Click*

HELLO JIJI #007

2012-02-10T09:52:00.002+08:00

She is with good friends now while we are in New Zealand, probably having a whale of a time playing with our friend's cat.

p.s.
The good thing about having an otaku (read: geek) husband is that you don't have to suffer from cyber withdrawal symptoms, they can hook you up literally anywhere. We are in a cafe in Kaikoura waiting for the train now. Lots to chat when we get back. Oh and a scary ton of pictures^^

p.p.s
Sorry I haven't been keeping up with the replies to your comments, will catch up when I get back.

THE DAY I LEFT

2012-02-01T19:16:00.000+08:00

I woke up to a cold and foggy Tokyo the day I was to leave. Snow fell in thick clumps, and according to the weather report, 17 days late this year. I had no plans before my afternoon coach to Narita so I sat by my big hotel room window and thought about how much I love snow. It was a lovely end to the trip for me.

Goodbye Tokyo, see you again maybe next year.

LAST FEW

2012-02-01T13:29:00.003+08:00

Lunch and a view at the Royal Park Shiodome.

Surprises awaiting during a random stroll at Kagurazaka.

Mugimaru 2 Cafe, with the softest manju, the cutest cats and the friendliest owner. I had a long chat with an interesting local patron sitting opposite me about the differences between Singapore and Japan.

YOKOSUKA

2012-01-29T01:43:00.003+08:00

A day out with Kiri-chan is always a real treat because she always knows the best places for a camera outing. This time was a trip to the Yokosuka Museum of Art where we took a long leisurely stroll by the beach.

To be honest as someone from the tropics I was not used to this other wintry side to the sea, but I was surprised to find the foggy skies and gloomy waters beautiful in its own way. I must say I found it rather inspiring.

SPOTTED WHILE WALKING

2012-01-27T18:26:00.000+08:00

Ordinary everyday scenes from the recent Tokyo trip, but somehow I like them.

Some happy news to share, HC and I will be flying off to New Zealand (middle earth !!!) next week for around 2 weeks.

It's one of those places where you don't realize how far away they are until you buy the plane tickets to find that you're going to clock a 10 to 12 hours flight. I was chatting with a friend from Minnesota and he oohed and aahhed about New Zealand before groaning to find that it will take close to 30 hours for him to get there, transits and all.

We'll be mainly driving around the South Island, with a short venture to the north to Wellington. By the way, would anyone happen to know of any great cafes or restaurants in Wellington? Would be grateful if you could share =)

A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS (THIS TIME ROUND) #02

2012-01-27T02:36:00.009+08:00

From top>>

AtoZ cafe : yes I am a big fan of Yoshitomo Nara.

International Libray of Children's Literature : I spent as much time exploring the 106 year old building as the children's books on display.

A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS (THIS TIME ROUND) #01

2012-01-24T16:05:00.008+08:00

An amazing new venture in Tokyo, the 2K540. I got to know about this through a very good friend Kiri-chan, and popped over to take a look. It is an area under the railway tracks gathering the best in artisan shops and products. I was too poor to buy anything *lol* but had a great time just looking and chatting with the shop staff, who would come up to you readily to explain about the works.

Photos below, probably the biggest and most interesting Muji shop I've been to so far.

*Private Msg*

Kiriちゃん、２K540のことを紹介してくれてありがとう！会って次の日にちょっと寄ってみたの。あまり時間がなくてゆっくり見ることができなかったけど、次回Kiriちゃんと一緒に行ったら絶対１０倍楽しくなると思う。またチャンスがあったら、一緒に行こうね＾＾ Miss you.

OF A TOKYO HOLIDAY & FREEZING WINTER WALKS

2012-01-23T14:53:00.004+08:00

HC got an unexpected call for a week of work in Tokyo and so me, the constant free-rider (i.e. an individual who pays less than their fair share of the cost of a common resource), got my wish for donning winter scarves and boots. It was also my first time in Tokyo to stay in a proper hotel, I usually crash with good friends (see: free-rider definition above again) or stay budget.

First to some of our favourite haunts. If you know HC's penchant for eggs you'll know why we have to go Rakeru everytime.

Randomly checking out some of Tokyo's beautiful shops, it's very lucky that I'm more of a love-looking-less-buying kind of person.

This shop stopped me in my tracks but sadly it was closed. I think I spent around 10 minutes in the freezing cold trying to peep into the interior.

A Japanese friend used to call me hare-onna or sunny-girl because it appears that everytime I go out with her it will be sunny (even if the weather forecast confidently says 'cloudy' or 'rain'), but the sun only shone one day when I was there this time, I guess my hare powers must have been weakened by my long absence from Japan.

More photos coming up, but first to all who celebrate, Happy Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Gong Xi!

IT'S COMING ON A NEW YEAR

2011-12-27T00:09:00.001+08:00

I was just chatting with a friend on how I miss the pretty coats and boots and caps and scarves that come with winter. I want to live somewhere where I can wear them ;)

I'm sorry I wasn't in time to say merry christmas, but here's wishing you a great 2012, with all the hopes and dreams and love we can muster for the new year. Stay warm and take care.

REMAINING RANDOMS

2011-12-21T01:49:00.002+08:00

Eating, drinking, walking, oh and chasing cats (as always). The last of our little holiday.

Top few are of a quaint shop, the 'Limau Limau Cafe'. We went back twice for the lychee and dragonfruit freezes. They were that good.

ESCAPING THE HEAT

2011-12-16T21:33:00.003+08:00

The Voyage Travellers' Lounge in Malacca.

We dove in to take a breather from the dusty heat of the streets and got so comfortable there that HC fell asleep. Lots of things coming up this weekend with the year-end approaching (!!!), hope you'll have a good one.

THE CLAY MAKER

2011-12-13T00:22:00.001+08:00

I think anyone who knows me can tell that I'm not big on shopping, but the moment I stepped into this clay house I knew I was in some danger.

