szelee

Paris 2010 Day Two – Marché d’Aligre, Place des Vosges, River Seine and Notre Dame Cathedral

szelee — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:48:31 +0000

We began the journey on second day by visiting the Marché d’Aligre at Place d’Aligre. According to my travel guide, this is the cheapest and liveliest market in the city, reminiscent of a Moroccan bazaar. We found French, Arab and African traders selling fruits, vegetables, flowers and clothing on the streets, while the nearby market offering meats, cheeses and many international delicacies. This is supposedly a less affluent area of town with few tourists and many Parisians.

Excellent.

Like everywhere else, everyone was looking for a bargain in flea market.

Love the red-white thing going on between the lady and her radish. Like Singapore Flag!

Speaking of flag, here’s Italy’s, made in France.

Shhhh…

Lighter, please?

We spent like grand total of 3 Euros on a handful strawberries before leaving the market. And we could barely finish those strawberries by the end of our stay in Paris.

May 1st marks the Labor Day in France. The French celebrate spring by offering small sprigs of muguet (Lilies of the Valley) as a good luck charm to those who are close.

That’s the Lilies of the Valley the little boy is holding. Apparently, he is more interested in his lollipop.

More well wishing with Lilies of the Valley.

Limited space, endless stream of pedestrians, timeless joys.

Built by Henri IV, Place des Vosges at The Marais - with grand symmetrical houses around an open central space – 36 houses, nine on each side, remains intact even after 400 years. Victor Hugo lived here for 16 years.

Spotted this nice vintage car. Maybe older than me.

Beware of dog!

We thought we could visit the nearby Musée Picasso, only to be disappointed to discover later that it was under maintenance from “August 2009 up to 2012″!

We spotted a long queue outside this place called Chez Marianne at Rue des Rosier, and joined the queue. There wasn’t a need (or enough time) to consult the travel guide. Took us about 15 minutes before we got ourselves a falafel sandwich for 5 Euros. Mainly eggplants cooked with tomatoes, eggplant dip, a salad and pickles.

Verdict: Must try! It’s as good as the queue has indicated.

Monsier Dumbledore and Monsieur Potter showing The Way. Along River Seine. Still walking, we were headed towards Notre Dame Cathedral.

Gotta love the antics of these tourists in front of Notre Dame Cathedral.

Rollerskating at Pont au Double.

A self portrait.

River Seine from above.

Getting up close, indirectly, unobtrusively.

Tummies were grumbling. Waiting for dinner.

The pathetic tomato salad as entrée from Brasserie Les Deux Palais. Main course was steak with fries and dessert was chocolate mousse. To be fair, we ordered the cheapest set meal (still it costed 13.50 Euros per pax).

Also Brasserie Les Deux Palais. Jovie’s entrée – the onion soup with cheese. Main course was 1/4 roast chicken and dessert was a slice of Neapolitan ice-cream.

Paris 2010 Day One – Arc de Triomphe and Window Shoppings

szelee — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:34:38 +0000

Bonjour. It has taken me long enough to start writing about the Paris trip.

The fact that this trip happened at all was a miracle. A junior college friend got to know about Jovie”s makeup profession, and her wedding photographer, Derrick happened to be looking for a makeup artist for overseas pre-wedding shoots in Paris. After some contacts and negotiations, emails and phone calls, the deal was sealed.

It was too good of an opportunity to miss, and I was in the middle of transition to a new job. Euro was dropping, and having some free time to spare in between, I decided to tag along. And just about two weeks before our departure came the news of the Icelandic volcanic ash that disrupted flights in and out of the UK and several other European countries. Thankfully, on the last day of April, we managed to arrived safely in Paris after a long flight via KLM Royal Dutch Airlines with a mad rush during the transit in Amsterdam.

From Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, we took the RER, a rapid transit system, and arrived at Gare du Nord station. That the station has a second name of Paris Nord almost made us miss the station.

We checked into Hotel de Bruxelles et du Nord, a 2 star hotel that costs 75 Euros per night. The hotel has a small lift that fit at most 3 people, and the room has a toilet with shower-cubicle that you can hardly turn around. Not exactly spacious, but its clean. Breakfast not included though. And the area did not seem to be particularly safe at night, as we came to learn later.

One of the first things we purchased was the Paris metro pass. A 5-day 3-zone ticket costed 28.90 Euro at that time and it provides unlimited free rides on the transport that includes the Metro, RER (regional express trains) and bus . And it is valid starting on the day you first use it, not from the date of purchase or delivery, for the specified number of consecutive days. Zones 1 to 3 include Paris and the nearby suburbs (La Défense, Saint-Denis Basilique, Le Bourget).

From Gare du Nord station, we headed Champs-Élysées – Clemenceau station. To the south are the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais two very imposing architectures that are mainly used for exhibitions these days.

Le Grand Palais.

Petit Palais.

After his greatest victory, the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, Napoleon promised his men, ” You shall go home beneath triumphal arches”. Speaking of big fat year end bonus! Standing at 50m high, the Arc de Triomphe is now the customary starting point for celebration and parades.

Arc de Triomphe.

The entrance ticket to the viewing platform on top costs 7 Euro per pax. And of course, it offers one of the best views in Paris, overlooking the grand Champs-Élysées.

Finishing the 284 stairs at Arc de Triomphe.

After the Arc, my lady hinted it was about time for window shopping.

And so we wandered around. Bustling with restaurants, cafes, hotels and designer boutiques, Avenue Montaigne is noticeably one of Paris’s most fashionable streets. We also managed to walk drag ourselves all the way to Boulevard Haussmann where department stores Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps are sited. But as it was holiday eve (as we found out later), and the shops closed earlier than usual. Jet lag was creeping in, and we hurriedly settled for a less than ideal dinner in a cafe at Rue Saint-Lazare, before heading back to hotel and hitting the sack.

No related posts.

Ix and Agnes

szelee — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:02:29 +0000

Both interior designers, Ix and Agnes met up with him a few months ago after stumbling upon his blog. Their easy-going and playful characters has really made his job easier, not to mention the equally fun-loving brothers and sisters.

After the usual morning gate-crashing and ceremonies, they spent a limited but fruitful amount of time in Marina Barrage for some outdoor photo taking. Solemnization ceremony and dinner ensued in My Humble House at The Esplanade.

Sharing many of his favorite pictures here. Wishing Ix and Agnes a blissful marriage.

Bridal makeup by thelittlebrush.

Meng Thong and Ly Tan

szelee — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:10:40 +0000

Been some time since I last updated my blog. Sharing some images from the wedding of Meng Thong and Ly Tan (my wife’s cousin) taken about some time ago.

Makeup by thelittlebrush.

Hong Kong Trip 2009 in Holga

szelee — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:44:30 +0000

Half a roll of expired Kodak film for Hong Kong. Fantasy and surreal, mainly Disneyland.

Hong Kong 2009 – Day Three

szelee — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 07:37:41 +0000

Unlike the previous day, their third day in Hong Kong began with a better breakfast spot – the 50 year old Mido Cafe (美都餐室) @ 63 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon.

Po Lo Bun and Yuan Yang

Triple Yolk Egg, Tomato, Ham and Baked Potato.

French Toast. Never tasted any better (and any more sinful) than this.

After a hearty meal, it’s time for next activity – shopping in Mong Kok.

Mr Anti-McDonald in the centre.

Faceless.

Before they had realized, it was dinner time. Originated from Guangzhou, the Tai Ping Koon restaurant has a history that spans more than a century. Recommended by a friend, this restaurant was their chosen dining location for the final night in Hong Kong. Once immersed in the quiet and classy ambient, they almost felt the clock has been re-winded a few decades earlier. Food was great and so was the service.

Swiss Sauce Chicken Wings

Dried Fried Noodle with Beef

Baked Soufflé.

