The U.N. Headquarters

You know those places that you see in movies and on the news so often that they become a part of your mental landscape? For me, the United Nations Headquarters in New York was one of them. As a traveler, it's easy to just walk by and snap a photo of the flags, but as an architecture enthusiast and a critic, I had to see it up close. What I found was a fascinating, and at times contradictory, monument to a post-war ideal.

First off, let’s talk about the journey. My backpacker budget meant no fancy tour, but the great thing about this place is you don't need one to appreciate the exterior. The site itself is an oasis of calm in the chaotic urban jungle of Manhattan's Turtle Bay. A little known fun fact: the land is considered international territory. You're technically no longer in the U.S. when you're on the grounds, a concept that's mind-boggling for a wanderer like me. Another cool tidbit is that the land for the complex was a last-minute gift from John D. Rockefeller Jr., who bought a rather run-down area of slaughterhouses to make this vision a reality.

Now, for the main event: the architecture. The complex is a prime example of the International Style, which was all the rage in the mid-20th century. The team of architects was a veritable who's who of modernism, led by Wallace Harrison and featuring legends like Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer.

I have to admit, standing there, the Secretariat Building is impressive. It’s a sleek, rectangular slab of glass and Vermont marble, with those iconic green glass curtain walls that shimmer in the sunlight. It's meant to symbolize transparency and cooperation, which is a beautiful concept. The General Assembly Building, with its shallow dome, is a striking contrast to the towering slab. But here’s where the critic in me comes out. While the design is a testament to the optimistic idealism of the time, it's also a bit sterile. It's so clean and functional that it almost feels cold, a stark white canvas that perhaps, in its attempt to be universally palatable, lacks a certain soul. The collaboration between the architects was notoriously fraught with ego, and while the result is cohesive, you can almost feel the tension in the design's rigidity. The building is a symbol of unity, but its construction was a messy negotiation, a paradox that I find deeply compelling.

In the end, the UN Headquarters isn’t just a building; it’s an architectural manifestation of a global experiment. It's a place where high-minded ideals of peace and cooperation are literally built into the structure, but a closer look reveals the inevitable cracks and compromises of a project of this scale. It's a must-see for any traveler who wants to look past the postcard-perfect images and a fascinating case study for anyone who loves architecture and the stories it tells.

Penang Heritage

A day walking by in the World Heritage City of Georgetown, Penang does not enough. As a backpacker, all you need in your backpack are some survival kits that are needed while you travel in this city. You need a bottle of drinking water because the weather in Penang is hot. Besides that, a map of Penang is useful as you will be lost in this city if you do not have any communication skills.

          However, communication skills are very important especially basic English language because the Malaysians especially the Penangites can speak English fluently as most of them have learnt English in school. That is why tourists are advised to ask directions from the locals as they can help to guide.

Light Street where official state government buildings are standing in this street.

          From the photo on the left shows Lebuh Light also known as Light Street. This street is dedicated to the name of the first Englishman who settled Penang in 1771 named Francis Light. He was one of the settlers which contributed in  the Penang island modernisation and named this island as Prince of Wales Island. During the colonial era of the Great Britain, Penang became the busiest port in Northern peninsula of Malaya due to many settlers and traders came to do their business and servicing their ships in that time until nowadays. Now, this street is located on the Esplanade.

A mural on the wall of The Grand Swiss Hotel entrances featuring Marilyn Monroe.

          Other that Light Street, about 10 minutes by walking distance, you can find a street called Lebuh Chulia (Chulia Street) where there are a variety of Indian and Chinese shophouses along the roadside. This road is quite happening and there are a bunch of hotels for tourists to stay for a night including the Grand Swiss Hotel. These hotels in Chulia Street are based on Baba & Nyonya concepts which are a unique ethnic in the Straits Settlements (Penang, Malacca and also Singapore). To describe Baba & Nyonya, they are a group of Chinese ethics which practising Malay tradition culture including clothing, food and language used in their daily lives.

Bali's Sunset

A calm-wavy sea  and a bunch of crowded humans

This image was taken while travelling in Bali. Most of the tourists were here to watch a traditional dance, called Tarian Kecak or Kecak Dance, which is one of the Indonesian's culture in Uluwati. I recommend for those who haven't visit Bali, we could feel an obvious different in cultures or way of life.
"Life is too short for us to experience it"

  

Looking for  glowing sun at the horizon

Sitting on the shore,

With you so close by my side,

Watching the horizon,

And the slowly receding tide,

An orange red glow,

Slowly spreads across the calm sea,

The beauty of nature,

On display here for you and me.

What is KECAK DANCE? 

Kecak Dance

Tari Kecak stands out because most Balinese dances are generally accompanied by gamelan music whereas Tari Kecak is simply accompanied by a cappella chorus of dozens of men including one leader to set the tones, one soloist, one in charge of intoning high and low notes, as well as a narrator. The men wear black-and-white sarongs and are seated in tight, concentric circles with a central space reserved for the protagonists.

