Stayed for two nights at Lhokseumawe before catching the flight home in Medan. It was planned because I was just curious. I had been hearing the name for a long while. Here are some pictures of the small town by the sea from my small walk around.
Finally, a photograph of the Islamic Centre in Lhokseumawe. It made my day, because of its spacious ground that didn’t restrict my movements playing with the Samyang shift lens. I took shots of this building left, right and centre.
The Grand Mosque – became a sanctuary when it happened
It has been more than a decade since the destruction caused by the tsunami that hit Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh Province, Indonesia. Life goes on. The city has been rebuilt and looks like any other city in Indonesia. Some scars still remain though. Not only as a reminder, but some, for its exceptionally withstanding the brunt of the force of the wall of water. They are now icons of the tsunami. I am sure there are many, but five of them are now very popular as tourist attractions.
I visited four of them. I missed the dome of a mosque that was swept more than twenty kilometres away inland and stranded in a paddy field.
Masjid Baiturrahim – House of The Merciful Mosque lies near the shore at Ulee Lheue
Masjid Rahmatullah – The Mercy of Allah Mosque at Lampuuk not far away from the shore. I was told that the water reached the dome
This is an electric generator on a barge
A stark contrast of a boat not on water but on a roof of what used to be a house
These days you don’t need to know one of the important aspects of photography, that is, focusing to get a sharp image of the subject. It is done automatically by the camera. For those who have never used a manual lens before, will definitely find it a hassle to deal with when the time comes to deal with one. In the old days one needs to learn the process with the help of a few different types of focusing screens. Nowadays you don’t have that unless the camera has a changeable focusing screen.
The procedure for focusing is very easy. You just need to look at the screen, turn the focusing ring around and stop the focusing ring when the image is sharp. The trouble is, when to stop? Even with focus beep you will probably overshoot a little. What if you don’t have the time to slowly get it in focus? Easier said than done.
Here is a technique that will help you get by and get you a sharp image for wide angle lenses. You don’t even need to look at the screen for focusing. Here’s what to do;
1) Judge the distance of your subject to the camera
2) Turn the focusing ring to the maximum (the infinity mark right on top of the lens)
3) Select your aperture (depends on lighting, the smaller the aperture the better the result will be)
4) Turn the focusing ring until the infinity mark is adjacent to the aperture marking on the lens
Note: There are two similar aperture markings on the lens, they are called Hyperfocal Distance Scale. You can only turn in one direction when the infinity mark is on top of the lens. The reading on the other similar aperture marking, gives the nearest distance that will be in focus. Everything from this point to infinity will be in focus. If your subject is beyond this minimum distance, rest assured that it will be in focus. Just make sure your subject of interest is not too near the minimum distance that will be in focus.
At F11 roughly from 1 metre to infinity will be in focus
I used this technique when I didn’t have the time to focus (also for candid snap) or when it was dark to focus. When using flashgun, choose the aperture that your auto flashgun is capable of. For manual flashgun, you need to know its strength. You have to check it out. You will probably need a bigger aperture when in the open or in a big hall, and will be able to use smaller aperture in a small room because the reflected lights that bounced off the walls help.
That’s for wide angle lenses. In general, the technique for focusing is to start from the maximum distance, infinity mark right on top of the lens. Slowly turn the focusing ring until you get the image looks sharp and then stop. At the focus point (hyperfocal distance), there will be some distance towards the camera that will be in focus and, much more distance away from it will be in focus too. It is called Depth Of Field. How deep or shallow this depth depends on the lens focal point and the aperture used. The wider the lens, the deeper it will be. It could be just in front of the camera to infinity. On the aperture side, you get shallower depth on bigger aperture and deeper depth on smaller aperture. That explains the above technique. The reverse is true for a telephoto lens, the depth of field is shallow and the longer the focal length, the shallower the depth of field will be. The idea is that, if you missed the focusing and get it slightly forward towards the camera, the wider depth of field region behind the focusing point will increase the probability that the subject will still be in focus. Especially on a telephoto lens with wide opening, this technique gives better probability than the reverse method, that is to start focusing from near distance to infinity.
I am not a professional photographer, but in my younger days I was moonlighting a lot as a wedding photographer to help subsidise this hobby of mine. It was not cheap in those days.
