ウィリアム

Colors

2010-06-20T00:16:00.001+08:00

Nanjing Metro

2010-05-12T23:08:00.001+08:00

Walkaround in Orchard Road

2010-05-05T21:28:00.001+08:00

Is it still open?

2010-04-14T21:02:00.001+08:00

Being procrastinating about posting something on the blog cos I've been spending too much time on the TV. Shall take some time to post about the trip to Haw Par Villa couple of weeks back.

By now, most of you who are reading this post must be wondering if Haw Par Villa is still open today.I am not sure whether those born after the 1990s have been to this place yet. The last time I visited this place was at least a decade ago with my father and sister. Back then, Haw Par Villa was a famous attraction for Singaporeans. I must say the place is still very well maintained despite the fact that there are many other places of interests opened over the years. The admission is free now except to a museum which will cost you 4 bucks. Do not bother visiting the museum because they do not turn on the air con and its bloody stuffy. Save it for a can of nice cold beer instead.

In the past, there also used to be a huge water slide ride which I still vividly remember taking it with my dad. I wished I had our photos taken then. There also used to be this boat ride which has been demolished. Nevertheless, the ‘Levels of Hell’ exhibition is still present albeit only showcasing 10 levels instead of 18 levels which the Chinese have often been told about. Perhaps no one made it back upon the 11th level to tell any stories. Despite the fact without the water rides, the visit has made me recall back many great memories about my childhood days with my dad and sister. I'm sure this place will still be around and will be more accessible to the masses when the Haw Par Villa circle line opens for service. Cheers!

Some orchids

2010-04-02T11:09:00.001+08:00

We had fun singing!

2010-03-28T00:24:00.001+08:00

We went singing a couple of weeks back; we went to party world @ Liang Court during the happy hour period. The ambience was good and the place was clean. Everything was great except the lack of gals around. 3 guys on a Saturday afternoon visiting a ktv, I suppose the reception guy must be thinking if we were gays. I am not a great fan of karaoke but it is a good place for gatherings IMHO.

Anyway we settled down quickly after entering the room and began choosing songs. I must have frustrated the guys with my selection of oldies tracks that they began to doubt if we were born in the same year. We had fun and that matters most! Its easy to sing along when listening to a mp3 but singing karaoke isn't. I wonder when will we be visiting the place again.

“Explaining how to use the remote, looks like we have a frequent singer”

“Must adjust the lights to get into the mood!”

“Singing the higher octaves with angst”

“Multi-tasking at its best!”

“Getting into the mood of the song”

“Feeling pissed upon being voyeur-ed”

上海人家@Katong

2010-03-16T22:26:00.001+08:00

I've patronized this Shanghainese restaurant for around 3 times since last November. It is located along Katong Road next to Astons western food. The restaurant serves Chinese cuisine (duh!) especially Shanghainese food. They got nice 汤包，小笼包 and 红油炒手。They also serve other dishes like Peking duck as well. Every visit to this restaurant reminds me of my trips to China. They even sell the bottled lemon green tea that I drank in China! But what I liked most about this place is the absence of GST and service charge. Nowadays I choose to makan at places they do not charge service fees. Singapore restaurant service sucks.

The fun never ends...

2010-02-21T14:56:00.001+08:00

“mum carrying my tripod...hahahaha!”

Singapore Airshow 2010

2010-02-13T11:54:00.001+08:00

The long awaited Airshow started last week and I was there for both the trade days and the public days. Had I know my company would be giving me trade passes, I would not have bought the public tickets. Well anyway I went with different people so the atmosphere was different as well. Honestly speaking, the show was a tad disappointing. Pretty much the same as the previous Asian Aerospace show. No Blue Angels, Red Arrows, Thunderbirds. This year, there's no black knights even. The aerial displays were the same plane models except the A10 and F111. Perhaps I expected too much. Still it was a great experience with 6fps on the 40D. Here are some shots taken during the airshow. Enjoy!

中山陵之旅

2010-01-31T21:37:00.001+08:00

前往夫子庙

2010-01-21T21:23:00.001+08:00

This time round, I shall post more about Nanjing. When you go to Nanjing, people there will surely ask if you have already been to 夫子庙. It is one of the main shopping areas to visit while in Nanjing. The beautiful Qin Huai river, a branch of the Great Yangtze River runs through the area. The river was channeled to the city of Nanjing during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, so it was named Qin Huai River. On the banks of the river, you will find many famous sites of interests like Confucius Temple, Zhanyuan Garden and Zhonghua Gate. Zhonghua Gate is the largest city door in China as well as the best-preserved and most intricate city door in the world. Zhanyuan Garden, which was constructed in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and is the oldest existing garden in Nanjing City.

Along the streets in Nanjing, you will find shelter under the many beautiful 梧桐树 or Chinese parasol tree like the one shown above.

Mum standing in front of one of the many gates in 夫子庙

Many food stalls and stores line up the whole of 夫子庙

This steamboat shop is famous in Nanjing and has many branches in the city.

The beautiful Qin Huai River where you can find many ancient buildings along its banks. I did not take the boat ride as it was pretty dark so you cannot see much.

The famous 夫子庙 where there is a Confucius statue inside. The Confucius statue is said to be the tallest statue in China. Mum and I did not go in though cos tickets were 30rmb per pax and we reckon there’s nothing nice inside. Nevertheless, we left our footprints and took some shots outside the temple.

People, people everywhere. There is MacDonald's but we decided to have KFC for dinner. This is where I had my first hot Fanta orange drink!

This place is where scholars from all over China would gather and take the imperial exams

At night, the Qin Huai River transform into another beauty! Man I love Nanjing!

登上紫金山

2010-01-10T22:57:00.001+08:00

This time I shall post about the trip up to 紫金山 or Purple Gold Mountain during our Nanjing trip. The name of the mountains is due to the appearance of mysterious purple and golden clouds at the peaks during dawn and dusk. We did not get the chance to see that though but it should be very nice. Standing at 447m high, the view at the peak was breathtaking. The whole of Nanjing was beneath me and the air was cold and fresh! We took a cab up to the peak and along the way there were many couples hiking up. I salute their endurance and stamina; I would never do that. If only Singapore had such a natural scenery.

Standing behind us is an ancient telescope invented by the Chinese and is considered a National treasure. Like the Greeks, the Chinese knew a thing or two about the stars and constellations back then.

We stand before the Purple Gold Mountain Sky Observatory which has already ceased to operate now but the telescopes are still housed inside.

Back to Nanjing

2010-01-03T22:15:00.001+08:00

Just flown back to Nanjing during the Christmas holidays with my mum. It was a great experience. First winter for me since I was born. Temperature over the 12 days trip was around –4 to –8 deg. Celsius. Sad to say it only snowed once and for 20 minutes only. Here are some shots taken at their zoo. Shall let the pictures do the talking.

A night at the Barrage

2010-01-02T13:00:00.001+08:00

Around the Supreme Court

2009-12-13T22:16:00.001+08:00

Took some time off on Saturday to snap some shots with the 40d. I'm quite drawn to architecture shots especially old colonial buildings like our supreme court. Sadly in Singapore, there are rather few such buildings with such designs. What I like about old colonial buildings are the exterior designs which you don't really see in modern buildings. I've processed some the pics with a vintage style to bring out that olden times feel. Was I successful?

Anyway, I feel lazy to visit places again to retake the photos previously done with the fz8 and I am getting so bloody bored with Singapore. Every weekend seems the same! I have ran out of places to explore in this little sunny island. Cheers

Its the most wonderful time of the year..

