Photography Today

The Dragon Year begins

2012-01-22T23:02:00.000-08:00

Everywhere you can see dragon

My fellow Americans, I come to you today to ask, why would I voluntarily subject myself to this nonsense for another four years?

2012-01-08T20:28:00.000-08:00

President Obama urges voters to give him one reason—one goddamn reason—why he should run for president in 2012

2012 - The Mayan doomsday

2012-01-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

According to the papers, this is the last year as it is when the mayan calendar ends on 21/12/2012

It was the night before Christmas ...

2011-12-24T02:51:00.000-08:00

It was the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Poem by

Clement Clarke Moore

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Merry Christmas from the Land of Toy Soldiers

2011-12-22T18:44:00.000-08:00

The Land of Toy Soldiers

is the

military sub-district

of Santa's North Pole

Here is a Christmas tree with

the brightly colored uniforms,

white cross-belts,

and feather plumed silly hats

Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas!

The Barn

2011-12-21T02:32:00.000-08:00

At 7 something in the evening,

this is a photo of the barn near my house

The last light of the evening is almost

fading away

And near the creek at the side is this chinese pond heron

Saturday Santa's helpers

2011-12-17T00:14:00.000-08:00

All ready for Christmas

Photo by Edwin

It is begining to look like Christmas

2011-12-17T00:03:00.000-08:00

Eight days more to go ...

A touch of homemade paper chains

2011-12-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

Adding colors to the room

Eleven Days to go... and counting

2011-12-14T20:11:00.000-08:00

True Story of Rudolph

A man named Bob May,

depressed and brokenhearted,

stared out his drafty apartment window

into the chilling December night

His 4-year-old daughter Barbara

sat on his lap quietly sobbing

Bobs wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer

Little Barbara couldn't understand

why her mommy could never come home

Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked,

"Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?"

Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears

Her question brought waves of grief,

but also of anger

It had been the story of Bob's life

Life always had to be different for Bob

Small when he was a kid,

Bob was often bullied by other boys

He was too little at the time to compete in sports

He was often called names he'd rather not remember

From childhood,

Bob was different and never seemed to fit in

Bob did complete college,

married his loving wife

and was grateful to get his job

as a copywriter at Montgomery Ward

during the Great Depression

Then he was blessed with his little girl

But it was all short-lived

Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them

of all their savings and now

Bob and his daughter were forced to live

in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums

Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938

Bob struggled to give hope to his child,

for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift

But if he couldn't buy a gift,

he was determined a make one - a storybook!

Bob had created an animal character in his own mind

and told the animal's story to little Barbara

to give her comfort and hope

Again and again Bob told the story,

embellishing it more with each telling

Who was the character?

What was the story all about?

The story Bob May created was

his own autobiography in fable form

The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was...

The name of the character?

A little reindeer named Rudolph,

with a big shiny nose

Bob finished the book just in time to give it to

his little girl on Christmas Day

But the story doesn't end there.

The general manager of Montgomery Ward

caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May

a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book

Wards went on to print, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores

By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed

more than six million copies of Rudolph

That same year, a major publisher wanted

to purchase the rights from Wards

to print an updated version of the book

In an unprecedented gesture of kindness,

the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May

The book became a best seller

Many toy and marketing deals followed

and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family,

became wealthy from the story he created

to comfort his grieving daughter

But the story doesn't end there either

Bob's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks,

made a song adaptation to Rudolph

Though the song was turned down by

such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore , it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949

and became a phenomenal success,

selling more records than any other Christmas song,

with the exception of "White Christmas"

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter

so long ago kept on returning back

to bless him again and again

And Bob May learned the lesson,

just like his dear friend Rudolph,

that being different isn't so bad

In fact, being different can be a blessing.

