Night Chance Encounters
[The black dress collection.]
Jacqueline likes to take photos.
Life and photography
Accidental Incidences
[We've been here many times in the past few days. It's a lift.]
Up In The Air
[不想擁有太多情緒｜一杯紅酒配電影]
2 Unreal Nights
[The morning after.]
怎么开口／无须言说
Bigger Than Before
[The full moon on Friday 29 January was supposed to be the biggest this year.]
So, my bag got stolen on Thursday. Well, I almost never lose my things and I’m usually in control. But this is the second time in my whole life that my bag got stolen. I had two cameras in them (same as the last time my bag got stolen). My favourite snap/film camera was in there and one of my polaroid cameras. But the more difficult thing to let go of was the entire roll of finished film that was in the bag. All the memories that are precious to me and worthless to the stealer. And my January diary. And my thermos flask that I like to bring to work/school.
It was very strange how I had mixed feelings that night. I wasn’t happy but I wasn’t sad to the extent that material things are just that and can be replaced so I was mostly calm. But I didn’t like the empty feeling of losing the memories. It jolted me into thought. Have my memories been reduced to solely photos and diaries? Have my photos and diaries become me? And then the bizarre occurrence of bumping into an old neighbour at the police station who had just got mugged. The situation was so random it was almost humorous.
The last time my bag got stolen, I had everything restored in exceedingly better quality and quantity. I can’t begin to imagine what good restorations will spring up on me this time.
Language Of Love
[Grandma mixing up the raw fish, ginger, chili, sesame oil, pepper and spring onion for me at the restaurant so that I don't have to do anything - just eat. That's her way of saying I matter to her.]
Hillsong New Album Recording
[Today they recorded the praise and worship that would potentially come out in the new album in July. The atmosphere was electrifying.]
Would not the ultimate creator be the source of all creativity? It is indeed an honour to serve in the house.
“Let no one despise your youth.”
Flipping Roles
[My photographer for today.]
Today’s the first time I focused on self-portraits for an assignment. It was the easiest yet most difficult thing. Conceptualising my shots, choosing the locations, testing the light and framing the shots. Then explaining everything so that my photographer-for-the-day (who is a fashion designer) could understand what I want and press the trigger aptly so. Being in front of the camera and posing for a change was truly like going back to the past.
Head And Heart Removed
[Headless mackerel with beautiful skin-prints.]
I never realised how beautiful the prints were until the other day. Too often, I’m just focused on cooking it and eating it, and occasionally making it beautiful after cooked.
A friend was reading Chinese Birthday Horoscopes the other day and sent me mine. I don’t believe in things like that but there was one sentence that put it true and nice indeed: 12月31日出生的人，喜欢追求各种形式的美。
The Eyes Say It All
[Ellen from Denmark.]
Spent the whole day today studying photography, checking out photographers, shootings photos and posing for the camera. I felt so elevated during and after that. (Just read about elevation being one of the five emotions you never knew you had.) Focusing on street fashion photography for the next five weeks. I love having something, or rather many things to focus on. It’s just so different when you work out of rest – then the restful increase just leaps up at you before you even know it.
Calls And Call-Girls
[Outside-looking-in on a London telephone booth.]
Game Over
[Gamey-tasting birds at the Borough Market store where we bought our two separate fowl and pheasant for Sunday stay-home dinner.]
I left London for a short holiday in Hong Kong to meet good friends who had moved to work there. Then it was back to Singapore and for once, I really felt like I was having a holiday in Singapore with long-time friends for company. Then I reached London last week to hang out with Aletheia who was visiting from Singapore, Jon from Melbourne and Kev from NYC and I feel like I’ve been on holiday in London too. Then, Xin is coming from HK in two weeks with the 5 meals a day all-planned-out schedule. The world is really getting so much smaller and I love it.
Anyhow, it’s time to get out of my intense holidaying mood and maybe just keep a mild bit of it; or at least the over-indulgent eating habits have got to be axed. Time to move onto more serious (but still fun since I just can’t give up on fun) plans. Time to grow up just a little bit more. Hope everyone has been having a happy 2010 so far!
Stories In The Backyard
[Rounded up the last of my backyard sessions today with Olivia Lee as she told me stories.]
I like listening to real stories from real people. Olivia granted me that privilege today as I shot her portraits. We’re both from the same secondary school but never really got to know each other better until I arrived in London in 2008. She graduated from Central Saint Martins as well and is a talented designer. You have to check out her website. Quoting another common friend over dessert the other day, “Olivia’s talent cannot be denied.” You don’t get statements any stronger than that and now you know where to find an intelligent design consultant.
We Try To Be Normal
[Me and Zi Xi at the end of a backyard shoot I did for her.]
I’ve been doing quite a few shoots this time I’m back and it makes me so happy. The backyard shoots are my favourites. I think I’ll be doing more BACKYARD SESSIONS when I’m back in Singapore again.
By the way, Zi Xi is a very talented illustrator. She recently graduated from the school I’m now studying at in London, ie: Central Saint Martins. We both love having breakfasts together. One of her latest projects was an animation (with supporting music by local DJ Adrian Wee) for local fashion designer Jo Soh under the label Hansel. She’s back in Singapore until March so if you’re looking for someone to do illustration + imagination, do check out her website. Support local talent!
Started The Year With Red
[The 'Wrath' couple. They're 1 out of the 7 pairs taking part in the upcoming NUS School of Design and Environment bash.]
Lots Of Love
[A sunset means a sunrise is coming.]
I’ve been having such an awesome time back in Singapore. Just rest and let go! It’s like a never-ending party with all the people who love me (: Happy new year! I’m excitedly brimming with big dreams and expectations for my best year ever – 2010.
