By the shores of Tg Bungha - Penang

Penang, the metro island in Malaysia, brings sweet memories and I used to long for another visit. Now, the second visit also proved to be magical as we stayed in Tanjung Bungha, by the beach. It was a good holiday and our days either started or ended with a beach walk. 

After enjoying sunrise from our balcony with a cup of tea we went for a stroll and captured this awesome loner.

Gazing @ noisy friends

That day, Sun was too lazy and still trying to play hide and seek even at 7.50 AM!

Shoreline is packed with high-rises and gives a sort of Sigaporish feel, but still more spacious than the land of Lion!

This bare tree with name-cards besides Paradise Resort caught our attention...

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It had names with dates and said 'In Paradise'. The duration was anywhere between 3 months to 6 years, so I was sure that it was like a memory mark or visitors dairy, like the ones typically seen in popular spots. Instead of assuming or just wondering, I chatted up with a cleaner (ignoring the killer stare from my crazy half!), he confirmed that the resort does this as a token of appreciation for their long-stay guests!

The beach is quite well maintained...

A beach walk is incomplete without collecting shells, right?

Fountain Pen - Engraving

I thought that after initial fascination, the enthusiasm on ink pens would wane. I was wrong. After 2 years, the Alan d'louis started leaking and it was time for my crazy other half VJ, to scout for another fountain pen. This time he fell for a Sheaffer. At the shop they offered to engrave the pen for FREE!.

At first, VJ thought that engraving was old fashioned, but he was excited when he realized that they were engraving with a lathe machine. And, I was given a long lecture on this process:(

Fixing the letters to be engraved

This engraving machine is table mounted and has 2 levers with pointers.

Step 1 - Fix pen and lathe plate in the mountings.

Step 2 - Assemble the characters to be engraved on the lathe plate. See the above shot.

(They have a wide range of alphabets and characters in brass lathe blocks.)

Step 3 - Switch on the machine, hold the levers firmly.

Step 4 - Start moving the lever on the lathe block like how you would use a stencil! Now, simultaneously the other lever on the pen plate moves and engraves the characters!

Inlaid pic is the assembled lathe block characters

Here is the end product.

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I must admit that it is beautiful!

Clouds and Reflections

Kite trying to reach the clouds!

Golden Reflection