Digital Expressions

Dark of the Moon

2011-08-27T18:53:00.005+08:00

In the dark of the moon, a Mack Titan deploys from a secret hideout with a deadly cargo, a heavily modified Pave Low assault helicopter. There is more than meets the eye.

A Topkick pickup truck overtaking a Mack Titan truck in transit of the cargo, nothing is coincidence.

Rin

2011-04-18T07:09:00.002+08:00

Rin Tohsaka, student, Magus and Master in the Holy Grail War.

Brought up in a long family line of Magus and sorcerers, Rin must excel to finish what her father could not. Extremely competitive, she tried summoning Saber, the strongest Servant that any Master can have. Instead, she summoned Archer, a mysterious Servant who is more (to her) than who she thinks he is.

Marina Mandarin View

2010-11-30T23:39:00.002+08:00

Spectacular view from across the bay

Twin Stalkers

2010-11-25T21:38:00.006+08:00

Deep within the fiery volcanic mountain and the lush green forest surrounding the Castle of Lions, lies two sleek beasts, the Red Lion and the Green Lion. Size does not come into play when confronted with the twin lions' agility and speed.

Guardian of the Castle

2010-11-24T23:29:00.005+08:00

From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, comes a legend...

The legend of Voltron: Defender of the Universe. A mighty robot, loved by good, feared by evil.

Standing guard at the gates to the Castle of Lions, on planet Arus, is the mighty Black Lion.

I see them.....

2010-11-21T09:33:00.005+08:00

I think this does not qualify as selective vision. Selective vision is your brain doing pre-filtering without you even noticing it. Without which, we would go mad, with an overflow of information and incidents happening around us.

I don't really see them because I want to. Or rather, ordinary articles were arranged to show what I intend to see. You see?

(G)reat way to cleanse your body, water.

Please take care while opening the (H)atch

(I)ndividual choice

Rei

2010-11-21T09:27:00.003+08:00

Rei Ayanami, first child, evangelion pilot.

There is an enigmatic air that envelops her, always wearing the same expression on her face, not showing her true intent. Does it mean that she does not feel, or merely does not want to show it. The purity of white, the calmness of blue. How deceiving her exterior can be, when everything is in turmoil deep inside her.

Asuka

2010-11-21T00:54:00.003+08:00

Asuka Langley Soryu, second child, evangelion pilot.

Flaming red suit goes really well with this redhead, seemingly always agitated, hard to approach. Little do we know her childhood story that made her the person she is. Striving to be the best pilot ever, does she have what it takes?

Koumei, 孔明

2010-07-08T21:51:00.002+08:00

The greatest strategist during the Three Kingdoms period of China, Koumei, was also known as the Sleeping Dragon, due to his time in seclusion. The Dragon is often accompanied in legends by the Phoenix, hence the inspiration for the armor for Nu Gundam was born.

More Letters in Disguise

2010-06-26T18:49:00.003+08:00

More often than not, I think that you see what you want to see...

As the person composing the image, pressing the shutter and editing to achieve the final image and message, therein lies a responsibilities. Responsibilities to present things as they are, to show events as they should mean and to record moments as they unfolds.

(X)tremely dangerous when in motion

(Y) can't all food cans come with pull tabs

(Z)ero stress with spring loaded clasps

Convergence of Hobbies

2010-06-26T13:46:00.004+08:00

It's about time for my camera to meet with my collectibles (both collecting dusts at the moment) and see what comes out of this mixing pot. This was something that I wanted to do for a long, long time, but just didn't kick off due to the many excuses given.

Me, King Grimlock, no like photo on blog! Munch Munch!

Watashi Wa Tenshouruu Koumei Nu Gundam!

Evangelion Pilots, Rei and Asuka

Do You See What I See?

2010-05-23T16:59:00.004+08:00

Looking into things that, that others usually only look at...

Getting a fresh perspective, making new connections between subjects, drawing seemingly distant objects together.

Is this just manipulation, a show of what the shooter sees, that others fail to notice?

That was the thought that I have in mind with the following series of shots, when I set out to find the Alphabets hiding in plain sight.

(D)angerous Goods

(E)lectrons Highway

(F)ront Entrance

Heritage City, Historic Tour

2010-01-13T01:16:00.004+08:00

City of Bath is famous for the Roman Baths, which tends to overshadow other attractions. As we only had one day there, we were only able to visit the Abbey and the Roman baths.

A walk in Bath Abbey reminded us of the many churches, cathedrals and abbeys we visited during the trip in Paris and London. Detailed with lively wooden sculptures, stone plaques of importance, stained glass windows with biblical stories, magnificent organs for mass, enigmatic crypts, we still did not develop an eye to look into the different features unique to these Houses of God.

Museum of Bath educates throngs of visitors everyday with its artifacts, curators, articles and the fact that the museum itself was situated on the excavation site of the Roman Baths. It was truly amazing that such a wonder was brought back to light. It laid hidden all these years as civilizations after civilizations built cities over the site.

Oh look, lets give him a hand to try out the thermal water!

Memorable Seaside Town

2010-01-13T00:53:00.002+08:00

The South West of the United Kingdom is famous for its beaches and seaside towns. A visit to St. Ives immediately became apparent, coupled with recommendations from friends who had visited the town.

The public car park was situated about 10 minutes walk away from the town, keeping traffic congestion in the town center at bay. Cobbled stone roads and pavements snaked around the hillside town with houses and shops closely built together. The path down to the seaside was littered with restaurants, souvenir shops and water sport shops, testament to its status as a vacation destination.

Different from the rocky seaside of Plymouth, one can actually run along the sandy beach on low tide. The weather was perfect throughout our one day visit here. This brought everyone out of the warmth of the living room and brought the chilly, breezy beach to life.

St. Ives has proven to be a relaxing and rejuvenating place to be in:- fresh seafood, cozy restaurants, active beach , warm cottages, fresh flowers, happy holiday-makers.

Castle in the Sea

2009-10-11T18:25:00.004+08:00

St Michael's Mount in South Cornwall, bears resemblance to the one in France as they were both built by monks from the same monastery. Both were then expanded due to change of ownership and different parts were added on to diversify its usage. Had we arrived earlier, we would be able to walk on the pathway of stones laid out on the shallow seabed leading from the coast to the island. However the tide was high and we needed to take the boat instead.

The trip itself would have been plain if not for the fact that it was situated on top of the mount on an island, coupled with interesting viewpoints outside the castle. It took some effort to reach the castle, trekking up steep slopes of cobblestoned walkway after a light rain. The castle interior was littered with artifacts and corresponding articles, which kept us occupied only for a short while as we were not historical fanatics. Photos do the place no justice though: the castle, the viewpoint, the landscape, the sea, it all works perfectly to bring out the best of Mont St Michel's twin castle.

Reluctant photograph subject.

Who dares approach the island with all these cannons?

Princess of the castle

Idyllic Plymouth

2009-09-06T18:00:00.004+08:00

Link to YouTube Video used.Use arrow keys for volume control.

It took me long enough, to really see Plymouth for the beautiful place it can be. It always is the companion you have with you, who makes the biggest difference.

When the sun was out, we decided to explore the small city. Apparently we were not the only ones with that in mind. In the midst of rainy days, a sudden break of sunny day drove throngs out of their couches and beds to bask in the warm sunlight. The Hoe Park was again filled with activities.

This particular location was chosen by her. For me, it didn't look really spectacular, just plain overgrown weeds, I told her. How wrong had I been. It turned out to be a great choice indeed, considering the amount of photos we took.

Funny that I can still find new photo spots after months here in Plymouth. Shows how much I actually went out to explore this place in the past. We walked around the city, choosing alleys and streets less traveled and amazed ourselves finding out that it linked us to another familiar part of the city.

City of Dreaming Spires

2009-09-06T01:17:00.004+08:00

Getting a parking in the city area proved to be a great hassle. We drove around the streets looking for one space for nearly an hour. So little time to explore the city as this was the very morning that we were supposed to meet up JF in the afternoon in Windsor.

Sigh... I didn't know that this was the famous bridge, and was wondering why she wanted to take a photo of it. Nothing special, that was what I was thinking. Little did I know that this was The Bridge of Sigh. Credit given to JF for posting the photo of the bridge and including the name with it, else I would not have known for a long, long time.

We took our lunch on a bench, sandwiches, shortbreads and smoothies, while wondering if everyone who walked past us were bachelor's degree holders, master's degree holders or on the way to permanent head damage. Felt smarter sitting on the streets of Oxford, inexplainable feeling. Seeing the number of tourist purchasing shirts, jumpers, sweaters with big, bold letters that spelled the city's name, we wondered:- those guys must be tourists, I would never have worn any T-shirts, with the three letters, U-Tee-Emm...

