My Philosophy

Babies visiting on CNY

2012-01-28T19:10:00.000-08:00

Unlike previous year, this Chinese new year is rowdy with kids and babies. Guess im growing older and most of my friends are settling down with a family.

Christine invited us to her place again. With Cadance and Calyn, the place is kids and babies friendly. So as usual, Sherry and Haze will bring the 2 princess along.

Cadance, at 6 months old is so chubby...he is very particular about who goes near him and who carry him.

Haze arrived with Shermaine...only 8 months old!
She is really fair like Haze, and i think she has got very delicate features..

Promised Haze that i will take some nice shots of Shermaine for her

Here's Calyn playing peek-a-boo with Shania, as usual the most friendly children ever..

And Shania...she has grown up quite a bit.

Finally my nephew, Lucas
Just woke up..

Call his name and he will raise his hand!

Lucas has picked up alot of things these days. Compared to Shania, i think he has grown up even faster!

Japan Travelogue P6 - Famous Nara Deer Park and the Enchanted Uji

2012-01-22T22:11:00.000-08:00

The inital plan was to explore Araishiyama at Kyoto before venturing out to Nara deer park, but we under estimated the crowd at Kyoto on a Sunday. We couldnt secure a locker for our bags at Kyoto station and as such, we have to make a switch in plans.

We took a train to Nara instead in hope that the crowd would be lesser and that we can find a locker at Nara.

The train ride to Nara took about 40mins and along the way, we saw a few attraction spots such as Uji and Inari that we decided to drop by on our way back from Nara!

Along the way to the Park, we came by these houses that i always saw in the Japanese drama..Would love to live in a house like that if i had the chance!

We decided to pay a surprise visit to this house and see if we can get an invitation to explore the house...haha but no one is around.

Nara is located at a rural area and it was pretty peaceful even on a Sunday.
The famous temple at Nara Park.

A nice big maple leave at the park!

This is where the deer are kept for breeding

A common sight...deers roaming around!

And we have a curry lunch finally at Nara

As there wasnt much to do at Nara, we decided to leave the place after lunch...
Uji was our next destination.
We didnt study much on this place but decided to drop by the station when we saw this from the train!

Took a map from the visitor center and started our slow walk thru the streets of Uji

A flea market on a sunday!

After 10 mins of walk, we reached the attraction.

We only found out that Uji was famous for green tea here!

The Mocha green tea, i was choked on the thick green tea powder topping!

As we stroll further in to the park

There was a guy on saxaphone who created a romantic ambiance! Adds to the serenity of this place!

When i saw this aviary, i realised that this is the famous tourist spot where the fisherman uses these special birds to fish. It was shown in Japan Hours once..

A shrine

unlike many other shrines, the lucky charm here is place at an open spot where no one is manning the stall...its based on faith and trust that people donate and pay on their own will.

This place is so comfortable that we stayed till sun set.

Reluctantly, we left this place with some green tea products..

Uji was the greatest discovery we have made in this trip to Japan and i will recommend people who has never been there to spend at least a half day there!

Happy Chinese New Year 2012

2012-01-21T18:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year to all my friends and families!

Let's hope in the next year of the Dragon, things will get even better!

Oh by the way, my shout box is back! Feel free to leave me a comment!

Japan Travelogue P5 - Nishiiki Market

2012-01-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

It took us awhile to find this market. Hidden in one of the streets of Pontocho, this market is buzzing with life!

A market in a modern city...and so it became an attraction for most tourist. Regardless of the timing, its always crowded. We walked there from Gion and only arrived at around 4pm but its still super crowded.

Spice stall!

You can find any type of seafood here!

A food stall selling some deep fried yam balls

Here the 2 kids were playing in the midst of the moving crowds.

Some rare find, giant cabbage!

This is like a konkon tozai shop which i bought 2 sourvinirs for my mum n sis here!

A shrine at the end of the market!

A cartoonist who draws for a living!

Sharing Compliments

2012-01-11T04:38:00.001-08:00

As a Singaporean, we always complain at the slightest thing or should i say the slightest chance that we can?
So coming this new year, i decided to be a little different by giving more compliments to people than complaining non stop.

Haha...also hope to gain some better karma in return!!

Rotten luck

2012-01-09T05:04:00.003-08:00

Ever since the start of the year, i have been hit by rotten luck. Not to sure if its a curse, but all my recent transactions and acquisition of lens and camera are not smooth at all...

First, my camera breakdown out of no reasons in Malacca, and finding someone to fix this camera is so difficult. Next, the cheapo lens which i tot i have gotten as a bargain came in with an extremely terrible glass which i think is beyond repair. Now i have to go thru the meddlesome transaction with the seller on this issue.

I saw quite a handful of items that i would like to have but given these few experience that i have received, im abit reluctant to buy anymore things. Definitely not at the moment.

The only consolation that i have gotten was that, i managed to sell most of the items that i wish to sell at my determined price...

Never thought 2012 will be such a tough year! And its just the beginning!

Looking back at 2011

2011-12-31T19:32:00.000-08:00

It has been a really fulfilling year in 2011. Work, family and friends, everything was better than expected.

Work was never as bored as it was meant to be. It was challenging but i think i learned alot during this year! I gained lots of precious experience all thanks to my bosses.
Thanks to the new batch of joinees as well that changes Finance division from its usual dull and boring to happy and fun!

Baby Lucas has been growing up well..he is walking now..and picking up alot of new things.

Friendship was stronger in the year, and i had a new grp of "tai tai" (Petty and Wen) gathering every month. let's hope i can bring forth these gathering to the new year!

I managed to travel more than i have wished for. Hanoi, Malacca and Japan which i have always wanted to go.

Met lots of new friends from rangefinder club....it was a truly enjoyable year in 2011!

While i bid farewell to this year, i hope the coming year would be equally fun!

Happy New Year everyone!

Japan Travelogue P4 - Kyoto Gion

2011-12-24T23:26:00.000-08:00

Gion (祇園) is Kyoto's most famous geisha district, located around Shijo Avenue between Yasaka Shrine in the east and the Kamo River in the west. It is filled with shops, restaurants and ochaya (teahouses), where geiko (Kyoto dialect for geisha) and maiko (geiko apprentices) entertain.

Gion attracts tourists with its high concentration of traditional wooden machiya merchant houses. Due to the fact that property taxes were formerly based upon street frontage, the houses were built with narrow facades only five to six meters wide, but extend up to twenty meters in from the street.

Its definitely a must go place in Kyoto.

Tourists crowd the narrow streets below Kiyomizu-dera Temple in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto

Autumn was telling us to have this famous ice cream made of soya bean here,...
Even thou the weather was cold, we were determined to try it.

I couldn't resist tasting it before taking this picture.

Souvenir Stores

The good thing about Japan is that maps are always available at tourist spots. We just have to followed the directions.

Along the way, we saw really nice traditional houses...

We passed by this Kimono & Yukata rental house.

Friendly trishaw man, its ard SGD50 for a ride round the streets..but fair enough, these guys are going up-slopes most of the time..

Everyone was in Yukata...and we knew that we were getting nearer to Gion!

These 2 girls are exchanged students who speaks fluent english..
I like this pic alot, candid shot.

An Obassan offered his help to take a picture for the 2 of them!

And finally we knew we have arrived in the land of Geisha! These 2 are real Geisha posing for a photographer.

Negotiating prices here!

More and more Geisha wanabe appears...these are mainly locals who dressed up as a Geisha..

This Family was receiving lots of attention!

And of cos, from "SUA KU" like me...i kept following them..haha

So how do you differentiate a real and fake Geisha? Make them smile...the few real Geisha i saw, has really bad teeth...dark, yellowish, which i guessed was caused by heavy smoking. They seldom walk around in the streets during day time and often they have someone to follow them or to bring them around.

Finally, we reached the garden of Gion..It has one of the best scenic here that stops everyone from leaving...

Gion is full of shrines and temples and we found another shrine here...

Yasaka Shrine along our way out of Gion.

Yasaka Shrine also known as Gion Shrine, is one of the most famous shrines in Kyoto. Founded over 1350 years ago, the shrine is located between the popular Gion District and Higashiyama District, and is often visited by tourists walking between the two districts.

The shrine's main hall combines the honden (inner sanctuary) and haiden (offering hall) into a single building. In front of it stands a dance stage with hundreds of lanterns that get lit in the evenings. Each lantern bears the name of a local business in return for a donation.

Its famous for its "Ring the bell" and make a wish prayers here...
First step, u throw the coin into the well, 2nd step u ring the bell, and u bow thrice...follow by the hand clapping...

And since everyone was doing it, we decided to do the same thing..but despite rehearsing for awhile, we still got it all wrong. Fion threw the coin as if she was in some competition..it flew over the well...
I thought i did almost everything correct..till we realised....we didnt ring the bell at ALL! Okay that was embarrassing...

Little Geisha dressed for the event...she was so tiny that the hair keep falling off her head while climbing the stairs...

Isn't Gion Beautiful? I will definitely visit this place again if i had the chance!

Merry Xmas Everyone

2011-12-24T23:05:00.000-08:00

Was supposed to continue with my Japan travelogue posting but got so busy during the past week with the Xmas events. Will continue posting for Xmas.

Meanwhile, wishing everyone a Merry Xmas & a Happy New Year!

I had a very meaningful christmas this year, where our department raised funds for a charity organisation...

Hopefully, next year will be a better year!

Japan Travelogue P3 - Kyoto - Kiyomizudera Temple 清水寺

2011-12-12T04:36:00.000-08:00

The most look forward to place on this trip to Japan, Kyoto!
And if you are at Kyoto, the one famous temple that you must definitely visit is Kiyomizudera!

It wasnt as hard to go to this place..since everyone is queuing at the bus station to board the bus to this temple.
The first temple that we reached..this isnt kiyomizudera..its located at the bottom of the hill..but its so nice that i thought i should post some pics of this temple as well.

Thou smaller, this temple is very serene...

The Bonsai trees in the temple is awesome!

Locals admiring the stretch of green lusty trees here

From this temple, we need to walk 10mins to kiyomizudera
Along the way, we saw these houses that looks so alike to what we often see in Korean drama...
Feels like korean right?

Fion practising with her camera

The start of the upslope journey

Okay its basically a walk thru the cemetery, we didnt know till we see this...

This is suppose to be the house for the undertaker...

The Garden...

Finally after 10mins of climbing, we finally reached!

Before even entering the temple, the surroundings are filled with nice autumn leaves..that we couldnt resist taking some pictures.

It looks exactly like this from far..maybe better than what i took...Its definitely worthwhile all the journey!

Its fairly important how the sky and lighting are that make a nice photo..seems like im in luck on that day!

The first entrance leading to the temple.

Finally at the temple

Need to pay for the entrance fee of 300 yen per pax

The lucky charm booth! I bought a few charms here!

View from the top! The famous Otowa-no-taki, the waterfall where visitors drink for health, longevity, and success in studies

Behind Kiyomizudera's main hall stands Jishu Shrine, a shrine dedicated to the deity of love and matchmaking.

The charms etc are very popular with the crowds as well

The kid just want to be in my picture..

In front of the shrine are two stones, placed 18 meters apart. Successfully finding your way from one to the other with your eyes closed is said to bring luck in finding love. You can also have someone guide you from one stone to the other, but that is interpreted to mean that an intermediary will be needed in your love life as well.

After we are done, we made our way down to the Otowa Waterfall which is located at the base of Kiyomizudera's main hall.

