Even the road sides are pretty

Back to my New Zealand story. I am now almost done with all my pictures from the trip. Having a second look back at them, I cannot help but realise - even the pictures that I snapped off the road side are so pretty.


It is not just the low angle, warm sun rays; the green pastures; the morning mists; but the way it all interacted and pieced together.


I put together a few of them road side snaps from various parts of the South Island.

Is this competition worthy?

Recently some friends got excited about a panoramic photography competition: the Epson International Photography Pano Awards. I ran through my entire stock and found out that I have NOTHING of interest to submit! All except this one. Is this interesting enough?

Arts and Science Museum, MBS

I have the good fortune of visiting the new Arts and Science Museum for free last Friday as part of a department retreat. For a museum with a shape of a lotus, I was a bit surprised it did not get that much fanfare and attention. Perhaps dwarfed by the main attraction of the Marina Bay Sands - the Casino.


Say what you may, but by naming a casino "Integrated Resort" does not even begin to disguise what it really is. And all its attempt to disguise the fact with its peripheral resort-like attractions merely insult the level of intelligence of its population.


Nonetheless, I was glad to be able to visit it for free. The entrance fee would have set me back by SG$27. I thought the National Museum of Singapore did a better job at making history widely available to the public. Seeing as how the building is lotus-shaped, one cannot help but wonder: where are the exhibits housed?


Very little space is left, I should say. There are several event rooms and halls aligned in circles in the basement, levels 2 and 3. Not a usual museum goer nor an art lover, I shall leave my comments about the exhibits. Here are some pictures of the museum.

Sunrise in St Clair Beach, Dunedin

Looking back at my previous trips, there have always been incidences I regret not being more invested in the process of taking the pictures I did. This one in particular in St Clair beach, Dunedin.


I love this beach! Fine sand so soft to the touch, my feet never felt so pampered. The gradient of the slope so gradual, it offers such wide area of the sand and the shallow waters (readers who have not been to Singapore's East Coast Park would have to imagine a beach so steep and constantly eroding to understand). Most of all, I really love the wind and the waves coming in from the Southern Ocean.


Above all, the broken pier really made for a great photographic subject. Forming straight lines from the land to the shore, worn by the elements. Looking back at these pictures, I really feel that I could have done better. I was so caught up with trying to get the waves, I stood too far in to capture more of the pillars behind. On the other hand, I was too concerned with the seawater wetting my jeans that I did not venture farther to get more of the crashing waves.


I know I would love to visit Dunedin again. Such a lovely city.

A Day in Dunedin

The recent quakes in Christchurch new Zealand is really tragic. I never knew New Zealand was an earth quake zone until late last year. I had the good fortune of visiting this beautiful country back in Autumn of 2009. My wife and I enjoyed the sights New Zealand has to offer.


Sometime after the first quake, I quickly went online to check on my favourite motel to see if they are still in business. Luckily they are. I shall go online to check on them again. Hopefully they survived it.


I am now going through my pictures in New Zealand. They are just too many, I am totally exhausted at day-2 of those pictures. Gosh. Here are some which I found new perspective to them after almost 2 years.