Archive for the “Special” CategoryWith National Day just 2 weeks away, there is a constant rumble of jets flying over our HDB estate every Saturday around 7pm. I was very lucky to have captured this shot outside my study room window considering that I was totally unprepared. When they say to always keep your camera nearby, it’s really for moments like this! The Black Knights in action! Popularity: 28% [?] Red Cliff by John Woo is a movie dramatization of the famous Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel and to kick off the movie’s launch in Singapore, some of the cast made an appearance at, of all places, Plaza Singapura. Great news for me as my office is just next door!!! So the event started at 7pm, and I got there at 6.15pm (couldn’t leave the office too early!), and to my dismay there was already a bunch of people who had set up their cameras right in the middle of the area in front of the stage. And they had big cameras and flashes. And ladders. I could’ve sworn that I’ve seen them before at another celebrity/fashion shoot in which they campled right in the middle with big cameras and flashes and stood on ladders. Rumour has it that they are known as the ladder gang. I ended up at the left side of the stage with a very poor angle, but I remained in good spirits! The event kicked off with two emcees (Jiafa 93.3FM and Cai Li Lian from 97.2FM) doing their usual thing to get the crowd excited by playing some games and talking a lot. In Mandarin. I kept myself entertained by snapping photos (and stupidly draining my flash battery in the process!). Cai Li Lian, Love 97.2FM radio deejay and livewire emcee. This dude admitted that he was really perspiring beneath his armour! And this dude looked a bit like Jay Chou. This dude just enjoyed posing for the camera. He actually held that pose for me to take a photo. Twice! Finally, after 30 long minutes of entertaining myself and wasting batteries, the cast appeared! From left to right – Chang Chen, Lin Chiling, Zhang Fengyi. However, the real star of the night, judging by the number of flashes going off, was none other than Lin Chiling (or Lín Zhì Líng). Apart from being one of Asia’s top models, Lin Chiling also holds a double major from the University of Toronto and the title for sexiest legs in Taiwan. Tall on beauty and high on IQ, some people just have em all! For those of you closer to me, you’d have known that I wanted Ashley’s chinese name to be Zhi Ling. Didn’t happen though due to wifey protesting that it sounded too much like hers (does Zhiyi and Zhiling really sound alike?). At 1.74m, man, she is tall. Behold – Taiwan’s sexiest legs! Unlike her tall and leggy western model counterparts, Chiling has a very saccharine sweet look. Genuinely making an effort to pose and smile for all her fans and the masses of photographers in front of her. Even the ladder gang didn’t faze her! Whoa, I think she looked right at me! My flash batteries were sputtering at this point thought I think it was really starting to feel the onset of diabetes. Alway carry a super zoom lens like the 70-200mm with you to these type of events. It is heavy, but gets you these type of close-ups. As a big thank you from the people of Singapore, the cast is presented with teddy bears from the Build-a-Bear Workshop. Photography notes:
Popularity: 41% [?] As part of a campaign to promote Taiwan, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB) held a tourism fair at IMM on Saturday and invited mandopop singer Jolin Tsai and director Wu Nien-Jen down to say a few nice things about the place. Naturally, it was a good opportunity for me to practice a bit of event photography so I was down there with my 70-200mm trying to take some good stage shots. Other than having lots of fun taking photos, it was a real pity I didn’t understand a word as the whole event was in Mandarin! She’s got a huge goodie bag/prize with her! So, who will be The One to win it? According to wifey, Jolin is really famous and warned me to expect a big crowd. To be honest, I’ve never heard any of her songs before but I can see why she’s so popular among teeny-boppers. And, if they had really wanted to bring someone famous from Taiwan down, they should have invited Lin Chi Ling instead! I mean, who is this director Wu guy anyway. Haha… Can some kind soul translate what’s on the card for me? Click on the image below for a larger version. Gracefully answering tons of questions from the emcee. And from the audience too. Come Visit Taiwan, OK? >< Photography notes:
Popularity: 68% [?] Touted as the largest observation wheel (can I still call it ferris wheel?) in the world at 165m high, the Singapore Flyer is certainly a sight to behold especially if you’re standing underneath it. Today marked the official opening of the Flyer although it has been in operation since Chinese New Year. Little did anyone realise (I certainly didn’t), that there would be fireworks during the event. Just as I was setting up my tripod to capture the wheel, the fireworks started; and miracle of miracles, I managed to press the shutter in time to capture the first burst. All in all, the whole display lasted only a couple of minutes, but I felt that it was much better than the NDP07 fireworks show. It begins! It’s almost a full moon. I love those blue streaks shooting inwards towards the spoke. Plus the beautiful showers of light shooting out from the capsules. After shooting the fireworks, we proceeded to have dinner at Popeye’s, where they serve pretty nice burgers and fries. Price per set meal is between $6 to $8 and is probably the most affordable eatery at the place. Today, we also made an amazing discovery that Ashley knows how to dip her fries into tomato sauce before eating them! Not only that, she is also turning out to be quite a budding photographer as we took turns taking pictures underneath the Flyer after dinner. Granted everything was nicely set up on a tripod, but it was still cute watching her peep into the view finder while she repeatedly pressed the shutter release button. This one was taken by Ashley! The night ended on a bit of a damper because when we finally got around to buying tickets, we were told that the next available ride was only at 11pm. That put a spanner in our plans but I guess we’ll return another day when the crowd is smaller. See if you can spot the long queue. When all else fails, there’s always the toy store. Build-A-Bear Workshop
Popularity: 44% [?] It was a fun-filled IslandHope party to celebrate New Year’s Eve and say good-bye to 2007 in the company of close friends. As usual, there was lots of food to go around (pancakes, ice cream, chips – all staple food of the modern generation), followed by watching a powerful drama depicting the triumph of the human spirit that really puts one in a reflective mood (Balls of Fury), then partying on the Wii (how come that Mario is in every game I have!?) and finally watching fireworks from the top floor of the next block (the grass is always greener…). When I look back at 2007, I feel really blessed and happy to have become such good friends with all the IslandHopies. This is what doing life is all about!
