Ok. As promised here is pt1:

At first when we(me and two other friends) first entered the room, we thought that why the heck are we here? WE (sec2s) in the middle of so many sec 3s and 4s. We waited and … skipping the intro part.

We listened to a talk about the courses available in the school(Ngee Ann Poly) and blahblahblah. Then we went into the dialogue in the dark thing which is awesome. We were put into the blind man’s position and the room was pitch darkness. What I mean by pitch darkness? All you see is black. No shadows no nothing. One single black. #000000. Furthermore we were split into groups and I was the first group to go in!!! Of course we need a guide, which is really blind. He led us through out the maze thing, taking us through miniature Singapore. I felt totally crippled, no matter how long you stay inside, your eyes will never adjust and make you see. It was freaking scary at first. But we were all fine so no worries.

After the tour thing, my group have to film something for some sort of ad or something. We had to go outside and purposefully stride into the building etc. It felt so stupid. Why was my group selected out of 5 groups anyway? Oh and lunch, we had some bento sort of meal and off we go to the Esplanade. The two durian-s by the bay which is supposed to look like lanterns. However before we even set off, one of my friends fell terribly sick so she can’t go     She felt better in the morning after falling ill the previous day but who knows? She fell ill again, had a fever or something.

Now THE ESPLANADE – THEATRES ON THE BAY!!! We had this tour around the esplanade understanding the infrastructure of the building. Went into their concert hall, theatre, jelenda (visual arts space), the concourse, and the bay room. We were introduced the various facilities of the building and of course the programmes available. We were given another talk of career guidance again. and thats about it here. The pity is that no photography was allowed most of the time.

Next on the list is the Singapore Dance Theatre at Fort Canning Park. From here, we learnt about the price of ballet shoes and how long they really last. Each pair cost about $100 and can last the dancers for only about a week!!! We also took a look at some of the costumes used in the productions. Each outfit costs about $2000. Why are all this so expensive? psst. they are all handmade. The costumes could all be reused as well. SAVE THE EARTH!

We went to take a look at a practice session that was for the upcoming performance – SWAN LAKE, as well and of course, we were all dazzled by the all the hard work they put in for just one performance. We left and made our way back from there.

Oh and I shouldn’t write this but I am writing it. My friend (shan’t mention names) bought a gulp using a slurpee cup (and she will say it is my fault since i told her to buy it) and was charged more if i am not wrong. HAHA. Then I got a ride to the mrt station (not)near my house by my friend’s dad.

Rest of the day was pretty uneventful. (I am cheating myself) No way I am going to write it here. So that wraps day 1 up.

24 November 2009 Mexico

Upon leaving the Hotel Caribe, we spoke to Antonio via Miguel, who quite accepted the fact that we would not be putting a deposit down on any of his homes just yet. We have his business card and can also make contact through Miguel at a later date.  At the airport, while waiting for our 2.10pm flight to Veracruz via Villeformosa, we sampled some delicious nut muffins along with a beer. The plane, a Brazilian made Ebrauer, had just three seats across, one plus two, which was a first for us, but was quite comfortable. Viewed from the sky the Mexican landscape had changed from the dense scrubby bush and trees in the Yucatan area to that of many large lakes and rivers, winding endlessly across the countryside and with few signs of habitation. Once we approached Villeformosa, however, the scene changed to one of huge settled areas and the vast complexes of low cost living we’ve become accustomed to seeing.

Within a few minutes of landing, most of those who were leaving the flight had disembarked and a new crop of passengers entered for the leg to Veracruz. Our hotel in Veracruz came as a pleasant surprise. It was a very inexpensive price when booked via the internet ($35) so we expected something a bit run-down but this was not the case. Set right on the sea front, it was a superb quality 4 star hotel with great views down the esplanade to the centre of

Veracruz, some kilometers away. A walk was in order after all this sitting on planes and in taxis so we sauntered along the beach, where there many tented cafes set up right on the water’s edge, reminding us  of a similar scene in Bali at Jimbaran Bay! Strolling guitarists entertained the dining guests, though they were few, as a firm breeze was blowing in. Several Policemen  on top class Harley Davidson motor cycles also patrolled the beach, along with a Patrol Car! There were loads of fishing boats returning with their catches but by the time we reached that end of the beach they had already removed them.

Even with the use of our Latin American Spanish phrase book we were unable to decipher many dishes on the menu in our hotel, so took pot luck and ended up with two different tortilla dishes, one with a ‘strange’ brown gravy-like substance over it (Jim’s) and the other with a type of cream sauce which I actually quite enjoyed! You never know until you try something!

