Our World - A Labour Day Tribute

In honour of Labour Day tomorrow, let's pay tribute to all workers who have served the society with tireless efforts, dedication and sacrifice every day, everywhere, in so many ways.



Security officers performing their peace keeping duties effectively



Workers pushing a cart loaded with bags of goods under the hot scorching sun.



One of the many dedicated individuals removing piles of snow and ice from the streets.



Vendors selling pastries with enthusiasm



A street sweeper keeping our streets clean everyday



Street musicians singing their hearts out to entertain the crowds



A customer service representative providing professional assistance to customers



A cobbler patiently waiting for business



A tourist guide sharing a light moment with tourists after a long day of work.


There are just so many more jobs to mention and if I have not listed your profession, my tribute goes out to you as well.

For those who are unemployed and looking for a job, I hope you'll find one soon.

Happy May Day!

Our World

PhotoHunt - Texture, Local streets

For this week's photohunt themes, I'm featuring some photos of my hometown in Penang.



Walking through the old local streets along the heritage trail of Penang, you will be greeted by charming pre-war buildings with unique textures and characters. Some of the buildings have been wonderfully restored and across the street is the Upper Penang Road where bars and clubs come alive at night. It is one of the spots that I walked past frequently but funny that I have not patronized these places before.



Here is another different view of a pre-war building located at Love Lane. I think there are possibly thousands of buildings like these and more than half of them are located in the inner city of George Town.



Right in the heart of Chulia Street, this spot is well-known as a backpackers haven. There are many guesthouses along the long stretch of road and also various shops cater to different needs of tourists from renting motorbikes, money changers, visa services, internet cafes to laundries.



In 2008, Penang's capital George Town was declared a UNESCO world heritage site for its well-preserved 19th century colonial architecture.



This is one of my favourite shots captured at a little corner of Eastern and Oriental Hotel. Noticed the varied texture of this old building? The lines, shadows and patterns make this structure burst with texture and character.



From another perspective, Farquhar Street is one of the popular spots where you can just stroll around on a breezy afternoon. I like how the greenery adds life and texture to the street.


Sandi's PhotoHunt

Gattina's PhotoHunting

Wordless Wednesday - Cathedral Art

St Mark's Basilica, Venice

Wordless Wednesday

Our World - Happy Earth Week

In the spirit of Earth week, I'm sharing a compilation of some beautiful wonders of life. It reminds me of just how beautiful our mother earth is, and how important it is to help protect and preserve the environment for future generations.

Let's make every day earth day.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

We need to cherish our wonderful world.



Our World

PhotoHunt - Humour, Reflect

I've featured this photo in my previous photohunt, but have to share this once again. Every time I look at this photo, it makes me laugh. This invisible mime sure knows how to crack up an audience.

When tips were thrown into the can, his legs would create lifelike movements. I can't figure out how he did it but his actions really reflect his sense of humour and creativity.


Piazza Navona, Rome

Sandi's PhotoHunt

Gattina's PhotoHunting

Wordless Wednesday - Ferrari Fever

The Shoppes @ Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Wordless Wednesday

Our World - Street Scenes in Athens

For Our World entry, I thought I'd share some random street scenes in Athens, during my visit a few years ago.



Everywhere in the street corner is populated with lots of these vendors. It's fascinating to watch locals like them going about their daily lives.



Welcome to the one of the busiest roads in front of the Olympics Stadium complex. The locals seem to rely heavily on cars for transportation, sometimes for only short destinations.



While wandering aimlessly around the city, I encountered this cop on duty. He was pretty cool and didn't mind me taking his picture.



If you like shopping, this is your paradise. Many shoppers are seen on Ermou street, the commercial street of Athens. I don't like shopping but it's a good place to eat or just sit and enjoy people watching.



Throughout the city, rings of bread covered with sesame seeds are commonly sold at street corners, in bakeries and people can be seen walking along the streets, snacking away on these simple, yet satisfying treats.



