Hush..
Mid July 2009
Jalan Desa 13/5
Minolta X700 + Mir-1V 37/2.8 + Ilford Pan 100 + maybe one day dear.. one more day on the road.
Posted on Friday, July 31, 2009 | 0 comments
Perspective
25 July 2009.
Between Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Raja Laut.
Minolta X700 + Fuji Super HG V 200 (expired in 1998) + a nice walk with a Nikon owner.
Posted on Thursday, July 30, 2009 | 1 comments
Listen..
..to what others have to say, not how others say it.So says the writing on the dilapidated, and warped wooden wall of this smelly, dirty and rotten toilet that lady just asked me 20 cents for to use not five minutes ago.
Next to it was a phone number, promising a good time. I have always wanted to give it a try, just to see if it ever means anything other than what everyone thinks it is.
Maybe a hot balloon ride over the wheat fields of the Ruhr. Then again, do they even plant wheat there? Oh well, something like that. Or a nice, friendly, open and intellectual talk over a cup of tea, earl grey perhaps, while Ratatat is playing in the background.
Today, I feel like a preacher. I should go and give that English teacher I never had a visit. Maybe not, it's my Malay teacher I miss more. Surely I don't think he would mind seeing me write in English. He's a teacher, it's beyond whatever subject he teaches.
He listens to what people say, not how they say it.
Fiat Sapientia Virtus so it reads in Latin. Manliness can only be achieved through wisdom, said the English translation. I can't be sure if that what it really means. Maybe, maybe not. Even if it is true, from here to there, I'm sure there are more meanings to it, lost in translation. Those little nuances, that makes Fiat Fiat, Sapientia Sapientia, and Virtus Virtus, and the history and emotions the Romans tied it with.. man I wish I knew Latin.
The same goes with an Estonian explaining to a Botswanan what 'Adat Melayu Pantang Derhaka' means. A powerful sentence, made out of four strong words, strong enough to stand on their own and still carry powerful meaning. It just wouldn't be quite the same isn't it?
Or perhaps 'Arbeit Macht Frei'.
Or 'Tanri Uludur'.
That is probably why humans learn. That is probably why humans learn languages, languages other than their own. For these nuances, tiny little notions that give strength, meaning and power to words. It is language that shapes our world. Our ability to describe things give meaning to the things our eyes see, our ears listen, our senses feel.
Manliness through wisdom.
As I write those words in this dirty piece of paper, my mind wanders back a few years back. That is a mighty strong word to tell young kids as they depart from their family to live hundred of miles away. Like a blanket when the cold night breeze brushes the skin, the words echoes clearly within the hallowed halls of the forefathers.
You are not a man because of your age, but by how wise you are. Don't just grow up; grow wise.
And with that, manliness through wisdom stood on its own from being the meaning of Fiat Sapientia Virtus.
Up on its own feet, with a meaning of its own.
Posted on Tuesday, July 28, 2009 | 0 comments
Possibilities
Are infinite.
Still, no matter how solid a plan is, it is always good to have a backup, regardless of how small and insignificant it might look.
It might just be that much needed saviour.
Mid July 2009
48000 Rawang
Nikon D40 + Mir-1V 37/2.8 + trying not to look suspicious.
Posted on Monday, July 27, 2009 | 0 comments
41
Dia tersenyum mendengar pelawaan jejaka tampan itu. Berbaju kemeja bergosok cermat, segak betul dia hari ni. Sebetulnya, tiap-tiap hari dia melihat jejaka tampan itu, tiap-tiap hari juga dia segak. Tak sangka hari ini dia datang menyapa."Hi."
Ringkas, padat. Berkeyakinan.
"Hi."
Tak rugi aku bersiap-siap pagi tadi, ujurnya dalam suara hati.
"Sibuk ke?"
"Takde la, sikit-sikit je ni. Kenape?"
"Saje.. Tak letih ke mate menjeling?"
Gugup jantungnya menyedari minatnya terhadap lelaki tersebut disedari. Tak apa mungkin, apa yang nak dimalukan, kalau hati sudah berkenan. Sedang darah mengalir melimpahi urat-urat pipinya, mukanya yang merah menyala itu tersipu-sipu tertunduk malu.
"Cantik baju awak hari ni, tapi saya lagi suka tengok awak pakai baju yang semalam tu."
"Baju semalam?"
"Ala.. yang biru muda tu. Baby blue.. soft, sweet.. Padan dengan orangnya."
"Awak ni.. jangan la buat saya malu."
Kedua-dua mereka duduk terdiam, terdiam dan lalu tersenyum.
"Awak nak lunch dengan saya?"
"Taknak la.."
"Kenapa?", tersentak jejaka itu.
"Saya nak dinner dengan awak"
Dia tersenyum sambil matanya melambai-lambaikan jelingan manja.
