Chocolated::

Feather & Clover

2011-10-07T18:30:00.003+08:00

Feather & Clover, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

Love the beauty of green and the lightness of the feather.

Taken at Tokyo Imperial Garden. I'm missing Japan, right now :)

New Template

2011-10-07T11:59:00.004+08:00

I've been having problems standardizing the appearance of my blog on different web broswers. Countless attempts have been made to correct the html but the template inevitably does not work on one of them :(

As i got less familiar with html with time, i became increasing less efficient :(

I tried again this time for chrome, unfortnuately without success. So, i have decided to abandon the template altogether :)

Here's goodbye to my much love self created template.

.. and Hello to the new one!

I must say blogger has become more user friendly with time. Some of the readily available templates are really pretty and surprisingly they offer a lot of options for customization too!

I shall settle with this one for now till i have time again :)

Finding Love

2011-10-06T23:40:00.001+08:00

"I’m convinced that what kept me going is I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work; and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking and don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it gets better and better as the years roll on." -Steve Jobs

♥

2011-09-21T09:57:00.002+08:00

Droplets on Crimson Red, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

"A lifetime with you"

I ♥ Nikko, Japan

2010-11-16T21:34:00.001+08:00

Ryuzu Falls

Mystical Dawn

Amazing Bloom

2010-08-13T00:03:00.005+08:00

Amazing Bloom, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

I was re-organising my flickr account when i chance upon this pic i took 2 yrs ago. I am truly amazed that my good old fujifilm compact was capable of taking this shot!

I am working on a new photo blog. You're most welcome to visit it here!

Runaway

2010-07-17T21:41:00.002+08:00

Runaway, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

When was the last time u felt that u want to run away?

Lion Series

2010-06-08T23:07:00.003+08:00

I have decided to upload some photos today cos doing so will make me happy :) It was really nice looking at photos of animals at the Safari and laugh/smile again at some of the interesting/silly things that happened then.

Photos are taken with a 18-200mm.

Yikang, do u rmbr this lion? Haha

Follow Me, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

Family, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

Looking Left, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

Looking Back, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

Looking Right, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

I am looking fwd to see weixiang's photos!

In Transit

2010-06-07T20:54:00.002+08:00

1 | 52 weeks - the beginning...., originally uploaded by mistybliss.

It occurred to me that we are often in transit in diff places and phases in life.

I see how diff patients occupy the same hospital bed.

Similarly, when we travel, diff people of diff backgrounds occupy the same bed/room.

Isn't it interesting?

Will i next wonder who once occupied the seat/bed/room?

Back Home

2010-04-23T09:34:00.003+08:00

I woke up this morning it finally sank in tt i am back home.
It's back to erp-avoiding, bad traffic mornings and sleep deprived days..

Kilimanjaro Awaits

2010-03-31T01:48:00.001+08:00

Finally, MBBS is over.
Finally, I'm going for my grad trip

Stop and Stare

2010-03-28T21:32:00.005+08:00

MBBS is finally over! I am just hoping i can pass. PLEASE...

This is one of the songs i listened to a lot in the past month.

Enjoy :) The MV is pretty interesting.

Pretty Things

2010-03-23T22:42:00.005+08:00

Native, originally uploaded by mistybliss.

I had such a traumatising experience at CGH today tt i teared. I really hope this will be the last and the days ahead will be alright.

I am eternally grateful to weixiang(!!!), raphael, quanyao, wenyang, yikang, ryan, ningqi etc for all the useful knowledge i have passively diffused something from over the days.

Few more days to go! :)
Shall concentrate on pretty and happy things for now :) Like this photo!

Let Go of the WHK experience

Sunrise from Mt. Kilimanjaro

2010-03-17T22:13:00.005+08:00

Sunrise from Mt. Kilimanjaro, originally uploaded by nyctosf.

Sunrise at Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, originally uploaded by miyamiyamiyamiya.

Uhuru Peak, Mt.Kilimanjaro, originally uploaded by flimseflo.

Leaving for this place in 2 wks time :))

Pieces

2010-03-05T17:52:00.004+08:00

“There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.”, originally uploaded by miss_blackbutterfly.

I chance upon this pic and i really like the bokeh!

Incidentally, it also reminded me of what Sandra Oh said in Grey's Anatomy. How Burke took pieces of her away bit by bit and she was shaken again when Owen took away a piece of her for the first time.

We cant always wish to selfishly and stubbornly remain whole. Sometimes a void may be better filled by somebody or something :)

And it is almost always better to compromise :)

Appreciating CNY

2010-02-14T13:36:00.005+08:00

I am usually quite ambivalent towards CNY. On one hand, i am happy to have a break and it's a real bonus to be able to enjoy the CNY goodies and see some relatives which i only see once a year; on the other, it can be quite a nuisance when relatives ask the same questions or say the same thing every year!

Last CNY, one of my uncles had LL lymphoedema. I told him to get a thorough check cos it could be a sign of something sinister. This uncle makes one of the best teochew braised duck and i look forward to visiting him every yr.

My heart really sank just now when he told me this might be his last cny making braised duck for the family cos his dr told him tt he has an estimated 6-12mth to live :( :(

I realised that we often assume the best possible outcome for our loved ones. I told my dad to follow up on my uncle's condition last yr and he kinda assumed he should be fine since he didnt update my dad. And i, i accepted what my dad said and thot mb my uncle has filiarsis from growing up and walking ard barefooted in kampong.

