夢幻者的部落格 ~ Dreamer's Blog

Good Bye 2014, Hello 2015!

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:39:00 +0000

2014 marks my least active year in blogging...much more focus had been put into my photography & there's so much I had shot this year, that i couldn't catch up fast enough with typing out the events. (oops, a reason for being lazy?) Nevertheless, let me summarise some highlights.

At the beginning of the year, I printed my mini portfolio for a photographer job interview and got a glimpse into a day of their work at HCI, helping with photo-shoot of the students & staff. I also shot for my extended family during CNY, which was a first.

In Apr, I had the opportunity to showcase two of my artworks at the 9th Ngee Ann Photographic Exhibition. Denise attended the event & surprised me with a bouquet of flowers! *sweet*

In Aug, I got another sweet surprise from the organisers ~ CapitaLand-National Geographic that my photo shoot at Bugis Junction Fountain was shortlisted for exhibition at ION. I felt honored & cherish this opportunity. Also inspired by NatGeo photographer's seminar about his work. Due to this, I got to visit ION Sky & got a brilliant bird eye's view of Orchard Road!

Having no lucky draw luck, I actually won two lucky draws in contests. One was by VivoCity and the other by Omy.sg. Of course, i was elated to have won myself the 'Stand by Me Doraemon' limited edition movie premiums just before Christmas bells rang! Oh yeah, I got to visit the 'Doraemon 100 Gadgets Expo' at JB, City Square finally! After a couple years of waiting, finally got to see my fav cartoon character!

Lastly, I fulfilled my dream to experience Autumn in Japan. I will blog about it in details soon as I just rushed out my photos today! 1,500 photos on my dslr & another 400 mobile shots! Woohoo! That's aplenty! Most importantly, I had challenged myself to this 14 days adventure with just me & myself... However, I met many nice folks along the way thou' we were strangers. But amazingly, we connected at one point in time & walked part of the journey together. As it said, It's not the destination but the journey that matters, isn't it?

Despite all the ups & downs, I hope to throw away all the bad & remember all the GOOD! For those who dun cherish me, sorry...I will start thinking more for myself & continue to listen to my inner gut feel. I hope to retain some of my 2014's Good Luck & bring over to 2015. I certainly need it! To round off, I wish for World Peace (sound cliche, but at this juncture, i think is crucial) I also wish for Good Health, a good job & wonderful relationships with people who love & cherish me.

Christmas Light Up Around Singapore...

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Thu, 25 Dec 2014 07:26:00 +0000

A collection of Christmas decor' around Singapore shot this month...kinda disappointing at Orchard Road's light up. The Singapore River's 'autumn' feel red trees look outstanding at night. While Gardens by the Bay for the first time has a Christmas Market and a 'snow' dome. But the colours look like Deepavali! haha!

My Creative Series with my Fav Doraemon!

Shooting wefies with buddy was the fun part ~ created some nice shots under the drizzle!

Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk @ Tiong Bahru Estate

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 14:40:00 +0000

Went for my first Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk today with other photographers...It had been a few years since I last did a photowalk in Tiong Bahru Estate. The sky was cloudy and abit hazy, luckily some strong wind blew off the haze earlier! Met up with Vincent ~ my photo khaki, at least got accompany during the 2 hours walk.

We felt that much of the yesteryear nostalgic feel were gone as a lot of new developments in this area. Especially with the influx of cafes & bakeries, many old shops/eateries gave way to modern shops that cater to yuppies.

Here's what i found & shot along the way...

Singapore Garden Festival 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 15:55:00 +0000

First time rented a Canon macro lens to learn how to shoot macro. I got the lens from Camera Rental Centre ~ EF100mm F2.8L which is really a powerful lens dedicated for macro photography. As a noob, I had a challenging time trying to manual focus hand-held, thou I know that using a tripod is the ideal situation. I spent a total of 6 hours at the biennial Singapore Garden Festival held for the 1st time at Gardens by the Bay. Previously, everything were indoor at Suntec, but this round got to endure some heat (esp i started fr Noon) as part of the exhibits were outdoor. The layout of the air-con pavilions were also abit confusing... nevertheless, i tried to navigate slowly, looking out for potential subjects to shoot. I like the Fantasy Gardens but the darkness there made setting up on tripod a Must and also my sensitive sensor tends to shoot high ISO, garnering RAW files as big as 30MB! *gasp*

When move over to the Flower Dome, it was easier to do hand-held as there were ample sunlight shining thru' the glass dome. I was already quite tired but I strive on, wanting to understand the ideal depth of field and discovering interesting angles to shoot the same plant that everyone sees thru' my lens. The end result was getting a blurry version but also quite happy that I got some satisfactory shots. Below is a selection of my album & prints are available for sales via http://500px.com/minzstudio

丁噹《敢愛敢當》簽唱會

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 15:00:00 +0000

期待了整個星期，終于等到今天在 Bugis Junction 再次見到丁噹來新加坡宣傳她的第6張專輯《敢愛敢當》。還記得上一次在同一個場地是聼她飃高音，演唱《我是一只小小鳥》。這次我最想聼她的新歌《我沒那麽愛你》。這首歌的MV 遠蹼西班牙的Barcelona拍攝，覺得很唯美。。。