* MERRY CHRISTMAS *

THE INCREDIBLE BAPTISM PHOTO

2011-12-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

An amazing picture became a message of faith in Spain

This was taken at the baptism of Valentino Mora,

son of Erica, a single mom of 21

who asked the photographer

to take a picture of her son for free

The photo of the baptism of Valentino Mora

is sweeping the Internet,

because at the time the priest

pours the Holy water over his head,

the water flows in the shape of a rosary

(see photo above)

This story began at the

Parish of the Assumption of Our Lady in Cordova, Spain,

where the baptism of a one month baby took place

At the time that Valentino came to the baptismal font

for the sacrament of baptism,

Erica asked the photographer Maria Silvana Salles,

who was hired by other parents baptizing their babies,

to take a photo of her son as a favor,

since the young mother had no way of paying for it

The photographer, moved by Erica's request,

agreed to take a photo of Valentino

Maria Silvana works with a traditional camera

and had to send the film to be developed to a shop in Cordova When she received the photos,

she noticed with surprise that the water poured

from the head of Valentino was a perfect rosary

The photo of the baptism of Valentino

has awakened faith in the people of Cordova

who come to the humble home

of Erica and Valentino Mora to touch him

The truth is that this sign of faith

has mobilized this town in Cordova,

whose neighbors go to Maria Silvana's store

to buy the picture as if it were a prayer card

One In A Billion Photo

2011-12-11T04:24:00.000-08:00

The photo was taken at the entrance to Katlian Bay

at the end of the road in Sitka , Alaska ...

The whale is coming up to scoop up a mouthful of herring......... (the small fish seen at the surface around the kayak)

The kayaker is a local Sitka Dentist

He apparently didnt sustain any injuries

from the terrifying experience

The whale was just around the corner

from the ferry terminal,

and all the kayaker could think at that moment in time was:

" Paddle Man - really fast! "

The whale's mouth is fully open

with the bottom half under the boat

If the whale had closed his mouth

before he furiously paddled away -

He might have been LUNCH!!!

Look at the picture again -

He is in the whale’s MOUTH

50 Reasons NOT to Date a Photographer

2011-12-09T06:27:00.000-08:00

They rather hold their bulky camera,

than hold hands with you

On a romantic date,

you’ll watch the sun go down and think “Wow this is gorgeous” and they’ll go “mirror lock, tripod, and stop down f/8 at 1/125.”

You’ll never be able to enjoy tv, movies, or magazines
because they’ll point out all the visual flaws

They like to sit in obscure coffee shop
and voyeuristically watch people for great lengths of time

If you’re taking a walk outside
and you come across some “interesting light”
they will make you sit/stand/pose in public
so that they can take a photo

You’ll never get to enjoy freshly cooked meals
because they’ll spend 15 minutes taking 20 variations
of the same dish with their iPhone

They get angry when your friends go up to them
and say “I am interested in photography,
can you recommend a good camera for me?
Nothing professional I just want to take pretty pictures”

You’ll wait longer for them to finish analyzing art in a museum than you’ll wait at the dmv

Same goes with old used bookstores

When you think they’re giving you their undivided attention, they’re really wondering how they could fix you
with a little Clone Tool and Patch Tool

Or they are actually using you to not look so creepy
as they people watch everything going on around you

They rather drop $1,000+ on new glass than a purse for you

You can’t take a photo with them
without taking at least five more

If you ask them if you look fat,
they’ll say “don’t worry I can photoshop you later”

They’ll never photoshop something simple for you
if the content is not up to their “standards”

That photo they randomly took of you yesterday?
Good luck getting them to send it to you

They spend all their time on the computer (and not for porn)

They can’t have a normal conversation withot
throwing acronyms and random numbers

They still use film cameras

They spend a lot of time with people cooler than you
i.e. models, actors, musicians, successful rich people

They’ll be fussy over the position of a common household object, like a coffee cup

They won’t return your calls or text messages,
but you can bet they’re still posting pics on Instagram

They like watching old films that you’ve never heard
or will ever understand

They like looking at weird things in general

Instead of having penis-envy, they have camera-gear-envy

If there’s a natural disaster in a far away land,
they’re already on a plane going over there

Everything is watermarked

They think everyone else’s photos suck

They want to color correct a lot of scenes
from Twilight and Jersey Shore

They hate rainbows, especially ones spinning in a circle

and the conversation goes deep,
they’re taking notes in some form of Moleskin

They use over priced Moleskin notebooks

They like trespassing into old abandoned buildings
filled with health hazards

but don’t really care if you like it or not

They hate your n00bie friend’s new artsy profile picture

Bright, sunny days make them sad,
but cloudy, overcast days are apparently great!

