Janggut Duyung

Look like noodles but actually a nice dish. I recall my buddy's wedding - Nahzamri - about a decade ago....where it is part of the main dish served.
Have always wondered where'd he managed to get the massive supply for teh occasion!
~ on Symbian mobile device

Pondok Laguna

Family ifthar. Nice place. Noisy though, too noisy to my preference. Good food. If only the space is more than the accepted bookings!
~ on Symbian mobile device

The KKK Business

A compulsory stop for cake makers. The stuff sold are cheaper than Semenanjung, some are difficult/ very expensive or not even available in Semenanjung...including books on cake making techniques.
~ on Symbian mobile device

THE Raya Cards

We did a number of raya cards this year since the kids can now write & read faster than they used to. REAL cards, not the e-cards thingy.
Each of them will draw something & color it as they wish, with their names close to the artwork.
Alisya would write the contents, signed her Mandarin name and then me & wifey put down our signature. Done!
Fun, yes...but more importanyly, the cards will be one of their timeless works of art & love.
~ on Symbian mobile device

Masak-masak

Dinner with Mama's schoolmates.
Cool little restaurant in Semarak. The kids love the fishballs & steaks. They had a blast with cousins Ika & Waiz today....rainy day bu filled with fun!
~ on Symbian mobile device

RaJa Ayam Penyet

Landed safely in Kuching around 1040pm.
At 1am, we are still wide awake....the whole family is just excited to be in Kuching. For the first time we try Raja Ayam Penyet place. Cool. Really cool.
~ on Symbian mobile device

CHAPTERSimages...another chapter of my life

A discussion session with Rahman Roslan & Vignes Balasingam - "students" of Ron Haviv.

Founding Members of CHAPTERSimages (in the making....just a couple more months, insyaAllah!)

~ on Symbian mobile device

Jawi

~ that's my name, in jawi, Parker Quink red ink, Parker Quink black ink, Pelikan 4001 green ink, Faber-Castell Black Technical Drawing Ink & 2B+ hi-polymer carbon

Can I write & read in jawi without much fumbling?
~Yes
Can my kids do the same?
~Working on it

How about you?

On Top Of The World

I shot this Tower 1 Pinnacle from Level 81 Tower 2

Using Sigma 70-300mm APO-DG Macro

1.

Alain Robert finally managed to stand on top of Petronas Tower 2 pinnacle. KUDOS Alain.

Now, there may be something that we can learn from Spidey. His determination, discipline, courage. After 3 attempts - all illegal! - he finally managed to stand on top of the Tower 2 of Petronas Twin Towers on September 1st, 2009. o9-01-09.

Personally i have 2 questions:

a) How did he managed to stand on top of the globe? With all the wind & swaying of the structure...it's kinda mind boggling

b) So much for safety & security for the KLCC area...who is going to be responsible for this is not the first time Spidey managed to get away from the guards.....heck....I have been questioned like as if I am a terrorist because I had a Swiss-knife in my bag!

2.

Day in day out, I have managed to shot more than 30 frames in under the "Everyday" title. I have more to post but the problem is P1 is still as bad as it is - despite the effort of leaving a comment on my last entry, nothing much has improved....I have 2 of that stupid box like receiver that have failed to be of any help because I have 7 months of photos yet to be successfully uploaded to my FlickrPro....and explaining to the P1 Helpdesk is not something I fancy to do in Ramadhan - they can get you annoyed almost immediately after you told them what's your problem with their service. Seriously. I will contact them soon but my bet is - they would not be able to live up to their promises - same like any other Malaysia Boleh(blah) ISP lah....

So, with the connection issue, posting up "Everyday" constantly is a pressure to me.

...it is not a failure - I shoot everyday anyway and why do I have to follow what the US based professor did, shooting everyday and file it on his journal. I will continue to shoot but I will only publish what I think is worthy to be published here....unless I can easily upload stuff in a jiff lah, I might just continue because I have not missed a single day without a shutter click on any of my cameras.

3.

Cameras. I just love cameras. Not because they are cool gadgets - like many wannabe-techy would tag it (for the record, the only cool gadget would be Inspector Gadget!) but simply because it is a tool for me to capture what I saw, framing & freezing that moment for years to come. When ever possible I would use the Nikon FE - have been using it for more than 2 weeks already! - and I will start using the Fuji Instax camera soon enough.....maybe today I'll send the 2 rolls of film to be developed and get an instax cartridge to start with....ada ke duit ni eh...ahehehe...tak apa...kalau tak ada duit, it can wait.

