Shadow of carved jade dragon ship.

Sun rays coming through the window and door early in the morning can cast some unusual shadows. One morning, I woke up in time to catch this shadow of the carved jade dragon ship that was standing on top of the television set. I should wake up early more often to see what other interesting shadows the sun casts at different times of the year.

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Weaved rattan canes.

These are weaved rattan canes of an Ikea chair. The shallow depth of field caused bokeh in the foreground and background with a very narrow range in between that is in focus. When I look at this image, I am reminded of the many instances in my life when I was unsure of what I should be doing. The past is a blur, the present unfulfilling and the future uncertain. Having gone through these phases, I also understand that nothing stays the same forever. As sure as the sun sets at dusk, it shall rise again at dawn.

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The change from paying for the drinks at Jalan Sayur.

Coins are one of those things that we cannot live with yet cannot live without. They weigh down our pockets. They fall out when we do not want them to. They are those little things that get wedged in sofas and car seats. They are also those little things that remind me of a time when I could have gotten a delicious bowl of Hokkien mee from the cigar-chomping hawker at the Caunter Hall – Jalan Terengganu roundabout in Penang with a mere 30 sen.

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Red lanterns to herald in the Year of the Tiger 2010 at Ikea.

When the shopping malls are all decked out in red, you can be sure that Chinese New Year is just around the corner. I especially like the simplicity of Ikea’s decor. The red paper lanterns that hung down from the ceiling were as auspicious for the occasion as they could be. They have already put me in a festive mood. I cannot wait for the celebration to begin. My gut feeling is telling me that this year will be different. Five more days to find out if that is true.

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Out of focus fairy lights at The Gardens Mall.

Sometimes, doing things out of the ordinary my result in some pleasant surprises. Wuan and I were shooting the Christmas decor at The Gardens Mall. I was fiddling with the manual focus on my Canon Powershot A610 pointed at the fairy lights on one of the Christmas trees. As I moved the focusing distance forward and backward, I discovered that I could create some fancy effects of the lights. The photo above is one of them.

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Table accessories – silk flowers, soya sauce and toothpicks.

This shot was taken with the Canon Powershot A610 while I was waiting for my food at the Restoran New Curry inside Taman Maluri Shopping Centre. I turned the dial to P, set ISO to 100, turned off the flash and fiddled with the white balance. This camera has been with me for four years and it was only recently that I started using the manual focus function. The result was better than I expected. I am slowly weaning myself away from using the Auto mode to learning to play with the manual settings.

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Miniskirt in winter at Takahatafudo Station.

January 2006. Takahatafudo Station, Hino-shi, Japan. It had snowed in Tokyo the week before – the first time in a couple of years. Temperature in the evenings were usually subzero. When the wind blew, the chill penetrated right to the bones even though I had four layers of clothing on. My nose bled. My ears froze. There were frostbites on my hands. I had removed the gloves to take some pictures. It was impossible to press the shutter button wearing them. I could not believe my eyes when I saw this young woman waiting at the train station in her winter jacket, miniskirt and boots. Miniskirt in that freezing cold? I was thoroughly impressed.

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One of the several silk peonies that used to add colour to my living room.

The 35mm f/1.8 prime lens has been sitting in the dry cabinet for many months now. I thought the recent trip to Penang would present many opportunities to test it out. It was not to be. Lunch appointments were followed by dinner appointments. I hardly had time to rest although it was supposed to be a holiday. Nevertheless, I woke up early one morning and took several shots of the silk peonies that used to brighten up the living room of the apartment and I liked the results very much.

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Gotokuji in Setagaya-ku, Japan.

Hands Setagaya is a Centre for Independent Living (CIL) in Japan. It is located in Gotokuji in Setagaya Ward which is part of Tokyo city. I was at the CIL in January 2006 for a half-day study on how the centre is managed. The Government of Japan funded this two-week course conducted at the various CILs in Tokyo. We passed narrow lanes with quaint little shops on the way there from the train station. The famous Maneki Neko, known as the Japanese beckoning cat or lucky cat, originated in the Gotokuji Temple nearby. Unfortunately, our hectic schedule did not allow for any sightseeing.

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The Colombo Commercial Co at Weld Quay, Penang.

Old buildings like this are slowly disappearing from the Penang landscape. These buildings each have a story to tell. They make up the history of what Penang formerly was and still is – a strategic hub for commerce and culture. The joint listing of Penang and Melaka under UNESCO World Heritage Sites as Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca will see many of such buildings being preserved and restored to their past glories.

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