Reuters - Your View : Top Pictures Weekly Showcase

I am delighted again.

Another 2 of my photographs made it Reuters again. This time it's mainly on the Chingay festival held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia where coverage was for 4 days - from the 1st day the devotees prepared the deities at the old temple to the final procession back to the old temple on the 4th day.

The following made it for Top Pictures Weekly Showcase:

Chingay Festival - Procession of Deities

and

Chingay Festival - Chinese Opera

Thank you for viewing.

Chingay Festival

Coming soon.

The Wee Hours of Jonker Street

27th February 2010 - My parents and I decided to drive up to Malacca over the weekend as it is the last day of Lunar New Year or better known as Chap Goh Meh (or 15th night) and it was also for me to get away from the home for awhile.

But before I get into that, we had to stop at a Shell petrol station some 1 hour away from our destination, to relieve ourselves as well as to buy some drinks. IT was only after my dad had finished filling up my diesel-run Ranger that he realised that he had pumped petrol instead of diesel. We had to totally drain the whole pick-up and refill with pure diesel. Luckily, we had 2 very helpful shell station people assisting us in the drainage and we were on our way again.

Jonker street is probably the busiest street in Malacca and it has definitely been so for many years for tourists local and foreign. Well, I did not exactly had that it mind but to photograph Jonker Street in the wee hours of the morning and to find what it is like then.

Hokkien Huay Kuan - possibly the only one at Jonker street.

Garbage cleaners making sure rubbish is totally cleared before the next day.

Famous chicken rice ball shop along Jonker street.

The Geographer - still pumping out live music and booze until god knows when.

Thaipusam

Thaipusam was celebrated on 30th January which happened to fall on a Saturday. Arrived around 6.30am with a few mates at Serangoon Road, also known as Little India in Singapore. I am not going to elaborate on Thaipusam and it's significance as there are already many articles written on the event. One can just easily google and find it on Wikipedia. Here's a link : Wiki: Thaipusam

Man whispers into the young devotee and gives him encouragement as he prepares for his procession.

Final touches to his kavadi on his back (below)

Devotee looks on another preparing for hooks on his back (below)

Urns normally filled with milk are used during the processions (below)

This man gets ready for his procession. 

The first pull forward! A mother and child looks on whilst a tourist grimaces.

Kavadi in motion.

Reuters - Your View

I had to blog this although it isn't really about travel journals that I normally write about. I had earlier contemplated to blog my coverage of Thaipusam in Sri Srinivasa Perumal temple in Little India, Singapore but something better was revealed.

Well, 2 of my photos were selected in Reuters - Your Views and was published on their website. I could not believe it when I saw that these 2 photos and that I had taken them. I was totally elated!!!

Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit - Porsche

Typhoon Wreckage

And the following - Our Take on Your Take by Reuters Photo Editor JaShong King

Our Take on Your Take - Typhoon Wreckage

Happy New Year

Just thought I'd do my last posting for 2009 and it has been quite a year personally. Many things have happened and I have been traveling lately to a few places and taking photographs quite a fair bit. May the new year bring in more exciting adventures and that life would unravel itself in its mysterious ways...ways that are far beyond my imagination.

Stumbled upon this place whilst I was driving home and I had never thought it would be decorated this way near my home. Here it is, and a very Happy New Year!

Air Papan

The place itself was some 15 kms up north of Mersing. Can't miss it cause there were so many signages that indicate this beach, so I turned right into the small asphalt road which later turned into laterite. I have been to this place some 20 odd years ago and during that time, it was one of the popular local destination to swim and do practically nothing and perhaps have a picnic.

Well, I was a little disappointed cause when I got there, the beach was not what it used to be. It's a little dirtier and a lot less people. It's also a little commercialised. Went 4x4 on the surrounding area and found nothing really interesting. Some abandoned and badly kept chalets. Some new chalets under construction. A few lifeguards surprisingly - chatting and idling away.

Drove away a little disappointed. Found a fishing jetty on my way out. Not a single soul in sight - silence.