i guess for 2011, i really need to re-live this blog, it's so dead right now... i mean 2007?? can't even believe as usual how time wheeze by...sigh.. i'm gonna have to be a little more hardworking and edit all my previous travel photos and experience and post them up. haha...hope to achieve that :) ganbatte!!

Bali, a tropical island in paradise where you find just about everything. And I do mean everything - sun, sea, fun, shopping, all kinds of entertainment, historical and sacred places, plenty of activities for nature-lovers such as mountain climbing, jungle trekking, white-water rafting, photography, etc and a favourite rejuvenating activity for most people - the spas. Therefore, 5 days in Bali is just hardly enough to do everything. However, we did manage to cramp a lot of stuff in 5 days. We managed to cover most of the tourist spots like Kintamani, Besakih, Ubud, the infamous Tanahlot, Uluwatu and Jimbaran where we had good seafood by the beach. We also managed to catch a cultural show, spend half a day at a spa, went clubbing, shopping and did body art. Here are some snapshots:

Tawau-Semporna-Mabul Island (29 Sept - 2 Oct 2006)

October 2006 was supposed to be the month we go Beijing. Unfortunately, as much as we wanted to go, we had to postpone it to next year due to personal reasons - lack of money, lack of leave, just changed job, etc.

Our flight to Tawau was on early Friday morning. Dragging ourselves out of bed in the wee hours of morning is never an easy task especially when we have been having 4 hours of sleep in the last few days. We reached LCCT exactly one hour before departure and managed to check-in on time, had a light breakfast and boarded the 2 hour 45 minute-flight. Tawau airport was only 30 minutes away from the Tawau town. The six of us checked into Dynasty-Monaco Hotel for one night.

After lunch, we departed to visit the Madai caves (1.5 hours away from Tawau), famous for bird's nests. For those of you who are not completely sure what bird's nest is, allow be to elaborate. Bird's nest is an authentic delicacy taken from a swiftlet's nest, it is not made out of twigs and straw, mind you. The nest is made of the bird's hardened gummy saliva, apparently wonderfully yummy to those with an acquired taste for it. It is expensive. We were offered RM5,000 for 1 kg of uncleaned bird's nest and I was told that it was cheap. Anyway, the caves left me with a mark of experience for I have to admit, being some sort of a city-girl, I have never been into any caves, except Batu Caves :-) Indeed it also gave us some interesting shots of photography.

We proceeded to a waterfall in Kunak but it closed by the time we got there. Disappointed, we headed back to Tawau and feasted on a sumptuous array of seafood - crabs, fish, crayfish, tiger prawns, jellyfish. I would say definitely much better than a whole kg of bird's nests. Bernard, you should have been there to take photos of all the food. Later, Kwan brought us to a yacht club, where we sat by the deck, drinking and admiring Kwan and Cheah's collection of photographs. Life is good....


After breakfast the next day, we took a 1 hour and 45 minute-ride by van to Semporna. Our speed boat was already waiting for us when we reached and it took us 30 minutes to get there. It was love at first sight the moment we docked Mabul Island. Whatever I described now would hardly do justice to this place. I have never seen such clear sea water, one can just see right through to the corals and fishes beneath. It's almost heaven! The only thing missing in the next few days were blue skies and fluffy white clouds. The haze came as an uninvited guest.

We took our time walking around the Mabul Sipadan Water Village and explored a nearby Bajau village. When it became too hot and we got a little sunburned, we headed back to the chalet to enjoy the view there. We had lunch followed by siesta before heading out again to catch some evening shots.
It wasn't a easy task trying to find a good spot for sunset and when we did find one, it was the haze that did the damage again. Barbecue dinner was considerably good but it was the ambience that was fantastic. Plus we were also graced upon by the Raja Muda of Perlis and his super VIPs who stayed there the same night. The island was well guarded by the police, military and marine, safety wasn't an issue.

A thunderstorm came at 2:00 am. It was a little scary as our chalet faced the open sea. We felt the chalet shook each time lightning struck and thunder rumbled along with strong winds and heavy downpour. Quite an experience, I would say. We woke up slightly before 5:00 am to try our luck on sunrise, hoping the rain would clear the haze and bring back blue skies. Tough luck, the weather was worse than the day before. After breakfast, we took a walk to the resort next door, the Mabul Water Bungalow resort which was just as beautiful, with a spa of its own. We gave up our cameras and went for a dip by the beach. And then it was time to pack up and leave.

We arrived at Semporna and checked into the Seafest Hotel. That afternoon, we chartered a speed boat for a little sea adventure. We were like on a quest to look for the Sea Bajau people. Of course our boatman was very familiar with the surrounding islands and he knew where to take us. To get to Maiga island, we had to pass through certain areas of the sea which was just 3 feet deep. Really interesting, because we could see the deep blue sea in front and at the back of us and here we are, with just 3 feet of water, rocks, corals and lots of starfish. One could of course get down and walk just to experience what it's like to walk in the middle of the ocean but no one wanted to get themselves wet.

