Sandakan, The Nature City - Day 1 (a)

Gambar ikut clockwise : 1. Wife berjalan kaki dari KL Sentral untuk ke tempat Skybus di Jalan Tun Sambathan. Ada renovation di KL Sentral rupanya. 2. Kesesakan di tempat drop luggage di LCCT. Ini pada pukul 0600. Ramai sungguh orang. 3. Pemandangan kapal terbang Air Asia di waktu pagi.

 9 June 2012

0452, Skybus

Sekarang ini aku dan wife dalam Skybus untuk ke LCCT. Rupanya tiket Skybus dah beli lama pun masa book flight lagi. Bus dijangka bergerak pada pukul 0500. Tapi rasanya macam dia akan tunggu bus penuh dulu kot before berjalan. Pagi tadi teksi ambil dekat rumah pukul 0415. Memang awal bangun dan bersiap. Semalam pun tidur lena tak lena. Mata dok terkelip-kelip. Dah siap packing sebelumnya, so pagi ini tak kalut sangat. Just angkat beg saja.

*amboi, makin ramai pula orang naik bus tiba-tiba*

Perjalanan dari rumah ke KL Sentral dalam 20 minit sahaja. Teksi hantar ke KL Sentral sebelah atas. Tapi rupanya ada renovasi dekat KL Sentral menyebabkan tempat naik bus ke LCCT telah bertukar ke Jalan Tun Sambanthan. Dua-dua perkhidmatan bus bertukar. Yang merah dan yang kuning. Maka kami terpaksa berjalan. Memang dia sediakan jalan berbumbung siap lampu. Dekat tempat biasa itu memang dia sediakan staff yang akan guide kita ke tempat bus baru. Staff bus merah steady saja duduk, staff bus kuning kalut-kalut nak jual tiket.

Bus bergerak tepat jam 0500. Tak penuh pun bus. Kesian driver bus kena tuduh dengan aku tadi. Hahaha. Jalan lengang. Wife macam dah nak tidur-tidur. Harap-harap sampai in time ke LCCT. Oh ya, kami dah check in pun secara on-line. Nanti tinggal nak drop beg sahaja. Sebenarnya beg tak banyak pun, boleh sahaja bawa naik atas kapal, tapi sebab ada toiletries, takut pulak nanti pihak kapal banyak songeh. Jadi masukkan sahaja dalam perut kapal.

Gambar ikut clockwise : 1. Paramugari mendemokan cara-cara pakai jeket, mungkin hari Sabtu atau masih terlalu pagi, paramugari hanya pakai jeans sahaja. 2. Sudah berada di ruang udara Sabah. Hijau di mana-mana. Banyak lagi kawasan balak ni. 3. Airport Sandakan. Kecil sahaja airport ni. 4. Cantik cuaca hari ini. Langit membiru sahaja. Kesannya, panas ya amat

0737, AK5168

Now aku berada di ruang udara Putrajaya. Wife sedang membaca majalah 3Sixty. Flight tidak begitu penuh. Sebelah aku kosong. Wife duduk tepi tingkap. Macam biasa.

*wife belek menu pulak*

Ok, tadi kami sampai LCCT lebih kurang pukul 0557. Sebab dah check in, maka kami hanya ke kaunter untuk drop luggage sahaja. Mengikut timing aku, memang cantik. Sampai pukul 0600, drop beg, solat dan boarding. Rupa-rupanya MasyaAllah, punya ramai manusia. Kaunter drop luggage untuk penerbangan domestik dibuka dari nomber R42 hingga R62. Tapi semua kanter penuh beratur. Di depan aku sahaja ada 7 orang satu group yang sangat lembab sebab diaorang nak mix and match beg bagi mendapatkan berat ideal. Pppffttt.

Selesai drop beg, terus boarding ke pintu P12. Ini pun satu lagi punya panjang beratur. Aku rasa slogan Now Everyone Can Fly memang literal. Bermacam gelagat yang ada. Untuk masuk ke tempat boarding, memang ada staff AirAsia yang jaga siap dengan penimbang kati. Sesiapa beg yang lebih 7kg, dia suruh pergi drop in. Jangan mengada nak bawa naik atas kapal. Kesian tengok makcik ni yang terpaksa patah balik ke tempat drop beg. Nak beratur kat sana satu hal, kena bayar memang dah comfirm lah.

