WALLFLOWER

Last Sunday was one of the best days of my life!

It was Sunday morning and I woke up @8.15am. I sacrificed my ‘sleep-in-late-coz-it’s-Sunday’ for a photography day out with none other than my talented photographer and best buddy, Ms. Melina! *round of applause* It was something that I had secretly planned for months but had no one with the same passion to share with (until I found her). It was something that I had to do … Driving past the Pekeliling Flats every day to work and watching it being demolished one by one made me want to go there and capture the last bits of old KL before it disappears from the modern concrete jungle of KL for good. Photography has been something I am very keen on for quite awhile and although I’m no Henri Bresson Cartier but hey…maybe I will be some renowned photographer one day J *wishful thinking* OK la… moving along….

We had arranged to meet at the Setiawangsa LRT station @9am but by the time I got there was 9.15. Met Mel few minutes later and both of us couldn’t wait to start our passage. *tot tooot tooooo Stesyen berikutnya Pasar Seni, Next Station Pasar Seni* we both looked at each other in anticipation cant wait to point our camera and click on the shutter to take our first picture. It was the best feeling ever. Walking down Central Market gave me a sense of nostalgia. How we used to walk all the way here from school to just have McDs, where we attended Kasturi, and how life was so much simpler then now. The first thing we did was to have Breakfast at a mamak restaurant. 2 tosai, kuah kari ikan and ayam masala… teh ais and milo ais. Man! Manis giler the drinks…honestly it was more like air gula perisa milo. While we were enjoying our breakfast a man mid 40s came up to us and ask if we were Jordanians. *ugh I hate people interrupting me while I’m eating* so then he was friendly enough to start talking about his life yada yada yada and questioning us about where we’re from, are we local, blab la bla.. n the best part of it all, he asked if we have hp no. that he contact to talk about his business. That’s when I had enough and I mean cant he see that we weren’t interested and we not even considering of engaging him for a conversation so I said, “Sorry we don’t give out numbers to strangers”. He smiled and he walked off. For a moment there we thought he’d left the place only to realize that he was sitting right behind me. Man… so pissed off. Soon after we have finished our tosais, we left and started our photography journey.

Fun. Fun. Fun. We looked like it was our first time being there but the place has changed a lot since we finished school. It looks friendlier now. Scary before? Hmmm I think so. We were wandering in and out of the complex looking for something interesting to capture. The best part of it all was that we had no plans or destinations except for the Flat Pekeliling (that I wanted to go to) so we just walked and walked and we were free to go and do whatever we feel like doing:).

So, from CM we walked all the way to Masjid Jamek LRT Station. Our next destination was Flat Pekeliling. I was soooo elated! It was 11.30 when we arrived at the Titiwangsa LRT Station, I just couldn’t wait. Armed with my faithful camera in my hand, all I could think of was ways and shots that would capture the last bits of this place that has been around longer than I have. A smiled carved on my face and my pace was getting faster that I can go straight to the place and start snapping away. Since my camera is a manual SLR and Mel’s was DSLR, I had to really think and organize my shots as best as I can so I wouldn’t waste the film that I had, whereas, Mel, she was enjoying herself snapping away. Something strange happened.. as I was framing a shot of the evacuated building and finally am satisfied with the shot, I clicked on the shutter and to my surprise the shutter didn’t release and I was like a dungu waiting for the shutter to release. At first I thought it was because the lighting wasn’t enough or what-nots that it happened. Then, when I realize that it was taking way too long, I took a look at my camera and it was off. I switched it on again and suddenly my batt showed it was empty when not less than 10mins ago, the batt in my camera was full. Well I thought there was something wrong with my camera so I tried taking the same picture again, and the same thing happened. The shutter just wont released. I looked at it again. It was off.

I told Mel about it and she was puzzled too. Then she tried taking my picture, and the same thing happened! I was sooo frustrated coz we were there for less than 10mins and already my camera was giving me a hard time. Feeling so frustrated and unsatisfied, I’ve decided to go to Sg Wang and buy new batts. So there we go again, taking the monorail right up to Sg Wang. It was really mind boggling and disturbing!