The Sea Bajau people were originally from southern Philippines who moved to these islands because of a separatist movement. The island was like a lost paradise, lined with endless rows of tall coconut trees, sand and clear emerald water. There were 2 settlements on the island, one closer to land and the other further out into the shallow waters of the sea. Their huts were made of wood and built on stilts as high as 5 feet. Harvesting seaweed seemed to be their source of income.

Time did not permit us to visit another island so we had to return to Semporna. The next day, we decided to cancel our boat trip to explore other islands. The weather was turning on us and the haze had worsened. We went to the jetty instead and took shots of fishermen turning in their catch for the day. We had an early lunch and departed for Tawau in a hired van. Our flight was only at night, so we had a whole afternoon to kill. We walked around the Tawau town and found a place to eat, drink and hand around. The place served many varieties of "Pan" mee and I had a plate of fried "pan" mee (this is not found in KL) which was really tasty. Kwan and Cheah took us for a hearty dinner and we had the pleasure of meeting with Louis Pang, who joined us for dinner. Kwan and Cheah also drove us to the airport after dinner.

To Kwan and Cheah, thank you so very much for taking the time to bring us around and helping us with all the arrangements for this trip. Overall, we were a little disappointed with the weather but the whole experience made up for it. We will return some day for better photographs.

It's really been ages since I have last posted anything on this blog. From then till now, I've already been to Seoul (Korea) and back, plus a few photography outings and an adventure-cum-photography thingy called Photorace which ended with a model shoot at MTC. This coincided with the launch for Visit Malaysia Year 2007. I was never interested in model shoot for lack of equipment ;-) and skill.


But this model shoot was different, held outdoors in the garden, fantastic and creative costumes and make-up and of course getting my hands on a VR lens make a whole lot of difference. Right equipment increases the level of skill definitely. And of course, outdoor lighting makes a whole lot of difference, wonderful for a beginner like me.


There were a few other photography outings I went for this year, one was Pulau Ketam and the other was my 2nd visit to the bird park in lake gardens. Well, one of my submissions got picked during the photography meeting...here it is...

Wesak Day, 12 May 2006

We were quite excited about Wesak Day's photo outing because Meow decided to join us for her first photo outing and ITAF tagged along with her compact camera. We got up rather early and had a good roti canai breakfast at an indian restaurant just across the Thai Buddhist Chetawan temple in Taman Jaya. This is the best roti canai ever....served on banana leaf, so delicious even without sambal, I am definitely going back there again!

The weather was superb for photography. The crowd grew as our shadows grew shorter. I could hear continuous sound of bells ringing (devotees ringing each of the 36 bells as they walk along the circle as this believed to bring luck). There were many rituals going on, though I did not fully understand its purpose till I read about some articles in the newspapers the next day. Apart from bell ringing, the crowd were lighting lotus candles and oil glasses, making offerings to a long line of golden statues with donation bowls, pasting golden leaves onto a statue, lighting joss sticks and praying. If you moved to the back of the temple, there was a long queue waiting to bath a Buddha statue. It was all very interesting. I've never been to a temple on Wesak, did not know there were some many interesting things to watch and photograph.

When the sun became too hot and we were tired out, we decided to get some water and food before leaving. Green curry noodles tasted really authentic, though we couldn't understand why it wasn't vegetarian. Well, I'll be back next year and hopefully with a better camera ;-)

Fashion Shoot at KLCC

Last Sunday, I decided to go with my hubby to KLCC to try my hand at fashion shows. It was my most frustrating photo shoot...ever... We covered 3 fashion shows from 1:00 - 4:30 pm, except for the I. Kartini show, the rest of the apparel were just boring, not at all close to the fashion shows we watch on TV. I tried RAW mode again but it was a disappointing turn out...noise, hazing, fuzzing, whatever you call it. Well, I guess one needs DSLR to do fashion shows, not some prosumer number. But I can't part with my G5 yet, I still feel I'm not good enough with the basics and don't fully understand the concept and techniques yet. Patience!

Putrajaya on a raining Sunday morning

Hi, I'm back. The reason I have not blogged on this site for ages is because I haven't been on any photography outing. Why does it always rain whenever we are free to go get some shots? We wanted to go for sunrise in Putrajaya but it was raining cats and dogs, so we slept till the rain stopped. Of course the weather wasn't fantastic, overcast or whatever you photographers call it. Gloomy, sunless, wet morning....and only a handful of the club members turned up. I guess the rest are enjoying the cold, lazy morning sleeping.

Well, I shot in RAW mode for the first time. I haven't adjusted the photos yet, hopefully they could be of use. Keeping fingers and toes crossed. If this is good, I will use RAW mode more often then.

