Bring on the Bananas!

as usual...trail trackers...HOO HAA !!!
I ran...I jumped right in...then I waddle towards it...a thunderous wall of water comes down at me...yet it was serene and an immense feeling of exhilaration as you're enveloped by the water... and as you look up...all you see are streaks of light that shone through curtains of water...I immediately shouted everyone...come in...come in...and setup my camera...everyone started coming in...even those initially not wanting to get wet... then in their faces I see bursts of excessive happiness...my shouts of hoo-haa was greeted with an enthusiastic riotous response...
there was an addictive energy all around to just smile, shout and just be crazy happy.We were at banana falls on sunday.It's a relatively approachable fall as compared to the others we've been to.

The walk to the fall first involved jumping into water at a pump station and then up to land again walking through some weeds before emerging to see that we are walking on the side of a highway retention wall....then there were big storm drains that we have to walk straight into...

Inside the storm drain...it was pitch black except for the exit on the other end...but it was very clean and walking through it wasn't a problem.We began to play with echo and the general tings one do for fun when crossing a storm drain...After the storm drain, we entered the jungle.This jungle path didn't have as many undergrowth and was relatively clear and a very easy walk.The main challenges posed by this walk would probably be alot of exposed tree roots that required someone negotiating through them to have at least a moderate sense of balance. That aside...there was alot of mud but the path was largely undisturbed and clean.
Then there it was...pisang falls...despite being a relatively small fall that doesn't really take your breath away...it was an interestingly beautiful one with a mix of folliage and rockface almost illuminated like it was a stage with light and shadows...

But being an easy walk also meant that this waterfall was the first that wasn't exclusively ours.
We suddenly had a whole bunch of kids storming towards us as we reached the waterfall...
Being the nice guys that we were...we let them have the spot under the falls and climbed up a path to an upper pool...it was quite accesible and safe to reach the top of this waterfall so instead of the typical photo with only crazy me on top of the waterfall, this time the whole group went up and had a photo. I told everyone to pose like me...I thought it be funny to see all of us posed that way...but only timmy was fun enough to follow...the classic model strut =P

The top pool was relatively small but it had it's fair share of fun with some small streams of gushing water that you can sit in and just relax. we spent most of our time here...until the kids are gone and we went down to the bottom pool...

the core proffesional cam whores....the core group of trail trekkers.
where we cam-whore in delight! =)

I have two left feet = (

1…2…3…5…6…7…1…2…3…5…6…7…what ever happened to 4 ? She smiled over at me with a very comforting smile and answered “ 4 is when you take a break.” “ Relax your arms…you’re too tense….now feel…there is a flow…between us…feel me pushing you and now pulling you…retain the tension and that’s how two different connect and lead one another…and dance.Now…step…step….step…

Beverly was a pretty girl and patient too. As she tried to guide me…I managed as best a smile I could…but I think it was more of a sheepish grin….a mixture of shyness and embarrassment that I just cannot dance. “Most people here have between 9 months to three years experience in dance.Take it easy…you feel shy because you are not with people of the same level as you are…”she added. I just felt so useless as I tried to remember the steps.

I am here at the Malaysian Salsa Festival, I am organizing the video event coverage for them. Due to budget constraints and lack of camera crews it’s a tad tiring as we had only two crew covering the entire event during the day plus setting up wireworks for the MCP. However I wouldn’t complain as in between work it was all good fun and my client and boss Roslim was a great example by getting down and as dirty as we got. He was personally screwing down floorboards and checking that the dance floor was safe with no potentially lacerating screws himself before the event. The whole event was a family affair…husband, wife, family and friends(people who shared the love of salsa) from all over the world…seriously, there were people from Dubai, USA, Mexico, Hong Kong, Australia among others...but though it’s a family affair it was well organized…we got our hotel rooms quick…workshops start on the dot…meals were awesome feast…

But back to the dance floor. Psychedelic spiraling spot lights…a pounding music beat….and everyone moving to the music…my two hands... were being held by this girl who also made dancing so effortless…and I was just hopeless…a moment back…a nice elderly lady Jan asked me why I was not dancing…and brought me out to the dance floor…she danced better than me and was smilling while immediately I froze in a loop of the same fragmented steps just like how I am freezing now…”it’s muscle memory she told me…slowly…you’ll get it and get better at it…

That I am sure….because I don’t want to ever caught in that darn situation again just looking at awe at people dancing and enjoying themself…while painfully unable to myself….now as I try to dance…I am still a hopeless newcomer silly and reducing dance to almost mathematical equation in my head….