Happy New Year everyone and welcome to 2008! May God shower his blessings upon you this year and bring you joy and fruitfulness in all areas of your life – health, family, job, relationships, ministry, etc. P.S. Anyone who can guess the manga that inspired the latest IslandHope Diaries “comic” gets a free lunch/dinner from me! Popularity: 63% [?] Christmas is a really colourful holiday in Singapore. Every year without fail, major shopping malls along the Orchard Road belt would try to outstage each other in terms of who can put up the most unique and interesting Christmas decorations. For parents, there’s good news to add to the festive cheer – the obligatory santa aside, some malls have gone the extra mile to organise really interesting events that are bound to thrill the kids. Here are two that we’ve stumbled across. Moonlit Christmas by The River Catch live ice-skating performances by championship winning skaters from Australia everyday at The Central@Clarke Quay (showtimes available by clicking on this link). The theme of the week was Moon River. After each performance, if you present the organisers with a receipt from any of the shops there, you can take on-the-spot ice skating lessons from the same performers. When I went, there were a lot of kids who just couldn’t get enough of the lessons. And, here’s a very interesting tip I picked up – if you ever find your hands on the ice after falling down for example, remember to clench your fists as fingers that are sticking out might get sliced off should someone accidentally skate over them! Even though the stage of ice was pretty small, these 4 skaters still managed to dazzle the crowd. Outside the mall facing Clarke Quay, there’s a big Christmas tree that’s a great spot for taking photos.
On Fridays and Saturdays, and on Christmas Eve, there are carolling performances around the tree in the evenings. One of the best trees I’ve seen so far because the entire frame of the tree itself is made up of lights. For the more adventurous, there’s always the good ol’ G-Max ride that’s bound to lift your spirits, literally. The ride has proven so popular that a second capsule has recently been added. The height of the G-Max capsule after what must’ve been 3 oscillations. An Olde Worlde Christmas Apart from Centerpoint, Tanglin Mall traditionally has one of the best Christmas decorations. This year’s theme, as the title implies, includes replicas of European style log cabins giving the place a very traditional and rustic feel.
At 7pm and 8pm every day outside Tanglin Mall, artifical snow generators will produce an avalanche for 15 minutes. Some kids come really well prepared for this with swimsuits and goggles on. Ok, the goggles bit was just a joke but not the swimsuits! Everyone say together now – Foam Party! Pity you can’t make snowballs with this “snow”! This is followed by another 15 minutes of falling snow. My camera indirectly had a very good cleaning after taking all these photos. Ashley thrilled with seeing strange stuff falling from the sky. Can’t wait to let her see real snow one day. And also maybe stay in a real log cabin with a fireplace to boot! Ok, that’s it! If anyone knows of other great places to bring kids for Christmas and New Year, just pop your suggestions in the comments. Merry Christmas in advance everyone and God Bless! Popularity: 13% [?] My arm… hurts. Yesterday, Zhiyi and I had a blast of a time playing with Ming’s new Nintendo Wii set. Together with other visitors like Livi, Geena, Merv and Sherry, we competed with each other in various Wii Sports games like tennis, bowling, boxing and fishing. Just like my first Nintendo set (NES Famicom from the late 80s if anyone remembers), Nintendo has yet again revolutionised the console gaming market with their hallmark motion sensing controls that use an ingenious blend of technology and interactivity. Simply put, being able to swing your arms around and see that translate to your Mii’s (Nintendo-speak for in-game character) movements truly puts the fun in fun. How not to play with a Wii – letting immersive gaming go to far! You can hold a Wii controller like a tennis racket – single or double handed. Need to tell the nutcase on the left that Karate Kid hasn’t been released for the Wii. At the end of the whole gaming session, I heard the unthinkable – Wifey remarking if we should get one too! Whoa, need to blog this down (thinking of Christmas). Popularity: 20% [?] Ashley would like to remember how much sacrifices mummy made to raise and take care of her. How mummy was so excited when she first realised she was carrying little Ashley in her tummy. How she watched her diet and got lots of rest so that Ashley would grow up healthily. How mummy suffered for 9 months without complaining to make sure Ashley came out into the world a happy and bouncing baby. How mummy ensured that Ashley had lots of milk to drink and toys to play with. How mummy would carry and hug Ashley to sleep at night. How mummy rushed home from work early everyday to play with Ashley. How mummy would sing and talk to Ashley and read her story books. Ashley really feels like the most precious baby in the world when she is with mummy! Spending the afternoon out at Botanical Gardens. Ashley loves posing for photos! Today Ashley received two fresh red roses from church. And, Ashley got to wear her new white summer dress bought by daddy INK. Needless to say, Ashley was all ready to strut her stuff!
