*

"Nothing like a good shit", said the small, white haired man emerging from the toilet cubicle. The sound flushing water filled the air.

Vince and Hubert stopped shouting at each other and looked at this man as he walks out of the cubicle, walking towards the basin. Nothing of what both the young man we're arguing about seemed to bother him.

"You believe in God?", ask the old man. "That's the wrong question".

He turn on the tap and washed his hands. "Does God believe in us?".

"I once had a friend called Grunwalski", he said while glancing over towards Hubert. "We were sent to Siberia together".

"When you go to a Siberian work camp, you travel in a cattle car", and so he went on.

"You roll across icy steppes for days without seeing a soul", he said as he turned his sight towards Vince. "You huddle to keep warm".

"But it's hard to relieve yourself.. to take a shit. You can't do that on the train".

"The only time the train stops is to take on water to the locomotive".

Hubert and Vince kept on listening. No one said anything but the old man.

"But Grunwalski was shy", he said as he walked towards the tissue dispenser. "Even when we bathed together he got upset.. I used to kid him about it".

"So the train stops and everyone jumped out to shit on the tracks", laughed the old man. "I'd tease Grunwalski so much.. so much that he went off on his own".

"Then the train starts moving, so everyone jumps on", said the old man seriously as he turn to look at both the young man.

"It waits for nobody".

"Grunwalski had a problem", he went on. "He had gone behind a bush.. and was still shitting".

Hubert and Vince sniggered. The old man smiled and continued his story.

"So I saw him coming out from behind the bush.. holding up his pants.. with his hands".

"He tries to catch up", said the old man, mimicking Grunwalski's action. "I hold out my hand, but each time he reaches for it, he lets go of his pants.. and it drops to his ankles".

"He pulls them back up and starts running again", the old man said. "But they fall back down when he reaches out for me".

"Then what happened?", ask Vincent as he and Hubert laughs.

"Nothing", replied the old man. "Grunwalski froze to death".

"Au revoir", the old man said as he walked out the toilet.

*

I took this story from a French movie I got from Munggay, La Haine.

17-21 Februari 2009

Rawang, Equine Park, Kepong

Zenit-E + Carrefour 400

*

I went to my neigbourhood kedai gambar to get a roll of film. I usually go for the Fuji Superia 400 but tiba-tiba I nampak an odd looking film, labelled Carrefour 400. Yeah, that Carrefour.

I pun beli, sebab nak try. Did some research and I think that the film inside the can was a type of Agfa, rebadged as a supermarket film. I wasn't expecting much but yeah, it worked although some of my indoor shots were poorly lit despite it being ASA 400. And the grain is not that smooth though.

Oh well, live a little. Kalau korang jumpe film pelik-pelik you know who to tell. If you are nicer you could wrap it with a nice ribbon and mail it over. I'll give you a hug for that. As if. Haha.

Hahaha.

.. would smell as sweet. So here's a photo of a few of these poop blossoms. Enjoy.

Ha ha. Lame, I know.

I'e just received the adapter to fit my Zenit-E's lens onto my Nikon D40. The mountings aren't the same, the Zenit-E is M42, the Nikon is Nikon-F. So I was busy walking around the house, snapping a few test shots and Hasif, yang ni I tak edit. Overall, I'm quite satisfied with the lens' performance. See those blurry things? Cantik kan? 

Anyway, there's a few downsides to this whole shenanigan. Aside from the obvious lack of auto focus and light metering, I can only take close-up to portrait photos. Anything more than probably 10 meters are never going to be sharp. 

This is of course, due to physics. The distance between the lens and the film (or sensor, in this case) in a Nikon system is 1mm further compared to how things are in the M42/Pentax/Praktica system. Of course there are adapters out there with an extra glass element that could offset that annoying 1mm but that could deteriorate the colours and the sharpness of the lens. So yeah, stupid 1mm.

Still, it's quite a gem actually and I think I can live with that.

