(Almost) colourless

生病了

2008-03-31T19:54:00.000-07:00

心病了好久，身體終于也病了。而且病菌就像囤積力量了很久，突然排山倒海的攻來，作業卻不會等待。於是還得逼著自己像漿糊一樣的腦袋想啊想啊。沒辦法出門，也沒辦法煮飯，本來沒有肉就活不下去的我卻連喝水都會想吐。沒辦法了，今天就吃白面包吧。

一路來盡忠職守的免疫系統啊，你快點好起來吧。這場跟自己的戰爭才剛剛開始呢。

等待的意義

2008-03-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

等待，是因為還沒有辦法解釋為什么當初的心理會如此的被扭曲，以至于完全偏離了自己要走的路，要做的人。更重要的是，等待，因為沒有別的方法可以證明自己不會再次淪陷，沒有別的方法可以證明我對你的愛。等待，為了要重新出發，為了要完美自己。真的，這樣的等待并不消極。我每天都在懇求自己快點成長，我每天都在用我的全部力量在等待。

今天，我將會第三次進入Yosemite這個攝影者的圣地。她也是我的圣地，因為是你陪我第一次體驗了她的美麗。仿佛是在懲罰我的任性，在我第二次造訪她的時候，她沒有留給我一張美麗的照片。但這次我會回去告訴她，我會等著你回來和我一起再去看星星的那一天。如果看到Yin Yang，我也會跟它說，好久不見了哦！因為我要練習下次與你見面時的台詞。

我好想你……但是我還不夠好，所以請再等等我吧……

哭

2008-03-13T03:54:00.000-07:00

又把自己包在被窩裡哭了好幾夜。堅強真的不是放在嘴邊說說的東西。可是遠方的你還有在看嗎？還在乎這一切的意義嗎？曾把我想得那么不堪的你，如今這為了你毀掉自己再重來的決心，要做到最完美的努力，你看見了嗎？？有時候我真的好希望你能夠肯定我一切的努力，輕握我的手告訴我你會等我變更好。這樣的奢望是唯一讓我能夠支持下去的理由……

right here waiting / 等

2008-02-13T05:52:00.000-08:00

不知道你還會不會來看這個blog。你或許忽略了，你blog上指向這里的鏈接，是我在你的世界里占有的最后一點空間。現在的我已經不敢再去看你的blog，不敢再去多想過去的是是非非，可是對你的思念卻一刻也不曾停過。每天我都在告訴自己，一定要堅強，沿著你心目中完美的設定走下去。我答應自己，花四年的生命來等你。我把這個承諾寫在我的匿名里，時刻提醒自己，選擇這樣走的理由，是為了再次看到你幸福的笑容，是為了給你一個值得你愛的我。只要匿名不變，我的承諾就不變。

This is my promise. I'm right here waiting...

Witness / 目擊者

2007-03-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

不知道為什麼，我又想起那場籃球賽。你第一次來看我打球。我一向都知道，你是我的幸運星。於是那場比賽我奇蹟般的拿下了十二分，沒讓我這個板凳的最後一個賽季再次以一分結束。我還想起回家路上那擁擠的街道，走走停停的公車彷彿永遠不會到站。肩靠肩坐著的我們，不記得說了什麼，只記得你哭了。

那是個充滿多少心痛的一年。我們一起衝刺高考。一個不會數學的你，一個討厭經濟的我。閉上眼睛，我還能清楚地看見，青澀的男生女生在快餐店裡比賽寫經濟essay；還能看見，在地下商場的座椅上，男生如精采獨奏般地為女生解數學題，然後靜候他唯一觀眾的鼓掌。現在回想，當時那兩件不同顏色的校服，看起來卻那麼協調。一切都像昨天一樣，卻又如夢境般的遙遠。

四年了。十年後我會否還帶著同樣感傷，會否還背著你的夢而不願卸下。只是你已變了，我也變了。你的改變讓你義無反顧地離開了從前那個世界。我的改變卻讓我更渴望回到從前，去拾起當年我們留下的碎片。