Boo...

She's now very fond of the natural-pose photos, although it took a lot of memory space, clicking, "look natural la..." and onlookers who thought we were crazy (think one person looking around, but not at the camera, and another clicking away mumbling posing instructions) to actually capture the staged-candid moment.

Apparently Radcliffe Camera is a library, it made me wonder why the word 'camera' was used instead of simply naming it Radcliffe Science Library. The buildings were great to look at, feeling was nice. Alas we had too little time to spend in this city, we had to move on. We would have jumped onto a open-top bus for a tour of the city.

Meeting with a Friend

2009-09-06T01:02:00.006+08:00

This time, I'll back-blog-track the journey, starting with the Castle by the airport first.

Windsor was last on the itinery during her vacation in UK, to meet up with JF. We missed out meeting his other half, and almost didn't make it to meet him. He just came back from a great trip as well, traveling around Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

I forgotten though, what we were looking at... No wonder the half day spent in Windsor felt so much shorter, we were looking at something so insignificant I can't remember what. (Now that HW reminded me we were looking at the flag, here's the self-explanatory photo)

When guys meet up, all we do is chat on mobile phones and make funny poses for others to look at and to photograph.

Signs

2009-08-28T15:11:00.003+08:00

So Many Places So Little Time...

2009-08-14T03:10:00.003+08:00

p/s: Last photo was taken by HW hihi she's getting better with the camera ; )

Anticipation...

2009-07-31T13:44:00.003+08:00

...is sweet, when you know the outcome...

Big Blue Eyes

2009-07-27T00:45:00.001+08:00

Critters...

2009-07-27T00:32:00.002+08:00

There are so many of them here that it gets on my nerves with their excretion all over the road and on car roofs. Though seagulls are native to the coast, however I guess it must have been our activities that encouraged their growth.

I would never have dared look up and take this shot, if not for the fact that I was standing in my kitchen, void of any surprises from above.

Random

2009-07-20T01:34:00.003+08:00

Row, Row, Row Your Boat... (Out the Window III)

2009-07-19T05:00:00.005+08:00

With Summer slowly fading away, giving way to cold showers and noticeably shorter day, activities around the Hoe, however, intensified. Maybe everyone is squeezing all that is left from the good weather to be out and rowing.

I still remembered the times in university when I took up canoing as an activity with another friend. We went for canoing practical test out in the open sea, not that far though, just off the beach of Desaru. The good old times in university.

The plethora of water vehicles were eye opening. When the weather was really good, with the sun up high above, they form an amazing picture. Boats such as these dot the sea with their vibrant colours while yachts paint with triangles of white and major vessels dashes of grey on this vibrant blue canvas.

A view of the sea from the kitchen, apparently is slowly becoming something I take for granted. Nowadays, I spend less time by the opened windows. Gone were the days when I would sip a cup of coffee while looking out to the sea. It made me wonder how long have I longed for a change of landscape.

Random

2009-07-19T04:35:00.004+08:00

Is it true that the Moon as seen from the other side is nicer?
外国的月亮比较圆 ?

P/s: Sentence taken from Chinese expression.
Daytime moon taken in UK. Comparison photo taken in Singapore here.

Up Close: Smeaton's Tower

2009-07-05T02:40:00.003+08:00

This was the third Eddystone Lighthouse. It was first erected further south of Plymouth, in the middle of the sea on Eddystone Rocks. However after persistent crushing from the waves and periodic erosion of the tides, it was deemed unsafe and replaced. The top part of the lighthouse was moved to Plymouth Hoe as a memorial to the designer and renamed Smeaton's Tower. Such a landmark it evolved into, that it became synonymous with the city itself and was featured prominently in various media.

Race for Life 2009

2009-07-03T03:16:00.008+08:00

Summer in Plymouth was not short of events. Race for life 2009 brought another surge of visitors and participants to the Hoe. This so-called "race" was to gather funds for cancer research, however, it was only opened to ladies. This made me wonder why can't men go help out with cancer research by running... hmmm...

In this event, there were a total of 4 categories: - running, jogging, walking and handicapped. The categories might have doubled with the participation of males, hence their exclusion maybe. Women from all walks of life converged to take part in this event, each completing the 5km track in their own ways.

Some came with their children, still in the baby tram, others old enough to walk by their parents, some on a wheelchair, some with crutches and most of them in pink. All of them had a note behind them, bearing the reason for which they took part in this event. "For Gramps", "For everyone", "For Uncle Bob" just to name a few.

Their enthusiasm was really something worth commending. Long after the race has finished for the runners, who did it in almost 10minutes, the rest were seen jogging, walking and strolling, making their way to the finishing line. I had never seen such a mix of participants in events such as this.

I eventually tried to take a photo of them right in front of the line, while they ran past me, however they ran into me, knocked me down and my camera landed onto the road, hit the shutter button, and produced this photo O.o"

p/s: It wasn't true, which you might have guessed, same as the lighthouse being painted pink.

Random

2009-06-28T22:20:00.002+08:00

Pink equals ?

Summer Palette

2009-06-28T21:55:00.004+08:00

Summer brought around various colourful adornments for water front area. I did not notice it until recently when I was taking a stroll in the park.

Gone were the shades of grey and white, replaced with vibrant colours and textures.

I would have taken these shots earlier, during Spring, if not for the persistent drizzle and lingering chill from Winter that took forever to leave.

The stripes of red on Smeaton's tower looked bolder as compared to when Winter dominated the scene.

Looking Out to the Sea (Out the Window II )

2009-06-25T04:23:00.004+08:00

There were many who were like him, braving the cold breeze, waiting for bait to bring something in. I wonder if he caught anything, however I doubt it would be anything bigger than your palm. Maybe it was all in the fun of anticipating.

This made me question, why was he wearing a high visibility jacket. Was it because that you have to show yourself to everyone and not appear as a 'shooter without consent'?

Heartwarming shot of three generations together on a stroll by the sea. This was a special one, as most of the time, I saw couples of all ages, kids with parents, kids with siblings, not like this.

Friends, are family that you have chosen.

Frozen Movements, Plymouth

2009-06-22T00:12:00.003+08:00

Sea horses, which have no use for hooves, have paddles in its place.

The statue of Richard Hooker in Exeter hitch hiking this post. I was particularly interested in the name rather than the statue itself.

The Naval War Memorial on the Hoe spots a special pinnacle on its obelisk-like structure.

The Memorial Lion Guard overlooking the lighthouse and guards against any threats from the sea.

Racing by the Hoe

2009-06-21T23:54:00.003+08:00

Honda Formula 4-Stroke Powerboats 2009 caused some ripples this weekend morning, pitching 6 powerboats racing against one another.

These 225hp power boats rocking up and down with only a fraction of the boat hull in contact with the water. It was a scenic track surrounded by the lighthouse, large vessels out in the sea and curious spectators on the promenade.

I was expecting more speed and sound from the event, however I might have set my expectation unrealistically high. I could put the finger on the movie industry for that I suppose hahaha...

There were many spectators who gathered by the pier side, enjoying the warm rays of the sun and taking in the rumbling sound of the engine while the powerboat roared past their very eyes.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T00:15:00.005+08:00

I miss home and wish I were there for all the happenings at home...
and my sister is not helping by sending Father's day celebration photo to me hahaha

They Were Everywhere...

2009-06-19T03:07:00.002+08:00

Bikes from everywhere, types, colours and make.
Even learner license holders wouldn't miss out such a chance.

Who said bikes were only for guys?

I looked like an idiot trying to take this kind of shots,
putting my camera on the tarmac road, yikes...

A logo that can be seen from pianos and saxophones to robots and super bikes,
amazing isn't it?

Plymouth Mega-Ride 2009

2009-06-19T02:00:00.007+08:00

My colleague just bought a new bike. They don't call them super bikes here, just plain 'bikes'. It was him who invited me to snap some photos of him and his Fazer in the charity event Mega-Ride in Plymouth. I would not have known of the event else wise.

Each participant pays a minimal fees of 2GBP and then ride down 30miles from Lee Mill to the Hoe in Plymouth in the throngs. An estimated 8000 bikers took part in the event.

Not just bikes, but quads as well were spotted in the event. Scooters, motorbikes with side cars, all sorts of bikes with unique designs and colours.

I really didn't expect it to be this big. You could go around taking photos of individual bikes and would not finish by the time they left the Hoe. You could, but I didn't, however, a quiet voice just wished that I had one to bring me out of this place.

