Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc**

Pope Benedict XVI

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 09:39:00 +0000

Two weeks ago, Pope Benedict XVI's resignation sent shockwaves around the world.

I have only known two popes (Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI) even though there were four since I was born (Pope John Paul I and Pope Paul VI). I was too young to get to know these two earlier popes who both passed away in 1978. I’m a product of a Catholic education. My pre-school, elementary, high school and university formal education were all from Catholic institutions – Benedictine and Dominican, specifically. All throughout my formative years, I’ve gotten to know the very popular JPII and I even got to see him on the two occasions he came to the Philippines. I’ve read his encyclicals, letters and book: Crossing the Threshold of Hope.

When Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in April 2005, I was two months shy of my thesis submission and I remember in the few readings I did on the new Holy Father that he affirms traditional Catholic doctrine much like JPII, was an academic, a supporter of science and is fond of cats. But beyond these few readings, I regret that I never made the effort to get to know the new pope. Hence, two weeks ago, when the news of his resignation came on as breaking news on the late night TV news, my initial reaction was it was not befitting for the Holy Father to resign due to health issues. I even compared Benedict XVI to JPII. I guess much of my initial reaction stemmed from the fact that I did not know the Holy Father. However, on reading his full resignation address the following day, I must say I saw his decision from the perspective of courage, humility and dignity. I should have gotten to know this man and accorded him the same effort I did with his predecessor by reading his encyclicals and works. I would have then understood his humble decision.

via Flickr|Christus Vincit

The following are two articles from The Tablet, 16 February 2013 which provide strong, balanced and positive statements about the Holy Father’s decision and insights on the humble leader of the Catholic Church:

Extracts from the Editorial, The Tablet, 16 February 2016, p2

The papacy has become invested with a mysticism of its own, as if to become pope was to be elevated to a higher level of ordained ministry than that of bishop, like a unique fourth rank above the threefold sacramental ministry. By that logic, he had to die in office, precisely as his predecessor John Paul II had done so agonisingly in 2005. But if one can resign from it, it is not a sacramental status. Sacraments are indelible and irreversible.

Popular mythology
But [Benedict XVI], at a stroke, reduced the burden of the popular mythology surrounding the office that he has held with such grace and distinction, and no doubt at times with great distress and sorrow, since 19 April 2005.

Pope Benedict’s legacy is largely spiritual and intellectual rather than public and spectacular, like that of his predecessor.

Possibly his greatest achievement as a teacher of the faith was his encyclical Caritas in Veritate, a profound and devastating critique of the economic theories and business practices that led to the 2008 global financial crisis. Behind all his thinking lay a deep conviction that the Catholic faith, centred on Jesus Christ, was essential to the success of the whole human enterprise. Hence all attempts to design a civilisation without faith – and the Catholic faith in particular – were ultimately doomed. So faith was never something merely to be added on, to make civilisation a little more civilised.

Cliques and factions
That must lie at the door of his predecessor, who allowed the growth of cliques and factions and relied too much on charisma, not enough on management skills. Pope Benedict’s abdication indicates that he knew the task of reform had become too immense and forbidding for one of his declining energy.

… with John Paul II, [the Church] saw a Pope who seemed to imagine himself as parish priest of the whole world, and a Polish parish priest at that. There was not much room for partnership in such a vision, which had its own strengths and suited the interests of the evolving global media. But this was palpably not quite what the bishops had had in mind in the Second Vatican Council. It was scarcely collegiality, more super-ultramontanism.

With Pope Benedict this was less so, and he was more the world’s spiritual director than its parish priest. He has asked the Church to rediscover the message of the council by returning to the texts…

Extracts from A radical last act, Eamon Duffy, The Tablet, 16 February 2013, p7

…Monday’s startling abdication demonstrated that Benedict’s understanding of papacy is radically different not only from that of [Pope John Paul II], but of most of this twentieth-century predecessors. Joseph Ratzinger has of course a more different temperament than the extrovert Wojtyla, though he stepped with surprising effectiveness into the celebrity mould which the Polish Pope pioneered. Benedict’s visit to Britain in 2010 was the sort of personal triumph no one would have predicted for this shy and austerely cerebral professor.

But Benedict’s resignation speech carefully and all but explicitly distances him from a crucial aspect of John Paul II’s vision. Catholics have always believed the popes to be, by divine institution, first among bishops, the visible centre of Catholic unity, and the court of final appeal in disputes about doctrine and morals. But since the mid-nineteenth century the popes themselves have become the focus of heightened religious emotion and sometimes dubious doctrinal speculation. Papal infallibility has been (mistakenly) understood as a personal quality, giving the pope unique access to the mind of God. The office of pope has been imagined as different in kid from that of all other bishops. Pope Paul VI wrote in his journal soon after his election, “the post is unique. It brings great solitude. I was solitary before, but now my solitude becomes complete and awesome. Jesus was alone on the Cross .. my duty is to plan, decide, assume every responsibility for guiding others … and to suffer alone.”

In his agonising final years of physical and mental decline, Karol Wojtyla acted out that quasi-mystical understanding of the papacy in the full glare of the world’s media. As illness and age robbed his of his titanic energy and focus, he no longer inhabited the papacy in any meaningful sense as the chief executive of the Catholic Church (whose functions were in fact discharged by the Curia), but instead as a living icon of Christ-like suffering. The heroic endurance and religious grandeur of Wojtyla’s last days made any suggestion that a gravely ill and not always lucid pope ought perhaps to have resigned long since seem mean-spirited and small-minded.