Happy Birthday To Me
[A forgotten rose left on the pews long after everyone had exited the church wedding.]
It’s been a good year. I love Singapore and I love London. I’m mighty blessed – that can’t be denied. As the year takes a bow and prepares to exit, I have one last day in this favourable year and I’m gonna have an awesome birthday.
Everything can be beautiful, even the last, even the forgotten.
I Am Very Happy
[This is how my heart feels. Can you feel it?]
It All Builds Up
[Morning skies just before sunrise whilst cruising in the car.]
Last night was nice. Mahjong, then bak kut teh supper, then meringue mojitos and riverfront confessions, and MacDonalds breakfast 3 hours after supper. More cruising to reach the Eastern tip of Singapore in a bid to catch the sunrise only to realise we had to turn 180 to go home in time (to pass on the car). But we did catch the sky changing colours as we cruised all the way back to a perfect mixtape. I was content.
Happy Christmas
[Sunrise whilst traveling on the East Coast Park highway.]
All good things start when a new season begins.
I Believe In Love
[Bokeh of hanging lights at the church where the wedding I shot was held yesterday.]
After shooting so many weddings, I still sometimes cry at the intangible beauty so glorious and apparent at weddings. It just touches and warms the heart so much, it can happen whether or not you know the people involved. Yesterday that happened while shooting the start of the church wedding. You know, when the bride walks down the aisle holding onto her dad’s arms, and then the dad hands his daughter over to the groom.
You look at the dad’s eyes as he looks at the groom as though his eyes could convey in a split second all he ever wanted to tell the groom about how precious his daughter is. Then you pan over to the groom’s eyes as he fixes his gaze on her from the moment she steps through the doors and and it doesn’t waver even as she walks down the aisle all the way until she is right before him. His eyes tell you she’s the best thing that could happen to him. Just from these two men’s eyes, you can feel the intensity of emotions – the intensity of the intangible beauty of love. And all that within just a few seconds.
A Hat, A Hump, Or Candy Floss
[There was a fluffy cloud that night.]
A photo is the closest to locking a moment that you want to share or give away to that someone else who matters.
Circus
[Coloured lights make me think of you.]
这是个马戏团一样的世界，
一切都是装假的。
不过如果你相信我，
一切都可以变成真的。
Help-Portrait
[93 year old man who lives in Ang Mo Kio and commutes to Chinatown everyday to play chess with his 60-plus year old looking friend.]
On Saturday, I took part in the Singapore leg of Help-Portrait. It’s a global initiative where photographers around the world get together, find people in need, take their portraits and deliver the photos to them. I went round with my mini group to different parts of Chinatown and just talked to different people, buying them lunch/drinks or giving them just a listening ear. Actually hearing them out was what most of them seem to want the most – the yearning for human care and attention to drive away the loneliness and emptiness. More than half of them didn’t really want the photos taken but that was not important to me. I was happy for them to pour their hearts out.
The most inspiring one was the guy in the photo above. He said at 93 he has many things that he needs but all that does not matter any more. It was almost as though he had reached a stage where he was content with life. He was so positive about his life and very happy. He kept laughing and smiling whilst talking very loudly (because he was mildly hard of hearing). This was a stark contrast to most of the other elderly people we met who said that life was just about waiting to die (等死) at their age since there was nothing else to do. Mr. 93 made a choice to do things with his life, like playing chess everyday.
There was this other man that I took a photo of who had one of his legs amputated due to diabetes. Everyday he would sit in the common area in his wheelchair waiting to watch the world go by to pass time away in the day. When we gave him the photo, he looked so utterly dazed and kept staring at the photo with many thoughts in his head. I later found out from the other girls that he hadn’t had a photo taken of himself in more than ten years. I hope we touched his heart just that bit to make a difference in his life.
Stegosaurus-like Mummy
[Philip Li in pristine form as the sculptor and the sculpture.]
One of the awesome perks of working on Towards A Fluid State was seeing Philip Li live in an art performance of his new work. It was such a privilege seeing him and checking out all the onlookers’ reactions as well. You know what’s even cooler? He is currently making his signature body-sculptures for pop icon Lady Gaga. Say who?!
Plaster Of Paris
[Molly of Plaster of Paris with her cool printed tights and chunky gold shoes in the speakeasy space of the event we hosted last Saturday - Towards A Fluid State. You know you're definitely at the right event with a singer/musician in an outfit like that.]
So tonight will be my first night of proper unadulterated sleep in my own bed in a long time. Towards A Fluid State was an awesome, rocking festival on Saturday and I’m proud to have been a part of The Tasting Sessions team that organised it. I’ve not eaten so little in an entire week before but it was all worth it. Then a lavish last Japanese dinner in London with someone that matters before flying off to Singapore for breakfast and quickly hopping to Hong Kong for about 2.5 days of food and drink. Rushed it seems, but seems to be the way I like it increasingly so these days. Now I’m back in Singapore, looking forward to shooting a wedding on 19 Dec. I’m supposed to sleep soon but I’m feeling so excited just thinking about planning the upcoming weeks.
23 Hours
[When London throws you rain, you run happy in the rain to get reflective pavements for fashion shoots.]
When lemons get thrown at you, you make lemonade. 23 hours and a new muse.
March In November
[A long trail of students protesting on a rainy night along the road outside my apartment. For a moment, I thought I was hearing drum rolls in my head, until I opened my windows and realised it was from them.]
I’m doing an add-on to my flight back to Singapore by swinging by HK too. It’s 14 days away but I already know what I’m eating when I touch down.
All That’s Within Me Feels Dry
[On the way from Marrakech to Essaouira, with deserts for moving landscapes whilst listening to my iPod in the car.]
Marrakech was a good break. Sometimes you just need something very different to jolt a shock into your system – your thoughts and your emotions. I am so thankful we have what we have in Singapore.