Sneak Preview

2009-06-15T03:02:00.002+08:00

Guess the event...

Go-Karting

2009-06-15T02:48:00.002+08:00

A sunny weekend, a light mood, a smooth drive along the countryside. Deep inside, anticipation was heightening every step of the journey towards the Gokarting track.

Finally we arrived on the destination. Remember when you wanted to bang your colleague so hard on the head, or when you just wanted to do it with no reason at all, this was the chance! No ranks, no titles, no position, just you, your kart and the rising adrenaline!

We signed up for the grand prix package, including 3 heats and one final race with 6 top drivers for a trophy and champagne. Everyone was driving like there was no tomorrow, cars spinning, hands waving, crash guards changing location on the track.

It turned out great, so good that we might come back again in the future.

New Findings...

2009-06-01T05:14:00.005+08:00

Look what I just discovered!
All 4 backgrounds of Hong Kong Disneyland tickets
comes together to show the panoramic view of Victoria Harbour
from Tsim Sha Tsui!

P/s: Ignore the fingertips, when I have the chance, I will scan the 4 and replace with clearer versions.

Not-So-Typical-Sunday

2009-06-01T02:24:00.004+08:00

Dinners sometimes drive me nuts. Well, more of the planning part, not really of the enjoying part. Occasionally I would succumb to the idea of just having simply to drive a mere 5 minutes out for a decent meal. Other times I would have the inspiration to dish out something different.

This was one of those times.

A friend from London gave me the stocks for preparing a great herbal soup. The best thing about soups is that you can leave them simmering with all the ingredients of your choice, making it a highly efficient way of cooking. This left me with nearly one hour of preparing the rest of the dishes.

Minced meat with chopped chillies, garlic and a dash of black pepper, rolled into spheres of goodness, thrown into the sizzling hot oil and deep fried to (near) perfection. Just before serving, smother it with Tom Yam sauce for a fusion dish et voila, très magnifique!

I'm a strong believer that the appearance of your meal can greatly improve your appetite. Try eating your food blindfolded, a great meal will turn out bland if you deprive yourself visually. All the senses have to work together (more so if I were the one holding the wok). Bon appetit!

Random

2009-05-25T15:17:00.003+08:00

Dark, dusty and dirt all over the drainworks.

Under a Tree

2009-05-24T00:30:00.002+08:00

I was sitting under a purple-leaved tree, trying to blend in like the rest of the crowd in front of the cathedral in Exeter. The weather was not spectacular, the sun was partially shrouded by clouds that did not seem to drift away. When I looked up, this was what I saw.

These tiny flowers are those that did not receive much of a second glance, as they were all over the place. Only with the intention to see, one can notice, instead of looking past the whole lot of them.

The remnants of a climbing plant, only the brown leaves remained to tell a tale.

Nature in Her Prime

2009-05-24T00:08:00.003+08:00

An opportunity presented itself for me to go to Exeter, the capital of Devon county. It turned out to be a nice place to be in. I ended up doing a photo-walk around the city center and the quay side.

The quay side was filled with swans and ducks and pigeons. They were so accustomed to humans that they were not startled when approached. However, whenever someone throws them a piece of bread, they came flocking for the free meal given. It was not a sight to behold for the weak of heart. There was one particular swan which was grooming itself on the bank of the quay and allowed me to move in really close for the shot.

I didn't realize there were some tiny creatures going about pollinating the flowers until I noticed a streak of yellow go past my frame. And then it started, the painstaking process of catching one of them in the shot. Beezeee bee...

Out the Window

2009-05-17T22:48:00.007+08:00

From the confines of my living room, occasionally I was able to spot some sails bracing the high winds, sailing across the Hoe. It didn't matter which direction the wind was howling from. The sails were able to bend it to the ship master's will and send the vessel on its predetermined course.

Seeing them in the sails reminded me of times when I had the sea breeze running through my hair and brushing against my face. Those were the few occasions when I went fishing with my Dad, nice. Though in the end it left me with dehydrated skin, which pained as I squinted my eyes, it turned out to be memorable.

On a fine weekend afternoon, with the sun high up and the clouds out of sight, many more can be spotted, clustering the watery space with their white sails. These are some of the sights which I behold on weekend afternoons, taking them in as the little things of life here, away from home.

Random

2009-05-16T04:18:00.003+08:00

Shooting in the eye of danger...

When the Shooter, is Shot...

2009-05-10T16:56:00.003+08:00

This was the rare occasion when I am NOT short of photos with me in the frame. It always help when you are with another 2 SLRs and 4 compacts shooters lurking around, waiting for the perfect moment to depress the shutter release button. They would come gleefully up to you once they caught you in a compromising position x.O"

Ahhh... the sparks that fly when Nikon meets Canon, not the romantic kind though.

Caution! Lorries with logs up ahead!
The language was correct, however, I cannot seem to recall from past excursions to forests at home, the signs having yellow lorry drawn on them.

No lorries, only the tyres that once rolled with gargantuan mining trucks that excavated the site during construction of the Eden Project. Should've taken extra precaution to the warning on the caution sign...

Fully geared for a day's work of shooting. For the record, I was not sponsored by any companies for this shot, though I would not mind if that were true. ^.^

Sights in Eden

2009-05-09T21:11:00.005+08:00

Green tyres... well, I'd found one, where are the rest then...

Emulating Nature's life-giving and nourishing atmosphere in an artificial environment.

The Malaysian gang (minus the photographer) that trampled Eden Project with their oohs, ahhs and never-ending comments. Just a few out of the back of my head...

" ... pineapples also can grow here ah... "
" ... where are the durians?
how to grow here lah... "
" WAH Pandan leaves! "
" TOSHIBA air cond and SHARP TV in the KAMPUNG HOUSE!!! " o.O"

Panoramic shot of Eden Project: -
Art, science, architecture and Nature,
coexisting in a same frame of time.

Garden of Eden

2009-05-09T20:53:00.004+08:00

Eden Project consists of gigantic domes known as biomes which houses tropical and Mediterranean plants from all over the world. Seen from Google Earth's satellite imagery, the scale of this massive greenhouse becomes apparent.

The dome consists of hexagons and pentagons that holds them together at the very apex of the dome. The hexagonal cells are actually pockets of pressurized air, working together to insulate the interior of the biomes.

Looks familiar? A kampung house in Eden Project! Complete with sarongs hanging outside the wooden houses on stilts. The only giveaway that this setting was not natural was the presence of the lattices of the biomes.

To complete the image, there were even two Malaysians fanning 'Lemang'- bamboo cooked rice grilled over a coal fire. Talk about nostalgic colleagues working far from home...

A Visitor From London

2009-05-05T02:57:00.003+08:00

Accommodation Woes ?

Friend or Foe ?

p/s : More accurately, a visitor from Newbury.

Random

2009-05-01T04:56:00.003+08:00

When you are not looking...

By the way, this is my latest addition to the items in my room hihi
A mischievous devil pillow, complete with a tail as well ^.^

Back...

2009-05-01T04:41:00.003+08:00

Touched down in LCCT, Malaysia. Back home, back to reality, felt just like waking up from a dream filled with Mickey, night views, shoppings, Venetian gondolas, supper desserts and dolphins. The journey was a really pleasant one, we would love to go back to Hong Kong again in the future.

I saw this poster in KLIA while departing from KL to London. Talk about globalization and having a truly global city. It will be quite a view if it were to be true. I think the closest we can ever get to this is via al-Bawadi project in Dubai, out of this world if you asked me. I wonder how they are proceeding in the midst of the global crisis. Photos here.

At Nightfall

2009-04-25T15:58:00.010+08:00

At nightfall, you will be presented with a view that had became synonymous with the city of Hong Kong herself, the night skyline of Hong Kong island from Arena of the Stars. The stretch of iconic buildings, including the Bank of China Tower, HSBC Building, International Financial Centre, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, lined up the north shore of Hong Kong island. Every night, theses buildings including numerous rest on the same shore and on the opposite shore of Tsim Sha Tsui, participate in the Symphony of Lights, the biggest permanent light and musical display.

This must be their way of saying, "See you soon, Hong Kong awaits with an open heart!"

p/s : Click on the link for full screen HD.
Beware and proceed with care, those with bandwidth limitations ^.^

Link to Uploaded Video (HD).
Link to Uploaded Video.

Click here to get the still panorama instead.

