The End?

The end, I guess, of another year! :D it's a few days more (weeks?) till the end of year 2012 - a great year, I believe, which taught me a lot, and changed me as a person. 

Usually I'd have posted stuff like this on the last week of December, else the last day, but I guess I couldn't this time - as I'll be participating in a Hainanese International Youth Winter Leadership camp from the 20th to the 29th December, in China! *cheers*

And no, I don't know how to prepare a Hainanese Chicken Rice meal.
#photo: Google

Let's see, where shall I start?

SCHOOL

= Successfully completing my duty as a class representative
Truth be told, I have never been a class monitor for my whole life - kindergarten, primary school and highschool. Never. Prefect - yes, Librarian - yes, but never a class representative. Why? Because I used to think that class representatives were the poor ones, always trodden upon by classmates, and always the one to blame whenever something in class goes wrong.

I quote again, something I have quoted last year,

- "Are you our classrep?"
- "No, why?"
- "Because you look like one."
- "Har har. Nooo way."

That was kinda how I got elected as SN12R's classrep. And did I regret it, after one-and-a-half-years of service?

Sometimes, hehe :P Not really. I mean, there were the occasional displeasure from time to time, of course - friends not replying SMS-questions, not cooperating etc, but overall? I enjoyed the time being in this class; be it as a class-rep or just a normal student.

Looking back at those photos, thinking back of all those happy, awesome moments we had together? No, I don't think I'll regret being in this class.

Also a first this year - I was elected as the President for the Class-Representatives Committee (CRC), a board that was just formed recently. Practically the jobscope was still small for now, as we're a new board with no funds, nothing. However, the post opened up a lot of possibilities for me, giving me a chance to interact with committee members from other societies, the runners of the SPUS office, and of course, my fellow juniors from the CRC.

= Taking two major exams in a year, and surviving to tell the tale

I took my Advanced Subsidiary examinations (AS) in May this year, and also my Advanced Level (A2) examinations just recently, around October. I can't say that I did perfect in those two exams, but I'm content with what I gave. Perhaps there're some parts where I could've did better, and parts where I've fell short of my own expectations, but as for now, I'm content.

= Gave impromptu speeches in two school events

Once (a very long time ago) an inferior person, I didn't really expect myself to be able to give impromptu speeches. I still vaguely remember the first time I walked into a Public Speaking audition in Form 3 last time. Heck, I looked at the topic I was supposed to talk about, and started hyperventilating right where I stood. That moment, I thought, public speaking ain't for me.

It soon came to my realisation that public speaking isn't about "showing off your English fluency" and stuff, no. Public speaking is general. It's the ability to express oneself in public, to make your point clearly to the audience. And that? I am proud to say that I have conquered my Form 3 fears, and spoke in a few events in school.

For the Teacher's Appreciation Day event, thanking the teachers on behalf of all students.
#photo: TARC

In the Bon Voyage Bash 2012, the farewell event for us seniors.
#photo: Through My Viewfinder

*****

ACHIEVEMENTS

= Crowned one of the Grand Winners for National Geographic-Canon's Young Photographer Awards

I've blogged about the entire process already, it's here, so I'll just sum it all up in a tight nutshell.

Practically the win gave me a chance to listen to my first ever attended Photography seminar, by famed National Geographic photographer Ira Block, and yes, we got the chance to go up close and took photos with him.

Ira and I, with my newly-gotten 600D :)

The full winner layout (SG and MY)!
#photo: Dhanisha Ganase

All in all, the experience was a great one, getting to know people like Ira Block, Jino Lee, Peiwen Loo, and not to forget, our photographer-in-disguise tourguide, Yoga Raharja. For more details, click here for the the full account of the Award+Trip :D

= Featured in a Digital Camera Magazine (April 2012 issue)

Alright, I'll be honest here - I have never, never in my life bought any digital photography magazines. Why? Because I don't think it's worth my money (I'm poor, *sob*). But nah, I never found the need to buy physical magazines when all you need can be hooked off from the Internet, eg Digital Photography School.

So the first time I bought a Digital Camera Malaysia Magazine from Kinokuniya, and decided joined one of its monthly challanges titled "City Life", fate surprised me by allowing my photo to be featured in the April 2012 issue of the magazine. It wasn't the first place, but I was content that my work gained some recognition, if any.

Tada!

= Embarked on a self-challenge photography project

Some of you might have noticed the album mentioned here, Beyond The Limits. It was a self-challenge started by my photography friend, Pei Khim and I - each of us would take turns alternatively to suggest a theme, and we have to try to produce a photo that complies with the theme. So far, our themes went as below:

1. Impression
2. Grand
3. Unedited
4. Wonder
5. Sepia
6. 20-Metres Challenge
7. 7-Minutes Mobile Phone Challenge

We've stopped for the time being to compensate for our A2 examinations and work, but the project will continue after we can find time out of our daily schedules :).

