29 posts tagged “photography”
Taking opportunity of the weekend to get away, I took another attempt to reach that elusive waterfall which defeated me about a year ago. My car got stuck then and the knee deep mud devoured my slippers and effectively ended my attempt.
But now, it has a paved road and I could drive right near to the waterfall, only trekking for 500m. Looking at the sight, I couldn't resist dipping into the waters. It was damn cold, I think it was at least 15 degrees! My whole body quiverred but it was well worth it. Better than any shower at any 5 star hotels. Where else can you find clear, clean fresh water without chlorine.
The numerous ferns and plants lined the area.
It started drizzling later in the afternoon and we headed for home after the refreshing trip. The road was covered with mist and visibility was about 20m only. We drove past wonderful people, numerous buffaloes (and their poos lining the road) and chickens, and magnificent sights of mountains. All I can say is, this is the great outdoors!
The last few days weren't my best of days. Many small things which have been bothering me just adds up. The weather didn't help either, thunderstorms and rain almost daily. Not in any sort of merdeka mood.
So I went to the courts to loosen up. The courts were full, so I took my camera for a walk just outside the courts. The dramatic skies added some mood to the scene.
Later the rain came as expected and I had some grueling games. Felt better after that. Came home emptied my squash bag and found many busted balls which I just kept. Don't know what to do with them. Kinda wasteful to just throw them away.I used to make some decorations out of them when I was younger...and more creative hehe
I think I shall take things slower and relax...Work and patients will never end no matter how hard you try.
One of my patient's mother offered me to take me to her village in a remote island in South China Sea. I agreed with a little apprehension at first because if the boat capsized at sea, well...sayonara. There are no communication equipments on board, no modern nagivation and no insurance. But I 'm glad my adventurous side got the better of me. And what I saw must be one of the last paradise on earth. This island holds about 100 houses while the smaller nearby island is uninhabited. We took about 2 hours by boat to get there after a 90 minutes drive.
Time stood still for a moment. It seems I'm transported back into a time where time is relative.
The traditional way of life and the sea co-existed for generations.
There were many sea creatures in nature or were caught. We saw turtles, flying fishes (really flying), sharks etc. We had a feast of lobster and abalone. It means nothing to them. Here we pay top dollar for them...I wonder who is rich and who is poor hahahaha
The poeple there are very nice. The children never looked happier. But there are a few stateless children too. Stateless because of the boundary we draw or because it doesn't really matter to them to get an identification card.
I love waterfalls and rivers (clean one that is, not the Klang river- gosh!). Today, I drove to a river nearby the city and was met with a magnificent sight. Yes, clean and clear waters. A signboard nearby warns visitors not to dirty the river or catch any fishes in it. Any catch will be confiscated and the person fined severely. I think this river has a traditional fishing season to protect the local species.
I think Malaysians should be grateful we have such great sources of clean water. It is unthinkable that some rivers are used as large garbage dumps by irresponsible people. If we are not careful, the petrol price crisis will pale in comparison with a clean water crisis! We must protect our precious water resources.
I was sponsored for a weekend talk held in a luxury hotel :) There has been on and off debates whether this is an unethical practice. In fact there has been an explicit circular from the director which barred doctors from accepting any form of sponsorship.
Well, I accepted it anyway. So did many consultants and even heads of departments from hospitals all over Malaysia including participants from Korea, India, Japan, among the many Asian countries. In any case, there was a disclaimer stating that the sponsorship is "not conditional upon any obligation to use, recommend, promote or purchase the product or intended to influence you to do so", which I take it as face value. In any case, it is the only opportunity to listen to 2 prominent researchers, one from Italy and the other from a renowned institution in Texas. I don't think the government can or rather will sponsor them to come to Malaysia for our benefit. Sure, the company promotes their product but it is also for the benefit of our patients. Sad to say without the pharmaceutical industry support, we will probably be still living beneath our coconut husks.
The hotel was luxurious. But the best part was meeting up with friends and have a good chat.