I could tell my cousin is qt affected, but we were all qt comforted that my uncle is trying to live life to the fullest and doing things he enjoy most. After my mbbs, i shall hope to keep in touch more with my extended family :)

This CNY has reminded me that if not for CNY every year, i might really be totally clueless abt what goes on in my extended family.

Simple Tomatoey Pleasures

2010-01-30T22:25:00.002+08:00

Saint Pierre tomatoes, originally uploaded by Ian-S.

Some tomato noodles made my day today. I love how simple, yet surprisingly fulfillingly good it was!

One day i shall experiment and make such soup at home :)

MBBS is coming. HOW?

Mid Week Ramblings

2010-01-13T22:09:00.002+08:00

Jessica cabbed down to TTSH to past me this bday present. How sweet! :) It is so pretty!

Girls, i love the card ++ especially how Eliza is still living in the past. haha. So funny! I was smiling like a silly fool on the train when i read christabelle's comment :)

Thank you so much for the friendship. You are right, time flies and it's surprisingly been 7 yrs already!!!

Cheers to years of friendship ahead:) Will catch up with fun when my exams are over k :):)

Brand New Year

2010-01-02T08:43:00.003+08:00

Where Art thou?, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

This is easily one of my favourite photos i took in 2009. It's so me, 'cos i love butterflies and i love how this creature was seen right after its transformation.

Just like this catarpillar that has found a brand new self and in full anticipation to take flight, that should be the spirit of this brand new year!

In just abt 2 months, i would be taking MBBS. I hope it would be like a fleeting moment, over before i know it and i'd be free!

In April, i hope to summit Mount Kilimanjaro and see flocks of flamingos, herds of animals and my favourite giraffes in the Safari :)

In May till the next year, i hope to be working in a pleasant environment in a plesant team :)

Of course, in btwn the working months, i hope to find time to take some photos and keep my hobby going :)

All in all, i wish for good health of those around me and i look forward to many more yrs of cherished friendships of those reading this entry.

Happy New Year everybody :)

Maldives

2009-12-30T21:00:00.004+08:00

Greetings, originally uploaded by maapu.

I so want to be here :)

Take me to the Hilton, originally uploaded by maapu.

This is at taken at Hilton hotel.

Awesome Avatar

2009-12-20T23:31:00.005+08:00

If you havent already watched Avatar, please go watch it! It is damn gd! :)
You can also start by watching this trailer. Watch in HD :)

I really like the universe James Cameron has created from scratch. The distant world of Pandora is so pretty and exotic! I love the flowers tt glow at night and all the strange and peculiar creatures.

If u can, watch it in 3D. It is really awesome :) Seriously, nothing i say here will do justice to the movie :)

Here's the only screenshot of the pandora i found on internet. I'm sure more will be online soon!

I wiki-ed Avatar and found out that James Cameron actually waited for technology to catch up before he could produce this movie he envisioned. This is apparently the most expensive movie ever filmed!

So, please go watch it asap! I'm damn sure you'd love it too:)

Portraits i love

2009-12-18T23:34:00.003+08:00

eight., originally uploaded by mistybliss.

This photographer has done an excellent job taking portraits of her children.

Many people think that i like only macros... but the truth is i love to take portraits too! Unfortunately, most of my friends are qt camera-shy and so i seldom get to practise...
I usually take my portraits overseas :) or of complete strangers..
These are few of my favourites..

Hope i will get to take some on my next trip!
But before tt i'd have to toil thru MBBS first :*(

Random Things

2009-12-18T23:08:00.002+08:00

I wonder how many of my friends know that i love to play hexic :)
I saw these at lunch and they reminded me of hexic!

Some time ago, my frens and i went nightcycling and we cycled across the expressway my dad drives on everyday.

After ID posting, sam suggested that i cheer myself up to get a scoop of ice cream at Udders :) I love their hazelnut ice cream. I think it's called hazel's nut.

Simple things that cheer me up.. like a pretty sunset :)

We all got a wk of pseudo-break.. Lets jiayous everyone :)

Small things that peeve me

2009-12-17T18:06:00.005+08:00

I think i have posted about expectations several times before and how i get really peeved when things dont turn out the way i expect.

Here and here are just 2 of them.

Today i bought a screen protector that cost me $12. I never paid more than $5 for one and i usually have to put it on myself. The best of cos is the screen protector came with my electronic device free and the friendly shopowner expertly stuck it on for me.

I was so surprised today when the salesperson at the shop returned me my phone with this super apparent big bubble with a speck of dust in the centre. I'm not saying tt being able to pay $12 is damn big but i really wasnt expecting to see that bubble.

I may or may not be able to do a better job. I've actually stuck on the screen protector for most of my devices and i perfectly understand that it can be tricky. The thing is my expectations are lower. Even if it is imperfect, it was done by amateur me.

Actually when i reflected abt what happened today, i think i was partly upset tt getting the screen protector was a hasty decision.
1. I was happy without one
2. I actually wanted to get a matt-finished screen protector
3. I was lazy to hunt for another shop
4. I was lazy to stick it on myself

At the end of the day, things that upset me the most are things tt stems from my inadequacy or laziness.

On one hand it is damn useful and safe to not have any expectations but i wish to attain the 境界 of have expectations and yet not let the unmatching outcome affect me.

