Experiments In Floral Photography

A newbie to the world of Photography,I thought I would start of with floral photography,which I guess is one of the easiest!Enjoy the collage of colours!

A night of Fiery speeches and "Political Bashings".

10/6/2011 was the day PR flags were raised high with the banner "KE ARAH PULAU PINANG HARMONI" gleaming at the Gelugor juntion.Knowing well that my destiny is going to be with this land I call home,I decided I should exercise my full right by going to this Opposition meet up and hear the "Alternative Voice".Guest Speakers were Siti Aishah Shaik Ismail(PKR),Jeff Ooi (DAP) and Mohd Mujahid Yusof Rawa(PAS).

Scheduled at 9pm,the talk only commenced at about 10pm with a warm welcoming note by Rayer (DAP Bkt Gelugor)followed by fiery speech by Siti Aishah.Her guns were very much aimed at Najib and Rosmah with incessant insults from the very beginning(Najib,being the top man has a tough job).Half an hour of charisma mixed with a tinge of humor was followed by a well prepared speech by our Jelutong DAP strongman,Jeff Ooi.His too was no less fiery but his aim was mostly at UMNO rather than Najib himself.

Bravo to him for making it clear that DAP was not in pursuit of a Christian State,as its very much unthinkable for him a DAP Stalwart and a Buddist,(He disclosed his religious affiliation during the session)to fight for a "Christian State".It was almost 11pm by the time Jeff was about to close his speech,so I decided I'll call it a day.Mujahid would have been good to listen to especially his religious stance on issues.Anyway I hope the video will do more talking.Enjoy!

Unedited.

The recent letter I wrote to THE STAR got published in the METRO NORTHERN REGION on the 7th of June 2011.I'm not really sure how many would have seen it as the theme,Environmental Protection doesnt really resound with many in our populace.

Well,happy as I was with the article being published in the paper,I was dismayed by the extent of editing the printing press did before it published my article.(I understand its part of THE STAR's policy to edit articles sent to them and its legally right for them to do so)

The editing undertaken did not in any way upset the content of the article but it did make the article lose its personality and story like continuity,a trade mark of my writing.
Well I guess an article in the newspaper has to be devoid of excessive emotions and be very much factual.
But I did note that they made one little grammatical mistake in the process of editing too!FORGIVEN.

Anyway, I decided why not I post up the original article up here for all of you out there to see.Here it is!



ITS ABOUT TIME WE STARTED PROTECTING OUR FOREST RESERVES
I wholeheartedly support and applaud the Penang Forestry Department’s plans to mark forest reserve boundaries in Penang, (Clearer demarcation-The Star, 27th May) but there is much more we can do in saving our natural treasure troves. Penang with its long history of human colonisation has seen much of its forests fall to the wrath of chainsaws. All that is left are now tucked away in some of the many hills that dot the state. I consider myself lucky living in Penang, as a short drive from the hustle and bustle of Georgetown, I would be greeted by the greenery of the Penang Botanical Gardens and the surrounding forests, a luxury many don’t get to enjoy. But are we at the brink of losing our natural heritage?
Being an avid hiker myself, I have seen much encroachment into gazetted forest reserves on the island in the past few years. One example I would like to highlight is the Bukit Relau Forest Reserve, along the Tun Sardon Road, the main artery that connects Balik Pulau to Relau. Development and clearing has encroached well into the designated boundary of this forest reserve, with much destruction along the way. I am very much surprised why nothing has been done thus far, to stop the clearing activity as this forest reserve is located along a very accessible and well connected area. So, being a proud Penangite and a nature lover myself I too wanted to share a few ideas on what else can be done to curtail illegal encroachment into forest reserves

1. Forest Rangers should be deployed from time to time to monitor forest reserves, especially the ones which are close to farms and human habitation. This not only ensures our forests are protected, but also helps in the effort to crack down of illegal immigrants who occasionally make forest reserves, their hideouts.

2. Create an easily accessible platform where nature lovers and hikers can report illegal encroachments to the authorities. We Penangites are ever ready to help out in the effort to protect our natural heritage. Penang Forestry Department should work on creating a website or a hotline primarily to enable the general public to report incidents of encroachment in forest reserves.

3. Educate farmers on the importance of preserving forests and do let them know about the penalties they face if caught encroaching into protected forests.

Yet again I would like to applaud the Penang Forestry Department’s timely decision, but let me remind you there is much more which can be done. With enough effort from all sides, we will be able to effectively protect our forests. Together we can make Penang a cleaner and greener state.

Deforestation in our Backyard

I made this video to highlight the deforestation activities which are going on in Anjung Indah,Balik Pulau,Penang(along Tun Sardon Road).Much damage has been done,and I hope the Penang Government will take immediate action soon.

See it for yourself and be free to comment on what you think should be done.