After dinner, they strolled to the Victoria Harbour area before proceeding to Avenue of Stars.

Night view of Hong Kong landscape from Victoria Harbour.

Opened in 1928, The Peninsula Hong Kong is Hong Kong’s very first hotel.

After a long day out, they returned to the hotel for a short rest before heading out to the nearby Temple Street. Wifey did some last minute shopping.

Supper at Temple Street was superb at this place called Sweet& Spicy Crab (庙街香辣蟹). You can’t go wrong with ice cold beer and great seafood. The clams and pepper salt mantis shrimp otherwise known as ”pissing shrimp” (攋尿蝦) top the list of specialties to try.

Hong Kong 2009 – Day Two (Part II)

szelee — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 06:34:19 +0000

(Resuming from Part I)

For dinner, they dropped by the Corner Cafe – a Victorian parlor-inspired restaurant on Main Street U.S.A. No surprise, the menu was all thing Halloween.

After the dinner, it was the Glow-in-the-Park Halloween Parade. All hell broke loose!

Jack Skelly, larger than life.

The pumpkin man attempts to fly.

The Disneyland experience would not be complete without the fireworks. It was the highlight!

Round and round, Merry-Go-Round – The classic Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel in Fantasyland. Way better at night!

It’s a Small World, a popular attraction of a boat ride located in the Fantasyland area of the parks. The ride features 400 brightly costumed audio-animatronic dolls in the style of children of the world, frolicking in a spirit of international unity, and singing the ride’s title track, which has a theme of global peace.

Golden Age - ”Animation Academy” in Town Square.

His most favourite picture from Disneyland. Spotted this on the way down from Tarzan’s treehouse. Summarizes the whole Disneyland experience – magical.

They left Disneyland at exactly 11pm when the theme park closed. Reached back hotel around midnight and had some yummy desserts at the shop opposite before hitting the sack.

Hong Kong 2009 – Day Two (Part I)

szelee — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 06:07:29 +0000

They woke up on Day Two without so much of a concrete plan for the morning breakfast. And the fact that the neighborhood looked pretty dead didn’t help much.

Eventually they settled in for a dim sum shop nearby the hotel which he had rather not speak much about. And that should say a lot.

Anyway, the plan of the day was simple, shop in the morning and early afternoon, and conquer Disneyland afterwards until night time.

The first and only outlet mall in Hong Kong, Citygate Outlets is home to many international brands offering great discounts. Located in the heart of Tung Chung, directly adjacent to Tung Chung MTR and Lantau bus terminal, Citygate Outlets is only a station away from Disneyland, which makes it the ideal shopping heaven for the missus.

Guess, Levi’s, Espirit, Quiksilver, Roxy. Craziest shopping trip to date.

Decided to have a quick lunch at McDonald after the shopping. Love the Iced Milk Tea and Shogun Burger.

Off to Disneyland!

Already, the presence of Disneyland’s magic was felt the moment you stepped into the train. Childhood memories flashed in an instant. Because they had bought the tickets the night before at the booth in The Peak (HKD350 per pax), they saved the hassle of queuing up once they reached.

Probably the must-have photo session in Disneyland. They queued for more than 20 minutes. The line at Goofy’s corner was almost non-existent.

And the parade begins.

Never watched Toy Story before though.

These fishes could breathe on land!

Flying Dumbo!

Ready for Mickey’s PhilharMagic, a 12-minute long show featuring 3D effects, scents, and water as well as a number of characters from Disney movies

Yet another Mickey and Minnie session.

Mickey and Minnie donned their trademark costume, and the missus had changed hers too (not too flattering for Minnie though).

Getting late, but thankfully, it’s the Halloween season (September 18 to October 31) which meant the opening hour was extended to 11pm instead of the usual 7.30pm. More to come in Part II.

Hong Kong 2009 – Day One

szelee — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:07:48 +0000

Super-overdue holiday pictures (October last year). Anyway better be late than never.

Upon arrival via JetStar, they purchased the Airport Express Tourist Octopus at the Chek Lap Kok Airport. The card allows three days of unlimited rides on the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) and includes a HK$50 refundable deposit.

After checking into the Evergreen Hotel at Woo Sung Street in Kowloon (just one street away from the famed Temple Street) they grabbed a quick lunch at the nearby Tao Li Yuen (桃李園茶餐廳). Condition of the hotel is sllightly below average, but the location is superb.

Temple Street during the day. Comes alive eight hours later!

Shopping defined the afternoon activities (zZzZzz…) around Causeway Bay area which can only mean covering places like Sogo and Times Square.

While she shopped inside, he shot outside.

Took a short break to taste the Chinese Herbal Jelly (Turtle Jelly) from Kung Wo Tong (恭和堂).

Time and Tide.

Recipe for Cliche Street Photo #99 – Graffiti + John Doe drifting

Love the red tiles in Yau Ma Tei MTR Station. Red Hill MRT should have been redder than this!

Swirling and shooting.

The 2-way ticket for the tram ride up to The Peak costs HK$175 per person. Inclusive of the entrance into the Madame Tussaud’s Museum.

Without a doubt, it was the highlight of the day for her in the museum. He tried closing both eyes taking this shot.

Of red and green and blue. And they kept changing.

Dinner at Spaghetti 360 inside The Peak Galleria – Squid Ink Rice with Crayfish in Stone Pot.

The obligatory nightscape of Hong Kong City from The Peak.

Cameron Highlands 2009

Jia Yeong and Li Lian

szelee — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:14:08 +0000

On Christmas Day, the usual suspects traveled north from Singapore to Ipoh for a feast, before heading to Taiping for the big event on the next day. The final wedding to wrap up 2009, Jia Yeong, yet another old-time buddy has finally joined the league.

As usual more in slideshow and Facebook.

Terence and Grace

szelee — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:49:59 +0000

Perhaps the tallest groom he has met to date, Terence is a charming and friendly guy who treats everyone with great hospitality. And Grace is an equally fun-loving bride. Been a great pleasure to cover their wedding, and wishing them a a life of marital bliss.

Makeup by thelittlebrush. More pictures in slideshow and facebook.

What's New?

szelee — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 01:45:56 +0000

Blog revamped, again. Minimal, white-gray-black, single-column, top navigation menu with drop-down on sub-page. Random favorite image on main page on each reload. Blog relocated without affecting any previous links (*heart* wordpress). Bigger wedding gallery slideshow, with a few more “akan datang” galleries. Few more minor tweaks in the days to come, especially the travel gallery.

What else is new? A new vehicle (actually second-hand Kia Rio) gotten last week. A new job in two more weeks time. And a new project in the name of 365.

Well, Happy New Year Twenty Ten! (no, it’s not Two Thousand Ten)

Happy 2008

Yit Ming and Chooi Cheang

szelee — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:08:44 +0000

Yit Ming and Chooi Cheang had a fairly relax and intimate wedding in Mandarin Oriental Hotel Singapore. Skipping the usual gatecrash session, the preparation started early in the afternoon at a comfortable pace. Surrounded by close friends and families travel from all over the region, their solemnization and wedding dinner was filled with lots of warm wishes and laughters.

Many favourite pictures to share. Even more on facebook and slideshow.

Quotes

szelee — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:18:24 +0000

Godard
“It’s not where you take things from; it’s where you take them to.”

Cartier-Bresson
“For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. In order to “give a meaning” to the world, one has to feel involved in what one frames through the viewfinder. This attitude requires concentration, discipline of mind, sensitivity, and a sense of geometry. It is by economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression.

To take a photograph is to hold one’s breath when all faculties converge in a face of fleeing reality. It is at that moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.

To take a photograph means to recognize – simultaneously and within a fraction of a second – both the fact itself and the rigorous organisation of visually perceived forms that give it meaning.