或許，目擊過愛情到來的我應該滿足了。那年的高考，我終於考到了A。在青春的測驗裡，我卻狠狠地考了個F。而多年以後我終於明白，有的東西是無法補考的……那就是青春。

An emptiness

2007-03-27T05:40:00.000-07:00

自從那次以後，心總是空空的，再也找不回剛開始那種滿滿的感覺了。而居然又會在夜裡突然想起過去的她而近乎流淚。或許我和茶一樣，是只適合活在悲劇裡的人物，而在喜劇裡就只配當配角。每當看到別人幸福美滿的時候心裡都會充滿祝福，卻又難免升起一絲嫉妒。而儘管真的很努力，但形孤影單的我偶爾還是寧願揮揮手，獨自品嘗屬於我自己的孤單。

Take a Kitkat

2007-03-13T01:48:00.000-07:00

As you might have noticed, all the pictures on this blog have disappeared, due to the recent switch of Zoto to a "revenue model". Presently i'm thinking of setting up a proper photoblog when i'm able to devote more time to shooting. But for now this blog will not host any more photos. It will contain occasional rants from me, and i'll certainly update everyone when this hitherto imaginary photoblog is eventually set up. Meanwhile, take care.

* * *

最重要的東西在人的心裡，不在別的地方。

Small town boy / 小鎮男孩

2007-02-26T22:32:00.000-08:00

不明白不明白為什麼我不能放得開
捨不得這個愛妳是一生一世不會瞭解
我明白我明白在我心中妳永遠存在
或許妳會有一天懷念可是我已不在

……一直不知道原来我的主打歌唱的就是自己的心声。

Snowy canyon

2007-02-08T01:51:00.000-08:00

The Grand Canyon in a refreshing snowy scene. And it was veeery cold indeed.

* * *

i eagerly seek for a sign of Spring. i search in the yet bare branches of the trees, in the budding yellow flowers along the sidewalks, in the scurrying squirrels coming out of hiding. i search, for the end of Spring will see me home. Oh and i search, in the clouds for the planes that make booming noises as they fly low overhead, or in the night sky for their tell-tale blinking lights which in the great distance almost seem stationary. i search, for i know that one day soon, one of them will send me home.

Homeward bound i'll be.

On the road

2007-02-02T16:41:00.000-08:00

On the way to Grand Canyon from Vegas, it began to snow quite heavily as we gained altitude. Fortunately it soon cleared up and we able to make it there safely, all in time for a grand late afternoon view of the snow-clad canyon.

Headcarver

2007-01-30T22:04:00.000-08:00

An oldish man in Vegas who could mould and carve a clay figure of your head within fifteen minutes. He also claims to be the only person in the United States adept in the craft (as you can see on the board on the right). i gave the picture such a scary name becuase i find the aspect of having your "head" rolled about in someone's hand and kneaded and carved is indeed quite unsettling.

Music to their ears

2007-01-28T22:55:00.000-08:00

As the gondolas made their rounds, the boatmen and -women would break into (supposedly traditional Venetian) songs. Now i'm the poorest judge of the authenticity of the crooners, but the passengers sure seemed to have perfectly enjoyed themselves.

Moonshine over Paris

2007-01-26T18:23:00.000-08:00

Since the entire scene is a fake anyway, i figured it wouldn't matter if i added a fake moon, too. :p

Gondola

2007-01-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

The Venetian, where it's always an Adriatic dusk and the gondolas never stop.

Las Vegas is truly faux at its boldest, sublimest, or most shamelss, depending on how you choose to look at it. It's a wormhole of make-believe, where adults are transported back to the days playing "let's pretend". For if it's not a landscape so bizarrely impossible it seems like a dream, how best to appreciate the thrill of high stakes on the gambling tables? How else to explain the insanity of it all? There is only one answer: Vegas!

Bellagio!