When got off the train, we decided to switch on the camera and see if it works then. I snapped a photo of Mel and it WORKED!! The batt was full and there were no sign that my batt was even half empty! What the hell is going on?? Both of us freaked out for a moment and decided to just check with the camera shop to see if there’s something wrong with my camera. Then we decided to calm our nerves down with a double scoop of Cookies and Tiramisu gelato at Lecka Lecka. it was a hot day indeed so lil bit of binging doesn’t hurt. Then we browsed around the mall, looking at nice shoes, clothes, shoes, shoes and shoes. For a moment there, we thought we might end up shopping instead of taking pictures. Haha…(we held ourselved together and stick to our objective of the day.. To Take Pictures)

This is nothing close to it

This one is ok la .. i’ve tried!

Then we decided to walk around Bkt Bintang area to see if there’s anything interesting for us to take pictures of. So, we walked passed street cafes and restaurants and we started snapping pics of billboard, monorails, anything that captured our eyes. Then it was lunch time.. had a brilliant idea.. called Erlina (another best buddy of mine) to see if she was working. WOHOOOOOO she was.. so we told her we wanted to meet up with her. But we didn’t waste anymore time in hand, we continued snapping pictures and also sharing bags-of-tricks of photography with each other. Best part of it all, Mel taught me the Zoom Out-In Effect. Damn nice! But I can never seem to get it. The first time I tried it.. I did Zoom In-Out haha.. wrong way. Tee Hee!!!

We were having so much fun till it started drizzling so we decided to run to KL Plaza. There we took more pics… They had this amazing CNY décor at the Centrecourse we knew that we just had to take the pictures. It Was SO Much Fun!!!!!!!! Half hour later Erlina called asking where we were. *tennn ten tennnnnnn Free Lunch* (another wishful thinking) We met her up at Planet, she was busy preparing for the Sunday Nite Live show feat Ella… peh!!!

So she asked us what we were doing n we explained blab la bla and told her we wanted free lunch! Haha!!! This is only becoz we’re good friends of her:) we ordered some food and we just sat there and talked and talked and talked. I really enjoy good company and good food. It was really nice. It rained heavily while we were having lunch! Hehe.. god wants us to eat so we wont faint standing under the hot sun taking pictures :). Oh ya.. forgot another lil detail.. when we went to check my camera at the camera shop, two things fright me: 1) the guy

said that Flat Pekeliling is ‘keras’ coz it’s an old flat la ..so many things had happened la 2) he exclaimed and said that my camera is 10yrs old! Peh!!!!!

Ok la.. so we bye-bye Erlina and continued our passage to Times Sq coz Mel said she wanted to go there. So from 4pm, we started walking to Times Sq and went to dunno how many floors we’ve explored. Bored. So we continued walking from there all the way to Bkt Bintang again and then passed Jln Sultan Ismail —— then —– Jalan P.Ramlee —- then to our final destination KLCC. By the time we got there.. our knees were wobbling and we were half crazy (singing aloud to James Morrison) and it was 7pm. The 10hours of adventure worth every milisecond of it!!! The experience was indeed priceless and I was lucky that I had my closest and dearest friends to share it with. At that point of time, we couldn’t even walk straight… we sat at the fountain and I smsed my mum to picked us up. Cannot walk anymore worrrr…!!!! Hahaha…

Ayooo ammmaaa when I got back.. Flat worr…!!!! After I had my bath, I pampered myself with Bubble Foot Spa Massager.. nyeh!! Nothing oso.. foot still aches but I know that I’m eager to develop 3rolls of film.

That night, I slept like a baby ……. Wooohoooooo…..

Thanks mel.. for making it happen : )… muwahhhhh

After a long day, we can still smile at the camera ..love u

The Aspiring Image Clicking Duo will come back with another adventure soon near you…. (well.. once our feet are back in order)