on the road foto-blog http://ontheroad.fotoblog.org.uk/ 7 rows en-gb 60 timor timur two http://ontheroad.fotoblog.org.uk/c1278315.html bun dia. and so i have returned to timor leste - once known as timor timur to the indonesians and timor lorosae in the local tetum language. this time, smiling faces and shining stars across the night sky greeted as the tiny nation went into the second round of elections or a presidential run-off. prime minister jose ramos-horta won. but in between the elections and the announcement, i managed to get around capital city dili and neighbouring liquica district to test out my new camera. and record moments and events as they came by. the most important thing is of course the smiles that have returned to brighten the city just as the stars do the same at night and the sun in the day. viva timor leste. adeus Sunday 13 May 2007: bun dia. and so i have returned to timor leste - once known as timor timur to the indonesians and timor lorosae in the local tetum language. this time, smiling faces and shining stars across the night sky greeted as the tiny nation went into the second round of elections or a presidential run-off. prime minister jose ramos-horta won. but in between the elections and the announcement, i managed to get around capital city dili and neighbouring liquica district to test out my new camera. and record moments and events as they came by. the most important thing is of course the smiles that have returned to brighten the city just as the stars do the same at night and the sun in the day. viva timor leste. adeus

bananas are a common sight in east timor one trying to get in while the duo try to get out pre-schoolers at play pre-schoolers run as the school bell rings the christo rei statue seen from a distance hill folks wait to vote a little boy waits while his parents vote two boys play with rubber bands as their parents vote voters queue patiently to vote a voter hangs her bag before voting a voter votes while another dips his finger in ink president xanana gusmao and son daniel papaya tree and a barely visible moon refugee children wave for the camera refugee children and a mother a fishmonger and his catch for sale one man tans while the rest take the shade soldiers on parade as a plane flies by stairway to heaven - the way to christo rei the christo rei statue that overlooks dili christo rei statue trees that frame the christo rei statue a fisherman and his catch two kids near a lone coconut tree pedestrians past a shop mari alkatiri and jose ramos-horta in their youth xanana gusmao and gang in their youth four boys pulling a boat ashore boys and their boat boys hard at work pulling the boat a brilliant sunset over dili the same sunset over dili goats go behind fish on sale in liquicia district fish on sale in liquicia district a salt lake in liquicia district a saltlake in liquicia district children arrange flowers for a roadside shelter a variety of produce on sale in liquicia district old portuguese gaol in liquicia district fruitvendors in dili hotel california - you can check in... fishermen in their boat near christo rei

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]]> Sun May 13 2007 playing in perth http://ontheroad.fotoblog.org.uk/c1139826.html finally ended up down under. after saying it for years, it took a wonderful woman to make me actually make my way down under to perth to meet up with friends and to enjoy a good holiday. so took two weeks from work and the hectic travelling that has marked this year and flew down to perth during its winter. it was nice and cold and the city and its environs a delight to the senses and balm to the mind and soul. i could have lived in perth forever. well, you never know... to that special lady who inspired me to go, to the wonderful johns who hosted me, to australia a great place to be - thank you! g'day mates! too! Friday 18 August 2006: finally ended up down under. after saying it for years, it took a wonderful woman to make me actually make my way down under to perth to meet up with friends and to enjoy a good holiday. so took two weeks from work and the hectic travelling that has marked this year and flew down to perth during its winter. it was nice and cold and the city and its environs a delight to the senses and balm to the mind and soul. i could have lived in perth forever. well, you never know... to that special lady who inspired me to go, to the wonderful johns who hosted me, to australia a great place to be - thank you! g'day mates! too!

the john's residence in perth a tram in perth the bra bar - no beers here! outside a bar in perth another bar in perth the perth town hall with a tower behind the perth town hall in the daytime various beers on tap a perth building the barre barre in perth downtown perth a theatre in perth the perth town hall in the night statues outside a building in the perth financial district the perth skyline a boat berthed in south perth another perth skyline with river in foreground perth skyline with more sky the perth skyline from across ther river the belltower in perth the perth skyline from land more of the belltower in perth traditional aboriginal instrument on sale here the fremantle flea market perambulating down fremantle the fremantle gaol seagulls in action in fremantle a curry shop in fremantle full moon in fremantle salvation army headquarters in perth

