Happy Vesak Day 2010!

Sunda Woodpecker

A pair of Sunda Woodpecker were nesting on a dry branch outside of my office. My colleague Daniel noticed them and inform me. I packed my photographic equipment and set up the shot. The results are partially displayed here. As I do not have pro lenses, I used 2 tele converters with a 70-300mm zoom to take some of these shots. Therefore, they were not pin sharp. Worst of all, with the tele converters, the auto focus function of the lens was disabled. I got to use manual focusing. Hope the viewers here could understand all these handicaps.

Sunda Woodpecker is one of the common woodpecker resident in Singapore. But this is the first time I witnessed them, furthermore, when they are nesting. It is something that I am very pleased in my shooting adventure. There is very little information on this type of woodpecker on the Web. I welcome bird specialists to enlighten me on this bird's behavior, habitat, eating habit and so on. Comments are welcome.

This is the sharpest shot displayed here. : )

From a Chinese Poem

一上高楼万里愁　蒹葭杨柳似汀洲

　　溪云初起日沉阁　山雨欲来风满楼

　　鸟下绿芜秦苑夕　蝉鸣黄叶汉宫秋

　　行人莫问当年事　故国东来渭水流

《咸阳城东楼》唐·许浑

山雨欲来风满楼

每一次看到这句诗时，总会想起大雷雨前的那种寂静。静得令人心懼。就如人生某些时刻面臨的机遇轉变时刻。心裡有莫大的压力感。那日回家途中看到大片烏云覆頂，心遂起一种莫名的恐懼感。某些大事是否要发生了嗎？心里好生納闷。

Zhou Xuan's Chinese Oldies: Liang Tiao Lu Shang (Two streets)

在早晨走的一条路上
只看见行人 只看见车辆
我带着跳跃的心 慌慌张张的向前闯
在晚上走的 一条路上
只看见灯光 只看见月亮
我带着空虚的心 冷冷清清的向前望
这条路是太凄凉
那 条路又太紧张
找不到更好的地方
我天天在这两条路上

这是周旋的一首老歌。第一次听到是在我六七岁时，当时的‘丽的呼声’播出的。长大后，越听越有味道。希望诸位会喜欢。

A Poem in Chinese

盯着笨鳥来看的人 (荒缪小小说） 谢 清

他從心理卫生医院出来之後，便直往庞物店去。二话不说便买了一头笨鳥回家去。因为心理医生对他说，他有极端的自卑感，得多多学习与人溝通之道。最简单的方法便是找个对象练习练习。於是他想到要买一隻笨烏。因为他非等闲之輩，仍是社会里有头有面的人。他又如何能让人知道他患有自卑症呢。买一隻笨鳥至少牠不会四处向人爆料!

半年后，他病情惡化。竟然在家里築起一个大鳥籠，把自己囚在里面。家人看不下去，叫心理医生上门会诊。大夫看了他之後，大搖其头。不妙不妙。医生说。由于他一直在看着他的笨鳥，不幸被该愚笨的鸟感染到；同时整日只和笨鳥接处，忽略了周遭的人与事，最终只看見自己。於是建起自己的世界，终日自以为是，天下一切，唯我独尊! 医生奈心的和他的家人解释。

我们以为您给的药，不是很有效嗎? 他的家人问医生。应该是可以控制的呀。医生说。你们不会给他其他的刺激吧? 医生问。没甚么特别呀，只是买了本書给他打發時间罢了。什么书? 医生紧張的问。就是那本暢销書：‘那班盯着羊来看的人‘，而且是翻译本呀。家人说。唉呀，这就糟了。医生急着说。他可能就是被它的内容控制着了。医生这时己满头大汗。这書内，有隻心魔呵!医生喊着说。那我们该怎么辨? 医生想了一想，说：先把他的鳥心态治好再说吧。医生建議：找个著名的獸医来看他吧。我是医人的，无法治鳥病。

医生说完后，就回去了。留下一群不知所措的家人，傍恍無助。

This short story is influenced by the following title. : )

Weilian's(伟联） unnamed song

Kelvin Tan Weilian is always a fascinating person to me. He could be visually impaired. But he tries his best to have a life as normal as us. Whenever I heard of his singing, I used to get emotional. Maybe this is why he gets his popularity so easily. He is talented in interpreting feelings and emotion through his singing.

I found this new song from YouTube, he has given it a name yet. Just share it here with all of my friends.

Lovely color in the morning sun

Beautiful and fruitful Sunday Outing

This Sunday morning the weather was extremely sunny, the color temperature was good to take photos. I packed up all my photo gears and went to Japanese Gardens. To my surprise, I only spent less than 2 and a half hours, and gotten quite a few satisfying shots.

I share my captured shots here. Comments are welcome.

三年离别又相逢

This is a Chinese oldies, popular in the 60s.

