rollingwheelshutter.com

I have not written anything in length for awhile…well the last was back during studying days. Those days, pen and paper were the essentials for a study before the world was introduced with portability through the means of mobile devices. Yes, back then we had the technologies yet the limitation was always budget to acquire such devices. So, the basics were always pen and paper specially in taking notes and lectures’ stuff. So yeah, it was always related to study notes, exams and academics related.

Personal writing was almost non existence back then. Hardly writing about self experience…be it journals or anything about life when it popped out from my mind because self expression is not how I would characterized of myself. Typical of an introverted person really. But I do know some who are introverted but writes a lot. Verbally may be shy to self express and the only way is through writing.

I’d always express myself through actions indirectly and something that can either be seen tangibly or appreciated. That is how I developed my photography enthusiasm, basically to express myself be it emotion or feeling. I like my expressions to be in visual, something that I can appreciate whenever i glance at the photo. It will always reminds me of an event, journey, mood, or anything that I have experienced in life. The memory is kept lively through the vivid colors of the photo and perspective of the photo itself. Each photo has its own meaning to me and not just a bare photo taken out of nowhere.

Then came with the cycling…well I used to cycle back then when I was still a younger me as mode of transport. Back then when I was in primary up to earlier secondary school, the bicycle will take me from my home to the playground or sometimes the cybercafes (during this period the cybercafe business was a boom and where we the ordinary people had fun of playing multiple players game such as Half Life). I never taken cycling seriously… like really seriously for a sport or leisure… haha because the only idea I had back then was really just as a mode of transport.

But then things changed, I took up cycling when the world was in a total lockdown during COVID. When traveling was totally restricted and the only travel we were allowed just within our residing state and subsequently inter-state before the total blockade was lifted. Since movement was restricted, the only travel leisure was either walking around the neighbourhood or cycling. At first, I opted jogging to relieved myself from the stress and confinement of being restricted with movement. Soon after, friends who had joined the cycling hype suggested me to join them.

I had mixed thoughts, firstly investment on a new bike was expensive since prices of bike had gone insanely during the lockdown period. Thanks to the cycling hype. Secondly, I’m pretty much satisfied with jogging, where not only I had the leisure to move around, enjoying the view but importantly to keep the mind sane through sweating. But then, friends being friends, and little by little, the poisonous words crept into the mind. One fine day, I decided to join them cycling. Thankfully, there was no need for me to buy a new bike since our home had 2 MTB which my dad bought from his friend long before the lockdown.

The bikes were sent for maintenance service and a bit of repair since the condition of both to be fairly great (at least I didn’t had to fork a fortune for this new hobby… at least at that specific moment of time :P). Soon after I joined for my first serious biking trip which started off with a short 20 km of cycling around the neighbourhood. I had a hard time to keep up the speed and keep on pedaling at first. The stamina required for cycling is absolutely different from jogging or running. One may able to run tirelessly but when it comes to cycling, no guarantee that person will able to keep on pedaling for the at least 30 km. I had that hard time but somehow as time went by, the stamina was slowly built and pedaling was no more a burden.

Cycling had brought me to travel within Malaysia (oh in case you are wondering my origin is… yes I’m from Malaysia, a hot tropical country in Southeast Asia, just below Thailand and above Singapore) and also abroad but at the moment I had only the opportunity to travel abroad in southern Thailand since distance wise still manageable from Malaysia’s border due to time constraint (well I have to admit…cycling abroad alone really requires a certain degree of confidence and courage…and for that I really admire those who manage to cycling around the globe in great distance either alone or in pair).

More or less how I started both photography and cycling, and these two pair and fit nicely as hobbies. Always a dream for me to cycle around be it in Malaysia or abroad in great distance to enjoy the scenery along the ride and immense in local culture. Best and effective way of learning how the local live and their culture is through cycling and documented the experience through my camera lens. One of the reason I decided to have this blogging spare with the hope of sharing my thoughts, experience and documented photos on each cycling journey with no limitation solely on cycling but life experience comes with it and others.

Oh another reason is because I have so much of time now since I opted for a mutual separation from my company that I have worked for more than a decade (hehe…yes being unemployed is sucks and at times feel like a loser but hey the time I have now is like a hidden blessing to do things I always wanted to do when still attached to my job. Soon or later time reveal the true blessing of this event and who knows it opens up to other new beginning which I never thought of right? hehe..so yeah that is about it for my first blog and I hope the motivation to persistently write will always lingers around for me to share. Thank you for stopping by and read this first ever post!. Have a great day people!.

This was taken during a weekend cycling trip with a friend. We drove from our place, Putrajaya, capital city close to Kuala Lumpur to up north bordering between Selangor and Perak (2 difference states in Malaysia) at specific location of Kuala Kubu Bharu (a great place to cool off since it’s the closest town before reaching tourist spot, Fraser’s Hill with an average temperature hovering 20 degree and up from Kuala Kubu Bharu is Tanjung Malim, a place blessed with rivers good for picnic).