After chatting a bit with the maker, Mr. Leong Chee Hsiung, he was kind enough to let us see his studio at the back of the shop. It took all the self control I had to leave with just 2 pieces of his work, one for myself and a gift for a friend.

Don't miss it if you happen to be there.

The Clay House

18, Jalan Tukang Emas,

75200 Melaka

UP NORTH

2011-12-12T18:44:00.003+08:00

A short trip up north to Malacca, to be honest I didn't expect to find the place so photogenic.

If you ever venture there, I would say ignore the main Jonker Street with its kitschy imported souvenirs and explore the little alleys around, the real treasures lie there instead.

Edit>>
Someone was asking me about the little white round things in the 3rd photo, just wanted to clarify, that's not fishballs but the chicken rice balls that are famous in Malacca.

THE ZASSHI PROJECT

2011-12-02T12:42:00.008+08:00

I'm excited to share with you a little project I have been meaning to do for sometime.

Do you own copies of japanese magazines or zasshi with beautiful images that you love but wish you could read more about the what-where-when of them? Or are there any japanese recipes or crafts that you have been itching to try out but are having problems because the online translations sometimes just make no sense?

If so I would be happy to translate them for you.

Simply follow the 1-2-3 below!

1. Scan your favourite zasshi article, photos and all.

2. Email it to me at triple.triple.y@gmail.com

3. Read your article via the zasshi blog.

And that's all!

For now I'm looking forward to interior, garden, design, travel, recipes, crafts and write-ups with a more lifestyle-related twist, but if you have anything else that's interesting to share do drop me a note!

*Absolutely no money is involved in the translations done.

*Translations are from Japanese to English only. (sorry!)

*Please help to double-check that the text and photos scanned are good enough for reading on the computer.

10AM ON A SUNDAY MORNING

2011-11-14T23:37:00.004+08:00

I must say giorni, jiji and a snoozing HC were great company for a lazy sunday morning.

COZY UP

2011-11-09T23:55:00.001+08:00

The combination of hot chocolate and cuddly cat is having its usual soporific effect. Oh and so are looking at beautiful autumny photos.

I'm already half drooping, so for all friends on the same part of the world... ...good night and sleep tight :)

TODAY

2011-11-03T21:20:00.005+08:00

I need a little bit of chicken soup today.

I need to believe, that there are good people, with good hearts.

No scheming, no backstabbing... ...no saying this and doing that.

I think of these people I know.

I count them.

And the world somehow righted itself again.

OCTOBER ROLL

2011-10-30T00:13:00.001+08:00

The little cat just loves to be higher than everyone else.

I gave my plants a haircut. There is not much space in my corridor garden but I'm still grateful for it.

Normal everyday scenes from home, and tasting the lovely sour-sweetness of the pomegranate after a really long time. I love that red colour.

LITTLE PINK DOTS

2011-10-29T14:39:00.000+08:00

While I was shooting the second photo I kept remembering my mom telling me how never to play with my food *lol* I also remember getting scolded when I was young for always nibbling off the sugar flower bits and leaving the plain biscuit behind.

LIFE IS STILL PRETTY GOOD I THINK

2011-10-29T00:45:00.005+08:00

It has been a rather rough week but cute kids and dessert never fail to make me smile.

I have been on the lookout for beautiful photo blogs recently. I am very much in love with this blog at the moment, it makes me want to throw down everything and buy the next ticket to London.

Oh and please do share your current photo blog crush with me if you have any. Looking for one by googling is too much of a needle in a haystack (I tried... ...but threw aside the iPad after just 5 minutes *lol*)

Have a great one this weekend ok?

ONE SAD ROLL

2011-10-18T22:07:00.008+08:00

You know how you sometimes wait excitedly for a roll of film to come back and when you get it, all you could go was... ..."meh"? Well this was one such roll, sadly. The above were all I could salvage from it.

A roll of Chinese film that I tested out and I must say... ...I love my Fujifilm more than ever.

Hope the monday blues are long gone from you. I shall load a proper roll this weekend and try again.

SLEEPY RAMBLINGS

2011-10-16T01:48:00.002+08:00

Just got back from some good food, beer and fun at a friend's place, nothing better than a home party I think. There's a purring cat beside me as I type, and I'm getting all warm and sleepy.

Old photo again, I really must hang out more with my camera. Tomorrow, perhaps.

Enjoy the weekend everyone, I'm going to bed.

FIND ME WHERE THE FIELDS ARE

2011-10-01T00:38:00.001+08:00

Is it the season already?

To be honest, I can't remember, my school days in Japan seemed so distant. I have a desperate need to get away from the concrete blocks, packed trains, messy office, sit in an open field, and just be.

THAT ROLL FROM SEPTEMBER

2011-09-26T20:51:00.002+08:00

Pretty geometric shapes.

Hello Kimu Taku, we meet again.

September in a nutshell.

Good friends B & P came and were gone too soon, and we are missing them!

BYE BYE SOON

2011-09-08T00:26:00.001+08:00

A bit of a cuteness overdose perhaps, but the little guy's going home soon after 8 months and we have a nagging suspicion that we are so going to miss those black and white patches and that funny grumpy look on his face.

HUMMING ALONG

2011-08-21T00:13:00.001+08:00

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

Such beautiful words by Leonard Cohen. Somehow the lyrics were in my head as I was walking along that day.

TAKE A YAWN

2011-08-20T11:19:00.006+08:00

Just some lazy sort of shot-at-home photos... ...happy weekend =)

MAKING PLANS

2011-08-19T00:05:00.004+08:00

We're total homebodies, but it's nice to pretend to be hip and hang out at some cool cafe once in a while. We often rant about how ridiculously expensive these coffees are and then go home only to do it all over again next weekend. Ah the inconsistencies of man.

I've gotten fed up with some areas in my life and have decided to make some changes. Hope everyone's doing okay, we're off for another cuppa this weekend.