2009-12-06T12:57:00.001+08:00

Well the time of the year has come again with fanciful light decorations all over town especially along Orchard Road. I haven't got a sturdy tripod for the 40d yet but these handheld shots are still pretty decent thanks to the larger light sensor. Anyway Orchard road has been given a facelift with many new malls lining up at the former phoenix hotel site. But Singapore malls are almost about the same everywhere with your usual suspects inside. What do you want for Christmas this year?

山頭火

2009-11-25T22:22:00.001+08:00

Tried out a ramen shop last weekend at Central with Lawrence and Hua. The place is called SanTouKa. Nowadays, ramen shops can be found is most places but I haven't found one which serves ramen to my liking yet. I cannot really fault them though. Technically, the food is good! just that ramen soup bases are damn salty. Is it me? give it a try yourself and let me know. Very cosy lightings and seats are pretty spacious

Wanted to try everything, so I ordered this rice and ramen set! $19.50++, upgraded +$1 for more noodles

Salmon + salmon roe rice. I expected the salmon to be raw, but still it tastes good though

Miso soup base ramen. It has the usual suspects in the ramen: bamboo shoots, salty like hell charsiew, japanese fishcake

King of all salty charsiew, which is a premium cut from the pigs cheek. Its really tender but just too salty for me

Long awaited sunrise

2009-11-21T10:11:00.001+08:00

For the past 4 months I've been wanting to take a shot of my neighbourhood together with the sunrise. I finally did it this morning with the 40d. The colours aren't too good so I processed them into HDR shots. Perhaps I should have got up earlier. Hope you guys like them! Cheers!

Frangipani

2009-11-08T21:21:00.001+08:00

random

2009-11-04T23:50:00.001+08:00

Bought a new home for them

2009-10-25T22:25:00.001+08:00

I managed to find time this morning to get a new ‘house’ for my 40d and Fz8. Yeap, I am talking about a dry cabinet to house my 40d and Fz8 and more stuff in the future. Why the need for a dry cabinet? The humidity levels in our sunny Singapore is too high and that promotes the growth of fungus in the camera lenses. You would not want to see mushrooms in your photos and it costs a lot to clean them. Hence the dry cabinet does its job of controlling the humidity levels. It is set at 46% RH now and I can sleep peacefully at night without worrying that the next time I peek into the viewfinder I see fungus!

Cat eats a cake

2009-10-12T22:38:00.001+08:00

It was Cats birthday last sunday and we finally managed to get her out to celebrate and have some drinks. Dinner was settled at Purvis street. We had Hainanese chicken rice, chap chai and claypot mutton. Everyone agreed the mutton was good! We (okay me) order one whole chicken and had some difficulty finishing it.

After dinner, we headed down to Intro Bar at Raffles City for a couple of drinks and planned to eat our cake there. It was a nice place, quiet and cosy. I will be heading there for drinks in the future. That night I ordered a mojito.

We spent a couple of hours there catching up with each other and of course taking photographs. Sad to say, we were not allowed to have our cake there. In the end we only took out the cake for display purposes. hahahahaaaa!

Jiahui and his lychee drink

We soon found ourselves inside MacDonald's cutting the birthday cake. It was a cherry chocolate cake from Awfully Chocolate from Jiahui. You can tell how good it was from Brandon's expression. He was in shock about how good it tasted.

Everyone enjoyed the cake, even Jiahui snapped two slices in a row. We continued to chit chat for another hour before our biological clocks starting ringing to tell us we should be beds getting ready for Monday blues. Its amazing how fast time goes by when you are enjoying yourself.

The marathon is back

2009-10-12T21:34:00.001+08:00

Last week I took part in a marathon but not the usual kind you see on TV. Its a photo marathon organised by Canon. I have no idea how long have they been organising it but this year is my second time joining. But this year I did not managed to complete it. The themes were nicer to interpret than last years. Anyway for this year, the themes were 1. Togetherness, 2. Motion 3. Energy.

The winner this year gets to go to Central Japan, 8 days expenses fully paid for!

Rows of photographers lining up to upload their only shot for each theme

“Togetherness”

“Motion”

Change

2009-10-05T21:07:00.001+08:00

I happened to be around Istana last weekend to catch the Change of Guards/COG ceremony. The last time I attended the ceremony was half a decade ago. Seems like things haven't a bit, there's still the band and the silent drill performance! Got to give these silent drill guys some credit man! Though I've seen better performances, it is not an easy feat performing a 10-20 minute routine.

Aint easy twirling the heavy rifle!

One of the guys doing a solo performance! sibei stress~~~

Jaws in trouble

2009-10-04T23:32:00.001+08:00

I got to admit I am one of those who eats sharks fin soup but I have never thought of serving it for my future wedding dinner. Those who know me and are reading this, please don't shrink your angbao money for my wedding dinner just because you know you will not be getting sharks fin soup. For Asians and Chinese especially, there will always be sharks fin soup in the wedding dinner menu. Traditionally, the Chinese view sharks fin as a delicacy hence the need to offer to guests to show their generosity/wealth. This ‘Save the Sharks’ exhibit I visited today showed a video of how fishermen would cut the fins of sharks and then throw them back to sea and let them bleed. I've always thought the other parts of the shark would be sold in the market. The video also shows people selling pills made from fins and claiming how it would make one stronger; just like how tiger penis would strengthen men's sexual prowess. The truth is there is no scientific proof for these.

Anyway there was a huge shark display pieced together using shattered sharks fin porcelain bowls. For every 2 bucks donated to the Shark protection agency (or something similar to that), you can smash up the bowls which signifies your support for not eating sharks fin.

过中秋

2009-10-04T22:55:00.001+08:00

It seems like mid autumn festival is a bit quiet this year, the TV did not even advertise about displaying giant floating lanterns at Chinese Garden. Previously, admission to the gardens would cost you at least 20 bucks per head to enter during this time. But not this year because all the floating lanterns have shrunk to numerous round ones. This meant good news for cheapskates like me who will not part 20 bucks to view lanterns. Despite the lack in publicity, the gardens were filled with people. There were a couple of community centres who had mini celebrations at the place. It did rain that evening and we had to seek shelter in one of the pagodas.

The small round lanterns that filled the entire premise of the gardens

Here is a photo of me against the 7th storey pagoda, the tallest in the gardens and can be easily seen from the MRT station.

The shot about one of the bridges you will see in Chinese gardens, another one is located at the entrance of the Japanese gardens. The below shots are taken to test my 2nd curtain flash, I'm still trying to find the best settings for it. It looks pretty good for now. I'm not sure how everyone feels about mid autumn this year but festivals are getting really commercialised these days. During the lunar seventh month, shopping malls were filled with people buying mooncakes. My friend from China says that in their country, families have reunion dinner during mid autumn festival. Does anyone of your family practise that?

F1 Singapore

2009-09-28T23:22:00.001+08:00

Thanks to Joanna I managed to get a free pass to experience this year’s F1 fever right here in Singapore! The cars were loud, loud and loud; you got to wear ear plugs or next day you gonna have hearing problems. They were fast fast fast too. Here are some pictures taken during the qualifying night. It was difficult locating a good spot to take photos and many of the turns and corners were already packed with enthusiastic photographers all lined up with their tele lens. Not the fantastic pictures of the F1 cars you see here I got to admit with all the grills blocking the cars. I might try again next year with a new tele lens. Cheers!