Listening to Desert Song while watching the landscapes of sand and more sand just roll by the passenger seat window brought a whole new depth to the song. It’s like the difference between looking at the horizon or focusing on the circumstances within a rocky boat in a storm.
今天下了一场很大的雨
［My umbrella waits for me whilst I take a dip in the pool and unwind in the steam room.]
Can’t believe in about 3 weeks I’m headed back to Singapore again. Looking forward to going to Marrakech on Monday.
Barber Launderette
[Men and shirts - all reduced to objects of display in separate fish tanks.]
“To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed.” – Susan Sontag
Birthday To Birthday
[http://birthdaytobirthday.wordpress.com]
Jon and I will be taking photos at the same time on the same day but in mostly different cities. Currently he’s in Melbourne and I’m in London but over this period of time we’ll both be traveling. It’s a collaboration that started on his birthday (yesterday) and will end on my birthday. Do check it out!
Steamy Nights
[I love the look of wet pavements on rainy nights.]
At My Most Beautiful
[Yasmine from France.]
I shot this in a portrait photography session in the studio and we were mainly focused on digital cameras and studio flashes and all that. Then I decided to do a few with my film rangefinder, knowing full well that it’d be blurry and shaky because the room was too dark for my film/camera. Yet it turned out that this photo is more beautiful than the perfectly well-lit and well-posed digital shots. Sometimes it’s not about seeing beauty in imperfection, but the imperfection is the beauty itself.
“The painter constructs, the photographer discloses.” – Susan Sontag
Asakusa Jinta
[Asakusa Jinta playing an improvised gig in front of the Lomo Embassy. It was their first time playing in London. Of course, this had to be taken on a Lomo and in this case it was the LCA.]
I want to go to Japan. But since that’s in my after UK/EU plans, now I just want to go somewhere.
Today, Karen dropped me a text to say she’s stopped over in London on the way back to Singapore from Iceland, and that she was at Covent Garden – was I free to meet. I happened to just finish a swim then and my pool’s near Covent Garden, so it was perfect place and timing. She was only in London city for about 3 hours and we met up for fish and chips. It was such a weird feeling to just spontaneously meet her like that. It made me feel a bit displaced, almost as if I was in Singapore and spontaneously meeting familiar friends from a past life (and some which continue into the present and future).
The boundaries of time and place are beginning to blur in my life, and perhaps my memories of people.
p.s.: I love the Japanese classes that I just started taking this term.
I Seldom Hate Lines
[This is the only window in our new studio. Windows were not meant to be as skinny as lines.]
More Than The Simple Words I Try To Say
[The London Eye.]
I conclude, that if you walk around any city with the right music on your headphones and the right mood in your heart, you can make-believe you’re in a movie or even in Disneyland. Can you guess what movie scene I was in whilst walking along the river with this view of the London Eye in sight? Illusions are so powerful.
Anyway, my first post on youth culture, trends and insights was published today on the MTV Sticky website. I’m pretty stoked about getting involved with MTV Sticky and you can check it out here.
冷了以後看見自己夠傻
[Autumn night time cold walks along the bridge.]
Sometimes photography takes me out of being me, and lets me be a tourist in my own reality. It’s a strange feeling, being detached yet never been more involved at the same time.
To Photograph Is To Confer Importance
Remember the gin event I mentioned in my previous post? Well, the photos are finally up here. Apart from the first 28 photos, the rest in the set of 158 were captured by me. It was a super fun event to capture. I guess it was even more meaningful since I was involved in the whole planning and preparation stage of the event too.
It’s pretty awesome working with the team and I can’t wait for the next event on 05 Dec 2009, Towards A Fluid State. This whole process is combining my passion for photography, my love of food and drink and my focus of academia in innovation – what more can I ask for?
Pseudo-presence/Token Of Absence
“A photograph is both a pseudo-presence and a token of absence.” – Susan Sontag
I can’t post photos for awhile because my MacBook Pro is at the Apple Genius Bar. The screen was flickering and problematic so they’re giving me a new one. I’m thankful I have AppleCare; it saves all the cost. I can’t wait to get it back because I have so many photo ideas brewing.
Recently, I started posting photos from my iPhone on a separate blog at http://www.jacquelinechang.tumblr.com – I wanted to keep it separate because I think the whole thought/motivation/action process of capturing a photo from an iPhone is very different from using a camera, whether analogue or digital. I am still contemplating whether one process constitutes more of an art form than the other.
What Is The Price Of Love
[Anything essential is seen only with the heart.]
Songs by 放大同 are on my current easy-listening playlist. Just bought new wine glasses today and am most pleased with them.
Just Gin And Bear It
[Reminds me a bit of the HC cups we used to use at NCC before H1N1. They're all shots of goodness, just depends on whether they're everlasting or not. You choose.]
We Are Golden
[Running around like a clown on purpose. No giving up when you're young and you want some.]
Advanced Style
[Love all these well-dressed old people. This photo is inspired by one of my favourite blogs- http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/]
One of the reasons why I came back to London quite a bit earlier before school starts is because I’m working on a gin event with The Tasting Sessions. It’s happening tomorrow and I can’t wait. It’s time to take bigger strides.
Love Is Not Rude
[Was walking around on a mini photo fieldtrip whilst in Singapore and was sharing with a friend how I started noticing more details in life after I started taking photos. That's when I took this shot. Even seemingly ugly details or mundane visuals can be transformed into something beautiful.]
现在我最讨厌的感觉，是舍不得的那种。
I’m back in London again and it’s always the absence of that makes one more appreciative. Just like how at GenRev it was shared that familiarity depreciates a person, having familiarity taken away from me makes me appreciate everything more.
