Dive Pics: Layang Layang 1

Back in April, us three musketeers (Christopher, Terry and yours truly) went on another scuba diving holiday, this time to the South China Sea atoll of Layang Layang. It is approximately 300km north west off the coast of Sabah and is part of the Spratlys archipelago. This group of atolls are currently claimed by as many as five countries including Malaysia, Indonesia and China , either in part or whole. As such, the resort on Layang Layang shares the island with a Malaysian military base.


Anyway, we had to fly from KL to Kota Kinabalu, and then early the next morning, take another flight from KK to the island. The plane for the second leg of the journey was a rather suspicious looking Fokker Friendship - yes one of those small little flying vans with a propeller onm each wing.


Surprisingly, it was quite a comfortable flight and as it was still quite early, some of us on board the flying bone rattler managed to catch forty winks.... while others decided to catch (on film) those who were catching the said winks. Yanni commented that it's not good to take a picture of someone while he's asleep. Something to do with capturing his spirit. Well, since Terry's a Mat Salleh, these Asian superstitions don't apply to him. hehehe















The view outside was amazing and it's not everyday that one gets to see the sun rise over the horizon from 2000ft (or something like that) up in the air. Absolutely breathtaking.


Two hours later, we caught sight of the island lying serenly in the middle of the sea, beckoning us to taste of its rich and diverse offerings. From the air, it looked like an aeroplane landing pad and not much else. I guess looks can be deceiving.


As the plane descended, submerged parts of the atoll became visible and one could almost imagine the azure corals basking in the morning sun as the white foamy waves lapped over them like clouds in the sky.


Pretty soon, I could see the runway just in front of the plane and it dawned upon me that the runway extends right out towards the open sea and was quite short. I prayed a silent prayer for the pilot to land this ancient relic safely. I love diving, but I didn't want to dive into the water right there and then.


Oklah, so I was a bit over-dramatic. We landed safely of course and as we made our way into the hotel lobby, the receptionist was there to welcome us with a much needed glass of orange juice. Freshly squeezed, some more! Hehehe


While Yanni was sorting out the accomodation, I decided to take a walk around the resort grounds. As I made my way towards the eastern end of the island, I was warned by one of the workers not to take pictures of the military base beyond the resort. Unless of course I have a death wish. So this is as far as I could go before I would be noticed "innocently" taking pictures of the island.

See that giant windmill thing? Can anybody tell me what it's for? Electricity generation? Wind speed gauge? Mega expensive landscaping ornament?

Inilah Jac!

Ok , I have to confess. I am biased when it comes to reviewing this CD. That’s because I have been a fan of the first (and most deserving) Malaysian Idol ever since she completely wowed everybody with her rendition of “Gemilang” two years ago. More urgently, I am also a fan of one of the producers in her new CD, Kieran Kuek. A personal friend of mine, I have been privy to some of his earlier works as a producer and songwriter and I have to say that he shows a lot of potential and vision – the shot in the arm that the local music scene needs.

Now, back to the task at hand - "Inilah Jac".

This is Jac’s second studio album after her award winning but overhyped first CD "Gemilang". On first listen, this new CD sounds pleasant enough, and already I have picked my favourite tracks. The production was plush, but without drowning out her strong vocals. There is something for everyone, from the Malay torchsong ballad that’s guaranteed to burn up the radio charts (“Cinta Tiada Akhirnya”) to the interestingly hip “Cepat Cepat” which incidentally is the first radio single from this CD.

Then, there is track 4, “Ceritera Cinta”. As I listen to it, I am reminded of those Disney movie songs that will eventually get played to death on Light And Easy. Its cutesy lyrics borders on being too clichéd and the melody is tad bit too ‘drama’ for my taste. However what saves this song from being another "A Whole New World" knock-off is the way Indonesia’s Roy Farbian’s restrained and soothing tenor complements and even supports Jac’s soaring vocal acrobatics.

Another standout track for me has to be “Star (Old Skool Mix)”. At first I couldn’t quite place where I had heard this song before and it took my sister only a few seconds to figure out that it was the theme to the “One In A Million” talent show. It’s a good composition on its own and with all the publicity surrounding OIAM, this is one track that will go far.

