Taking5

Down by the Kinabatangan

2011-11-05T21:17:00.002+08:00

The Kinabatangan river got its name, it is said, from the words "aki", meaning "grandfather" or "ancestor", and "batang", which means river in the local language ("na" is a linking prefix), hence "(a)ki"-na-"batang"-an. Indeed, a name that befits the largest river in Sabah and the second largest in Malaysia. The river runs through the Borneo rainforest - the vast ecosystem which is home to a diverse range of plants and wildlife.

We spent two days on and by the river, staying in a small lodge, Myne Resort, near Kampong Bilit. The lodge was made up of a series of little villas and a larger, common area comprising the reception, bar, dining area and sundeck all in one. It was situated right at the turn of the river, at the bottom of the "U" (photo was taken from above our lodge, which is however hidden from view). Birds sing in the trees (only saw one bird though, a sharma bird), and wild boar come to the doorstep (we saw a pack of nine our second night there). Indeed, I have not been this close to nature for a while. And I found out that in the middle of the rainforest, there is really not much internet access available. Probably a good thing, too.

We made a total of three river trips, two in the evening and one in the morning. Our party comprised another group of six people (a couple and the parents on either side), two guides and of course the boatman. The boatman clearly had spent his life on the river, and was the fastest and best at spotting animals. The guides were quick too, able to glimpse the tiny, hardly-moving bird on the tree top or the snake in the middle of the tree when I was craning my neck and trying to see something in the middle of the bushes. We were reasonably fortunate, in that we saw a fair number of birds and animals:

crocodiles (including one baby crocodile)
monitor lizards
cat snake
proboscis monkeys (I feel lucky to have caught a proboscis in mid-leap. In general, unfortunately, my photos were taken from a distance in the evening light and so not very clear)
one orang utan and baby (see last post)
any number of macaques, including up close
one elephant (sadly I only got a shot of its rear)
hornbills (rhinocerous, great and oriental pied)
kingfishers
herons (many types) and the Storm's Stork
birds of prey, including the oriental darter, serpent-eagle, brahminy kite

My photos of the wildlife can be found on my Flickr page.

As mentioned before, wildlife spotting is not something I normally do. But I savoured the anticipation of wondering what lay ahead, around the bend of the river, and thrilled with each new sighting of a bird or animal.

At another level, I was pleasantly surprised each time I got a fairly decent photo of a bird or an animal. This was the first time I brought out my new travelzoom camera, and I am glad I did because this was one trip where the longer zoom proved invaluable. Of course, I have a long way to go before any of my photos make it to any nature magazine. It's tough, getting just the right angle at just the right moment. But I did learn a few tricks, eg zoom in but give the animal room to move (there's a headless heron taking off in one of my photos, could hv been a great shot except for that); go for continuous shooting and KEEP the finger ON the button; and don't wait for the perfect shot JUST GO FOR IT!

Following our two days by the Kinabatangan, we made our way back to Kota Kinabalu by way of Sandakan - thus seeing both the current and former capitals of Sabah (or North Borneo, as it used to be called). We found a bookshop, Borneo Books, in Kota Kinabalu - really an excellent resource (as is their website) for books on Borneo and indeed the wildlife of Southeast Asia. This, followed by a nice breakfast of nasi lemak and Old Town coffee the next morning, made a nice close to this short trip to Borneo.

In the Land Below the Wind

2011-10-22T21:06:00.002+08:00

I'm not really one for outdoor holidays, but nonetheless decided that it was about time for me to go visit the rainforests in Sabah. I'd not been before to East Malaysia at all and was looking forward to seeing this very different aspect of Malaysia. It was a short 5-day trip but one full of memorable experiences. Of course, the highlight was the visit to Sandakan, including the visit to the orang utan sanctuary at Sepilok and the two nights spent in our lodge on the Kinabatangan, the largest river in Sabah and in the heart of the wildlife forest reserve there.

We started off with the visit to the orang utan sanctuary at Sepilok. It is here that orphaned baby orang utans are taken, to learn the ways of orang utans and to be eventually released to the wild. Baby orang utans need to stay with their mother for about 5-6 years, to learn how to climb, how to make nests, what are the good foods to eat, and so on. Just like human babies, little orang utans who are separated from their mother (for whatever reason) are just helpless, unable to cope in the wild wide world around them.

Unfortunately, we were unable to see the little ones close up as they are kept away from us humans and our germs. But we did make it to the feeding time, when the orang utans make their way to the feeding platform. We watched as three orang utans (sadly, only three) swung gracefully, effortlessly, to the platform, to eat the fruit and interact with each other before going on their way. The big bonus was the sight of the little baby orang utan, clutching on to its mother and looking oh so adorable. What I did not expect was the presence of the little macaques, darting onto the platform to eat the fruit (after the orang utans had finished), and running quickly to and fro along the ropes leading to the platform. And all this time, the orang utans simply continued doing their own thing, indifferent to the macaques' antics taking place all around them.