在商場等了大約45分鐘，丁噹出現時，粉絲都High翻了！沒有浪費時間，打了招呼就直接唱新歌，真棒！最好玩的就是她與台下的粉絲一起清唱舊歌，這些戲劇的歌曲簡直都變成KTV必唱歌曲啦！到了結尾，我們的福利就是聼多一首 ~ 點了《身不由己》，這首我也非常喜歡，雖然沒有看《步步驚情》。相信不用多久，丁噹應該很快來開演唱會吧！

【個人創作】: 獨行（粵語）

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 15:09:00 +0000

獨行 （粵語）

詞: 陳敏

天注定了你來到這世界

呱呱落地當你大哭時

周圍的人都開心地笑

開始懂事那時

你以爲分一粒糖給隔壁的朋友仔

他有糖時都會分給你

原來不是這樣的

一次勾手指尾

說會是一世的朋友

那也不過是幼稚的想法

下一秒就嚐到背叛的滋味

於是就獨行在街上

看著人來人往都沒感覺

一邊行一邊感覺眼淚的溫度

漸漸穿過這寂寞的城市

不知哪年哪月説好的同行

已經變成了今日的獨行

人大了就是要學會獨行

因爲離開的那一天

都必須一個人面對

My Sherlock Holmes Experience @ The Escape Hunt!

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 15:13:00 +0000

There's a fast growing market for Escape room games here for the past year. The innovative Japanese had developed this real life computer inspired games since years ago & this trend has now 'blow' to Sg...

At the invitation of my blogger friend ~ CK (http://ckchai.blogspot.com), I got my first chance to experience playing escape game at this 3 month old venue ~ The Escape Hunt, located at Concorde Hotel, Level 2.

Upon entering the main entrance, I felt like being transported into an English cafe as there were nice chandeliers and warm ambience lighting with cozy sofas! We were served water while waiting for the rest of the players to gather... Before the game commence, we were brief on the rules of the game. Basically, we have 60 minutes to solve the puzzles in the room & for each hint that we request help for, 1 minute will be added to our total time. No bags and hp are allow as our belongings are safe-keep by the staff...

With much excitement, CK, me & 4 others formed a team and stepped into the dim room... In order not to give-away the game for those who have not tried, personally I felt that this is fun for those who enjoy being Sherlock Holmes and like mystery stories....The room that we got was the Most Difficult (only found out after play finish, haha!). Our team was stuck in the first part for quite some time... the puzzles were really tough & you gotto think out of the box and at times even require mathematical skills! Geez! My Maths is really bad & thankfully, we got 2 guys in our team to solve those.

What surprise us, was the room in a room (or more) setup, which is totally concealed at first glance... Every piece of furniture has a possibility of linking you to a clue (some may be smoke bomb thou'). We nearly couldn't break out & with racing hearts, we found the key to escape at the 11th Hour! Wah! That's a Feat, isn't it?! As we got utilise 1 hint, we clocked 61 minutes...

The staff helped us to dress up in their tailored made costumes for some photos and there were a number of interesting props (such as spectacles, magnifying glass, guns etc) to go with as well! After shooting, we could even relax on the sofa for some premium TWG tea & cookie to exchange photos & chit chat.... It's a fun experience after all!

Fireworks @ Opening of National Stadium

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 15:30:00 +0000

It had been a few years since our old National Stadium was demolished to make way for the new Singapore Sports Hub. Since there's an Open House today, i took the chance to pop-by for a 1st hand experience of the new kid on the block!

It was flooded with visitors and joggers who had completed an event earlier when I reached in the evening... It was a sea of Red! (their red t-shirts, haha!) I didn't explore the whole huge area totally...Just months ago, I had took photos of the new stadium from Tanjong Rhu... Now, I found myself on the elevated patio area of the National Stadium!

As there's an on going rehearsal for the Chinese Orchestra, visitors were not allowed into the stadium. Hence, I could only pop in my mobile phone thru' the barrier to shoot the interior!

Well, my main objective this evening is to shoot the Laser & Fireworks show. Hence, i better look for a place to setup my tripod... I saw a potential area but a guy was standing there. While i was opening my tripod, i accidentally poked him....oops! I apologised immediately & to my surprise the guy was kind to give me his prime spot! *Happy* So, i got to try out a few test shots & while waiting/shooting, i noticed this uncle on my right who was also holding a camera in his hands. This uncle kept sneakily tried to peep at my DSLR's LCD... i was annoyed & also purposely didn't let him see, haha! Well, if he politely ask me, I would share (perhaps)!

Just when about the fireworks show commence, a young boy squeezed into the small space next to my tripod! Aiyo! I had to tell him upfront not to knock onto my tripod! Finally, the show begins...The fireworks was awesome! But i also realised my framing couldn't capture the highest level of fireworks! I rarely would re-adjust my framing, but i just couldn't resist it this round, since the show looks so good! Hence, I also had some hits & misses... managed to salvage a few good ones... the rest were simply too smokey & exposure not long enough. So, here's some of my preferred shots to share! Enjoy!

