Happy Chinese Rice Dumpling Festival 2006, 端午节快乐

Tomorrow is the fifth of May in the Chinese Lunar calendar, and as a Chinese I will be celebrating the rice dumplings festival.

Have to remind myself to bath at noon for the 午时水, and I will be going to the Kuching waterfront to see if there is any dragon boat race or not. See you guys at the waterfront tomorrow.

Saturday barbeque, and at Sunday barbeque again

Saturday

Last weekend my brother Kerry and I went to visit my cousin at Serian. We haven’t had a gathering for a long time, so my cousin brother decided that we have barbeque. He took one big oil tank, and asked his worker to cut it into half. That will be our barbeque wok. And he also bought some firewood as charcoal; he told us that this wood can produce better results than charcoal.

When everything is prepare, my brother starts the fire at 5.00pm, and everything looks good. Today beside chicken, and sausage, we also tried something new. We had bought a bamboo for RM1.00 from the wetmarket, and we wanted to cook bamboo chicken. This is the first time we tried this, so the only knowledge that we have is to put many ingredients into the bamboo, and let it burn.

That day was very unfortunately it rain and stop, rain and stop. But this doesn’t stop our barbeque spirit. After the fire wood had started to burn, we move all the woods into the barbeque wok. We moved all the burning firewood into the wok, and the bamboo is all burn. The bamboo turns into black bamboo, and my brother laugh and laugh. From here we know that the fire is too heavy, but it smells great!!!

The time now is 6.10pm, we just start to barbeque the rest of the meat. In today menu, we have chicken, sausage, and pork meat. Why we start so late, is all because of the inexperience of cooking the bamboo chicken. But is really fun to try out new stuff, and for me there is nothing happier than able to get together with families members, and do something together.



cutting the oil tank into half, transform an oil tank into a barbeque wok


firewood use to replace charcoal


start burning up the firewood to get thing start


New on the menu, my cousin brother wanted to imitate the rural people by using bamboo to cook food, so we had tried our own version “The Bammbo Chicken”


Close the hatch by using banana leaf. But have to make sure that you leave a small portion of the leaf out, so that it can be pull out when the chicken is cook.


After finish putting all the ingredients in, is time to cook the Bamboo Chicken


The sky is playing with us that day, it rain, it stop, rain and stop. The red shirt is my brother (Kerry), and the other one is my cousin brother.


OMG! I think the fire is too heavy for the bamboo.


Marinated chicken


Pork meat


Sausage, this is the children favorite.


At first my brother and I we wanted to barbeque the food nice and steady, but…


…when is become late, and dark. We just hantam everything in the wok, and don’t care weather is cook or not.


The end result of Bamboo Chicken, nice :)


Pork meat, the skin is very hard, and is very oily. I don’t dare to eat the skin, because I can still see the pig fur on the skin. My brother, he just grab one and put all in his mouth n chew.


This is my favorite, chicken wings and drumstick.

Sunday

The next day when I work up, I hear my little nephews and niece complain to their parent that they are hungry, and wanted to barbeque again today. Little kids always makes the loudest noise, so with no other choice we all had decided to barbeque again today!

Today’s menu there is something new, we will be barbequing corns. I’m not much of a corn lover, but after I had tried one it makes me crave for the second one. But is really hot, hot, hot. Today we setup the fire at around 5.00pm, and my brother and I had learn the mistake from yesterday (we barbeque to slow) so today we barbeque the chicken, sausage, and pork meat without using the stupid barbeque clip. I put the sausage, the chicken, and the pork meats on the barbeque wok, but my brother complain that is very messy. So he rearranges the food again. Ok, ok…I know sometime I’m a little bit messy, but I just want to get things done faster.

That day was damn hot, all of us are sweating. Especially my brother and me, but when you see the happy face on those little kids eating the fried chicken, and sausages. It is all worth it.


Today we’re using charcoal cause the firewood are finish


barbeque corn, they bough this at the Serian wet market.


Just look at the corn that we barbeque, and I’ve also put some butter on it. How’s the taste, it was fantastic.


Sausage again


chicken, my favorite.


Pork meat, my brother favorite


I wanted to get all the food cook faster, so I just simply put all the food on the wok.


But my brother complain that is was very messy, so he rearrange the food again.


Now when I saw back the photos, it makes me feel hungry.

My photos post v.5

People

When I was at the temple, saw this father and daughter waiting at the second floor of the temple, while holding their joss stick.


After finish having coffee with my friends, the shops are almost close. One sales girl was standing at the entrance waiting…


A guy was performing “magic tricks” with just a few rubs, he can vanish all the dirty stain on the clothes by using his “magic powder”


It was a raining day, this little kid had lost sight of his parent. All he can do now is cry and wait for their parent to look for him

Let’s go home

One picture cannot tell the whole story. This is what happens before and after a love between a grandpa and grandson. The grandson sees a stick, and wants to pick it up, but grandpa said that is danger. Grandson insists, and grandpa had no choice but to let him, carry him up and bring him back home…with the stick together.