Beratur untuk scan pun boleh tahan lama. Tapi semuanya lancar. Bila dah dalam ruang menunggu, aku ke surau sementara wife ke ATM. Lebih kurang pukul 0645, staff AirAsia dah panggil masuk kapal. So, sekali lagi beratur. Kali ini cepat saja sebab kami duduk depan. Macam biasa siapa yang ada pengalaman naik Air Asia, kita akan berjalan untuk menaiki kapal. Maka berbondong-bondonglah penumpang berjalan di pagi yang masih gelap ke kapal. Banyak gate yang keluar serentak. Ada ke Kuching, Alor Star, Penang dan Sandakan. Masing-masing ke kapal sendiri. Ada staff jaga disetiap simpang bagitau arah mana kena pergi. Tak perlu la nak pergi setiap kapal tengok dekat cermin depan tu tulis KL-Sandakan or KL-Penang. Hehe

*owh, now mereka sedang bagi sarapan, wife dah siap-siap pre-book meal time beli tiket, sedapnya bau. Ha’ah, saya lapaq*

Akhirnya, flight bertolak lebih kurang jam 0717. Now dah tinggi di awan. Tak pasti ada di mana. Hampir pukul 0800. Dah 40 minit berlepas. Sekejap tadi ada pengumuman cuaca kurang baik. Kapal bergoyang-goyang. Tapi tak teruk sangat. Oh ya,pre book meal dah dapat. Hotdog bun with chicken sausage serving with a layer of tomato souce, chili sauce and honey mustard mayo. And a few pickle. Bunyi macam sedap. Kejap lagi nak try.

*Kapten dah buat pengumuman, katanya pukul 1015 sampai Sandakan*

Ok, wife tidoq pulak. Nak makan dulu ni. Bon Appetite. Laaaa, rupanya sos dengan pickle kena letak sendiri. I know this gonna be messy. Hehe. Ok. Continue.

Hotdog AirAsia. Nampak macam sedap, memang sedap pun.

0943, AK5168

Lepas makan, aku tertidur. Atau sengaja tidur tak ingat dah. Rasa macam lama sangat tidur tapi sebenarnya baru satu jam kot. Terjaga bila ada budak mengangis. Punya kuat menangis. Lama pulak tu. Tadi Kapten cakap memang akan sampai pukul 1015. Aku budget sekarang aku berada diruang udara negeri Sabah.

*ok, dah kena off everything dan tegakkan kerusi,berdebar pulak *

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THE BUKIT TINGGI ADVENTURE (PART II)

Before I begin, I would like to wish all the readers (I'm not really sure if there are any) a happy new year. Hopefully 2014 will bring forth prosperity and success to whatever field you're in. As for me, I will try my very best to become a better husband and a loving father. The plan is to spend more time with the family, not just travelling but in everything. As for blogging, I'll try to write more on my recent travels, bringing more adventures (and try to be funnier in the posts) and with a bit of luck, increasing the number of readers.

Colmar Tropicale: I took this photo on the top of the tower I mentioned. I had to crop the photo to eliminate unwanted distractions. (Nikon D90, 10 - 20mm Nikkor lens)

Now back to Bukit Tinggi. In my last post, I'd mentioned about Colmar Tropicale, a place my family and I stayed during the visit to Bukit Tinggi. Colmar Tropicale was built based on a town called Colmar in Alsace, France. The place looked (how do I put this?) European. The entrance was extravagantly built as a castle with huge gate (yes, like the ones in Disney's fairy tales), complete with a bridge going into the small town (yes, like the one Joan of Arc stormed in the movie Joan of Arc). The buildings inside were built in an old European fashion, painted in different colors making it interesting rather than that gloomy Gothic feeling one would feel in certain European town (yes, like the one in Sleepy Hollow).

