Tang Cheik - Winter Solstice Festival

Tang Cheik 

For every winter there is a spring,
And spring brings forth the warmth of summer,
When summer’s gone, autumn reigns supreme,
Until it falls again into winter.

Wishing Everyone a Happy and Wholesome Winter Solstice Festival!

A Glimpse of Beyond

Storm clouds hovered threateningly above Kundasang valley as evening waned into night. Rain drops had begun shooting down like pellets from the sky. As the wind picked up speed, I decided to pack my camera equipment and head back to the car.

It was at that moment that suddenly, part of the heavy clouds lifted; revealing a scene of glorious sunset and rolling white clouds beyond the mountain range in the west. This temporary break in the sky was indeed a gift, and I quickly recomposed the frame and took the final shot of the day.

In this photograph, the dilapidated shed in the foreground serves as a counterpoint for the heavenly revelation in the sky above. If you keep your ears peeled and listen carefully, you might even hear the conversation between the two elements of earth and heaven in this picture.

The mood is of hope.

HOPE in the midst of DESPAIR.

All'alba Vincerò

"All'alba Vincerò - At dawn, I shall be victorious!"

Nessun Dorma is the famous aria from Puccini's oriental opera Turandot - a love story between Prince Calaf (the Unknown Prince) and Princess Turandot, a vengeful princess who vows to execute any suitors who cannot answer her riddles.

In this opera, Prince Calaf manages to answer all of Turandot's three riddles and in turn, asks Turandot to answer one riddle of his own - "What is my name?".  If Turandot can find out his name by dawn, Calaf promises to go away, never to return again. If not, he will then claim the prize of answering her three riddles, and that is her hand in marriage.

Turandot immediately forbids anyone in China from sleeping that night, ordering them to find out the true identity of the Unknown Prince.

In this aria, Prince Calaf rejoices in his victory, and looks forward to dawn, as he is confident that no one in the realm knows who he is.

Nessun Dorma (Italian)

Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma!
Tu pure, o Principessa
Nella tua fredda stanza
Guardi le stelle che tremano
D'amore e di speranza!
Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me
Il nome mio nessun saprà!
No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò
Quando la luce splenderà!
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà
Il silenzio che ti fa mia!
ll nome suo nessun saprà
E noi dovrem, ahimè! Morir! Morir!
Dilegua, o notte! Tramontate, stelle!
Tramontate, stelle! All'alba vincerò!
Vincerò! Vincerò!

English Translation

None shall sleep,
None shall sleep!
Even you, oh Princess,
In your cold room,
Watch the stars,
That tremble with love
And with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me,
My name no one shall know,
No... no...
On your mouth, I will tell it,
When the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win!
I will win!
I will win!

Dream World

Sunrise comes very early in Sabah. At 5:30am the first orange glow lines the horizon, and by 6:30am, it is as bright as day. By waking up at 5:20am, I had to forgo my morning wake-up rituals, and rushed out from the chalet to photograph this grandiose moment. Getting to the spot was a mini adventure by itself, as I had to walk through a gravelled path, underneath gigantic water tanks and perched my camera at the edge of the structure.

The abandoned bench serves as an anchor to the composition and the softly illuminated tall grass along the fence, lead the eyes to the sunrise beyond. Dream World is the most suitable title for this photograph, as it portrays a dream-like scene and also, aptly, it is the name of this hill resort.

Dream World Resort, Kundasang, Sabah.