Samsung Note 2 cracked screen

Samsung Note 2 cracked screen, a photo by Sarawak Lens on Flickr.

My Samsung Note 2 slipped off the edge of my bed this morning and landed on the tiled floor (a drop of about 2 feet or less). Unfortunately, it hit the floor top left corner first and the screen cracked. :(

Corybas sp. in situ

Corybas sp. in situ, a photo by Sarawak Lens on Flickr.

Another healthy patch. There won't be ant flowers for another few months.
btw, whatever you do, do not upgrade to the latest version of the flickr android app. I have that on my tab and it is really bad.

Olympus OMD E-M5 - premature wear and tear

Olympus OMD E-M5, a photo by Sarawak Lens on Flickr.

It is now about a year since I bought my Olympus OMD EM5. I have taken thousands of photos with it and its body is showing plenty of signs of wear and tear. However, it has been handled properly, not roughly. Yet the "premature signs of aging" are there, as reported by many other owners in various forums all over the internet.

Peeling body paint which reveals ugly white plastic underneath, eye cup that slips off easily (mine broke and got lost when it slipped right off during normal usage within the first few months). It has misbehaved once or twice, shutting down or refusing to start. For a camera that cost me RM4200++ this is not acceptable.

Functionally, it performs well and I do love this camera because of its size and performance. But a camera that costs much more than entry level DSLRs but with what seems to be poorer construction/body-quality is unacceptable.

Even the old E-510 (which was much cheaper when first launched than the EM5) I used to shoot with felt much better made.

I wrote to complain and Olympus Malaysia replied, promising to take my complaint seriously. I'd love to upgrade to the EM6 if it had all the features of the EP5, along with phase detect AF and maybe a new sensor.

But this time, I'll be wiser and wait and see instead of being an early adopter.

Appendicula undulata var. longicalcarata

Appendicula undulata var. longicalcarata, a photo by Sarawak Lens on Flickr.

One of the smallest orchid flowers I've ever photographed in situ.

Flowers of Pangium edule (keluak or kepayang)

Flowers of Pangium edule (keluak or kepayang), a photo by Sarawak Lens on Flickr.

This is my first time seeing keluak/kepayang (Pangium edule) flowers! The large fruits contain poisonous seeds which are actually quite tasty when prepared well. Also used in nyonya dishes.

To read more about the poisonous but edible seeds (must be properly prepared before consumption!), please visit:
http://sarawaklens.blogspot.com/2010/01/poisonous-but-yummy-pangium-edule.html

For pictures of the fruit, please click:
http://sarawaklens.blogspot.com/2010/11/pangium-edule.html

Peek-a-boo

Peek-a-boo, a photo by Sarawak Lens on Flickr.

Last weekend, I took part in the 2nd annual Bornean Frog Race which was held in Kubah National Park. The Race is held in celebration of the fifth annual Save the Frogs Day which is aimed at raising awareness of the threats faced by about 6000+ species of the world's frogs, about a third of which are wider threat of extinction (many have already disappeared from the wild).
It was a really fun-filled event. we enjoyed the good company of other native-lovers and learned lots of new things.

Red wild berries

Red wild berries, a photo by Sarawak Lens on Flickr.

Red berries of a vine. Came across these borne on long vines hanging down from a tree about 10 meters high. They are edible (since I'm still here!) and have a light tangy taste with a hint of sweetness.
Snapped with an OMD-EM5 + 12-50mm standard kit lens in macro mode.

Avocado seedlings

Avocado seedlings, a photo by Sarawak Lens on Flickr.

My avocado plants growing nicely. I tried to get them to be more bushy by snipping off the stem but a new shoot emerges and only grows straight up. Got a few pots, most from sabah, a few local and one from Australia. Don't know which is which anymore, didn't label them.