It has always been my lifetime wish to see them with my own eyes - the starry night sky and the milky way. I learned from environmental articles places where you can enjoy stargazing are somewhere remote, far from lights pollution. I even thought of going to Bario (Sarawak) after seeing a milky way photo posted on Sarawak Travel's Instagram. Suddenly tonight that dream came true! My family was having dinner when the whole town experienced power outage. Instead of updating status about the blackout on Facebook like most would do, I immediately grabbed my Canon Powershot G7X camera (not a DSLR) and went outside to capture some stunning photos. Just for your information, this was my first attempt on astrophotography without prior knowledge. I wasn't sure what to do but it was spontaneous. The night sky was the most mesmerising thing I have ever seen my entire life. There were countless of stars. They reminded me of a verse in the Bible regarding God's promise to Abraham:
"I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies."
Genesis 22:17
God's wonderful creation is indeed something good to behold. I hope in the future I can travel to other quiet places to look at another starry night sky. I would love to see the Northern Lights too (Aurora Borealis).
90s was a decade filled with lots of great music and boy bands especially! However, there's one boy band on earth that has stood the test of time and it's none other than the Backstreet Boys. This year the boys or the all-grown-up boys are celebrating their 22nd anniversary.
Once a legend always a legend. BSB is the best-selling boy band in music history and also one of the world's best-selling artists. Back in the 90s probably it was their looks that caused fan craze, but after two decades it becomes clear that it's their songs which make them truly unforgettable. It's insane to think after 22 years we still can remember the lyrics from their big hits! It was obvious during their recent live concert in Kuala Lumpur, BSB fans had no problem singing all their old songs.
I'm glad I made the right decision to be at BSB concert this time. My teenage dream finally came true, yay! Back in the 90s it would be impossible to realise this dream due to age, distance and financial constraint. I was only in lower secondary school at the time. It's going to take a lot of preparation to go to a concert held in KL, especially for those who are living in Borneo Island. Just to get to the concert, it took me three hours to drive to Kuching International Airport. Then, boarded another two-hour flight to KL. But for the love of BSB, all that didn't matter. I was looking forward to have a blast with my family at their concert.
As I observed, majority of the crowds consisted of those born in the 70s and 80s. Who would have guessed we all could party hard like back in the 90s, and for once in our adulthood we felt like teenagers again! You'd see some jumping, waving, screaming, singing and dancing throughout the concert. So unbelievable their behaviours were no different from either Justin Bieber's or One Direction's young fans!
I think what makes the 'In A World Like This' tour a memorable one is simply because we can sing their popular hits together. It's a lot more entertaining if we can sing along rather than just standing there watching the artists perform. My favourite number would be 'As long as you love me'. The whole concert sort of walked us down the memory lane and reminded us how life in the 90s was very much enjoyable for many teenagers although we didn't have smartphones. Those were the days when we saved our pocket money to buy BSB posters, merchandise, magazines and particularly their cassettes! Yes, CASSETTES. We didn't have CDs, MP3 or iTunes back then. We listened to BSB songs on a radio or a walkman. There was no YouTube to watch their music videos, either they were aired on television or we bought the video cassette. Don't you miss the good old days?
The concert lasted for two hours, too bad it was such a short time. We all wished it could be longer than that. The Backstreet Boys also made an announcement to the fans they are coming up with a documentary movie of the band and they will be going back to the studio in summer to record a new album, how exciting! I would love to watch the movie. Besides, they will come back for another world tour in near future, to promote their new album. Fingers crossed, hope I can make it. For those who missed the recent concert, you can watch the video I recorded down below. I apologise for the shaky video, I was dancing, singing, waving and recording at the same time. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the show.
Thank you Backstreet Boys for making my teenage dream came true!
The Tidal Bore Festival is held annually at Sri Aman town (Sarawak state) and it is better known as Pesta Benak to the locals. It is the only Tidal Bore Festival in Malaysia. Visitors can witness the sudden surge of water in Batang Lupar river at Panorama Benak or waterfront. It occurs twice daily, morning and evening. The king tide is causing water to fill the river and form waves that can be surfed.
The festival is able to attract thousands to the little and peaceful town, both locals and foreigners. Mostly are here to either participate or watch the side-events such as long boat and speed boat race, beauty pageant, body-building competition, exhibitions, cultural performance and many more. For 2015 it was quite special as Fort Alice opened to the public for the first time. The fort was restored to its former glory as a heritage museum for conservation.
The main attraction is always the Benak itself. It captures the interest of both local and international surfers to ride the waves in a crocodile-infested river. Fret not, there has not been any incident reported. According to the local belief, the reptile will not be anywhere near when there is Benak in the river.
To get to Sri Aman is about 2-3 hours ride from Kuching city. If you are from out of town, it is highly recommended to book your hotel early as accommodation is limited during the festival. It is better to stay a night since the Benak usually occurs in the evening.
These few years I have tried to produce a proper recap video for the event and I finally did it. Do take a look at it to give yourself some ideas what the festival is like. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the local council for giving me the photographer pass these few years to capture the moments at the Tidal Bore Festival.