Berada di kabupaten (perbandaran kiranya di Malaysia) Aceh Tengah, Takengon adalah salah-satu kecamatan (daerah) di kabupaten ini. Terletak pada ketinggian 1200m dari paras laut, ia dikenali juga dengan nama julukan Tanah Dataran Tinggi Gayo. Untuk sampai ke Takengon, banyak khidmat jalan darat yang disediakan oleh berbagai-bagai perusahaan perjalanan di kota Medan. Jalan-jalan di pergunungan tidaklah luas dan tidak pula mendatar serta berliku-liku, oleh itu, digunakan van untuk perjalanan siang hari dan bas pula digunakan untuk perjalanan malam hari. Pergi saja ke Jalan Gajahmada, Medan, di sana terdapat banyak loket-loket (kaunter) untuk pembelian tiket bus atau van ke Takengon. Perjalanan udara dari Kota Medan ke Bener Meriah, daerah yang bersebelahan dengan daerah Takengon, baharu sahaja diadakan. Buat masa sekarang, hanya Wings Air sahaja yang mengadakan perkhidmat penerbangan ini. Untuk keterangan lanjut, sila cari atas talian.
Danau Lut Tawar kelihatan dari atas bumbong Hotel Bunda
Pemandangan danau dari jalan sisi sebelah utara
Bandar Takengon letaknya di pinggir barat sebuah tasik yang bernama Danau Lut Tawar (Danau Laut Tawar – Adalah lebih baik jika namanya Danau Laut Air Tawar, kerana air yang ditawar itu obat/penawar, semoga sihat sesiapa yang meminum airnya, jauh dari membuat tawar hati). Ia tidaklah begitu besar. Kalau tidak ada masalah kesihatan, boleh saja keliling kota ini dengan berjalan kaki. Pada mereka yang mempunyai semangat ‘adventurism’ yang tinggi dan mempunyai banyak waktu, teruskanlah berjalan kaki mengelilingi danau Lut Tawar. Cuma hati-hati di jalan kerana ia tidak mempunyai kaki-lima (ruang) untuk pejalan kaki. Boleh juga gunakan khidmat becak motor.
Penginapan boleh dipesan atas talian. Saya telah membuat ‘booking’ melalui sesawang Agoda untuk dua malam di Hotel Bunda. Hotel yang sederhana tetapi sangat memuaskan dari segi hidangan sarapannya, tempat terletaknya hotel ini yang agak ‘central’ (boleh melihat pemandangan sekitaran bandar Takengon dan danau dari atas bumbong hotel), cafe dan rumah makan bersebelahan, dan kedai untuk top-up kartu prabayar berada di seberang jalan. Tidak lupa juga terminal bus dan van yang tidak begitu jauh. Saya telah berjalan kaki ke sana untuk membeli tiket perjalanan saya selanjutnya.
Lobi Hotel Bunda
Ruang makan Hotel Bunda
Cuaca di Takengon sejuk tetapi tidaklah keterlaluan. Akan lebih terasa pada malam hari dan pada awal pagi, lebih lagi terasa apabila ditiup angin. Gabungan hawa sejuk ini dan tanah yang subur membuat penghasilan tanaman kopi dari bijiran Robusta dan Arabica yang baik mutunya sehingga bijiran kopi Arabica Tanah Gayo ini boleh mencapai harga yang lebih tinggi dari harga-harga bijiran kopi Arabica dari negara Brazil atau negara-negara Amerika Latin yang lain. Untuk melawat dan melihat kebun dan kilang kopi di Takengon, tanyakan saja pada abang-abang becak, banyak yang tahu dan boleh membawa buat lawatan tetapi tidak semua.
Kopi Gayo pastinya boleh dibawa pulang sebagai oleh-oleh. Oleh-oleh selainnya adalah hasil kerajinan tangan dari orang-orang suku Gayo. Saya tidak memasuki kedai kraft tangan ini, cuma melihatnya dari jauh. Dari yang tradisional, terdapat juga yang baru seperti tas tangan wanita dan tas-tas sandang belakang.