= Worked on my first actual freelance project

Embarrassing truth be told, I have never officially worked (whether part-time or full-time) in my life. I preferred the freelance path, having used to offering photography+Photoshop lessons in highschool, and also offering brochure and banner designs for clients.

This year, I started on a new project entirely - web design. I wasn't an exact professional at this, having gained some minor knowledge only by messing around with my blog's CSS and some HTML long ago, but that sufficient knowledge was, I believe, good enough for basic websites.

= Met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge upclose!

A handshake, or a photo?

Plenty of friends asked me why didn't I go for a handshake with the Duke and Duchess themselves, and why did I go for taking photos instead. Well, I figured that if I wanted a handshake, I might not get it - because thousands of other people are also there for the same thing, and the Duke and Duchess have only a pair of hands each!

That's why I went for the photos.

And, capturing Princess Kate's awesome smile there? I'm glad I took the photo.

*****

MISCELLANEOUS 

= Got my first DSLR

I have never ever expected to win the Natgeo-Canon YPA. That time I was still using my trusty Panasonic Lumix FZ-5, and was pondering which DSLR to buy - a Nikon D5100 or a Canon 550D. It was a blessing indeed, as fate guided me to win the coveted 600D that I currently use.

= Got my first own smartphone

A Galaxy Nexus, which I have decided to buy after getting my first pay for my freelance project. Am satisfied with the phone, and lovin' it :).

*****

SELF-DISCOVERY

- I have learnt to reach out more to people.

- I have learnt that your day isn't determined by the events in it - but your attitude towards the events.

- I have learnt who my true friends are.

- I have learnt to give more than to receive.

- I have learnt to give appreciation and compliments to people who deserves it. Whether it's a smile, a thank-you note, a hug, it cost nothing, yet gives much.

- I have learnt that there's no harm in helping people, and karma usually gives you tonnes in return.

- I have learnt that no one is busy in this world - it's mainly all about priorities.

- "The better you become, the better you attract."

- I have experienced the kesianness of photographers - who's apparently always in none of the photos taken in an event.

- I have learnt that enthusiasm changes how you view everything.

- I have learnt to never judge friends by how they act or talk. There's always a hidden, pleasant side of them they'll reveal if you're close enough.

- I have learnt the joy (?) of staying from 9am - 9pm in the library with friends and classmates.

- I have changed, hopefully, into a better person.

*****

Well, that's all. I think I kinda summed up my whole year 2012 in a compact nutshell. I may have missed out some parts and all - my memory ain't as good as before - so feel free to drop me a message etc, if you'd like to read more about any aspect / events in my year 2012!

A question to readers: How's your 2012 so far? Do post up comments, or better, blog about it! It's always good to exercise your writing-mind, and also your memory, by thinking back about all the stuff you did.

Will end this post, as usual, with a montage of my shots this year :)

For more of the photos shown below, do check out my Facebook profile! :D love ya!

*****

Signing off,

Ruiyou.

Heroes of Humanity

Simple yes-no question: Are there any heroes left amidst our society? Yes, there are. And no, I'm not talking about Cicak Man, or Keluang Man; nothing of that sort.

Hero /ˈhi(ə)rō/ (noun): A person, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities

A lot of people fit that quality, in my life. Well, for one, there's Dad, my personal superhero, who never fails to make things right.

Since I was a little boy, Dad never seemed to have a temper - the one bringing out the "rotan" (rattan cane) last time was always Mom; the one who gets even angrier when I somehow hid the rotan in a safe place, yes, Mom again. Dad preferred to leave the disciplinary maneuvers to Mom. There were exceptions, though, I remember getting a slap on the palm with the leather strap of his belt, for putting my toe waaaay out of line. I forgot why, though.

Dad is - as Mom always tells me, a living Buddha; he's patient, caring, benevolent, omniscient, multi-talented, but heh, yeah, unfortunately a tad stubborn (guess there's where I got my stubbornness, haha). Don't even get me started on Dad's talents and skills; in short, Dad's a banker, an accountant, a financial advisor, a plumber, an engineer, an inventor, a builder, a chef, and a great father.

Well-known among Chinese, Malays and Indians alike among work-and-non-working environments, I guess Dad influenced me with the 1Malaysian spirit years earlier than our government ever did. He was the one that planted the spirit of multiracialism in me, unlike the uniracial schools I have attended for eleven years.

One life-changing decision that my parents have made for me was by making English my first learnt language. They somehowwww experimented on me by starting me off with speaking English first, letting me watch English TV kid's shows (Sesame Street, Barney the Purple Dinosaur etc), etc. Inevitably, I started to develop a liking for everything Western. Western food, Western games, Western countries etc.