*

In case you're wondering, I still do write about things that are aside from photography. Most of them are in my other blog, Konspirasi Overfloor. Go check it out. Click here.

Happy Birthday Neet.

Love you so much.

:)

I'm currently bidding on this fine piece of East German Carl Zeiss Sonnar lens for my Zenit-E and when I have the right adapter soon, for my Nikon D40 on eBay.

Carl Zeiss lens is comparable to maybe Ferraris if you look at it through the usual automobile analogy. Those Nikkor and Canon glasses are like their Japanese counterpart, Honda and Toyota. That being said, Carl Zeiss glasses cost a hell lot. This second hand lens I'm bidding on is, on the other hand, costs just a bit more than RM50.00. Add shipping and the total should be a bit more than a hundred.

Yeah, it's an older lens with an older mount. There's no autofocus and I have to meter the light manually but comparing all that to the fact that this Sonnar 135mm f/3.5 is capable of producing some of the sharpest and most vivid images, I'll take all that trouble.

The problem I have with photography is that the equipment are expensive. A comparable, spec-wise, lens to the Sonnar would cost me thousands. Of course, there are those cheap Tamron and Sigma lens which autofocus and meter well on my Nikon but at the expense of picture quality? I'm not interested.

I've taken a good look at my photo library and I noticed that most of my photos are of landscapes, inanimate objects, closeups and not many of those are from things that require me to be able to focus my lens as fast as I focus my eyes. So with all that taken into accounts, I'm taking a serious look at these older lenses particularly the M42 mounts.

Photography shouldn't be a one way road. It's okay to experiment, it's okay to be different. That's is probably why I have this respect for Lomographers for their attitude towards photography though I somewhat disagree with the company's policies. 

At the end of the day, people are not going to talk about what lens you use to take the photo but about the photo itself. Many people are suppressing themselves from their potential because they are told to believe that they are doing photography wrong because of this and that. That goes for everything else too I guess.

To those who have never tried eBay, please do. You'll probably be saving a lot of money on really really cool items, some which are not even available in Malaysia. Of course, that is if you are not one of those people who have a strong disbelieve of second hand items and held on the the idea that second hand items will break down 3 days after you bought it. And you people who love opening shrink wrapped packages and the smell of fresh styrofoam. Yummy. The rest of you, go ahead and give it a try. Not everyone in the world is trying to cheat you of your money.

So yeah, I'm down to 3 more days. Pray that I win will ya? Thanks.

P/s: No, Carl Zeiss is not a product of Sony. They've been making lens for Pentax and Nikon long before Sony came into the picture.

Ampang Jaya, Raub, Kubang Kerian

Zenit-E + Fuji Superia 400

This is a photo of Chek and I.

Chek is Ma's father.

Ma is my father's mother.

Ma is my grandmother.

Chek is my great grandfather.

Chek passed away peacefully at 4.00 pm on the 8th of February 2009.

He was probably born in 1919.

This photo was snapped in 2004.

That was the last time I had a photo snapped with him, and of him for that matter.

How long has it been? How many photos since? 13,000?

I feel stupid.

Stupid for taking pictures of flowers, trees, roads, walls, cats, chairs, tables and all that other thing and not the pictures of the people around me.

I'm sorry Chek, I should've given you more attention.

We all should've given you more attention.

You might not know Chek but he is a person of his time, who had the chance to live quite a long while in our time.

Think of Chek as your great grandfather, or his colleague, his friend, someone he might know or even someone he might brushed shoulders with at the market.

Chek embodies his generation, a generation without much members left.

Let's remember that generation.

Al-fatihah to Chek, Al-fatihah to his generation.

May Allah bless their soul.

Terima kasih Chek, harap-harap syurga ada sungai sarsaparilla.

Kirim salam dekat Mok, Ayah Mat, Kak Aini and Tok Wan deh?

I'll take a group photo of us all when I get there. I promise.