4.

Well actually, I love photography.

...and the cameras - those that I have - would be the tools I need to upskill myself until I can manage to reach the goal I set in this journey of mine, insyaAllah...

Otherwise I would be just like any gadget collectors - cameras and lens collector, trying to bag in as many as possible without necessarily utilizing it to the maximum possible capability. A waste - from my point of view - regardless whether he or she can afford to do such waste...but there's no stopping the rich, they can do whatever they want to and they have all the reasons in the world to make it valid. One of the most "bongkak" reason that I have heard in my life would be - "Because I can".

Masya-Allah....megahnya Hamba-hamba Allaha tersebut hidup di atas bumi yg mereka sangka milik mereka selamanya!

5.

Recently (last weekend) we went shopping for Naufal's & my baju Melayu Hari Raya. It was not difficult to get Naufal's but getting mine was a huge effort, up to one point I told my lovely wife it is ok, just get Naufal's and I will buy a shirt with similar color, since almost all the shops we went to the XL size they have size can just fit a faggot wimp with a huge belly. Cakap bukan main terer lagi siap eksyen kata boleh muat...but in the end senyap jer bila aku cakap ni cutting pondan ke cutting lelaki ni? Sampai bila aaa memang aku takkan pakai baju cutting tersembul nipple mcm lelaki yg kononnya macho tapi berhias mcm pondan sekarang ni...Bodoh nak mampus ke apa diorang ni?

It is just fate that I used to be an avid sportsman thus I have wide and broad shoulders. The XL size might be ok for the tummy but the shoulder - it would not fit at all. All the other fat-sos are just fat-sos but I am not because I can still cycle for hours non stop without much complaint.

I actual told my wife I just don't want to go on looking for the baju because I just don't want to deal with frustations any more. I have had enough of frustations to deal with for 2 life times!

..but being a much much posiive person than I probably could ever be, she insisted that we go on to one last shop and WALLA....the size really fits me - the only shop that with a humble and very friendly owner with the skill, brain & talent as a real tailor - not wannabe tailor idiots like the masses everywhere. definitely, this will be THE shop I'd come every year or for any occasion at all.

Bless the shop!

6.

I never get mad easily when people say I am fat - because I am - but there's a limit to it lah...one of the limit would be when they start to talk health & diet to me I can easily get pissed. Get on the bike and cycle around for two hours non stop, then come and talk about health & diet...to my hand!

I am fat but I have a life, and my kids love me as much as I can ever want them to.

So, shut up and go sell your health dish & supplementary shit elsewhere, I am not interested because all that are just gimmicks. What is life when you fail to define it your own way and live it at the mercy of others exploiting you?

You only want to eat that health shit on the morning of Eid kah kawan? You do? Wow....what a life you are going to enjoy living!!!

Welcome to Gotham City

7.

Raya is just about a fortnight away. Our preparation is much humble than previous year. Without the bonus (and some clients did not manage to pay on time) I must admit it is a bit taxing to plan for Eid but that should not stop me from giving the best possible for my family.

At the end of the day, I probably would have more than enough to make them happy, insyaAllah. It may not be like the richer people around me...but it is enough for us to appreciate what we have and share some with poorer people around us.

It is not about showing off new clothings and shoes...

...but it is about giving the kids what they deserve, just to make them happy and appreciate our love....and telling them how fortunate they are compared to the poor kids they have met all year long.

It is not about collecting duit raya & comparing who have the most and who gave the most (Wallahi I always scold my kids if they follow others asking for duit raya from the hosts....)

...but it is about giving what we can afford to the poor & needy instead of flaunting around too much like as if it is a part of the religion.

It is not about many things that we have practiced in our many years of life....the arrival of Eid has been overly (and wrongly) celebrated, and the end of Ramadhan has been much neglected.

Though it is a bit harder this year, I am sure Allah would want my kids to have a great Eidulfitri...thus I am sure there will be something meant for them along the way, insyaAllah.

Everyday.34: 2009.08.27

The P1 WiMax is turning from worse to annoying. Chances of sending e-mails is almost nil, uploading photos is nil, speed is unpredictable but one thing for sure - the monthly rate still remains. Absurd. We'd probably resort to Streamyx fixed line soon for lack of choice and maybe go on Celcom mobile plan sooner or later.

Mama had to go to hotspots to get her work done - what can be settled via phone calls are done at home, what needs to be settled via e-mails had to wait till the evening where we'd go to any hotspot for ifthar and Mama would send the e-mails for the day. 