I will eventually get used to my screen. If not at most i peel it off lor :) haha

Droplets on Crimson Red

2009-12-16T23:40:00.004+08:00

Droplets on Chrimson Red, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

It's been so long since i last posted. Today is post-EOPT!

I cant help but ruminate on the silly mistakes i made today.. but its ok! I'm happier after processing this photo i took on sunday.

Hmm.. i think it'd probably look better on black background though!

I miss photography.. cant wait to pass mbbs.

Baking Philopsophy & Analogy

2009-10-31T18:26:00.007+08:00

It's interesting that i am currently qt overwhelmed by all the things i am feeling abt my long lost hobby aft making tiramisu today.

1. Practice makes perfect
I used to be able to bake things qt efficiently in one smooth motion. No extra bowls used, no extra bowls to wash and the kitchen remains spick and span. I had a chat with a fellow baking fren and she told me that baking is like doing physical examination. The more u do it, the smoother and sleeker u become. It is true. Today when i made tiramisu, i forgot this i forgot that and i couldnt find most of my things.

2. Bake and be Happy, Happy that you baked
My fellow baking fren and i both bake when we're both happy and frustrated. Sometimes baking does make me feel better but as a general rule, i personally believe that good bakes comes from a happy baker and i try not to bake when i do not genuinely want to bake. I am least confident of the things i baked when i am frustrated. It becomes a vicious cycle... foul mood, foul bake which feeds the positive feedback loop to foul mood.

3. The perfect kitchen, equipment and organisation
I dream of having the perfect kitchen when every corner and inch of space is carefully considered and put into good use. I want every space to have its own purpose so that only things that belong to that space will be there. In this way i maximise space and i can find the equipment i need. I hate it when pple borrow my baking things and not return it to the same space. I hate it when i need to scramble at the last min like when whisked egg whites cannot wait and i cant find the stupid spatula.

Perhaps my interest in baking is dying. I should be glad that i made something today though. If i hadnt, the next time i bake would be even an even longer no-bake stretch in btwn than it was for me today.

What happened to my dream of combining baking and photography? Why am i not exhilirated that i did so today?

Tiramisu

2009-10-31T17:01:00.003+08:00

Tiramisu, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

Practice makes perfect and the converse is so true too!!

It's been a while since i made anything. It was such a disaster not being able to find things where they used to be. I'm so out of practice and it makes me all jittery if this tiramisu will be approved.

I wished i had bailey liquer. I had to use kahlua which i felt was a little less fragrant. But hopefully, it's the effort tt counts :):)

Post-SIP

2009-10-25T08:51:00.007+08:00

It's been a while since i touched my camera and processed some the photos i have taken so long ago! I'm super glad that SIP is over. But in retrospect there are things that i will miss abt it too :)

IF only it's hols for us all ex-sip-ers. It'd be perfect!

Anyway, some photos i've uploaded to my near-dying flickr account :)

I have 3 similar photos with focus placed on different points, the bird, the boy and in btwn. The bokeh of this looks most complimenting and not as distracting as the one with the boy in focus.

Katsudon at Shokudo

I was asked why i am so fascinated with geckos. Don't u think they have such cute and peculiar ears?

That's all for now. More to come when i have time! :)

October 22

2009-10-17T08:52:00.001+08:00

A lot of things seems to be happening around October 22.
Including Windows 7! YAY :)

Sigh

2009-10-09T20:12:00.002+08:00

I wish i can remove the part of my brain that ruminates over sth i have done wrong and cannot reverse.

I hate ruminating! I need to get on with life, move on.

Deutschland Deutschland

2009-10-05T20:42:00.003+08:00

When i was looking for songs to include into my new cd for the car, i chance upon this forgotten song in my collection!

OMG!

This is such a classic! I use to listen to this during german class :) I miss german and Germany so much! :)

Flatus Pee & Poo

2009-10-05T20:03:00.002+08:00

Never had i been more happy to hear that patients have passed flatus, pee & poo before being part of the pang sai (colorectal) team.

It was such an interesting sight when the whole team practically cheered when poo was seen in the stoma bag!:)

Anyway, today has been qt eventful.. 2 of our patients were qt ill and in the midst of resuscitation flurry, we still had to make calls and referrals and discharge patients. Is this post-take frenzy?

I woke up this morning feeling super tired. It can be qt an unbelievable thought that this will be my life for the next few yrs aft i graduate.

Anyway, the most exciting/interesting thing that happened today is my consultant requested for me to round alone with him... and i survived.

YAY :)

No Weekend!

2009-10-04T14:59:00.002+08:00

It's kinda strange that today doesnt feel like sunday at all. I was in hospital before 7 and i've been doing so for the past wk!

I usually start and end my day at the hospital when the sky is dark. haha

Interestingly, now that i have to drive everyday, i'm starting to find ways to enjoy doing so. I actually find it amusing that early morning, the trucks and lorries take lane one and i'm going to write a new cd later.

Unfortunately, i still dont like it when the traffic is bad. I dont think anyone does, esp people who drive manual cars.

Hope everyone's had a gd wkend :)

Long >2 wks Ahead

2009-10-01T18:10:00.002+08:00

You know how some pple say we shouldnt take it for granted that we will definitely meet the person we part with again? It is qt a terrifying thot to me!
In my life, i have felt it twice, somewhat. First was when my dad got sent to phuket in the rescue team when there was the tsunami and 2nd is today.