'SKID MARKS'

An 18 year old man has told Northern Territory Police – two Irish Backpacker’s stole his Toyota Hilux Ute and then crashed it at the site of Darwin’s War Memorial.

The teenager reported the theft at the Darwin City Police Station just after mid-night. According to Superintendent John Emeny, the man told Officers: “Whilst he got out to have a cigarette  … two Irish backpackers jumped into his vehicle and drove off causing it to roll.”

But under further questioning by Officers at the scene of the crash, the teenager admitted he had made the story up. He told Police the crash occurred while he was doing donuts on the grassy area in-front of the Cenotaph, at the Eastern end of Darwin’s Esplanade. The right-hand side front wheels dug into the dirt at one stage and a shift in weight caused the Ute to roll onto its side.

'FILLING THE GAPS'

Darwin City Council workers spent several hours repairing the damage to the grass, filling in ‘wheel-rut’ marks left by the speeding car. 40 metres from the Cenotaph, the grassy area is used to seat the thousands of people who attended the Bombing of Darwin, ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day Celebrations each year.

Darwin Lord Mayor Graeme Sawyer believes the damage to the Cenotaph was limited because the ground is still hard, just weeks away from the wet season. But Mr Sawyer is appalled by the behaviour of the teenager, considering the significance of the area. “You’d have to be pretty stupid wouldn’t ya … obviously alcohol played a part. But just the attitude of someone who’d do something like this”.. The Lord Mayor said.

 The 18 year old recorded a blood alcohol level of one point six three – more than three times the legal limit. Police have also impounded the teenager’s Ute for 48 hours, using new Northern Territory anti-hooning legislation.  

'THE HOON VEHICLE'

In the past week, I have…

a) eaten Post’s Blueberry Mornings obsessively
b) been enchanted by Neil Gaiman’s Blueberry Girl
c) watched Blueberry Nights by Wor Kar Wai
d) fallen in love with The Cookie’s Museum Blueberry Tart cookies.

LIVE! Singapore will be held from 8 to 11 June 2010 alongside the Singapore Arts Festival and is expected to draw over 1500 international delegates.

LIVE! Singapore 2010 is a new international event for the performing arts and entertainment industry incorporating a ground-breaking conference, an international trade fair, and acclaimed live performances.Held alongside the Singapore Arts Festival, this inaugural event seeks to bring together 1500 leading performing artists, practitioners, managers, producers, agents and executives from around the world, for four days of interactive meetings, discussions, panels and live performances. It is a unique platform for global performing arts professionals and organizations to exchange knowledge, do business and network in the Asia Pacific market.German trade fair organizer, Koelnmesse, unveiled LIVE! Singapore at a media launch held today at The Arts House, Singapore.

Gerald Boese, Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse said, “This tailored creative and knowledge-sharing professional platform is the only one of this scale in Asia and Singapore, as it enables participants to experience unique business networking opportunities on a truly regional and international level. We believe that the strength of our experience and network, the firm support from the National Arts Council (NAC), Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the partnership with IMG Artists – a global leader in the arts management business – has laid a strong groundwork for success.”

LIVE! Singapore offers a trade fair, a conference and live performances all in one venue. Participants can exchange ideas and concepts, network and connect, and collaborate on exciting new projects. In addition, professionals emerging from Asia can use the event as a springboard to the global market and receive recognition on a higher level. Corporations looking for distinctive branding opportunities will also enjoy a customized outreach to the international audience.

The trade fair part of the event provides a dedicated business opportunity to source for regional and international acts from a wide spectrum of  performing arts including Theatre, Music, Dance, Acrobatics, Puppetry, Illusionists, Musicals, Attractions, Pyrotechnics, Folk Art etc. LIVE! will be a central meeting point for potential buyers, performing arts organizations and agents from Asia, USA and Europe.

A chosen theme will run through LIVE! Conference every year; for its debut, the theme is Music. It will explore core issues facing the worlds of classical music, orchestras, opera companies, fusion music, world music, music theatre, jazz and the burgeoning Asian music scene, as well as the role of music in other art forms such as dance. Topics to be covered range from the future of music in the live performing arts, the role of education, commission of new works, music development and new initiatives, global touring, Asia touring, audience development and the latest innovations.

Also not to be missed are stellar performances to be presented by internationally renowned artists. These performances are incorporated into the Singapore Arts Festival program line-up and will  be open to the general public. “It is good news for the local performing arts industry that LIVE! Singapore will provide a new networking platform for global art companies to exchange ideas and inspirations.” said Ms Lynette Pang, Executive Director, Entertainment, Sports & Arts and Enrichment of the STB who elaborated that LIVE! Singapore is supported by the Board’s ‘Business Events in Singapore’ incentive scheme.

