You don’t really need to think how to create a post to create a post. Do you get this? Well, here is a few things that I took with my Samsung D510 Phone and guessed what, it’s all the randomness of the pictures I had while I was in Tibet and also in different parts of China.

This trip was meant to be a budget in Tibet and China, but at times, I can’t resist trying to eat something familiar, and what a choice to eat. KFC in China. Don’t ask me what it says, I just chose the food right off the menu.

But but but… sometimes when there’s no place to eat fast food, we have what we call expensive train food, and it might look familiar, but the taste is totally different from the food we have back in Malaysia.

Food taken on a train on the way to Tibet.

Of course nothing beats drinking economically, and that’s Tsing Tao Beer from China for you. Cheap and definitely tax free. It’s cheaper than Coke and other soft drinks.

All this is so that we’ll get ready for our walk along the tricky path of Tibet, a place where you have seen me exploring but at times with a handy phone, you get to see pictures that aren’t appealing. It might not appeal but it sure is mysterious.

This is the pathway to our hotel actually. Now if this were in our streets, I bet that this is a perfect place to ambush.

Of course, if I had a video cam the next video would have been better. Darn. I need a video cam.

Now then after pondering and witnessing all the old photos from the Tibet trip, I find that my features are changing. Seems to look like someone. Who?

What is this? Dae Gil or Song Tae Ha? (Korean Drama people will understand this!)

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It was around March, where Daniel was one of those going to go for a food gathering with a bunch of bloggers at a location situated near Bandar Utama. This place is none other than Traffic D’light Cafe and invited by Feeq. It’s been quite some time since I did a food review as a previous plan was to open a new food blog with a newly acquired domain but, looks like food are here to stay.

Site note : This post will be picture hungry, so do click the read more if you want to view more photos of food. No compensation would be given for anyone suffering from Food Drooling Symptoms.

There are at least 30 bloggers there, and yes, there are many of them there and eating here and there. From here onwards, prepare for mouth watering dishes. Word of information, there will be pork dishes so it’s gonna be tasty.

Yup, the cafe is on the upper floor above Carrefour Express.

First the starters, 30 bloggers sharing few glasses of Jasmine Tea.

The Jamine Ice Tea is not too sweet, what a thirst quencher. Looks like beer though from this photo.

Next we had a combo of mixture of fruits in a drink. Now can you imagine how these 3 glasses can be tasted by 30 people? Separate glasses? Nope all from the same straw. LOL

My Turn! My Turn!

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It’s been 4 years or is it 5 years since I started my history of blogging. Time goes by, my blog starts to be more specific and title of blog posts are not so random. Though I would like to spoil that method by doing something different for this post. So let’s call this blog post Cute and Sweet. Why??? Read on. Or rather look on.

Just about 3 years ago, I got my first Nikon DSLR and this time I finally got a 2nd unit, thus having 2 DSLR (a Nikon D40 and Nikon D300). I usually bring both cameras for assignment purpose and events. Why Nikon? Is my preference, so don’t talk about any fanboyism of Canon, Sony to me. Okay, how about some points about Nikon first.

Nikon is the leet (slang for superb) because when you see it you’ll think of it.
Nikon is the leet because when you have it, it makes you wanna kiss it.
Nikon is the leet because you cannot stand how good it is till you wanna nibble it.

Finally Nikon is the leet because Daniel Chew says so ROARS~~~ and Yen approves it. =P

Anyway enough about Nikon.

Now let’s talk about my life as a photographer. Sometimes you don’t just need to be going around for events, to take superb and splendid photos. You don’t need a superb gear to take photos. You don’t need to waste time to take photos by setting up gear here and there (though it helps, of course if you have got like so much time to do it and you’re bothering no one), all it takes is just a simple mind. Photos might not be as professional but getting the right angle and framing your subject is very important. Thus says the “Book of God of Photography”, but in Weird Weird Denial, everything goes and this is where you can find the style you love most.

Grandmother story detected! ALERT! ALERT!

Hey hey hey… not that I want to talk a lot about photo taking but I see people start to use DSLR for excessive camwhoring and nonsensical photoshoot. Camwhore is okay but doing it too much really spoils it.