Tugs At The Heartstrings
[Grandma and laksa.]
[Grandpa after finishing his putu mayam. When grandma asked him what he had ordered, he grinned and pointed at the Indian stall and said 斋米粉. We didn't even realise that he was pulling our legs until the dish arrived.]
This is what I come back to Singapore for. Breakfast with my grandparents the size of lunch and dinner combined. Even though on my own I usually don’t really eat much but just grab a coffee for breakfast, the satisfaction from such big breakfasts fills the stomach…and the heart. I’m heading back to London tonight and I hope I won’t be sad to leave because I hate being sad. I thank God for my precious family. When God blesses people, he definitely blesses through people and relationships.
A Kiss Can Be A Comma, A Question Mark Or An Exclamation Point
[Daphne and Trent.]
Shot Daphne and Trent’s wedding last Friday. Daphne is Singaporean and Trent is Australian but they’re both working in the UK now. So they had one celebration in London, one in Melbourne and their last stop was Singapore. Literally a round-the-world wedding with the destinations back-to-back. They were very relaxed in spite of their hectic traveling, which is amazing.
There’s More To Living Than Being Alive
[Shooting an interesting reflection of myself in a strange coloured glass I chanced upon while recce-ing Fort Canning Park.]
Oriental Scoot
[Saw this on a scooter parked in Haji Lane today.]
Had an activity day today, going to Haji Lane, Casual Poet cafe and then Marina Barrage. Ended with a quick dinner of curry chicken at Killiney Kopitiam. Today’s also the day of bumping into people. Met 4 different people unplanned at different places. Singapore seems smaller today.
Update: Popped by KPO after dinner and met another friend there. What a strangely pleasant day.
I Wish Everyone Was Not Busy
[Crossing the bridge from the Notre Dame side over to the other side in Paris.]
I Want A Penthouse Suite
[The view from my brother's apartment in Brisbane.]
[The view from our serviced apartment in Brisbane.]
Just happened that both our apartment units have exactly the same unit number on the 26th floor. (Of course grandma went to buy 4D instantly – never fails to amuse me.) I realised I really like high views of city lights at night. The view makes me happy just like the view when I stayed in my Shanghai apartment in 2005.
When Autumn Leaves Start To Fall
[Secret garden on the oriental inspired wall at Laduree.]
Three days in Singapore in a rush, and I’m off to Brisbane soon. 回家的感觉真好。Will be back to catch up with everyone properly when I’m back. Life is so sweet and much more appreciated after being away for almost a year. Staying in my new house here for the first time too. All these new+old+fresh+familiar feelings make my heart dance.
Barbie Foot
[Saw this Barbie Foot at Colette in Paris. Found out only after that when I returned to London that it was on display there for a week only. Maybe they could do an automated Transformers Foot.]
Three
[Three trees on the Cannes beach.]
My school break has been filled the past month (with doing many things for the first time); I don’t even know where time went. Now it’s just about 2.5 weeks before I head back to SG and I’m going to Paris, Budapest and Milan for each of my 3 weekends remaining. Many big plans and time to speed on with much things to do. I can’t wait to update my site again with more pictures I’ve taken especially recently and in the weeks to come. I’m looking forward to shooting a wedding, going to Brisbane, eating all the hawker food again when I’m back in Singapore. I need a miracle to do all the things I want to do for the 4.5 weeks I’ll be away from London/back in Singapore.
Fearless Child Has Childlike Faith
[Bloodshed after a skate scooter race amongst a few boys at the square. There was no sign of pain at all. This photo is from my first day of shooting at the Arles workshop.]
13th July: First time taking a course organised under Les Rencontres d’Arles. I’m taking a week-long workshop by Gilles Leimdorfer called “Explore and discover your own photographic language”. I guess that’s the beauty of photography – you never stop learning and you never really reach a peak in a way. It’s not like an academic exam where you can attain 100%; the process never ends for photography. I’m the only Asian in class and the only one who can’t speak/understand French. It’s times like this yet again that I wish I knew many languages. The photo above reminds me of how when I was young, I wasn’t afraid to try things, not afraid to fall down. Why do we learn to become fearful when we grow up?
14th July: My first time being in France on its national day. Apart from having the international photography festival and exhibitions during this period, this week also happens to be the world music festival in Arles. This morning was the first time I attended a free concert organised as part of Les Sud a Arles.
Red Velvet Cupcake
ι Red velvet cupcake remnants that won’t leave me oh-so-svelte
Today, we went to Portobello Market again and I got the opportunity to sit at Hummingbird Bakery and people-watch. Was trying to capture shots for our project. At the same time, I really wanted to try the lovely cupcakes there. Bought the Red Velvet cupcake and it was delicious. Too delicious that I couldn’t even take a photo of it before eating. Then, when I met up with my group again to discuss our findings, 3 of them had bought cupcakes for 3 of the rest of us. Sweet actions with such sweet cupcakes. Don’t think I’ve eaten 2x awesome RICH cupcakes in a span of 3 hours before.
(p.s. Faye, i just continued with 2x meals again today haha, when is your turn?)
You Know You’ve Got Cool Classmates When…
ι The unplanned ‘undertable’ Converse cult
Exhibitions of Andy Warhol & Robin Rhode
ι Exhibition posters outside Southbank Centre, London
Today, I went to the Southbank Centre for two exhibitions. They are both being held in the Hayward Gallery. One is of the famous Andy Warhol, and the other is by Robin Rhode who offers a very fresh perspective by approaching art in simplicity.