Girls in 'France'. The family woke up a bit early. As you can see the 'town' was almost vacant. Too many people will make the photo overcrowded. (Nikon D90, 18 - 55mm Nikkor lens)

Adding to the European feel were the brigs pathway as opposed to the usual tarmac. There were also a rustic looking fountain in the middle of the small 'town' and at the end of the other side was a tower, overlooking the whole town. One can also see the whole Bukit Tinggi on top of the tower (the climb up was a bit tiring, but no worries, you can use the elevator). 

Having fun! A normal shot out off boredom. (Nikon D90, 18 - 55mm Nikkor lens)

The designs and the cold weather does add to the overall European feel, however the compound was too small (30 minutes top to witness everything) thus after the 30 minutes, you'll be back to square one (meaning you got bored very fast). So staying for more than two days is not advisable, unless you're a honeymooning couple who can't afford to go to the city of love (France) but still want to experience the feel. 

What's up Doc? Another normal looking shot. However it's always great to be able to capture the moment. (Nikon D90, 18 - 55mm Nikkor lens)

The girls (actually it was me who got bored first) lost interest after half an hour and I decided to make their day. The next stop was the Rabbit Farm (a few minutes drive from Colmar Tropicale). And I tell you, the girls had a blast! (I got bored again after half an hour. But hey, it's for the girls). There were rabbits, rabbits and more rabbits on the Rabbit Farms (hence the name Rabbit Farm). There were fat rabbits, not so fat rabbits, ugly looking rabbits, cute and cuddly rabbits (in shorts there were a lot of 'em). We bought the rabbits' munchies for RM3 and the girls started feeding the rabbits (at one time throwing the munchies on the air like some kind of billionaire). The rabbits were more than happy (if not full) and followed the girls while they ran and jump and ran and... you got the point. There were also deer on the farm (I'm not commenting on this. But I tell you what, read this paragraph again and change the word rabbits to deer. Seriously try it, it's fun!).

Bambee! This is what happened when a subject get too close to a wide angle lens. It's quite fascinating isn't it? (Nikon D90, 10 - 20mm Nikkor lens) 

We spent quite a while there and I decided it was time to end the rabbits madness. The girls were a bit annoyed when I told them that we're leaving. But when I told them my next plan (ice cream), they straight away went inside the car (without even saying good bye to the rabbits).

I'm actually out of words. So I'll stop now before I bored you to death. But as always, I'll leave you guys with something to ponder. Cheers!

"Life is a travel hence travel is life. So travel more often as you'll live your life" (it makes sense doesn't it?)

Thanks.

Yours truly,
Kaz
3 Jan. 2014

  

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THE BUKIT TINGGI ADVENTURE (PART I)

I've been writing on my visits abroad of late and come to think of it, I've been to a few interesting places in my beloved country as well (Yes, Malaysia is one of the best travel destination in the world). One of the place my family and I visited was Bukit Tinggi (I'm naturally drawn to mountains, have no idea why). We took the trip a while back, but we've created lovely memories on that particular visits. Before I forget, we drove to Bukit Tinggi, from Bangi (not that far, it took us around one an a half hour).

Now, there are a few interesting places in Bukit Tinggi including the Japanese Garden, the Botanical Garden, the Rabbit Farm and the main attraction (for me) the Colmar Tropicale. Colmar Tropicale is a replica of a small French town of which housed the hotel and a few restaurant. I'll talk about that later.

The Small Pond: I used a slow shutter speed to create the effect of water flowing. By doing so, I had to use the smallest possible aperture (big number) and low ISO. (Nikon D90, 10 - 24mm Nikkor lens)

The first place we went to was the Japanese Garden (personally Malaysian prefers a Korean Garden nowadays due to the popularity of K-Pop culture that spread like virus especially among young adults). It was a beautifully well kept garden with small streams, ponds, Japanese style huts and a small trail connecting the places together. In short, it makes a picturesque scenes for photographers. There was even a Japanese tea ceremony (which you have to pay quite a lot. I lost interest due to the monetary factor). But still, it was pleasing and my family and I had good times there with tonnes of photos as prove.