Tari Kecak depicts a shorter version of the Ramayana with dancers playing Rama, Sita, Ravana, Lakshmana, Hanuman and Sugriva. The storyline generally starts from when prince Rama goes to the woods with Sita, his wife, and Lakshmana, his brother. There, Ravana kidnaps Sita and imprisons her in his castle. Rama seeks for help and sends Lakshmana to find his friend, Sugriva, the King of the Monkey Kingdom. Hanuman, Sugriva’s commander, is sent to check on Sita in Ravana’s palace and Rama finally begins the battle.

At first, Ravana wins, but Sugriva and Hanuman then come to Rama’s aid with monkey troops. Sugriva finally wins. The male chorus chants ‘chack’, representing the sound of the monkey troops. The soft rattling sound of bells around the protagonists’ ankles is the only addition to Tari Kecak’s music background.

Paddy Experience in Jogjakarta

Hey there, today I would like to share something about my experience visiting Indonesia last year for a humanitarian project and cultural exchange in a village near Jogjakarta. For the first time visit, my friends and I went to the village by a mini coaster that took us from Jogjakarta Airport. Then, our journey took about 8 hours (it's quite long with a few stops). That was tiring but we're delighted by some picturesque scenery around the road that we passed especially the paddy fields.

A picturesque scenery at paddy field.

          It was very cool as I came from a modernized city life that makes me amazed when seeing those huge green paddy fields around the road in this country. Well, Indonesia is the world's third-largest rice producer and also one of the world's biggest rice consumers. Rice is the most important food crop in the country. Prime Javanese paddy fields roughly 6 metric tons of unmilled rice) per hectare. The fertile volcanic soil of much of the Indonesian archipelago and particularly the islands of Java and Bali has made rice a central dietary staple. Rice harvesting in Central Java is often performed not by owners or sharecroppers of paddy, but rather by itinerant middlemen, whose small firms specialize in harvesting, transport, milling and distribution to markets.

A farmer is assembling the paddy seeds.

          After the arrival, we were brought into the paddy field which is located exactly around the village. It was really interesting for me to watch those local farmers busy arranging the paddy seeds in the muddy paddy field. One of them asked me to join. Wow, that was the most exciting moment that I've before. Yeah, dumping in the mud for the first time! For that first time, it was an awkward moment since my feet were sticky inside the paddy field plus cools my feet in the hot and sunny weather. Every mistake that I've done were patiently corrected by the local farmers. They giggled at me when I fell down into the mud. It was a hilarious moment for them so do to my friends who watched my silly scene. After a few trials, I've managed to assemble paddy seeds for two boxes of field. It was very tiring that made me feel exhausted which affected me during the night when my friends noticed me that I snored a lot while sleeping in the living room of the village's chief house as our homestay.

Street Art in Penang

In conjuction with Penang’s Georgetown Festival, certain old walls within our dear capital has gained a new lease of life, thanks to the awesome efforts of Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic, Penang Street Art artist. Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic is leaving his mark with beautiful wall painting of children all across historical Georgetown. The artworks are funny, fascinating and very much open to everyone’s interpretations.

Pau seller

          This photo is taken nearby Penang Road which is located opposite to Benggali Mosque. In this busy road, I found a mural which shows a Chinese guy selling pau usually in night market and street hawkers.

A Vast Sky

A sky there is no limit. Do not be a prisoner of our own mind. Be free like a bird, fly limitless. Experience the thing that never be experience by someone else.

Journey: Highway to Perlis

Architect's View (Part II)

Kereta api Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTM) (Jawi: كريتاڤي تانه ملايو برحد) or Malayan Railways Limited is the main rail operator in Peninsular Malaysia. The railway system dates back to the British colonial era, when it was first built to transport tin. Previously known as the Federated Malay States Railways (FMSR) and the Malayan Railway Administration (MRA), Kereta api Tanah Melayu acquired its current name in 1962. The organisation was corporatised in 1992, but remains wholly owned by the Malaysian government. Fares are generally reasonable, but the low frequency of the intercity trains does not usually make them competitive with other modes of transportation.

KTMB Headquartres, Kuala Lumpur

          Situated at the far corner along Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin (it was previously Victory Avenue) and Jalan Perdana in Kuala Lumpur, the Malayan Railway Administration Office, also known as Keretapi Tanah Melayu (Berhad), KTMB was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback, a colonial-government architect who was at that time the Architectural Assistant to the Director of Public Works. The Malayan Railway Administration Office building was formerly known as the FMS Railway Head Administration Office. The initial planning started in 1913 and construction began at 1914. However, due to the impact from World War I and sluggish economy, construction progress was rather sluggish and the building was only completed in November 1917 after the First World War ended. It was handled and planned by C.E Spooner, the Director of PWD and also General Manager of F. M. S. Railway from 1901- 1909 with the help of Ang Sing, a local contractor. The total sum of construction was RM780,422. The Malayan Railway Administration Office building is the final government building to be built under the “Monumental Buildings Programme”. The programme started with the construction of Sultan Abdul Samad building and ended with Malayan Railway building namely around 1895 to 1917. During the Second World War in 1945, this building was the train administrative centre at that time which escaped the bombing in 1945 during World War II. This building is located opposite the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station building, separated by Jalan Hishamuddin. Initially, this building is used as FMS Railway Head Administration Office. Later in 1946, it was known as “Malayan Railway Administration Headquarters”, and in 1985 it is fully-utilized as KTM Berhad’s head office.