Tioman Island!

July 2, 2009 | Filed Under Photography, Travel | 1 Comment 

Tioman Island is a very popular get away place located in South China Sea which can be accessed from Mersing Jetty for approximate 2 hours ferry ride.

So, what kind of activity we can do in Tioman? Normally most people go for a 3 days 2 night trip.  We reached Mersing Jetty on Friday afternoon 3.30pm… the ‘fast’ ferry suppose to come at 4.30pm but we waited till 5pm ++. I didn’t keep track of the time, all I know, by the  time we reached Kg Genting’s jetty, it was already 7.30pm just in time for dinner! There goes my first day itinerary hahaha!

We stayed at the resort called Island Reef Resort located in Genting Village. It’s more like a budgeted resort but without a budgeted price. We need to climb a lot of wooden stair case to access the resort as it is situated on the hill slope… so now you know why the place is called Genting village! (just guessin)

After the so-so edible 3 dishes 1 soup buffet dinner, my friends suggested to go for fishing at jetty. Not really excited with the idea but I did tag along. As soon as they bought the fishing line, hook and squid as bait, we walk to the jetty and started the ultimate task…

Step 1:  Roll your fishing line to an empty can. Precautions, do not let anyone talk to you or distract you when you perform this important task or else the fishing line will get tangled and twisted into an unimaginable knot before you realise it!

Step 2:  Take a deep breath and proceed to open the knots of tangled twisted fishing line. Ignore whatever options offered to you (ie from me ahahaha)  such as scissors help, knife help, or offer to buy new one…

Step 3: Borrow extra fingers and toes to help you secure the fishing line like spider web while you continue to work on the knots.

Step 4: Concentrate 100% on your task even though people beside you (me again) started to mumbling about boredness, sleepiness etc…

Step 5: Take a lot of deep breath during that 1 hour ++? and towards the end, celebrate with a can of Heineken!

Step 6: Finish the Heineken as fast as possible so you can roll your extra fishing line to another empty can.

OK, back to business, seriously I don’t put much hope on our fishing project as the wind was strong and jetty was too high to fish without proper fishing gear. Everybody else were well equiped with proper gears and looked very professional too.. compare to 4 crazy girls at the corner, happily holding 2 empty cans with fullest hope of getting something…

Weather was good the next day, just a little bit hazy from the opening burning in Sumatera. After a simple nasi lemak breakfast, we went for shopping at Duty Free shop in Kg Tekek. After that, we spent 2 hours at the marine park and the tourist guide (sorry he’s not a beach boy) explained the usage of snorkelling mask and basic swimming skill. (Mask and life jacket cost RM8 each for one day rent) I did learned one useful tips, that is our saliva have anti-fog properties, so just rub your saliva on the snorkelling mask and you’ll be free from fog

We had packed lunch around 12.30pm and then continue to the next destination, Coral Island which is just few minutes away from Kg Tekek jetty. I couldn’t join the snorkeling session as I left my prescription swimming goggle on the beach. Bad luck for me, as I was stung by a wasp on the beach and that’s why I left in hurry without checking on my stuff.

After snorkeling, it was free and easy time. We can’t do anything as the weather was so hot, so all end up playing poker in chalet. We went out around 6pm with hope to view yolk type of sunset, but can’t see anything as the sun disappeared behind thick clouds. My friends were so disappointed and all left for BBQ dinner, leaving me behind all alone shooting the twilight.

I think I don’t have to mention about the charcoal black BBQ chicken, very black burnt fish and squid hahaha.

After dinner, my friends went excited again about their fishing project. This time round, we targeted on squid (as the day before, almost everyone around us managed to get a foot long squid) so I bought a squid bait for RM7 and off we go again. Actually squid fishing is not that exciting at all, but due to the fact I was with 3 timid ladies, everything become different. Squid will squirt out water and black ink for quite a distance, so whenever our neighbour try pulling up a squid, 3 of the pretty ladies will start screaming and run away, one of them even throw away her fishing can!

Of course, many people were quite concerned about our fishing skill, we really wish to prove them wrong, yet we fail to prove anything throughout the night!

The next morning, we decided to try out our colourful beach cloth bought from duty free shop. The girls enjoyed their photo taken and the photographer enjoyed being a photography director hahaha. I’m glad everybody enjoyed the shooting session even though we just have 1 hour time.

We heading back to Mersing Jetty after lunch. Seriously, the lunch was the best meal served throughout our 3days 2 night stay in Tioman. The ferry pick us up at Kg Genting first before heading to other jetties as far as Kampung Tekek for paperwork. We waited for a long long time in the ferry. Around 4pm plus, we are still in Tioman Island and only reached Mersing at 7.30pm. Nearly seasick!

Overall the trip was enjoyable due to crazy companions, we had a lot of laughter and fun, especially during fishing and photography shooting. Beaches are clean with clear water too. Tioman left us craving for more and of course, a plate of fresh sambal sotong pedas!

Inner heart

June 15, 2009 | Filed Under Kluang, Macro, Photography | 5 Comments 

I went for an outing yesterday, organised by Photographic Society of Kluang. It was actually Hibiscus flower shooting outing… but as usual… my heart always wander for something else…

I noticed a little yellow flower with very beautiful anther (male reproductive cells that contains pollen)! Fell in love immediately! Too bad I don’t know the name of the flower.

Would like to dedicate this photo to my fellow photog friend Jacky as lately he complained about my long forgotten blog and my Tamron 90mm macro lens that suffers in my dry cabinet! I hope I do the lens justice Jack!

Note: Sorry if the flower look very yellow… that’s the real colour of the flower.

Five foot way

February 5, 2009 | Filed Under Black & White, Photography, Travel | 11 Comments 

Five foot way is the typical architecture style that is unique and native in South East Asia shophouses. The covered walk way is within shophouse property but is for public use, providing shade from sun and rain. This design is by law requirement for shophouses since British Malaya era. Thus the footway infront of shophouses must be at least five feet in the clear.

This photo was taken in Malacca. We stopped at the wrong place far away from our destination. Yet I believe this is the only row of shops that have their wooden window all opened at the same time. Lucky for me : )

Hereby I attached a copy of colour version too.. I cropped to square size as currently I’m studying on film medium format camera such as Rolleiflex. The most common aspect ratio are 6×6cm or 6×4.5cm using 120mm film. So the photos will be in square shape, giving a touch of vintage feel.

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