ilovelongvacation - San Gimignano D7

Hot from the press https://ilovelongvacation.wordpress.com/ - D7 in San Gimignano Here's a meaningful picture taken in Italy - Outside a ceramics shop. When you travel, just seize the day - it's highly likely that we will not visit a foreign land twice, contrary of what we think.

ilovelongvacation - Siena D7

Hot from the press https://ilovelongvacation.wordpress.com/ - D7 in Siena Here's one of my favorites picture taken in Italy - The Cathedral of Siena :)

Happy Deepavali

This year's lead-up to Deepavali was a bit special for me. For the first time in my life, I went to the Deepavali bazaar at Little India with S, my young Indian colleague. We were there to take some pictures for our company's newsletter. A bit embarassing but interesting. I will do it again :)

It's such a strange coincidence that all the Indians (friends/colleagues) I know have names that starts with S - all people whom I am glad to have met and befriended. We were close and distant at various points of our lives but I have always felt comfortable with them everytime we get to meet up :) Sweet and savory, just like the deepavali treats. Here's a happy festival of light to all of you!

ilovelongvacation - Florence D6 (150th anniversary of unification of Italy)

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-  D6 in Florence

We witnessed the parade celebrating the 150th anniversary of unification of Italy!

ilovelongvacation - Florence/Pisa D6

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- D6 in Florence and Pisa

Here's one of my favorites picture taken in Italy - on top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa :) Courtesy of ML?MQ (I really don't remember but thank you! haha)

Aperture II

Dinner was simple yesterday - curry with rice + bread.

The camera (with its big aperture aka small F) tucks in.

ilovelongvacation - Florence D5

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- D5 in Florence!

Here's one of my favorites picture taken in Italy - on the train to Florence :)

红山中心

好久没逛红山中心了。几年前，那是上班的必经之路。 现在只是偶尔路过。今天在那附近上课，趁机逛逛。感觉既熟悉又陌生。

图书馆变了（发现书架和e-catalogue换了）， 商店变了（麦当劳不见了，贡茶出现了！)。

不变的是昔日的一些影子 - 在巴士转换站，等巴士的阿兵哥（他们应该是时间一到就冲出办公室。哈哈。不象K，常常陪我们OT）和克信的小小小小小小学妹 （他们应该有小我有十六岁吧！哈哈。想当年，与同窗逛BM是一件多么好玩的事阿！）， 热闹的熟食中心（不忙时与同事吃漫长午餐的地方。 哈哈）和flagship store NTUC（偶尔陪妈妈来买东西的地方。小时候，那里可媲美orchard road呢！哈哈）。

原来很多东西会变， 但一些感觉和回忆是不会变的。走在红山中心，浮现在脑海的都是美好的画面。 Thank you （you know who you are) for the memories :)

Coffee, tea (gongcha) or me?

Attended a seminar in the afternoon and kind of fell asleep in the first half hour (so rude of me...) but could not helped it. Was it because I did not had any coffee or tea in the morning? Or was it just me being tired (reached home at about 11pm last night and went to sleep after midnight)? yawn yawn... anyway, I had a cup of milk tea (very nice) during the tea break and then tea from gongcha  (it's my third cup since saturday...hmmm...) on my way home....hope I can still sleep tonight :P

Talking about sleep - I attended a talk last week about the sleep advantage. Did you know that eating more tofu, nuts, capsicum, corn can help your body produce a hormone that can help you sleep better? And exposure to natural light (as compared to artificial light) can produce more of that hormone? That probably explain why we feel tired and go to sleep early after a day outdoor or at the beach...

Sweet dreams to all :)

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Moon River came to mind when I pressed about Piazza Navona in Rome a few minutes back.
Moon River came to mind when I saw the video of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast in Tiffany's a few months back.
Moon River came to mind when I heard the street basker at Piazza Navona more than a few months back.

Moon River, a song I heard many years ago about 15 years ago, a song that brings back sweet memories of the days gone by...

Here's Moon River - music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Johnny Mercer

Moon River, wider than a mile,
I'm crossing you in style some day.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,
wherever you're going I'm going your way.

Two drifters off to see the world.
There's such a lot of world to see.
We're after the same rainbow's end--
waiting 'round the bend,
my huckleberry friend,
Moon River and me.

Moon River - Audrey Hepburn

ilovelongvacation - Rome D4

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- D4 in Rome!

Here's another of my favorites picture taken in Rome :)

The Roman Forum - a beautiful reflection of the remains of time...

