My guinea pig

u guessed so much

To lov is not to possess

The tragedy in life is being out of control and live by the hand of a so called animal lover. If u r one of them, stop for a second and consider for that brief moement if u were in its shoes, that how u would feel being separated from ur kins and stuffed in a 6x6 metal cage. to lov is not to possess. Our emotions is irrational.

Philosophy from a whitehanded Gibbon.

Taxidermy

Tree Kangaroo, highly skittish furball. Just imagine a little noise or shake will send this thing scurrying up the tree. Reminds me of the ultra slow "Slow Lewis". Well, there's really no reason for it to be walking on stilts anyway.

When it comes to adorable threshold, this furball is second to none. Look at those pearl white baby teeth!

Too cute to be true.

Just a little more

Lov, patience and time. I like to mingle with feathered creatures and this means spending a lot of time observing their behavior. Often, a window will open and light will stream through for that brief seconds. While it's not easy to catch that moment, it's not difficult either. Takes a little passion to see. For myself, that window is perpetually open.

Tis a Fulvous-vented Euphonia

P.S. Jeff met a painted bunting and he fell madly in lov...

Woodland Kingfisher

All thou shall adore me @ eye level. Family of Halcyonidae.

P.S. U know it when u nail it.

Walking on cloud nine

Almost, but only at 1500mm A.S.L.

P.S. My heart desires the land of Shangri la at 3000m. Yet constantly debating the lures of India... I have a vision there... there was a story of a prince...

Show e light

Last burst of light through a break in the bamboo forest lit up this shed in the middle of no where.

P.S. I thought i saw that in my mind. like i said, it's quite scary if ur precognition is very strong, because things just materialize right in front of u. it exists only if u want to see.

Bug as Art

Sticking out

speaks for itself. not trying to be different here. rather, it's the ability to identify the uniqeness that makes it stands out. a little patience goes a long way. a little observations goes the extra mile.

Nature and philosophy

Look around and u'll find philosophy of life. I wasn't amazed when I saw one scene that reminds me of such essence of life. On the far left we see a solidly constructed all metal bridge while to its right is its smaller sibling; a combination of metal and wood.

Naturally, I chose the rickety bridge to cross the river. For my guide, he chose the more solid bridge. The metophor here is life is full of choices. None may be classified as right or as wrong cause there simply exists no such boundary. But whichever choice one makes, a misstep off the rickety bridge can lead to a disaster.

Jeff is always testing this limit, cause he lives only once in a lifetime.

Anchor point

Pinning a subject in a corner sometimes works wonders. But this is a country of wonders, no lesser.

Reminds me of a song.."there is a castle in the clouds. i'll like to go there in my dream." for a person who lives his life like a dream, what could Jeff ask for more??

Higher order

For there exists a wiser being out there. Tis wisdom knows no boundary.

P.S. Being blessed with the gift of foresight is not always desirable, for sometimes I see those I wish not known to me. But this the gift to me it shall, tis the gift it would be. Now that the sleeping cognition has been aroused, tis no holding back.

Mountain road

The dirt trek in the background was where I treaded about 4 hours before making this image. Kind of out of this world experience cause I can't recall the last time having pushed my body to this extreme. While I was dog exhausted after all those treeking, my guide was moving with a brisk all the way. That really put me in shame! Jeff gonna train well for his next photo trip.

Bamboo forest

Complex web of stock bamboo, yet each stem is an individual entity that has a characteristic signature.

Colors of life

P.S. Almost forgot to complete my portfolio for accredition in Britain. Oops. And did I mention I was a Soprano when I was a child?

Double

...

and I was deliberating what to use as fillers when it all came together. goodness shall not be reciprocated in equivalents. worst case scenario occurs when a fool chooses to listen to what he desires and filters out the fact. But all is well when it finally dawn upon him that he has but made a big fool of himself. And to propagate this folly only jeopardise his reputation further. To Jeff, it's like watching a movie everyday. Sometimes, he chooses to participate in some scenes while other times he merely watch as a bystander. Jeff fiddles with the crystal ball and sword in his hands and deliberates between the two. For to draw the sword will cause untold casualties.. Jeff peers into the crystal ball and caught a glimpse... Jeff decided to keep his sword for now.

