Posted by rfcheah | 10 Apr, 2007, 16:38
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Alonso's 2 Thumbs Up - Catch me if you can
| Denso's Lucy-Liu Look-alike |
My buddy Hiu got 2 Mall Area tickets at Ruby section for RM150 each on Saturday and off we went to F1 Sepang just before 2:30pm. The qualifying was already going on since 2pm and we managed to catch the actions of the 2nd half of the hour. We were happy to see Massa grabbed the pole position, trailed by Alonso, Raikkonen and Hamilton, and thought Ferrari will have a great Sunday. How wrong can we be!
F1 Sepang 2007 Photos (included some Miss F1 photos took place on 5th Apr at Berjaya Times Square):
http://travelgaia.com/gallery/F1_LR/
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Posted by rfcheah | 30 Mar, 2007, 16:48
The Sepang F1 Official Testing was originally scheduled from 27-29th Mar, but is extended for another day on 30th Mar due to rain on 29th. I didn't have plan to go as it is a working day (Friday) and there are loads of things need to get done in workplace. Hiu called me up in 10am and let me listen to the roars of the F1 cars - he was already there taking some shots. The temptation is too big and I don't want to miss the chance to take some F1 photos, as this year there might not be any cheap Mall Area tickets for the main event [6-8th Apr]. And the testing is free entrance to the Mall Area!
After lunch I zoomed back home to pick up my gears, went to Puchong to fetch a friend and off we go the the Sepang F1 track. Reaching ~2:45pm, it starts to rain a little, and only William BMW is running. The rain soon ceased and more cars coming out on the tracks. Renault seems in bad condition as one of their cars needs to be craned back to the pit, and Ferrari finally sent one car out of their garage after 4pm for a few laps, but it went thru the pit lane each and every time and bypassing the Mall Area straights, damn!
More photos of the event: http://travelgaia.com/gallery/Lightroom/
Related F1 Links:
Official F1 Website: http://www.formula1.com/
Sepang International Circuit Website: http://malaysiangp.com.my/
Posted by rfcheah | 7 Mar, 2007, 17:02
Arriving to Putrajaya just in time (8am) to catch the Floral Parade at the main boulevard. It was kind of rush as I was in Genting Highland previous night to attend the Boyz II Men's concert, and left Genting at 6am in order to arrive Putrajaya on time. The street was already packed with cars trying to turn in the the parking area next to the Mosque. I drove a bit further and parked at the Botanic Garden to skip the jam -- of course, I will have to walk ~15 minutes back to the main boulevard for the Parade.
This is probably the most crowded day ever in Putrajaya. It was reported in the next day's newspaper that over 100 thousand throng of people attended the Parade. I have doubts about the figure -- I don't know how do they come out with that count, but it was no doubt really crowded there. I stayed for over 2 hours taking photos inside the temporary fence, and was yelled at for a couple of times as all us photographers were blocking the view of the spectators. Well I am OK to be yelled at, this is not the first time anyway. And it certainly won't be the last 
.
I startd using the 400D kit lens (Canon 18-55mm II) but was quickly changed to the 'cheapest Canon L Lens': 70-200mm F4, as I would love to get more close-up and detail shots. The draw back, of course, was that I can't frame most of the parade's floral decorated vehicles fully in the photo.
There were about 18 parade vehicles and some of them are really nice. I particularly like the Penang State's and the Sabah ones. There are military band from different schools and bodies between the parade cars as well as groups of presenters wearing the traditional clothes of different ethnic groups.
All in all this is an event that I love to come take photographs every single time. I just wish the Tourism Department of Malaysia will organize this again in 2008!
Photo Album is here: http://travelgaia.com/gallery/Flora%20Parade (it is Flash thingy so it might take a while to load).
Posted by rfcheah | 7 Mar, 2007, 16:56
Took quite a few photos from this late Jan'2007 event at Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur. Participants were to complete a course of ~3km from Merdeka Square to the nearby Lake Garden and back, and the best decorated individual/team with flowers will win the event.
More photos here: http://travelgaia.com/gallery/Florathon2007/
Posted by rfcheah | 26 Feb, 2007, 17:03
Rushed to Titiwangsa Lake from home in order to snap some fireworks display at the Eye On Malaysia - tonight is the last night where the routine fireworks happen here. Arriving at the parking ~9:10pm, the Jet Ski show has started, just in time for me to setup the fragile tripod (it is not mine, I borrowed from Hiu) among the crowd. The crowd is not too overwhelming but certain more than normal nights to witness the last of the fireworks here. I wish I had come earlier to get a better viewpoint.
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Posted by rfcheah | 12 Feb, 2007, 17:11
Another photo outing with Hiu, this time the Stage 10 of the Le Tour de Langkawi (official site http://ltdl.com.my). This last stage of the LTDL, dubbed "Kuala Lumpur Criterium", is more like a winner's parade than anything else, as this is a flat 80km route circling the Kay-El Downtown.
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Hot Pursuit
| Wrong Way!
| The Leading 3
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More photos here: 2007-tour-de-langkawi-stage-10
Posted by rfcheah | 12 Feb, 2007, 17:09
Took some night shots of Eye On Malaysia the other day, failing miserably on all the firework shots. Still trying to figure out the optimum shutter speed and ISO combination, and need a tripod badly!
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ISO 800!
| 30s Long Exposure
| What can I say? My skills have much more room to improve!!
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And few more photos here: eye_on_malaysia
Posted by rfcheah | 3 Feb, 2007, 17:13
It was very crowded, as expected during each year's Thaipusam, but this year it was reported over 1.5M people turned up at Batu Caves during the few days of Thaipusam celebration. I don't know which genius comes out with this figure, but while I was there at 1st Feb noon time, the crowd was overwhelming especially at the 272 staircase steps leading to the Caves' entrance. I didn't plan to go up there this time, as it will be easily taking a few hours. It was physically challenged to stuck in between the crowd to track up the steps under the blazing sun rays, let alone those of whom bearing the heavy Kavadis. This is really a mind-over-body feast for the devotees - Salute Salute!
Few more photos here: thaipusam_2007
