Yesterday morning

While the family was downing roti canai and papaya with lime, guess who came to breakfast on the periwinkle:

None other than...

Mr Caterpillar!

Halfway through a leaf. It practically finished the entire leaf within five minutes.

Yummy!

Mr Caterpillar's even fatter friend was also spotted lurking around in the garden.

A sense of scale; those are my sister's glasses.

By their powers combined, these two have decimated more than half of the periwinkle, leaving in their wake droppings that resemble fertiliser pellets.

* * *


On another note, moving has not been easy. This week, we're finally moving over the rest of the stuff from the old house; things like all the remaining books, clothes and miscellaneous items.

It's really quite a lot, and since returning from the States, I'd been all excited about starting a 'new' life and leaving the past behind. This week (and we're halfway through) has been, in such context, a regression of sorts.

But along the way I discovered that we still kept my old stuffed Basset Hound, PP, whom I'd just been thinking about the other day. Thinking that my parents might've given him away or something, and wondering where he now was.

And I also came across that box which I was supposed to safe-keep for an ex-girlfriend.

I don't know; maybe some things you just can't leave behind.


* * *


The path ahead is as hazy as ever, though the options are becoming a little clearer.

1. Take the obvious, well-supported and well-resourced path, but one which I do not enjoy and find little satisfaction in.

2. Take the path that will help me support myself and my hobbies, but which will leave me little time to actually enjoy this post-graduation respite.

3. Take the path I never imagined considering until sometime a year ago, the end of which is unknown and barely guessable, but which may just put perspective and purpose into what has all this while been a side (though some might think otherwise) passion. The costliest of the three, and the least predictable.

Every Which Way

Every door is open, come on in
The dawn is breaking, the day begins
Some nights stopped by cops
Drinking too much your world is spinning
Lonely walk on the top
Slowly losing touch, you keep on winning.

Lemons, limes and roses
A tonic for these disco days
Glassy ices and miniature poses
Dancing, swirling in a daze.

Flashes of brilliance, midnight pirouette
Down into the dark, green grove
A mob in a dance, moving moves
Across a dim-lit park, exit stage right
You're off the set.

Do you want to take the dive,
Down into the unknown archives?
To engage your future you must embrace the past
(I know it's hard when everything is going by so fast.)

Or hide amidst leaves of grey,
Journeying to the days when those rails still rattled;
Rattled and shook when the train burst onto the scene.
Inception, an idea in the rain --
What is real when all has settled,
How do I mean to say what I say to mean?

The jailer locked him in and threw away the key
But the soul wins when the soul's set free;
Turn away, walk away
Walk this way, walk which way
You will walk.

Walk with me.

His Grace

To me, was not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:10)


Receiving the Royal Education Award from HRH Sultan Azlan Shah, the Sultan of Perak and Chancellor of the University of Malaya.


Delivering the valedictory speech.


With Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon (Vice Chancellor), Tan Sri Arshad Ayub (Chairman, Board of Directors), Dad, Mum, and the Sultan.

The Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, was in the room also.


With Fitrah, Ruth and Ann Gie.


With Nasha.


With Juin and Anuar.


Thanks for coming in support!



(Photos by Dad, except stage photo by Foto SZ and Royal Lounge photo by UM staff.)

Best friends

My dogs.

George, old faithful.

Ryan, young pup.

Building Thoughts

Over the three years of my life in the University of Malaya, the theme 'build' has pervasively underscored my experiences in and out of campus.


God is the Master Builder
He is building me
He builds with stuff that comes from heaven
And tools we cannot see.


From the 'Rebuild' adventure in which we sought to restore the PKV Booth, to the PKV theme of 2008/2009, 'Coming Together, Building Each Other'; from the Duplo gifts at the PKV Convo 2008 to the Experimental Theatre project -- it's always been about building.


Old stone to new building, old timber to new fires,
Old fires to ashes, and ashes to the earth
Which is already flesh, fur and faeces,
Bone of man and beast, cornstalk and leaf.
Houses live and die: there is a time for building
And a time for living and for generation [...]

-- T.S. Eliot, 'East Coker'


Brewing these storms in our teacups
Rebuilding the booth of the Lord;
Recovering, discovering
The truths we forgot.

Paint on the walls
Of cracked roadside stalls;
Man raises a building,
He praises the gilding
Of stones drawn grey and white
In tones strung day and night.

At the chimes we sat and stared
Out rhymeless windows at whitewashed walls,
Behind which truth still could ring true.
Processional -- it could be me or you
Stirred by stirrings deep below, of a voice which calls
At times when we are but too scared.

Building and building, but what's next?

Milestones

17 July was, for all the logistical nightmares that came with it, arguably a great success.

Since 'The Lord of the Rings' in December 2008, when I coordinated (with a lot of help from Shannon and Ai Wei) a group of 80+ students from some 13 campuses across Malaysia, it was always my desire to return to an MPO performance with more than 100 students in tow.

At a final count of 171 attendees (due to a rare technical error on my part; it was supposed to be 172) from across 16 campuses, I got more than what I bargained for. And at a performance of Mahler's 3rd Symphony, no less; I actually think we might have rivalled the size of the orchestra (plus choirs!) onstage!


So here's a big thank you to those who made it, and who brought friends!

