Random Musings

Grateful for miracles

2009-05-16T13:23:00.008+08:00

Life has a tendency to remind you of things once in a while. This time around, it was an in-your-face reminder of how everything can be turned upside down in just a matter of seconds... I almost lost the lynch -pin of my life.

My wife is a very lucky woman. Not only did she survive a very bad frontal crash that resulted in my 1400kg SUV going airborne over the road divider, she survived landing on the bonnet of another car heading the opposite direction and got hit by one or perhaps even more cars on the side as they tried to avoid the wrecks. Aside from some cuts, bruises and a bad bump on the head, she's basically fine and was able to walk on the first day of her hospitalisation! Thank god it was a NCAP star-rated vehicle. Pity its now a total wreck. Thank you for keeping my wife safe.

It was another miracle that was that no one else was hurt. The wife had just dropped off my 2 1/2 year old daughter and maid at home. The damage to the passenger side where her child seat was was "catastrophic" (in the words of one of my colleagues). I don't think I can ever live through the loss of my only child. The driver of the car which my SUV landed on had a bruised chest caused by his airbag. The others suffered from nothing more than a scare-of-the-lives. If there were angels on duty that Tuesday, they were all looking out for us.

We owe many people. The good samaritan who somehow got my number and called me. The off-duty ambulance that just happened to be passing by and stopped for the wife (they refused to collect any fees as they were off-duty). The Police and DBKL folks that assisted in the rescue and clean-up operations. The hospital staff and crew, especially those at the ER. The consultants and specialists that looked at my wife. My colleagues, family and friends that quickly swung in to lend support and cover my work. My parents who rushed up from Singapore. And I'm sure there will be more to come.

The headaches are not over. The Police have charged my wife for careless driving. A comparatively light charge which I am grateful for. But there's still the insurance company, which hasn't been all that easy to deal with so far. They want to know why my wife lost control. The problem is that she doesn't remember a thing. The Neurologist already warned me that she may never will. If they insist, I don't know how long it will be before I can get my claim. And its clear I will not get the full value back so it will be a big hole in my wallet. One that is made more unpleasant in a year of pay cuts and low/no bonuses. My car was just six months old and the depreciation for new cars is hefty. Moreover, it took five-months for me to get the keys of the tax-exempt vehicle from the date I placed my order. A replacement will take just as long. I may be car-less in Malaysia for at least 6-months. Not a pleasant prospect. At least I have my wife to suffer this with me by my side. Thank god for that. :)

I know she still has nightmares about what happened last week. I hear them when she sleeps. The emotional scars will take time to heal. But nothing calms me more than feeling her warmth beside me and seeing her sleeping by my side even if it can be somewhat restless sleep. And I know it calms her to know that I'm by her side too. She complains of sudden vertigo and sharp pains. We were told that these are "normal", given her injuries. These will take time to heal.

Thank you to everyone for everything.

Farewell old girl

2009-02-15T23:10:00.003+08:00

You've kept me company for six years. Rest in peace. (Picture: Paula when she was six months old)

"Cowards"

2008-11-30T00:07:00.004+08:00

I am sad and angry. This time round, one of us has paid the price. I don't know Ms Lo Hwei Yen personally. But this time, its personal.

I fully agree with Singapore The New Paper's Ken Jalleh Jr. He had called the terrorists "cowards". What hit home the hardest was his point that in each terrorist attack it had always been numbers (deaths and injuries) that were the first to be tossed up and “So we wind up mourning quantity rather than people; we may sympathise, but we are largely detached. That was so of the Mumbai attacks, too – until yesterday. NOW suddenly, there is a face to the massacre – a face made familiar and personal by nationality. Suddenly Mumbai is not that far away. Now it has hit home.”

My deepest condolences to all the victims of the Mumbai attacks, and especially to the loved ones that Ms Lo left behind. She will always be remembered.

Selamat Hari Raya!

2008-10-01T11:04:00.001+08:00

To all my Muslim friends all around the world, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

Roo @ Two

2008-09-28T00:53:00.003+08:00

How time flies... I became a father two years ago and life has certainly changed much since! :) Its a challenge trying to juggle everything but I've been blessed with Roo and her wonderful mommy. We were just fooling around with our second camera body (a brand new D90) when she stepped out of the study, after apparently finding the Proton cap I got from its 3rd Millionth Car celebration and donning it. Its days like this that remind me that kids grow really fast and one should treasure every minute of it.

Thousand apologies

2008-09-04T09:42:00.005+08:00

Its been nearly a year since this blog was updated. My apologies for that. As some of you may be aware, I've been reassigned from Singapore to Malaysia. This is my second foreign assignment... and it somehow doesn't feel as exciting as my first (Manila). But then again, KL is familar ground although I must say that it has been far more exciting (and busy) that I had expected. I arrived just before the March GE and the rest is a long story. :)

Changes are in store for Malaysia. The pre-GE status quo can no longer exist. Where I come from, change is a constant force we deal with... but since we acknowledge that its constant, we take it in smaller doses (like a 2% hike in sale tax?! :p) However, all changes entail pain and adjustment. I just wish all my Malaysian friends that this will be as painless as possible. I wish all of you luck!

