Foto Friday - Favourite Foto
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Posted:Nov 5, 2011 5:30 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2013 9:24 am 2899 Views
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It was sunset and we were leaving the Venice Jetty in our bus when I spotted this cyclist on the bridge above. I whipped out my camera to take a shot as the bus was making a turn and I only had the time to make one shot. What was worse was that the low battery warning was on! The photo could have been better but for a snapshot, I think it is okay. I like dawn and sunset because of the mixture of light and darkness.
This picture tells me that the day is done and everybody is returning to the warmth and comfort of home where the loved ones are waiting.
Lee
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7
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Foto Friday - P is for Pisa.
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Posted:Oct 27, 2011 10:44 pm
Last Updated:Oct 30, 2011 2:29 am 3045 Views
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From the top:-
1. The cathedral, baptistery and the leaning bell tower in Pisa’s Cathedral Square, Italy. In this picture, it can be seen that the tower is leaning but I have been told that this may not be true.
2. Pisa is a romantic city and this young Korean couple has chosen to be married at the cathedral here.
3. This photo proves beyond a doubt that it is not the tower but the other buildings that are leaning.
Lee
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Foto Friday - Hats
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Posted:Oct 21, 2011 9:21 am
Last Updated:Dec 3, 2011 5:55 am 2927 Views
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I saw this Jamaican Rasta Hat on a street in Venice, Italy last week. He was singing and playing some nice music, most probably Reggae, with a broad smile on his face.
Lee
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Foto Friday - Celebrate My Country (Town)
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Posted:Oct 7, 2011 12:03 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2013 9:24 am 3346 Views
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From the top:-
1. The Taiping Railway Station, built in 1885, is the first railway station in Malaya. The railway connects Taiping to Port Weld and it was built to carry tin ore to Port Weld to be sent to Penang. Before that, tin ore had to be hauled by elephants and the journey from Taiping to Port Weld took a couple of days.
2. Bukit Larut (formerly known as Maxwell Hill) is the oldest hill resort in Malaya and was founded in 1884. It is about 1250 m above sea level and reflects the colonial past with quaint bungalows and English gardens. Access is only by the resort’s Land Rovers and the photo shows the ticketing office at the foot of the hill and people waiting for the Land Rover and others hiking up the hill.
3. The Taiping Prison was built in 1879 and is also the first in Malaya. It was built because of the intense fighting between the Chinese secret societies at the tin mines during that time.
4. The Taiping Clock Tower, a Taiping landmark, is situated in the center of town along Kota Road. This was built in 1890 and was built as a fort but only a small portion of it remains. The road is named after the building as kota means fort in Malay. There used to be a bell in the tower (notice the belfry below the clock).
5. The All Saints Church is situated at the outskirts of town along Jalan Taming Sari. It is the first Anglican Church in Malaya and was founded in 1886 (consecrated in 1887) and is famous for its pipe organ. It features a timber façade and gothic architectural design.
Note: There are a number of Chinese temples and mosques in Taiping too.
6. The Taiping Market Square, built in 1884 and 1885, comprises of two markets separated by Kota Road. Both markets are 220 feet long and 60 feet wide and are built of timber with an iron roof. Meat, fish, vegetables and fruits are available here. The photo shows one market taken from the other market. At night, the hawker stalls will be filled people and these stalls used to open until morning which is why this place is called Siang Malam ( Day and night).
7. The Perak State Muzeum in Taiping is the oldest muzeum in Malaysia and was founded by Sir Hugh Low in 1883. Note the architecture.
8. The Taiping District Office is a Victorian styled office building that was built around 1897-8.
9. The Taiping Lake Gardens, established in 1880, is the first public garden in Malaya. It is situated near the town and is originally a mining site that belonged to Chung Thye Phin. The 64 hectares site has ten scenic lakes and ponds.
Lee
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Foto Friday - O
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Posted:Sep 29, 2011 8:18 pm
Last Updated:Oct 1, 2011 11:17 pm 3131 Views
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I have chosen "ordinary folks" for the letter "O". The following people are some of the ordinary folks in Taiping.
From the top:-
1. This barber is in Kamunting, the village 5 km from the town of Taiping where I spent my childhood. My friend, the barber, took over the business from his father. Their family used to stay in this house but he has now purchased a brand new house nearby so he must be doing well. Recently he has called back his (who was working in Kuala Lumpur) so that he (the ) can learn the trade so I guess this family business will be carrying on for at least one more generation.
2. This iced-water cum fruit seller is located opposite the market in Pokok Assam, another village near Taiping. The cut yellow fruit on the cart is nangka (jackfruit).
3. This is a lottery ticket seller (the lady sitting on the chair) with a customer. This is outside a shopping mall opposite the Casual Market. Being a dreamer who dreams of striking the Big One, I know quite a number of lottery sellers; most of them are mobile, riding around on a bicycle or motorbike. One of them has a who is now an engineer and another, a doctor.