Birthday High Tea @ d' Good Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Thu, 29 May 2014 14:23:00 +0000

d' Good Cafe has sit on my To-Try Cafes List for quite some time & I had planned to visit here on my bday... My new fren ~ June decided to join me on this cafe hunt as well.

After watching Spiderman, we boarded the MRT from Harbourfront to Holland Village. The location of this cafe is easy to spot as it is just a stone throw away from the station's exit. As we pushed thru' the front door, we saw a sign to take the elevator... the elevator looks really unique, like those used to transport food inside a restaurant. We stood for a few minutes waiting for this unique elevator, upon stepping in... we were stumped on how to get it to move!? There's no normal lift's buttons...then we figured out, had to press & hold this big button! haha!

We stepped out at level 2 & smelled the aroma of coffee brewing in the kitchen... It's late afternoon and the cafe was pretty much filled with both working adults and students. I'm glad that the two special Swings seats were available! After securing our seats, we went to check out the menu at the counter. The cafe's ambience is vibrant & lively as i could see the youngsters working away busily... I read reviews that the their signature cake is its Maple Sea Salt Cheesecake, it's not cheap thou costing around $9 (but quite a big slice to share). My fren ordered a Signature Chocolate, while i got myself a Power Berries smoothie (cos no more mango flavour).

I find the drinks are rather mediocre as they are not sweet enough & the hot choc is dilute. I only like its Latte Art, which really depends on luck which cute design you get. Perhaps their coffee is still the ultimate choices... The Maple Sea Salt Cheesecake is pretty good, thou I was feeling hungry... i must admit the slice is big & filling! Well, we had much fun taking pics of our high tea & selfies... I really love the swing idea. Only downside is the window view (nothing much)... u gotta add a dose of your own imagination to make everything perfect!

After finishing our high tea, we went up to explore level 3 (The Attic)...it's a different theme & one corner is filled with toys for kids! Upon stepping out to The Balcony area, it's a good chill out spot at night & i guess it would be lovely when night falls... Overall, the design & concept of this cafe is great, suitable for hanging out with friends or couples looking for a unique coffee place.

Pre-Bday Celebration @ TCC ION

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Wed, 28 May 2014 15:06:00 +0000

Being a TCC's member, I rarely use my member's privileges. I remembered I was at this ION outlet last year with Qy to utlise the bday voucher... so fast, one year had past!

Met up with Wei ~ my buddy for afternoon tea... After both of us had completed our respective errands, the timing was just right! I already felt like this would probably be the last time I'm seeing her before she leave for a two year trip!

After getting two cozy seats at TCC, I went to check out the desserts counter. A Kuro Goma (Black Sesame) Cheesecake caught my attention. This is probably new on their menu, so i decided to try. While Wei decided to order some fried side dishes, which had Prawns on toast & Mushroom Rolls.

For the first time, i had a lit candle on my cheesecake in a cafe (due to Wei's insistence that I should have one!) I felt abit pai sei...haha! But at the same time, I'm also touched by her gesture & sweet tots...

Frankly, this is my first time trying these side dishes at TCC as well, which turned out to be yummy! The Kuro Goma Cheesecake was too jelat as i tried my best to finish up at a very slow speed... Well, never try never know right?

We had a splendid catch-up after such a long while & I will really miss my fren as I could not see her for two years! But i know that distance is never an issue for us, since our minds would be together...

【樂天皇朝】 Paradise Dynasty @ Vivo City

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Sun, 25 May 2014 14:16:00 +0000

I love to eat Xiao Long Bao & ever since the opening of Paradise Dynasty at Vivo City, I would wonder if their Xiao Long Bao are nice (whenever I walk pass).

Usually, I would opt for Cantonese dim sum when dine with my family. Well, for once let's have a change & opt for Shanghainese dim sum. Without prior reservation, we got a table quite fast. This is our first try, so we just go by gut feel when order the dishes. We ordered 家常豆腐，蛋炒飯，牛腩面，狗不理肉飽子, 上海炒年糕，炸魚和 8 种口味的小龍包。

The highly anticipated 8 Flavours Xiao Long Bao didn't have unique taste, thou every piece should be of a unique flavour, encompassing: Foie Gras, Black Truffle , Garlic, Crab, Cheese, Ginseng & Sichuan + Original.

Surprisingly, my favourite dish turned out to be the Home-made tofu (家常豆腐), followed by the Egg Fried Rice (蛋炒飯) & Beef La Mian (牛腩面). We had over ordered as we thought that each serving is quite small... in the end we tabao the balance of two dishes home. I doubt we would return again, maybe if with frens I would still pick the La Mian or Fried Rice dishes.

Ramen Keisuke Tonkatsu King & Cake Spade

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Fri, 23 May 2014 15:00:00 +0000

Every year, my buddy ~ Denise would always be one of the first to date me in my birthday month. We share very similar taste for food, hence it's easy to decide on places. Usually, we would go Ma Maison, but this year I decided we should try something different.

I decided to head to Orchid Hotel at Tanjong Pagar, as we could try the popular Ramen Keisuke Tonkatsu King & adjoin next door for desserts at Cake Spade! What a brilliant idea right?! keke!

