Traditional Malay Dance

These beautifully attired dancers who are from the Melaka Cultural Performing Troupe performed at the Wesak International Cultural Nite at Brickfields Buddhist Maha Vihara.

Aren't their costumes beautiful?

Beautiful Anthurium

A beautiful Anthurium from the garden of my neighbour, Susan.

Sky Watch Fri - Calm Sky & Ornate Temple in Genting Highlands

A serene scene greeted us at the Buddhist temple located half way up Genting Highlands. Look at the ornate patterns on the building of the temple! Isn't it breathtaking?

So peaceful and calm, with the cool, fresh air ~ what a great way to enjoy life on a Sunday morning!

This is a posting for the Sky Watch Friday's meme.
Before you leave, enjoy the music video by Chris Daughtry entitled What About Now. Watch the video and reflect on the words. Love the strong message that it carries! Hope you like it too. Wish you all a lovely weekend!

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What About Now - by Chris Daughtry
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Shadows fill an empty heart
As love is fading,
From all the things that we are
But are not saying.
Can we see beyond the scars
And make it to the dawn?

Change the colors of the sky.
And open up to
The ways you made me feel alive,
The ways I loved you.
For all the things that never died,
To make it through the night,
Love will find you.

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?
Baby, before it's too late,
What about now?

The sun is breaking in your eyes
To start a new day.
This broken heart can still survive
With a touch of your grace.
Shadows fade into the light.
I am by your side,
Where love will find you.

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love, it never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?
Baby, before it's too late,
What about now?

Now that we're here,
Now that we've come this far,
Just hold on.
There is nothing to fear,
For I am right beside you.
For all my life,
I am yours.

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?
Baby, before it's too late,
Baby, before it's too late,
Baby, before it's too late,
What about now?

Building with A Strong Message

This building is smacked along a busy street in the middle of bustling KL City. Coincidentally, my car was at the traffic light when the words 'Abolish ISA' on the yellow wall caught my attention.

ISA stands for Internal Security Act. Many human right activists, Malaysian Bar Council and opposition party members in Malaysia have been condemning this act and want our government to abolish it. This law allows indefinite detention without trial.

According to the most famous Malaysian blogger, Raja Petra Kamaruddin,

"Activists have long urged the government to abolish the act, calling it draconian and oppressive. At various times, opposition lawmakers, journalists and bloggers have been arrested under the law.

The government has defended the law as necessary to protect national security and ensure stability. Including the three latest arrests, activists estimate about 30 suspects are being held in a northern prison center without trial."

Many in Malaysia have been arrested under this Act as can be seen in the list shown on Wikipedia.

There is even a "Bloggers Against ISA" logo created for bloggers to post on their blogs if they support the urge to abolish ISA.

Here's the logo expressing my stand on this subject!

I hope our wish for ISA to be abolished will become a reality soon!

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Happy Duan Wu Festival to all Chinese in the world. Today is the day we eat rice dumplings and commemorate the death of an ancient Chinese poet named Qu Yuan who committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month. [Source: Wikipedia]

ABC Wednesday - 'S' is for Singhalese Dance

This is a Singhalese dance performed by dancers from Sri Lanka during the Wesak International Cultural Night in Brickfields Vihara.

Today's ABC Wednesday's theme is the letter 'S'. If you are keen to find out what others are posting, please visit its portal.

My World Tuesday - A Dying Profession

This man is making paper dolls for prayers in Taoism traditions. These paper dolls are usually burnt after prayers for deities or in funeral services.

This man told me that his own children are not keen to learn the art of this craft from him. He will have no one to pass on his skills. I find his craft requires lotsa detail work. Wonder if he would be keen to teach his art to school children. I think it would be fortunate for children to learn this craft from him. Check out his beautiful pieces of work.

This posting is my participation for My World Tuesday's meme. For more photo of lives around the world, check out the link to the portal!

Monochome Monday - Silhoutte of A Durian Tree Branches

A silhoutte of an old durian tree branches look very interesting. Look at the details on the branches. I took this photo during the Green Thumb workshop in Alokarama, Asahan Melaka.