If only I got teeth as strong as diamond that I can bite them. *BITES*

Well, I must say. Now every Tom, Dick and Harry has a DSLR and when you were to go for an event, let’s say a fashion photoshoot, you will see them coming with their gears. I am not looking down on D40, D60 or Canon 1000D or any other entry level DSLR (they produce superb pictures at that price), but I am talking about those people who claimed that they can take nice photos, but using the Auto and Preset Modes on their DSLR.

Seriously I think it would be better to get something like the Canon G11 or the Lumix to take those shots. Same settings, pictures also will turn out nice. Though there’s an argument saying that

“But then DSLR can put flash oh???”
“Aiyoh, Canon G11 also can put flash unit!!!”

Some will argue easy for you to say, you can afford a Nikon D300 and pictures usually come out excellent (of course Aaron has a Nikon D700 Ahemz..) but let me mentioned something, Photography by default is an expensive hobby. What do you expect? Be contented with a Nikon D40 all through my life? Now with this argument done, those who argued about this again can’t be helped.

Now now now, but how about those people who can afford high end DSLRs but take photos which aren’t at all nice. One, either they are damn rich and can afford (I’ve got nothing to complain about this one, they have the cash, what can you say) or two, don’t bother saying anything about them.

Reason : Let them enjoy their photos, they usually can’t take criticism.

Conclusion : Whatever gear you have, do be happy for what you have. If you’re planning to go further into photography, expenditure is definitely a necessity. Most important is BE HAPPY.

Now let’s stop talking about camera, and talk about this writer, this blogger, this Weird One, DanielCtw. Yup, unlike most people I don’t know how to conjure up a smile for a photo. Unlike Yen above who is able to smile in front of camera, Daniel Chew only knows how to do what he does best.

He poses. Do refer this post here during the Nikonian Celebration and also other cool poses all around his other blog posts. (Self promote is a virtue).

Now why again is the post titled Cute and Sweet, when the topic is way out of it. Why?? Easy, cause most people here don’t bother reading all the lengthy words but instead look at pictures. HAHAHAHA!! So definitely is Cute and Sweet.

Aside from that, looks like Daniel will be skipping the Energizer Night Run 2010. Though he’s made up for it by posing with the Energizer Man himself.

Now finally don’t you think the picture is now sweet and cute? XD

First picture is sweet. 2nd picture is cute. Oppps. Signing off!

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This post was way backdated, but yes, I had the privilege to visit Penang Island again shortly before my Tibet trip. Yes, it’s way before my Tibet trip which was like half a year ago. Now how far back that was.

Ahhh… Penang reminds me when I am back at Malacca. All the old buildings, the unique buildings which you can hardly see in the now modern city of Kuala Lumpur. Not to mention a lot of history back then, which we get to visit now.

Some really old means of travel, the trishaw.

Up till now, I don’t think I’ve ever sat on a trishaw after I was 12 years old. Darn, that reminds me of my age. I am getting older. Nevertheless, the older one gets the more things one can do, eh wait, the more responsibility. Arghhhhhh!!!

Unlike previous trips to Penang  (Pulau Pinang), this time I got the liberty to go on a tour of historical buildings and places of interest as this time we’re being guided by our guide, Su Lyn and also we were to guide a German national (plays Volleyball) to tour around Malaysia’s Pearl of the Orient.

One of the places we get to visit is the Khoo Kongsi. Well, seemingly is like a house full of Khoo’s (people who come from the ancestry line of Khoo). Superbly big, and the Khoo Kongsi is the biggest Kongsi in the whole of Penang, the street you’re looking at is the Cannon street. The reason : A cannon was fired towards this street. Huh?? Yup, during the war.

But I thought Penang is a strategic location to defend the Island???

Take a look at Fort Conwallis. Once long time ago, it was the fort to guard the city from the attack from the ocean. Now only a few remains of the Fort is there. Guess it again, this time I did go in after many times trying to visit the place only to find that it’s close on Sunday.

The cannon is now rusty, but look Jonas (the German guy I was talking about) just had to pose alongside the cannon. I should have asked him to do a photo shoot. He’s tall, way way tall. When I say tall, it means…..

This TALL. I only reached his shoulder. If you’ve met me, you will know how tall this German Volleyball player is. (pssst.. he’s from Saxon, girls, too bad he’s taken)

Of course, a fort won’t be called a fort if there’s no defense area, and a place to produce gun powder for the cannon. We need gunpowder and so that one can POW POW POW.. KABABOOM!!!