“By deliberately timing LIVE! Singapore with the well established Singapore Arts Festival in June, we hope to present both trade and leisure visitors with a deeper and more meaningful suite of lifestyle offerings. LIVE! Singapore will not only enhance Singapore’s annual events calendar but also enhance Singapore’s attractiveness as a compelling MICE and business destination.” Local and international performing arts veterans have been invited to form a steering committee and an international advisory panel to provide strategic advice for LIVE! Singapore, ensuring that the event keeps up with the dynamic community. The steering committee is chaired by Koelnmesse and IMG Artists and includes some of Singapore’s leading arts managers such as Goh Ching Lee (director of CultureLink, former Festival Director of the Singapore Arts Festival and former Senior Director of Performing Arts at the National Arts Council, Singapore), Dr. Robert Liew (managing director of Arts Management Associates, a long time performing arts producer and arts advocate) and Venka Purushothaman (Vice-President (Academic) & Provost, LASALLE College). Singapore, with its vision of becoming the “Renaissance City for the Arts” in Asia Pacific, is the ideal anchor location for LIVE! There are currently 7500 performances in Singapore annually, with major festivals such as the Singapore Arts Festival, Mosaic Festival and Singapore Sun Festival attracting the world’s best artists and arts ensembles to the city. The “Renaissance City Plan” is now in its third phase, and expected to contribute EUR 54 million over the next five years to the development of content creation, towards a sustainable arts ecosystem and community engagement in the Arts.

Thien Kwee Eng, Director for Lifestyle, at the Singapore Economic Development Board said, “Rising affluence in Asia brings about tremendous new opportunities for the lifestyle sectors. As a multi-cultural global city in the heart of Asia with strong connectivity to the rest of the world, Singapore is fast becoming an attractive base for businesses seeking to access the growing lifestyle markets in Asia. With world-class infrastructure such as the Esplanade, key platforms like the Singapore Arts Festival and da:ns Festival hosting premieres of international productions, and local performing arts groups winning critical acclaim on the world stage, Live! Singapore will no doubt be a big boost to our position as an international focal point for the business of performing arts.”

LIVE! Singapore is organized by Koelnmesse Pte Ltd, in association with IMG Artists and in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board, Economic Development Board and the National Arts Council of Singapore. It will be held from 8 to 11 June 2010 at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore. 

About Koelnmesse
Koelnmesse (Cologne Fairs) is one of the biggest trade fair companies in the world. Every year, Koelnmesse organises over 70 own trade events worldwide, with leading trade fairs in 25 sectors. In the area of arts and culture, they organize ART COLOGNE, the oldest art fair worldwide; photokina, world’s leading fair for photography and imaging; and gamescom, the largest interactive games and entertainment trade fair. Koelnmesse also founded POPkomm, the biggest entertainment fair in the world and is now working closely together with co/pop, the Cologne music fair and congress, to create a new entertainment event in Cologne. Koelnmesse Singapore is the regional headquarter for the Asia Pacific region.

About Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore
Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore, is a new major S$6 billion international entertainment destination that will open early in 2010 and houses six hotels, a casino, Universal Studios Singapore®, A Marine Life Park, an Experiential Museum and Water Park. LIVE! Singapore will be held on two floors of the venue’s impressive conference centre above the Hard Rock Hotel as part of the new development. International delegates will have a multitude of great entertainment options both within and surrounding the LIVE! event.

Spent a day at various locations to create graduation portraits for this group of close friends. Shooting at night enables different effects to be created.

We were watching the weather forecast like crazy, in the few days leading up to our session with Cassidy. She was interested in photos that showed a bit of color and a lot of cool, industrial character, so we knew an outdoor session was just the right fit. The weather that day was overcast, and a little colder than we’d have liked, but the rain stayed away long enough for us to get together and roam the Eastbank area in SouthEast Portland, and even make it down to the Esplanade.

Cassidy’s a senior at Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, so it wasn’t a big surprise to hear that she’s also interested in photography! We can’t help but feel a little extra-special when someone who loves photography chooses to work with us, and we’re really glad we could give her an excellent senior session.

Enko Photography – creative family and senior portrait photography serving Portland, Oregon

How is your weekend coming along? I’ve had a really brilliant Saturday, despite having to return to school today for PW consultation.

I went to the Esplanade library alone today to borrow some books on Haydn and Brahms. On the way there, I saw this really cute exhibition that involves very cute gummy bears. I regret not taking any photos of it but that was because I wasn’t armed with my camera.