I liked what they portrayed about Andy Warhol because it shows a man who has so many talents. He was an illustrator, painter, avant-garde filmmaker, record producer, author and public figure. I think it is interesting that back then, he was already a “multi-occupationist”. At the start of this year, I went for a talk that predicted the career trend for my generation was that we would not hold one fixed job each but have many jobs at the same time and many interests as well. I love how that breaks society’s stereotype that one person can only be good at one thing, and that one thing is usually that person’s profession. Do you really have to specialise in only one thing to be good and trustworthy in performing that task? Why can’t we be excellent specialists in many things? Why do we limit the human brain or a human’s capacity as such?
As a main player in the pop art scene, it also shows that Andy Warhol puts much thought into his artistic work by reflecting and triggering off reflections about the popular culture of United States at that time. I think that’s great because it is not just art for art’s sake but it goes much deeper. I can connect with that because meaningfulness is important to me.
Robin Rhode works predominantly with everyday material like charcoal, chalk and paint. He started out creating performances that are based on his own drawings of objects that he interacts with, and then he creates photography sequences and digital animations of them.Check out a short clip on his work here. (Couldn’t find much of his work on the internet though – hope more will spring up soon.)
Blind
ι A past so deep that even you could not bury if you tried
Children and Parents
ι Looking at you looking at it but who cares whether the parents are looking
Grey Stains
ι Blurly distinct
Ever since I’ve arrived in London, my mind has been brimming with questions. Seems like there is a question a day. All the things that we take them as they are. Why is death taboo? Why is love cliched? Why is old worthless? Used to ask myself all these random and seemingly unimportant why questions when I was younger. Then I stopped for awhile. And now it’s back to more exploratory brain aerobics.
Graffiti on Bricks
ι Watching, keeping watch and being watched
Cartoons & Halloween Are Pretty Similar
ι Cartoons almost real-life
There is so much make-believe. You have to differentiate the almost-real make-believe and the totally-untrue make believe. Confusing?
All The Fun of the Fair
ι Spinning round and round
[The lights from the rides of the fun-fair at Victoria Park. We went there to watch almost half-an-hour worth of fireworks.]
I’m so happy with all the colourful lights for the night from the fun fair and from the fireworks. On a side-note, Happy Birthday Xin Xin!
5 – The Number of Grace
ι Peekaboo Pink
[Walking around the Central Saint Martins Charing Cross building, being interviewed by Miranda whilst helping her take photos for her journalism project. The building by the way, is really "decrepit", quoting Miranda.]
Today, being the 5th of November, means that I can hear fireworks going off constantly from my room. They’re celebrating Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Day. Or maybe Obama’s win. Tomorrow I’m off to Switzerland. Good time to straighten my thoughts and realign them again. Refresh my brain and take some photos.
The Sky is Sexy
ι Tinges of red from my eyes to my heart
[Taken from the bus-stop outside Sally's place in Lausanne, while we were waiting to take the bus up to school for Fete Uni.]
I’m back from Lausanne, Switzerland and I had an awesome time there. The scenery and surroundings are just so peaceful. Xin’s birthday party at her house on Friday and the party at their school, Fete Uni, on Saturday. I had fun helping out in the huge kitchen in their school, EHL. It was nice to do something different for a change. For Fete Uni, all the countries had to put up a food and drinks stand and a performance. The Singapore stand had chicken rice and satay. Surprisingly, the Singapore stand won Best Cocktail for the Singapore Sling. Good to see familiar faces Sally and Xinxin – friends from when we were young schoolgirls just 14 or 15. Sally was the sweetest host and we had so much to talk about. We made cheese fondue, chocolate eclairs and peach tarts when we were at home, or more like I was the helpful assistant and she was the master chef. Quality friendships, I like.
Gentle Lights
ι Quietly with you and me
[This was taken in Lausanne as we decided to take a half-hour walk down the hill in the cold from Xin's house to Sally's house. The moon and the street lamps made that same reassuring glow. The cold was the refreshing sort and I felt so free and calm.]
Folded Swan
ι Nobody can see us
Walk in Brick Lane Market
ι Full and wasted, fully wasted
Explored Brick Lane Market with Marie and Zixi last Sunday. We came across much of such examples of waste.
Perspective On Life
ι Broken glass or shining stars
Celebrate Life
ι I heart London
[Taken just a few hours ago at Piccadily Circus during the night photography brief of the day for my course.]
Been so busy as last week was the last week of the school term, and we had our final group presentations. My group had to put up a presentation supporting a convincing argument that was anti-morality, and we approached it from a pro-immorality point of view. Pretty tough one I must say. Ten weeks of my very first school term in London just flew by. Then it was busy enjoying the few days of the Christmas holidays. Plus an awesome-packed weekend with lots of food and exploring London by walking.
I’ve just started another short course at Central Saint Martins this week and it’s travel photography. We’re right smack in the middle of the course today as it ends this Friday. It’s been really working my eyes, brain, heart and soul in a different way from academia. The wonderful thing about London is all these opportunities I have to learn new things, eat new things, see new things.
Chasing London
[The second of my series of 7 photos from the photography assignment yesterday. Funny how my second series turned out better than my first intended series. Can you get a taste of my London? Can you get my taste of London?]
The Crime Scene
[We were supposed to do a series of photos again, but this time it was a "colour series": 1 for every colour of the rainbow plus 1 each for grey, black and white. In the end, these were the photos that somehow had the strongest narrative. Woke at 5 to go shooting this morning because we were tasked to capture the markets in London as well. Hence, all the photos in my "colour series" were taken as I walked from one market to another, ie: in transit. It really felt a little scary/shady at some parts of the morning when it was still dark and quiet. The sun only rose at 8 am.]