But if decency silenced it, the question did not go away. Monday’s announcement makes clear that, much as he revered John Paul, Joseph Ratzinger for one recognised its force. His resignation statement made an unmistakable allusion to Wojtyla’s last years. He was aware, he said, that due to its “spiritual nature”, the papacy, “must be carried out not only with world and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering”. But he went on to insist that for the adequate discharge of the Petrine ministry both “strength of mind and body are necessary.”

That simple, rational and at one level unchallengeable statement is a momentous game-changer. In articulating it, Benedict has parted, tacitly but decisively, with two centuries of ultramontane spiritualisation of the papal office and its responsibilities. From this apparently most conservative of popes comes a radical insistence that the pope is a functionary, and when he ceases to be able to discharge his function, then he must consider his position. Pope Benedict prefaced his resignation with a declaration that he acted “having repeatedly examined my conscience before God”. His retirement is no mere matter of personal convenience, an old man’s surrender of an unbearable burden: it had become for him a demand of conscience.

Happy Hearts Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:04:00 +0000

Contemporary Drawings design by Raleigh Architect Coffee with an Architect

The Colour Purple is Hot

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:35:00 +0000

The daytime temperature today in Melbourne hovered at a nice and cool low 20s - max at 21.0°C (69.8°F). It's unbelievable that the temperatures late week, particularly on Friday topped almost 41.0°C (105.8°F).

The sweltering heat with record breaking maximum temperatures was felt across Australia - it was 44°C (111.2°F) in Adelaide on the same day!

In the last few days, Australian temperature maximums have ranged from 40°C to 48°C setting a new national average maximum of 40.33°C (104.59°F) on 7 January 2013. This prompted the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to extend the temperature range of its weather forecasting charts to 54°C (previously capped at 50°C) and adding new colours - deep purple (for 50-52°C) and magenta (for 52-54°C). Burnt orange and black depict temperatures ranging from 40-48°C.

Forecast Chart for 6-7 January 2013, Source: Australia Bureau of Meteorology (BOM)

The combination of hot temperatures, very dry conditions (got to 4%RH in Adelaide!) and gusty winds was just the recipe for horrendous bushfires, some of which are still raging in the four south eastern states - Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

The bureau reported that the first six days of 2013 were all among the hottest 20 days on record in terms of average maximums:

1 January 7, 2013: 40.33 degrees
2 December 21, 1972: 40.17
3 December 20, 1972: 40.01
4 December 22, 1972: 39.82
5 January 1, 1973: 39.79
6 January 6, 2013: 39.71
7 December 17, 2002: 39.7
8 January 2, 1973: 39.65
9 January 3, 2013: 39.55
10 December 16, 2002: 39.54
11 December 30, 1972: 39.48
12 December 31, 1972: 39.43
13 January 27, 1936: 39.4
14 January 1, 1990: 39.39
15 January 4, 2013: 39.32
16 January 5, 2013: 39.26
17 January 2, 1990: 39.22
18 January 2, 2013: 39.21
19 December 18, 2002: 39.2
20 January 13, 1985: 38.98

Australia's climate in 2012 was extreme to say the least - cooler and wetter the first half of the year and warmer and drier than average on the second half. BOM reported that the maximum temperatures in 2012 were 0.51°C above average, and minimum temperatures of 0.28°C below average, making the year a warmer-than-average year, 0.11°C above average.

It's ominous that the bureau's forecasting models are showing temperatures in excess
of 50°C (122°F) for 2013.

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 09:49:00 +0000

I thought this sign can be my aphorism for 2013 and is appropriate for my aspirations for the new year: “without which it could not be” - and the possibilities are endless. Wishing everyone the best of what 2013 has to offer!

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 12:41:00 +0000

Merry Christmas everyone!

Wishing you all a festive holiday season and an exciting 2013!

R U Ok?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 11:10:00 +0000

Tomorrow, being the second Thursday of September, is "R U Ok?" Day. Remember to connect (and re-connect) with your work colleagues, friends and family. These simple words might just be what those around you need to hear at that very moment. :-)

Angels can come in all shapes and sizes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 06:16:00 +0000

The following anecdote was the feature in today's Sunday missalette:

It was a freezing day during the Depression. The judge was hearing a case against a woman who'd stolen some bread to feed her starving grandchildren. The show owner wouldn't drop the charges. He thought it was time someone made an example of such people! Reluctantly, the judge had to enforce the law, sentencing the woman to a ten dollar fine. He pointed out that failure to pay would result in a prison term. However, even as he passed sentence, he took out his wallet to pay the fine himself. He removed his wig, put the ten dollars in it, and asked the bailiff to collect fifty cents from everyone else in the courtroom.

He told the people they deserved to pay this fine for living in a place where someone had to steal bread to care for her grandchildren. The collection amounted to forty eight dollars and fifty cents, including fifty cents from the man who'd brought the charges. The accused was given the money, and as she left the court, the just received a standing ovation (Based on a story recounted by James N. McCutcheon).

