輕度的冥想狀態 Waking up to the Sea Breeze at your Bedroom Window ...

State of Mild Meditation

...

 

人生就是這樣，有得有失 Life Is like that ...

Life can be hard, 

but sometimes 

it is also beautiful

...

 

比利時啤酒咖啡館 Nightcap at Belgian Beer Cafe in Perth ...

Not too long ago

...

 

外面的世界 The World Out There ...

What will it be Tomorrow ?

...

 

English charm II 魅力英式都铎式风格建筑 II ...

Nov 26, 2010

Ye Olde Smokehouse, Cameron Highlands ...
都铎风格的纯英式小酒店 ...

it was built in 1937. So yes I guess that is old and therefore part of the charm ...
它始建于1937年。所以我想这是它老的魅力和有吸引力的地方 ...

We heard that dining here is really expensive with all 

the menu consists entirely of British staple fare ...
我们听说，在这里用餐真的是很贵主而主食菜单完全是英式 ...

 It was originally opened as Ye Olde Smokehouse Inn at 
Christmas time in 1937, by an Englishman Douglas Warin ...
它最初是由英国人道格拉斯瓦林在1937年圣诞节的时候开辟为

Ye Olde Smokehouse 客栈 ...

In the beginning it had only six rooms, and its clientele was mainly 
homesick British expatriates, who could only visit home once in every eight years, 
looking for some cool weather and perhaps these English style gardens ...
在开始的时候只有六间房，其客户主要是

想家的英国侨民，他们只能八年回英国探望一次，

在这个地方他们可以寻找一些凉爽天气，也许包括这些英式花园...

The hotel is rich in history, having survived the Japanese occupation and the Emergency ...
酒店坐落于历史悠久，有幸存逃过日本占领和紧急时期的毁坏 ...

Since 1977, it seems that “the Lee family” has owned it. 
The family used to own The Smokehouse at Fraser’s Hill as well ...
自1977年以来，“李氏家族“已拥有它。

这个家庭也曾拥有在福隆港的 Smokehouse ...

the mock Tudor-styled or Tudorbethan, first manifested itself in domestic architecture 

beginning in the United Kingdom from the mid to late 19th century. 

It later became an influence in some other countries, especially the British colonies. 

You can find the presence of these architectural style in various parts of Malaysia ...

素都铎风格或Tudorbethan，开始在19世纪中期到晚期的基础上. 
它后来成为在其他一些国家的影响，特别是英国的殖民地.
你可以找到这些建筑风格在马来西亚各地 ...

OLD is gold and this definitely rings true of The Smokehouse with its English imprint, 

a nostalgic reminder of the bygone colonial era ...

这一个过去的殖民时代怀旧的Smokehouse的确提醒了老是宝 ...

There are 3 smokehouse in Malaysia, this one in Cameron Highlands
build in 1937 is the oldest. There is also another at Fraser’s Hill. 

And a third one in Kuala Lumpur mainly positioned as a restaurant ...

在马来西亚有3个Smokehouse，这在金马仑高原一建于1937年是历史最悠久的。

第二所在福隆港。然而最新的一所在吉隆坡, 主要是作为餐厅的地方 ...

BMW Vision Connected Drive 概念敞篷跑車 ...

Is this your dream car, 
or is it every man's dream car;
not me, 
can't afford it and  
I am not sure where to park it    
...

BMW's Concept Car Exhibit @ Pavilion, KL 

概念车展 

Early Bird and Early Worm 早到者 ...

I think we may have condiser too much
of the good luck of an early bird
who "might" get the worm
but not
the bad luck of the early worm
who "may" be eaten by the early bird
...

Shatin 2012 Horse Racing Season Finale 馬季季終賽馬日

Sha Tin Racecourse, Hong Kong 沙田馬場, 香港

Why does a Flamingo stand on one leg 为什么火烈鸟站在一条腿 ...

Scientifc answer
"Heat-regulation", 
because if they stand on two-legs in the water, 
heat will draw away faster from their body
...

KL Bird Park ...

Close one eye 闭上一只眼睛 ...

It was Thursday last week, 
at around 4:30pm +, 
I was lecturing a class in KL, 
I thought I was dizzy as I did not had lunch that day,
I saw the tables in front of me swaying from left to right,
and I stopped talking,
Standing still, I could feel the building swaying, 
it really was the Indonesia Quake.
...
All other classes stopped and everyone left, 
I continued and finish the class at 5:30pm, 
my apologies to my students
for closing one eye to the Quake
...

Look me in the eye 看着我的眼睛 ...

This picture just reminds me of the following that
I came across a few weeks ago
Look Me in the Eyes 
Michael Jordan Commercial
which sounds like this
...
Look me in the eyes.
It’s okay if you’re scared, So am I.
But we’re scared for different reasons.
I’m scared of what I won’t become,
and you’re scared of what I could become.
Look at me.
I won’t let myself end where I started,
I won’t let myself finish where I began.
I know what is within me, Even if you can’t see it yet.
Look me in the eyes.
I have something more important than courage,
I have patience.
I will become, what I know I am.
...