A day at the Istana

2009-09-21T13:10:00.001+08:00

Yesterday was my first time in 25 years of my life to enter the Istana thanks to hari raya. First impression inside after walking past the main gate was “Okay, this looks like Botanical gardens.”There were lots of green spaces and just nice I chanced upon this pair of guards marching to main gates and the next second they were inside my camera.

After walking along the tree sheltered pathway for 15 minutes, presented in front of us was a old cannon on a mini hilltop. Being a kiasu Singaporean, I wasted no time to get myself photographed with it. There were some tents set up selling souvenirs to raise fund for charity. I thought if they had rented out those buggy cars to drive people around the place, they would have earned more.

Of course I alone would not have been able to do all these phototaking, with me that day was Mr. Ling who just came back from aussieland. Mr Ling surely knows how to pose man! This photo is as though he is some government potential candidate. Dressed in white somemore!

While for me, I tried a Sir Raffles pose but failed miserably. It was fun though.

We (okay, more of me) continued to pose for more shots with the Istana behind cos the place is seldom open to the public! Here's a few more of me with the fountain and Istana at the background. I would say the building is really magnificent.

Okay the next few picture are processed specially for Miss Teo. First attempt for me as well. I personally like this pic below. I happened to be wearing pink which closely matched the presidential flag colour so for the post processing I chose to leave out most colours except green and red.

These two shots below seems as though I am the proud owner of the Istana!

It was a pity photography was not allowed inside the main building. We went in though for 2 bucks per person. Inside showcased some of the reception rooms used to welcome the other countries guests and the gifts other countries have given to us on each visit. Since photography was not allowed inside, could only do it on the outside.

There were some activities going on like primary school band whipping some tunes but it was unbearable to our ears that we left briefly after their first piece. Dear Istana, please invite some reputable school bands next time or utilise our music and drama company.

The weather so damn bloody hot that Mr Ling got heat stroke and nearly concussed and it caused him to develop violent behaviour

Stroke Rolls eyesDevelops rageI got it too!

After sparing ourselves from bad music, we decided to explore some other places and along the way I took some shots.

We were greeted by one large troop of police officers. First time seeing so many officers besides NDP. Too bad no guard dogs.

It took us a while before we could find this secluded victoria pond which was used to remember queen victoria. Nothing spectacular about this place except for some flora and fauna which I took. I like what I am seeing produced by the 40d.

We entered the Istana at 10am and ended our tour at 130pm to seek lunch from botak jones!

Exhilaration Of Sight

2009-09-21T01:42:00.001+08:00

The wait is finally over! It was time for me to move on to a dslr; i departed with some cash and got myself a canon 40d and a 17-85mm lens. The body is 2nd hand which the previous buyer got it from Japan. Manuals and everything in the box was in nihongo luckily it was still okay for me to comprehend. The lens is still under warranty though, good deal I had! Anyway by the time you read this, I would have clocked few hundred shots on the camera. Anyway the first few real outdoor snaps were on this cute boy. I am not sure whether you guys noticed the difference in the quality of the pictures now and then in my post. But I feel the difference in sharpness! Pardon the over-saturated colors here, I'm figuring out the settings for it.

Army Open House 2009

2009-09-06T23:13:00.001+08:00

Last Saturday was my first time visiting the Army Open House. The last time I attended a SAF public event was the Air Force Open House and that was before I was enlisted. Initially I was not interested in the event but a new toy inside my cupboard changed my mind. I needed to test out my new dslr (I will post about that next time). Bad part about the event: the weather was fucking hot, and now I am suffering from the aftermath of it. Good part of the event: there were lots of stuff to take photos of but I was too pre-occupied in my mind about figuring out the Canon metering system. Well anyway here are some shots taken from the event. I am not sure if I am going to visit another open house again because the weather just turns me off. Perhaps some sunblock might change my mind.

I thought they've phased out this Super Puma so it was good to see it in action again.

Newly added Apache to support the Army in our 3rd Generation SAF

Can you see me?

Last but not least, something from my ORD unit.

Night scenes

2009-08-23T00:25:00.001+08:00

Ok, here's some night shots taken this evening! Working life is pretty monotonous so weekends should be devoted to doing things to relax and photography is first on the list. There are others like sleeping till 10am and eating a scrumptious breakfast while watching tv. Seriously I love taking night scenes, the lights just makes the photos awesome! I'm gonna print some and post it in my office! Enjoy! btw what do you do on weekends?

Happy birthday to you..

2009-08-23T00:09:00.001+08:00

Every year when the nation celebrates her birthday, my sister celebrates hers too. She is born on the 8th August though. This year is a bit different because I got her a gift with my hard earned (ok, maybe not that hard) money. A sense of achievement for me. I seldom see her nowadays because she's married and has moved out. But we do still keep in touch though and makan outside together once in a while. Anyway, お誕生日おめでとうございます。。。

楽しかった！！

Nanjing with love: Part VIII

2009-08-08T09:28:00.001+08:00

Okay, this week we go to the zoo. Not our Mandai Zoo but somewhere further in the city of Nanjing. Ok quite facts: 30RMB per entry and it closes at 4.30pm. Sorry no night safari here yet. And zoos never smell good, anywhere, even in Singapore. When you are in China and you are in their zoo, the first thing you should want to see is, of course, the panda! 30RMB to see one of the treasures of China is really worth it! By the way, not every zoo in China has pandas, so I was really lucky to have the chance to see this cute cuddly furball. This one below happened to be outdoors while another two were lazing indoors. This shot was great because it posed for me! A stalk of bamboo in its hand would be more perfect.

They do not have as much animals as our mandai zoo but seeing the panda was money worth already. they do have some other species like the white tiger and it’s caged up together with its cousin, the normal tiger and lion. I was standing barely 1m away from the lion and between us was only an electrical fence; I kinda doubt it though from the looks of it. It looked like those school field fences. Anyway you don't this sort of close up encounter back in mandai, so cameras up and snapping.

They also have other animals like the birds and taking pictures in zoos sometimes suck because of the bloody fence that spoil the image. Luckily, I was able to focus through this gap in the fence to take this shot of these love birds together.

Before China has started building their worlds tallest Ferris wheel, I took a ride on its mini one at the zoo. Costs 10RMB for one round, felt kinda cheated though because it moved pretty fast. But it was a nice view on top looking around the zoo. Overall, it was a great experience visiting other country's zoo and of course able to see the panda.

Graduation Dinner

2009-08-02T23:25:00.001+08:00

The very next day after Convocation was graduation dinner. It was held in swissotel merchant court. Perhaps this was the only time when everyone will be free to come together. After that there will still be chances but arranging will be difficult because everyone will be busy with their lives. Everyone was dress up to their nines, made me wonder if the girls took a day off to set their hair and stuff. For the guys, it was easy, normal working did the trick. For me, I had to change to long sleeve shirt because my work place attire is only jeans and polo-t. Feeling envious?

There was not enough time to take photos with everyone during Convocation so during dinner time, I was all over the place finding them to take photos. Below is Jun Ping who hails from our friendly North. Witty and comical guy.

Above is Yida and Vincent. Yida was my primary school classmate and we only met again in Year 2! All these years, his looks hasn't changed a bit at all. Next to him is Vincent whom I spend most of my varsity years with, we took the same modules, mugged together, did presentations together and were in the same ice skating club!

And this is Marco. We worked together during our IA. Man, he looks dashing isn't he. He stays near me and I used to go to his house to play tennis, Wii and swim too. Wonder when is the next time we can have a game together.