It is putting one’s head, one’s eye, and one’s heart on the same axis.”

Adams
“There is nothing more useless than a sharp photograph of a fuzzy concept.”

Weeks
“The fondlers can fight over that whilst looking at their photos of brick walls.”

Twain
“You cannot depend on your eyes if your imagination is out of focus.”

Avedon
“I hate cameras. They interfere, they’re always in the way. I wish: if I could just work with my eyes alone. To get a satisfactory print, one that contains all that you intended, is very often more difficult and dangerous than the sitting itself. When I’m photographing, I immediately know when I’ve got the image I really want. But to get the image out of the camera and into the open, is another matter.”

Einstein
“Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler”

Leibovitz
“I’m always perplexed when people say that a photograph has captured someone. A photography is just a tiny slice of a subject. A piece of them in a moment. It seems presumptuous to think you can get more than that.”

No related posts.

Mien Wee and Sze Yin

szelee — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:37:04 +0000

After covering a dozen of weddings in many different places, he finally gets to add his hometown to the list. A good friend since the university days, Sze Yin invited him and wife to her wedding on the the Mid-Autumn Festival to be more than just guests – photographer for him, bride’s jiemei for her. It was truly an honor to say the least.

With the charming Mien Wee, both of them made a very lovely couple. The wedding was a simple yet fun affair. A lunch party with a small company of close friends and family in the Crystal Inn was filled with plenty of warmth and love. Less is more. His type of wedding.

A very Happy Birthday to Sze Yin whose birthday falls on tomorrow!

The usual drill. Highlights of the day below. Facebook. Slideshow.

Gordon and Jocelyn

szelee — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:25:01 +0000

A week after their solemnization, Gordon and Jocelyn had their transnational customary wedding across the border (actually, just between Woodlands and JB only lah). The joy of taking pictures for your good friend’s wedding – you watched and joined the actual fun without getting sabo-ed like the rest of the groom’s entourage. Also got to meet up with many familiar faces from Temasek Hall during the lunch.

Heartiest congratulations to Gordon and Jocelyn!

Bridal makeup by thelittlebrush.

Check out some highlights. More on facebook and slideshow.

Jerry and Claudine – Solemnization

szelee — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:05:58 +0000

The following morning after Gordon’s solemnization was yet another similar coverage. Jerry and Claudine chose to have their solemnization ceremony in Mandai Orchid Garden, a place most people might have missed/noticed on their way to the Singapore Zoo. Amongst the lush greenery and beautiful orchids, it offered an unique experience closer to the Mother Nature, away from hustle and bustle of city life.

Had a blast with the lovely couple, together with their equally fun friends. Some highlights to sum up the event. More in slideshow and facebook.

Jia Yeong and Li Lian – Casual Outdoor

szelee — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:17:39 +0000

While heading towards the office on yet another boring weekday, an idea struck him out of nowhere. A post-pre-wedding shoot for Jia Yeong and Li Lian. The couple would be getting married by end of the year, and had just had their obligatory pre-wedding shot earlier elsewhere. So why not have something informal, fun and casual in the meantime? After all, Jia Yeong himself is a shutterbug, and it would be fun to let him shoot and be shot.

Not that he ever did anything like this before, but there’s always a first time.

Dropped an email and they immediately agreed. Exchanged some ideas and suggestions in between. Three months later, they were out on an adventure.

Roamed around Chinatown area. They were like a group of tourists exploring the place. To say the weather was hot is an understatement. But perhaps because of that, there was less people around. After a tea break at Pacific Coffee, they proceeded to the Punggol Beach, a place none of them have been to.

Some highlights of the day. More in facebook.

Before he forgets, a big credit goes to his wife for being both the makeup artist and photographer’s assistant!

No related posts.

Gordon and Jocelyn – Solemnization

szelee — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:05:49 +0000

20th September 2009. 20-09-2009. Few friends even took some time to realize why Gordon and Jocelyn chose this date for their solemnization.

No surprise, she was the makeup artist for Jocelyn.

While he’s not the official photographer this time (he will be, a week later though), it’s hard to keep him still when he brought a camera along.

Some snapshots to share. More in slideshow and facebook.

Cameron Highlands 2009

szelee — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 07:54:55 +0000

On the same day after they visited the zoo, the four of them left for Cameron Highlands at night via a long-haul Konsortium bus from Golden Mile Tower. The overnight journey from Singapore took more than 10 hours. The SGD58 one-way ticket did not match the condition of the bus itself. In other words, avoid Konsortium bus at all costs if possible. They had no choice because all other bus services was tied to hotel bookings.

After checking in at Rosa Pasadena Hotel (3-star, RM128 for twin sharing per room per night) at Brinchang, he booked a local tour from the hotel lobby. At RM25 per person, the tour covered destinations including Rose Garden, Butterfly Farm, Boh Tea Plantation farm, Honey Bee Farm, Strawberry Farm and a Chinese Temple. Departed at 1.30 pm from hotel lobby in a van with 6 other travelers (2 Filipinos, 1 Malaysian and 3 Dutch), the trip ended at around 7pm. Dinner was steamboat at the OK Tuck Restaurant which was highly recommended by the locals. Verdict: not bad lah.

The second day in Cameron Highlands was mostly spent walking around in Tanah Rata (RM8 taxi ride from Brinchang), a major hub whereas it seats several hotels, parks and comercial center. They had a fantastic lunch at T-Cafe (check out their Strawberry Fruity Scone and Mango Lassi!). Back in Brinchang, they discovered Strawberry Moment which sells all things strawberries! Besides dried strawberries, strawberry jam, strawberry chocolate and strawberry tea, Mum bought a whole piece of strawberry strudel for supper back in the hotel.

Dinner was yet again steamboat, but in another recommended place called You Hoo Restaurant which was equally good if not better than the previous one. Anyway, in a cool place like Cameron Highlands, nothing really can beat a steamboat dinner, especially with family members.

Some pictures to share, as always.

Singapore Zoo 2009

szelee — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:18:07 +0000

Dad loves animals and Mum enjoys helping Dad taking care of then. Since small, there were always new family members coming in and going out. Birds, dogs, fishes, tortoises and rabbits – to name a few. Those days, weekend family outings usually involved making trip to Dad’s favorite shops around the town that sell all sorts of pets.

Surprisingly, they have never been to any zoo together. Thanks to his uncle, the first attempt somehow landed them in Jurong Bird Park back when they first visited Singapore. The second attempt in Melaka strangely ended up in the Malacca Crocodile Farm instead of zoo because Dad couldn’t find his way.

So after 29 years, the son brought the parents to the zoo instead. His second trip there actually, but it’s free this time courtesy of company’s welfare.

Just Mum, Yun Xin and the late Ah Meng. Dad didn’t want any photos taken. Like father like son, they said.

Two

szelee — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:33:12 +0000

The receipt states that the 400D was bought in 24th June 2007. That makes a two-year (and 3-day) anniversary.

His flickr sets has gained quite a collection, especially the travel trips. After all, that’s what the camera was for in the first place.

Been to Vietnam twice, almost covered the whole country from south to north. Perhaps the most unforgettable trip to date ever since they ditched guided tours. Sadly, also the furthest he has traveled since he got hold of the puppy. Traveled to several cities in Malaysia too – Melaka, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang – all in the name of sight-seeings and attending friends’ weddings. On the other hand, jalan-jalan around Singapore was not as bad as he had assumed.

Speaking of weddings, he had unexpectedly received more requests than what he had asked for. Taking this whole wedding photography stuff to the next level has not crossed his mind yet (lest his bosses reading this decided to invite him to chat over a cup of coffee). But it’s good to have a side income (as opposed to, donation, if ya catch his drift) to fund the hobby, while knowing that there are people actually appreciating his works.