Four Seasons

Each is a vessel containing a distinct mood. So rich in their individuality that it smacks me right in the face. Beyond the boundary of this materialistic world lies the key to purity. To be very frank, I have never created an image that delivers a similar mood before. Quite unprecedented, really. Keep your eyes on the image and you will feel it when the mood is just right. Twilight-zone!

P.S. Strangely, I have ventured from the realm of the Avians into that of the Humans. Ironically, I possess not the best personality for H-H interaction. Life is just full of wonders.

Mother hen in bamboo forest

Reminds me of those Kampong days, though I can't recall a single thing about the past. Missing some little ones, perhaps?

Night cat

Stealth mode activated. But it still cannot elude my eyes. Wonders of natural lighting.

@ ISO3200 w/o noise reduction

Déjà Vu

It found me on a rainy day in Sapa. I was soaked to my skin but it found me along the road downhill. Lady outside her grainhouse.

Kids walking in the rain.

Twin with umbrella by their pony in the rain.

Out of place

Amongst the greenery popped a yellow flower.

Painted pastel

Often, the sky through my bedroom window will paint a different kaleidoscope. This day, the late evening wind wipped up the clouds in the last few seconds of golden light.

Distance

The beauty of photography lies in its ability to bring back fond memories in an instant. What's more, a good photograph will tell a different story each time one look at it. Framing a close subject against a distant mountain always hold this unsung mystery which I find so irresistible.

Like a little house riding on the back of a distance mountain, framed by bowing bamboo leaves in the foreground.

Planting rice is never fun. Right from morn till the set of sun. But when the sun is high on mid sky, it's time to take a break. Take a while to relax and enjoy the fruit of her labour. Pink lady overlooking her land.



And kids will always have a world of their own. This toddler apparently fascinated with a deflated plastic bottle. The feeling of detachment.



Yet another teenager seemed overly absorbed in deep thoughts.

Living in abundance

Let's get dirty and into their kitchen. One of the aspects of travel photography is to grab beautiful images, or so most thought. But just stop a while and dump those colors out and get into the real life behind the facade and what do you see? The notion of peeling an onion, is like unwrapping a gift beyond time for one doesn't know what he will get. It's very much denuded, so much so that one's eyes are trained to selectively cloak them out.

Real beauty lies in the simplicity of living. Be content and make merry. Don't expect anything and be rewarded with abundance.

So what do you really wish to see?



Free spirited "grandfather and grandson"

Sapaien

The world belongs to the child of yesterday. Just how long can one remain as an innocent soul before facing the harsh reality of life. Tucked in the remote mountain of Northern Vietnam near the China Border resides a small town known as Sapa. There used to be simple planting rice activities where kids frolic in the river every evening to chill out in the summertime. That scene is soon disappearing from this town, which enjoyed a strong influx of cash from tourists.

Just how long could this primitive living be sustain and not be washed away by the current of industrialisation? I do not know, but one thing is clear; the culture is gradually being diluted day after day. Soon, it will become another reflection of HoiAn Ancient town, in name and shall be in fond memories of the days that have come to past.

But till then, the salvaged scenes through my eyes. For this duo, innovation is everyday living. No fanciful electronic games or barbie dolls, just a game of chess made out of stones.



And the young ones, remembering the days when we took to factions.



Or take a rest for a quite lunch on the suspension bridge under the shade. Those were the days.



All for another day to recollect.

Strange Art

Into the b&w fetish again. Of all the places I have been to, Central Vietnam has the most potential for b&w photography. It possesses that extra x factor that makes monotone so appealing. Of course Mueseum is the best place to try out this hypothesis.

The morning light streaming into the dimly lit interior administered that additional impact.



Not forgetting the caretaker for the Mueseum. The only paradox here is they are watching a 40" projection TV in an Ancient House.



>>>Photography is a form of self-cultivation. Whenever I peer through the viewfinder, I lose some consciousness and earn some sublimal strength. I suppose cultivation may manifest in many forms. This is one of them. People achieve this via a model whom they call god. For me, Nirvana is in everyday living. It's the ability to look beyond the common facade that one can acquire greater strengths and understanding. It makes everything crystal clear<<<

New toy on the block

Just got my hands on a 2GB Sony network walkman. Got the neon black version. Only gribe is windows installation was not flawless. Plagued by bugs. Jeff scratch his head and got everything under control :o

COOL!