Sin City: Macau

2009-04-23T04:26:00.006+08:00

The day trip to Macau was a transit nightmare. First was the MTR. There were three interchange stations, which brought us on 4 different lines on the MTR. The trip took nearly 1 hour to reach the ferry terminal in Sheung Wan. Boarding the speed jet/ catamaran took us half an hour including border checks, while the trip on water took us another one hour. Arrival and border checks took another one hour. Conclusion is, if you're not prepared to do 6 hours of return journey travelling, get a hotel in Macau and spend the night there.

Our first stop was the Venetian Macao Resort-Hotel. If you look on the world map you can see how small Macau is, consisting of its peninsular and an island. However, this small SAR (Special administrative region of China) does pack a punch, with 16 casinos located throughout!

The Venetian refers to the amazing shopping complex which is modeled referring to Venetian architecture, complete with canals and gondolas between the shops. Mind you, this whole structure is housed inside this complex. The so-called sky that is seen in the photo is actually the ceiling of the complex.

A walk of Tai Ma Lou (Main Street) in the city centre reminded us of the streets in European cities, complete with cobblestoned road. The street leading to the Ruins of St Paul was lined up with shops similar to this one shown, selling cookies, bakkwa (sweet dried meat) and pastries as souvenirs.

Our Wonderful Hosts

2009-04-21T04:06:00.004+08:00

We had wonderful hosts while we were in Hong Kong. Most of our problems, queries and quests for HK delicacies/ gifts were answered by them during our short stay there. She's none other than my cousin who was married to a great guy in Hong Kong.

Her husband, Dhillon, more affectionately known as Ah Don to the rest of the gang. Lots of bows and arrows in his house, so don't step on his tail, else... *gulp

Due to work reasons, I had not met them for a really long time. It's really nice to see them again and that we spent such great time catching up. Thanks for everything during our trip!

Hong Kong City

2009-04-19T22:06:00.005+08:00

There were some features that I kept seeing in many locations throughout the city. Among those, old flats/shop flats with the window type air conditioning units protruding from almost every unit.

Modern and traditional buildings exist side by side.

The red cabs that we are familiar of from dramas and movies from Hong Kong were among the most seen automobiles on the road. Signboards with neon lightings extending out to the center of the roads as well were seen in abundance. Looking at these few characteristics, coupled with the modern flats that contrasted with the older shop houses, one can make an educated guess that this was shot in Hong Kong.

The crowds here could seriously turn off your mood for a leisurely walk in the city or the shopping complexes.

Hong Kong is a very hilly place, with mountains and skyscrapers being seen side by side throughout the island and the mainland.

The Golden Mickey Awards (Updated)

2009-04-18T17:21:00.008+08:00

Link to YouTube Video used.Use arrow keys for volume control.

There are many performances in Disneyland, however due to the intermittent drizzles, we missed out some of them. One not to be missed, regardless of the weather condition, is the Golden Mickey performance. (Anyway, it was held indoor, just need to brace the elements to get to the venue entrance^.^ )It was themed as an award show. Many of our favourite characters made an appearance in this musical award show.

I find Stitch not being in proportion and not as mischievous as in the cartoon. Notice the small head and the big feet? Now he looked like just an alien, not the 'ohana Stitch that we came to love. Maybe if they were to make him in scale, the head might be too big for the person behind the costume?

Woody from Toy Story, almost as if he just jumped out from the TV screen and onto the stage!

The various songs performed were Disney classics, each bringing back memories of the past, back when we first saw them.

The host for the show did a wonderful job with her singing and her dancing. She made a few appearances with different clothings; beach wear in the song 'Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride' and this dress at the 'award presentation'.

See if you can name the character line up prior to the finale of the show!

Nothing better to end our visit to the magical kingdom, than a spectacular display of fireworks with Sleeping Beauty Castle in the foreground! The trip to Disneyland was one not to be missed, for those who would like to rekindle your inner child, and to think back of the times, when you really believed in fairies, happily-ever-after and a talking mouse.

Magical World of Disney

2009-04-18T05:48:00.010+08:00

Hop on to Disneyland MTR with its one-of-a-kind coaches, complete with TriCircle Mickey windows, comfortable couches and various Disney themed display figures, and within minutes, you hear over the announcement system, "You are leaving the modern metropolitan of Hong Kong and are now entering the magical world of Disney!"

Disneyland was split into four parts, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Adventureland and Main Street. One ticket is all you need for all the attraction across the four distinctly themed parts of the park.

I thought that once you grew older, the magic would fade off. Little did I knew how untrue it was. Knowing well that there was another person behind the costume didn't stop us from beaming from ear to ear. This world famous mouse really knew how to make a curve on our faces. The familiar face of Mickey, is something that you can't resist but smile ^.^

Sleeping beauty castle is in the middle of the park, where the four worlds meet, a fitting entrance to Fantasyland. It looked like it was painted out from a book. The colours, designs were just all too familiar to the Disney castles that we came to love in our childhood.

Ocean Park, as seen in TVB dramas...

2009-04-17T04:11:00.008+08:00

Trip to Hong Kong is not complete without visiting the ever famous park, always mentioned by kids in TVB dramas.

Ocean Park is separated into two parts, the Headlands and the Lowlands, connected via cable car. Lowlands rides are mostly kiddie attractions, while Headlands attractions are those which gets your adrenaline pumping and your guts churning. We spent one whole day in Ocean Park. Getting there was simple, just get out of Central MTR (Zhong Wan) and take a shuttle bus and it will bring you to the entrance, no sweat.

Flying Dragon, this was the first triple loop roller coaster that I took. The ride was exhilarating, especially when you reached the top of the loop, white knuckles on the handle, feet pressing hard against the front of the carriage, eyes wide open! We went on for a second time, but the fun worn off slightly since there were no more surprises.

The Abyss might be the inspiration to Genting Highland's Space Shot. The difference was that Abyss slowly brings you to the top, and drops you down and bounces a few rounds before settling down at the bottom. I did not try this ride though, still couldn't get over the fear of such rides...

Dolphins which were resident to the park perform to cheers of crowds in the Ocean theater. There were a total of three dolphins and one sea lion in the performance. Adults and children were equally captivated by the performance.

Sea Jelly Spectacular is a must visit. It's an aquarium dedicated to nothing but jelly fishes. The way they moved gently, floating idly in the water, hid well the fact that some were extremely poisonous and deadly.
Such coincidence; that the jelly fish on the top resembled 3 circles arranged in such a way, giving hint to the next attraction that we went to the next day.

PVD

2009-04-16T13:47:00.011+08:00

Post Vacation Depression is kicking in !!!

Imagine 2 days of relaxing, rejuvenating weekend and on Monday when you get back to work, you get Monday blues. Multiply it by a factor of nearly 10, and that's what I am experiencing now...

First the shock from the amount of unanswered mails and jobs that need urgent attention...

Then comes homesick, thinking of family members, relatives, friends...

Endless thinking of the wonderful events that happened during the holidays, and to make matters worse, I do not know when is my next holidays...

I need the weekends to come fast, for a nice rest and to regain my footing, else...

Emoticons from http://blog.roodo.com/onion_club

Sneak Preview

2009-04-14T01:42:00.005+08:00

Guess where...

All I need now is time to organize the photos and get a footing on work after this long break...

My Cousin's Wedding Slide, in HD !

2009-02-28T16:04:00.004+08:00

Wishing them all the best in their marriage and a happy and wonderful life together.

p/s : You can upload HD videos and embed them in the same quality as well. Click on the link for full screen HD.
Beware and proceed with care, those with bandwidth limitations ^.^

Link to Uploaded Video (HD).
Link to Uploaded Video.

Random

2009-02-27T05:34:00.003+08:00

Visualize before pressing the shutter.

Farewell Party

2009-02-22T20:38:00.003+08:00

We occasionally have get-together while we are on site. This time was due to a colleague who will be leaving site soon. To reduce the 'work load' of the house owner, a potluck was organized. Everyone brings their own food, drinks and snacks of their choice. Then all the food was pooled together and there you have it, a decent party...

It was fun with all the jokes, tales and experiences sharing during such occasions. It made time pass faster while we were all away from home.

This presented an opportunity for me to try out photographing events again, which I've only skimmed the surface.

Everyone had a wonderful time, the kids as well. Its harder to photograph them as they tend to move faster than the rest, photographing candid photos of kids is really another daunting challenge. It is therefore easier to pose them and take a photo hehe.

Until the next gathering, that's all for this time! Cheers mate!

Time Lapse Photography Test

2009-02-21T17:22:00.020+08:00

Sun rise in Plymouth (test)

Link to Uploaded Video (HD).
Link to Uploaded Video.