I said gdbye to my dad as usual this morn and he drove off to work. But i will not see him again for at least next 2 wks! Why does he get sent off to another country so suddenly??

It's quite a scary thot to me that the next time he disappear is for good.

I hope my dad comes back soon!

Headache +++

2009-09-28T19:09:00.003+08:00

The scorching sun was headache inducing today.

What a wonderful way to start my SIP.

Argh.. i really dread all the traveling for the mth ahead. I'd be SO bushed.

Gd luck to me!

Trade-in

2009-09-21T00:32:00.002+08:00

If i could be traded-in, how much am i worth?
If there is one-for-one exchange, what would i be exchanged for?

I like this photo taken by Weixiang. Interestingly, i think my reflection looks like it's trying to talk to me.

Therapeutic Run

2009-09-13T20:22:00.002+08:00

As much as how some pple believe in retail therapy, i guess i find running qt therapeutic too.

Strangely, the happiest thing i did today was running in the evening. I guess it's partly cos i spent the whole afternoon of nice weather doing nonsense instead of catching up on my sleep before the next tiring posting!

I'm quite happy that i've finally gotten over the inertia to start running again and I'm a bit closer to my fitness peak than i was 1 mth ago?

Today i ran on track and after running randomly ard my neighbourhood on concrete pavements for some time, i could really feel the difference! Most people do not like running ard the track cos they find it boring. I personally like it cos i like the shock absorbing properties of the track that makes me feel that every step has that added bounce and i really like it that i do not have to stop at the traffic light or watch out for traffic. Running on the track also lets me think abt things and clear up my cluttered mind a little :)

Hope i can keep up with this. The hardest period will be my dreaded SIP which is at a hospital SO far away... :(

Dream House

2009-09-03T21:13:00.003+08:00

I dreamt last night that my architect friend gave me a home for free, apparently she designed the whole building! The apartment was so nice that i didnt want to wake up!

I think it is a loft apartment and it was a 2-storey open concept home with floor to ceiling windows that offered a gorgeous city view. I love my house this way with plenty of light in the day :)

My bedroom was designed to be on the second storey. It was so cozy and comfortable that in the dream i had trouble getting up in the morning too!

The first storey didnt have walls, so it looked really spacious and what makes the house so perfect is it had a photo studio! It was almost like a set, ready anytime for food photography.

I actually rmbr the incline table which architects use in my dream vividly. The one at my house had an inbuilt touch screen monitor with an awesome interface. So WOW!

Of cos i wasnt able to find a picture that comes close to my dream home tt i dreamt of last night.

This one looks pleasant with a hint of plenty of natural light :)

Hearts

2009-09-02T22:31:00.002+08:00

нεαятs , originally uploaded by anouk.alvino.

I pondered today about unconditional love.

1989

2009-08-29T11:09:00.001+08:00

My mom found some random photos which she didnt put into my album. Here's 3 of them cos i'm too lazy to scan all of them. Apparently i was qt bratty and climbed ard like a monkey then :)

Look at the bruises and scab. I fell a lot when i was young and i am still a klutz now.

Check out what my classmate behind me is doing. I find it damn funny la!

Toco Toucan Through the Cage

2009-08-22T17:49:00.001+08:00

Toco Toucan Through the Cage, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

I had a dream tt i own a toco toucan.

Interestingly it is biologically wrong because my toucan can talk! HAHA

Anyway, this pic was taken through the cage. Pls pardon the graininess and not-so-sharpness.

Despite it all, i like this pic :) Yay

Taipei 101

2009-08-22T14:12:00.001+08:00

Taipei 101, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

We all miss taiwan, don't we :)

This photo was taken at 象山. Only possible aft weixiang climb this huge rock and placed the camera on tripod in a precarious position.

Beauty of Imperfections

2009-08-22T00:43:00.001+08:00

Simple & Pretty in B&W, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

Sometimes i wish life was simple and clear-cut like black and white.

Yet, there are times when i marvel at how grey tones can make things interesting, pretty and unique.

Note that there are holes in the petal, they make this photo less boring dont they? :)

Toco Toucan

2009-08-19T20:50:00.002+08:00

Blue eyed toucan, originally uploaded by Nilton Ramos Quoirin.

The name of this pretty bird cracks me up. It's so cute to pronounce!

Anyway, i saw one today and i'm qt convince it's easily one of my fave birds :) The one i saw looked exactly like a soft toy. The brilliantly orange beak, pretty blue around the eye and the stark contrast of the black and white :)

I was so blown away. Totally...Haha

Blooming

2009-08-16T13:13:00.001+08:00

Blooming, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

Finally, the respite i've been waiting for is here.

After this, it shall be yet another arduous uphill journey.

Meanwhile, it's time to rest my feet and watch the flowers bloom :)

How long & Why?

2009-08-10T17:04:00.003+08:00

, originally uploaded by mistybliss.

I wondered today abt how long it takes to forget something, happy and unhappy, important and unimportant.

Why do i rmbr most random and unimportant of things?

Btw, i love this photo :)

Freezing on Mt Hehuan (合欢山)

2009-08-02T22:06:00.001+08:00

Taroko 026, originally uploaded by nwxiang.

This picture cracks me up. It reminds me how we had to hold on this act-cool expression while braving the cold on the mountain top.

We really shouldn't be wearing t-shirt and shorts when it was sub-10 degrees celsius. Some of us were lucky tt we had our jackets within reach :)

I miss taiwan!