Reading this piece this morning, I couldn't help but remember that haunting 1993 photograph which won the Pulitzer Prize. The photo was taken by Kevin Carter in Sudan, was widely published and became the 'metaphor for Africa's despair'. Though the photographer was also criticised for failing to 'act socially towards the child' and was likened to the bird of prey himself for using the photo for financial gain, the image was just so powerful that it made the world more aware of the atrocities happening in South Africa.

Photograph: Kevin Carter, 1993
(1994 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography)

Put together the messages of the judge's kind act and the woeful plight of the hungry South African child, these are still issues we face today. Though much has changed from the times of the Depression and from the South African political unrest, food scarcity is still a prevalent global problem. Using the inverse of the missalette's message of reflecting on how alert we are to an angel's touch when we experience it in our lives, perhaps we could likewise ponder more on how we can correspond to those everyday 'calls' to act socially responsible.

Titanic resonates with climate change

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:32:00 +0000

by Mike Luckovich, Truthdig

A hundred years hence, the fascination with the maritime tragedy - the sinking of RMS Titanic is unwavering. New Yorker's Daniel Mendelsohn explores why we can't let go of the Titanic and The Washington Post's Joel Achenbach explains why this fascination seems unsinkable.

Of all the plentiful columns and articles published in the previous week to commemorate the anniversary of the tragedy, the one which caught my interest the most is Joe Romm's post in Think Progress - Climate Progress, where he transcribed a snippet of James Cameron's interview on National Geographic - Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron.

James Cameron made this connection between what happened on the Titanic and our climate predicament:
"Part of the Titanic parable is of arrogance, of hubris, of the sense that we’re too big to fail. Well, where have we heard that one before?

There was this big machine, this human system, that was pushing forward with so much momentum that it couldn’t turn, it couldn’t stop in time to avert a disaster. And that’s what we have right now.

Within that human system on board that ship, if you want to make it a microcosm of the world, you have different classes, you’ve got first class, second class, third class. In our world right now you’ve got developed nations, undeveloped nations.

You’ve got the starving millions who are going to be the ones most affected by the next iceberg that we hit, which is going to be climate change. We can see that iceberg ahead of us right now, but we can’t turn.

We can’t turn because of the momentum of the system, the political momentum, the business momentum. There too many people making money out of the system, the way the system works right now and those people frankly have their hands on the levers of power and aren’t ready to let ‘em go.

Until they do we will not be able to turn to miss that iceberg and we’re going to hit it, and when we hit it, the rich are still going to be able to get their access to food, to arable land, to water and so on. It’s going to be poor, it’s going to be the steerage that are going to be impacted. It’s the same with Titanic.

I think that’s why this story will always fascinate people. Because it’s a perfect little encapsulation of the world, and all social spectra, but until our lives are really put at risk, the moment of truth, we don’t know what we would do. And that’s my final word."

*from Truthdig

An architectural delight in Prague

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 11:51:00 +0000

Architecture is inextricably woven with travel. Apart from landscapes and natural vistas, majority of iconic landmarks and tourist attractions are buildings. Buildings are inherent in cityscapes and urban landscapes. Moreover, cityscapes are draw cards for travellers in their itinerary for adventure - whether its churches, bridges, museums, hotels or even some retail therapy.

Prague, like most cities in Europe, is a city of visual delight. In preparation for the trip, I have browsed through numerous travel and photography monographs on the city's architecture that seeing firsthand Prague's landmarks was awe-inspiring. As an architect and a bibliophile, akin to reading and turning the actual pages of an interesting book, seeing these enthralling edifices is a tactile experience.

Art Nouveau, also known as Style Moderne or Jugendstil is an architectural style which flourished in major European cities between 1890 and 1914. My interest in this movement was through studying the works of American architects Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright and Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh. In Prague, the movement was led by Czech painter and decorative artist Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939).

It was surprising to me that there are quite a large number of remarkable and well-preserved buildings in Art Nouveau style in Prague. I learned that as there haven't been any destruction/reconstruction programs in Prague as in much of western Europe, nearly all the original Art Nouveau buildings have remained. However, these buildings remain unknown to tourists as they mostly pay attention to the popular Prague Castle and Charles Bridge. But if you know what to look out for, the Old Town, the Jewish Quarter and Wenceslas Square are dotted with Art Nouveau style buildings. Looking up these buildings will treat oneself to beautiful architectural details and decorations. Perhaps the most well-known building is the Municipal House at Namesti republiky 5.

I stayed in one of the first Art Nouveau buildings in Prague which is just a few metres from the Municipal House and the Powder Tower. The former Hotel Central built 1898-1900 is now the K+K Hotel Central at Hybernská. This 4*-boutique hotel in the city centre of Praque is located within a short walking distance from the Main Train Station (Hlavní nádraží) and Old Town Square. Designed by Bedřich Ohmann (1858-1927) and his students Bedřich Bendelmayer (1872-1932) and Alois Dryák, unique Jugendstil architectural details adorn this very stylish hotel.

Although the well appointed hotel displays a contemporary interior design with modern amenities, the Art Nouveau details have been preserved particularly on its front facade, the delicate details of metal railings, ornate light fixtures, curved mouldings of the breakfast restaurant which used to be a theatre hall c 1900 and the glass elevator.