My Apartment in Plymouth

2009-02-21T16:41:00.007+08:00

Standing outside my apartment, I took this shot of Smeaton's lighthouse opposite the Hoe. This was taken during the sunset.

This is the view of the Hoe from the Hoe Park on top of the hill, near the light house. This cape is called the Hoe for some reason, don't know though. The rented apartment that I am staying in for the moment is the beige building at the end of the curvy waterfront road.

This is the facade facing the sea. It's an old building, and is within Plymouth's heritage conservation zone. This means that no modification can be done on the exterior of the apartment without first requesting permission from the city council O.o"

I am not satisfied (hmm an understatement?), with a friend's photo of the apartment from this location, hence this is my response to his interpretation.

Thoughts While Photographing Friends

2009-02-03T15:28:00.005+08:00

Link to YouTube Video used.Use arrow keys for volume control.

"Come on, just one photo..."

"Now, he just gave me something interesting to photograph..."

"Another one of those back-facing, going-somewhere photos..."

"Let's see how its like shooting from this height..."

*Taken on the weekend when friends from Milan and London converge on quiet Plymouth.

Grey: Half white or half black?

2009-02-02T15:36:00.003+08:00

The grey winter,
Leaves the Land and its trees,
Strips them bare,
without its greens...

The grey waters,
Pitting stones against rocks,
Pebbles against sands,
Losing its shapes and shades...

The grey boats,
One, massive, powerful, anchored,
The other, meek, swift, free...

The grey heart,
Closes its door,
Beauty allowed to fade,
Carcasses left ashore..

HAPPY 牛 (NEW) YEAR!

2009-01-27T15:35:00.006+08:00

Link to YouTube Video used.Use arrow keys for volume control.

If I were back home, this would be the typical breakfast on the first day of Chinese New Year before we gear ourselves up for the family-visit-marathon.

Mee sua and hard boiled egg, one brings longevity, the other to expel bad luck.

This is the second year in a stretch that I am not able to celebrate it at home. Really miss celebrating CNY though. For now, all I can do is visualize and imagine...

Gong Xi Fa Chai and may the year of the Ox brings an abundance of fortune, health and luck!

London Revisited

2009-01-27T15:30:00.002+08:00

I went back again to London to meet up with a friend to celebrate Chinese New Year. As with always, no photos of two of us together, we had the tripod though, being two macho guys, we didn't have the time to set it up properly haha

Believe it or not, we first went to the British Museum, not your typical place to celebrate though. Partly was due to the fact that we had never been to this museum before. There were numerous exhibits on displays and the crowd as huge as well.

Entry into the museum is free, however for the temporary exhibitions, one has to pay, such as the one shown here:- Babylon.

Statues, painting, artifacts of all kinds are on display.

We then made our way to Chinatown for dinner. The streets were decorated with lanterns, however they don't light up like those at home.

It's nice to see a change of environment, seeing more Chinese/Asian faces after some time in a foreign country. Same as with elsewhere, every Chinatown is not complete without the Gate...

That's the Spirit !

2009-01-15T15:26:00.003+08:00

This is one of my personal tool that I use for work. This is the very same tool that saved me lots of trouble when I was at home and needed hardware for some household job.

It's a multitool, at first glance, looks like a plier, with attitude (note the blade extended O.o" ). I have to say that I am impressed by the amount of tools which get packed into such a compact frame. Screwdriver, scissors, wire cutter, wire stripper, blade, reaper, wooden saw, metal saw, metal file and bottle opener, just to name a few.

Victorinox, the mark of quality in design and make. Each one is hand made to perfection. Made of stainless steel, the only maintenance and care necessary for this, is to lubricate the hinges now and then.

Victorinox SwissTool Spirit...

When I'm in the Mood...

2009-01-14T15:40:00.008+08:00

I like cooking up something special every now and then. Something different as compared to the usual black bean sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce or curry dishes.
I am amassing more and more sauces and ingredients in my fridge. Pepper, tomato, eggs are among them.

Garlic and onions are among the few that I throw into the sauce to add some taste and flavour. Pepper gives great colour and texture.

All the ingredients properly prepared and cut in bite size cubes. Preparing always takes much longer as compared to the actual process of cooking.

Vegetables are always part of my diet, more like a conscious choice.

Finally, presenting:- Japanese Tofu with sweet and sour pork.

p/s: cooking is hard work, I'd invited my (not-so-)evil twin to help out with cleaning the mess after hahaha...

It's Finally Here!

2009-01-11T21:02:00.004+08:00

Finally I'd made up my mind to purchase it from Amazon, my first time dealing with them. After comparing with the price of the same items offered in Malaysia, I placed my order and couldn't wait for it to arrive at my place.

This is the problem with ordering online, you can't stop looking forward to receiving the package!
After 5 excruciating waiting days, I have them with me, all in good condition, phew... The worries were instantly lifted and replaced with enthusiasm.

Yes, I bought the SB600 speedlight with remote cord and diffuser dome! This is the latest addition to my camera kit.

It felt really good having the speedlight in my hands, the feeling is so much different compared to looking at some photos on the website. I just couldn't wait to charge up the batteries and give it a test drive!

Flash photography, here I come!

Adios 2008!

2008-12-31T23:16:00.008+08:00

Link to YouTube Video used.Use arrow keys for volume control.

This is the last post of the year. Hopefully there will be more photo opportunities in the coming year.

Thanks to my colleague, I don't have to resort to taking self portraits.

They should have mentioned the word 'ruins'. I was expecting big castles which were mostly intact, not just broken walls...

Anyway it turned out to be a good getaway, a relaxing outing.

Happy New Year to all!!!

Castle? Which one? Where?

2008-12-28T18:45:00.005+08:00

See, I wasn't making up the part about Tintagel Castle being the birthplace of King Arthur. See that building behind me, far away in the horizon? That's not the castle though. I wonder what that is, might be a church. It was only when we reach the island where the castle was located that I realized that I was expecting the wrong thing.

It should be named 'Tintagel Castle Ruins' ! What we saw on that island were only ruins of the castle that once overlooked the Atlantic. One part of the castle garden which was too near to the cliffs was claimed by the sea. What was left was the bottom part of the walls, an old well, an old storage tunnel and an old chapel altar rock.

This is Camelot. Camelot Hotel. Don't think that any of the Knights used to spend their nights here though. This is a modern hotel with a name from the past.

The wind at the top of the hill was extremely strong, with the temperature slightly above freezing temperature, I was only able to take a few shots before putting my hands back into the warmth of my jacket.

Talk about living on the edge... My friend has a strong appetite for stunning views and locations for photo shoots.

In Search of Arthur's Castle

2008-12-28T18:23:00.005+08:00

I was invited by a colleague and his wife to visit the legendary birthplace of King Arthur - Tintagel Castle. I'd always thought it to be Camelot or Avalon. Setting out early in the morning, we arrived there just before noon. This was the first time I see a GPS unit in action, leading us to our destination.

This is the traditional afternoon snack called the Cornish Cream Tea. Anything from the county Cornwall, neighboring Plymouth, Devon, is hence named Cornish. The two muffin-like servings are known as scones, to be served with clotted cream and strawberry jam, spread across the scones. One then has to wash the devilishly delicious combination down with a cup of English tea, I however, broke the taboo and went ahead with coffee instead.

Apparently after looking at the whole album for that journey, this was the only one photo with all three of us in a photo.

The path to the castle wasn't accessible with vehicles, hence, we had to cross streams, walk downhill thread past some lightly frozen paths to the castle entrance.

My camera took the faster way down, however, using the same stream... whee..... swish swosh.... ARGH!!

Blend Trend

2008-11-29T21:32:00.001+08:00

Finally I bought a blender! I'd always wanted one but didn't get around buying one. Just received some cash advance from site admin and I went on a shopping spree. This is retail therapy I guess, however I only buy food items. Does that makes it any better, I wonder.

It's actually a smoothie maker. Supposed to be able to crush ice cubes. I couldn't wait for the ice to freeze and harden up, I tried the classic recipe : - oranges, celery and carrots.

First you have to get the ingredients. It would be much easier getting an orange with celery sprouting out of it, two in one, no need to get two separate ingredients hihi

Chop, dice, pour in some water, press button and see them dance. Before and after of the process.

Anyway, nothing can go wrong with a blender, just put in the chunks of food and press, and there you have it, fresh smoothie/juice/puree. Cheers for good health.

