Photography Is Such A Lonely Affair

Ever since I got my SLR, I've been the designated photographer for my school.
I have been called upon to take photos of almost every person & literally every event.
It's as if a whole new world of imagery has opened up for the residents of my school.
Another probable motivating factor is... I snap for a zero fee!

Every time I look through the pictures taken after a photo-shoot or after an event, I cant help but notice that I do not exist in any of them.
Then, I'd pause & feel my heart break over the thought that I would never ever have a recorded memory of the event with my face in it.
Everybody would be exclaiming with glee & discussing excitedly how ridiculous they looked in the photos but they'd still copy the photos & cherish then.

As for me, I have nothing to cherish.
It's only me & the fleeting memories I have difficulty retaining.

Often I'd be having dinner or taking a nap & then a photograph would pop into my head...
or I might be thinking of my next blog post & an awesome idea for an accompanying picture appears.
More often that it should, most of these moments are forgotten because, for me, photography is such a lonely affair.

I wish that God would give me a buddy who shares a mutual love for all things beautiful.
Someone who desires to cause a reaction in the hearts & minds of every picture viewer.
Someone who would drop everything to brave rain or shine at a mind-boggling hour just to get the picture done 'perfectly'.

To every photographer living as an island...
Let us remember each other in our prayers.
Now that my buddies are far away... I miss their artful contributions to my expressions.
I miss you, Nas, Mien & Manan.

What Sets My Blog Apart

I've been seriously considering lately whether I should follow the blogger's cliche of blogging about every darn restaurant they've been to.
You know, the ones where they take insanely close-up pictures of the food to show how 'yummy' it looks & share their experiences with the world (be it good, bad or so-so).

I eat out quite often but I do not find a need to blog about every single shop or stall that I visit.
Mainly because I only blog about things that have touched or impacted me in some way.
I've written posts about a few priviledged establishments because they have something there that sets them apart from the others.

This doesn't mean that I wont write about food establishments.
I'm planning to blog about my favorite places for food in Kuching simply out of my overflowing love for them.
I want to expose my love affair with Kuching food to the whole wide world!
p/s: I've got really good taste (oh, I'm so vain) so be sure to check these places out when you're in town!

I write what I want to write.
But sometimes I am clueless as to what I should put in my next blog post...
And I'm tempted to imitate the recipe of the famous ones.
hmmm~~

Nah, I dont think I should put in half-hearted pirated posts.
I'll only post something on my blog because I really want it to be there.
Either that or someone has paid me to do it... **hint** **hint**

I think that is what sets my blog apart. I blog for love. I blog for me.
I don't care to much about attracting more readers or being popular.
I don't go around leaving out-of-context comments on random blogs.
I don't want to be the next KennySia.

I want to be me.
This blog is an extension of my psyche on display for those who care.

I think I've attracted a group of readers with a similar disposition.

I've attracted people who actually care instead of those who are blindly following a trend.

And I am thankful for them.

They... No, YOU motivate me to be a better writer / blogger.

I will do my best to be sincere & truthful on my blog for you.

In this day & age, where information is at one's fingertips & almost every tom dick & kumar has a blog, it's time people started blogging with a difference.

So It's A Small Bonus

The Budget for 2010 was just announced today & a bonus of RM500 will be given to all mid-level civil servants from the rank of 41 to 52. (I hear that even retirees are getting it.)
Previously a bonus of RM500 was given to lower level civil servants to help with festivity costs.

Only a few hours after the announcement of the new budget, some of my fellow civil servants are already complaining that the bonus is too little.
True enough. Compared to the yesteryears, this new bonus is a midget dwarf.
This really got me thinking...

The first question I asked myself was:
Do civil servants deserve a bonus?
In the private sector, employees are given a bonus based on individual performance as well as the organisation's performance as a whole.
I personally think that I deserve a bonus because I waded through a whole load of sheet this year.
I gave my school 100 & 10 percent.
However, I dare not make the same assurances for my fellow servants.
How much have you done this year to deserve a better bonus?

