Facets of life

Another Mid-Autumn Festival (MAF)  has slipped away >_< I can’t even remember what I did last year during the MAF, except for playing lanterns and taking photographs of friends and families No no moon-cake for me, thanks!  I’m not a big fan of moon-cakes, find them way too sweet and some new favored moon-cakes such as durian, coffee and so on taste weird.

Nevertheless, it’s still good to have all families and friends get together at this special occasion don’t u think?

Happy Belated Mid-Autumn Festival or the so called "Moon-cake Festival"!

The grand opening of Venetian Macao Resort Hotel (VMRH) on last August 28, is the main reason why I had disappeared for a week or so as  I was among the 6 lucky media representatives to cover its grand opening in Macao.

Well, what can I say from the trip apart from an eye opening experience to work with other 1250 press from all over the world.  It’s exciting, fun and exhausting trust me, I broke my record for having taken nearly 1800 photos within 4 days!! 

No way, I don’t think I have time to recite my stories in Macao on the blog so those who have the permission to view my private photo albums, welcome to check out those photos~~ more photos will be upload whenever I have time to do so yeah? cheers!

No! No! Don’t get me wronged!  I was not after the bridal gown but rather the photography skill when I attended Alvin Leong(AL)’s Bridal Show last July 28 at the Permata "Amour" fair.

(left pix, taken without flash)

I was no ready when I rushed there, so I was short of my camera tools. No commend about the bridal gowns as they were imported and not being designed by AL.  Anyway, it’s all good to see how other amateur and professional photographers worked as there were many of them participated in the bridal show photo competition. 

Despite the fact that I was not ready to take any photo, it’s too tempting! Of course, not many photos turned out good (good as in picutre quality) >_< I think I need a flash light, a F2.5, 33mm lens :~( they’re too expensive~~~ I’ll wait till my boss set up his "Xmas mailbox" account *fingers crossed*

*apologize* As much as I would like to update this blog as regular as I could, but ……lost my interest of writing more after work >_<

That’s why I had sort of gone Missing In Action in the past weeks.  Some more, ever since yahoo photo has terminated its usage, I have no clue of where to upload my photo albums.  No, no way, I don’t have time to upload all of them now, maybe sometimes in the future when I’m totally bored or have got nothing to do and I’ll consider uploading all my photo albums here

So here’re some pixs of the people I met from the Kuching Food Fair07.  I was on assignment that night so I didn’t get a chance to try much of the food and later had to rush to another assignment.  Nevertheless, it’s good to see many familiar faces there~~

My cousin (Lim) busy talking on the phone, while his girlfriend stands next him ~~ I didn’t even have time to get to know her name!!!! >_<

Here, speaking of the devil, Lim’s younger sister ~~Geraldine was there too!!  Big claps for her and her friend well heeheh I used to be in your shoes, on duty selling Red Crescent flag(sticker) ten years ago eheheh ~~

Geraldine(left) and her lovely friend smile for the camera~~ I wonder if other visitors asked you to pose for their camera too?

:S Well, it happened to me once that foreign visitors requested to have our photo taken with them while my friends and I were on duty for the Red Crescent Day –in the old days.

Alvin & Mei Ha posing with "snowflakes" ice-cream.  Thanks Mei Ha for buying me the snowflakes, that’s the only dinner I had that night before rushing to Alvin Leong’s Bridal show.

Mei Ha ordered Green Tea flavor and I had Strawberry while Alvin had penuts.  I still think Green Tea is the best out of the 3 "snowflakes" !!

Robi(right) and her friend having a great time at the food fair ~~ how did I know they had fun there? Check out the foods and drinks they laid on their table lah! Oh~ who’s Robi?  Hmm…she’s my sis-in-law’s younger sister, I’m not sure how should I address her :O

I met many people at the food fair but don’t think I have enough time and space to upload them one by one, so that’s all for the time being~~~ chao~

I cut her hair yup!  I know it didn’t look good on her (Jessy) but in order to shorten the 90minutes grooming session of her long fury hair every week, I decided its best to give her a short hair cut. 

Ended up, she was shivering at night as I was told. Poor Jessy~~~~ :~( i’m so sorry!

*Feeling guilty* I bought her a police shirt from the Amazing Pet.  Now she doesn’t have to go sunbathing everyday or occupying a seat on the sofa every night.

Now, I’m thinking of getting her another "spider man" t-shirt or a lantern-dress but before that, I’ve better train her how to model for the camera!

Well, this entry maybe too late but *shrugs* there’s no harm in sharing some happy moments yeah?

(left pix: with friends at the RWMF show 1st night, photo courtesy: Davidson Kho)

Again, I volunteered at the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) this year at the Media Centre, there’s nothing much to talk about there but the night show at Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV).  For those who were there, knew what I mean Black Umfolosi from Zimbabwe grabbed most attention with their stomp performance and "The Lions Sleep Tonight" on the first night show. 