Apart from its proximity to the sights of the Old Town Square, this architectural gem will certainly delight the architectural traveller.

Remembering...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 04:20:00 +0000

On this day 10 years ago, I was essentially a newcomer in Australia having arrived just six weeks prior to do postgraduate studies. 11 September is a day that requires no year. Almost everybody could remember what they did that day or what they were doing when they first heard of the life-changing events the following morning as was the case for most of us Down Under. Australia is 14 hours ahead the local time in New York. Thus, news of the overwhelming events that unfolded during the saddest and worst day in American history came close to 11.00 that evening. Most Australians would have been already fast asleep.

My sister in Manila, Philippines sent a text message telling me to quickly look at CNN - that something terrible was happening to some buildings in New York and she added that events were eerily reminiscent of Tom Clancy's Debt of Honor (we're both fans of Tom Clancy books, particularly the Jack Ryan series).

I caught some of the coverage of the events on CNN and BBC that night but didn't fully grasp and understood the enormity of the tragedy until I watched the TV coverage and scoured the printed and online news the following day.

Today, going over news and coverage of the 10th anniversary, the numbers associated with 9/11 seem to be highlighted more and best describe, in hindsight, the immensity of its impact - to name some:

93 Nationalities of victims;
2.3 Magnitude, on the Richter scale, of the seismic impact of the north tower's (WTC 1) collapse;
7 days passed before the city's EPA administrator, said the air in New York was "safe to breathe";
261 days passed before the last piece of steel was carted away.

But what does September 11 mean? The events that day affected scores of people and in so many ways that its meaning will likewise be as diverse.

I think this reply is one which I found rather poignant thus far. It's from 15-year old Sasha Vaccaro* who was in a kindergarten four blocks from the World Trade Centre that day. He recalled that his father carried him away as the second plane struck the south tower. He saw both buildings aflame and along with his father, he cried. When asked what 9/11 means, he said ..."I honestly don't know. I can't understand why people would do that. I don't know what to say. It's just sadness. That's all it will ever be. Lots and lots of sadness".

*The New York Times 9/11: The Reckoning Article - Getting Here from There, N.R. Kleinfield (Published 08 September 2011).

However, the aftermath of the tragedy gave rise to many stories of heroic efforts. Ten years hence, among those stories I find moving are the recollections about the over 300 search and rescue dogs who helped in the effort to find victims.

"What a dog could do with its nose was invaluable in the search. What a dog could do with its heart was equally invaluable."

Most of these canine heroes have passed away. Fifteen of them, however, are featured in Charlotte Dumas' book Retrieved (2011).

Myself for company

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 12:45:00 +0000

Why travel alone? Numerous books and blogs have extolled the wonders of solo travel. Others have said that it's the ultimate in self-indulgence and the perfect time for deep introspection.

For me, travelling solo is empowering. Perhaps, it's true that we do take on different masks or simply free ourselves from our usual persona - "that traveling almost strips one from character".

Alain de Botton succinctly pointed out, "It seemed an advantage to be traveling alone. Our responses to the world are crucially molded by the company we keep, for we temper our curiosity to fit in with the expectations of others. They may have particular visions of who we are and hence may subtly prevent certain sides of us from emerging… Being closely observed by a companion can also inhibit our observation of others; then, too, we may become caught up in adjusting ourselves to the companions questions and remarks, or feel the need to make ourselves seem more normal than is good for our curiosity (The Art of Travel, p252)."

Perhaps the challenge of being a lone traveler and not beholden to a travel companion or a schedule, heightens the travel experience and allows for more discovery of oneself outside the confines of the secure and comfortable bubble of the regular day-to-day activities. For me, everything seems more beautiful, taste buds are on overdrive as everything tastes better. Having a receptive mindset, being alone seem to magnify the vividness of the travel adventure. You tend to absorb every detail and sensation - soak in everything about the experience.

Of course, there would always be that occasional snippets of times when company is sought particularly when the experience is best shared - such as gawking at an impressionist painting you didn't think you'll ever see in person or standing before magnificent architectural edifices you only read about, more so when spine-tingling vistas and landscapes unfold before your very eyes.

But it seems that the benefits of solo travel outweigh the drawbacks. Mistakes and travel faux pas are definitely your own - and I certainly had my share (but that's for another post). However, for all the goof ups, the triumphs are all the more sweeter.

The scenic Romantic Road

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:02:00 +0000

On this day last year, 16 February, was Shrove Tuesday. It was also the 10th day of my European sojourn and I found myself in Munich. It was the 9th stop in my amazing race around Europe. Ten solid days of the grey and bleak wintry weather. Having left Adelaide at the tail end of the southern hemisphere summer, I was by then missing seeing the sun and Australian blue skies. The novelty of experiencing snow was starting to wear off.

But motivating myself and thinking positively that the snowfall is surely bound to stop at some point, I crossed my fingers that what's on offer for the day will be special. This was the leg of the trip where I drove from Munich via the Romantic Road to Schwangau, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and ending in Frankfurt.