Kai Yu is one of the most important series of photos during this period and it’s still ongoing. It’s fascinating to watch your niece growing up day by day, not to mention, the ability to rewind and watch it over and over again!. Recently she has gotten a little brother, but her dad too has gotten a DSLR.

Missus switched her career path from being a teacher to a makeup artist early this year (insert tyre screeching sound here). Opened up plenty of options for him – fashion, portraits and off-camera flash lighting techniques (which means more toys/junks).

All in all, it has been a great ride as far as his photography journey is concerned. Who knows what the future holds?

No related posts.

Andy and Siew Yuen

szelee — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:35:54 +0000

Despite having the morning venue changed at the eleventh hour, everything still turned up well on the big day of Andy and Siew Yuen (which also happened to be Mother’s Day). The morning session was a fun-filled fetch-the-bride session ensued by challenging logistics (under heavy rain for a while) between Yishun, Tampines and Sengkang. Dinner was held in The Legends Fort Canning Park.

It’s been a pleasure covering the event. Congratulations to Andy and Siew Yuen.

As usual, will let the pictures do the talking. More at the slideshow page.

Shang Ping and Gim Cheng – Solemnization

Is your platform ready for the future?

szelee — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:41:10 +0000

The caption on the poster. Above the oil rig, in the middle of nowhere. Far across his cubicle, it challenges him with the same question every weekday.

“Is your platform ready for the future?”

He rarely gave it a thought, until today.

If the answer is yes, he wouldn’t be there.

If the answer is no, he shouldn’t be there either.

Forty-two

Shang Ping and Gim Cheng – Solemnization

szelee — Sun, 17 May 2009 15:00:23 +0000

To say that Shang Ping is one of the nicest person he has ever worked with does not seem to do much justice to the guy. Anyway, when Mr Nice Guy approached him to take some photos for his solemnization lunch, he accepted the task gladly.

The lunch took place in Peony Jade Restaurant in Clarke Quay. It was a casual and relaxing afternoon affair with close friends and relatives.

It was also probably the most fun photo shoot he has taken so far, because there were so many adorable kids around.

After the lunch, they proceeded to the nearby Fort Canning Park for some extra photo taking. The day ended with a tea-break in Park Mall’s Dome.

More pictures available in the slideshow.

Kenneth and Lynn – Solemnization

Jerry

szelee — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 06:41:20 +0000

Baby Jerry

His wife got to know Laura back in The Make Up Room while attending the same course last year. Towards the end of the course, Laura had to stopped her course prematurely as her delivery date was due soon.

Last month Laura called and invited both of them to her home over the weekend. Besides catching up, her baby was 100-day-old and she hope he could snap a few pictures for Baby Jerry. They agreed gladly without hesitation, of course.

Before holding his hand, Jerry has to start with holding his Dad’s finger.

Hee haw.

It’s a Boy!

Laura and Jerry.

Muacks!

All in all, it’s was a wonderful day spent with this couple and their newborn baby. More pictures available at the slideshow page.

No related posts.

Penang Trip 2008 – Day Three

szelee — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:06:03 +0000

Auntie. Christmas.

Uncles. Newspapers.

And assorted dim sums. That pretty summed up their breakfast at Tho Yuen Restaurant (92 Lebuh Campbell). Like most of the other eateries they’ve been to, they found their way here through Lonely Planet Guide’s recommendation. No angmohs or youngsters seen. Probably just got into bed after a night of wild party.

Wife had just recovered from stomach upset. Porridge suited her better than those greasy oily (yummy) dim sums. As much as he missed the dim sums in Ipoh, this one was not too bad either.

Roaming around the small lanes in Georgetown appreciating dilapidated buildings on Christmas Day did not seem appealing. Instead they decided to take a public bus to Kek Lok Si Temple.

Reaching the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia was no easy feat. They had to snake through a maze of souvenir stalls, past turtle and fish ponds in order to reach the entrance. Perhaps they might revisit this place again once the 16 bronze columns supporting a roof over the colossus 120-feet high bronze status of Kuan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) is completed.

A poor man’s wide angle scene at the hilltop area.

The workers taking break at the base of the giant statue.

Their next destination was supposed to be the Penang Hill, but the 30-minute funicular railway ride ticket had sold out by the time they reached at 2pm. 7pm tickets were available, but obviously without much of a demand.

Returning to the city by bus, they proceeded to Komtar Tower, Penang’s tallest building, standing at 65 storeys, 232m tall. At the cost of RM15 per person (inclusive of drink, well..), they took the lift to reach the highest level of the building. Located in the heart of Georgetown, they were able to scrutinize the whole city lying bare naked, 360 degrees from that highest floor.

Wall-E? No thanks.

A multi exposure taken from the tower of the city with his Holga. Hardly an exaggeration of the cityscape. Busy is an understatement.

From there on, they repeated Day 1 routine. Back to Gurney Drive again for dinner (different food, minus the photography, because he was too hungry), did some shopping in Gurney Plaza (just her), caught Twilight in Golden Screen Cinema until midnight before they called it a day and got slapped with an additional RM10 for taxi fare.

Penang Trip 2008 – Day Two

szelee — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:10:57 +0000

Day two began with a walking tour of colonial districts based on Lonely Planet’s suggested route, albeit in reverse order.

Eastern and Oriental Hotel. It would not have caught his attention that much if not for the fact that the hotel was established by the Sarkies Brothers, Tigram and Martin in 1884, who later founded Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Undeniably Penang’s and, potentially Malaysia’s most grand hotel.

They made an entrance into the hotel and snapped several shots. None of the staff seemed to mind, which was great. No doubt they won’t attempt this gig in Raffles Hotel.

The next stop was Cheong Fatt Tze’s Blue Mansion. Cheong was the Rockefeller of the East. The Last Mandarin. In other words, very rich, very powerful. At 11am, they were just in time for the tour around the house (RM10, but worth every sen and sense). Every single object in the house – the door, the chair, the table, floor tile, and their placement – seemed to echo the glorious moments of the past to every visitor who care to pause and feel them. Photography is not allowed inside, which made every instance in the building more memorable.

Who would have known Mr Cheong had such a fast vehicle back then?

Things didn’t go smoothly for them. First she realized she lost her sunglasses. Secondly, her stomach did not feel quite right. Something was wrong with the buffet breakfast, she felt. Feeling uncomfortable, they returned to the hotel for her to rest.

As she got better, they pursued their walking tour in the afternoon. Lunch proved to be difficult, again. They eventually settled for a newly opened restaurant with traditional Chinese tea art as the main theme. Nothing special worth mentioning, except for the long waiting period despite no other customers.

After lunch it was buildings and buildings and buildings. They covered the Cathedral of the Assumption, Penang Museum, St George’s Church, Supreme Court, Town Hall, City Hall, State Assembly Building and Victoria Memorial Clocktower. They passed by Fort Cornwallis, but did not went in.

On the way back, he spotted this Banksy-wannabe graffiti at the turning point of an overhead bridge.

Dinner. After all it was Christmas Eve. They decided to splurge a bit. The Opera at 93E Jalan Penang was the final decision. The environment was excellent and the food was relatively well-matched. Classy without stiff, as someone puts it.

However, wife stomach felt worse soon after (not because of the food in the Opera). They headed back to the hotel straight. He caught Blood Diamond partially on the hotel’s in-house TV channel. By 10pm they both turned in, only to be awakened slightly by the countdown and fireworks two hours later. Oo, it’s Christmas.

Back to slumber.

Penang Trip 2008 – Day One

szelee — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:50:14 +0000

Inadvertently, the last few posts have been posted in completely random sequence. To put the events back chronologically, the Ipoh trip came first, followed by Guo Loong’s wedding. Then it was the Penang trip (this and upcoming posts), Shuang Shoei’s wedding and finally Jin Yi’s. Not that it really matters, but he can be quite obsessed with putting things in the correct order. Sometimes.