And yes, I was called a "banana" - a Malaysian term for an Anglophile; who's fond about anything English, or more specifically, British. My relatives called me that in gatherings, in family reunions, and they even called me an "Ang Mor Sai" - (hokkien) one who only speaks English.

The little Ruiyou was of course, distraught, as I didn't know what I did wrong - I was merely conversing in the only language I could at that time, eating the food that I liked. But the name-calling ensued nonetheless.

Only my closest family members were on my side that time; Dad was the one that told me to ignore their criticism, shrug off their name-calling, as they'll be the ones regretting in the future. Mom was the one that asked me to stay strong, to continue moving down this path with my chest held high. Thinking back now, the nineteen-year-old Ruiyou is very glad that I started off with English, and never gave up on it.

Dad's a visionary - instead of just looking at the big picture in front of him, he considers the aftereffects, the implications that whatever actions will make in the future. Long ago, before I was even born, Dad made the decision for Mom, formerly a Mathematics teacher, to be a full-time housewife and take care of the kids instead. It was manageable that time I guess, what with my sister being the only child, but as my brother and I came into this world? I didn't how they could manage that. The role of breadwinner had fully fell unto the shoulders of Dad. It was risky, but well worth the effort. Dad always believed that investments in family and love are more worth it than investments in wealth.

Which brings me to my next one - wealth and health.

"What's the point of trading your health to earn so much wealth, and after retiring, trading all your wealth back for health?"

Dad was the one that taught us to see the value in things, not the price. He was the one that taught us that its possible to produce something good using skills rather than tools, well, he was the main person who inspired me to break into the world of photography, using only a Point-and-Shoot camera, a "Sha Gua Xiang Ji" in Chinese, literally "Dumb Camera"; my dream was to take great photos only by using a cheap camera. Whether or not I achieved that dream? You be the judge :).

Neways! Dad just recently celebrated his 59th birthday on the 24th of October, and I had the chance to have dinner with him a day before, the 23rd.


A simple cake, a simple note, simple gestures to show a meaningful emotion. Love you dad :).

And! Today's the 13th of November - my nephew Weizhe's 1st birthday, and my parents' first year of being grandparents! :) look back at all your journeys together, that single decision made around thirty years ago, that brought you two today - that brought us 3 siblings into this world, whole and happy. Love you, parents!



Though you guys might not read this, or maybe next time you will, it doesn't matter. I promise you, Dad and Mom, that I will make you guys proud one day. One day.

And, Dad? You're forever my hero.

Signing off,
Ryo.

A Phototrail to Bali, Indonesia

"Passengers boarding AirAsia flight AK 1362 to Denpasar, the gate is now open."

I'm Ryo, just a common teen you'll find in a common college in Malaysia, with a passion for photography. Just recently though, I was crowned as one of the four Grand Winners from Malaysia for a competition - the National Geographic Channel Young Photographer Awards. The prizes? A Canon EOS 600D DSLR (with a 18-55mm kit lens), and a phototrail-cum-trip to Bali, Indonesia with Canon Singapore's resident photographer, Jino Lee.


This, is Jino.

The decision to accept the prize isn't an easy one - as the photo trail's date clashed with my upcoming Advanced Subsidiary examinations; particularly the Physics subject. And, as an official from Fox International Channels kindly informed me, I needed to be able to attend the photo trail for me to retain the prizes.

I had to face a hard choice - examinations, or a 600D and a trip to Bali? If I chose examinations, I would have to forfeit the competition's prizes - I would never get a DSLR until I start working, and I won't have the chance to attend the photo trail in Bali; If, on another hand, I chose the prizes, I would have to forfeit my Physics paper for this semester, which puts my academical future in potential jeopardy.

I admit, this was a hard choice to make - I initially made the decision of forfeiting the Grand Winner nomination, but I shed tears over it; tears that I wouldn't be able to make my parents proud after all; tears that I would have to postpone my first DSLR again; tears that I have failed in my own personal mission: to prove to the world that normal Point-and-Shoot digital camera users can indeed best DSLR camera users, to prove that it's not about the tools you use, but the skills you have.

Here's the log of my dilemma, along with the advice of some friends.

In the end, I chose to postpone my Physics subject, and go for the National Geographic prize instead. Looking back, I think it was the best decision I could've made in that situation :).

I wrote a letter to my school to apply for a withdrawal for the Physics paper, and Madam Looi - our Head of School, heard about it, and summoned me for a small talk. According to her, she's forwarded the news to our college principal, he's happy, and wants the news to be published in a school bulletin.

The article was published on the 1st of June, aaaand the link is here.

