Basking in the Sun

Look at the way he enjoy's life!

For Skywatch and Camera Critters

Who Cares?

Crying Calf - hungry?

Blissful Kittens -satiated!

Camera Crazy!

For quite sometime I've been longing for a DSLR, but dare not to buy, because I was unsure of what would be a right choice for a beginner like me. When I asked friends, both professional and enthusiasts, I was getting mixed opinion. Some said, just go for camera alone and don't go for models that come with video option. Though, not fond of shooting movies, I do occasionally like to take videos, so I decided to ignore this piece of advice.

I liked Nikon - D5000/D3100 & Canon 550D. Finally, I settled for Canon 550D, mainly because we came to know that Nikon had stopped producing D5000, and D3100 was out of stock, both in KL and Melaka. Also, I wanted time to practice on the DSLR before our trip to the Borneo.

The only problem with the DSLR, is that I just can't stuff it in my pant pocket or handbag, like my compact...for everything there is a trade off! Still, this is worth carrying...here are the initial shots...

Dawn, on my birthday...

Dusk...though the picture is grainy, I love it because of the rolling clouds!

Welcoming 2010 with the best of 2009

So much has happened in 2009, especially I have had itchy feet and traveled a lot:) 2009 started with a very positive note as I was so free to do things that I liked to do! It's going to be no different in the coming years:)

I wish I could do a recap of the best moments and pictures that I took in 2009, but when I started to sift through my memory lane and the thousands of photos that I took last year, it seemed to be a daunting task. Instead, I decided to just skim and scan through the collection and do a quick post. No complaints, 2009 was good to me. Here I welcome this new year with the best shots that I like from my last years collections...

Well, I have a feeling that 2010 would be even better!

Goose Goose Gander

Just when we turned in the lane that leads to my kid's school (in Klebang, Melaka), I had to stop and give way to a flock of gaggling geese. After taking a couple of shots, I shot a short video and here we go...

Flying Alone

At the London Heathrow, after completing the formalities, I entered the departure terminal which was not impressive. I was carrying a couple of books that I had bought at The Works in London to entertain myself for the three-legged journey, first to Abu Dhabi, then to Chennai and finally to Madurai.

The food and the service in the first leg of the journey were plausible, so I was quite comfortable. I was busy chatting up with the American sitting next to me or by watching the interactive TV in front of my seat. I watched Aa Dekhen Zara (Hindi movie) and I liked the concept, where an ancient camera captures the future picture of whatever is being shot! After the movie, I was fiddling with the menus available in the touch screen TV and ended up in Flight Specific Views screen...

From one of the screens I gathered that we were flying somewhere in Arabia and until then I had my shutters down to avoid glaring daylight. Now, I dared to open the shutter, just in the hope of capturing few good shots AND I was rewarded:)

 

I guess these could be a part of the desert.

Abu Dhabi Airport was too small and was filled with people filing to the Prayer rooms, as it was time to break the fast. As I was hungry I was looking for available choices, but I could get only plain croissant and so called Veg-puff.

Except coke, the other 2 items were too dry and tasted like wood pulp, but had no choice I had to pacify my growling tummy. I was sitting by myself in that airport cafe to kill 2 hours of transit time, so I was a bit self-conscious.

After a while, I felt that someone was staring behind my back and I immediately turned around and noticed that a middle aged Arabian was indeed staring at me and he too noticed that I was aware of his glance and he started moving. At first, I thought that he was going away, but to my dismay, he crossed my table, sat in a comfortable location facing me, and smiled at me! I panicked and lot of unwanted thoughts were swarming in my head and I looked around to see if I can find any familiar face in this strange land. Finally, I thought that the age-old trick of pretending to talk on the mobile would help me. I just punched a number, was listening to the mobile message and started answering cheerfully in sourashtra:) The trick did not work out. At that time an Indian family entered the cafe and sat in the next table. Normally, I wouldn't bother to talk, but I went out of the way and started to make small talk. After watching for a while, the arrogant watcher finally left the cafe and I sighed.