Doesn't my posting today look similar to the logo of Monochrome Monday portal shown below?

For more monochrome photos, please visit Monochrome Weekly hosted by Aileni.

Paddy Field & Stormy Sky

This photo was taken at the paddy field during our recent trip to Sekinchan ~ a fishing town that is also known for its scenic paddy field.

A big storm was brewing in the background and the sky is turning dark. It was a big storm that hit us before we left Sekinchan. I love the green colour of the paddy field. We will be going back there in July to capture the golden colour of the field when the paddy is ripe for harvest!!

Wish you a happy Sunday!

Kitty Taking A Rest

An attempt to capture bokeh and successful animal shot during our recent photography outing in Brickfields. They say you must get the eyes of the animal to make the shot beautiful! Sigh! The cat doesn't even want to look at me, what more my lens!! But the bokeh worked!

Sky Watch Fri - Sunrise over Bandar Sunway

I have posted a similar scene in black and white recently in my posting called Sunday Morning. Here's a coloured one for Sky Watch Friday. Hope you like this scene of a sunrise over Bandar Sunway. Took this shot after my courageous climb up an unfinished ramp that is probably 40 feet high! Not for those who is fearful of height! But definitely a great place to photograph beautiful sunrise or sunset!

This is a posting for Sky Watch Friday. Check out more photos of skies from the portal! Wish you all a great weekend ahead!

Jalan Tun Sambathan

It's on Wesak eve and I had an outing with my community forum's photographers to photograph Brickfields Buddhist Vihara on Wesak eve. We were meeting up at the coffee shop next to KL Monorail station in Brickfields. While waiting for the traffics to turn green at Jalan Tun Sambathan, I quickly took out my camera to shoot the photos of people waiting for buses. As it was a Friday evening and rush hour has just started, there were many people waiting for buses there.

Brickfields is also known as the Little India of Kuala Lumpur. You can see the Tamil Nesan (an Indian newspaper) office with its signage written in Tamil and also English. You can also see the bus with an advertisement promoting a rather new radio station, Fly FM 95.8.

This is a very interesting place to go for photo outing!

ABC Wednesday - 'R' is for Roses

Photographed these beautiful pink roses in Sg. Buluh Nurseries recently. Hope you will like it.

Today's theme for ABC Wednesday is the letter 'R'. To view what the other participants have posted for today's theme, do visit the ABC Wednesday portal.

My World Tues - Children & Wishing Tree

Last Sunday my friends and I had a fulfilling moment helping out at the Young Buddhist Association Malaysia (YBAM) booth at the Shah Alam Buddhist Association in Bukit Rimah, Shah Alam. Our role was to get subscribers for YBAM's quarterly publication called Eastern Horizon.

Coincidentally our booth was just in front of the Wesak Wishing Tree. Thus, we also took the opportunity to encourage devotees to write their Wesak wishes on a card (in the form of a heart shape, similar to the leaves of a Bodhi Tree). When the Sunday School students finish class, our booth was surrounded by adorable children. I can't resist approaching them and encouraging them to write their wishes on those paper Bodhi leaves and hang them on the tree.

The children are naturally pure in thoughts. They wished for their parents to be happy, their sisters/brothers to be well, that they will grow tall and healthy and even that they will love their parents, and some older ones who are in Standard 6 (examination year) wish they would score 7As in their exam at the end of the year!

I had a really good time chatting with the children and hanging up their leaves for them! The children bring so much joy to me. And we even met some old friends. It was such a meaningful moment, well-spent!

This is a posting for My World Tuesday meme. More photos of lives around the world can be viewed at that portal. Do visit it!

Monochome Monday - Minaret of Federal Territory Mosque

We passed by the Federal Territory Mosque (Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan) in Jalan Duta this afternoon. As time permits, we decided to stop by to photograph it. Here's a black and white photo of the minaret to be shared with Monochrome Monday's team.

To view the world in black and white, why not visit the Monochrome Monday's portal? Enjoy the world in black and white!