They’ll take you into places that have “culture” as well a high chance of getting mugged

Your birthday present will be a portrait that
they’ve taken of you

You can’t go anywhere new without them stopping to take a photo of everything and anything

They will always bug you to be a test subject

Nothing can ever be naturally pretty,
everything must be fixed in Photoshop

Bringing their camera means,
bringing 50lbs of equipment

If you break any of their things on accident,
you’ll owe them thousands of dollars

You can’t get them a birthday/Christmas present
without spending at least $500

They are natural hoarders,
collecting and keeping piles of old newspapers,
packaging, magazines, and other things that “inspire” them

They are weird and geeky

They have hard drives of photos,
but probably have printed 10 images

They are always secretly judging your creativity

If you’re ever in auto mode, they laugh at you

Reasons by Rob Skeoch

They always want to show a new photo they took, Whenever you’re in a group talking

Photo by George Wong

Photographer sweating it out

2011-12-05T08:13:00.000-08:00

Spot the dog

2011-12-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

New Moon

2011-12-03T19:46:00.000-08:00

Although it is by far the biggest and brightest object

in the night sky

the moon is not an easy subject to photograph

nd brightest object in the night sky the moon is not an easy subject to photographAlthough it is by far the biggest and brightest object in the

This is not a photo of a new moon

It is the moon of 3 December 2011

Photo by Mike

the moon is not an easy subject to photograph

Christmas is approaching ...

2011-12-02T22:17:00.000-08:00

... and this is how an asian Christmas tree looks like ...

How to get the most out of a cram session right before a big exam?

2011-12-02T22:09:00.000-08:00

what can you do when time is short?

Friday Focus

2011-11-24T20:53:00.000-08:00

is on this Flying Ship

Updates on Thailand Floods

2011-11-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

Some more photos from the last updates

Misty Monday

2011-11-14T03:02:00.000-08:00

After a whole night rain,

the morning is covered with mist

There was poor visibility and

one motorcylist met with an accident

Thailand Floods

2011-11-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

For those of you tired of seeing flood photos of Thailand

here are some showing the lighter side of the flood situation

Meet Logos Hope

2011-10-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

This is the world's largest floating library

The ship that brings knowledge, help and hope

to the world's port cities

On a lazy Sunday afternoon,

it is unusual to see the long queue

to get into this ship

The ship captain came out to greet us

And this friendly chap from the Isle of man

What a colorful banner !

The forty minutes queue line snake into a canopy tent

and then out of it again

All hands aboard !

Books of all sizes !

2011-10-30T00:32:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of starting a herb garden

The Herb of Honor is Sweet Basil

This seedlings growing well in a small pot

So I decided to get a large clay pot to give room

for the plant to grow and spread out


I visited the compost soil store for a pack of compost-topsoil mix Updates on 15 November This is how the sweet basil look after 2 weeks

Ripe Rambutans within Reach

2011-10-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

This fruit is aptly called Rambutans which means hairy

The third fruit tree in our garden to bear fruits

after the lemon tree

and the Mulberry tree

The tree is only 7 feet tall and the fruits can be plucked easily

Photos taken with iphone4

Fruits already plucked and placed on the kitchen counter

The Light of Day

2011-09-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

Staying out of the heat from the afternoon sun,

this window provides the perfect frame

to the picture of harsh light outside

Sleepy Siniawan in Sarawak

2011-09-17T01:32:00.000-07:00

The visit to Siniawan leaves

an extraordinary impression on me

It must be the rustic looks of the old buildings

that has left me in awe

Walking along the buildings,

I had this melancholy feeling

and mental images of what life must had been

back in the early 1900s

when our fore fathers first set foot in Borneo

Some probably had resettled in Bau (the gold mining town)