The next question on my mind was:
Can our country afford to give away large sums of money in exchange for nothing?
Do civil servants realise that there is currently a global economic crisis going on?
Malaysia is NOT excluded.
Just take a look at the numbers from the National Statistics Department (Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia).
The Malaysian budget has already been in a deficit for many many years...
but this year, we've got a super 7.6% deficit.
(A deficit is the excess of national expenditure over revenue. Our deficits were usually below 4%)
Civil servants already cost RM38 billion in salaries this year (& ever increasing each year!)
RM500 is already a lot of money to hand out to so many of us.

taken from qizinklaziva.wordpress.com

Does money fall from the sky or maybe they grow on trees?

Let me end with my last question:
What is a bonus?
A bonus is a gift.
Accept it with grace & carry on.
You'll still get your salary every month.
Plus you will never get fired even if you are a lazy worker!
Oh, the perks of being a servant of the people...
Sometimes you don't feel like a servant at all!
**HIGH FIVE**

p/s: I'm a proactive patriotic idealistic citizen. I'm gonna take my RM500 & I'm gonna put it back into the economy by spending it on something for my Datin. =)

Minah Gedik SMS Saya

taken from peperonity.com

Malam Khamis yang lepas, ada seseorang hantar sms kepada nombor telefon bimbit saya.
Hi
Sepuluh minit kemudian, dia hantar satu lagi.
Alo0. . .

Pada masa itu saya dekat ulu sana mana ada line?
Saya terima lah dua sms tu pada petang Jumaat.
Masa tu saya baru keluar dari hutan nak berimam dan sembahyang la nih.

Saya pun hairan la. Siapa pula dia?
014-955XXXX

Takde dalam fonbook.

Macam nombor semenanjung aje...
Terfikirlah mungkin member saye kat sana kot.

Oleh tu, saye pun balas pula.
Yes? How can I help you?
Tapi tak da pun reply.
Saya pun lupakan aje la.
Tak kan la nak call. Bazir kredit aje.

Pastu, malam Jumaat pula sampailah sms die.
B0leh t0l0ng i tak?
Konfirm minah semenanjung la ini!
Siapa lagi yang guna gelaran glamer 'I' kan?
Mungkin juga kawan saye so saye play along aje lah.
Tolong buat apa?

Menyamar jd max,bf  aku??
Ape nih?
Masa tu saye sudah dapat konfirm.
Ni bukan kawan saye ni.
Saye pun tanye la dia...
Who are you?

Aku main dail2 je number kw,.. aku shar0n atau pngil cher0n jax.
Minah gedik gatal mane nih?
Saye tak de nafsu nak main benda macam ini la.
Kan saya suda ada ger-fren?
Sorry. Saya tak main benda benda macam ini.

Sekejap lagi die pun reply...
K s0ry m'gngu..k,bye

Ape lah minah ni?
Nak main gedik dengan saye ke ni?
Buat kacau saja lah!

Jelas die tidak baca apa yang saye pernah tulis dulu bertajuk "To Girls who Want to Make Friends with Men".
Kalau ade baca pandailah sikit approach saye.
Saye bukannye mat rempit kan?

Happy Deepavali

taken from singaporelearning.com

Shout Out to Nesa, Guna, Diren, Guna 2, Vimal & everyone out there who celebrates the festival of lights!
Happy Deepavali!

According to Wikipedia, Deepavali or Divali has a spiritual meaning of "the awareness of the inner light".
Just as there are celebrations for the birthday of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of our inner light.
The light which outshines all darkness & awakens the individual to one's true nature.
Deepavali celebrates this through festive fireworks, lights, flowers, sharing of sweets, and worship.
There are varying stories behind Deepavali but the essence is the same: to rejoice in the inner light.

Enjoy the festivities with your friends & family!

Most significantly, enjoy the long weekend!!!

Oh, and do think of me fondly...
because I dont get a holiday tomorrow...
**sob**