Photojournal

it’s Labor Day today, so… carpe diem.

Occasionally the wildlife will pause from their busy movements and stare at us, perhaps wondering on the reasons why we co-exist in their habitat and trying to make up our species category… are they capable of thinking or whatever they’re doing are mere reflexes. I think they are capable of thinking though at a level where we humans it consider as an insignificant amount of intelligence or could it be that we just don’t understand enough how nature works. Most likely it’s the latter.

On a cloudy and slightly drizzling afternoon, a base-jumper leaping from KL Tower, the tallest communication tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It’s an annual event organized by a bunch of adrenalin junkies from all over the world sharing a common interest - jumping off tall buildings, cliffs, helicopters and planes. Since I was there on special media pass, I get to be at the edge of the tower where jumpers were all standing in line waiting to jump. The interesting thing about it was that I didn’t feel even a bit of worries or feeling scared of the height. Everyone were so jovial and having seen how meticulous they were during the parachutes preparation, I was confident that it was all safe and even felt like trying the jump if I have a parachute for myself that day though I doubt that anyone would let a beginner do such jumps. Maybe I should get my skydiving license and a few hundred free jumps first before attempting these, ya?

Just as mobile phones over the decades slowly creeping into our daily lives and has become the indispensable limb that crippled some of us whenever they’re out of reach, now the history is going to repeat itself. Mobile computing has gone a step further with an all day long battery life, aesthetics that are really well thought of and unlimited supply of 3G broadband connectivity.

Internet collapsed the borders and brings the world closer, 3G makes it more mobile and devices like the iPhone/iPad… just stitched everything else all together, especially with social apps like Facebook it’s slowly embedding our lives into the Web 2.0 realm much closer and making it inseparable.

Ho Chi Minh City.  Amidst the traffic chaos, old buildings and disorganized telecommunication wires, lies a fast growing city embracing the latest technology and undergoing a major infrastructure improvements. On a move that I think as an attempt to replicate what China did a decade ago, Vietnam IMHO, is on the right track and poised to be another leaping tiger of the region. Looks can be deceiving, there’s more to Vietnam than its shady and rusty surface.

For centuries, the only way to cross the wide rivers in Sarawak was by boat. In today’s modern day, they are still in service but more popular among the tourists rather than locals to commute from the city to the villages across. The rivers were once popular for its ferocious crocodiles, though it is doubtful now that they are still active as we hardly hear any more news of crocodile attacks.

Shopping malls preparing the performance stages and props for the coming Chinese New Year celebration in mid-February. All sorts of decorations installed shall be either painted red or mostly red in color. Statue of cats with waving left paw is a symbol of prosperity and widely used as props at the shopping malls although according to the Chinese calendar, the year 2010 should be a Year of the Tiger.

A boy carrying his kavadi at a temple in Batu Caves, in preparation to the coming Thaipusam; a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community.

Point and shoot… the fun increases as the adrenalin starts pumping. Although they returned with bruises and muscle aches but it seemed like it’s worth all the troubles for that few hours of action-packed moments.

I was in a train, when I noticed the affable stranger with his very interesting hairdo.

Public entertainer singing his own songs. I doubt that he’s performing for donations from pedestrians but rather for the sheer joy of sharing his musical talent, and I can attest to his guitar playing skill.

A homeless taking nap at the sidewalk, oblivious to the busy traffic of people walking passed by her.

I often see wall paintings and some of them are actually quite good, to a level I think can be considered as artistic. Some of them put a lot of efforts and pride in producing really good artwork, which in my opinion was worth my  time to stop and admire. I took this photo through the train window where I sat, catching whatever glimpse I could get of it before it disappeared from my view. I hope to see more of these.

Malaysians especially the elderly loves to follow on the progress of local politics. Newspapers are still the mainstream media, perhaps not much to the younger or digital generations but deadtree editions are definitely still a favorite. Besides, you can fold them and walk around with it under your arm pit :-)

Basic newsstand right in the middle of Singapore’s central business district buildings.