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]]> Fri Aug 18 2006 dallying in dili http://ontheroad.fotoblog.org.uk/c986111.html east timor. timor timur. timor leste. and finally in its own language, timor lorosae which means timor where the sun rises, or east and thus east timor. bundia, good day as they say in east timor. my trip turned into a dilly-dally of sorts as the violence between a group of sacked soldiers and the tiny army spilled over to the streets with gangs aligned to the rival factions clashing in dili. the net result was looting, buildings and other property torched and sectarian violence between the lorosae - people from where the sun rises, and loromonu - people from where the sun sets, or west. funny, always thought they were just timorese. during the course of work, am still here actually as i write this, found out the icons of this slice of paradise is not in the architecture - most have been razed to the ground anyway, but the people with their indefatigable spirit to soldier on in face of adversity. after 450 years of portuguese colonisation, add 24 years of indonesian rule and you get a mish-mash of sorts but still something uniquely timorese. for despite everything they have experienced, they can still flash a smile and it is as warm as the sunbeams that filter through the swaying palm trees of timor. so here is to the people of timor, especially the bombeiros de dili - the firemen, who were a tower of strength when there was none. adeus. goodbye. Friday 9 June 2006: east timor. timor timur. timor leste. and finally in its own language, timor lorosae which means timor where the sun rises, or east and thus east timor. bundia, good day as they say in east timor. my trip turned into a dilly-dally of sorts as the violence between a group of sacked soldiers and the tiny army spilled over to the streets with gangs aligned to the rival factions clashing in dili. the net result was looting, buildings and other property torched and sectarian violence between the lorosae - people from where the sun rises, and loromonu - people from where the sun sets, or west. funny, always thought they were just timorese. during the course of work, am still here actually as i write this, found out the icons of this slice of paradise is not in the architecture - most have been razed to the ground anyway, but the people with their indefatigable spirit to soldier on in face of adversity. after 450 years of portuguese colonisation, add 24 years of indonesian rule and you get a mish-mash of sorts but still something uniquely timorese. for despite everything they have experienced, they can still flash a smile and it is as warm as the sunbeams that filter through the swaying palm trees of timor. so here is to the people of timor, especially the bombeiros de dili - the firemen, who were a tower of strength when there was none. adeus. goodbye.

security signboard in radio television timor leste main gates the first of many torchings in dili residents dumping their property as they flee from violence a pig runs across a street where soldiers patrol refugees seeking shelter near airport the dili cathedral with a plume of black smoke billowing behind it a stained glass fresco in dili cathedral a solitary man stands in a row of empty pews in dili cathedral some kids cycling past a row of armoured personnel carriers one lone timorese dresses as a japanese samurai with others at a dili suburb 'boutbloodytime' painted on an australian armoured personnel carrier patrolling Dili suburb the palacio do governo - government headquarters the giant christo rei statue overlooking dili harbour, similar to the one in rio dejaneiro timorese carting away sacks of rice looted from a warehouse woman and daughter walk with their belongings past a soldier an old portuguese building in dili several kids swimming in dili harbour a man douses flames as colleagure zainal abdul halim snaps the photograph street peddler with vegetables hanging from his kandar stick some kids resting on rice sacks police in parade for gusmao's inspection president xanana gusmao speaking to timorese peddler with fruits hanging from his stick timorese nuns standing nex to soldier bombeiros de dili - the real heros of east timor timorese nuns comforting refugees some refugees seeking shelter at the salesian convent two kids resting against rice sacks a pair of boots left on an ambulance in Dili women power - youth with a t-shirt that bears the message meet fifty centavos - the timorese rapper/bodyguard four guards at president xanana gusmao's office four kids at the airport sunbeams rest easy on parishioners photographer using medium format camera in dili parishioners reading hymnbook parishioners in the shade outside church sweet smiling waitresses carmen and amuca in city cafe - renowned for its portuguese cuisine bombeiros in action australian soldiers patrol near a burning house a man piling up food aid for refugees anti-government protesters with east timor's flag an abandoned building being turned into a musem the sole traffic lights in dili che guevara is everywhere, even in east timor the palacio das cinzas - the palace of the ashes and gusmao's office bombeiros resting after the action the catholic church in balide girl yawning during mass wedding ceremony the brides and grooms at mass wedding

