A stroll in the Park

Since my father in-law is coming over to Kuala Lumpur, everyday Agnes and I will drive down to Wangsa Permai, Kepong for our daily dinner and meet her parents.
After dinner, normally I have my own plan which is my favourite namely stroll in the park and meet people of many nations. If I am lucky, I may make new friend.
The other reason is I have the chance to capture the life after work. I have missed a few weekend for my street photo session and this is my opportunity to exercise my fingers.

I bring along my Nikon D7000 with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens attached.


Young Rider

I am met by this active healthy young boy rolling a motorbike's tyre. I see him as the future rider. Though you can not see the motorbike as a whole but in his imagination he is riding a real motorbike. According to my friend, this boy is a Myanmar.


Joy of A Mother

As I walked on, this young mother is pushing his son's mini bike with laughter and pure joy.
Wow! What a beautiful scene?! Mother's love in action.



Sepaktakraw: Feeder

More shouts at the end of the park.
These Sarawakian and Sabahan were playing Sepaktakraw. Love to see they play this Malaysian traditional game. According to my friend, the feeder is an Iban from Sarawak.


Sepaktakraw: Tekong

Though this Iban guy is a bit heavy but he tends to be very active. Now he takes a role as the Tekong, the person who serve.


Hand in hand

When you are young, walking hand in hand with your mother is a great experience.
When you are at work, working as team as per these two men carrying the gas tank lighten the heavy burden and brings more passion and love for your work.

May you have a great day.







Sorry for the inconvenience cause

What a title for a blog , right?

That is how I sum up what had happened to Agnes and I today.

It was a peaceful Thursday morning and we were in full sprit of life and looking forward for a great day.

June 14th, what a great day as June 15th will be my 19th anniversary working with Diethelm Malaysia or DKSH.

We started the morning with my favourite Wantan Mee with Sarsiew.

WANTAN MEE with SARSIEW

Then Agnes dropped me at the Section 17 Morning Wet Market to pruchase some 'kampong egg' for my morning breakfast.

The beautiful scene showered by the morning sun along the way back to the office attracted me.

During the day, everything worked well and I also wrote a blog about street crime.

In the evening, we were having our dinner at Taman Sentosa, Section 17 and as we walked back to our car, I saw a Merz reversing to park in front of our car and "BANG!"

What?! He reversed into our car.



WVY 328

He parked the car while the rear of his car still touched with the front of our car. I tapped on his side mirror on the passenger side. He came out of his car as I said, "Sir, you knock our car."
He respond with "Is it? "
"Yes, you have." I confirmed. And I added, "can you move you car forward abit?"
He took a look at the back of his car and then go back in and move the car forward.
This time when he came out again, he said, "Yes, I also can feel the knock just now".
"Nothing damaged, right?"
I reponded with, "Nothing damaged."
He said, "Sorry!" And he walked off for his dinner.
But my wife still grumbled about the man reaction to the incident when we drove off.

As we drove home, our car tyre on the passenger side, burst. Wow! What a night?!


Burst Tyre taken off

Manual Wrench

Replace with spare tyre

Better head for home fast before anything else happen. By this time, my Nikon camera was getting dirty as my hands were covered with dirt and oil. Who cares i need these images. I pushed the ISO to 2000 and set to manual setting.


The wordings that I captured in the morning infront of HongKong Bank, Damansara Jaya.

Agnes, always warned me to be careful with my words as my words can be a blessing or a curse. Yesterday night she reminded me again about this when we drove from Damansara Toll to Puncak Alam.

"DID I SAY SOMETHING WRONG AGAIN?"






Street Crime is getting serious

June 15th is my 19th anniversary being with this company and since my first day, my friends who have worked along side had experienced many incidents that involved street crime.