Two days before Christmas, around afternoon, they set their feet in Penang after 3 hours of bus ride from Ipoh. Guided by their self-printed-self-bound Lonely Planet Malaysia Guide (Penang Chapter, purchased from LP’s very own website) in hand, they were ready to explore the island.

Highlights:

Suffice to say they were nearly ripped off by taxi driver once they reached. Or maybe they just saved few extra ringgits. The drivers had this chart on the wall that states the “official” taxi fare for different zones. Yet it can still be bargained. Why can’t they just stick to meter-reading?
After checking into Hotel Malaysia (a balanced choice between price and comfort) at Upper Penang Road, settled their belongings, they embarked on a journey to hunt for lunch.
First impression of Georgetown, which has recently been listed as World Heritage site on UNESCO – sick.
Several recommended food joints (like the Ecco Cafe) seemed have closed down (LP writers, please update).
It was 2.30pm. Lunch was overdue for way too long!
In the end, they had their first meal at …*drumroll*… Secret Recipe in Prangin Mall. =(
Weather was unbearably scorching hot outside. Definitely not the best time to walk around.
Movie – Yes Man. How to say no?
Getting dark by the time the show ended.
Took cab to Gurney Drive, Penang’s most famous food area that was named after Sir Henry Gurney, a British High Commissioner who was assassinated by Malayan communist guerrillas in 1951.
Food! Real food! Awesome food. It was the climax of the day. For a split second, they thought they had died and entered heaven.

The Legendary Penang Char Kuey Teow. Not that it’s the best or most well-known in Penang, but good enough for him. Plus the queue was freaking long, so it must be good.

Ah Chye Rojak. He was delighted by the inclusion of jambu (rose apple).

Deep fried chicken gizzards. Beats KFC anytime of the day.

Curry Mee. Notice the pig blood cubes?

And the night ended with a short window shopping in Gurney Plaza, before hailing a cab back to the hotel.

Ming Yuan and Jin Yi

szelee — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:35:54 +0000

Husband, the photographer; wife, the makeup artist. The Dream Team. The Perfect Partners. Aces Go Places. How wonderful.

This was the second time they teamed up for a wedding (first time was for her colleague’s). Jin Yi is her cousin, and she had in fact just did her ROM makeup one week earlier. On the other hand, it was his first attempt with his new toy camera body to shoot for actual day wedding. He lugged two camera bodies simultaneously, and it was fun! It also marked the first time he shot a church wedding.

Jin Yi really looked marvelous as a bride with her tall figure, fair skin, and most importantly, her angelic sweet face. Of course the makeup artist deserves her credits too . Ming Yuan (aka Mr Principal) on the other hand appeared wonderfully cute and chubby for a bridegroom (yes, the hair helped a lot).

More pictures in the slideshow if you can’t get enough of the pictures below.

Makeup artist at work

Anticipations

Pump it

Louder!

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Ipoh Trip 2008

szelee — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:11:37 +0000

Plenty of backlogs to clear, with all the RAW files sitting in his harddisk screaming to be post-processed since late last year. He shall start with the Ipoh field trip with the usual suspects, right before Guo Loong’s wedding.

After an 8-hour bus trip from Singapore’s Golden Mile Complex, Chern Ye, Poh Yen, his wife and him reached Ipoh at about 6 in the morning. He barely had a wink the whole journey with the stomach grumbling relentlessly. But already he knew what Ipoh had in store for him. Soon after the rendezvous with the rest of the gang at Jye Sheng’s home, they headed towards Foh San Restaurant for dim sum breakfast. It wasn’t exactly easy to get a table to fit nine people during the early morning rush hour, but they didn’t wait for too long either.

Rush Hour

Makan and minum.

All cleared.

Next item in the agenda? More food! And off they went. But just before they entered the next makan place, Yew Nam pointed out an alley that might arouse the interest of the only guy who was lugging his camera all the while. He was darn right.

Nostalgic Alley

Comfort Zone

Tiptoed shoes

The specialties of the next coffeeshop was their super-sweet “Dan Dan” (caramel custard dessert) and Chee Cheong Fun. The latter was so good that Wen Ho had 3 servings!

Considering the sin of gluttony they had committed in the morning, post-breakfast activity was surprisingly healthy – caves visiting. But it wasn’t the caves per se that were so interesting.

No animals allowed, but little did they know the zoo they were heading in.

Yew Nam posing with his new found friend.

He has to admit the photo was slightly tweak to boost the impact, but it isn’t too far off from the reality either.

Why did the chicken cross the road? Ask them.

What you get when you put together an a bunch of tortoises in an enclosed area, a group of football/wrestling fans and some apples.

Camel ride for Kenneth.

As for lunch, let’s just say he was too busy eating to be bother with taking pictures.

Guo Loong and Shiau Chen

szelee — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 05:16:26 +0000

Guo Loong and him went way back. They were classmates back in HCJC, hallmates in NUS, and even colleagues for few years in muvee. Besides collaborating with him for a few friends’ weddings, Guo Loong also helped to shoot his wedding day more than a year ago. It’s only natural for him to return the favor back.

To Guo Loong and Shiau Chen, he wishes both of them a lifetime of everlasting love and happiness!

For more images, click here for slideshow.

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Kenneth and Lynn

szelee — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 17:14:28 +0000

After the A-Level exam 9 years ago, they traveled along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia for a long vacation. It was the first time he was so far away from home for such a long time. To say the trip was memorable is an understatement.

The starting point was Melaka and Kenneth played the host. Subsequently, they proceeded to Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang and finally Langkawi.

9 years later, most of the usual suspects congregated yet again in the historic state for food and fun in the name of Kenneth’s customary wedding.

In fact, it’s only barely a year ago since he took their solemnization lunch in Singapore.

Hope that Kenneth and Lynn enjoy the pictures. More images available in the slideshow.

Scott and Allyson

szelee — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:32:38 +0000

It started months ago, with him browsing through CS forum threads and chanced upon Junie’s ROM photos. Long story short; one thing led to another. Fast forward to last Saturday night, he found himself in Four Seasons Hotel’s West Room.

It was a simple, cosy and relaxing wedding engagement dinner. Allyson was as bubbly and friendly as he had imagined prior to the meeting. For a bride who donned glasses throughout the whole event while looking fabulous, she was a rare sight. Together with Scott, a suave gentleman, they make a perfect couple.

Upon the insistence of the bride, the camera man also enjoyed the sumptuous buffet with great delight. He shared the same table with the Junie, her fiance and many HCJC alumnus he didn’t know (including a lovely 93.3 FM DJ to whom he sat next to).

Click here for slideshow. Some of his favorites below.

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Cheapo

szelee — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:05:44 +0000

He realizes that he has repeatedly use the same word in different conversations. For different references. Obviously, he is still fuming. More for her than for himself actually. Gotta let it out.

It’s just too much, or rather, too little. Minuscule. Microscopic.

Most of the time, he really wanted to help. Not that he enjoyed spoiling the market or happy to be exploited. Ironically, he was on the other side of the fence once, though not as bad. Still…

Leon is right. Start from strangers. Then stranger’s friends. Not the other way round.

Jackson and Karen

szelee — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:44:50 +0000

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Canon Photo Marathon Singapore 2008

szelee — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:01:01 +0000

The free print got larger to A4 size this year; there was free sensor cleaning service (though his viewfinder got more dust after the service) and he got to drink his virgin can of Red Bull while waiting for the print. Plus there was this Tristan guy blabbering about the noble cause of photography.

Just like last year, from 7am to 10pm, it was certainly a day well spent. For the four of them, taking the photography challenges while traveling between Suntec City, Chinatown, Vivocity and Esplanade area proved to be both a great physical and mental workout. No prizes were won, but that was almost already assumed.