Its waters are divided into three separate streams, and visitors use cups attached to long poles to drink from them. Each stream's water is said to have a different benefit, namely to cause longevity, success at school and a fortunate love life. However, drinking from all three streams is considered greedy.

I cant remembered which is for which, but i guess i drank from the last 2 streams...still considered greedy...lol

Despite the long queue, the crowds are cheerful while queuing for their turn

The famous main hall of Kiyomizudera!

We are glad that we made our choice to visit the temple on a Saturday instead of Sunday which in my later post will explain why. Its definitely a must go attraction if you are at Kyoto!

Japan Travelogue P2 - Osaka

2011-12-05T04:58:00.001-08:00

We made a mistake on this day to travel early to Shin Osaka..we got caught in the morning train crowds and it was a terrible experience. It would be at least twice the amount of crowds we have on a train to raffles place and you are being squeezed to the point where you there are no extra room space for you to fall.

All ready for the trip!

Fion with her purple outfit ready for Osaka!

Views we caught on the Shinkansen

Mount Fuji....the place we didnt get to go on this trip to Japan

Look at how beautiful the sky and clouds are...

Found our Chisun hotel easily with the help of Sam's direction...we basically just read the note and move according...and there it is...not a min is wasted searching for the hotel...Thanks Sam!

We were a little late for lunch..so we bought a bento to have it at the hotel...its a little expensive at ard 800 yen but it taste nice!

Our first stop at Osaka...Namba..its a city area in Osaka...where you can basically find everything here...i actually like this place more than Tokyo.

Me and my Jump!

The famous Crab signage of this place!

It was pretty cold here, so we bought a can of warm coffee from the shop and drink along the river while enjoying the sun set.

And here we have Glico

Lights up at nite!

After checking out the shopping malls here, we walk thru the Dotonburi canal and its a completely different style..

While Fion shop her accessories in the shop here, i ventured out to the small alleys around this street...

This is a very nice cafe..in a very quiet alley..

Found this little temple within Dotonburi

I realised that every temple will have a special highlights that is unique..This temple worship the gods with water and plants...

We met up with Autumn, yes coincidentally her name is Autumn and she brought us for dinner around Namba

And dinner comes with Alcohol...guess im the only guy who drank this alcohol lemonade as most of the guys there are beer drinker....

Osaka is a little different from Tokyo. I feel that the people here are a little more relax and laid back..and it has almost everything you can find in Tokyo...

Given a choice, i would fly to Osaka direct the next round...

Japan travelogue P1

2011-12-03T04:57:00.000-08:00

This trip was something i looked forward to, as mentioned in my earlier blog entry.

It was always my dream to visit Japan. I dont know why i took so long to finally go to this country but at least i fulfilled my dream now, on my 30th Birthday.

I remembered mum went when i was in my Secondary and i wanted to join her so much but we weren't rich..and she told me that i could always go when i started earning.

And with great expectations, i finally went.

I wont want to start the topic on why the trip ended up with Fion and me only, as its not important..that's what friends are for right?

Fion was a great travelling companion...I was rushing thru the itinerary at some point and she patiently followed...She was also quite considerate, turning off all the lights so i can catch some rest while she is busy packing her purchases. Letting me use the computer n use it after i slept....so much more...

There was a few hiccups along the way but i didnt hear a single complain from her...Kudos for being such a nice travelling pal...making this trip a memorable one!

We didnt really took much picture here...we just wanted to board the narita express to Shinjuku and start our journey.

here's me, reaching Shinjuku! Carrying my precious file with all the notes and tags.

The view when we step out of the station

Alright, on the webpage, it says 15min walk from Shinjuku station to the Hotel...it really mean 15mins of non stop walking at a constant pace...and so heading that direction, it was a really long walk...before we finally spot our hotel...along the way, we saw Sunroute hotel which we couldnt get a room...

Here's our tiny room during our day 1 at tokyo Shinjuku Washington...

These are complimentary drink from the hotel...some low grade beer...and Japanese are drinkers! U see them every night drinking after work.

As Japan is approaching Winter season, the skies get darks around 5pm and we reached the hotel at around 5pm, we choose to visit the Tokyo tower that night.

It was really nice to see the tower at night...

We spend a bit of the time at the temple infront of the tower....it was so peaceful...that we get to play around with our camera settings etc..

We went to its nearby street to grab a dinner thereafter..The first meal using a coupon machine. Luckily i read a blog before i went to japan and i wasnt as suaku as fion..haha

My choice for dinner...based on the exchange rate..this is considered cheap.

They offer only 2 choices for noodles, Soba or Udon..and this goes for the next few shops we visited during our stay...We discovered finally at a ramen shop that Ramen is considered expensive?

I chose Udon and this is nice...

Oh yah, the Japs will make alot of noise when they are having their noodles..its supposed to mean the noodles are nice...haha and they will clear their bowls etc after their meal and wipe the table before leaving the shop....interesting.

This shop looks cozy

We travel back to Shinjuku after our dinner..

and we went to this shop call LABI...its like best denki in Singapore just that it is a building on its own with 10x ...no 20x more selection than best denki in Singapore..

The only thing similar to Best Denki is the use of white fluorescent lightings in the shop...i think its their culture to brighten up their electronics shop

None of these are dummy...u try till you are satisfied before u buy...so unlike Singapore....

I had a trial with Sony Nex5n..its good!

Yodabashi is a must to explore in Shinjuku! The legendary film fridge of Japan...its a must visit place for me!

We ended up day 1 pretty early as we need to prepare ourself for the next morning trip to Shin Osaka.

Japan!! Here i come!

2011-11-24T08:07:00.000-08:00

After all the naggings, planning and worrying, im finally here in tokyo! Cant image that time passed so quickly...and I am already here...in the country that i have been dreaming to come to for so many years!

With all the feedbacks and research that i have gathered, i seem well prepared here in this country. Moving around isnt as complicated as i thought, all you need to know is which station you are going to..and the rest, just follow the maps or ask the passerby. So far, i managed to find my way around pretty fast. The best part about this Country is, the people are generally polite and they dont really get bothered with tourist much. So you wont feel awkard moving around.

And i was mistaken as a Japanese twice in this country...not too sure if they just assume everyone is a Jap here since they cant speak any other languages, or do i really blend in fast well..haha

Heading to Osaka today to start my scenic tour in Kyoto tomorrow!

P.S Too bad i cant upload pictures up to flickr...not sure why but it takes forever...

Growing up!

2011-11-19T05:38:00.000-08:00

Mum and Lucas

2011-11-13T06:14:00.002-08:00

I always wanted to take a photo for mum and Lucas..especially after she complained that i didnt even take one picture for her and Lucas during his 1 year old birthday...
Its quite a challenge actually to take a picture for them especially when Lucas is so active and mum always pose with this unnatural smile...

Finally i got this shot from my film camera...guess i made the right choice to choose this background!

While digging thru my photo archive..

2011-11-12T05:47:00.001-08:00

I found these 2 pictures unedited in my raw folder...so i guess my family member's has not seen these yet?

I bet you can tell their personality from these 2 pictures!

Lydias

Eurodias

It's been so long since i last seen them...hope they are doing fine in NZ...

Finally found! Lamprologus Stappersi/Meleagris

2011-11-07T05:53:00.000-08:00

I was so amazed and shock to see the scientific name "Lamprologus Stappersi" on the tank at Qian hu. I thought that these cute little fellas was near to extinction especially after i tried all sources and avenues to no avail of finding them.

The pair that i had seems to be the only pair in Singapore at least that was what i thought until i saw them for sale...i knew i had to grab them..and so i did...apparently not many people appreciated them...and it cost me $40 for 3 pieces...for such rarity, this price is like a "lelong" at the fish market...Its even cheaper than getting from local breeder even in the old days...

So its fated and i got them without a 2nd consideration...i guess it was a mixture of 1male and 2 females that i chose out of the tank...I wanted to get the whole tank but it doesnt make sense since they are from the same spawn and i've already got an old pair and 2x F1 from this pair which made it 4 in the tank...With these new 3 pieces, i believed spawning activity should get me a few new line of meleagris :)

So now, i mixed all 7 of them in a tank...with a lot of shells and added some oyster shells and rocks to break the tension!

The mother...still the most beautiful piece in the tank

One of the 2 F1 that came from the above female....they have grown up in size

Flaring and vying for shells

Something i love about them is that despite their size is that they are generally more braver than the bigger species...seldom hide in the shell and when flaring, they display nice little pearly spots all over them...For that, they are also called "Pearly Occellutus".

The is the new piece i got from Qian hu...and frankly speaking they seems to be of good genes...the colors and contrast on their body are much stronger than my F1. I guess they are pretty young judging from their built.

Dedicated a full 1.5ft tank for this species alone..lets hope some spawning activities will begin soon...

Oh..before i forget..the credits goes to Ms Petty for her generosity & Kindness in driving us all the way to Qianhu.. Of cos she wanted to go as well..but who in the right mind would drive a 40mins distance to such an "Ulu" place...just to see some fish when they dont keep an aquarium?

I mean, leaving that aside, she might have her own intention of visiting the place, i am still quite grateful for the trip...i doubt any of my friends would ever drive such a distant to this place...

So for that, i decided to be less mean and sarcastic to her...haha for a month maybe

And Qianhu has changed so much...from expensive fishes catering to wholesale to selling locally a variety of fishes at affordable prices, the strategy changes along with time..especially when locals are starting to have huge spending powers on their interest..They even make the place a weekend getaway for families..The kids are having so much fun from catching some longkang guppies and the adults doing fish spa....its definitely a nice place to visit!

One more month to Japan

2011-10-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

This year, i will be spending my birthday in Kyoto Japan..and the timing is just nice for the autumn leaves!

Have been spending the last few months planning my itinerary for this japan trip and finally we are done with the most of it. Thanks to the help of my friends and colleagues with their advice. Especially this lady call samantha whom i met on the forum, has helped me alot with my plannings and timing. Accomodation and transport are fully taken care of. Just need to study a bit more on navigating in Japan.

It was my dream to go Japan and finally i get to go on my 30th birthday..not too late right?

I am waiting for the exchange rate to drop further before changing the currency. The JR pass is a little too pricey when we bought it..it cost around $490 where the usual paid by my friends was around $420. Well, I was quite surprise that travelling to Japan these days werent as cheap as i thought it will be. Not even with the recent nuclear issue. I remembered flying by delta or northwest airline to Japan was around $450 few years back and now, it cost $600 at an after discount pricing.

This trip, i will be concentrating on exploring just the central Japan, Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Given 8 days and not planning to rush throughout the trip, we have decided to drop Hakone(Mt Fuji View), nikko, Nara and Kobe. I guess these places will be for my next visit to Japan.

Now we are waiting for the day to come and hopefully the weather will be good.

Missy Shania

2011-10-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

She has grown up so much since the last i saw her...and she is like 2 weeks older than Lucas...but she know alot of actions.

It was after Christine's Cadence baby shower that Sherry decided to go get her some winter wear for their trip to HKG...coincidentally, my sis and family is at HKG now.

Walking by her own

I love to see how this cute little girl do her hand and head shake when you ask her for her permission to carry her...

Changi Airport Grp Dinner and Dance

2011-10-15T23:35:00.001-07:00

This year, the Dinner and Dance was held at Sentosa Wavehouse...a suggestion from my CEO that he wanted somewhere outdoor and not the usual dinner served with performance kind of function.

Although the prizes wasnt as great as the previous year, and the weather was hot, i think it was one of the best i had.