The Quest for the Missing Link

Northern hills- CONQUERED, Eastern hills-CONQUERED, Central hills...That remained a question mark. It was one of the last bastions where we had never set our hiking shoes upon. The largest hinterland on the island that we missed out in our tireless endeavour to hike every hill in Penang. Scrolling through the maps, this frontier land seemed equally elusive and exciting. The perfect cowboy country for any nature lover. And so we set, into this hinterland, a land of mysteries and stories untold, expecting adventure and some fun.

It began an early Saturday morning after breakfast. Dad and I, fully equipped with all our ‘’hiking gear’’ started our journey by heading to Anjung Indah, Balik Pulau on our Red Perdana. The mountain air was so refreshing and invigorated our spirits with new energy and zeal for the hike. As we bade farewell to civilization we were greeted by the pitiful sight of a forest being choked by the unscrupulous activities of man.”HUTAN SIMPAN KEKAL BUKIT RELAU” read the sign,gleaming in bright yellow, only to be surrounded by the sight of rotting logs and fresh tree stumps. Shatters the heart of any nature lover who sees it. Alas, the fate of the forest is sealed. A pitiful death in the hands of man.

Environmental concerns aside, our hike proceeded on through the thickets of Bukit Relau forest reserve, mainly on gentle hill ridges and occasional steep descents. To my surprise there is a large patch of Seraya(Shorea Curtisii) trees with their gleaming silver and golden leaves flourishing in the middle of what is now Penang’s main farmland country. Even after 100 years of agriculture in the area, there still remain virgin pockets of nature, tucked away in small valleys and hill tops.

After almost an hour through this biodiversity hotspot, we finally came to a place not many in Penang would know. Tucked away between the ridges of Bukit Penara to the east and lush verdant hills to the south was a valley, a valley of farms, right in the heart of Penang. I’ll call it Umm al-Farms, Mother of Farms. And there we were, in Umm al-Farms, seemingly awestruck by the sheer beauty of the topography in the area. Bukit Penara with its towering transmittion station rising gently in front of us and below were lush Bunga Kantan farms, a must have ingredient for the well known Penang Laksa. Looking up the steep trail to Bukit Penara, I wondered if ever by the slightest chance there would be a link,a link that took us from Balik Pulau to the northernmost town of Penang, Teluk Bahang. The thought itself brought a surge of adrenalin and my mind started going wild, pondering what such a trek would be like.

Soon, the sun’s scorching rays were just too unbearable for us and we decided to call it a day, ending our hike by following a motorbike track down to Paya Terubong.
Going down the hill, the thought kept coming back to mind. Where would the missing link be? The missing link to Teluk Bahang. I promised myself I’ll be back very soon in search of it. And so the quest for the missing link continues...

Guang Ming Bukit Jambul(BJ) Hikathon 2010

It has been quite a while since I last blogged here,I guess it’s because of the time factor and besides I dint feel that I had anything interesting to write about! Well now I do!

It is almost a week since Bukit Jambul Hikathon 2010 took place, but it’s still etched in my mind. Thus far, it has been the most successful run I participated in, after I first fell in love with this sport 4 months ago. All credit goes to Ooi Kok Hin, who took me for my first run which was of course the KWYP Penang Hill Run on the 4th of July 2010 after which I knew this was really my obsession. Credits aside, let’s get to the main story now!

It was a fine evening when my eagle eyes spotted a banner with the words “GUANG MING BUKIT JAMBUL HIKATHON 2010” near my college. Right away an adrenalin rush surged within me and my mind just kept telling me, “Rexy, you are so going for this!!”

So me and my dad signed up and we waited patiently, practicing and getting ready for the 24 of Oct 2010,the day of the run.There were only 2 categories, Men’s category and Women’s category ,unlike other runs which had at least 4 categories.The first 70 men and 30 women to finish the race were to be awarded medals.So,I set my goal to come within that 70 men perhaps somewhere like 40th or 50th placing,but little did I know the surprise G-d had in store for me.

I still vividly remember the night before. Rolling on the bed, I couldn’t get enough sleep as the excitement and adrenalin rush started building within me.I kept on waking up from time to time at night thinking that it’s time for the race! Worst still, I even had a dream of myself struggling up the steep slope of the hill that night!The alarm rang at 5.00am and I jumped out of bed to get ready. Soon, all stretched and warmed up, me and my dad were at the Bukit Jambul foothill, with almost 2000 others getting ready for the hikathon. As usual there was an Aerobics session just to get all those stiffened muscles loosened up before the run began.

As soon as our own Batu Uban PKR Strongman S Raveentharan flagged off the race everyone started running downhill along the road in front of INTI and then turning back up a steep road back to the Bukit Jambul trail head,before heading into the Bukit Jambul forest.Early on,my mind kept on reminding me “REXY,you listen here!Go fast,only the first 70 will get a medal!What if you turn out 71st?Wasted effort right?”These fears crept into my mind and kept me going at full speed.