This Weizheng and Louis who were both my Freshman mates. Back then, everyone was still so unfamiliar with each other and the surroundings. But these were the guys who lent me their tutorials…hahahaha!

Ok, this is Xiao Ying, I forgot how I got to know her but she has gotten more and more pretty over the years. From her spectacles to contact lenses, braces to nice pearly whites and pony tail to wavy curls. I hope she does not read this. Anyway we worked together in projects and presentations and I know she's gonna be very successful in the future.

This is Hazwan who is also my secondary school mate and tkband mate. When we were younger, I was bigger in size. But he has toned up this body over the years. Continue flexing those muscles!

NDP Preview 09

2009-08-02T14:02:00.001+08:00

It has been some time since I've been out to take photographs for so long. Yesterday was NDP preview day. By 5pm I was already at Esplanade area camping for a nice position to take pictures with Hansheng. By that time, the area was around filled with photography hobbyists and their gears all set up waiting for the parade to commence. Everyone came prepared with makan and water. We found ourselves a position under a tree and set up our tripods. Weather was kind. By 6pm the parade started and first up was the Red Lions coming down.

I pretty like this shot because it shows ‘The Red Lions’ prominently. I did some simple crop and some post processing to bring out the red furthermore. I hope you like it too. Ever since we got the apaches, they've been appearing every national day parade. They would do a couple of fly-bys and ‘bow’ to the crowd. This shot below was taken while it was stationary. I doubt I could have taken a clear shot if it was moving.

This year there wasn't any black knights but only 3 f-16. I thought it was supposed to be 5? Perhaps another budget cut by the government. Anyway they never failed to get the crowd cupping their ears with the engines going full afterburner. Since the Army and Air force have done their part, the Navy must also chip in some part, rite? They got divers bailing out from the Chinook and showcased some naval defense speed crafts. The water show segment was also joined in with our police coast guard.

For the previous years, the cannons have always been on ground but this year we diy our own mini frigates by placing the cannons on amphibious transports. I hope the gunners do not suffer from sea-sickness. I like this idea cos everyone gets to see the firing up close and personal. It was so near the crowd that I could feel the shockwave from the blast. I must admit I shook when they fired which explains the blur shot. Catch the live action on National Day next week if you are free.

My Graduation……finally

2009-08-02T11:47:00.001+08:00

4 years, 8 semesters, $24k, sleepless nights preparing for exams, spending weekends studying for quizzes and doing tutorials and not mention the countless projects and presentations. I survived the NTU experience and finally graduated last week with what I aimed for 4 years ago. Affirms my ability once again.

Well, varsity life isn’t all about mugging though, I had fun moments too. It’s all about how you want it to be sometimes. Mugging together with my gang often turned into a chit chatting and joke sharing session. The preparation for a group presentations also brought out our acting skills! (Right? Vincent and Hansheng) There were also the ice skating sessions which I enjoyed too(not the shoulder dislocation incident though). I’m glad I had great memories with my peers in the 4 years and more to share with each other as we unfold a new chapter in our lives. The going can be tough at times but as the saying goes ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ At the end of it all, everyone around me went through and survived it!

Yakuza Moon

2009-08-01T11:35:00.000+08:00

Ok, finally I am able to post pictures on my blog thanks to KaiKiang for introducing this blog writting software. I had problems with the blogger webpage. Anyway the program is called Windows Live Writer. Now I have a lot of backlog posts to clear and I shall start off with this one.

I finished reading this book last 2 weeks ago. By looking at the title, you should know it has something to do with Japan. This books tells about the first person account of a woman who grew up in the Japan Yakuza society. It tells about the successful struggle of the woman to escape from a life of ostracism and abuse, and also a rare glimpse into Japan’s closed yakuza world from an insider’s viewpoint. Enjoy!

Nanjing with Love Part 7: Food Edition

2009-07-18T10:17:00.007+08:00

Okay, this time is all about the food I've tasted during my trip in Nanjing. Food in Nanjing is way a lot cheaper than in Singapore. However this cannot be said the same for fast food restaurants, I suppose they control the prices somehow. As far as I can remember, I don't recall taking a lot of rice during my 2 week trip. Food portions were really generous, usually served in big utensils like this (above pic). That was mine first time taking food from such a big bowl or basin should I call that. Shown in the pic is chicken soup, spicy fish and barbeque chicken wings. All that for only 20SGD.

Nanjing is famous for their ducks, you would see countless shops selling food shown the pic above. It's called 鸭血粉丝汤 or duck's blood in rice vermicell. In the dish, there's duck's blood cube, duck innards and rice vermicell. For 1.50SGD you can fill you stomach and it's great having that in a cold weather. 烧饼 costs SGD20cents.

In Nanjing, you don't see kopitiams or food courts. Instead you have little shops/restaurant which sells food. There was this noodle shop near the place I stayed and I would often drop by to taste their handmade noodles. What you see here is 三鲜面, at first I thought it would be a seafood noodle dish but it turned out that the noodles contain pig's skin, egg and some pig liver. Very nice at only SGD2.

One of my favourite dish would be 锅贴! Dipping it inside chilli and vinegar and eating it during a cold morning is just out of this world! The beef filling is juicy and 10 of these instantly gets you fired up for the the rest of the day! Best of all, it doesn't hurt the pocket a least bit, SGD 1 for 10 of them! I loved them so much I packed them back to eat on the plane. Then, there is the 云吞 soup that warms your stomach. The skin is soft yet not soggy. SGD 50cents for 16 of them.

These next few dishes were taken at a same restaurant during a supper. Eating mini lobsters for supper?! Just nice it was lobster season and prices were really good. Just look at the number of lobsters on that plate! We also had this fish cooked with some noodles and a plate of kung pao chicken. There were more peanuts than chicken cubes though. All these for less than SGD30 for four people.

In Nanjing, there are boutique bread/cake shops around and this red bean bun is brought from Christine's cake shop. The red bean isn't in paste form as we often see in Singapore but real full whole intact beans. Thumbs up for this!
The bowl might seem messy but this 鸡肉面线 will make you want to order another second bowl. Actually it seems like a korean bibim nang myeon to me. The pic below is fried rice. There's no char siew, no prawns but just simply eggs, luncheon meat and vegetables.

These are finger food sold just outside the metro station. There's meat ball, stinky toufu, seaweed and mushrooms. The seller would deep fry them for around 30 seconds and dip them inside spicy sauce. One stick of each costs SGD 20cents. Right below is another snack also sold in streets and it's called 肉夹馍. I call it chinese hamburger. It is a bun which tastes like Pita bread and stuffed with pork, cilantro and spicy sauce. It is really big and the filling is a lot for the price of SGD50cents.

This is a pancake or prata like food you can also find easily on the streets. Costs SGD 30cents. You can have it sweet or salted. Here it's salted which is just salted sauce and a vegetable. Good food on the go though. It's these little snacks that makes travelling fun before you don't get to see and taste them everyday back home.

肉夹馍

Nanjing with Love Part 6

2009-07-13T11:40:00.006+08:00

Suning Electrical Store, selling 6 levels of tech gadgets

Pizza Hut at Xinjiekou

Along the streets of Xinjiekou

Local newpaper costs 50cent RMB

Only this mall has food courts and restaurants inside

Familiar brands we see here, eh

I bought a blouse for my mum here!

Watched X-men origins in the cinema here. Costs 13SGD. It was amusing hearing Wolverine speaking Mandarin.