DREAMING OF WALKS & HOLIDAYS & SO MUCH MORE... ...

2011-08-07T18:37:00.001+08:00

Sorry to have gone missing for a while. Shot a roll while I was out for a walk the other day, can't wait to see how it will turn out! Meanwhile I'm still enjoying everyone's photos with my iphone whenever I can.

Looking at summer photos put me in such a holiday-ish mood. Anyone's been travelling?

SORT OF STUMPED

2011-07-17T16:52:00.000+08:00

What do you shoot when you don't know what to shoot?

Do you sometimes feel that way too?

I'm trying to find an answer amidst tons of work.
Meanwhile just some shots from the archives.

Have a good rest everyone =)

MY VERSION OF SUMMER

2011-07-09T22:59:00.000+08:00

I've been enjoying everyone's summery pictures so much that I thought I'll just post some of my own from the archives.

It's funny that living in a country of eternal sunshine, I found it hard to put summer in pictures.

HELLO JIJI #006

2011-07-08T23:39:00.001+08:00

Haven't done one on the little cat in a while. She's just turned two this June =)

MAD HOT JUNE

2011-07-02T20:46:00.037+08:00

It has been mad mad hot around here and I've been mad mad busy. Slurping ice-cold lemonade with HC on a hot afternoon, going to the museum, taking a short walk around Hort Park and new greens for the home, on hindsight I guess June hasn't been so bad afterall =)

Hope everyone has your feet up and staying cool this weekend. Enjoy!

THE LITTLE PLEASURES OF HOME

2011-06-16T23:30:00.003+08:00

At home and around the neighbourhood.
Work has been keeping me on my feet, I miss my camera.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

MISSING HK

2011-05-29T20:25:00.006+08:00

One of my fave things about HK. The driver from the 'Hong Kong' tram in the first photo smiled and waved a greeting to me as he drove past. I heard there are plans to replace them with modern-looking metallic ones. If there's any HK officials reading this, I want to say, "please please please don't."

Hello people.

Hello vertigo.

This shop was incredibly hard to find. I don't think I'll recommend it unless you're a hardcore lomo fan. For normal lomo supplies, you can check out Log-On in City Super. I got all my lomo films there during my stay.

As I'm getting to the end of my photos from the last trip, I'm finding myself missing the place very much.

MIDO & MORE

2011-05-27T13:01:00.002+08:00

The infamous Mido Cafe, and a popular venue for movie sets. Local friends say it's not really considered a Cha Chaan Teng because the dishes they serve are a bit different. I was a bit shy to take out my Minolta at first as it was crowded, then I had a look around and saw lots of diners with even bigger cameras and happily snapped away *lol*

TAKING A BREATHER

2011-05-23T14:47:00.001+08:00

So who says HK isn't green?

I find the grittiness of HK photogenic but I desperately need green breathers.

From top:
HK Heritage Discovery Centre, the colonial building was more interesting than the artifacts. It was the old Whitfield Barracks.

Greens in Kowloon Park, cafe in Sheung Wan, Victoria Park.

CRUSTY WITH CUSTARD ON TOP

2011-05-19T22:58:00.002+08:00

Meet Lord Stow's Portuguese egg tarts in Coloane. Completely insatiable they are.

DID YOU SAY MACAU?

2011-05-15T23:21:00.011+08:00

Some perhaps, rather un-Macau-ish Macau photos that I love.

Portuguese everywhere, instead of English.

Yummy pork-chop burgers, only in Macau. B's Kimu-Taku brothers came along too.

An interesting shop area we found near Largo do Senado. The pet cat, which doubles up as the mascot wanders freely around several shops in the block including a cozy independent bookshop, Pin-to Book.

P.S

I'm back in Singapore already but there should still be quite a bit of Macau and HK photos coming up, I shot so many! Have a good week everyone, I'm starting first day of work here tomorrow^^

NO CASINOS PLEASE

2011-05-11T00:22:00.006+08:00

It was a day trip to Macau last Sunday with my funny classica sisters. We decided there was going to be no casinos involved and explored the quaint Coloane island instead. Free of tourists it was so peaceful and such a beautiful beautiful place.

On the way there we passed by the flashy casinos, gaudy unreal things sticking out against the natural landscape. A friend told me that almost 70 percent of the people there have their lives woven around them which is such a sad thing. No place should ever have to be defined by gaming.

SHUTTER SUNDAYS

2011-05-06T23:15:00.003+08:00

So I conclude that working six-day weeks is tiring, but they make Sundays extra happy. These were all Sunday photos, 2 different weekends, but both just as happy.

AS AUTHENTIC AS IT GETS

2011-05-03T01:06:00.003+08:00

I think little screams authentic HK more than the King of Kowloon, cha chaan tengs and buttered french toasts with syrupy sweet condensed milk.

It's really swell to have friends who can show you the local ropes, I've forgotten how much extra fun shooting is when you hang around others with cameras.

MORE HK

2011-04-28T00:44:00.006+08:00

My little home in HK for the month. I don't get to see it much but I like it.

Brunch and a long chat with my dear B at the Brunch Club in Soho. This one came from the South of Hollywood Road. Why are there so many 'Soho's around the world?

The good, bad and ugly about the Monocle shop which I was so looking forward to.

Good = the shop looked great.

Bad = the guy there was really unfriendly.

Ugly = back copies (which I really wanted to get) cost twice the price of the current issue (!!!)

I hope their other shops in London and Tokyo are better.

RANDOMLY HK

2011-04-24T23:03:00.006+08:00

Sorry for the silence. I'm here and all has been busy busy. Just some snaps around with my natura classica, I've another 2 more rolls to go and excited. Will upload more soon =)

P.S>> Thanks for all your well wishes in the last post! Hope everyone is enjoying your Easter hols.

MY FAVOURITE MODEL

2011-04-14T14:10:00.014+08:00

A good friend, B who has cameoed in many of my photos before. The cute monkeys go wherever she goes, which means that these two have probably 'travelled' to more places than I've ever been to see.