Banana Flower - Close-Up

A close-up shot of a banana flower. Check out those busy ants.

Red Banana Flower

A beautiful banana flower that I saw near my friend, Judy's house. Her neighbour has planted many plants by the monsoon drain of his cul-de-sac house. There were ginger torch flowers, frangipani and many beautiful banana flowers too. This is one of the many that I photographed. Isn't it beautiful?

Sky Watch Fri - Sunrise in Alokarama

A beautiful sunrise peeking through the durian trees in Alokarama when we were there for the Green Thumb Workshop!

This is a posting for Sky Watch Friday. If you are keen to see more photos of skies around the world, click on its link.

Wesak Evening in Melaka

My family went to Seck Kia Eenh Temple in Melaka on Wesak evening. These are the scenes that we saw. It was a very spritual evening for devotees.

In the first photo, a chanting was held in front of the white bell-like structure, called stupa. In the stupa, is where the relics of Buddha is kept. After the chanting, a closing ceremony for this year's Wesak celebration was held. The crowd gathered at the flag posts to sing the Buddhist anthem, 'In Unity We Stand', Melaka state song, 'Melaka Maju Jaya' and lastly our national anthem, 'Negaraku'.

ABC Wednesday - 'Q' is for Queen of My Heart

'Q' is for Queen of My Heart ~ my dear Mom. This photo shows my mom posing with my little niece on Mother's Day.

For more postings of the theme 'Q', check out at the ABC Wednesday portal.

My World Tues - Offering of Lights

Offering of lights in the form of oil lamps to the Buddha is a common practice among Buddhist. This is a practice that is very similar to the Hindus offering of ghee lamp. The symbolic meaning of this offering is the lights would cast away the darkness and bring wisdom and brightness into one's life.

Thus, on Wesak Day many Buddhists will offer oil lamps or candles in temples. They will usually put a note with the name of the offerer on the oil lamp and a message may the person be well and happy.

The photos that I shared today shows volunteers in Brickfields Vihara helping to light up the oil lamps offered by devotees in conjunction with Wesak celebration. Aren't they beautiful?

Visit That's My World Tuesday portal for photos from around the world.

Sri Lanka Kandyan Drummer

A Kandyan drummer posing for photographers during Wesak eve at Brickfields Vihara. It is the same troupe that I met at Brickfields last Wesak that is performing this year. So happy to see those familiar faces again!

If any of you are in KL this Sat evening, do pop by at the Vihara for a Cultural Nite concert. There will be international performers from various countries. Be ready with your camera!

It's Monochrome Monday again! See the world in black and white on its portal!

Wesak Crowd at Brickfields Vihara

This is a scene of the crowd outside the Asoka Hall at Brickfields Vihara on Wesak eve.

Wesak Eve at Brickfields Vihara in KL

A few avid photographers from my residential community went out for a photography outing to KL's Brickfields Vihara. This is one of the photos that I took. I am still learning on how to take bokeh shots. So glad that this turns out satisfactory!

Happy Wesak and wish you all a blessed weekend!

Sky Watch Fri - Flags Flying High for Wesak

Tomorrow is Wesak Day and I would like to send my wishes in advance to you and family.

Buddhist flags are flying high at the Subang Jaya Buddhist Association, preparing for this special day that Buddhists around the world celebrates.

Wesak is a day to commemorate 3 important events, i.e. the birth, enlightenment and the passing away of the Buddha. On this day, Buddhists will usually go to temple to offer prayers and recall the teachings of the Buddha.

I am looking forward to going back to Melaka for a Wesak celebration with my family and also celebrating Mother's Day with my mom.

Wishing Buddhists around the world a Happy Wesak Day. May the teachings of the Buddha continue to guide and inspire you in your daily endeavours!

And a happy weekend to all!

Today's posting is also my participation for Sky Watch Friday. Visit the Sky Watch Friday portal for views of skies around the world!

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For a joyous occasion like this, I would like to share with all of you this classic song that was performed at the Central Railway Station in Antwerp, Belgium. A marvellous act! Enjoy!