Apologies for the long wait guys, been really busy with the job hunt recently. Anyway this is the 6th installation of my Nanjing trip. (phew, wonder when can I finish) This time I will talk about Xinjiekou( 新街口) which is an shopping area similar to our Orchard road but much bigger. This is the area where most of the shopping malls are located. These malls carry the international brands like Gucci, Armani, LV, Dior, Cartier, H&M, etc. Something to note about the malls would be the absence of food courts inside them.
In summary, the malls are huge! almost 6-7 levels on each one and things are not cheap! A seemingly normal looking polo tshirt from their local brands would set you back around 100SGD! I could only afford brands like giordano and baleno there. It was really an eye opener to the chinese market.

Nanjing with love Part 5

2009-07-01T00:39:00.007+08:00

Typical road signs

Countdown system for traffic lights

Taxi

Nope, no need helmets

Since moving around is part and parcel in a tour, in this post I shall post more about the transport tools used in Nanjing. Basically it's about the same as in Singapore; they have metro, bus, taxis, cars and two wheelers. Perhaps one thing to note about their two wheelers is that they mostly use electric motors. Going green eh. These electric two wheelers come in different shapes and size and are bloody quiet. It's so quiet that sometimes when I turn around, they are beside me. And also, there's no need to wear a safety helmet.
Their road system is the left hand drive which took me around 2 days to get used to. Crossing the streets is pretty easy and most people jay walk. Throughout the journey, whenever I see people cross the street I would just walk alongside them just to be safe.
Anyway taxis cost 9RMB for the first 3km, no flag down fee. For every 1km it costs 2RMB.
The buses uses a cashcard method which is similar to our Ez-link but it can be tapped multiple times so you can pay for your buddy/gf/mother/father/whoever. A flat fee of 1.20RMB for non-aircon, 1.60RMB for aircon. For cash payment its flat fee of 2RMB. If I remember correctly, the metro ticket costs 1.90RMB cash and 1.60RMB for cashcard.

Singapore Night scapes

2009-06-25T12:48:00.003+08:00

Just to take a break from the Nanjing posts. Here are some shots of the nightscapes in Singapore taken two months back. Anyway I seem to like night scenes more because of the beautiful colours from the streets but lugging around a tripod sucks. Enjoy!

Nanjing with love Part 4

2009-06-17T22:28:00.004+08:00

Beef noodles - 6.5RMB (that's small bowl)

Price list

Local breakfast

Pillar of peace

Peace

Nice pose eh?

Paying respects

Those who perished....

Okay so we've arrived at Nanjing after the long 2 hour train ride. After a good night's sleep, it's time to begin our journey around this beautiful city. Of course, to start the journey would be to fill up the tummy first! So it's off to the streets for some food finding. Near the hotel is a stall selling beef noodles. Don't expect very clean, air conditioned shop and everything else is fine. Food is good with generous serving and the tables have paper for you to wipe your mouth.
After the 'petrol tank' is filled, we headed down to the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Place. The night before we watched a movie "Nanjing! Nanjing!" at the cinema. The movie is about the massacre that took place during the second WW. After watching the movie, the visit to the memorial place felt more meaningful.
So that's the first stop we've seen in Nanjing. I will post more soon.

Nanjing with love Part 3

2009-06-01T22:15:00.006+08:00

Jin Mao Tower

Oriental Pearl Tower

Shanghai Railway stationPeople mountain people sea!!

Inside the railway station

和谐号

Inside the train

My seatless train ticket

Nanjing! Nanjing!

Ok here's part 3 of the installment, I wonder how long this series is going to end because it's a 2 week trip, mind you. So in this post we finally catch some scenes from Shanghai. Perhaps one of the more iconic architecture would be the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Jin Mao Tower. I was only in Shanghai for 2 hours, so no nice fancy pre-setup shots or aerial shots in the Pearl Tower cos I haven't been inside the tower yet.
Anyway took the mrt to the Shanghai Railway station as you can see in the pictures; very crowded place even on a weekday afternoon. This is something you don't see in Singapore daily.
Finally got a taste of what the locals do here: Queue cutting! I got cut twice in the metro and railway station. But as the saying goes 'when in Rome, do what the Romans do!' I managed to get my train ticket to Nanjing. Didn't book the ticket in advance and all the seats have been sold out so in the end I got a seatless ticket. I was told by the locals it's pretty normal and if you are lucky you can find a seat if people alight the train along the way. Anyway its 93RMB and that's how the train look like. Perhaps some of you would have been expecting a dirty looking rundown choo choo train. Sorry to disappoint you. Welcome to China! Presented in front of me was a shinkansen look-alike.
The interior was clean, air-conditioned and they have trolleys selling bentos and other snacks on board. I am impressed. Travelling at top speeds of 200km/h, it only took me 2 hours from Shanghai to Nanjing! Oh ya I forgot to mention that I found an empty seat within 20 minutes into the journey. Lucky me!
Stay tuned for the Nanjing journey

Nanjing with love Part 2

2009-05-28T13:18:00.005+08:00

Onboard the Maglev! 431km/h awaits me!

Maglev Station at Longyang Rd

40RMB from Pudong Internation Airport to Longyang Metro Station

Shanghai Metro system; notice the countdown in seconds as well

Layout pretty same as our MRT

Boarding the metro

Inside the train; got tv somemore!

18 exits at the central station!

Okay, here's part 2 of my holiday trip in China. We're still in Shanghai now. Highlights up till this part will be the 8min Maglev train ride from Pudong International Airport to Longyang Metro Station. Most people will take this mode of transport to connect to the metro system. Have you experienced 431km/h? I did so for around 10 secs! Experienced everything whizzing pass me and saw the opposite train whizzed pass in 1 sec. Tried to post the video here but the size is to big. I must say everyone going to Shanghai must board this state of the art technology transport.
The metro system is pretty similar to our MRT; easy to get around even though there are 18 exits at one of the central station. I must applaud the announcement system inside the train, telling u which stop is next with the lights indication at each stop. 2 RMB for a train ticket and you can eat inside the carriage!

Stay tuned to catch a glimpse of Shanghai.

Nanjing with love Part 1

2009-05-26T23:50:00.004+08:00

Breakfast at 32000ft

Hongkong International Airport

I've arrived!

Lunch onboard dragonair

Blue skies on top China

Pudong International Airport, Shanghai

Hi guys, I haven't been updating my blog for a long time because a lot of stuff has happened within this period of time. First and foremost was the FYP presentation which ended smoothly. 2 days later I was 32000ft high in the sky on my way to Shanghai, China. Well here are some pictures I took along the way. Let the pictures do the talking!

Gee

2009-05-05T00:51:00.001+08:00

He came to pray......

2009-04-25T23:00:00.001+08:00

Shot this praying mantis last week when it flew into my house and landed on my table. Gave me a shock of my life as it was pretty big. As usual, I took no chance and started snapping it. This time I used my flash with a fast shutter speed. I think this setting works for my indoor shots or low light conditions. Anyway not exactly the sharpest of sharp but i managed to capture it scratching its head. Probably he's wondering how come the lights became so bright suddenly.

My turn

2009-04-11T22:56:00.000+08:00

My turn to be 25 this month and I hope for nothing but a successful job offer soon! The pressure is building up! Nevertheless, this birthday shall be the most unforgettable for me.

Happy Birthday Tng!

2009-03-29T00:28:00.003+08:00

First to turn 25 in the gang was non other than Tng on Thursday! By far, I reckon this should be his happiest birthday so far. Right, Tng? Anyway the celebration party was held at a different place this time round at NSRCC. Kudos to Audrey for organising the event. Kudos to Lawrence for his camera. Happy Birthday Tng! and may your wishes come true!