Throughout the 5 years in Changi Airport, i have seen alot of difference...

This year, it was a whole new group compared to last year.

I cant believed that i have outlived at least 2 batches of turnover in this company...time flies!

The theme this year is childhood...but everyone just anyhow wear what they thought best represent them...

For us, we chose geek!

My new team mate...

The new group of girls...

The completely new Corp Fin team!

Me n Elyz!

New group of senior Managers!

The 2 new heads!

The new batch of Finance Managers and associates!

The new comers formed their own cliques..

The HR schoolgals...along which a lot are new staff as well...

My buddy..he is a really funny china guy! Like all the chinese, he love food alot!

The highlights came at the night when sherry and xy turned up in their costume!

Pardon the "noisy" pics!

Everyone just wanted a picture with her!

My MA team with Ginny!

I think the whole event over run by an hour...thou the hot weather was unbearable...it was really a memorable one!

Movies

2011-10-13T07:04:00.000-07:00

In the past, watching a movie is not as easy and affordable as now. I remembered that the choice of movies was very limited, mainly which are indian and chinese movies and once a while, some english blockbluster. Back then, the only way to publicize was through huge posters hung outside the Cinema. Some Cinemas would advertise on newspaper as well...

The only chance to visit the cinema was when we went to our granny house at Chinatown. Back then, the movie theatre at Chinatown (was it called 唐城?) was one of the famous and few in Singapore.

The first movie that i watched at the cinema was a chinese ghost movie. I could still remembered the movies that we watched as it wasnt an everyday event. We would always pester our aunt to bring us for movie each and everytime we see her at home.

There was also this zhi zhi ah bei..who would also bring me and Adec to catch a show if he happened to be free :)

It was GV who made watching movies a joy! Movies ticket are more affordable...the choice of cinema in different areas save us the hazzle to travel far for a movie.

Over the years along with the many movies produced, it became a trend to catch movie among friends gathering or family outing.

However, as it gets more and more common, the feeling of the old days were gone. In the past, after a movie, we would always talk about it and relinquish every single plot of scene that catches our attentions. It will stay in our memories for months, discussing over and over the plots and scene of the movie.

Miss the good old days :)

Little Lucas growing up!

2011-10-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

I did a roll of black & white on Lucas's big day!

Black and white gives a timeless, nostaglic feel that remains through with time. Hopefully many years later, when he look back at these pictures, he can share the feelings that i wanted to capture now.

My fav shot!

Taking a break at Antoneitte

2011-09-27T06:58:00.001-07:00

Before I begin my post, I just want to say that this tea session wasn't pre-arranged and it's really pure coincidence that Fionis was on leave too and so we decided to have a spontaneous afternoon tea session at Antoneitte. Hollie was supposed to join us but she ended going somewhere else.

Anyway, this place is new to me and since Fionis suggested a late noon meet-up, I decided to go there early to check out the place. I was kind of surprised when I see how crowded the place was in the afternoon even though it was located at a rather secluded place. So if anyone of you is interested in checking out the place during the weekend, I'll highly recommend that you make an advanced reservation.

I like the cosiness of the place and the whole place was done in a modern Victorian style. Somehow, I feel that it resembles both Artestiq and Cedele, yet has an ambience of its own.

Greeted at the counter with lots of cakes the moment you step in.

I ordered their famous earl grey tea and indeed, it was good!

A good-looking s95 casing but an ugly s95...hehe

Ok, instead of trying the usual cakes, I ordered this pastry that looks like bread. It's an interesting change and I thought it was not bad.
On a different note, I had difficulty in pronouncing the french names and since it was also not featured in the menu, I had to walk to the counter and show the waiter what I wanted.

Oh, I was quite impressed with the washroom! I initally thought that being such a small cafe, it could not possibly have a washroom and even if it had one, the washroom should be nothing special. I WAS WRONG! To understand how impressed I was, I even went out of the washroom to my seat to grab my camera before returning to take some pictures! haha

I regretted not bringing my wide angle lens on this outing as I couldn't capture the view of the whole place to show you how nice it was. Nonetheless, I hope it is attracive enough to make you visit it. On weekdays, the patrons are usually tai-tais and you can join them if you would like to have a tai-tai session too! :)

Does this happen to you?

2011-09-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

It happened one night, when I suddenly had a flash back on my dad. Within minutes, memories of him just appear in my mind..from the happy days spent with him till the day he was diagnosed with cancer and finally passed away.

I realised that I had very little memories of how he struggled through the days where he was bed ridden. I must admit that I didn’t really spend enough time or even lend a little support to my dad during those days.

While I always thought that I had seen thru life and death and was a brave soul who always jokes easily about death, I was quite afraid for that moment.
The fear wasn’t really about me, but the people around me. The feeling of being left alone in this world make me realised that how important it is to cherish everyone around you. I thought that I could live independently in my own world but I was wrong. Finally, I seem to see a lot of things which I chose not to in the past.

I wasn’t sure why all these came to me in the mid of the night for no reasons but to me, it just felt like a reminder from somewhere & someone.

Old Friends Gathering

2011-09-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

Its been so long since our last gathering...well i mean together with Denise!
Ever since our poly days, its quite difficult to catch hold of her!

As usual, a birthday celebration for the birthday girl over dinner..

And our La-kopi session at Breadtalk!

Cheers to Friendship!

Family outing at MBS!

2011-09-10T21:12:00.002-07:00

An aunt who has lost contact for several years has decided to invite our family to MBS for an overnight stay.
This was my first visit to MBS..

Views from Sky Garden

It has been a long time since Mum caught up with them

And here's mum asking for an individual shot

A night shot taken on my tripod!

Shermaine's Baby shower

2011-09-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

Finally...from our clique...Ms Haze Tan and her precious Shermaine!
A pity i didnt have much chance to take more pics for her...

I think she know that its her big day...her eyes were wide open with energy the whole time...and i didnt even hear her cry...

Another happy mum..and definitely not the last one...Christine has a boy coming next...

Congrats to Haze and Francis!

Shania 1st Birthday Bash

2011-09-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

The kids these days are all so lucky...i doubt they will even recall about having this birthday bash when they grew up...

I think Shania is equally restless and tired that day....but had alot of fun..
She has grow up so much since the first time i last seen her...and she is definitely no more "Michellin" (the Mascot that was used for the tyres brand)

I was smart...the moment i reached the chalet, and spotted little Shania being left alone by the crowds, i quickly took some shots of her..and i guess that was the only chance for me that night.

Playing hide and seek with us.

All her funny expressions...

Here's the mum with shania..oh there is a theme for this party...and they even had an angmoh lady dressed up as tinkerbell...

And suddenly deep in thoughts...pretty emo for that age..haha

And Adrian had such luck with Shania!

Cake cutting

Sherry and Dave are such great host for that night...

Building my Terranium

2011-08-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by my colleagues who build their own terranium during the CSR program. I missed the chance to go as i went for the Hanoi trip.
Yesterday when my sis decided to visit the stetch of florist at Thomson, i took the chance to buy a few pots of plants as well.

Building a Terranium is easy...all you need is to find a container, sphagnum moss or garden soil..which ever you prefer, some stones and plants.

I got most of my stuff from the florist and the containers from Daiso.

Sphagnum Moss cost ard $6 for a big pack...

Got to soak them in water to soften them...and remember to squeeze them dry before placing in with the plants, you do not wish to have issues of roots rotting.

I got this container from Daiso, cost $2 and it comes with a cover...

Plants from Goodwood florist @ $4 a pot, remember to choose the same type of plant( prefer moist soil or dry)

Charcoals and rocks are used as the base...i got them from Daiso as well. The color pebbles can be found at local fish shops. I didnt really explore Daiso for them as i got quite a fair bit from my fish keeping hobbies...:)

When you have everything in place, its time to start.

In 20 mins......

Im done with my Terranium...I chose to use sphagnum moss and go for a "soil-less" setup.

I realised that with the 3 pots of plants, i can actually do up more...so while looking for another empty pot/tank, i found a betta tank.

So this is my 2nd setup!

Ihe most messy part of the process is to remove the plant from the potted soil..after that, everything is smooth and easy...and its up to your creativity to organised them.

A Terranium with a sealed cap, can last 1 month with no watering, and one that is exposed, will only need watering every 2 weeks.

Best part, there is no smell from the soil and maintenance is made easy!

I still have some sphagnum moss and balance of the potted plants...let me know if you need them :)

Super exhausted

2011-08-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

I cant believed that after 2 weeks, im still feeling so exhausted...
No more photography for me at least for 1 to 2 weeks...i really need a break from taking pictures...and also processing the pictures.

It has also been 2 weeks since i last had any meat. Thou i am not a strict vegetarian, i tried to avoid meat as much as possible. Somehow or rather, i feel that i am beginning to reap the benefits of having a vege diet. Believed it a not, i didnt have any breakouts for the past 1 week, leaving shaving bumps aside, which i think i need to practise alot more on shaving properly...
My skin is less oily and i feel more refresh everyday. I can concentrate better at work..thou im still blur at times...
And the best part, i never had the bloated feeling anymore!

So maybe a vege diet is suitable for me? Haha

Self Reflections

2011-08-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

I have started my vegetarian diet since yesterday..something which me and Hollie both agreed that we should maintain it for at least a month. I am also glad that my family was supportive of me doing it after i told them the reason.
At least, mum didnt insist that i should continue eating meat nor did she buy me roasted pork/char siew rice these days.

I also did a reflection on myself...and i stopped buying anymore lenses and cameras...in fact, after looking at the never ending wish list of others makes me feel a little disgusted. I have also started selling some of my lenses and accessories away slowly. I hope i can start building up a savings that can allow me to travel to see more things while i still have the energy to do so.

Well, i will share more of my thoughts and pictures in my photography blog...camerani.blogspot.com....and thou i didnt buy anything for my friends and family from this trip..i hope that the experience and pictures that i shared here would be the best gift to you!

My trip to Vietnam, Hanoi - SAPA

2011-08-18T04:42:00.000-07:00

I was initially complaining that the cost of this trip seems a little over priced. Travelling to Hanoi with a total cost of near $800 for a 5 days 4 nights seems expensive.

At the end of the trip, i realized that the money spent was all well worth. Unlike the normal tourist travel, i get to see and experience alot more than the usual tourist get in touch with and also not forgetting about the travelling group of photographers.
Thou there are quite a fair bit of blunders that i created in this trip, i thought it would serve as some wonderful memories for myself and NOOO! i wont share any of them here....:)

This trip is a little tougher than i thought..not the trekking part but the hot weather that got me roasted within an hour under the sun...the little rest time that we get and the 2 nights on train. I was restless and tired throughout the trip.

I didnt quite like Hanoi although it was a place for excellent street photography...
i preferred the quiet SAPA town and a little more down to earth kind of life that the villagers lead.

Greeted by the many rice padi fields of SAPA..the villagers grew them for their own consumption rather than selling them.

Wealth was measured by the number of buffalo the family owned. Excuse me, its not cheap to get a buffalo, i was told by the local guide that it cost USD 1,000 for 1.

One of the village in particular that we went to(which im not going to name as it isn't a tourist spot yet), left me with a deepest impression. The villagers were all so "PURE", i got to describe them that they were the purest soul i have ever met. Not influenced by the ugliness of urbanization, these people live a life of contentment, no stress, no greed, no temptations and non ambitious.

Thou they were poor, no one will ever looked down on them. I was in fact, envious of them...how untainted these people were.

