Tag: perak

ABC

Known was Air Batu Campur (mixed ice) or ABC locally, the icy dessert is found across Southeast Asia in different variations. Hitz Cafe of Tanjung Malim serves the traditional Malaysian and Singapore version.

It is shaved ice with assorted jellies, beans, nuts, maize, sago seeds, topped up with evaporated milk and rose syrup. Ask for ice cream, if you fancy.

ABC is also Michael Jackson’s monster hit when he was 11. I can’t remember if he sang ‘ABC’ in his 1996 concert in Malaysia but I still wonder if he had ABC during his stay here.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f4 1/125 sec.

Inside Hitz Cafe

On one wall, there is a big mural of old Tanjung Malim town painted by a young local artist. I was also fascinated by this corner where nature created art too.

From a photography perspective, natural light from the sun can enhance the atmosphere or ambience (spell or say ‘ambiance’ if you want to sound uppity when you are not). Sunlight is a factor beyond the control of anyone on a casual visit though.

On a paid gig with the right budget, I can easily re-create the same by bringing a truckload of lighting equipment and a big electric generator. On a personal outing, I am happy to use the sun when the timing is right.

Late afternoon sunlight was seeping through the glass facade and casting nice shadows on the vintage marble-top kopitiam (Chinese coffee shop) table and chairs.

Saw this by chance while walking back from the washroom at the rear of the restaurant. Yeah. Moral of the story: Bring along your camera bag when you go wash your hands.

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

The Town Beauty

Her great grandfather was English and her great grandmother Burmese. On the maternal side, her great grandparents were Thai and Chinese.

Their son married a Spanish-Filipina. Her Eurasian father, who lives in Malacca, married a Chinese lady from Kelantan.

With such a fascinating mix, their child Jolene looks exotic and ravishingly beautiful, naturally. So what’s her race? Malaysian lah.

More than that, she also inherits a rich culinary knowledge for which she puts to good use. Jolene owns and operates the only fusion cafe in town. I stumbled upon her and the restaurant walking the kaki lima. More on the food next.

Photography Notes: I used the acclaimed Sony Zeiss 55mm f1.8 lens as an impromptu portrait lens here. It was so sharp that I have to reduce the clarity a touch in the raw processor. Nevertheless, it isolated her from the cluttered background beautifully.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f1.8, 1/800 sec.

The Red Hydrant

Fire hydrants are usually colour-coded so firefighters can tell at a glance the water capacity and pressure available.

Intended as a critical time-saving indicator during a fire, the meaning of the colour codes are not universally standardised though.

The pillar hydrants I see here in Tanjung Malim are mostly red, with a few in yellow.

Behind the hydrant is the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer in Rest House Road. The Catholic church started as a small chapel in 1960 and was rebuilt in 2007.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f4, 1/640 sec.

Kaki Lima

The five-foot-way or ‘kaki lima’ is a colonial legacy from the time when front of shops were required by law to have a 5-foot wide walkway. The practical and functional architectural design element lives on in the old shops of Tanjung Malim and many other places.

According to Wikipedia, the requirement was first specified in the Stamford Raffles Town Act of 1822 for Singapore. It applied also to Malaya and Brunei.

I think is quite a brilliant design as the overhanging top floor acts as a shelter or shade for window shoppers. Together with classic columns and arches, the shady walkways appear like a long tunnel or corridor to the camera.

Saw this girl gulping milk on the five-foot-way from afar. When I got near, I found out her parents are trading in one of the shops. I asked her father if it is normal to drink milk so fast and furious. He said is normal. Gulps.

Anyway, I like how she multi-tasked by posing, smiling and drinking at the same time.

Happy Mother’s Day, all.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 200, f4, 1/250 sec.