Expect the Unexpected

2009-08-02T20:04:00.000+08:00

Out of the blue, out of nowhere and without warning, my laptop refused to boot.
It was working perfectly fine the night before!

What happened?
(Failure fixed disk 7)

Sometimes in many aspects of our lives, things just happen.
You yourself may be fine today and not tmr!

Guess i just have to constantly remind myself to 未雨绸缪. :)

Diaper Confetti

2009-07-28T19:04:00.001+08:00

There's a patient with behavioural problems in my ward. While it is qt a nightmare for the nursing staff, the things he do sometimes make me laugh.

Just when i was wondering why there were so many paper/cotton bits on the floor, i was told that last night, he tore up his diapers and threw the bits into the air!

It makes me laugh when i recall the image of him doing so, but it also reminds me how sad it is to have dementia.

If i live long, i hope to be healthy and not be a burden to my loved ones :)

Ladybird

2009-07-25T10:26:00.002+08:00

Ladybird, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

The red and green combi never fails to remind me of Christmas :)

Enroute to Cingjing

2009-07-23T22:20:00.006+08:00

Enroute to Cingjing, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

I havent touched my Taiwan photos for some time.
This is a treat for those who, like me, love spicules of sun's rays :)

The white van was our mode of transport to cingjing from hualien!

Yangmei (杨梅), originally uploaded by grinleaf.

We saw some Yangmei (杨梅) at our lunch stopover place :)

Officially Old

2009-07-21T20:53:00.002+08:00

Today my consultant said to me,"The day u reach for fastum gel, u're officially old."

I've been having recurring and chronic left shoulder ache. It's so bad tt i now carry my things on my right shoulder. Perhaps i'm brewing a right shoulder ache :(

Fastum gel seems to work for now.. but not very long! :(:(

Apart from my aches and pain, i'm qt happy today cos a 99 year-old patient is very well and she was so alert! One of the long staying patient who always waves hello and gd bye at me finally got discharged.

Perhaps i'll miss having someone wave at me when i report to work, leave from work and even walk past when i'm on night call.

The ward is getting a bit exciting with imaginative patients for now :) Interesting. haha

Nightmare

2009-07-15T22:20:00.003+08:00

I had a really bad nightmare last night but there were things tt cheered me up and made me feel better!

It just occurred to me tt i havent been watching grey's anatomy when i chance upon the supposed season finale on a fren's blog.

"We'll take care of each other even when we're old, smelly and senile."

:)

Things that make me smile

2009-07-14T19:52:00.005+08:00

I've been kinda happy from various reasons. Some of the things really warms me up :)

1. I'm happy when my patients improve with the management of the team and leave the hospital smiling.

2. There are patients i grew to like and i look forward to see everyday!

3. I think i'm learning something everyday.. be it administrative or from listening to a patient's story

4. I see old couples with their relationships still going strong.

5. I witness how an elderly mother still puts in her everything to take care of her also elderly son with schizophrenia

6. "Till we can afford it, some things have to be done manually"

7. I sometimes do stupid things that in retrospect is qt funny. haha

Dawn at Alishan

2009-07-08T22:14:00.001+08:00

Dawn at Alishan, originally uploaded by grinleaf.

We got up at 3 am to see this!
Y'know the day we arrived, it was raining cats and dogs and we were so worried that we wont get to see the sunrise!
Apparently if u see the sunrise, there wont be a sea of clouds which is a sight equally popular with photographers too.. I guess we cant have the best of both worlds!

I really miss taiwan :) i think i will go back. Maybe to see the sea of clouds and take the train when both sides of the tracks are filled with plum blossoms.

Withdrawal Symptoms

2009-07-06T20:18:00.002+08:00

I've been having occasional bouts of Taiwan trip withdrawal symptoms...
Last week, raphael and i were craving for mochi and today i craved for 炸鸡排:(

There are SO many things i miss!

I'm also so tired for today's work... I dont know how i'm going to survive houseman year :S

Mb i should worry abt surviving M5 first..

Mini

2009-07-02T23:50:00.001+08:00

Thanks for the surprise tt's so small and cute :)
I love it!!

New Profile Pic

2009-07-01T22:01:00.002+08:00

When i was taking the above photo, my new profile pic was shot!

There're so many things i like abt the photo... including the fact that i am using my nikon with my fave lens, being among flowers and the pretty pretty bokeh :)

Thanks fren! :)

i love bokeh

2009-06-30T23:30:00.002+08:00

I like taking pictures with shallow depth of field and have just what i want in focus.

Like the spider pic in previous post, i'm often amazed by the pattern of colours tt show up behind the subject of interest :)

Actually, our eyes do it all the time. But it amazes me to see the difference of near and farther vision captured in a photo.

Also, if u think abt it, our minds do it too in a more abstract manner. We sometimes see only what we want to see :)

Saturday, Happy day

2009-06-27T23:42:00.004+08:00

If u've been reading this blog, it's prob nothing new to you that Saturday is my favourite day:)

Today i processed one more day of Taiwan photos which i will upload on facebk soon.

Here's 2 i quite like which are on flickr already :)

More photos to come soon! :)

I miss Taiwan

2009-06-23T20:50:00.005+08:00

I have a gazillion more photos to process :) Here's one from one of my favourite destinations, Hualien.

This was taken at dawn at this pebble beach called 七星潭.