4. This is a newspaper man near the Taiping market. At night, this gentleman also moonlights as a waiter at the Mamak restaurant where I go for supper – usually tea and roti chanai or tosai.
5. This is a noodle seller. He fries char koey teow, mee and meehoon (our local noodles) but is well-known for his "economical" mee/meehoon. He took over the business from his mum and now owns a semi-detached house. He also dabbles in shares so he must be quite comfortable.
6. This is a kacang putih seller along Kota Road. Kacang putih are roasted and salted or sweetened peas, peanuts and other beans or nuts eaten as snacks and are traditionally sold wrapped in paper cones.
In Malaysia, there is no welfare for the able-bodied unemployed so even some of the elderly have to make a living. Some are lucky and can work inside shops and stalls whereas others have to endure the hot sun and rain for at least a few hours a day. Most of them have been involved in their trade for years.
Lee
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11
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Foto Friday - Seasonal fruit.
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Posted:Sep 22, 2011 8:10 pm
Last Updated:Sep 30, 2011 7:37 am 3618 Views
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There are plants in Malaysia which bear fruit the whole year round like the papaya and the pineapple and then there are fruits that are seasonal like the rambutan, durian and mangosteen. Unfortunately, it is not durian or mangosteen season now and the rambutan fruits are still green. So I have decided to show the Breadfruit instead. In Malaysia it is known as sukun.
Breadfruit trees are quite tall with large thick leaves. I think the fruit is seasonal because I rarely see the fruits and it is only two weeks ago that I spotted this tree.
It is said that when cooked, the fruit tastes like fresh-baked bread (hence the name) but I have tried the deep-fried sliced breadfruit and it tasted like potato. Maybe my taste is more refined. 
Lee
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Foto Friday - Train, Automobile and Plane.
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Posted:Sep 15, 2011 7:31 pm
Last Updated:Sep 21, 2011 10:03 pm 2815 Views
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From the top:
1. This yellow train is taken at the Taiping Railway station. It is an “engineering” train and is presently used in the building of the double track from Singapore to Penang. It is also used in performing repairs to the track, derailment, etc.
2. This tractor is used to keep the Taiping Lake Garden clean. MPT stands for Majlis Perbandaran Taiping (Taiping Town Council).
3. I took this photo at the Gimpo International Airport, Seoul, South Korea. However, I do not know its flight plan.
Lee
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Foto Friday - Honouring The War Dead (Evoked by 9/11)
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Posted:Sep 8, 2011 11:23 pm
Last Updated:Sep 19, 2011 2:31 am 2645 Views
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From the top:
The first 7 photos are of the Taiping War Memorial Cemetery situated at the foot of Maxwell Hill which was erected in 1946 by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for those killed while fighting for the Allied Forces in Malaya against the invading Japanese Forces. It comprises of two plots on opposite sides of the road – one plot for Christian graves (mostly British and Australian soldiers) and the other plot for Hindu, Muslim and Gurkha graves of the Indian Infantry.
There are more than 850 war casualties commemorated in this site with more than 500 of whom are unidentified.
Photos 8 to 10 are of the monument erected in a Chinese cemetery nearby. The Chinese living in Malaya suffered greatly during the Japanese occupation with at least 37,000 of them killed either as resistance fighters or executed by the Japanese secret police.
Photo 11 shows the road leading to the Taiping War Memorial Cemetery.
Photo 12 shows the sunrise above the area two days ago. Hopefully with such peaceful and serene surroundings, they will rest in peace.
Lee
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Foto Friday - My Street.
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Posted:Sep 1, 2011 11:18 pm
Last Updated:Sep 15, 2011 7:08 pm 3050 Views
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From the top:-
1. This is the street where I live. It is quite short, about 100 meters long, and is situated at the foot of a small verdant hill. As such, every morning, I awake to the sound of birdsong.
2. Here the twilight of dawn can be seen around 6 in the morning.
3. The noisy neighbours opposite. They are urbanized by now and are very agile. Food left outside the house can disappear in a flash. They are not fussy eaters and will grab anything including those in the dustbin.
4. These are the flowers that I have planted by the gate. I like the dainty pink flowers and they grow the whole year round.
5. At times, I received some beautiful visitors. This beauty came to visit my zinnias.
6. One day these three merbok (zebra doves) came to the gate to ask for directions to Pulau Gula (Sugar Island). They claim that they want to meet their cousins there. The swamps on Pulau Gula, located off the coast of Perak, are where migratory birds stop to rest on their way to and from home.
7. Taiping in one of the wettest towns in South East Asia and it is famous for its rainstorms.
8. These grasses located opposite my house are bending in the wind. Strong wind, lightning and thunder often accompany the rain.
Lee
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