Photography Archives - Page 18 of 40 - juesatta (CJ Photography)

Sep 01

Let’s go Cambodia – sunset by the Mekong River

By CJ My journey, Photography

sunset of Mekong River

I will continue and complete my Cambodia’s story, with this beautiful Mekong River cruise, by skipping the story to Toul Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields.

The second evening when we were in Phnom Penh after shopping at Russian Market, we experienced the rich life and the magnificent sunset of Mekong River. We arrived at the central riverfront area of Phnom Penh and took some photos at the Royal Palace. Then we continued to the jetty nearby and boarded our boat. It was an old fashioned double decker boat and of course we went for the upper deck for better view.

Chams

We begin to feel the cool breeze of the river and relaxing everything around us. The boat cruised along the central riverfront area and provided picturesque views of the riverfront area including Royal Palace, Wats, significant landmarks, and also Phnom Penh skyline.

Then, the river cruise experience became rural when the boat crossed to the other side of the bank. Here, we met the Cham and visited Cham tribal village.

The Cham are a minority Muslim tribe in Cambodia and they speak Malay language. Most of them are fishermen and they spent their entire life on the boats. Everything just happens on the small boats as we saw on our tour, kids jumping into the river for bath, women cooking on boats, and men out for fishing.

They are living very poor life as they hardly have access to information, good education and training like we get back home. We gave them some goods and monetary donation and continued our tour further down the river, with dramatic river scenery, fishing villages and extensive fishing activities.

Soon the sun started to fall below the horizon, it turned fiery yet romantic. The evening sun illuminated from the rear of Royal Palace and gave us striking silhouette images. Everyone on board kept taking shots before the sun disappeared behind the clouds.

Cham little girl

The cruise took exactly 1 hour and we returned to the jetty near the central riverfront area for dinner. We enjoyed the cruise and discovered the beauty of Mekong River, the true Mother River of Southeast Asia.

On the next day, we left Phnom Penh and flew back to Malaysia. We loved the place and enjoyed so much on this trip even though it was only a short trip. It’s one of the best places for travelling, finding culture, nature and mystical wonders.

Special thanks to Kenn-Wai for lending his 17-50mm Tamron lens. May all beings be happy. Sharing more shots of the mystical river and the Cham tribe. This set of photos will be the last series of photos from my old camera.

royal gate

Khmer kids

Royal Palace of Cambodia

lotus seeds (edible)

our pilot of tour

walking to the river cruise

opaque brown water of Mekong River contrasts with the green hue of river bank

central riverfront area of Phnom Penh, view from the Mekong River's cruise

Cham fishing boat on Mekong River

tribe on Mekong River, boats are their homes

naked Cham boy just love the river

Cham lady living on boat

Cham children

"candy?"

asking for

Cham

kayaking on Mekong River

sunset of Mekong River

fishermen's life

Khmer ladies

tuk-tuk

Aug 22

Cindy + Argen = 7th year

By CJ Photography

7th year, Cindy and Argen

True love is an awesome thing to witness.

Few months back, Cindy and Argen had got themselves a night stay in A’Farmosa Resort of Malacca. They also celebrated their 7th anniversary they both got together.

Cindy and Argen always wanted to have a couples photo album, recording their sweet memories. They invited Kenn-Wai and I to photograph and produce a special album for them during their stay in the resort.

We arrived in the afternoon and spent an hour in the villa and the next hour at the golf course just before sunset. The whole session was very pleasant filled with of frivolity and laughter.

Thank you so much, Cindy and Argen. Please do not forget your first dates, cherish each other and the happiness will always be with you! Happy seventh anniversary to the both of you!