Talking about travelling, I'll be off to Hong Kong for a month or so for work next week, so posting might get a bit slow here. It's a new job with what I would expect to be a near-vertical learning curve, but after the long break I'm looking forward to some good old-fashioned hard work again (I hope I'll still be saying this after the training *lol*)

I should be free on weekends to do some snapping here and there. It's not my first time to HK so I'll be happy to give all the major sights a miss. Bookmarked a small bunch of interesting places that I hope to check out with my minolta. Will definitely be dropping by here and here.

Update again hopefully soon! Have a great time this weekend =)

P.S>> I can't stop listening to this.

LAST SUNDAY

2011-04-09T00:10:00.000+08:00

Good weather, and a sleepy cat.

BACK TO SCHOOL

2011-04-07T21:17:00.004+08:00

I had a spare hour recently between appointments, so I dropped by the Old School with my Minolta and a roll of Agfa. This was a former girls' school turned offices for lots of arty companies and a few good restaurants. I love how they left all the original school fixtures, pre-war colonial architecture and much of the 80's looking facade, it's a photographer's dream.

SHOP CRUSH

2011-04-02T00:30:00.005+08:00

I haven't been so in love with a shop here for a long time.

Supermama at Seah Street has brought in wonderful everyday items from around the world. Because of this shop, the beautiful works of Oji Masanori are finally in Singapore!

THIS WAS MARCH

2011-03-30T01:57:00.005+08:00

Yummy rice muffins, steamed instead of baked.

Lovely Ateliers Penelope bags and Fog linens found in Singapore. Had a chat with Atomi shop owner Mitsuko san, she's really friendly. Do go check them out if you happen to be in Singapore.

HC did a rare thing and went clothes shopping. I think I love those french linen shirts more than he does.

Jiji the cat demonstrating how to always sit on the cushioned side of the seat, no matter how little of that cushion there might be, oh and showing off her favourite birds-ambushing spot.

How was your March? =)

GOLDEN OR BLUE?

2011-03-25T07:57:00.005+08:00

I must admit I'm feeling a little sheepish here on several fronts.

Firstly, I didn't know that there was a difference between the golden hour and blue hour until today. I've always thought they were the same thing for the longest time. On hindsight now I'm thinking, how can they be the same when one is golden and the other is blue? Oh and the 3 photos above? That's the golden hour (I think).

Secondly, I've been staring at my Flickr account login page for more than a week now, completely and utterly incapable of recalling my password and username. My computer was in a critical condition a few weeks ago and the hard disk couldn't be revived so gone were all my important stored information too.

HC was incredulous when I told him I can remember nothing of my Flickr account ("you didn't write it down anywhere?", "yeah I did... ...in my computer") *lol*. I guess I just have a knack for getting into fixes like this. Meanwhile I shall continue to stare at it in hope that some lucky streak of my memory will strike me.

P.S>>

Thanks a lot for all the well wishes for my interviews, they were a little tough (written tests, TV conference interviews etc... ...) but I guess I tried my best. Now to wait for news!

COME LIGHT

2011-03-19T02:56:00.002+08:00

If you've noticed I've reshuffled things around here a bit. There were some alignments problems that were bugging me, luckily the reshuffle helped solved most of them, phew.

This week has been simple but nice, HC worked from home some days so there were lots of cooking in, reading and I didn't want to say this, cat naps alongside the cats.

A job interview came this week, another two the next, hope the tide is changing for something better.

Happy weekend everyone =)

Top>> Minneapolis

Bottom>> Nikko

GUESS WHO?

2011-03-17T14:30:00.002+08:00

We're enjoying the cat-sitting of this little guy. He can wait all day for his wet food.

IF WE COULD CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK

2011-03-15T17:26:00.006+08:00

"Don’t focus on how you rank in comparison to others — life is not a competition. It’s a journey. We are all on a journey, to find something, to become something, to learn, to create. That journey has nothing to do with how well other people are doing, or what they have. It has everything to do with what we want to do, and where we want to go. That’s all you need to worry about."

Something wise a friend forwarded me recently. Self-help usually don't sit that well with me but I did like some of the things he said.

On the other hand, echoing Brian in his post here, I'm finding it very hard to settle down. I keep starting something and stopping halfway, nothing feels quite right. I talk to my friends in Japan, they're feeling the anxiety on the ground. Praying for things to turn out well.

PENSIVE

2011-03-12T14:19:00.016+08:00

I was out when the phone call came yesterday, and the people who immediately came to my mind, HC's little brother, my homestay family, friends, close ex-colleagues. The lines were congested and nothing got through until late evening when the emails started coming in.

Some had been walking for more than 6 hours trying to get home, some were staying over in their offices for the night with the transport down. Some told me of having no electricity in their homes in this winter cold, but luckily none of them were hurt.

Scarier than the earthquake itself perhaps, were the tsunamis and fires seen on NHK. They are still registering aftershocks and tsunami warnings now.

Our hearts go out to Japan today, there's no need for more words.

AND ALL THAT PINK

2011-03-10T00:44:00.001+08:00

I'm not really that much of a pink person so I'm not quite sure why there seems to be so much of that in my photos. Maybe I have some subconscious hidden attraction to that colour... ...I hope not.

MESSING AROUND THE KITCHEN

2011-03-05T17:47:00.004+08:00

I'm uploading this to a background of "Wheeee"... ..."Snort snort"... ..."CRASH". That's HC playing with the 'angry birds' game in the living room. My laptop has tragically died on me and is now at the Sony hospital. In Chinese we have a saying, "中看不中用" which basically means "Good to see but not that great for use", and I think it perfectly fits the description of my wretched laptop, which has only been with me for maybe 6 months? HC claims that because I've monopolized his computer so he has nothing to do but to play with that fly-the-crazy-birds game. To tell the truth that cheeky opening tune is totally stuck in my head.

