From Lines to LensesStarting Over
Posted on January 30, 2023
A lot of headwinds predicted to come this year. But don’t worry. Take courage. If you have worked and lived long enough, then you would’ve already started this year from experience and not from scratch. Like me during these past 24 months, I’m sure you’ve been through a lot and through all kinds of work situations and challenging people (e.g. bad leaders, backstabbers, crybabies and troublemakers, people who find all sorts of drama in life, and people who treat you like a deadbeat because they think you don’t have money 🙂, etc.). These nutcases wreaked a lot of havoc in the workplace (and in our personal lives) but we are still here somehow. So keep moving forward. Plan ahead as always and adjust along the way.
Read MoreTravelling Without Moving
Posted on May 27, 2020
Big City Night. The beautiful city of Singapore at the Blue Hour (circa 2013)
“I know all we’re doing is travelling without moving…Can’t stop, no…Speed freak, faster than a speedin’ bullet…Slow down…If I don’t I just might lose it…”– Jamiroquai
This post title is actually a song (and an album title) written by a band called Jamiroquai. The lead singer of that band created the album at a time when his love for sports cars eventually reached its peak. I am not much different actually. Like everyone these days, I have reached a peak (or a wall) in my travelling; at least temporarily I hope. Seems like (or certain) there will be no travelling for the rest of the year for me and for many people. I am turning 50 this year and I actually planned a commemorative birthday trip with my family to somewhere really spectacular. I cancelled that one a few weeks ago. After we slowly go back to the office next week, the rest of the year will be spent aggressively chasing those potential clients and making up for business losses made over the last 2 months. The great Jack Ma suggested that we can forget all other personal plans for 2020 and just focus on staying healthy and alive. He said if we are able to do that, then we should have profited already. I think that’s good advice. Indeed, the title of this post (and the song) reminded me that we are constantly moving and never really taking the time to think what’s more important and where we are all headed. As bad as the current situation may seem, now all of us have the time to reflect and do just that. 🙂 Read More
Taipei in Postcards
Posted on April 25, 2020
Classic view of Taipei City taken from the Fireworks Lookout of Elephant Mountain.
Hi there. Like everyone these days, I take the time to rekindle the flames of inspiration and remember why we love doing the things that we do. If you’re like me who loves to move around and take photos, then you are stuck at the moment. One of my favorite photographers (Joe McNally) suggested that now is a time to go back to and go through our collection of photobooks and images. Like him, I have been collecting photobooks and magazines all my life and I still have hundreds of images in piles of cards that I still need to process. That might take quite a long while, but I can still post images here that I have already posted elsewhere. 🙂 So we take the time to “squeeze” activities like these in the middle of our work schedule. There’s no point in being too “productive” at work these days as we are all working under a different situation and circumstance. We all need to stay sane right? 🙂 So like most of you, I am trying to catch up with my writing (aside from picking up a few more skills). Besides, I haven’t posted in this blog for quite some time now. So here we go. Read More
From High Above to Down Under
Posted on September 29, 2019
Melbourne CBD and Princes Bridge at Sunset
I am not sure why I came about with the title of this post except maybe because it sounded so Australian which is connected to this recent Winter holiday in Melbourne. Or more accurately, I realised that I have focused on East Asian and Southeast Asian countries (those countries on top or above Australia) since I started travelling. This is due to their nearness to Singapore (where I am currently based) and visiting these countries first is the easiest way for me to gain travel experience. 🙂
I have been looking at my world map recently (every aspiring travel photographer and blogger should have one) and saw that I have visited most of the Asian cities I have longed to see since I was still young. For a change, I also travelled to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for its wonderful architecture, unique climate and landscape. And just last year because of an Australian client, I challenged myself financially by visiting Sydney. I never had enough of Australia since then and with my Australian Visa still valid, I decided to go to Melbourne this time. 🙂 Read More
South Korea: Season 2
Posted on August 9, 2019
New Snow. Winter in the beautiful city of Seoul viewed from Novotel Dongdaemun Hotel.