Merry Christmas
ι Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, joy to you and me
The End of 2008
2008 is ending which means my birthday is here. Leaving Paris in a bit and heading back to London. This is one of the few years I spend my birthday in 2 big cities. Think the last time I did that it was Shanghai and Singapore or something like that. Got some nice photos here in Paris so I’m pretty excited to share them soon. Moving to a new place in London (good friends are welcome to visit any time) then heading over to Austria for skiing. Will be back to update my blog when I’m back in 2009! Happy New Year everyone! And happy eating (:
Stepping Into Acceptable 2009
ι Hello favours, here we come
With Arms Wide Open
ι A part of me
[In Paris in the last week of December 2008, whilst taking a lazy morning stroll by the River Seine with my mum.]
Even Instant Noodles Get Upgraded
ι Instant noodles with braised mushroom, minced pork, spring onions, sesame oil, garlic oil
You know my mum is here when my quick fix of instant noodles during late-night study sessions gets upgraded to something this awesome. And it’s just instant noodles.
Pretty Sunset From A Plane
ι Somewhere in between
The last time I saw a pretty sunset like that, which you can only get on planes, was probably in 2000 on my way to or from USA, from or to Singapore. I’m still up working on a presentation that starts (and ends) tomorrow. Thankfully, I finish soon. But it’s silent times in the night like this, at strange hours when I’m caught in a float between sleep and wake, that I feel like I’m in a space just like the photo above.
Purple Heathrow In The Night
ι Sheltered trees illuminated
My mum just left today. I think her kind of airport situations are the best in this case – departing from family only to arrive to family.
What Is Not My Point Of View?
ι On the other side of the same thing
[In one of the Paris underground Metros, waiting for the train to arrive.]
Got an essay to write that’s due next Monday. It’s a literature review so I’m not supposed to give my point of view at all. I am going to be writing about disruptive innovation. It feels slightly strange to not be able to give my view/opinions after doing that for various academic pieces in the last few years. But yes, doing things differently or doing something “new” is always interesting and changes perspectives. I think not giving my point of view is going to change my point of view.
Love, Sex And Rock&Roll
ι The awesome silkscreen printing of an illustration that Merry did
I love tshirts and I love personalised, special tshirts from friends even more.
Chinese Haircuts And Hanging Chickens
ι Me watching two Chinese watching another Chinese walk by
[On the 7th day of Chinese New Year in London's Chinatown. There's just something about Chinatown - this could have been any Chinatown in the world.]
Hope everyone’s been enjoying CNY and eating lots!
Snow On Skeletons
[Shot this series while my friends were mucking around in the snow. It was 1am in the morning with the first mega snowfall of the year and we had climbed into a locked park. Everything felt so strangely surreal.]
旧的不去，新的不来。
Off To Iceland
[Somewhere over the clouds.]
Going over the clouds again. Be back soon with hopefully some unexpected shots. Have a good week!
Chilling Icelandic Moon
[On the first night of reaching Reykjavik, capital of Iceland, we took a bus from the airport to our hotel.]
Yes I am back from Iceland, and yes it was beautiful. And even more so, in response to all your excited questions, yes I do have many beautiful pictures. But for now, I have to first sort my time out yet once again.
I’ve got a self-positioning proposition and plan due in 1 week. It’s a 2,000 word essay on where I hope to see myself go forth with the knowledge I have acquired during the course of my MA Innovation Management. Then I just embarked on another short course at Central Saint Martins today. This time it’s silk-screen printing for beginners and I thoroughly enjoyed myself today. Doing something so manual is a nice break away from the highly digitised world I live in. Also, I’m finally more than halfway done with the photography website I’m building proper. You will get a chance to see a lot more of my travel photos there.
Oh and of course, there’s Easter holiday planning and more merry eating and drinking.
Bankrupt Iceland With Priceless Scenery
[The views we sponged in at Pingvellir National Park. This was one of the stops for the one-day jeep tour we took. We walked through beauty as such, and alongside a volcanic rift valley as well. And yes the waters in Iceland are the bluest I've ever seen in my life. They're blue even when the sun doesn't shine. That's how mineral-rich it is.]
Got three upcoming trips planned, and a lot more exciting things to look forward to this Easter break. Now back to the reading.
Fish Is Brain Food
[Half a kilogram worth of a whole sea bass that I steamed Chinese-style for dinner. I don't have a steamer or a steaming stand, so I usually use a huge dim-sum basket instead. I had to cut the fish into half in order to fit the basket.]
They say fish is brain food. I hope it’s true because that’s a whole lot of fish I had for dinner! Also, I realised that all my recent photos are food photos. Have I really been eating that much?
分久必合，合久必分
[The ice had cracked along one of the trails which we were walking on in the middle of nowhere in Iceland. It was truly in the middle of nowhere because there was only us and the 3 other people from the jeep; then the 360 degrees of flat ground all around us had no one else.]
Just finished watching the Chinese movie Red Cliff 2 on Chinese war strategy. It confirms one of the things I aim to work on so it was quite a good thing to watch that movie.
The Northern Lights
[Braved the cold waiting in darkness just for this. I didn't do anything to the colours for this photo; just so you know, it was really like that. Most people stayed on the bus to wait because it was too windy. I had my tripod all propped up and I kept jumping on the spot to keep warm.]
Slowly but surely, I’ll get all my photos properly archived and in order so you get to see more of them. I promise.
Fancy A Snog
[When I looked up, I saw a ceiling full of glass LED lights that changed colour continually. Snog is a frozen yogurt shop and this was shot in their Soho branch, right in the middle of all the sex shops.]
Those who know me, know that I love coloured lights. Just check out Snog. With lights like that, how I can not be happy? I always daydream what it would be like to live in a world with coloured lights everywhere.
Spring In My Skip
[Shot this on my way home from school yesterday. Yes London isn't such a grey city.]
Easter holidays have begun. That’s 4 weeks of rest. Looking forward to it very much. Plus my upcoming Prague and Palermo trips.
