Cameron Highlands Tea Plantation, Malaysia

Friday, December 30, 2011

PhotoHunt - Gather

I'm going back to Rome for this week's photohunt theme.

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This is a view of Rome's most popular steps, The Spanish Steps, also known as Scalinata Spagna.

It's usually busy with locals and tourists in the evening where they gather and relax on the steps while enjoying the sunset. I didn't stay long as the place was tremendously crowded and noisy and it's not a place where I would spent a long period of time in. I also had to be vigilant of my belongings as there are a few pick-pocketers wandering around the area.

The steps was built in 1723 and has 138 steps leading to the church of Trinita dei Monti located right at the top. I also found out that the Spanish Steps were named after the Spanish Embassy to the Vatican in the 17th century that was nearby.

In the past, women used to stand on the steps to be discovered by male suitors. I don't know how true this is but I wonder if this still happens today.

PhotoHunt

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Skywatch - Singapore skyline

A view of Singapore's Central Business District in late evening as seen from Marina Boulevard.

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Skywatch

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Festive message

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Our World - Christmas Blooms in Singapore

This is my 2nd visit to Orchard Road, my first time there was almost two decades ago. A lot of large shopping malls have sprung up across the street and offer a combination of local stores and international brand names.

It’s really funny that it has not crossed my mind that I would be here in time to see Christmas decorations going up around the city. During my visit in late November, the entire street was decked out in blue sparking lights and elaborate Christmas decorations.

The Christmas Light-Up theme varies every year and the theme for this year's decorations is Christmas Blooms in Singapore.

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A dazzling array of lights hang above traffic greets motorists.


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The stunning gold-themed decorations stand out brightly at Tangs.


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People from all walks of life soaking up the Christmas spirit.


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Each major shopping mall has their own set of spectacular decorations to stir up the festive mood and I kept clicking my camera like crazy.


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One of my favourite spots is at ION Orchard. This is my first time I've seen a Christmas tree with an observation deck. It's really amazing that people would be able to see Orchard Road's light up from a different perspective.


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Some inflatable snowglobes showing off a wintry wonderland within. Who doesn't love snowglobes?


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These glowing flowers are brought to you by Hitachi, symbolizing the heart-warming spirit of the yuletide season.


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I couldn't recall the exact location when I took this picture but the place was all decked out in Christmas glory to get everyone in a celebratory mood.

I hope you enjoy my pictures as much as I've enjoyed taking them.

'Tis the season to be jolly.

Our World

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!

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May your Christmas be filled with peace, joy and laughter.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Camera-Critters - Family Affair

A heart warming moment of a bunch of otters cuddling and sleeping together at Singapore Zoo.

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Camera Critters

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Skywatch over Merlion Park

We made a brief stop at Merlion Park after visiting Singapore Zoo. It was a gloomy evening when we arrived but fortunately, I managed to take some quick shots of the Merlion and the impressive skyline before the rain began.


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A front view of the Merlion with the towering skyscrapers of the Central Business District.


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The Merlion that roars. It has a lion's head with a mermaid's body and a stream of water gushing out of its mouth.


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There's always a huge flock of tourists in every corner of the park with plenty of interesting photo ops for visitors. I too had a lot of fun photographing the monument in different perspectives.


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The Merlion overlooking the Art Science museum and Marina Bay Sands.


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Another classic view of the Merlion with the Esplanade in the background.

Skywatch

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - All Decked out for Xmas

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Queensbay Mall, Penang

Monday, December 19, 2011

Our World - Balloon Wonderland at Marina Bay

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Over 1,000 balloon sculpting enthusiasts and participants gathered at Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade on 26 Nov this year to enjoy an amazing treat of giant balloon sculptures in the form of sea creatures.

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When we arrived, we were welcomed by this huge balloon 'kite' dancing in the air.


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It was really great to see the community coming together to participate in this diverse and colourful event filled with lively entertainment.