May all beings be happy. Sharing the lovely moments,

Aug 15

一颗露珠

By CJ Photography, Wisdom

米

让我们假想，如果你我是生活在粮荒肆虐的衣索比亚；如果你我生活在地震频发的太平洋环带；如果你我生活在子弹乱飞的战火之都，你是否会随着灾难的漩涡沉沦，深埋于黑暗的山谷之间？你是否会从此放弃对晴天的期待？

在医院的门诊室里，电视正播放着国家地理频道，名为《地球危机》的专题节目，画面中喷发的火山熔岩、扑面而来的海啸、茉莉花革命浪潮……让渺小的人类在灾难前显得惊慌、无助、恐惧、茫然，甚至绝望。

“这叫以后的人类要怎样活啊？”一位大腹便便的准妈妈感叹道，前来做产检的她或许已开始担心即将诞生的孩子，如何在水深火热的乱世中，学得精明的生存之道。

“既然2012快到了，从今天起我们就尽情欢乐吧！”坐在身旁的准爸爸打趣地说。

“那我们按月缴交一堆账单，房贷、车贷、保险……这都为了什么？”语毕，两人面面相觑，苦笑着。

我要留住草尖的那颗露珠

“天无绝人之路，一根小草，一点露！”忽然，一把淡泊而笃定的声音打破了静寂，为冰冷的候诊室添了些暖意，而静坐在一旁的我也瞬间愣住了，因为这也是爷爷和奶奶生前常说的一句话啊！

猛地回头，发现说话的正是一位老先生，年迈的他因糖尿病引发肾病变，每周需到医院洗肾3次。逐渐衰老的他虽知此病能完全痊愈的几率很低，但仍然积极接受治疗，让洗肾的痛楚延长有限的生命长度，因为他相信生命的宽度是由内心缔造的，坚强的他能微笑面对活着的每一天。

正如爷爷生前常说，就算人儿为小草灌溉，晨曦的露珠也会沾上草尖，滋润这株小生命。无论是生老病死或严峻的灾难，都在考验着生命力的强韧，惶惶之音迷漫在家园的上空，我们带着逃亡的勇气冲向防空洞，心里虽明白劫数难逃，但血肉之躯依然带着绝望跑下去，唯有这样，才有一线生机。

随着时间将日子往前推，爷爷奶奶遗留给我的人生道理，就像米袋里掉落的米粒，背着米袋快步往前冲的我却丝毫未察觉。庆幸这天，老先生似乎看见了一颗颗被我弄丢在岁月里的白米粒，于是走过来，挥手对我说：“孩子，你的米袋破洞咯，米正一粒一粒地往下掉呢！”

是的，亡羊补牢，未为晚也！

在米袋变得轻飘飘之前，我得赶紧找一根绳子扎好破洞的米袋，然后循着时间的河流回到岁月深处去找那一颗颗遗落的白米粒，留住能喂饱心灵的养分，留住草尖的那棵露珠。

[文：谢敏洁（安邦），刊登于星洲日报副刊]

Jul 19

June.July 2011

By CJ Life Journal, Photography

mini

Poet, Dylan Thomas said, “He who seeks rest finds boredom. He who seeks work finds rest.” I missEEd the boredom. After weeks of work, finally I got a rest today and do some write up, to make order out of chaos. Chinese says, rest is to go further..

Duanwu Festival, also known as Dragon Boat Festival falls on the 6th of June this year. It is a celebration of the life of Qu Yuan, Chinese poet from the southern Chu during the Warring States Period. Upon learning that the State of Chu had been defeated by Qin, he committed ritual suicide by drowning in the river as a form of protest against the corruption of the era in great despair and distress.

The townspeople, hearing of Qu Yuan’s fate, rushed to their boats to try to save him. Since he was much loved, they tried to prevent the fish from eating his body by throwing rice dumplings (Zongzi) into the water. They beat drums to keep evil spirits away. In commemoration of Qu Yuan, people still eat Zongzi and hold dragon boat races annually on the day of his sacrifice.

This year I managed to watch the race of dragon boats at the water front of Case del Rio Hotel Melaka. Together with the racing event, a Chinese calligraphy competition was held at the site. When I went for shooting the dragon boats, I met some old friends, little Tang and father Tang, and other Chinese calligraphy teachers, which was first after many many months. It was great to get to see them and know that they were well doing.

