Kuching

Finally back in Kuching after so long. The minute the plane flew over the skies of the land of hornbills, I had noticed some changes. There are new housing areas now, more buildings, and roads are wider.

I reported back to work yesterday.

There is a new shopping complex called Boulevard, been there, and unfortunately still sucks. Depressing standard as compared to those in KL. Sigh, what is wrong with the developer and architect?? Anyways its the usual walk around town and completing the three other complexes within an hour prior to heading towards my favorite vegetarian shop. Was glad it is still there.

There are not many familiar faces in the hospital but yet I was recognized by my previous staffs immediately. Even the director's secretary remembered me. Almost everyone asked about my diamond earring. 'I have given it to my sister' I replied. 'Aiyo, sik macho gi lah cam tok' some had passed comments. Only one realises I was not wearing my usual frame less spectacles.

My big boss is not around. he went on leave. I will be seeing him tomorrow morning in his office. He had called a day earlier and spoke to another colleague of ours. 'He is back? So does he still have his diamond earring? Is his hair purple?' Boss asked. My colleague laughed. Another suggested I dyed my hair purple or perhaps wear a wig tomorrow, just for the fun of it. I would be schizophrenic or manic to go with that idea.

Looks like its going to be a tough road ahead from tomorrow onwards. Hope I do not collapse under pressure. Here goes...

Yat Yat Fatt!

I just realized that 01/01/08 if pronounced in Cantonese means 'Everyday is Wealth'! i.e YAT YAT FATT. Wow.... what a discovery. I do hope it would be wealth for me everyday loh.

And with that I decided to indulge myself in a new watch. I like watches. I have in fact 3 'sorta luxury' watches bought in stages of my life. The first when I joined medical school. Followed by my very first year as a house officer. Now since I have got my postgraduate, I once again upgraded my watch. Ahhh... how I loved my new time piece.

Oh by the way, anyone of you heard about the latest news to hit Msian politics? Someone pretty much linked to KKM has admitted to starring in a special kind of DVD. Sigh, what a news to hit the health services (in a way). Oops OK OK..not to complaint.... jeez..

Good night YAT YAT FATT, and hello 2nd of January.

Welcome 2008!

Its the new year once again and time to set my new year's resolution. Hang on...wait a minute.. I have never (and I mean it, NEVER) had any new year's resolution all these years. Why bother when most of the time I do not even fulfill my own self promises. So be it then, yet another year to spend without any resolutions. Really? Hmmm I think turning over a new leaf would be great this year...hence... I shall make not resolutions but plans...

Looking back at 2007, I think I may have achieved the most.
Cash? tick (Not my first million but lets just say enough for me to spend).
Career? tick (Finally, for a while I do not need to sit for any exams).
Friendships? tick (got to know a whole lot of new friends).
Travels? tick (added a few countries to my travel log).
Health? tick (touch wood, have not been sick the whole year).
Family? tick (its been ever closer and more time spent).

Hmmmm..so that leaves me with possibly the most popular question of all, Love? Well, I don't seem to be able to tick this as yet. Hahaha... perhaps this year would enticed me into having a proper relationship. As in a possible 'leading towards happily ever after fairy tale Shrek like' friendship. Hmmmm.... it does gives me the creeps though. Maybe I am just not ready.

Anyways, moving on to this year, there are a few things in mind that I would like to accomplish. Firstly my own attitude in work (Only the higher being would know what I intend to change in myself). It would be soon that I set foot again on the native land of Sarawak, returning to my old hospital. Not for long though, as I do miss KL and would LOVE to transfer back if and when my application reaches KL. Don't get me wrong, I don't intend to work in the 'all too famously politically run' HKL but instead to somewhere near KL. Malacca sounds good. Even Seremban would do.

I plan to dive more this year if time and my wallet permits to practice on my passion for photography underwater and above water.

I would love to be more patient and ready to give in more easily this coming year. Perhaps Letting Go would be a good idea too.
Not going to complaint about too much work and too little pay. Not going to complaint about the 'nuts' of the government and its policies. Not to complaint is the best.

I definitely will be seeing the new year in a whole new perspective as I have a new pair of eyes! Yes I do mean a new pair of eyes. Not new glasses or some expensive frames. I literally mean new eyes as I have just spend a fortune on correcting my vision with laser. YES!! No need to scramble and look for those cumbersome spectacles anymore when I am on-call! Vanity? Sorry mate, never that but convenience YES! Looks to me like a 2008 6/6 vision!

There are just way too many things to write about what I intend to do for the new year. I think I shall leave it for the next several post since I do have 365 days to go still.

Cheers!

My camera equipments (above water)

(left to right: Nikon D200 with 60mm f2.8 macro lens, Sigma 15-30mm for my Canon EOS30 film, Quantaray lens, Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8, 18-70mm zoom kit lens, 105mm f2.8 VR macro, Canon 28-70mm kit lens, Canon EOS30, background Manfrotto tripod and picture taken with Nikon D70 with Tokina 10-17mm FE lens)

I loved my tokina fisheye zoom lens. In fact i used it so often i tend to neglect the rest of my lenses. Many would feel that the distorted angle makes the pictures weird but i find that it gives it a little more artistic look compared to the normal conventional straight angles.