Upon arriving at Ramen Keisuke, there was already a queue outside the tiny eatery... while Denise joined the Q first, i went over to check out Cake Spade. Well, the food outlets here really have limited sitting capacity & it's a friday evening.... Cake Spade had been on my To-Eat list for some time & after hearing from a fren that the Strawberry Tofu Cheesecake is a Must Try here... i told Denise about it. I saw only 3 slices of the Strawberry Tofu Cheesecake laying there & I quickly asked the server if they still have? Being kiasu, I made a reservation for 2 slices (juz in case)!

I hopped back to Ramen Keisuke & marked our order on the order form & once we got our seats, the ramen were served piping hot the next minute! I picked the regular ramen with everything except onion (u can pick which garnishing u dun want). While Denise opted for the Shoyu ramen. On the table, there's also a free flow of spicy beansprouts and boiled eggs. Surprisingly, i quite like the beansprouts! I must say our ramen serving is huge & so were the slices of char shu! (it's quite difficult to manage the big slices thou)

We conquered the ramen in about 20 mins or so & being very full, we took a leisure walk around 100AM Mall to digest our dinner... At 8pm, we went to Cake Spade & noticed that the tiny cafe with only a few tables were packed... After hanging around awhile, we finally got to sit Al Fresco... We ordered a bottle of Blueberry White Tea to share & two slices of the Strawberry Tofu Cheesecake. Hmm... The cakes look really mouth-watering while snapping away. When i dig into the first bite, i immediately give it a perfect score! Both of us love anything strawberry & I like that the toppings had really big strawberries wrapped in a jelly, but not too sweet... the cake texture is really smooth & light supported by a thin biscuit crust. Hence, I do not feel 'jelat' eating the whole big slice by myself! It's 5.90 each! The Blueberry White Tea is also fragrant & comes with light fruity taste, we do like the design of the bottle too!

In a nutshell, both of us enjoyed our meal & chit chat session... I really would love to return to Cake Spade soon to try the Peach Tofu Cheesecake!

Beautiful Sunset @ Keppel Marina

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Thu, 15 May 2014 15:00:00 +0000

I was running some errands in the area, when I noticed the skies looked pretty nice today...so I strolled over to Keppel Marina to capture some sunset shots & the Blue Hour.

An awesome orangy hue greeted me & I love the feeling that this is so near home, yet felt like a short get-away (from the hustle & bustle of city life). The high end residential condominiums and private marina eluded a sense of tranquility.

For the 1st time, I found myself in the middle of the road, trying to capture a unique perspective of the bridge & the skies.... Cool!

I took a stroll around the waterfront, looking out for changes in the clouds & sky colors.... At around 7pm, the lights from Reflections at Keppel Bay illuminated the waterfront partially. The scene had changed in the short span of half an hour... When i was satisfied & feeling famished, I happily went home.

羅志祥2014【舞極限之舞魂再現】Dance Soul Returns

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Sat, 03 May 2014 15:55:00 +0000

等了一年又兩個月，終于可以再見到羅志祥（小豬）了！從購票那天起，就開始倒數。。。2014年5月3日，【舞極限之舞魂再現】安哥場回到了新加坡室内體育館。我與朋友一同去欣賞這次的演出。我們很慶幸買到那個價位的最前排噢，可以沒有阻擋的觀賞。

8 點 20 時分，演唱會引爆了！亞洲舞王當然是以富有節奏感的舞曲開場！小豬與他16位舞蹈員都很盡力的表演。整個舞臺設計也是一種視覺享受，不同的燈光設計來承托不同歌曲的感覺。中場，還播出一段小豬錄製的搞笑短片，來教導大家如何欣賞演唱會！他可真有梗咯！敬業的他還稱是在發高燒時錄這短片的，新加坡的歌迷是第一個看到的呢！

到了‘無插電’那段，大熒幕顯示這些年由小豬自己創作的歌曲，而他也唱了一小段。最令全場感動的就是當他唱《如果還有如果》的時刻。同時，大熒幕播出他的父母親的相片，還有他們的家庭照。他用了很多感情和對父親的思念來唱完這首自創曲。

接著，他也介紹一位來之英國，坐輪椅的頭號粉絲，竟然是位老奶奶！小豬還特意安排羅媽和這位老奶奶一起坐前排，怕她一個人在後面看不到。全場的觀衆都為她鼓掌！

大約十點，就開始安哥了！好快喔！安哥這段又是舞曲，怎麽我覺得慢歌還是少了點呀！我還是比較忠於他那些傷感的慢歌吧！很快的，兩個小時的演唱會結束了。。。

生日月，有小豬同行，果然是5月份的美好開始喲！有笑又有淚，真是意猶未盡的Good Show! (’-’*)♪

My 1st Photography Exhibition 。。。

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Wed, 09 Apr 2014 15:08:00 +0000

從前從前有個笨小孩，她讀書沒有很厲害、運動項目也不行。她長大后竟然選了一個永遠都不會畢業的科目～攝影！原來在很小的時候就種下的種子漸漸地萌芽了！只是以前是用傻瓜相機，一直到幾年前才使用單眼。也不懂為什麽，拿起重重的相機，她還是拍得很起勁。。。她有個夢想，就是希望得到專業評審的認同，看到自己的作品展出。今天，她的夢想終于實現了！

Remember on 31st Dec 2013, I wrote on my Timeline (caption for my 2013 Best Photos Collage), I hope that my photos will get the recognition from the Pro judges one day. Finally, this is a dream come true! Two of my artworks are currently on exhibition at the 9th Ngee Ann Photographic Exhibition.

