Secret

These days, I’ve been spending hours researching and reading materials pertaining digital photography, and had missed quite a number of movies that I think of to watch. Awkward it might sound, but as a self-proclaimed-moviegoer, I really feel guilty to have missed those shows. However, I think I didn’t miss the real hits.

Well, which one am I going to share here? Secret…

I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, if you are big fan of Jay. So for non-Jay supporters, you may stop reading from here and go browse other sites of your interest :)

Ok, just kidding, this isn’t about Jay, I’m not that BIG fan of Jay either (as my loyalty is still firm to his former boss Jacky Wu). It’s about the movie itself that I wish to talk about, but just happen that Jay is the leading actor in it.

Since ‘The blood diamond’ and ‘Protégé’, ‘Secret’ is the 3^rd films that really hits me deep at the heart. I must confess that when I first saw the poster of the ‘Secret’, the intention to watch never across my mind (Movies that focus on romance, love, and tears are not my favorites). But at last I watched it due to a friend’s strong recommendation (when I say strong I really mean STRONG... I think she must be a real BIG fan of Jay or else why should she bother to convince someone who’s mind is made of stone). To my surprise, I really found the film enjoyable right from the beginning to the end, in almost all the aspects… almost. I especially like the music, and the cinematography… the angles, the backgrounds, the scenes… so simple, yet so delivering.

At the middle of the show, I started to wonder who the film director is. I wish to find out because I look forward to watch other movies directed by him (sorry for any female readers, but when come to film directors, no female is in my list yet). So I went search the internet and guess what? I can’t believe my eyes when I first read that Jay was not only the actor, but also the producer, the director, and the writer. Wow! I can never imaging Jay have such great talents! Since then, the way I see Jay have changed. He has so much more than what I can expect from someone at his age… really so much more.

For those who haven’t watched the movie, why not give it a try. Though you may not enjoy it the way I did, but be prepared that the show might evokes some feeling of your old days - when you first learn about puppy love.

So, was that what I got from the movie?

... It’s a secret :)

30 August 07 (Thursday)

Kalau Tak Kenal Maka Tak Cinta

It's written in my profile that my Favorite Books are Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics... some might think "arhh! What a tech geek!" or "Just kidding right? who on earth would find those books interesting?" It's normal for ppl to think that way as the titles that ended with "ics" are usually serious stuffs and does cause headache to some people.

The fact is, if this happen to you when reading the “-ics” stuffs (you feel headache), it’s because you failed to relate what you read (the contents) to the real life phenomena. That is, when you can’t see the physical meaning of what you read, and are trying to memorize each fact, statement (of theorem) or equation, blindly.

This happened to me when I’m doing my certificate (General Mechanical) in polytechnic, my “study” is nothing more than mere memorization. I managed to score good grade though (very good indeed), but found my study stressful and boring.

I realized there must be something wrong in the way I study (in spite of my good grades), because the “knowledge” that I acquired is mere memorized facts; they can’t be applied to solve the real life problems as there are no real understanding.

So when I’m doing my BSc, I’ve resolved to go for knowledge, not grade. When reading, I try to visualize (or you may call it using the imagination) the subject matters in order to see its physical meaning and try to relate it to the real life phenomena. For instance, when I read the definition of density, I won’t simply memorize the fact density equaled to mass per volume, instead, I would try to visualize there being some objects that is containing in a volume. This is what I mean by seeing the physical meaning. Then I would try to visualize how molecules of water containing in a volume are more pack to each other when compare to the molecules of oil. This is what I mean by relating it to the real life phenomena. Once you “see” the subject matters CLEARLY and EXACTLY (in your mind) then you can say you have learned it.

So the “actual” study is reading exercise that involves a lot of mind activity like this. Memorization that didn’t involve the mind to venture deep into the subject matters is not real study, because there is no real learning take part – you just memorized some facts but you didn’t see the subject matters yet!

There is a malay saying:

“Kalau tak kenal maka tak cinta”

This is true in almost all expects, including study. So don’t worry if you think that study is boring, or that you don’t like the courses you are taking, it’s just that you haven’t get to know your subject matters well. All you have to do is to put efforts into knowing your subject matters, once you did, you’ll find them fascinating! I know how frustrating and how interesting study may be, because I’ve been through the “using memorization” and “using imagination” stages, so I know.

So this is just a sharing based on my own experience. By the way, how about stuff like this:

…In daily life, the concepts of Mr. Right and Ms. Right are also idealizations, just like the concept of a reversible (perfect) process. People who insist on finding Mr. or Ms. Right to settle down are bound to remain Mr. or Ms. Single for the rest of their lives. The possibility of finding the perfect prospective mate is no higher than the possibility of finding a perfect (reversible) process. Likewise, a person who insists on perfection in friends is bound to have no friends.