2007-01-22T19:57:00.000-08:00

i was there, standing in the freezing cold, between 30-second-long exposures, trying to capture the "joy of watching it". i'm almost sorry that i had to call a retreat before i could capture the essence of the Bellagio Fountain, the excitement and the drama of it all.

* * *

It was there at the fountain, when he started to sing "i hope you don't mind, i hope you don't mind" that i finally knew you didn't make the Elton John classic up yourself. Little bits and pieces of the past, they are like what Camus wrote—the memories of "all prisoners and exiles", that which "serves no purpose."

There was one time i could almost kill myself, for i was certain that the future held no hope. But if time be split into its many pieces, then we are an infinite number of reflections of ourselves, each living in its own time. In this way, perhaps the i then was truly dead. And so were you. And i buried you carefully beside myself in a special, almost timeless place.

Wynn

2007-01-20T21:52:00.000-08:00

Hotel Wynn in Las Vegas—absolutely complementary with a glorious desert sunset.

Golden Gate

2007-01-18T14:46:00.000-08:00

Finally found time to photograph this beauty that's so close at hand. Three hours of "trek" back and forth from the bus stop to the bridge, starving because i forgot to pack in my peanuts. But it's all worth it. :)

Moonrise

2007-01-16T17:06:00.000-08:00

One of the last pictures before my camera battery ran completely flat. How glad i was to have been able to capture the moonrise for she who would appreciate it.

Summer heat

2007-01-13T00:14:00.000-08:00

What looks like heat haze along the La Jolla beach is actually... exactly what it looks like, in the midst of winter.

California sea lion

2007-01-10T13:00:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting: (this is truly a milestone) the future world best wildlife photographer's first real wild animal – a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus)... as well as camera-wielding Taiwanese tourists. Well, not so much the "future world best", but definitely my first really wild animal captured. :)

These shots were taken at La Jolla Cove (as was yesterday's), which lies within the San Diego Underwater Park Ecological Reserve. These cutely clueless little creatures apparently surface here for some tanning every now and then. This one's definitely a baby. Adult male California sea lions could grow up to 300 kg and female ones up to 100 kg.

Fly over a penguin colony... not

2007-01-08T23:44:00.000-08:00

i decided to put up this picture because of how it amusingly resembles an aerial photograph of a penguin colony... except that it's not. Those are seagulls and (probably?) pelicans on the rock arch.

* * *

Sorry for the lapse in posts again. i just got back from Vegas a couple of days ago. And Zoto has been down (again!). Apparently it's switching to a paid-only revenue model soon. i'll probably have to look into other free depositories like picasa.

Stare

2007-01-02T15:45:00.000-08:00

Presenting: one of the evilest birds, at least in my books.

Big fella

2006-12-31T14:11:00.000-08:00

Seeing these huge creatures through the magnifying glass panels makes them seem even huger. But one unanimous comment by other visitors—and a very true observation, too—is how the hippos move like graceful ballerinas in water.

* * *

Happy New Year to everyone! Hope your New Year resolutions work out this time. :p

Yoda

2006-12-29T12:48:00.000-08:00

An old Koala which my travel pal said looks like Yoda. In the background you could see painted forestry on the inner walls of the enclosure, very old school indeed. In fact, the more i think about it, the more San Diego Zoo reeks of a colonial-era menagerie. And i don't like it a bit.

Flamingo

2006-12-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

Flamingos, in my opinion, easily rank as one of the most evil-looking birds in the world. How the beautiful traditional Spanish dance could be named after this fowl is lost on me.

Merry Christmas hohoho

2006-12-24T00:06:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all! This scene with a red panda framed by the pines has a really wintry and Christmas colour scheme to it, doesn't it?

On a side note, i'm really irked by how San Diego Zoo keeps most of its animals in cages. Although i opened my aperture all the way here (f/2.8), you can still see the cage grids very clearly. On the other hand, the Zoo also did not dim the lights on the "human side" of glass enclosures, resulting in distracting reflections. i believe that being able to see the humans distracts the animals, too. In this aspect the Singapore Zoo has really done a better job.

