I Need My Baby!

In the days before Custer was even born, the vast land of North America was the home to peace-loving people of various tribes and nations, and not the war-mongers and scalp hunters as western movies of the past portrayed them to be. True, the different tribe did engage themselves in battles with their neighbours. But it might be surprising to note that in at least one of the tribes, a greater honour is placed not in the killing of an enemy, but to touch him in a battle: coup! (click here).

To claim a coup, the warrior would be need to confront an enemy, touch him with his hand or coup-stick, and escape unharmed. The more coup the warrior achieve (each coup must have a witness), the higher he stands in his tribe, with feathers worn on his headgear as a testament to his bravery. However, there is another form of coup which does not add to a warrior's tale. And that is when he hunts a deer not for food, but just to touch it. The idea, is to test his skills in approaching a quarry undetected.

That's it! I need my own baby! I mean, it can real tiring especially on days like today has been, where I had to cover 2 events. Never mind the fact that at the second event, Wak Kasiran was on hand and doing most of the job there. But that I had to drive and run around just to get pictures and stories even before I lubricate my body properly, is enough to make me near short fuse. And after covering several events this past week I've come to realise that yes, I do need my own baby!

I mean, I don't mind going to places where some struts their baby with pride, holding them in front for everyone else to gawk. No, I don't mind that. After all, to each, his own rezeki-lah! But I do mind when I walk into a hall and every stares at me from head to toe and seem to be asking....well, you know what. But that is not so bad. What gets to me is not being able to do what those guys do with their babes!

Yes, I desperately do need a baby!

But, she's got to be something real special. Elegant. Stylish. Pleasant to look at.

She should also be able to focus on the subjects I have in mind and not succumb to some bodily dysfunction which could...well, ruin the occasion.

Most importantly, she must be digital.

Take this shot, for example. I wanted to get a close-up of the woman in yellow but did not want to get near her as I do not want her to be conscious of the camera. With a DSLR and zoom lens, the picture of someone elderly like her attending the rally against the inhumane mass murder in Gaza might open more hearts to attend future rallies as well as the boycott campaign.

Or this girl. She was quite lively on the floor facing the stage.

And this guy, I simply had to snap him for the A-Card slung over him advertising a book
"Mat Jenin Jadi PM?" Hmm...wonder who that Mat Jenin is.

And later in the afternoon, PAS Kelana Jaya held a ceremony to welcome over 100 people into its fold. Led by the former ameno Branch Chief in USJ1, they were officially accepted by Dato' Dr Hassan Ali. But what a shot I could have take of the beauty had she not realised it.
But alas, she slips lower than the table height. Er...I mean that small girl in her mother's arms ya :)

What beautiful shots, what tremendous coups I could have achieved had I my own DSLR. No offence to the borrowed Olympus which is handy and good for picnic shots...but I just must have my own baby! And they, don't come cheap. Woe me.

Will make a proper entry tomorrow on Aman Palestine's as well as the PAS Kelana Jaya events tomorrow.