Thru My Eyes

Change your thinking

2011-11-24T22:38:00.001+08:00

My good uncle Feroz passed this reminder via email today. It was touching.

It will take just 37 seconds to read this and change your thinking..

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation...

Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene..

One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days, weeks and months passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'

Epilogue:

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.

Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.

If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.

'Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present .'

6 Principles in life

2011-10-19T09:42:00.001+08:00

1) No point using limited life to chase unlimited money.

2) No point earning so much money you cannot live to spend it.

3) Money is not yours until you spend it.

4) When you are young you use health to chase your wealth. When you are older you use your wealth to buy back your health. The difference is that it may be to late.
5) How happy a man is, is not how much he has but how little he needs.
6) No point working so hard to provide for the people you have no time to spend with.

Manic Screaming

2011-10-17T22:51:00.002+08:00

We should make all spiritual talk

Simple today:

God is trying to sell you something,

But you don't want to buy.

That is what your suffering is:

Your fantastic haggling,

Your manic screaming over the price!

Hafiz

What interests me in this piece by Hafiz is how brutally honest it presents the reality in how hypocritical we address the issue of faith. Yes, we claim that faith should be between self and God, yet some still create this delusion of pushing some of the ideas of faith while shoving some other ideas as non relevant. In claiming ownership of God, it would seem that God Himself is not important. It doesn't matter if what God says is important as long as some are comforted that God is on their side, its enough to break some rules.

The 7 Letter Word

2011-08-23T14:24:00.001+08:00

Can you figure what it is?

1. The word has seven letters....
2. It preceded God...
3. It is greater than God...
4. It is more evil than the devil...
5. All poor people have it...
6. Wealthy people need it....
7. If you eat it, you will die.

This should have been circulating in the net for some time.

Relationship Jokes

2011-08-19T06:07:00.000+08:00

Every Wife is a "Mistress" for her Husband.
"Miss" for one hour & "Stress" for the rest 23 hours!

The are 2 times when a Man doesn't understand a Woman.
Before Marriage and After Marriage.

My Husband And I Divorced Over Religious Differences.
He Thought He Was God, and I Didn't.

Marriage Is Like A Public Toilet.
Those Waiting Outside Are Desperate To Get In & Those Inside Are Desperate To Come Out.

Why Were Hurricanes Usually Named After Women?
Because When They Arrive, They're wet and wild, But When They Go, They Take Your House And Car...

A Man Goes To The Wizard To Ask If He Can Remove A Curse He Has Been Living With For The Last 40 Years.
The Wizard Says, "Maybe, But You Will Have To Tell Me The Exact Words That Were Used To Put The Curse On You.
"The Man Says Without Hesitation, "I Now Pronounce You Man And Wife."

Husband Searching Keywords on Google `How to Tackle Wife?
Google Search Result, "Still Searching`.

A Man Goes To A Shrink And Says, "Doctor, My Wife Is Unfaithful To Me. Every Evening, She Goes To Larry's Bar And Picks Up Men. In Fact, She Sleeps With Anybody Who Asks Her! I'm Going Crazy. What Do You Think I Should Do?"
"Relax," Says The Doctor, "Take A Deep Breath And Calm Down. Now, Tell Me, Exactly Where Is Larry's Bar?"

Husband Throwing Darts at His Wife’s Photo and Not Even a Single One Hitting the Target...
From Another Room Wife Called The Husband: “Honey What Are You Doing...Husband: “MISSING YOU”...

A Man Goes To See The Rabbi. "Rabbi, Something Terrible Is Happening And I Have To Talk To You About It."
The Rabbi Asked, "What's Wrong?"
The Man Replied, "My Wife Is Poisoning Me."
The Rabbi, Very Surprised By This, Asks, "How Can That Be?"
The man then pleads, "I'm telling you, I'm certain she's poisoning me, what I should do?"
The Rabbi Then Offers, "Tell You What. Let Me Talk to Her, I'll See What I Can Find out and I'll Let You Know."
The Rabbi Calls after a while And Says, "Well, I Spoke To Her For Three Hours. You Want My Advice?" The Man Said "Yes" The Rabbi Replied, "Take the poison’

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.........
Women are like phones:
They like to be held, talked to and touched often.
But push the wrong button and you're disconnected......