Also, Shoogenifty from Scotland rocks as well with their fiddler, strong base waves, etc.  Foghorn from the US is just as nice with their square dance tune…then what else? our home artist Jerry Kermit, the Kilobit bamboo band are equally fascinating. 

"Shannon" from Poland made its flame in 2005’s RWMF, this year, they’re arranged as the last band to perform on the stage just an hour before the "annual" finale.  After much waited and anticipation, they didn’t disappoint us!!  Despite the fact that Marchin (the band leader) admitted they felt stress for being given such a huge role as the last performing band in the festive he was nervous too when he suddenly sang "Rasa Sayang", I think I still prefer "Shannon" just they way they are but surely, there’s no harm in trying to please their audience. 

Next Year? I think I’d be happy just to attend the festive as an audience

Last Sunday marks the end of the 10th RWMF (Rainforest World Music Festival) held at Santubong, Kuching, Sarawak.

Same as last year, I stationed at the Media Centre and got to see many familiar faces and some new faces from local and oversea media.

John from Thailand brought us some nice chocolate biscuits and last year he brought us some dried fruits while other reporters like Ada and Laura from KL brought some magazines from their publication to the centre.  Joe from MTVAsia is here for the 7th festival straight in a roll, everyone seems to be back for an expected reunion from all over the world

That reunion also applies to many rwmf volunteers as well as the bands –eg. Froghorn (from USA) and Shannon (from Poland) had become good friends since their previous performance back in 2005, this year they got to catch up and most of them stayed up late jamming at the unofficial "beach party" at the Santubong Hotel & Resort swimming pool eheheh and poor Tan falls victim to their ‘noise pollution’.

However, it’s been fun overall except for what really disgusted me — the double standards (many behind the scene) that "they" have imposed on the local media at my station.

Anyhow, my favourite bands at the 3 days festivals are not other than Shooglenifty from Scotland, Black Umfolomosi (Zimbabwe), Huun Huur Tu(Russian), Inka Marka(South America) and Shannon from Poland!

The next RWMF falls on 11, 12 and 13 of July 2008 respectively and tickets are available in December 2007 at www.ticketsearch.com

Whew! I’m now at the Santubong Resort’s RWMF07 Media centre, writing blog while waiting for my two other colleagues to join me to go for the 2nd night performance at the Sarawak Cultural Village.

Same time and same venue at the same event but things and people have changed alot.  Many old RWMF volunteers didn’t show up especially Alvin but got to see Helen who came all the way from Miri and another girl who was on duty at the secretariate section. 

I felt kind of like "balik rumah" (going home) as a second year volunteer.

To be continue…

Don’t remember when was the last time I penned in here :X and I can’t be bothered to check it either.  Yes! I’m feeling very very lazy today……well it may sounds unreasonable to foreigners but I think M’sia has too many Public Holidays lah!!! 

(feels like sipping some voka orange now…)

You see, I just took a week’s break in early May, then back to work for less than 27days and have to take compulsory leave from work because of the Gawai Holiday (Dayak Harvest Festival) + our Agong’s birthday — straight for 4 days from June 1 to 4th, then back to work for another 2 weeks and have to take another two days off work to KL for joining an event……how can I have a consistent stamina to work leh??  Geez, some more I’m sounding more Manglish(M’sian English)!!!

A friend who went to England recently for a "job vacation"<– seriously I have not a clue of what their real definition for this "J V" mean, anyway, she said the private business firms are very generous with their worker’s annual leaves — 2 months compared to generally 2 weeks in M’sia.  In additional, British have 3 months maternity leaves and 1 month paternity leave.  One can take extra one month unpaid leave (my company is charging 2 days payment for one day unpaid leave)!

However, when I come to think of the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Dayaks new year celebrations, plus many other public holidays — no wonder some of my foreign friends who is currently working in M’sia are also complaining M’sia has way too many holidays (bad for the boss, good for the worker is their comment).  BUt hey!  If you compare our annual leaves with overseas firm — I think there aren’t so many difference yeah?

Few days ago, a friend emailed me info and pix of the latest Honda "Life", and said that it’s cheaper than a regular 880cc Kancil.  No, I have no desire of changing my current Kelisa.  However, after checking its feature from the net — 658cc P07A SOHC I3 (DIVA, F, F Happy Edition, C, C Topic); 658cc P07A SOHC I3 turbo (DIVA Turbo, F Turbo) with a price of RM32,500 I think I’ll still vote for a 1000cc automatic Kelisa at about RM41,000.

Check out the following Kelisa model test and review http://www.carpages.co.uk/perodua/perodua_kelisa_review_part_1_08_12_03.asp