From San Diego, with love

2006-12-22T01:03:00.000-08:00

Hola folks! Thanks for all the well wishes previously posted! Finals were finally over and i'm happily vacationing in lovely San Diego. Here's a picture from the world-famous San Diego Zoo to whet your appetite. :)

Rest

2006-11-30T05:12:00.000-08:00

Well this is the last picture before i have to take a break again. As there's no picture from Tahoe and the finals are approaching, this blog will probably be quiet for a while. Let's hope winter break would bring in fresh stuffs. :)

Merced River

2006-11-28T23:17:00.000-08:00

Merced River, flowing through the Yosemite Valley in its windy path.

* * *

i hope everyone enjoys the b&w outburst lately. It's my effort at trying to better grasp the medium. :)

Yosemite Valley

2006-11-27T20:22:00.000-08:00

View of Yosemite Valley from the Sentinel Dome. This is one of those times i really wish i had a super wide-angle. The monolith on the right is doubtlessly El Capitan, where the most famous picture of the great Galen Rowell was taken. JX, i wish you were there, too.

Isolation

2006-11-26T17:27:00.000-08:00

While setting up my camera for this picture on the Sentinel Dome, i wondered how the early pioneers who saw the Yosemite Valley from up there felt. It's as if Nature had spent some extra time and effort on this stretch of landscape than others.

* * *

i was just back from Lake Tahoe for the Thanksgiving weekend. Snowboarding was great fun, but i don't have any picture to show. It's hard to shoot when moving in a large group, so i just concentrated on having fun. But i'll definitely return!

Age

2006-11-21T22:44:00.000-08:00

Roots of a fallen Giant Sequoia, a species typically living up to more than a thousand years. What if Man could live that long?

Morning fog

2006-11-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

Just returned from Yosemite. Didn't have much chance to capture good pictures as we had to hurry to catch up with the group. But there's always the next time to look forward to, right? :)

Anniversary

2006-11-17T02:25:00.000-08:00

It's been a year since i set up this photoblog. It's been a long year. How have you been?

Power lines

2006-11-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

Passing by

2006-11-09T04:10:00.000-08:00

Turning around

2006-11-07T02:39:00.000-08:00

Men manually turning the famous San Francisco cable car around. Look at the queue waiting to ride! More than two months here, and i have yet to try.

Cookie factory

2006-11-02T04:27:00.000-08:00

This is a full view of the "factory". You can also see the notice demanding payment for taking pictures. Chinese are really one of the most enterprising people around.

* * *

Last night was Halloween! i decided not to bring my camera along so i could just have fun. Man it was really crowded down in Castro. And we only read today in the news that at least 10 were injured in a shooting that broke out only 15 minutes after we left. Talk about a close shave...

Fortune cookies

2006-10-27T03:51:00.000-07:00

Hmmm so the weekly post plan isn't coming along very well... Anyway this picture was taken two months ago on a trip to Chinatown in San Francisco. In the back of an alley, hidden away from the uninitiated, a few Chinese women operate a fortune cookie factory. They also charge 50 cents for pictures. i handed over a dollar and she didn't bother to give me change...

Naked people walking

2006-10-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

So i've decided not to spare the viewers after all, but the motion blur should provide censor enough to make this website still friendly to the young. :p

Sorry about the infrequency of posting, i just can't overstate how busy college life is. i've decided that i should at least discipline myself to post at a regular rate, say once a week, and see if in time we could slowly increase that to twice, thrice, and eventually daily as before. :)

Dive into Blue

2006-10-10T04:39:00.000-07:00

Lead vocal Stephanie Hilliard from Dive into Blue performing at Full Moon on the Quad. Man, this girl can sing AND play the guitar - totally rockin'!

Full Moon on the Quad

2006-10-08T23:54:00.000-07:00

Full Moon on the Quad, an age-old Stanford tradition where bands play, freshies kiss seniors and naked people run about -- queer.