Sepilok is a well-kept, well-managed sanctuary. The babies are kept in their nursery but as they grow, they are carefully moved out into the reserve, in slow easy steps. Some go out and disappear forever, others come back regularly to feed. Some females return with their own little babies - a sign of success indeed. Visitors are asked if they would like to adopt an orang-utan baby (i.e. pay for its keep, they are an endangered species and definitely not allowed as pets). More information about Sepilok, including on how to donate, at Sepilok Orang-utan Appeal UK.

After seeing the orang utans in the sanctuary, we were delighted when, the very next day, we managed to get a glimpse of a mother and her baby in the wild, on the banks of the Kinabatangan. We were going down the river in our little boat, when suddenly our guide told us to look up in the trees. There we saw the orang utan nest and next to it, swinging quicky away, the orang utan herself and also her baby. It was a real privilege to see it.

Hopefully, in the years ahead, the emphasis on sustainable development will mean that the precious rainforests will be protected and the orang-utans and all the wonderful wildlife of the region will be able to live in peace.

Lots more lovely orang-utan photos here.

Food for Good

2011-09-11T18:33:00.001+08:00

Last Saturday, I read an article on small shops/entrepreneurs who were able to reach out to niche markets. One was a bookshop carrying rare books. Another was this cafe cum social enterprise, Food for Thought. Couldn't really remember where I read it but subsequently found a similar article here.

Since I happened to be in the Queen Street area later that day, decided to try it out. Indeed, it is a pleasant restaurant, modern and bright. Its social mission is prominently displayed, on the placemats and the walls. There's a display shelf in the middle of the restaurant floor, selling merchandise to promote their causes: Eradicating poverty and ignorance, inspiring kind acts and providing food for the hungry and clean water for all. I liked their clever, snappy one-liners summarising each cause, eg "Teach them All", "Make Poverty History"
I ordered the red velvet cake - not the best I've eaten (slightly soggy), but pretty decent. The lemon curd cheesecake had a nice texture, but the base too seemed a little damp. What seemed to be really popular, however, were the breakfasts - the next table seemed to be enjoying theirs, at 2.30pm! Something to try, next time around.

The success of this little cafe shows that Singaporeans do believe in supporting social causes, including those abroad. It also shows that corporate profitability lies not (solely) on rampant cutting of corners but can come together with doing good. I particularly liked this quote from the BT article, describing their corporate philosophy:

"Growth in our company is led by what we find meaningful, enjoyable and inspiring rather than what is merely profitable. We do not maximise profit but we do not compromise it either."

So go and have some Food for Thought too.

How to Pet a Kitty

2011-08-09T19:05:00.000+08:00

This weblink from The Oatmeal on "How to pet a kitty" could have been done with my darling Dinky in mind. Dinky has gotten the plaintive look in the eye down pat and he employs it every morning when he jumps on my bed and lies with his tummy exposed for me to give it a rub.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/kitty_pet

Hoi Ann

2011-05-29T08:34:00.001+08:00

Hoi Ann! The ancient port town of central Vietnam for many years before being displaced by Danang, it is a UNESCO heritage site. Our first visit was made under the guidance of a local guide, who was evidently a little disgruntled at our lack of purchases at the shops he took us too, and was reluctant to let us browse/shop around in the town. But he was knowledgeable about the town and its history, revealing to us the cosmopolitan character of this small Vietnamese port.

The area was originally settled by people from the Riau archipelago (apparently some tools and other relics were found in burial jars), who became known as the Cham people. Their ancient town was a short distance away - but we did not make the trip. Many years later, Hoi Ann was settled, attracting traders from China, and Japan. The Japanese bridge across a small branch of the river apparently linked the Chinese and Japanese settlements in the area.

The Chinese certainly left their mark here. Coming from all over China, they built their clan association buildings (reminding me of Malacca and Singapore) which served both as temple as well as a gathering place for the community. Amongst other things, we visited the Fujian and Cantonese assembly halls, which were still very much in daily use – as could be seen from the large spirals of incense hanging from the ceiling, each bearing the name of the donor and each releasing, slowly, wisps of incense into the air (and dropping every now and then a short tube of ash onto the unwary tourists beneath).

The town itself reminded me very much of the old towns in other parts of Southeast Asia - buildings include wooden frame houses with a little balcony in front, similar to what I saw in Laos, others like the old shophouses in Singapore/Malacca/Penang, with a small shopfront and the family living behind and/or above the shop. We visited one old house which was said to have assimilated Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese architectural styles. The guide was pretty lackadaisical but she did point out to us the use of a Japanese style roof above the big airwell in the middle of the house....

We went off far too soon, but we decided to come back that evening (this time via the complimentary resort shuttle which we had not known about earlier) to explore the place further. And it was well we did, for Hoi Ann by night comes truly alive, when tourists and townsfolk wander through its streets comfortably, freed from the baking heat of the morning. We wandered around, stepping into whichever shop took our fancy, and were enraptured by the beautiful, jewel-toned lanterns which are such a feature of this old town.

