My Photo scholarship 2010 entry
Malaysia | Thursday, August 12, 2010 | 5 photos
I was an expat in Kuala Lumpur, working in the financial sector, and, as such, I had a nice flat in a big condo, a good salary and, to my big surprise, even a driver. The driver, Zaid, turned out to be, by far, the most interesting part of my experience there, for as soon as we managed to become friends (pretty rapidly), I discovered he had a lot of marvellous connections and was very much into fishing, something I had been very curious about for a long time, but had never had the opportunity to explore. We then embarked, week-end after week-end after week-end, on an exciting journey all around the country, in search of pristine and (increasingly) challenging fishing spots. These pictures come from a session of nocturnal net-fishing at Taman Negara National Park, central Malaysia.
As I look back to those great days, I realize that it was not really the learning or the fishing, but the strong bond that the whole experience forged between the participants, total strangers turned best pals in just a few hours. Cultural barriers (there were people from Italy, UK, Malaysia, Turkey, Lebanon) came tumbling down and the true essence of travelling was revealed.
Being a passionate follower of Matthieu Ricard, the Buddhist monk and photographer, author of 'Bhutan: The Land of Serenity', I would be thrilled to have the opportunity to visit and portray its joyous peaks and its smiling people, to scent its unmatched natural beauty, cultural richness, and profound self-reflection. Last, but not least, as someone working in the field of economics, I'd much appreciate the chance to investigate the concept of GNH (gross national happiness), with which the kingdom, aided by the precious work of its inspiring Prime Minister, Jigme Thinley, had decided to replace the more conventional, western-derived idea of GDP (gross domestic product).