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]]> Fri Jun 9 2006 kathmandu, kathmandon't http://ontheroad.fotoblog.org.uk/c952710.html the himalayan adventure continued for the second time in 2006. off i went again as a general strike crippled the world's only hindu monarchy that is nepal. the people were on the warpath, along the chakrapath - the 27 kilometre road that skirted kathmandu city and where king gyanendra huddled in his narayanhity palace. the stench of teargas, the sting of rubber bullets and the smash of rocks against shields were my companions as the authorities tried to impose some sort of curfew to snuff the protests. in between the protests that rocked the nation, pun quite intended, managed to tour some of the squares with ancient architecture of pagoda temples dominating the skyline. the people are nice, the maze of alleys bustling with life despite the troubles and full of signboards and sights that raised more than a chuckle. all too soon it was time to leave but the good folks at the nepal tourism board threw in a helicopter ride to the everest region for the hardworking hacks that we were. and so on the last day of my latest stint, i was part of the crazy cohort that dashed our way to the himalayas, touching down under the mount everest base camp to land at tengboche, where a monastery dominated the immediate foreground as the mountains majestically provided the backdrop with the sunny sky. however, mount everest was shrouded in some clouds but the yaks came out. and after that, as the nepalese would say, from himalaya to malaya, i made the long crazy journey home, with memories, mementoes and a mission to one day trek my way back to the mountains. Monday 1 May 2006: the himalayan adventure continued for the second time in 2006. off i went again as a general strike crippled the world's only hindu monarchy that is nepal. the people were on the warpath, along the chakrapath - the 27 kilometre road that skirted kathmandu city and where king gyanendra huddled in his narayanhity palace. the stench of teargas, the sting of rubber bullets and the smash of rocks against shields were my companions as the authorities tried to impose some sort of curfew to snuff the protests. in between the protests that rocked the nation, pun quite intended, managed to tour some of the squares with ancient architecture of pagoda temples dominating the skyline. the people are nice, the maze of alleys bustling with life despite the troubles and full of signboards and sights that raised more than a chuckle. all too soon it was time to leave but the good folks at the nepal tourism board threw in a helicopter ride to the everest region for the hardworking hacks that we were. and so on the last day of my latest stint, i was part of the crazy cohort that dashed our way to the himalayas, touching down under the mount everest base camp to land at tengboche, where a monastery dominated the immediate foreground as the mountains majestically provided the backdrop with the sunny sky. however, mount everest was shrouded in some clouds but the yaks came out. and after that, as the nepalese would say, from himalaya to malaya, i made the long crazy journey home, with memories, mementoes and a mission to one day trek my way back to the mountains.

pagoda temples at pathan square more pagoda temples at pathan square nepal man waits outside ornate temple door at pathan square towers with statues people thronging temples at pathan square rooftop cafes are plenty in kathmandu worshippers wrap strings around a holy tree in kathmandu the army hospital with a memorial to fallen nepalese soldiers traders at vegetable market in kathmandu residents watch out from window balcony the shop repairs people 16th century pagoda temples at durbar square stone lions guard a temple in durbar square rickshaw with plastic shelter against rain women prepare to board rickshaw during rain where do you want to go today? monks seek a taxi in rain in kathmandu police detain protesters in thamel tourist sector, kathmandu the world's best clairvoyant was in town the peaceful quiet of curfew imposed around the narayanhity palace statue of nepal monarchy near palace riot police block a section of chakrapath during curfew a dog waits behind police line at the chakrapath policeman orders a man and his goat out of the city police string out razor wire to block protests protesters prepare to pelt stones at police just to reinforce the point about lawyers women at political rally in kathmandu thousands crowd ratnapark to celebrate reinstated parliament with message for politicians the traditional street way of roasting corn any name will do in nepal silhouette at helicopter porthole window on way to tengboche the majestic himalayan moutains the monastery at tengboche near mount everest himalayan range near tengboche monastery tengboche monastery arch frames the himalayan mountain range the turning wheels at tengboche monastery villagers at tengboche nonastery giant prayer wheel at tengboche monastery monk arranges branches at tengboche monastery monk arranges branches at tengboche monastery monk brings in firewood as he walks past prayer wheels monk turns inside tengboche monastery one of the tengboche monks tengboche villager the wild horse of tengboche a herd of yaks - basically shaggy-haired cattle, in tengboche the tengboche monastery shradha shrestha - the nepal tourism board beauty the traditional way of moving things in nepal