Dinner was at one of the guidebook’s recommendations – The Cargo Club. It is relatively large establishment, with a patisserie and a bar/lounge on the ground floor and a restaurant on top. The restaurant terrace overlooks the river, and gives a good view of the brightly lit establishments across the river. The restaurant patrons are largely tourists, which is not necessarily a recommendation but the meal was nonetheless pretty decent. In general, however, I think that food in Hanoi is of a higher standard than this little port town.

At 9.30pm, the lights of Hoi Ann start going off, one by one. We caught the shuttle back to the resort.

Reading some guidebooks, people comment that Hoi Ann is now very commercialised - but in a way, the tourist trade supports the people in the area, and allows the charming old town to be preserved. I have also seen for myself, in visiting Malacca both before and after it gained its UNESCO Heritage site status, how the additional visitorship and funding can really make a difference in revitalising old parts of the city, allowing old homes to be restored either by the existing owners or by new businesses.

More Hoi Ann pix here.

A Quiet Little Getaway

2011-05-22T18:29:00.003+08:00

I was looking down at a single gerbera, floating in water, whilst my legs and back were being actively pummelled and pulled by an exponent of Thai massage. Grimacing slightly in pain, I reminded myself to relax.

I have spent the last 4 days in Fusion Maia resort on China Beach in Danang.

The resort was pretty much idyllic – a lovely beach with waves breaking on white, soft sand, mountains in the distance and an infinity pool aimed straight at the horizon. Graceful palm/coconut trees provide much-needed shade for the deck chairs and day beds scattered around. And the spa (opening comment notwithstanding) had a lovely spa pool surrounded by abundant greenery (see photo). We camped out in one of the two pavilions on either end of the pool, and in this shady nook, read and napped the mornings away. We enjoyed our two treatments per day (and worked our way through the spa menu) and chatted to the receptionist, a university student practicing her English. Our accommodation – I have really nothing to complain about. We had our private pool villa room (with its own little swimming pool and outdoor patio) but spent more time out by the spa pool (with its waterfall) or out by the beach, watching the other resort dwellers go by. Not that there were that many – we were visiting mid-week and it was obviously the lull period.

Our resort, it turned out, was fairly new, having opened the previous year. Next door, a new, large scale resort is still under construction; two doors down a glitzy casino (or should I say, integrated resort) has opened its doors, even whilst one wing of the hotel has still men working on it. I guess I know where some of the resort guests went at night (there were certainly far fewer people appearing at lunch and at dinner, than there were at breakfast). So in a way, perhaps we had paid our visit at a good time – when the resort was still the first mover on the strip, when its far larger neighbours are still putting their buildings up and getting their act together. A year or two more, and maybe the beach will not be as pristine, and the waters beyond busy with jet skiers and the like.

Indeed, a restful and welcome break from the office (although I received quite a few SMSes the first day I was there and spent every evening clearing email). (For more idyllic photos, check here.

A Momentous General Election

2011-05-07T21:35:00.001+08:00

Today, 7 May 2011 marks the end of a momentous General Election for Singapore. It has been 10 days of intensive campaigning, when political parties fought the battle for the hearts and minds of Singaporeans. One can only hope that the outcome is known, it will indeed be in the best interest of Singapore and Singaporeans.

On a less serious note, here is Mr Brown's podcast which summarises some of the highlights of this election:

The High Life

2011-04-09T13:59:00.000+08:00

I finally made it down (a few weeks ago) to the Marina Bay Sands, one of Singapore's two integrated resorts (or IRs for short). Not, of course, to visit the casino. I certainly am not going to waste money like that. But, I did stand outside and peer in. Not much of a view, and not very pleasant with the odour of stale cigarette smoke in the surrounding air, but nonetheless quite interesting. Didn't see many people entering but I suppose it was a little early in the day (around lunch time).

I was actually at MBS for lunch at Pizzeria Mozza, one of the celebrity chef restaurants in the IR. Pizzeria Mozza and its next door neighbour Osteria Mozza are by Nancy Silverton, in partnership with Mario Batalli and both restaurants are famous for their mozzarella, in particular the burrata mozzarella (this rather mouthwatering article tells all about burrata). We had the burrata for our starter - the absolutely delicious mozza caprese - burrata mozzarella topped with a little pesto sauce and grilled cherry tomatoes (on the vine). The milky cheese, the tart sweetness of the tomatoes, the flavourful pesto - mmmmm... The pizza too was tasty, and the famous crust was indeed light and elastic. But the star of the show is indeed the burrata and I'm seriously thinking of visiting the mozzarella bar in Osteria.

After lunch, we decided to take a trip up 55 floors and visit the MBS Skypark. This was not without some debate. Did we really want to pay $20 for a view? In the end, we decided to do so and max out the time there. Oh dear. Did I just sound very Singaporean? So we went up, and after walking around a bit we sat at the bar there and had a drink or two. The view? Well, it was certainly quite interesting to look down at the surrounding areas and to see all the way to the ends of Singapore, but I'm certainly not going to pay $20 again for the experience.

So that was my visit to MBS.