Cartoon

Recently got the urge of drawing cartoons. Continuously for three days, I have been drawing them. Here are two of them. Sometimes, a picture really says a thousand words. Hope you all enjoy them.

My relief sculpture



I made this piece of work when I was in NAFA years ago. The subject was my 6 year old son, Kelvin. Mr. Wee Beng Chong (黄明宗） was my tutor then. I enjoyed his lessons as he was very flexible with his teaching method. He allowed his students to explore ways and means in sculpture. This piece of work is under his supervision as part of the class assignment.

At a blink of eyes, my son is 22 now. Time really passed fast.

A short Chinese Poem

路

越走越曲的路
终点有些什么在等着？
一路的凄沧
满眼的荒凉
罢了，罢了
酒酐后
摔落
一生悲喜与离合
悄然逸逝

Golden Years

Life passed by at a blink, suddenly you would find that you were at the other side of your journey. Look back, there were lots of things you wish you would not do it. But everything would be in the history then, nothing you could do about it, but to regret or to forget.

The photo below reflects some of my feeling stated above.

流水年华，这词真说得体贴。人生转眼就快走尽。回望过去，一切成败， 已是烟云。今早，看到一群银发族，站在一棵布满黄叶的大树下聊天。心里感慨万千。

晚霞

这是一首六十年代的流行曲。原唱者应该是叶枫吧。

Lunar New Year at Chinese Gardens 2010

Red flooding Chinese Gardens during this Lunar New Year Season.

Before the crowds arrived, I took this serene shot.

View from the arch door.

The Red Corridor.

Looking at these colorful flags, made me think of Kamandu's trip.

The red bloom in nature

Avatar scene?

An unknown white little flower.

Chinese Painting on the rock.

No man is an island.

The silent army in formation.

The laughing lion, watching the Year of Tiger arriving.

Hope this clip would cheer your Chinese New Year Mood up. The performers were from China.

Wishing everyone out there: A Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year!

This is a clip generated by my old photos and high quality of voice recording. Those black and white shots were taken when I was around 18 years old, I was stationed at Sembawang Research Station, Farm School for two years. It was run by Primary Production Department the.

Objects around me today

Once I am free, I would walk around and find some interesting things to observe or captured them with my camera phone. Of course, if I have my Canon S90. then it would be very much better. But today I just have my Sony C905.

This is one of my favorite Chinese song, entitled 'Look at you again'. More info is at Youtube video.

REX THEATRE

Rex Theatre accompanied me during my younger days. I still remember that I used to watch the Sunday Morning Show at this theatre very often. In those days, the price of the tickets ranged from 50 cents, one dollar and one dollar fifty cents. Fifty cents is for front stall, one dollar is for back stall and one fifty for circle seats. There were lots of black marketing activities then. We were unable to queue up for tickets, but to buy them from the gangs there with a higher price. But as the show starts, the black market tickets holders will slash their price and try to push the tickets to you. I learned this fast and usually will just loitering around and wait for the show to start, then will wait for them to approach. In this way, I need not pay for a higher price for the show.

I watched quite a number of shows there. Such as Dr. No, Ben Hur, Chinese show such as Bu Liao Qing, etc. In the late 70s, if I am not wrong, Rex Theatre change it policy, and put up Hindu Show, then later, closed down and became a night club.

Last week, I walked pass it, and found that it returned to its Theatre status, but providing Hindu and Indian Film shows. It nice to see it has returned to that status.

All photos were taken at the junction of Selegie Road and Rochore Canal Road, on 30th January 2010, the day of Thaipusam.