If there is one gripe I have about this CD, it has to be the closing track which is supposed to be an update of the 80’s classic “Superwoman”. In the words of Paul Moss, “If you’re going to do a cover version, you have to make sure that you, one, sing it differently from the original, or two, do it better… preferably both.” In this case, while Jac's performance is competent, the song still sounds the same. I’m sure that as a live performance, it would have been quite impressive but on the CD, that energy doesn’t quite come through and ultimately, she is let down by an unimaginative arrangement.

Other notable tracks include the opener, “Inilah Masanya” - an energetic and joyous celebration; “Kasih Sayang” – a simple Malay song that I can’t decide if it is a remake of an old song or a new song that sounds dated.; and another English track “Jealous” – with its Chinese opera opener and Reefa’s manic rap bit, this is yet another song that makes this CD slightly schizophrenic, but in a good way of course. ☺

Overall, “Inilah Jac” comes across more polished and less rushed than its predecessor. In addition, the three Kieran Kuek tracks give it a welcome urban flavour that hopefully signals more progressive and adventurous work from Jac in the future.

Tarik Kereta

Me: Hello, EON Bank? May I speak to your loan officer please?

Loan Officer (LO): Yes, how may I help you?

Me: Yes, My name is Mr Tan. I would like to enquire about a car loan application that I made with your bank a few days ago. I understand that my application was rejected. May I know why?

LO: Er.... please hold on. I need to get out your file first...... Ah, ok. Er... Mr. Tan, you are buying a Gen-2 right? Mmmm.... oh, regarding your loan, Mr. Tan, actually the problem is we need a guarantor.

Me: But why do you need a guarantor? It's not like I cannot afford the payments. Did you get my income tax forms and my bank statements?

LO: Yes... but....

Me: Then surely you can see that I can more than afford to pay for the car cash if I wanted to. So why would I need a guarantor?

LO: Well, it's our bank policy. Also, your application was not approved because you are not working in Klang Valley.

Me: So?

LO: Since you apply in KL, our branch deems your case as an outstation application. And we usually don't take outstation case.

Me: Why? It's not like I'm in another country.

LO: Er... Actually outstation cases a bit difficultlah, because just in case ... er... you default payment, and we need to er..tarik kereta... er... it's more difficult for us to find the car...

Me: ???? ... Hold on a sec. Are you trying to say that I am considered a poor risk because if I don't pay the monthly payments, you may find it difficult to tow my car?

LO: Er... yeah.

Me: Are you kidding???

LO: Sorry Mr. Tan. That is my boss give us the policy.

Me: What do you mean, policy? My sister applied for a car loan in Melaka just two weeks ago, and she put her Kajang address. Her loan was approved by your branch in Melaka in one day! Now, the last I heard, Melaka is not in Klang Valley.

LO: Oh, that is because usually they have a different policy.

Me: You mean your bank has different policies for different branches?

LO: Nolah... erm... actually also up to the loan officer. If he dares to give, then no problemlah.

Me: In other words, you don't want to take the risk on me lah...?

LO: Err.... sorry sir. It's bank policy.... Why don't you apply at our bank at your town? You can tell them that you applied in KL branch but cannot get....

Me: And telling them that will make it easier to get the loan?

LO: Er... actually I'm not sure also.... but at least it's the local branch. Easier ....

Me: Easier to tarik my kereta is it?

LO: He he, no lah.... mmmmm.....

Me: It's oklah. I think I've heard enough. Thank you.

LO: Ok. sorrylah Mr Tan. Thank you for calling EON Bank and have a nice day.

These foolish things

A cigarette that bares a lipstick's traces

An airline ticket to romantic places
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you.

“So, how have you been?”

She was my first, way back when. Even though it's been a decade since I last saw her, she still looks the same, with her long dark brown hair tied with a pink scrunchy, dimples that seem to light up when she smiles and her still slim figure belies five years of marriage and two children.

I was looking for orchids as a housewarming gift for a friend when somewhere in between the flower pots and faux bonsais, there she was.

How strange,
To find you still,
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you near to me

Funny how some coincidences occur. Just last weekend, I was just looking at some old photos in a long lost album while I was doing some spring cleaning. Pictures of the two of us were among the heaps of unarranged and yellowing images. The holiday we took in Singapore. Our karaoke session after the finals. My one and only mountain climbing trip. Looking at them now no longer evoked any bitterness or regret. I smiled thinking of the good times we had, wondering if it might have ended differently had I not….

You came, you saw,
You conquered me,
When you did that to me,
I knew somehow,
It’s meant to be….