I left the hotel at 6.45am for the two hour drive to Schwangau, Bavaria southwest of Munich to make the pre-booked 10.50am tour of the King's Castles*. My road trip adventure began with trying to get out of the city which took me the better part of the hour just to get on to Autobahn A 96 / E54. Much as I loved the Mercedes Benz A Class rental, the built-in GPS would only indicate which street I was on and a compass for orientation. I had to call on my navigational skills, rely on the Hertz free map with challenging text and font size and the printed details of the route and directions I downloaded from Google Map (Did I mention printed in A5 paper size?). I got lost 3 times including taking the wrong ramp at B2R and finding myself on the wrong direction while at the busy Autobahn which meant that I was heading north back towards Munich again! I wanted an adventure - I got an adventure.

By 8am, I was finally on the way but panic started to set in again as I couldn't go past 80kph due to heavy fog. I was starting to worry that I'll definitely miss claiming those already-paid-for tickets in time for the tour of the two castles. Then about 65kms into the trip and getting on to the start of the Romantic Road (B17) on the way to Landsberg am Lech, (drum roll)... the sun came out and woahh...the postcard perfect winter landscapes started to unfold.

After 10 gloomy days, I saw the blue skies and the winter scenes of the Bavarian countryside were awe-inspiring. I remember thinking that if it's this beautiful in winter what more in autumn or spring (mental note for next trip). I was treated to so much visual delight and teasing glimpses of the quaint and picturesque towns along the route that I found it annoying I was pressed for time and not have the luxury to stop to take it all in.

Then by 10am, I saw the Neuschvanstein Castle. And there she was - dream-like and perfectly perched on the mountain slopes. With goosebumps, tingles down my spine and a lot of oohs and aahs (and screeching!) reverberating within the confines of the car, the day was certainly going to be perfect.

I left Hoheschwangau at 4.30 in the afternoon after a fun-filled and a full 8GB compact flash memory card! JOY! I continued with the drive along the scenic Romantische Strasse to Rothenburg ob der Tauber for an overnight stay.

Here are some of images:

St Coloman Church along Coloman Strasse

Hohenschwangau Castle

Neuschvanstein Castle

*Serendipitously, 2010 was the first time the Castles were open to tourists on a Shrove Tuesday.

My Amazing Race

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 07:26:00 +0000

A year ago this weekend, I took the plunge and went on my biggest solo travel trip to date. My almost month long European adventure began on the 5th of February 2010. The trip was 24 days to be exact including air travel and an overnight and full-day stay in Singapore to visit and catch up with my bestfriend and her family.

As a methodical planner, creating and planning the vacation/adventure of my dreams took over a year and the four months prior to the trip was spent ironing out details.

The preparation and planning was not an easy feat. In 2009 much of the world was in the grips of the financial crisis - the ominous effects of the worldwide economic downturn hanging in the air. With the currency exchange rates pretty much a deal breaker, I decided early on to experience off season travel and plunge into wintry Europe. The major drawback, of course, is the weather - made more graphic by the horrible stories around Christmas time by the experiences of snowbound travellers, particularly in airports and transport hubs. Hence, the decision to do the trip during the tail-end of winter - in February 2010. Sounds childish but I actually looked forward to seeing winter landscapes.

Pouring over maps, travel guides, travel videos and travel books, I locked in my travel budget and booked my 'open-jaw' ticket to Europe in August 2009 - fly in to Amsterdam via Singapore and fly out from Paris back to Adelaide via Singapore.

By the end of September 2009, I was able to work out the final itinerary I am most happy with:
Singapore * Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans * Bruxelles - Cologne * Berlin * Prague * Vienna * Salzburg * Munich * Romantic Road - Landsberg, Schwangau, Füssen, Augsburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Würzburg * Frankfurt * Zurich * Rome * Florence * Venice * Paris - Angers - Paris * Singapore

Phew...I know, I know - too much to take on travelling solo and on such a tight schedule!

My own Amazing Race around Europe! But I tell you, if I'm to sum up the trip in one word - it was empowering. After the trip, I felt I can pretty much do any thing I set my mind to.

Tour Down Under

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 01:25:00 +0000

Having missed this year's 2011 Tour Down Under in Adelaide, I wasn't able to complete my photo-chronicle of Lance Armstrong's participation in the cycling race. Armstrong's attendance in the tour has come to an end with this year as his last.

Not that I know anything about professional cycling but in 2009, I was one of those who braved the sweltering Adelaide summer for some photo opportunities. In 2010, I once again took to my favourite spot on Montefiore Hill in North Adelaide to replicate those 2009 race images.

These images of Lance Armstrong were from last year's Santos Tour Down Under:

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:03:00 +0000

Happy new year's greetings from Melbourne!

New year, new home city and new job! I have 'seized the day' and relocated to a new city to take on new work in research. My usual annual 'taking stock of things' and of looking forward to what's in store for the new year will take on a different flavour this time - one that I hope will be exciting and a whole new adventure.

Looking back, 2010 was certainly memorable and packed with milestones accomplished (along with a fair share of frustrations) which I have yet to chronicle bits of it here. It is convenient that this blog is 'in-hindsight' (hehehe). I hope everyone has already drawn up those usual lists (to do, wishlists and goals) to arm themselves for the year? Notwithstanding these lists, CARPE DIEM.

Have a wonderful 2011 everyone!

A numbers game

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 13:45:00 +0000

Last week we witnessed the power of the numbers game.

