wild beauty

Harbouring a green hope and I pray that it will see light.

star-yuppie-bucks

I found out recently that Starbucks @ Liat Towers has turned into a uber yuppie place. Not quite the yuppiest people it attracts but I am sure there are many tertiary students and young people in their twenties who hang out there and use the free wifi.

I guess they've figured that it makes good business sense to have customers stay in the cafe for as long as possible - with just a cup of cuppacino that's all.

Well, I quite like the place. I'm the targeted group after all, haha! Young and Young. ;)

TLDB: Tea. Lunch. Dinner. Burp..

I really wish I could write more but it's proving rather difficult. Procrastination aside, the inspiration to write hits rather fleetingly, though I have so much to say - of my good friends' weddings, of the new year, of new discoveries and hopes and more hopes. Till the next writing piece, here are some pictures of recent indulgences. These could jolly well be the end chapter for 2011, so while the times last, it's better to just enjoy. Cest la vie.


Tea is mixed berry jam with plain toast


A Saturday afternoon affair


Dinner Quickie after the crowds are long gone


Steak: This picture puts me to shame


Neat and Tasty, just as it looks


Wine after Dine


Plain Cake


Three for Two

Space & Solitude #4: Man in yellow jacket

The other view

Lovely is the other view, where you turn into an observer, spy the kaleidoscope of objects within and enjoy the reflection that has weaved into the scene. The beauty is: not a thing seems out of place.

Yesterday Once More #2: I luv Yellow Canvas

I luv I luv I luv this picture. The colour, the shapes, the edges, the contrast of the subjects. Loving it.

lalang paradise

On the first day of twenty-eleven, I found my lalang land paradise - in Singapore. It was an exhilarating find, because I never thought I would come across a significant lalang patch on our urban island.

I first developed a liking for lalang after I started cycling in Malaysia. Over there, one could cycle down an infinity stretch flanked by lalang fields. Against the backdrop of a pastel blue sky, the scene is always welcoming and lovely. There is an inexplicable feeling of joy at seeing the lalang field whose beauty I could not quite articulate. But Eugene, the ever wise and clear-sighted one, put it eloquently when he told me that lalang is like nature, it takes its own form. And that perhaps epitomises its beauty: swaying to whichever direction the wind blows, it exhibits a free spirit, uninhibited and carefree, dancing in the wild. Isn't that the raw beauty of life?

First Light: 2011

The end and the beginning are destined as inseparable pair. One goes, the other comes. They are each other's genesis and consequence. They complete each other.

I saw the last setting sun of 2010 yesterday evening. This morning, I saw the sun making its first ascent in the new year. It's not often that I see both consecutively, and it's never before happened that I see both on two consecutive days straddling different years. The sun goes down and comes up everyday, so it's nothing special. But I had crossed over from a ten to a eleven, and this was sufficient for me to make a mental note.

I first glimpsed the January sun from behind the overland train track as I was cycling over the flyover. Mesmerised by the gently beautiful portrait, I stopped my bike at the mid point of the flyover and stayed close to the side to avoid the vehicles that flew past me. Then quickly, I took my camera out and snapped a shot before I continued with my ride. I rode faster this time, for I was running late to meet Eugene.

Twenty Ten: Last Light

I saw the last light of 2010 this evening. After a rainy afternoon, the glorious sun was finally out and making its final twenty-ten descent. As the train glides steadily towards its final destination (even though it would soon be starting a new journey again), I found myself chasing after the setting sun. Like a demure lady making a bashful exit, it would hide behind buildings at one moment, then re-emerging briefly at the next only to be lost behind something again. I was the impatient and hapless pursuer, eager to catch a longer glimpse of it, yet could do nothing to hasten this.

The Kampung Way

Having not cycled across the causeway for quite some time, last Sunday's ride to Tanjung Piai was some sort of a comeback ride for me. The route was scenic, and we were blessed with good christmas weather. I was also fortunate to be riding with a friendly bunch of folks who cycled at a tolerable pace and made frequent stops to wait for the slower riders.

Being the youngest in the group, I was frequently referred to as 'the young man'. Yet the truth is most of them put me to shame easily as they were on mountain bikes and riding as fast as the roadies, including me the young man. It reminded me of the days when I, too, was using a mountain bike. I certainly still miss my old bike.

I was fully prepared to cycle in inclement weather for this trip. Not only did I bring a poncho, but I carried my windbreaker with me. After all, I have never enjoyed a dry overnight Malaysian ride. This being the north-east monsoon season, I was even dead certain that we have to brace ourselves for torrential rain.

It therefore came as a pleasant relief that I did not find myself rain-soaked in this trip. The sky on the second morning and the route we took were so lovely that I found myself frequently reaching for my camera. In the end, I was glad that I made the last minute decision to join this ride and spent a getaway Christmas.


Fishermen Turf


I have an endless fascination with overhead cables. I think they add so much character and rustic feel to the landscape. There's something very languorously charming about seeing these cables in a village or town.


How people travel in kampungs and villages


Kampung houses dotting the sides of the road.


Lalang Land: My all-time favourite

Christmasy

25.12.10, Christmas - Mail received away from home


26.12.10, Boxing Day - Waking up to the tranquil sea


27.12.10, Post-Boxing Day - Enjoying brunch with Yvon and Dan


Likes ;)

Space & Solitude #3: Hopeful

Symphony

The little things in life that make you smile. And they don't cost a cent.