These were shot when HC was away for 2 weeks recently. I basically messed around the kitchen, tried out recipes and got my poor friends over to be guinea pigs (I do have the best friends^^). My mom fell victim too and the above were shots of what I cooked for lunch for the both of us *lol* If you're looking to try a new salad sauce to go with your greens I highly recommend japanese sesame mayo dressing, it's basically yum on everything!

MR HOUSECAT

2011-03-01T00:00:00.009+08:00

Doesn't he makes you want to laugh?

I've just realized that he looks really good in black and white because he is erm, black and white. Though effectively he's actually black on white because if you part the fur on the black spots you'll see white beneath, meaning his fur is bottom half white, upper half black? We've asked his parents but they don't seem to know too, it's kind of a great mystery.

Edit>> Ai san was nice to send me a link to help solve a bit of the black on white mystery. "... ...the way that cats' coat patterns are determined is like pouring sauce over white cats from on high." Now everytime I look at him I imagine someone having poured black sauce over him and I can't help giggling.

TWO BY TWO

2011-02-27T00:07:00.006+08:00

From the archives.

Do you sometimes get a headache trying to handle portrait shots? There you have it, landscape photos lining up nicely one after the other in a new post and suddenly... ...a vertical. I guess I could just close one eye and lay it out as it is, but the truth is it irks me (I probably have some hidden OCD somewhere). So here's how I usually deal with vertical shots to keep my peace of mind. Another reason why I love diptychs^^

Hope everyone's having a calm and easy weekend.

NATURA X NATURA >> LAST

2011-02-25T11:06:00.005+08:00

The last of my old natura shots for a while. I'm kind of in a dilemma because using the film here meant that I would have to send it to the labs here, and I get irked by the quality and the results I get. But if I'm going to keep up standards that would mean that I can only use it when I go Japan, which is rather silly really (though I do go to Japan a bit too much *lol*). I need a find good reliable lab that can do 1600 film properly... ...

LATER IN FEBRUARY

2011-02-22T00:00:00.003+08:00

Such a great shop, Rockstar at Cineleisure. Interestingly, fellow blogger Karen also talked about the place recently too. See her version here.

The rest are of Colbar (short for Colonial Bar) at the old Portsdown British quarters. We love it there for big trees, wide spaces, and not forgetting, the marmite sandwiches.

NATURA X NATURA >> THREE

2011-02-20T14:55:00.004+08:00

All natura.

1>> Futagotamagawa.

2.3>> Izu Peninsula in springtime.

4>> Tokyo Tower.

5.6>> Daikanyama.

HELLO JIJI (& DEAR KIT CAT) #005

2011-02-18T01:00:00.003+08:00

We have a guest cat in our home.

Kit Cat will be living with us for around a year while his real parents go on their grand tour around Europe. He's a rather easygoing cat and so far they've been getting along charmingly, what with chasing and pouncing and rolling together and friendly swatting, oh and not forgetting those wet nose kisses, it's really entertaining to watch.

His parents have an interesting blog on their grand tour, you can take a look here. I'll also be guest blogging now and then (basically posting photo evidence that their cat is still well and alive *lol*).

Jiji will be sharing her photo series with him from now on, and this is the cheesiest title I can think of, did you get the pun?^^

NATURA X NATURA >> TWO

2011-02-15T13:12:00.004+08:00

More natura shots.

I've been reading up on the slow movement lately. No lofty aspirations but this year I would really like to cook more, buy less and sleep more.

What about you?

QUOTABLE QUOTES

2011-02-14T10:00:00.004+08:00

From a friend when she found out that I still write snail mail... ...
"That's like so... ...Jane Austen era."

From a friend who was jobless... ...
"Time? I've lots of time... ...if time is money I'll be a really rich man."

From a friend when asked if he likes books... ...
"Make it into a movie and I'll watch it."

I do think my friends say the darndest things *lol*

NATURA X NATURA >> ONE

2011-02-12T00:00:00.008+08:00

These are some of my natura faves taken when I was studying in Japan, all shot with the natura classica camera and the natura 1600 film that complements it. What happens when you put the 2 together is that it gives you really fine grain, high contrast and beautiful colours even in low light conditions (I know I sound like some Fujifilm spokesperson but I'm such a big fan).

That said, how the photos turn out also depends a lot on where you develop them. I've had rolls processed in the local labs here in Singapore before and they were very disappointing. If you're ever in Japan and want to develop film I recommend the '55 DPE & Digital Station', they're a bit more pricey but I find the quality superb.

NEW GREENS

2011-02-10T16:07:00.003+08:00

2 new plants for my bathroom. Indoor plants can get a bit tricky because of the little cat and we have to make sure to get ones which aren't poisonous to her. That's why recently I've become a big fan of sealed terrariums and hanging pots as they're sure to be safely out of her nibbling reach.

I would really like to know their names though, anyone happens to know what plants they are? The lady at the flower-shop gave me names that don't turn up anything when I google.

WHAT I CALL BACKLOG

2011-02-09T10:46:00.003+08:00

It's scary to think of how much photos of Tokyo I've sorted out and how much more I still have, these were obviously shot in the summer. I just thought instead of letting them sit in a lonely portable hard drive I'll just share them online.

SCENES FROM JANUARY

2011-02-07T14:29:00.005+08:00

The quiet alleys of Ann Siang Hill, going everywhere with my new canvas tote from the japanese atelier I talked about here, and finally doing up my succulent terrarium which I've wanted since my visit to the conservatory in Minneapolis.

WHEN THE BLUES KICK IN

2011-02-05T17:59:00.003+08:00

I remembered growing up when things don't go well, especially at school or some competition that I badly wanted to win, I would sulk and wail something along the likes of, "I'm already trying so hard, why is it that I'm still not getting there with everyone else?"

For this my mom would always give me a look and have the perfect come-back, "How do you know everyone else is not trying harder?"