Lake Garden, 

Kuala Lumpur

ISHq Restaurant and Wine Bar 餐厅和酒吧 ...

The training center I go to for my lectures 
for the past few years
is next to this Hotel, 
which I never thought  a lot about 
photographing in it 
...
That extra step I took to walk into this hotel 
before I left the training center today
certainly gave me a good impression 
...

Crowne Plaza

Kuala Lumpur

Grand Park City Hall 新加坡君乐皇府酒店 ...

Grand Park City Hall, Singapore ...

新加坡君乐皇府酒店 ...

Grand Park City Hall is located in the heart of the civic and arts districts, 

opposite Singapore's oldest church. 

It is a 5-minute walk from City Hall MRT Station and the Raffles City Shopping Centre.

Even though I am not paying for the duration of stay, I think it is a little

overprice for the standard room. 

But no doubt, the service is great, rooms are clean. 

Very convenient location as well. 

It is published as a 5-star hotel by the governing body of something in

Singapore but I would give it a 4-star ..

From the windows of my hotel room 709 ...

... and few minutes walk from the hotel, you can also find
several of Singapore's museums ...

English charm 魅力英式都铎式风格建筑 ...

Nov 26, 2010
Ye Olde Smokehouse, Cameron Highlands ...

都铎风格的纯英式小酒店 ...

Ye Olde Smokehouse celebrates everything British ...

这纯英式小酒店庆祝英国的一切 ...

I think it really felt very European inside this cozy little hotel ...

这舒适的小旅馆真的感到很欧洲的感觉 ...

including every furniture and decoration ...

包括每一个家具和装饰 ...

every corner of this little hotel really gives a comfortable feeling ...

这个小酒店的每一个角落真正给人舒适的感觉 ...

We did not book a room here as it was 4 times what we need to pay compared

to another hotel we booked nearby ...

我们没有在这里预定房间，因为我们需要付出比

我们订到附近另一家旅馆的四倍 ...

From Hotel Melaka Renaissance 马六甲复兴酒店 ...

October 30 - 31, 2010 Melaka
Renaissance Hotel

We were staying in the Melaka Renaissance Hotel in our
last trip here 2 months ago ...

Beautiful hotel of 5-star right in the heart of Melaka ...

at the swimming pool level ...

you can even find a nursery with a few orchid plants ...

Melaka is a beautiful town ...

However, as you can see the abandoned construction so commonly

seen in many cities in the country, I wonder why the

developers were not made responsible as I am sure 

they are now investing in some other constructions 

elsewhere making their money until the next economic

downturn ...

Sun flare 星芒 ...

Sun flare photography experiments ...

I really love sun flares in photography, I think it's one of the most beautiful things.

So yesterday, I decided to try it out ...

While in most of my shots, I would try to choose the best position to eliminate sun flare but today I am looking for right spot from the view finder to get the sun flare I want and it is not an easy task.

It took awhile to get this one right, I think ...

I think finding an appropriate subject to compose together with the sun flare should be a good idea ...

These shots were taken in the morning around 08:00am at the swimming pool side at 

Crown Plaza Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Mysterious man from Venezuela 来自委内瑞拉的神秘男子 ...

Beautiful friends from Venezuela (来自委内瑞拉的朋友) ...
Location: 33rd floor Skybar, Traders Hotel
Date Taken: May 18th, 2010 08:35pm
Nikon D90, Nikkor AF-S DX VR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED
ISO 1800, "M" mode 1/6 @ F15.6, FL=18mm

Innocence 可爱 ...

Location: Putrajaya Flora 2010 08:23 am
Date Taken: July 16th, 2010
Nikon D90, Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di
ISO 500, 1/4000 @ F3.2, -2/3 EV, WB=Cloudy

Soaring 天際傲遊 ...

Location: KL Zoo 吉隆坡动物园
Date Taken: May 25th, 2010 01:04pm
Nikon D90, Nikkor AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6
ISO 640, "S" priority 1/500s @ f/16, +1 EV, WB=Sunlight, FL=300mm
Software: Picasa
Flickr link:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/46055880@N03/4700212064/ 

...... There are lots of these big birds at the Kuala Lumpur zoo. And they are huge wonderful birds which makes it easier to practice Fast Shutter priority to freeze their flight motion. Large birds are actually slower and therefore easier targets. Depending on the kind and tones of the bird, the suggested baseline manual settings are 1/500th to 1/1000th second for shutter speed. I was told that the baseline setting are f4.0 to f8 for aperture. The general rule seems to be if the bird is darker, then the Aperture should be bigger (small f number like f/4) to ease up on under-exposing the image. (But here as my camera was on shutter priority, it calibrated itself for an f/16). It is suggested therefore to use "M" or "Manual" mode to work within the baseline Shutter and Aperture Settings. Lots of light is the best condition so that the ISO number can be tuned to lowest possible like ISO200 or even ISO100. (In my case, it was ISO640 as I was shooting under a lot of shades). Focus lock of half-pressing the shutter is important to lock in the focus of the bird while tracking its motion using the viewfinder. I still find it needs lots of practice which makes "Photographing birds in flight" a very challenging and enjoyable photography subject.