Come Fly With Me

Its my 4th day in Melbourne, along with the weather, my cameras, 120 Aussies and a strong crave of seeing John Mayer live.

Life's been great. I mean life as a sum for the two years of college that contains big stories in itself, and which is partly the reason i am here in Melbourne.

Life's been more than great. Of the journey of decisions, of great experiences that was both enjoyable and fulfilling, of great wonders and miracles, of learning and relearning, and of growing to be a much better person. The struggle of seeking answers and results would be tormenting but gratefully, everything felt so right and rewarding at the end.

Well first of all i have to apologize to friends that finish college with me because its suppose to be times where we go to some faraway island reminiscing on the stupid stuff we did beside the camp fire and the cool sea breeze. Along with the nostalgic memories we had from being a high school graduate till slightly mature adults, we'll digest the sad feelings of separating from each other into different paths of life. That's sounds really good o yea. But instead, i ran here for a month and would be unable to do have a proper farewell holiday together. I'm sorry. I wish you guys all the best, and may you meet God one day cause He is a cool guy who provides only the best in life.

God is great. That's not a belief but a fact. But we tend to make it into something that one needs to believe, and often needs redundant evidence to prove the fact. Its like trying to prove that the law of gravity exist. haha. Well i have to admit i too have no idea how much life can be and how exciting and interesting it can reach when i first stepped into college. My college was really huge, one of the biggest in its kind. Who would thought that a tiny me that felt lost in his own regrets of choosing his course could experience and contain so much wonderful memories, happenings, experience and encounter when it all started with feelings of wrongs and lost as if i'm buried my future into the graveyard of a boring course.

I wanna say this, that we can try to find what feels right and want does not. We can try to experience different things in life that might satisfy us. We can try to figure which course can bring a fulfilling career and a great future. We can plan the type of future we desire it to be. We can try, really we can. But how many of us can succeed like that. Its crazy to have to try so hard and yet get nothing in guarantee. no?

Life's great for me, haven't felt anything as right as i am feeling right now :) I guess that's how it feels when your walking in the will of your life. Will means purpose, like a camera's purpose is to snap pictures? When it does snaps them, it feels right. But if the camera is used for decoration, won't "it" feel that something's wrong? That life is more than this?

I hope everyone finds their purpose in life. A camera won't know his purpose by himself neither does the owner know best just because he or she owns it. Only the Designer who create the camera can tell what are its individual features and lacks so that the camera can function at its full potential, condition and purpose. Let's go to our designer, the one that designed and created us, and find our purpose in life so that life would not suck but be filled with fulfillment, purpose and ever-lasting satisfaction :) does anyone don't want that? haha

My current month will be spent in Australia. Why? I don't know what term to use, vacation? getaway? after-college-trip? But what i do know is that this stay would benefit, a broader view probably, a more variety of perspective, better ability to change, i don't know. I think being away from a familiar environment for a while would definitely change a person. Maybe i would learn to appreciate what i've got used to, or learn of ways to improve and benefit what that have yet to be changed :) I can't wait to find out the maybe's!!!

I am currently in debt with lots of people, i owe them photos, nice one. haha. I was truly touched when people knew i was going to Melbourne and they asked me to snap photos FOR them. I don't know why or how to express that touchy feeling but it just got me moved and gave me greater motivation to truly experience Melbourne and bring those images and stories back to them. And true enough, it is those photos and stories that bring forth value than souvenirs, no?

Well to excite myself and people i am in debt with, here's a teaser. I've just got a new camera for my birthday :)

a nikon D100

my very first DSLR!!!

thanks to LJ and Chrysler, and also God! Been snapping photos with my canon which is not dslr but is still good. Will definitely not disappoint anyone of you :) Look forward to the photos and stories alright? :)

Kinabalu number two

After much patience shown for my late delivery of the second post on the Kinabalu trip (by my father :p)....

here's no.2 as we move along from the seaside sunset view location of Sutera Harbour to dinner!

KK (Kota Kinabalu) is one of the most famous places for fresh, scrumptious, cheap

seafood after Kuching.

I'm just kidding bout my hometown but back in KK, the seafood goes to the extreme in guaranteeing of freshness and quality that customers get to choose their seafood alive from rolls and rolls of aquariums line up to be hand-picked to serve on their dining table.