I've been thinking about this recently, mainly because things have been going rather badly and I'm reminding myself to reflect a bit more and work harder instead of sulking.

Now to banish those blues and get back down to work again. Hope everyone's having a good weekend.

OFF FOR A WHILE

2011-01-31T11:33:00.005+08:00

I'm off for the week to visit my family for the Chinese New Year holidays. I'm not too sure what I'll be doing as I'll be internet-free and watching cable-less TV, might prove to be a good cyber-detox.

To all who celebrate, happy holidays =)

THE 'REAL' JAPAN

2011-01-30T11:18:00.014+08:00

This series of photos actually remind me of something I read long ago. A book called 'Wrong about Japan' by Peter Carey. I didn't agree with everything he said about Japan, but it makes for a very entertaining read if you're not digging deeper.

The author takes a trip with his friend Frementle Jack to Tokyo years back for the first time, and he was in a car driving towards the city, awe-struck by the beauty of the 'concrete ribbon' that is the Ikebukurosen highway and later the 'perfect Elvises in Harajuku', when his friend Frementle Jack turned to him, visibly upset.

“It’s so American,” said Jack. “I didn’t come all this way for this.”

“Well, what do you want?”

“I want to see the Real Japan.”

I want to laugh out loud everytime I read it. It's funny the misconceptions we can have of people and places. In this highly connected world of ours today, I still get asked sometimes if Singapore is part of China when I travel, especially to more far-flung places.

LAST AUTUMN

2011-01-29T20:00:00.026+08:00

Inokashira Park in the autumn. If you have time for only one park in Tokyo, I would say this is it.
Been reading something that's got me pondering, do men and women take different photos?

IT'S BETTER WITH TWO

2011-01-26T10:21:00.008+08:00

Diptychs are so interesting. A bit more on them in this blog post.
I live in a country of eternal summer, but I'm starting to think we could all do with a bit of finnish sisu in our lives.

Places I'll like to bring my cameras to one day>>
- Finland (hence the read-up on sisu)
- Portland
- Moscow
- Paris
- New Zealand

In that order. I was hoping listing them out might make them come true.

SCAI THE BATHHOUSE

2011-01-25T09:58:00.005+08:00

I can't really remember how I got to know about this place, but I was intrigued enough to make 2 trips there during my last Tokyo visit (the first time it was closed). It's not so much the exhibition that was interesting but the building itself. It was a public bathhouse for 200 years until 1993 when they turned it into an art gallery for Japan's up and coming. You can read more about it here.

To be honest the gallery space is really small and might not be worth making a trip especially for that, but as the bathhouse is in the historic Yanaka district, it makes for an interesting stroll after that. Yanaka was very near where I lived before and I would often go there during the weekends alone just to check out the cats.(I've real potential to become a crazy cat lady). Besides the many many strays, there are also rustic cat cafes, shops selling cat goods and a cat art gallery. This was my all time favourite.

There are a lot of cool shops there too though they are a bit dispersed and hard to find. I'm dying to go to this hat shop next time I'm there.

Going out for a walk with my camera later to relieve some of the interview stress recently (I just had one with Japan early this morning). More photos soon hopefully.

BEFORE & AFTER

2011-01-24T00:00:00.015+08:00

I've always liked 'after' more =)

Going for my first translator job interview tomorrow, not sure how that 'after' will turn out. Will update again soon.

SEEING PINK

2011-01-23T00:25:00.006+08:00

Film can give such pleasant surprises. Sometimes they come out yellow, sometimes blue, and sometimes, just sometimes like now, such a sweet pinkish hue. Green I know is the reaction of daylight film with fluorescent, orange is tungsten, but I could never really understand what causes some of the other colours.

Edit>> An interesting article on film basics. The part on Colour Balance talks about the different 'colours' in light.

A LITTLE QUIET

2011-01-20T20:50:00.011+08:00

Just came back from an interview. Talked too much, so there'll be little words today.
All photos shot in Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. It's a really interesting place.

"HI, MY NAME IS... ..."

2011-01-19T12:17:00.005+08:00

I've been meaning to upload more photos but suffering from a lack of inspiration lately.

Job search is in full swing now, lots of emails and lots of "Hi, my name is ... ...", I can't dump my phone anywhere and happily forget about it anymore. The prospect of a new job is at the same time exciting and daunting.

Edit>> I want this for my bathroom floor... ...maybe minus the grime.

OF NEEDLES & YARN

2011-01-16T00:36:00.004+08:00

I'm laughing as I'm uploading these because I can imagine the reactions from my friends, "What! You knit?!" Yes my dear friends, I've actually known how to knit since I was a little girl in plaits, it's probably one of my best kept secrets *lol*

I picked it up again recently because I wanted coasters for my home but couldn't find anything I like, so I've decided to go DIY. For now I'm finding it terribly therapeutic, highly recommended for people with insomnia!

Edit>> The deer was a toy I picked up from Nara recently, can't believe that was last year already, do you recognize it B?

HELLO JIJI #04

2011-01-14T01:00:00.007+08:00

I realized I've actually not introduced her properly yet, so here's 10 trivia.

1>> We found her when she was a couple of months old, leaping around at a construction site near our home. When we went near slowly she didn't run and hide like most kittens do. Instead she meowed a 'hello' and flipped over onto her back, wanting to play.

2>> We couldn't find a proper box, so she came home to us in a timberland shopping bag. She still loves paper bags now and you can hold the straps and carry her in one like you do groceries.

3>> The animal doctor we brought her to was surprised to find her a girl. Apparently most gingers are boys.

4>> She yawns at the specialty toys we get from the pet shop, but goes crazy over a leftover cable-tie or an old shoe box (we're not complaining).

5>> Her antennae looking tail is bent at a right angle, making her look like a fifth teletubby.

6>> She blends in perfectly with our birch and white home, prompting friends to ask if that was the reason why we got her. We like to joke that if we change the theme of the house we'll need to get another cat.