not far from Siniawan

Dogs frolicking on the five-foot walkways in Siniawan

The shophouses here are still made of timber

which makes them a fire hazard

Ironically, the inhabitants are more worried

about the frequent flooding from the river

just behind these shops

Imagine walking on the same cobbled stone path

and touching the same wooden stilts

that had stood the test of time

The Twin Towers

2011-09-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

Sunday is the ten year anniversary of September 11

That date was a defining moment

in the history of the United States

Postcard courtesy of Postcard Friendship

My Mulberries

2011-09-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

We grow mulberies in the garden

because they taste great and they're full of nutrition

They are considered an important food remedy

in Chinese medicine

Here are ten health benefits

It should be noted that many of these benefits

have not been scientifically verified

but are traditional folk remedies

that have developed in countries

where mulberries have been eaten

for hundreds of years

Cancer Prevention

Mulberries are a good source of resveratrol,

a potent phytonutrient also found in grapes

that researchers believe can prevent cancer

and aid in the fight of existing cancers

Life Extension

Because of their resveratrol content,

mulberries may be a tool in one's life extension arsenal,

as resveratrol has shown in several studies

to extend the life of mice

Blood Tonic

In Chinese medicine,

mulberries are considered a blood tonic,

meaning that they cleanse the blood

and increase its production, strengthening the entire system

Kidney Strengthener

In Chinese medicine,

mulberries are believed to strengthen the kidneys

Liver Cleanser

In Chinese medicine,

mulberries are believed to be effective in cleansing the liver

Better Hearing and Vision

In China,

tea made with mulberry paste is believed

to strengthen one's hearing and vision

Constipation Cure

In Turkey,

a treatment for constipation is

to eat white mulberries on an empty stomach

with a glass of water

Anemia Treatment

Because they are quite high in iron,

mulberries are a great food

to use in the treatment of anemia

Cold and Flu Treatment

In Turkey,

mulberry molasses is used

as a treatment for colds and flu

Their effectiveness in this way

may be due to their high vitamin C content

Premature Gray Hair Remedy

In several countries,

mulberries are considered an effective remedy

for prematurely gray hair

Tidal Tourist

2011-09-09T17:56:00.000-07:00

Dare Devils or Tidal Tourists ?

In China, there is a type of tourist called Tidal Tourist

Thousands of tourists flock to the banks of the Qiantang River

in Haining, Zhejiang Province in China

to watch an annual natural phenomenon

Every year a tidal surge creates a huge wave

that charges up the Qiantang River

with the largest reaching a height of 29.5ft

Contemporary Chinese paintings

2011-09-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

For more,

see

A Passion To Paint

Watching the Water monitor

2011-09-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Using iphone 4,

here is a photo of the Water monitor

near the monsoon drain behind the backyard

Celebrating Eid ul-Fitr

2011-09-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

I was invited to an occasion of

the Breaking of Fast festivity

Assumption of Mary

2011-08-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

Celebrating the Assumption of Mary

Albert Einstein or Marilyn Monroe

2011-08-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

When you look at this picture you see it's Albert Einstein..

But if you stand 15 feet away it will become Marilyn Monroe..

Sunday's snake

2011-08-01T01:10:00.000-07:00

Saw this snake in the Fairies caves

10 Reasons not to Jog

2011-07-28T04:20:00.000-07:00

1. My grandmother started walking five miles a day
    when she was 60. She's 97 now & now we don't know
    where she is.

2. The only reason I would take up jogging is
     so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

3. I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks.
    Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to show up.

4. I have to exercise in the morning
    before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

5. I don't exercise at all.
    If God meant us to touch our toes,
    he would have put them further up our body.

6. I like long walks, especially when they are taken
    by people who annoy me.

7. I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.

8. The advantage of exercising every day
    is that you die healthier.

9. If you are going to try cross-country skiing,
    start with a small country.

10. I don't jog. It makes the ice jump right out of my glass.

Hot , Hazy , Humid Dog Days of Summer

2011-07-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

Don't look up

Sarawak Summer Skyline

Buckingham Bersih

2011-07-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

Ha ha ha!