As light was insufficient, this is the best I can do. Though one can just put sand and call it gunpowder, noooo.. it’s the real thing.

Being in Penang, it’s not only the places of interest. It’s the food too. Well, food can come another time as I am writing this when I haven’t had my dinner. So I ain’t gonna show some food pics. But of course, going to Penang, you just had to buy those biscuits from Him Heang. Where’s that? I ain’t sure cause there was a guide to bring me there.

Look at the obscene amount of queue just to buy BISCUITS. Serious!!!!!

After talking about food, I am so hungry I can SUCK A BALITONG. What’s that? Have a view from my previous Penang Trip.

Suck Suck Suck~~~ Even Jonas had a try. Seriously I ain’t a fan of this sea mussel but if a tourist from another country can do it, so should I.

One response : WOOOT~~~~ I wanna eat again!

Finally after all that, meet the gang and the place we bunked in.

From top: Charles (rockers)
From bottom left : Khong Wai, Weird One, Su Lyn

Purely traveling and having food and sightseeing. A different experience for me. Should do this more often as I am not Penang lang (penangite).

Finally ending with a photo of a food in Penang. Anyone can roughly guess what’s this?

HUNGRY~~~~~~~~~~~~

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There are times we look upon our past endeavors, relishing our old self and wonder what have we done for the past years. As we Journey on our life on Earth, we find ourselves thinking did we do good or did we finished what we all started? Sometimes questions like this goes into one’s mind and unknowingly, you don’t really know what to do.

Once awhile while listening to the sweet sounds of birds chirping in the air when you wake up early in the morning, you’ll wonder. Why is the day so beautiful? If only it could last longer and melodies of ones life is as sweet as a birds song.

For until it all, there are many things to think about, for we as humans are never satisfy with what we have and always wanted more. Some call it unwanted wants, while the most appropriate word would be greediness. It dawned upon me, that after going through life as a child, a kid, a teenager, a young adult, that as time goes by, responsibilities start pouring in no matter whether one likes it or not.

As a child, all we ever wanted was to play and get to meet our friends in school. Problem then was we all have to face our exams in school. Same goes to while we’re teenagers, undergoing puberty, learning to accept that the opposite sex that we once roughed together is seemingly different and attractive to the eye.

As time goes by, we go into college, universities, polytechnic to ensure we have a build up to our career. Sometimes regretting what we did during our studies, we don’t get to be what we wanted to be like our ambition back then. As time goes by, minds start to mature. People see things in a different way. There are still fun and games like how it used to be, but fun is now derived simply with a means for getting back our childhood memories.

Aside from just fun and games, people will start to think how to

- manage their finances
- the problems each family faces (when parents get old or did I earn enough to help finance the house)
- relationship (is she/he the one whom I am looking for, what if… )
- work (What will my future hold if I am still in this job? What will it be like if I am 30 and fresh graduates come out and the skill I am having now is just the same like them)
- future endeavors (can I get a nice home to stay with, will I be able to support my children, should I quit this job for the sake of my love ones). There are like it seem more things to think about as time goes by.

One can be wacky, one can do a lot of things and live to not regret it. While after all, we only have one life to live and so live your life to the fullest. Is not everyday we’re 16 or 21 or 50 or 80. It’s only a year once.

It’s to this point, sometimes simple thoughts are not just enough to constitute the magnitude of the complications of getting older. It scares me, the writer of this column too to know that I too am getting older as we see the years go by like a twinkling of an eye. For each passing day, things change, technology change. As technology changes, demands of better work quality are more as expectations are higher.

So think about it. If life could be simple, there won’t be so much heartache. It is as if there’s a way to sleep it all away. Though there’s no way we can put off technology in our life. Without technology there’s no Internet, there’s no way to communicate with other parts of the world instantly. Though with technology, gone are the ways of the old tradition. Snail mails are getting obsolete, live plays are not as enthusiastic as it used to be (people who do attend these plays expect more) and lots of new methodologies are incorporated.

For now, it feels like are you actually reading Weird Weird Denial which usually produces posts about his life, travel and photos. In case you’ve just arrived, do know that http://danielctw.com existed with writing posts such as this. Do refer to some of my thought provoking ones below.

I rest my case. If you would like to contact this blogger, do use the Contact Me section or email me at me[at]danielctw.com

Note : Pictures above are taken using the HTC Hero.

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