Like mother like daughter. Ashley would like to wish all mums Happy Mother’s Day!!! I love you mum! Popularity: 8% [?] As another one of our care group’s traditions, we try to visit each others houses every year. This year, Joseph’s (him being one of the newest HopeIslanders) and Andrew’s (going to move out soon because of EN-BLOC *kaching*!) houses were chosen. One in the east and one in the west. The day started out well enough and the whole Kwok family was in high spirits. Ashley looked gorgeous in her purple cheongsam and pink rubber strap-on shoes. She also had a furry piggy sling bag which she decided soon enough upon leaving the house that it got in the way of her balancing properly. The bag was promptly passed on to her mum to carry. Before today, one of my ang moh colleagues actually asked me why we give two oranges to people we visit only to take two oranges back when we leave. Firstly, he really calls himself ang moh so I take it that he is not offended by that piece of colloquialism. And secondly, that’s quite a logical question and it had me stumped for a few days. To him, giving two oranges only to take the same number back was in effect doing something with no net effect, i.e. it’s as good as not bringing anything in the first place. Alas, being a banana (yellow on the outside, white on the inside) that is out of touch with my Chinese roots, I’m equally intrigued as to the symbolism or superstition behind this simple gesture. If anyone reading this post knows the meaning behind why we exchange oranges, do leave a comment. My ang moh colleague thanks you in advance for your explanation. Babies don’t concern themselves with such trivial matters. They just want to look cute and collect ang pows. This year’s CNY also proved to be a very wet one. Merv was so drenched after sharing his umbrella with Juergen that he had to go home just to change his clothes. I can still remember laughing inside at his explanation about how his foldable umbrella was not designed to offer protection to more than one big stout German. Rain rain go away, come again another day… For half the CG, we eventually made it to Joseph’s place and got to enjoy some very delicious porridge with chicken and fish fillets. The food was pretty good and it’s a pity my stomach was already quite full from lunch before that. Christian eventually had the honour of bringing home the packed leftovers which I’m sure he will enjoy very much as it is not something that easy found in Stuttgart. There’s nothing like bonding over good food and Coke. Another group photo at Joseph’s house before setting out. No peanuts are safe with a curious baby around! The first batch of us arrived at Andrew’s place and we were promptly joined by half of the remaining HopeIslanders including special guests Kaidy and Dave from Sydney. Chris also joined us prompting Reina to ask loudly in jest on whether this was a unit outing. First time I’ve seen that kind of sense of humour from Reina! Andrew’s place was very nice and cozy and had a total of 4 floors, each staggered halfway into the other. There was also an indoor pond cum fountain placed on one side of the living room and a piano opposite it. Halfway through, we heard classical piano music coming from upstairs, causing a few of us to discuss whether that was from a CD player or from someone playing the piano.