Before I part, let me share one pic I took during my recent visit to Permatang Pauh... Classic example of how some people just don't consult with others over the significance of their actions or if they did, thier people have stopped thinking through their actions more thoroughly. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come.

Diving in Anilao, Philippines

2007-10-16T01:41:00.001+08:00

Had a few more days after the trip to Japan. Decided to use the time for a short visit to the Philippines to check in on Steph's family. :) All's well on that front. Pretty impressed by Mom Luz's embrace of IT! Manila's pretty much the same way as I'd left it. The crowds at Ayala Center/Greenbelt have thinned... probably due to newer joints and hangout places emerging in the competing Fort area. And the renovations to Greenbelt One haven't helped. I hope they keep the chapel in the middle of old GB1 though.

Didn't really have much time to visit all my old shopping haunts... but I did pass by the Luk Yuen and the link between Ayala Center and Park Square One... the same place that an explosive device went off a week later, killing 11 and wounding dozens :(. The Rajah Solaiman Group has claimed responsibility and the police have downplayed them again, preferring to implicate the ASG and MILF. Ostrich-in-sand reaction again? Like I said, despite the economy being in better shape since I've left, nothing much has changed in the Philippines beneath the veneer of new buildings and new names in the Senate/Congress. :(

Anyway, this post is not about politics and my personal views. Managed to squeeze in a short dive trip to Anilao... glad to say that its still in pretty good condition, unlike the much overdived Dayang/Aur sites. Took the chance to try out a new camera/strobe combination after a friend flooded my old stobe. This is Steph's second dive trip and I must say she's gotten a lot better. Looking forward to more dive trips! Here are the pics taken from a panasonic fx30 (with u/w case of course!) and Sea & Sea YS110 strobe:

Dive Trip - Anilao 12102007

Japan

2007-10-10T23:43:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the disappearance from the blogging scene. Been busy with life... the usual. As some of you may already know, I'm headed for some major changes - particularly a new overseas assignment. But thanks to these new assignment, I had the opportunity to clear some leave and get some much needed R&R. :)

Anyway, the Stephie and I decided to use the leave for a vacation in Japan. It was a really good trip :) Loved the place. Contrary to expectations, Japan wasn't that expensive. In fact, I discovered that digital cameras and made-in-Japan hifi electronics were significantly cheaper than in Singapore. The mark-up from local distributors (whom I shall not name) for a popular brand of hifi tweaks was apparently nearly 60% - and this is based on Japanese retail (albeit Akihibara prices)!

Visit Kyoto as well. Lovely shrines. Stayed in a family-run Ryokan in a town off Kyoto called Inari. Its was good to get away from the hustle and bustle of big cities... Inari was a perfect getaway. Here's a pic of the family we stayed with... a Mother-Daughter team.

Many more pics can be found at my picasa album at

Trip to Japan - Oct 07

Happy 1st Birthday Ginger!

2007-09-16T02:00:00.000+08:00

Ginger turned One on 8 Sep 2007. Daddy was going to be overseas in Sydney, Australia then so we decided to celebrate her birthday twice - an early celebration with family and after I got back with friends. Lucky girl!

Weekend Retreat with Colleagues

2007-03-19T02:06:00.000+08:00

Its funny how we spend so much time in the office and then end up spending an evening together on a weekend. Anyway, this was quasi-office and it turned out much better than I had expected. The Cruise was relaxing... (Steph and I went on one not too long ago so there was little novelty for me) but the food was great. We ended up catching "Just Follow Law" after.

It was a so-so movie. Started off really funny but when the souls changed body, that was where things went downhill for me.

(Shot on right was taken at the Tapas Tree at Clarke Quay - I'd recommend it. Good tapas generally but try the quid ink paella. Smile!)

2007-03-10T22:21:00.000+08:00

Little Ginger and her daddy.

2007-03-10T22:18:00.000+08:00

Ginger with her Moo-my in Tagaytay. Gotta love those sunflowers!

Night Safari

2007-02-11T01:04:00.000+08:00

I hadn't been to the Night Safari for at least two years now so when some discounted tickets came my way, Steph and I decided to drop by the Night Safari. Arrived just in time for the fire eating act... here's a sampling of a few shots.

(As usual, more pics can be found on my Picasa Web Album.)

Housewarming!

2007-01-30T09:42:00.000+08:00

After 4 months of hard work, dirt, dust grime and nearly bankrupting ourselves, our little home is ready! Invitations to our housewarming party have already been sent out. Thanks to all of you who have responded.

As some of you have suggested (good idea, thanks) a gift registry, we've posted one up here. Gifts are purely voluntary for our housewarming though. Just bring your empty stomachs (and your good spirits!). For those of you who intend to get something from the list, just leave you comments below. Lets see how this works. :)

But seriously, gifts are optional. Besides, Steph really should be drinking too much Alcohol! :p

Note: Someone has already volunteered to get the Jamie Oliver cookbooks. The rice cooker's also already taken.

Megan Meets Ginger

2006-12-08T00:12:00.000+08:00

Went out for dinner with Megan's mommy and daddy at Vil'age @ Heeren. Megan had a new doll to play with and The Little One obviously didn't mind. ;)

The Little One @ Three

2006-12-03T00:18:00.000+08:00

Shot of The Little One, taken just a week shy of her third month. Its amazing how babies can still look so cute even in those deer-in-the headlights shots. :p

My Tarot Card

2006-11-29T11:20:00.000+08:00

Friend of mine had posted this on her blog. Thought I'd try it out to see what sort of Tarot Card would represent me.

