She

by Charles Aznavour

She may be the face I can't forget
A trace of pleasure or regret
May be my treasure or the price I have to pay
She may be the song that summer sings
May be the chill that autumn brings
May be a hundred different things
Within the measure of a day

She may be the beauty or the beast
May be the famine or the feast
May turn each day into a heaven or a hell
She may be the mirror of my dream
A smile reflected in a stream
She may not be what she may seem
Inside her shell

She would always seem so happy in a crowd
Whose eyes can be so private and so proud
No one's allowed to see them when they cry
She may be the love that cannot hope to last
May come to me from shadows in the past
That I'll remember till the day I die

She may be the reason I survive
The why and wherefor I'm alive
The one I'll care for through the rough in many years
Me, I'll take her laughter and her tears
And make them all my souvenirs
For where she goes I've got to be
The meaning of my life is she

...

Wedding Shots: Salah and Izah

Salah is a very good friend of mine whom I got to know since prep school. We both went to Michigan for our undergraduate degrees, but him being much smarter than I am, he managed to get his Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Michigan as well (while I'm still struggling to start writing up my master's thesis).

His marriage to the love of his life, Izah, was something that I had been waiting for a while to come. And now that it has happened, I couldn't get more excited to come to their reception held in Kuala Lumpur. I ended up being one of the first guests to arrive and the last to leave.

Here are some photos of the reception that I managed to snap in between chats and banters with friends and colleagues who also came to the reception.


Salah and Izah making their entrance.


The groom and his bride on the pelamin (wedding throne).


The handsome groom and the beautiful bride




Some photo moments usually requested by guests and photographers alike


And lastly... a rare photo of myself with the happy couple (my friend Bobby at my right)


Congratulations, Salah and Izah. I wish the both of you a wonderful life blessed with love, happiness and health for you and the family you two are going to build together.

Another generic 'MJ is dead' entry

So he died. I found out through the radio this morning, when the usually hilariously entertaining Hitz.fm Morning Crew show seemed to have lost all its colors and turned black. I actually thought I dialed in Lite.fm, but no, it was Hitz.fm. They kept playing MJ songs and then I realized something relating to MJ must have happened. Then the sub-Morning Crew reannounced it: That MJ died from cardiac arrest last night.

Yes I was shocked about his death. But more shocking to me was the fact that I somehow felt affected by this news. I usually couldn't care less about the entertainment world and its celebrities. I don't celebrate when celebrities get married or welcome a newborn. I never felt sad for a divorce or a death in the family of celebrities. But when I learnt about MJ's death, I felt a tinge, a small sense of loss inside, which is weird, because like I said, I don't really care much about the guy.

Maybe it's because they keep spinning his music all morning. And the fact that when I was growing up, he was the biggest thing in music, and that his music pretty much brings up lots of memories of my childhood.

Come to think of it, I've always liked his songs regarding human compassion and the environment. So I guess as a tribute I'll post the lyrics of one of his songs here, the one I seem to have listened to the most in recent years.

...

Heal the World

written, produced, and sung by Michael Jackson

Theres a place in your heart

And I know that it is love

And this place could be much brighter than tomorrow

And if you really try

Youll find theres no need to cry

In this place you'll feel there's no hurt or sorrow

There are ways to get there

If you care enough for the living

Make a little space

Make a better place

Heal the world

Make it a better place

For you and for me

And the entire human race

There are people dying

If you care enough for the living

Make a better place

For you and for me

If you want to know why

Theres a love that cannot lie

Love is strong

It only cares for joyful giving

If we try

We shall see

In this bliss we cannot feel

Fear or dread

We stop existing and start living

Then it feels that always

Love's enough for us growing

So make a better world

Make a better world...

Heal the world

Make it a better place

For you and for me

And the entire human race

There are people dying

If you care enough for the living

Make a better place

For you and for me

And the dream we were conceived in will reveal a joyful face

And the world we once believed in will shine again in grace

Then why do we keep strangling life

Wound this earth, crucify its soul

Though its plain to see

This world is heavenly

Be God's glow

We could fly so high

Let our spirits never die

In my heart I feel you are all my brothers

Create a world with no fear

Together we cry happy tears

See the nations turn their swords into plowshares

We could really get there

If you cared enough for the living

Make a little space

To make a better place...

Heal the world

Make it a better place

For you and for me

And the entire human race

There are people dying

If you care enough for the living

Make a better place

For you and for me

Heal the world

Make it a better place

For you and for me

And the entire human race

There are people dying

If you care enough for the living

Make a better place

For you and for me

Heal the world

Make it a better place

For you and for me

And the entire human race

There are people dying

If you care enough for the living

Make a better place

For you and for me

There are people dying

If you care enough for the living

Make a better place

For you and for me

There are people dying

If you care enough for the living

Make a better place

For you and for me

You and for me

You and for me

You and for me

You and for me

You and for me

You and for me

You and for me

You and for me

You and for me

You and for me

You and for me

...