Tragedy

2011-03-19T22:31:00.000+08:00

It has been 8 days since the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, a week in which Japanese lived under the spectre of a nuclear fallout. A week of great tragedy, in which so many were left dead or injured, homeless and hungry.

In the light of this terrible tragedy, our own problems should seem almost trivial. But they are not. A death of a pet dog, the illness of a beloved family member, are personal to us. And it is not wrong, or selfish to focus on these personal concerns. For our losses, our fears and our worries, bind us to those who are suffering so greatly, so far away.

Visiting Hong Kong

2011-03-12T21:32:00.002+08:00

Yung Kee Chinese Sausages a photo by Taking5 on Flickr.

I visited Hong Kong last month; it was a short work trip but pretty fruitful. The business part was fine and I also managed a short trip to Lam Kwai Fong, where we had dinner at Yung Kee.

Yung Kee is a well known Chinese restaurant, famous for their roast goose and chinese sausages. My colleague found out I was going and asked me to buy some; so since I needed to have dinner we went over to Central (my hotel was in Kowloon) to the restaurant.

Foodwise, I was expecting a lot as the restaurant is in Asia's top 20 on the Miele Guide. Maybe I expected too much as whilst the dishes were ok they were not spectacular, except of course for their specialties - the roast meats and the goose. The goose was delicious. Moist, flavourful, tender. The skin oh-so-crispy. It was really a dish I couldn't have enough of. The roast meats were also excellent. Maybe I didn't know what the other house specialties were, but the rest of the food was just average to me.

We went to buy the Chinese sausages thereafter. I was surprised to learn that they were still being sold by the "catty", a measurement of weight I thought had gone out with the dodo. Anyway, I think you get approx 20 sausages for the catty. I bought four boxes worth, of lap cheong and the liver sausage (I forget the cantonese translation for the moment).

We walked around after dinner, around Lam Kwai Fong. It was pleasantly cool that evening and light from the pubs spilled out into the streets; people were walking around so there was a nice buzz about the place without being overly crowded. Unfortunately we had to go back as the next day was a busy one. And, as our hotel was not in one of the more exciting parts of Hong Kong, there were not many subsequent opportunities to sneak out to Central again. Guess that has to wait till my next visit to Hong Kong :-)

Happy days are here again

2011-02-21T00:14:00.000+08:00

Another favourite Glee moment. I didn't get the reference to the Judy Garland/Barbara Streisand duet, but found the mash-up on this Youtube video. It's a great tribute, down to Kurt doing a kick at the end of the song.

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling

2011-01-15T14:12:00.000+08:00

For my Christmas present, my very clever sister gave me "Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling", by Ross King - a fascinating account of how Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Along the way, he paints a picture of the politics of Italy and the Church at the time, and the dynamics between the Pope, Julius II. and the artistic community.

But what I really enjoyed was the description of how Michelangelo learnt the art of fresco as he painted the ceiling, how he grew in confidence over the course of time, and especially the author's insights into Michelangelo's creative thought process as he worked on the different panels of the painting. I like how he also integrated the story of Raphael, who was working on the frescos for the Pope's study and rooms around the same time.

I had of course visited the Sistine chapel just about one and a half years ago (as recorded in a previous post) and craned my neck looking up at the ceiling the whole time. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos :-( But I recall looking at the ceiling and thinking that there was such a contrast between one half of the ceiling, where the panels appeared to be more crowded with smaller figures, as opposed to the majesty of the other half, where the masterpieces of God creating dark and light, and the creation of Adam (with the famous finger) were. The book explains that the more crowded panels were painted first. Thereafter, the scaffolding for that half of the chapel were removed and Michelangelo got his first look at the frescos from the floor of the chapel. He realised that they were not impactful due to the size and composition, and thereafter increased the size of the figures and simplified the composition for the second half of the ceiling.

These, and more insights, can be found in the book. I do recommend it for any art lover planning to visit Rome/the Sistine Chapel. The only downside is that there were not enough colour plates in the book. I would have loved more. Instead, I had to look at the paintings online on the Vatican Museum's website - the virtual tour of the chapel - whilst reading the relevant section in the book.

Journey to Pompeii

2010-12-31T01:07:00.003+08:00

I have been on leave all this week. Aside from meeting up/having a meal with friends, and clearing my work email, I've taken the opp to do a little bumming around Singapore. One item on the "to-do" list was visiting the Pompeii exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore - Pompeii : Life in a Roman Town 79CE.

It's been a while since I visited the Museum - in fact, I've not returned since my first visit soon after the Museum re-opened. Instead, I visited the Peranakan museum a few times in the interim :-) So it was probably time for another trip. And the Pompeii exhibition was well worth the time.

The first thing which greets the visitor to the exhibition are casts of people and animals lying on the ground. When Pompeii was excavated, the forms of those who died during the volcanic eruption were found - the ash had covered them and formed moulds around their dead bodies. Whilst the bodies decayed over time, the shapes remaind. Particularly poignant (for me) was the cast of the little dog which had been chained up to guard his owner's property, whilst they fled to safety. He died trying to escape the chain. Another cast was of a man, seated on the floor, with his hand covering his mouth in an attempt to keep the ash out. But his efforts, too, were in vain.