In chronological order;


George, who did not join us for the concert, but helped me organise the tickets over a hurried 'dinner'.

"This one, even the machine cannot do!" he said.


Chian Ming and the UPM contingent.


Joan, with sister Grace and friend Jothi.


Evans, Yinka, Taofeekat and Francis.


Yen.


Leanne and the Monash contingent.


Joshua and the Law contingent; Lydia and her UKM friend Su-Jian's group.


Amos, Jee Haw, Remy and girlfriend.


PKVians.


Annabelle and the Calvary contingent; Sabrina and the massive crowd from 4th College.


The VI Scrabble Team of 2001-2004.


Ruth, with sister Alicia and friend James.


Shannon and his army, as usual. ;-)


* * *


Speaking of milestones, I think the move was quite an experience for our dear George.


Since 2002, at the age of 6 months, he had only known one home; one garden (even as it underwent changes over the years) and one corner of the world. This was his biggest move since we bought him from the breeder then.


* * *


Christina introduced me to Animoto, and now I'm hooked!

Made this promotional trailer for the PKV Convo 2010:



This test run for SUSI:



And this snippet of last December's Taiping trip:

Brickfields with Mensa

So it was that Mensa Malaysia decided to conduct a photo shoot to document Brickfields as it is, before the transformation plan revamps the area beyond recognition.

It was on the morning of Sunday, 18 July, that Poh Wah convened a small but enthusiastic group of shutterbugs (and morning lepak-ers for the job, including newly-elected Chairman, Azrai, and long-serving R&R Makan group leader, C.T. Yong.

We were divided into two groups, to cover different roads in the area.


Roadkill.


Pigeons, Scott Road.


'Rapha' means 'healing'.


Azrai ponders the inexorable advance of development.


Sunday market.


The future.


Bicycle and posters, market wall.


The Indian presence in Brickfields is clearly seen in the flower garlands hung before the statue of St Mary, at the Our Lady Fatima Church.


My group: Azrai, Vin Li and Su-Min.

(Ah, how small the world!)


The bird trader.


What's in the pipeline for you, O Brickfields?


Banana leaves and building.

(Also, when the building comes, the banana leaves. Get it?)


Goal post through broken grille.


Walking past Johor, Brickfields.


* * *


All pictures shot on Kodak Tri-X 400.

Nikon N80 with 50mm f/1.8 lens and 80B filter. (The filter wasn't used for any particular effect; I was lazy to swap filters so I left it on.)

Back in Malaysia

Well, I'm back from the United States!

I was there for five weeks, on exchange under the State Department-funded Study of the U.S. Institute (SUSI) for Student Leaders on Global Environmental Issues.

We were based at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai'i for four weeks, during which we made a week-long excursion to the Big Island of Hawai'i. The final week of the programme was spent in Washington, D.C.


SUSI '10, and the 52 rolls of film pending processing.

(All in all I shot some 58 rolls of film, six of which were developed in Honolulu.)


Some good news that arrived by mail while I was away. Thus ends three years in arguably the best possible way.

(I already knew, but it's really something to see it in print!)


* * *


Sneak preview of life in Hawai'i:


The bus service in Honolulu goes by the self-explanatory name, 'The Bus'.

(Nikon P5000)


Hiking up Diamond Head Crater in Honolulu.

The most recognisable landmark on the island of O'ahu, it's a dead volcano near Waikiki Beach. It was so named because minerals in its surface appeared to sailors out at sea like diamonds.

(Kodak Tri-X 400)


Ka'upulehu dryland forest on the Big Island.

The vast beige patch is uprooted African Fountain Grass, Pennisetum cetaceum, a highly invasive species.

(Kodak Ektar 100)


A Naupaka hedge leads the way to the sea, near the Pu'ukohola Heiau National Park on the Big Island.

I didn't actually notice that the green 'leads' to the sea, till Yen pointed it out to me.

(Fujichrome Velvia 50)


Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas, at a coral reef off the Mauna Kea Beach Resort.

(Fuji X-tra 800)


Halema'uma'u Crater at sunrise, Volcanoes National Park.

This crater is one of the most active in Hawai'i, and in the world, spewing tonnes of hot sulphur dioxide gas daily.

(Fujichrome Astia 100)


O'hia lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) sapling, Kilaue'a Iki Crater, Volcanoes National Park.

Volcanic ash is very fertile.

(Kodak Portra 160 VC)


* * *


Besides carrying home quite a number of books and a handful of souvenirs, I also acquired some photographic gear at fantastic second-hand and consignment prices, and some film.


This is what my fleet looks like now.

The amazing thing is that ALL my film gear (three cameras, five lenses and a few filters) costs about the same as what many people pay for DSLRs these days.


* * *


On another note, my portfolio is ready and actually has been up and running since before I left for Hawai'i.

dimanajua.blogspot.com

On at least three occasions in America, I had people ask if I were a professional photographer.

I have never quite figured out how to answer the question. I mean, I don't take photographs for a living; however, saying 'no' may give the impression that I don't take photography seriously, while in fact I do.

After discussing with my parents, I think I'll go with their suggestion: 'professional freelancer'. Or, would 'professional amateur' make any sense? After all, the word 'amateur' originally meant 'lover'.