Settling down in Plymouth

2008-11-24T01:31:00.003+08:00

Grand Parade, Plymouth, a good half an hour brisk walk away from the city, away from all the noise and traffic. Well, this is looking at things positively I guess. I have to hypnotize myself that I am still able to go to the city in times when I do not have the transport. At the moment, I am still without internet connection in the apartment. Leeching a friend's internet connection every weekend haha

My apartment is just next to the sea, and here's the living room. I have a fireplace!
*fireplace just for show, no fire allowed*

Its a comfy place, however it gets cold at night due to the sea breeze and also the heater which is not in tip top condition. Brrrrr.... not a good thing with winter just around the corner.

A great view of the sea from the living room window, the military dock is just on the right of my house, sometimes I can see some big ships passing by. I would like to think that those are destroyers , but I am not sure. This morning I only shot some yachts and the big mansion across on the rocky island. I wonder how one goes to that mansion.

Here's the mansion up close.

Seagulls are everywhere, even in the city. This one was wandering at the garden at the ground floor, outside the apartment. There are some models of warships and subs along the waterfront walkway. There are benches as well for those who wish to have a longer look at the sea.

For the moment, I am still rather satisfied with this place, just the lack of internet connectivity gets to my head sometimes. *crosses fingers* Hope I get connected soon.

Safe Journey!

2008-11-24T01:05:00.005+08:00

Backtrack to the time when I was leaving M'sia. It appears that this has become a blog that I update only when I'm away from assignment Hihi Apparently I wasn't really motivated to take photos when I'm back at home. But when I'm in a new place and have some time to spare, no problem at all...

I was so glad that time time my family sent me off to the airport, previously I would take the cab to the airport and greet farewell at home. It's a nice feeling with them there.

Photo taken by sis, haven't tried such photo angles before, turned out quite well with the sepia treatment.

Me and my Dad seldom take photos together, the most recent photos being those that from Dad's bday celebration, and before that, can't really recall though. Really ought to make more photo opportunities with parents and sister.

My auntie came to the airport as well, with everyone there, it makes it more difficult to say goodbye.

Family portrait in the airport. It will be another one year before I get to go back to M'sia. Well better hang on tight and enjoy the ride, it makes it more bearable and time will pass faster. *fingers crossed*

From Digital Pixels to Brush Strokes

2008-08-13T22:59:00.016+08:00

Touched up some of my favourites with Paint.net, a free software yet sufficiently powerful for such applications.

Grandeur

Confrontation

Reflection

Immersion

Vision
(Vision was redone with PS)

Compromise

Blood Sport

2008-08-12T17:54:00.006+08:00

Warning : Blood is shown in the following photos.

This complements the previous posts on bullfighting. This shows the matadors in close proximities to the bulls. The white sticks seen on the back of the bulls are razor sharp barbed sticks called banderillas, planted during the second third of the performance. The white portions were tainted red as the fight progresses.

Click on the links for some photos of the close-up actions.

Enrique Ponce attracts the bull with the muleta (red cape), with the bull responding with an upward gore.

Jose Maria Manzanares taunting the bull with cries of 'Toro, toro!'

Enrique Ponce performing a pass, avoiding the fast charging bull.

Corrida de Toros

2008-08-12T16:33:00.032+08:00

Link to YouTube Video used.Use arrow keys for volume control.

Bullfighting, is one of the many controversial performances currently still available, but greatly limited to certain locations and timings.
I was given the rare chance of witnessing a bullfight in Spain. Curiosity took over the bigger part of me and I decided to go for it, albeit various opinions from both extremities (die-hard supporters and hardcore critics). I had to decide for myself and hopefully be able to share with others on what I had experienced.

Plaza de Toro is the place where the fight took place. This was a smaller one as compared to those in bigger cities. Most of the crowds were from the older generations rather from those younger ones.

As the trumpet blew, the entourage entered the ring. Wikipedia site gives a pretty detailed and accurate explanation regarding this highly ritualized performance.

The bull was massive, weighing nearly 450kg. These bulls lived free until this event, and they were bred for this sole purpose. The crowd cheer as the bull, angered and charging at almost any moving objects, entered the ring.

The performance was divided into three parts, each beginning signalized by the blowing of the trumpet, each third angering the bull even more as it progressed to the final part where the matador delivers the killing strike.

The crowd gave a standing ovation in honour to the spectacular performance of one of the matador who managed to strike the bull directly at the heart. This gave the bull a swifter death as compared to ones which were not delivered as skilfully.

Such performances were to showcase the mastery of the matador over the bull, manipulating the bull to perform charges, anticipating its deadly goring strikes, while constantly showing an air of superiority over the bull. Being much bigger than the human opponent, the bull can be a fatal threat if taken lightly. Therefore the skill of the matador and the entourage should as well be noted. Throughout the whole performance, my heart was thumping both with fears for the matador and sympathy for the bull.

For me, I will not go for another bullfight, one turned out to be too much.

Epilogue to Trip

2008-07-30T17:28:00.005+08:00

This has been a wonderful trip. Thinking back, it was planned nearly 5 months ahead, shortened once and shelved twice. However after all that happened, we really did manage to visit the many sites and marvel at these two cities and the wonders they offer.

Closing this chapter of my blog are two photos that I believe best captures the beauty of these two cities.

Versailles - The Gardens

2008-07-30T16:41:00.003+08:00

Navigate around Versailles' home page and you can find the map of the whole compound. The gardens cover a huge part of the palace compound. The gardens stretched as far as the eye can see, and I am not exaggerating this fact. There is a huge lake in the middle of the garden, shaped as a cross. The king sometimes take a boat ride from one end to the other. Even today, there are boat operators in that lake that provide leisure boat rides.

In the background, the palace building. Countless statues populate the gardens of Versailles. It made me wonder how the garden was kept maintained in those days without cherry pickers and grass cutters. Well, if you have tonnes of French francs, this would not be a problem I guess. The paths in the gardens, contrarily to what I used to thought, were actually fine pebbles, not fine sands.

The building in the background, with the tall windows is where the halls of mirrors are located.

Fountain of Apollo. King of the Gods, the Sun God is again being used to symbolize the King's absolute power.

Versailles - The Palace

2008-07-21T03:46:00.002+08:00

The Palace of the Sun-King, Château de Versailles was the center of administration during the reign of King Louis XIV. We arrived early in the morning after half an hour's train ride from Paris into the small town of Versailles. The queue into the palace was already long and growing by the minute. Holiday makers from everywhere and of every colours can be seen while lining up.

Versailles chapel, where royal events were celebrated was one of the nicest rooms to occupy the vast compound of Versailles. This was how the King and Queen would have seen the chapel, from the tribune royale, where they heard mass.

The chapel as viewed from the ground floor. The colour scheme, yellow and white, was used extensively throughout the palace. In the other apartments, which can be found through the link above, architects borrowed inspirations from Roman mythologies.

One of the more famous area in the Palace was the Halls of Mirrors where 17 arches are lined up to reflect the light from 17 opposite windows which faces the gardens of Versailles. It had to be made known that during the time of its construction, mirrors were among the most priced item to possess and a rarity in its own class. To have a hall lined up with nearly 350 mirrors showcased the grandeur and extravagance of the Sun King.

The Museum Which Was a Train Station

2008-07-21T03:29:00.002+08:00

Musée D'Orsay, or the Museum of Orsay was converted from a train station and houses mostly French artworks and sculptures. The masterpieces on display here are more contemporary and focused as compared to those in the Louvre, which covers a wider area.

The Louvre was converted from a palace/fortress, the Tate Modern from a power plant and Orsay from a train station. Each museums still carries with them the tell tale signs of its previous incarnation, as seen in the Orsay, with its arched ceiling and huge clock face on the main hallway.

This was a unique way of displaying an architectural model of the Opera in Paris, not as space consuming as the rest. Was the transparent floor part of the artist's presentation? The actual reason however remains unknown to me.

Sacre Coeur which sits on top of Montmartre can be clearly seen through the huge clock at the top floor of the museum.

Many Facets of Paris' Attractions

2008-07-13T18:39:00.003+08:00

Bicycle rides, open top bus tours are really nice ways to enjoy major cities. We covered a lot of attractions on the bike in London and on the bus in Paris. With the Paris visit pass that we bought, it came with a package where for one certain day, you could get on and off the open rooftop buses at specific stops.

The weather was great and best of all, there was no obstruction between you and the buildings. No glass panes that stops the breeze and no unsightly objects on the screens. We took the bus tour around Notre Dame, through the Latin quarters and towards Montparnasse Tower, which was our destination anyway, if we were to take the subway. We went pass the hotel Les Invalides, however we went forward and did not stop at this spot.

