TRAVEL IDEAS: February 2011

TIME Magazine: Egyptian Youth

It's not often that I'm in agreement with TIME magazine's cover choices, but I am with this one. The photograph is of Egyptian activists in Cairo who made history, and is by Finlay MacKay, a Scottish photographer.

The uprisings in the Arab Middle East are defining moments for the youth of these countries...while some mistaken pundits in the West are still trying to define the uprisings as having Islamic (or even Islamist) connotations, these are the same old tired cliches we've heard over and over again since September 11, 2001.

These are the faces of Egypt...look at them carefully. These are its future.

Mawled El-Nabi or The Prophet's Birthday

Photo © Tauseef Mustafa/AFP -Al Rights Reserved

Mawled el-Nabi was celebrated in Muslim countries a few days ago, and it observes the birth of Prophet Muhammad, which occurs during the third month of the Islamic calendar. Islamic scholars are divided on whether observing the Prophet's birthday is necessary or even permissible in Islam. Some see it as a praiseworthy event, while others view it as an improper innovation and forbid its celebration.

It's observed and celebrated in most Muslim countries, and where there are large Muslim communities, with the notable exception of Saudi Arabia, where it is not an official public holiday. Saudi Arabia practices an austere form of Islam, in contrast to Kashmir where these photographs are from.

Kashmiri Muslims congregate at the Hazratbal Shrine in Srinagar where a relic, said to be a hair from the Prophet's beard, is displayed on the occasion of Mawled el-Nabi.

This reminds me that whilst in Diu (South Gujarat) on my In Search of the Sufis of Gujarat Photo Expedition™ a few weeks ago, I visited a Sufi dargah where a relic of Prophet Muhammad was kept in a receptacle, covered with a green "ghelaph", but under lock and key. I was told that it would be shown during the celebration of his birth.

For those who are interested in stuff like that, Diu (it being an ex-Portuguese enclave) is the only place in Gujarat where alcohol is sold openly. And the elderly Muslim man who courteously showed me the wall receptacle where the relic was kept, spoke fluent Portuguese, having emigrated from Mozambique many decades ago.

Ban Heong Seng Restaurant at Johor Bahru

Ban Heong Seng (万香城) Restaurant (N1 29.018 E103 43.282) is located at Jalan Tahar, Johor Bahru. Which is opposite the Danga Bay and beside the Singgah Selalu Food Court of Johor Bahru.
This restaurant is special with their Beggar Chicken or Duck and you cannot just walk and dine in, you have to pre book the place and your dishes at least 1 days in advance. Because they're operate in the old single storey bunglow house, and they only have about 4-5 tables...

Ban Heong Seng Restaurant

We did our order for the foods for our Saturday dinner. Once all of us there, the dishes continuously served on our table...

The Signature Dish : Beggar Duck (we tried the duck instead of chicken)

Beggar Duck of Ban Heong Seng Restaurant

Follow by the Deep Fried Boneless Fish...
Actually they made the fish became the fish cake and put it back nicely. So it was boneless!

Deep Fried Boneless Fish

Forgot the name of the soup above, some kind of melon soup...

Vegetables

Signature Dish - Bean Curd (Taofu)

It was a Nice dinner! The Beggar Duck was Delicious! The Fish was special and nice! The Melon Soup was just right for the taste, vegetables was average and the Bean Curd was Crunchy & Yummy!
Overall, I like the Herbal taste of the Beggar Duck very much!

Beside that, we were having our dinner peacefully in the restaurant even it was a residential because we were the Only table that moment and others were left...

Some of the dishes were cooked for 8 hours and that's one of the reason we need to order in advance.

The Damage : MYR140.00 for 5 adults and 2 children included drinks. Reasonable isn't it?!

Rated : 4.7/5
We will be back again!

Strongly recommended if you want to taste the Beggar Chicken or Duck.

Ban Heong Seng Restaurant

34-B, Jalan Skudai, Batu 3 1/4,Off Jalan Tahar,

Johor Bahru.

Tel : +607-2375194 / +6016-7571887

Location map of Ban Heong Seng Restaurant at Johor Bahru

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POYi: Adrees Latif: First Place Freelance

Photo © Adrees Latif/Reuters

I'm gratified that one of the photographs that I deemed to be outstanding last November , has just won its photographer first place in the 2011 POYi's Freelance category.