So much for Malaysia Boleh....P1 boleh blah!!! 

~ Khairil F. Jamian/ CHAPs, MY

Everyday.33: 2009.08.26

This shot was taken after Subuh, before I get ready for work. That's my Baby Alisya Irdina @ Kakak. She got a new "baby"...a teddy bear which I named Debe! :)

~ Khairil F. Jamian/ CHAPs, MY

Everyday.32: 2009.08.25

Hullo!

Yoda....you lost weight or sumthing?

Your skin looks darker too....been staying out for assignment lately huh Yoda?

No? Hey...you are not Yoda are you?

YOU are NOT Yoda! Yoda is at home!!

So what should we name you....hmmm...?

~Khairil F. Jamian/ CHAPs, MY

Everyday.31: 2009.08.24

Well...."stylish" or anything related to it, has never been in my dictionary. I have been using the same "collection" of neck-tie for several years, the most recent purchase would be one black with silver stripe last year....until recent recent (ahah!) when I bought 6 boxes of tie with cufflinks (dunno when will I ever use those!!). Why? Frankly I am not 100% sure why but I guess I am just enjoying every day of my life... Alhamdulilah.

~ Khairil F. Jamian/ CHAPs, MY

Everyday.30: 2009.08.23

When Aliya was born, we immediately started the baby-mummy bonding, seconds after she was cleaned she started being breast-fed by Mama. Now, after more than 3 years from that magical moment, she is very attache to Mama and still continues to amaze us. Dah pandai nak bergaya....check out the earings...that's why she posed like that!

MasyaAllah..everyday with Alisya, Naufal & Aliya is never boring.

~ Khairil F. Jamian/ CHAPs, MY

My Babies are going to this school soon!!

I can still recall those morning & evening basin bath, late night diaper change, very early morning baby-chat (and they sleep when Subuh is just minutes away!), weekend strolls, bubbles puffing, trike hours, playground hours....all those and many other activities since Alisya & Naufal were born....felt like it was just yesterday but comes January, they will be in Std. 1.
How time really flies...
We love you so much, Kakak & Abang....
~ on Symbian mobile device

Over Rated Nasi Lemak

Date: 2009-08-23 19:58

Too much been advertised & told....I gues each people's taste really differs between one another.
I was very disappointed with the quality of the taste - ayam percik tasted nothing like percik, more like ayam goreng GARAM. Teh'o limau taste like teh lemon campur lebih extra GARAM. Sambal....Chili Boh!! Apaaaaa punyer Antarabangsa? Many others can do better than this.
That's it, Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa is just like Sate Kajang Haji Samuri. Over rated. A disgrace. I would not bring my family, friends or business contacts to their places.
Malaysia boleh kaaa!??
~ on Symbian mobile device

Everyday.29 :2009.08.22

Our berbuka puasa on the first day of Ramadhan this year.
Alhamdulillah, Naufal seems to be ok, no fever & the dots are disappearing....maybe berkat puasa separuh hari kut?!
The kids recite the doa during ifthar & any meals. I try to train my babies, it is not about just enjoying and getting what ever we want to have after day long fasting, it is about appreciating what we have and others don't....
Overly celebrated Pasar Ramadhan and Berbuka Puasa packages are not good to uphold the actual reason of Ramadhan & the purpose of puasa & ifthar.....don't you think so?


~ Khairil F. Jamian/ CHAPs, MY

Everyday.28 :2009.08.21

First day of the fasting month this year - 22nd August 2009. On Friday 21st August I had to leave all my tasks in the afternoon and attend to Naufal - who has symptoms of the HMF disease....5 days quarantine and max 10 days to cure, otherwise we have to see the specialist again.
Tarawih was nice, after 1 year, finally it's here again. Had a good discussion with the XC friends later, until almost 3am!

~ Khairil F. Jamian/ CHAPs, MY

Everyday.27 :2009.08.20

The haze, the H1N1 and some other diseases has created such a trend....wearing a face-mask when one is in public area.

Savvy?

~ Khairil F. Jamian/ CHAPs, MY

Everyday.26 :2009.08.19

KFC was part of the potluck week on Sunshine Floor. Fast food addiction - no - but from time to time we'd probably find ourselves wanting to get that particular fast food for no apparent reason. Why? Is it really no apparent reason or is it because we are accustomed to some fast food, the it is part of our personal culture? What ever our answer may be, it's nothing wrong with it. As long as we are happy living our live!

~ Khairil F. Jamian/ CHAPs,MY