Its says I'm "The Sun". Interesting eh? Although I have absolutely no idea where the "feelings of youthful energy" went to... I'm certainly not feeling them in me now. :) I'm so looking forward to my 2-week break.

You are The Sun

Happiness, Content, Joy.

The meanings for the Sun are fairly simple and consistent.

Young, healthy, new, fresh. The brain is working, things that were muddled come clear, everything falls into place, and everything seems to go your way.

The Sun is ruled by the Sun, of course. This is the light that comes after the long dark night, Apollo to the Moon's Diana. A positive card, it promises you your day in the sun. Glory, gain, triumph, pleasure, truth, success. As the moon symbolized inspiration from the unconscious, from dreams, this card symbolizes discoveries made fully consciousness and wide awake. You have an understanding and enjoyment of science and math, beautifully constructed music, carefully reasoned philosophy. It is a card of intellect, clarity of mind, and feelings of youthful energy.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Ten days in Hanoi

2006-11-25T01:16:00.000+08:00

At some point in time of your life, you will do something that becomes a tale or story that you tell you children when they grow older... My ten days in Hanoi was one. The team worked hard for this one.
The stakes were high and we had set ambitious targets. At the end of 10 long days, we got them all. Sure it was hard fought, with some competitors playing high politics and driving hard bargains... and within the team, as sleep deprivation and the strains of illnesses take their toll, tempers flared and friendships strained... but this is what we live for.
The Story? I got to see first hand how some of the most powerful men and women in the world thought, what drove them and saw how they functioned under strain. It was a humbling experience being in the presence of these great minds. At the same time, you become more aware that these are people too.
And for Vietnam? They did a darn good job of showing all of us that they are on the way forward. We all know about China. But watch her little southern neighbour. It won't be long before this new tiger joins the ranks of the others. These are hardworking people with drive and energy that we see less and less in Singapore. Hungry people with a shared vision. I know of many other countries who have "hungry" people. Few of these have a common sense of direction. That's the difference.

To view the rest of the photos from this trip (I wasn't there to take photos to please excuse the quality of the shots), click on this link (or the link on the right): http://picasaweb.google.com/wallysmusings/HanoiNov2006

Ginger's 1 month old!

2006-10-07T01:56:00.000+08:00

All seems well with Ginger... except for her habit of being wide awake and irritable around 11pm - 2am.

Despite this, its so far so good... it isn't exactly a piece of cake looking after an infant... but thank goodness its not like what some people have made it out to be. :)

This pic was taken 2 weeks ago. Trust us, she almost always sleeps like this! :p

Temptation

2006-09-24T02:05:00.000+08:00

Was in Danang, Vietnam for business shortly after Ginger was born. It was a really hectic time for me and I have to admit that I could have been better prepared for the trip. The resort had jacked up the prices because we were a captive crowd. Thank goodness my employer's paying for this one.

No complaints about the choice of venue for the conference though. EXCEPT for the fact that, our schedule was so packed that none of the 200+ delegates had time to enjoy the wonderful facilities! Check out the empty pools and deck chairs.

Duty, honour and country. I shall not complain.

(Pls check out the pics from the trip on my public photo album. You can find the link on the right)

Little Ginger's out!

2006-09-12T23:39:00.000+08:00

After nine long months, little Ginger has decided to come into this world at 1311hrs on 8 September 2006! Thank heavens the delivery went well. No complications. In fact, things went smooter than expected.

Thanks to Dr Dolly Wee and the staff at Our Lady Ward, Mt Alvernia hospital for Ginger's smotth entry into this world and for putting Stephie on the quick road to recovery. And it was such a coincidence that the paediatrician assigned to Ginger was the same one assigned to my nephew, Troven. Think of the odds. :)

Of course, this means less time for daddy to play WOW, scuba dive and take photos (of course, Daddy may end up flooding his portfolio with Ginger pics). :)

Dopod 838 Pro

2006-09-07T09:31:00.000+08:00

My apologies for not blogging in a while. Work's been heavy and I've also been spending more time with my wife. Ginger's due anytime now (official date 9 Sep) but Steph's gynae says that its ok if the baby comes out a week or two before or after that date. Well, the "before" part is almost over! Another possiblity is that Ginger may have been conceived in San Francisco instead of New York (and hence, two weeks later) :p

Anyway, this blog is about another baby of mine - the Dopod 838 Pro. I've been a loyal Palm fan for ages... but 3rd party software support has been dwindling and my Treo 650, while a great PDA/Phone, has become very unstable. The spontaneous resets and dropped calls were becomming more frequent, even after two trips to M1 to get the firmware reset.

Comex came last week... and I took the chance to pick up the 838Pro (with Steph's blessing of course!). Disappointed that there were no special offers but I managed to work out a deal that included a 1gb micro SD card, the really cool and useful namecard scanning software, two screen protectors and a silicon case for the retail price of S$1398. Here are my thoughts on my new baby one week later (which I had emailed to SK recently):-

The 838 pro is surprisingly stable. Not sure where all the net reports of instablity are coming from but I've never had it hang in the week or so that I've been using it. This is on top of installing one GUI shell (Pocketbreeze) and replacing the WM5 task/calendar with something more robust from a 3rd party (Pocket Informant). Speed is also good (faster than my Treo) and more stable (no more spontaneous resets)!

