Photography is one of my favorite ways to see the world.

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    • Roadtrip to Tretes

      Published on Invalid DateTime

      A memory I will always treasure: the opportunities I've had to visit Tretes. Going to Tretes always means going on a short road trip with my best friend of 25 years. I remember listening to her describe her home to me, when we met as teenagers in Singapore, and dreaming about going there with her one day.

      Indeed, we stayed friends, and I've visited. Many times. While I live ten thousand miles away now, Indonesia, especially East Java, will always have a special place in my heart.

      This past weekend, we managed to get up to Tretes again. The trip was remarkably the same as every other time. Consistently delightful food and company. I am going to miss this. And everyone.

      a scan of a color photo of a restaurant in Indonesia called Margo Rukun

      Absolutely delightful rawon, pecel and empal. Possibly one of my favorite restaurants in the world.

      2. a scan of a color photo of wooden tables inside a restaurant that is slightly dark, with sunlight streaming onto a table that has a tissue paper box

      Sunlight trickling into the restaurant we usually stop at.

      a scan of a color photo showing bags of krupuk (Indonesian crackers) hanging

      I don't know anyone who eats as much krupuk as I do. And it's the best in this part of the world.

      a scan of a color photo of rawon, an Indonesian beef soup, on a wooden table with tea

      Nasi rawon is my favorite dish in Indonesian cuisine. I can eat it a few times a day, every day. That I don't get (good versions of) it, or at all, abroad, is why I feel the need to really focus on my rawon time when I am in East Java.

      a scan of a color photo of a valley in East Java from the top of a building

      Check out the view. You can't hear it, but there was also beautiful traditional / classical Javanese music streaming out of a school or home in the valley below. Culturally, this part of the world just speaks to my soul.

      (All photos taken on Nikon FE, Kodak Gold 200, developed and scanned by Whampoa Colour Centre, Singapore)

    • Doors of Surabaya

      Published on September 26, 2023

      One of my oldest friends in the world lives in Surabaya. I love visiting her. Not only is the food one of my favorite cuisines (East Java food is my favorite Indonesian regional food, and it can be hard to get abroad), the city is also a place I enjoy photographing. Eat, shoot, eat, shoot. That's basically all I do there.

      This was my first time there with a film camera. I brought my trusty tiny Nikon FE with a 28mm f.28 lens, as well as a 50mm pancake f1.8 lens. That's really all I need on a vacation.

      I even got the film sent off and developed at a local lab in Surabaya, which I was happy with.

      a scan of a color photo showing a large old green door with metal handles

      Green.

      a scan of a color photo showing an old pale blue door and dirty cement and metal bars

      Old.

      a scan of a color photo showing a Chinese Indonesian noodle shop in old Surabaya with Chinese and Indonesian words. The door is green with yellow features

      Noodles.

      a scan of a color photo showing a no parking sign written in the Indonesian language

      No parking.

      a scan of a color photo showing rainbow colored pillars outside a kindergarten in Indonesia

      Rainbow.

      I'm getting into the swing of things, shooting and developing film locally. Although I miss developing film since I'm so used to it, it's nice to see what services are available.

      (All photos taken on Nikon FE with either 28mm or 50mm lens. All photos are Kodak Gold 200, dev and scan by Impossible Lab Surabaya)

    • Bencoolen Street

      Published on September 22, 2023

      I lived in the Prinsep Street / Bencoolen neighbourhood in the early / mid 2000s. I've always enjoyed the vibrant street life. It is close to everything I love: Little India, Arab Street, Sim Lim Square, Sim Lim Tower, Burlington Square, and more. From early morning till late night, there's always something fun to do and see here.

      On my first full day back in Singapore today, I walked from Whampoa to Bencoolen then to Orchard Road. It felt like I got to see some of the same places and people (popped in to many of the film photography stores I used to frequent). As with everything else about this place, everything has changed. But Bencoolen Street is still the place of temples, synagogues, churches and street life that I remember it to be.