Adrees Latif, a Pakistani photographer with Reuters, has been awarded Photographer of the Year Freelance/Agency with his excellent photograph made during relief supplies being delivered to flooded villages in the Muzaffargarh district of Punjab in Pakistan.

I'm also really "chuffed" that the work of non-Western photojournalists/photographers are recognized in such a manner. Recognition has been long in coming for such professionals, but it's here now, and it was about time. As I've suggested in a previous blog post, I am still disappointed at the absence (or paucity) of imagery by local indigenous photographers being featured by the international press in the events such as the Egyptian uprising, the Tunisian revolt and the ongoing events in Bahrain. This has to change.

And while I'm am chagrined that photojournalists are blogging about being roughed up by thugs in Cairo and elsewhere, I'd remind them that it's not about them...so get a grip, fellas...and stop moaning about how you lost some hard drives, how someone stole your satellite phone or whether you had a black eye...you were in a "war" zone, where people were/are making history. Your images may too.

Sulawesi Surprise! : Goodbye, Makassar!

Perhaps, the antics of the local people at Losari Beach might amuse you, perhaps not. Find delights in the small time peddlars there then and even if there is nothing interesting for you to buy home, it would perhaps give you a glimpse of the life of the local people. Perhaps too, you'd just want a breath of fresh air and to wait for the sunset. Look into the horizon and you'd get to see the world's third largest indoor theme park, Trans Studio which is located on the main road of Metro Tanjung Bunga Street, Makassar. Goodbye, Makassar!

You'd be amused with the antics of the locals in Makassar!

Traveling Tip: Take notice of the peddlers!

Sulawesi Surprise! has ended!

Coming up next: Beautiful Bali

In Focus Does Lantern Festival

The new photo blog In Focus by Alan Taylor for The Atlantic featured about 33 photographs of the festivities on the occasion of the Lunar New Year. The Lantern Festival (known as Yuan Xiao Jie) was observed yesterday in China and wherever there are Chinese communities. It's the last day of the Chinese Lunar New Year festivities.

The blurb accompanying the photographs informs us that it's the most important annual celebration in China, and welcomes the Year of the Rabbit...which is a year of caution and calm.

Calm and caution? I guess the Arab nations revolting for their freedom are unconcerned with the Year of the Rabbit!!

I sense In Focus will soon be one of the favored destinations for those of us who appreciate photojournalism at its best...especially as I just noticed that it offers two choices for its image size: 1024 or 1280 pixels! Nice touch...very nice touch!

Global Post: Ali Sanderson's Mekong River

Global Post periodically publishes a photo feature called Full Frame, which showcases some interesting work by emerging photographers. This one is on the Mekong River and is by Ali Sanderson, an Australian photographer from Australia who was based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She worked on productions with leading broadcasters such as National Geographic TV and Radio Free Asia.

In Phnom Penh, Ali, with three other Australian filmmakers, formed a film production company focusing on documentary films dealing with environmental and human rights issues. This led to projects commissioned by Radio Free Asia.

The Mekong is the 10th-longest river in the world, and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,909 km (3,050 mi) and runs from the Tibetan Plateau through China's Yunnan province, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

POV: The Part I Like In Travel Photography

The part I like a lot during my photo-expeditions/workshops is when I revisit an area or a village, and bring prints of the photographs I had previously made there. More often than not, the people remember me either before or after I hand out their photographs. It's a small way to give back to the community, and demonstrates to those who were willing (or unaware) subjects that I keep my promises when I tell them I'd be back with their portraits.

In Ahmedabad, I returned to the area of Ahmed Shah's mosque and his shrine, and found the keeper of the tombs as well as the woman who makes and sells paper flowers. They were thrilled with their photographs. It didn't stop one of them to cheekily but smilingly ask me for "baksheesh" but I laughed it off.

In a tribal village close to Bhuj, I was very popular with a group of women and children as I handed out their pictures, and one woman was extremely proud to show off a picture of her in all her finery.

It takes a little effort to find, edit and print these pictures before each trip, but it's well worth it. It goes a long way to gain the trust of the people I photograph and will photograph anew. There were some areas I didn't revisit this time, but I still carried some prints of those I had photographed, which I gave to either hotel keepers, fixers or locals I know will eventually pass them on to the rightful people.