The NYChoir committee and I went for dinner at Pastamania after practice yesterday and the food was pretty… disgusting. But, since the company was really good, we didn’t really care about the food. (The rhyming thing is totally unintentional)

Oh well, I’m going to watch Bridget Jones’ Diary now! Ta!

Zebra Crossing’s latest show Victor/Victoria starts next week! The musical runs from 9 – 29 Nov @ The Esplanade Theatre, so don’t miss it!

Laura Fygi, renown Dutch jazz singer, stars in this cheeky play which is directed by my talented friend, Loretta Chen.

For their recent interview on Channel News Asia, click here And here’s the two feisty babes at a photoshoot…

There’s plenty of reasons why you should watch this delightful version of the famous Broadway musical, which was adapted from the evergreen film, which stars Julie Andrews.

Wonderful sets, fantastic dance sequences, top thespians from around the world, a great quirky storyline, beautiful songs, fabulous directing, great costumes and props, the works! It’s going to be extremely entertaining, I just know it

Tickets for Victor/Victoria are on sale via SISTIC, so purchase  them online or at the booths located islandiwde. There’s on-going promotions as well, so check out the website for details.

See you at the show!

A visit to a city for a music festival is incomplete for me without a lot of walking and sightseeing. And getting lost. And seeing things at late night hours that probably most people don’t.

The day started off normal enough, with me taking the street car into downtown New Orleans to Canal Street, the obvious beginning of the tourist district. I had finally looked at a map and found where Bourbon Street was, and decided to walk down it. Not my idea of fun. Already at 2 pm, there were hordes of people stumbling about, being gawking tourists. Many were drunk. I prefer Royal Street, the next block over, filled with art galleries and antique stores and interesting window displays. Bourbon Street is filled with bars, what did I expect?

I continued walking down Royal straight through the French Quarter until I was in the Marigny, to check out a cafe called The Orange Couch I had seen open late on Thursday night. It looked out of place, the interior that I glimpsed post modern sleek in an area of old tightly clustered shotgun houses. I was not disappointed. The barista was from Zimbabwe, patrons sitting outside had British accents and seemed to be talking movie business, while inside was art on the walls and others studying and surfing the net. I had an espresso shake with Tin Roof ice cream. Yum.

The Orange Couch Cafe

I asked the barista for directions on how to get from there to City Park, where Voodoo Experience takes place. “It’s a bit of a walk,” she noted. “Any further than walking all the way back to Canal and taking the street car from there?”I asked.  ”Not really,” was the response. “Besides, if you take Esplanade, it’s shady!” So that’s what I did. A new street to explore!

Truth be told, the first walk was 2.3 miles, and the next walk was 3.5 miles, so it was further. I know that in Los Angeles I have to be careful when talking about walking distances with others, since hardly anyone walks, the perspective is skewed that all walking distances are too far, but I was surprised that New Orleans suffers from it too. It’s such a walk friendly place, and the very distinctive neighborhoods are close together, so it’s quickly varied.

I made it to City Park, and finally found a paper schedule, much more helpful than Friday when I had no idea who was playing when once I got there. There is definitely more art this year at the festival than last year, fun, interactive art. Like this one:

I could hear Gogol Bordello playing when I walked in, but I realized that I had left my numerous pairs of earplugs back at the hotel and needed to take care of that first before going anywhere near a stage, particularly for a band that likes to play it loud. The good people at Toyota, besides giving me a free screenprinted festival poster, bandana and flashing LED dog tag for greater night time visibility, also gave me a pair of free earplugs. Thanks to the First Aid tent for telling me where to get this important schwag! I also had just missed Rotary Downs, a band I had hoped to hear live. Oh well, I had fun on my walk though, seeing a new neighborhood. I even saw a church for sale, with its adjoining rectory, and will give them a call to find out for how much. I mean, who hasn’t wanted to own their own church? I know I always have….

Church for Sale: My Next Home?

I went and sat on the track in front of the stage where Jane’s Addiction was setting up to play, while listening to Wolfmother on the adjoining stage. Already I was getting cold, could feel a draft that would not go away creeping up my lower back. All layers on, I was still cold, even with a lack of rain this time. Then again, I wasn’t dancing like I had been the previous night. It all got better when the crowd came over to watch Jane, and I started warming up then. Russell and Mitchell introduced themselves to me, Russell a winner of free tickets from a local radio station, and happy to be there. He said he sat down near me because I had an air of calm about me, and he was coming down and needed that safety. There was a distinct physical empty area around me, for some unknown reason, as the crowds wanted to get closer to the stage in front of me, and I was at the edge of the paved track so it was probably squishy behind me. He was surprised I had come to the festival by myself, and all the way from LA.