      I even got my film developed and scanned in 3 hours (shout out to Triple D Minilab)!

      a scan of a color photo showing a geometric office building juxtaposed against another one

      Windows.

      a scan of a color photo showing a man leaning against the side of a temple wall, and a truck on the right side of the photo

      Temples and trucks.

      a scan of a color photo showing a carving of a Hindu deity on the side of the Sri Krishnan temple

      Deities.

      a scan of a color photo showing devotees praying at a Hindu temple in Singapore

      Prayers.

      a scan of a color photo showing the exterior of a Japanese-inspired coffee shop in Singapore called Kurasu

      Great coffee.

      a scan of a color photo showing little weird statues of cats, swans and rabbits in a car park in singapore

      Cats, swans, rabbits.

      a scan of a color photo showing the exterior of an intricate old building in singapore with green, pink and yellow colors

      Heritage.

      a scan of a color photo showing two cartoonish green characters by the side of a long hallway

      Googly eyes.

      a scan of a color photo showing a historical green building

      Green.

      a scan of a color photo showing a fedex van by the side of a historical green building

      Objectifs, a non-profit arts space dedicated to film and photography.

    • Alameda Americana

      Published on September 17, 2023

      It is only in my thirties that I have started to think this: growing up in a city-state where the 'capital of Singapore is Singapore' (from an Alfian Sa'at poem) is a unique experience not understood by many globally. That when nationalistic people in city-states say 'if you don't like it, leave', it's really about leaving your entire country behind. There is nowhere else to go.

      So the idea that one can simply leave your city and find another one, is a way of thinking that has not really properly entered my mind. I have no sense of how large a country, or even a county can be. Back home, whenever I wanted a change of scene, I had to leave the country.

      I spend some of my days in Alameda, a town accessible from San Francisco by ferry. Some people take the ferry to work. I've always found it quaint. It feels like the kind of small town America you might see on TV. I don't really see elements of this lifestyle (or urban setting) where I live in San Francisco. Some times, it's just nice to be able to be briefly away from what you know.

      a scan of a black and white photo showing people standing on a wooden boardwalk looking at birds

      Birding at Elsie Roemer bird sanctuary.

      a scan of a black and white photo showing a beach hut on a beach in Alameda, California

      Don't be deceived: beaches in Northern California look gorgeous, but the water is much too cold!

      a scan of a black and white photo showing stone textures on pillars on a building

      Textures.

      a scan of a black and white photo showing an old school home with a car covered with a sheet outside, the sheet has a clear outline of a retro style car.

      Retro cars and homes.

      a scan of a black and white photo showing some blocky apartments lined with cars outside

      Shoreline apartments.

      Alameda has birds, food, coffee, and soon, good Singaporean food (at Mama Judy's), so I expect to be spending much more time there in the future.

      All photos taken with Nikonos V, on Kodak 5222 film, developed in Rodinal 1:25 for 5:45 min, and scanned on Plustek 8200i.

    • Little India, Singapore

      Published on September 12, 2023

      The last time I was home in Singapore, I did one of my favorite alone activities: I walked a lot, and ended up in Little India. I did a 7km walk starting at sunset, and wound up there just in time for all kinds of fun. Since Mustafa Centre is 24 hours, and my favorite naan shop (Usman, along Desker Road) is open till 3 or 4, I am never in much of a hurry.

      It was also mango season.

      a color photo of mangoes

      Mango season is my favorite season. And when that happens, I prefer to be in India or Singapore. (More on mangoes here)

      a color photo of some jasmine flowers for the temple

      The smell of jasmine flowers tells me there are devotees and a temple nearby. It also smells of home.

      a color photograph of a part of Mustafa Centre

      Mustafa Centre. How do I even describe how much I love it?

      a color photo of a sign that says cold craft Indian beer

      I would have loved this, if I was still into booze.

      a color photograph of a tailor on the street mending some clothes

      I've always loved this neighborhood the most because of all of the street life.

      (All photos taken on Ricoh GR III)

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