7>> Her favourite past-time include cliff-hanging from our window grills and dragging down clothes from the laundry line.

8>> She'll always greet us at the door when we're home without fail.

9>> She'll always give us wet-nose kisses and wake us up early in the morning without fail (we're complaining a little... ...especially on weekends).

10>> She's totally convinced that one day she'll catch a bird, even though our windows are completely mashed (we live on the 9th floor), so even after so long she's still crash-jumping onto the mash everytime a bird flies by.

In a nutshell... ...we're really fond of the little cat =)

NOT RAIN BUT SNOW

2011-01-10T12:38:00.005+08:00

Old shots from Shirakawago where we stayed over at one of the beautiful old farmhouses.
Somehow the photos all turned out with a bluish tint from my old yashica.

It has been raining here everyday and I woke up today longing for snow.

LIFE IN THE CITY

2011-01-08T02:38:00.016+08:00

Another hotch-potch of my travel photos, mostly shot in Tokyo.

I kind of like this series if photos because of how everyday they look. This is the Tokyo I know, and the memories that I have of the place. Not the Tokyo tower, nor the Rainbow bridge, or the famous Sensoji.

HELLO JIJI #03

2011-01-03T17:38:00.003+08:00

It's been a long rainy day and she's all curled up on our bed not moving. I would really like to join her... ...

RECTANGLES, TRIANGLES, SQUARES

2011-01-02T23:30:00.002+08:00

Seeing the world in shapes.

SAY HI TO THE BUNNY

2011-01-01T00:00:00.021+08:00

Strictly speaking for the Chinese, we're still in the year of the Tiger (Chinese go by the lunar calendar and the new year for that is in Feb), but for the Japanese, 1st Jan is the start of the new zodiac.

But one thing is for sure, 2011 is the year of the bunny so here's hoping for a sweet and extra fluffy bunny year for all ahead! HC and I have concluded that a lot has happened in the past year, lots of big changes, though we're lucky to say that most have been really good ones. I'm excited to see what 2011 will bring.

THE SOFTEST LIGHT

2010-12-29T00:41:00.005+08:00

A hotch-potch of some of my old travel photos. I've been trying to get my mess of photos better organized with proper folders and names and tags, kind of like spring cleaning for my computer before the new year. I should be uploading more hotch-potches along the way.

Doesn't the Solaris film give such beautiful colours?

HELLO JIJI #02

2010-12-28T13:33:00.007+08:00

The little cat in her favourite box.

It was actually the shoe box of HC's new trainers. We had put it near the door so as to leave it out for the recycling collector the next day, but she was in it in 2 bounces and claimed it for her own. It's placed now facing the entrance so she could peep through the crack under the door at the activity outside our apartment, and she would play, doze or simply sit in it for hours.

HERE & THERE

2010-12-24T02:28:00.006+08:00

Been messing around with the digital again and having quite a bit of fun. I went for the easiest targets, basically stuff hanging around at home, like the globe that HC had since young, the pebbles we picked up from Gotland, and a rather sleepy little cat.

Come to think of it, now that I'm spending so much time at home, I've been developing more and more stepford-wife tendencies. I mean, I've picked up cooking and gardening. I potter around the house, keep it clean, go about arranging and rearranging bits and pieces, buy household stuff, and enjoying them all immensely. I think it's about time I start sending out resumes.

Oh and in case I don't get to see or hear from you these few days, merry christmas! We're having some friends over and looking forward to it. I hope everyone's having a good time.

LAST GLIMPSES

2010-12-23T00:00:00.005+08:00

The last from my Japan trip this year. It's time to welcome the new year and dream of new places to explore again *lol*

WITH CHIEMI IN CHIBA

2010-12-22T16:26:00.006+08:00

I went to stay with Chiemi on the last 2 days in the Chiba countryside. It was a really nice and peaceful end to the whole trip. We did everyday things like going to the local bookstores and walking her cute little dog, Hana-chan (who very much looked like she would have preferred to remain under the kotatsu than go out into the cold).

Her mother was kind enough to drive me to the Umihotaru (海ほたる), halfway between where the Aqua-Line bridge dips down from the sea surface into an underwater tunnel. The view of the Tokyo Bay from there was just gorgeous.

HAKONE + KITA KAMAKURA REVISITED

2010-12-21T12:45:00.010+08:00

I have been really lucky this Tokyo trip, made some new friends and met up with lots of old ones. Some of you might remember Chiemi, it happened that she was free during that period of time too so we went for lots of walks together. Above are the photos taken while we were in Hakone, coincidentally the first time I went there she was with me too. It was a relaxed trip, we took our time with everything and didn't do that much except to have some seriously good tonkatsu (it was the famous kurobuta or black pig meat) and go to the Little Prince Museum.

Below are the shots from Kita-Kamakura. The 2 of us discussed why we love Kamakura so much and somehow it's hard to pinpoint. It might just be the old and idyllic atmosphere of the place. Sadly we didn't have time for the Enoden (Eno train) this time round, I would have liked to see the Pacific waters again.

The last 2 photos are the main reason why we dropped at Kita Kamakura, it's a cat art gallery called "Neko no Hako" (read "Cat Box"). The owner is an architect turned artist and I love his paintings of his house cats (he has 5 of them) against the Kamakura landscape. Five of them are sitting on the walls of my home now.

THE QUIET SIDE OF TOKYO

2010-12-19T21:52:00.011+08:00

The residential suburbs. On a weekday.

Edit>>

Check out Ateliers Penelope, which specializes in made-in-Japan canvas bags. It was quite difficult to find the place though, as it was sandwiched between all the residential homes. I think I asked for directions 4 times before finding the black and white building, one of those moments I wished I had a smart phone.