Sound is much more clear and crisp, but lacks bass (hey, its a phone!), than the Treo. It supports AD2P bluetooth stereo tho I've not tried it out yet. Regular Bluetooth connections are much faster and less buggy than my Treo. More importantly, call volume and quality is probably one of the best I've ever heard. Possibly as good as the Nokia 8250 of days gone by. :)

Having said that, I still think the Palm interface is more evolved. Simple tasks like calling up a number and dialling it is one-hand friendly for the Treo. You can also sms with one hand for the Treo. This is something u can't do for WM5 devices without downloading a 3rd party software (Tengo). This, imo, is an OS issue - akin to the Win vs Mac debate. Windows is always crude and raw. Needs 3rd party support and time to become a polished protect (lets hope Vista changes all of that but I'm not optimistic. Vista is also going to be far too expensive to be worth the upgrade from XP). But that's the beauty of it. The 3rd party refinements add individuality.

One negative comment though - The sliding keyboard mechanism and stylus holder has gotten noticeably looser now. Its still far from slipping out but to me, a change in the tactile feel of the keyboard sliding mechanism and stylus holder should not happen at all. Understandably this is a wear and tear issue... but one week? (this is an issue that is reported elsewhere on the net too so its not just me.) Also, the Y key on the keyboard is stiffer than the rest. Perhaps I'm too exacting but I see this as a another build quality issue.

Having said all that, the third party software support is great and I am happy with the phone hardware. Wondering why I hadn't moved to WM5 earlier. The 838 pro is more of a platform shift to me (the Treo 700w/wx is not available here) and so far, the Dopod 838pro has been the perfect vehicle to make this platform transition.

(PS - Crappy pic above was taken with a Motorola v3x.)

Babies

2006-08-18T01:06:00.000+08:00

Took the chance to review my photo albums yesterday when a friend of mine asked for the link. Had to clear out some pictures to make more space (Picasa Albums is still in beta and the allocated space is limited - I'm still sticking to it for its speed and ease of use).

Just realised that since I started becoming more "serious" in photography, I've ended up taking more baby shots that I intended. I just love kids. ;) They are so spontaneous... so cute -> good photographic materials. Of course, I do have event-shoots... like the one I did for Helios Models and lots of other events I did for work (which due to disclosure agreements, I can't publicise)... but I enjoy shooting kids most.

Here's one spontaneous shot I took a friend's place. Some of the guys and their families who worked with me in New York gathered at Alex's place one Sunday for lunch... We were eating when someone pointed out what the kids were doing...

Don't you love kids? :)

(More pics at my photo albums - pls click on link on the right side)

Ok. I give up :)

2006-08-02T16:08:00.000+08:00

Ok. I give up. I can't figure out why the pictures from the last two posts show up on some computers and not others. They don't show up on mine, despite having the photos on my local harddrive.

Anyway, I've decided to make all the albums public. I've also changed my gallery's name after realising that my links reveal my real name :) Small matter really. I have nothing to hide. In fact, I'd be flattered by the interest in knowing me. :p

Pls go to http://picasaweb.google.com/wallysmusings if you want to view the full albums from now on. One stop address. Easier for everyone. :)

Dinner with the UNGA Family

2006-07-22T01:20:00.000+08:00

Mr E was in town (after taking a break from his job in New Delhi) and it was a good opportunity for the 60th UNGA gang to get together... complete with their families :). Dinner was good. Seafood at Jumbo Restaurant in Riverwalk Galleria. Loved the chilli crab.

Things have certainly moved on since we parted ways in Dec 2005. Since then, I got married and a daughter is on her way. KY is expecting his second child. By Dec 2006, we would have six kids in our number. I think we deserve a big pat on the back for not only serving our country on an 8:30am-to-6pm basis (plus many more hours of OT!) but also doing our part in alleviating the nation's population problem. (Caption: Not only are our nation's leaders perplexed, the kids don't know what to do as well :) ).

Time certainly does fly... and in barely three months, the next batch will leave for New York for the 61st UNGA. I wish them all the best and hope that they can leave with not just the experience of a lifetime working with the very best in the UN, but also with the kinship that I enjoyed. Good luck!

(PS: The shot above wasn't taken by me for obvious reasons :). Those of you at the dinner can download the pics from by photo albums. Pls click on the link on the right side of this blog.)

Troven goes to Ikea

2006-07-21T23:52:00.000+08:00

It was the start of Ikea's annual sale today so we brought mom and Troven to Ikea. Didn't really buy anything but it was a good chance to look at some design ideas for the new home that's coming up.