I am about to experience my second winter this year. This time (that’s next week) in Melbourne, Australia and probably a third one this December in Taipei, Taiwan. I was just thinking of how the world is so amazing that you can experience the same beautiful season more than once in a year and in different places (or all the four seasons in a year and in different places). Anyway, I am just being melancholic and trying my best to write; so I have to start somewhere. Besides, I have quite a number of photos I had finished editing and that should have been posted a long time ago. It’s been a long while also since I last wrote and posted on this blog; and I missed writing (blame it on our toxic workload these past few weeks). So this is obviously a very late post written simply to share a few thoughts and to cure tunnel vision. 🙂 Read More
Finding Sydney
Posted on January 18, 2019
Postcard Sydney. Sydney Harbour at Twilight viewed from Mrs. Macquarie’s Point.
“So I say a little prayer and hope my dreams will take me there
Where the skies are blue to see you once again, my love
Over seas from coast to coast to find the place I love the most
Where the fields are green to see you once again, my love”
A client once told me that if I happen to step into the right neighbourhood in Sydney, I would fall in love with the city immediately. He also told me that the sky is always beautiful and blue (if not everyday different) in Sydney. My client is from this place obviously but works here in Singapore. He manages to go back to this hometown every weekend and returns to Singapore on Monday mornings. I understand that his family is based there but isn’t this pretty expensive for short weekends spent away from work? Sydney must be really that beautiful. So I was inspired (or intrigued). Read More
Anything Under The Sun
Posted on July 19, 2018
Grand Mosque Mystique. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque at Night
Anything under the sun. Well at least that is how I remember or describe Abu Dhabi. It seems like anything is possible here. Dubai may be the most popular of all the Emirates in the UAE but Abu Dhabi is still the capital; and it has several reasons for being so. As one travel guide puts it, Abu Dhabi is not afraid to challenge World Records. To start, Abu Dhabi has the world’s largest hand-loomed carpet (which is found inside perhaps the grandest mosque in the Arabian peninsula). You can enjoy the highest high tea in one of the city’s latest observatories. You can ride the world’s fastest roller coaster here. With its geographical location under the sun, it is one city championing sustainable energy. Abu Dhabi also has the world’s most leaning building (Capital Gate Tower which is tilted at 18 degrees; four times more wayward than the leaning tower of Pisa). And to highlight its cultural ambitions, it is a city with the branch of the famous Louvre outside of Paris. Among upcoming others (whew). 🙂 Read More
My Tokyo Blues
Posted on March 18, 2018
Lost in Translation. Tokyo at twilight viewed from Tokyo World Trade Center (circa 2017).
This is one example of those late melancholic posts. I finally had the chance to see Tokyo a second time last Winter. The first time was way back in the Autumn of 2013 when I was invited by a major Japanese furniture manufacturer to attend a 3-day convention. Since then, I always remember Tokyo as a cold city (my first encounter with the outside world); the city I fell in love with and the one that inspired me to explore, to travel, and to discover more of the world around me. I don’t know how I will do it; but after this recent trip, I promised myself (and my family) to return to this place at least once a year. 🙂 Read More
From Tokyo to the Bay
Posted on October 26, 2017
Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo Bay (circa 2013)
“…a thousand miles from comfort…there’s no place I’d rather be…”–Clean Bandit
This is where it all started. The first time I saw Japan was way back in November 2013. I was invited by a major Japanese furniture manufacturer to attend a convention in Tokyo. It was a 3-day event with a 2-day extension for us to do anything we want. It was my first time to travel outside my own country (other than Singapore of course where I am currently based) and to be honest with you, I was childlike ecstatic. Autumn was very much well on its way when we arrived; and with the cold temperature, I fell in love with Tokyo almost immediately. I remember the last time when I passed off an opportunity in the office for a free winter travel to this country. I really regretted that one. Read More
One Lovely Blog Award 2017
Posted on August 25, 2017
Marina Bay Sands with Arts Science Museum at the Blue Hour.
A month ago, I was given the ONE LOVELY BLOG AWARD by my fellow blogger Audrey. Audrey pens Living for Experiences, a blog about her wonderful insights on life and useful tips on travel. Do check her wonderful blog. This is my second award from her, with the first award causing me to earn a few followers. It is encouraging to know that people are actually reading some of my thoughts and writings. Read More
From Lines to Lenses 