The Pantheon, built with inspiration from her sister in Rome, is now a burial place for various famous French. Victor Hugo's tomb is in the crypt of this building. This is sometimes referred to as the people's temple.

Inside the Pantheon, the columns and domes were decorated with sculptures and paintings, each with their own stories to tell. From the dome, hangs a steel cable holding a steel ball, forming a pendulum which was used to show time. This is called the Foucault pendulum, named after the French physicist who performed this experiment. The pendulum, being free hanging, swings on a certain plane, even as the Earth turns. Each hour was then represented with 11degrees. We compared the time when we entered and the time we left, nearly one hour, and this was presented correctly on the scale shown.

The modern art museum in London, Tate Modern was free to public. I quote the tour guide on the river cruise, 'If you have been there before and had seen modern art, you will know why it is free' ^.^
However that was not the case for the Center Georges Pompidou in Paris. We were not a fan of modern art, but still, the architecture was amazing. It looked like an incomplete structure with exposed pipes and ventilation and support structures. There were many people just sitting on the slope before the center, admiring this bizarre building, which by itself is considered art. Modern art.

Palais Royal Musée du Louvre

2008-07-13T17:10:00.009+08:00

Link to YouTube Video used.Use arrow keys for volume control.

The location where the Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code started; one of the most visited art museums in the world; the home of various masterpieces, art and sculpture; Behold - the Louvre.

Beneath the glass pyramid was the underground lobby and in it, hangs the inverted glass pyramid together with the smaller one at the bottom. This was the location mentioned in the fictional novel, which was the final resting place of Mary Magdalene.

For those who are expecting a Mona Lisa photo, please kindly download from anywhere online as the Mona Lisa was displayed behind a glass pane. This made photographing her a really difficult task with the reflection of the visitors without a lens filter.

The galleries in the Louvre were decorated with various masterpieces from different ages and different civilizations. It was almost impossible to visit the Louvre from one end to the other. We had to choose which galleries to visit, as we had only 5 hours. Only 5 hours...

Cupid and Psyche, embracing each other, a wonderful sculpture of the God of Love and the mortal woman he loved for dearly.

A wonderful way to move through the Louvre with all she has to offer was to first visit those that you must, and then at a leisurely pace, go through all the rest as you wish. Never rush as you might miss out one that you yourself really liked, which however may not be the main attraction of the museum.

Our Lady... Notre Dame

2008-07-10T04:57:00.004+08:00

The famous cathedral was the center of activities for many generations. Notre Dame is synonymous with Paris itself, Victor Hugo's Quazimodo and Esmeralda, and the mysterious gargoyles. Those cryptic gargoyles that overlooked the cathedral were actually sculpted gutters.

Notre Dame was the first cathedral that I entered which allowed photography. Still there were restrictions, you were not allowed to use flash photography in the cathedral. Tripods were not allowed as well.

The stained glass windows were one characteristics of cathedral. More often than not, they depict biblical stories.

Cathedrals normally consist of several small sections, called chapels where various different services can be performed at the same time. Some with statues, some with altar. This was one with the Virgin Mary as can be seen on the plaques below her. In the cathedral was a sense of serenity, though there were many visitors. Everyone was trying their best to be silent, as a form of respect for the worshipers.

Montparnasse tower offers a spendid view of Notre Dame. Here you can clearly see the flying buttress on the side of the cathedral, as a form of support for the structure. This cathedral tower herself over the other buildings and was immediately noticeable from the high viewpoint.

Eiffel Tower

2008-07-10T02:00:00.004+08:00

We went out really early to the tower, fearing a huge turnout of crowd. We arrived and lined up for nearly 15 minutes before being admitted into lift going up the tower. The tower looked like a huge brown electric pylon with all its trusses and rivets. The colour of the lifts to the second floor and the top floor together with the other lifting mechanisms gave a contrasting feel to the tower structure.

There were two observation decks at the top. One which was one floor lower than the other had photo guides detailing the different buildings around the tower, this deck was covered with window panes and air conditioned. We went up a few flight of stairs you exit the covered observation deck to the top. The view from the top was amazing. As the day was pretty sunny and clear, the visibility from the top of the tower was really good. The other tower in the photo which looks like a featureless black block is called Montparnasse Tower.

This was the view from Montparnasse Tower, where you could see the Eiffel Tower and the other famous attractions which were too far to admire from Eiffel Tower. Notre Dame, Les Invalides, the Pantheon and the Louvre can be clearly seen from here.

The Eiffel tower consists of three different paints, with the one at the bottom the darkest brown and fairer nearer to the top of the tower. The fields in front of the tower was considerably empty considering that we arrived early in the morning. Come nightfall, throngs would crowd this field to enjoy the magnificent display of lights on the Eiffel tower which starts at 10pm. Lights lit up randomly across the tower, which gave a feel of a glittering jewel, the iconic jewel of Paris.

Bye Bye London, Bonjour Paris!

2008-07-10T01:34:00.004+08:00

Definitely it was better to take the train rather than the plane from London to Paris. When you only have one week for both cities, a few hours waiting for boarding in the airport and traveling between airport and cities were not logical, in our rational, anyway. It cost slightly more, however the stress-free travel and also the great country-side view that you have during the journey was worth it all.

The journey from St Pancras International in London to Gare du Nord in Paris took only 2hrs 15 mins, with 45 minutes boarding time prior to departure. Eurostar is a longer version of the TGV, having a long-standing position as bullet train of Europe.

Coming out from the train, we felt a complete change in atmosphere. The weather was extremely warm and humid, we were perspiring even before reaching the hotel which was just 5 minutes away. The people were more 'casually' dressed and there were numerous beggars and gypsies asking "Do you speak English?" around the train station. We tend to see a lot of that in other parts of the city as well. First impression received was not the Paris that we had in mind, maybe we had higher expectations of the City of Lights and Romance.

We planned to see the Eiffel Tower on the second day, leaving the first day for exploring around the hotel and also for a relaxing walk. We went to Sacre Coeur, where the unpleasant "friendship band" event occurred, cutting me short by 10eur and a bad impression. Hopefully the next few days can make up for this event. Can't wait to see the tower in person, though.

Trafalgar Square

2008-07-09T03:58:00.007+08:00

In 1805, Admiral Horatio Nelson led the British Royal Navy into victory in the historic Battle of Trafalgar, against the combined fleet of the French and Spanish Navy. 22 ships out of 33 ships were lost by the French and Spanish while the British navy lost none of her 27 ships. He lost his life in this decisive battle and affirmed his place in British history as a hero. Trafalgar Square was named in honour of this battle and Nelson's column rises above all in this square.

Nelson lost his arm in the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and his life in the Battle of Trafalgar. Legend has it that in order to bring him back after the victory in Trafalgar, the men on board the Victory put him in a barrel of whisky as a pickling substance. As opposed to others who died in sea and were subsequently thrown to the sea, he was brought back to England for a state funeral.

Next to the square was the National Portrait Gallery. We did not have a chance to visit it though, our time spent in London was actually too short. It was well recommended as well, but we have to save it for another time, if any.

We did however have time to linger around the square even after nightfall. The gallery was closed at that time. There were still quite a crowd at the square, just enjoying the cool night breeze. We had our share of people watching as well, sitting on the staircase to the gallery, with a higher vantage point.

The Palace and the Palace Guards

2008-07-08T18:49:00.006+08:00

Who would have known that there are two lone guardsmen standing on their own for you to have a photo with them... Not really though, they are there for actual duty, protecting the palace. Look around for them, walk further away from the palace and grab this photo opportunity up close and personal.

Psst.. you know, they are not allowed to talk or move around freely. When someone would ask for photos to be taken, they would just gently nod their head and not speak a single word. However this is the conversation that we had with one (not the one in the photo...)

Me: Can we have a photo with you?
Guardsman : Sure, no prob!
After,
Me: Thanks!
Guardsman : Cool! See you!
A rather cool guardsman compared to the rest and not so uptight.. hehe

The amount of people around the front of Buckingham Palace was amazing. They were all gathered around for the changing of the guards. This is a really elaborate ceremony where one team takes over the duty from the other one and was done everyday around 11am during summer. This spot was recommended by our bicycle tour guide, Jim from London Bicycle Tour. It was included in the London Pass that we purchased and was one of the few nicest offers.

We came back again to the palace for a photo and met a Spanish family. After some short and simple conversation in Spanish (ahem.. not that bad, they understood me! ^.^) we took a photo of them and they returned the favour.

An experimental shot inspired by a similar shot seen elsewhere. Can you see the palace?

London Bridge is Falling Down.... Is it?