Two tennis players on Court 18, donned in the traditional Wimbledon white garbs, wowed the world with a tennis marathon lasting 11 hours and 5 minutes of play (spread out over 3 days)! The numbers: final score between American John Isner
and France's Nicolas Mahut: 6-4 3-6 6-7 7-6 70-68.

In Australia on 24 June 2010, in a historic decision by the ruling Labor Party (ALP), a leadership handover occured with a vote of 70 from a Caucus of 112 and gave the country its first female prime minister - Julia Gillard.

"I didn't set out to crash my head on any glass ceilings. I set out to keep my feet on the floor and to be there walking the streets talking to Australians about what's the right thing for this nation." - Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

With the looming Australian federal election by the end of the year, as some pundits would have it, this leadership change was a coup that needed to happen - if Labor
intends to avoid an electoral defeat after just one term. Delivering a confident and
clever speech as the new leader, Julia Guillard showed her considerable mettle which will certainly make the parliamentary debates more interesting. "Game on", says Ms Gillard to the opposition leader, Mr Tony Abbott.

In an age of excess

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:31:00 +0000

Early this week was the opening of the world's tallest building, the 200-storey Burj Khalifa (Skidmore, Owings & Merill). The following article by Binoy Kampmark** (reprinted from Crikey of the InDaily - Independent Weekly, 8 January 2010) offers an interesting viewpoint on Dubai's living in an age of excess:

Omens of Doom: Dubais Burj Khalifa Tower

It is a colossus, towering over the Dubai skyline. The company behind it claims to have made a successful return of 10 percent. The local paper, the Khaleej Times, did not shy away from hyperbole, seeing the building as an example of human courage and humankind's ability to dream and deliver, giving the world an achievement difficult to surpass.

The Burj Khalifa Tower, renamed in tribute to Dubai's bailout donor, Abu Dhabi's Sheik Khalifa, dwarfs all that have come before it. It is a monstrous compilation of gimmicks in some ways, another addition to the mix of Vegas-styled faux islands, shopping centres and ski runs. Dubai portends to be a place of trickery, entertainment and massive expense accounts. The building itself boasts 200 floors, and rises to 828 meters. It promises to be the home of the first Armani Hotel. Patrons are whisked between floors in elevators at the speed of 18 metres a second. But what does this building suggest about Dubai and the architectural madness that characterizes such efforts?

For one thing, the creation strikes deeply at the apocalyptic language of the recently concluded Copenhagen Climate Change conference. The Sheiks seem less interested in carbon footprints than oil-financed structures of glass and steel. They keep company with architects such as Adrian Smith, the designer of the Burj Khalifa and Cesar Pelli, who gave England the One Canada Square and Malaysia the Petronas Twin Towers.

Dubai suffers, like tyrants, from an overwhelming edifice complex. Its spending complex resembles the efforts of the Pharaohs and their pyramid projects, or those of the medieval Catholic Church: bigger is better, huge monuments to progress, humanity and God. Sometimes, the smaller the state, the more obsessed the efforts in building the Tower of Babel. Megalomania is the classic byproduct of inferiority complexes, often induced by money without sense.

All of these point to a thesis formulated in 1999 by Andrew Lawrence he dubbed the Skyscraper Index. These figures of modernity seem to precede periods of crisis. At low points of the business cycle, these architectural Cyclops seem to rise. The Empire State building was conceived in 1929, the same year of Black Tuesday (October 29) and the onset of the Great Depression. The Sears Tower of the 1970s towered over a society in the grip of stagflation and oil shocks. The monumental Petronas Twin Towers opened in 1997, the year when Asian currencies took a pummeling, humbling Asia's Tiger economies.

In the civilisational sense, this may also be true: the big building, or building project, is a symptom of decay. The American novelist Henry James certainly thought so, though he was thinking of it more in the aesthetic sense. In an economic sense, the great building project tends to forecast ruin. Athens passed quietly into the shade after the building of the Acropolis. Henry VIII of England and Christian IV of Denmark were builders who drained their treasuries, left magnificent buildings, yet failed consistently on the battlefield. The building efforts of the Pharaohs, as Paul Johnson pointed out in 2005, suggest a hubristic tendency that eventually will meet nemesis. The Wall Street Journal (5 January 2010) was confident that such a building mania would not last, sniping at Dubais paltry credentials on economic freedom, rule of law, hard work and sound management relative to such cities as Houston and Hong Kong. Without these, nations and cities alike build nothing but foundations of sand.

Given the precedents set by previous failed civilizations, the omens are not good. Dubai's economy is in a mess. Sheik Khalifa has been generous to the tune of $10 billion. In an age of environmental sensitivities and proliferating green fan clubs, we might well be witnessing a dying breed. When the excitement does die down, the business of preventing Dubai from sliding into oblivion will begin.

The LA Times likewise printed a similar interesting editorial. Likened to the Tower of Babel, architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne described the Burj Khalifa as a "tombstone for some ruined ideas". Though much of the tower's apartments have been sold (as investment properties), its 37 floors of office spaces remains mostly empty and are mostly likely to remain so with virtually no demand for office space in Dubai.

Economically not sensible versus architectural vision to marvel at? Yet again, another testament to megalomania.

**Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lecturers at RMIT University, Melbourne.

Happy new and bountiful 2010!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 03:03:00 +0000

Losing clarity

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 24 May 2009 05:16:00 +0000

This blog has lost its plot for sometime now and I apologise. Post Hoc was originally intended to chronicle in restrospect my struggles while in graduate school and of course what I have been up to after getting those nominals. But for sometime now, it has turned into a photoblog. However, it is my intention to fill these pages again with topics and musings on a variety of subjects other than my passion for photography. Hence, to keep things in order, I have created a separate photoblog - Digressions in Pixels. Post Hoc will thus be dedicated as the platform for my sentiments, general take on things and on a variety of topics associated with 'my intellectual and not-so intellectual pursuits' and some mundane ramblings. The World on Paper, which I have likewise neglected, will continue as my channel for architecture and design.

I hope I am up to the task(s) and not disappoint.

...then at sundown

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 11:38:00 +0000

After doing the sunrise shots, I had the opportunity of capturing some amazing sunset images. South Australia's coast along the western shore of Fleurieu Peninsula affords perhaps one of the best sunsets in the world. The jetties that dot the shoreline of Gulf Saint Vincent offers dramatic vistas with the setting sun as backdrop.

Taking a little road trip with two photobuddies, our destination was the coastal town of Willunga, about 50 kms south of Adelaide CBD. This town has one of the iconic locations for amazing sunsets - the remains of the old Port Willunga jetty, c 1910.

With daylight savings time still in effect, sunsets would be late than usual giving us ample time to leave work, beat the heavy Friday traffic and be at the location for the shoot. We knew (and hoped) that the sunset would be perfect.

The panoramic view of the few remaining piles of the old Port Willunga jetty did not disappoint. From the top of the cliff, a breathtaking view of the sunset greeted us.

The Port Willunga jetty, c 1868-1913
The few remaining piles are what is left of the jetty constructed in 1867 located 400 metres south of the original jetty built in 1853.

Out on a Friday night chasing light? - truly well worth it.

At first light

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 12:29:00 +0000

Dragging myself out of bed before sunup especially on a weekend is such a feat. With the start to autumn and the now chilly mornings, I would rather sleep in. Who wouldn't? But having longer nights and with end to daylight savings still two weeks away, sunrise in Adelaide would be around 7am (CST). Still pretty much not a big ask to roll out of bed for some early morning photographic adventure.

Inspired by Christina Dickson's entertaining narrative on sunrise photography tips, over the weekend, I found myself setting up on top of Montefiore Hill in North Adelaide well before daybreak for my first sunrise photographs.

For awhile there, I thought the seemingly dark clouds on the south-west will usher in a downpour. Not armed with an umbrella to protect the gear, I braced myself being caught in a rather unpleasant predicament. But all's well - though it did rain, it was light and did not last long to entirely ruin my outing.

Then, in Christina's words, "I smile..."

Out early in the morning, loss of sleep - truly well worth it.

Sizzling Hot

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:04:00 +0000

Adelaide continues to sizzle this week - though not with hot sporting events within and around the city but scorching record 40-plus degree temperatures. The furnace-like temperatures across most of South Australia and Victoria started early this week on Australia Day. In Adelaide, Australia Day temperatures maxed at 36.6°C and soared yesterday to 43°C to be the hottest day in five years in the city.

Today's maximum temperature in the city of 45.7°C was likewise one for the record books. Yet no cool change is in sight with a forecast of a 6-day run of 40deg-temperatures. A similar weather forecast holds for Melbourne, where the gripping final games of the Australian Open are playing out. As the grand slam tournament is typically held in the middle of the Australian summer, the games are noted for its hot days. Thus, it is the only major tournament in the world that has an extreme heat policy. Melbourne's temperature soared to 41°C today which called for the policy to be enacted for the first time.

It was fortunate that last week's Tour Down Under in Adelaide experienced relatively milder temperature conditions which were ideal both for the cyclists and spectators.

I shared in the 'Lance Fever' that gripped the city. The record attendance to this year's tour events, up by 35% from last year, was certainly due to the Armstrong factor.

In the final Stage 6 of the race held in the city, I was one of the 144,000 spectators who lined the Adelaide streets despite the sweltering 35°C heat to catch a [g]Lance of perhaps the biggest name in the sport - essentially a brand. Apparently, this record number represented the most for any single sporting event in Australia. Not knowing anything about professional cycling races, I amazed even myself that I patiently stayed for the whole 18 laps of the stage just to be able to take a picture of Lance Armstrong. My patience was wonderfully rewarded at Lap 16 when I eventually captured the images I wanted:

Of course, with full cognition, these images were to be had at a price - painful sunburnt arms! Livestrong!

Karen Cheng did an enlightening interview with Lance Armstrong and sheds light on what motivates this great athlete (as seen in Shai Coggins).

America's Renewal

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:57:00 +0000

This is the headline of paper version of this morning's The Australian as Australia woke up to a new US President. As I watched the evening news earlier, even halfway around the world, I can feel the euphoria of Obama's historic inauguration and its place in history.

Among the best articles I read today is from the foreign editor of The Australian, Greg Sheridan's thought-provoking article (p1), "Throwing off the chains of history":

From slavery to the US presidency; from shackles to the Oval Office; from laws banning inter-racial marriage barely a generation ago to the son of an inter-racial marriage running the place today.