The next stop is a short video, which attempts to reproduce the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on that fateful day in 79CE. The eruption was actually recorded by the Roman letter writer Pliny the Younger (the Pepys of his day), who describes what happens in some detail - from the early part of the eruption to the subsequent darkening of the sky and the constant raining down of ashes. Pliny was in Misenum, a nearby town, not in Pompeii itself, but he too had to flee the town in order to escape the volcanic ash and fumes. His uncle, however, had taken a boat out to study the volcano and also to mount some sort of rescue mission and perished in the attempt.

Subsequent rooms contain pottery, coins, weights, religious artefacts, jewellery and other items from the destroyed city. But my favourite room was the one containing the statues and beautiful frescos from the town. Some of the colours were still so rich and fresh, I had difficulties in believing that these were really almost 2000 years old. According to another short video, the frescos were preserved so well because of the ash they had been buried in, following the eruption. There was also a beautiful little mosaic fountain. It is fascinating to think that this is just one small Roman town, not particularly exceptional, yet with people who appreciated beauty, art, and the pleasures of life.

I ended up buying a book on Pompeii, and with a wish to pay a visit to the ruined city one day. I feel fortunate indeed to live in Singapore, far away (relatively) from active volcanos. But at the end of it, it is indeed a reminder not to take for granted the blessings which we have, for life as we know it can indeed change overnight.

A somewhat pensive thought to end the year on!

p.s. a few more photos on my Flickr page.

Waterfall

2010-11-14T22:51:00.004+08:00

Silky Water!
Originally uploaded by Taking5

I thought I should end this series of posts on Laos, with this photo of the Kouang Si Waterfall, near Luang Prabang.

It is my first photo with silky water, achieved through lengthening the exposure, but as I didn't have a tripod, I had to find a suitable perch to put the camera on.

This is of course not the full falls - those are far more impressive. But the water looks a lot nicer in this shot - do check out my Flickr set if you would like to see more photos.

This visit to Laos has been truly enjoyable, exploring the countryside, meeting the people, participating in the life here.

The Mighty Mekong

2010-11-13T13:17:00.005+08:00

Almost twilight
Originally uploaded by Taking5

The Mekong river is the lifeblood of Laos. It flows from one end of the country to the other, connecting villages, towns and communities. It separates Laos from Thailand - in Vientiane, you stand on one bank of the river and look at Thailand on the other side. In Luang Prabang, the Mekong and the Nam Khan form three of the four city boundaries, forming a natural defensive barrier around the city. The view of the sun setting on the Mekong river is also one of the most beautiful and peaceful ways to end the day (as the photo above demonstrates).

Our first sight of the Mekong river was in complete darkness, as we went there the first evening we were in Vientiane and my friend brought us to see the river and the lights of Thailand on the other bank. There was reclamation work being done on the river bank, so we trudged through the soil to stand on top of the bank. The row of shops and restaurants which must once have enjoyed great river views was now further back. The next day, we drove down to a house on the Mekong river - the house itself was nice but the road getting there was a small dirt track between the beautifully kept homes. But in Vientiane, a house on the Mekong is still very much a prized possession, something for only the wealthy few.

When we went to Luang Prabang, the Mekong was indeed all around. We had lunch, dinner beside it in the many restaurants on the bank (and made the acquaintance of a dear little cat, which was most interested in the fried fish we had for lunch). The best guesthouses also make much of their river view. But one day we decided to cross the Mekong, to visit the small little villages on the other side. This was indeed quite a world away from the touristy streets of Luang Prabang.

We hired a boatman to ferry us across the river, and walked around the villages there. The villages were small, but very clean and neat (the Lao are a tidy people). Dogs roam the streets, and occasionally skirmishes would break out but otherwise, they seemed to get along together. Chickens also pecked around the area , searching for food. Obviously, it was also a school holiday, as could be seen by all the children playing under the shade of the trees.

We walked up a hill to visit the wat right on top - Wat Chom Phet. It was bare and poorly maintained, with the painted facade badly faded and decorations missing except for the altar with the Buddha on top. A group of children were playing outside - but with a little bribe from one of my companions, they were induced to go sweep the wat, provide a mat and some flowers so that my friend could pray there for a while. The view of Luang Prabang, however, was amazing - the sight of the Phou Si, and the golden spire of the That Chomsi on the other side of the river.

We walked further on, to reach a larger temple complex - with a much better kept temple, Wat Long Khun. There was a far greater sense of a living community here - the monks quarters, other outhouses and buildings surrounded the temple, saffron coloured robes were hung out to dry in one corner, rice was drying also on large flat baskets set out in the sunshine beside the temple. The children however were still following us and brought some flowers for us to offer at the altar.