R.I.P. Michael Jackson.

...

There you go. My generic MJ's death tribute entry.

Uncertainty Strikes Again

Anyone who has been with me for the past few years, or at least have read this entry of mine last year, would probably have a bit of an inkling of how I'm feeling right now.

Yes, that feeling of uncertainty has struck yet again.

Caused by almost the same problems as before.

And some additional ones.

I have yet the emotional security nor the mood to divulge entirely the sources and causes of my feeling this way.

And yet, as before, I shall go through this difficult time with whatever time, energy and financial means I have at my disposal, hopefully with help and assistance from family, friends, and loved ones.

Your thoughts and prayers are welcome and are truly appreciated.

Hotel Poolside

Hotel poolside, originally uploaded by ihsankhairir.

This is the swimming pool at the Hills Hotel Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Indonesia.

The pool is well-maintained and there are lots of poolside chairs with shade, and there's a reflexology and massage service provided.

Next to the pool is a small playground for kids and there's even a small slide (partially in the picture) that goes into the pool.

For all the days that I was there, I haven't seen anyone using the pool, although there are times I've seen children with towels and wet hair in the elevator (I assumed they played in the pool earlier).

I went to the pool two times: once during the day to snap photos like this one, and once at night for some long exposure photos.

Maybe sometime, I'll share the long exposure photos here. Only the nice ones though, long exposure is not something that I have truly mastered and it usually takes me quite a number of tries before I get a decent shot.

But for now, this one shot of the pool will do. Tell me if you want to see other shots of the pool ;)

Jam Gadang

Jam Gadang, originally uploaded by ihsankhairir.

This is the major landmark and iconic monument of Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is called 'Jam Gadang' (lit. 'Massive Clock') and was built by the Dutch in 1926.

One unique feature of the clock is that although Roman numerals were used, the number '4' is featured as 'IIII' instead of the usual 'IV'.

The top of the tower has changed two times. When it was built it featured a dome with a weather rooster on top. During Japanese occupation the top was a Jinja-like structure. After Indonesian independence the top was changed to its present Minangkabau roof structure.

When I visited the Jam Gadang, there were lots of people hanging around the tower and in the plaza next to it. It seems like the iconic structure has become a common meeting point of sorts, since everybody knows where it is, and it is quite close to several tourist attractions, including some business areas and the Hills Hotel.

The Pool

The Pool, originally uploaded by ihsankhairir.

This is the pool of cool water at the bottom of the aforementioned hillside waterfall. The water's very clear and very clean. Locals say the water has healing and youth preservation properties.

Too bad I was in my business suit already when I arrived at this place. Plus the changing room was too small and creepy-looking so I decided not to jump into the water.

Wolfram|Alpha

Seriously, check this site out. If this was around back when I was doing undergraduate math or even back in high school, I'd get perfect scores for all my homework and assignments. Seriously.

http://www.wolframalpha.com/examples/Integrals.html

There's so much more that the site can do than just math. I suggest you go and see for yourself.

I am such a geek.

The Hills Hotel Bukittinggi

Hotel lobby, originally uploaded by ihsankhairir.

In Bukittinggi (West Sumatra Province) we stayed at this hotel called The Hills Hotel Bukittinggi. It's a small but very nice hotel. It has a 4-star rating I think. You don't see much looking at the hotel from outside, but once you step inside you can see that the hotel's not that bad really. The lobby is fashioned like an atrium, and most of the rooms face the lobby except the ones on the southeast wing, which face the swimming pool.

I like spending time in the lobby. It doesn't feel stuffy, I can see my room from where I sit at and there's a sort of a zen fountain in the middle, shaped like an 8-star (one of the symbols of Islamic art and science). There are some chairs and couches and sofas for people to sit and lounge around and chat, and you can order drinks to be sent to the lobby should you feel like having a round.

The rooms are electronically locked, and the keys are electronic cards that I think has some RFID chip in them, because you only need to touch the doorknob with the card in order to unlock the room (as opposed to inserting or swiping the card). Reminds me of the Touch 'n Go system we have here in Malaysia. Very cool.

The bathroom's spacey, the tv's a flatscreen wall-mounted plasma (so you have all the table real estate you can get) and you don't have problems finding the qibla arrow that tells you where you should face if you want to pray. They also provide prayer mats in the should you forget to bring your own.

In the drawer I found two books: Al-Qur'aan and a New Testament with Indonesian translation, laid side by side. I just smiled when I saw this. I remember staying in hotels outside Malaysia and only found bibles or Mormon bibles in the drawers. In Malaysia I seldom found anything but the hotel utensils, maybe some magazines and/or hotel listing of services. But there in The Hills Hotel Bukittingi, Indonesia, I found the two important books of two different faiths laid side by side, the Qur'aan on the right and the New Testament on the left. I guess the religious intolerance in Indonesia I keep seeing in the media a couple years ago are not as bad now as I initially thought.

