Bonsai juniper.

Bonsai is the Oriental art of cultivating miniature trees to make them look aged. This juniper bonsai is crafted in sabamiki style where the trunk is split and the bark stripped to evoke a visual effect of deep trunk damage as can be found in old trees. It won an award at the inaugral Kuala Lumpur Bonsai & Orchid Show 2012 held at the Perdana Botanical Gardens to coincide with the Petronas Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix 2012.

Scarlet Passion Flower – Passiflora Coccinea.

It was impossible to miss this bright red flower that greeted us at the entrance to the Secret Garden of 1 Utama. The garden underwent some renovation since the last time we were there. Footpaths were resurfaced and raised. The ramps were still difficult to traverse on wheelchair, even with assistance from Wuan. We had a good time there, nonetheless, capturing some interesting images with our cameras.

Sarawak pineapple.

When I saw the Sarawak pineapple that Wuan bought from the fruit shop last weekend, I asked her to let me take a few shots of it before she cut it up. It has been a long time since I trained the Nikon D60 with the AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G on anything interesting. The Speedlight SB-600 was attached with the flash bounced off the ceiling. Despite appearing overly ripe, the pineapple was sour without any hint of sweetness. I was disappointed, especially after hearing about how sweet Sarawak pineapples could be. Nevertheless, my appetite for shooting was satiated, for the moment.

Weather-beaten lamp post at Gurney Drive.

This is one of the few remaining concrete lamp posts at Gurney Drive. It certainly has seen better days. Years of neglect and exposure to the harsh elements have peeled away the surface and exposed the reinforcement bars. I still remember how they lit up the promenade in the evenings. Sadly, unchecked erosion of the beach had toppled the others a long time ago. It is a matter of time before the sea claims this and the rest of the surviving ones as well.

11 Gurney Drive, Penang.

Wuan and I were on our way back to the hotel after a slow stroll along the quieter end of Gurney Drive. It was almost noon. Tall Casuarina tree shaded us from the midday sun. We stopped outside 11 Gurney Drive to rest a little. I looked up. The sight of the skyscraper fascinated me. It was like a neverending flight of stairs leading all the way to heaven and beyond.

Fresh barhi dates.

The Sharon persimmons and the barhi dates are my two favourite exotic fruits; exotic because they are imported and not available all year round. Currently, the barhi dates are widely available due to the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. One kilogram costs RM28 at roadside fruit stalls but can fetch up to RM50 in upmarket fruit shops.

Fresh barhi dates.

The first time I had a bite of these fresh yellow dates last year, I took an instant liking to them. They were sweet and crunchy. I later found out that they are called barhi dates and are imported from the Middle East. These delicious dates are available only during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Although they are expensive, I prefer them over dried dates which are a tad too sweet for my liking.

Crepe jasmine – The Secret Garden of 1 Utama.

The air was refreshingly invigorating. The grounds were wet from the afternoon rainstorm that stopped just a while ago. We were greeted by these pinwheel-like crepe jasmine as we traipsed around the Secret Garden of 1 Utama with our cameras. The deluge may have washed away their intoxicating fragrance but the water droplets clinging on to their white petals made them look pristine still.

Pelicans roosting at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Lake, Zoo Negara.

My first encounter with pelicans was at Zoo Negara. They were such queer looking birds with their large throat pouches and long beaks. A flock of them were roosting in the middle of the lake. Despite their disproportionate appearance, they could actually fly and topped that off with a perfect landing. This image was shot with a Nikon D50 and Nikkor 55-200mm lens at maximum zoom.

Masjid Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin at Precinct 3, Putrajaya.

When Wuan and I visited the Putrajaya Floria 2010 for the second time last Saturday we went up the Millennium Monument. It provided a panoramic view of the Putrajaya Waterfront and surrounding areas. The most eyecatching structure nearest to the monument was an imposing building crowned by a metallic dome. It is the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque, also known as the Iron Mosque.