Wat Long Khun is supposed to be a "counterpart" to Wat Xieng Thong, across the river in Luang Prabang, and one of the most beautiful temple complexes in the country. We had earlier visited Wat Xieng Thong and indeed, it completely outshines the humbler tempple in this little community. I thought however, that this smaller temple had a quiet beauty and serenity all its own compared to the grander buildings across the river. It was quiet and peaceful - we were the only people here, aside from the children and the one person minding the complex and collecting admission fees (yes they had it even here!). So it was a real contrast to the better known, grander temple just across the river.

We visited a third wat on this side of the river but there was no one in sight - obviously they were praying or eating. We walked back to the village and hailed the boatman to ferry us back. It was an insight into a different world, different lives.

As always, more photos on my Flickr page.

Making Merit

2010-11-05T21:54:00.000+08:00

Even more than Vientiane, Luang Prabang is full of temples, and full of monks. My friend told me that besides the young men who go into the temple for a few months, poor families also send their sons there. It is a way for them to get a better life - access to education, whilst lessening the burden on the family. We are staying across the road from Wat Xiang Mouane. I woke up one morning to the sound of a drum; it was the day of a festival and the drum was being sounded at something like 4am in the morning.

A little later than 4am, the monks leave their temples, and walk the streets to beg for food. The morning ritual in Luang Prabang is as follows:

Rise and shine before 6am
Wait outside the house : with a scarf over the shoulder
Carrying: a basket of food: sticky rice, or some biscuits or whatever.
Kneel, if you are a lady, or stand, if a man. Wait for the monks.

The monks then walk down the road, in single file. They carry a begging bowl strapped over their shoulder. They walk by the rows of people, we put food in their bowls.

The line can seem endless; you can run out of food. At last, it stops.

Charity, giving to others. The humility of having to beg for your meals every day. This is an example of how the giving helps both the giver and the recipient.

The Market Economy

2010-10-30T23:05:00.002+08:00

It is said that Dr Goh Keng Swee liked walking through cities to look at their shops. Not for purposes of shopping, mind you, but because he felt that this gave a good sense of the state of the area's economy.

I was reminded of this when I visited the morning markets in Vang Vieng, and Luang Prabang. For us in Southeast Asia, the morning market is where all the housewives go first thing in the morning, to buy the food to be cooked later in the day. So it is a good place to find out what people eat.

In Vang Vieng, there were lots of vegetable stalls. There were also a few stalls selling meat - I really do not know what type of meat and I did not want to ask. There were a few stalls selling a few fish each. But there were many people seated on the ground, with a small pile of food in front of them - some vegetable stalls but others sold more "exotic" products, including a basin of insects, of live frogs each tied by the leg with a little piece of string, and bats. These were women from the nearby villages, who had gleaned a few vegetables from their gardens, or who had sent out their children to see what could be caught, to sell or trade at the market.

My friends bought duck eggs, to be boiled in the guesthouse and eaten for breakfast, rice cooked in banana leaves and a huge comb of gigantic bananas.

By contrast, the morning market in Luang Prabang had more stalls selling meat and fish, in addition to vegetables. One stall had a large tank of fish, in fact. Others sold crabs, tied together with rattan. There was the one stall which sold what looked like maggots (or worms?). There was also one stall selling some 6-7 types of rice - ordinary slash-and-burn rice (referring to the mode of cultivation), early harvest rice, sticky rice, black rice, brown rice, amongst others. The Laotian people really know their rice. A number of stalls sold ready-cooked food- my friend bought a few packets of mixed black and white sticky rice, which we would eat with a little coconut and sugar (it was delicious). In short, the signs of a more vibrant regional economy.

For more photos on Laos, see my Flickr page.

By the Nam Song River

2010-10-23T23:30:00.001+08:00

The Nam Song river wends its way through mountainous terrain; these limestone karsts tower over the river and continue beyond it. We were on our way from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, from the new capital to the ancient capital. Much of the journey would be spent driving through these mountains. And we would be spending one night on the road, in Vang Vieng, a little town nestled beside the mountains, by the river.

Vang Vieng today is a sort of backpacker paradise. It has many restaurants and guesthouses for backpackers, with the restaurants essentially comprising raised seating areas with lots of cushions. There the backpackers sit, snacking and drinking and watching TV - largely reruns of American sitcoms. We would be staying somewhere else - in one of the older guesthouses, which had been redeveloped a few times and catered to (ahem) a higher class of tourist. Right by the river, it had fabulous views of the mountains and was within walking distance of the toll bridge and small tribal village.

We visited the village briefly (it was getting late, and the cows were already on their way home). After a good dinner (pork ribs, papaya salad, a soup of young bamboo shoots, fish, and vegetables),we returned to the guesthouse. There, we were greeted by the strains of "Blowing in the Wind". The owner of the guesthouse was no mean guitarist and singer - some folks in our group knew him. We spent the evening by the river, singing away.

The next morning, we woke early and after a visit to the morning market visited a series of limestone caves (filled with stalagmites and stalagtites), again by the river. We were early, so had the caves mostly to ourselves. Then, we continued on our journey through the mountains to Luang Prabang.