2 photos i like very much by weixiang :)
(Photos are clickable to go to his flickr site)

This is me when i was abt to stack the stones to take the photo above.

Shall end off with my favourite photo at this point of time.
Silhouette of wen phei, sie yen, raphael and i :):)

Last Day

2009-06-21T15:12:00.003+08:00

Tmr, is the official first day of M5.

It'd really be a lie if i say that i'm not anxious at all :S

Despite the dreadfulness of M5, i ought to be thankful for the rather awesome elective mths and break i had :) I cant say it was always fruitful, but i hope the stresslessness has been suffice for the survival of the hectic yr ahead.

Among the happy things that happened, i realise that most offered happifying photo opportunities and these photos have been uploaded either here or on flickr in the past mths. I hope u've found one or two pictures u like!

I guess one of the most interesting thing i did was to see Jolin Tsai at a press conference!

Jolin is really petite in real life.

And then there was Taiwan which i so absolutely LOVE.

Taiwan pictures however will take time to be processed cos all my photos are taken in RAW format. But i shall post 2 here to get things started :)

This is taken at 淡水, the place Jay chou's 不能说的秘密 was filmed :)

To end off, i hope amidst the hectic year ahead, i would be able to find pockets of time for myself to slow down and enjoy a cup of tea with pple like these 2 at Taipei 101.

Have a great wkend friends :)

Back to Reality

2009-06-17T12:56:00.003+08:00

I woke up this morning and was feeling a little sad tt i opened my eyes to my room.

Despite being back on the comfort of my familiar bed, i do miss Taiwan :)

I had a gd trip!

Interestingly, i tried shutting my eyes tight and opening it again wishing tt i'd see (pls say this the yikang-way) ROSEland, GOLD standard :) haha

M5 soon.. and i have to put my camera and fun away for 1 yr :S

Up next, Photos of my trip!:)

Busy Happy Monday

2009-06-01T23:38:00.002+08:00

I'm really happy that i could run so many errands today including sending my IBM to its hospital for a fan transplant. The service at the service ctr was excellent! I'm ambivalent abt whether it is a gd thing that i only found out now, cos on one hand, i'm really happy that my T43 has survived so long when a number of my frens had fan error when their Thinkpads were around 2 yrs old, and on the other, my IBM is out of warranty!

Plenty of things happened today that threatened to ruined my day.. including the possibility of getting a bus lane ticket while letting my mom alight at the Bedok MRT bus stop and i later saw someone in white uniform with a digicam+tripod :((

Also, i had trouble running cos i kept having persistent side stitch :(( I read abt it on wikipedia.. it's pretty interesting and its actual cause is unknown.

Interestingly, despite all the awful things, my day felt pretty awesome on the whole. I guess, it's always the simplest things that saves the day :)

I have qt a lot of photos i havent processed. But here's a few current ones to share!

Prof Low and CG mate Wenhui

Awesome, Must Watch!

2009-05-30T23:37:00.000+08:00

Death Cab for Cutie - Little Bribes from Ross Ching on Vimeo.

Happy Thots

2009-05-24T15:38:00.002+08:00

Some thoughts have the ability to cause u to hold ur breath momentarily, heart to race unexplainably and make you smile from inside out :)

I'm glad to have music and such happy thoughts to occupy me when i'm doing the most mundane things :)

Happy weekend frens.

Seeing things differently

2009-05-23T00:44:00.005+08:00

I've noticed that i've been taking pictures of the same kind of creatures because of their sheer ubiquity!

I'm qt ok with it cos i hope i'm getting better but i hope you're not getting too bored!

I like the bokeh of this one :)

It's interesting how the bug was caught in the moment it was abt to take flight.

This butterfly was at Day 1 of its adult life...Decided to process this old picture cos it made me wonder how the butterflies i saw are doing and whether they're still alive.

Affirmation

2009-05-20T00:30:00.000+08:00

It's really true that i like words of affirmation :)

Nice Quote

2009-05-17T15:51:00.002+08:00

I chance upon a nice quote today

路再长，必有峰回路转出；
夜再黑，已是接近天明时。
有星星长照的夜，
也有彩虹引人希望的明天。
最凶暴的雷雨过去得最快；
最严寒的冬天，
真是春天早临的讯号。

Happy Sunday frens :)

Young & Old

2009-05-16T08:30:00.003+08:00

I just uploaded 2 other pictures taken at Ann's house last wk and i qt like the contrast of the size and age difference shown in the pics :)

It's also nice to mention that the family calls Ann 小安儿 affectionately:)

Family

2009-05-11T00:40:00.002+08:00

I just heard that my Aunt's family will be moving to Australia. I'm quite sure i'll miss them a lot, especially Little Ann.

As a little present to the family, i took qt a bit of photos of them and i've procesed the photos and also burn the RAW files into a cd (in case they want to process into JPEG themselves) =)

Here's a few of my favourite to share!

"NAH! Your Phone Call!"

Ann's qt cute isnt she? :) I just realise the next time i see her, she would be so different!

Mini Project

2009-05-08T20:54:00.008+08:00

I chance upon a few chrysalis on Monday and decided to bring one home.

Here's the set up, where the chrysalis hung silently for a few days.

I was hoping to capture the process when the butterfly emerge from the chrysalis, but it was already out when i woke up! How unfortunate!

(Photos by my good old Fujifilm compact)

I plan to bring this pretty little thing back to where i found it so it can find its friends and mate :)

While it's at home, it seems to be eating well! Check out the uncoiled proboscis.
Pardon the photo quality cos they were taken thru glass.)