Shaken by this, I was too tired in the second leg of my journey. Though I was occupying a window seat I had two laborers as my co-passengers and the thought of spending another 5 hours in that cramped space was sickening. Moreover, when the flight was in the runway, it stopped, the overhead speaker crackled and the captain announced that there would be an hour's delay due to heavy air-traffic in Katar. Grr, I couldn't digest this delay, because at any cost I didn't want to miss my flight to Madurai. Just to unwind I got up from my seat and noticed that there were few empty rows at the tail end of the flight. Immediately, I requested the air-hostess to relocate me in one of those rows, so that I could at least lie down. They did oblige. Finally, I had a peaceful rest.

The third leg of the journey was ok, because I was already in a familiar turf. But, the security screening was maddening. This was compensated when I boarded the flight. To my pleasant surprise, we were welcomed with a choice of tender coconut or buttermilk:) I told my-self "welcome home".

Idyllic Countryside

For quite some time I was trying to go to the countryside. And, a chance came unexpectedly when I was visiting my friend in Eastbourne. As I was keen to go to historical battle field at Hastings, my friend dared to venture out on her own using the satnav (Satellite Navigator).

At first, it felt good that there is a constant companion who could show the route. But, after a while, when it kept repeating instructions, it felt like as if you are constantly nagged by a tensed passenger asking you to turn right when there is after all a bend in the road! So we reduced the volume and headed towards Hastings.

As usual, the motorway was narrow but scenic as we turned in the countryside.

The road further narrowed down and if a car comes in the opposite direction, it would have been difficult to give way.

The landscape kept changing by the minute, as we were driving through hilly farms.

Look at this lone cottage...

After 40 minutes drive we arrived at the Battle of Hastings site. Here am not going to cover about the historical site, as it deserves a separate post. However, am including some of the pictures that we took in the battlefield trail, as it was a beautiful countryside.

This part of the trail was laced with beautiful bluebells and it felt so good to walk in the woods:)

The tranquil pond and quacking of the unseen ducks were enough to transport me to Utopia.

Throughout the walk instead of getting tired or feeling cold because of the chilly wind, I had a silly grin like that of a teenager sneaking out without parent's permission:)

At first, I was eager to visit the historical site, but I ended up enjoying the countryside ride and the battlefield trail that we walked. I was thanking my friend several times for bringing me to this place:) Thank you my dear friend for giving me a lifetime memory...

Windsor Castle

Right from teenage, when I started reading novels, I was fascinated by the descriptions of palaces and castles. I have seen few palaces in India and seen the exterior of some of the palaces in Malaysia.

But, I have always longed to see a castle. When I stepped out of the Windsor and Eton Riverside Railway station, I was so thrilled to see the majestic round tower dominating the skyline.

Whenever I read or even thought about castles, I had a vivid visualization of sprawling lawns, high towers and cold breeze. I would say that the Windsor Castle did not disappoint me.

Instead of expressing my feelings in words, it would be better to watch the video to get a hang on my thrill, and also see how I was rattling to my husband, with great excitement:)

It was just awesome. Look at this bird's eye view photo.

We saw a different kind of flag on the round tower...

Someone in front of us asked the security personnel if the Queen was in the castle. He answered that it was easy to tell by looking at the flag in the round tower. It seems that if the Queen is in residence (meaning, she is living there at the moment) the Royal Standard flies else the British Union Jack flies! So, we knew the relevance of that flag and also that the Queen was there when we were visiting, not a big deal though...

The dark corners of the castle remind me of all those romances that I have been reading since my college days:)

And the moats remind me of all those bloody wars.

Look at this deep wall, where a soldier can comfortably aim at the enemy...

Look at the beautiful view from the lower ward of the castle.

On your right, see the castle and on your left you see the St George's and Albert Memorial Cathedral, dating back to the 11th century.

It is a good example of Gothic architecture and exquisite glass paintings. Besides, it is a living church, which means, it is still in use by the royal family and the people of Windsor. Around 11 kings are buried here.

In the upper ward of the Castle, Photos are prohibited.

The Doll's house was dimly lit, to preserve the fragile miniature collectibles of Queen Mary. The highlight of this section was a present from one of her granddaughters, which was a doll's house. In this, everything is a working scaled down version of a modern mansion of the 18th century.

Then as we entered the Grand staircase, I was reminded of the Mysore place in India. The audio tour explained that, even now Queen Elizabeth II, receives the state guests, from this staircase.

