Gong Xi Fa Cai

Yesterday, my colleague invited us to her father’s studio CNY Open House and I get to see my one and only lion dance of the year.

I always believe in a multicultural nation like ours, whatever opportunity we get to experience each other’s culture, we need to always grab it. It’s sad enough that we are too consumed with our own people, religion and culture – we need to always try to understand each other better and how they practice their culture and beliefs as well.

Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion’s movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion dance is usually performed during the Chinese New Year and other Chinese traditional, cultural and religious festicals. It may also be performed at important occasions such as business opening events, special celebrations or wedding ceremonies, or may be used to honour special guests by the Chinese communities. (Source: Wikipedia)

Thank you Studio DL, David Lok and family for inviting us!

Happy Belated Birthday Again, Jayna!

Back in 2008 when camera photography was a thing and Flickr was THE platform for photographers to meet, I joined the KL Flickr group or famously known as KLickr where every other weekend, we’d gather together for photowalks and photography journeys together. There I learn a lot about cameras and photography but most importantly, I made a lot of friends. My very first photowalk was the Kampung Abdullah Hukum photowalk if I am not mistaken in early 2008 just shy a month before they scrap the entire kampung to make way for the SP Setia development in front of Midvalley. I remember we had photography talks with renowned photo journalists and these bunch of photographers always make sure that knowledge and experiences are meant to be shared or achieved collectively.

After the rise of phone photography where everyone can be a photographer, the KLickr remains as a platform for this group of friends who are photography enthusiasts share their latest growth or challenges. And when someone is in town, the anchors like Shafina Sheridan, Adi Arfan and Han Ghazi will always make sure they gather everyone together to celebrate. Today was to celebrate Jayna’s birthday as well as the annual gathering whenever Jayna is back in town because she’s based in the UK.

Happy to still be around these people. It’s been more than a decade and I truly enjoy seeing everyone grow but at the same time reminds us of when we used to walk the streets of Kuala Lumpur documenting life in visuals that is photography.

Thank you. Love you Pka Lyra

On 7th of February, my baby sister turned 26! So I would like to take this opportunity to thank her for making me a great sister. But this post is not about me. (Apparently) It’s about her.

You have grown from this little human I get to experiement what being a nanny is like, to a ruthless lawyer who has such amazing empathy for the people around her. You are always kind in listening and firm in standing – which are great traits as a lawyer.

I wish for you a life that makes you stronger and reminds you constantly with blessings and laughter. I wish for you the most sincere love you get to ever receive from your friends, family (us, duhh), and soulmates.

Lumut

When we were younger, as our parents struggled to raise 5 children on a combined government servant’s pay (Mama was a police clerk and Abah was an army officer); we don’t get to go for vacations a lot. The most Abah could do is whenever we go back kampung for Raya, he will dropby all the historical sites along the way, making us feel that the experience was within the balik kampung journey – hence, ‘a vacation’. He never felt the pressure that his peers were bringing their kids away overseas or constantly picnicking everywhere. He does things within his practical means because the focus is always the kind of conversation he exposed us to, not the luxuries of life.

Even after my dad has retired, financial was never our luck. We were blessed to have enough to get by but it was never a luxurious life. I don’t have a shopping habit because we buy things out of necessity, never for personal pleasure.

Now, as we all grow older and even could be able to afford chipping in, my dad took it as part of a redemption to make sure he treat us a vacation once a year – be it locally or internationally. It’s his personal glory, one he couldn’t afford to do much earlier when raising us. And going for family vacations at this age gives us all a different perspective to the experience. One which is more wholesome and personal compared to if we have gotten the chance to go when we were smaller.

As I learn more and more about my parents, I slowly feel the pride of owning to the traits I inherited from them, while I am proud of being my own unique individual that I am.

Celebrate the love of the ones you’re with and choose to appreciate life. That’s all I hope everyone gets to live on.

(Written during a family trip to Lumut, Perak)