I would like to thank my family & frens who have shown support all these years.

All in, there are over 200 pieces of artwork from photographers across Sg. Do drop by to support! Thank you.

9th Ngee Ann Photographic Exhibition

Ngee Ann Cultural Centre

97 Tank Road, Teochew Building

Exhibition Period: 10th to 23rd April 2014

Time: 11am to 7pm daily

Free Admission

Cosplay @ J-Obsession

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 15:49:00 +0000

There's a cosplay event over the weekend at The Cathay. It had been awhile since the last cosplay event last year. Time to practice some portraits again! It's really claustrophobic at The Cathay, which made it rather difficult to isolate people in the background. Nevertheless, I still shot selectively those I like.

So Cool!

Baby Stitch! Kawaii nei!

Super Sunny Day @ the Zoo!

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 15:58:00 +0000

My buddy ~ Denise is bringing me to the Zoo today! Her corp pass allows to admit 4 & two of her colleagues joined us. We met up for lunch at AMK Central for some kopitiam chicken rice, which was yummy & came with a big bowl of peanuts soup too! As it was super duper hot, her colleague suggested to cab to the Zoo. Hence, we hopped onto a cab & got there pretty soon...

We started from the White Tiger which I had been wanting to shoot, cos my last trip (2yrs ago) didn't manage to catch sight of them! This round, I was lucky to get a few shoots of the White Tigers (thou pretty challenging). Next, we saw the hippo swimming, iguana & the supposedly kangaroo.... But where's the Kangaroos?? All hop away? The funny thing we observed, all the animals were hiding in the shade & with their backsides facing us! Ahh!

We were melting as we walked along & came to the monkeys area & hanged around for awhile as we wanted to catch the Animals show. The key attraction of the show was probably the huge white python! It's 40kg & need 4 zookeepers to lift it! I was also smart enough to bring some bread as we really burn our energy fast!

After resting, we wanted to see the Polar Bear! We were desperately in need of some air-con. Along the way, we saw the cute Orang Utans... where the mommy Orang Utan was playing with a rucksack & covering her head (prob to shield fr the hot sun), haha! Next, we came to the Snakes area. We saw a handsome looking zookeeper letting kids touch a small snake. Denise & I were really scared & after we saw her colleagues tried touching the snake, we also took turns to touch. Omg! It's my 1st time touching a snake, the skin texture is smooth & abit slimy. That's not the end of our mini adventure... we walked thru' an enclosure & saw a huge Monitor Lizard in the midst of our path. Wow! Never before, we were so up-close & after some pics, we carefully stepped over it.

Nice clouds

For some reason, we kept walking a couple of rounds in the same area & missed the polar bear! We were excited when caught sight of sign... turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it's Feeding Time now! The born in Singapore Polar Bear ~ Inuka is pretty old already, he's born in 1990. I'm surprised to hear that the water is at room temperature, isn't that very hot! I bet Inuka won't survive in Antarctica! We love this area as we finally got air-con! haha!

It's about time for us to head out... we saw the cheetah, lions, giraffe & zebras. What caught our attention were some wild storks nesting on two almost barren trees! The trees were very tall & I managed to see clearly only with my zoom lens. When the storks soar in the skies, it was a beautiful sight. When they nestled on the trees, the scene is like a Chinese painting coming alive! It's was pretty rewarding today as we had much fun & laughter, while learning abit more about the animal kingdom!

A Moment of Reflection for 2013...

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 15:30:00 +0000

If I would to use one word to describe my 2013, I would say it's 'Adventurous'! The first quarter & last quarter especially, I had accumulated new experiences. I made the most right choice to go on my 1st Solo backpacking trip to Japan in Spring. The timing were simply perfect as I got cheap air ticket on a direct flight; I was able to get all my budget stays thou I only had a month to plan. Best of all, the timing I chose to fly coincide with the early arrival of cherry blossom aka Sakura! YES! This is exactly what I had visualised for years & a very much postponed trip since 2008.

In a way, I had pose a challenge to survive in a totally unfamiliar place with a language I'm not familiar with as well. Non-verbal communication is the key part in allowing me to interact with the locals. Combining my passion for travel & photography, I came home with a number of shots that I love ~ satisfied ^o^ Plus all the oishii food that I had while there! It feels so good to check off my Place to Go. My dream for 2014 will be Italy! I'm going to step into Europe ~ hopefully! *grins*

In the last quarter of 2014, I landed an assignment with a HK Dot.com Co. It's small in scale vs all those big MNCs I had worked for. I guess it's the culture & young energetic people who make the difference. A lot of transparency & virtually no hierarchy to speak of. It's so funny that my team-mate shares the same zodiac & horoscope as me! But we are still poles apart in terms of personality. Oh yeah, the perks of this job has gotten me some calories as we got log cakes for the festive season & even pineapple tarts way ahead of CNY! Sharing a common passion for Food, the office peeps are a bunch of food connoisseur! I couldn't help but to wonder, do these ppl really work for passion only?!

