The Rainforest Waterfall

A oasis of calm and tranquility at the Rainforest of 1 Utama Shopping Mall, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

This is my entry for Watery Wednesday #81. To see what others have posted or to participate, click here.

Kuala Lumpur Lake Gardens

This type of pergolas surrounds the maze garden at the Kuala Lumpuar Lake Gardens. The stone pillars are painted perfectly white while the beautiful bauhimia vine cast lovely shadows on the ground.

This is my entry for Monochrome Weekend Volume 2 Issue 31. My grateful thanks to Aileni for hosting this wonderful site. For other MM posts around the world, please click here

Water Therapy for a Hot Sunday Afternoon

With our weather getting terribly hot and sunny every day, this scene certainly looks cool and refreshing.

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #89. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Koi Pond at Guan Yin Temple, Klang

Many people has thrown coins into the pond. Is it to make a wish?
Can you see 3 people reflected on the pond here?

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections # 27. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 37 - Sunset in the City

A beautiful cloud formation at sunset in front of my house, yesterday 25th March 2010.

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 37 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

Earth Hour Malaysia 2010

An aerial view of Ipoh town, picture taken at the peak of Perak Cave Temple, Ipoh.
This is my entry for this week's Thursday Challenge Theme which is "Black & White".

This is my wish: The future generations will continue to enjoy such splendid views of the of the city, the valley and limestone formations, so characteristic of the fame and beauty of Ipoh city, Malaysia.

The video below is from Earth Hour 2010 USA.




 Global Warming is the most critical issue of our time, and it is happening even faster than previously estimated. The need for urgent action is now indisputable. Together we can and must be the first generation to stop the downward cycle. One hour at a time. In 2007 it began in one city - Sydney, Australia on 31st March 2007, 7:30pm. In 2008 more than 400 cities participated. In 2009, more than 4,000 cities used their light switch to vote for earth. The message reached 1 billion people globally.... Source: Earth Hour 2010 Canada

On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people, organizations, corporations and governments will come together to make a bold statement about their concern for climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. Earth Hour symbolizes that by working together, each of us can have a positive impact in the fight against climate change, protecting our future and that of future generations.

Set Your Clock
On March 27th at 8:30 p.m. local time, Earth Hour will cascade around the globe—from time zone to time zone—uniting the planet under a single, simple, call to action.

Earth Hour Malaysia
Since its inception three years ago, Earth Hour’s non-partisan approach has captured the world’s imagination and became a global phenomenon. Nearly one billion people turned out for Earth Hour 2009 – involving 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents.

2009 was the first time Malaysia officially participated in Earth Hour bringing Malaysians to turn off their lights for one hour to show their support towards climate change. Many prominent landmarks switched off their lights and Malaysians celebrated. It is estimated that more than 5 million Malaysians participated in Earth Hour.

This year, let's join hands from coast to coast and light the way again. Make Earth Hour the biggest Environmental Movement in history!

Teapot at Mushroom Farm Genting Highlands

This teapot works! The water that it is pouring out is used to turn a wheel in the koi pond.

Can you see 2 koi fishes here?

The tiny round objects glistening under the sun inside the circle near the fountain are coins. Maybe some visitors made a wish before they threw a coin into the pond.

This is my entry for Watery Wednesday #80. To see what others have posted or to participate, click here.

Ox-Head and Horse-Face (Niu Tou Ma Mien)

Ox-Head and Horse-Face are the 2 fearsome Guardians of the Underworld in Chinese mythology and Taoism, where the dead face judgement and punishment before reincarnation. As indicated by their names, one has the head of an ox, and the other has the face of a horse. They are the first repsentatives from Hell a dead soul meets upon arrival in the Underworld; in many stories they directly escort the newly dead to the Underworld. Usually, the two are mentioned together (牛头马面/牛頭馬面).
Source: Wikipedia, click here.

In the picture, Ox-Head (Ni Tou 牛头) is standing on the left while Horse-Face (Ma Mian 马面) is standing on the right. Some say, both of them are twins and they work in Hell, the faithful servants of Pan Guan (判官) - The Judge of Hell. Pan Guan is also the Prime Minister of Hell and he reports to Yama Rājā (閻魔羅社), The King of Hell. Many people fear meeting Ox-Head and Horse-Face when they are still alive. This is because when you see them, it means your time on earth has expired!

This picture was taken at The Path to Reincarnation, Chin Swee Temple, Genting Highlands.

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday Round 24. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

Morning Sun Rays on A Jogging Track

This picture was taken at a favourite jogging place in the beautiful state of Penang, Malaysia.

This is my entry for Monochrome Weekend Volume 2 Issue 30. My grateful thanks to Aileni for hosting this wonderful site. For other MM posts around the world, please click here

A Chinese Pavillion at Chin Swee Temple Genting

A nice place to rest and relax. From here, I can enjoy a scenic view of Chin Swee Temple, the Pagoda and the surrounding tropical rainforest.