Spectacular, majestic scenery was all around. The winding road took us up and down the mountains. It was an exciting journey, though a little worrying at times, particularly after we had to stop because one driver, going too fast, had gone off the road into a ravine and the car was being winched up. Fortunately, we also had a good driver who didn't speed, kept his eyes on the road and tooted his horn every time we rounded a corner. We arrived safely at Luang Prabang that evening.

To end off, here is a little video of the singing session that evening in Vang Vieng. I asked for a traditional Lao song. This one, is about the national flower of Laos - the frangipani.Here he is singing it together with others in our party.

Temple-Hopping in Vientiane

2010-10-16T15:53:00.005+08:00

Big and small
Originally uploaded by Taking5

I had been looking forward to visiting Laos for some time, after my classmate invited me over. Finally, 4 years after our first invitation, we made it over! I've decided that I'm not going to do the day by day updates which I used to do after my previous holidays. Instead, over the next few posts, I hope to share a few highlights of our stay.

Laos is a deeply religious Buddhist society. Like Thailand, Burma and Cambodia, young men go through the rite of passage of becoming monks for a while. My friends called this the equivalent of national service for them! Indeed, there is merit for all of us to take a few months off to pray, reflect, and to learn what it is to depend on the charity and compassion of others. This can only inculcate these virtues in one's own life.

According to my friend, we had arrived the day before a major festival - when 450 monks would gather at Wat Ong Teu, a major monastery, to celebrate Vientiane's 450th Anniversary as the capital of Laos. Indeed, when we arrived, the temple was crowded. Large containers had been set out for people to "make merit" and donate to the temple. The central prayer hall, or "sim", was also filled with groups of people dressed in their best - praying, checking on their fortunes, and taking photos of themselves before the altar on this important occasion.

The large crowds were thankfully missing from the next two temples we visited that day - Wat Impeng, Wat Sisaket - and the Ho Phakeo temple. Presumably, every one was at the big festival. Wat Impeng is just next to Wat Ong Teu, and the sim was opened whilst we were standing there taking photos of the exterior. My friend told me that the brightly coloured murals on the front wall of the sim had been restored through donations, as were the two smaller shrines facing the temple. But beyond just helping preserve and maintain the buildings, the temples receive other forms of support from the community - each household is also assigned to a particular temple and they will support it financially and with food.

Later, we visited two other temples - Wat Si Muang, where people pray for their requests to be granted, and the Pha That Luang, the majestic stupa which is a symbol of Laos. Wat Si Muang (as would be expected) was crowded. A number of children were there (my friend says that they are praying for good exam results!), parents with a newborn, and so on. For those whose requests have been granted, they return to the Wat, buy a marigold-decked "tree" from one of the stalls outside the sim, to offer it at the foot of the Buddha in thanksgiving.

But the highlight of the day was definitely Wat Sisaket, the oldest wat in Vientiane - because it was the only one left standing by the Siamese following their invasion of the city in 1828. The old sim was being restored whilst we were there, and we could not take photos of the murals in the interior. But the cloisters were amazing - they were lined with statues of the Buddha, with small niches in the walls each containing 2-3 miniatures (see starting photo). Altogether, there were over 10,000 statues of the Buddha in the whole temple complex with over 6,000 in the cloisters alone. The sim and cloisters were surrounded by a quiet, green park which hosted its own large shrine as well as a number of stupas, some containing the relics of some Laotian dignitaries.

We had just visited a handful of the many wats in Vientiane but all of them were well-maintained and cared for. For a nominally Communist country, the deep religious roots of the society and the people of Laos are evident for all to see.

More Laos photos on Flickr.

Martia

2010-09-12T00:05:00.004+08:00

Back for her portrait
Originally uploaded by Taking5

Something like a month ago, Martia went missing. She had a run-in with the dog next door, and ran off thereafter. We could not find her, we did not know if she was injured or not. But she never came back. So we can only imagine the worst.

She was a shy, sweet cat, who was very much the lowest cat on the rung. The other cats would bully her and try and steal her food (she was always the one who got her food last as a result). On the rare occasions I fed the cats, I would stand above her and protect her whilst she ate. She trusted so few, it was a privilege indeed that our driveway became her home. I don't have many photos of Martia, largely because it is difficult to get her to pose (she is scared of the camera).

Ah, Martia. Our only consolation is that apparently she gave the dog a few nasty scratches before my mother and neighbour separated them.

On a more cheerful note, we were temporarily fostering Bonnie (or Sookie as she is now called). We found Bonnie on the roadside, much like little Smudge. But unlike Smudge, she was skittish and it took a few nights to capture her. She got used to us pretty quickly and I managed to find a home for her. Sweet little Bonnie!

Adorable little Bonnie photos on Flickr.

P.S. It breaks my heart but the day after I put this up, Bianca too went missing.

Imagine

2010-08-30T00:16:00.002+08:00

This is possibly my favouritest moment in Glee:

The Youth Olympic Games are Here!

2010-08-14T22:27:00.000+08:00

As I type this, the Opening Ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore is underway (I'm watching it on TV). Now that it is officially here, I find myself quite caught up/interested in the games. Maybe it is because the Olympic flame drove past my house last Sunday (well, actually the main road outside my house). Or maybe because the "Give Way" signs on the roads are a constant reminder of the Games. Or the inspiring story of little Wei Jie following the flame for 15km wearing flipflops.