Anyway, I'm really surprised when I saw the weighing scale showed I had put on 2kg! Woohoo! I'm happy if it remained like this as I think I ought to have abit more fats to keep myself warm & look healthier! Hmm, seems like all the festive eating helps LoL

Looking ahead for 2014, I definitely need to get my 70D & to get use to the additional weight & usage. I would want to have more freelance photography jobs to strengthen my portfolio & to launch my portfolio website. I also would want to land a good career with prospects & opportunity for growth. Lastly, I will wish for good health & have a smooth sailing 2014! Cheers ~ Dreamer

Christmas Lightup @ Orchard

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 15:59:00 +0000

My compilation of the X'mas light-up along Orchard Rd shot over 6hrs (2 sessions). Tried to explore different angles & creativity, with an aim to get a break-thru' of all my previous years X'mas shots. This is my 2013 final album & Thank You for all those who have supported in one way or another. Every Like is an encouragement! Merry X'mas, folks!
☆*･゜ﾟ･*\(^O^)/*･゜ﾟ･*☆

Spiral

Nice reflection, shooting in a drizzle

Purple Galaxy ~ Cool!

Starry Starry Nite in a dreamy Christmassy mood!

Live. Laugh. LOVE!!! ~ Love is in the air ~

Look closer, do you see mini x'mas trees?

Angels are Singing!

More Hearts Found!

The Stars within the STAR

Reach for the STARS!

Creative use of recycled bottles

FoodPrints @ The Little Prince Cafe & Arnor Crepes

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Sat, 14 Dec 2013 15:53:00 +0000

It had been nearly a year I guess that we hanged out together, thou me & Jeannie are neighbours for so long! We decided to do a Food Trail this evening! As I had marked this Little Prince Café as my To-Eat place for awhile, I decided we should go check it out!

However, it started to rain before we got out & we proceeded with our umbrellas. We boarded the MRT to Farrer Park & after checking the map, we walked down the streets to look for 62 Somme Road. This is really my 1st foray into this area. Finally after 10 mins, we caught sight of the not so prominent café.

There were 4 other guests in the café & after we settled down & decided on our pastry & drinks, the others left the café. Hence, the whole café seems to belong to us! Thou theme cafes are very common overseas, especially like Japan & Taiwan, the growth in Sg is much slower. I was surprised that the Little Prince Café turned out to be smaller than I thought, thanks to the brilliant optical illusion drawing of the staircase! The whole place is hand-painted by the café's owner & we were impressed! Her love for Little Prince can be felt here ~~

~My Design~

Passion Fruit Cake

Strawberry Marshmallow Cake

The Japanese Version is a POP-UP book!

We didn't opt for their signature strawberry roll as we find that it's rather small. Jeannie chose the Passion Fruit cake, while I had the Strawberry Marshmallow Cake. For drinks, we ordered the Cappuccino & Ice Rambutan Tea. Both of us enjoy eating the cakes, thou I do not like Passion Fruit, I sampled a mouth of my friend's order ~ the Passion Fruit flavour is very strong! Accordingly to Jeannie, the Cappuccino tastes good too! We were told that just before we arrived, the café was packed. So being late turned out to be a blessing...haha!

After we had enough of photo shoot at The Little Prince, we strolled down the streets for some Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle. For $4 a plate, it was decent size & taste, thou I wished the prawns were bigger! It was still raining as we walked back to City Square Mall.

If not for this food trail, I would not have thought of visiting this area! It turned out that City Square Mall was having some snow foam party exactly at the time we reached! It's just a 10 or 15min 'show'. It's a beautiful sight as I took pics & our selfies! We did some shopping & then I remembered that I need to go to basement to locate a newly open Arnor Crepes.

Arnor Crepes (阿諾可麗餅) is a franchise from Taipei's Shida Night Market (師大夜市). I'm really excited that finally there's an outlet here cos I had first tried it last year during my Taipei trip. We ordered a Fruit Paradise Crepe, which consists of peaches, kiwi & banana + a scoop of premium ice-cream (Macadamia Nut) at the boss' recommendation. Due to their soft launch, they also randomly give-away quarter size Belgian Waffle to customers. We got the Belgian Waffle with Lava Brownie ice-cream.

The crepe tasted exactly like what I had in Taipei & mind you, the serving is big! Both of us shared it. The waffle remains crispy even after some time on the table, I can count it as the Best Waffle in SG now! Jeannie & I really enjoyed our food trail this evening & we were really bursting at our tummies! We ended our awesome evening with a couple of selfies at the playground before heading home. How I wish every weekend is so Fun!

