Merdeka Interview - Cai Zi Camp
The word “Merdeka” literally means “Independence”, “ Freedom” and “Sovereignty''. After 6 decades of independence, the word “Merdeka” carries different meanings that are unique to each Malaysian. In the run-up to this year’s Merdeka Day, we interviewed our fellow campers and nature enthusiasts - Dick Chua and family from Cai Zi Camp, to find out his story and what Merdeka truly means to him.
PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF
My name is Dick Chua, I am a film director and a father of 2. I love taking pictures of my kids, and all the best pictures came from nature. I grew up by the beach, so I hope my kids can grow up under the sun too. I hope they will appreciate nature but not cell phones.
TELL US ABOUT WHEN AND HOW YOU DEVELOPED THE INTEREST IN CAMPING
We started by bringing the kids to picnic in 2016, back then camping was not yet popular in Malaysia. The kids had so much fun that they didn't want to go back so we thought of giving it a try to stay overnight. Since then we fell in love with camping
WHAT’S YOUR USUAL CAMPING ACTIVITIES? WHICH ARE YOUR FAVOURITE AND WHY
I usually like to play with the different layout of our base, depending on the view and how I like to capture into pictures. My kids and I will usually have fun in the stream, and also create some wood crafts using the branches that we picked up from the camp sites. It is always fun to be creative by creating something from the limited resources. On top of that, what I really enjoy about camping is how we are able to breathe under the sun and feel the breeze, getting all sweaty without having to clean it off. Nature has the magic to heal the soul, and all your worries will disappear.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR MOST UNFORGETTABLE UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE DURING YOUR CAMPING TRIP
I guess that would be our first camping night. I couldn't sleep at all with all the terrifying thoughts in my mind, thinking about the worst that could happen, haha! But the next morning turned out fine which proved that I was over-thinking.
WHAT DOES MERDEKA MEAN TO YOU
Happy three friends! I make a lot of festive and Merdeka ads, and it is always about the three best friends from three different races - Malay, Chinese and Indian. I am blessed that every year, it reminds me about how fortunate we are to live in Malaysia. We aspired to embrace our diversity, and understand each other.