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #88. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

The Giant Water Lily of 1-Utama Shopping Complex

This picture is taken at the water lily pond of 1-Utama Shopping Complex.

A signage reads:
Victoria Amazonica is a series of flowering plants, the largest of the Nymphaeaceae family of water lilies. The species has very large leaves, up to 3m in diameter, that float on the water surface on a submerged stalk, 7-8 metres in length. The species is named after Queen Victoria of England. Victoria Amazonica is native to the shallow waters of the Amazon River basin, such as oxbou lakes and bayous. It is depicted in the Guyanese coat of arms. The flowers are white the first night they opens and become pink the second night. They are up to 40cm in diameter, and are polinated by beetles.

This is my entry for Weekend Reflections # 26. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

El-Nino Dry Weather in Malaysia

This picture was taken at Ipoh town 2 days ago on 17th March 2010. There is not a single cloud in the sky. Can you see the cloud seeding trail of a tiny aeroplane?

We are currently experiencing an El-Nino hot and dry weather that had caused rivers and canals in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah to dry up. In some areas, the temperature was as high as 38C. It was reported that such weather was expected to continue until May. If rains do not come by end of April, water rationing will start in some states such as Penang.

State International Trade, Industry, Energy, Water, Commu­nication and Environment committee chairman Tan Kok Hong said among the measures were cloud seeding over water catchment areas and dams, identifying underground water sources and water rationing. The law may be enforced to prevent people from wasting water and restrictions may be placed on activities like washing vehicles, as well as watering lawns or gardens.
Meanwhile, the hot weather has shown no mercy on farmers in the fish rearing industry. The fishes are just about to be harvested but an inadequate water in ponds will cause the fishes to die. As the fishes are only saleable when alive, their income will be severely affected.

The water level at seven dams in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya is also dwindling, affected by the warm weather and dry spell for the past two months.

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 36 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

Children's Amusement Park at 1-Utama Shoppinp Centre

This is my entry for this week's Thursday Challenge Theme which is "Round".

The photo was taken at The 1-Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya. These balloons are decorations at the Children Amusement Park.

Turtle Pond at Mushroom Farm Genting Highlands

These are real turtles resting on the slap of stone. There seem to be a population explosion of turtles here in this pond at The Mushroom Farm, Genting Highlands.

This is my entry for Watery Wednesday #79. To see what others have posted or to participate, click here.

Fu Lu Shou at Chin Swee Temple, Genting Highlands

Taoist beliefs are centred around the seven stars in the constellations of the Plough, the Great Bear and the Big Dipper. The stars in these constellations that represent heavenly deities, the most prominent being the 3 star deities; Fu Lu Shou.

The first star deity is Shou - God of Health & Longevity. He usually carries a staff with a bottle gourd of nectar, and accompanied by other auspicious symbols of longevity such as the white crane, peaches, the wu lou gourd (calabash or bottle gourd) and some pine branches. He is always placed on the left as shown in this picture.

Fu - God of Wealth and Happiness, also known as the God of Income and Prosperity. He is usually depicted as wearing the robe of a rich merchant and carrying a child. He is always placed on the right as shown in the picture.

Lu - God of Power (Rank & Affluence). He is usually depicted as holding the Ruyi, a symbol of power and good fortune. He is always placed in the centre.

Together, the three star gods of Fu Lu Shou symbolizes Health, Wealth and Happiness which can be interpreted as Longevity, Prosperity and Power.

This picture is taken at the Chin Swee Temple, Genting Highlands.

This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

Tortoise at Guan Yin Temple Klang

A tortoise is a fengshui symbol of longevity and protection. This stone tortoise is photographed at the Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) Temple, Klang.

This is my entry for Monochrome Weekend Volume 2 Issue 29. My grateful thanks to Aileni for hosting this wonderful site. For other MM posts around the world, please click here

Giant Teapot at Mushroom Farm, Genting Highlands

A giant teapot with auspicious drawings is among some of the fascinating ornaments in the landscaped gardens of Mushroom Farm, Genting Highlands Resort. It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland.

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #87. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Journey to Enlightment Signage at Chin Swee Temple, Genting

Taoist/Buddhist/Hindu parents can bring children to this place to teach them about the principles of Reincarnation and leading a Noble Life.  A depiction of each of the ten Chambers of Hell line a path that gently winds up a hill that ends at the giant statue of Amitabha Buddha. The walk up the path is named the Journey to Enlightenment because these chambers aim to discourage bad conduct and encourage good moral values by depicting the painful experiences an evil person would encounter in Hell.

In the background, can you see a reflection of a summer palace and myself, especially my hands?
This is my entry for Weekend Reflections # 25. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

A Skyview of Chin Swee Temple Genting

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 35 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site.

