Blog Archive

The Race to Durian Mountain @ Kampung Pandak

My friends called me up, say will drive me to a special place for photography, and eat some durian. I wait them at the selected place, and after half an hour they’re still not here. I was getting sleepy, and start to fall asleep, and suddenly my phone rang. Yep, it was them. I hop into my friend’s car together with my D90.

We wait for another group of friends on our way to Santubong, my friend told me that we will be going to Kampung Pandak. Is the place where most of the durian sellers get their durian from. It is a durian manufacture factory :S I don’t really crave for durian. But if there are a lot of friends eating together, the taste will be nicer.

durian_04

*sign* I’m a bit disappointed cause I tough I can go to the sea, to take some photos. But in the end I guess we all have to squad beside the road eating durians. While sitting inside the car, I close my eyes to rest for a while. The car bounces a lot, which I can’t rest properly. I saw my friend make a left turn, follow by a left turn again, the road become narrow and narrower. “What is this place?” I asked. “We’re here.” My friend said.

durian_08

After I realize, we’re surrounded by trees, and not the ordinary rainforest trees, but a whole mountain of durian trees. I surprise to see that there are so many trees around here. My friends are all durian lover, and I can’t imagine how long they’re going to stay here.

My friend drive slowly trying to look for a place describe by all the backseat passenger. “Is here, no is there, opss no I think is here…” direction keep on changing. That time I check my mobile for signal just in case if I’m really lost at least I can call U right :P.

durian_02

durian_03

Finally we’re there, we drive up a small hill. The owner from one of the land was outside his house, he was picking leafs which cover around the durian fruits. He look quite friendly, but always with a cigarette in his mouth.

durian_01

It seems like my friends and the owner know each others. We told the owner that we wanted to climb the durian mount to see if there’s any leftover durian :D he reply with half of his mouth open (because of the cigerate), “You guys did wear long sleeve? Should wear, many mosquito.”, and “pretty girl like you should wear a pairs of boots, the rocks are sharp up there”.

durian_05

durian_07

The chubby old man then lend us two pairs of boots, one straw hat, one basket to put in the durian. So the race is on, the owner said we can keep what we found on the hill. OMG! This ah pek is nice. Without second tough, off we go to the durian mount. Along the way, at first some of the girls complain why no durians, but after we found one, then comes the second, and third, and more.

durian_09

durian_10

Going up the hill is not an easy job, there’s a lot of rocks along the way. And have to pay extra attention when going up the hill, with just one slip it may not kill you, but it will definitely hurt badly. They just can’t wait much longer, so we all stop to rest, and EAT :D

durian_11

durian_12

durian_13

They are unbelievable, we didn’t bring knife to open durian, guess what they use?? Their car key :S
And some of them use hand only, I have tested some and the taste is nice. So we all ate one, then second one, then third, and lost count.

durian_16

durian_18

The view on top of the hill is magnificent, we don’t found much on the hill top. So we start to going back to the small house. When we reach the house, we continue eat again. This time is on the chubby old uncle, he just keep on open the durians and told us to eat. Some of my friends volunteer to work for him when the next durian session comes. They enjoy the fun of looking for durians :D

durian_15

durian_17

Good time pass by fast, we all went back with a stomach full of durians, and also with lots of durian to bring back home. We bid farewell to the owner, and will see him next durian session.

durian_06

durian_19

Besides busy eating durians, I’ve shoot a lot of photos as well will post it up in my next post.

The evening @ Friendship Park Kuching

I stumble on a blog from China, she's a art student have to learn drawing from morning at 8am till finish class at 6pm. Her lecturer bring them to many place to draw, China has many stunning scenes.