Here, i took this picture when we (Ronnie, Pei See and Eric) were exploring Bali in a Suzuki Vitara. Notice how i was able to capture the whole interior of the car with my favourite lens?



Mom used to say that i looked like a 'wanna be' pro photographer and the truth still remains. I am still a 'wanna be' trying very hard to learn photography but like any other testosterone raging male, i love gadgets. From Macbooks, Ipods, IPhone, cameras, cars, watches,gadgets, gadgets, gadgets!

And the buying does not stop as i now need a proper dry cabinet to store my equipments.

(will also post my collection of underwater gears in the near future)

Diving with Mantas (Komodo) Part 6

This school of jacks (fishes approximately about 0.5 meters in length) greeted us as we descended next to liberty wreck. I had wanted to take a snap from below the school of fishes to capture a 'tornado' effect but before i knew it, they moved further and made it quite difficult for me to approach. Erm, another reason perhaps was because i wasn't skilled enough. Hehehe



During surface interval, I played with my camera in the resort's pool. I thought this shot may have been quite interesting. Camera held underwater and shot upwards towards the flower with the villa as the background. Too bad it had not capture Mount Agung at the same time.



The following two pictures are of nudibranches. Some kind of sea slugs if you were to ask me. Maybe one can perceived it as snails without the shell and painted with multiple colours. These are invaluable as subjects of photography on a muck dive. When i had started taking pictures of these with my point and shoot, i almost always took pictures from the rear until i was corrected by another fellow photographer. The best view should be frontal potrait. I took these with my 60mm Nikkor Macro about inches away from the subject.

Diving with Mantas (Komodo) Part 5

More pictures from my trip...


Ghost Pipefish. Elusive and uses its camouflage ability to evade any potential predators and photographers.


The entrance of a pub in Ubud.


A Moray Eel. Recent studies suggest that morays has an inner jaw used to further engulf their prey quite similar to those on ALIEN 'the movie'



'Bapak's' family on the day they prayed for the new year as well as their 'mobile' blessing. These are traditional Balinese attire.


Sunset view from live aboard 'Baruna'.


This little boy is at Kuta beach playing with a small little crab in his 'Tupperware' container but very willing to strike a smile and pose for my camera.

Diving with Mantas (Komodo) Part 4

After returning from Komodo I decided to travel to Tulamben, east of Bali to dive there as well since I had already paid for the flight. My sister was kind enough to help me amend the ticket (and I have yet to pay her back). The trip was about 2-3 hours through stretches of roads with handicrafts shops all the way. We took a detour to enjoy some fish satay famous I would say for not only the tasty food but more of the numerous flies around us. Not that the flies deterred us from the meal.


The Villa owned by an Australian which cost about USD20-30 per night. With your own private pool (something not foreign in Bali) and the sea view.



Balinese are known to pray the whole year round. When I was staying there, they were celebrating the 'motor vehicle's' new year. Yes they pray for their 'MOBIL' as well.

Diving with Mantas (Komodo) Part 3

Diving in Komodo, one cannot miss the chance of a lifetime to view the well known dragons right? We stopped over on one of the islands to visit these massive 'bacteria infested slimmy saliva' reptiles. Each adult measuring to about more than 7 feet long. There were rangers all around us 'sorta' protecting us from any possible attacks using a 'y' shaped branch or poles. Just days ago we were chatting with another tourist and had viewed a photo of his bathroom at the park's accomodation in which a Komodo dragon was taking a nap!!


The scene around Bali near Kuta.



View around the hotel's pool.

Diving with Mantas (Komodo) Part 2

Words and pictures can be difficult to express how I felt but the following video will give you an idea of it. Courtesy of Eric, hehhehe.

Diving with Mantas (Komodo) Part 1

I flew to Bali on the 14Th of November very much looking forward to my diving trip in Komodo. It was supposed to be a short trip of 5 days at the most but in the end it was 2 weeks plus. The highlight of the trip was definitely my dive at Manta Alley. There were about 11 (minimum I would think) Mantas of all sizes gliding gracefully amongst us. It was pure amazement for the entire 2 dives, each lasting about 50 minutes. 50 minutes because I used up my compressed air quicker than the rest of the season divers and being a 'not so fit' person.
This was my second dive trip using my new camera rig and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was testing out my wide angle lens on this dive and the Manta was the prefect subject. I do must admit that my photography skills is still very depressing.

(Me and the Manta... comparing my size with the smallest of them all)

The first night of my check out dive, yes...it was a 'dare devil' feat to dive at night in a whole new dive site, I was stung by Hydroids. The scar still remained until today as I blog. It was not because I touched them but I was pushed by another diver during a current surge and felt the stinging sensation immediately right after on my left wrist. We surfaced much earlier as it was just not 'environmentally' safe to continue the dive. My first encounter with night dive currents. Hehehe

For the next 3 dives I had decided not to bring my camera along with me as i wanted to get used to diving, the buoyancy control, breathing compressed air....the basics.

But who can resist not taking any pictures at all after the third dive!!! And of course...the first picture...self portrait using my Tokina 10-17mm.



*Will be posting a video (taken by a very experienced fellow friend) of the Mantas next entry...