Later, after that encounter, I would come home, a little bit dazed. I thought of how our separate lives have evolved since that tearful goodbye. In the ensuing decade, I had loved again a few times, ...and lost again a few times. But never with the same intensity. They say that the first love often determines the course for one’s future relationships. If that is true, then I fear I shall always be cursed to repeat the same mistakes that I made with her. And yet, as I look back, I realise that our time together has made me a stronger person. Less judgemental. More forgiving with the realization that everybody makes mistakes once in a while.

A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Those stumblin’ words
That told you what my heart meant

“I’m doing great” she says, a bit too enthusiastically, the way one tries to be upbeat when confronting an uncomfortable blast from the past. I find out that aunty’s doing fine but uncle’s confined to the wheelchair after a stroke two years ago. And her firstborn is now in pre-kindergarten – a fancier name for daycare, I suppose.

A man in his late thirties approaches us with two kids in tow. Tall and lanky but with a kind round face.

“This is Henry, my husband. Honey, this is the old friend of mine I told you about…”

Ouch! I have been demoted from an ex to an old friend. Or perhaps she’s now comfortable enough to regard me more positively. Hellos and handshakes are duly exchanged and I sense my cue to exit the stage.

The scent of smoldering leaves
The wail of steamers
Two lovers on the street
Who walk like dreamers

As I watch them stroll away down the road, I'm surprised to find that my heart has been palpitating to the point of being almost out of breath. She still has that effect on me after all this time......

Oh how the ghost of you clings.....

The blaring horn of an impatient driver behind me jolts me back into reality. I’m waiting in line at the traffic light junction as the infernal red light adamantly refuses to grant me passage forward for more than a minute. As Dinah Washington sings the last few lines of the song, my mind slowly reawakens from its melancholic lull, like the morning fog lifted by the blazing sun.

These foolish things
Remind me of you.

Redang Pics 2

As requested, here are a few more Redang pics along with short little commentaries (shortened lest it might bore some of you busy people) ;-)

This is a shot of our dive company descending. For newbie divers, this part of the dive is the most nerve-wrecking as we have to constantly pace our descent and deal with a host of other problems like our breathing and equalizing our internal pressure with the outside pressure.

These two pictures (above and below) are another two kinds of nudibranches typically found in these waters. These belong to the Phyllididae family.

Eileen (our divemaster) joked that the reason a lot of u/w photographers love to look for nudibranches is that they are rather easy to shoot - they practically just sit there immobile. Hmmmm..... never thought about it that way. Very true in a way.

See that cute little thing that looks like a bubble? That's actually a jellyfish egg. Someone commented that it looked like a small blown up condom .... hehehe

This little critter almost bit my finger. It's a hermit crab which has 'hijacked' a shell for protection. Just in case you can't make it out, its eyes are the two black dots in the right half of the pic. Cute or not?

Headache!!! Hehehe. This pic was taken near the ship wreck off the coast near the Berjaya Redang Resort. It's a small boat and the only thing we could recognise on it were the toilet bowls (not in pic). And the diver in this shot was actually trying to clear his mask, not complaining of migraine.

Remember the "Nemo" pic? Well here is another type of clownfish - it has a different pattern on its body and the orange part is more intense to suit the strong, almost reddish hue sported by the anemone.

Ah.... as we approach the end of out dive (and holiday), Kevin took this 'artistic' shot.... He said it would be suitable as a pc monitor wallpaper. What do you think?

Redang 2006: A Photoblog

I love Redang. There's just something magical about this island that draws me there year after year. True, the natural wonders that had made her famous has been exhausted almost irreversibly by the ever increasing multitudes of tourists that make to her shores annually. However, conservationist efforts are underway to protect whatever's left of the rich and diverse marine life and I believe that in time, Redang will regain its former luster as an underwater paradise.

As for me, I go there at least once a year usually to chill out and also to hone my underwater photography skills. I've been scuba-diving for almost five years now and picked up u/w photography almost by accident - a friend had given me the underwater casing for my digital camera as a birthday present. Ever since then, I've been happily snapping away pictures of corals, sharks, anemones etc whenever I go diving.

Here are a few of them that I have just photoshopped.... Enjoy!


First up, this is the prerequisite "Nemo" picture. Anemones and their bodyguards, the anemone fish are staple inhabitants of tropical coral reefs. Lest you think these cute little fishes are all orange, they actually come in various colours and patterns - from the famous "Nemo" orange to purple, red and even black, depending on the colour of their 'house', the anemone.
This is a staghorn coral, so named due to a resemblance in its shape to stag horns. It is a type of hard coral and is actually made up of millions of tiny individual corals within the pores of the hard calcineous exoskeleton. Its brownish hue is due to the algae that reside within the tiny corals themselves and they all live in a symbiotic harmony that has lasted for millions of years.