Sharon Johnson-Tennant On Lenscratch

Sharon Johnson-Tennant also joined my Tribes of South Rajasthan & Kutch Photo~Expedition™ last year, and has just been featured by the LENSCRATCH photography blog, amongst others.

LENSCRATCH writes that Sharon discovered photography during her career as New York fashion designer, where visual inspirations came from exploring color, texture, and from through her travels around the world. This echoes what I wrote about Sharon's style in my blog post:

"Sharon's professional background in textile design and international fashion influences her photographic acuity to the point that during our trip, I frequently wondered at what she was photographing so intently in an isolated spot. Now I know what she saw and what I didn't. "

A photographer who can easily cross over from art to photojournalism to travel and back again is a photographer to watch.

Terri Gold: Tribal India & Kham Exhibition

Terri Gold joined my Tribes of South Rajasthan & Kutch Photo~Expedition™ last year, and will be showcasing a series of her photographs from tribal India and Kham that are painted with encaustic wax and oils. This is an intricate and creative process, which Terri describes here on her blog.

Terri is an award-winning photographer and artist based in New York City, and built an impressive reputation for her rituals, rites of passage, festivals, celebrations and portraits from all over the world.

The exhibition is at Keyes Art, 551 West 21st (4th floor), New York, from February 17th to March 8th.

It's well worth attending this exhibition to appreciate Terri's artistry, and her ability to capture the very essence of tribal India and Kham on such a creative medium...so mark your calendars!!!

And here's an insight into the installation process.

POV: Missed Opportunity?

Photo © MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images (Via denverpost.com)

As readers of this blog know, my In Search of Sufis of Gujarat Photo-Expedition coincided almost perfectly with the revolution in Egypt, and I was torn between my commitment to its participants to continue leading it as if nothing was happening in my homeland...and flying off to Cairo and cover the events as best I could.

I stayed on. It was a difficult decision and certainly a missed opportunity to get involved in Egypt's historic moments, but I had a commitment to the group of photographers who chose to accompany me on this trip.

Had I sensed that I needed to be there because of dangerous turn of events, I would have taken leave of my group, and I know they would have understood and supported my decision to be in Cairo instead. But that did not happen and all was safe. Was it a missed opportunity for me to cover the events at Tahrir Square? Of course. But it was not meant to be. Had I not have a commitment to fulfill, I'd have been amongst the first to be there.

I was asked by a number of well-wishers, friends and acquaintances whether I'd return to Egypt and take part in the restructuring that is bound to happen. As much as I'm flattered by the thought, I've been away from Egypt for too long...it's up to the younger generation to remodel their country in the shape and form they want it to be....and I know they will eventually succeed. Once freedom is tasted, there's no turning back.

Perhaps it won't be an Utopian democracy...there'll be disappointments...it'll be imperfect...but it'll be theirs, and they deserve it after 60 years of deprivation, humiliation, and inequality.

In Focus: The Atlantic's New Photo Blog

Another great addition to the stable of newspaper/magazine photo blogs is The Atlantic's In Focus whose editor is Alan Taylor (previously with Boston Globe's The Big Picture).

It recently featured the photographs which won recognition at the World Press Photo Contest 2011. The top honor went to Jodie Bieber for her image of Bibi Aisha, a disfigured Afghan woman, taken for Time magazine. However it being shown on the magazine's cover spoiled its impact insofar as I'm concerned...it was a blatant use of photography as propaganda since it was accompanied by the title of ‘What Happens If We Leave Afghanistan’. A hypocritical and cynical misuse of Aisha's misfortune. And by the way, her name is not Aisha Bibi...Bibi is just a title of respect given to South Asian women.

Don't get me wrong...it's a powerful image which highlights the plight of tribal women in Afghanistan and deserves recognition for doing so. What spoiled it for me was its appearance on the magazine pushing a political agenda.

Having said that, my top favorite of the lot is by Kashmiri photographer Altaf Qadri of a funeral in Pattan, Kashmir. It was awarded the 1st prize in the the People in the News singles category at the 2011 World Press Photo awards. To me, this powerful photograph is what photojournalism is all about.

The photograph shows the sister of Feroz Ahmad (who was killed by Indian forces) wailing in grief as she clings to the platform carrying the body of her brother during his funeral in Pattan, some 35 kilometers (22 miles) north of Srinagar, India.