Terminal bus Putra Pelangi Medan
Takengon dari atas bumbong hotel
Masjid Agung Ruhana
Pokok kopi yang dicantas jadi tidak meninggi
Buah kopi Arabica
Yang ini buka awal, kedai kopi kiranya
Cafe
Cafe di sebelah hotel
Yang ini dikatakan terkenal
Cafe Kenlangku tidak jauh dari terminal bas Takengon
Ini menu kopinya, makan juga ada
Van yang dinaiki untuk perjalanan seterusnya
Akhir kata, Takengon adalah tempat kunjungan yang sesuai buat berehat sambil menziarahi dan melihat kebun dan kilang penghasilan kopi (agro tourism kiranya). Menikmati rasa kopinya di cafe-cafe yang terdapat merata, selain dari menikmati hawa dingin, pemandangan serta semestinya rasa masakan Aceh yang tidak banyak bezanya tetapi ada kelainannya. Ada lagi tempat-tempat yang boleh diziarahi seperti air terjun, tempat yang ada cerita legenda dan acara tahunan seperti pacuan kuda gayo. Itu semua mungkin pada ziarah yang akan datang jika diizinkah Allah. Amin.
Happy Eid Mubarak greetings to all muslims on this auspicious day of Eid al-Fitri. As we say in Southeast Asia, “Selamat Hari Raya ‘Idil Fitri” or “Selamat Hari Lebaran.” May all our deeds this passed Ramadhan are well received by the Al-Mighty and all our sins erased so that we may return back to our ‘Fitrah’ state. I would like to add in my lingo, “Maaf Lahir dan Bathin (forgive my overt and covert wrongdoing if any) to all that know this yours truly.”
The Malays have tons of Hari Raya songs (Eid songs), just check it out on Youtube. I have three of them linked here. The level of the Malay language used in some of these Eid songs is high that sometimes I can only barely managed to grasp the meaning.
SALAM DUNIA – Peace to the world
Chorus;
Salam dunia, Salam semua – Peace to the world, Peace to all
Salam Hari Raya, Bersinar akhirnya – Peace to this Hari Raya (Eid), Shining at last
ANUGERAH AIDILFITRI – Awards of Eid Al-Fitri
Mankind is a forgetful lot, denying and/or forgetting the favours blessed upon them by their Lord.
Heart wrenching chorus;
Mari puji-memuji kepada tuhan – Come let’s praise The Lord
Titis kasihNya melimpah seluruh alam – Bead of His Love overflows all over the realm/universe
Mari puji-memuji tuhan yang esa – Come praise The One and Only (unique) Lord
Insafi nikmat diberi di Hari Raya – Be repented for favours granted this Hari Raya
NAZAM LEBARAN – Poem of Eid
Chorus;
Berdendang mari berdendang, Berdendang di seluruh alam – Hum, come lets hum, Hum all over the realm (Universe)
Bergema suara bergema, Nazam lebaran – Resonate the voice resonate, Poem of Eid
Bertingkah rentak bertingkah – Bertingkah paluan rebana – Behave, the beat behave – Behave, the beating of rebana*
Sesuatu yang telah lama terpendam di dalam jiwa ini yang tidak aku ketahui akan keberadaannya hanya merasakan sesuatu tanpa kuhiraukan. Kini beberapa hari sebelum menjelangnya bulan Ramadhan yang mulia ini, aku telah disadari akan keberadaannya, sesuatu yang menenangkan jiwa ini bilamana aku ingatkannya. Inilah dia yang aku maksudkan, yang mengingatkan aku kepada yang dicintai;
HASBUNALLAH WANI’MAL WAKIL
Dan ini penjelasan lanjut bagi yang dicintai;
Tidak sempurna cinta itu kalau tidak mencintai sesuatu yang dicintai oleh yang kita cintai;
Kepada sekalian muslimin dan muslimat saya ucapkan,
“Selamat menjalankan ibadah puasa Ramadhan, semoga ibadah puasanya dan lain-lain ibadah yang dikerjakan sepanjang bulan yang mulia ini diterima Allah s.w.t.”.
Bersungguh-sungguhlah dan hayatilah menjalan ibadah ini kerana dengan keadaan dunia masakini yang semakin lama semakin meresahkan, diharapkan ianya dapat memperteguhkan diri dan jiwa buat menghadapi masa-masa yang mendatang. Amin, Ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.
