Travel Marvel

1.
Singapore. The Merlion (background) with a miniature one in the foreground....Esplanade Theater and The Flyer in a distance. The landmarks of the island on the tip of Peninsular Malaysia, formerly known as Temasek!

It has been about 16 years since I last set foot on this island. A refreshing experience, definitely, after 16 years I finally had the oportunity to be there again....to attend a conference that lasted 2 days and another half day of workshop/ conversation with world class professionals in the fields of discussion - I will have another entry for the conference lah! - which translates to: I have only the evening for my walk & shoot activities!

Not a problem! I take it as it is - compose the best I can with very limited light source. Al of my shots were done without flash except the shot above - CLS technique with Sb900 as the slave.
The rest would be on high ISO setting & shutter speed as low as 1/15.

I should say Singapore is an interesting place to do street & lifestyle kind of documentary. Maybe when I decided to quit working and do my documentary stuff I should stay there for 1-2 weeks and just do it....after Maghribi & Peru perhaps!

2.
Fountain of Wealth was the first place I went, was hoping to capture the splashing water but my timing was never right! It's just a couple of meter away from the conference hall....
....and the hotel I stayed is just across the road-lah!

3.
One place that I have been hearing a lot about would be Mustafa Center...took a cab on my second night in Singapore and realized that I can find almost anything I can afford (definitely not much la compared to many other rich people kan!) and can't afford! Heck even the Teva I am wearing is available - displayed like like Carre-Four's Crocs imitation. I did not but anything (infact the cash I used up in Singapore were just for my meals and taxi fares!) because I don't intend to...am moving to the new condo soon so cash is kinda tight....since I am not awarded as PPA 2 Leadership Rating 2 performer and my future rating & chance to get better pay is not looking good thank you to the Zoo bastards again....tak apa lah it is ok I can make do with whatever I have and already started working on alternative ways to make it through....I don't need a frigging Bimmer nor a farking Honda to broadcast to all I am doing well like them lah! Arrogant Bastardly Losers........sampai kiamat aku ingat what they have done to me...(emo plak tiba2 nih...sial punyer unit, it's like a contagious sector in my life already, even worse then the blardy HPV-B I am dealing with)

Anyway...Mustafa Center was nice. I observed the people in the complex, on the streets...around the area...and I actually walked back to Marina Mandarin to get the "feel" of being on the streets Singapore....

4.
What's the big deal fo going to Singapore for a conference?
Not a big deal at all....many would smirk.... hell it's just Singapore - some people commute by plane everyday to KLIA-CHANGI-KLIA or vice versa!

BUT NOT ME! That's why I treasure the experience & I took time to observe & shoot the sites I went to....utilizing the gift of being able to see, from Allah...appreciate every single moment I am allowed to use my eyes...Alhamdulillah. Though the shots may not be a world class collection but it's what I saw during my stay and it will be seen by my kids & many long after I am gone. I can't afford a luxury car nor a posh condo for each of them but I would stirve to leave as many as possible the shots I can...things that I have viewed with my verry own eyes when I am alive.

On my way to KLIA, I somehow met the GE Asia President at the KL Central who still remembers me and we had a good conversation, he invited me to visit his new office not far from the previous one when I first established contact with him for the The Zoo. I respect him a lot. A humble & friendly leader.

Wonder how would it be if some arrogant bastard in The Zoo actually sits in the position like that....

Ahaa..talking about The Zoo, I had a fruitful conversation with Arthur Shelly the author of The Organizational Zoo. Such a coincident that we used the same method to explainand relate to the characters in the office. I told Arthur my piece of mind, what I have observed & written in this blog & my journal (no, not moleskine just a close imitation of a moleskine!) and the only thing is, Arthur, you made it big and I am still a lower rate worker in a big organization! He laughed and agreed!

Arthur is a great speaker and writer....too bad I did not manage to buy the book from him - only 30 units available and gone in a jiff....but I got a better deal than everybody else, Arthur is sending me a copy free of charge!! Ahahaah!! from the author of The Organizational Zoo, for the fat guy who has been battered by the creatures of The Zoo. Not bad at all....and I can just walk to any of the presenters & authors - ExWorldBank bigwig, CIA/DEA/DIA Advisors, SAF bigwig..many others....and get conneccted fast.....maybe I should reconsider to go back to marketing & trading divisions before I retire just for the fun of it....

5.
Maybe I will have another opportunity to meet the speakers & authors....it's really refreshing to know we are on the same frequency....kinda a reward and a bit of some healing from being treated like worthless scum by the leaders I used to serve for....

6.

...so long Singapore! See you again insyaAllah!