Friday, September 29, 2006

SINGAPORE | The Water Front ...

.. September 2006, is when the World Bank and the IMF, (International Monetary Fund) held their annual conference, and this time around will be in Singapore.... flowers everywhere were planted along Orchard Road ...

.. and btw ....The Water Front? ... hmmm not quite sure what is the offcial name for this are .. but since there is water ... so I'll just call it the water front ... hehe...

Here one can see few of the famous landmarks in Singapore ... namely the Merlion Statue.. due its nature (Mermaid + Lion) eer I think so ;) ..... the world reknown.. Esplanade or the "Durian", and this due to its durian-fruit like feature... and some also called it the "Bee's Eyes".. hmm.. wat everlah... and one can also see the used-to-be the tallest hotel in the world, Swissotel The Stamford.... until the Burj-Al Arab, Dubai opens its doors ....

.. It was quite late in the evening after a long day sorting and buying some stuffs.. and many shopping bags need to be lugged around throughout this photo shot ...

.. U can consider these photo shot as challenging because.. it was a nite photography... i.e.. a tripod is a must...... luckily I manage to grab hold of a good sturdy Manfrotto tripod ... with its accompanion.. the Manfrotto Ball Head... and along with me was also the Monopod ... hehe lotsa stuffs u might say .... awu eh.. banyak ... barat kali ah ...luckily there were lotsa bench to rest .. otherwise... hmmmm...


... Singapore City Skyline ate nite .. taken at the vicinity of the Esplande .... this place is where most friends, people especially couples... go for their nite out... hanging out... overseeing the serenity of the river ... despite the busy and bustling city life ahead....

... some details of the Esplande roof structure .... The Esplande..., the Theatre on the Bay .. is the hub for the Art & Culture of Singapore, boasting state-of-art modern theatres .. with a number of fine dining cuisine ....



The Fullerton Hotel, is one of the most historical building in Singapore... once used to house the government offices .. it was also used to be the General Post Office ... Named after the 1st Strait Settlements' Governor, Robert Fullerton, it is now occupied by a modern and prestige 6-stars hotel, The Fullerton Hotel.


... the many different angles of the Merlion ... and yea.. there are 2, .. the Big main one and the small one .. ;) .. The mythical half-lion, half-fish statue is well known tourist icon in Singapore ... and some say a visit to Singapore is not complete without seeing it ...... as perhaps... it can also be used as the symbol of Singapore...

... the Merlion under the full moon light ... what a nice night it was ...Thank God ...
word of caution ... just bring your raincoat or umbrella when taking picture around the Merlion Park ... tempias bah .. imagine ... that sprouting water.. plus the blowing wind ... sloosh ... it wets your camera lens ... and face ... and yea .. be very careful in changing the lens ... the river water is not mineral free.. it is has NaCl, i.e. salty lah ;)


... some panoramic views of the vicinity ...

.. I know these small images doesn't do justice to the beauty of the area nor to those photo enthusiast .. so.. the good news is .. u can click on each of the image for a larger version of the photo ... Happy Viewing ... any comments or critiques of any kind is much welcome .... ;)

Sunday, September 24, 2006

RANDOM | Sunscreen ...

Sunscreen ...
... did u know that SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor ...?

.. years back.. during the good ol' university time ... there was this song which I considered very interesting .. and one can consider it as inspirational ... and of course with good real advice .... and most of it were true .. and still are ..... well think about it .... ;)


Everybody's Free
(to wear sunscreen)
by Baz Luhrmann


Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97... wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.



.. n this? nothing to do with suncreeen .. just a random pix of the 1st and the only tunnel roadwork in Brunei ... hehe ... but with all the full scale amenities .... emergency exits ... exhaust fans ... water pumps ... electronic early warning device .... and CCTV .... etc ...

Saturday, September 23, 2006

SINGAPORE | Bugis Street ...

.. Bugis Street .. Bugis Junction .. Bugis Square .. the now totally modern 1st glass covered walkway in Singapore .. with hundreds of stalls/ kiosk/ kedai.. selling varieties of stuffs.. knick-knacks.. bric-a-brac .. electronic ... fast food.. fine dining ... emporium... eeer banyak-banyak lah... just bring your money your credit cards .... hehe....

BTW, The nearest MRT Station is the Bugis (EW12), or otherwise just ride any taxi ... ;)




... some details of the structures...




... the lady "behind" the mirror....



... glass-covered-walkway ... n yea .. got air-con also wat ...

.. well I guess I'm not alone taking photos ... I'll say it's a 100-400mm hehe ... btw the ladies indulging in a very interesting conversation... eer seems to be ... ;)

... there is this some sort of rythmic water fountain in the middle plaza ... which kept lotsa people amuse for some time.. especially the children ...




.. btw look closely at what those children are wearing on their feet ... Crocs! .. man it's the in thing nowadays ain't it .... hehe.. bah apa lagi... bali tia ... dapat pakai time raya ani .... (eh promo tia pulang ... I don't have any share in it btw if u r asking ... haha...)


... people busy shopping... looking for some interesting items ... btw this was capture in a slow shutter mode... hand held! hehe .. no tripod mah.. wat to do.... manyak susah wo mau bawa tripod sana sini jalan-jalan .... ;)