Tabung ini telah dirasmikan pada tahun 2010 oleh Menteri Besar Johor ketika itu YAB Datok Haji Abdul Ghani Othman. Sudah agak lama, akan tetapi maklumat yang penting berkaitan tabung ini amat sukar mendapatkannya atas talian. Yang saya mahukan ialah nombor akaun bank untuk saya menyalurkan matawang yang saya mahu salurkan. Tiada saya menjumpainya. Mungkin juga di Facebook, tetapi maaf, tidak pula saya menggunakannya jika diperlukan loggin-in. Sebenarnya saya ada menyimpan nombor akaunnya di komputer peribadi saya, tapi entah di mana. Saya ambil jalan mudah, cari atas talian. Rupa-rupanya ia tidak mudah dan senang. Akibatnya mahu tidak mahu terpaksalah saya cari nombor akaun itu di komputer peribadi saya.
Alhamdulillah telah pun saya mendapatinya. Di sini, ingin saya catatkan nombor akaun Tabung Pembangunan Masjid Dan Amal Jariah Johor bagi diri saya sendiri dan sesiapa yang ingin mengetahuinya.
Bank: Maybank
Nama: Tabung Pemb Masjid
Nombor Akaun: 551016202271
Sangat-sangatlah diharapkan agar pihak yang bertanggung jawab atas urusan tabung ini memastikan yang nombor akaun tabung ini mudah diperolehi atas talian kerana nombor talipon tidak boleh digunakan ketika luar waktu pejabat. Ribuan terima kasih diucapkan.
Keadaan semasa di Mina dekat Jamrah dan kelihatan di belakang Masjid Khif
Saya ucapkan kepada sekalian muslimin dan muslimat, “Selamat Hari Raya ‘Idil Adha.”
Dua ucapan yang lain yang biasa juga kita gunakan ialah “Selamat Hari Raya Haji” dan “Selamat Hari Raya Korban.” Ini kerana ibadah Haji dan Korban yang dilaksanakan ketika ini.
Singkatan dari pelajaran yang boleh didapati dari sejarah perayaan ini ialah kalau kita dengan iklas melakukan ibadah/perintah Allah Ta’ala walaupun berat, pasti akan diberi jalan keluar serta mendapat RahmatNya, Tuhan yang Maha Esa yang senantiasa Maha Mengasihani dan sangat Maha Mengasihani.
Semoga ibadah-ibadah Haji dan Korban yang dilakukan diterima Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala. Amin, ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.
I decided to test the cyclo-cross and build up my strength and stamina cycling a slightly longer distance last Sunday to the town of Pontian Kechil shortcutting the main road by going through palm oil plantations which have a mixed of paved and dirt/gravel roads. It was a leisurely ride as I didn’t have the required fitness yet and obviously there were lots of stoppages in parts due to rains, photography, tiredness and lastly as I expected, saddle sore. All in all, it took me four and half hours to reach Pontian Kechil. On reaching Pontian Kechil the bike became slightly heavy which I found caused by the brake pad touching the rotor. Without the necessary tools, I was unable to readjust it. The only tool that I brought along was the air pump. Tired, sore butt plus if I were to cycle home, part of the journey will be in the night and if I were to go by the main roads, the distance will be longer, I decided to get a taxi home.
Two lessons learned from this trip, one is that I need to set aside a generous amount of time for the trip and rest if I’m not spending the night and bring along tools to do repair/adjustment. For longer distances, spare tube is a must. The other, cycling on dirt/gravel road is more tiring due to lack of traction and rolling. It is akin to running on a beach, nevertheless, it helps build up strength and stamina.
Actually three lessons learned…I read how to avoid saddle sore.
This is where the journey began
Through palm oil plantations
The kampung road lined with oil lamps in celebration of Eid
Trying to get a sharp foreground and a streaking background, guess lens is too wide and/or speed is too slow or need to angle down
First rest due to rain
This non-flying bird killed on a very low traffic road
This is part of the reasons for cyclo-cross
Pontian besar river, there’s quite a large monitor lizard at the bend
It started to rain again
Old palm trees are killed and replace
One of the signs of countryside
It’s a long long dirt/gravel road
These are bird’s nests, I don’t know if it’s genuine or fake (yup, it’s genuine alright, there are many others around and belong to the Weaver Birds, a protected species in Malaysia including its nests)
Parit Sikom, from here onwards the roads are paved
Saddle sore made me stop here, Pontian Kechil is not far away
Pontian Kechil waterfront and the Straits of Malacca
