Update aplenty

It looked to be a heavy weekend coming. Heavy in terms of the amount of data I would likely be downloading. I have jut dine the iPhone and iPad update. Next, Lion. But with the planned Haematology Update going on this weekend, I would rather wait until that was done until I get the update going.

The Lion update would be very interesting. It would open up iCloud, an exciting new way to interact with the web. So, better start backing the harddrive. I don't want any mishaps.

Early Night

The boys were both on school holidays and we the plan for the weekend were almost set. They had also had their photographs taken for their passports. Maybe we might just take a trip or two abroad ..... but it would just be Penang for the weekend.

As for tonight, it would be dinner next, and maybe an early peaceful night. I know I have plenty still to do, buy I prefer to get them done early tomorrow morning. Here is hoping for an early start tomorrow morning ....

The 5 minute thingy

Yours truly and Azlan, the photographer extraordinaire. It was a pleasure.20 photos. 5 minutes. Doing the maths, that would be 15 seconds per slide. And that can be intense especially if you were in the middle of your thoughts, and without a PA system, having to shout at the top of your voice against the drum beat of a nearby sound stage. Well, in a nutshell, that was what the 5 Minute Photo Express was all about. All together, we had 15 speakers, spread over 3 sessions who were brave enough to come forward. But I must say, it was a huge success. The only thing we could have done better would be to publicise the even on a bigger scale. Anyway, we made the most of what we had, and still people flocked in.

We had an experimental photographer in Azlan, who exclusively takes medium format slides. He explained the thinking and motivations behind his photographs, grabbing the attention of the listeners no end. Then we had a disabled photographer, taking photographs rolling around on his wheelchair, a travel photographers or two. Somebody who was at the Bersih event the weekend previously. We had Ripi talking about the beauty of blurred photographs, with his memorable quote of - a single frame is a mistake, a dozen frames is an experiment, and hundred frames would be a trend!

Shaz preparing the slides@chimagination and his Million Happy Faces projectWe also had a lady from China, Loh Chi Meng talking about his Million Happy Faces project, Shaz - the host with photographs of blue sky, Prakash on his recent journey to Jakarta. A mixed bag, and that was the beauty of it. I wished that the event was held indoors, like it was in the last Urbsanscapes, with better projections, and without the need to shout at the top of your voice. We would also be able to interact better as well, as interaction was what it was all about …. I just wished that we had the session videoed. That would have been nice …

KLPAC vs Astaka

This pics summed up Urbanscapes 2009, simple, cosy and funI went on quite a bit about how much I felt that transferring the Urbanscapes venue from KLPAC to Astaka in the previous entry. I personally felt that more or less, the event had lost its charm. The main difference was the fact that KLPAC offered an indoor facility. Having the event in a big was restrictive, especially if you depended on visual and audio projection for your presentation. At KLPAC, we would have been able to present using a proper soundstage and projector, away from the hustle and bustle of the loud PA system. Our presenter had to practically shout at the top of their voice to make their ideas to be heard, and it really spoilt their presentation. Not to mention also that the surrounding was too bright for their slides to project as intended. We had to move the projector forward nearer the screen and we ended with a tiny slideshows in the end. Not ideal.

At the KLickrVille, during the 5 Minute Photo Express

http://www.flickr.com/photos/harisrahman/5944721541/in/set-72157627198960682

There was also the humidity and the heat. Indoor facilities at KLPAC offered air-conditioning, as well as proper toilets and most importantly, decent facility for solat. It was too loud at Astaka to do any of that. This certainly put a lot of people off. The Padang Astaka also felt too big and scarce, not the cosy green surrounding if KLPAC. There were plenty of trees there, and there were separate outdoor and indoor concert venue. We were lucky that there was no rain on the day. Rain is something one can cope with but imagine a heavy downpour, with lightning and thunder? Being in an open field was never a great idea. Some might argue that Astaka would be cheaper and hence the cost would not be transferred to the punters. Well, RM 40 for the entrance fee, plus RM 10 for a plain hotdog with a can of Coke was not exactly exactly cheap was it? I found the argument about cost a rather lame one. I believe that if the event was great, people would flock in. I remembered Urbanscapes being really a tight squeeze in 2009. There a charm in that.

Will I return for a similar event in 2012? Of course I would, but that would be to support local outdoor arts activities, something that I felt the great city of KL should embrace. It was clearly a better advertisement of 1Malaysia than any Government vehicles could offer. There were scattered murmuring of another event which happened the previous weekend - *cough* Bersih *cough* - but nobody, except for a guy in a Pikachu suit was wearing yellow. There was even a voter registration booth on site for good measure. Everything was peaceful, and it was a grand day out still. However, I might just hang around for a bit if the venue is Astaka. Should the venue return to KLPAC however, I would snatch for a ticket even today ........

Urbanscapes 2011

It's Monday. And Urbanscapes was 48 hours ago. My head was still buzzing from the laughter excitement and music from the day. This time I was heavily involved with the KLickr events this time around. It was a long and tiring day. But looking back, I was rather proud of what we done especially the 5 minutes Photo Express. Oh! And before I go on, please look at my collection of photographs from the day here.

I missed last year's event as I was in Lumut giving a lecture. This year, the went was moved from KLPAC to Padang Astaka in PJ. Before I go any further, I can sense there were two groups of people who turned up that day, the first-timer who heard great things or been told of activities happening at Urbanscapes in the previous years, and those who had been to previous events. I belong to the second group - yes, I'm old - and there was a part of me that felt Urbanscapes has lost some of its charm. KLPAC was cosy and should I say, rather exclusive. It was like an escape IN THE MIDDLE of KL.

Tumbleweeds maybe?Even Pikachu was around ....The hotair balloon was unfortunately all hot air. It was a non-event ....Fancy a cup of tea?Batman with lipstick?And the night festivities kicked off after dark ....

You drive into the greenery of Sentul Park and in the middle of nowhere you would find a lake, and a studio, with cosy, breezy surrounding. The organizer might try to convince you otherwise, but the charm was now clearly not there anymore. KLPAC also allowed for both indoors and outdoors activities but I shall keep discussions on a later date. As for this entry, I just want to let the pictures tell the story ......