This is Friday already and again I’d been slack with my postings. *horrors* I have no excuse - I really should share my interesting experiences, images I’d snapped and some of the evil dubious thoughts I had. Some people do read this blog. Really.

Anyway it had been eagerly waited upon, anticipated, dangled, promised, delayed, further delayed and eventually released this week to one’s utter disappointment as the lowest on record putting a damper on delusional hopes of a bumper windfall on account of outstanding profits last financial year. Wake up stewpig drones! You’d bloody just wasted one year sacrificing your life to the company for a pittance. *sob*

Try to enjoy your weekend will you? Worst could come. I did say “try” and the “could” is coming. *sigh*

Canon EOS Experience Seminar @ Merdeka Palace, Kuching. 20 July 2008

I spent my Sunday at Meredeka Palace (a local hotel located across the road from Central Padang - I guess that’s why they named it “Merdeka”?) attending the Canon EOS Experience Seminar. It was a full day event with a free lunch thrown in which could probably explained why the 150 available seats were taken up rather quickly! Anyway there were two speakers - Kaz Chua and Teoh Peng Kee who wowed the audience with their amazingly sharp and mouth watering high resolutions photos (care to count the fine hairs on a caterpillar?). Equally if not more mouth watering was the lovely model who was there for the live studio shoot demo. There were displays of all the EOS DSLR cameras and EF lens and I was never more tempted in my life.

Ian Chung holding a larger than life poster-size printout of  pinup girl and then later  snuggling up to her posing with her in the flesh. Yeah Ian has a GREAT Sunday. Beats mountain biking right Ian?

It was a good seminar (marred slightly by the inconsiderate noisy and rude people on the upper gallery) presented by 2 pros who knows their stuff and by the end of the day the sight of the model, the lovely body of the latest EOS-1 Ds Mark III (with a whopping 21.1 Megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor) and talks about RGB, CMYK, AWB, RAW, MTF Curves, Gamut Mapping, etc as more than I could take and so armed with my friend’s compact IXUS 960IS (I do not own a Canon camera - yet) I had to step outside to catch some air. One can easily get carried away with the technical aspects of photography especially all the newest gear cramped with the latest technology; and forget that photography is an art and a feeling for the creative which can ultimately be captured with one’s instinct rather than fancy equipment. It’s more so the photographer not his camera that makes a good picture. But then again the affordable (Pro entry level DSLR) new 12.2 Megapixel Canon EOS 450D DSLR would not hurt either! *wink*

I was thinking that the above shots would make for a glorious poster had they be taken with a DSLR and shot in RAW rather than JPEG on the humble IXUS 960IS. *sigh*

This is a short video clip that I took of the magical lights of the shimmering reflection of the water of Sungai Sarawak Kiri @ Borneo Highlands, Kuching on the face of a huge rock outcrop near the ending point of our kayaking trip. I like the rest of the group was so mesmerised by this magical spectacle that I nearly forgot to take this video. I’m sure you’ll agree that its magic!

The youtube link is here.

Baby Orang Utan @ Semengoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Kuching. 13 July 2008

I had a great Sunday taking a group of 15 people (from Sydney-Australia, New Zealand, Vancouver & Kuala Lumpur) out kayaking on the waters of Sungai Sarawak Kiri on their adventure vacation in Sarawak. Beautiful weather and beautiful company which is more than what I can say about the work environment and some of the bastard assholes people in the office comes tomorrow! *sigh*

Pretty little girls @ Kg Danu, Borneo Highlands, Kuching. 13 July 2008

Bev had an appendectomy (appendix removed) about 2 weeks ago and as we had been running flat out since last week, her help this morning with the kayaking trip is greatly appreciated by Azmi and Max. The World Rainforest Music Festival annually brings in an influx of visitors at this time of the year and as more people get to know of our kayaking trips through the rainforests; they jumped at the opportunity to do so when they are in Kuching.

Anyway Bev was at my place before sunrise to await Bakrie, former seaman and now our van driver, to pick some guests from Damai Puri Resort and as we chatted, a beautiful sunrise unfolds and I ran inside the house to get my camera.

I think I do have a knack for capturing beautiful skies and those who disagree are obviously jaded or just plain jealous! Bakrie our driver was late not jealous and to spoil my mood further who when introduced to Bev remarked to me,

“Your son kah?”

