by the lemon tree

Little India, Ipoh, Perak.

Some shots of India Street that I took when I was searching for some traditional wear. I live in Sabah right now and it’s hard to find traditional Indian costumes. Normally we’d get them from home- Semenanjung, but in the year of not going home due to the travel restrictions I outgrew my old costume and didn’t even get a chance to wear it out. So this trip, getting new costumes was on my must-do list. My dedication to getting a new outfit paid off. The dress code for my graduation from high school this year is traditional costumes. The year before the pandemic, there was a best dressed competition for our school’s Deepavali celebration. I didn’t take the chance to partake because I assumed I would have my senior year to join. If only I had known how much things would change.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the person I was 2 years ago and how much I’ve changed since then. There are people whom I haven’t spoken to since those 2 years and seeing them in person again this year is scary. To be honest, I do post a lot on social media. From just my instagram you’ll find out what I do on a daily basis. But you really can’t judge someone purely based of their social media. Social media tends to just show the highlights of life. There’s a lot more to me than what you see on a screen. I’m scared I won’t live up to the person I am online. I don’t want Aly online to be different from Aly in reality.

a cloud shaped like an elephant

I thought I’d start the year off with one of my favourite photos of the trip. It really does look like an elephant!!!

One thing I’m struggling with since coming back from holiday is adapting to the time. In KL sunset was at 7pm. Here in Sabah, it’s 6. One of my resolutions is to wake up earlier. Preferably at sunrise. I’m practically a plant. I thrive on sunlight and I love water.

I hope this new year spirit lasts throughout the year. I want to constantly be striving to be a better version of myself.

The biggest thing I learnt last year was “I am capable of doing anything I put my mind to.” Except, dancing it seems.

I wonder what I’ll learn this year.

Taiping

Taiping Lake Gardens, Perak, Malaysia felt like the most beautiful place on Earth for me. It was the perfect evening. Not too hot, not too crowded. I was surrounded with wonderful company and was kept busy cycling. The 45 minute drive to and from was lovely. The scenery on this highway is said to be the most beautiful of the North-South Expressway.

where to? home

From KK to Sepanggar, Ranau or Sipitang, you can travel by bus, taxi, grab or even foot if you’re crazy. From KK to KL it’s a bit more than 2 hours via flight. That’s why home feels so far. Home to me is somewhere that is accessible. Somewhere where you can be yourself and do things you want. I spent a long time doubting my every step. Being at home for close to two years gave me room to figure out my next move. That’s why home here is so special to me. I’m still uncertain about where home actually is. I use the phrase so casually: “Hey let’s go home,” referring to the hotel we’re staying at for a week in Taiwan. “This feels like home,” being at the beach resort that I really do consider a second home in Sabah even though I’ve only been there twice. Writing this makes me realise that home is where my family is. In Taiwan, I spent a wonderful week in an air bnb with Tata and Patti. At the resort, we spent our Christmas away from family. Kl is home because family is there. Ipoh too. Often my inner battle is between Sabah and KL. I refer to our trips to Kl as “going home,” but when in KL I know Sabah is home too.

I hope you have a great holiday season where your home is.

perspective

it’s in the details

Took this quick snap during a morning walk last week. I went away for my birthday weekend to Kundasang. The cooling atmosphere was refreshing after a whole week of heat in KK city.

With some fine tuning via lightroom, here’s the outcome of this photo.

how to edit a digital photo to look like it was taken on film

This photo was taken on a DSLR camera, Nikon D5000. With amateur editing on Lightroom, here’s how you can make it look like it was taken on film.

Reduce contrast
Lift the shadows and blacks.
Flatten the image. You can do so by decreasing the highlights and whites.
Give the image a warm hue. Slide the temperature control to make the image more yellow.
Adjust the tint to green.

Just 5 easy steps and that’s it!

monkeying around

Good morning! Here’s a throwback photo taken during my trip to Sukau, Kinabatangan early this year.

the people around us

Apparently not many people bring their DSLRs to the vaccination centre. I got lots of smiles and everyone was super friendly. After going so long without socialisation, I was in heaven.

I find that my camera is a great conversation starter. People point and ask me to take their photos as if it’s a natural instinct when a camera is around. I really expected people to shy away but right now we can hide behind a mask and ‘smile’ for a couple shots.