P.S. I think I just hit an A note today!!! Long live my Verdi baritone

Up North

Going up North was a totally different experience. First, I took a domestic flight from Danang to Hanoi, where I transferred to a night train leaving for Lau Cai. The train ride was uninviting at most, which departed at 10pm and arrived in LauCai around 6am in the morning. From there, my pre-arranged driver picked me up and drove me to my hotel, where I checked in and and refreshed myself. Breakfast was nothing to be boostful about. The dishes was pittiful when compared to the feast at Gold Sand Resort in HoiAn. Of course, 86 vs 40 US dollars, what more could I ask for.

Weather was not kind, plagued by splatter of rain clouds and drizzles, which got me soaked through n through on my morning walk to the mountainous area. BUt there are always opportunities around.

Before long, I found myself scaling a tiny hill, only to realize it's a cemetery. And to my amazement, there were free roaming buffalos and horses grazing all over the hill. That's when this mare caught my eyes.



Good lighting moments were few and far between. Further downhill, I continued my random rumbling and saw some elderly chaps walking in my direction. Instantly, I squated by the raod side and framed this. And I thought they were supposed to by shy. Just look at the expressions on the grandfather!



Soon I was by a run down shed where a group of local kids were trying to persuade me into buying their handicrafts. Not cheap by town standard! So bewarned. They make good sales persons, as judged by their relentless patience. Finally bought a tiny flute from one of the girls after much bargaining, cause she knew I won't pay anything more than a dollar. With the purchase, I kept for myself a momento.

>>> Reflecting on this trip, Can't help but feel it's a little constipated emotionally. Too much memory of Angkhang to steal the thunder. Everything seems a little off. There were just too much physical interaction than spiritual link here.<<<

HoiAn Town

About the Ancient Town of HoiAn, it houses some really old buildings dated some 200yrs back with everything intact, down to the last stove in the kitchen. What caught my eyes are the colorful galleries in the shop houses. It would appear that either this town has been artificially transformed into a tourist attraction (very obvious), or that the locals are artisitc folks to begin with. O truely believe it's the former carrying a heavier weightage.

Nevertheless, the techni-colored streets is a sight to behold. Keen on some made in HoiAn slippers?



Or pay a visit to of the the many copy-cat 'Art" galleries



And so I thought the locals own these galleries but I should know better. They were merely employed to sell, I learnt after a brief exchange with one of the sales person. Nevertheless, they will simply welcome you with open arms, regardless of whether you make a purchase, cause they will try their best to sell something to you.

Walking in the narrow alley, I could still se those person beamed from 50s and 60s from TV show, peddling food by the road side. Interestingly, most of the time I could only see pots and cans but not the food??



So what does the people do when they are free. Well like this old chap, he parked his bike by the side and sat under a tree to pass the day. This is very much a wind down town. Everything just come to a crawl here. If you come from the city, will definitely appreciate the slower pace here. While all appears nice, the weather was a blistering 34! so much of the day time was spent either tanning by the beach or sleeping away in my room. Only morning and evening were reserved for photography.

And one final note, the locals appear to have a penchant for bicycles. U will see a few streaming past every minute. Well, I just lie back and relax and started counting bicycles instead!

Set sail on a morn along the Hoian River

Time was about 6am in the morning and the river was already abuzzed with activities; from farmers ploughing in the pond to fishermen netting in the river.

Now how can I miss taking some record of their daily living. Let's see, the captain for that day was 'his' uncle. Just look at those rich features on his face.



And about their livihood. This family lived by the Hoian river and depended primarily on fishing. Their fishing gear comprised of an extended net puckered on four bamboo poles. This net is periodically lowered into the water and then elevated to check for catch. By the number I saw around the river, I just wondered how a tiny river could sustain so many mouths.



Along the river, we met another relative napping on some wooden platform made out in the middle of the water. With some rousing, he woke up to say hi.



Somewhere along the river bank, a half naked man paddled through a series of staggered traps on this wonderful day.



Opportunities just revealed themselves one after another and soon my shutter turns into a constant hammer in the busy morning. By the time I asked to drop by the even busier town, a perpectual smile was painted on my face- Jefflisa.

By the dock, an old lady beckoned to bring me for another river cruise, but I kindly rejected her offer. This is her on a spartan sampan. Life is not a bed of roses.