Anyway, we left Troven at the kids play area while we went around. It looks like he had lots of fun while we where gone. :)
(Troven's mummy can view the pics from the outing at Picasa Albums from the link on the right)

Lunch with Megan

2006-07-20T01:34:00.000+08:00

This week's theme is definitely "Kids". With two more months before Steph gives birth, its time for us new parents to get as much information from all those who have "been there", "done that" or "are still doing it". :)

Its been a while since I've seen Megan so when we learnt that Megan was going to the libary (clever gal!), we tagged along. Met up in the children's section (where else?!) and saw her happily running around among the books. Megan's a smart kid. Speaks excellent english (for a one-plus year old) although she speaks only in the royal third person... and always in affirmative, commanding sentences like "Megan sit", "Megan go there" or "Megan hungry, go eat". Such is life. We work for bosses who kick us around in order to raise kids who boss us about. Oh well... its sure worth it when one's boss has a smile like this one. :)

See you around Megan! You'll have a new playmate in a couple of months... lets hope the two princessess can get along!

(PS Megan's mommy can get all the pics for that afternoon from Picasa Albums from the link on the right)

Photosharing

2006-07-06T07:04:00.000+08:00

I've been receiving emails asking when the shots from my first ever photoshoot were ready. My apologies Helios! I'm a real newbie when it comes to photography... I'm really just feeling my way around... and post-processing the shots were such a pain. Anyway, I decided to go for DxO for the basic image correction work and Picasa for the croping, resizing and posting aspect. I recommend both for ease of use and speed (esp if you have dual core PC!). However, I feel that the real pros will still prefer Photoshop. I can see why.

Picasa invited me a few weeks back to try out its new photo sharing service - Picasa Web. So why not? My first impressions - Its much faster than the others I've tried... including Flicker and Multiply (which I think is horribly clumsy for photo sharing). I also love the way it integrates into Picasa. Makes life so much easier for me. In short, I LIKE IT! I'll still post "event" photos to this blog site... but the art shots will go to Picasa Web.

I've uploaded two albums to the site, one of stray cats around my block (see earlier blog entry) and another on the Helios shoot on 1 Jul. Once again, my thanks to Lydia for helping put the shoot together and making space for a newbie like me and to all the models who bore with me while I learnt the basics. Thanks esp to Amber and Valerie who at some points, were even teaching me what to shoot! :p Special thanks to "old bird" John (pictured), who helped guide me with the basics.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Walter.Chia

Would love to work with Helios again... but I don't think my wife will be too happy about more bikini shoots! :p

(From left to right: Mel, Lydia, Asleigh, Lydia, Christina, Amber, Val and Valerie)

Enjoy the pics!

(PS. While I have full rights to the images, please respect Helios and the models themselves by not passing the shots around. Thanks!)

2006-06-22T22:15:00.000+08:00

Nikon 60mm f2.8D Macro lens

Got hold of the above lens from eBay on Wednesday and couldn't wait to try it out. I've always loved macro and flower shots. Was contemplating a 105mm VR Macro but those are very expensive and there are few on the second hand market. Anyway, I figured that the 60mm could also double as a portrait prime lens. The Bokeh's nice on this one.

Anyway, here are my first few attempts:- First pic: shot of multi-coloured "crinkles". An old friend made me a bottle of these when we parted ways after JC. I've always kept the bottle. Gifts like these are priceless.

Second pic: Another gfit from a long-time friend. Its from Ann, I think. Its only inch high but I've always found it cute. Love the attempt at anatomical accuracy.

Third pic: My watch. Cheap and beat-up but trusty and reliable Seiko Kinetic. As long as I wear it and move, it will move.

2006-06-21T20:30:00.000+08:00

Retlaw is 60!

After many months of hard grinding, questing and just being around, Retlaw is now level 60. He is now considered a "matured" character... ready to take on the "real" instances and quests... The first page of the next chapter on WOW unfolds for him...

Congratulations Retlaw! Now if only you could change your looks.... :p

2006-06-20T23:54:00.000+08:00

Penny wise, Pound Foolish (Warning: R18 post)

I made a mistake 3 years ago when I first got Polo and Paula. I had decided that since I was going to get Polo neutered, there was no need to spay Paula. For one, I just thought that if one of them cannot reproduce, then my problem was solved. Secondly, neutering was a relatively cheaper procedure than spaying.
3 years on and Polo is now one of the timidest males of any species I ever know. Paula on the other hand, urinates all over to mark her territory, scratches when she's in a bad mood and NEVER leaves Polo alone. In fact, she's always seeking to hump him even though she's obviously not suitably equipped (ok. I can explain what she's really trying to do but not on a public blog)! And Polo gets scuff marks all over him because Paula bites him to keep him still. I'm making it a point to bring them to grandma's regularly for them to run around the garden there... but Paula inevitably catches up with the not-too-smart Polo and "gets it".

I blame only myself.

2006-06-19T21:43:00.000+08:00

Nikon VR Works!

This shot was taken from the backseat of our car, which was going at around 70kmh on an overcast day (Sunday,19 June 2006 at 2:22pm). The bronze coloured Ford Focus SDW 2891M was speeding ahead (positive relative speed). So I quickly whipped out the D200 and its 18-200 and fired off this shot at 200mm.

Those of you who have long telezoom lenses will appreciate how hard it is to get a sharp shot under those conditions. I only had one chance. And it came out ok. Good enough for me to consider submitting this photo to the Traffice Police. Driver of SDW 2891M was speeding (doing 100+kmh along Braddell road). Nevermind that. He irked me enough to take the shot not just because he was driving with reckless speed but he was also overtaking aggressively, weaving in and out like a madman.

Anyone who wants the EXIF data can email me. The D200 has an authenticity certification feature to show that this pic has not been doctored.

