It’s amazing the kind of things I can stuff into a day.
Yesterday I was excited about going to the Dewan. Actually, a day before that, it was my first time in a Dewan. I was held up by the rain and no parking. So, I rushed inside at 9.30am. We were told to be there at 9.30am. We as in the press. I am still taking the role as press, you know?
Since I was late, I took my pass, got into the Dewan. I needed to take 2 passes. One for the compound, one in the intimidating hall. Intimidating for me because I went in only once before.
And alamak! The sitting already began. Dato’ Speaker already seated and so are all the Aduns. I thought I was going in to film for 5 mins and come out again. No filming is allowed but we have 5 mins to do so before it starts.
And being the greenhorn, I only notice people bowing to the Dato’ Speaker before they sit down. I didn’t know that…Too late ledi, I already sat down.
Anyway, since I was like a fish dropping into a kuali of hot oil, I quietly crawled and sat down with my media friends at the front row. Initially I wanted to take out my laptop but the rows of people behind me were sooooo official, stiff and zombi-fied. So, I didn’t do it. I took notes instead, to make it look like I am working mah…
And hey, I was scribbling away because it is sooooo interesting. Interesting because I know the issue of the warga emas so I could relate. I tell you, it was an eye opening experience for me to see grown men heckling each other like kids.
Ok, fast forward to yesterday, there was a demo. The video is self-explanatory. I tell you, I love demo. So much fun trying to absorb in all the things going on. Note that things don’t happen one at a time. It takes a lot of energy and desire to get the best shot to produce this video. I was like running from gate to gate, inside the compound to outside the compound. Chase mak ciks and then, chase police. Try to korek from clueless, blur uncles what they are doing there to trying not to provoke the protestors and yet, get them to spill with persistent questions.
And then, there is the dilemma of me being part of the ‘system’ and being part of the independent news reporting person. Anyway, at the end of the day, like what I was taught, it is my conscience that counts. I didn’t exploit my position in both roles but stick to what I see and believe is true.
I suppose it takes a person like me to expect what are important and what is not. I am glad I was there to capture what went on. I chased the right scenes. I tell you, it is not easy to focus because many people are doing many things at the same time and I have to know which are things that matter.
I do not have an editor or boss to tell me to choose what I put online. I like my job in this aspect.
If you think my day is done after this dramatic morning, no, you are very wrong. I had a short rest, grab a quick lunch, ran over to the coffee shop in Komtar to have a quick Nescafe kauuu and then, followed to Galas.
That is a long road trip up Cameron Highlands, then to Gua Musang which is 1 hr 30 mins of dark winding road, had two ceramahs there, and then, return home to Penang at 4 am in the morning. If you think my day is done, not yet.
I had to clear the video because the state was accused of many things via sms-es. News do not report what happened. I did the video, while uploading some photos from Galas. And I went to bed at 6 am, waking up at 9am for a PC at 10.30 am. Followed by making two more videos and you would think I am pooped.
Nope, I took a 3-hr nap around 6 pm and woke up at 9pm. And I finished a local advertorial which pays me handsomely, took 21 paid posts from US, in USD.
And now, I can go to sleep, waking up for another crazy day.
And why do I do this again? Because I can and no one can quite do it as good as me. *grins*
wah really power