I got invited twice to the villagers house...they were all so friendly...

These 2 little cute sisters who happens to stroll along the mountain area, were all so ready and shy to pose for us...
Look at their eyes..do you sense a little happiness just by looking at them?

These were how the kids get together to spend their time during the day. No fanciful toys...but spending with the nature...

It just set me thinking through the trip...
Ever wonder which kind of childhood, would you prefer your kids to experience? How often can you made the decision?
Are we forced to start having lots of stress the moment you are born? So who is luckier in life? Who is the poor and the rich?

The kind of beauty of this place lies in the soul and purity of these people...its different compared to landscape and structures that can be improved along the way in time...

Im glad that i signed up for this trip, please pardon me if i behaved a little unusual in the coming days(Somehow this trip influenced me abit...)and i really encourage everyone to at least go for one such trip to experience it:) Its definitely going to be more rewarding than visiting a few shopping trips...

A little surprise before the trip

2011-08-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

While packing for the trip, Benji was urging me to bring along some slide films...and trying his best to convince me how important it was to shoot a roll of slides...
Problem was, Ruby ran out of the slides that i wanted and what was left cost as much as $13 per roll. This is so insane..and expensive for me...and i actually given up the thought of shooting slides for the Hanoi trip...

For those who are puzzled about what slides am i talking about...its another form of negative..the more expensive ones...that can deliver wonder images..
this is slides or positive films

I was digging thru my fridge(as usual), deciding among the various films that i wanted to bring for the trip and i chanced upon a roll of CT precisa slides...one i had long forgotten about and so...haha i will get to shoot at least 1 roll of slides for this trip! Let's pray for good weather.

This trip should be a good one as i have finished all my deadlines today, leaving in peace and i think Sheryl is quite pleased about the quality of work that i have submitted to her.

I have finished packing my luggage and my little camera bag only weighs 4kg...comparing to my many other photography trips tat i have went, this is alot lesser! Let's just hope i can survive the trek...
Oh...this trip also provided me the chance to lose some weight..that i desperately need to!
SO looking forward to it..and will definitely update again when im back!

DSLR

2011-08-09T05:47:00.000-07:00

And so finally after nearly a year struggle....i decided to upgrade my DSLR.
I know i have been saying about buying it since months after using my 400D. I still remembered how much i wanted to get a 50D...and then changed to a 7D when it was released, and then finally decided to top up abit for a 5D mkII....and that was when i had a long pause.....saving up to buy it...going full frame...and........

I STRAYED! I walked into the dark path of Rangefinder...the world of Leica's and the countless precious old lenses from canon, nikon etc...
Films, developer and scanner...Twin lens reflex and so much more that, i lost interest in DSLR....

And a year back when 600D was out, i gave myself the excuse to wait for a 60D with a swivel screen before i upgrade it..and finally when 60D was out....it took me near to 1 year before i buy it...with the encouragement of Hollie(nick to keep her identity in secret), i also encouraged her to get her 5DmkII..haha

Now...that i have got it..i got no place to keep it...and so, Hollie will need to help me find a solution....a 30L dry cabi....*blink!

I utilised the full flexi benefit claims from my company for this camera and a 35mm f2 lens...something which i should have got it since the old days....

I seriously wont get this combo if im not travelling to Hanoi coming this weekend...nonetheless, i didnt had the chance yet to explore the functions of the 60D...Guess..i will do it on the flight there..since there are so much time to understand "her"...

Digressing, some pics from my old trusty 400D...with the new 35mm f2 lens..

Im loving this combo..so much so that i guess...this lens will be mostly on my 60D!

Another farewell..and a birthday celebration

2011-08-08T06:17:00.001-07:00

SY has left the company for a better job, a better advancement and a better environment..Hope she leaves with a good memory in CAG...

Seems like my old cliques has mostly left the organisation...

The expensive lunch, personally for me, this seems a little way over priced...haha..really Mr Miser, until now still whine about this...
The farewell lunch clique at Soup spoon!

Let's hope everything goes well for her!

The same week, we had a small tea session at Artestiq for Margaret's birthday...
The "long time no see" Ms Yubee came as well...

Mr Wing...a really interesting guy in my company came as a surprise guest...I think this is a nice picture!

By the way, im all ready for my coming trip to Hanoi!! Cant wait for the day to come!

My new neighbours - Horrible

2011-07-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

Just when i thought i need to tolerate one neighbor where the kids always turned crazy strike 12am....the new neighbor is much worse. They decided to have a party when the clock strike 3am....At least twice a week, you will hear quarreling..and its always about money...

How the son owed the mum money, how the son thinks the mum owed him something, and how the son and his gf quarreled...
And then, how the mum continued with her nagging non stop even when the son decided to run away from home...

A 3 room flat occupied with 3 sons plus their gfs, 1 daughter with her bf...and the mum...and i cannot imagine how they sleep in the rooms? The whole family behave like some gangster...

If seriously given a chance, i would rather move and get myself some peace off this terrible residential area...

Festive Hotel Dinner with Family

2011-07-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks Desmond for his generous Festive Hotel Buffet treat...
Its been awhile since i last joined a family dinner..I was too busy with my own schedule and indeed make me feel a little guilty. I actually cancelled away my RF shooting session for this dinner...

The curious little Lucas baby..Mum told me that he is disturbing me giving me the curious look..

The family @ Festive hotel

Look at his face!

The dinner was nice all except the bbq smoke that got into the restaurent...and seriously it was a little expensive considered the amount of food that we can eat...

Here's the lucky girl who got us the free treats!

Ms Rachel...

2011-07-24T05:34:00.000-07:00

Recently our office gathering got a little lively...and a little more family oriented..
So happened that my colleagues' children are studying at Changi's Learning vision and apparently, all of them are of the same age.

So...everytime when there is an event, the kids will join in..
Thou i brought my camera with me, i was a little reluctant n lazy to take pictures. I just wanted to enjoy de game more...especially since GD had his DSLR to cover the event. But i just cant resist when i see active Rachel hopping around...

A little shy n defensive against us, she decided to use the cup as a shield..

If you think she is really drinking..nope...she is just pretending and hoping we will give up n walks away. This lasted as long as our camera is pointed at her..

So shy yet curious about what we are doing..

And finally after donating my Pooh water bottle to her...

And so i was caught with my camera..n here's one picture for my colleagues...

Signing a package with Starhub

2011-07-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

I am really frustrated with Starhub...
Frankly speaking i think all the telco or tv subscriber companies are practicing the same tactics towards the consumer...

Tying you to a contract and make you pay for things or services which already obsoleted and non-competitive anymore and yet still raising prices to claim that it is required for them to sustain the channels and services.
They told me that i am tied to a contract with terms that i must pay whatever they increased but when i asked them to show me the terms and contracts that i have agreed upon or signed with them, the topic gets routed all over again and again.

Guess what, i am already paying a $60 (after discount) package to them and yet they are offering something better and cheaper to new customer who is signing up the same package except that they enjoy a faster and better broadband speed of 16 Mbps compared to my pathetic 2Mbps. While they think that there is a need to increase the price to keep them competitive and sustainable, they didnt decide to upgrade my broadband to keep it competitive...

And the solutions they offered when i filed a complain, they threw me some discount and ask me to wait till my contract ends and to re contract with them again to get a better rate...what is this?

The customer services from them was filled with all the "Dont know" "Let me check" etc....totally unprofessional at all.

A Cup Cake

2011-07-17T03:19:00.000-07:00

Fionis got me this from Taiwan that at the first glance it looks like a cupcake that is full of icing. On the 2nd look, it looks more like an ornament clay dessert that Waraku used for their display..

So look at it again and guess what is it...

And a closer look....

*Dang Dang*! Yes its a potted cactus surrounded by clay ornaments..
Such a pretty pot of cactus right? Given a superstitious person like me who always think that cactus clashes with fengshui oso felt like placing it in my office...well, it doesnt really have pricks does it..haha

If you are wondering if this plant can survive without watering, the person who design this is so smart to have this little tube surfacing on the top so you can use a siphon and drip some water in.

Well..thanks Fionis for bringing this back all the way from Taiwan!

Lucas & his cheeky pose!

2011-07-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

Don know where he learned from but twice when i point the camera at him, he decides to give me this pose!

He has grow up quite a bit!

Sally's Investiture

2011-07-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

It's Sally's Investiture.

Mum finally graduated as well after many years!

Tea with the Year-end tour Clique

2011-07-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

We have been meeting since April to discuss on our year end trip...and till now we are still uncertain on our travelling plans...
We are just too early to plan anything since the schedule and price for Nov/Dec travelling isnt out yet...

But deep down, we all know that chances we will be going to Japan is very high!
Nonetheless, we spend the day relaxing ourselves, lunch, tea, shopping and yoghurt.

We met at Mandarin Gallery since JBT agency is there...

Both Quit at on the same exact day(different year)!

Wild honey is too pack till we shifted our lunch to Paradise Dynasty...

Fion havent been to Arteastiq before...so that is our choice for tea and we had it rather late...ard 5plus...

While fion checked the menu..i tested my J8 lens...she choose n choose, end up having the same tea as us..

This couple spend quite awhile here..reading and stay cozy here...

The day was quite fun...and guess the next outing, we should have already finalised our trip! JAPAN JAPAN!!! My much anticipated country!

Ms Wan's birthday

2011-07-03T23:44:00.000-07:00

A small casual birthday celebration that got everyone busy because i forgot to make reservations...its been awhile since i took pictures for such events...

Why Leica?

2011-07-03T06:33:00.000-07:00

I posted the same question on CS forum before..asking everyone in the Rangefinder Club...
Why do we need a Leica when there are so many other alternatives rangefinder that function equally well, if not, much better than it.

Everyone tried explaining in their own words but none of the answers came close and convincing...
The older series were so much expensive compared to similar film SLR that was created..and the purpose was the same...
Leaving the mechanical and technical aspect between a Rangefinder and a SLR...one could argue that the size of a RF is very sleek...but then again...Olympus came out with an equally nice compact OM series that is much lighted and sleeker than a Leica M2...
so in the end, i concluded that those who wants a Leica is for pure vanity.

The first Leica camera was built in 1913...and it grew more popular after WWII. Especially with journalist during vietnam war...
If you wish to know more about the history of Leica, you can read it here.

Thou it doesnt sound really convincing enough why one should get it...especially when the price of a Leica is commanding a high price these days...the feeling of owning one is just too tempting. Its exactly the same as buying a LV, Gucci or Prada when you can use a bag that comes free together with a magazine..

These days, it has become more of a collectible for the older models...it is known that every piece of the Leica old model rangefinder carries a story with it...if you managed to find one that looks very worn off in your cupboard that was passed down by your ancestor or used by some photography journalist, it could be a priceless precious that could fetch you a really impressive price...maybe a condo unit of your choice, lol...so better start digging your storeroom to see if you could find one..

Well, i was quite lucky actually to find myself a really good deal for this camera.
A very nice forummer contacted me one night asking if im interested to take over his Leica M2 with a brand new lightmeter and he offered me an attractive price for it...
The price was so good that after deducting off the lightmeter price, this camera cost $200 more than my voigtlander RF...which is ridiculously low.

Initially i thought that the camera would be in a quite devastating state to sell at a price like this...Guess what, when i saw the camera, i just took it without a 2nd word...i was more than afraid that he would suddenly say no to the sale.

For a 1958 model, this copy is so clean..even the shutter sounds so accurate and pleasant!