I shall end with my favourite photo. The butterfly looks like it is trying to understand its own reflection. This was taken by wx with his macro attachment on my camera and lens :)

I love this project 'cos its like reliving my childhood fun of keeping bugs found in my grandma's garden.

And of cos, i was amazed by metamorphosis once again.

Good Day

2009-05-07T23:59:00.000+08:00

I had a gd day today and had a small revelation that things that contribute to a gd day are often the small, simple things =)

Beauty Awaits

2009-05-05T21:36:00.001+08:00

Words cant describe how much i'm looking forward to see the pretty one that will awake from its slumber :)

Strangely Varicella

2009-05-04T23:23:00.003+08:00

I'm cutting holes on cellophane for a mini project. I must say it's kinda therapeutic :)

AH Butterfly Trail

2009-05-03T23:11:00.004+08:00

I've been feeling antisocial of late, so i decided to drive to AH on my own after dropping my parents off at the Asian Civilisation Museum today.

Not exceptionally fruitful cos the butterflies all stopped qt far away (or didnt stop at all) and i didnt want to trample on other plants to get near to them, but still OK! cos i took photos of other things :)

Shall end the post with a B&W pic :)

Hope u had a great wkend :)

Tilt-shift Minature Effect

2009-05-01T23:36:00.001+08:00

I have new found favourite!

I'm often not motivated to take landscape photos cos my natural inclination is to take macros.

Fren showed me these videos from the digital photography school newsletter. I like the effect of tilt shift lens cos it's like having a macro effect on landscape! Perfect.

Dont u think making things look like miniatures is uber cool? I encourage u to watch the videos in HD and fullscreen! :)

I love the music of the second video. Hope u all like it too!

Clementine

2009-05-01T16:58:00.000+08:00

Love this song :)

Our City at Night

2009-05-01T13:54:00.005+08:00

Landscape is not really my forte so i have plenty to learn. It can be qt fun actually, especially at night, cos there's plenty of waiting to do and it's qt interesting to see photographers wait patiently and stay stationary for the shutter to close.

Some of my attempts of our very own classic cityscapes :)

Happy May day frens!
I'm feeling better :)

Damn Sad

2009-04-29T00:43:00.000+08:00

and angry :(

Surreal

2009-04-28T21:08:00.003+08:00

Everyone is feeling so sian... And i have to be overwhelmed with such unexplained fatigue at this time.

It's not often that i feel very strongly that i want to snuggle comfortably in bed and have a person i trust most right beside me.

Ant Byte

2009-04-27T08:44:00.002+08:00

One good photo i took this wkend :)

They just cut all the grass around my home. Now there'll be less bugs to take photos off :(

Void deck Fun

2009-04-24T21:03:00.003+08:00

Some people think that Singapore is a boring place and there's nothing to take photos of. I guess some interesting things can still be found in the supposed boring places like my void deck!

In fact, i realise that quite a lot of my macros are taken in the vicinity of my home ;)

TGIF :)

Worlds Apart

2009-04-20T23:09:00.004+08:00

I wondered today where all the wild creatures i've taken photographs of go at night.

I looked extra hard at the bushes where i often see butterflies, but nope, i do not see them. Where do they go every night? Do they have a home to return to?

I also wondered today why we sometimes do the things we dont like to others.

I wondered why stimes it feels like we're worlds apart.

Worlds Apart

Love Renewed

2009-04-19T23:14:00.007+08:00

If u've hung around me lately, u'd know that i love my Macro lens A LOT. It was on loan for a week and i missed it terribly!

Now that it's back, i took some photos and the love is renewed :)

Busy Bee on Sunday

Among Flowers we Meet

Camouflage

More photos to come! :)

Haps

2009-04-18T10:08:00.005+08:00

I actually thought ystdy was rather happening! I brought my camera to hospital to let my CG mates play with it and i got to try the 30mm lens proper on my frens too! In the evening, we went out with the German/Swiss elective students.

We brought them to Geylang for dimsum and DURIAN!!! Then we went to marina barrage and clarke quay :) Quite fun! It was hilariously qt a tight squeeze in my car cos one of the german student was 1.96m tall?? And i will never forget the drag force i felt when i was going up the winding carkpark slope. I was in gear 1 all the way :S

I rarely post photos of myself. But i must credit wenhui for these photos. Nice bokeh :)

I think it's my fault for moving so much in this photo. I cant rmbr what i was excited abt though. But i find my expression really funny :) haha So i'm posting it for humour sake :)

To me You're Perfect

2009-04-13T20:11:00.001+08:00

Wake Up

2009-04-06T23:05:00.003+08:00

My table is in a big mess.. Cardio scribbles are STILL on my table on top of other random things.

I was suddenly overcome by an intense guilt. Have i played too much?

Too much of time spent on photography?
Was i trying to distract myself from something?
Was i preventing myself to get hurt??

I better wake up.

WAKE UP.

Landscapes

2009-04-06T20:05:00.010+08:00

Landscape photography is really not my forte. With my strong preference for Macro, i had my macro lens on when we went to Punggol but changing to my kit lens still returned some interesting shots :)

Photo courtesy of Liwei, which i think is extremely cute that all of us (even Jacob so far away!) happen to be in a straight line :) I just realise, where is ronnie?? Liwei sent me the photo and i realise that i was smiling. What about i cant rmbr though! Happy photo :) I like.