CDP Theme Day - The Tennin Technique

Today 11th March 2010 is CDP Theme Day : The Tennin Technique. This is my tribute to the great photographer Eric Tennin for founding City Daily Photo.

I am participating with my pet tortoise, Blastoise as my model. My camera is placed on the floor while Blastoise gets into mischief and he is trying to enter my sitting room via the side door entrance. Well, he has succeeded. Don't you think he is smiling, and looking quite smug?

Our CDP main website read as follows:

 Today is the 5th Anniversary Tribute to Eric of Paris Daily Photo from fellow CDP Bloggers. Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, all CDP Bloggers are invited to post a tribute shot from their own city using The Tennin Technique of placing the camera on the ground to make an image, or of skewing/tilting the composition, or in some way imitating a specific photo Eric has posted or a common subject matter of Eric's photos. Take a moment to study the look and feel of his shots. Feel free to work creatively with this theme of The Tennin Technique. Have fun with it, make it your own and help.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Thursday Challenge - Accidental Photography

This is my entry for this week's Thursday Challenge Theme which is "Accidental Photography". The photo was taken at The Curve Shopping Mall, Petaling Jaya during 2009 Christmas season. Many people were enjoying the sensation of 'snow' falling from above.

I wanted to capture the beaty of the scene that I was experimenting with my Olympus FE-4000 point and shoot camera. I accidently used auto exposure mode with flash turned off when in fact I should be using 'night mode' photography. I'm quite sure the aperture speed has been set wrongly. Anyway, I find it a real challenge during night photography sessions with my current camera.

I shall be glad if anyone has some pointers for me.

Water Fountain at Hotel Theme Park Genting

This water fountain is located inside a beautiful garden full of blooming flowers and a very scenic view of the rainforests of Genting Highlands.

This is my entry for Watery Wednesday #78. To see what others have posted or to participate, click here.

Chi Lins at Roof of Chin Swee Temple

There is a pair of Chi Lins on the roof top of this temple. Do you also see 2 dragons further down?


This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

Hotel Theme Park, Genting Highlands

This is the back view ot Hotel Theme Park, Genting Highlands.

This is my entry for Monochrome Weekend Volume 2 Issue 28. My grateful thanks to Aileni for hosting this wonderful site. For other MM posts around the world, please click here

Genting First World Hotel Building

This is the entrance to First World Hotel, Genting Highlands.

I stayed here during my visit and I like to travel off-peak. A standard room with a spectacular aerial view of the Outdoot Theme Park, ever changing sky and awesome sunrise cost me RM 38.80* only (approx. USD 11.00) for a 2 day 1 night stay with breakfast for 2 persons. Facilities are good. Nearby is the Indoor Theme Park, Shopping Centre, Cinema, Theatre Restaurant, all kinds of food outlets. The temperature here is cool, always between 14 C - 25 C. A great place to escape the current hot season. Genting Highlands Resort now has 2 indoor casinos. The resort website is here.

* This is their off-peak promotion rate, limited rooms available based on first-come-first served basis.

This is my entry for the fun and wonderful weekly meme, Scenic Sunday #86. To participate or view other pictures around the world, click on the icon above.

Leatherware Store Reflection

Can you see the ligh bulbs and red lanterns reflected on the signage of this Leatherware Store?


This is my entry for Weekend Reflections # 24. To participate or view what others have posted for Weekend Reflections, please visit here.

Sugar Cane Flowers in the Sky

Many people do not know that sugar cane is a type of tropical grass. In Malaysia, sugar canes can be found growing wild in many places in the countryside. Looking up into the blue sky, I can see these sugar cane flowers swaying gently along with the breeze.

Do you think it looks like grass flowers?

For more Skywatch Friday Season 4 Episode 34 pictures and to participate, please visit the Skywatch site. Skywatch was created by Dot and put in motion by Tom, who made it a huge success. Now it is hosted by Klaus with the help of Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy, Louise and Slyvia.

Aerial View of Genting Highlands Outdoor Theme Park

This is the aerial view of the Outdoor Theme Park taken at First World Hotel, Genting Highlands.

Check out what others have posted for Thursday Photo Challenge, Theme: High or Low. Click here.

A Datuk Gong Wealth God Under The Tree

ABC Wednesday

G is for .....

God of Wealth !

This is quite a common sight in many places where there is a shady tree near a junction. The yellow building is actually a shrine meant for the 'Datuk Gong' deity, regarded by its devotees as the God of Wealth. Datuk Gong is a Sino-Malay spirit, also known as Na Tuk Kong (拿督公) in Chinese, or Datuk Keramat in Malay. Please click on links to read more.