Dear Jane《不許你注定一人》吉他 Cover + Chords

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Sun, 01 Dec 2013 15:28:00 +0000

我很喜歡香港這個組合 ~ Dear Jane，不知道爲何他們創作的歌都好好聽，也很適合彈吉他。可能是因爲他們是從街頭表演開始他們的音樂道路吧！自從半年前post著《無可避免》，很多人都來遊覽。這次，我又錄著他們的新歌《不許你注定一人》；最近一直聼、一直學彈，希望大家會喜歡！

《不許你注定一人》Dear Jane

詞/曲：Howie @ Dear Jane

Capo 1 Play G

Intro: ｜C 　｜Bm 　｜Em 　｜D 　｜

｜C　　　｜G/B　　　　｜Em
(看)　看著你的(臉)　躺在我枕(邊)
　　　　｜D
是你令時光(蔓)延
｜C　　　｜G/B　　　　｜Em
(你)　折射了光(線)　刷亮我眼(邊)
　　　　｜D
午後陽光彷(彿)給你加冕

｜Am 　　　　　｜Bm
不(管)身邊多改變　(只)顧這日誓言
｜C 　　　　｜D
(一)聲不發在你(身)邊

　　　　｜C 　　　　　　｜D/C
不許你注定(一)人　永遠共你去(抱)緊
　　　　｜G 　　　　　　｜Em
一生中百樣(可)能　愛上你是種(緣)份
　　｜C 　　　　　｜D
簡單的(一)吻　手心的(抖)震
　　　　｜G 　　｜G7
示意我再不(必)孤單寄(生)
　　　　｜C 　　　　　　　｜D
只想會有日(可)能　與你共姓的(身)份
　　　｜G　　　 G/F# ｜ Em
要回望這(生)　也有(你)陪(襯)
G/D 　｜ C　　　　｜D　　　　　｜C
(不)作陌(生)人　只做你(情)人　不枉此(生)

｜D/C ｜Am F ｜ D ｜

｜C　　｜G/B 　　　　　｜Am
(怕)　看著你(走)遠　歲月實太(淺)
　　　　　｜D
若有日迷失歸(家)方向不變

｜Am 　　　　｜Bm
不(管)天開始積雪　(這)世界再決絕
｜C　　　 F 　｜D
(都)想跟你(渡)過(辛)酸

　　　　｜C 　　　　　　｜D/C
不許你注定(一)人　永遠共你去(抱)緊
　　　　｜G 　　　　　　｜Em
一生中百樣(可)能　愛上你是種(緣)份
　　｜C 　　　　　｜D
簡單的(一)吻　手心的(抖)震
　　　　｜G 　　｜G7
示意我再不(必)孤單寄(生)
　　　　｜C 　　　　　　　｜D
只想會有日(可)能　與你共姓的(身)份
　　　｜G　　　 G/F# ｜ Em
要回望這(生)　也有(你)陪(襯)
G/D 　｜ C　　　　｜D　　　　　｜C
(不)作陌(生)人　只做你(情)人　不枉此(生)

Bridge:
｜C ｜C/D ｜G ｜Em ｜C ｜ D ｜G

｜Em 　　　　｜ C 　　　G 　　　　　D
(從)來不相信一生(一)愛侶　(從)來不堪一(對)
　｜Em 　　　　　　｜C 　　　　　｜D
別再(等)　別再等　是你的(聲)音給方向(感)

　　　　｜C 　　　　　　｜D/C
不許你注定(一)人　永遠共你去(抱)緊
　　　　｜G 　　　　　　｜Em
一生中百樣(可)能　愛上你是種(緣)份
　　｜C 　　　　　｜D
簡單的(一)吻　手心的(抖)震
　　　　｜G 　　｜G7
示意我再不(必)孤單寄(生)
　　　　｜C 　　　　　　　｜D
只想會有日(可)能　與你共姓的(身)份
　　　｜G　　　 G/F# ｜ Em
要回望這(生)　也有(你)陪(襯)
G/D 　｜ C　　　　｜D　　　　　｜G
(不)作陌(生)人　只做你(情)人　不枉此(生)

Outro:
｜Em ｜D ｜Eb Eb - C ｜ G ｜ Em ｜D D - C ｜

Anime Festival Asia (AFA) 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 13:33:00 +0000

The much anticipated cosplay event of the year ~ Anime Festival Asia 2013 was held at Suntec City Convention & Exhibition Centre. This is the first time I step foot to this event, saved for the preview a few months ago at Funan for this AFA.

There was an overwhelming crowd on the second day of the event when I went in the afternoon. The challenge of being a female photographer is to jostle with the guys who were a head taller than me! Imagine I was sweating in an air-conditioned venue?!

I enjoyed shooting cosplay as I could admire how beautiful their costumes & props are, while at the same time allow me to practice some portraits shoots. My fotog buddy was nice enough to lend me his Nissin flash to try. Hence, 95% of these series are un-edited shots.

Enjoy!

Exploring S.E.A Aquarium @ RWS

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 14:30:00 +0000

Headed out to Resorts World Sentosa's S.E.A. Aquarium today with mom. Upon arriving, we were surprised there was a long queue on the outside. Initially, I thought that since we already had the tickets, we could enter immediately. Upon querying the staff, we were told that if we want to skip the Q, we need to top up $10 more for each ticket! After queuing for about 15 minutes, we got in...But alas, we didn't realise there's an even longer Q at the basement leading to the aquarium's entrance! It's a nightmare joining the snaking Q!