1st case:
The 1st case happened back in 1994 invloved my friend, Ms Tan Soon Eng, a small built  lady who was in-charged of Brunei account in Borneo Marketing Finance Department, Harpers Trading Malaysia. At that time, she was walking from section 14 to Harpers Trading office at Jalan Bersatu. A red Toyota Corolla passed her and one of the man in the car grabbed her handbag which she hanged on her shoulder on the outside of the road. As she did not let go of her handbag, the car dragged her for a few meters before the man let go of her handbag. She injured her hands, elbows, legs and the side of her thigh. She was lucky that the man let her go.
Lesson:

1. Always hang your handbag on the inside of the road and hold close to your body.
2. Always walk against the traffic.


2nd Case:
The 2nd case happened in 1994 where my land lady, Madam Tan at Paramount Garden, Pataling Jaya was opening the back door of her house. Two man on a motorcycle passed her and grabbed her gold necklass from behind while her hands still struggling with the padlock. Her necklass broken and taken by the men on the motorbike.
Lesson:
1. Always alert of the motorbike while you are on the road.

3rd Case:
The 3rd case happened involved a company computer and lost in Taman Doktor Ismail. As it was raining, we placed the computer into the our Wira car's booth. Then we went for a teh tarik at a nearby Mak Mak shop. Actually we can see our car from the table I am sitting. I saw a white van blocking my view to our car but I ignored it. When we came back to the car and I checked the car booth, the computer is gone. According to the Brickfield police investigating officer, the case like this is very common case amongst notebook user in the Klang valley.
When I told this case to my friend, Nickolas at Prima Saujana, he told me that he also lost his notebook and two of his suppliers's notebook in their car while they are having a cup of coffee at the Mak Mak shop.
Lesson:
1. Always bring along your notebook whenever you leave your car. Never leave them in your car.
2. Don't take things for granted. They are watching your every move.

4th Case:
Our DKSH's college, Joyce was stopping at a traffic light in Kepong as she relates to us. Two men on a motorbike stopped next to her and the man on the back of the motorbike smashed her passenger side car windows with a sharp iron torn glove and grabbed her handbag which she placed on the seat of the passeger side. She tried to pull back her handbag but the man punched her on the face with the sharp iron torn glove. She injuired her face and she let go of her bag. She needed a few stitch on her face for the damaged done.
Lesson:
1. Always place you handbag next to your legs even how expensive it is.  It's has no value to you when it's taken away from you. Be safe.
2. When at the traffic light stop, be alert of your surrounding.

5th Case:
In the month of April 2012, my brother in-law's house was broken into while he was working. Notebook, camera and hard drive lost but without any sign of forced entrance to his house. Maybe they have the own master key. He did not on his alarm system.
Lesson:
1. Always on your alarm system.
2. Always carry your valuable things with you.

6th Case:
This case happened on May 23rd, 2012 which involved our DKSH college, Simon.
He relates the incident in this way: At 6.55am on this particular day, he parked his car with the engine still running at a Bus Stop which is opposite SK Wangsa Jaya, Wangsa Maju. His daughter is sitting at the back seat. Then he got out of the car and walk to the back of the car to fetch his son who is also sitting at the back seat. While he was at the back of the car, he saw a Indian man got into his car on the driver side. He rushed to the front to stop the closing door and try to grab the man. The man engaged the gear and drag him along as he drives toward the junction. According to him, he did not let go because her daughter is in the back seat. Actually her daughter had jump out of the car while the car was still moving slowly. Knowing his daughter is not in the car, he let go off the car. He injured his head, hands, arms and legs.
Lesson:
1. Always take off the car key when you stop the car even when someone is still in the back seat.
2. Never keep the engine running.
3. Always alert of your surrounding especially when are where you park is abit dark.

7th Case:
This case happen on Monday, June 11 as per my blog

I know there are many cases involve street crime out there but these cases involved around me.

What should we do? What measure should we take to be safe?

BE ALERT ALWAYS is the key.

DO NOT TAKE THINGS FOR GRANTED.

It happen to others and it can also happen to you and I.

Be safe , my friend.

May God protect and may His Angle guarding us. Amen.

Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 VC for Street Photography

This is my 3rd weekend using my new Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II VC LD IF which I have bought for my Church event photography.

I brought it to the street to familarize myself with the lens and give a try on the street. It's wider angle gives me more room to capture bigger scene beside the main subject. As for my normal lens Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G is smaller angle but much lighter.