Fly

2006-10-03T02:10:00.000-07:00

Argh sorry about not updating much (and with nothing great to show, too). Days are zooming by and work is piling up. i miss Singaporean food!

Hands in the air

2006-09-26T01:31:00.000-07:00

It always defeats me why people would willingly hand out their hard-earned money to get tortured on medieval devices like the roller coaster. It warrants an anthropology research paper.

Oh that was Six Flags Marine World in Vallejo by the way. Somehow the best camera angles for the most thrilling rides are all located outside the park. So if you're thinking of going there just to shoot, don't even bother to pay for entrance.

Minnesota fans

2006-09-24T02:39:00.000-07:00

Despite losing eventually, Minnesota scored a terrific run in the second quarter which was ranked top 6th play of the week.

Cal scores!

2006-09-20T01:25:00.000-07:00

This is the first home game of this football season. And we won 42-17 against Minnesota. But honestly, i still don't get nothing about this American game.

* * *

快阻止時間倒轉當我們再次遇見
怎樣的表情最適合隱瞞我依然愛你很深
別再多看我一眼別試探我真的感覺
我怕忍不住又回頭眷戀你連背影都溫柔
...
不愛就轉身離開一個人把回憶推翻
不愛承受這悲哀 I love you forever 不能說出來

这一刻，世界上某个角落，是否也有人听着陶喆的《不爱》流泪？在这样的夜晚，听着别人的故事，却想起从前的自己。你在哪里？i love you forever，不能说出来……

SMSA BBQ 3

2006-09-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

Frisbee -- THE college game. i used to think that i played decently well, until i came and saw girls executing perfect backhand throws... :o

SMSA BBQ 2 (Varun the man)

2006-09-15T00:33:00.000-07:00

Self-explanatory. :)

SMSA BBQ 1

2006-09-14T01:22:00.000-07:00

So we had our barbecue out at the Berkeley Marina last Saturday. Miserable weather (two words that usually don't go together in California) don't kill smiles. :)

Thank you Yuan Yin for the (stupid) smile! :pp

Boat at rest

2006-09-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

Boats need a rest once in a while, too.

Love Ella

2006-09-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

i wonder what's their story. Whether it ended happily ever after.

Oyster farm

2006-09-05T00:49:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken on the same day when we drove down to Point Reyes. The bay harbours the oyster farms that supplied all our delicious molluscs, and a really fantastic view. :)

Street artist

2006-09-04T00:58:00.000-07:00

Went down to Fisherman's Wharf last week. The weather was miserably cold. This street artist was painting pictures with spray cans, drawing quite a crowd.

A Californian sunset

2006-09-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

One thing that always amazes me and fills me with awe is the sunset here. It's probably one of the most beautiful things in the world.

Berkeley Marina

2006-09-01T02:33:00.000-07:00

Berkeley Marina, which i have so far always called "Raffles Marina" on first tries, is a nice little place to hang out, enjoy the open space, and yea, fly kites.

Wild flowers

2006-08-29T01:04:00.000-07:00

Seven of us in two cars drove up to Point Reyes on Sunday for some delicious fresh oysters... and some beautiful scenery on the side. If only we could wait till sunset.

And for all my friends in Singapore to know, i cooked oyster egg for the first time and it's fully edible! Is that an achievement or an achievement? :p

Beginning

2006-08-25T18:24:00.000-07:00

To all concerned friends: i have arrived in Berkeley without missing a hair. :) Everything's going well. After having to sleep on bare mattress the first night, i now have a very comfortable set of beddings in tones of black and blue (Starry Night anyone?).

Walking through the Sather Gate is a new beginning, though the memories still catch up with me way too often. Posting here still won't be frequent as i'm still quite lost and busy. But i'll try to go for quality rather than quantity yar?