Some clever PhotoShopping has put the Bersih logo

atop what the Queen wore

She was really wearing a bright yellow dress

But of course the Queen was well aware

what the colour signifies,

she is astute and well-informed

and would have been well briefed by her staff

Perhaps the yellow flowers in the background

carried her message as well

Wear something yellow every Saturday !

2011-07-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

Ban Yellow, Bow before Yellow

2011-07-15T18:11:00.000-07:00

In Malaysia, Najib ban Yellow

In UK, Najib bow down to Yellow

Barack Obama supports Bersih 2.0

2011-07-14T20:31:00.000-07:00

"No matter how noble the objectives of a government,

if it blurs decency and kindness,

cheapens human life

and breeds ill will and suspicion

it is an evil government "

Eric Hoffer

The Passionate State of Mind

1954

Lady of Liberty

2011-07-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

Annie Ooi,
a 65-year-old retired English teacher

who took a bus from Setapak

in the early morning of July 9

to join thousands of others

in Bersih 2.0’s march for free and fair elections.

An unknown man had offered her

the flower in the morning

and she waved it like a flag

throughout the four-hour march.

Netizens have dubbed her
“Aunty Bersih”,

and even Malaysia’s
“Lady of Liberty”,

for placing her health and safety at risk

to join a march
the government had declared illegal.

Ooi was interviewed by
one uniformed policeman

and four others in plainclothes.

They asked for her identification
and recorded her details,

then asked her
why she was dressed in yellow.

“Why can’t I wear yellow?” she asked in return.

According to a post by a blogger

who claimed to have spoken to Ooi

before the march began,

the feisty retiree had asked other protesters

why they did not turn up in yellow as well.

“Why do we have to feel so scared
in our own home land . . .

and by own countrymen,”
she had reportedly said.

A newbie at street protests,

Ooi also did not know what to do
in the event

that she got gassed,
and had not brought anything

to protect herself,
her daughter said.

Bumblebee defends Bersih 2.0 !

2011-07-09T02:43:00.000-07:00

Now what ?

Autobot defending the innocent people

Will Bumblebee be banned by the government ?

Bersih 2.0 : A Rally for Clean and Fair Election in Kuala Lumpur

2011-07-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

News website , Malaysia Kini,

reports massive rally for clean and fair election

Malaysia Kini is providing

real time photography

Police are making arrests without reasons and fires tear gas

Yellow T-shirts or anything yellow are banned

Hitting Number One ...

2011-07-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

Today , the visitor counter

has hit number one zero one zero one zero ...

Summer Solstice Sunset in Sarawak

2011-06-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

A light drizzle this evening

Not looking back

2011-06-08T06:26:00.000-07:00

The hardest part about moving forward is not looking back

Scintillating beaches in summer

2011-06-04T06:20:00.000-07:00

The beaches are so beautiful that

even locals can't get enough of them

Whether you prefer lying on the sand soaking up the sun,

or crashing through the waves,

the perfect beach is just waiting for you to find it

Still here

2011-06-02T02:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm still here

Life has just been incredibly busy

Summer and its outrageous heat has arrived

See how dry the tree bark is

See how dry the florist paintbrush is

Batman ?

2011-05-17T02:56:00.000-07:00

Photo taken during twilight

Looked like a bat-shaped silhouette

No photo retouching done

My next camera should have wide lenses

2011-05-17T02:24:00.000-07:00

Close to this

Sky is overcast with no sign of sun

2011-05-17T02:11:00.000-07:00

A face you can never forget

2011-05-17T02:03:00.000-07:00

In portrait study,

this is a face you can never forget

Some boots weren't made for walking

2011-05-17T01:42:00.000-07:00

Photo by James, a self-taught photographer

Lone boatman in late evening

2011-05-14T23:03:00.000-07:00

The Royal Wave

2011-05-05T22:53:00.000-07:00

Nan Johnson 's paintings

attempt to capture moments in time,

where an emotion or feeling was felt

This painting captures Kate's arrival,

her wave,

her train,

and her dutiful sister

keeping that train in perfect condition

Santa Claus caught sunbathing

2011-05-04T06:58:00.000-07:00

Now I know what Santa did last summer ...