You got to agree that this is one master piece of an engineered product by Leica that it is built to last for generations. Simply impressive..
but then again..i got to disclaim that their digital series, the M8, M9...wasnt as sturdy as their film cameras...at least so far, i havent heard of anyone that owned a "fault-free" copy!

Wondering why i posted this entry here rather than on my photo blog, im being very sensitive so as to not excavate the sadness of the nice seller. (Im guessing he doesnt have the link of this blog)

Nothing seems to interest me

2011-07-02T05:37:00.000-07:00

Nothing seems to get me excited this week..nothing...and please do not think that its becos my life is extremely boring...vice versa...its full of gatherings, events and celebrations.

I just felt moody and tired these days. Did you guys ever felt it was a saturday when you woke up in the morning? I did..and it happened almost every single day...
And when Saturday came...you realised that the anticipation wasnt real..

I forced myself to update my blog since im already home on a saturday evening..

To be frank, this week should be a great week for me...everything seems so smooth..i got my first Leica Camera at a great bargain on monday...my Ukraine Jupiter lens came in an excellent condition to me for a mere $40...I got a great bonus...i settled more work than i thought i could handle this week...and i have lots of great gatherings with friends and colleagues...

The only thing that went bad for me was the first few frame of my negative that got exposed due to my carelessness in handling them...some pretty stranger pics gone...:)

I seems deprived of something...anyway, let's just hope the next day will be a better day.

Talking about gatherings, Jessie invited us over to her place at Casa Merah..and i really love this condo.
The environment is so peaceful...the residents are all so polite, so friendly. Unlike those HDB units, you don hear people screaming at the top of their voice to one another, you don hear cars "honking" non stop, no vulgarities, no littering.

Somehow or rather, the place is built on a culture...the moment you step into the compound of this condo...you just adapt to it and changed. I seriously doubt the people there will fart or burp in the public. My mum wont even dare to do so...

Plus with all the facilities, you will be so motivated to swim, jog, play tennis and even stroll in the park..

So if you seriously ask me, paying $1.2million for a condo is not expensive at all. You paid for a lifestyle...a healthy & refine lifestyle that you hope your children to grow up in..

But unfortunately...in reality...only the rich can be achieve this lifestyle...and so...the verdict is, if you are rich, you will grow healthier and behaved more refine...

That's the sad truth!

*I'm definitely going to blog about my new leica camera when im feeling better...it deserves an entry for itself here...:)

Banana Hazelnut Cake

2011-06-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

How i wish to claim that this was from some admirer of mine...and placing it on my desk with an anonymous card ..haha but its not..

Anyway, Celia made these for me..because i helped her to dev and scan her negatives. She quited CAG last year to pursue her dreams in some cooking academy degree...

So in a way, the usual us helped her to taste and review on her product.

But i must admit that its really thoughtful of her to get me a nice container and drive all the way to the airport to pass it to me...

Thanks Celia, really appreciate it!

My love for Porter

2011-06-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

This is not the first time that i am posting an entry on Porter bags. With every blog entry, it means that i bought one and i must clarify that the earlier entry on saving up was after this decision to purchase this bag..haha so i should be blame for not honouring what i said.

First one!
http://jackson-myphilosophy.blogspot.com/2009/07/shopaholic.html
n i cant the rest....haha

Should i give thanks to Alex or should i blame him for introducing Porter to me?

I remembered the first time i saw him carrying his pouch was during the army days...it was so cool, plus he seems to be the only owner of it.(Porter wasnt so well known in the old days)

He brought me to bugis village to get an imitation and that imitation bag followed me everywhere for at least 2 years. I was further influenced by Derrick who got me all crazy on porter again after he showed me his working Porter bag.
That was my first purchased locally. Then he went to Japan and offered to bring me a Yoshida B version back...which i didnt reject his kind gesture...I gotten one!

When i went Taiwan, it was amazingly cheaper! And i bought 2 from there on the 2nd day in Taiwan and carried it with me through my backpack trip! It was crazy!

Now, XY got me my "Last" Porter haversack from her trip to Taiwan!
Something which i wanted since last year~

Porter is like Leica...its made to last! The workmanship is good! So detail in every aspect.

I personally preferred the Milky series...

Can you tell which is the Yoshida B version?

Tis is ENOUGH!

No more cameras & films for now

2011-06-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

I am selling off quite a fair bit of my collections currently to try limit the amount of cameras that i "store" in my dry cabinet. I feel that i have slowly becoming more of a camera enthusiast than a photography enthusiast...which is something i would love to avoid since i do not have a huge fortune for them...

And it seems like buying products off ebay didnt always end up a good deal but vice versa...half the time, there are always dispute...im glad that i managed to get my money back most of the time...

Really missed the old days where i just gotten my first canon compact camera and im so motivated to take nice picture with that camera.

Think i will try to restart my hobby again and get my motive clear!

PC Fair purchases

2011-06-13T06:51:00.000-07:00

Remember my last post on the great IT Fair where i proudly show off this set of speakers from sonic gear and i thought i grabbed a bargain for them. Guess what, it spoiled the next day i installed on my PC. So much for a local company that made the product in China.

This PC show came at the right time. My monitor started to get cranky, and so happened that the highlights for this PC show was the LED monitor.
All along i thought samsung was the best in its LED monitor until i walked past the Phillips booth. It didnt take me too long to decide and buy the 20" Phillip LED monitor. Ow also agreed that this monitor is better than the Samsung and furthermore the price is lower.

Oh, i got myself a new pair of creative speaker...thou its nothing fanciful but the sound effect was so much better compared to the sonic gear.

So now i am looking at the screen happily and blasting off the speakers for my movie in Bluray format!

Thanks Ow for carrying the monitor for me!

Our first travel!

2011-06-01T23:09:00.000-07:00

I know many will ask why am i always going to Malacca and my answer would always be that i love that place! Which is true! I honestly find Malacca so beautiful than any other parts of Malaysia that i have been to.

I realised that i have strong interst and preference over places with strong culture compared to urbanized cities. Well, i would be delighted as well if there are some mega malls in the area for some shopping after exhaustion from exploring all the cultural sites.

Malacca fits exactly what i am looking for! It has a wonderful Jonker street that looks so different during the day and night. There are some mega malls as well which in my case, takes me away from the hot weather.
And who says travelling with a bunch of ladies are troublesome and noisy? This is the first time i travelled with CC, Fionis and Holly and amazingly i think we cliqued off quite well!

Although there are quite a fair bits of difference among us, we managed to accomodate one another. For example, some preferred to chat on the long journey while some just decided to feign sleeping throughout the journey!
Some love chicken rice balls while others love asam laksa...

They say that travelling experience came mainly from the travelling companions, which i agree! Partly because im in that group! Haha

Pictures are mostly from Holly's Camera and some from Fion's. She did a great job in editing, so that i can just extract for this entry!...for the first time, i am being documented on the journey!! How lucky!

We reached Malacca only at 4.30pm, all thanks to the jam at the causeway! And we walked quite a distance before we finally reached jonker street! Luckily we still managed to catch the last light before the sun set.

Everyone busy with their own picture taking session including me!

And who will wear shirt to Malacca! Me!!!

*behind the scene! by fionis*

The must do n must have! Setting up tripod for grp shots!

Pics from the camera mounted on tripod!

Doing some streets walking and shopping after dinner

These night PICs WOW! Holly disappeared from the group to take these pics for us!

And finally we end the night with some ice cream and Root beer back to the hotel!

The next day morning!
We took more photos! The weather was equally hot!

Cc super focus on taking this pic for the longest time! Manual focus somemore! It could be her winning shot!

I nearly faint here from the heat as well as the wait for the wanton mee!

Nice Pics from Fionis!

All the pics posted here are either from Fionis or Holly! I didnt took any and CC didnt share any here yet...
I hope they didnt expect too much of a standard from my pics! I got a feeling that im going to disappoint them big time! lol

Angels

2011-05-30T19:37:00.001-07:00

Do you believed in Angels? Do you sense them around you?
I didnt until recently...somehow somewhere it just kept happening around me...or should i say Happened!

I happened to board the bus when it stopped for me.
I happened to avoid climbing the fleet of stairs where Westei pre empted me this morning.
The weather was so hot and yet the train opened it's door for the longest awaiting for me to slowly walk in.
For no reasons, i realised that my negative was shot at the wrong iso and require a change of instruction and the lady at the shop still holds my negative for no reasons to just wait for my instructions.
I dropped my pass and a kind head of department just passed it back to me at my desk.

Everything just happened for a reason and thou its not in the form of an Angel..but somehow it makes you think..why did the bus driver stop for me? Why did westei msg me to tell me, why the lady delayed sending my negative for developing...
Everything seems so coincident and happened for a reason..haha

Im glad that all these little things appeared to save my day from misery!

Thanks ANGELS!

Cutting down on my leisure

2011-05-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

Ever since im back from my reservist, I have been slacking for the longest period. I didnt follow up with my gym sessions, i spend lotsa of time on my hobbies, i looked forward to my weekends and i basically just idle around in my holiday mood.

I guess with the end of my Malacca trip, i should start leaving the holiday moods behind and concentrate more at work. I better work harder this year, i have a premonition that there will soon be some major re shuffling again. Sigh, just hope for the best to happen.
I am starting my 8 IPT sessions next week and sadly this is the last time i can attend a 8 session training program. Next year onwards, the revamped IPT will be very different.

I am cutting down on my hobbies as well, guess in the near future, i wont have much time for them either. Photography alone has consumed quite a fair bit of my time and savings. While i am equally enjoying myself in this hobby, i got to constantly remind myself not to buy anymore. My dry cabinet is overflowing soon!

I think month of June is quite a boring month. With all the IPT commitment and the amount of work i am expected to deliver, i really hope July will come soon.

Old friends update

2011-05-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

Its been a long since i last met these friends of mine and it is quite a blessing that we are still in contact with one another.

Pardon the pictures, which i seriously think that a push film don really turn out well for portrait...everything become too over contrast.

The commercial powerpuff girls...who has left the organisation for so long. All the while, we keep talking about meeting up for a drink and we finally did...together with Gene and Jessie.

erm pardon the black faky hair! Its all the negative fault!

And if you are wondering where are all my male friends!
Dang~

My best group of Chao Keng army friends!

I asked Alex to give me his best pose!

I actually thought the background spot light would give him a good soft flare in his face, but i think it went haywire here...guess i need to brush up my skills on portrait!

And here is Ow, still acting abit shy when i offer to give him a shot while waiting for Alex. This is a picture perfect, everything worked well! Even the toning off the developer looks cool here! And as promised, i post in my blog!

What is missing here is Fengli....didnt really have the chance to take a photo of him. These are the great buddies of my NS and see u guys next year!

Where is my faith?

2011-05-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

I think i've lost my faith somewhere along my life...and im desperately looking for it....

The most un-fortunate wedding

2011-05-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

This is the first time that i attended a wedding where i sympathized the groom and family more than anything else.

I have never seen a wedding dinner so unplanned and so bumpy. 20 tables of guest and only a max of 13 tables turned up. Many which did not even have the basic courtesy to rsvp which resulted in the dinner to be served only at 8.30pm.

Right before the March in, a little girl vomited all over the red carpet. The sight was disgusting and the poor restaurant manager got to throw some rose petal to cover the stain.
What was worse than the bride have to drag her train over and over the stain.

And if you think that is all....

The traditional "YUM SENG" is a joke...some drunk brothers up there started rushing thru the three toss where the MC didnt even get the chance to finish the well wishes to the couple.

