May 01, 2012
Angkor Wat Visitors
You can easily pick out bright and colourful visitors from this image. My last visit in early April was my third. Somehow Angkor Wat seemed smaller than I remember it. Maybe it was the wooden steps they built over the steep stone steps leading to the upper level -- it made the climb much easier, and safer, and so much more accesible to visitors.
Siem Reap is a fantastic place to visit. I am not convinced however, that the girls would enjoy it as much.
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December 06, 2010
Da Lat Work Desk
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December 25, 2007
Monument
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December 24, 2007
St. Paul's Cathedral
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December 19, 2007
The London Eye and the Thames
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Warm Reflection
Shadow of a man standing in the cold helps reflect part of a poster with trees commonly associated with much warmer climes.
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December 18, 2007
Couple in the shadows, London.
10:30 p.m.
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December 17, 2007
The Central Line
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January 04, 2007
Old Man in Siem Reap
The old man didn’t say a word I could understand when I visited his small store. It was hot in Siem Reap, and shopping, or even just browsing, was hardly in mind. What attracted me to his thrift shop was the collection of old music instruments and rusty bits and pieces he seemed to have collected over the years - items that could easily be found in my grandfather’s shed one time ago. The man must be 10, maybe 15, years younger than my grandad. Dusty trinkets, rusty tools, gears of sorts, and even swords were sold in a small, darkened space. He’d blow the dust off things that attracted my attention, but most of them were already dust-encrusted from repeated improper cleaning. The items, a stark contrast from the old man who had a clean cut appearance and manners of a gentleman who pressed his own shirt and trousers.
Through a series of interjections and hand signs, he showed how one would hold a violin-like instrument and play a few notes. He didn’t seem to play himself, but was familiar enough with the instrument made from two steel wires, a long stick, a few pegs and what seemed to be a dried hollowed-out gourd used for resonance. His lousy student was struggling to hit some notes and soon gave up after it was clear that it wasn’t the instruments that were at fault. He continued smiling, looking for other things to show. It was a small store and it took me just about 15 minutes to go through everything.
After a final exchange of universal gestures, I left knowing full well our paths would never cross. What started with an intention to seek something new, ended with a sense of familiarity. Now as I write this, I think it was the embodiment of resilience, endurance, and ultimately of mortality that drew me: the musty air, the texture of rust on what was once vivid and indispensable, silent occupants in a darkened room represented only by a man who was subdued in his actions - qualities that were inevitable, just as the hot summer streets just a few steps away.
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August 22, 2006
A peaceful abode
I must be tired. I've been browsing last year's vacation photos. Within a month last year, we managed to visit friends in 4 cities. My shoulders still ache of the load we had to haul for 2 adults and 2 small children going on a 4-week vacation. Fortunately, travelling in Asia, or anywhere else for that matter, was far less stressful than flying through New York. I know... what else can be expected from the only city on Earth that has been on high/orange alert since 2001?
Imagine the fear if the future was read to me 20 years ago:
In 15 years, there will be a major city on earth that would be put on high alert for several years beyond the reach of current crystal ball technology. You will live in that city for more than 5 years. You will raise children in that city. That city will not improve its essential infrastructure despite warnings. If a natural disaster strikes, people will not have a plan to refer to.
And for those planning to visit, this may help. Or not. Well, actually, this could, and it would be a good idea to visit the site.
Here in the States, we were told "freedom" comes with a price: among them, numerous security measures put in place since 2001. Shoes must now be x-rayed. Coats, and belts, and even your unthreatening sandwich. (And pretty much the same thing can be expected before boarding a ferry to visit Lady Liberty on Liberty Island.) I once asked if I would get sick from eating radioactive sandwiches that came out through the x-ray machines. The TSA officer didn't use a single smile muscle.
Passengers are now "randomly" selected for secondary screenings. I've put "randomly" in quotations because I know friends who have been consistently unlucky to be picked out for this second layer of security measures. Last month I was told that the airlines with which I was travelling was considering extracting my luggage - that was, until I finally showed up after being held up by the TSA. My hand-carry's lock had gotten stuck during the "random" secondary screening and they held me until they could open the lock.
I have to admit though, the TSA has improved in their handling of the whole process over the years. Officers now seemed to be better trained at dealing with passengers. And passengers have been sensitised and are more adept at avoiding prolonged screenings.
I do understand that those security measures are necessary for the safety of every regular, law-abiding, peace-loving passenger. But does someone in New York have, or enjoy more freedom than he or she would in any other city (cities in war zones and nascent states excluded of course)? I realise there couldn't be a definitive answer, but many people that I've talked to who have spent significant parts of their lives in other countries have found it hard to say yes.
Anyway... back to the photo. The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque in Brunei is located by the centuries-old water village. Built by the Brunei river and completed in 1958, the mosque exudes tranquility. Immerse yourself deep enough in its surroundings, and you can expect a cool breeze to pay a gentle visit. I was waiting for N and the kids outside the shops when I took this handheld shot. We didn't get to do as much as we wanted during our brief stay, but we managed to enjoy the food and meet up with old friends.
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May 31, 2005
Flushing Meadows Picnic
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May 30, 2005
Mystic Manager
It was half past one and the only Japanese restaurant in Mystic, Connecticut, was empty. We had walked into a mistake, we thought.
The manager happily welcomed us and we hoped for the best. The manager had his back towards us when we sat down, just as he did when we first walked in. That had to be bad Feng Shui.
The food turned out great however; and since we walked in, two other tables filled. N had the salmon fried rice, which she shared with me. If it's cooked fish, and I could eat it, then it has to be good.
We didn't get to see Mystic that much during that day trip. Our lives was always much happier if the kids were happy. And if it means just quiet walks around town and spending around half of the time in restaurants and ice cream parlours, so be it.
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January 25, 2005
YO MOMMA
A few people have said that Farizah looked more like her mother than me.
I suppose that's a good thing. We were at an airport's check-in counter one day, and being better at negotiating with airport staff, I would usually be looking after tickets, passports and stuff. When I told the person behind the ticket counter that my family was just 7 feet in front of her and to her right, she said, with a stern voice, "I NEED TO SEE THE PEOPLE TRAVELLING WITH YOU, SIR!"
That was when I realised that the reason I was tasked with this unpleasantry was because N was so much better at looking after Azmina than I was. When she saw N, she was immediately surprised. Surprised at how seemingly mismatched we were in appearance. When she saw Azmina, she just had to ask me, "Are you sure you're with them?" Still puzzled, she turned to N and Azmina and asked, "What are you doing with him?"
I kept thinking, "This is good, just entertain this woman. Don't say YO MOMMA.... Don't say YO MOMMA.... Don't say YO MOMMA"
And I didn't. And everything went quite smooth... as easy as her momma, wearing an I-DA-HO t-shirt.
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