OznAsia

I got the landlord to replace one of the locks to the front door of my flat. I was given only one key and as I share this place I had to get another cut. I asked at one of the hardware stalls at the morning market if anyone there cut keys. 'No, you have to go to Chulia Street or Pulau Tikus. But they might be closed until after Chinese New Year.'

I'd seen the one in Pulau Tikus before, working on the street, but each time I drove down Burma Road now there was no sign of him. I decided to leave it until I returned from my Australian trip.

Back in Penang I managed to get a parking spot opposite his stall. I had a small child with me and had to cross a busy road. He was getting ready to leave on his three-wheeled scooter. I signalled for him to wait and he did.

Got the key cut and we chatted. Jason was wearing a t-shirt that looked like a team shirt for a Myanmar sporting team. I asked if he was Burmese. 'No,' he said. 'We exchange shirts with members from other teams.' Jason was an athlete who swam for the Malaysian team in the Asian paralympics. He says he retired from swimming because in Malaysia success is not based on ability. 'You mean on who you know?' I asked. He nodded agreement.

I told him about the 100 Strangers project and he was happy to participate. Small dilemma for me. I only had my TZ10 pocket camera with me. My G2 was in the car but I didn't want to keep him waiting while I crossed the road twice with this child so I decided to go with the TZ10. Perhaps it's not as good a shot as I would have got otherwise but never-the-less, here is Jason.

This picture is #6 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page. My 100 Strangers set.

Labels: 100 Strangers, Asia, Lumix, Panasonic, Penang, photography, stranger, TZ10

Perhaps a month ago I discovered the 100 Strangers project on flickr, joined and until now have submitted nothing. Why? I tell myself if I was in Thailand or Cambodia people often make eye contact. Assuming they speak English or I speak a little of their language, it is easy to get a conversation going. I've spent most of this year in Malaysia and I find that, while there are exceptions, it is less common for people to make eye contact or chat with a stranger. There is someone I've known here for the whole of this year and when we have a conversation she still has difficulty with eye contact. I'm told she's a little afraid that she may get out of her depth with English.

All this has taught me something about myself. I have difficulty speaking with someone who is not making eye contact with me.

I asked a friend, 'What do I do? I look at someone but they avoid my gaze.' My friend suggested I simply say 'Hello, may I take your picture' and hope they understand English.

In Penang there are some old jetties on the waterfront close to the centre of Georgetown. Each one belongs to a particular Chinese clan. There are wooden houses built on stumps over the water. This is on the Western side of Penang Island which is close to the Malaysian mainland so the sea is usually fairly calm. The houses are connected to each other and the island by the jetties. Each one is like a self-contained village.

They have shops, temples and on some, tourists can even find accommodation.

I've never visited these jetties before and have intended to do so with my camera. So one Sunday recently we headed off. First we found the Lim family jetty. It was fairly quiet and we walked right to the end where there was a fisherman repairing a fish trap. We watched for a while and a few pleasant words were exchanged and I decided this man could be my first stranger in the project.

Lim Kah Soo is a resident of the Lim family jetty. He uses the traps he was repairing to catch grouper. We occasionally buy grouper from the local market. Perhaps he caught it. He was a friendly guy and even said that if we returned some time perhaps he could take us out in his boat.

Shortly another man turned up, greeted his friend the fisherman and said 'hello' to us also.

'Are you a fisherman too?' I asked.

'No. I'm retired. He's my friend. I've just come to visit.'

'Do you live on this jetty?'

'No, I live a long way out.'

I asked if I could take his photo and put it on the internet. He was happy about that. I figured this guy to be just a little older then me. I'm 63. But it is more challenging here for someone of that age to retire. 'How old are you?' I enquired.

His name is Yeoh Hock Hoe and he told me that he is 82.

'I hope I can look as healthy as you do when I reach 82,' I said.

Now I have my second stranger and I'm feeling more confident about this project.

As I add more pictures to the 100 Strangers project, you'll find them here. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers here.

Labels: 100 Strangers, Asia, flickr, Georgeown, jetty, Malaysia, Penang, stranger