Getting Personal

According to Malaysia Today, it seems that the obsession for a nice number plate in Malaysia is hitting fever pitch with the latest ‘TAY 1’ hitting six figures. According to the Terengganu RTD (Road Transport Department), that number plate received RM220,000 (NZ$94,607.00); the highest bid in the country ever!

POOR-RICH Malaysians! Are they mad? Or are they willing suckers for the RTD?

Well, in New Zealand you could have got that plate today through "Plates.co.nz" for NZ$ 799.00 (RM1,858.00). The amount paid for the Malaysian plate can buy you a Ferrari to wear that plate!!

When I check at the on line site today. "TAY 1" was taken but you can have "TAYONE" for the same amount, as a matter of fact you can have any combination you want as long as it is available for NZ$799.00!

Not only that, NZ Plates offer various design options! For instance, your TAYONE can be:

Children of the Dam

Today, Sunday; March 7 is 10th anniversary of the Children's Day in New Zealand.

On this day I remember the "Children of the Dam"...

They were taken at Kuala Kubu Bahru, Malaysia; just before their homes and village were taken away to build a new dam.

Did the local wanted the dam? Was there a referendum? Are you kidding me, refer-what? Was it in the name of progress? Was there a hidden agenda?

As a photographer, I am only an observer; sigh :( But there are plenty who speak out against the dam, against dislocating the tribes that has lived there for eons!

A question was asked, "Would the RM2.14 billion Sg Selangor Dam follow the fate of the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam in Ringlet, Cameron Highlands in ten to twenty years down the line?"
You think the authority give a dam (damn)? I remember the children of the dam....

Putting on a brave smiles, these Orang Asli children are going to loose their village soon to a new dam. The price of progress?

This shot was taken with a 15mm fish-eye from a high perspective to portrays the "little people" theme. Kuala Kubu Bahru, Perak; Malaysia. © C.Y.Leow

M'sians Celebrate Yr of Tiger in Wellington

Malaysians and friends celebrated the eve of "Chap Goh Meh" with a grand dinner at the Regal Restaurant in Wellington.

According to Wikipedia:

Chap Goh Meh or Tzap Goh Mei (Chinese: 十五暝; pinyin: shí wǔ míng; literally "fifteen night") represents the fifteenth and final day of the Lunar New Year period as celebrated by Chinese migrant communities. The term is from the Hokkien dialect and refers to the fifteenth day of the first month, which is the occasion of the first full moon of the New Year.

The dinner was organised by the New Zealand Malaysian Society, well done guys!

I am not going to bore you with all the usual dinner snap shots but to show you the BEST lion dance I ever see! In moving pictures!

This is a video grab from the clip I post at YouTube. When you are watching it, take note of the delicate movement of the lion; see how his ears flap and how he "scratch" his back!

Power of Video Frame Grab

Last Sunday we were at Te Papa for a Chinese New Year cultural performance and we had the rare chance to watch and listen to Ms Zhang Lei performing on her Guzheng. To say she is very good would be an understatement! Sweet sound from heaven indeed!

Would you believe this was the only shot I took of her with my DSLR? Why? Because I was busy filming her in video mode, with my Canon G9 point and shoot!

Happy Birthday Photoshop!

On 19 February 2010, Adobe Photoshop turns 20!

By now everyone know what Photoshop is! Just Google it and you get 757,000,000 hits, so it is pointless for me to explain what it is :) I just want to remember how this graphics editing program changed my career path forever.

In 1993 I was head hunted by Singapore Press Holdings and became their first Picture Editor for their Chinese Newspapers Division.

Thanks to the far sightedness of the Group Editor, Mr Loy; who believed in my proposals and approved me starting the first electronic picture desk system!

Was the Straits Times guys jealous! Ha ha ha... to let the Chinese papers beat them to it ;)

I went straight for the Apple Macintosh system instead of PC and we had Photoshop 2.5!

For me desktop computers are something really new! My prior experience of computer was using the Atex system which is pure command line and no graphics at all!

CNY in Auckland (part 2)

Last week we caught up with Charles and Janet when we were in Auckland.

You might remember Janet and Charles who were dishing out the most delicious nyonya food at their Sri Intan Cuisine at Mt Albert, Auckland up until 11 Oct 2009.

The good old days... Janet and Charles

CNY in Auckland (part 1)

A couple of weeks ago I received a letter from Qantas informing me that my Frequent Flyer Air Points will be confiscated if I don't fly anywhere by Feb end!

Since Chinese New Year is just round the corner, we decided to check out the Chinese New Year Festival & Market Day at the ASB Showgrounds, Auckland on Saturday. We also look forward to catch up with old friends!

We were travelling light for a change, why... even my cameras are the "light" varieties ;) I took with me the "Neglected Gem", the Nikon Coolpix 8400 and the reliable Canon G9.

I also have on my belt, a pouch to put these two cameras in; phew! It was then I realised their combine weight is nearly the same as my Nikon D300! Ha ha ha...

We arrived in Auckland on Thursday afternoon, a hot and humid day; remind us of the sticky weather in Malaysia! The room was steaming hot! So we upgrade to an air conditioned room, a $20 extra for creature comfort!

Ellen and Jeff pick us up nice and early on Saturday morning for the ASB Showgrounds, even at 9.15 am; the car parks are filling up fast!

We supposed to wait till 9.30 am before we were let into the main building after the VIPs, but the VIPs were late!

The waiting game... why are we waiting ;)