Based on the results, there is certainly a change in the overall judging standard this time around. Unlike last year where there were much wow factors, there were instead more of wtf’s this time. He is not surprised that people are complaining, but he accepts that everyone has the freedom of what, where, who and how to shoot. Sweet dreams are made of this, who am I to disagree?

Change is coming, sooner or later. He took this picture that morning while leaving his home. He submitted it for the first theme despite fully aware of it violating the rules.

Incomprehensible Dreams. Don’t ask.

Make-up Exam Photoshoot

szelee — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:07:05 +0000

After 4 months of commitment and the final 8 hours non-stop doing 7 different makeups, she has finally completed her make-up course last Saturday. He too, can finally rest better on Monday, Wednesday and Friday after work. Special thanks go to the models – Hui Ying, Daphne and Shan – for their great patience and endless support. Here are the final exam outputs.

Update: For more information about the makeup artist, please visit http://www.thelittlebrush.com

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Upcoming Schedule

szelee — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:49:33 +0000

Busy and exciting times in the coming months:

11th Oct 2008 – Full day of photography for models of her final make-up exam. (checked √)
18th Oct 2008 – Canon PhotoMarathon Singapore. (checked √)
2nd Nov 2008 – Karen’s Wedding in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. (checked √)
15th Nov 2008 – Allie’s Dinner Party in Four Seasons Hotel, Singapore. (checked √)
7th Dec 2008 – Kenneth’s Wedding in Melaka, Malaysia. (checked √)
22th Dec 2008 – Guo Loong’s Wedding in Perak, Malaysia. (checked √)
23th-26th Dec 2008 – Holiday in Penang, Malaysia. (checked √)
3rd Jan 2009 – Shuang Shoei’s Wedding in Johor Bahru and Kluang, Malaysia. (checked √)

Singapore River Festival 2008 – Legenda Singapura

Jalan-jalan Singapura

szelee — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:12:50 +0000

Some old, some recent; some day, some night; some indoor, some outdoor; some colorful, some monochrome; some street, some landscape.

Jalan-jalan Singapura.

Singapore River Festival 2008 – Legenda Singapura

Singapore River Festival 2008 – Legenda Singapura

szelee — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 05:58:46 +0000

As part of the Singapore River Festival 2008, the Legenda Singapura held in front of The Central is an hour-long journey of music, dance and puppetry, showcasing Singapore River’s colourful heritage and its transformation into a modern metropolis. The fact that she’s involved in the makeup for the dancers has auto-included him to lug his camera and arrive at the scene on a lazy Saturday evening.

The performance was mesmerizing with a mixture of multiracial, traditional and modern dances and spectacular lighting. Instead of the usual 50mm 1.8, he experimented with his 55-250mm IS on ISO 800 this time.

The bubbly dancer to whom she performed makeup on. That mole was self added.

The Singa has been creatively adapted with a lion-dance. Even a cook sneaked out of kitchen to watch.

Sang Nila Utama and the gayish peacock he met.

Yellow.

“Check out my headdress!“

State of the Nation

szelee — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 05:15:37 +0000

Displayed for celebration, disposed with humiliation

How much more can we take? How long more to be awakened?

He wonders, he wonders how, he wonders how he wonders…

Happy National Day.

Happy 2008

Flickr Slideshow

szelee — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:28:10 +0000

Although slightly long overdue, the brand new Flickr slideshow feature is still very much welcomed. Embedding Flickr set to external sites has just become slightly more user-friendly, and the full screen feature is very much expected but appreciated.

One way to embed Flickr slideshow in blogs could be traced to Paul Stamatiou who investigated the API and showed how it could be done. Based on this idea, many sites like this and this offer auto generation of the HTML codes when the user inputs the name of the user and set. But the size of the slideshow was fixed at 500 pixels by 500 pixels. When there are too many photos, thumbnails at the bottom carousel were scaled down too much to be useful for previewing when it goes beyond 2 rows. The new slideshow addresses many of these issues.

Currently, the new slideshow customization page can be accessed through these steps:

Go to any Flickr set
Click SlideShow on top right
Click Share on top right for a popup (of course, one can simply Grab the HTML at this step)
Click Customize this HTML

The faster way would be to postfix “show/?embed=1″ to the set’s hyperlink, e.g. http://www.flickr.com/photos/teoszelee/sets/72157605322795697/show/?embed=1.

There is nothing much really to customize in the page, except for the size of the slideshow (four preset sizes are provided). But a little digging into the HTML code generated can reveal some extra customizations. For example, setting name=”allowFullScreen” to false disable full screen mode, although the button is still visible (but this only works for IE, hmm…).

Some of the major differences are:

The old version autoplays the slideshow once the page is loaded. The new one begins in paused mode with an overlay of text – “’s Slideshow on Flickr”. A play button is situated below the text to trigger the start of the slideshow.
The duration between slide changes can be set with a slider between 1 to 10 seconds in the old version. The new one reduces this to Slow, Medium and Fast radio button in Options popup.
Clicking on picture during the slideshow in the older version shrinks the picture and reveals the information and title.
For the new version, there is no information shown for small and medium slideshow. Clicking on the image advances the slideshow to the next one.
But for the large and supersize ones, clicking on any picture will show overlaying text information without image shrinking. Information can also toggled from the Info On/Off button at the top center of the image(only for large and supersize).
Previous and next image button is also placed differently depending on the size chosen.
The carousel containing the thumbnails at the bottom panel of the embedded flash is now consistent with the default slideshow page in Flickr as well as the Organizr. It’s certainly more useful. Even the bigger thumbnail on mouse over is more slick with fade-in fade-out animation.

All in all, it is a big improvement. But some suggestions won’t hurt:

Allow user to specify the default text on page load, or perhaps simply just show the name of the set.
The size for slideshow is currently set to 4:3 aspect ratio in the 4 preset sizes. For most DSLR users who shoot in 3:2 (landscape orientation), it creates unnecessary black bars on top and bottom. (No doubt, users can input the width and height of their desired aspect ratio to overcome this with some simple calculation).
One-click button from Flickr set to grab and customize the embedding HTML in blog.
Allow the slideshow to appear in Google Reader like the Flickr video. Update: the slideshow does appear in Google Reader now. Cool.

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Simplicity

szelee — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:04:19 +0000

Of all the inspiring TED talks he has been listening these few weeks while doing next to nothing in the office, this is his favourite. Any attempt to explain why it is so fascinating would not do any justice to the talk itself.

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Wen Ho and Dung

szelee — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:35:03 +0000

First actual wedding assignment after Kenneth’s solemnization. He felt flattered and extremely honoured to document their most important day, together with Guo Loong. The truth is, he was probably as nervous and excited as the couple, if not more.

More images here.

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Capturing Moments

szelee — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:29:47 +0000

During the primary school days, some of the students’ better drawing assignments would be pasted to decorate the wall at the back of classrooms. Those paintings were also normally stamped with “A+” or little stars as if to further confirm their status and verify their importance. On few occasions, he was also among those who were proud to have their masterpieces displayed for weeks. It was flattering and ego-boosting, to say the least. Earlier this year, he submitted some pictures taken in Hort Park for a photography competition organized by the park itself.

Last month, he received a phone call from the organizer to ask for permission to display his pictures in the gallery for visitors. He gladly accepted. Sadly, he was also informed that none of his submissions were shortlisted for the winning candidates. Anyway, he was still delighted to find more than one of his submissions being exhibited when he visited Hort Park last weekend.

A surprise came in the most unexpected form when they were browsing the bigger posters with frame just outside the gallery.

As he was telling Thang the butterfly poster looks “pretty similar” to the scene they both encountered last time, Thang noticed the name at the bottom of the description.

It’s his name. He has forgotten that he actually took and submitted the picture.

