All Roads Lead to Mount Fuji

All Roads Lead to Mount Fuji

As you walk against the traffic along Nagore Road in George Town, there is a painted signage on the side wall of the shop selling Fujiyama branded apparels. It actually looks like the symmetrical silhouette of Mount Fuji's peak covered in snow, as white spot lights illuminate the triangular roof line amidst the warm glow of other surrounding buildings.

Nagore Road has become a trendy place for the young who come for meals in the many restaurants and cafes that have sprouted in these renovated pre-war shophouses. The area exudes a relaxing ambience despite the street being located perpendicular in between the two main arterial roads in busy George Town.

This Japanese-themed scene was captured as I walked along the road after a cup of coffee at a nearby cafe.

Though Our Trees Are Evergreen

Evergreen

I have gone through every file in my old hard drive but unfortunately I could not find the "Poem of the Mid-Autumn Revolution" which I mentioned in the previous post. I begin to wonder whether I wrote it or not. Or did I just compose the two lines out of thin air and weave them into my memory cells?

Nevertheless, let's move on and savour the present moment.

The landscape above was one of the many pictures I took on Merdeka morning this year at the Penang Botanic Gardens. The chair was wet after the morning shower, and mists could still be seen in the background, muting the sunlight and creating a soft glow in the surrounding greeneries.

Indeed the trees in the tropics are always lush and green throughout the year. The lack of seasonal change can sometimes make the passage of time illusive. One moment we are still young, cherishing the fruits of youth, and the next moment, old age has set into our porous bones.

Though our trees are evergreen
Autumn falls like it's never been
When once vigour flowed through our veins
Now our bones are wrought in pain

With no milestones to mark the seasons
Time passes on in the guise of illusions
The crawl of decades flicked by in seconds
And fields of Elysium constantly beckons

Autumn Spirit

Autumn Spirit

"Though our trees are evergreen, 

Autumn falls like it's never been"

The two lines above are taken from the "Poem of the Mid-Autumn Revolution", a poem which I wrote back in the year 2008. It was the beginning of our country's long journey to change, which took about 10 years. And now we have a New Malaysia full of hope and aspirations.

Unfortunately, I have misplaced the the full text of the poem and unable to publish it today. I have a feeling that the collection of these delicately woven autumnal syntax is hibernating in between countless old megabytes in one of my old hard drives. I shall search and then publish it in another post.

The first line describes our tropical rainforest that are forever green and abundant - a symbol of prosperity. The second line, however, projects the reality of the political situation then, where leaders plundered the nation's resources, leaving scraps for the poor and down trodden, just like autumn leaves that fall to the ground, leaving the trees bare and empty.

I had always wanted to see and feel what autumn is like in other countries, and in 2017, I finally got the chance to visit Japan. The scenery above was taken in Nara, where deers roam free in the park. The leaves were in a cacophony of bright red, orange and yellow hues, and the cool breeze and fine drizzle, blended with scent of drying leaves, created an atmosphere of joy and contentment. 

Zzz 

This wonderful sight is totally the opposite of my portrayal of autumn in the poem above.

Let's celebrate the season of colours and hope, once again!

Silky Morning

Silky Morning

It was pouring again the night before, and although the sun was up a few hours ago, the fishing village below was all quiet. The small wooden boats moored idly in the bay and most fishermen rested for the day, as more thunderstorm was predicted later.

As the storm cloud dragged itself through the morning sky, the rays of the sun pierced through the edges, illuminating the bay with a soft golden glow and creating a silky sheen on the surface of the sky, sea and land. The air was crisp and the soft breeze still sprinkled the remaining drizzles of rain here and there.

This silky scene was captured from high ground above the bay in Tanjung Bungah. This is one of my favourite spots for landscape photography because the scenery there is always changing from day to day - from dramatic chaos on a stormy day to pure serenity the next day.

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

Last Sunday, I went for a walk at the heritage area of George Town and was surprised to see new mural art which weren't there before. This particular one is at the corner of an alleyway in Cannon Street. It features a cat looking out of a painted window. I included the mailbox in the foreground as it contains the word 'dragon' and a faded mural of the mystical creature on the wall beneath it.

Then it came to my mind that the only title that captures everything in this composition is "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

Why tiger? Because the cat belongs to the same family. Why dragon? The mail box and the partly hidden dragon.

Enjoy.