The service standard of the hotel was quite terrible as well. Not even comparable to any of the seafood restaurant you can find at east coast.

To be harsh, the wedding was a disaster.

But nonetheless, i can feel the happiness of Jonathan! Congrats to him and hope he will have a blissful wedding! ermm....i forgot to tell him about the citizenship part...

Lee Ji Eun, IU

2011-05-14T00:25:00.000-07:00

I always find that girls that can sing are always so charming...
She started out as a youtube singer and slowly progress to a star in korea!

Adidas Stan Smith

2011-05-13T23:27:00.000-07:00

While everyone was queuing up for the Fabulous Friday camera sale, I've decided to do my own shopping.
I was originally meeting kelvin to get the new portra negatives and while waiting, i explored Penisular plaza.

It has been almost 1-2 months since i last did my shopping and since i have saved quite abit in April, so i thought that i should reward myself by getting a nice pair of shoes. My favourite pair of Fred Perry has finally given up on me and for the past few months, my search for a pair of decent shoes within my budget was quite fruitless. Resulting in buying alot pair of cheap shoes but none really make a good match.
I have decided to up my budget instead and get a new pair to last me for another year! After all, quality and design is the most important factor.

So here it is!! I chose this pair of Stan Smith new arrival which i found only at Suntec.

Originally wanted to the get the vespa series but the price seems a little too high than what im willing to pay for. Maybe the next round when Adidas starts a sale, i could go grab another pair of vespa!

The most beautiful shellies

2011-05-05T06:46:00.001-07:00

We call them shellies, because they live in shells and breed in shells.

It is quite obvious that the reason that shells are a part of their life got to do with their physical size. Mainly to defend and protect themselves against other bigger predators.

Even in their natural environment which is lake tanganyika, most of them lives in snail shells that are commonly found in the lake.

There are alot of different species of shellies and some cross breeding in the lake over the years has created new variants.

But the most beautiful shellies that especially these days that are quite difficult to hunt for are the Pearly Occellutus or so call meleagries. I am glad and lucky to say that i am one of the proud owners to won the only few pairs in Singapore.

The first pair i owned came from this forummer who was a home breeder call EC. He is a huge shellies collector and even today when i visited his place, i am still amazed with his vast collections and the tank setup he has for them.

Unfortunately due to the lack of knowledge back then in rearing them, my first pair didnt survived.

Recently, while trying to buy some other shellies from him, i managed to convince him to sell me this pair.

Don't belittle these small creatures, they are able to fend off intruder twice their size! Although other smaller shellies will form colony to defend their territory, meleagris are known for their bravery for a one on one challenge.

Just a month ago, the pair spawned and i had 5 little fries now in my baby tank. Hopefully they will grow up well. The issue to in breed them is another worrying factor. Unless i can find new supply of them, if not, sooner or later, the line for them would be lost!

For those who wish to know more about tanganyika lake and has the time to do so...here are some video. A very enriching video!

Hopefully, you will be amazed with this lake as much as i did. I consider it the most beautiful lake in Africa following the malawi lake.

May Day walk @ Club street - Tea Chapter

2011-05-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

After such a long break, finally get a chance to meet up with Fionis for a short photography session. A short session because she is always late...sigh

Well the initial plan was to cover club street, a place that we didnt fully cover in our last outing.
Coincidentally, i have some portra 160 negative left over from my Kuan tan trip in my camera. This place is filled with beautiful colors which suits the nature of this film. So here are some pictures from my Yashica 124G.

It was a lazy afternoon where the usual rowdy club street seems rather peaceful.

Tea at Tea Chapter. This was not in our plans and we happened to walk pass this tea place and got so attracted by it that we decided to patronize it over the Shots cafe.

Trying my recent purchase, a Yashica D with Tmax 400, pushed to 1600.
The films didnt score as well as TriX...

I love this tea place alot. Its separated into 3 different styles, Korean, Chinese and Japanese. The style relates to the type of seats and ambiance. Unlike Tea Bone Zen, this place provides you with certain privacy with partitions used nicely. That is also the reason for them to charge you a mere $5 for this little privacy.

The tea and price of the snacks are pretty reasonable. There is a basic charge of $6 per person, just in case you decide to go there to chop some seats without buying anything.

Kuantan Malaysia Pics

2011-04-30T05:53:00.000-07:00

Didnt take alot of pictures during this trip but there are some still pretty decent that i thought i can share here.

Our "lovely" coach. Seriously, we should all take firefly there, it cost $30 during promotional seasons and its less than 2hrs to reach!

Our first meal at this street hawker...not really very nice but definitely better than yong peng!

Checking in to our "beach resort"

The Biggest Pool in Kuan Tan! Frankly speaking this could be the smallest pool in any Singapore Condo!

Some local "delicacy" shops.

The trip would be very boring if not for the company of my family...

And here is Lucas first overseas trip!

Our fellow tour mates at the beach! I seriously thought the main highlights for the trip was to see some turtle lay eggs but apparently there wasnt any of such program.

But I had to admit that the beaches at Cherating is nice! Much nicer than Bintan!

Gloomy weather and it started drizzling.

Overall, i didnt really enjoy this trip. I still prefer Malacca and im going there in End May!

Back with updates

2011-04-26T06:53:00.001-07:00

Finally i am back after my 2 weeks of In Camp training!!!
I got to admit that this in camp, i didnt really do much. Was in my own lonely world throughout the whole week waiting and waiting to go back home. Got many grumblings from my platoon mate. Sorry guys! I promise that the next in camp, I will be more active

The only thing that i have brought back from camp was the the cough virus. Im proud to announce that the habit of sleeping at 10pm is back again!

Oh, during this break, we went to Kuan Tan, Malaysia for a short getaway. Supposingly the place is quite famous but it seems like we got on the wrong tour and ended up disappointed with what we paid for.

I only managed to shoot 2 rolls of film.

Will update more on the trip with pictures in my next entry. I'm going to sleep now and get ready for work tomorrow!

Developing my own negative

2011-04-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

This is my first roll self developed at home, not too bad right?
Its not as difficult as i thought but i think i need more practice. This round, i accidentally killed a few frames because i didnt do a good job on loading the negative to the reel.

Pictures were taken at Hard Rock Hotel, Sentosa.

Mum and sis at the Zhang Jing Xuan Concerts.

And a few pictures i took @ office to finish up the roll...

Christine and her swollen lips...haha...ermm i mean biting her lips

If you would like to see more, i posted a few others in my camerani blog.

End of my luck?

2011-04-10T00:42:00.000-07:00

It all started with bidding a camera a little too expensive over ebay. Following by the camera wasn't really up to expectation and the worse thing, i couldnt find the seller.
Next, got myself a developing tank but its so difficult to use and ended up ruin a few pictures of mine.

And today, while im back to office, i spill a glass of water over my pants and it looks as though i wet my pants.

To say that i am totally ill fated, its not totally true as well. Minimumly, the camera i have gotten can be use. Everything seems functioning well. No parts missing.

The developing tank still managed to work well and i have gotten my first roll developed properly...just tat i lost a few frames.

There is a strong and powerful hair dryer in the toilet...
I know im super superstitious to say this, i feel somehow or rather, some angels are still around me supporting me through the difficult times.

Given a choice....

2011-04-07T18:26:00.000-07:00

I was checking my email this morning and there was one particular email that caught my attention. It was an email invitation to join a fund raising carnival for the Christchurch earthquake victims coming 17 April at the New Zealand residence(28 Queen Astrid park).

If you are interested to know more about New Zealand as well as planning to work or travel there, this might also be a great opportunity. There will be people from the embassy to answer queries.

Well, i just notice that they are looking for people around 18-30 and i might missed the chance soon to be qualify to work there and explore New Zealand in a different manner.

I was given a chance to try but seems like there are a lot more things that i couldn't let go. Family are my prime concern.

Sometimes when a choice is there, its not so simple as to choosing it. There are lots of things to consider before we can choose and most of the time, we don't get what we want.

That's life isn't it?

Lucas at HardRock Hotel

2011-04-01T23:04:00.000-07:00

My dearest nephew enjoyed his day at Hardrock hotel!

Making funny faces

And finally getting a little tired

Zzzz

Did some portraits of him as well!
Saliva drooling when he gets excited

My first prawning trip!

2011-03-26T02:27:00.000-07:00

Guodong suggested a prawning outing and since i have never tried before, i joined them.

We went to Pasir Ris prawning farm!

Everyone getting ready!

We didnt get any prawns attracted to our baits till an hour later.
The winner!

The girls got their first catch!

Only Guodong knows how to handle them!

N finally Guodong's turn!

We ended up just 5 prawns but the uncle was very nice, he packed almost 20 for us to bring home!

My mid life reflections!

2011-03-26T01:53:00.000-07:00

Im 30 this year and even being a guy, i do get quite alot of naggy comments on my single status. It just seems that everyone is over concern over whether i might be able to get married in the next few years. Well i do appreciate the nice little concerns because you care about me as a friend or family.
But seriously if i did not meet the right girl, which is part of my uncontrollable destiny and fate, there isnt much i can do right?
Yes, i know i know, i should be attached because most of you are attached and if not some married.
Problem is, i am not really in the hurry to just jump into a boat just because im at that age and i seriously haven't found any boats around me. I am like rehearsing my lyrics over and over again when people ask me the same question.

Haha, the biggest joke that i have was over a gathering yesterday with this "friend", call her LL, she was all along detestable since Poly days. I really don't understand why she always think she is great when she mimic a goblin. We were all discussing about family and careers when she decided to edge me over something(all the time) after feeling slightly inferior to whatever and she just announce to everyone, she got her HDB flat & she is attached...n i should just go apply my HDB myself when i hit 35...bla bla bla...
Well, firstly congrats to her for finding the "one", its definitely not easy for her...next maybe just a caution to her that she should be aware that thou getting a HDB, she wasnt married yet...anything could happen...and lastly, i don understand why she take pride off being married? Ermm cos becos all alone she feel she is collecting dust on the shelf?

I know im a little sarcastic but i really don like her.
And my dearest friends, i am suggesting that if you really meant well for me, introduce me to more suitable and unsuitable friends of yours! For this, i will really give you a big hugs with thanks:)

Moving next to my career, i know all along im an average B person. This apply to my study days and now my working life. What i have is extremely good socialising abilities at work that make me blend well into a completely different environment fast. Apart from this, i don see myself as a extrememly capable staff. Well, i guess i do still have my strength and luck has always been with me at work. So for now, im quite happy with my job and my position. This wont last forever i think.

And thanks Sharon for her ever encouraging words. She knows me really well n i am glad to have a friend like her. This goes to all my friends out there, u know who u are. I thank u for being my friends and supportive towards me at all times! Thou we may not contact frequently, u know im always there for u too :)

Friends and Families in Black & White

2011-03-24T06:37:00.001-07:00

Apologies if i kept on emphasizing B&W non stop...
I get a little too thrill over new things..and it keep my passion going!

Breakfast @ wild honey...ermm i mean lunch...no to be correct it is brunch! Yup Brunch at Wild Honey

The girls get excited over the food

Knowing Fionis passion and love for B&W photos...i hope she can save her comments...
Don't blame me, U girls should take more given the chance! haha

I asked mum to pose naturally for me...n for once she did! But sadly uncle didnt do a gd job here...alot of dust and scratches on films!
Looks really peranakan/nonya rite?

N Guodong finishing my last frame for me!

I really need to go catch my sleep now...stay tune for more pics:)

Film addict!