Sunrise and Spiderwebs

2011-05-04T06:08:00.000-07:00

Freshly spun catching threads

Sun setting at seaside

2011-05-04T05:41:00.000-07:00

Living in the tropics

where the daily rewards is a beautiful sunset

Happy Easter

2011-04-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

Hard boiled eggs in their natural colors

Why dye eggs ?

So that they look absolutely GORGEOUS!!!

Ching Ming

2011-04-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Ching Ming,
or,
Grave-Sweeping Day,

is observed on April 5 this year

Ching Ming rituals include weeding of the area,

cleaning of the headstone,

replacing the wilted flowers with fresh ones,

the lighting of incense

and burning of imitation paper money

Thomas visited the cemetery and took some snapshots

He is surprised to find one photo

with a figure image on it

This photo was taken on 3 March using a phone camera

What do you think ?

Famous Kolo Mee found in Singapore

2011-03-30T23:06:00.000-07:00

Kuching, Sarawak is famous for its Kolo Mee

When I was in Singapore's Vivo City,

I found an eatery selling this famous food

Kolo mee is a signature noodle dish in sarawak

Kolo Mee is such an inseparable part

of the whole Kuching culture

Sunday Suede Shoes

2011-03-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

Lucky Cats

2011-03-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

Tamara Kulikova photo

For Discovery, a farewell spin

2011-03-16T19:02:00.000-07:00

It's been an ugly week

for dramatic photos with the disaster in Japan

Take a break from the sadness in Japan and view this

2011 Taipei First Prize Photography Award

2011-03-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

First Prize ?

Why buy expensive lenses when photography is this easy ?

The Mirror Effect

2011-03-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Evening walk at the East Coast Park

A walk around the neighborhood

2011-03-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

Nice landscaping

Coconut trees are a rare sight in other cities

Even more rare to see someone on bicycle in modern Singapore

The most common sight is the city bus

Double-decker bus is widespread in Singapore

And colorful ones too

Last but the least,

Welcome to Jurong East

Night lights of Singapore

2011-03-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

Looking at Singapore in a different light

Just love the colours, lighting and tones

Singapore through my lens

2011-03-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

Capturing Modern Singapore

in the midst of the

Japan nuclear crisis

Radiation leakage from Japan will probably take years

to reach Singapore

and the impact should be minimal,

says the experts

Nature has its way

2011-03-12T20:37:00.000-08:00

This picture is frightening

Photo Credits : New York Times

View of Jurong East from the 25th Floor

2011-03-12T19:35:00.000-08:00

A couple of photo shots of the sky view

at Jurong East

Snacking in Singpore

2011-03-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

In the Changi Budget Terminal

British Humor

2011-03-10T21:45:00.000-08:00

The British government has scrapped the Harrier fleet

and on their farewell formation flypast

over the houses of Parliament

they gave the government a message

"F_ _ _ O _ _ "

Squinting a little helps!

Wedding Invitation

2011-03-10T20:35:00.000-08:00

A Priceless Wedding Invitation From

the Mother of the Groom

We have no idea WHAT he sees in her !

Munching On Mulberries

2011-03-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

This mulberry plant grew in my back garden

The berries is a perfect combination of chewy

with an ever-so-slight crunch

and it packs a powerful anti-oxidant punch with resveratrol,

which is also found in the skin of red grapes

Eaten alone, its sweetness can satisfy the deepest of sweet tooths but can also serve as a nice, less sugary addition

when mixed into a healthy

yet bland-ish cold cereal or yogurt

These 2 photos were taken using Panasonic Lumix F18

handheld with manual focus

These mulberries look so good

they can be used to make mulberry wine

Makes 1 gallon

5 pounds mulberries

1 teaspoon pectic enzyme

4 pounds sugar

1 Campden tablet

1 package wine yeast

1 teaspoon yeast nutrient

1 1/2 cups orange juice at room temperature

1 teaspoon acid blend

1/4 teaspoon grape tannin

Crush the mulberries in a 2 gallon fermenter. Pour 2 quarts of boiling water over them. Let the mixture cool, add the pectic enzyme, and cover the container with plastic wrap or foil. Let stand for four or five days, stirring daily.