There are also female versions of Datuk Gong, known as Datuk Nenek or Na-du-nai-nai (拿督奶奶). Nenek is the Malay word for “grandmother”. When praying to the Datuk Nenek, some of the devotees actually offered her cologne or gu-long-shui (古龙水) and make-up, reflecting the Chinese belief in afterlife and the humanistic nature of gods.

Datuk’ is a Malay word while ‘Gong’ (公) is a Chinese honorific title often used for gods and deities. He is often worshipped for wealth, peace and harmony. You may also find the Datuk Gong shrines at factories and offices where it is believed that praying to him deligently every morning and night ensures the smooth running of the business. Some Datuk Gong statues are dressed in songkok and sarong and the shrine is shaped like a typical kampung house with stairs leading up to the altar. The offerings include incense, fruits like the banana and pineapple, nasi kunyit (tumeric rice), curry chicken, cigars, ciggarettes, pinang and sireh. Devotees abstain from eating pork before prayers. Individuals who pray to him ask for lucky numbers to buy at the lottery draws such as Toto, Magnum 4-D and Big Sweep. They will also make vows which need to be fulfilled once their prayers are answered. Those who strike it rich will built a bigger temple for Datuk Gong. Communication with Datuk Gong can happen in 3 ways, i.e. (a) through spirit mediums, (b) premonition or (c) appear in a dream.

This practice is commonly found in Malaysia and Singapore.

Judging by the number Datuk Gong temples I see around here, I'm can conclude that either (a) there are many who have struck it rich or (b) they hope to hit the jackpot which is ever increasing and so tempting to the gamblers.

Today's post is an entry in ABC Wednesday Round 6, the meme initiated by Denise Nesbitt. For more information and photos, please log on to this site.

Love Tree at The Curve

During the recent Lunar New Year which falls on Valentine's Day on February 14th, 2010, many shopping centres put up festive decorations incorporating the two themes. Bamboo, peonies, pussy willows, tigers, teddy bears and heart-shaped items share the same location. There is even a "Love Tree" for shoppers to dedicate messages to their loved ones.

Among the Chinese in Malaysia, Cupid strikes 3 times this year:

1) Lunar New Year Day on 14 Feb 2010 is also Valentine's Day according to western tradition

2) Day 15th of Lunar New Year on 28th Feb 2010 is also known as Lantern Festival in China and Chap Goh Mei in Malaysia. In Malaysia, unmarried ones will throw oranges into the sea and lakes in the hope of finding Prince Charming. This is practised in the coastal towns of Penang, Port Klang and other cities like Ipoh, Klang (Esplanade), Petaling Jaya (Taman Jaya), Cheras (Taman Tasik Permaisuri) and Malacca.

3) Qixi Festival on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month on 16th August 2010 - According to the legend of Niulang and Qi Jie in (Cowherd and Weaving Girl), this is the day when Qi Jie, the weaving girl from Heaven is allowed to meet her lover, Niulang from Earth. Magpies would form a bridge across the Milky Way to make it possible for Qi Jie to meet her lover. The lovers were separated by Heavenly Mother (Qi Jie's mother) as a fairy from Heaven cannot marry a man from Earth. The day they meet is regarded as Lover's Day or Chinese Valentine's Day.

Read more about the festivals by clicking on the links provided in (2) and (3).

It was reported recently that despite all these festivals of romance and marriage, the Chinese in Malaysia are still slow in typing the knot. It is common for the Chinese to place financial stability before other things and this is also the same case among Chinese in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.


This is my entry for That's My World Tuesday. To view what others have in their world, please visit here.

KTAR Passageway

This is a view from the side entrance of Tunku Abdul Rahman College, my alma mater. It is often known as TARC or KTAR. The college is located at Jalan Genting Kelang, Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. It was established on 24 Feb 1969 and named after Malaysia's first Prime Minister, the late YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.

From here, you can see at least 2 passageways, one that leads to the tutorial blocks and reading room and another that leads to the basketball courts and football field. Students are under a lot of pressure to perform well at the examinations. They should also take time off to 'play', relax and have fun.

This college has churned out many succcessful students who went on to become great entrepreneurs, CEOs and statesmen. When I look at this photo, nothing much has change. It never fail to bring back fond memories of my happy student days as a Tarcian at Taman Bunga Raya. Like the group of youngsters here in the picture, I was also a student of TARC more than 20 years ago. To all the Tarcians who happen to see this post, I wish you "All the very best in your studies, don't let go of your dreams and may you be as successful as you want to be!"

Today is City Daily Photo theme day for March 2010. The theme is "Passageways".

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

This is the college logo built onto the railings of the fencing surrounding the perimeter of the college. The motto is "Quality and Affordable Education."

This is my entry for Monochrome Weekend Volume 2 Issue 27. My grateful thanks to Aileni for hosting this wonderful site. For other MM posts around the world, please click here