Jain Nuns At Palitana

One the highlights of the In Search of the Sufis of Gujarat Photo Expedition™ was the Jain temples of Palitana. As my intent for this photo expedition was to explore and document existent syncretism (defined the attempt to reconcile contrary beliefs, by melding practices of various religious traditions) in Gujarat, Palitana proved itself an interesting stop on the itinerary.

Near the town of Paltina, there's a cluster of 1,500 Jain temples packed densely together on the hillside overlooking the town. These date back to the 11th and 12th centuries, and are the focus of Jains' pilgrimage or tirtha. From the foot of the hill to the top there are about 3,800 stone steps, and it is these steps that Jains have to climb to reach the main temple on top of the hill.

Dismissing the help of porters and their "doli", a sort of palanquin from which passengers are suspended, and that would have terrified me anyway, I walked the 3800 steps up and down. I must say it wasn't that much of effort, but many Jain nuns I encountered along the way do it a multiple times a day, on empty stomachs...no food nor water! That would be tough.

The story behind the above photograph is that the Jain nun on the right had earlier stepped on thorns, and had been in pain while her companions tried to pull them out. I stopped and gave them water to soften the skin to make it easier. Seeing her in pain, I tapped her on the shoulder shoulder meaning to comfort her, whereupon she recoiled in alarm. I had forgotten that touching a Jain monk or nun was prohibited as it defiles them. I felt terrible as I had added to her troubles...however I saw her later at the top temple, and she smiled and thanked me.

So I hope I was forgiven.

Incense At Mira Datar Dargah

I don't normally post my work so quickly, but having woken up early to follow the latest on Egypt's revolution on the BBC and with some time on my hands before breakfast, I thought of adding this photograph.

It was made at the Sufi shrine of Mira Datar in northern Gujarat. Mira Datar is considered to be an important martyr in India's Sufi lore, and it's said that he was decapitated in a battle with a regional king of the Bhils....possibly during Sultan Ahmed Shah's reign in Ahmedabad.

His status as a martyr gave his shrine an immense importance to Muslims (Sufis or not) and Hindus, as well as Sikhs. A truly syncretic environment. Mira Datar is reputed to cure various maladies, and I saw many pilgrims clearly afflicted with neurological issues, with chains around their ankles and hands to prevent them from causing harm to themselves and others...and others convulsed in the paroxysms of trances, supplicating the Sufi saint for deliverance from whatever ailed them.

In the above photograph, one of the pilgrims/devotees inhales the special incense deeply into his lungs to purge the evil spirits from his body.

In due time, I shall produce a multimedia photo-film of my photographs and audio made at the Dargah of Mira Datar.

Egypt Is Free

Photo © Ed Ou For The New York Times

Egypt Is Free! is the headline in the Indian newspapers here in Ahmedabad...and what a welcome sight it is after two weeks of non stop traveling in Gujarat on the In Search of Sufis Photo~Expedition. Infrequent internet connections, and non existent English news channels on hotels' television meant that detailed news of the historic events in Cairo were sparse.

It's with jubilation that I learned of Mubarak's resignation and the fall of his regime...but as importantly, I'm ecstatic the young Egyptians have more than regained their pride, and their place in history. As many have said, this is a historic and momentous event which will certainly portend freedom for the millions of the Arab youth in other countries. The hard work to establish a working democracy will start soon...and that also will be a test for the fortitude of these admirable Egyptians.

I've seen the phenomenal photo coverage in all the dailies; The New York Times, MSNBC, WSJ Photo Journal, The Big Picture and the rest of them...the excellent work by Ron Haviv, Michael Robinson Chavez, Ed Ou and many others.

However, I cannot help but wonder why haven't the photo editors of these newspapers/magazines also featured the work of Egyptian photojournalists who covered the events as well? Why not give a chance to these young photographers to show how they document their own revolution? They also need the exposure...and it's their revolution after all!!!

Soon Chiang Bak Kut Teh at Taman Maju Jaya, Johor Bahru.

Soon Chiang Bak Kut Teh (顺江肉骨茶) (N1 28.857 E103 46.015) is located along Jalan Maju of Taman Maju Jaya, Johor Bahru. This is one of the Klang's style Bak Kut Teh at Johor Bahru which is serve with dark herbal soup.