Bev had a bellyache which probably does her post-appendectomy recovery no good. *sigh*

Beautiful morning skies as a brilliant new day unfolds in Kuching. 12 July 2008

Amazing Kuching skies and amazing that people actually read this blog! 10th July 2008

I must admit that I’d been kinda slack in updating my blog of late and this was pointed out to me by Aylwin who startled me on Thursday evening after I came down from the gym when the beautiful evening skies caught my attention and I was busy enjoying the changing colours and formation of the clouds.

I’ve seen Aylwin in the gym before and had grinned at him like I normally do with people I’d make eye contact with but never get round to exchanging pleasantries with. Anyway I was surprised when he knew my name and asked me what I was doing in Fiji. He reads my blog after a friend recommended it to him. Gee.

Anyway while chatting and occasionally taking my eyes off the skies, I took these snaps of the amazing evening sky. And I’m quite pleased with the results. Enjoy ‘em Aylwin and all those who reads or chance on this blog. Thanks.

Stunning Kuching evening skies. I hope you saw it too. 10 July 2008

Cotton clouds in perfectly blue sky on a Sunday morning in Kuching. 6 July 2008

My basking in the afterglow of a brilliant Sunday out on the waters of Borneo Highlands was nearly shattered by the betrayal of someone and the subsequent meanness of someone hell bent on finding faults with others. Such is the unfortunate facts of life in office politics and the need to be vigilant in not allowing the negative actions of others impinge on your own peace of mind.

Perfectly blue skies reflected on the perfect waters of Sg Sarawak Kiri @ Borneo Highlands. 6 July 2008

I’m no fool and did not allow myself to be dragged down to that level and the person was left seething in his own cesspool of negativity and unpleasantness. *sigh*

Trusting that the rest of your work week is pleasant. Just be mindful about letting negative thoughts into your mind. Especially from negative people. Remember that you are the master of your own thoughts AND destiny. Be Well.

Alexandra (and dad Greig) having one of the most brilliant Sundays on the rainforest river of Sarawak. 6 July 2008

You must have read this a dozen times already on this blog about me having a brilliant Sunday kayaking on the waters of Borneo Highlands but I’m going to repeat myself again here - I had a brilliant Sunday kayaking down Sungai Sarawak Kiri with my friend Choo Hock and his wife Annie and their children Jasper, Dennise and Kelly. Choo Hock’s sister and children on holidays from KL also joined in the fun.

On one of our many stops - everybody wants the magical moments to linger on. 6 July 2008.

Also joining us were lone traveller Jodrg Weinhold from Germany and Australians Greig Blucher and daughter Alexandra Blucher who was literary gushing about it being “one of the most beautiful days of her life” in our guest book. Take a look at these photos and you’ll be gushing too. If this is not brilliant; I don’t know what else is! And definitely way more brilliant than your day job that’s for sure! Well, for me anyway. *wink*

A really brilliant family Sunday out on the brilliant waters of Borneo Highlands. 6 July 2008

This past week I’ve been hearing from people who having attended a seminar/workshop are enthused about changing the world with their organic garbage! Then I started receiving invitations via email from people known and unknown to attend garbage enzyme workshops by a certain Dr Joean Oon.

Having no idea as to what garbage this “garbage enzyme” was I ‘googled’ it and came up with this website.

Garbage enzyme is the solution to recover our ozone layer and lower the global temperature. Come and discover how you can change your kitchen waste to useful enzyme. Garbage enzyme can be use as natural households cleaner, air purifier, insecticide, detergent, bodycare, car care, organic fertilizer and many more. If everyone of us reduce 45% of garbage than we don’t need to have more landfill around us.

There’s not a lot of hard scientific information (surely there must be a scientific name instead of just “garbage enzyme”!) on the website as I would have like to see and insufficient information on the actual detail usage; but anything to save the planet is a noble cause. I just hope that it’s not just garbage information as Garbage Enzyme is really easy to produce.

I’d been feeling really lethargic for the past few weeks and the light workout at the gym after work didn’t really help that much. But the sight of this really nice evening rainbow as I walked to my car really helped lift my spirits.

So did the really nice Robin Wong who mentioned ‘unker’ in his post on Kuching back in May (but which I’d only just noticed! Oops!) accompanied by some really great photos which amongst lots of other nice things is a hallmark of his blog.