This is the way to capture objective mementos that surpass the clarity of your own memory. p/s: I made the dialog up myself :P

Mr Anson

Meet my two year’s old little nephew Mr. Anson.


Wilson: “What! You want my camera!!!
Anson: (sob sob…)
Wilson: (headache)

Let’s go for a ride

My dear reader, today I will bring you all to visit some of the rural place at Tapah Village. So common hop on to my bike and let’s start our journey. Is a very hot day, and it will be a bumpy ride, so hold on tight.

Here they don’t have electricity; they have to use a generator to generate electric. The people who live here are mostly rural people. They plant their own vegetable, rice, fruits, white peppers and etc.

This is the first time I visit this place with my cousin brother, and just notice there are still a lot of place that haven’t develop. The rural people live in a long house, and if they want to go to the shop…they walk, is a very long way. Some of them who afford to own transportation will usually have a bike, or bicycle.

There is a story about this village way before 1957 the independence of Malaysia. I heard grandma told me before, that time the Japanese was here, and life is very tough. Will write a short story, and post up some interesting photos of Tapah Village when I finish collecting, and compiling all the information and photos.

Enjoy the photos


This is a Honda 70cc motorbike. It is old enough to put into the museum.


The bike may look old, but is still very powerful. My cousin brother is the driver, while I was the rider, and the photographer.


When riding the bike, I can feel the win blowing gently on my face. It let me feel free like a bird, I can just fly to any place I want.


The road condition is not very good, while riding the bike is like riding a horse. But is really run, I just keep on snapping photos all the way.

Carl and Jenny’s wedding ceremony

Jenny is my friend since secondary school; know her more than 10 years. I attended her wedding ceremony last week at Dewan Masyarakat Serian (Serial Community Hall). It was celebrate in the afternoon.

She had been calling me one month before her weeding, cause she need me to help her take some photos, as she know I like photography. The ceremony start at 11.00am, I wake up around 9.30am. It took almost one hour car drive to get from Kuching to Serian, and yes I almost late. I had set the alarm in my cell phone to beep at 8.30am, but instead of am, I set it to pm. Hope this will not happen in my own wedding day.

Ok, so after I reach the hall the ceremony yet to be start, I hurry took a few shoots. I was very hungry, cause no time for breakfast. When the ceremony start, the food is still not yet to be serve and I almost fainted. But is really nice able to see that my friend had finally found her soul mate. One of the most important things in life is be able to meet that someone that will love you the same as you love her/him. It is really emotional when I saw her mother, father, and her sisters cried. This make me want to (sob) (sob).

I like all of the seven dished, it was very delicious. But a flaw is the dish serves out too slow which might otherwise be perfect. There are not enough waiters to cater the amount of guests. I had a great time, shoots a lot of photos. Here I wish Jenny and Carl happy, good health, and “zao sheng gui zhi”.


L-R: Carl, Jenny, Wilson Chin (Me), and the flower girls, pretty :)


Serian Community Hall, the bride and the groom will walk on the red carpet when the ceremony starts.


They had reserve a sit specially for me, see how important I am


After this, they will said “I do”, then exchange wedding ring. And after that...


...awwww, the groom lift up the veil, look the bride in the eye, and give her a big kiss.


fried rice


herbal chicken


roasted duck, with buns


mango fried chicken. Two thumbs up!!!


steam fish with ginger


brid eggs soup


Vegtable


fruits


desert, the wedding cake.
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Happy Mother’s Day mom, I miss home, and I miss you.

Sarawak River, Kuching Waterfront, and my camera

While I bring my cousin across the Sarawak River, is shaky in the boat. It was dusk, and not must nature lights. But taking photos with original/nature light ca give the best result. I had done some experiment myself on shooting some low light photography. I change to a higher sensitivities level to get a higher shutter speed. A higher speed enables me to take pictures in poor lighting conditions, but with a very high noise level.

The results are not bad. I like my last photo the most, but one thing is the horizontal line is not balance. Why is this happen, because that day there is this fat dude sitting opposite me, causing the boat to become imbalance. And how much do you need to pay to cross over the river? RM0.30 day time, and RM1.00 night time.


The old historical shop lots opposite Kuching Waterfront


Almost dusk


Along


though it was just a few minutes boat ride, but it somehow make me feel uncomfortable. Shit!!! I’m getting sea sick.

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Happy Weasak Day 2006 everyone :)

Chilling out at Rancan waterfall

Last weekend my cousin and I went to Rancan waterfall situated at Serian, it was a hot day. When I reach the waterfall, immediately I jump into the cold water. The both of us start to swim around, all of a sudden a guy shout “snake, snake”. We look up and it is really a snake, and it is crawling not into the bush, but into the freaking water. “run” the guy shouts, so we stop swimming and get our self dry.