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]]> Mon May 1 2006 off-the-road nepal http://ontheroad.fotoblog.org.uk/c864743.html the road bifurcates, that's how a nepali will phrase it, between the popular tourist areas of kathmandu - and the sagarmatha park which includes mount everest - and the places that no tourists go, where maoists continue their revolt against the king. namaste or namashkar as the nepali greeting goes. the road bifurcates, between capital city kathmandu and elsewhere, where they would call it kathman don't. so i spent eight days in the world's only hindu kingdom, fleeting moments in kathmandu and longer time in western nepal to meet hilltribes and those who speak of the proletariat, reactionary forces and dialetics. but nepal is more than that. the people are absolutely friendly, the place is cool and capital city kathmandu is swinging - an indian city full of chindians is how i would describe it. from there, it was an hour's journey by air on an airline called buddha air to the western city of nepalgunj, which borders india. nepalgunj is in the area called the terai, the fertile plain and start of the great deccan plateau just below the tibetan plateau - the roof of the world. this is probably the parts of nepal that very few tourists would see. from nepalgunj, we made our way on road to dang, pronounced dung, before making the arduous trek to the maoist heartland. it took us hours to traverse a rocky road just 62 kilometres long on a three-litre four-wheel-drive tata sumo, to the dusty one-street tila town. along the road, and in smaller villages off the road, we met friendly, hard-working, always walking nepalis in the maoist heartland which is dotted by numerous arches and silver hammer and sickle logos airbrushed on red flags. it was an adventure with pictures just jumping out to grab one's attention. dhanybhad, thank you. Saturday 18 February 2006: the road bifurcates, that's how a nepali will phrase it, between the popular tourist areas of kathmandu - and the sagarmatha park which includes mount everest - and the places that no tourists go, where maoists continue their revolt against the king. namaste or namashkar as the nepali greeting goes. the road bifurcates, between capital city kathmandu and elsewhere, where they would call it kathman don't. so i spent eight days in the world's only hindu kingdom, fleeting moments in kathmandu and longer time in western nepal to meet hilltribes and those who speak of the proletariat, reactionary forces and dialetics. but nepal is more than that. the people are absolutely friendly, the place is cool and capital city kathmandu is swinging - an indian city full of chindians is how i would describe it. from there, it was an hour's journey by air on an airline called buddha air to the western city of nepalgunj, which borders india. nepalgunj is in the area called the terai, the fertile plain and start of the great deccan plateau just below the tibetan plateau - the roof of the world. this is probably the parts of nepal that very few tourists would see. from nepalgunj, we made our way on road to dang, pronounced dung, before making the arduous trek to the maoist heartland. it took us hours to traverse a rocky road just 62 kilometres long on a three-litre four-wheel-drive tata sumo, to the dusty one-street tila town. along the road, and in smaller villages off the road, we met friendly, hard-working, always walking nepalis in the maoist heartland which is dotted by numerous arches and silver hammer and sickle logos airbrushed on red flags. it was an adventure with pictures just jumping out to grab one's attention. dhanybhad, thank you.

a woman glances out of a window which is decorated with giant stuffed toys in kathmandu giant pots and pans outside a kathmandu shop a woman glances out of a building with carved decorations in kathmandu a mounted traffic policeman in kathmandu buddha the money changer a nepali woman bears her load on her head four nepali girls pose as one lone boy looks on nepali girls thread leaves into plates and bowls nepali children peer into the camera nepali women and their leaf plates nepali woman balancing a basket on her head the ubiquitous corner shop in dang nepali tribesmen thatching a roof a tribeswoman and her child coalminers use donkeys to transport coal the namaste tribeswoman and her child performing the namaste tribeswoman and her jewellery women coalminers unload coal from sacks near a coalmine women coalminers walk back to lug more coal our tata sumo forging through the narrow rocky road two tribeswomen walk behind our tata sumo on the spine of a hill nepali tribespeople looking at me old nepali woman walking past her home nepali boys looking at me old nepali man posing a nepali woman and her child old nepali woman and her basket in holleri a nepali child sleeps in the sun desmond boylan - reuters india chief photographer in a cafe in holleri nepali tribeswoman wearing a batik sarong a female maoist walks along the road maoists hold a bus to help them decorate an arch nepali tribeswomen sit outside a general store maoists on a bus roof decorating an arch in tila the maoists 10th anniversary poster nepali children in tila town old nepali tribeswoman smoking a cigar old nepali man and his grandchild old nepali man looks as his grandchild looks at him a boy pulls a recalcitrant horse in one-street tila town which is in maoist heartland the tila lodging house that was our home an armed maoist boy in tila villagers load a bus with goods underneath a maoist arch old nepali woman using her head to carry a basket on her back old nepali woman posing for a photograph more batik sarongs worn by nepali tribeswomen pretty nepali tribeswomen with headgear and batik nepali tribepeople along the road the range of nepali tribespeople in tila's general store