*shall not post too much pictures so that Tng can have the honour of doing so. Get the pics from me or Lawrence.

Parallel

2009-03-16T02:07:00.004+08:00

Here's some photos taken during an outing with Yanming. Everyone seems to be feeling rich lately, must be the GST credit! He bought a S5pro and Eric's got his a200. Damn! making me feeling tempted. BUT my pocket tells me D90 is still outta reach for the moment. Anyway I still have the trusty Fz8 at hand. These pictures were taken near Millenia walk, I've visited the place previously but I didn't like the shots then. I name them 'Parallel' because the lines are parallel! Enjoy!
Seems like most people who polled haven't really changed their spending habits despite the recession. That is a good sign. Wonder who was the one who changed his habit? mind sharing some daily saving tips? Thanks!

silhouette

2009-03-07T13:52:00.003+08:00

It's been a long time since I've posted something. Since I took some photos yesterday, I'm sharing it. Lots of stuff happened recently, some good some bad. Good thing is I've finished my FYP report and now the concentration is on exams and job searching. 2nd round interview next week. Hope it goes well and I get the job. The economy is really bad now and I really want to secure a job before I graduate. Lots of options considered during this time; be a trader, a policy maker, an engineer or return to school again. Bad thing is my computer broke down including my thumbdrive and precious data.
Well anyway, I'm looking positive ahead! Set up a new poll.....vote people!

Let's go Paaanaannnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooo

2009-02-22T12:47:00.002+08:00

My first attempt at doing panaromic shots! I wonder why did it take me so long to realise that I can actually create panaromic shots with my camera and photoshop! A few shots and a few click of the mouse and here we go. These shots, I suppose, are not alien to most Singaporeans especially those who like to go clubbing or have some drinks during the weekends. Decided to capture the buildings here because of the night lights. Next, I shall try some other places. Enjoy!

Smash my chicken please

2009-02-16T00:05:00.003+08:00

No, I am not kidding when I say smash my chicken, that is what the dish is called in Malay! My tastebuds took me to Novena square during the weekend. Eihua and I spent 1 hour searching for this restaurant. We went to Novena Square, to United Square before realising there is a Novena Square 2 just hidden behind Novena Square! We were so close to settling our dinner at Han's! Phew! Anyway this ayam penyet restaurant is located at the basement behind Harvey Norman. A sunday evening with not much dinner crowd, perfect! Food was served exactly in 5 minutes time (we timed them, hahaha!) For 20 bucks, here's what we got: 2 ayam penyet set (which consists of 1 small portion of rice, 1/4 of smashed chicken, 1 small piece of tau kua and 1 piece of fermented beans, they call it tempes or something like that) , 1 plate of Gado-gado and 2 glasses of Happy soda(it's cherry soda and condensed milk, did it make you happy Eihua?). Pretty value for money considering the place has air-con and there are no service charges.
Anyway the poll for Valentine's day has ended; seems like the readers are mostly singles. Any females? hahaha! Thank you for voting though. What poll to put up next? You'll know in due time.

JC gathering

2009-02-15T00:32:00.003+08:00

It has been about almost a few years since I last met some of my JC classmates and yesterday I managed to meet them altogether. It was pretty exciting to see that most of my classmates are doing well, the girls have been working for a few years now and some of the guys have found a job. That leaves me and a couple of others who are going to graduate this July and join them in the work force. Being in the same class who studied triple science, it is wonderful to see where some of us are working now; Fangying is a tax officer and Kelvin started up his own business. Perhaps this gathering would not have been possible if Jinghui had not come back from Australia few weeks back. Of course, the conversations that night revolved around updating each other with our lives and our plan for the future. Somehow it seems that JC life was only few weeks back because everyone looks the same! When was the last time you've met up with your former classmates?

お花

2009-02-01T13:09:00.004+08:00

I was inspired by the flower photos taken by Shiying in her blog so I decided to capture some of the flowers along my corridor. I simply love the colors.

Lo hei............

2009-02-01T01:16:00.003+08:00

Time passes and we've already reached the 7th day of the Lunar New Year. According to chinese customs, the 7th day is known as Ren ri or the birthday of man. During this day, Singaporeans will prepare a dish call Yu sheng which is filled with many vegetables and slices of raw fish. Before eating it, condiments will be added and everyone will mix the vegetables together. While doing so, everyone will say an auspicious chinese greeting. This is sort of like a chinese salad. Anyway, my family seldom eat Yu sheng outside because my mum knows how to make it! This dish is pretty expensive in restaurants considering it's just slices of vegetables. Enjoy!

Anyway, the poll for the favourite chinese new year tidbit has ended. There were a total of 6 votes, now I realised how many people do visit this blog. Back to the topic, Bah kua came tops followed closely by pineapple tarts and egg roll. I voted for bah kua! but I actually do like pineapple tarts though. This poll wiget is pretty interesting, at least it gets a topic started and people do write more on my tag board. Thanks for those who polled!

Wonder girls - Nobody

2009-01-29T23:30:00.002+08:00

Here's a video clip of the Wonder girls performing their latest song. I have no idea what they are singing but they are hot. Agree? Anyway I just realised there is this 'HD' option at the bottom right corner of the video player next to the full screen toggle. I was like...'Oh my god...this is clear!' Enjoy!

Happy 牛 Year !!!!!!!!!

2009-01-29T23:26:00.003+08:00

A happy chinese new year to everyone out there!! May the year of the Ox be a prosperous fruitful one for all and may I get my job soon !

你买了吗？。。。。

2009-01-19T00:14:00.004+08:00

Have you started preparing for the festive celebration that involves the largest migration of people in China? Yes, I'm talking about Chinese New Year! I wanted to prove Eihua wrong but I end up complaining about the massive crowds I had to squeeze through last night. 2 weeks to go and the situation is that bad. My mum still wants to come down on New year's eve. Forget about it, mum! Here are some photos taken whilst in the hustle and bustle. 拥挤到 '笑'！What are your favourite new year tidbits? Tell me in the my new poll widget at the side! Thanks

Haji Lane

2009-01-13T00:58:00.004+08:00

Here's some pictures taken along Haji lane before I had my morrocan food. Enjoy!

Deli Moroccan

2009-01-11T12:47:00.002+08:00

Yesterday I decided to step out of the usual shopping malls, hawker centres and kopitiams to venture into some unthreaded territory to try some exotic food. So there I was with a friend, smacked right in the middle of Haji lane along Arab street, in this moroccan restaurant. From the outside, the restaurant doesn't seem to give you the moroccan feel. Likewise for the inside. hahaha! Perhaps I didn't know what to expect to see in a moroccan restaurant.
Anyway, I only knew about this place from an internet food review. So my friend and I ordered beef kebab and chicken kebab. I must say they are worth the money because they only cost $5.60 each! Wu hua rite! Alternatively, you can add fries to what you see above and it will cost you 2 bucks more which I felt is bo hua! so we order 2 pita breads at 1buck each. The beef kebak was well marinated with herbs (There is still the herb smell when I burp....ewwwwww) and I must say the serving is generous. Good for cheap-skaters like me!

国立図書館

2009-01-11T01:17:00.003+08:00

Here are some shots taken of our national library. I've been wanting to shoot a collection of our new library, though it has opened for quite some time. This time I've taken the outdoor view and I will probably take some indoor shots next time. Enjoy! When was the last time you've been to the library? I just went today. Anyway come April this year, all library users need to pay up all library fines before they can borrow books. Bad news for me....