More often than not, you'll come across a lot of this kind of graffiti on many old, abandoned buildings not far away from the Acropolis. It seems a shame, but scenes like this often catch my attention.



As we walked along, I discovered a huge collection of paintings lying along the sidewalks of the street. Some of them are tastefully painted but such a pity that they're left unattended.



While heading towards Acropolis, we bumped into a group of tattooed guys. It's hard to tell if they're gangsters but you don't wanna mess with them. This photo has been cropped for a closer view.

PhotoHunt - Sturdy Home

Here are two beautiful homes with sturdy construction as spotted in Germany a few years ago.



Sandi's PhotoHunt

Gattina's PhotoHunting

Wordless Wednesday - Great spot for a nap

Istanbul, Turkey

Wordless Wednesday

Our World - Universal Studios Singapore: Madagascar

A visit to Madagascar zone allows visitors to meet the wacky Madagascar characters including Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hippo and the notorious penguins. My kids enjoyed it so much that we stayed here for a few hours just for this attraction.



The land's entertaining attraction is A Crate Adventure, an indoor boat ride based on the popular Dreamworks animated movies. While some people have described the ride as a little too tame, it suits me just fine and I think that is exactly what makes it a friendly family ride.



If you're a big fan of the movie and have a soft spot for the characters then you’ll enjoy every moment of it. There are some fun surprises and whimsical things from characters positioned at various junctures throughout the ride.



Another fun attraction we enjoyed was King Julien’s Beach Party-Go-Round, a massive carousal with Madagascar characters but my only disappointment was the ride was way too short.



After the ride, we had lunch at Marty's Casa Del Wild which was based on the restaurant owned by Marty the zebra in the movie. The food was not particularly delicious but I loved the innovative setting of the restaurant.



The characters also performed the theme song' I Like To Move It', what a great entertainment! I didn’t notice Marty the Zebra in the live performance though, he’s my all-time favourite and Melman the giraffe was probably too tall, so I think the star attraction of this show was the fun-loving lord of the lemurs, King Julien.



Before moving to another zone, I couldn't leave without taking a few shots of our friends. I thought the best way to bring them home was through my photos. :)

Our World

PhotoHunt - Awesome Yellow

Among the many wonderful basilicas I've visited, there are some that I would describe as totally awesome and St Mark's Basilica in Venice is one of them. The view of the entire interior is awesomely decorated with yellow gold mosaics and precious stones in a mixture of Byzantine and Gothic styles.

Here are some photos that depict scenes of St. Mark’s life as well as episodes from the New and Old Testament.







Sandi's PhotoHunt

Gattina's PhotoHunting

Wordless Wednesday - Awards galore

Replicas of Oscar statues, Universal Studios Singapore

Wordless Wednesday

Our World - Renaissance sculptures

One of the best things I love about Florence is that you don’t need to visit galleries and museums to see fine art especially if you’re running out of time or money. You can easily find art almost everywhere you go. This is one of the fine examples of an outdoor art gallery we came across at Loggia dei Lanzi. It houses a wonderful collection of thought provoking sculptures from the Renaissance period.



The first to stand out under the arcade is Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus (1545-1554) with the severed head of the Medusa complete with blood gushing from the neck. It's really gruesome and fascinating at the same time!



This is one of my favourite artworks and as seen here is the Rape of Sabine Women (1579-1583). It's an interesting piece that depicts two Romans fighting over the Sabine woman.



This is also another timeless masterpiece which depicts Hercules fighting with his opponent, Centaur Nessus. Hercules has him by the neck and is throttling him mercilessly.



The Rape of Polyxena by Pio Fedi (1866) is an illustration of Trojan War and it depicts the abduction of Polyxena by Achilles. Looking at his feet is her mother, Hecuba, clinging and pleading for her return in desperation as Achilles raises his sword, ready to strike her down.




and here's one of the two imposing marble lions that welcome visitors on the entrance steps.

Our World