Whatever it was, I found myself standing on the roadside yesterday at noon, waiting for the flame to pass down Lim Liak Street in Tiong Bahru (the day's route is here). My colleagues had volunteered for the honour of bearing the flame and I was happy to be there at this historic moment to support them. We waited for a bit and two buses of young people drove past, cheering and waving (we waved back). Then, the flame appeared and my first colleague's moment of glory had arrived!

All too soon, however, he had to pass it on to the next torchbearer (another colleague). The moment was over.

And, as I type this line, the Opening Ceremony has just ended. I loved the spectacular ending- the last torchbearer, Darren Choy, the 15 year old sailor, running across the reflecting pool to the lighthouse at the end - and the flame streaking up the tower to the lamp on top. It was so special moment - that last lone runner, the reflections on the water, the mist and lights in the background. At this mystical, magical moment, I felt proud of Singapore.

Gardens Galore - Singapore Garden Festival 2010

2010-07-24T19:34:00.002+08:00

For the third time, I brought my mother to the Singapore Garden Festival - the third time the festival has been held. As always, we walked through the two huge halls of Suntec City until we were footsore, and till my camera battery was running low (such was the number of zoomed shots, macros etc which I had taken).

Some SGF highlights:

The huge figure of "The Man Who Planted Trees", an allusion to the story by Jean Giono. The figure greets visitors to the Festival, and I must say is truly imposing. Except, that I regret not taking the effort to view it in the far more natural surroundings of the Botanical Gardens, where it was "grown", before being transferred to Suntec.

This year, I somehow found that the gardens were a little less memorable than previous years. Somehow, the underwater garden featured in SGF 2008 really took my fancy. This year, somehow the imaginative and creative element was somewhat lacking in the Fantasy Gardens. Nonetheless, I rather liked the enclosed garden, "Hortus Inclusus", meant to represent a monastry garden, surrounded by pear trees trained in the form of a grill. There's a technical name for this which of course I can't remember.

Another favourite (from the landscape gardens) was probably the "Mystic Rainforest", which was really like a cube of rainforest transferred wholesale into the Suntec halls. I liked the dense smell of moist earth, the dead leaves scattered on the ground, the snakes twined on the branches and the packaging around the cube. Sorry, I'm not a fan of "Modern Kampong" which won Best in Show.

I always like the immense variety of beautiful, vibrant orchids displayed in the Orchid Festival, and this year was no exception. Here, I fear, is where my camera is really strained to its maximum capacity. The "Community in Bloom" is also very interesting - this year, it features some wall garden equipment or "Vegge Pipes" which enable one to grow plants vertically.

What I found new and fascinating this year was the bonsai. These perfect miniatures invite one to view these sturdy little trees from every angle. This little example on the right won a prize (I can't remember what).

As always, I am amazed at the immense crowds at the garden festival - the serious photographers, the camera phone crowd just snapping away for a photo to remember the event. I always meet someone I know too. It's such a comfortable, neighbourhood type of event and it's no wonder people go year after year.

P.S. Just re-read my review of the first SGF 2006, and am pleased to note that I had in this post noted the importance of being more inclusive, involving community gardeners. Obviously, NParks has listened!

P.P.S. My photo set on Flickr is here.

A Meeting of Cats

2010-07-04T12:50:00.001+08:00

I attended the Cat Welfare Society "Mad Hatter Tea Party" event last Sunday. It was held at The Garden Slug, the comfy diner just down the road (which explains why we went). I rather liked was meeting all the cats and hearing a little more about them during the Cheshire Cat competition.

Let me introduce you to just a few:

Toto, the big and beautiful cross between a Scottish Fold and a British Shorthair. Weights almost 7 kg!! His placid and easygoing temperament made him the favourite at the Cheshire Cat competition. A creature of routine, he likes sitting by the door to wait for his humans to come back from work.

Juju's owner informed us that this poor cat had two broken legs. I forgot to ask how these were sustained. But Juju's mobility is definitely affected as he stayed most of the time in the little baby chair. But still, as you can see, a rather handsome cat!

Smokey turned up a little late for the competition but he is after all a true Deuteronomy amongst cats. He's 18 years' old, and was carried in by the son of his human (who must be a good 6 years at least younger than him). Smokey was the only cat who was attired for the occasion, in a handsome Argentinian jersey (by contrast, his humans were in Brazilian strip - what does this mean)? He's blind but can still find his way around the house.

I'll put up a few photos on flickr later on but in the meantime, photos from the event (by official photographer) can be seen on the CWS Facebook page.

P.S. My photos here.

Sea Lions of Pier 39

2010-05-29T18:02:00.001+08:00

Went last month to San Francisco. It was a work trip, but I had time to pop down to look at the sea lions at Pier 39. Not the most exciting of videos, but I thought it was fairly interesting to see the sea lion swim up to the pier and jump on top. For more professional videos, see here.