O cha cha !

2009-01-11T00:01:00.002+08:00

Last week I went to a new cafe that is different from the usual starbucks and coffeebean. The name is Ochacha, located at the basement of raffles city shopping mall. The theme of the cafe is green tea; even the desserts are made from green tea. The prices are pretty similar to what you see at starbucks and coffeebean. Perhaps it is a good place for those who want a change.

空港

2009-01-03T00:51:00.004+08:00

Here are some shots taken in our lovely Singapore airport terminal 3. Today was the first time I took the new skytrain. The new skytrain design looks quite futuristic sia, machiam the vehicles in iRobot. Anyway I have been playing with Lightroom recently during this holidays and I really impressed by how simple the interface is for me to edit my photos. Furthermore, there are lots of presets which I downloaded from the net to use. Enjoy!

明けまして　おめでとう　ございます　2009

2009-01-01T12:40:00.002+08:00

Happy New Year to all who is reading this right now! As we march into the 2009, I hope 2008 has been a good year for all of you although I'm sure most you will agree that the financial turmoil didn't quite the end off the year well. Life definitely has to go on anyway. I'm graduating in a few months time and stepping into the real world soon. Something that I think is better than school life. I hope I am correct on this. Anyway this shot is taken from the field next to NTUC building, so far I have been going there for the past few years. Somehow I felt the fireworks last night wasn't that fantastic. Must be government budget this years celebration...DAMN!. So what is your new year resolution ? Once again...Happy new year everyone! 明けまして　おめでとう　ございます!

Do you have a railway next to you ?

2008-12-30T01:10:00.004+08:00

I wonder how many of you out there ever had the experience of listening to the sound of a railway train passing by you. I get to hear that 2-3 times a week. It is different from the MRT in terms of sound and frequency. I think it starts from Tanjong Pagar and somehow or another it links to my place and ends up somewhere up north. I haven't got the chance to take a train ride before though. Who else hasn't?

Mom, look, no wires!

2008-12-28T00:03:00.003+08:00

Finally decided to splash the cash to indulge in a wireless keyboard + mouse set this Christmas! As I post this, I am actually sitting in the comfort of my sofa with is about 3m away from the monitor! Anyway I got to admit this wireless set is really a want, not a need! Now I feel kinda guilty but it's Christmas isn't it? Now to complete the desktop would be to replace the 17" CRT to a 24" LCD, that would really make a mini theatre at home. We'll see......

It's the most wonderful time of the year

2008-12-23T23:45:00.002+08:00

Most people including me would beg to differ. Being a graduate in less than 6 months away and the world is hit by a massive financial turmoil leaving many nations reporting negative growth and slumping into recession; not to mention the many getting axed. I worry for my future. Are you affected by this economic crisis? How are you responding to it? What plans do you have?
Anyway this shot is taken in wheel lock place. I forgot to bring my tripod and this is the most presentable shot. Enjoy!

Singapore River Sunset

2008-12-21T21:44:00.006+08:00

Took this shot along Singapore river a few weeks back around 630pm. I must say the colours are really lovely! It would have better if the building at the left side isn't there..

Happy Birthday Eihua !

2008-12-15T00:17:00.003+08:00

Our buddy turns 24 ! The last of our gang to do that, nevertheless. HUAT ar !

Now we can tell our grandchildren we've been to the Barrage!

2008-12-14T13:13:00.004+08:00

Last week I got Eihua to join me to visit the Marina Barrage. It was a public holiday but the place was pretty empty. Anyway the weather sucked that day ! SUCKED to max because it was raining and the skies were filled with clouds. That was good also because I hate crowds and hot weather. I would say there's nothing much to see at the Barrage so do not waste more than 2 hours there.

Which one do you like ?

2008-12-13T15:42:00.002+08:00

Here's a shot at post processing some pictures I took recently. The effect is called Dave hill effect...I wonder if I've did it correctly. Which one do you like? Here's more about Dave hill

If you can't buy them, shoot them !

2008-12-08T10:53:00.005+08:00

Paid 5 bucks yesterday at the Marina F1 pit building to view some of the exotic sports car imported by Hong Seh Motors. It was their 40th anniversary. 5 bucks was worth it because there were soooo many sports cars on display. The bulk of them were Ferraris and there were some Maseratis as well. I don't get to see these cars everyday so I spent 2 hours shooting them. First time doing car photography. The weather was pretty hot (what's new in Singapore) but the display area was sheltered. Fortunately I brought my polariser filter which helped reduced the glare on the cars. Here are some shots taken. Enjoy!

Two wheelers

2008-11-30T13:03:00.005+08:00

Here's some shots taken during a National Biker Festival yesterday (not too sure whether I got the name correct but anyway it has to do with bikes). The initial plan was to visit the newly opened Marina Barrage and I THOUGHT it was along the route after Singapore Flyer. It wasn't. It was located at the opposite side of the river. It meant that I had to go back to city hall and take a train to marina south. I would probably have done that if there wasn't any bike festival. Since there was an event and hot babes, why not hang around? I'm not so much of a bike fan but some of these two wheelers look great! What I felt lacking in the event were live bike stunts and burnt tires.Perhaps next week then I shall visit the barrage. Anyone wanna tag along?

Anime, Cosplay, Manga !

2008-11-26T22:09:00.011+08:00

Man, this picture uploading is unstoppable! Anyway here are some pictures taken during a recent visit to the anime festival. I can't believe the admission fee cost me 5 bucks. Not a lot but there was not a lot to see as well. Anyway since I was in, I spared no chances to snap as many pictures as I could to compensate for the 5 bucks. There wasn't a lot of cosplayers around, or perhaps I wasn't really looking. I was more interested in finding doraemon. I think I am outdated; I am still in the Doraemon era. The entire hall felt alienated because there were so many other animes that I've never seen before. To be frank, I didn't even know the name of the characters the cosplayer were imitating.
For some of these shots, I used a new photoshop process called vignetting. Wonder if u can spot that. Enjoy!

ROM

2008-11-26T15:41:00.003+08:00

Finally exams are over and here's some pictures taken during my sister's ROM. I've compiled them into a slide show. I wonder if the music suits the show. Well, anyway this is my first time with wedding shots. I feel that I didn't really capture the happy moments from the event. Any tips ?

The Fz8 strikes back warning - lots of pics

2008-10-26T23:13:00.006+08:00

This post is probably the one so far, which I have uploaded so many photos at one go. That is because I am so pleased with the shots I've taken today and the Fz8 has once again proved that it is still worth its value! Through the many shooting sessions, I have slowly learnt how to use the Fz8 to achieve certain effects. Today I have discovered how to achieve bokeh with it! On the other hand, the battery life seems to be draining pretty fast due to zooming. No wonder the D80 could clock 150 shots before the battery dropped one bar; cos zooming was manual.
Do I have an eye for photography? Everytime I look into the view finder, lots of thoughts are running through my mind - composition, rules of third, exposure, etc. Sometimes I have what I want in mind but the photos turn out to be otherwise. I had days when I took 80 over shots but when I reached home, none were to my liking. Still, I enjoy the engaging process where I look at something and I try to imagine how I can produce a nice shot of it. Perhaps photography is about enjoying the process of taking pictures. I wonder if is it possible to understand a person by looking at the photographs he takes?
Anyway, this is my last post till I return back from the examination halls. Yep, its hell season again for students. But this time it's only 5 papers long for me. Blink of an eye and it will be over and its more shooting then. Looking forward to your comments though. Enjoy! By the way, I like the 13th shot - frangipani sandwiched between the leaves. What's yours

The power of D80

2008-10-20T20:12:00.008+08:00

Last weekend I took part in the annual Canon Photomarathon. I will post about that soon. Anyway, I rented a Nikon D80 for the event and at the same time try out the camera because I will be using it during my sister's ROM next month. Unlike a rented car where you have to think twice before driving it (because you pay for the fuel), taking pictures cost lesser(only batteries needed). So I took as many shots as I could within the rental time period. What else can I say? DSLRs are a different class from my Fz8. The D80, albeit an old model, owns in terms of sharpness, depth of field and faster focusing times. While photography isn't all about owning big guns, I feel that I need an upgrade over the Fz8. Perhaps I will rent a Canon for my sister's ROM so I can evaluate which is a better system. Enjoy!