Difference Between Complete & Finish...
People say there is no difference between COMPLETE & FINISH.
But there is...
When you marry the right one, you are COMPLETE....
And when you marry the wrong one, you are FINISHED.....
And when the right one catches you with the wrong one, you are ... COMPLETELY FINISHED!

Romantic SMS
She sends the following message:

My love if you're sleeping, send me your dreams If you're smiling, send me your smile If you're crying, send me your tears... I love you
He Replied: I'm in the toilet. What do I send?

Disclaimer: Sources of jokes are unknown, if you know where it came from, do inform me and I'll attribute it accordingly.

That sinking feeling

2011-07-07T05:36:00.001+08:00

People say.. its one of the awkwardness in life when a song can be played in a loop for hours ...

I was listening to Travis - Love will come through...
————————————————
If I told you a secret
You won't tell a soul
Will you hold it and
Keep it alive

Cause it's burning a hole
And I can't get to sleep
And I can't live alone
In this life

So look up, take it away
Don't look da-da-da-down
The mountain

If the world isn't turning
Your heart won't return
Anyone, anything, anyhow

So take me, don't leave me
Take me, don't leave me
Baby, love will come through
It's just waiting for you

And you stand at the crossroads
Of highroads and lowroads
And I've got a feeling
It's right

If it's real what I'm feeling
There's no make believing
The sound of the wings
Of the flight

Of a dove, take it away
Don't look da-da-da-down
The mountain

If the world isn't turning
Your heart won't return
Anyone, anything, anyhow

So take me, don't leave me
Take me, don't leave me
Baby, love will come through
It's just waiting for you

Oh, look up, take it away
Don't look da-da-da-down

If the world isn't turning
Your heart won't return
Anyone, anything, anyhow

So take me, don't leave me
Take me, don't leave me
Baby, love will come through
It's just waiting for you

Love will come through
Love will come through
Love will come through

————————————————

This is beautiful. Maybe I'd just do a video montage of it.

Pix that make you smile.

2011-03-13T21:29:00.012+08:00

Some of the more misunderstood ones..

You're not thinking dirty are you?

You're bad!!

It's just the saddle, ok!!!

More funny pix

Images describe a thousand words or so, they say. Well, I just felt sharing is caring. These set of images were definitely not taken by me, it was forwarded to me via email. I hope it pleases you as it did to me.

What should I do to marry a rich guy? Not!

2011-03-06T18:09:00.003+08:00

I don't know if this is true or not, but its kinda funny how the response is made

Amazing reply by J.P. Morgan CEO to a Pretty girl

A young and pretty lady posted this on a popular forum:

Title: What should I do to marry a rich guy?

I'm going to be honest of what I'm going to say here. I'm 25 this year. I'm very pretty, have style and good taste. I wish to marry a guy with $500k annual salary or above. You might say that I'm greedy, but an annual salary of $1M is considered only as middle class in New York . My requirement is not high. Is there anyone in this forum who has an income of $500k annual salary? Are you all married?

I wanted to ask: what should I do to marry rich persons like you? Among those I've dated, the richest is $250k annual income, and it seems that this is my upper limit. If someone is going to move into high cost residential area on the west of New York City Garden ( ? ) , $250k annual income is not enough.

I'm here humbly to ask a few questions:

1) Where do most rich bachelors hang out? (Please list down the names and addresses of bars, restaurant, gym)

2) Which age group should I target?

3) Why most wives of the riches is only average-looking? I've met a few girls who don't have looks and are not interesting, but they are able to marry rich guys

4) How do you decide who can be your wife, and who can only be your girlfriend? (my target now is to get married)

Ms. Pretty

Awesome reply:

Dear Ms. Pretty,

I have read your post with great interest. Guess there are lots of girls out there who have similar questions like yours. Please allow me to analyse your situation as a professional investor. My annual income is more than $500k, which meets your requirement, so I hope everyone believes that I'm not wasting time here. From the standpoint of a business person, it is a bad decision to marry you.. The answer is very simple, so let me explain.