From segregated drinking fountains and classrooms and public utilities to the most powerful nation in the history of the world placing its faith in an African-American to lead it in troubled times. The transformation in the status of African-Americans is surely now complete.

This is truly the stuff of history. And the history is not at all so long ago. Former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Colin Powell recalls in his memoirs driving to a base in the south and being unable to use the bathrooms at the service stations along the way, because these facilities were not available to coloured folks.

Of course, once this celebration is over we should really forget Barack Obama's skin colour. Martin Luther King's dream was that all of us should be judged by the content of our character, not by the colour of our skin.

But just as, a generation ago, Irish Catholics felt immense pride at the election of John F Kennedy - the first Catholic president - so too now we can feel immense pride in Obama's achievement in reaching the most powerful office in the world.

And here's another thing: to fall in love with Obama, as the world is showing every sign of doing, it is necessary to fall in love with America.

For the world to fall in love with America all over again is entirely a good thing, and is just as it should be. Every good element in Obama's life comes from his hard work and talent, but also from the normal workings of American society.

In America, talented people from all types of backgrounds reach the top if they work hard - ask Condoleeza Rice or Powell, two black US secretaries of state.

Obama's background - a multi-racial childhood in Hawaii - is as apple pie American as any other background. A good mother, devoted grandparents, the best private school in Hawaii, the American meritocracy finding a way to get the young man to two of the finest universities in the world - Columbia and Harvard - and this is not bizzare aberration in America. This is the way America works.

The hopes invested in Obama are too great for any human being to fulfil. Our cynical secular age belives in almost nothing now except the authenticity of ethnic identity, and in the Obama celebrations they have found an excuse for an orgy of identity celebration.

At the end of the day, Obama will still have to grapple with intractable problems. Can his immense prestige bring Israeli and Palestinian together, stop an Iranian nuclear bomb, revive the American economy, pay for universal healthcare?

Yet the secular sainthood to which the normally cynical secular culture of the West has elevated Obama does indeed contain the seeds of genuine new hope.

These past eight years have been so difficult in part because a large section of American, and international, opinion never accepted the legitimacy of the George W Bush presidency. He stole the votes in Florida, they held. He spoke in terrible Texan accent. His brand of evangelical Christianity was all wrong. But no one in the world - except perhaps al-Qa'ida and the government-sponsored demonstrators in Tehran - disputes Obama's legitimacy, not just as president of America but as a kind of secular pope.

Here's another profound trick. Obama has kept most of the policies - and a startling number of the people - from the heart of the Bush administration.

Millions of people who six months ago hated the US will now be doing what they can to help a Washington administration succeed in the world.

That is the dawn of a bright new day, and a remarkable sign of America's resilience, and perhaps the world's last, best hope.

DownUnder sizzles

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:17:00 +0000

Around this time of the year, in the middle of sizzling summer, Australia is abuzz with premier sport tournaments. Starting with the Boxing Day Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, the Commonwealth Bank Series: Australia vs South Africa Cricket and of course, the smorgasbord of tennis tournaments - Hopman Cup (Perth), Medibank International (Sydney), AAMI Kooyong Classic (Melbourne), Brisbane International and highlighted by the Australian Open in Melbourne which is the first of the four grand slam tournaments in world tennis.

Adelaide will not miss out on these premier sporting events. Last week saw the first World Tennis Challenge (14-16 January 2009) at the War Memorial Drive. This week, however, is perhaps one of the biggest events - the first pro-cycling race of the year, the 800km Tour Down Under. This year's tour is made much more special because of Lance Armstrong's participation as his comeback race. The cycling tournament kickstart the week-long event today with the 51km Cancer Council Classic Race at Rymill Park right in the heart of the city. Armstrong maintains that he will not win his first race after over three years of hiatus but I'm sure with race fever gripping Adelaide, he will be a sight to see. I hope to watch Stage 6 (Adelaide City Council Circuit) of the race on the final day of the tour - hopefully catch a glimpse of the bike with number 1274 and perhaps photos of the amazing sportsman, his team - Astana and all the other Australian and International riders in action.

Last but not the least and capping this exciting week will be the Cricket Test: Australia vs South Africa on Australia Day, 26 January.

Seize the day!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 05:36:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

It's time again for the annual 'taking stock of things' and of looking forward to what's in store for the new year. I'm sure a good number have already drawn up those ever-present lists (to do, wishlists and goals) for the year.

As for me, regardless of how 2008 was (certainly with milestones accomplished, memorable moments and likewise a fair share of lows and frustrations), in my 'annual review', I resolve to make the most of each moment 2009 will bring - armed of course with those lists of wants and goals. In looking back over the last year, I found that I've let a number of things slip by that I missed out altogether. I guess, as with everyone else, in staying focused on specific things I get this tunnel vision that more often than not I've become so oblivious to what was going on in the bigger picture.

Having focus in attaining goals does not preclude the necessity of living in the present moment. Good advice, huh? I thought so too. I heard this a few weeks ago and it's been at the back of my mind since that along with my 'lists' for the new year, I've written down a reminder to be alert and not to let opportunity pass me by - CARPE DIEM!

Have a wonderful 2009 everyone!