a new house and will be moving out very soon. They also said they will put their apartment unit up for sale and even offered to me at a very good price. I wished I had the cash. Not because I needed more space but if I owned it at least I have control of which I share a wall with.

I supposed I have been lucky. The first owners were a couple with two young children. The children needed space, as they grew bigger in mind and bodies so they moved on. In fact it was I who put Jason in touch with Mr. Wong then. The Jasons are the best neighbors I can ever wished for; neat, clean and hardly a pip. In fact we shared a whole lots of friends, magazines, newspaper, coffee, dvds and gossips too. So you can imagine how upset I have been over this piece of news.

It seems strange now that I have to get use to the idea that they will not longer be there. I remembered the time I had to call them to drive me to a clinic in the wee hours of the morning because I thought I had a heart attack! I wonder who will leave a light on for me when I come home late. Maybe I am getting old, the uncertainties of changes are getting more difficult to accept.

A sudden outburst

The dirt, the squalor, the noise, the hopelessness and the repeated daily grind of the people living among me. So what is it that make these people lift up their heads and smile a little at life. Is it the growth of their savings, the steady incremental height of their children or even the imagined prospect of a better tomorrow? For me it was a sudden and outrageous burst of beauty.

This apparition came as a total surprise because I was busy looking for something similar in another part of the city. So imagined my dumfoundedness as I came face to face with it, in the vicinity of my home.

Alas beauty is always short lived. Even as I type these words, time is busy pulling away her attractive mantle. Very soon the people will treat her nothing more than a stone under their feet. So what is the story of this great South American beauty that came to live in Cheras? I wish I knew because I am sure it will be a damn good one.

All I know she is called Tabebuia from the Bignoniaceae family. I do not know about the others but she certainly make me smile for several days. I hope she does that to you too. Now I am looking forward to see her again ............. when she blooms next year.

Two Women

This is a story of two women. I do not know them personally but somehow they are part of my world.

On the 25th July 2003, at 3:09:48 AM a short message beeped me into consciousness from a deep slumber. It was a short message from my friend Vi An. He said 'My mum pass away'. I kept this message until today. I just received a new cell phone and I do not know how to transfer my old messages. So when I read this I felt kind of sad. For this is my last link with her and what her death meant to me. At that time I felt good that Vi An had placed me as someone important enough to let me know of his grief. It gave a defination to our friendship. Now he does not call me anymore. Such is the transitory of human relationship.

On the 20th July 2005, at 7:55 AM the wife of our current Prime Minister died from breast cancer. Her illness is public knowledge but her death still shock Malaysian collective consciousness. I watched a little of the funeral in the evening news. According to Muslim rites she was buried on the same day. Very soon she too will be regulated into the past.

Nothing is permanent .........

A most disgusting man.

I live in a very working class neighborhood. What is a working class? To me it means that most of my neighbors have to work very hard for their livelihood. Normally they have very little time for social niceties. Take for instance the family that lives on the floor below me. I do not know much about the husband. He squats by the drain every morning while waiting to send his kids to school. The wife runs a noodle stall on a five foot way. I don't think it is the lack of money but rather the environment they live in. For instance they talked to each other at the top of their voice. Also they swear alot using very colorful language. The funny thing is that they do it all the time among themselves. For example when the mother is angry she will used very lurid terms even referring to her own private parts while scolding her children!

There is a older man who lived in the next block. I called him the 'most disgusting man' because of his behavior. In the morning, on the way out he will drive by with a bag of refuse dangling from his open car window. Just as he gets near the rubbish bin he will throw the bag onto the ground and drive off. He even does this when the cleaner is standing by the bin. He could easily just stop his car and give the bag to her. Instead he just fling in next to her as if to say 'hey its your job, pick it up'. The poor cleaner must feel really bad being treated this way.... and she has to pick up after him. What a bastard! This is one case of third world mentality. I wonder how we can even begin to build a civil society with these people in it?

A Fish Story

How to dress a Cincaru. (Scienticfic : Megalaspis Cordyla, English : Hardtail Scad, Malay : Ikan Cincaru, Cantonese : Ngan Mei Chee)

I like to eat this fish. I remember my see koo (4th Aunt) always cooked it for me when I visited her. She will stuffed the fish with a spicy paste made from chili, onion, garlic, dried shrimps and belacan (prawn paste). This recipe is called 'Hu Chee Rumpah - Sambal stuffed fish'. Of course she made it all look so easy. I found out this is a Nyoya (a Peranakan woman) recipe. My grandmother was a Strait Born (Peranakan - a Chinese who is borned in the Straits Settlement - speaks and dresses like a Malay) so I guessed my auntie learned this from her.