We start to explorer the area, and notice there is a suspension bridge. The view from the bridge…fantastic!!! I like swimming.


The water current is strong, very strong. I’ve swam to the waterfall, and it took me a lot of energy to do that


the water not very crystal clear, but is very cold


I float on the water with my face facing the sky, and this is what I saw.


The suspension bridge, if fall...it will be a long way down


The view from the bridge, and the place with a big rock and waterfall is where I swam just now

Climbing Mountain Singai

“Wilson, this Labor Day we go conquer Mt Singai, you want to join or not?” My friend called and asked me this. “No problem. Yes I like Mt Singai...er...but where is Mt Singai” I replied.

Mt Singai is located at Bau, and this mountain is belong to the Catholic Memorial and Pilgrimage Center (CMPCM)so everyone is welcome. We are in a group of fifteen people, we start our journey at around 9.00am, there is a church at the middle of the mountain, to go there need to walk the starts way all the way up to the church. I was quite impressed and curious on how the people actually bring all the building materials up to the hill and build the church??!! On our way up, there are 12 small check points, and each check point there is a short story of Jesus. I shoot a lot of photos along the way, and the view is nice when we go higher.

50 minutes later we reached the Catholic church. Some of my friend went for praying, and while my friend is busy praying I was busy shooting photos. The people who live here had plant a lot of beautiful flowers, and they had done a good job on keeping the place clean. I start to get worried after the sky turns to dark. Hope that we all can reach the top, and come down before it rains. After 20 minutes, we all start our mountain climbing.

At first I tough climbing this mountain will like walk in the park for me, but who know its quite challenging, some part of the mountain are so slanting that require rope to climb up. The mountain is cover with dense forest; some of the trees are very BIG and TALL. I was very tired, and actually plan to give up halfway. Suddenly I saw a small kid going down the mountain with his parent! How can I loose to a kid, so this made me go go go. After one hour and ten minutes, I had successfully reached the summit. My clothes are wet, because of my sweat, and I was exhausted.

At the summit, the air is fresh, the weather is cold, but very unfortunate the view are all covered by fog. I can hear bird singing, insect crying, and win blowing. This is just simply the best way to relax your mind and soul. We all chat, we joke, and we laugh, after 40 minutes, we all go downhill. This is the part that I like, cause is not as hard as going up I just need concentration, and focus on the way down. I start to race with my friends on going down, but for the girls they like to do it slow and steady. Going up it require one hours and ten minutes, believe it or not going down it only takes 30 minutes (and I also stop for shooting photos).

When reach downhill, we stop at the pavilion to wait for the others. And lucky for us (the faster one), it start to rain. The few of us just sit there and standby to laugh at the slower one. The rain is pouring heavily, and we are all very hungry, wet, cold, and tired. We can’t wait anymore longer for the rain to stop, so we all rush down the hill to our car. This is a very fun and unforgettable experience. I have underestimate and look down on this mountain, next time before any of this mountain climbing, I will go for training to build up my stamina first.


Meet the gang. At first I still dono how tough it is to clim this mountain, but I just assume that it would probably like a walk in the park.


There are bridge and stairs way for visitor to walk all the way up the church


This is like a small check point, there is a cross like statue. It has a picture on the middle of the cross, and some description to describe the picture. Is about the story of Jesus.


A signboard that display layout on the church area


This is a open amphitheatre, I like the design


A very big pavilion


Star our journey. Destination Mt Singai summit.


One hour and ten minutes later, I reach the summit. On top of the hill, there is this platform


View from top of Mt Singai. It will be very beautiful if the fog is not around covering most of the scene


thirty minutes later, reach down to the starting point again. While I’m standing in the amphitheatre, two butterflies keep on flying around me. No mater how I chase them away, they still flying around me. What sign this is? I think I will strike lottery soon.


Luckily I went down fast, cause after I reach the church a few minutes later it star to rain


The rain keeps on pouring, we are all very hungry, cold, and tired. So we all run to our car despite the rain, but it was fun.

Month of May

The month of May, is a good month of getting marry. By far I had received three wedding dinner invitations (two of them falls on the same day). I like to see my friend found their soul mate, get marry and start a family. Though don’t know what lies ahead, but is really nice if both can support each other, and live on no mater poor or rich.

One of my best friend, know him for more than 20 years. He is kinda playboy last time, and each time he end a relationship with a girl he will asked me “Wilson, when can I ever meet my future wife? Who and where is she?”, and damn when the day I received his called saying that he is tying the knot with his girl. I was shock, but I congrats him, that SOB.

Lastly I want to congratulate for those who will be getting marry this month, and after the wedding dinner, remember to “work hard” that night :P


where is the love?


sometime I will think of how to propose to the girl I like? Asking for a girl to marry you will be just like asking your dream girl for the first date. Nervousssssssss