Conversely, captured by Weixiang, this is Liwei :)

We are happy nikon frens:) Haha

Black & White

2009-04-04T14:25:00.006+08:00

Of late, i've been seeing beauty in Black & White photos :)

Here's some of them from taken around punggol!

The following 2 pics, not exactly B&W, were converted directly from RAW format. I didnt make any changes despite RAW dullifying pictures. I thot the colours were apt and they impart an interesting mood.

Again, hope u found something u like!

Nature Walk

2009-04-02T22:59:00.006+08:00

Today i made a trip to Hortpark on my own in hope to catch some nice sights. The last time i was there was after my O&G epot and it was after a rain!

It was exceptionally hot today. Perhaps cos i was also in formal wear.. :S

Despite the unbearable weather, i managed to see qt a bit!

Will post more pics tmr..

Flickr is telling me i'm reaching my display limit.. perhaps i should consider getting a pro account too :)

Gastrointestinal Upset +++

2009-04-01T21:44:00.002+08:00

Today i had diarrhoea x5 in the morn and the colic and nausea was terrible!!!

Interestingly, my tutor is also on MC.. perhaps it's the lunch we bought from same stall.

While still feeling the stomach churning, i took this pic!

I rarely take pics in B&W.. perhaps i feel particularly unexcited today..

Hamster

2009-04-01T15:29:00.002+08:00

Techy Geeky

2009-03-30T23:44:00.002+08:00

Posted with Eeepc...

I just realised tt i havent posted rubbish photos for some time. Photography has taken priority for some time and there's been clearly more photos taken with my dslr of late on this space!:)

Some of my friends say i should maintain a photoblog proper and not have everything so chapalang.. but at this pt of time, i have no plans to maintain 2 blogs. So it shall be chapalang for now!

Today, i found joy in techy geeky stuff. Actually, i've been loving my eeepc more than ever since i bought it cos it has been truly useful to me! It's so nice to carry it ard and the convenience it has brought me is such a bonus.

Last wk when i was waiting for frens at simlim, i was actually able to come out with the excel spreadsheet for my research data entry. If i haven't had my eeepc with me, i would be wasting time staring into space and zoning out :)

Sounds pretty awesome right?

Booting my eeepc makes me happy cos i see this desktop background with 2 of my fave colours.

(i know...i cant help it but notice the disparity of photo quality but it's ok! I'd explain why!)

My excitement for Eeepc doesnt end here. I'm actually looking forward to bring it to India. This little thing is going to let me do A LOT of things! At least i hope so:)

Just like publishing this post today, first, the photo was taken with my fujifilm compact. Then i take the memory card out and slot it into the SD card slot directly!

I could edit my photos if i want to before i upload to photobucket!

Today i successfully installed Adobe Lightroom on my eeepc. I perfectly understand the limits of this humble pc.. but if it allows me to process a few of my RAW photos taken with my Nikon D60, i'd be more than happyy! If it works, i shall not be too bored at night in India in my room alone and i could share some nice sights of India sooner :):) Yayy

I take my photos in RAW format and each file is abt 10 MB. To make sure i do not run out of space in India, i'd be bringing this wonderful thing! Portable harddisk :)

If u realise my electronics have all these kiddy girly floral stickers. It's to help me identify my stuff easily and i guess also to deter guys from taking it by mistake. haha.

I was thinking, IF i do get wireless internet access like yingxian is getting in the mountains.. i should be able to update this blog still :)

Excited :):)

Yayy

Love for Macros

2009-03-29T21:55:00.004+08:00

Today was qt a good day for photos! After church, i happen to chance upon some butterflies:) Anyone knows the name of this species? I tried to check my butterfly atlas but i couldnt find a perfect match.

In the evening, after a light drizzle, the plants were sprinkled with water droplets. The sight made me happy! :)

See the alamanda in the droplet! :)

Hope you found something you like here :)

Rise and Shine!

2009-03-27T23:10:00.003+08:00

This bread always puts a smile on my face. I've been trying to get this bread with a lovely yolk. Once i did so, it didnt survive the journey home!

Hope it makes you smile too :)

Macaroons

2009-03-25T21:23:00.003+08:00

OT today wasnt as fruitful so i decided to cheer myself up by getting macaroons. I love their colours :)

Hope the colours cheered u up too :)

Cats and Smiles

2009-03-22T17:40:00.003+08:00

I went over to my uncle's place to see his newborn child. The venue of the party was qt dimly lit and the child was so sound asleep that i felt it'd be cruel to use the flash on him!

Managed to take some photos after trying to figure out some flash settings.

This is his first child Isaiah in slow sync flash :) This was initially a mistake, but the effect is pretty cool :)

Daddy and son!

Happy wkend everybody!

Dew on Petals

2009-03-21T17:46:00.004+08:00

I was feeling exceptionally unmotivated today. Thank goodness i was able to take some photos at home to cheer myself up.

Pretty cheerful right? Love the colours :)

Insy Weensy Spider

2009-03-19T14:32:00.003+08:00

I've been having a headache since i woke up and i thought of ONE thing i could do to make myself feel better. On my way to get lunch, i dropped by the same bush to take some photos of the same spidey :)

Last but not least, a busy ant! Although not the entire ant is in focus, i love the colours :):)

I'm hoping to get better with my lens :) Lots more to improve!