Put the details aside, what you're trying to do is an exchange of 'beauty' and 'money': Person A provides beauty, and Person B pays for it, fair and square. However, there's a deadly problem here, your beauty will fade, but my money will not be gone without any good reason. The fact is, my income might increase from year to year, but you can't be prettier year after year. Hence from the viewpoint of economics, I am an appreciation asset, and you are a depreciation asset. It's not just normal depreciation, but exponential depreciation. If that is your only asset, your value will be much worried 10 years later.

By the terms we use in Wall Street, every trading has a position, dating with you is also a 'trading position'. If the trade value dropped we will sell it and it is not a good idea to keep it for long term - same goes with the marriage that you wanted. It might be cruel to say this, but in order to make a wiser decision any assets with great depreciation value will be sold or 'leased'. Anyone with over $500k annual income is not a fool; we would only date you, but will not marry you.

Hope this reply helps. If you are interested in 'leasing'

services, do contact me....

Signed,

CEO

J.P. Morgan

Disclaimer: This is merely a reproduction of an article and is not the view of the owner of this blog.

Chong Shan Learns "Sejarah Hari Ini"

2011-03-06T17:16:00.003+08:00

This was in my inbox today. Its hilarious the way the author (Anon) presents the authority of history. Kids have good memory, remember?

-------------------------------------------------------------------

History to be made compulsory pass subject soon.

It was the first day of a school in Kulai, Johor and a new Chinese student named Chong Shan entered Standard four.

The teacher said, "Let's begin by reviewing some Malaysian History.

Who said, 'Merdeka, Merdeka" ?

She saw a sea of blank faces, except for Chong Shan who had his hand up: 'Tengku Abdul Rahman, 31 August 1957' he said.

'Very good!

Who said 'China’s authoritarian rule is more effective than the ‘democracy’ practiced in Malaysia ?''

Again, no response except from Chong Shan.

'Mamakkutty from Kerala, 2010' he said.

The teacher snapped at the class,

'Boys, you should be ashamed.

Chong Shan, who is a pendatang to our country, knows more about our history than you do.'

She heard a loud whisper:

'@#$** the Chinese.'

'Who said that?' she demanded.

Chong Shan put his hand up.

'Perkasa Chief, Ibrahim Ali.'

Now furious, another student yells, 'Yeah, I am Malay first, Malaysian second!'

Chong Shan jumps out of his chair waving his hand and shouts to the teacher, 'Muhideen Mohd Yassin, 2010'.

At that point, a student in the back said, 'Correct, correct, correct!'

The teacher glares around and asks

'All right! Now, who said that?'

Again, Chong Shan says,

'Lawyer VK Lingam in a telephone conversation brokering the appointment of top judges with the former Chief Justice.'

Now with almost mob hysteria someone said, 'I am not ashamed to admit that I cannot compete with the Chinese and Indian students.'

Chong Shan frantically yells at the top of his voice, 'Mamakkutty from Kerala in Medical College.'

The teacher fainted. And as the class gathered around her on the floor, someone said, 'Oh shit, we're screwed!'

And Chong Shan said quietly, 'I think it was Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 2008'.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Disclaimer: This article does not represent the views of the owner of this blog. Its a reproduction of an email, that is not condoned.

Bo$$ Alway$ KNOw$ Be$t

2011-01-26T23:40:00.003+08:00

I got this in my mailbox and found it funny, laugh a little, not a lot.

Dear Bo$$
In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$perately. I think you $hould be under$tanding of the need$ of u$ . worker$ who have given $o much $upport including $weat and $ervice to your company.
I am $ure you will gue$$ what I mean and re$pond $oon.
Your$ $incerely,

Marian $hih

The next day,

Dear Marian
I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOwadays, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticeably well as yet. NOw the newspaper are saying the world`s leading ecoNOmists are NOt sure if the United States may go into aNOther recession. After the NOvember presidential elections things may turn bad.
I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean.

