Date: 29 Nov 2009
Venue: somewhere in Ma On Shan
Finally I couldn’t wait to try my beautiful new lens.
Here is 2 snapshots:
It really is nice... the depth of the picture! So nice! I felt supreme!
And this... :D An over-exposed picture of a big tree truck! I need to stand at least 1m far from my shooting subjects! So not used to it!
(picture from http://www.no-ma.jp)
There is an exhibition of Rinko Kiwauchi in Shiga, the very famous contemporary art photographer from Japan.
Her works are all very light, all emerged in a slight of sadness yet you couldn’t help feeling peaceful. Feelings are hard to catch but that’s what she does.
Details of the Exhibition - Touch the World
Interview of Rinko Kiwauchi (in English)
http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/kawauchi.html
I’d like to see more from her.
Date: 15 Nov 2009
Venue: Man Yee Highland Reservoir
The wind brushed my cheeks, I was tremulous from my bones and walking just like a penguin - at least in my imagination.
It was cloudy plus windy on 15 Nov, started getting cold. Joyce and I joined a local tour organized by Sporthouse to Man Yee Highland Reservoir, well, actually originally Yan was my companion, but she had a class to attend… therefore, I got Joyce :D My crazy Joyce! Anna, who initiated it joined the tour with some of her favourite friends, such was our Group Tour!
Grandeur! It’s the east dam. Super windy and cold - will get back only in summer again, haha, at least when it’d be sunny!!
The Landmark
The famous hexagonal volcanic columns! If only those volcanic rocks could talk, we’d learn all about the earth. The history of our beautiful planet. How it grew like it is today. The tour guide was a young experienced woman, she definitely knows her stuff! She also got books to show us! :D She said Hongkong was just a baby if our planet was a mother, Hongkong is so young, geographically speaking.
Basically everywhere you looked was a scene. Every rock has its story to share, every stone has a personality. The grass, the trees, the rocks and the sea. I was thrilled, by everything. Even the air thrilled my nostrils. Haha!
Shame was that I didn’t take many pictures because I forgot to recharge my camera! Good thing was, I did my very best to let myself be photographed - there were so many shots of me in Anna and Joyce’s cameras! HAHA! Hell yeah I am so beautiful!
This is the famous landmark of Man Yee Reservoir!
Here is a brief introduction about how it was formed:
“Hot volcanic lithogenous mass cooled down gradually when it was exposed to the air. Eventually it contracted into hexagonal rock columns. At this stage, the column was still in a semi-plastic state. As the lava below continued to gush up, it generated a vertical upward thrust and corresponding horizontal shear force.”
Wasn’t it marvelous and amazing?
Our group didn’t follow our guide because we decided to check out the cave not so far away.
I wished I had paid more attention in my Geography classes! Now I understand the true meaning of education (this is the definition of “education” from Devil’s Dictionary: that which discloses to the wise and disguises from the foolish their lack of understanding). There are so many things I want to know and so many I don’t know still!
Joyce, was using her boyfriend’s Canon DSLR; Anna, who enjoys taking pictures more than I do, also got a super pro Canon camera. Looking at my Nikon D40… I couldn’t help but feeling small!
Here are some pictures by Anna (as Joyce never sends me back her pictures taken):
Her lens is so much better than mine - wider angel. I really need a better lens. That’s the Christmas present I am getting myself - yes, I am spoiling me :)
The dam was very impressive. The Reservoir itself is just too huge to hike in one day. Anyway, I liked all of Anna’s friends, they were so nice, warm and funny - just like my dear Anna.
Here, I give you your dearest… and most beautiful Joey Leung :D
May be I am a people-person…?!
Weirdos
Last but not the least… there were some weirdos that we bumped into…
Graduates taking pictures on a hill of rocks - please pay close attention to their shoes. Thank you… and worse…
A couple taking their wedding pictures amongst those… barracks! Check out the guy who was holding the reflector board, it was the groom.
Praise to wonderful and adventurous Hongkies! :p
Afterwards we still went to a mining site which wasn’t so fun because it was drizzling. Cold and rain. Nevertheless I had a great day and loads of fun!
Special thanks to Joyce, who dumped her boyfriend for the day and accompanied me to the beautiful Reservoir!
Date: 8 Nov 2009
Venue: Yim Tin Tsai Village, Sai Kung
A touch of coolness announcing the arrival of the winter. Being a Hongkonger, I still am so amazed at how dramatic the weather is here: last weekend the sun was shining above my head, boiling my black shiny hair; the next day the temperature dropped 10 degrees and I found myself wearing a sweater to work. After a week of sunshine, finally it’s time for winter.
Last week I had a little trip with my colleague-friend, Kimmy, to a small island in Sai Kung, it was some unknown island years ago - I didn’t even know it exist - but today it is a hot hide-away spot. It is called Yim Tin Tsai Village.
Next to the Sai Kung pier, there are quite some stalls selling boat tickets to different islands, take a look around, you’d notice this little stall with all the posters and newspaper clippings of Yim Tin Tsai. A return trip costs only HK$35.
Sai Kung is not far from where I live, it’s always been my favourite district. You get to see the sea, the boats, the mountains, the islands, BBQ spots, great seafood restaurants… it has basically everything, oh and green curry :)
Off we go to the treasure island!
It was a 10-minute voyage. There was a local tour on the boat with us, they had fliers of Yim Tin Tsai! I peeked and saw one of the pages introducing the history of the village… ah, how I wish I had a copy. I listened to Kimmy, forgetting not to give her some proper response. It was very pleasant, being on a boat, enjoying the sunshine, feeling the breeze… making it hard for me to concentrate. I want to live under the beautiful sunshine every day!
Da da! Here we were! The small but nice hidden village, far from the city noises and pollution. One day I will buy a house in Sai Kung!
The first thing we saw: a deteriorated house. The front door was looking sharp still, I went inside the house on my own as Kimmy was too scared (:p). It was a very old-fashioned house, everything was broken but it fascinated me somehow. The sunlight shone through the broken roof, it was cool inside, I was very much at ease, wondering why would Kimmy be scared…
creative, no?
The next thing - I saw a group of primary students, they were in school uniforms and chirping like birds, lively and kicking. I can’t remember I was ever so enthusiastic about any school trips. Since I had forgotten my bottle of water, I went into a furnished store - full of visitors, so loud and crowded.
This was what made the village so famous. The villagers made their living by trading salt… hm, I don’t have anything else to add :p
Being adventurous, I “ventured” to take pictures of the very fast-moving crabs!! They were so ugly, so colourful, so small yet so incredibly quick!
We walked, walked, talked, talked and definitely enjoyed everything else.
It was the first time I hiked with Kimmy. The experience wasn’t like the ones I had with Po and Yan, but still, it was amiable :D
There was a new (well it surely looked like it) church en route, we didn’t go inside because of the mass, we heard people singing. When we were walking pass those empty houses, my imagination ran wild and we quickened our paces whenever there was a house, haha. Girls, we are so sweet!
Here is a picture of beautiful Kimmy Wong! She’s amazing, cheerful and smiling all the time!
Unfortunately we didn’t stay long… I’d have loved to stay longer to explore this island, it was small but we didn’t really walk around it all. Next time then!
The last picture of the day :) Crazily busy Hongkies, take some time off to see how beautiful this place you’re living in!
Back to the Sai Kung pier, it was all very romantic: the sun was setting and thousands of people dream-walking. 3 young guys drawing with water colours drew my attention immediately, wah, they were amazing! I want to be able to draw as well… soon I will check out the drawing classes!