1. … okay move your hips
2. …now shake shoulders
3. …now step left step right….
4. …you look like a fool…
5. ….ignore…ignore…
6. …who are you trying to fool?
7. sigh….sigh ….sigh….

Salsa lesson commence after my trip to mexico…hopefully then I can ask someone…will you care for a dance…then and just enjoy the company the music and the dance…for now…I’ll just sigh with two left feet. Beverly, James,Joanna,Jan….thanks for trying to teach me the steps…is it hopeless??????

Wait…there’s hope….spider is as bad a dancer as I am…..muahahahaha

And salsa aside...there was wonderful sunrise to be shared at Pulai Desa Rhu resort too…

Cemperoh: Part 2

The Trail Trekkers gang or otherwise CAM whore united

Okie...so my promise of having a new posting on cemperoh in two days delayed to a week...sorry...really meant to post this up but then I went to upgrade my internet service and was told that it be down for 6 days for the upgrading process.After the six day, I was in Johor for a salsa festival(more on this in two days...this i promise) Anyway...cemperoh... is this waterfall...

Cemperoh is a really cold waterfall which probably meant that the water source is really good and fresh...climbing up to perch on top of the waterfall is really not as difficult as you think...but the hard part came in climbing down...because by then you had a good splashing and your knees are knocking from the cold...and going down on slippery rocks is always harder than going up because going up is largely reaching out as far and getting a grip before pulling yourself up bit by bit...where as going down is err...shit...how did i get up here....and now how the hell do I lower myself...but...being on the waterfall...and looking downwards and just enjoying the tranquility of water splashing down, the warmth of an afternoon sun and how rooted you are to nature is all so worth it....

The journey to cemperoh is actually rather short one but it was one of the most challenging yet...seriously because for a good 2/3 of the trip you are walking through half cultivated half deserted farmland. Jungle paths are actually very good walks because very often in jungle it's about tall trees...with fern and various algae undergrowth...it's actually quite beautiful, serene and most importantly it's comfortable with a moist cool feel and the thick leaf litter is cushioning to your feet.... however, when a land is cleared...for farming and then semi abandoned....it becomes hard while some parts start holding water and become muddy. no trees surround you so it's hot...and in place of pretty ferns...you've got annoying weeds like 'touch me not' with very sharp barbs. so it's walk walk walk...ouchie!!!! or as dennis put's it..."oh you fu*king tree!!"

as dennis put's it..."oh you fu*king tree!!"

Can't you clear the way? I hear you ask? Well...a parang doesn't help much because it's heavy and meant to cut branches...the weeds just sway and you hardly cut anything with your parang...even when you swing like crazy...guess why they invented a sickle even though there's a parang....also it's very tiring to be a human weed whacker....so the only thing to do is to just trail on...trail on....


The second half of the trip was much better...with the only annoyance to some being leeches...but i really don't mind leeches...so it's all good....infact leech bites are a form of therapy in some part of the world(much like fish massage) but for melah...the others were screaming to say the least and having leech socks...but cleared land with secondary undergrowth and the original lush forest are a world apart...we should all start preserving what we have...

Nature is always worth it...



kung fu panda for one believe in it's wonderful cam whoring opportunities!!!

However...on this trip...i must sayI was very annoyed...because the new comers of the group didn't really jumped into the waterfall or have fun...they came...cam whore and were nagging to go home...so those of us...spider and me especially who found so much to explore and enjoy were more than a little annoyed....I was that close to spilling blood with my parang! =P

CHEMPEROH part 1

can you find a froggie ? top left of picture...look carefully....

21st June!!! finally at chemperoh waterfalls...why do i say finally? well...i've been part of this outdoor group that seek out difficult waterfalls to trek to....we use GPS...correction...an old GPS...and a black and white computer printout and we run into the jungle in search of our reward...a nice waterfall...in my book, any chance to be out of a four wall concrete cubicle is greeted with a big yeeaaahhhhh!!! so yeah...it's all good...but chemperoh was a waterfall that ellude us...on our last trip here to cemperoh...we could not find the waterfall...anyway...before i talk about today's journey...let's rewind back to 23rd February 2008...our first attempt at chemperoh.
As usual...after meeting up at 6am in bandar utama....and having our breakfast we drive off to our starting point...usually some weird end at a road when you can't drive anymore and have to stop and go by foot...


at this point...some people will decide to go barefoot...it's the better choice...as mud, water and slopes makes shoes really uncomfortable...but then some are too precious about their legs and are afraid of leeches, adding even more uncomfortable leech socks....

at the begining...we were deciding...if we were to follow the stream nd get the to waterfall...or to follow land routes...we decided on land routes because the stream really hindered our movement as we tried to balance in the current....

