Duck Tales

After spending hours walking around Kuala Lumpur's Chintown during Chinese New Year, I ended up tired, hungry and craving for nourishment. Looking for something different after two days of Kaya Toast, Rendang and Laksa, I was immediately drawn to the aptly named Roast Duck and Chicken Rice Food Stall at the corner of Han Lakir and Sultan Street.



The duck served here is prepared using a method know in Cantonese cuisine as Siu Mei--an open fire or wood oven rotisserie roasting style that results in a unique barbecue-flavored meat enhanced by a thick sweet sauce. The variety that uses duck meat is called Siu Ngaap, or Cantonese Roast Duck. It's the humbler counterpart of the famous Peking Duck, which was a staple at imperial courts since the Ming Dynasty. Cantonese Roast Duck, and other Siu Mei meats, are commonly found in sidewalk shops around East and Southeast Asia, and typically eaten as take-out food. Here at Roast Duck and Chicken Rice Food Stall, it's chopped, handled with bare hands, placed over a plate of rice, and consumed in such a spartan setting that I had to take some Yakult for good measure. Nevertheless, it turned out to be among the best meals during that trip.

Summer Winds

I welcomed summer by heading off to Boracay last weekend to cover the 4th leg of the Kiteboard Tour Asia competition. It was my first time to take shots, or even watch, kiteboard riders in action. It was quite an effort to stay focused on the shoot while I was awed by the stunts performed during the freestyle category. Of course, being in Boracay at the start of summer, it was also tempting to just turn the trip into a holiday.



Check my report on Demotix

Enter The Tiger

I found myself in Kuala Lumpur during the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration last Sunday, wandering around Chinatown and visiting the temples in the area. I was fortunate to witness the various religious rituals practiced by the local Chinese community to welcome the New Year.



The Chinese population of Malaysia originated from the settlements established by Hokkien traders in Melaka in the 15th century and the mass migration from China during the tin mining boom in the 19th century. Around the 1850s Raja Abdullah, Malay Chief of Klang, expanded the mines in Ampang . He hired Chinese laborers who arrived and settled at the confluence of the Gumbak and Klang river. This muddly riverbank evolved into a frontier town that would eventually become the city of Kuala Lumpur.

The religious beliefs and practices of the Chinese immigrants are a mixture of influences from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Several temples were built around Kuala Lumpur and they still remain as central places of faith and community for the Malaysian Chinese today. Just around the area of Petaling Street Market in Chinatown, there are three significant temples which are just short walks from each other.

Tucked behind the shop houses along Tun HS Lee and Lebuh Pudu, the Sin Sze Si Ya (or Sze Ya) is supposedly the oldest temple in city. It was built in 1864 by Yap Ah Loy, the Sultan-appointed headman of the Chinese settlers, and the recognized founder of KL. The odd location was based on an advice from a deity, who spoke through a possessed medium. Prosperity and wealth was promised if a temple was built on this site.


Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

Guandi Temple along Tun HS Lee was constructed in 1886. It is dedicated to General Kwan Ti, a renowned warrior worshiped by the Taoist as the deity of war. Its main hall is distinctively smoke-filled from the burning incense coils hanging from the ceiling and paper money burned for good fortune.




Guandi Temple

The Chan She Shu Yuen at the southern end of Petaling Street is the clan house of the Yuens, one of the largest and oldest families in KL. Built in 1897 and completed in 1906, it houses the honorary statues of the clan's first ancestor Shun Emperor Chung Hua Master and his descendants. The clan house was a shelter for newly-arrived extended family members from China and is still significant to the cultural heritage of Chinese community of Kuala Lumpur.




Chan She Shu Yuen Clan House

Catching Up

After weeks of postponed travel plans due to the bad weather conditions, I finally caught up with the Balangay Expedition Team while they made a stop in Bacolod City in time for the Maskara Festival. It was impossible to find accommodations, but I was fortunate to find a room in new hotel at the center of town, right in the middle of all the action. It was just a block away from a concert stage, and trying to sleep after having my fifth cup of double espresso two hours earlier was quite a challenge.

I was actually planning to ride on the Balangay on the leg to Manapla, but the light was just good that morning that I decided to stay at the pier to take long shoots as it departed from Bacolod. I rode with the advance party later that afternoon and waited in the Manapla pier until the crew completed the 11 hour journey.



The Balangay leaves Bacolod...



and arrives in Manapla 11 hours later.

Typhoon Tale

Everyone has a typhoon story but mine is'nt really worth telling. When Typhoon Ondoy hit Manila, I was safe, dry and even in a condition of luxury. I went home late that night, unprepared for what I would find via Facebook. A big part of Metro Manila was submerged in flood water. Almost everyone on my feed where either calling for help, soliciting supply donations, or coordinating rescue and relief operations. Someone from work had to be rescued while she floated in a kiddie pool. People I personally knew where missing and could not be reached. There are countless other stories, some of it we already know, and most would remain untold. As I write this, some flooded areas of Metro Manila have not yet subsided, Northern Luzon was ravaged by another typhoon, and there are still people out there without adequate food supply and shelter. Find out how you can help.

Stranded

My plan was to meet the Balangay Expedition Team in Nasugbo last Saturday and follow the journey until they reach Puerto Gallera. I have not been on the road lately, so the prospect of drifting with the crew for four days was making me loose sleep from anticipation. Three days before I was supposed to leave, the Facebook fan page announced that Diwata ng Lahi was temporarily sheltered in Ternate because of the strong winds and waves induced by an incoming typhoon. The following day I was informed via text message that the leg to Nasugbo was postponed due to the weather condition. By next morning the expedition was officially put on hold and a new expedition schedule was sent via email. It was clear that I was not going anywhere for at least another week.

Not knowing what to do for the next four days, I tried to be productive. I went shopping in Greenhills, bought a pair of knock-off Crocs flip-flops and back-issue magazines. I also took the opportunity to watch District 9 ( which I was expecting to miss because I would be away following the expedition). I was also glued to the TV and the Web to monitor the news on the ferry that sank due to the ongoing typhoon. I had some commitments in Manila during the later part of the week, and based on the new expedition schedule, I can only rendezvous with the team when they reach Puerto Gallera the following Sunday. The new plan was to ride with the crew and shoot from inside the boat during the leg to Calapan. After that, I would head back to Manila and meet them in Boracay the following weekend.

If the whole plan worked out, I would have been writing this entry from Puerto Gallera. Earlier this week, I learned that the continuing typhoon overflowed a damn in Cavite. The strong currents along Ternate river pushed Diwata ng Lahi out into open sea. The remaining watch crew had to sail back to Sangley Point Naval at 12:00 MM. It wasconfirmed that "the boat is still in good condition and the crew is ok". As I write this at home in Manila, I see dark clouds and heavy rain blown by strong winds outside my window.

Maiden Voyage

The Balangay Expedition Team left Manila yesterday for the first leg of their journey that will take them from Manila to Puerto Gallera, stopping by five waypoints along the coastline of Cavite and Batangas. As soon as they left, I rode with the advance party to the first waypoint at Sangley Naval Base in Cavite City. The team arrived four hours later and was welcomed by a full brass band, officers of the Philippine Navy and children from the local school.








The team stayed for an hour before they continued sailing to the next waypoint in Ternate, Cavite. I headed back to Manila after I saw them leave Sangley. I will meet up with them in Calatagan on Saturday and follow the journey to Puerto Gallera.