"Awak ni.. Even better. I know a nice place for people like us"
Seakan-akan koreografi yang sempurna, jari jemari mereka bertemu dan bersentuhan dalam usapan-usapan manja. Mata mereka terpaku dalam tatapan yang dalam, mencari-cari suatu bibit-bibit kepastian yang mungkin terpancar dari hati.
"Hoi!"
Tiba-tiba jauh di sudut pantry pejabat terdengan satu laungan yang mencantas segala lamunan, menghiris segala sentuhan dan perasaan antara mereka.
Bos.
"Tengok la jam dah pukul berapa. Kamu dua orang tu. Jom ikot saya sembahyang Jumaat. Minggu lepas saya tak ada kamu bukan nak pergi."
"O..Okay bos", jawab mereka berdua.
"Kain pelikat ada?"
Posted on Saturday, July 25, 2009 | 4 comments
Advertisement
I want to sell my photos but I don't know how.And ideas? Any takers?
Drop a line. Thanks.
Posted on Saturday, July 25, 2009 | 1 comments
Being Half
"So how was the the whole casting process?""Well, it was okay but I was kinda scared because towards the end I had to memorise lines from the play and act it out to the director and producer.."
"Oh, why was that?"
"Well, I'm half-Malay so I'm not so good in Malay.. I just knew a lil bit of it.. Yeah"
Posted on Saturday, July 25, 2009 | 0 comments
Kehadapan Majlis Perbandaran Selayang
Sila ambil perhatian. Simple.
Maybe if you guys cut down on those hillside meetings cum family trip, they'll be more money in the coffer to fix this damn playground. Not to mention the roads, the drainage and your poor taste in designing signage and bus stops. Horrific.
Just because your name is Majlis Perbandaran Selayang, please remember that there are other cities within your borders, under your jurisdiction. Bandar Baru Selayang is already a nice place. Please work on other things as well.
Give the people a chance to stand proud and proclaim that 'My name is Hadi. I live in Rawang, the nicest place to live in negeri Selangor".
Posted on Thursday, July 23, 2009 | 5 comments
Within Limitations
Sometimes knowing what your gear can't do is as rewarding as knowing what it can.
I shot this with an old M42 system Russian Mir-1V lens, attached to my Nikon D40. I can't focus on far objects with this setup due to physics; the Nikon body puts the M42 system lens 1 mm further out than it is supposed to sit. Not a match made in haven, definitely.
Yes, it is kind of annoying actually having to let go scenes that are too further up on a tree, or somewhere across the street. Still, I try to make the most out of the limitations and think of scenes that I can shoot rather than those I have to let go.
It made my day.
21 July 2009
48000 Rawang
Nikon D40 + Mir-1V 37/2.8 + Adobe Lightroom + some trial and error.
Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 | 3 comments
Reverse Sight
Thank you Konstantin. Your photos inspired me to shoot this.
Done with my Helios 44-2 58mm ƒ2 lens held reversed in front of the Minolta MD 50mm ƒ1.7 lens. Some people call this the poor man's macro technique.
Yeah sure, I could get better result with a proper macro lens (and a nicer film) but I find the hard work to get this more satisfying.
Or at least that's my excuse for being cheap.
Still, there is a great great shot 10 meters around you. Go and get it.
18 July 2009
Rumah Encik Azmi & Puan Fairuzah
Minolta X700 + Minolta MD 50/1.7 + Helios 58/2 + Fuji NPS 160 (expired 2002) + sniper-like breathing.
Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 | 1 comments
Yellow yes, but not really a cab.
Early July 2009
Where Yap Ah Shak and Raja Abdullah meets.
Apple iPhone 3G + good food & great company.
Posted on Saturday, July 18, 2009 | 0 comments
Able, ready and young
Late June 2009
Double Lion
Nikon D40 + Aliffadha Jamil
Posted on Friday, July 17, 2009 | 0 comments
Shakes and Glow
Late June 2009
Kuala Kangsar
Nikon D40 + a pair of shaky hands and carefree metering.
Posted on Thursday, July 16, 2009 | 1 comments
Tranquerah transcendence
11 July 2009
Tengkera, Melaka.
Zorki 4 + Industar 50/3.5 + Fuji Sensia 400 (expired 2002) + taking the road less travelled.
Posted on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 | 0 comments
At The Bottom Of Everything
So there was this woman and she was on an airplane, and she was flying to meet her fiancé seaming high above the largest ocean on planet earth. She was seated next to this man she had tried to start conversations, but the only thing she had really heard him say was to order his Bloody Mary. She was sitting there and she was reading this really arduous magazine article about a third world country that she couldn’t even pronounce the name of. And she was feeling very bored and despondent. And then suddenly there was this huge mechanical failure and one of the engines gave out, and they started just falling thirty-thousand feet, and the pilots on the microphone and he’s saying “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, oh my god... I'm sorry” and apologizing. And she looks at the man and says “Where are we going?” and he looks at her and he says “We’re going to a party. It’s a birthday party. It’s your birthday party. Happy birthday darling. We love you very, very, very, very, very, very, very much.” And then he starts humming this little tune, it kind of goes like this...