Shame on you SDW 2891M! And welcome to the digital world.

2006-06-19T21:34:00.000+08:00

Fathers Day 2006

Celebrated Father's Day this year with a Dim Sum lunch at Red Star Restaurant off Chin Swee Road. The Red Star was modelled after your typical chinese dim-sum place of the 80s... and hasn't changed much since. Nevertheless, the food was excellent value for money, if you didn't mind the 45 min wait for a table and the noise. :)

Dad loves getting value... sometimes more than getting something really good. As you can see, he was obviously pleased at the end of the meal. Happy Father's Day, Dad.

2006-06-18T04:54:00.000+08:00

Cats

Met up with these two very photogenic cats on the way back from J8 (and tea with Megan) yesterday evening.They were the usual stray-alley cats variety (probably fed and taken care of by someone in one of the neighbouring blocks though).

Dad accuses them of causing scratches on cars... but any car manufacturer that uses paints and coatings that aren't cat-scratch proof should be ashamed of themselves! Cat claws are not be that sharp to scratch the gloss of your car paint... UV rays do more to harm your car's paint than cars.

Anyway, these two seemed rather friendly last night. Besides doing the usual rub-between-your-legs thing, they took turns coming up to me to get a gentle scratch behind the head or a stroke here and there. One of them even rolled on the floor to allow me to scratch his/her belly :p
I have always liked furry animals (only those that do not bite!). I'll be seeing these guys around...

2006-06-18T04:16:00.000+08:00

"100% Fishy" Concert at J8
There was an ornamental fish exhibition at J8 this afternoon. Was quite intrigued by the ornamental freshwater prawns. Really nice colours. There were even violet lobsters and bright red (still live) lobsters... as well as the

As part of the fish show, the "100% Fishy" band took to the stage to perform for the kids (while daddies and mommies part away with their hard earned cash to buy fishes to look at) :).usual discuses and other ornamental fishes.

Anyway, the kids loved the concert. And from the looks of things, some parents too!

Some of them even got excited!

A little Britney Spears is born!

(Pictures taken with D200 with 18-200 VR lens from 2nd floor balcony of J8 Central Atrium)

2006-06-18T04:07:00.001+08:00

Megan says "bye bye!"

2006-06-18T04:07:00.000+08:00

Lyrna and Huilan - two friends from my days in Manila

2006-06-18T04:06:00.000+08:00

Megan, mommy and daddy Jason

2006-06-18T04:02:00.000+08:00

Megan and mommy Amreeta

2006-06-18T04:01:00.000+08:00

Teatime with Megan and Friends!

Paintball was off this weekend so my Saturday was off to a slow start. Got some much needed sleep in the morning before getting a call from Jason for tea. Its been ages since I met up with him and his family... and with Lyrna and Huilan coming along, who can say no to catching up with old times? :)

2006-06-12T01:47:00.000+08:00

The two of them together... doing what they do best - Eating. :)

2006-06-12T01:46:00.001+08:00

Polo enjoying the space. Nothing like a good run to get those legs going!

2006-06-12T01:46:00.000+08:00

Paula in motion.

2006-06-12T01:44:00.000+08:00

Its not everyday that I get females looking at me. Paula has always been a haughty one... so its a little bonus to get her attention. :)

2006-06-12T01:43:00.000+08:00

Polo. Always the cautious one. The shutter's click made him stop in his tracks pick his ears up. Of course, after one glance at the source of the sound, he moved on.

2006-06-12T01:41:00.000+08:00

Took Polo and Paula out to Grandma's to stretch their legs last Sunday. They loved it. Its not that their three-story-high-lovingly-built condo wasn't enough space... but that bunnies are bunnies. Nothing beats the feel of grass under their feet.

2006-06-11T03:25:00.000+08:00

Nightshots
It was a nice relaxing evening. Watched Xmen III with Sam and SW. Not a bad movie. Its different from I & II. More depth in my opinion. However, I did get the sense that the director was trying to hurry the story along. It was a lot of plot with very little time. Anyway I watch movies for entertainment. And X-Men III was entertaining.

Anyway, I was carrying my new toy (D70s) around. Took some shots of a street concert outside of Orchard CineLeisure. Some of the performers were very good. I'm not posting those shots because I am not sure if members of the public could take pictures. No one stopped me but that was probably because I looked like one of the professional photographers present. :)
Decided to take the overhead bridge across the road instead of my usual path. Halfway across, an idea hit me. :) Long Exposure! Something you can't do with your regular point-and-shoot. Notice the yellow dashes interspersed with the red tailights of the cars? Its the indicator lights. Cool eh? The pictures could have been sharper. I'll bring a tripod next time...
The view from my flat.

2006-06-05T03:06:00.000+08:00

Its wonderful how things look at 36,000 feet. Beautiful clear skies... bright white fluffy clouds. It was a befitting shot to end the trip. I like my D70s. Sure, there were a lot of ruined shots in the beginning. And the camera has its own character (soft pics, under saturation). I think I have managed to figure her out. Also learnt a couple of lessions. Like how a Polariser or an ND filter would have helped. Or that I needed a proper flash for indoor/dinner shots.