CIMB Bank Parking from Sogo, Mobil BCH Rawang

Zenit-E + Lomography Redscale 100

Taken, from Utusan Malaysia Online of all the places:

1.

Wakil Rakyat Melompat Parti Adalah Pembohong Besar

SHAH ALAM 23 Mac - Mana-mana wakil rakyat yang bertindak melompat parti merupakan pembohong besar yang tidak boleh dimaafkan.

Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan UMNO Selangor, Senator Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd. Taib berkata tindakan seumpama itu tidak bertepatan dengan kehendak majoriti rakyat yang memilih individu tertentu untuk menyuarakan keperluan serta permasalahan mereka.

Ini kerana, seseorang wakil rakyat dipilih bukan hanya berdasarkan karakter semata-mata tetapi ia turut didorong oleh parti politik yang diwakilinya.

"Secara peribadi saya katakan sekiranya ada wakil-wakil rakyat bertindak melompat parti, ia bermakna mereka telah berbohong kepada rakyat yang telah memberikan kepercayaan dan mandat kepadanya.

"Malah, wakil rakyat seperti ini juga dilihat tidak ikhlas untuk memperjuangkan nasib rakyat sebaliknya lebih mementingkan diri serta kedudukan mereka semata-mata.

"Oleh itu, orang seperti ini tidak mungkin dapat memberikan sebarang manfaat kepada rakyat dan parti sebaliknya akan merosakkan sistem demokrasi itu sendiri," katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

3.

Ahli Politik Sepatutnya Jujur dengan Perjuangan mereka

Presiden Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Datuk Seri Dr. James Masing berkata, ahli politik seharusnya jujur dan menghormati janji yang mereka buat sebelum menjadi wakil rakyat.

''Isu lompat parti ini seharusnya tidak timbul jika ahli politik jujur dengan perjuangan mereka.

''Selain itu, ahli politik juga harus sedar mengenai mandat yang diberikan rakyat supaya mereka berkhidmat," katanya kepada para pemberita di sini hari ini.

4.

Rampasan Politik Mewujudkan Kerajaan 'Tidak Bermoral'

KUALA LUMPUR 18 April - Pakatan pembangkang hanya akan mewujudkan 'kerajaan tidak bermoral' jika ia meneruskan niat melakukan rampasan politik di negara ini dengan memujuk Ahli Parlimen Barisan Nasional (BN) melompat parti menyertai mereka.

Seorang pensyarah Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Profesor Dr. Mohamad Mustafa Ishak berkata, perbuatan itu jelas melanggar semangat demokrasi berparlimen dan raja berperlembagaan yang diamalkan di negara ini.

''Selain itu, perbuatan yang dirancang ini akan hanya melambangkan pakatan pembangkang tidak menghormati keputusan pengundi yang telah memilih BN untuk menerajui negara pada pilihan raya lalu. Ini adalah satu bentuk pengkhianatan," kata Mohamad Mustafa ketika dihubungi hari ini.

5.

Melompat Parti Menggalakkan Rasuah

Presiden Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM), Hassan Abdul Karim berkata, tindakan melompat parti bercanggah dengan sistem demokrasi dan menggalakkan amalan rasuah.

"Jika amalan itu diteruskan, ia hanya akan menjemput malapetaka di negara ini.

"Negara yang aman akan bertukar menjadi kacau-bilau seperti yang berlaku di Haiti, Nigeria dan Timor Leste," katanya dalam satu kenyataan yang dikeluarkan di sini hari ini.

6.

"Pintu Belakang" Tidak Beretika dan Tidak Demokratik

KUALA LUMPUR 8 Ogos - Saintis politik Dr. Chandra Muzaffar berkata, cubaan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri melalui "pintu belakang" adalah perbuatan yang tidak beretika dan tidak demokratik.