Two nights ago I was invited to a pot luck party. Thinking it was the Ramadhan (fasting season) I wanted to make something local. So I bought a dozen Cincaru. I told the guys at the fish counter to help clean my pickings while I go buy other stuff. When I got home I discovered the fish were gutted but with the scales still intact. This fish is aptly named. It possessed an armor like cover - one scale over the other in a continuous chain. I have limited culinary skills, I thought in order to fry the fish I must take off the tough exterior. So I tried to remove the skin. It was so tough the knife could not even penetrate the scale. Out of desperation I used a pair of pliers. While pulling off the skin I took out the meat too. By that time I was hot, sweaty and totally frustrated. Besides time was fast running out, so was my confidence. I knew I was doing it wrong because by then I had a fish without meat staring at me. I raced up to my PC and keyed in 'How to dress a Cincaru?' but zilch, absolutely nothing on this matter. In the end I packed all the fishes into the freezer.

So here I am posting this article. Hopefully one day it may rescue someone. Now take heed - you do not need to remove the scale at all! If you fry this fish without the scale the meat will all fall off from the bone. After cooking, the armored skin can be removed easily by just lifting it off! Aaaaaaaaaaargh.

Anyway for whatever reason you may need to remove the skin this is how you do it. I consulted a colleague and she taught me this way.

Method :

Make a cut next to the gill, just at the beginning of the first scale. Do not cut into the tough scale because it will only blunt your knife. Take a piece of newspaper or any protective medium (to prevent cutting your hand) and grasped the first tough scale. Pull the scale towards the tail in one smooth motion. The scales should come off in one long section. Of course you may use pliers!

Is there anyone out there who would like to share recipes for Cincaru? Please reply to this posting and I shall be eternally grateful.

On A Clear Day You Can See Forever Part 2 .....

Though the haze is gone but will it come back next year? It was reported in the newspaper that Malaysia was also a culprit to the problem, someone out there was burning his plantation too. Shameful.

On A Clear Day You Can See Forever ..........

No. I am not writing about the 1970 movie, the one with Barbra Streisand and Yves Montand. That is a different story all together. This story is about my city; Kuala Lumpur. Actually this s about the weather. I am not English, so why am I so preoccupied with this subject? Just that a good friend of mine said 'Yesterday reminded me of my university days in London - the perfect pea soup foggy day'. (*Billie Holliday softly crooning 'Foggy London Town' in the background*).

Well it started three days ago ......... a haze descended stealthily on the city, very much like an unwanted guest. However this is no stranger because I have seen it in the past. This time the air was so thick with suspended particles, the government had to declare a state of emergency in Kuala Selangor and Klang. Schools were closed, people were told to stay indoor, all outdoor activities were cancelled and confusion reigned. Doctors had to cope with increased numbers of patients suffering from respitory problems. It was even reported that several trainee nurses fainted from breathing difficulties. No place was safe. The dirty thick air crept into offices, homes, malls, hospitals, places of worships and everywhere. The smell - the distinctive burning smell (not entirely unpleasant) that tells you something is not quite right.

You bet this is not right. This folly is forced upon us by the burning of huge swatch of forest and plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia. Strange, if we had already encountered this before and that we know it is unhealthy and bad then why is it that the authorities in both countries still allow it to happen? Maybe we are either too uncaring or desensitise to act ........................ maybe next year we print on the travel brochure - come see the most beautiful sunset in the world, only in Kuala Lumpur, with collabaration from Indonesia. (*cough, cough*).

I like ......

I like ...... :-)

1. Rainbow.
2. Rain in the Morning.
3. Long walk in uncrowded places.
4. When my cat 'Miu Miu' snuggles up to me.
5. Good Conversation.
6. A movie that makes me think and feel differently.
7. Train Ride.
8. When I sit by the window enjoying a cup of good coffee after completing my houseworks.
9. A well taken photograph.
10. Blooming flowers in a garden.
11. (list will be updated periodically).

I dislike ............

I dislike .......... :-(

1. Broken Pavement.
2. Rubbish on the stairs.
3. DVD that cannot play especially towards the end of the movie.
4. Out of service ATM.
5. Driver that cuts into my path without signaling.
6. Female driver that cuts into my path and pretend that I do not exist.
7. Missing button.
8. Hole in the socks.
9. Miu Miu's hairs ................. everywhere ....
10. Sreaming and ill behaved children. Parents that do not care are the worst.
11. Parent who double parked just because they are sending their children to school.
12. Water cut without notice.
13. Power cut without notice - I have to reset my radio alarm, video recorder and even the micro wave oven.
14. Haze. Yes, dirty air in Kuala Lumpur. It is now an annual occurence and quality of air is getting worst each time.
15. (List will be updated periodically).

A long time passing .....

So long ago since I wrote anything. Yes, such a long while that I forgot my password. The easy part is that I can get help by clicking this and that. If only this is true with people whom I have lost contact ................ is there such buttons that I can click so that I may find them?