The State Room was filled with treasures acquired from various British colonies. The best piece was the large golden tiger head seized from Tipu Sultan of Mysore, India. In fact, the largest collection was from India that ranged from jeweled armouries to dresses. Though, I had a sense of misgiving to see my country's treasure in a foreign land, I consoled myself by thinking that we have migrated here and no point to talk about the glorious past, right?

Then, the King's, Queen's Chamber was like what you would expect in a palace. The walls were adorned with marvelous paintings by famous artists from 15th to 17th centuries.

Holbein and Rubens paintings were captivating. Holbein's self-portrait was the best, and I spent long time in front of that painting, as it was so powerful. I wanted to take a snap, but unfortunately, it was a restricted area. However, you can see Holbein's self-portrait online. In the original, his rich silk robes and straight posture shows an air of authority and whichever angle you stand, you feel as if Holbein is watching you smugly.

This post is getting longer, so let me wind up with a beautiful shot that shows the backside of the castle.

Solar Eclipse - Watched Live from Kuala Lumpur Planetarium

Solar Eclipse has always been a fascinating occurrence since childhood because of the mythological stories heard from grandpop and also the curiosity to watch the crescent shaped sun shadows in our backyard.

In my community, there is a wide spread belief that pregnant women should lie down in a dark room during eclipse. Further, they would be advised to cover themselves with white cloth and make sure not to toss and turn, in fact I had experienced this. They say that the solar radiation is harmful to the womb and it could leave birthmarks on the baby^^

This time, on 26 Jan 2009 morning, we checked if there are any arrangements in Kuala Lumpur Planetarium, and luckily, there were quiz programs and other workshops for kids, and of course, they had made extensive arrangements for the public to watch the eclipse. The partial eclipse is supposed to be like this:

We arrived there around 4PM and collected the solar eclipse glasses that were provided free of cost!

Naturally, I was attracted to the signboard Webcasting and Astrophotography and as usual started to chat with professionals and learned how they were doing the live webcast of solar eclipse. 

Professionals getting ready for the live webcast...

The videographer setting the angle...

When the eclipse started, generally the crowd was so excited including us. First, we watched with solar eclipse glasses, and then we took turns to view at the solarscopes and other astronomical devices. The live webcast display was good...the orange crescent was so beautiful.

At first, I tried hold the dark films provided by Angkaska in front of my camera lens to take pictures of the eclipse, but couldn't succeed. Then a gentleman helped me to set to ISO 800 manual mode in my puny Canon A540, and after that I managed to take a shot.

But, dissatisfied with this picture, I started taking pictures of eclipse that reflected in various devices!

Eclipse as seen in pinhole projector:

Reflection seen from a hand-held device that looks like a mirror...

Multiple crescent shadows, trapped through circular holes in a white sheet...

In short it was an awesome experience and had a memorable Chinese New Year and Indian Republic day!

365 Gifts

Since midnight I was receiving SMS from friends, phone calls from family members and later received emails as well. All of these were to wish me for this new year. Some of the SMS/email contents are nice to read and brings in good vibes. Though they might not have been originally written by the senders, I appreciate their efforts for choosing and sending it to me:)

Instead of listing the entire contents, here is a list of excerpts that I liked most:

with 365 gifts GOD has provisioned for you, may each gift unfold countless blessings to you & your family... how true and how often do we appreciate it? In fact we hate certain days, like Mondays^^!

with all the children's smiles... wish we can be as innocent as their smiles:)

Forget the Bad... is it really possible?

Cherish the Good... now, this is easy...

A path that leads to beautiful tomorrows... yeah, I know the way now:)

Special memories of all the yesterdays... relishing it

Serenity with each sunrise... love the magical hour of the day

Like this Sacarlet Ibis, which is unique and bright, I like the SMS that I receive from dear Reno annually. Wish to receive it every year no matter where I live:)

yes, u wil always get my greeting earlier. I wish u Happy new year, cny, birthday, labour,wesak, merdeka day,hari raya puasa, deevali, xmas n happy holiday!:-D - Cheerful, yet cost cutting and no need to worry about forgetting to wish for any reason hehehe