I went to friendship park to learn photography yesterday evening, not really satisfy with the outcome. Need more practice, I need a macro lens :P

friendship_park_01
I'm playing around with the aperture mode, hm~~still not sure on how to make some part blur.

friendship_park_02

friendship_park_03
a dad is playing soccer with his son :) while I'm shooting the pink flowers.

friendship_park_04
hm~~the aperture settings really made me headache, I've seem a wedding photos before. The photographer perfectly blur the background scene, and sharping the brides and her family in the front. Wonder how he do it?

friendship_park_05
When the sun shines on this flowers, its like a coat of gold layer cover on top of it.

friendship_park_06
Yesterday the evening scene is not good, the sky is dark and hazy :(
Can't take good sunset scene.

friendship_park_08
The top photographer, Wilson Chin

Kuching Gambier Street, 古晉甘蜜街

I went to shoot some photos of the demolished Gambier Street. I did some reading from the net, the government (Kuching City North Datuk Bandar Abang Mohamad Atei Medaan) wanted to demolish this place cause they said that the place are decades old structures and is not safe to operated business and they put “safety first”, they concern about the safety of the people who operate business there.
Read News Here

They are going to make this place an esplanade which would stretch from Kuching Hilton to Ban Hock Wharf as well as across the river to ensure both riverbanks would be developed beautifully and making them a popular recreational spot for city dwellers and visitors.

When the government wanted to do something there’s always voice from the public, a signature campaign to save the heritage buildings of Gambier St. was form to group the power from the public and let the current ruling elites be aware of what they are doing was wrong.
Read News Here, and here.

Records in some publications show the market existed as early as the 1860s although permanent structures as the ones we see today were built in the early1900s. Personally I also hope that the authorities can keep this place, the historical value is priceless. I felt regret that there are many time when I have the changes to took photos of the internal or Gambier St. but I didn’t.

Kuching Gambier Street, 古晉甘蜜街

And now it had been completely tear down, what we can see is just some solid foundation (some said is a secret tunnel) which lies under Gambier St market for centuries. I must say that I’m really impressed by the architect work done by the Borneo British. All the building materials must be shipped from UK to Borneo, few hundred years ago where they only have steamship.

Kuching Gambier Street, 古晉甘蜜街

Imagine the man-power require to move all the materials. The White Rajah of Sarawak, James Brook, also build railway, trains, dockyard, buildings, they import cars from UK, plane. He builds an empire here!

I was thinking has the ruling elites from other done the same thing to their historical heritage? Or is it just here at Malaysia? Hm~~~

Kuching Gambier Street, 古晉甘蜜街

Well, few years from now we can expect a brand new Kuching Waterfront for sure. Hope that time, it can boost up the tourism industry at Kuching. Bye Bye Gambier Street.

Serian the Town of Durians

Went to Serian with mom, she wanna go to the Serian Market Square (aunties shopping heaven).

durian
OMG~I just notice beside the roundabout when reaching Serian, there is also another Big Durian statue at the market square here.

3_durians
This is what mom bought.

opened_durian
I'm not a big fan of durian, but I do crave for it sometimes. For thous who like durian, Bon Appetit my dear readers :P

The Day I went Back to Kuching

Good time goes by fast. I enjoy every minutes spend at home, today my flight back to Kuching is 6.15pm, which mean I have to be at the airport 45 minutes earlier.

01
It looks like Rocky want to follow me and Kerry :P that stupid dog~ shu Rocky ! You can’t follow us.

02
This is the first time my younger brother Kerry and I drive form Limbang to Miri, we depart at 11am. Reach the immigration border at 12pm.

03
For Brunei, we need to had our passport stamps for two times.

04
There’s a short-cut where can save you 1 hour 45 minutes of car drive. But we just can’t seems to remember which turns is first, is it left? Or right?
Hope Kerry’s GPS will lead us correctly, ok MapKing do your magic.

05
Kerry: “Shit, bro I forgot to charge my PDA last night, and is almost ran out of batt.”
Wilson: “… o_O so what else is new?!”

06
No wonder the weather is hot, they burning the trees.

07
We overtake a lot of vehicles along our way, is fun. If I’m driving a better car like Ferrari or SLK, I think I can break the 4 hours record from Limbang to Miri.