Yours truly,

Manager

An Irish Friendship Wish

2010-12-13T22:44:00.002+08:00

May there always be work for your hands to do;

May your purse always hold a coin or two;

May the sun always shine on your windowpane;

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;

May the hand of a friend always be near you;

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

2010-11-06T09:00:00.003+08:00

The Android Experience

A friend from Twitter asked me how many stars I would give to Android over 10. I couldn't give an answer in a jiffy. Should I give 10? Should I give 9?

This is my personal opinion, I'm not gonna do a full blown review of the OS but its gonna be my experience as a user.

I use the HTC Desire, it ran on Android 2.1 initially, and I upgraded to 2.2 not long ago when HTC released it. Prior to that, I've had friends whom own the Moto Milestone XT720, HTC Legend, Nexus One, Sony Experia X10 and HTC Wildfire. In addition to the Android based phones, I've also fiddled with the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 as well as the Symbian system. My experience with these smartphones gave me some insights on how the answer the question:

To me the iPhone is the most tightly integrated device. This integration has allowed the hardware and software to perform seamlessly. Yes, we can go and nitpick on JailBreaking, Death Grip and its full dependance on iTunes, but we are not going there because for me, each OS has its own way of 'evolving'.

The Android is at the evolving stage it. It is Stable. BUT.... It's very dependent on the hardware you're running. For example, some applications are not available for the Wildfire but are available for the Desire (1 gripe). The Android 2.2 for me is speedier compared to 2.1 but I've yet to concur on the power saving claims. I've

I'm on either WiFi or Data connection 90% of the time, thus, I need to recharge the battery some time in the middle of the day. I don't need rooting as I'm not a power user yet.

Another thing that users still need to understand is that Android is running underneath and manufacturers' run their own 'skin' on top i.e. Sense UI, and so far I've seen some laggy ones and some speedy ones. Of course, if you dabble further in, you could actually even customise your ROM.

So, for my Desire, I'm gonna give it an 8/10. Hopefully I'll be getting OS update OTA soon to address power consumption (which usually can be blamed on the large LCD screen).

How to sell

2010-07-16T23:12:00.009+08:00

Wow! Its been quite some time since I last posted anything here. However, today was an interesting day. Not because of the announcement regarding the price adjustment to sugar, LPG and petrol (which in a way is comically connected to my JOTD), my loving uncle sent me 2 emails which was just too good to not be shared.

#1 - How to sell -

HOW TO SELL TOOTH BRUSHES

The kids filed back into class Monday morning. They were very excited. Their weekend assignment was to sell something, then give a talk on productive salesmanship.

Little Sally led off: "I sold girl scout cookies and I made $30," she said proudly, "My sales approach was to appeal to the customer's civil spirit and I credit that approach for my obvious success."

"Very good," said the teacher.

Little Jenny was next:

"I sold magazines," she said, "I made $45 and I explained to everyone that magazines would keep them up on current events."

"Very good, Jenny," said the teacher.

Eventually, it was Little Johnny's turn. The teacher held her breath ...

Little Johnny walked to the front of the classroom and dumped a box full of cash on the teacher's desk. "$2,467," he said. "$2,467!" cried the teacher, "What in the world were you selling?" "Toothbrushes," said Little Johnny. "Toothbrushes!" echoed the teacher, "How could you possibly sell enough tooth brushes to make that much money?"

"I found the busiest corner in town," said Little Johnny, "I set up a Dip & Chip stand and gave everybody who walked by a free sample." They all said the same thing, "Hey, this tastes like dog shit!". Then I would say, "It is dog shit. Wanna buy a toothbrush?"

"I used the governmental approach of giving you something shitty for free, and then making you pay to get the shitty taste out of your mouth."

P.S. Does that ring a bell?!!!

I just sat and smiled; jokes aside; I was imagining the reality of a sales transaction. The marketers job of creating the 'Want' over a 'Need' and how in this instance; that 'Want' led to the 'Need'. All I need to do is create a sense of either (a) dissatisfaction with what you already have or (b) feed your curiosity with mumbo jumbo. Cheers.

#2 -

How to dance in the rain.

2010-02-21T17:26:00.001+08:00

I got this today in my mailbox and since the mood for love is still in the air, I might as well share this with all of you.

I'd have to thank my uncle for forwarding this tho.