Our final destination of the day was not to visit another house but to visit Ming in the hospital. Ming was very unfortunate to have his abdominal pains misdiagnosed by the first doctor he visited, causing him to bear with it since Friday, before finally checking into Alexandria Hospital on Sunday to discover that his appendix had ruptured. When I was young, I used to hear horror stories of how people with ruptured appendices would die when toxins enter the bloodstream. So, I must say Ming is also very blessed to have been operated on in time to clean up the toxins. It was also down to quick thinking from his mum that prevented his condition from deteriorating any further. Knowing how tough Ming is, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had tried to put up with the pain for even longer. The sign says “No Food & Drink”. Wonder what Ming is going to do with the gargantuan apple given by Kaidy. For those who don’t know Ming well, he is also an avid blogger and photographer. So despite feeling weak and in pain, he could still muster up enough strength to smile and pose for the camera. Get well soon bro! Hospital Drama King and Queen Finally, after the exhaustion of travelling to so many places, a few of us made our way down to Holland V to have dinner. Zhiyi, me, Ashley, Mylene, Gab, Juergen, Joseph, Andrew and Merv ended the day with some nice conversation about cars over burgers and, yes, Coke. Popularity: 20% [?] Every year around mid to late September when the moon is full, people in Singapore would celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival or Mooncake Festival by eating mooncakes and carrying around brightly lit lanterns (the latter being especially popular with children). This festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, hence the oddity of celebrating an “Autumn” festival in September. However, lest you think the Chinese are weird, did you know that the Germans celebrate Oktoberfest in September as well? What can I say, September is a popular month! Anyway, last Friday (6th Oct) our CG decided to do something outdoors for a change and, just nice, CG day happened to coincide with the Mid Autumn Lantern Carnival held at Chinese Gardens. Traditional Chinese superstitions aside, it was a good time for our CG to do life together and have fun looking at the bright displays (a huge hurrah from all the photographers and bloggers in IslandHope!). Accessibility wise, did you know that Chinese Gardens has two entrances called the East Entrance and West Entrance? The East Entrance is about a 100-200m walk away from Chinese Gardens MRT whereas the West Entrance is suitable for those driving due to an adjoining huge carpark. However, in order to get to the West Entrance, one has to first drive along a very long and narrow road; and on busy nights like this, traffic can be very slow moving. In fact, almost half of our taxi fare was due to the jam on that road! In retrospect, it would’ve been much smarter to alight at the MRT station instead. Ashley’s first visit to Chinese Garden. She doesn’t look too happy at being out in the haze. We were very fortunate to bump into Tiger when we arrived as he was pretty much near the head of the queue. On the other hand, Guppy, Andrew, Merv and Pris, who were queueing at the East Entrance, had to wait in line for more than 20 minutes! Thank God we didn’t have to queue as Ashley would’ve gotten very restless! (As you can see, I’m trying to console myself for paying so much in taxi fare). We’re in! That’s the famous White Rainbow Bridge in the background. According to Tiger, today was supposed to be the last day of the “Wonders of the World” lantern display but due to its popularity, the event was extended until Sunday. Still, the large crowd that turned up contributed significantly to the festive atmosphere, giving the place a lively buzz. Looks like a lot of people decided to brave the haze too! Insects and Mushrooms The first lantern structures to greet us upon crossing the bridge was this long row of insect and plant lanterns set up along the edge of the lake. These ones were quite a hit with families as many parents and kids (including us!) could be seen jostling for room to pose with them. Ashley oblivious to the giant green caterpillar munching on a leaf. Tiger managing to keep Ashley still long enough for me to take this beautiful well-lit shot. For the occasion, we also bought Ashley a mini battery operated lantern from Tiong Bahru Plaza. It had pictures of cows on it, which we thought was quite appropriate for her. Ashley examining her mini-lantern. It’s a pity that such nice scenery and cool weather had to be marred by the haze and its acrid smell. In fact, while talking to Peishan the next day, she described how haze particles were actually visible in some of her photos! I could sit on the grass and just stare at this scenery the whole night. The Leaning Tower of Pisa Here is a rare picture with me in it! The only thing “leaning” in this picture is the photographer! The Taj Mahal Got this idea from Merv: a young couple caught slipping away from the crowd to pause and admire the beautiful palace before them. How romantic! A fairy tale moment. Another view of the Taj Mahal behind the leaves of a tree. Three belly dancers in front of the Taj Mahal display. Panda Bears Did you know that I used to love panda bears especially that Tarepanda cartoon character? These guys are just as cute! The pandas I mean… Bloggers from IslandHope and Chris’ CG posing with a couple of high-voltage pandas. Water Lilies The next display was very nice – water lily lanterns floating in the middle of the lake.
If anybody wants the large originals of the following photos to use as desktop wallpaper, just let me know!
The Eiffel Tower Here’s another great exhibit, if only because it must have taken a lot of effort to light so many crossbeams! The height wasn’t too shabby either, evident by the trouble I had fitting it and my CG folks into the same photo. Ashley, Mylene and Zhiyi. MC, Andrew, Pris and Tiger. Spinning Dragon Globe Here’s an IslandHope group pic in front of a strange moving display with many dragons. I have no idea what it symbolizes but I can imagine that it’ll make a pretty groovy disco ball if hung upside-down.
The Pagoda
Due to the fact that we had to rush off, there were many other “wonders” that we didn’t get to see like the Sphinx, Blue Mosque and Great Wall. Nonetheless, I’m already looking forward to next year’s lantern festival and whether the organizers can improve on an already great theme. Plus, Ashley will also be old enough to carry around a lantern instead of putting it in her mouth! Popularity: 14% [?] |
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