At The Bottom Of Everything
Conor Oberst/Bright Eyes
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (2005)
Posted on Friday, July 10, 2009 | 0 comments
In Urumqi
On Sunday, July 5th in Urumqi, the capital of China's western Xinjiang region, thousands of minority ethnic Uighur residents marched, demanding a government investigation into an earlier incident - a brawl between Han Chinese and Uighurs in a toy factory in Shaoguan that ended with at least two Uighur deaths. Sometime during the July 5th protest the situation became very violent, Uighurs clashing with police and attacking local Han Chinese. Urumqi citizens woke the next morning to learn that over 1,000 people had been injured and 156 killed in their city. Government forces worked to quell the violence and to separate the newly-formed Han vigilante groups and the Uighurs still in the streets. Communications were shut off, streets closed, curfews imposed, hundreds arrested, and thousands of troops poured into Urumqi, which remains tense - several clashes reported even today.
Photos and text from Boston.com The Big Picture. Click here to go there.
Posted on Thursday, July 09, 2009 | 0 comments
A Half Frame Affair
My love affair with the Pen started with my previous eBay addiction. I found out about this camera after doing a research on half frame cameras which can take 72 photos from a 36 exposure film. Nifty.
50 Years of Olympus Pen. Made from roughly 60,000 shots. I sure hope they used an authentic Olympus Pen to make this video.
Man, I still want one of those beauties.
Posted on Wednesday, July 08, 2009 | 0 comments
Seeding Meat
Centuries ago, sailors on long voyages used to leave a pair of pigs on every deserted island. Or they’d leave a pair of goats. Either way, on any future visit, the island would be a source of meat. These islands, they were pristine. These were home to breeds of birds with no natural predators. Breeds of birds that lived nowhere else on earth. The plants there, without enemies they evolved without thorns or poisons. Without predators and enemies, these islands, they were paradise.The sailors, the next time they visited these islands, the only things still there would be herds of goats or pigs.Oyster is telling this story. The sailors called this “seeding meat.”Oyster says, “Does this remind you of anything? Maybe the ol’ Adam and Eve story”Looking out the car window, he says, “You ever wonder when God’s coming back with a lot of barbecue sauce?”
Chuck Palahniuk, Lullaby
Posted on Friday, July 03, 2009 | 2 comments
40
He was walking along the beach that morning. The sun has yet to rise from the cold and rugged depth of the sea thus the sky was as dark as a pearl. The only light visible was that of the fishing boat far at sea, forever doomed to inadequacy and that small cottage in the distance where the lady waited years and years for her love to return.This is it, he thought. This has got to be that morning. With a fistful of confidence and eyes sparkling with wisdom he stopped walking. With feet firmly on the wet and sandy ground, his eyes were fixed staring at the sea.
So... are you sure about this, asked the sea. You look worried, you ought to go back to bed young lad. Don't believe too much in your dreams. You know what dreams are. Dreams.
No, you've fooled me once good sir. I've learnt my lesson. I know what I want. I just need to get it.
So be it.
Swiftly the young lad unbuttoned his coat and threw it aside on the wet sands. His slid his hand into the pocket of his pants and produced a dagger, sheathed yet ready as ever.
This shall be your downfall.
Immediately he unsheathed the blade and ran towards the bone chilling wave, jumping as it rushes in to embrace him. He landed true onto the cold morning water and with a bloodthirsty scream he stabbed the sea.
This is for love.
Stab.
This is for mercy.
Stab.
This is for chance.
Stab.
This is for empathy.
Stab.
The sea shrieked and rumbled as the flurry strikes. The splashed water rises up to touch the sky, coming down colder still. This cannot be. This is not how it ends. But what could a body of water do to stop a youthful of fury? Perhaps this is what fate is. Surely all my deeds all these years will not go unpunished. Oh merciful god in heaven, in your hands I lay my soul. Be kind to me for I am sorry.
So it was done. With a long whimpering sigh, the sea died. That is, of course, the fate that awaits those who betray, those who do evil, those who don't feel love.
As the death moan of the sea faded with the blowing breeze, the sun finally made its way up to chase away the night. In a glorious moment its ray embraced the lineless horizon, spilling golden light to greet the world. Far away in the distance the cockerels were politely asking people to wake up.
Wake up people, wake up.
It's a new day. It's a good day.
Posted on Thursday, July 02, 2009 | 1 comments
