A Meaningful Song

A very much meaningful song from Andy Lau, especially at this juncture. I thought I shall post it here as well as for my own benefit. It's titled 如果有一天(If there's a day - direct translation).

2008 Coming to an End

It seems like 2008 passes by in a blink. I could still remember my previous trip to visit the Twelve Apostles, the New Year's firework display in the city, my 2 trips back to Penang, Xi'an trip with family, Canberra trip, Bali tour, Perth weekend trip, friends' wedding in Nov, another GOR trip and 2008 Christmas that just passed! Of course, there were things that happened in between.

For now, I still have no concrete plan New Year's Eve celebration. It might just be another quiet night in like Christmas 2008.

A new year perhaps will bring hope, especially the gloomy economy outlook all of us will be facing. As the sun sets, the moon waxes.

Happy New Year to all

Happy Christmas

Christmas in Australia never snows. So, fat chance if one hopes for a pic of snows during this season Down Under!

It's my second Christmas in Melbourne. And nope, I didn't visit the annual Ivonhoe's Xmas lightings this year. It's more like I had tonsil and hence fever 2 days ago. As a result, I just yearn for more rest. Shopping? Neither, besides chocolates for some friends and colleagues.

I have gotten lots of chocolates and bakings from colleagues but have been abstaining from them by hiding them in my fridge (excuses) and out of my plain sight! The one thing I look forward to is shopping in JB HiFi after being given a giftcard as a present by Dom and Ben. I doubt there is anything I lust for.

Here are some pics from my company's Christmas Party in Port Melbourne Yacht Club:
Lunch and dinner over at friends' house today. Yay.....some home-cooked food!

Happy Holidays, peep.....

Chris & Fred - 22 Nov 2008

Time passes so quickly. I was requested to cover their wedding event some time early this year (could be late last year). Having no such experience back then, I was hesitant, though honoured, since it's an important occasion. Chris mentioned that she's more comfortable with me than a stranger. After several months of being guided by a fellow photographer friend, I accepted the challenge (partly also of their persistence =P).

As mentioned in the earlier post for the wedding pics of my beloved friends, below are some of the shots taken. The weather was too cold and windy that led us to cancel the location shoots which had been planned for some time. However, we did brave the chilly weather to have some done before calling it quit.
We have agreed to do the location shoots in 2009.

Congrats again to my wonderful friends, Chris & Fred! And thank you for giving me the honour of documenting your wedding day.

Fatigue

It's been some tiring weeks for me in Nov and the effect certainly sank in today. I wasn't not able to stay awake for long period of time. Falling asleep on the couch and in front of TV was a norm.

I'll definitely catch up with those badly-needed rest as well as the photos taken.

On another note, interest rates are falling, share markets are dropping, petrol prices too are faltering. I'm sure consumer confidence are affected by these phenomenon. Thanks to US. Let's all bring back the good old GOLD.

Oh yea, Nikon announced D3X with RRP USD7,999. Even if it's at USD5,500, I wouldn't even think of getting it should I have the unlimited money for it. At 24.5mp and lower ISO capability, it's just doesn't fulfill my needs. Bigger file size means more memory space and computing power required. There have been some criticism that Nikon is pricing it too much with only the sensor being the differential part while other features remain unchanged from D3. We won't know until the production D3X is out. Then again, I still think if one can't afford D3X then it's not meant for you. There will be demands for it.

A Day To Reminisc

22 Nov 2008 is definitely a day to remember for some of us. It is the wedding day of my beloved friends. Due to this event, some of us managed to catch up with some good old friends back from the Uni days in Perth. I was excited for not only the wedding but the chance to meet up.

There of course were some interesting incidents that happened on this very day. Closure of a part of the road leading to the Church, "missing" champagne from the hired stretched limo, the breakdown of the hired limo, the winter-like weather with strong winds, hails, etc were some of the "excitements".

I unquestionably agreed with what the Groom said in his speech. "I rather marry the right girl on a wrong day than to marry the wrong girl on the right day".

Certainly, however these incidents are being looked at, it was a day to remember.

Time passes by so very quickly. One of our friends left last night. Getting the chance to meet up for the first time after more than 5 years is certainly one of the highlights. However, sending the very friend off last night and not knowing when our next meet will be aches me. I didn't say any goodbyes though.

Friends come and go but the truest friendships are forever. So, no goodbyes from me but "I'll see you soon" to all my dearest friends.

Perth Weekend - Murdoch University

Visiting a few friends in Perth over the past weekend certainly is fulfilling though too short and tiring. It's tough trying to keep everyone happy. For that reason, I kept my trip to myself and a handful of people to avoid disappointments.

Dropping by Murdoch Uni and its Student Village on the first day with my good ol' friend from college and uni days brought back memories from more than 9 years ago!

The courtyard and flats we lived in, the walkways and stairways we took, the halls and rooms we sat in. It was nostalgic. We even dropped by the usual place we got our lunches. However, the Asian Caravan was no longer there as it has been replaced by a proper hut/container that houses the kitchen! The aroma of Polo Chicken definitely brought us back in time. I took some shots of the food with my phone and sent to some usual suspects of the food! It was hilarous!

Here are some pics:

Flat 45 where some great memories!

Polo Chicken & Chilly Squid

More on the Perth trip later. Speaking of Murdoch Uni, a few of us managed to meet up in Melbourne for a good ol' friend's wedding! That will be the next post.......!

Beauty

It's been said time and again that beauty lies in the eyes of beholder. I've been and will continue to be working on capturing these beauties that have most of us ignoring them due to the hustle and bustle of modern living chasing after material dreams. There are beauties in all simple things that soothe some of us.

Here are some that I'd love to share.

We should all be taking some time soaking in the little simple but beautiful things around us.

1st November Post

I have been slacking off in blogging, processing and posting photo.

This month will be a hectic month for me. Work (not photography-related), visiting friends in Perth, a good ol' friend's wedding here in Melbourne and relatives' visit later in the month of which we will be heading to Great Ocean Road (GOR) for a weekend away will certainly keep me occupied. I am looking forward to my short trip to Perth, friend's wedding and GOR trip with my relatives.

My motivation for heading to office for work has been really badly affected even after the Bali trip. Anyway, I hope things will get better.

Here are some registry wedding photos taken in Oct before the Bali trip.

OH.......The news of RPK's release has been great! Now, that's a big blow to the government for invoking ISA on him! I can't hardly wait for more of RPK's writings and revalations!

Well, time to get ready for the buck's night of my friend! No cameras are allowed!

A Getaway from Chilly Melbourne

I was in Bali almost 2 weeks ago for a short 4.5-day getaway from chilly Melbourne as well as involving in a wedding shoot. More on the tour of Bali which I joined my parents before the shoot in later post. It was an amazing experience overall.

Here are some photos from the location shoots of the newly-wed in Ubud, 2 hours drive away from Nusa Dua where our abodes are. [Images are not properly displayed though but click on it to have them opened in separate view - FIXED]

With the hot and humid weather in Bali and returning to chilly Melbourne, I am down with a cold at the moment! :( I can't wait to get to the photos taken in Bali but I still have a wedding I did before the Bali trip. Patience, peeps!