Cappuccino Cat
[Fat cat in the café window. Really fat cat.]
Looked Like A Movie Set
[We went to Bake Shop in Prague just a little too late on the first day.]
To Curb On The Curb
[In NYC, sometimes owners are asked to curb their dogs. This little sign caught my eye and amused me.]
Yay, the days are getting longer and sunset is now about 8pm. Daylight makes such a big difference to me because I really like long bright days. My sleeping cycle is finally back to normal again, sleeping earlier and waking up earlier. I guess it helped that Prague was an hour faster than London.
The Heart Core
[Walking along the river towards Charles Bridge in Prague, this caught my eye. Reminds me of the Singaporean slang "You're damn hard core leh!" Except in this case, it's heart core.]
For now, my heart says keep traveling and keep sucking in everything. Everyday, my view of the world changes.
The Living Is Easy
[Everyone enjoying the views of the Vltava river in Prague, soaking in the sunshine and just relaxing. But mostly, doing nothing.]
Why I Love Traveling
[Easter Sunday lunch at Patrizia's aunt's home at the countryside area of Palermo. The white hair at the bottom of the photograph belongs to Patty's grandfather who is 95 years old and still tends to his own garden of almond trees, peach trees and many other wonderful plants. Spot me somewhere in the middle of the photo.]
The Easter weekend was spent with my wonderful friend Patrizia, whom I had befriended on exchange in Milan in 2006. When we parted ways then, we didn’t know when we would meet again, or where for that matter. But she invited me to spend the Easter weekend with her family in Palermo and soak in the local festive spirit. The Easter celebrations felt a bit like how we celebrate Chinese New Year back in Singapore. We spent the entire day eating and everyone stayed on after just to just talk and catch up with each other. We had so much to eat, I was super full after that.
Smooth Sailing
[Watching the boats from Foro Italico. Very, very different feel from London.]
School just started again today. It’s the last term of my first year, which will be over in just 10 weeks. How time has flown. It is going to be more intense than ever and I’m all charged up from the Spring break. Bring it on! It’s going to be exciting to see how much provision there is going to be this term.
Singapore Day And Monocle ‘Takeaway’
[At Hampton Court Palace, where Singapore Day was held this year in London. The trees leading the way in made us feel like Alice in Wonderland.]
On a side note, the editor-in-chief of my favourite magazine, Monocle, came into class as a visiting speaker yesterday. One thing he said that we could take away from his talk was to travel a lot, because travel is education and experience. And I love traveling so of course what he said made me very pleased.
Shadows Of The Present
[Live a little, learn a little. Look at what just happened, learn from it, move on.]
A Million Light-years Away
[The night sky really looks like that just that we can't see it with our eyes.]
I need to remind myself to look beyond what I cannot see, what I cannot do, what I cannot get.
Sex Sells, Especially In A Recession
[These photos were taken in London and NYC, the two main cities targeted at being responsible for the current global financial upheavals. And in a recession, we are all reduced to level playing grounds again, looking for the next best thing.]
Last Week I Ate Curry
[Curry chicken and potatoes. Yum]
Taking Off Again And Again
[My bright blue jeans matched the barbie-pink backdrop pretty sweetly.]
Had an awesome time in the studio tonight. Off again tomorrow to two new cities I’ve never been to before and I can’t wait to update with more pictures when I’m back. I’ve got some new iso1600 film and I’m excited to try them out on my travels.
On a side note, today is the first day I started running again. I hope to be serious this time, considering running is my least favourite activity out of all sports. Mind over body, mind over body, mind over body.
Glimpses
[The shadow tells the story better.]
I’m back in London again. Just got in from Bordeaux this morning. The evening took an unexpected turn after the studio portraiture sessions ended. Went for a spontaneous drink with a friend and then went round taking some night shots. I think London at night really has quite a character of its own.
Busy And Btween
I’ve not had the chance to update my blog in awhile because I’ve had wonderful relatives visiting me in London, so yes I’ve been eating a lot. In the past 2 weeks, quite a bit has happened. I went to Bath for the first time, Paris for the forth time and am now in Liverpool for the first time. The street photography experiences in all three are very different. I think revisiting a place and shooting it always opens up a new way of looking at things. It is the whole concept of learning, unlearning and relearning.
On a side note, I am in Liverpool attending an Interactive Digital Media Forum organised by btween09 and I’ve got so much to absorb.
Beauty Up And Down
[Looking at the same lamp post in Paris from an upward view and a downward view.]
When you have a wholesome view in life, it’s easy to see beauty from all angles, be it the real thing or the shadows. Hurt people hurt people but those who know they are loved much, will also love much. Those who know much grace has been given to them, will also be gracious towards others.
Not Knots
[A boat at Albert dock in Liverpool beside the table where we had lunch.]
Do you look at the complexity in front of you or the clear blue sky beyond that? I got a surprise message and so I just booked tickets today for Cannes on Sunday. Looking forward to more inspiration there.
Burst
[Reflection of the red fluorescent lights on the painted cement floor. But really, it could be anything you want it to be.]
Cannes was good. Just three days of getting to know someone better and sharing life stories and ideas (plus relaxing in front of the azure blue sea and sky and walking in the rain like we were kids again). I haven’t walked in the rain in a long time so it was strangely calming to do it again; and my spontaneous trip ended with grand plans for the future. Only God can put me at the right time at the right place and that’s the cool thing about knowing God in a relationship instead of as a religion. The first year of my MA course has just ended and one more year left. One year to do placements, test my hypothesis, write my thesis, organise a conference and present at it. And of course all the other exciting plans in between and all the other little projects I want to work on. I know the year will speed by again just like this past year has and because you never know where the future brings you, I’m gonna treasure it as though it’s my last year in London.
