Bangkok: Songkran festival of Khao San Road

By My journey, Photography
From left: Wei-Seong, Boon-Huat, Wee-Peng, and Meng-Hong at the Khao San Road's Songkran Festival of Bangkok

From left: Wei-Seong, Boon-Huat, Wee-Peng, and Meng-Hong at the Khao San Road's Songkran Festival of Bangkok

On our arrival in Thailand, we went to the biggest celebration of Songkran Festival in Khao San Road, Bangkok. I didn’t bring my camera with me because I was afraid it getting splashed with water. However an email of photos I received from Wee-Peng yesterday, then reminded me that I did take some photos of the Khao San Road’s celebration with his camera phone, which carefully wrapped with the shower cap we took from the hotel. More shots after the jump:

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Pattaya: elephant show of Nong Nooch Garden

By My journey, Photography
From left: Meng-Hong, Wei-Seong, Boon-Huat, and Wee-Peng at the European Garden of Nong Nooch Paradise

From left: Meng-Hong, Wei-Seong, Boon-Huat, and Wee-Peng at the European Garden of Nong Nooch Paradise

After staying a night in Pattaya, we departed back to Bangkok the next morning. On our way, the tour guide took us to the Nong Nooch Garden, which has a wide variety of gardens inspired from all over the world including traditional Asian tropical gardens, the Cactus Garden to French and Roman gardens. Besides, fascinating Thai culture and traditional dances, and other performances such as religious ceremonies, martial arts and the amazing elephant show – one of the most popular attractions of the garden, are presented daily in the theater within the garden compound.

Wee-Peng vs the mighty elephant

Wee-Peng vs the mighty elephant

After 20 minutes drive from Baron Beach of Pattaya, we arrived at the Nong Nooch Garden. That morning, the garden drew a massive crowd of tourists. We were late for the Thai cultural and traditional performances, however we did not miss the elephant show.

The well-trained elephants in the show were performing skills adopted from human sports like bike ride, soccer, basketball, and more. Towards the end of the show, audiences had the chance volunteering to be towered and massaged by the gentle elephants. They were really brilliant so we purchased bananas to reward and feed the elephants.

After the show, we were given the opportunity to touch and feel our favorite elephants. In addition, we could also pay to ride on elephants, perch between two elephants’ trunks, and take photos with elephants, which Boon-Huat and Wee-Peng did.

Time was so limited for us there because we had to go to a bees farm and a jewelry factory of Bangkok. After having our buffet lunch in the garden, we could only spend a little time in the European garden.

The whole garden was beautiful and the shows were amazing. According to the management, those gardens are constantly updating, with new ideas, new plants and new formations; therefore gives a reason to revisit Pattaya and Nong Nooch Garden again.

Below are some of the shots I took:

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癌缠身没钱医‧脊椎骨长瘤单身汉求助

By Compassion

中年单身汉幸清华因脊椎骨生肿瘤,经常觉得腰椎疼痛。(图:星洲日报)

(霹靂‧怡保)中年单身汉脊椎骨生肿瘤,急需2万令吉动手术,通过星洲日报基金会向大家求助,希望大家帮助他脱离痛苦。

幸清华,49岁,住在霹靂州地摩新村,以前做装水喉和拉电线散工,收入不多。最近一年来因病暂停工作,与大哥住在父亲留下来的组屋。

2005年前列腺有肿瘤

他指出,2005年8月,他因小便出血入院检查,发现前列腺有肿瘤,而动手术把肿瘤切除。

后来,又检查到癌细胞扩散到脊椎,已订在7月7日进入马大医院,并於7月8日动手术割除肿瘤。

5年来饱受病痛折磨

他说,在患病5年来,饱受病痛折磨,尤其是腰椎痛发作时,那股痛楚更有如刺骨般难受,甚至痛得彻夜不眠,十分痛苦。

“通常我要爬起身时,会感到脊椎特别疼痛,希望这一次动了手术后,能一劳永逸解除痛楚。”

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Pattaya: the Alcazar Cabaret Show

By My journey, Photography
The dancers of the Alcazar Carabet Show in Pattaya

The dancers of the Alcazar Carabet Show in Pattaya

During our trip to Thailand, We went and stayed a night in Pattaya before we traveled back to Bangkok the next day. The one and the only night in Pattaya, we chose to spend the night with the popular show in Pattaya – Alcazar Carabet Show. It is a must see if you visit Pattaya. I’ll explain later after the jump.

The Alcazar Carabet Show was amazing and got us totally immersed in it. It successfully blends the art of acting, stage design, costumes and the sequence of the show so well to be impressed by every one of all ages. We were entertained with the music, lip-sings, dances and various shows played by many perfectly beautiful female.

The traditional (Vietnamese, Indian, Malay, etc.) and modern dances (e.g. Poker Face by Lady Gaga) performed on the stage, fused also into a unique show which brings eastern and western cultures together, thus brought to us a very colorful and entertaining show.

The Siamese traditional dance performed on the show in Pattaya

The Siamese traditional dance performed on the show in Pattaya

I heard that originally, the show was at a small theater of 350 seats with 40 employees on almost 20 years ago, founded and operated by the Phettrakul family who never gave up and continued to improve and upgrade its facilities until the show became world famous.

Today’s Alcazar Cabaret Show features a grand beautiful theater with a capacity of 1,200 seats & 440 employees, fully equipped with high tech surround sound system and modern computer technology. The Alcazar Cabaret Show is now well-know throughout most of the international.

These are some shots I took during the show:

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juesatta awakening foundation – RM 130.00 collected for Yayasan Sin Chew’s Qinghai quake Relief

By Involvement
juesatta awakening foundation logo (draft)

juesatta awakening foundation logo (draft)

RM 130.00 of donation was collected in 3 days and made to Yayasan Sin Chew on the 30th of April for the relief efforts of Qinghai earthquake. Words cannot express our heartfelt gratitude for all the support our friends and family provide in time. Thank you. May the victims in Qinghai be well and happy.

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Lincoln and the helpless little creature

By Compassion, Drawing and artwork, Wisdom

Lincoln and the helpless little creature - by CJ

Lincoln and the helpless little creature - by CJ

“I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.”
– Abraham Lincoln

In reply to friends who chided him for delaying them by stopping to return a fledgling to its nest.

Compassion is how a mother’s tender heart quivers at the pain and suffering of her child when the child is sick. A mother is willing to do anything to alleviate her child’s suffering. As with boundless love, we also develop compassion to all beings who suffer pain and despair. A compassionate person cannot possibly be cruel to any being.

Love is the greatest kindness of all is a mother’s boundless, unconditional and protective love for her child. If we can shower a mother’s love on all living beings, our love would be boundless, unconditional and non-discriminatory. It’s boundless because we are reaching out to all beings. It is unconditional because we do not love with conditions attached or expectations of rewards or reciprocation. It is non-discriminatory, and this means it is given to all and not through selective choice or to one more than the other.

If we realize that all beings are subject to same vulnerability and mortality where all of us suffer from pain and eventual death, and all of us also appreciate being loved and cared for, then it makes sense to extend our love to all beings boundlessly, unconditionally and without discrimination. Just as we love our family and friends, let us widen our circle of love and kindness, and extend these feelings of goodwill and caring to encompass all living beings.

by Chan Kay Yein, Ph.D.

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