Soon, i realised that I was quite far ahead.The number of people ahead of me seemed to get lesser and lesser.First top 30,then top 20 and soon among the first 10 runners leading the race!Seriously even I myself couldnt believe it!My mind was “Wow,Rexy this is cekap la!!Or are these guys delibrately slowing down to reserve energy for the steep slopes of Bukit Jambul and Bukit Kukus which were to come?”This thought made me slow down a bit but i kept going at a good pace so as to not get left out.

Soon the tarred road ended and we were met by the trees and the bushy undergrowth of the forest.The slopes of Bukit Jambul and Bukit Kukus looked daunting as they were equally rocky and steep.I kept pushing myself, picturing myself at the finishline.I kept telling myself “Rexy,you’ve come this far,you are never gonna stop,go on!go on!”.The trail snaked up Bukit Kukus Hill,a little known 418metre hill beside Bukit Jambul,before going down to Bukit Jambul Hill(Bukit Jambul is shorter).

After the uphill climb to Bukit Kukus,i dashed down the steep hillside.By now I had lost much pace and was down to the 13th position,instead of the top 10 initialy.I kept on pushing not losing hope even with my legs aching and my energy zapped.
As I reached the final 200 meters of the run,the running officials gave us Malaysia flags to wave as we ran to the finish line.

It was a steep decent down and I knew this was my grand finale .I accelerated and dashed past the 12th and 11th persons in pack.Joy awaited me as I reached the finish line.As I was awarded my medal at the finish line,I knew I had done it!11th placing,WOHOO!!I was overjoyed and raised my hands in the air in a show of personal victory.Praise the Lord!The gruelling training sessions I subjected myself to,being drenched by the rain and even vomiting during trainning were all worthwhile after all.Finally I was able to prove myself to all those who belittled me and said things like “Your running a losing race” that I indeed could achieve something in this sport.As I held on to that medal of mine,I knew in my heart that where there is a will there will always be a way.

Just give running a chance and once you get that blood moving,its show time!-Wilfredo Melendez,US ARMY

A glimmer of hope for Tolerance

The recent events in Malaysia have triggered a form of sectarianism like never expected before in this nation. A court verdict which gave the green light for the usage of the term in the Arabic language to describe G-D by the Christians triggered an uproar of anger within the religious majority of the nation. Though at first the anger was confined to non-violent methods like demonstrations and blog articles it soon turned violent when extremist elements within the society brought the simmering conflict to a different level.
A day after the killing of 6 parishioners outside a church in the intolerant nation of Egypt, Malaysia was seeing its own share of religious intolerance. The Metro Tabernacle Church in the periphery of KL city was arsoned. Soon more attacks followed and in 5 days almost 9 churches nationwide were attacked. As Christians nationwide thronged the gates of heavens with pleas and prayers, a whirlwind of thoughts overwhelmed me. Is our fate sealed like that of the Mustaarabi Jews who contributed so much to the Arab nations but were at last disowned by their own governments? The semangat perpaduan which I upheld as my principle in life was almost at the brink of shattering. Am I supposed to leave this beloved land, the only place I call “home” just because of my religious affiliation? Questions ran in and out of my mind, bringing me to a standstill.

These notions of mine were silenced when I read the “Star” paper yesterday (13/1/10).I was filled with surprise when I saw the picture on the first page. There right in front of me was a photo of Muslims in their traditional Baju Melayu and headgear called the songkok standing in front of a church which I presume was a Catholic church guarding it against attacks from extremists! I was so surprised and overwhelmed with joy. I immediately showed the article to my mom and it too invoked the same feelings in her. Awe and surprise. I flipped through the pages and I saw another picture which caught my attention. It was about a middle aged Indian Muslim blogger who raised RM8500 for the rebuilding of the Metro Tabernacle Church. I felt joy and awe when I read the article and saw the great responsibility the Muslims in the nation felt towards the Christian community even though the attacks were not perpetrated by them but by extremist elements.

Even MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association),a political body offered its support by letting the Pentecostal faithful of Metro Tabernacle Church use MCA’s hall for worship services.As a Christian Malaysian seeing this outpouring of concern from Malaysians of different backgrounds, I felt that my fellow citizens of different races and religions were treating me and the wider Christian community as one of them,as part and parcel of their family, as a Malaysian.
Indeed this incident has shed light on the fact that we Malaysian are united as one. We do not see each other as Malay, Chinese, or Indian but ultimately as Malaysians only. We love each other and cherish the differences which make us uniquely Malaysian! So I guess the flame of tolerance which is embedded in every Malaysian’s soul will continue burning for generations to come. No one,no matter who it may be can extinguish this spirit of tolerance which has propelled our nation for this long. Malaysia Boleh!