Building my Terranium

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!