Power of the Prime

Now, it has been the longest time since I’ve wanted to buy a camera. People can testify to this – reading all about f-stop, bokeh, telephoto, macro, framing blah blah blah and still not own a decent cam.

After fidgeting for almost 3 years I’ve finally  decided to give it a shot. Literally – to get a good one.

The irony of the camera is that it can never take a picture of itself. Much like the irony of your eyes – almost a little Socratic.

But aside from the jargon, I’m really not that good in photography. It takes practice – and opportunity - to get a really good shot. I don’t have both at the moment, so I’m just randomly shuttering out images.

Prime lens make a diff – superb bokeh like the above.

The last one goes out to Ms Gracy Tan – since you asked for it in the morning

Holland Day

It was my off day. And boy oh boy, there’s lot to do especially on your off day.

Before I started ranting, it’s best to know some background: the only thing that’s standing between me and the PR card now is an x-ray, some documents to fill in, an appointment with ICA and some cash.

Now the x-ray story. I need to do 2 tests to get by the medical check up – HIV and x-ray. So on the off day, I happily rode to the nearby polyclinic to finish up the whole deal.

“Nearby” is a term more suited for car I should say, and it took me about 20 min to ride there. Not to mention I was lost and had to whip out my GPS halfway through the journey. Thing is, at least I got there rite.

Wrong …

“Oh, we don’t do this kinda medical check up. You need to do with GP, they will refer you here to do the x-ray.” …

Well, since I was out I might as well go somewhere else. So, determined to stay positive on the off day despite wasting my morning away, I rode to IKEA for a table lamp– another whopping 30 min. Happy with my purchase, I rode back just in time before it started to drizzle.

To find out that the lamp didn’t come with a bulb. And it’s already drizzling. Unfettered, I ironed my clothes while waiting for the rain to stop, and rushed out to IKEA again as soon as the sun came out.

After getting the bulb, the sky was turning ugly. Gulfing down an IKEA ice cream (btw you guys shud try the ice cream it’s awesome) I raced back home, just before the thunder and lightning pounded on my doorstep.

Well, at least I finished what I needed to do on the off day – oh yar I havent done my medical check up.

Could have been me if I stayed out another 5 min longer when the storm struck.

Biker’s Park

Strangely, it’s a sight that encourages you to ride a bike. Well I guess it’s because the facilities are there – the double-deckered parking lot seems cool; and the fact that there are more expensive bikes parked at the station (yours won’t be stolen) – just make sure you don’t buy the most expensive bike available. 

In a way, it really does make biking a lot of sense – daily workout, cheap, green, convenient, and don’t have to worry about theft. The part about green can be ignored actually, but what the heck.

Healthy dose of Exercise

When I was young, I used to stay in a huge mansion. It was probably then that I do not comprehend the luxury of space.

I started to know what it means by space constraints when I was about 9 years old, as I shifted to the kind of old shop houses you always see in Malaysia.

It was not until when I was about primary six that I badly wanted a bicycle to cycle to school. I tried all ways to convince my parents that I can haul it up 3 storeys and store it in our little house.

But then, to no avail. It was not about space constraints either. If you look at Malaysian roads you’ll know that they never design anything with pedestrian in mind, not to mention cyclist.

Well, things have changed since then. About 14 years that is. I’m now staying at this place called Pasir Ris, where people ride bike like they do in China. I’m not joking, will try to take a picture of the biking lot at the MRT station.

For now, this will sufficevery happy with my new steel horse.

So from now on, I shall ride to MRT everyday.