After confirming my position as one of the Grand Winners of the competition, I then proceeded to the prize-giving ceremony of the competition, which was held in Taylor's Lakeside Campus, on the 5th of May. The day was actually the same day for a photography seminar held by Ira Block, a famed National Geographic photographer - a person whose articles I have read countless times in National Geographic, and a person whom I truly respect. A sense of foreboding hit me, however, as I noted that the other three winners were all already using a DSLR; My petite Panasonic Lumix never did get out of its small pouch the entire ceremony.


Me, after getting the prize :)

Fast-forward to the day of the trip. 29th May 2012.

Day 1

I boarded a shuttle bus by myself from KL Sentral to LCCT Airport around 6.30 in the morning, reaching the airport around 8, where I then messaged the other 3 winners and all. Met up with all of them eventually and we proceeded to complete the check-in, baggage check and stuff - usual airport procedure. It was a first for me though, truth be told.



Reached Denpasar Airport at around 1.50pm, where we then met up with the Singaporeans.

There was Jino the photography instructor, Peiwen the organizer, Peiwen's mum, Alvin, Ian, Sebastian, and Ryan. From the Malaysian side - Ryo, Dhanisha, Asyraf and Hasanul.

After having a small meal, we proceeded to the hotel - Uma by Como, somewhere in Ubud, which was a kinda quiet place comparatively. The environment there was awesome. I guess I'll let photos tell the story for a while :).


Our room - shared by me, Alvin, and Ian.


Our bedroom :D


The bathtub on the right, and the shower room on the left.


Indus! The restaurant where we had our dinner on the first night.


The main course for our dinner.


Aaaand, just a random shot xD.

The dinner was awesome, the environment was awesome, and yeah, the people are pretty friendly, and it wasn't too long till we Malaysians and Singaporeans got to know each other, and chatted like there's no tomorrow.

Day 2


We woke up at 3am in the morning, had breakfast, and headed out at 4.15am, to our first destination - Lake Kintamani. The journey was further spiced up by the presence of heavy fog, which clouded the drivers' visions, and they had to stop while waiting for the mist to subside a bit.


A black-and-white overview of the entire scene, with a small wooden jetty at the left, and an array of boats on the right.


Black-and-white! :D





A wide-angle of the still-active volcano.

Later we went over to the traditional market in the village - man, the people there are superfriendly and warm :)


The cobbler in action!


Legumes! Mehhh :D


Curious little child :)


Guy with his cigarette!


The daughter of an ice-cream seller (I think)


Old guy with his antique sewing machine!


Tehee :B

We prowled the market for like 2 hours - skimming around for subjects, for interesting colours, patterns etc. One thing I've noticed; there's never an end to the emotion, the culture and the warmness that filled Bali. A heaven of cultures indeed.

We then headed to Tanah Lot in the evening - a must-go for travelers and photographers a like, it offers an awesome sea breeze, tonnes of souvenir shops, and a beautiful landscape.


Tanah lot, the main temple, in HDR :) sadly I don't have an ND filter for the silk-water effect.


The silhouette of the photographers, and plenty other tourists.


We shot this from a stall nearby, overlooking the temple!

Day 3

The third day started off with another early morning call, after which we headed to Kumsamba, for the salt farms :D


Rising sun.






Fresh pure salt! High graded ones :D


The salt-farmer's family.

Aaaaand, we went to witness a cock-fighting match in a nearby village!





The old uncle happily stroking his cock.. .. .. Uh.


A handicraft seller at another nearby village.


Pakcik Muzik Bambu xD.


The homemade swing in the village! Ingenious, I'd say.


The collections of masks and mini sculptures etc! Mind-boggling.


We ended the day trip with an partial arsenal of our cameras. Mine's not in there :'(.

Day 4

The fourth day commenced with us heading to Bratan Lake in Bedugul to shoot the pagoda, and yeah, some traditional-clothed Balinese girls :)


The canoe, framed against the pagodas as a backdrop.


The lump of wood that looked suspiciously like a wooden duck.


Everyone went crazy as we played on this spinning thingy!


One of the quite-pretty Balinese girls :)


A random shot at the place where we had our breakfast.

In the evening, we headed over to Uluwatu, to witness a Kechak dance performance, and not to say, the stunning scenery at the cliffs.


Graaaand.


The performance, and the spectators.

The trip ended that night, with a spectacular karaoke performance from plenty of us - singing pop songs from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and even Myanmar. Everything ended quite well I would say, and I never regretted my decision of choosing Natgeo over exams.

The trip has been an eye-opener indeed for me -

- I have learnt that friends can be found wherever, all over the world, as long as you're friendly.
- I have learnt that gears don't really matter much, you can survive using a very cheap basic camera, but then gears do give you a minor advantage.
- I have learnt that I needed to invest in a polarizer.
- I have learnt and understood life, itself.

A trip that I'll never forget, not to say the participants too. Totally awesome memories :').

P/S: The photos here are mostly unedited and untouched.

Signing off,
Ruiyou.