Thaipusam

Thaipusam (Tamil: தைப்பூசம்) is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (Jan/Feb). It is also referred to as Thaipooyam or Thaippooyam in the Malayalam language. The word Thai-pusam is derived from the month name Thai and Pusam, which refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates both the birthday of Murugan (also Subramaniam), the youngest son of god Shiva and his wife Parvati, and the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a vel (spear) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.
Skanda (or Murugan) was created during one of the battles between the Asuras and the Devas. At one point, the latter were defeated several times by the former. The Devas were unable to resist the onslaught of the Asura forces. In despair, they approached Shiva and entreated to give them an able leader under whose heroic leadership they might obtain victory over the Asuras. They surrendered themselves completely and prayed to Shiva. Shiva granted their request by creating the mighty warrior, Skanda, out of his own power or Achintya Shakti. He at once assumed leadership of the celestial forces, inspired them and defeated the Asura forces.
Kavadi Attam is a dance performed by the devotees during the ceremonial worship of Murugan, the Tamil God of War.[1] It is often performed during the festival of Thaipusam and emphasizes debt bondage. The Kavadi itself is a physical burden through which the devotees implore for help from the God Murugan.[2]
Generally, Hindus take a vow to offer a kavadi to idol for the purpose of tiding over or averting a great calamity. For instance, if the devotee's son is laid up with a fatal disease, he would pray to Shanmuga to grant the boy a lease of life in return for which the devotee would take a vow to dedicate a kavadi to Him.
Vel kavadi
Devotees prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer and fasting. Kavadi-bearers have to perform elaborate ceremonies at the time of assuming the kavadi and at the time of offering it to Murugan. The kavadi-bearer observes celibacy and take only pure, Satvik food, once a day, while continuously thinking of God.
On the day of the festival, devotees will shave their heads undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of kavadi (burdens). At its simplest this may entail carrying a pot of milk, but mortification of the flesh by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers is also common.
The simplest kavadi is a semi circular decorated canopy supported by a wooden rod that is carried on the shoulders, to the temple. In addition, some have a small spear through their tongue, or a spear through the cheeks. The spear pierced through his tongue or cheeks reminds him constantly of Lord Murugan. It also prevents him from speaking and gives great power of endurance. Other types of kavadi involve hooks stuck into the back and either pulled by another walking behind or being hung from a decorated bullock cart or more recently a tractor, with the point of incisions of the hooks varying the level of pain. The greater the pain the more god-earned merit.
In Palani, Tamil Nadu, India, Thai Pusam is celebrated with grandeur. Thousands of devotees flock to Palani and attend kavadi. According to palani.org, "The number of kavadis reaching Palani for Thai Pusam is about 10,000. For Pankuni Uttiram, 50,000 kavadis arrive. It is kavadi to your right, kavadi to your left, kavadi in front of you, kavadi behind you, kavadi above you and kavadi below you."[3]
In Vaikom, Kerala, India, Thai Pusam festival is conducted with Kaavadis at Udayanapuram Subramanya temple. Devotees take panchamritha kaavadi, paal kaavadi, bhasma kaavadi etc.
In Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, Thai Pusam festival is conducted at Satyavageeswara temple. The utsava moorthy is taken in procession on a vahanam(mount). There is nel(Paddy)parai alappu or Nel alavu, as a ritual performed for good luck and prosperity.
In Nallur, Jaffna, Sri Lanka, Thai Pusam festival is conducted at Nallur Kandhasamy Temple. Many Tamil devotees irrespective of religion take part in celebrations. Even Tamils from Roman Catholic faith and Muslims take part in Thai Pusam celeberations and take Kavadis.
Outside Tamilnadu : Abroad
The largest Thaipusam celebrations take place in Singapore, Mauritius and Malaysia[4]. It is a public holiday in several states in Malaysia, including Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Perak, Johor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur.
The temple at Batu Caves, near Kuala Lumpur, often attracts over one million devotees and tens of thousands of tourists [5]. The procession to the caves starts at the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, Kuala Lumpur in the heart of the city and proceeds for 15 kilometers to the caves, an 8-hour journey culminating in a flight of 272 steps to the top.
In Malaysia, although rare, scenes of people from different ethnic groups and faiths bearing "kavadi" can also be seen. Thaipusam is also increasingly being celebrated by the ethnic Chinese in Singapore and Malaysia.[6] Thaipusam is also celebrated at another cave site, the Sri Subramaniar Temple in Gunong Cheroh, Ipoh, Perak and at the Nattukottai Chettiar Temple along Jalan Waterfall in Penang. Temple secretary P. Palaiya Sri Subramaniar Temple in Gunong Cheroh reported that about 250,000 devotees participated in the festival 2007, including 300 kavadi bearers, while 15,000 came with milk offerings.

Extracted from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaipusam

Female Asian Koel

I took this photo (above) this evening, when I heard the bird's loud screeching noise. Using a cheap 500mm mirror lens at around 6.45pm. The image is just bearable. But I am happy that I captured this bird in my photo collection. This is the first time I saw this bird in full sight. I used to hear their calls at evening. And never know it is called Female Asian Koel. The male bird is dark in colour.

The photo below is from google search. This photographer done a good job. Got the bird clear and crisp.

Take a break!

Modern cosmopolitan life style is hectic and stressful. Sometimes, if we could let down some of the works around us, we may have a better quality of life. There are people who take money as the prime essence of life. They do not realize if they destroy their body through hectic life-style, even you have millions of dollars, you would be underground three feet and enjoy nothing.

Take a break, stroll through the park, admire the beauty of nature, listen to the sound of nature. This is the most effective healing method for city dwellers. Agree?

Sometimes, people used to take things at his particular perspective, and work himself to an dead end. If we could learn to step back a little, and take another perspective to look at it again, we may find a solution to it.

Taking one narrow point of view to deal things would easily ended up miserable, sometimes even cost your own life. At my age, I learned not to hub on those unpleasant things for long, and let them fade away as time goes by. Life is not only those unpleasant things, it has many other splendid things to discover.

Therefore, I see blue sky, I see soothing white clouds always.