"sorry, i'm booked"

Well, dinner was real great. I got to eat most of everything because my folks are conscious about blood cholesterol. *grins. haha. It is definitely recommended that you go to "AsiaWorld" to enjoy the ambiance of having 4 huge restaurants combined under a roof with customers scrambling all over the place choosing their dish to be executed for dinner. (not advisable for the weak-hearted...i'm just kidding)

We packed the night at a nearby hotel. Hotel rates are very reasonable depending on what you prefer. With normal breakfast for two towels and an extra pillow. But of course, being in KK means nothing much if y0u don't ride on the hilly road up to the World Heritage of Mount Kinabalu. That, which is what we were heading to early the next morning.

Old town coffee shop, KK-style.

pumpkin buns, and they're yellow :D

It was a more or less 2 hours drive so we stopped here and there to take a breathe or loosen our muscles. The amazing thing was for every drive of 5 minutes, you see a church with its name printed in huge bold fonts on the signboard, all the way till the top. gosh there must be hundreds of churches along the road.

Revival!!!!

The journey up to the mount area was a blast in itself. I'm glad mum and dad finally entrusted the driving to me :P Apparently i'm better than they thought. haha. I wasn't sure whether an auto car was the best deal for climbing mountains but what i knew was, i enjoyed the driving :)

Oh, and there was something called *inserts signboard. Due to the appropriateness of showing the food which might offend some, it shall remind anonymous :P but heck it was surprisingly delicious!

It took extra long for us to reach the top because there were too many reasons for us to stop and look around.

flower :)

Mum going gaga... no actually i requested that.

There's an amazing skill that i've yet to learn from my dad...

He is so able in talking to strangers and sound as if they knew each other for years. I've grown up seeing him "demonstrating" his urge to talk to the next table or a middle age man sitting alone, and you have absolutely no idea how a stranger loves a good chat despite the ice or even total ignorance before coming into contact. Yea man, i want to be able to, its suppose to be in my genes. ish...

*i believe i can fly*

can u see the heart shape? :)

pouting***

like the tagline :

" Take nothing but photographs, Leave nothing but footprints" ^^

As known, Kinabalu has one of the most top-notch tourism services in its own individual taste. There were many resorts along the mountain each with its own distinct way of differentiating itself from another.

This is the Pine Resort, as of its name we would know what to expect.

Pine Trees!!!! =D

^ Yellow flowers ^

*coffee area*

mountain view straight out from one of the chalet.

Yep yep i would bring you here again mum..

nice! :) should be shooting wedding photos soon. jk

Flip Flop You Don't Stop

Catching the mountain in its fullest view is actually not as easy. For the full whole day, it was hiding itself amongst the clouds where dad would start telling stories about how long other photographers would wait just to catch the perfect photo.

and so we drove around to find the best view...

and we waited...

and wait....

HUA LA!!!! haha. Actually the photo does no justice to the mount. It was truly a view that one needs to take time to digest its bold majestic beauty. Now to use beauty would even 'feminise' its strong aura, although there were tales concerning the mountains that it was form from a maiden that was waiting for her husband for thousands of years.

A hill, is very different from a mountain. A hill, is a crest of uneven ground, where jack and jill rolled down. But a mountain, is a totally different geographic architecture. If any jack and jill where to roll down from a mountain, first of all it would take maybe days. Secondly, they would probably not be able to live for us to tell kids about their riddle :p

The location for the view was a resort maintained by the government. The location was really relaxing with a blend of euro garden with the authentic mountain environment.

Twilight

**teng teng!!**

*ss =.=*

True enough Mount Kinabalu attract many nature lovers as well as photographers. Most of them (through dad's voluntary conversation) were from West Malaysia. They claim coming to KK is a great choice because it doesn't require much hassle, just click a few buttons on airasia.com and the next thing you know you're in front of this mountain with your camera squeeze against your eyes while your fingers snap wildly on the shuttle :)

we stayed there till the sun started to set and the weather turned chilly. Gosh it was ironic when friends from KL called and complained bout the hot weather, ( which i do too) cause similar to Cameron's, Mount Kinabalu is as chilly as Forks in Twilight. haha, i know i'm lame :p

the view was magnified in its mystery as the cold weather sips into our every breathe

loves*

There's one thing that i notice about the place as well as the picture. It was nature in its purest form, without the interference or invading of civilization. very nice :)
It was amazing to sea the sun sets amongst the mountains while the sky gave way to God's preference of colors which was painted through the different heights of the uneven mountains.

And till then, that was how the second night in KK ended. Colorful, cold, breezy, satisfied :)

better view of Mount Kinabalu in the next post!

(sorry to be rushing through this post. Am actually in the airport trying to finish it before flying to Melbourne. I promise for a better post for the last one, God bless you guys :)hope you guys enjoy the photos.