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Vietnam Trip 2008 – Cholon

szelee — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:33:06 +0000

Situated on the West bank of the Saigon River, Cholon is a Chinatown district in Ho Chi Minh City. On the last day in Vietnam, they decided to make a trip there. To be honest, they didn’t do much homework before reaching Cholon. The taxi dropped them at Binh Tay Market as requested, both the central market and a landmark of Cholon. They wrongly assumed that Binh Tay Market would be similar to the Ben Thanh Market (hey, they shared the same initials), with lots of cheap food and pretty goods to bargain for and a street full of hawkers to eat till they drop.

Instead it was more like a market for the locals to get their daily stuff like these.

As noon approached, they started to hunt for lunch, but with the blazing hot sun, they couldn’t traveled far. There were few visible hawkers nearby, but let’s just say, tourists were not their target customers.

Com= Rice, Ga= Chicken. Therefore Com Ga = Rice Chicken Chicken Rice.

She rejected the chicken rice shop. Ironically, they soon found themselves feasting on fried chicken in a nearby KFC. After the finger-lickin’ air-conditioned lunch, they braved the hot sun again for temples visit.

Vietnam Trip 2008 – Hoi An in Holga

szelee — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:32:53 +0000

Using his beloved Holga, he consumed a roll of Fujichrome Provia 400X in Hoi An. It was also a rather pathetic excuse to let his shoulders relax for a short while. Out of the whole set, these are his favourites.

Love the color.

He already tried hard to get the horizon right, still…

While waiting for the ladies to shop, the world drifted, slowly but surely.

Bird’s nest extraction, Vietnam style.

The stars in Hoi An are not found in the sky, and they are mostly red.

0x001C

szelee — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:22:50 +0000

That’s it. Yet another year older, but none the wiser.

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Vietnam Trip 2008 – Hoi An

szelee — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:42:21 +0000

Yu Xin by the Japanese Bridge with his brother-in-law’s beloved Canon A80. Unfortunately, the camera’s shutter stopped working the day after. =(

Hot and sleepy afternoon. No business.

Everyone was resting.

Even the ladies.

But not her.

Vietnam Trip 2008 – Ho Chi Minh City

szelee — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:19:31 +0000

The last time they flew off Vietnam, they wouldn’t have imagined coming back in less than half a year’s time. Unlike the previous trip, however, they had a bigger company this time – her parents, her brother and her auntie. Surprisingly, finding a big taxi to fit all was not difficult.

With some elderly around, they figured it’s not a wise move to stay in Pham Ngu Lao area, which is cheaper but much further away from the central of the city. Therefore, they eventually settled down in a rather affordable hotel in Mac Thi Buoi Street.

The traffic is still as busy, but the motorcyclists are now wearing helmet as demanded by the law. As well as retracing some familiar locations in Ho Chi Minh and Hoi An, they also explored a few new places like Cholon and Hue.

Time to let the pictures tell the stories.

He wondered how many of those colorful feather duster he could buy for the price of a iRobot Roomba.

Hawkers beside Ben Thanh Market on their way to setup their stalls.

It was only less than half a year since the compulsory helmet laws in Vietnam fully came into effect. Some were not hesitant to declare their fashion statements.

In Singapore and Malaysia, it’s normal to see 2 people on 4 wheels. In Vietnam, it’s not uncommon to see 4 people on 2 wheels. Well, maybe we should ubah gaya hidup!

It was hot. A coconut would do the job. He squatted down and took this shot. Suddenly, he wasn’t thirsty anymore. Next time, maybe.

Just by staring at this picture, he felt depressed.

On the way. By the way. Anyway.

Lost in Translation

szelee — Mon, 26 May 2008 08:21:42 +0000

After several attempts to communicate with us using her very own language (her grandma believed it’s close to Tamil), she gave up.

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Melaka revisited

szelee — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:45:03 +0000

Barely 7 months since the last trip, they made a second trip to the historic city of Malaysia over the weekend. Unlike last time, there were 10 more friends this time. The more the merrier!

The last trip to Melaka was his first photo shooting trip with the 400D just bought. Returning after more than half a year, he felt more comfortable this time. The kit lens had been replaced by his 28-105mm USM and 50mm 1.8. Moreover, he also brought the Holga along!

The following are from Holga with Fujichrome Provia 100F cross-processed.

Remaining photos are here and here.

Virgin roll

The Day After Tomorrow

szelee — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:52:07 +0000

Braving the crazy traffic and crossing the Causeway on foot (thanks to the limping terrorist), they managed to reach home safely the night before the Election Day.

Greeted by loud banners and posters everywhere, they felt fortunate to be able to participate in this event. Casting a vote seemed such a simple, almost insignificant act from one’s perspective. Little had they known the magnitude of things to come.

Earlier, weather forecast had predicted a heavy downpour in the afternoon. He only noticed a drizzle in the evening after dinner. But no one had seen expected to see a tsunami coming.

It was a Hari Ini Dalam Sejarah! The rakyat has spoken.

There is a way to be good again after all.

No related posts.

Hope

szelee — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:05:48 +0000

One in ten million, hopefully.

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Virgin roll

szelee — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:25:21 +0000

Finally, he got his new toy during the CNY (thanks Xiao Man, thanks Ah Jia). Two weeks later, with a roll of Fujicolor Pro 160S, he went for a walk with her (she brought her 3Lens Robot) around Bugis last Saturday. In less than 3 hours, he popped the cherry on his Holga 120 CFN with 12 shots.

Could have done better. But then they say, don’t think just shoot.

Well, some of the better ones:

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What are you thinking?

szelee — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:35:01 +0000

在森林和原野是多么的逍遥亲爱的朋友呀你在想什么？

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Chinese New Year

szelee — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 02:46:49 +0000

He thinks about Christmas, Hari Raya Puasa, Deepavali and… Chinese New Year.

He wonders, if the Chinese is the only race these days who celebrate its most important annual event with most of the food, clothing, music, decorations, rituals, gifts and greetings centralized on the single theme of getting rich?

Huat ah!

He feels awkward, almost embarrassed.

No related posts.

"There is a way to be good again"

szelee — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:17:24 +0000

When he kept seeing The Kite Runner being displayed prominently on the bookshelf in Kinokuniya for the last 10 visits or so, he knew he had to read the book. Before he could do it, however, they chanced upon the film at The Cathay last Saturday. As she vetoed his suggestion to watch Rambo, and he was obviously not interested in 27 Dresses, the final decision was reached easily.

He had high expectations, and he wasn’t disappointed. He left the cinema with a thousand thoughts. Of love, of parents, of friends, of war. Of redemption, of traditions, of nation, of ambitions.

The similar feeling when he woke up from nightmare occasionally, only more intense.

There is a way to be good again.
For you a thousand times over.

Silently, he whispers these words to his homeland.

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MacBook Air

szelee — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:25:28 +0000

Anorexic. That’s how his colleague describes it.

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Holga

szelee — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 04:47:09 +0000

Behind the 400D’s back, he has secretly fallen deep into infatuation the plastic toy camera. Damn, he’s gonna get one soon!

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10 Years

szelee — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 15:16:57 +0000

Unlike Jiin Joo, he is not planning to write a thesis about it.

To quote something he learned from a colleague (and attempt to sound intelligent at the same time), tempus fugit.

Let’s start. He spent the first 8 years studying stuff that would soon be proven obsolete. In between he met his first girlfriend that would soon be proven his last. Then, he got a job that would soon be proven to be… just a job. He later bought a house which would soon proven to be smaller compared to his peers, but cheaper as the property prices shot up like crazy. Finally, he got married to the same girl that would soon proven to be something that doesn’t need any proof.

It’s not terribly exciting, but it’s not much different from most of the people he knows anyway. In retrospect, any fools could have seen all these must have already been orchestrated carefully in the grander scheme of things at the very moment they arrived.