Ok, this is a funny one. It's the first time I've ever seen anything like it in all my years of diving. It looks like a type of worm with lots of wriggly appendages that seem to be in motion all the time but never going anywhere. What caught my eye was its distinct blue colour which actually makes it stand out so much - an oddity in this camouflage-crazy marine environment.

According to our divemasters, Eileen and Ping Ping, it's jellyfish season now! Sharon, one of the members in our diving company was actually stung by one while diving and didn't even realise it till we got out of the water and saw the scars on her ankle. I think someone offered to pee on her feet.... eeewwww!

Later, Jan Sher, the uber-dive instructor and fellow u/w photography enthusiast, managed to catch hold of one and we found a hitchhiker on board - this semi-transparent shrimp which was also performing some housecleaning for its gracious host.

Don't squirm. This metre-long creature is actually a Chinese delicacy - the sea cucumber. Ok, maybe not this particular species. The sea cucumber actually performs a very important task in the grand scheme of things - it sucks up the seabed of debris, dead animals and plants (sort of like a marine vacuum cleaner) - and keeps the seabed clean and healthy.

This is a giant clam with its mouth semi closed. Approach it noisily and it will immediately shut its mouth tight. Don't bother looking for pearls in its belly unless you fancy losing a finger or two.

One thing I love about the scuba diving experience is the weightlessness effect - you almost feel like you're flying down there. Belly flops and "crouching tiger"-like stunts are performed with the greatest of ease. Here we see Kevin thinking that he is Superman. Or should that be Aquaman?


This cute little bugger is a nudibranch which is essentially a type of sea slug. They come in a variety of colours and patterns and I am utterly fascinated by the designs on their bodies. We found this fella perched on the railing of a small wreck off the Berjaya Redang Resort. It measured only 1 1/2 inches long and was quite easy to spot due to its colourful body display.

And this is another nudibranch that's orange in colour. Its of a different species than the one above and we found this hanging in the shadowy wall of a coral mound.

Lest you think there are no fish left in Redang, here's a beautiful but deadly fish. It's called a Lionfish due to the distinct reddish stripes on its body. It also possesses stinging appendages on its fins which can immobalise would -be predators and prey. But so cute, right?

This is Kevin, his wife Adele and our divemaster on duty, Eileen floating merrily during our 3-minute stop at a depth of 15 feet to make sure we get rid of all the extra nitrogen from our body before we surface.

Redang isn't all sand and beach. This rocky outcrop tucked away at a corner of Pasir Panjang strikes a beautiful contrast to the white sandy beach next to it and forms a lovely bookend to a picture-perfect tropical paradise.

Ah... imagine sitting on one of these deck chairs at dusk, sipping an ice-cold glass of lemon tea, as you gaze lazily at the sun setting over a pallette of yellow and orange hues above the emerald waters..... Heavenly!

I don't and I like it the way it is, thank you.

I hate weddings. Well, not exactly everything about weddings. I mean, the "I do, you do" part is charming and I always get a kick out of what i call the 'champagne cork-flicking stunt'. It's the wedding banquet I don't particularly love.

Why, you ask? Well, consider this. I'm a 35 y/o single man who is (and I don't mean to sound conceited here) considered a very eligible bachelor. Yet, year after year, I have seen many of my friends and my juniors step up to the altar as I dutifully clap my hands from the sideline when the bride sashays past. So, sometime during the wedding banquet, well meaning relatives, friends and church members will inevitably pop the question : When is it going to be your turn?

I have gone from lying about me being shy to lying about my (nonexistant) girlfriend not being able to make it to lying about having just broken up the week before to just plain staring at these people with my 'death stare'. I mean, come on people! Do you really care about my marital wellbeing or are you, as I suspect, just trying to get a laugh at my expense? It's not funny any more after the guy hits 30, believe me. At least not to the poor guy.