2008-07-08T03:43:00.005+08:00

Link to YouTube Video used.Use arrow keys for volume control.

Contrary to popular beliefs, the bridge that has rising road portion for river traffic is not called London Bridge, it's the Tower Bridge. London Bridge is a bridge further upstream the Thames which is a box girder bridge.

The bridge was designed to be aesthetically pleasing, blending in with the rest of London's architecture. It did it really well and was a real pleasant sight.

Next to the Tower Bridge was the HMS Belfast, a floating naval museum. This cruiser had participated in the Second World War but was then converted into a museum ship.

The Tower Bridge is still functional, however, new technology for rising the bascules, as those portions are called, were applied. It now functions as well as a museum, where the original steam engines and part of the lifting mechanisms are on display.

Didn't I mention previously that it still functions today? We had the chance to see the roadway being lifted. Imagine this sight during the time of its opening, in the year 1894. Imagine during that time, such a bridge had been envisioned and was eventually built to ease river traffic and as a pedestrian crossing.

When the bascules were lifted, we were among the many sprinting from the left tower to get further from the bridge itself to get a better view. Such thrills, just to catch a glimpse of the Tower Bridge in action.

Sir Christopher Wren's St. Paul's

2008-07-08T03:07:00.003+08:00

London's Great Fire of 1666 burnt down nearly 80% of London city. Among which was the old St. Paul's Cathedral. This gave a chance to Sir Christopher Wren to rebuild numerous public building, including St. Paul's and fifty other churches. This cathedral was inspired by St Peter's Basilica in Rome. The dome is second only to St Peter's in the world.

Have it been opened on Sundays for the public, it would have been among the first few sites for us to visit. But alas it was only on our second day that we have the chance to enter this magnificent cathedral.

After climbing up the winding staircase we reached the Whispering Gallery. The acoustics of the gallery was so well accomplished that when one person sat on one side and whispered to the wall, the other sitting on the opposite was able to hear the whisper. We thought it must have been some gimmick for attracting tourists, but after seeing how one couple did it, we tried, and amazingly it really is true. A search online shows that this can be accomplished with any gallery with a dome structure and can be found in other domed structures as well.

After the Whispering Gallery, we climbed up even higher and came up at the top of the dome, on a viewing balcony where we were presented with this magnificent view. If you look close enough, you can see the London Eye in the middle of the photo.

This is the Great West Door with the clock tower. This was where the entrance to the Cathedral was located. The pigeon was a pleasant surprise to me as well, as I didn't expect it to pass my frame. I noticed it only after the photo was downloaded to my laptop.

This view can only be seen from the river, on board a Thames river cruise, while we were passing the Millennium Bridge. This bridge was also known as the Wobbly Bridge, due to the fact that when it first opened to the public, the bridge started swaying sideways due to the passing crowd. The bridge was closed and modified to eliminate that.

What's Black, Red and Goes Around on Wheels?

2008-07-07T00:13:00.004+08:00

London Buses and London Cabs!

Bright red London double-deckers are seen everywhere in the city. The ebony black London cabs are more expensive to travel in but really spacious and comfortable for the passenger at the back. We saw one guy put his bicycle in the back together with him when he board the cab. O_o

It pays to wait a while for one of them to pass you just before you click on the camera. You'll see them everywhere! Beep beep! Buckingham Palace!

I thought they were all black, but I was proved wrong with numerous with different colours and some even with patterns. Honk honk! Another one driving along Westminster Bridge, passing the magnificent London Eye!

There goes the bus! In front of Royal Albert Hall, opposite Hyde Park where Royal Albert Memorial is at! It was fun sitting at the top floor, at the very front. You can feel as if the bus will run down those people in the bus stop waiting to board while it came to a smooth stop.

The Royal Albert Memorial sits opposite the Hall. I'd found a way to take a photo of both of them. (Me and my gal were captured in the photo as well, try to find us... ;P )

Now in Westminster Abbey! They were everywhere! It was nice to travel on them, when you had the day pass or better still, the Oyster travel card. You can hop on and hop off as the daily rate was capped: Unlimited travel around the city and just blindly going up any busses!

Now, this is called traveling in style, the London way!

The London Eye

2008-07-06T23:06:00.007+08:00

Behold, the London Eye! One of the biggest observation wheels in the world.

It was built to celebrate the millennium, and when it was opened to the public, was the tallest. It is now surpassed by the Singapore Flyer, they were both very similar. However I have not yet have the chance to board the one in Singapore, yet.

The pods were really spacious, easily able to accommodate nearly 20 persons. A small air conditioning unit was left in the pod, keeping it well ventilated and cool while you take your own sweet time savoring the views of London from above. Due to its location, you can see the Houses of Parliament very clearly. At the distant, you can see St. Paul's Cathedral and Tower Bridge (commonly and mistakenly known as London Bridge, about that in coming posts...) . The views were spectacular, however the sun was nearly at the horizon and it was hard to look at buildings on the west. We took the 830pm ride and the sun had not set, amazing no?

The night scene was taken just past 11pm, accompanying the Eye, is the London Aquarium. We did not have time to visit that however. These are the new attractions to revive the south bank of the Thames. The dark moonless night brought out the best of the London Eye.

Big Ben

2008-07-06T22:45:00.005+08:00

One of the icons of London, the Houses of Parliament and the Clock Tower, or more affectionately called Big Ben, greets us every time we walked to the city. Listening to the chime sound and seeing the black London cabs zipping on the roads really makes you feel like you're in a movie.

The chime was split up into 4 parts, just as the quarters of an hour. The chime was played in parts with every passing quarter. Come one full hour, the whole chime was played and the corresponding hour will determine the number of single 'dong' at the end. Big Ben was actually the name of the great bell in the tower, not the tower as mostly mistaken.

The intricacies of the architecture and sculptures on the building can only be admired by one on location, no photos can do it justice. At night it was an even better feast for the eye.

Of Hostels and Hotels

2008-07-06T22:14:00.006+08:00

I made all my bookings on Hostelworld. With lots of reviews and lots of accommodation to choose from, it was easy to find one. Using it together with Google Map, I was able to determine which hostel to choose from. I put a high preference on the location of the accommodation as we could then spend more time walking around the city rather than commuting.

After looking at the price ranges, the answer became really clear. Definitely it would be hostels and not hotels, at least not those with more than 3 stars rating. The facilities and services included are naturally reflective of the price that you pay, however we decided we can do without some luxury and save the rest.

We chose Journey's Waterloo in London, mainly due to the great location and price. It was less than 10 mins away from the underground station, and less than 10 mins away from the banks opposite of the Houses of Parliament! Try beating this location! It turned out pretty adequate, it's not luxury however, it was clean and comfortable.

For the trip in Paris, we chose Hotel Europe. Though its a hotel by name, it was listed in the hostel category. It's a two start hotel. Again, it was clean and comfortable. Location couldn't be better for this hotel. 5 mins walk from Gare du Nord (the North station) where the Eurostar terminates. This is also where a single metro trip would take us directly to the heart of Paris!

Shortcomings of these two hostels: no air conditioning and lifts were available. I somehow convinced myself that these were Asian luxuries. It wouldn't be logical to install air conditioning units only to be used during the peak of summer and only during the day. The weather was cool in London but was warmer and more humid in Paris. Journey's gave us a fan in the room. In Paris, we could only open the windows at night and hope for the best...

This was the view from the hotel in Paris, Sacre Coeur. A point of advise: stay away from Africans wandering around attraction sites (mainly around Sacre Coeur, literally, Sacred Heart, ironically, such 'sacred' activities were allowed uncontrolled). They carry colourful bands in their hands and give you sinister smiles. Their so-called 'friendship band' is just a way to part you with your Euro, and they are not particularly friendly when approaching you. Stay clear!

With the accommodations settled, we were all set and ready to see what London and Paris have to offer! Hooray!

Sneak Preview

2008-07-02T17:15:00.002+08:00

Guess where...

Return of My Evil Twins

2008-07-02T16:04:00.008+08:00

Remember them? Their hair grew longer and now they spot new shades. Spotted by my girlfriend in Gijon trying to spy on us while we were having a stroll there.

"_______,"

Its kinda amazing and surprising that the beach in Gijon is still so empty even with such a nice weather. It's a bit cold for us, but it must have been just right for the locals. The waves were pretty strong that afternoon, but no surfers to be seen.

HW tried to use my camera and came out with some pretty satisfactory results. I wonder if it's her or the camera, or maybe... the subject? ^. ^

Hey you! Stay tuned and connected for more photos from the upcoming trip. We'd planned that ages ago... That's it for now!