By the way, I was not at all satisfied with the shoot that day because of the weather. Will definitely go back there for sunset shots. Till then, over n out.

Hurray! As of last Saturday, 11th Feb 2006, I am now an official member of the PSPJ (clap, please!). It has taken me two years to sign the paper. The meeting turned out rather interesting and very vocal. There was a photo presentation by one of the members on his previous trips to Harbin and some other places in China which neither could I spell nor repeat (yes, neber go school mah...). Then, it was followed by very vocal discussions about the AGM coming up next month, I shall not get into the details, leave that to the secretary *wink*

I am proud to be a member of a photography club. Never in my early years would I have thought I would put serious interest into photography. I felt it was way out of my league and an expensive hobby and requires a huge chunk of your time. Come to think of it, I do spend less time on any other things now like I've hardly touched my books or even the TV and our DVDs, and less baking. Hmmm....obsessed? No, at least not yet...

My first meeting as a new member was a rather heated one (I was told that this was unusual). Some members wanted to see changes such as being provided with photograpy classes or courses, the suggestions were good but one ended saying wrong things to stress his point. I for one, who hardly stands up to speak publicly (a phobia I have not fully overcome), stood up to point that that member's opinion was askewed.

I believe if you want to achieve something bad enough, you need to have the first thing - determination. If one is determined to learn photography, theory and lessons would probably contribute 10% and one also should go through reading books, magazines, websites and view any professional photographs one could get hold of. I am near nothing compared to all the photographers in the club but these are the things I observed my hubby doing. The most important thing one needs is to practise what one has learnt, learn from mistakes as I believe the learning process is valuable. Then why would that phrase "Practice makes perfect" be so famous? And never be too shy or proud to ask, but of course one must know what to ask or do a little research first, if not, it would just be chicken-and-duck talking.

After spending years in the training field, I am a strong believer in the learning process - You can learn anything you set your heart to, and learn with an open mind. Even the Bible said - God helps those who help themselves. Well, don't expect to achieve something by getting everyone to help but you don't lift a finger. It's what you put in, your effort and contributions that will help you.

And I am so proud of that "one person" for achieving this from scratch...lou-kung la, who else!

Yeah, I can make it for the photography outing in 2 weeks - Butterfly Park. The first time I went for photography there was Jan '05. And this happy bird-brain cropped and adjusted all her photos and didn't keep her originals, so they were too small for any "good" use...sigh...this will NOT happen again!

Over n out.

Cambodia Day 7 : An Experience That Lasts a Lifetime

We had breakfast at the coffee shop just across our guest house at 6:30 am. It was half-boiled eggs, delicious fried mee hoon and coffee again. Today, we will be visiting a site that would never be found in any tourist guidebook nor would it be in the list of places to visit. This will be our last place before we fly back home this afternoon.

We stopped by the city to buy two big bags of bread to take with us. The streets were already buzzling with morning activities and monks moving from shop to shop to earn donations from shopowners. When we reached our destination, smoke and stench greeted us as we alighted from our van.

Steung Meanchey Municipal Waste Dump (yes, it is a dump site, for those of you who can't believe we actually visited one) is located in southern Phnom Penh, more than 30 minutes away from where we stayed. This dump site covers 100 acres and about 2,000 people live and work here, of which 600 of them are children. Thanks to KK's friend for recommending this place to visit, we got to witness and experience this ourselves.

There was an article written about this dump site which said an adult rubbish picker earned an average of 4,000 to 5,000 riels (US$1.00 to US$1.25) a day and children earned half as much. They built makeshift huts to live in the landfill and are charged rentals by the landowners, as it is private land. Some children go to school but most do not, as the adults need them to help contribute to the family income.

The dump site was filled with very thick smoke, which prevented us from seeing clearly. I did not see many makeshift huts, they should be on the other side of the hill. But I did see many children, some playing, some eating while others were picking rubbish. There were food stalls in the dump site - fruits, ice-kacang and noodles, and the people just ate there, surrounded by garbage. It is a sad sight for again this reminded us of the many privileges we have waiting for us at home.

As each garbage truck approaches, the adults would get ready and eagerly await for the truck to unload its fill. Then, they would move in to grab as much as they could find. That's their way of earning a living.

We gave away the bread we brought with us. Little hands and big hands that reached out were black with dirt but the owners didn't seem to mind at all. Not being able to withstand the situation any longer, Cat and I were one of the first ones to leave. I just couldn't take any more photos there.

We waited for everyone to finish and headed back to the city. With extra time to kill, we stopped by the Russian market to look at souvenirs. We returned to our guest house, did our final packing, showered and checked out for good, then off to the airport.