Yunus A. C. and Michael A. B. “Thermodynamics”, Fifth edition.

Are them really boring stuff?

The choise I'll make...

It has been quite some time since I owned my first digital camera. I’ve seen improvement in my photography skill. In fact, some of my works have received compliments from my friends. All this really make me feel good. But, in life, the Sun is not always shines on our side… the moment I started to feel like flying high on the sky, the clouds turn dark and lightning strikes…

Recently I’ve submitted ten photos for review in one of the stock-photography-selling website… making sweet dream of selling photos for side income. But so disappointing that out of ten that I’ve sent, all were rejected! The reasons are mostly about picture quality which in their technical terms: “Noise--Noise, film grain, over-sharpening, or artifacts at full size.”

It’s really embarrassing to tell others that you are having problem with image quality when you are using a Leica camera, a brand that doesn’t need advertising… because it’s very obvious that the problem must be from the person behind the camera – me in this case : (

So this leave me two choices; to run away from the critics, leaving the professional community and be a champion of my own little world among laymen who didn’t ask much about photo quality, or to take the challenge boosting my works to another level until I meet the professional requirements.

I’ve always teaching others that in study, making mistakes is never a problem, the point is to learn from it so that you do it right the next time. So I guess now is the time for me to show it with my action…

Give me some times and I’ll show you my works!

One of the quotes that I like very much:

“When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.” Anonymous

July 16, 2007

My two wishes

Recently, a new cinema opened at Melaka Mall. For filmgoer like me, it's a really great news. I sometimes have complained about the limited choices we have in Melaka cinema (= GSM), so now I hope that by having competition between the two cinemas, they'll put on more good shows, and I will not miss so much of them. The bonus I am getting is, the new cinema is so much nearer to my house :)

Actually, I have two wishes regarding facilities at Melaka: one is a new cinema. So by having this I assume the wish have realized :) Another is to have LRT, com'muter sort of service connecting Melaka to KL. However, recently our Prime Minister announced that we will be constructing one connecting Ipoh to Pinang. So I guess this wish have to wait for many more years to realize :(

July 05, 2007

Forest Exploration at Asahan

In one Sunday morning, out of a whim, I woke up very early and headed straight to Gunung Ledang National Part, Asahan. It’s my first experience driving there, so I have to depend on the road sign for direction.

After about 40 minutes drive, I’d come to the end of the main road and start to enter into a bumpy-earth road. The road is so narrow that it can only fit one car. This left me pondering what would happen if suppose a car is coming from the opposite! But fortunately that I only encountered a bike along the journey… in such early morning, most people are still enjoying their bedtime I think.

Conditions of the earth road are really bad, and that weeds along side are taller than man. This made me worry whether I am on the right track; The road seems leading me to nowhere and I can’t find any sign board to confirm my direction. Luckily, I finally came to an open area where a car was parked there. Seeing that I felt a momentary relief – “people are here, so this should be the right place.”

After I’d my car parked under a large tree I started my forest exploration. I carry along with me a tripod and my beloved Leica V-Lux1. My intention is to shoot some waterfall or stream photos, so to begin with, I went straight to the forest stream at the foot of the hill. I walk upward along the stream and stopped to take photo at locations where I think would make good pictures. To my surprised, besides the fascinating stream, I’d also found frogs and inserts inhabited on the rocks along the stream which I think are good subjects for photographing too. Guess what, they didn't disappoint me.

To be frank, I am lying if I say that I don’t find it scary at all. Though it’s not my first time to enter a forest, but this is my very first time to explore a forest I’ve never been before, all alone.

After hours of exploration and photographing, I decided to return when I started to feel hungry (not because of scary, though I feel scare). I would think that the trip is fruitful – I’ve brought back some very satisfactory photo of little creatures and stream (visit my photo album if you are interested).

p/s: I am not sure but I think this could be my very first step toward backpack traveling. It does give me some inspirations.

June 09, 2007

My dream compact baby

If you’re serious about photography, you should have heard about Leica, the top brand among cameras and lenses manufacturers. In photography, the artistic aspects of a picture are depend on the artist license of the photographer, while the fine details of the picture are solely on the quality of the camera lens.

My interest in photography started when I’m doing my undergraduate, long before imaging had evolved from film into the digital age. With films as the storage medium, photo taking is costly at my time. I really think twice before I fully press the shutter button, simply because - every snap cost!

Today, things are made easy with digital imaging, but I no longer taking photographs like those days. My Nokia FM10 and the Vivitar 210 mm lens were obsolete. I’ve told myself that if I am to start photography again, I’ll go for a really good quality lens. I have eager for making photo with rich details and that I know the solution is Leica. However, high quality products didn’t come cheap, all Leica cameras and lenses I’ve heard about are above 10k. For student (at that time) or a low-paid chap like me, such prices are way too expensive. So, photography had long been put aside in my mind.