'I was a busy morning about 8.30 when an elderly gentleman in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb.

He said he was in a hurry because of another appointment at 9.00am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him.

I saw him looking at his watch and decided since I was not busy with any other patient I would evaluate his wound.

On exam it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.

The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to have breakfast with his wife. I enquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's disease.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.

He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised and asked him "And you still go every morning even though she doesn't know who you are?"

He smiled as he patted my hand and said "She doesn't know me, … But I still know who she is."

I had to roll back tears …'

… and you get the rest of the story

I always see this in movies, I wonder if it happens in real life…

Good Night Honey

2010-02-11T00:28:00.001+08:00

Husband: Oh! Come on!

Wife: Leave me alone!!!!

Husband: It won't take long…

Wife: I won't be able to sleep afterwards…

Husband: I can't sleep without it…

Wife: Why do you think of things like this in the middle of the night?

Husband: Because I'm hot!

Wife: You get hot at the darnedest times…

Husband: If you love me, I wouldn't have to beg you…

Wife: If you love me, you'd be more considerate…

Husband: You don't love me anymore!

Wife: Yes I do, but let's forget it for tonight.

Husband: Please, come on!

Wife: Alright, I'll do it…

Husband: What's the matter? Need a flashlight?

Wife: I can't find it!

Husband: Oh! For heaven's sake, feel for it!

Wife: There! Are you satisfied?

Husband: Oh yes!

Wife: Is it up far enough?

Husband: Oh, that's good!

Wife: Now, go to sleep and from now on

WHEN YOU WANT THE WINDOW OPEN, DO IT YOURSELF!

Hehehehehhehehehehehhehe

p/s: This is purely meant to be a joke and not meant to be offensive.

2010-02-10T23:52:00.004+08:00

ANCIENT WRITINGS FOUND IN CAVE

Written across the wall of the cave were the following symbols:

It was considered a unique find and the writings were said to be at least 3000 years old!
The piece of stone was removed, brought to the museum, and archaeologists from around the world came to study the ancient symbols.
They held a huge meeting after months of conferences to discuss the meaning of the markings.
The President of the society pointed to the first drawing and said:

"This is a woman. We can see these people held women in high esteem.

The next drawing is a shovel, which means they had tools to help them."

Even further proof of their high intelligence is the fish which means that if a famine hit the earth and food didn't grow, they seek food from the sea.

The last symbol appears to be the Star of David which means they were evidently Hebrews.

The audience applauded enthusiastically.

Then a little old Jewish man stood up in the back of the room and said,

"Idiots...

Hebrew is read from right to left... It says: 'Holy Mackerel, Dig The Ass On That Chick"

p/s: This is purely meant as a joke an in no way meant to be offensive.

Never laugh at at a Chinese man

2010-02-10T23:46:00.002+08:00

A Chinese man walks into a bank in New York City and asks for the loan officer.
He tells the loan officer that he is going to China on business for two weeks and needs to borrow $5,000.
The bank officer tells him that the bank will need some form of security for the loan, so the Chinese man hands over the keys to a new Ferrari parked on the street in front of the bank.
He produces the title and everything checks out.
The Loan officer agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan.
The bank's president and its officers all enjoy a good laugh at the Chinese for using a $250,000 Ferrari as collateral against a $5,000 loan.
An employee of the bank then drives the Ferrari into the bank's underground garage and parks it there.
Two weeks later, the Chinese returns, repays the $5,000 and the interest, which comes to $15.41.
The loan officer says, 'Sir, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled.
While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multi-millionaire.
What puzzles us is why you would bother to borrow $5,000?
The Chinese replies: 'Where else in New York City can I park my car for two weeks for only $15.41 and expect it to be there safely when I return.'

p/s: this is purely meant as a joke and never meant to be offensive.

Old Man Syndrome

2010-02-10T23:43:00.001+08:00

Two medical students were walking along the street when they saw an old man walking with his legs spread apart. He was stiff-legged and walking slowly.

One student said to his friend: "I'm sure that poor old man has Peltry Syndrome. Those people walk just like that."

The other student says: "No, I don't think so. The old man surely has Zovitzki

Syndrome. He walks slowly and his legs are apart just as we learned in class."