You need more guts to use 50mm as you have to point directly to your subject whereas with Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II VC LD IF you can aim at something else and yet you still capture your intention target.

But something is missing!!! You do not feel the fun and excitement of the moment. You take the photograph without emotion. Thus I still prefer 50mm with 17-50mm be used when additional details needed to enhance the subject story telling.

Here are some of my shots during the weekend which I captured around Petaling Street and Jalan Masjid India.

Camera: Nikon D7000
Lens: Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II VC LD IF

Reflection: Seeing is deceiving

Graffiti on the move

Against the Tide

Child's Curiosity

Walk with Confident

Life Crisis

 I felt really sorry for this man of whatever his life crisis maybe.


Collision

If we lost focus in life, we may end up collided with each wants and war begins.

Knees give way

When we get older, the knees seems to be the signal of being old.

Negotiation

And yet some are still going for IT.

Get lost

Some subjects on the street are not happy when you took their picture and show you the sign by their facial expression.

Smile

And yet some subjects just smile at you.

Whatever reaction or facial expression or hand sign that you get on the street, they are part and parcel of being a Street Photographer.

Your respond: Always smile and a big thank you with thumb up.

The Stage

 With wide angle you can set your own stage and let the characters filled in.

She is waiting for me?

I captured this lady because she always smile in my direction as I head for Pasar Seni LRT Station. May she mistaken me of someone else.


Train arrival

When the train arrived, I know it's time to head for home. I have a great time with lots of fun and make a few new friends during this 'Know the Street Session'.
Hope to see you again in my next session. Appreciate your comment. Thank you.

Snatch thief at St Ignatius Church

Snatch thief at St Ignatius Church?
"This can not be happening in the Church's area" was my first response when the Church security guard informed me about the incident late Monday night on June 11th, 2012.

I was just finished my offering of prayer to our late brother Alda Evan Tan whose body was in the parlour and I was waiting for my wife relate to me the incident.

According to the security guard, the victim was also coming for the same purpose that is to offer prayers to the decease.

This is how it happen as per the security guard.

A man on a motor cycle rode into the church compound whom he recognised as a young Malay guy. The guard told motorbike rider not to park his motorbike in the church's car park. The man on the motorbike respond with "OK" as he made a U turn and rode out of the Church compound.

A lady with her hand bag hanging on her shoulder was standing next to the gate which was also next to the guard house. She maybe waiting for someone there.

As the motorcycle passed the gate, the motorbike rider grabbed the lady's handbag and rode off.

Ops!! So easy to be conned and rob!

Further the security guard told me that he could not see the motorbike's plate number and he just pointed to the CCTV camera hoping that the camera captured something. I doubt that as it was quite dark.

Lesson to be learned:
Ladies, watch out for your handbag. Keep it close to your body. Keep it on the inside of the road when you walk on the road..
Man, Watch out for your ladies.

I wonder why human are so desperate out there? Is there no other job available or just lazy to get a job?

No body is to be blame but we have to look at the source of these social challenge.

Parents: Watch out for your children or else they may mix with the wrong type of people.

Good Bye, Alda Evan Tan

As every Monday, I headed for St Ignatius Church, Kelana Jaya except today we were having a SIC Scripture Study facilitator meeting. I wonder why so many car at the church. Someone told me that there was a body in the parlour.
Wonder who?
As I took photos of the evening sunset and the flowers around the church, my friend Ignatius Massang came by with his beloved son. Actually we had been not seeing each other for few years. He mentioned that his beautiful wife is still at work.

Then he told me that his friend passed away. In my heart, I said if it's his friend then I should have known.
I do not ask him who was in the parlour but instead I went upstairs to do my meditation.

We started out meeting at around 8.00pm and the first thing our Chief Co-ordinator Mr Francis Khoo mentioned was the passing of our senior SIC member's son. He mentioned the name as Alda Tan.

I am curious as my heart pumped faster and I ask, "Is it Alda Evan Tan?"

He responded with, "Yes. He passed away at 4.45AM this morning."