As usual, we ordered the Pork Ribs for everyone, Pork Belly, salted vege and bean curd to share...

Pork ribs - Soon Chiang Bak Kut Teh

Pork belly - (my favorite!)

Sated vege

Bean curd

We were satisfied with the meals over here! The Pork Ribs were tender and not too soft like those overcooked. The Pork Belly's pepper soup was just nice! Not too spicy. The salted vege and bean curd (side dish) were average.
We used to dine here those day but sometimes the quality is not consistent. We will be back again and hopefully the quality will be the same. :)

The Damage : MYR68.00 for 4 adults and 2 children included a pot of Chinese Tea.

Rated : 4.5/5

The shop will be crowded during weekend morning, do visit it early. They open for morning till afternoon.

Location map of Soon Chiang Bak Kut Teh at Johor Bahru

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Rabari Dancing "Girls" (or Gopis)

This is my first post since arriving in India on January 27 to lead my In Search of Sufis of Gujarat Photo-Expedition. As my internet connection is somewhat tenuous (even though we're staying at the sumptuous Imperial Palace in Rajkot), this post will be brief. The photo-expedition has progressed quite smoothly in the quest of Sufi centers in the southern part of the Gujarati peninsula. We were welcomed, and treated with the utmost courtesy by the guardians of the various shrines we visited; some were very popular with devotees whilst others were almost deserted...but more will be explained when I do my end of photo expedition verdict in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, the above photograph is of a small group of Rabari women whom we chanced on on the road to Junagadh. They belong to small sect of Rabari pastorals who believe they are descended from Krishna's dancing girls known as gopis. On their way to a temple (or mandir), they performed one of their dances for our lenses. I have many more of these, but I'm pressed for time so this will do for now.

We are on our way to the tribal lands of Gujarat, and we should be in Bhuj tomorrow for the start of the Kacchh section of the photo-expedition.

Wall Street On FIRE! @ Wall Street Restaurant & Bar

This party event was held on Nov 2010 at Wall Street Restaurant and Bar. This was also my first time witness the Bar Counter On Fire!

Before the party begin...everything was normal at the bar

I was there quite early that night, and I saw all the preparation of the party. The crowd was ok that time...around 8pm.

The Bartenders were busy preparing the Cocktail...

Mr Arab was preparing the performance of the night...

I'm really attracted by this big bowl of Ice with Full of cocktail test tubes! It was colourful!!

The bowl of Ice with test tube Cocktails...

Vincent Yang (Bartender from Shanghai) preparing the dry ice...

After all the preparation, the customers getting more and more...everyone was anxiously waiting for the Party! Once the clock hit 10pm, the party began! Wall Street On FIRE!

At First, Vincent lighted up one side of the Volcano! The other side was help by the other bartender...

Arab was controlling the Fire which burn through the Bar Counter...!

The Flame of the Volcano!

The Bar was burn up less than 3 second! That time, we Only see Fire on the Bar Counter and Arab & Vincent trying to play some fire tricks on the background!

After the first show, Vincent started the fireworks on THAT bowl of Cocktail! The atmosphere was brought to the highest at that moment! Everyone was excited and voices of congratulation - "Yeah" at every corner!

The bowl of Cocktail test tubes was lighted up with fireworks!

It was BEAUTIFUL!!

Once the fire over, the test tubes were given to all the customers in the bar F.O.C. Well, you can't drink it too fast, because they were Strong & Dangerous! Haha!

Even the fireworks was over from the bar counter, but the customers continue to light up the rest and play with it! WOW! That was really NICE! Everyone Like it very much!

The Bar was FULL of smoke just like we were all at Cameron Highlands! Haha!

Once the ventilation system started, the smoke was gone in second!

That night was actually A Farewell party for the Shanghai Famous Bartender - Mr Vincent Yang. He went back to Shanghai on the next day and I believe MANY women MISS him very much! Haha! Because he made the Perfect Cocktail for us and we miss him too!

Mr Vincent Yang from Shanghai, China

That was A FANTASTIC Party at Wall Street Restaurant & Bar at Taman Austin Perdana, Johor Bahru.

Related post :-
* Wall Street The Restaurant & Bar at Taman Austin Perdana, Johor Bahru