…and i just want to say Hello world!:)

It’s nice to see the “seem so busy” people in business suits walking by. I think I need a new laptop, just so I can start doing my editing outdoors (and stop being cooped up in my little white box). My current Sony VAIO is domesticated, with ultra short battery life. If only someone invented VIAGRA for laptops… woohoo!!:) *suffering from overdose of VIAGRA… spam ads…*

Since last year, I’ve been wanting to put up my travel photos on my website, but have been putting it off time and again due to work commitments. For the past few nights, I’ve been struggling to eat and sleep, therefore, I decided to put some time to work on it. Finally got it fixed in the wee hours this morning. Here’s a trial… will be doing abit of tweaking in the next few days (once I cleared my wedding work). Then I’ll start to work on the rest of the images as well.

 Do have a look and let me know if it works on your side of the world. I know it may be abit slow for non-sg users, because the site is afterall, hosted in Singapore.

[tags]Photography, Travel[/tags]

Met David and Vanessa earlier today to deliver their photos. It was great seeing them again:) Van is the bride who commented about my wrinkles. This time round, David commented on how much weight I lost. Then it occured to me that I haven’t been eating well. Losing appetite plus really bad meal discipline contributed to the horrible weight loss. I remembered looking in the mirror and asking, is it because of the beard or the sunken cheekbones? Trousers are looser now. It’s not a good thing. I hope to snap out of this tomorrow. Yes, I said, tomorrow. 

Two incidences, two different responses.

While at the traffic lights yesterday, I heard some sounds of screeching tyres and saw two cars collided right in front of me. It’s probably like 3-5 meters away. A fast oncoming car got banged by a turning car and the car skidded a little and landed just beside me. I saw both drivers safe, I shook my head (gave a silent verdict) and drove off. I know I was having a helluva crap day. But when I looked at the rear mirror, I wondered, why didn’t I stop to help, a little guilt crept onto me.

At Borders today, I was walking past the stationery section, and a stack of notebooks dropped right in front of me. No, I didn’t touch them at all. I picked them up and stacked them neatly onto the shelf again. I felt a little happy about doing that.

While walking away, I thought of the incident that happened yesterday. And I found a new ability, I can choose. Little events in life that taught me something.

Was planning to go for a run, but it started raining… then I found myself watching the start of F1 Nurburgring (Germany). I haven’t watched many F1 races before, but this one is definitely something memorable (for all the wrong reasons). Car crashes and rain… hail, all within the first 5 mins.

At one point in time, about 5 cars got skidded into the same place, one by one caused by aquaplaning. Commentor said that must be the most expensive carpark in the world:P And now, a restart behind the safty card, with rookie Winkelhock in pole position. Raikkonen from pole position to 7th, just because he missed the pit stop (!!!) to change to wet weather tyres. So, it’s not just Singaporeans that can’t drive in wet weather (I always think so!), the pros can’t do it either:P

I’m just wondering, with Singapore’s weather as unpredictable as Germany’s (that’s what my German ex-colleague told me), what will happen when F1 finally comes next Sept. Especially it’s a night race. Scary.

[tags]F1, Germany[/tags]

I have to miss the launch as I had a shoot early this morning. What is this about? Read about them here http://www.paddleforearth.com/blog/paddle-for-earth-expedition/paddling-for-a-purpose

Go support them for a good cause! Damn, how I wish I could go onboard to… erm, take photos.

[tags]Paddle for earth, SPC, Singapore[/tags]

During my gardening leave, I started reading alot of articles on wikipedia (due to extreme boredom and also trying to “look busy”), from how squids mate to the conquest of Genghis Khan. Then somehow, I stumbled on information on wedding customs, which till now, I have an extremely loose idea on, even though I’ve seen them over and over again. I’m not a very traditional person (loosely translated to, “I’m just lazy to remember them”). Traditions are… nice to know, not nice to practice (that’s why taking table shots are considered a tradition):)

“Bride price also known as bride wealth is an amount of money or property or wealth paid to the parents of a woman for the right to marry their daughter. (Compare dowry, which is paid to the groom, or used by the bride to help establish the new household, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage.) In the anthropological literature bride price has often been explained in market terms, as payment made in exchange for the bride’s family’s loss of her labor and fertility within her kin group.”

 

“In Chinese culture, an auspicious date is selected to Ti Qin (literally meaning “propose marriage”), where both families will meet to discuss the amount of the bride price demanded, among other things. A couple of weeks before the actual wedding, the ritual of Guo Da Li (literally meaning “performing the rites”) takes place (on an auspicious date of course). The groom and a matchmaker will visit the bride’s family bearing gifts like wedding cakes, sweetmeats and jewelry as well as the bride price. On the actual wedding day, the bride’s family will return a portion of the bride price (sometimes in the form of dowry) as a goodwill gesture.”

 

- excerpt from wikipedia (bride price)

Something to share, in case you guys are as blur as I am. Note, they say “right to marry their daughter”, which reminds me, there’s a few sub-category of “bride price” as well. Remember those the groom has to pay before he can even enter the house. Maybe those are called “Jie Mei Wealth”. Being on the other side of the gate always has it’s advantages.

[tags]Weddings, Wikipedia, Bride price, Traditions[/tags]

Something came to my mind today so I decided to write a little on a wedding I shot some time back. As most of us who have witnessed a full wedding before, the part where the parents put on the veil for the bride can stir up some emotions. During this wedding, the bride was so overwhelmed that she started crying. I could understand that… she’s leaving the family to start a new life with her partner, it’s natural for one to feel that way. For me, it’s a great opportunity to get some shots. Although I do feel for her, but I really really want to have that shot inside the wedding day story (being paid for the job is another reason).

After I got my shot, I looked around and my jaw dropped. Instead of comforting her (which I’d expect), everyone (friends and relatives) with a camera, be it phone cameras, SLRs, PnS, disposable… etc were trying to get a shot of that “precious moment”. It’s quite funny yet sad. I mean, poor girl… someone get her a tissue paper!! Well, I guess everyone’s overwhelmed as well…(never seen such a nice photo opportunity). I can’t imagine if I’m crying and 10 people armed with cameras were trying to snap photos of me. One is nice, 10 is embarassing:P If you are ever in this situation… do the right thing, grab the tissue box, not the camera.

[tags]Weddings[/tags]

I’m toying with the idea of bringing some couples up to Sydney for a photoshoot. Preferably without gowns (ok, minor edit here… without gowns does NOT mean nude, BUT… I’m not saying you can’t do it, just let me have a couple of tequila shots first.)… just like a holiday thingy. I’ll be heading that way some time late August – mid Sept. The idea is not a wedding shoot, more like a casual, lifestyle photoshoot (so… married or not, not important). Just thinking… just thinking… if you are interested, can always drop me a mail and we can discuss:)

And and! If possible, maybe can head down to my school in Brisbane… then to Melb… then to the outbacks… (Aug is abit too cold to dive… else Cairns will be great!) then to… you know what? I just want travel companions and we’ll shoot along the way. How about that? (ok, unless you paying for everything… I’ll give you a special rate:P) Hehehe… just kidding ya?

Ok, I’m gonna be honest here, since I’m on holiday as well, I need to know who I’m out with… I’m not going to stress myself out bringing fussy people all over Sydney. Let’s just go have fun there:)

[tags]Photography, Weddings[/tags]