Some of the sculptures are small and simple while others are huge and highly complex. Due to time constraints, I couldn't stay long enough to explore more fabulous creations so I only managed a few shots.

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This variation of sea horse sculptures are a great pop of colour and grab attention of many children. I think they make a great floor standing centrepiece but I wonder how long such a sculpture can last, since they will somehow leak air and fall all the way to the floor!


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Be careful as you pass by this eye-popping balloon sculpture! I've no idea what this is but the alien-like appearance looks like terrifying creatures from the ocean depths or monsters from outer space. They were a hit of the event though.


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I was amazed by the wide assortment of colours, extraordinary shapes and sizes of balloons created by the People’s Association balloon sculpting interest groups! They really know how to twist up a storm.

Our World

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Saturday PhotoHunt - Joy

The glory of nature always bring joy to my heart. A few examples.


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A beautiful sunset in paradise at Santorini.


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Gorgeous orchids blooming in perfection.


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Beautiful and colourful parakeet, a feast for the eyes.

PhotoHunt

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Skywatch - Views from VivoCity

I'm sharing some skywatch photos taken from VivoCity in Singapore.

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A view of monorail express heading towards Sentosa with Port of Singapore in the background.


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A great place to skywatch when it's not raining and I find that those huge giraffe-like cranes do a great job framing the sky.


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Looking across the sea is the Sentosa Resort World. I remember in the good old days where we have to board a ferry to Sentosa but now there's a newly built boardwalk linking VivoCity to the island.

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A different perspective of Sentosa Island.


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This is a tall skinny snowman looking across Sentosa. What a pleasant treat it was to see him greeted us at that moment. It is really thin in size which I think fits perfectly in a tight space.:)

Skywatch

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Greetings from Alvin and the gang

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Wordless Wednesday

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Our World - Singapore Zoo

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One of the top tourist attractions in Singapore is the Zoo. This is our second trip to this place in the last decade and it was just as enjoyable and fun as our first visit.

A far cry from most of the depressed zoo animals around the world, the Singapore Zoo is clean, well-organised, the enclosures are large and the animals look happy and peaceful within the cageless environment.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see many live shows but we managed to take tons of pictures and were able to explore the zoo for about 3-4 hours before the rain started.

Here are some highlights of our trip.

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From the moment we walked in, a group of cotton top tamarins with their white mohawk hairstyle caught my eye. I like the look of them but they were very fast-moving. I spent a long time trying to get a decent photo and I managed to take a couple of shots when this one sat still for about 3 seconds.


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Not far from the tamarins are the colourful parakeets. They are very sweet and playful, but they can be shy and a little cautious at times.


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We made our way to see the delightful flamingos. I can't remember what species this is but it 's really cool to see them roaming around in their natural habitat.


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Whilst wandering around the various enclosures we also came across this white-handed gibbon who was a very co-operative model and couldn't resist a photo op.


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The close up encounters with the Orang Utans are a wonderful experience. They are lovely mammals and it's really amazing that you're allowed to stand next to them to take photos.

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Some freaky reptiles like snakes and lizards are behind glass, but even so they live within a natural environment. While I'm not particularly fond of these reptiles, it is still fascinating to get a glimpse of them.

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The Singapore Zoo is also home to an Australian Outback exhibit. Not only it is endorsed by the late Steve Irwin, it's also a favourite of the Animal Planet when they're shooting documentaries and shows. There is also a great tribute to Steve Irwin with some photos of him living his life and doing the things he loved.


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Our next stop was the Indian Star Tortoises. We noticed one male attempting to mate with a female several times but it didn't last long. After several minutes of attempting to mate they decided to watch us instead. Eventually the tortoises grew tired of us and together, moved away probably in search of some privacy. lol


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Other highlights include the komodo dragons of different species. They were huge, muscular and well-fed. Getting as close as I could, I began snapping away with my camera getting some interesting photos and this is one of my favourite shots.

For anyone with the slightest interest in animals, you'll love the Singapore Zoo. It's worth the visit.


Our World