But I didn't realise how much I wanted a DSLR till I had one. I'll definitely be taking more shots with it. (Comment: I notice that the shots uploaded by Hello have significant loss in quality. Directly uploaded shots don't seem to have this problem. Just something to note before anyone says my S$1600 camera takes lousy pictures :) )

2006-06-05T03:04:00.000+08:00

Ok. I couldn't resist it. Sometime mid-flight home, I whipped up the camera and started shooting. SIA should give me a discount for helping them advertise!

2006-06-05T03:02:00.000+08:00

Beautiful music from beautiful people

2006-06-05T03:01:00.001+08:00

Back at the party headquarters... in the day.

2006-06-05T03:01:00.000+08:00

Street scene along HCMC's main shopping blvd.

2006-06-05T03:00:00.001+08:00

Zoomed shot of Opera House

2006-06-05T03:00:00.000+08:00

Saigon's very own Opera House. It does not have Durian husks to attract attention :)

2006-06-05T02:59:00.001+08:00

Night-time street shots

2006-06-05T02:59:00.000+08:00

Ah. Founding father Ho Chi Ming lovingly guides a young girl. The future of Vietnam. Notice the sculpted flower?

2006-06-05T02:57:00.000+08:00

Zoomed shot of the clock tower. Notice the prominent clock brand? Proudly made in Vietnam. Soon to be member of the WTO. Well, someone's got to start making the goods that Chian will find too low-value one day.

2006-06-05T02:55:00.001+08:00

Zoomed shot (using my 18-200 Nikkor VR lens) of some of the architectural details.

2006-06-05T02:55:00.000+08:00

If I didn't misunderstand what a local told me, this is Communist Party headquarters for Ho Chi Minh City. It is apparently more grand than the one in Hanoi.

2006-06-05T02:53:00.000+08:00

The (in)famour Rex Hotel. The Rex has an unorthodox history; it used to be a French garage, was expanded by the Vietnamese, and then was used by the United States Information Agency (and some say the CIA) from 1962 to 1970. The hotel was transformed in a massive renovation and opened in 1990 as the hugely atmospheric government-run guest-house/hotel it is today.

2006-06-05T02:51:00.000+08:00

Chopsticks

2006-06-05T02:50:00.001+08:00

"Ming" China anyone?

2006-06-05T02:50:00.000+08:00

Bags galore!

2006-06-05T02:49:00.000+08:00

My colleagues and friends shopping in Ben Thanh.

2006-06-05T02:48:00.000+08:00

We had a day off so we went to Ben Thanh market (the Saigon equivalent of Bangkok's Chattuchak Market). While the ladies busied themselves with the plethora of goods (and driving some very hard bargains), I decided to take some shots. This is Commander Tran Nguyen Han. A 15th century Vietnamese warrior who helped King Le Loi defeat the Ming. I just love the colours. It was evening time on an overcast day. The sun was setting and the sunrays turned the bronze statue a nice gold. :) This is not a "photoshopped" image. I just used Picasa to sharpen (cos the D70 loves to soften images!) and crop the image.

2006-06-05T02:42:00.000+08:00

Still, it was a good chance to try out my new Nikon D70s. Finally... a REAL camera. :) Saigon, like Hanoi, was a colourful city. A hangover of the old land-parcel allotment days, buildings in Vietnam were made out of symetrical same-sized land plots. They were generally thin from the front but went deep. The interesting thing was that each owner could paint his little lot the colour he wanted... and there wasn't really much coordination. The result: a colourful mosaic... sometime gawdy but at least it wasn't boring. :)

2006-06-05T02:39:00.000+08:00

Ho Chi Minh City... or Saigon as many still know it. Was there for over a week on business late last month. It was a tiring trip and we didn't exactly got all that we wanted but ended up with a middle-of-the-road, win-some-lose-some outcome. At least the bosses know how hard the battle was. :)

2006-05-18T02:06:00.000+08:00

Mother's Day

Grandma's just past 80 now and as she's not going to have that many more Mother's Days, I thought it was nice to invite her along for this year's Mother's Day celebrations. Afterall, she had been so understanding and compromising over the wedding.

The food at Imperial Treasures was as usual, excellent. I would recommend the steamed fish. Its pricey though but hey, this was a once in a year thing. (From left to right: Mom, Grandma, Troven and Dad)

2006-05-16T11:29:00.000+08:00

Chrisology

For those of you who know what I'm referring to, I sent this email in semi-frustration about someone who keeps trying to fish for sympathy about being married with a loaded question "So, how's married life?":

Wonder why he sees marriage as a form of entrapment?

Personal experience?

Things just fall in place if you have the right attitude/partner with right
attitude. One naturally makes time for one's other half. Other half should
know one well enough to understand if and one can't make time for the other
occassionally.

Perhaps its still the honeymoon period. Marriage seems to have given me a
telflon coating. Few things stick :)

I look at other women, comment on them more openly... one reason cos I
don't feel like my comments threaten other women anymore now that I'm
married (and other ppl know that). Wife and I talk about other women (both
of us happen to think there's nothing beautiful about the Male, at least
not in the same way as women are). I happen to think marriage is damn
liberating!

Sigh.

And one more thing... not matter how pretty my daughter may be, I will not paste mugshot photos of her on my wall noticeboard.

I am qualitatively different.

