Tag: street photography

Serendah The Pleasantville

Many refer to Federal Route 1 as the ‘Old Road’. This is the old road of the old road traversing Serendah. On some stretches, original sections of the trunk road were bypassed instead of widening it.

Serendah faded away after the opening of the NSE but slowly bounced back as a pleasant retreat for city people clamouring for nature and greenery.

Narrow as the road was, an invading army marched through it. According to Wikipedia, Federal Route 1 was the main route for the Japanese Imperial Forces moving from Songkhla to Singapore during the Battle of Malaya between 1941 and 1942.

I used hand-colouring with faux Technicolor tones to depict the town’s gradual return to life; from black and white to sepia to full colour. The concept was used in the 1998 film, Pleasantville, starring Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon. More of Serendah coming up.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f6.3, 1/800 sec.

Goyang Kaki

Rawang has soul. And soles. Taxi drivers and a passenger chilling at a taxi stand, watching life going by and sizing up a stranger with a camera. So-called ‘outstation’ taxi service is a waiting game for both passengers and drivers. The first passenger that arrives wait for other passengers to fill the car. It is a cost-effective ride sharing system.

The carefree connotation of the popular Malay idiom ‘goyang kaki’ (swaying a foot or leg in relaxation) is deceptive here. Idleness at this old part of town belies the bustle at the many newly developed areas in Rawang.

Rawang didn’t really suffer when it was bypassed by northbound traffic using the NSE. There is boom instead of gloom for two main reasons. Rawang was a busy hub and remains so. As a commercial and transportation hub, it serves the smaller towns such as Batu Arang, Serendah, Batang Berjuntai and beyond.

Astronomical residential property prices in KL/PJ meant people are willing to stay further in neighbouring towns. The number of new hypermarkets and housing estates in Rawang bear testimony to the phenomenon. Some of the locals I spoke to lament that everything has become more expensive as a result.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 100, f4.5, 1/800 sec.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Lamps

Saw a temple in the middle of this first stopover town northbound on Federal Route 1. I went inside the See Yeah Kong Temple in Rawang to take a quick look.

Photography Notes: The Sony Zeiss 24-70mm is my ‘go to’ lens for this kind of run-and-gun photography. I also have the 55 mm f1.8 Sonnar T* in the bag, should the interior be too dark or if I need more focus isolation. As it was, the zoom rendered a nice bokeh.

Was a good morning warmup and workout for the gear. I foresee a long day of exploration when I return to the Ulu Yam area afterwards.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 1000, f4, 1/400 sec.

Ribena Longan

That great Malaysian invention or concoction of Ribena blackcurrant cordial and canned longans. Some places add soda or use canned lychees instead. Next to it, is another Malaysian favourite; Milo Ice.

William’s Corner, Kelana Jaya.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 200, f4, 1/400 sec.

Mastan Ghani

Mastan Ghani.

I’ll take a brief break from Chinese New Year programming to share a few remaining pictures and thoughts from my Teluk Intan trip last week.

Mastan Ghani’s Mee Rebus is a must-try for any first time or even repeat visitors to the town. Their rojak is equally delicious and both the dishes look deceivingly similar when served. According to the boss, the ingredients for each gravy are indeed quite different.

The drink seen at the back is an iced rose syrup with black jelly (cincau). Not that I mind; they added the cincau without asking. It is a Teluk Intan thing it seems and, by that, I mean the cincau thing and not the choice thing. This is from one of two outlets near the famous Leaning Tower, at the unique and rustic tailor’s row. Yumz.

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 200, f11, 1/80 sec.