Finally, after a seemingly long 1 hour, the queue seems to move faster & we entered with throng of visitors! It was not easy to squeeze for a space to enjoy watching the sea creatures.... Anyway, such touristy place I would usually just visit once & that's it!

Touted as the world's largest aquarium, S.E.A. Aquarium featured more than 100,000 marine animals from over 800 species across 49 habitats. Based on its brochure, there are 7 sections of the aquarium; Shipwreck Habitat, Discovery Touch Pool, Ocean Journey, Open Ocean, Ocean Dome, Moray Eel & lastly the Shark Seas.

I had not step into an aquarium for at least a decade! Couldn't even remember when was the last time I went to the Underwater World! I brought both my dslr & Fujifilm compact camera along. Most of my shots were shot using my dslr & it was challenging as the fishes were swimming & people were either blocking or pushing! It only became slightly better after the mid-point, as the crowd dispersed into various areas...

Some photos from my 1.5 hours exploring the aquarium to share!

Beautiful white leafy Seadragon

Discovery Touch Pool

Stingrays always seems to have a smiley face &

when u look up from underwater,

they are like 'flying' in the water!

Cute eels that like to embed themselves in the sand, with just their heads showing!

Simply love these jellyfish blooping in the illuminated waters

Panorama View of the Open Ocean

Huge Manta Ray!

Finding Nemo! My happiest moment was to spot them!

Lovely Purple-Pink!

Lion Fish

Halloween @ Sentosa Spooktacular!

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Sat, 19 Oct 2013 15:59:00 +0000

I have always been interested to check out our local Halloween parties since the last peeps into Sentosa Halloween from the outside couple years ago! Well, since I got a great deal for the tickets, I went with Ruby & SH.

After part 1 of our event, we proceeded to the Halloween @ Sentosa Spooktacular! We had to queue for some time outside the ticketing booth thou we already have our tickets on hand. Then we were led to the front of a huge projector & when the crowd gathered, the projector showed a horror trailer! It said that none of the filming crew survived after watching....wooo! creepy!

Then, the main door opened & we could gain access to 5 trails. We blur blur anyhow joined one of the queues - "The Body". After awhile, Ruby & SH went to the front to check the queuing time. Goodness, it takes at least 45min! Both finds that this one is too scary & bloody!

So we all decided to head over to ''Shutter" , it is also a snaking long queue! No choice, we found that we only have enough time to Q for 1 trail. That's disappointing! I tot we could at least explore a couple, but never expect that every trail's queue time is horrendous!

Over here, we bumped into K & got him to join us in the Q. 4 of us chatted & sweated juz as much during the extremely humid night! Luckily, we have a group to chat & kill time... otherwise, it's such a torture to stand for 1.5hr!

Finally, it's our turn to enter the haunted house! There's a group in front of us... so 3 of us gals held hands & ventured into the unknown! It's quite thrilling at those total pitch black darkness! I can't even see my own fingers! However, due to the gals in front already scream.... we lose the excitement to be scared out of our wits! There's even a pro photographer stationed inside to shoot visitor's screaming looks, haha!

With such a long Q & only 10mins in the haunted house, there's lack of oomph! We went to check out the final trail ahead & just as we about to Q, thinking it's not long... we were wrong! Hence, we gotta give up & just as we about to leave the place, a 'ghost' jumped out & gave the 2 gals a good scare! wahaha!

It's such an irony that they didn't get their scare inside the haunted house but outside! We were so glad that there's an air-con shutter bus right outside waiting to ferry us back to Vivo City! Alright, finally experience my first Halloween event! ^o^

Anderson's Sixth Birthday Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Dreamer) — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 13:53:00 +0000

Following Adri's birthday last weekend, I was booked by Cherie's fren for her son ~ Anderson's 6th birthday today. It's really good exposure & the challenge this time was outdoor photography at Jurong Bird's Park!

However, the afternoon timing was really not an ideal period for outdoor shots due to the harsh sunlight. The party was held at a terrace area overseeing the Flamingos Lake. Right from the beginning of the party was filled with games. The party coordinator got the kids to play passing the Ping Pong ball. Subsequently, also played a few rounds of charade.

After all the action pack stuff, we were ushered to watch the Birds' Show! When we returned to the terrace, everyone got some tea-time snacks. Right after finishing the food, it's cake cutting time! Carol ~ the mom actually home-baked a Spiderman cake for her precious boy! Wow! It's really done in a very professional manner, with real threads used in the spiderman's web! We were told that she will bake her son's bday cakes every year! This is really very powerful motherly love!

It was rather chaotic during the birthday song part & as the kids were not being organised properly beforehand (as much as i wished), the shots were not that ideal. The finale was we got to sit on the monorail for one round around the park before we bid goodbye!

Before i exit the Birds' Park, i went to enjoy some air-con & relax at the Penguins enclosure! I really love it there & got some nice close-up with my zoom lens!