Recently, I’ve been considering whether to get a camera or camcorder as they both can shoot videos and stills. My decision goes for the camcorder as videos offer more vivid memories than stills. I’ve even decided to go for Sony brand as my main interest is in the video quality and editability of the video format. But after I heard about the newly launched Leica compact camera - Leica V-Lux1, selling at only 3.5k, I changed my mind. Leica has long been my dream camera that I’ve never thought of I’ll be able to own one, so the moment I see this compact baby, I know I got to have it.

Here are some of the photos taken with my V-Lux1:

http://sircheng.blogs.friendster.com/photos/tta_tournament/index.html

March 21, 2007

Bridge to 'Terabithia'

The last Friday night, I watched the movie “Bridge to Terabithia”. It wasn’t about sorcery, magical kingdom like “Narnia” or “Harry Porter” type of movie which I was expecting after seeing its trailers and poster. However, to me, it wasn’t that bad as it’s being criticized by some of the reviewers either. Instead of being a movie that ends with no ‘moral of the story’ as commented by CZ, I think it does sent a pretty clear message across – treasure the one you care about while you can, don’t wait or you may regret.

Too bad some people just didn’t enjoy what they are getting/having because their mind is not open. It already been occupied by their many subconsciously-embellished expectations. It’s like he who so yearning for the setting sun, do not realized that the moon is just as graceful, in its way.

So think again when you think that you are not enjoying what you are getting, have you really open out for enjoyment to arise?

p/s: I wasn't went for the BtT actually, but no more sit for the 300.

March 10, 2007

My thirst for nature...

Only a five minutes drive from my home is this magnificent forest with wonderful waterfalls, namely, The Bukit Hijau. It’s located at one of the rural villages in Kedah which takes about 30 minutes drive from the nearest town, Kulim (for native… stranger usually took about 45 to 90 minutes… or maybe more). Along the way, your four wheels will be treated with humps or holes on the road while being challenged with a sudden 270 degree turning or buffalos blocking the road. But all these did not stop visitors from around the outsides of my hometown.

When I am on leave and returned to my hometown, I regularly visited the place. I seldom wetted myself though, only walked in the woods, and that already satisfied my thirst for nature. It once happened that while I am leaving the waterfalls (after the sky had just turned dark), I met a group of visitors who had just arrived. Wandering why they came at this late, I asked one of them “Why you guys be here so late? You should have come earlier, it’s dark now and it’s very dangerous” He answered: “we are all along the way from Melaka, and we got lost before we managed to find the place.”

Wow! I am really stunned! How shocking that people do actually came from so far way!

March 06, 2007

What Boss Says?

This is an article from the ‘Ren Cai’ magazine that I think worth sharing. It’s about an employer describing what he belief about outstanding employee:

It happened once that an IT graduate came to see me for a job interview. During the interview, something embarrassing yet amusing happened.

My first interview question (to the IT graduate) was “How can you assist the company?”

“I don’t know,” he rejoined smilingly.

So I asked my second question, “You are major in multimedia, do you know how to build a website?”

“No, I don’t. I’d never learn it, he he.” Still, he replied smilingly.

I then proceeded with my third question, “Ok, fine. Then what have you learn? Mind to talk about it?”

“Sorry, I’ve forgotten.” he said... shamelessly.

At this point, I smiled, and then told him “In that case, even if I've employed you, I will only regard you as a SPM holder…”

“What?” he interrupted immediately, “But I have spent twenty thousand tuition fees, is the degree diploma useless?”

Seeing such a big reaction from him, I joked smilingly, “I understand what you mean, but your diploma does not worth a thing to us, we can’t hang it to the wall and pray to it everyday: “Please finish the jobs!”, and then things will be fine?”

“Oh yea, ha ha!” He nodded in agreement and smiled.

Through this interview, I once again, assured that an excellent employee mustn’t be a person who holds a B.Sc., M.Sc. or PhD, rather, he or she can be of assistance to the company in the following:

1. Making profits
2. Reducing expenses/cost saving
3. Solving problems
4. Not to create problems

p/s: Hope the article did not lose its essence in translation. The original is in Chinese.

February 09, 2007

I am back - Tmn Negara!

My last trip to Tmn Negara is actually my second trip. My first trip there was 10 years back when I am still a bachelor degree student. Back then, I went with a group of ITTHO Photography Club members together with some foreign lecturers who sponsored the trip (yes, it’s free for me as a member of the organizing committee… don’t envy!).

I still remember that I’d purposely brought 4 rolls of professional fujifilm negative and expecting to capture every moments in this very oldest rain forest of the world. However, after I returned and had the films developed and printed out, all the pictures I took disappointed me with smoggy haze, the compositions quite weak either. When I shown them to my peers (members of the Batu Pahat photography society), all I received were advices on what might have went wrong and tips to avoid the problem. Well, it’s really disappointing to have traveled so far and bring back crap! So I made a promise: “Tmn Negara, I’ll be back!”

