Bird watching and photography is a great source of happiness for me. The joy of photographing a bird that I have never photographed before gives me a sense of thrill and joyful glee. On my January 1 2022 trip to the Kuala Baram Wetlands, I was able to capture sharp images of a lesser adjutant and a stork-billed kingfisher.  The ...

It was on the January 1 of this year that I encountered a lesser adjutant (秃鹳 in Chinese or Burung-Botak Kecil in Malay) for the first time in my life at Kuala Baram Wetlands. I viewed that as a great start to 2022! The Lesser Adjutants (Leptoptilos javanicus) are large wading birds in the stork family Ciconiidae that are found in South and South-east Asia. They ...

Guy Lafleur succumbed to lung cancer yesterday in palliative care in a suburb of Montreal. He was 70. Lafleur was someone I have a great admiration for. I was studying in Montreal when Lafleur was playing for the Montreal Canadiens and I had watched many of his games in the National Hockey League (NHL) on television. On nights when Lafleur ...

I could not believe my eyes when I saw this on Ebay. This Malaysian first day cover has just been sold for USD43,278 in an Ebay auction by an Italy-based seller named Lirpa Loof. The first day cover was issued in 1963 in commemoration of the inauguration of Malaysia but what makes this particular first day cover so special is ...

I see many dead trees all around Miri and I used to wonder why they are not cut down. But now I know why. Standing dead and dying trees are called “snags.”  Such trees occur as a result of disease, lightning, fire, animal damage, too much shade, drought, root competition, as well as old age. Many dead trees remain standing without posing a threat ...

The Seventeen Second Miracle by Jason F. Wright is a heartwarming story about loss, tragedy, forgiveness, healing, love and the joy that comes when you reach out to make a difference in the life of another. Small kindnesses can lead to  life-changing miracles. Rex Connor learned on a summer afternoon in September 1970 that seventeen seconds can change a life forever when, ...

Election fever is in the air, everywhere I look around Election fever is in the air, every sight and every sound But I don’t know why there’re so many candidates Some of them will lose their deposits as a matter of fact They’re there to make up the numbers Caught up in the more-the-merrier fever   Election fever is in the air, ...

The seahorse is Miri’s official mascot. It is little wonder that you can see seahorse mascots all over the city. The biggest seahorse in Miri is the iconic 25 metre tall seahorse lighthouse located at Coco Cabana. It is one of the top favourite photography spots in the city. Another very popular seahorse is the one located at Miri Waterfront. ...

A breed of dogs is enjoying worldwide popularity thanks to hot meme cryptocurrencies. I am talking about Shiba Inu dogs. In 2013 the crypto world was introduced to Shiba Inus when Dogecoin, created by IBM software engineer Billy Markus and Adobe software engineer Jackson Palmer as a joke in response to other cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, picked the breed as its mascot. The viral meme,  called ...

Within the next few days, I will be awarded the coveted title of “datuk.” No, it is not a title bestowed on me by the Sarawak Government or the governor of Sarawak. This is a title I feel really honoured to accept because I know that being a grandfather is a luxury not everyone is fortunate enough to enjoy. And it is a title that ...