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
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
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
Liebster Award 2017
Posted on February 15, 2017
The Venetian, Macau (circa 2017)
Two weeks ago, I was given the Liebster Award for bloggers by Audrey, author of the blog Living for Experiences. I thank Audrey for this nomination as I did not expect people to be reading a lot of my writings and musings. It is an honor to receive such a nomination. Check out Audrey’s blog here and be inspired by her amazing insights on life and her useful tips on travel. 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
From Lines to Lenses 