It was great, but after 2 days I can't wait to get back to my spartan room. I suppose I'm comfortable with familiarity. I wasn't able to sleep well despite the luxurious bed and pillows. It just shows that money can't buy some things. There wasn't the familiar feel, familiar smell, familiar touch. And I didn't even use most of the things in the room.
However I managed to take a few snapshots of the surroundings with my camera ;)
A beautiful sunset today. Aah, life feels so calm looking at the sunset by the beach. There's something about the sun which is so magnificent.
I shall post the pictures of the brief history of WW2 in North Borneo for those who are interested to read them ;) Click on them for a bigger pic!
Just to add, the Sandakan Memorial day is held on 15 August in memory of the death march of Allied/Australian Prisoners from Sandakan to Ranau where only 6 men survived! Here is the information site
I have my deepest respect and admiration for the men who were willing to leave their home in Australia and serve in the jungles of Borneo, weathering the tropical storm and malaria. To fight and defend North Borneo. I don't know if Australia got any benefit from sending in their troops to North Borneo but my respect and admiration for these men stays nevertheless. I do not say these words very often. I mean would you go to, say Papua New Guinea, to fight a war that wasn't your own?
A friend recommended this "good old" coffee shop museum tucked away in a remote corner of town. It was an mesmerizing coffee shop which pays tribute to the many men in the Australian armed forces who sacrificed their lives during World War 2 in North Borneo. I really like this coffee shop which sells charcoal toasted bread!!! Wow! The tables and chairs are made of wood and marble not the plastic stuffs which wobbles. There are numerous historical pictures, poems, artifacts in this shop. And I love history! It is run by an elderly Chinese man who looks like 80 years of age with interesting features.
This is definitely gonna be my regular joint. Fantastic shop!!
Last night the sky was angry, lightning striking every 5 minutes. Angry at the rise in petrol prices I guess....hehe. But alas it was blocked by the clouds. Anyway it was fun trying to capture the pics :)
My next aim - rainbows!
But...it's good to be home. Home sweet home. Nothing beats the sun, the sea, the mountains, the trees, MY SPACE and MY CAR.
Transited in Dubai and flew to London. Luckily I'm still on the happening side of 35 ;) , so we could still check into a backpackers hostel. Man space is really a premium around here. Bunks of beds packed into a really small room. Other than the really tiny space, a backpackers hostel is a great place to stay and mingle around. It's rejuvenating to be able to communicate in a non-medical manner. Man...almost forgot how to start a sentence without using "Ada apa sakit?"
Transport is really convenient in London and even more so in Paris. The underground train system is really efficient. Perhaps RapidKL can learn a thing or two here. It's still packed though and people do rush to go in, but in a more subtle manner. For example in Paris I did not have to wait more than 3 minutes for any train for any connections to anywhere! After taking the tube for a week, I've decided I'm NOT giving up my car even if petrol goes up to USD300/gallon. Perhaps can consider the Hybrid Toyota Prius in the future when the price drops ;) I need some breathing space man...
Visited the usual tourist attractions in London, then took the Eurostar to Paris and stayed in a better hotel in Paris hehehe. Cannot "tahan" staying in a 'prison cell' for too long. I must say Paris is fabulous - Paris didn't get the No 1 tourist destination tag for nothing. London, in my opinion is nothing to shout about.
Spent a couple of nights in Paris, ate some really great meal there after eating bread, cold sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs or fish and chips in London. What's the best way to spend some extra cash? Yes...food.
Oh yes...and there was this cabaret thing with a glass of champagne to go with it ;) Not the famous Moulin Rouge (which would be grossly out of budget) but a similar one nearby. I'll skip the descriptions hahaha.
The Louvre museum is spectacular. The exhibits inside really overwhelm the senses. Also saw the famous Mona Lisa which was kept on the wall behind some special glass (with everybody snapping their cameras non-stop!).
After that went back to London to spend a couple of days more, including a trip to the city of Bath and Stonehenge. After that the grueling flight back to home sweet home :)
This trip made a huge dent in my wallet but then well, I've always been thrifty and this is a "once in a blue moon" kind of thing ;) and more importantly it brought me back from being burnt out - seriously exhausted, from work. A wonderful trip! Now when can I get a hot Char Kuey Teow..