2011-03-24T06:05:00.000-07:00

I was suppose to go ruby to get my developing stuff today. But ended up i couldnt resist to get some B&W films for storage. I might have mistaken about the 20% price hike after April and thought that its the end of film supply!

This was what i ended up with!

I didnt realise i bought alot of them till i pay at the counter.

At least i didnt forget my main motive there was to get the cheap fixer and the dark changing bag. Oh and i didnt manage to get enough cannister to roll the negative. So guess got to wait for a while...but with so many films to shoot, i guess i can wait.

N when i decided to keep them in the fridge, i realise.......

I have to tactically find space to store them...
Mum's definitely going to kill me if the whole fridge is films!

And oh ya...i finally got my first B&W developed..and im amazed with the results..thou i didnt manage to control the lighting and exposure well..but...its nice enough!

Let's just hope that i can get my diafine developer soon so that i can develop my first B&W!

Shooting close up with medium Format

2011-03-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

Finally gotten myself an Omax close up filter x2 off ebay.
My first test shot was with Lucas. I couldnt really focus well with him moving ard...so i decided to take when he is in Lala land.
It wasnt really easy to focus thru this filter. In fact, the distance of accurate focusing seems to be very small...slight movement will result in out of focus.
Nonetheless, i was quite please with the results.

Oh...i will progressively update my Malacca pictures and experience in my photography blog.

I dread March!

2011-03-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

Yah i know that March is the most busy month of the whole year due to the fact of year end closing. Although i don't really do closing, but my budget preparation this year is getting more and more demanding. In fact, every year seems to be tougher.

I am glad that i managed to get a short getaway to Malacca last Saturday with the RF gang. My first outing with them and its amazingly fun!

My pictures are still with uncle mike and guess i'm going to find some time to pick it up this week.

Will post them this week!

My Purchases during IT fair!

2011-03-12T05:04:00.000-08:00

It was such a coincident that IT fair was held during the period while i am attending courses in the central area and it happened that i get released before 5pm.
So after my course, i went to Suntec IT fair.

Glad that i went as i found a discount over the ear piece which i wanted to get for the longest period and i nearly bought them in transit.
I got the green color version which matches my Iphone cover.

Audio Technica was the brand i came across 3 years back. I was totally impressed with its quality despite the cost of it. It lasted me till now and still going strong. The one i previously owned doesnt have a bass insert so i thought that i might as well reward myself by buying a better version.

I paid $38 for them which saved me $10.

My initial plans was to get a monitor to replace my current Dell monitor which started to show some problem. But i didnt get any in the end. Guess this show was still targeted at laptops.

I got the sonic gear speakers instead. Can you believe that the price of speakers has dropped tremendously. My ear piece costs also the same as this set of speakers.

Its a Singapore product that is made in China if im not wrong and for that price, its considered a really not bad product.

Quality wise, ermm...i still prefer Altec lansing...Sonic gear gives me alot of problem. Last night when i first tested, all speakers were working fine. Morning when i re test it, the left connector seems to have problems with projecting the sound out. And when i finally gave up on it, it worked again! so now, i have decided to just leave it in the position that works and not going to shift it around anymore.

Can't complain much for this price thou!

Going on Course!

2011-03-12T04:36:00.000-08:00

After almost 1 year, I finally attended my first external course, Visual Business Analytics, in the month of march. This course is something which i have always wanted to go but didnt really the chance to until recently. Thanks to my bosses for putting in a good word for me.

Frankly speaking, after just 2 days, i seriously think that this is a worthy course and i really benefit from it. Right now in my mind, its all about dashboards and how to create and apply them in my context. I promised sheryl that i will do something for her and i believed that by end of next week, i should be able to get my first dashboard up and running.

Something i really don like about going to courses in CBD area, especially Tanjong Pagar, is the congested traffic and the unsheltered pathways from buildings to buildings.

Partially also because of my unpleasant past interviews at this location which non went through. Lunch time was scary and i really appreciate working at Changi Airport.

So now, its time for me to go through my notes and start drawing my dashboard. Cool!

Baby Lucas Studio Shots

2011-02-28T04:23:00.001-08:00

Took some studio shots for Lucas, cant imagine how i did this shot without the help of my younger sis and mum.

The backdrop was actually a "close to white" towel that my sis and mum to hold. Lucas was lying on his small little mattress and thats it. Thankfully, he is still too young to learn crawling.

Motion blur on this one..sadly

He was pretty tired after 5 mins, so i let him rest for awhile and continue again

Guess he was too tired and he started drooling all over the mattress...:)

Moving in to my new office!

2011-02-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

Finally after 2 months of renovation, we moved back to our newly furnished office.
I went in to take some picture of it before everyone started to move in.

The new cashier counter, built at the convenient of everyone.

This design came with natural sky light! Can you see it in this picture?

The good thing was that it creates an all new ambiance to the office. Well of course that will be nice provided that no one was sitting under these sky light.

In the past, we complained that we did not have enough cabinet so this round, everyone get tonnes of it. Which in my opinion, its really alot!

The cubicle looks cheap. How can a cubicle does not have a platform for legs and the use of this

Our pantry...very nice thou

Hope everything will go smoothly in this office for me as well!

Emo Max

2011-02-21T19:30:00.000-08:00

Feeling pretty Emo these days and this has been with me for the longest period! Everyday seems so gloomy and i don't know how much longer, i will be affected by it.
The feeling is so strong this round that even doing my favourite things like shopping for lens, orchids, fishes etc couldnt keep my mind away from it.
This might be the call for me to finally realise that i cannot keep myself in the self denial mode anymore.

There is nothing i can do for now but just wait! And the wait seems so long yet so near! Just hope i have enough determination to hang on to it.

Some pictures that was taken weeks ago!

2011-02-19T07:19:00.000-08:00

Films, Fuji Pro 160s on my Favourite Yashica Mat 124G!
This round, the pictures were taken indoor. Seems like i did a pretty good job with my metering although only 4 pictures were presentable from the 12.

Lucas, I requested for a shot with him sitting alone!

My cousin...

Revisited China town

2011-02-19T06:36:00.002-08:00

I went to Chinatown again today but this round with Fion and Yuan, my coming Japan trip buddies. We set aside today to do some research and study on our trip to Japan in November. This coming NATAS was little too early for us, so we decided not to join in the queue at Expo next week.
Well, our plan was to do a free and easy from Tokyo to Osaka and along the way, visit Mount Fuji and Kyoto. We wanted to see if it is possible to fly in Osaka and fly out from Tokyo but apparently, a one way ticket is way too expensive.
Next, we wanted to see if we can have the options of joining a tour and extend our stay at Tokyo but then again, the tour packages doesn't seems to be any cheaper as well and extending the stay brings the cost up by a lot.

Anyway, the visits to these tour agencies didn't really take up a lot of our time. We spend most of our time exploring nice eateries and even took our discussions to Coffee Bean . I even showed them some really tradition pastry shops along the way.

We ended our day with a shopping at the famous "super crowded" necessities shop...where people snatched products like shampoo etc like it was free! Ermm, but to be fair, its really quite cheap thou. haha

The day was quite enjoyable!

My new Photo Blog site

2011-02-11T20:41:00.000-08:00

Hi,

As i am joining some other photography communities and sharing my pictures, thought it will be better to keep a dedicated blog which separates out from my personal updates.

Took a while to get this site up and pardon me, if there are some pictures which you have seen it before.

Camera & I

Visiting during CNY at my relatives house

2011-02-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

We always spend our Chu 2 visiting our relatives place. So this year, the only difference, was that my 2 cousins and my Aunt was around.

My cousin's performing some high jump at the old folks home.

Mum posing for a pic

Lydias likes to take picture more than her sister

They offered to be the model of the day moving around the house

They have this pond that surrounds the house, something i like alot!

The big chow chow of my relative, which has an aircon room to himself.

Going up the stairs

A private Jacuzzi which i think she loves it alot.

This is another cozy area that we love to hang around!

Controversy Pictures - to post or not to post

2011-02-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

If you followed my blog closely or am a facebook friend of mine, you will realised that i have posted and removed 2 pictures of 2 old folks from these sites.

I think its pretty subjective as to how people view these pictures. Yes, they are sad pictures and I do agree that we should place ourselves in their shoes when we take the pictures of them in misery and show it to others.

But this is what photo journalism is about. For me, its rather simple, i see a subject, i see a story and i will take the picture. I am not gloating over their misery nor am i seeking attention through their plight.

Anyway, I dont see a difference between taking a picture of a fortunate happy soul vs a sad unhappy soul, in life, its about everything. You still see pictures of terrorism attacks and poor life taken from war in the papers everyday right? And it dont make a difference whether u r a reporter or a journalist to be able to take these pictures. Well, but i do agree that we should respect the person in taking their pictures.

It's very subjective when it comes to photography and of course, to each their own views :) PEACE!

Happy Rabbit year

2011-02-07T05:48:00.001-08:00

After i sold off my GF1, lugging a camera out for visiting is just too inconvenient for me. I did bring along my Rangefinder, but didnt really take alot of pictures. So for once, these pics posted here is taken by my sis.

Getting ready for visiting

A grp shot!

My 2 little cousins...

Happy Chinese New Year 2011

2011-02-03T06:11:00.000-08:00

It took me forever to start posting a new blog entry and it seems that only during this festive holiday, i finally had the luxury of posting one.
Work is hectic in the month of Jan and Feb. Let's hope all these hard work will be paid off in this coming new Year of Rabbit!

As usual, we had our reunion dinner at my 5th Uncle place. We are quite grateful that he offered his place for dinner and everything was prepared by his family.

Unlike last year, the whole family was here! Aunt was back from New Zealand to celebrate this season with us.

The Brothers and Sisters

This "Yu Sheng" was prepared by my 5th Aunty

And here we begin!

And "Huat Ar"

Hopefully this year will be a prosperous year for everyone and i hope i can have a great career, wealth and health for me and my family & friends!

An Update on my Collection

2011-01-21T21:38:00.000-08:00

Since the last update on my purchases, i believed i should update my cameras collection again and so finally i took them out of the cabinet this morning for a photoshoot.

Some updates, i sold away my red gf1 and my minolta 7s and in exchange, i got 2 TLRs, moving towards the medium format path.
My tiny dry cabinet that is insufficient to house anymore things.

I will be saving up for my Canon 400D end of life replacement! Shall update again what i will get in future!

Finally, taking a break

2011-01-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since my last entry and this was because of the amount of assignment that i was tasked to do. Basically, i worked late almost everyday for the past week.
My taxi's receipts are piling up on my tray.

But Despite being so occupied with benchmarking, analysis etc, for once, i did not complain much. My regular telephone & lunch kakis can testify against it.
Instead, i felt so occupied and motivated doing up my assignments.

Guess its partially because of the new job allocation and portfolio assigned to me and also partly due to the good news that came last week on our revised remuneration package!

Well, its just the start of the year, hopefully walking thru the year will be better!

My Photography day @ Tanjong Pagar Railway Station & China Town

2011-01-09T04:16:00.001-08:00

Ever since our last photography trip to dempsey, we have been delaying our next trip. It was only till yesterday did we finally meet up again for our photography session.
This round with 2 other new members..CS1 and CS2. (Ops, just realized that i don't know how to spell their names)

I brought half of my cameras collection for this trip. So basically, the pictures are taken purely on films(brand new films that i just received from Thailand), using 3 different cameras.