08
Paying the toll, we’re almost there…

09
Yap, we’re at Miri now. What! Miri is burning the trees as well. Don’t you guys love tress, they are the lungs of the planet.

10
My brother has to drive his gf, so he drops me at the airport like two hours earlier. What a brother :(

11
M ticket back to Kuching, oh. How I wish I can stay longer at home.

12
Yap, this is it. I’m boarding the plane.

13
The view is breathtaking, if only I had a better camera.

14
The Kuching International Airport, I arrive just in time.

15
Back to normal life again…

Around Limbang Town

Some photos I shoot during my holiday back to hometown. It change a lot since my last visit, this cute little small town is developing.

SRB_Chung_Hua
My primary school, The S.R.B Chung Hua School. The building which currently constructing is belong to primary five and six, now they’re expanding due to the shortage of classroom.

Limbang_Rojak
The famous Limbang Rojak, I don’t know what so special about it, but some people just crave for it. It even distribute the rojak sauce as far as Brunei.

tamu_limbang
This market is just opposite my primary school. I still remember each morning, mom will gave me and my brother 50 cents each and we’ll come here to buy some kuih for brunch.

hao_motor
My brother Jason motorbike shop :P

limbang-river
The Limbang River, this part is somewhere near to the Muzium Limbang. The water pollution had gone from bad to worse :( that’s why I don’t really like eat fish which is from the Limbang wet market. Who knows what they had eaten.

limbang_plaza
The only Limbang Plaza, now the management of Plaza had renovated the place, expand and a lot of new shop lots are in. this is a good sign, which shows the economic at Limbang is growing. There’s also a lot of development, like new resident housing project, new school were also build for compromising the crowded kids.

limbang_maybank
An old shoplots, Maybank was very crowded. There’s also an old supermarket in the same lot, is called the Chun Chang Supermarket. Now they had also established their second branches at a new town area.

metro_hotel
This hotel has a small conference room, most of the Bruneian will stay here. Limbang is just next to Brunei, so they will came to Limbang shopping (RM2.5 = $1 Brunei Dollar). Cause they can buy cheap stuff here. But now I heard that the Brunei government had enforced new rules and regulation, is not to allow Brunei people buy too much stuff from other country (like Limbang) to prevent their currency from slipping out from Brunei.

old_tree
This is a very old tree which is just next to the Jetty of Immigration Limbang, this is the only big tree which is at the town of Limbang. We usually will see this type of spooky trees at the graveyard, hm~wired.

limbang_sunset
My favorite photography subject “Sunset”.

limbang_buddhist_temple
One of the Buddhist center at Limbang, I went for chanting with my brother on that weekend.

croc_hunter
Grandpa, you better watch out, wait till his mom come back. You’ll be sorry…

Limbang Food

Is nice to be at home, every afternoon mom will cook for us. Then every evening, after my brother and I came back from his shop, mom already prepare dinner. During stay at home, I don’t have to worry about food at all. I love my home :)
Now let’s see what I had during my stay at home…

food_01
Mom’s homemade pancake. Is fried with long beans, small shrimps, eggs, and powder. I love this very much.

food_02
Soya sauce, bean curd.

food_03
Is alive!!! (the prawns)

food_04
Sweet and sour prawns YUMMY!!! Two thumbs up for this

food_05
Deer meat, is a bit raw~ ouch! My tooth

food_06
Mom’s fried chicken wings. That’s my favorite of all time.

food_07
Boil eggs, and a big chicken drum stick.

Limbang Croc Hunter


My brother showed my some photos and short clips on his mobile. It was a crocodile, a huge one. It was caught near the Limbang River behind the old Chinese Temple. We can be aware that the river is not a safe place anymore. Sometime there are children bath and play there, is a very danger place to be. I don’t know how they capture the croc, so does my brother. But when viewing the process I felt that the croc was quite pity. His front and back legs was tied behind his back. And when they lift the croc, they just carried his tied legs. Its gonna be hurt.