''Kabinet yang ditubuhkan menerusi cara itu dari segi moralnya tidak berkredibiliti. Parlimen sendiri akan tercemar. Badan Eksekutif dan Penggubal Undang-undang - dua cabang penting dalam tabir urus - akan dianggap oleh rakyat sebagai institusi yang kehilangan integriti.

''Ringkasnya, memperoleh kuasa melalui pintu belakang akan merendahkan martabat politik,'' katanya sambil menambah Anwar juga tidak mempunyai mandat untuk menggulingkan kerajaan sekarang yang dipilih secara demokrasi. Anwar, dakwa beliau, terlalu taksub untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri negara ini secepat mungkin.

7.

Bikin tak serupa cakap.

I wear a torn jean. Does that make me a bad person?

*

14 November 2008

Bangsar, Lorong Kuda, Jalan Lapangan Terbang Lama

According to Simple English Wikipedia, since apparently I'm simple:

Here's an excerpt of a point in the constitution of this one state:

And here is something else from somewhere:

I've lost faith in a lot of things this week. Alas, this is, of course, not under normal circumstances. 

I wished for a life like those I see in the movies. Does art imitates life or is it the other way around?

What the hell is art anyway?

A few drops of acrylic on a canvas? A trail of charcoal on a paper? How about that witty scribbling on the toilet door? How about that dead dog by the side of the road?

What differentiate amateurs from the artists?

Is Ansel really as good as people say or are people just saying it because everyone else is saying it? Does appreciation comes with fame or is it the other way around?

This is reality but that does not make it real. 7 days in a week is because people say it is. A week is a week because people say it is. Sunday and Saturday are weekends because people say it is.

I wish for a place real but is free from this reality.

I want to start anew.

I'm tired of seeing hatred and suffering because of the reality that surrounds us. Democracy is good because we say that it's good. Communism is bad because we say that it's bad. Middle class is there because we say it's there. Poverty is there because we allow it to be there.

I want a world motivated by ideals and the pursuit of happiness for all. I want a world where education is held higher than money. I want a world where the mind is sought more than diamond. I want a world that appreciate people for thinking differently and looking at things with their own perspective. I want a world that is not this. Where's the reset button? Where's the ship that'll take me to the west?

Sometimes I agree with Tyler Durden. Forget democracy, let's go down the anarchist path. There's no one you can rely more than yourself.

Somehow my simple mind thinks that it understands the duality of men. Of course you don't agree. 

Not Karma Police either.

*

The blog was left untouched and updated for quite sometime. I know a woman who was still unwed when the blog started to stagnate and that woman is now a proud mother of a 3 months old baby boy. So yeah.. Sorry. I was the webmaster and I was (am, maybe) lazy.

Alas, all is well now and the blog is given a fresh new life with a new name and a new layout. Cepe and I've posted a few new posting to keep things going and maybe motivate others to post as well.

Here's the thing. I know my batch ada banyak blogger. Now the blog has only 7 writers. I've sent invitation to quite a number of you guys but since we young people don't check emails that often, many have yet to reply.

So, I would like to invite anyone who thinks that he (he as in my school is a boy school he, not being sexist or anything) is of MCKK 0105 to please, sweetly and softly type out yer name and email in the comment of this posting so I can send you invites to write and be glamorous. If you are paranoid about your privacy, what the hell, SMS it to me or email it to my Gmail. Sure, post it by snail mail, that'll work too and to you folks across the sea, why not try FedEx?

I'm not being a Nazi about what you guys can and can't write on the batch's blog; I've written fuck Hosni Mubarak there myself, but please at least make your posting something that can be debated, argued, pondered upon or even inspire like that story about Roger Federer crying up there by Cepe. But please, no personal blabering. I know your life is hard and you've maybe thought about jumping the bridge once or twice already, but that's not the appropriate place to let it out. Give me a call and I'll drive all the way to you and give you a big hug, that'll work better.

So yeah, send them in before my mood runs out. Thanks guys.