Am working towards moving my lazy ass to create more this year.
This is a snap photo of my first write-up as a writer contributor to a column in Life & Times of our local newspaper NST. And yes … the first time is always the sweetest.
Am putting here as my self-reference, I have the tendency to overcrowd my working table and losing all those paper clips by the end of the year. I need to kill that “I couldn’t be bothered attitude” … grrrr
Hopefully, this will be a good start to my writing experience. I’ll write and publish my own book one day. I dunno yet what type of book that I am gonna have … maybe it’ll be just a fancy coffee book that people would flip through and wonder about life.
Whatever it is … it is just feel good to have a dream, any dream would do … right? It keeps you moving.
Cheerios!
MM
ps – QS AR-Rahman 55: 29-30
“Sekalian makhluk yang ada di langit dan di bumi sentiasa berhajat dan memohon kepadaNya. Tiap-tiap masa Ia di dalam urusan (mencipta dan mentadbirkan makhluk-makhlukNya)!
Maka yang mana satu di antara nikmat-nikmat Tuhan kamu, yang kamu hendak dustakan?”
Took her photo at Bhaktapur, Nepal while I was on my morning walk along the alleys. This is my second visit to Nepal
2017.01.12 … time flies, it’s the 12th day of 2017 and I am still not over 2016 yet. Another new year ahhhh. Last year I opted a ‘no’ new year resolution for 2016, a year of exploring and wandering with no obligation to achieve anything, just following the flow and enjoying my moment. A care-free 2016 …
Papier Mache Doll of Nepal
2-sided Papier Mache Doll of Nepal
I aged another year … yeah! being a woman, aging sucks. I had a minor surgery last month just 2 days before my flight to Nepal. Being a stubborn woman I happily checked out from the hospital, pack my cameras and headed to the airport for my flight to Kathmandu.
Well … what could go wrong right? Except that … I am not young anymore and recovery takes time. Carrying 2 DSLRs on my back and walking around Kathmandu, Pokhara and Ghandruk felt like a chore. Hmm … lesson properly learned. But, I survived …
A steel bridge connecting villages separated by cliffs
I want to go the opposite direction for this year … and I’ll start with having new RESOLUTIONs for 2017.
But … I want realistic resolutions that would motivate me to be a better me. Not some unachievable resolutions that would at the end makes me felt incompetent with my own beloved self. So … I’ll have 3 new resolutions for 2017 then, just to keep it realistic and 1 old resolution that I always silently yearn for each year.
A family wefie in front of Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu
I want to adopt a ‘win’ attitude this year. Yeah … that kiasu attitude “this girl gotta win in anything that she decided to do”. I am just curious on how does it feel to be a winner for at least a year ha ha ha.
I want to create more in 2017. More quality writing, more quality photos, more quality videos, more time for quality reading, more time for quality sleep and more time for love.
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted ~ Aesop. A new friend at Pashupatinath temple, Kathmandu Observing life along the alleys at Ason Bazaar, KathmanduEnjoying my morning light on the street while observing life hereStaring eye to eye with strangers on the roadPlaying with afternoon light at one of the alleys at the market
I want more backpack trips either solo or with a small group of friends to most strange land and meet up with all kind of kindness along the way. It is gonna be my way or the highway ha ha ha <—evil laugh. And lastly, my same old silent resolution each year is to have more HIM time. HIM … the Creator of all these beautiful moments that I am immensely in love with. Bliss …
Ahh I am sleepy … maybe it is time for a short nap. Bye for now.
A lady sitting on the floor of a market in Bantul, Jogjakarta
I was in Jogjakarta, Indonesia for a few days in mid-November last month. Hanging out at Kota Gede with my local photographer friend, Romeography of Studio 76. We planned to wander aimlessly around the east part of Jogjakarta with our cameras.
It was already the beginning of monsoon season here in Southeast Asia … and I was pretty sure that the sky would be dull and the light would be challenging in Jogjakarta too, as the raining season is here to stay until at least towards the end of January next year
After a few failed attempts to hunt for sunrises and sunsets, we decided not to waste our time wandering around hunting for gorgeous landscape anymore… we were out on the street focusing on human interest instead.
Plaosan temple at sunset
We hang around markets mingling with locals selling all sorts of daily items. We snuck around a group of people selling roosters or cocks for the gamecocks or cockfights. Uh … scary sight of bleeding roosters fighting for its life.