The soles of my favourite Reebok shoes (heartache) gave way and I decided to leave them behind, wearing my slippers to fly home.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as this was a truly experiential week for me - the many ancient sites of a once lost kingdom, floating village, dump site, new friends, ample supply of photography tips. As someone mentioned somewhere, "imagination is more important than knowledge", I'll be bold enough to add "it is also the experience that counts"

A tribute to:

• Uncle Lee, our almost 70-year old veteran photographer who managed to climb the steep hill of Phnom Bakheng and withstand our craziness
• KK, for planning this entire trip, from doing reservations for our air-tickets to providing us useful information to coordinating until the last day, our sincere gratitude
• Lillian, for being able to carry that very heavy camera bag with all the lenses wherever you go, we kept wondering how you deal with that weight
• Bernard, Irene and Cat for providing all the fun throughout the trip
• My hubby, for bringing me...*muacks*...heh heh...

Hey guys, next trip...Beijing.

(Photograph courtesy of KK Tan)

Cambodia Day 6 : Tonle Sap Lake

This is the first time we got to wake up at 6:00 am since the last four days of our "drill" sessions. Of all people, I think our driver must be the most thankful one to wake up at a more decent hour, after having to cope with us wackos since we arrived on the 12th. Our communication with him was limited to very basic English words and lots of hand movements but we were quite sure he thought we came from a land where sunrise and sunset never existed. What a bunch of nuts!

And we had a yummy breakfast which we ordered last night, a variety of omelettes and bread and the pancakes which Cat and Irene ordered were really good - banana and pineapple. We left for Tonle Sap Lake at 7:15 am.


Today was a different experience altogether, different from the last few days of the Angkor empire. Here we saw the daily lives of the Cambodian people as we passed through village after village on the way to Tonle Sap Lake, as poor as can be - simple worn-down wooden huts, no electricity or pipe water, hot and dusty. It reminds us of how privileged we are to have brick houses, lots of clean water to waste, plenty of electricity to supply the many appliances at home.


We made a stop at Kompong Phluk, located just before the jetty. It is a fishing village where boats were coming in at that time, bringing in their catch. Villagers were busy sorting out fish, weighing and transporting their catch to where I could only guess, the local markets.


Children running around, mothers carrying their babies, little pink piggies in cages, children and adults gambling with make-shift dice - we managed to capture the daily activities of this fishing village and its villagers but the smell was rather unbearable for some of us. Irene, don't complain, it's not as bad as the dump site!



We reached the jetty eventually and got on to our boat, which costs us US$50 per hour. Immediately, our cameras went to work. Homes on this floating village range from barges to rafts to covered fishing boats. The villagers use small rowboats to get about and the younger ones to school. There is a school (Chong Khneas Elementary School), some shops, restaurants and a Catholic church, all built on barges. Hmmm... I wonder if the floating school changes its location occassionally.


As our boat drew nearer a floating restaurant,we were "attacked" by little "pirates" . These are young boys rowing around in plastic or metal basins with a piece of wood. They would grab on to any boats that pass by (with tourists) to ask for money - 1 dollar.

At the floating restaurant, one could get refreshments and souvenirs. We had many plates of unpealed, boiled small prawns and a drink or two. At 11:00 am we returned to Siem Reap's local market for an early lunch. There we did our last-minute souvenir shopping. Yes, Bernard, I remembered to mention your girlfriend, Ah Ling. We bought many things from her shop - bags, Cambodian shirts, wood carvings, shawls.

We returned to our guest house to shower, pack-up and check out. At 2:00 pm, we loaded our van and left for Phnom Penh. Back to the road where we came from, We saw again those never-ending paddy fields, the horse carts and bullock carts, skinny buffalos working, skinny cows grazing whatever grass that was left due to the dry season, motor-carts carrying slaughtered pigs or chickens, road signs with name of places written on it but struck across with a red line (didn't understand what that's about).


Understanding our obsession for sunsets, our good driver stopped us at a nice location by the side of the road to witness another magnificent sunset. He took peeks at our pictures and joined us in taking some sunset shots with the mobile phone camera. PSPJ, you have a potential Cambodian member!




Our driver drove us to a local restaurant to have dinner. He gave us a thumb's-up sign, indicating good food. We were on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, about another hour's drive away and it was already getting dark. We continued our journey with our bellies filled and finally reached Spring Guest House, the place where we stayed when we first arrived.

After checking-in, we wanted to do a little tour (too early to sleep) and look for a place to hang out. Unfortunately, our tired driver had already happily gone home. We decided to be a little adventurous and do a some walking. We didn't know the directions and the map board was confusing, but we continued walking. Uncle Lee was worried about his camera bag left at the reception, so he headed back to the guest house with KK and Bernard. Oops, not a good idea to continue our journey with five girls and just one guy. We hardly see anyone walking on the streets, those hanging around looked like they were up to no good. Ok, everyone, balik! We found a coffee-shop that was still open and had drinks there until they closed.