'Sakura'!

- image courtesy of Evangelheights -

Thus says the Lord, Your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go." (Isaiah 48:17)

My three months of holiday is coming to an end. I'll be back to my campus once again next week. There are lots of memories in times like these that will be cherished! Praise God that everything went well!

Just about two to three weeks ago when I'm on my way home, I saw some trees beside the road with flowers covering almost the whole of it. The trees look somewhat like cherry trees. It was a beauty. So I decided to just a stroll along the pathway the next day and capture this rare scene.

I read from somewhere that the flowers usually bloom during this period of time. Others say that it is due to global warming that this blooming could happen in Malaysia.

At first sight of the flowers, my mind wondered off to the blooming Sakura in Japan. Sakura means Japanese flowering cherry in English. Some of us may prefer to call it cherry blossom . Both are actually right, depending on how you use it.

Thousands of tourists and locals flock Japan early in the year for cherry blossom viewing. It is very fascinating and thoughtful. Cherry blossom can also be found in the US and Europe.

Without further ado, here are the photos that I took that day:

These were the two tress that caught the eyes of many passerby. There were only two distinct flower colours: purple-pink and white.

Branching out together.

Flower petals and leaves on the grass floor: Still maintaining its best sight.

Dry leaves and petals on the fence wall: Creating a must-shoot opportunity for photographers.


White 'Sakura' reaching out to the sky.


The purple-pink flowers were very competitive.


But when I saw how the white ones performed, I concluded both were absolutely great to see and capture.


An up close.


Beautiful, isn't it?


The whole scene.

Till then, I'll most probably blog again when I returned to West Malaysia and after everything is settled.

Please pray for me in faith, health, studies and people around me. Take care and God bless!

Jesus loves you! :)

Night of all Nights

- Image Courtesy of Ikonreflect Wordpress-

'Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.' (Psalm 119:105)

Gearing up my DSLR, I head out into the hot Monday night (July 27th). I was caught in a heavy jam along my way to the Kuching Waterfront (along the Sarawak River), where there would be a float procession and a display of fireworks (in conjunction with the New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building/ Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) opening ceremony by DYMM Yang di-Pertuan Agong). Preparations at the Waterfront were being made earlier to welcome the VVIPs (Sultans and Ministers) and most honorably, His Majesty the King of Malaysia, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. Police and roadblocks were everywhere for security purposes. Even as I am writing this post, a helicopter just flew past my house and sirens can be heard in the distance. Sarawak is honoured to have the 218th Rulers’ Conference held at the DUN on July 29 and 30.

The New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building/ Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) boasts a cost of RM 300 million and has become an iconic landmark in Sarawak. Peculiarly for the citizens of Kuching, it is indeed a joyous and proud achievement. Upon reaching there, I used my telephoto lens to capture the moments without wasting much time. Surprisingly, despite the H1N1 cases that are spreading like wildfire, there were still many people. As far as I could see, none were wearing masks. Praise God for the good weather that night. Though it drizzled, it didn't last long. At the first thought of rain, the crowd quickly dispersed. This gave me a chance to stand at the 'front line', or what I call it 'my first-hands-on' to have a better view to shoot this spectacular event.

Here are some of the pictures I took that night:

Above: A beautifully lit float and the famous Fort Margherita in the background.

Peekaboo! : The Melanau sun hat-shaped roof State Legislative Assembly Building behind some trees.

All of the Above: A series of floats sailing past (approx. 21 in all) and 'harbouring' in front of the DUN just in view for the important guests.

Ghostly: Crowds at Waterfront (passing and stopping-by)



My first firework abstract.


The photos below are some of my very first firework shots. With a few lessons learnt from this experience, I hope to do better next time. Thank God for this wonderful opportunity.

The fireworks lasted for at least 15 minutes or so before ending the night with a powerful yet graceful blast, in which it then turned into a shower of delicate sparks.

Here's a video (above) of the fireworks from YouTube. (Credit: jackie6138)

Colours: Floats lined up for a clearer public view.


Lights on Water (all of the above): Close-ups of some of the floats.


Majestic: The New State Legislative Building from a further perspective.


Calling it a night: The dazzling State Legislative Building overlooking the passenger boats at the Sarawak River harbour.

The Pride and Joy of Sarawakians: The New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building/ Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Sarawak.

Zooming-in: A close-up view of the main entrance of the building.


Lone Float: Stopping for a long night ahead.


Spectacular: A scenic view from Waterfront.


National Heritage: The Astana, official residence to the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, the Governor of Sarawak.

Cool and Comfortable: Marquees set up for the VVIPs.


Beautiful and Fragrant: Fresh flowers surrounding the marquees.

A Panoramic View of the Sarawak River.

Last but not least, this photo above shows a part of Kuching City (the building pictured is the Hilton Hotel), in which I will update more of it in the near future.

Till then, take care and God bless.

Jesus loves you! :)