Spontaneous gamecocks6-months old rooster was for sale at rp600,000Caged birds were for saleMbah Madio selling palm tree sugar at a market in Bantul, Jogjakarta
Wandering around with motorbike hunting for subjects and lights has its pros and cons. Other than the pain in the butt (from sitting on a small seat for too long), it was also the risk of getting wet from the rain.
But … it was the easiest way to move around from point A to point B without having to worry about the condition of our routes plus we can just park the bike anywhere we wish. Talking about convenience right …
The horses of Malioboro street were having their morning bath here at a river near Bantul, JogjakartaHunting for light at the nearby bridge in Bantul, JogjakartaFarmers along side of the road in Bantul, JogjakartaSpent a few hours here at Pak Sugiman’s workplace at Putat Village, Gunung Kidul, Jogjakarta
Well … the rain doesn’t stop me from achieving my primary goal for this trip lol … which was to have a stress free moment chasing the light. I had a great time … getting close and personal with my subjects, good food and good companion all the way … ahhh I couldn’t ask for more, alhamdullilah.
My closing sunset for this trip. A dramatic sunset due to the unpredictable weather
We are planning for more future trips to explore more of the landscape surrounding Jogjakarta … maybe after the monsoon season is over. Who knows … In Sha Allah
And …. life goes on and on … and I am learning throughout the journey. Learning to be grateful for each moment that Allah presented to me. Learning to see and accept people as who they are. Learning to love every soul that cross path my journey … and letting go the one that decided to venture out of my path. People changed … a heart changed.
“Oh Allah, please ease my path. Guide my iman. Guide my every single actions. Guide me to love for Your sake. Protect what is in my heart. What lies in the future, only You know. Verily, Allah is All-Knower, Most Merciful and Most Gracious.”
Me and my ‘A Hamar tribe of Ethiopia’ photo ~ photo credit to hana_mujahidah
There is always a first time to everything … and, this is my first time joining a photo exhibition.
It is an honor to be selected as one of Yaman Ibrahim & his Mutual Friends #Kolektif 1 photo contributor. Yaman Ibrahim is a very talented and famous photographer here in Malaysia. A simple, humble and down-to-earth artist that I find easy to work with. 28 photographers (from Malaysia and Brunei) exhibited 78 pieces of travel photograph around the world during the exhibition period. Do come and have a look at our photos on display at MaTIC Kuala Lumpur. Admission is free.
Detail information about the photography exhibition:
Event: Yaman Ibrahim & his Mutual Friends #Kolektif 1
Location: Matic Art Gallery, MaTIC Malaysia Tourist Center, Kuala Lumpur
Date: 3rd September 2015 to 30th September 2015
Honestly, I felt weird seeing my own photos on display and a bit awkward when people start to ask questions. Reason being … when I shoot my photos I was totally in my selfish mode. I love the moment and I wanted to capture and keep the moment to myself. I want to look at my photos and be reminded of the feelings that I had while capturing those moments. And this is totally new to me …well, there is always a first time to anything, right?
But, seeing it being printed and hang-up on the wall triggered an excitement in me. I want to have more and more of my photos printed out on beautiful papers for my personal keeping or maybe once a while I want to share it with public through photo art galleries. I want to be an artistic photographer … a fine-art photographer maybe. Hmm what a dream huh?
And, these are my photos exhibited during the photo exhibition.
A Hamar tribe family – Ethiopia, Africa
I choose my man – Ethiopia, 2013
Churches of Lalibella – Ethiopia, 2014
A believer at Chakpori Hill temple – Lhasa, Tibet
Under the gingko tree – Sensoji Temple, Tokyo
A home – Tanggula Mountain Pass, Tibet
I learned a lot from this experience and I need to reassess my photography direction … again and again. So much to learn, so little time.
Ok. I gotta go now. Need to pack my gears (and my crazy COURAGE) for my next adventure 😛 , a cross-country (xc) expedition via paramotor ride from Tok Bali, Kuala Besut, Terengganu to Batu Buruk beach, Kuala Terengganu. It is going to be a long ride … will update the outcome here for sure. Bye now ….
Cheers
MM
p/s Credit: The IG photo of me and my ‘A Hamar tribe of Ethiopia’ photo is from hana_mujahidah Instagram account
MATSUDA MASHIMARU 