The fallen 3

2006-08-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

如果能倒转时间，想说的不是再见。如果能加速时间，我希望能早日再见。

* * *

Hi dear readers of my little photoblog, i'm leaving for college at UC Berkeley tomorrow (18 hours of flight + 10 hours of transit time in between, wish me luck!). As such, i won't be able to update here till everything's settled down. Please check back from time to time. Hope to bring you some great pics from the Bay. :)

Behave

2006-08-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

Mother hamadryas baboons often hold on to the tails of their young borns who have just learnt to move about on their own, in order to guide them and discipline them. Here is a young baboon dashing towards an older sibling who was provoking it, and the mother pulling on its tail to restrain it.

i have no idea what caused the fibre-ish bokeh... It's very distressing.

Scale

2006-08-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

To this mynah, the rhinos probably look like little hillocks.

* * *

Having my little joke and laughing at it. Who besides you could understand and appreciate? Scale and scale, got it?

Gotcha!

2006-08-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

As i was shooting this proboscis monkey from behind a glass (i was in a dark sheltered viewing gallery; it was in the daylight), it seemed to have noticed me. So it leaned forward and tried to get a better look with its curious beady eyes. i felt so extremely honoured at that instant. Here is one of the most highly endangered creatures on Earth taking notice of me!

Hanged Man

2006-08-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

A Malayan Flying Fox (Pteropus vampyrus), also commonly known as the fruit bat, munching on a piece of honeydew. i doubt very much that honeydew, grown in semiarid climate and having a hard skin, is the bat's natural diet. But it has apparently grown to enjoy the fruit very much.

Bats also remind me of the Hanged Man, which happens to be my favourite card in Tarot.

What's in the foot?

2006-08-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

Not only have these baboons perfected chiromancy, they are experts in feet reading as well. (Oh for all those concerned with its safety, that's not a splinter pierced into its foot, just a strand of grass stuck there.)

* * *

Oh i forgot, Nikon has launched the D80. It looks sweet! :)

What's in the palm?

2006-08-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

It seems that humans aren't the only ones who have mastered the arcane art of palmistry.

Fraternity

2006-08-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

When we eat, we eat together. When we play, we play together. When we sleep, we sleep together. Whatever we do, we do together. He ain't heavy. He's my brother.

Kissy

2006-08-10T10:10:00.000-07:00

Looking at the orang utans, it's hard to believe they're not connected to us in some way. Love is a language they speak as well as we do. It's comforting to know that on this singular planet in the immeasurable depth of universe, Man is not alone.

* * *

If all the beasts were gone, man would die from great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts also happens to man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth.

- Chief Seattle of the Suquamish & Duwamish, 1855

Stripy

2006-08-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

i've always liked zebras. They're very zen creatures.

Pretty

2006-08-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

昔者庄周梦为胡蝶，栩栩然胡蝶也，自喻适志与，不知周也。俄然觉，则蘧蘧然周也。不知周之梦也胡蝶与，胡蝶之梦为周与？

《庄子·齐物论》

Chuang Tzu in dreams turned into a butterfly.
Carefree as he was, he forgot himself.
Upon waking he was Chuang Tzu all the same.
Alas it could not be told
If in dream Chuang Tzu was a butterfly,
Or Chuang Tzu a butterfly in dream?

Chuang Tzu

Cuddly

2006-08-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

'Cause everybody loves cuddly little animals. And these meerkats are about as far as dumbly cute goes. :)

Fishy

2006-08-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

i'm different. i stand amidst a crowd and cry out for attention. i long to be noticed. Yet the whole world's eyes would mean little, if yours were not looking this way.

* * *

Fell in love with Lisa Ono's voice after listening to her bossa nova album - Jambalaya - Bossa Americana -. Ooh~~~ :)

Spotty

2006-08-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

In this short time from now till i leave, let me share with you my impressions of some animals from the Singapore Zoo, which i took great solace shooting as this reluctance to go is finally mounting.