Strain the liquid through cheesecloth and add sugar, stirring to dissolve. Add a Campden tablet and let sit for 24 hours, well covered, before proceeding.

In a jar, make a yeast starter culture by combining the wine yeast, yeast nutrient and orange juice. Cover, shake vigorously, and let stand 1 to 3 hours until bubbly, then add to the must.

Add the remaining ingredients, plus enough water to make 1 gallon and pour the liquid into an airlocked fermenter. Let the wine complete the fermentation process. When it is clear, rack and bottle the wine.

Wait at least six months before sampling your first bottle

Persistent Periwinkle Presses On

2011-03-05T21:15:00.000-08:00

This plant came with the weeds in the front garden

After being weeded out twice,

it grew back again

Questions : How do you spell dictator ?

2011-02-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

Answer : Spell it any way you want !

Yahoo! News spells it Moamer Kadhafi

The New York Times spells it Muammar el-Qaddafi

Los Angeles Times spells Moammar Kadafi

CNN spells it Gadhafi

Al Jazeera spells it Gaddafi

BBC spells it Col Muammar Gaddafi

Egypt, what's next ?

2011-02-12T04:38:00.001-08:00

The Egyptian people have changed the world

And what they have done has just begun

Cartoon from Froxter.com

The Egyptian people have won a startling and historic victory

It is perhaps the most difficult thing in the world to do,

to force a Pharaoh from the palace,

but they did it,

and without bombs

Visit the Art blog at

http://www.apassiontopaint.blogspot.com

Lion Dance predicts 5149

2011-02-10T20:51:00.000-08:00

The Lion Dance goes back a thousand years

and it is still practised

because of the belief that

it brings good luck and good fortune

Do visit this blog on art :

apassiontopaint.blogspot.com

Carpenter Street Temple

2011-02-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

Do visit this blog on art :

http://apassiontopaint.blogspot.com/

Welcoming the Rabbit Year

2011-02-06T06:25:00.000-08:00

Lunch at Lok Thian Restaurenteur 's house

2011-02-04T21:15:00.000-08:00

Lok Thian is Kuching’s best known group of restaurants

for different cuisines

(Chinese, Shanghai, Japanese, Thai, Hong Kong, etc )

Being invited for lunch at the restaurenteur's house,

I took a photo of the food offerings

Photo taken with iphone 4

Do visit this blog on art :

http://apassiontopaint.blogspot.com/

2011-02-03T02:08:00.000-08:00

Wishing all a good Rabbit Year

The Year of 2011

is the Year of the Golden Rabbit,

which begins on February 3, 2011

and ends on January 22, 2012

This year will witness a massive event

where there is water and fire

in the month of March

Hair done right for Hare Year

2011-02-01T06:34:00.000-08:00

Stunning cracked glass effect

2011-02-01T01:58:00.000-08:00

To achieve this stunning cracked glass effect,

you need to step on the fragile and beautiful rattan glass top

in order to reach the window top to clean the cobwebs

Luckily in this case, the foot is not cut by the glass splinters

Do visit this blog on art :

http://apassiontopaint.blogspot.com/

A walk in the woods , a glimpse of the future

2011-01-31T21:21:00.000-08:00

Antz

2011-01-31T20:59:00.000-08:00

A queen ant in her totalitarian society

It rained cats and dogs

2011-01-30T22:05:00.000-08:00

... as can be seen here...

The Hottest Blog is here !

2011-01-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

Do visit this cool blog on art :

http://apassiontopaint.blogspot.com/

Racing with the rainbow

2011-01-27T21:02:00.000-08:00

Photo taken with an iphone 4

Fresh coconut for good health

2011-01-23T21:39:00.000-08:00

Sharing a few photos

of the coconut seller with a menacing machete

Photos taken using iphone 4

Promoting People's Potential

2011-01-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

... with fun and laughter ...

with Peter Salerno

Attended this charity event to support the

Kuching Autistic Association

Photos taken with iphone4

Moon in the morning

2011-01-20T21:32:00.000-08:00

Photo taken with iphone 4 from the car