Tag: people

Young Man In The Net

In a fishing gear shop in old Behrang town, I met 15-year old Sean who is a keen angler. In between preparing for his exams, he helps out at his aunt’s shop where he puts his knowledge of local fishing spots to good use.

When Indonesian customers walked in, Sean broke into fluent Indonesian and indulged in friendly repartee with them. He spoke surprisingly good English too. While I was impressed by his command of the various languages, he showed another skill worth noting.

It was the way he fielded incessant questions from me. What he didn’t know or was unsure of, he admitted so. What he knew, he answered with precise facts and figures. Something of which many of our politicians can learn from.

The shop’s name is Syarikat Alat-Alat Pancing Ikan Soon Huat. Surprising though that Sean, being a young person, doesn’t believe in a Facebook Page or website for the shop. He said the shop is already well known.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f6.3, 1/250 sec.

Hindu Temple Statue Supervising A Chinese Tile Installer

“No, no, no. Don’t leave your tape measure lying about here. Someone may slip on it”, the statue seems to be cautioning the workman.

I was watching the tile layer (or tile setter) for a while, too. Being the occasional DIY enthusiast, I was fascinated by how he so effortlessly cut odd pieces to fit.

The process of cementing and tapping each marble tile is not as easy as it looks. He must apply the correct pressure and tap at the right places to make it stick perfectly and evenly. It is an art.

The Hindu temple in Behrang Ulu is undergoing renovation and an upgrade.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f4.5, 1/250 sec.

The Yellow Lake Of Proton City

Nestled within a quiet housing estate in Proton City is a picturesque but deserted park. Risqi, 4 and Rifa, 7, were taking in the the view of the lake from under a gazebo.

Their mother Nani, a science teacher from a school in nearby Kuala Slim, told me the lake was a tin-mining pit. She reckoned the yellowish water was caused by heavy rain the night before.

I was also told by other Tanjung Malim folks that, on weekends, it is a popular place for kite flying and other recreational activities.

Olympus OM-D, ISO 200, f6.3, 1/250 sec.

The Rohingyas On Land – Compassion

A Muslim Burmese lady was feeding abandoned kittens by the roadside. She declined to have her face photographed.

As I photographed the kittens, a busybody stranger remarked that she’ll be getting massive ‘pahala’ points (based on the concept of receiving blessings as reward for good deeds).

I thought the man’s Malay accent sounded like that of a Bangladeshi migrant living in Malaysia. When I met him later inside a Toto shop, he told me he is Rohingya as well.

The lady seem annoyed by his remark. She declared: “I’m doing it because I can’t bear to see a living thing die of hunger. Not for any reward.”

Compassion. It reminds me of a quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi:

“It ill becomes us to invoke in our daily prayers the blessings of God, the Compassionate, if we in turn will not practice elementary compassion towards our fellow creatures” .

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 320, f4, 1/200 sec.

The Rohingyas On Land – Lost & Found

We found the kitten in a drain, eventually. The kind man retrieved the fallen stray and it was reunited with the mother.

It was my lucky day. Further down the street, I was to stumble upon another animal lover and witnessed another good deed.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 320, f4, 1/200 sec.