These shots are also the result of my new 80-200 lens. :)

Lamp

2006-08-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

当夜幕降临，谁为你点盏灯？不要忘记曾爱过你的人……

Sultan Mosque

2006-08-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

Was out with JX to shoot some pics around Arab Street. Realized that the Master is really a more diligent and observant shooter. i get tired easily. :p

Anyway this is a picture of the Sultan Mosque against the darkening sky. Oh and yesterday concluded the Melaka trip. Today we're already back in good old Singapore. :)

Monk on the hill

2006-08-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

Somehow i get the feeling that monks travel a lot nowadays. And they're every bit as tech savvy as mortals like you and me.

Tombstone

2006-08-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

There were many gigantic tombstones (measuring roughly 1 by 2.5 metres) lining the sides of the Saint Paul's Church ruins. i could not decipher the Latin inscriptions, but they sure looked pretty in the setting sun.

Ruins

2006-07-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

Grand as it may seem, it's only what remains of the Saint Paul's Church, built by the Portuguese in 1521 on top of a hillock. The church later fell into disrepair in the hands of the Dutch and British colonists. Today the roof had long since collapsed, and the walls much weathered.

* * *

By the way, if any of you guys are interested in math, i highly recommend this book called Euclid's Window: The Story of Geometry from Parallel Lines to Hyperspace by Leonard Mlodinow, which i am reading now. Its anti-religion and (believe it or not) anti-multi-level-marketing views are highly entertaining. :)

Pigeons

2006-07-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

The men on scooters were members of two rival families, and a fierce gunfight ensued moments after this picture was taken. Nah... just a street shot in Melaka. But the pigeons sure added some tensions to the atmosphere.

Discovery Cafe

2006-07-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

It's a nice place to sit down for a chilled beer on a hot day. But any other beverage is fine, too.

This way

2006-07-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

Too often we have been told what to do, going this way or that. So clichéd, you must be thinking. Yea, but have you realized that the homo sapiens sapiens are possibly the only species in this world that complains about security? Having secured all life's necessities - food, clothings, shelter - the average Joe starts to wonder "there's surely more to life than THAT!"

And with that, "poof!" came the first beer bar in human history, and little more to life than we thought there was.

Painting the town red (too)

2006-07-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Painting the town red

2006-07-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Ok i exaggerated, it's not the entire town they're painting. But the Christ Church stays gloriously red because of the hard work of these people.

Me~~~laka!

2006-07-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

Imagine a cinematic opening with the shipful of sailors jubilantly heralding "I~~~biza!" and you'd probably NOT get a picture of Melaka. This historic settlement along the world's busiest waterway named after itself is quiet, humble... and really really hot.

In this picture is a part of the Christ Church Melaka, first built by the Dutch colonists in 1741 and later taken over and expanded by the British.

* * *

Only 14 more days before Nikon unveils its next DSLR. :)

Over Chengdu

2006-07-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

This is the last of the series from my June trip to China. Hope everyone has enjoyed it as much as i did shooting it. :)

* * *

Coming up: remember my recent short trip to Melaka, Malaysia? ;)

* * *

Sometimes i thought postprocessing subconsciously reflect the emotional being of the photographer. Looking back i was certainly feeling gloomy when i processed the China pictures. Things are getting better now, and hopefully my pictures will be happier, too...

Discordant

2006-07-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

Scenes like this are like clashing chords - they are disturbing and yet attractive in a different way. By the way the Chinese characters say "Ancient Dragon Temple". Rather clichéd, if you ask me.

Old town

2006-07-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry about skipping a day's post, i was out all night and day and night again. :p Making it up by posting two pictures together. They're of a similar theme, too. Both were taken in Huanglongxi Town, some 40 km south of Chengdu.

* * *

i forgot to mention, i was down at the launching ceremony for the α100, Sony's first DSLR, on Tuesday. Well i wouldn't say too much of my amateur opinions here, except that Sony could definitely use a little boost to its marketing team. Meanwhile, i love my D70s much better. ;p

Reined

2006-07-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

Huanglongxi is an ancient town near Chengdu. Some locals kept two white horses for the riding entertainment of bored tourists who visit. i don't know if the horses were mistreated, but they looked so timid. When i approached with my camera they only tried to shun.