The Hut: I focused on the hut on the top of the small hill and creating 'bokeh' to the subject nearest to the camera, which is the grass. (Nikon D90, 18 - 55mm Nikkor lens)

After spending quite sometimes in the Japanese Garden, we decided to go to the Botanical Garden, which was only a few paces away (it was actually quite a distance, my armpit was sweating like hell). The garden boasts its flora and fauna with more than hundred species of trees. Of course there were labels on each tree consisting its name and scientific terms (a hard to pronounce name that no one hardly ever used). It might appeals to those with forestry major which I'm not, but nevertheless it was still informative. The pathway was a bit moldy and slippery, so if you're with children you might want to be a bit careful. A nasty fall might spoil the whole trip (magically my two girls stayed on their feet! Even with all the running around leaving me with a probable heart attack). 

Lost: I used my wide angle lens to capture this area, but personally the composition was way off. I used small aperture (big number) to capture the details. (Nikon D90, 10 - 24mm Nikkor lens)

The girls had a lot of fun running around as mentioned earlier (I had a lot of 'fun' chasing them around). The only setback was it was not as cold as I imagines it would be (which was a waste as I brought my favorite Camel Active jacket and had no chance of putting it on). I was really hoping for a colder weather, but one can only hope and Allah will take care of the rest ; )   

Cheeky Lil' Girls: A normal shot, but I purposely place the subjects on the left and not in the middle.

The stopover at the Botanical Garden wrapped up the day and all of us went back to the Colmar Tropicale. The girls were fast asleep after five minutes in the car, tired of all the running and jumping (and whatever they did that I hardly noticed) in the gardens. I was also tired having to chase after the girls while carrying the quite heavy D90 camera bag and my wife's handbag and the burden of being a good Dad (watching over the girls while screaming on top of my lung: "DON'T RUN! DON'T RUN!"). The plan was to get a decent rest, and then have a family dinner (steak & lamb were my favorite after the long day) and start early the next day.

The Moldy Steps: I took this photo because of the color and the lights through the trees.  However, it was hard to balance the lighting which was overexposed on the tree lines but darker on the steps. (Nikon D90, Nikkor 18 - 55mm)

Before I sign off, I'll leave you guys with something to ponder, cheers!:

"Time is always the greatest adversary, so use it well to see the world with the loved ones even if you only have a jiffy."

Thanks.

Yours truly,

Kaz

30 Dec. 2013 

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A SMALL GUY IN BIG WORLD SERIES: THIS IS AFRICA! (PART II)

As the war of melancholic between the authors of this blog rages on (Wira kept tabs on who wrote more melancholic, of which I don't really understand why), I like to continue writing on my visit to South Africa, in particular the Apartheid Museum (as stated in earlier post as a tribute the great Nelson Mandela).

A self portrait at the entrance of the Apartheid Museum. Red bricks signifying a 'wall' separating
the whites and the colored.

So here goes. The second day of the visit, I was told that we were going to the Apartheid Museum, of which was built as a solemn reminder of the 'colorful past' of South Africa. When the color of ones' skin determined how they should live their lives, when being colored means that dogs were treated better and when the whites rules with supremacy. That was the time of Apartheid, hence the Apartheid Museum.

A series of Nelson Mandela's portrait. The faces of a man who inspired billions to fight against what they believe.

Though the museum was built as a reminder of the past, the designs weren't. It boast of modern arts and design in almost every corner of the place. Without the exhibits, one would think that this is a modern art museum. Most of the exhibits tell stories on the great Nelson Mandela, a story of him since he was young, as a teenager,  adulthood (where most of the fights took place), his life in prison and his presidency (after more than 30 years of waiting). A story of a man who change the history, a man who defied bigger power for what he believed in.

The museum's passageway. Decorated with mirrors of people strolling. A mixture of the whites and
the colored, sharing the space together.

The passageways of the museum was designed as maze, which took me on a little adventure through time. There were complete history of Apartheid with displays, manikins, photos and even a model of Nelson Mandela's cell in prison. The history portrayed how mankind treat one another without any sense of respect, and at one time my head started spinning, unable to compute and understand why we acted such ways. I took the time to thank Allah for the peace and unity in my homeland (Malaysia, I'm a Malaysian and proud to be one).

The Apartheid Museum, a solemn reminder.

