From Lines to LensesTaipei 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
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
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
Dubai Retrospective
Posted on June 9, 2017
A Light Between Oceans. Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach at Sunset.
I got this idea from one spontaneous traveler. He would spin a globe and stop it with his index finger. He will look at the place where his finger had landed and then pack his bags or suitcase quickly to go to that place. I did the same thing. My finger landed somewhere in the Gulf (or purposely made it land there) and decided that it’s Dubai. At least it had to be because it’s the only place I know that is within that neighborhood. So I literally ran to the airport and fly to Dubai right after that. Of course I am just kidding. 🙂 I believe I planned this all along and I am not a spontaneous traveler. My passport is not really one of the strongest in the world, so traveling to Dubai is a challenge. Besides, the Middle East (or Western Asia) is a dream (up until now) and way over my travel budget. Looking back now, it was not also the best time to visit the place. Summer has started and it was 40 degrees during the day; with the heat a different kind of painful on the skin and the air a bit stifling and suffocating for first timers. But it was also the time to take advantage of lower hotel rates and speedy Visa processing. I lodged in my Visa application on a Saturday afternoon and got the Visa the following day (a Sunday). So if you don’t mind staying inside malls during the day (which I am sure you don’t), early summer is a good time to visit this wonderful country. Read More
Macau Musings
Posted on March 5, 2017
The Ruins of St. Paul’s Church in Macau, China (January 2017).
This wanderlust has been an effective family therapy for us. I’ve been writing here for a while but I forgot to mention that I work abroad (currently based in Singapore) and away from my family. Like most overseas worker, I made it a point to go back to my hometown every 6 months and spend a week or so with my family. But before that one week is over however, we were already crying; knowing it will take another 6 months or more for us to see each other again. My father also used to work overseas when I was a kid; so I know how it feels like now for my own family. Nowadays however, distance (and long distance communication) is dead and modest travel is available for everyone. So instead of just me traveling alone, my family and I decided that (if I have the resources) we will meet regularly in some nearby foreign lands and explore those places together. Parting ways at the end of those journeys however is stll difficult; but now, the sadness is eclipsed by the memories of those travel experiences . Whatever. 🙂 Read More
About Anniversaries
Posted on September 11, 2016
Heartland. Singapore CBD at twilight.
It’s been a while since my last write-up (or to be more accurate, since I last travelled). Honestly, I have maxed out my paid leave for the first three quarters of the year and have to wait for a few more weeks to be able to make use of the available balance. But that may not happen. I have resigned from my current post which might cause that balance to be forfeited; and it will take another long period before I could be allowed to take a long leave under my new / future employer. The good thing is that Singapore will have 7 long weekends next year. Some of the public holidays in 2017 will fall either on a Monday or Friday; so I am looking forward to working my road trips and photography projects around those long weekends. At least; until I get to my next major holiday. Meantime, I take the time to write this post to feature this beautiful country that has been second home to me for almost a decade. Read More
Silence is Golden
Posted on June 20, 2016
Awakenings. Sunrise at Club Med in Bintan, Indonesia.
This write-up should have been posted more than a month ago. I actually forgot I have these photos from our recent Club Med Bintan retreat; and I was only reminded of having them when I was looking at my passport while on queue at the renewal section of the embassy a few days ago. I have to admit that long holidays are always short. Even much shorter for a weekend company retreat like this one. And because they are short, there is always the chance of bringing home only a few photos; which you easily forget. Read More
From Lines to Lenses 