Eight of Hearts

2006-07-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Eight of Hearts, corresponding to the Eight of Cups in the Tarot Minor Arcana, signifies a disappointment, emotional setback, betrayal or injury to the heart.

The edge

2006-07-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

This tree, growing on the edge of a sheer cliff extending hundreds of metres down, seemed to be desperately and stubbornly holding on.

* * *

Lately some of you guys might experience problems loading the pictures on this blog. It's due to technical issues at Zoto, where i deposit all my photos. So if you can't see the pictures, no use refreshing. Just come back later when you're free. Thanks again for the support! :)

Monkey sad

2006-07-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

"i'm cheated... again."

Oh by the way this is a female macaque if you're wondering. The male ones have a paler "facial" complexion and white eye rims.

Monkey shocked

2006-07-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

"Gosh it's expired!"

Monkey see

2006-07-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

"Hmm... let's see what it says on the packaging."

Or apparently what this semi-wild Tibetan Macaque seemed to be thinking. More commonly known as the Spiritual Monkeys of Mount Emei (Macaca thibetana), they have grown accustomed to the thousands of tourists visiting the holy mountain each year. The visitors are also required to purchase "specifically formulated" food from the approved outlets if they wish to feed or take pictures with the simians.

Running water

2006-07-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

Don't go chasing waterfalls
Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to
i know that you're gonna have it your way
Or nothing at all
But i think you're moving too fast

* * *

终于还是狼狈地退出，但至少已证明了我对你的爱。不原谅是个负担，所以我决定把它放下。原谅了你，更原谅了我自己。从理论上来说，我已经尽力了……

Shopping

2006-07-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

Monks and nuns in China are now state recognized "jobs" who hold special passes and are issued fixed salaries. Here you see a nun shopping for a bag at a store in Baoguo Temple near the foot of Mount Emei.

Deep cleansing

2006-07-12T09:37:00.000-07:00

Stream of Fragrant Snow, or at least that's what i could decipher of the engraved Chinese characters.

* * *

So very quiet...

Scaling the giant

2006-07-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

Here you see the right hand of the Leshan Giant Buddha, sculpted over a span of 90 years during the Tang Dynasty. It was listed as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1996. Recently scientists discovered what could be a secret chamber within the Buddha's chest. These men clothed in yellow are there to do some preliminary survey work.

* * *

It was ostensibly Newton who once said that for him to achieve what he had achieved, he was "standing on the shoulders of giants". But i think there's a giant inside every one of us. We just have to scale it to discover our true potential.

Temporarily out of order

2006-07-09T23:46:00.000-07:00

Zoto, the carrier service of my pictures, has been inaccessible for the past day. And hence no new post yet. Do check back. i'll resume as soon as the service's up.

Fenced

2006-07-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

Sometime i don't know... if i'm fencing myself in, or are you fencing me out?

* * *

套一句《大话西游》里唐僧的经典台词：外面对我来说只不过是个大一点的监狱。那今生就为博尔一笑，也毋须太认真。

* * *

i'm going on a short weekend trip. See you guys on Monday! :)

Prayers

2006-07-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

Shrine of Marquis Wu in Chengdu pays homage to the legendary Three Kingdoms figure Zhuge Liang, synonymous with wisdom and guile in the Chinese culture. This particular hall celebrates the fraternal bonding of Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

* * *

Loving you is such a delicate walk on the wire, between hopeful and hopeless. Shifting anymore to either side would tip me over.

Little couple

2006-07-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

Next time you fall in love
It better be with me
The way it used to be...

- Next Time You Fall in Love, Starlight Express

An era

2006-07-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

All photographers should know very well that colours are strong dictatators of emotions. They evoke certain feelings, thoughts, and in this case, memories of an era bygone.