Sadness overcome me as my soul pray in tongue.

I may not know him and never meet him personally but through my prayer since I first knew about him as in my blog , I am close to him in my soul.

During our SIC Scripture Study meeting, my heart was trouble and I can not wait to say good bye to the friend whom I never meet.

I rushed down to the parlour and the Charismatic Group was reciting the Rosary. Brother Richard Lai motioned with his hand to me to join them. My heart was really trouble and I prayed in tongue outside the parlour. When the rest of my group arrived, I joined them inside to recite the Rosary and Divine Mercy prayer.  I just lost my words and pray in the words I do not know.

After the prayer, I sprinkled the holy water on his photo and then moved to the coffin and through the glass, I saw him face to face. Laying peacefully in the coffin was our late brother Alda Evan Tan.

No words just a tingle in my heart said, "Good bye, my friend".

"Heavenly, our brother Alda Evan Tan's soul rest in peace. May his parents, his sister, his wife and children be comforted by your love and grace. Grant them the strength and courage to overcome the passing of their beloved one. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen."

Elly the Henna Artist

Street Photography is my passion and I love to do it as it is the best way for me to know the characters on the street better. Beside I may make new friends in the process or grow my Flickr 100Strangers Project
I want to do street photography weekly if possible. Now I am settle with twice a month.

Who are these character?

Elly

One of these character whom I have met and having a short conversation twice in two weeks is Elly, the street Henna (Inai in Malay) designer.

His humble stall is at Jalan Melayu on the way to Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur.

How to find him?
Look for the images of henna decoration on his stall's wall or look for the man who wear Newcastle United FC Jersey.

Elly waiting for his customer

Elly who is originated from Gombak, Selangor had been in this business for many years and he is specialize in casual, party and wedding henna decoration. If you have any other request, you may ask him and he will give his best to meet your request.

Elly at work

 On the way back from Jalan Masjid India, I saw Elly is busy with his work.

What do you think of his workmanship?

Normally it takes a few minutes to complete one hand decorated and it takes another 30 minutes to get it dry.

How much is the cost?

MYR 5.00 which I consider as cheap based of the uniqueness and quality of his work. He is good at his task and he is really an artist.

How long will the image last?
According to Elly, the image will last for a week. Not bad for a mere MYR 5.00.

If you are interested in doing some temporary decorated images on your hands or feet, you come to his stall at Jalan Melayu, Kuala Lumpur or you may make an appointment with him via his telephone number.

You may personally contact him at 012-329 5167.

Hope to see you again.

Appreciate your comment, please.

Happy Weekend and happy shooting.

Wedding Dinner: Selva vs Prema

Last Saturday,  June 2nd, Agnes and I were invited to a Wedding Dinner for Mr. T. Selavarajan @ Selva and Ms K. Premarani @ Prema which was held at Dewan Serbaguna Taman Maluri, Jaln Wira 1 Kampong Pandan, Kuala Lumpur.

After many twists and turns, we managed to arrive at the Dewan just in time.

Though we are the invited guest but I am armed myself with my Nikon D7000, my new Nikon Speedlight SB910 which we bought a few days ago and now still learning how to use it and two lens (Nikon 50mm f/1.8G and Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 VC).

I shoot when the line is clear only as not to disturb the official photographer and videographer.

At the entrance of the Hall (Dewan), we were greet by the 'Kolam'.


KOLAM

As we sit at the table near the door, it seems that everyone is waiting for the main event.


Photographer and Videographer ready at the entrance



Kids waiting..

The Arrival

Uncle leads the way

Fragrant and Flower Petals cover the path

Presentation of Mr and Mrs Selvarajan

And the Indian's custom of Feeeding the Bride and the Bridegroom begins.



Selva feeds his wife

Prema feeds her husband

 

Uncle feeds Prema

And photo time for the guest follows.



Selva, Prema, Agnes and John

Agnes and Prema



Mr Augstine

Stella

Gowri and Annie

Congratulation, Prema!!!

Appreciate your comments.

Thank you.

(See you in my next Wedding Dinner Photo Session which will be this weekend, June 9th 2012)