From my R2A, 35mm f2.5 color skopar and my fuji proplus 100

Other than some restaurant, this place is quite vacate.

Fion and CS1

Pictures from my Yashica Mat 124G, kodak ektacolor 200
My first roll has abit of film underexposed issue. Not sure if the meter is incorrect or is it because of the influence of the lens hood. Nontheless, i think that i will need to run one more roll of film on it to test.
My guess is due to the indoor and outdoor lighting issue. The meter will just catch the sufficient lighting in the area around it.
But at least i am glad that the lens are super sharp for this camera!

Tuned some brightness in the below picture

Quite surprisingly the color are quite identical to my 35mm negative, covering with a blue tint.

Picture of the girls posing as model.

And here's my BBF redscale....
Sadly there is only 2 that can make it here on my blog..was still thinking if i should include it in.

The day didn't end just at tanjong pagar railway. We extend our session to Chinatown,
the Buddha's Relic temple.

Along the way, my street's habit started acting up again..

I took this picture after walking 3 rounds and making my wishes. I was still worried, i couldn't get this picture but guess i was lucky. No one walked in and my hands was steady!

And here's my last picture as i walked out of the temple

海滩的日记

2011-01-03T03:52:00.000-08:00

记得我年轻的时候,非常热爱海滩..
在贫困的日子里,海滩带来空闲的欢乐
还记得父亲他怎么把我埋在沙坑里,如何捕捉螃蟹. 从早至晚欢欢乐乐的一天在沙滩这样度过.

随着我的成长,我渐渐的远离这陪伴着我的海边,漂亮繁华城的市取而代之.

几年后的今天当我漫步在这海边上,许多回忆浮现在我的脑海里.

享受着海风,听着海浪的歌,困扰的心也平静多了.

在这片辽阔的海滩,从未出现一个失落的灵魂.

随着我离开,这片海也带走了我的忧虑和烦恼,留下给我的只有我想要的回忆，

A day at Zoo with them..

2010-12-31T20:39:00.000-08:00

The last visit to the zoo was 2-3 years back and i think it was together with my aunt and cousin when they visited us.
This time round, we revisited the place again since i managed to book the zoo pass.

Greeted by the Macaw parrots at the entrance

The crocodiles

if you follow through this blog, you will realize the focus are more of the people than the animal. Haha

Lydias nearly fell here and we bluff her that its a tiger den. That's why she didnt appear in the pictures here.

only after awhile did she joined back for a picture

Engrossed with the white tiger

taking the boat ride

Blowing bubbles while waiting for the adults in the shops

Showing that they are hungry at KFC

@ The kid's corner

It started raining after the elephant show and that is when we say goodbye to the zoo. The last pic for the day!

Hopefully, everyone enjoyed the trip

New Year Resolution

2010-12-31T04:51:00.000-08:00

I had a good year in 2010 where all the good things came my way. I got a promotion, i met lotsa friends and i had a great working team. So basically, my social and working life are well balanced! I made 6 memorable trips this year and i experienced alot!

Bidding farewell to Year 2010 and welcoming the new 2011, i hope the following will happen,
1)Having bad health in the last month of year 2010, i hope i will be healthy in the coming year! Yeap, i cancelled all plans on the eve of new year just to rest at home. (Don't wish to be sick on Day 1)

2)I had enough fun in Yr 2010, so in Yr 2011, i hope i can focus more in my work. Get a good career and learn more while i can. No more Skiving!

3)I spent alot in my hobbies and travels. So much so, i didnt really save much, so the coming year, i will be more conscientious in my spending.

4)I love travelling, and i have already made plans for next year trip. New places, new travelling mates and new experience!

Hopefully the next year will be a fruitful year for everyone!

The Book Depository

2010-12-28T06:28:00.000-08:00

I am so convinced and satisfied with the service of this online bookstore that i decided to do a sudden random blog entry for it.

Few weeks back, i wanted to get some photography magazine and Popular was selling them so expensive even after a 10% discount. My younger sis then mentioned to me this online bookstore that was featured in 8days and that how the writer greatly recommended buying from there! With all the low retail price, the discount and free shipment.
Well, i did browsed through the website but didn't get any. Somehow i think the urge to buy the book was replaced with some other purchases that i did..haha

Recently, while i am trying to find a picture of the national geographic magazine picture that i wanted to buy through Elyz at Kino, i came across this bigger version book.. call "Sacred place of a Lifetime"..and Elyz told me this book cost roughly about $70-80 and that it was not available locally.
And so happen Book depository was giving a discount for this book which cost USD $37.

Received on the 15th day

cardboard wrapped all over

perfect condition!

So if u r not in a hurry to read the book, then this is a really good place to shop!

X'mas Eve celebration in office

2010-12-27T04:57:00.000-08:00

This year, there are quite a fair bit of the staff that is celebrating their first X'mas in CAG. The committee did a great job in organising this event.
We were organised into 4 groups and played some games.

The losing team!

The organising committee explaining the rules of the game.

Everyone participating actively...

Elyz getting ready to kick off the game for her team. Well they still lost!

N everyone started to get blindfolded

N featured Mr Xiaomarko, so cool!

Chan, who joined us recently who is a Burmese

the winning team

Elyz with her Idol!

Updated Finance Division

The updated MA team! Can tell the boss like sheryl alot..look at where her hand is resting at! TSK haha

My first roll of film on Black Bird Fly

2010-12-25T21:20:00.000-08:00

Ever since i bought my scanner, i wanted so much to try a roll of film to get the sprocket holes effect on my photo.
I was even more tempted when i flipped through Shireen's picture. She was so talented in this area.

I was lucky when Weihsuan offered to lend me his blackbirdfly for my trial testing. So i had a roll loaded and here are the results!

Cant really get used to manual exposure, ended up most pictures were over exposed.

This area is at Lavender near my wingchuen training center

Took it to Bintan as well to finish up the roll of film

I think this is more fun compared to the other lomo cameras i have...i might just run another roll in this camera before weihsuan returns from taiwan!

Merry Xmas Everyone

2010-12-25T03:06:00.000-08:00

I fell sick this X'mas. Guess too exhausted with my recent Bintan trip and X'mas shopping. Spend $400 this year for X'mas and hopefully this will be my last stressful year for X'mas shopping.

Greeted with my Phal's new bloom, would like to share with everyone and wishes all a Merry and joyous X'mas!

Beautiful Beaches at Bintan!

2010-12-19T19:01:00.000-08:00

I took quite a few pictures but i think i will choose and post those nice ones in this entry.
Sadly i discovered that i do not have any Chinese software for me to write this entry, still thought of writing something poetic. Haha

Showing some pictures of our surrounding, Angsana resort.

The Pool

The view of the beach from the pool

Walking down the beach

The feeling of enjoying the breeze, listening to the waves and the view of the beautiful sky, will take away every single stress from you.

Sunrise at the beach

Early stroll at the beach with your love ones..i love this picture alot...hopefully you can feel what i feel here!

And bidding farewell to this nice beach with a light painting that i did at the pool.
Signing off with my name!

A day at Bintan!

2010-12-18T07:13:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought I could escape my terrifying inconsiderate neighbour screaming all the nights by coming to Bintan, I discovered my neighbours are full of children. It was only 7am when they started having some fun next door. Sigh..Other than that, it was quite a perfect getaway resort. Cool weather, nice breeze, nice sea and a beautiful sight. Anyway, tomorrow will be better since those children has already checked out today.

Talking about the beautiful view...this is the view from my balcony.

I love the beach here...although it's not as clear as i thought but it has been a long time since i last visited a beach!

As we are here during the monsoon period, there would be raining interval during the day where most of the time lasted less than an hour.

So what i will do during this period, i will make myself a cup of hot tea(Brought my favourite tea here!) and enjoy the nice rain.

Lay back on the sofa and read my magazine.

And slowly fall asleep in this nice cooling weather. It's super relaxing!

Bintan Angsana - Day 1 SPA

2010-12-17T17:29:00.000-08:00

I woke up super early today for my Bintan Angsana Resort trip and took a cab to Xin’s place to meet up with her first before picking up the rest. I was really glad that killiney at the ferry terminal was already opened for its daily operation. We were all feeling hungry from waking up so early.

The first activity at the Resort was to go for our “fusion” SPA that we booked week when there was a one for one promo. Since we can only check-in in the afternoon, we booked the morning slot.

Considering that even after the promotion price, it still seems a little expensive for me. I might be comparing with the past few SPA service that I went in other countries like Zhu Hai, Thai, Batam etc that resulted in such a perception. Well, maybe because of the price, my expectation for Angsana SPA was quite high.

The girls got the early slots and so Vincent and I went for a little walk around the villa while waiting for our session.

We were ushered to level 3 which is like a roof with a very serenity ambiance..and since we opt for a separate room, we have our own privacy in a large room that was meant for 2.

My Therapist waiting outside the room. Very polite and friendly.

This is the Room

Different views of the room. All to myself!

The massage scented oil..which they will mix and match for you.

The changing room, abit too...errr translucent,

Oh and this is the first time, i was requested to go full naked...which i nv did before..and what they offered was just a SARONG...and i got to reassure with my therapist i got her instruction correct. And finally she took me that there are paper "PANTIES" that "if i like", i can change into them for the session! *JAWS DROPPED*
~Blush Blush

Open air shower area

My thereapist, getting ready for my massage.

I must admit that this is the best massage i ever had. I nearly fell asleep!

After massage, they served me with this yummy hot ginger with honey.

Took some pics while im resting after the massage and enjoying the tea

Overall if you have the money and you wanted something a little more prestige, this is definitely good enough. I never experience something like this in Batam, so guess that is what they called "value = quality?"

No pictures for the beaches and surrounding at the moment since I can’t do much with my netbook here. But what I really wanted to share in this entry was the very nice SPA.

Birthday Celebration for Lydias

2010-12-13T19:28:00.000-08:00

My cousin lydias had her birthday celebration this year in Singapore with us.

Eurodias playing the Piano for us during the day

and then Lydias's turn

Sit gracefully at the piano

My aunt at the background help to fill the frame!

Smiling so happily with her presents!

Eurodias also received quite a fair bit of presents!

The Birthday Girl posing infront of the many cameras!

Arranging the candles

Taking pictures with the family.

While waiting for the rest to come for pictures taking...this girl never ran out of smiles

and finally, we lighted the candles

Singing the Birthday songs for her

Cutting the cake

Abber with his cheeky looks

And if you are guessing where is her sis eurodias..finally appeared and can tell she looked unbearable!

I Can't Sleep!

2010-12-13T19:01:00.000-08:00

Recently, I just can’t seem to fall asleep the same way as in the past. I will fidget, toss and turn in my bed till near 2am before I could finally rest my mind. I am unsure why this happened and I am unsure if there is something that is bothering me. But if you really ask me what it is, I just can’t figure out. It might be some thoughts or some feelings or maybe my surrounding, but I can’t really confirm what it is.
I just know that the insufficient rest that I had made me restless almost everyday. Having big eye bags, messy hair, grouchy, moody and easily tired. I am feeling so unhealthy!
To make things worse for me, this week is my super peak period. I do not have the luxury to take a break and keep myself relax during the day. Sigh…I don’t have the time and mood to shop for xmas presents.
I’m really looking forward to my Bintan trip!

Eurodias and Lydias

2010-12-11T06:39:00.000-08:00

Finally, for the first time they appear on my blog!
While waiting for my aunt, i took them outdoor and took some pictures for them.

My 2 cousins, Eurodias & Lydias

Lydias

Eurodias