And last month I celebrated the 2nd birthday of my buddy 500D camera but also grieved the end of its shutter life after a month. The tigers shot in Melaka Zoo below was the last click from the camera. Now it’s in the service center waiting for its repair. There won’t be any shooting until its return, while I’m considering of getting a new buddy to join the family, to take photography a step further.

May all bEEings happy. Sharing the snapshots taken in Melaka within these two months,

"someone call for the taxi?" (taxi stand of Melaka Sentral)

save tigers (tigers in the Zoo of Melaka)

"emmm..."

dragon boats racing on Melaka River

monks

DO NOT CROSS

fatherly bond

three chances

Jul 10

Mirrored Melaka River at night

By CJ Beautiful Melaka, Photography

mirrored Melaka River

Few days ago, I took a slow drive around the town for relaxation on my way back after a full working day. It was midnight and I passed through the bridges in Melaka heritage city. I noticed the water of Sungai Melaka (Melaka River) was so calm and so its surface appeared mirror-like. Glad that I had my camera with me, however the bad news was I left the tripod at home.

To get steady night shots without tripod, it was challenging. I had to relax my body, hold the camera tight to solid surface and pressed the shutter softly. And it was lucky that the traffic was minimal in the middle of night which made the shooting easier, or else each time traffic came across the bridge it shook.

The night atmosphere was calm and quiet, and I was enjoy capturing the reflection.

May all beings be happy. Sharing the results,

view from Jambatan Tan Kim Seng (Tan Kim Seng Bridge)

view from the other side of Tan Kim Seng Bridge

Jambatan Chan Koon Cheng (Chan Koon Cheng Bridge) built 1908

Chan Koon Cheng Bridge

old building by the river of Melaka

Discovery Cafe of Melaka

new boutique hotel, Casa Del Rio Melaka

Jul 03

Let’s go Cambodia – Russian Market

By CJ My journey, Photography

the joy of Phnom Phen's Russian Market

The first morning in Phnom Penh, we went to Russian Market, the place where the Russians would hang out during the Vietnam war. The market has been known by its English name since 1980s, and is popular shopping heaven in Phnom Phen among tourists, local expatriates and Cambodians alike.

Russian Market is really big and is the place we could find all manner of hardware goods, antique furniture, traditional carvings and handicraft, hand-woven silk, music, movie and computer CDs, silverware, gems, books and maps, backpacks and bags and shoes and clothing, drinks and cooked food. You name it, you get it.

for Japan earthquake relief

Here, some basic bargaining and haggling skills will be needed as nobody pays the first price. Of course it was not difficult for us as we practice it most of the time in Malaysia.

A wide range of real and fake items sold in the market. Some authentic branded shoes and clothing, though not all, can be found at very inexpensive price, as they are manufactured in Cambodia somehow rejected due to quality control issues.

Most of our friends purchased souvenirs here, and some had their shirt, pant or dress tailor-made here at very reasonable price and thumbs up quality. They purchased the fabric there, handed to the tailors and had their clothing picked up on the following day.

The place was flooded with tourists and locals. Please be warned of the market’s heat and narrow passageways in search for shopping buys. So those who are claustrophobic might find it difficult to survive the market. The conditions add to the ambiance of an Asian market however.

I chose to take photos rather to shop. Few minutes of walk I got so sweaty even wearing a thin t-shirt. However I loved weaving my way around the market with my camera and finding lots of interesting people and things to shoot.

Few hours of walk, I did not finish even half of the market. We had to leave to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum as schedule and many were still demanding for more time extension. Therefore the guide took us there again on the following day for last minute shopping, just before we headed to Phnom Penh International Airport.

Russian Market is simply crowded, cheap and a lot of fun!

May all beings be happy. Sharing some photos I captured back there after the click:

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