2006-05-15T23:08:00.000+08:00

Centennial Diver

Just received a new Suunto dive computer interface cable from www.customideas.com (a UK company). Its a smaller, much neater solution than the original Suunto serial interface that I have (but can't seem to find). Faster too. Serial ports are dying... so for GBP30 (around S$90), I thought it was worth it (the original Suunto is going for S$160). Thanks Rueben for your fast service!

Downloaded the new Suunto Dive Manager version 2.3. Nice software. Even allows you to "blog" your dive through SuuntoSports.com. Opens up a few more features on the dive com too. There's apparently a master log inside the com that I had not been able to access. And guess what...

It has logged 68 dives since I bought it in Aug 2004. Assuming I dive a conservative average of twice a year, six dives a trip, then I would have had 48 additional dives to my name since I got licensed in 2000. This does not include the fact that most of the time, we get 8 dives over 2 days in Anilao and that I was in Anilao every other month in 2003. My only regret is that I never made time to venture further than Anilao and Puerto Gallera.

Anyway, I just like to declare myself a Centennial Diver.

2006-05-09T01:24:00.000+08:00

Evening shot as our boat, the Island Explorer approaches Mersing. I chose this as our parting shot to close the this blog of my dive trip to Aur. It was a good dive. Better than Perhentian though I enjoyed the company I had there! But divers are an odd bunch. We're friends from the moment we joined the underwater fratenity. Until next time...

2006-05-09T01:23:00.000+08:00

Departing view of Adventure Bay Resorts... our home for the past two days.

2006-05-09T01:22:00.000+08:00

Robin and Audris busy completing their logbooks (which I continued to take pics) :)

2006-05-09T01:21:00.000+08:00

Michelle, Huiqing and Shan busy completing their logbooks. I've stopped logging since my 63rd dive three years ago :)

2006-05-09T01:19:00.000+08:00

Kelvin and Michelle teasing each other again. Michelle, a nurse, taught us about the concept of "pain transferrence". After bumping her head on the bulkhead of the Island Explorer, she hit Kelvin on this head to lessen HER pain. That's one skill I hope Steph never learns! :p

2006-05-09T01:18:00.001+08:00

Me and Michelle (note Michelle's inside out shirt?) :)

2006-05-09T01:18:00.000+08:00

Michelle and Audris

2006-05-09T01:16:00.000+08:00

The beach outside Adventure Bay Resort. Pity about the little bits of hard corals though. I highly recommend having your booties on.

2006-05-09T01:14:00.000+08:00

Think this was a school of Jacks. I was surprised that the wide-angle mode could work so well for a compact digital. Proves that its not the size that matters but how you use it. ;) BTW, did I tell you I have a big Nikon F4 with 80-200mm lenses as well? :p

2006-05-09T01:11:00.001+08:00

Odd coral :)

2006-05-09T01:11:00.000+08:00

Caught another tiny Goby

2006-05-09T01:10:00.000+08:00

These cute little angels were around an inch long each... would have made lovely aquarium fishes... but I quickly perished the thought.

2006-05-09T01:08:00.000+08:00

There was a part when the landscape was filled with these corals for as far as we could see. Looked like we were on another world. :) Vis was poorer cos of the runoff caused by a heavy by thankfully short thunderstorm.

2006-05-09T01:05:00.000+08:00

After six unsuccessful attempts at trying to catch a diver mid-air as they do their giant stride entries... I gave up :) Hey, I'm still trying to get used to his new camera ok?

2006-05-09T01:04:00.001+08:00

Lionfish. Pity it didn't want to face me. Sigh. I've always known I wasn't attractive enough :)

2006-05-09T01:04:00.000+08:00

Bet these fries weren't french :)

2006-05-09T01:03:00.000+08:00

A family of fish looks suspiciously at me. I'd bet that was daddy with his broadside towards me... shielding his family from "big bad Walter" bloob blob blob blob.

2006-05-09T01:00:00.003+08:00

It was Xmas early in Aur. 15m under the sea. :)

2006-05-09T01:00:00.002+08:00

Anyone know if this is a coral or some kind of shellfish?

2006-05-09T01:00:00.001+08:00

What in the sea is this? It was spewing green stuff from that hole on the right.

2006-05-09T01:00:00.000+08:00

One of many starfishes we saw.

2006-05-09T00:59:00.000+08:00

Here's a shot of Audris, Huiqing and myself. Note the slit that was kicked up around our feet? Time for a refresher Peak Performance Bouyancy course!

2006-05-09T00:58:00.002+08:00

Day 2. Robin, looking like one of the startled fishes we photographed last night. He sat out the night dive as he was feeling unwell.

2006-05-09T00:58:00.001+08:00

A moray eel looks surprised

2006-05-09T00:58:00.000+08:00

Caught this Parrotfish sleeping between the spines of some hard cora... that was until I took its picture :)

2006-05-09T00:57:00.001+08:00

Tilapia?

2006-05-09T00:57:00.000+08:00

Did you hear that Clinque was packing these into their blusher kits? :p

2006-05-09T00:56:00.000+08:00

Butterfly fish. It was really friendly... darting around me and Kelvin. It also looked as if it was posing for a shot.

2006-05-09T00:55:00.000+08:00

Sea Cucumber? I think I'll avoid eating them for a while.

2006-05-09T00:54:00.002+08:00

See the little critter?