As Cool As Clouds
[Clouds at the hill opposite the hill where my friend's uncle's countryside house is in Palermo.]
This picture is how I feel right now with Japanese electronic music playing in the background and some green tea on the table after tiger prawns for a late dinner. Spent the whole day ironing, tidying, clearing, arranging and putting everything into order. Now I feel like I am ready to take on many things in this calm, collected state of mind. I believe environment/location/space/non-places do make a huge difference.
First Time July
[Children climbing up the railing that overlooks the main river in Bordeaux. Children always want to climb over.]
My holidays have officially started with the little innovation event we organised being completed yesterday. My presentation was about designing your own funeral. I wonder if there are any funeral photographers around.
So today I decided to make July a ‘First Time July’, which means I do something for the first time for every day that occurs in July. It’s sort of like being a kid again, always wanting to cross the line and do something for the first time; it’s about rebellion but more about innocent curiosity. Today’s first time was eating cheese sorbet (on top of carrot cake) and that was not nice at all. I saw a bright blue grand piano and upright piano for the first time too when I walked past the Chelsea Pianos store. I also went to the cinema alone for the first time today (to catch Ice Age 3). I’m pretty much okay with doing some things alone but only when I was in Cannes recently talking to my friend who mentioned watching movies alone that I realised it’s something I’ve never done before. Looking forward to more ways of surprising myself everyday this July.
Today on the tube, this happened ( – every day of your life can be a story):
The cheeky little boy was swinging round the holding pole in the train as though he was at a playground.
His American mum just stood there, letting her son be, when she caught sight of the surfer dude in the opposite corner.
“Do you want him? I can see you looking at him thinking he looks like fun.”
The surfer dude smiled and continued smiling for quite a while longer.
Second First Time
[Waiting for the sun to set at a beach in San Sebastian. It was the widest beach we've ever seen.]
Today’s first time included enjoying a rooftop BBQ dinner with friends and learning variations of Poker from Miss Colombia and Miss Italy. It was also my first time attending a talk by Chris Anderson (the author of The Long Tail). I first read his book when studying a Social Media course back at SMU. Today he talked about the concept of ‘freemium’.
Third First Time
[What tragic copy in Liverpool which already felt like a ghost town to me.]
3rd of July’s first time included going to Richmond and having coffee made by an excellent barista friend (whom I haven’t met for a year since I last was at uni in Singapore) and then spontaneously going for a dinner at the friend’s friend’s house. Basically it was dinner with one friend plus 5 strangers (but not strangers any more). I had super yummy Italian food.
Forth First Time
[My view upwards whilst lying on a beach in Cannes just one week ago. The wonders of transportation.]
4th of July’s first time included buying a blue half-straw hat and going to Trafalgar Square to take photos at the London Pride Parade, themed ‘Come Out and Play’. The hat is half-straw because it is half-linen as well; it’s hard to describe but it’s sort of like a blue straw visor with floppy linen to cover up the top exposed part of the visor. Buying the hat was somehow more exciting to me than the parade and I think I will miss my favourite japanese hat shop, where I get all my hats from, once I leave London.
5th/6th First Time
[The kind of sunset you get after you've been walking in the medium rain for the whole afternoon.]
5th July: Went to Brighton for the first time. Very relaxing day just lying on the beach, reading, talking and eating super fresh and cheap seafood. It was my first time seeing people do stand up paddle surfing as well. It looked really tiring.
6th July: My first time in the Getty Images Gallery, just off Oxford street. They had a lot of nice, classic black and white photos all in black frames. It was also the first time buying Above magazine from my favourite magazine shop RD Franks. Above magazine does the whole preserving nature thing in a very unnoticeable manner. I like that. I also like the tactile feeling of the magazine – probably because of the way the solid/thick/textured pages feel as you flip them.
7th/8th First Time
[Pants to Poverty held Pants Amnesty in the cold London rain in front of the Royal Exchange in a bid to to raise awareness about the highly toxic insecticide used in cotton in many developing countries.]
7th July: After reading my new friend Chris‘ blog post on the Londonist, I headed to the Royal Exchange to check out the scene. It was quite cool seeing this big group of people in underwear and it was my first time too. It’d be cool if something like that happened in Singapore. Yesterday was also my first time being stuck in Selfridges because it suddenly rained/hailed/sleeted in London?!?! I never knew the ceiling of Selfridges leaked so badly until yesterday.
8th July: Today is the first time I worked out at gym in London. Decided to sign up for and print out the free one-day gym trial membership for the Fitness First just 2 minutes away from my place. Did rowing, stepping and cycling for 60 minutes and felt much better after that. I hope it cures my insomnia because for the past 2 days I’ve been sleeping at 5/6am? I have no idea why. And today was also the first time I was asked this question at a job interview, “What is your favourite drink?” I was very amused by that.
Some First Times
[A couple in embrace by the river at a time approaching sunset. Me being a sniper from the windows of Tate Liverpool.]
9th July: First time I went to Serpentine Bar + Kitchen in Hyde Park. I had salmon fishcakes and they were so-so but the view was very nice. I managed to do quite a bit of readings there.
10th July: First time I saw a doctor in London today. Really had to because I’m traveling on Sunday and I was feeling terrible when I woke up.
11th July: Today’s the first time I saw an eight-year old looking boy being bought a DSLR at the camera shop. The world is changing. His mum and his sister bought it for him. Today is also the first time a tea pot handle broke just as I was pouring tea in a Chinese restaurant. Thankfully it didn’t spill on me.
12th July: Today is my first time traveling to Arles, and my first time going on a trip entirely on my own. For 9 days, I’ll be getting this new experience and my friends who’ve traveled alone before tell me it’s going to be liberating.