Land routes aren't free of problems either...water routes will eventually lead to the waterfall upstream...but land routes tend to be very confusing with trees and splits in trails possible bringing us in the wrong direction...luckily we have our reliable super-GPS-boy seng keong...
ever smiling and ready to lead us...astray...yes...we got lost and ended up in empty fields baking hot with no shady trees...occasionally we had to run as sprinklers came on and we didn't know if they were filled with chemicals....the ground we were walking on was like lumpy porridge but littered with dead grass poisoned by weedkiller and the air has a smell of smoke from the burning and land clearing that was underway nearby...needless to say it was a hopeless situation
but we were in good spirits and could still cam whore to amuse ourselves...
the waterfall...it shouldn't be far....we should be able to do it...we tried to keep faith pointing at a little black and white image of it on our map printed from the internet.
we all tried to give opinions on where the waterfall is...some of us looked under bushes...i heard water that way!!!! if only it's that easy...leaves in the wind sometimes do sound like water flow....
there was hope...in a farmer...we showed him our map and asked him directions...he began by shaking his head in amusement. He then said..."aren't there easier waterfalls to get too? you people too free is it to look for one so deep in the jungle here?"

eventually...all hope was lost...hey...you'll give up to if you walked for 4 hours and all you see is this....

even our scout explorer...was sitting down and you can almost hear his silent moans.... and you can almost hear his silent moans....but it's not as simple as saying we are giving up and getting a cold glass of coke and a sofa to relax...we have to walk the same distance we walked in out...yes...another three hours across crazy hot terrain...to everyone's credit...nobody gave up...we took a break by a stream...and ate our cold now a big mess nasi lemak...as it rode in our bag pack through all the crazy terrain...the river looks nice but as tempted as we are we avoided swimming in it as it was farmland,and honestly on our journey just now we say many fertiliser and chemical pesticides oozing into streams that probably feed into this river way downstream...

Seng Keong was clearly dissapointed and said sorry but it really wasn't his fault...we just got lost...really lost....

Finally...we did get out...and well...seeing there's no waterfall...we decided to do something stupid before running off...ride outside the 4WD as seng keong drove it up and down fast...little victories...and that conclude our first 'failed miserably' attempt at chemperoh...check in again in a few days to read about our second attempt...
to be continued

Recently, an old friend of mine texted me a message...it says she has a baby...

As I was busy I largely ignored the message...but then today...I dunno why I decided to pop by her blog

And when I saw the photo of her baby, it swept me with such happiness, I immediately wanted to write this blogpost...I am so happy for my friend Josephine and her hubby Frankie and their baby Ethan...I can't explain why I am so happy... I just am.

It just seems so wonderful...maybe in a way...I am almost longing to get married and have my own baby too...

Maybe I am so happy because it raises my hopes that life and humanity isn't all that bad as I see a friend (who I used to go out in a group in and had so much fun teasing when we were both kids)have navigated and done so well in life...meeting a nice man...marrying and now having a baby... me n josephine as part of a catholic youth group YCS - circa 1995

Sometimes I was unreasonable things in life...needless things...I am fighting everyday...to get somewhere in this world...and yet, in my hometown of kuching...my friend's baby reminds me that maybe all I really want is love, happiness and a smile...

Well done Jo,Frankie and Ethan...and thanks for the cheer you gave me...

chinese new year 2008 -myself next to Frankie and Josephine in front of him

Froggie and Oshii !

A friend and fellow blogger Greg mentioned i was starting to resemble Mamoru Oshii...he was too kind because as a film director I still have alot of growing up and learning to do, to even come close to the ghost in the shell auteur but well...the hair, dog and grin...hmmm....u decide... hehehehe.

Mother -trailer 1

freshly out of the edit terminal,this is the first trailer for my film 'mother'...sorry for a few translation error and gramatical errors in the subtitling....was rushing it last night on little sleep....subtitling it at 4am....the part where she carry rice sacks...it should be peeling garlic...thanks for pointing it out CY...sorry, will be ammended later...i hope you'll have a look at it...i've never seen so much courage and raw will to live no matter what than in this person...

mother poster 3

Yet another subject matter and poster...



here is an alternative but i find this one too depressing...

mother poster 2

This is the three variation of poster 2 for my film mother,please put your remarks in the comments section as to which one you like better as i will only maintain one poster per mother and child.

It's so easy to be happy...that's what a little child thought me...her mum is an immigrant worker at a squatter but that doesn't stop her from having outburst of joy saying 'KER-JA' or 'A-YAM'. It's wonderful how children are so carefree and in their little ways gives us so much hope.Froggie smiling...