Ten years after, I was back, with new companies, new camera and a ten-year-old tripod. For this second trip, whenever I reached a destination, e.g. Teresek hill, Gua telingar, etc., I’ll say: “Wow! It’s still the same like ten years back!” Well, after several times, my friends started to feel it “annoying” and complained that they’d heard that line too many times. But, well… what to do, the scenery really still the same like ten years back : )

It was a holiday season when we went there, so it’s really crowded. For whatever activity we were to take part, we’d to queue! There was a night event they called “observation hides” that people will hide in a two-storey hut and stay quietly for hours or two and wait for wild animals to show up. Ten years back when I was there with my photography club members, we’d been seriously advised by our tour guide to make no sound at all in the hut and not to use the torchlight so that we didn’t scare the animals in order to have a better chance that they’ll show up. I still remember that we’d waited for more than an hour before we finally saw two light spots which was suspected to be the eyes of deer (according to the tour guide), but we really have no idea what it was as we can’t see anything else beside that shiny spots in the dark. Frankly, it’s really boring to have waited for so long without chit-chatting and then what showed up were nothing more then a pair of light spots.

However, my recent trip was a totally different experience at the observation hut. We had to queue to walk up to the hut and squeezed through the crowd to get to the position where we can see through the hut window in order to view the animal. Practically, do you think you can expect such large group of people be in total silence? In fact, besides talking, they’ll point their torchlight to whatever appears moving in the distance in order to see whether it’s an animal. So do you still expect animal to show up under such circumstances? But ironically, deer did show up! And guess what, the crowd become so excited that this auntie yelled “Hey! See! There is deer!” and that auntie joined in “Oh where? Ah ha! Yeah! It’s the deer!” Some who had brought powerful torchlight had pointed it to the deer so that everyone could see it. Now the deer was like artist on a stage under the spotlights, and yet, it seems pretty comfortable with the shouting and lighting. Then another deer showed up despite of all the “DON’T” the crowd have done. At that moment I smile in my heart and think in my mind that: “If I’ll see my last tour guide again I certainly like to kick his ass – who says that our noise will scare the animals away!”

Overall, the experience really enjoying and when I show my pictures to my friends, I heard some compliments. So… I’ve kept my promise back for the pictures ; )

p/s: I will go there again next week, unbelievable isn’t it! However this time not as visitor, but as guide, and eventually it’s a “free trip”. Again, don’t envy : )

May 16, 2007

Fly

One day a man saw an elder who already (looks like) eighty something but is still working. This filled the man with wonder, so he asked the elder:

“You are so old already, why are you still working?”

The elder replied,
“Have you ever see birds? Did birds ever quit flying?”

The words of wisdom given by the elder had deeply touched the man… it had touched me too, when I heard the story shared by the man in this evening’s course that I attended.

I have a similar story of my own, in a less-wisdom version:
One day, a student came into my office room while I am reading a book. He asked: “Sir, you are already a lecturer, why are you still studying?” I smile (I know this don’t happed often, I guess it’s the student’s lucky day) and explained to him that being an academician, learning is a life-long matter bla bla bla and bla bla bla… (Hope I don’t put the student into sleep) But I know how I should react to that kind of question now, so that I sound better and wiser - like a man with wisdom : )

Anthony Robbins, a renowned life coach once said that:
“The only way we are happy in our life is when we are growing”

This is very true to me, no wonder I love learning so much (not limited to academic stuff). When I’m learning something, I am growing, and that is where the enjoyment comes.

I really feel pity for students who don’t find study enjoyable; I think the reason that they don’t is because they don’t study for grow, but for exam and grade. Well, I used to be a student before, I know how terrible it is to have to force ourselves memorizing facts and steps instead of to perform what a real student is suppose to perform – study and grow!

A bird that has stopped flying would not travel far.
So be wise friends, find the ‘wings’ and ‘fly’!
This will keep us growing…
and to
Enjoy this life better.

June 15, 2007

A Bump - Can it be a diamond?

This morning, I noticed I have a bump on my left arm. It’s quite big, about the size of a 100-carat diamond. I’ve read news about a malay girl who has crystal balls produced at her nail recently. If mine is a case of diamonds produce at my arm, some more a 100-carat one, I would be rich, and more popular than her!
Despite of its worrying size, it's not painful though. In fact, I didn't feel anything. It’s like a hard-spherical object of something hidden under the skin. If I am a female and that this hard object is at my chest, it got to be the CHEST CANCER! But no, it’s at my arm, and that I am not a female (if I have to remind you this) - So the worst it can be is just an arm cancer.
Anyway, for god know what it really is. Hopefully it’s actually nothing and will soon disappear in no time. A 100-carat diamond is preferable though :)