The next 10 years? Let’s just say they have already booked their new one-way tickets.

Time of your life

Vietnam Trip – Hanoi

szelee — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 06:07:00 +0000

Final stop – Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.

Similar to any other places in Vietnam, two-wheeled vehicles dominate the streets.

Threesome. How sweet.

From south to north, their daily breakfast consisted mainly of baguettes like these.

She has had to agree that map-reading isn’t her forte.

A sleepy cyclo driver.

Cha Ca (grilled fish), the one and only dish from Cha Ca La Vong at the 14, Cha Ca Street.

The famous (and no doubt expensive) Bobby Chin Restaurant. Initially, they had planned to have a grand feast here on their last day in Vietnam.

However, convinced by another couple of fellow travelers from Singapore, they eventually indulged themselves in authentic Vietnamese buffet at Sen Ha Thanh, which was fantastic, and cheaper.

The rest of the photos.

Vietnam Trip – Sapa

szelee — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 19:32:27 +0000

Situated in the Lao Cai province in northwest Vietnam, Sapa is a quiet mountain town and home to a great diversity of ethnic minority peoples such as H’mong, Dao and Tay.

The Red Dao women shaved their eyebrows and foreheads as a sign of beauty.

On the other hand, the Black Hmong women have quite a different taste of fashion.

Must have been quite a burden to the earlobes.

Many of the Black Hmong women carry their baby on their back to work, whether the child is awake,

or asleep,

or, in whatever state.

Of course, the Sapa experience would not be complete without the buffaloes,

the trekking and terraced fields.

Encountered many kids in Sapa.

The cutest baby they had seen throughout the Vietnam trip.

And as usual, more photos.

Happy 2008

szelee — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:26:16 +0000

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Vietnam Trip – Hoi An

szelee — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:39:31 +0000

Hoi An was the third stop of their Vietnam trip. They flew by the budget Pacific Airlines from Ho Chi Minh City to Danang airport, followed by a 30-minutes cab to Hoi An. Saved a lot of time compared to other modes of transport , and the SGD 140 one-way ticket for two was actually comparable to train ticket.

Hoi An is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. It was declared World Heritage by the UNESCO in 1999.

First encounter – a herd of cow dominating the street.

It was a scorching hot afternoon when they arrived.

The clothes should have dried up already.

Colorful paintings.

The Japanese Covered Bridge was built in the middle of the 16th century by Japanese merchants. The construction of the bridge was supposed to pierce the heart of an enormous monster whose head was in India, tail in Japan and body in Vietnam. =)

The magic hours. Fishing kid. Perfect backdrop. And he had finally got his catch of the day.

More photos.

Vietnam Trip – Mekong Delta

szelee — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 08:52:45 +0000

Mekong Delta – a vaguely familiar name that he must have first heard from his Sejarah lessons. Due to time constraint, they only signed up for a 1-day Cai Be-Vinh Long tour with Sinh Cafe in Ho Chi Minh City.

After few hours of bus ride, they were ready for the boat ride.

Living by the river, he wonders how different their lives are.

First encounter with the snake wines. Like every other bizarre and exotic stuff, these are supposed to make men stronger. Later more of these are found all over Vietnam.

A cute little girl from Korea accompanying her grandparents.

Vinh Long Market, not too different from the pasar back in Malaysia.

As she headed home after finished shopping, so are they.

More photos.

Vietnam Trip – Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam Trip – Ho Chi Minh City

szelee — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:11:48 +0000

The 10-day Vietnam trip began here.

From bicycles to motor scooters and motorcycles, the Viets must have traveled more on two wheels than their two feet.

Maybe it’s time to replace the ubiquitous conical hat. The compulsory helmet laws in Vietnam fully come into effect on 15 December 2007.

First meal in Vietnam – beef noodle from Pho 24

Making a living.

Reminded him of the goreng pisang back home.

More photos.

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Kenneth and Lynn – Solemnization

szelee — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 02:41:11 +0000

First time shooting important event. Below are his favorites from the solemnization ceremony of Kenneth and Lynn.

More photos.

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Family Day

szelee — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 15:23:47 +0000

After her school’s Family Day held in SAFRA in the morning, followed by hours of reluctant shopping in Vivocity, he finally crawled back. Without further delay, he edited, exported and uploaded the morning’s photos. Judging by the results, it was more like the Children’s Day. Context salah… blame the photographer if you want.

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Forty-two

szelee — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:32:29 +0000

“Forty-two!” yelled Loonquawl. “Is that all you’ve got to show for seven and a half million years’ work?”

“I checked it very thoroughly,” said the computer, “and that quite definitely is the answer. I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you’ve never actually known what the question is.”

“But it was the Great Question! The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything!” howled Loonquawl.

“Yes,” said Deep Thought with the air of one, who suffers fools gladly, “but what actually is it?”

“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams

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Time of your life

szelee — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 01:39:40 +0000

“…So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it’s worth it was worth all the while

It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right.
I hope you had the time of your life…”

- Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) by Green Day

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UNIQLOCK

szelee — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 02:56:14 +0000

Not that he is too keen on publicizing for this Japanese clothing retail chain but the UNIQLOCK is certainly an eye-catching advertisement campaign that worth mentioning. In fact it didn’t make much sense to him initally. He thought it was unique lock, the numbers some secret codes. Maybe they should rename it to UNIQLOCK.

Still he can forgive all that for the lovely long-haired Japanese babes and their kawaii movements and gestures that seem to have been acquired from other planet. The creative, colourful and clean presentation of the clock, clothings and chicks is very eye-pleasing, to say the least.

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G-Shock manual

szelee — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 02:49:44 +0000

More than ten years after most of his friends owned one (maybe more), he finally got his. He is still suspicious of the 30% discount he got from the shop. But that’s not the point. The package came with everything but the manual. He assumed he could easily guess how to operate it with two eyes closed.

He got the basics – 2 stopwatches, 5 alarm clocks, world time of 48 cities and dozens of useless stuff that he wouldn’t bother to use were easily configurable. But he couldn’t get the damn Auto EL backlight to work. What the hell is DST? How to mute the irritating beep?

Like any other netizens of the 21st century, he googled. No luck on the official website. He found the Casio’s ftp where all the manuals are stored. Easy, except that they are not named according to the model number. Weird. A forum thread actually suggested to download all the (1000+) files and check one by one afterwards. Very funny.

Shortly he spotted another thread that traced to yet another resource which “lists all the Japanese release G-shocks from 1983-2007″ in spreadsheet and text file (Update: Previous link is broken, try this link instead.). There was a corresponding module number for each model number. The dots were connected. The module number 3031 for his G-9000MC-8JF led him to the correct manual qw3031.pdf. It was like breaking the Da Vinci’s code for beginners.

Operation Guide 3031. Three and a half monochrome pages, with diagrams and tables. He found what he wanted.

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Photo Marathon

szelee — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 16:35:44 +0000

He woke up at 6 am and it ended at 9 pm. He had neither prize won nor great photos to show off. He even had a great fall at the roadside. But he participated with passion, survived the challenge, and definitely had heck of a playtime at the marathon today. Fresh perspectives, unusual experience and pure enjoyment didn’t come together as often as that.

Besides being the photo marathon with the most number of participants to date, he guessed it was also a mass parade of photo gears (he could see L everywhere) of the grandest scale yet. If anything, the guy with enough of equipment to dislocate his right shoulder and the other 3-4 kids below 10 playing with 1Ds like Lego bricks truly deserved some special awards.

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First Step

szelee — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 08:13:50 +0000

Lao-tzu said, “千里之行，始于足下”. This blogger renews his blogging journey with his niece’s little foot that has yet to learn how to walk. The destination is unknown, the purpose undecided and the luggage unprepared.

“Hello world,” the little foot is waving.

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