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]]> Sat Feb 18 2006 thailand tomyam tour http://ontheroad.fotoblog.org.uk/c718307.html gecek kelate, not gelek kelate, was the order of the first week in october 2005 when i covered thailand's restive southern provinces. oh yes, that means speaking in kelantanese - a malay dialect thats the dominant lingua franca among the malays in pattani, narathiwat and yala. so there i was in what i called it the thailand tomyam tour - the soup is just scrumptious - covering the violence and voices of the obssessed and the dispossessed. this is a dozen photographs captured there with the flowers for an absolutely smashing kelantanese beauty i know. and let me say this again, ambo gecek kelate! Saturday 8 October 2005: gecek kelate, not gelek kelate, was the order of the first week in october 2005 when i covered thailand's restive southern provinces. oh yes, that means speaking in kelantanese - a malay dialect thats the dominant lingua franca among the malays in pattani, narathiwat and yala. so there i was in what i called it the thailand tomyam tour - the soup is just scrumptious - covering the violence and voices of the obssessed and the dispossessed. this is a dozen photographs captured there with the flowers for an absolutely smashing kelantanese beauty i know. and let me say this again, ambo gecek kelate!

army bomb disposal squad expert being clad in protective gear photographers taking photos of a homemade bomb strapped with a cellphone as a detonator a homemade bomb with a cellphone strapped to it as a detonator flowers in a new village set aside for victims of the insurgency water flowers in a new village muslims walking to the historic krue se mosque for evening prayers an armed soldier escorts buddhist monks to collect alms novice monks clamber up a greasy pole to get prizes evening prayers at the central pattani mosque policemen inspect a police vehicle ambushed in a roadside attack young muslim missionaries walk to pattani thai prime minister thaksin shinawatra meets people in pattani

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]]> Sat Oct 8 2005 malaysia merdeka http://ontheroad.fotoblog.org.uk/c673325.html every august 31, malaysia celebrates its independence day or merdeka from its colonial masters in 1957. for the past decade, malaysia has been emphasising on flying the flag and singing the national anthem. this year, i went with good friend leslie lau to get a snapshot of history and a slice of life near the capital city. we took a train to the little town of sungei besi, now just an adjunct suburb in kuala lumpur known more for lending its name to the first international airport that is now a military airport in the city. but sungei besi is more than that. to our surprise, the streets in the town still use english names that used to be the standard names in colonial times. names like main street, cross street, market street and even a post office street. coincidentally, the main road to sungei besi town was simply and aptly named merdeka drive. selamat merdeka! Wednesday 31 August 2005: every august 31, malaysia celebrates its independence day or merdeka from its colonial masters in 1957. for the past decade, malaysia has been emphasising on flying the flag and singing the national anthem. this year, i went with good friend leslie lau to get a snapshot of history and a slice of life near the capital city. we took a train to the little town of sungei besi, now just an adjunct suburb in kuala lumpur known more for lending its name to the first international airport that is now a military airport in the city. but sungei besi is more than that. to our surprise, the streets in the town still use english names that used to be the standard names in colonial times. names like main street, cross street, market street and even a post office street. coincidentally, the main road to sungei besi town was simply and aptly named merdeka drive. selamat merdeka!

cross street - a t-junction in sungei besi main street sungei besi - almost every town in the world has one market street - definitely the busiest street in sungei besi merdeka drive sungei besi - merdeka means indepedence in malay the malaysian flag flutters above this food hawker who sells chicken rice and burgers a safety mirror reflects the train that goes to sungei besi post office street but i failed to find it

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]]> Wed Aug 31 2005