Since they couldn't agree they decided to ask the old man. They approached him and one of the students said to him:

"We're medical students and couldn't help but notice the way you walk, but we couldn't agree on the syndrome you

might have. Could you tell us what it is?"

The old man said, "I'll tell you, but first you tell me what you two fine medical students think."

The first student said, "I think its Peltry Syndrome."

The old man said, "You thought....... But you are wrong."

The other student said, "I think you have Zovitzki Syndrome."

The old man said, "You thought....... But you are wrong."

So they asked him, "Well, old timer, what do you have?"

The old man said, "I thought it was a Fart........ .............. But I was wrong, too!"

p/s: This is purely meant as a joke and never meant to be offensive.

Hiking @ Bukit Tabur, Ulu Kelang

2009-02-22T11:24:00.006+08:00

So, after a hiatus (actually more of having good kaki's around and a good enough reason to partake) of about 15 years or so, I was going to climb/hike/panjat/mendaki/naik a hill (bukit). About a month or so back, a close friend of mind posted a picture of this place. It was serene and I was looking to get some fresh air into my lungs as well (what with the current haze around KL). So Aizi had called me to go for this hike for the last weekend, which unfortunately I could not attend. So, he called me again this week. I had another plan cancelled and looked like a good opportunity to get some sweat rolling and take some pictures.

As soon as I arrived, I was excited (man, I am big, but I had always thought I was thin/yeah I know). Despite the disillusioned imagery of me, we started the climb. It was a tough first section with, with some technical midsections (I thought it was hill climbing, not rock-climbing, okay!). Finally, after about 2 hours of hiking, I just could not continue, (not with vertigo, a weak left leg and a less than average balance). So, thankfully my buddy, Aizi, understood and accompanied me back down.

I must say that even upon reaching back to our car, and after the numerous curses and truckloads of sweat, I am considering another trip there, albeit not anytime soon. Bukit Tabur, one day I shall conquer thou! As for Aizi, Am, Hanif, Ikram and Akram, you guys were great and thanks for the opportunity.

Some of the pics that I managed to capture.

Both these 2 pictures were either taken @ Checkpoint 2 or Checkpoint 3. For more pictures, please drop by http://www.flickr.com/photos/aic_76

Slimy slitherins.

2008-11-25T10:15:00.006+08:00

I have always admired Austin Stevens. Who? You might be wondering if I was referring to Steve Austin (3:16), but no. Austin Stevens? Who is this guy? If any of you guys watched Mr. Crikey! Crocodile Hunter, Mr. Stevens here is wildlife photographer who shoots snake. Man, I always enjoy his takes on whatever snakes that he goes to shoot. This guy is like so wacky that if he happens to see something in the wild that attracts him, he'll just drop his gear and go after the snake, just like that. You'd have to watch his show to really see how crazy he can get. And for that, I really admire him.

When he shoots snakes, he makes the snakes comfortable around him. The thing with snakes is that I've had a misconception that they are harmful. How wrong could I be? Wild animals are just trying to survive. They are just afraid of us as we are afraid of them. Their natural instinct is to protect themselves if they sense danger, wouldn't we do that as well? So, this is where I admire Mr Stevens. His understanding of snakes and their behaviors allows him to make the snakes comfortable around him, enabling him to take wonderful picture.

I've seen him wrestle the likes of anacondas and pythons (really big ones). I've seen him pat the head of a King Cobra and caress other types of snakes as well. Watching him in action has inspired me to take some shots of snakes as well. However, I'm not heading to the wild, I'm gonna shoot pictures of snake in enclosures.

These four shots were taken in Zoo Negara as well. All shots were taken handheld using the Olympus E-3 and ZD 14-54/2.8-3.5 with manual focusing (to avoid the AF for mistaking the glass panels). I had boosted the ISO due to very low light conditions and changed the WB setting to Tungsten setting. For more info on Mr. Stevens, he's on Animal Planet's Austin Stevens: Most Dangerous series. You could google him up as well and watch his adventure on youtube.

Click on images to have a bigger view.

Cheerios and thanks for viewing.