Random cityscapes

2008-10-12T23:36:00.004+08:00

Pillars

Majulah Singapura

Panning

Jazz anyone?

Alley

Soar

Yay

Why so sad?

Busy street

Church

Some random shots taken during the weekend around city hall area. Felt like taking some street photography, but scared kena walloped. Damn. Better try something else. Any ideas?

Baked Potatoes

2008-10-05T19:36:00.002+08:00

I spent the Saturday afternoon cooking baked potatoes. The whole process took about 1 hour. The ingredients were simple: Potatoes, ham and cheese. Yum!

安室奈美恵　最高！！

2008-09-29T22:48:00.002+08:00

Some of the music that I have been listening to recently. These are some of the songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s. A good compilation. The video resolution is really good man! Got to thank the person who uploaded these clips. Anyway the singer is Namie Amuro. She's hot and her figure is awesome. She is married and has children already! *wish to have a wife whose figure can be as good as her after having children. Enjoy!

Oink oink

2008-09-28T13:09:00.003+08:00

This is becoming like diarrhea posting huh; one day at least 4 posts. This is to make up for term time where I spend more time on my books. Anyway, here's a makan post for the food lovers. The food is from Hogsbreath @Chjimes. The usual for me is their beef burger and I managed to taste their pork ribs this time round. I like their ribs more than cafe cartel's because their sauce is hot and much more flavourful with a zesty tang in it. I like the outlet at Chjimes because it is not crowded and there is TV. I watch an entire rugby game while dining there.

Sidetrack a bit, after the meal I shopped at raffles city for a pillow at Robinson's and saw this water feature in the mall. I was amazed by it. Is this new or am I outdated ?

Vrooooooooooooooooooooooooom

2008-09-28T01:22:00.005+08:00

The F1 fever has been spreading across Singapore since 1-2 months back. I got to say I am pretty proud to be a citizen of the country that is hosting the first ever night race in Formula 1 racing history. Needless to say, admission tickets to such an exclusive event are priced at a premium. Fortunately, we will be hosting this event for the next coming 5 years which means I will have time to save enough money to watch the race live in the next couple of years. Who's your favourite racer?

I got my fair share of the F1 fever with the upclose shots of the cars and some of the artworks at Raffles city last weekend. I've also uploaded a video of the cars taking a corner with the Fz8. I can only describe the engine sounds as orgasmic but not as sweet as that from a jet engine.

Stay happy

2008-09-28T01:13:00.003+08:00

Here are some of the art pieces that I came across at raffles city shopping centre during the trial practice run of the Singapore GP.

Orbs of life

2008-09-28T00:54:00.002+08:00

Time flies and the one week recess break is almost over! I am still hesitating to get that Raynox macro lens. Perhaps not since I am not a great fan of macro photography. Anyway wx suggested photographing waterdrops. I tried. I failed. But here's what I have for an alternative using photoshop: Orbs, which are spherical and resembles water drops. I personally like the first one. Which is yours?

Say Cheese !

2008-09-21T23:53:00.003+08:00

Managed to find this picture inside one of the picture folders. I guess I must have left this picture out during one of those photo outings. Anyway this picture was taken way back when I was having dinner with hua when he came back from Australia. If I remember correctly, the cheese fries are from Billy Bombers. They are big, fat, long and the amount of cheese on top is generous!
Try it if you can one of these days! Enjoy!

中秋节快乐

2008-09-13T23:09:00.003+08:00

中秋节是我国的传统佳节。根据史籍的记载，“中秋”一词最早出现在《周礼》一书中。到魏晋时，有“谕尚书镇牛淆，中秋夕与左右微服泛江”的记载。直到唐朝初年，中秋节才成为固定的节日。《唐书·太宗记》记载有“八月十五中秋节”。中秋节的盛行始于宋朝，至明清时，已与元旦齐名，成为我国的主要节日之一。这也是我国仅次于春节的第二大传统节日。

根据我国的历法，农历八月在秋季中间，为秋季的第二个月，称为“仲秋”，而八月十五又在“仲秋”之中，所以称“中秋”。中秋节有许多别称：因节期在八月十五，所以称“八月节”、“八月半”；因中秋节的主要活动都是围绕“月”进行的，所以又俗称“月节”“月夕”；中秋节月亮圆满，象征团圆，因而又叫“团圆节 ”。在唐朝，中秋节还被称为“端正月”。关于“团圆节”的记载最早见于明代。《西湖游览志余》中说：“八月十五谓中秋，民间以月饼相送，取团圆之意”。《帝京景物略》中也说：“八月十五祭月，其饼必圆，分瓜必牙错，瓣刻如莲花。……其有妇归宁者，是日必返夫家，曰团圆节也"。中秋晚上，我国大部分地区还有烙“团圆”的习俗，即烙一种象征团圆、类似月饼的小饼子，饼内包糖、芝麻、桂花和蔬菜等，外压月亮、桂树、兔子等图案。祭月之后，由家中长者将饼按人数分切成块，每人一块，如有人不在家即为其留下一份，表示合家团圆。

中秋节时，云稀雾少，月光皎洁明亮，民间除了要举行赏月、祭月、吃月饼祝福团圆等一系列活动，有些地方还有舞草龙，砌宝塔等活动。除月饼外，各种时令鲜果干果也是中秋夜的美食。

中秋节起源的另一个说法是：农历八月十五这一天恰好是稻子成熟的时刻，各家都拜土地神。中秋可能就是秋报的遗俗。

Haven't been posting for quite a while due to the number of assignments. Anyway, mid-autumn festival is here again and this time the mooncakes are getting more and more colourful and the fillings comes in many different types. I like the teochew yam ones though. What's your favourite? double egg yolk? with lotus seeds? Enjoy!

Korean Fantasia

2008-08-24T01:36:00.004+08:00

It rained almost the whole day but that did not dampen my spirits to grab the opportunity to have another go at fireworks photography at the annual fireworks festival. Fortunately, it only drizzled or else I would not have been able to post these shots. This year, only two teams participated in the festival - the French with their 'French Romance' and the Koreans with their 'Korean Fantasia'. Don't ask me if the fireworks choreography matched the title. I was too busy adjusting the camera settings and hitting the shutter button that I did not have the time to stand back and appreciate the choreography. Well, who cares?! I suppose most people, including me, would have forgotten the sequence of the fireworks the next day. Anyway, I like most of my shots this time which were due to fluke. I had to use a 2 second timer for all my shots to make sure that I won't induce any shakes and screwed up. I need a remote shutter so I won't touch my camera and I can capture the shot at that particular moment I want. Unfortunately, there is no such accessory for my camera. Not a big deal since fireworks photography isn't so often. It will be another year before we'll see some fireworks again. Enjoy!