More on my Indonesia trip later =)

Hillside waterfall

Hillside waterfall, originally uploaded by ihsankhairir.

This is the waterfall mentioned in the previous post. This waterfall is located near the West Sumatra highway, and is encountered on the way to Padang Panjang and Bukittinggi if you're traveling north from Padang.

It has a nice, clear pool at the bottom and the water is fresh and cool. When I arrived there I was fully dressed in businesswear to give a presentation on Genetic Algorithms, so I decided not to take a dip in the pool although the tour guide kept insisting us to.

Also, the communal shorts provided at the "kamar ganti" (the changing room featured in the previous post) have no guarantee of cleanliness. In fact, nobody from the tour decided to jump in for a dip, however alluring the pool may be.

Next time, if I were to get a chance to visit this place again, I will bring my own change of clothes and take a dip and maybe a few more pics of this place.

I seem to have forgotten if this place even has a name. For those who are familiar with this waterfall, please do tell me of its name, as it bugs me that I failed to find out what this place is called.

Poolside Changing Room

Poolside Changing Room, originally uploaded by ihsankhairir.

"Kamar Ganti" means "Changing Room" in Indonesian.

This small changing room is built to accommodate people who wish to take a dip in the pool at the bottom of the hillside waterfall that travelers encounter on the way to Bukittinggi (a tourism township located in the highlands of the Province of West Sumatra).

The notice board on the door says "do not urinate in here except 4-legs (dogs)"

Also, the shorts seem to be for public use. I dared not touch them...

Ahmad's Solemnization and Wedding

Last weekend I traveled northeast all the way to Terengganu to attend my cousin Ahmad's solemnization and wedding.

Solemnization

 

The groom before the solemnization. Someone's excited to get married. =)  

 

The solemnization, or 'akad nikah'. The marriage registrar or 'jurunikah' (sometimes called 'tok kadi') holds the groom's hand in a firm handshake while reciting the 'akad' (the marriage vow). The groom then has to firmly state his acceptance of the marriage vow. This is adjudicated by the witnesses, who have the ultimate say whether the solemnization vows are legitimate ('sah') or not, in the latter case the recital of the vow and the acceptance vow have to be repeated until the witnesses are satisfied.

 

Once the vows are accepted, the 'tok kadi' will recite some prayers together with the groom and everyone who is present at the solemnization. After that the groom will recite the 'taklik', which is sort of like a disclaimer of sorts, in which he declares that their marriage will be nullified if certain undesirable circumstances were to be met. This is to ensure that the welfare of the wife will be taken care of if those undesirable circumstances should happen.

 

The next step in this ritual may differ from family to family, in my cousin's case, after he's done with the 'taklik' and shaken the hands of his immediate family members and in-laws, he proceeds with putting on the wedding bracelet on his wife's hand. For some families, this could be a wedding ring, or a necklace - the choice is up to them since this does not affect the status of the marriage per se.

 

The bride then kisses her newly wedded husband's hand. This is a key part in the ritual, for this signifies the first moment that the couple are allowed to touch each other.

 

After that the bride puts on the wedding ring on her husband's finger. In our culture and religion, men are not allowed to wear gold and/or diamonds, so usually the man's ring is made of coated bronze or brass alloy and brandished with a rock gem like opal or onyx. 

 

The part where the groom kisses his newly wedded wife's forehead is usually more or less for the photos and are usually by request from the guests present or from the photographers.

Wedding reception

I won't bother going into details about the wedding reception, in much simpler words, the groom and his bride get to be the king and queen for the day and are dressed in regalia akin to those worn by the Malay royals. They also get to sit on a throne, where guests can come and greet and wish them happiness. So, here are some pictures from the reception.

 

This last picture is of the couple with groom's immediate family - his parents, siblings, siblings-in-law and nephew. Ahmad has a family as big as mine!  

...  

On another note, this was one of the times I got to play with my Speedlight SB-600 and I must say I can't go to another photoshoot without it! My photos look so much better with it =) What do you think?

Checklist and deadlines (updated)

Photog job for supervisor : May 23

Meeting with potential clients : May 24

SAS Academic Workshop : May 26

Conference report: due sometime next week

Progress report: due sometime next week

30-page paper proofreading: due sometime next week

Cousin's wedding in Terengganu : next weekend

Submission of conference paper regarding GA-based method for normalized clustering : due June 1st

Submission of abstract for the International Conference on Research and Education in Mathematics : due June 1st

Photog job in Seremban : June 6

Present paper at the International Conference on Mathematics, Statistics and Their Applications : June 9 - 11

...

Hooray for living life!