Just the other day, I had to atttend one of these dreaded events that was thrown by one of my church home-fellowship members for his son. As expected, halfway through, someone sitting at my table decided that it was time to grill me about the dreaded state of my singlehood. And to make matters worse, my parents happened to be sitting at the same table as I was. As annoyed as I was when the question came up, I could sense that their uneasiness was even more intense. It was as if their hearts had been stabbed with a thousand arrows and they didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I felt sorry that I had been responsible for making them look like failures in this respect. And because we were all seated in the "church members" table, I couldn't be as cynical or sarcastic as I wanted to be. So I had to play along for fuck's sake and hope that they would drop the subject before long.

"Oh, erm.... she's in KL" and ended that with a loaded look at my mom, who at a moment's cue, backed it up with her own story about how my 'girlfriend' couldn't make it 'this time'.

"Yeah lor.... aiyah, she said her boss needed her to do a presentation....."

Sigh. I just condemmned my mom to hell... again.

I hate weddings.

Holiday pics: Prague Cityscape

Prague is an old soul. Strolling through the charming city streets, one gets the feeling of being let into a nostalgic music club, where the resident band only plays music from a bygone era while the patrons lounge in their comfortable wicker chairs sipping iced tea as they watched the world go by.

I am constantly reminded of Prague's communist past everywhere I turn and yet, it's new capitalistic heart beats loudly and proudly as it becomes the new centre of economic growth in Central Europe. Even in the middle of winter, there is a hive of activity everywhere I turn, and tourists seem to be lapping it all up, albeit in subdued numbers due to the fact that Europe is facing its harshest winter in 50 years .

KFC, Pizza Hut and MacDonald's have already made their mark here, it won't be long before Prague sees the likes of Wendy's, Burger King and TGIF. Which is something of a welcome change I guess since local cuisine is rather unimaginative and erm.. bland. Having said that, the city boasts some really good Italian and Tex-mex restaurants. And the pastas were better than the ones I tasted in Rome. I kid you not!


Perhaps the most captivating landmark here is the Charles Bridge. I hear it's extremely crwoded with tourists in summer, which makes me think that perhaps braving the extreme in the dead of winter here may not be that bad an idea after all. There are a few artists here putting up their very own mini gallery while Eastern European migrants approach the tourists if they would like to buy gold watches or really authentic Czech artifacts - whatever that means.

Gothic and Christian statues line the bridge and provides wonderful photo ops - there's even one (St. John of Nepamuk statue) where if you rub your hands on it, you will get good luck and you shall return to Prague. In fact, it's so popular with luck seekers that there is a spot where it's been rubbed till it shines a bright golden yellow.








I ventured up an old clock tower that afforded me some very charming vistas of Prague skyline. You can see a melange of architecture, from Baroque cathedrals to Gothic spirals, and modern mid-rise office buildings juxtaposed with the pre-war train station.

Even the public transportation system is a study of contrasts. On the one hand, there is modern underground that spans the entire city. It's almost always full and is also used by tourists to get around the main sights. The older locals however prefer the Russian built tram system that criss-crosses the city streets and to my horror, does not stop for anyone that gets in its way.

The Czechs are a very artistic bunch of people and also posses a rather peculiar sense of humour. I guess they take pride in the fact that Mozart once called Prague home and Franz Kafka, arguably the nation's most revered author resided here almost all his life. Statues of Kafka are everywhere, although the likeness is subjective. There are busts of the author that are, quite frankly, rather frightening as well as amusing tribute sculptures too.


This year the Czech republic is having a year-long Mozart celebration in conjuction with his 250th birthday. The highlight of this musical extravaganza is a music festival which sadly only kicks off in spring. Sigh.

Did you know that it can get too cold to snow? Well, it was news to me as i had fully expected to see snow fall from the sky since it was so far below 0ºC. Well, according to Michael, it'll only snow if the temperature is between 5ºC and -5ºC. And since it hasn't gone above -10ºC all week, there wouldn't be any snow. Say what??? So, sadly, this poor "katak bawah tempurung" didn't get to see any snow (although ice from melted snow was everywhere onthe sidewalks and streets from the previous week's blizzard)... until the final day, that is. It finally 'warmed' up to about -4ºC and lo and behold! SNOW!!!! Strangely enough, Michael commented that I didn't seem as excited as some of his other Malaysian friends were when they first saw snow. (You know who you are! hehehe). Ah... my mission in Europe is complete.

All in all, it's been a wonderful fortnight in Europe and I'm happy to end it on a high note here in Prague with some of my dearest friends , Chris, Terry and Michael. I shall be back again for sure, but maybe the next time, it'll be in the spring. Or autumm. Definitely not winter.