Visiting the Apartheid Museum in a away reminds us of how fragile and dangerous the world of men is but yet the story of Nelson Mandela was so inspiring, leading me to believe there are still hope for mankind, hope for the world so that all of us can live in peace, enjoying the awesome place we all call home (yes, I'm talking about earth).

So I'll leave you guys with something to ponder, cheers!

" To know a place, one needs to understand its culture, food and most importantly its people. So take the time to get to know the locals as only then you'll understand the place."

Thanks.

Yours truly,

Kaz

26 Dec. 2013 

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Photojournalism : Cricket Bat Industry in Kashmir

Ooo snap. We invite a guess writer and he wrote far more melancholic and tell his side of stories like nobody business. Like other guess writer, the appearance he made is quite strong if not bold. I'm sure in no time, he will get his own niche of followers. Nevertheless, we would like to thanks him for his superb portraiture and very artistic view of human gesture. Thank you Ariffin.

Thanks you Ariffin. Willow wood for cricket bat making. Two sizes. One for handle and one for plate.

 Well, trigger by this event (he posting very strong blog post), my inner ultra kiasu attitude cannot sit calm. Me and Kaz being senior writer felt disturbed (in a good way) especially me since I write the less. I cannot just sit down and admiring our own blog doing nothing, so here's my third post (ya ya ya, i know, Kaz posting most of the entry). To make thing more interesting and bringing the blog to more upper par, I'm doing this in photojournalism style (Phew, try to top this, writers).

This small lot selling very high quality cricket bat for even India's national player

The dusty windy road from Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, to the town of Sangam, enroute to the tourist haven of Pahalgam (I shared in previous post), takes you from the 70s feeling to the striking. Winter is on their way hence the dusty and very dry air. Wood dust with very woody smell make you feel very uncomfortable. One have to cover their nose to adapt.

Sales nowadays is slightly decreased compare to 15 years back when cricket in India was like football in Latin Amarica

The road is flanked by sadly two-story brick structures, dusty stone factories and an army garrison surrounded by poorly camouflaged bunkers, stray dogs and dirty footpaths. Stray dogs cant cover their nose. I'm sure their lung is full of wood dust. Very small particle yet very damaging. Yeah, its wood and its biodegradable but you don't want it to be inside you.

partially ready bat. They still need to smooth this up and do few adjustment. You will be surprise when you can actually stand on this bat and it will swing you without broke.

But the muck is a prelude to a green corridor of hanging trees, soggy poppy fields, freshly tilled saffron gardens and towering snowcapped mountains beyond the horizon of the Pampor highway to Kashmir's south. This is paradise. Engine rattling and you know it need oil. I'm not sure if its ever grinded  a human hand before. I bet it was.

Abbas, already work here since he was 12 years old

Traditional Indian cricket bats are made from wood. In Kashmir it is made out of willow found in northern India. Some bats made in Kashmir are of international standards and  used by many national players in India.

Rounded shape handle before they merge with the plate

Kashmiri bats require constant knocking and oiling to make the bat good enough to use in a cricket match. Knocking makes the fibres of the willow blade compress together, which helps the bat bear the impact of the ball. Shaping the bad is done manually by knocking them for six hours.

The small smelly dusty handkerchief on Abbas face shows that what he need is balaclava

It has been some time since I entered this factory unannounced, interrupting him as he filed the shoulders of a newly cut bat, and he gestures that he needs to go back to work.

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Probabilities : Episode 1

A guest writer/photographer? Well, why not? These guys (Kaz and Wira) have been asking me with much patience to share some of my photos and my personal thoughts in regards to the pictures I took. My only concern is that while this is a travel blog (obviously) that would only make good sense to post photos of places you have been to, my subject of interest in photography as I have come to discover, is human being. Why? Because human beings are full of thoughts (the sane human being, that is). And taking somebody's picture, and then guessing and meddling with the mystery of what goes inside his/her head or what is happening in that moment while that picture is taken is what I do. So when I told them of my concept, the abrupt respond was "Just post it!". The reply makes me wonder whether they are sincere or whether they have run out of material to post in this blog. 

