Video kini

Wesak day is an important day in the buddhist calendar. It is celebrated on the full moon in May, worldwide. It marks the Buddha’s birthday, his enlightenment and death. Citizen journalist, Lim Boo Seng make the round to three buddhist temple in Penang to capture the ambience of Wesak day. The day ended with a night float which always attract curious onlookers, devotees and the tourist alike.

If you think my web header is hot, you ain’t see nothing yet !  See the full picture, it’s hot, sexy, dynamic, energetic !  These pitures were taken somewhere in Aug 2008 during SingFest in Singapore.

An adventure to Bukit Selambau (click to play video)

This was one of those adventures that I will never forget.  You see,  I have recently completed a 2 month free Citizen Journalism course in early March 2009,  held at Aliran,  Penang.  This course was conducted by Malaysiakini in collaboration with Seacem (South East Asian Center for e-Media).   At about the same time,  my course coordinator and trainer,  Malaysiakini’s Maran invited us,  Penang  ICFJ trainees to follow him to Bukit Selambau for a vox pop video sessions in anticipation of the coming April 7  by election (Bukit Selambau, Bukit Gantang, Batang Ai).    Jimmy Leow, Owen Koh and I took up the offer with delight, while the rest of the trainees couldn’t make it.  Can’t really blame them bcos this was an impromptu invitation.

So, the next morning March 14, the 3 of us meet up with Maran at the Aurora apartment in Penang, then had a quick breakfast in a morning market before shooting off.  None of us were sure how to get to our destination,  Taman Ria,  Sungai Petani.  Well,  not to worry, Jimmy put his GPS handphone to work.  We get from point A to point B like a breeze.  I was so impressed,  the GPS even warn you to “Please slow down, please slow down” when speed is exceeded !  I really must get one of those GPS thing.  It’s so so so convenient.

Reached Taman Ria before 11am, Maran started to setup his video gear,  tripod and all.  I follow suit with my humble Canon FS100. Shooting and vox pop started in PKR service office, then proceeded to BN service office which was just 2-3 shop units away.   While Maran was shooting the vox pop with Jimmy Leow at the mike,  I was the third person doing  “The making of Maran in action”.  Overall, it was a successful and satisfying day though a little bit exhausted.

For the rest of the story please watch the video above.

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