HELLO JIJI #01

2010-12-17T16:55:00.007+08:00

To be honest, I haven't touched a digital camera in years. I kind of gave up on them after I "discovered" film and mechanical cameras. But recently HC bought a Panasonic GF1. I got it for him in Tokyo for half the retail price (!!!) and I've been playing with it with interesting results. One thing I've realized for sure, it's definitely more of a breeze to chase our orange cat with the digital (try manual focusing on a cat who won't keep still).

Sometime back I also got a gift in the mail (thanks B!), a book called 「かわいい猫が撮れる本」(How to get cute shots of your cat) and now with the digital I'm going to put the techniques in the book to the test at last! So here's the start of the series "Hello Jiji".

Edit>> Her name is pronounced as ジジ (as in "gigi"). She was named after a Japanese cat character in a Ghibli anime.

A SPECIAL TYPHOONY DAY

2010-12-15T22:33:00.034+08:00

I went for a walk with K-chan, one of my favourite camera friends. We haven't seen each other for 2 years but once we met up, pulled out our cameras, and laughed at how little we've changed, somehow everything fell back into place and it feels like the old times again.

For reasons unknown (to us only probably) typhoon-like winds swept through the whole of Japan on that day, bringing down trees and billboards, destroying crops and rooftops. I had problems steadying my hands for the camera, you can see the camera shake in one of the photos above.

The blue lights are the illumination displays at Omotesando and Roppongi Midtown for Christmas. An endless sea of twinkle lights, it was so beautiful.

KURUMI NO KI

2010-12-12T12:02:00.014+08:00

Kurumi no Ki (くるみの木）is actually a tiny cluster of cafe and zakka (see knick-knacks) shops in Nara. It was set up 26 years ago by then housewife, Yukiko Ishimura at a time when pretty cafes and zakka goods were practically unheard of (I would have been just a baby at that time), and now shops like hers are found all over Japan. The place has earned a steady cult following over the years. The queue starts even before the doors are open.

Yukiko wanted to sell only quality food and well-made products. Every leafy piece of vegetable and woven straw basket found in her shop are the result of countless visits to the local farmers and artisans and personally used by her to check for quality before they go on the plates and shelves. The concept is the antithesis of our buy-and-throw world today. Eat well, buy something well made, and let it stand the test of time in your home.

You can see it in the little compound that she owns. The trees that I loved the most (and where I killed rows of film on) have grown tall with a life of their own. The hand-made benches we sat on have been polished smooth by the many years of sun, rain and snow. I'm a big fan of the kind of unpainted furniture in her shops left in its raw wooden form, they age so well. The milk I had with my yummy fruit cake came packed in a little glass bottle with tiny red letters printed on the surface, saying that it's from a local cow farm. B and I stayed for a long time, and were still talking about it hours after we left.

The place had somehow worked its own magic, I'm dying to go back again.

MORE OF THE TWINS

2010-12-11T14:11:00.010+08:00

The last of the photos taken in the twin cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul before I returned to Tokyo. The last few were shot in the Walker Arts Center, where I caught photographer Alec Soth's exhibition. His idea of "finding the lyrical in the everyday" was intriguing. It's so hard to make everyday people and things look interesting.

LITTLE TOWN MANKATO

2010-12-10T13:52:00.007+08:00

Little town Mankato. It was charming in its own way. Quite a few people asked if it wasn't boring. Actually I seldom feel bored when I'm on a trip, no matter how small the place is, there's always new things to see and interesting people to meet. I think all fellow travel junkies will know what I mean.

By the way, can someone tell me how dust can find its way in when everything is shut up? My house is scarily dirty after 5 weeks. I even found some dried leaves and blobs of dirt on the floor. It's baffling.

THE MISSISSIPPI RIVERFRONT

2010-12-09T17:47:00.005+08:00

From top

1>> View from Mill City Museum. Minneapolis used to be home to a large flour milling industry. It's the oldest part of the city.

2>> "Gold Medal Flour" refers to the best grade of flour by General Mills.

3>> What's left of the Washburn A Mill. A huge explosion and fire destroyed much of the building in 1991. I kind of like the look of the ruins.

4>> The St. Anthony Falls which provided energy to power the massive mills by the riverfront.

5>> Guthrie Theater which was just beside the Mill City Museum. Interesting architecture.

6>> Interior of the theater.

GREENS, SPOON & A CHERRY

2010-12-08T13:13:00.010+08:00

My favourite from Minneapolis, photos of the Cowles Conservatory and the Sculpture Garden. I think I went a bit gaga over the succulents. I used to have one but it died (I might have given it too much water), but after seeing these I'm determined to make a terrarium of succulents once I'm back home.

This is the most interesting sculpture in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, the Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, both Swedish by descent. There were a lot of Swedish who migrated to States in the 1800s and they seemed to have all congregated in Minnesota. I can understand why though, knowing the Swedes' love of nature. There're a lot of beautiful lakes, woods and wildlife here.

Edit>>
Someone just asked me if I photoshop my photos a lot. I don't actually, except to do some resizing, I don't even tweak the contrast most of the time. The chemical reaction of the film with light does all the work.

LET IT SNOW

2010-12-08T12:09:00.006+08:00

I've been so busy in Japan meeting up with friends that I haven't managed to upload anything. It has been an incredible trip. Strange to be back in Singapore after more than a month, maybe because I've been moving around a lot, especially the last leg in Japan where I was doing Tokyo->Hakone->Kamakura->Tokyo->Chiba within a week.

These are the photos of downtown Minneapolis where I was staying. Heavy heavy snow. I was walking back from the museum when it started to pelt ice pellets, which was actually quite painful (imagine someone throwing small ice cubes at you). It continued for like maybe another five, ten minutes and I was thinking I'm going to get blue-black from this when the ice suddenly turned into large flakes of gorgeous white snow, and that continued throughout the day into evening. My feet were numb from the cold but I didn't want to go inside. It's not the first time I've seen snow but I've forgotten how beautiful it is.

I'll have more photos of Minneapolis in the next post, meanwhile I've got to clean the house before my cat gets back ;)