One more thing, the only true fact of what is described in these photos are only the venues. The descriptions of the subjects and what the subject does or think in the photos are generally fictional. They are more of noting the hypothetical probabilities of what is going on in those photos. Hence the title 'Probabilities'. Salam. Ariffin

Subject : An artist, thinking of his lost love while examining this particular artwork of his.

Venue   : SOGO, Kuala Lumpur

Subject : A Sundanese man in his early forties looking at nobody in particular while waiting for his wife and wondering how much she had spent his hard earned rupiahs.

Venue  :  Pasar Baru, Bandung, Indonesia

Subject : A Malay fisherman, while resting was answering his daughter's call and forgiving her for some ill deeds that's she had committed.

Venue  : Tanjong Dawai, Kedah.

Subject : A child beggar, saying with his eyes that he has no choice but to endure life, regardless of whether or not I give him money.

Venue  : Pasar Baru, Bandung, Indonesia

Subject : A man walking off to a certain business meeting. Thinking that maybe this time luck would finally shine on his good fortune.

Venue  : Jalan Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur

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A SMALL GUY IN A BIG WORLD SERIES: THIS IS AFRICA! (PART I)

In accordance with the passing of Nelson Mandela, I was inspired to write about my visit to South Africa, a place I always wanted to visit (especially because I'm a BIG fan of NatGeo). But this was about three years back (so I'll be writing plainly based on my memories), the one that I remembered the most about the trip.

Once landed in Johannesburg, I remembered spreading both my arms and yelled "This is Africa!" (without any guilt or any sense of embarrassment) as I simply wanted to do that. The trip to Sheraton Pretoria was a remarkable one. I had to cross a 'Safari like' area to reach Johannesburg. Can you imagine seeing impalas and wilder beasts even before reaching the hotel? It was simply wondrous. A dream came true.

The dead tree: I took this photo right after the Safari's entrance. The glaring sunlight made it hard to balance up the sky and the bushes.

One of the first destination once the checking in process was finally concluded (a formal G to G visit requires a formal sentences), was the Safari. One can only imagine how I felt then (I'm going full NatGeo on this). So there I was, standing in front of the entrance, with a big smile on my face (I can almost hear my heart pounding).

A self portrait: A friend of mine took this for me and yes, that were wild hogs in the background.

Once inside, I was ushered into a truck by the guide and off we went. Like I said earlier, a dream came true. What you see in NatGeo is exactly what you see here, except it's not from a TV screen more than a thousand miles across the sea, it's right in front of your eyes.

Kwang Soo: Looking back at this photo reminds me of Kwang Soo (a goofy character in Running Man, a Korean show). But there was no Kwang Soo back then, it's just a giraffe. 

As you can imagine, there were giraffes, antelopes, crocodiles and many other animals. I went trigger happy, forgetting to compose the photos nicely (hey, not my fault, too happy). But the harsh sunlight made it quite hard to get the perfect photos. Nonetheless, I was still so darn happy (furthermore, back then, I didn't even own a DSLR yet). All the photos was taken by my Sony compact camera.

Bambi and friends: How I wished the two will run so I can get a dramatic shot of the antelopes in action.

The tour got more interesting when the guide said (in a thick African accent) "Now we go to see lion feeding". I went "Yeay!" and almost knock myself down the truck. So the guide took us into a caged area, complete with barbed wire and men with guns (yes dear readers, lion feeding is dangerous. They sure as hell not gonna let the lions feed on us). Seeing the mighty lions devour the carcasses prepared was a pure adrenaline rush. The sound, the action, the intensity and most of all, the blood was awesome!

A feeding frenzy: The King of the jungle, devouring it's meal, it couldn't care less of the people watching. Why bother? He is the King!

The lion feeding ended the Safari tour and off I went back to the hotel. It was a tiring trip but so satisfying (it's not like I'm going back to Africa any time soon). So a rest for the next big African adventure was in place. The next day I went to the Apartheid Museum and that story will come in my next post.

So keep on travelling, take photos ( a lot of 'em) and enjoy life. Like I always said to my friends:

"Life is short, working 8 hours a day to gain money and not spending it to see the world is a sin as the world is just awesome!"

I'll leave it to that, as something to ponder. Cheers!

Thanks.

Yours truly,
Kaz
18 Dec. 2013

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