Aperture

Been toying with the camera aperture these days.

A = Lower F = More Light  = Less depth = Things in foreground is in more focus than things in the background.

I like A. See below :)

I like the model in A (a gift from a best friend) :)

Botanic Gardens

Took the new Circle Line to Botanic Gardens with my sister and cousin yesterday. It's been many years since I last went (more than 4 years...) because it was so out of the way. And with the Circle Line, it is only 25 minutes away.

We arrived at the Bukit Timah Gate and spent about 3 hours in the park, which reminds me so much of Kings Park in Perth (but with no bird's eye view of the town). Nice to just sit around, watching the swans. I wanted to take more pictures (and play around with the aperture) but my camera ran out of batteries. So I think I will go back again (perhaps in the late afternoon and this time lay on the green green grass :) Can't wait :P



I call this picture 'Under the yellow flame tree'. The sight of the tree dotted with yellow caught my eye. Wanted to take more shots with different aperture but camera died :/

ilovelongvacation - Rome D3

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- D3 in Rome!

Here's another of my favorites picture taken in Rome :)

ilovelongvacation - Rome D2

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- D2 in Rome!

Here's a glimpse of one of my favorites picture taken in Rome :)


Arch of Constantine in the background

ArtScience Museum

Finally visited the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands. The entrance kind of reminded me about the Louvre in Paris (much smaller, less crowded version). It was launched on my 32nd Birthday - I didn't know when I decided to visit MBS on the same day :)



Taken today. ArtScience Museum is in a very modern setting, surrounded by one of the most stunning landscape - CBD, Esplanade and MBS.

Taken earlier in the year. Construction was still ongoing on the day of launch. Architecture reminds one of a lotus flower and a hand reaching out to the sky!

Visited the Van Gogh Alive - The Exhibition (ending tomorrow) and the Dalí: Mind of a Genius – The Exhibition. The former reminds me of Museum D'Orsay in Paris when I saw some of Vincent's original works - both impressionism and post-impressionism. Think dark beautiful paintings. This exhibition was more of a audio-vidual display of his works in 1880-1890 and I enjoyed sitting in the gallery watching his works flash before my eyes :) It was overwhelming in a peaceful way.

I read about Dali in a visual communications class in university. Think surrealism and Freud. It's quite surreal to see his works (which kind of reminds me of Tim Burton movies). I always thought he was more of a painting/drawing artist. It was a surprise to see sculptures (which I like) and consumer works like furnitures and glass displays. I always thought he was more of a psycho-analysis guy and not so much one fascinated with science. And I so want to visit Dali Musuem in Figueres near Barcelona!

Alice in Wanderland. Once of Dali's fave characters. Not surprised :)

Symbols. Snail. Crutch. Very Dali.

Venus + giraffe. Beauty and love take a new spin.

Melting watch and clock. Dali's take on permanence and transcience. I closed my eyes and listened to the ticking of clocks. I seem to have frozed in this picture. Carpe diem - hear the time go by.

Scrapbooking II




A birthday card for an old friend who is like family :)

Materials from Papermarket. Picture from 30th Birthday trip to Hong Kong :) Happy Birthday, JL!

Universal Studios Singapore

I have been to USS a few times and every time, one of the fun moments (and cheap thrills, not that a ticket to USS is very cheap ) of visiting a theme park is the Meet and Greet (aka photo-taking with various characters) :)




My company booked USS for a night function. Poor Charlie Chaplin was looking quite bored, so we took a picture with him.



Kungfu Panda is very very popular. Long queue for a show with him.



With Marilyn Monroe



Shrek and Princess Fiona. Hidden in a corner. Many probably missed them.

Puss In Boots. Meow. Also hidden. Probably a trait of far far away land.

 


Army of Anubis



Betty Boop. Look at her knee accessory. Sexy.



Hmm...she is...well....star-stuck :P

 



'move it move it'



Alien warriors



Frankstein



Bitter Juice.



Woody Woodpecker is really funny. Haha.

LIFE

I grabbed this off someone's facebook. On impulse. This is LIFE, sometimes.

Club Med Bintan

Did not take a lot of pictures in Club Med Bintan. Here are my top ten :)



Having fun trying out the camera timer for some self portraits :)



Dedicated to all those who eat to live. Club Med is a great place - you don't have to think too much about where and what to eat :P



Spa. Need I say more?



Sun. Sea. Sand :)