Jane's Addiction

Perry made comments about raising a toast to death, in honor of it being Halloween, and compared New Orleans to Jesus, since it refuses to die and rises from the dead. He was dressed as a superhero, and seemed to enjoy flouncing about the stage with a cape. They played songs I knew and didn’t know, as Russell was equally ignorant but enjoying himself, and finally I left, to go see Jello Biafra and George Clinton. (Two separate stages, not together!) I always forget I just don’t like Perry’s singing voice. I can only take a few songs. He seemed to be having fun though. Especially with the scantily clad females on stage (Man! They must have been freezing, as the wind blew their skirts up repeatedly.)

It also gave me an opportunity to see more of the art, especially the pieces designed for night viewing.

Ok

I was inside the Preservation Hall Tent eating some Paneer Saag when a rendition of Michael Jackson’s Thriller was re-enacted with zombie dancers. I was worried about how I would know when KISS took the stage, when I heard fireworks go off. They must be on stage then!

As for KISS Nation, since this wasn’t a KISS only show, I guess that explained the lack of solidarity I was expecting. Also, I wasn’t very close to the front of the stage, where I expect that ilk was. However, I did get a great show from a youngster, dressed as Gene Simmons, who was there with his not as impressively detailed costumed parents. And if I had any doubts about whether the costume was his idea or not, I watched him strum his guitar in unison with a solo, perfectly timed. Long live KISS, already full of fans in the current generation!

Adoring Fan

At 10, I left, not for lack of interest in KISS, but I had other plans for the evening. It was time to head to St. Bernard Parish, to the Hi-Ho Lounge for Debauche, Happy Talk and Zydepunks. I missed Debauche, who apparently took the stage when I was leaving Voodoo. Debauche was who I wanted to see for their tag line under a flyer picture of heavily winter dressed Tsarist Russians complete with rifles was “Russian Mafia Band.” It made me intrigued.

I of course got lost on the way. There was a narrow body of water that I couldn’t cross, and then I started thinking about the fact I didn’t remember crossing any body of water to get to the Saturn Bar, just down the street from this bar, so perhaps I was too far over already. I was finding a familar street name every fifth street or so, which meant the diagonal I was used to down in Marigny had some additional filler streets in the area I was. Which direction did I need to go? What diagonal was I on? I found myself under a freeway, and saw a Lowe’s home supply store, so I knew I was near some major area. And I could see that McDonald’s I was pretty sure I had passed to the Saturn Bar Thursday night, but I just couldn’t get to it how I was going. As the area grew increasingly structurely barren, with an occasional house guarded by dogs, I finally got on a street that I knew ran parallel to one that intersected the street I wanted. When I finally popped out onto St. Claude, I was a mere two blocks from the address I was looking for!

When I got to the door, I asked who was up, and apologized for being late, and they were shocked I had walked all the way from City Park. Despite the detour and being turned around, I don’t think I still would have made even the last song of Debauche, if I had turned down the street I now see on a map would have gotten me there sooner. Sure, it was at least 4 miles of walking. Okay, so maybe a cab would have been better. But I got to see more of the city, the pretty and derelict neighborhoods in addition to the underutilized area under the freeway by that Lowe’s. Saw a house for sale for 50k, or best offer, for sale by owner. Since it is still posted, I’m guessing it could be had for less than 50k. And facing a small canal, so no neighbors across the street, just the kind of area I love. I was there on a street called Florida when I heard and turned around to see multiple fireworks go off. KISS must have finished their show, I figured.

The bands at the Hi-Ho were great, but I chose to get stuck near the bathrooms, what with that being the only easily protected place to stash my backpack with its poster sticking out. I changed my clothes in the readily available men’s room, took off my glasses and put on my mask, which elicited numerous conversations. I kept forgetting my proboscis was so long, and would frequently hit people with it. Fortunately, since it was latex, no harm to anyone was done. I did have to take it off to engage in conversations. That was an interesting evening, and resultant drunken conversations with very drunk men. One accused me of purposely standing there by the men’s room to solicit attention. No, just the beer kegs were a nice dry surface to put my bag on. Oh, the bands were lively and infectious and encouraged drinking. I could hear them just fine, even if I couldn’t see the whole stage.

And off to walk home, through the madness and mayhem of the Marigny and French Quarters, where the crowds just took over the streets, sometimes with the help of the police, but often not. I hadn’t drunk a drop, but felt drunk just trying to navigate the crowds and their unpredictable movements. I doubt a ballerina pirouetting through the crowd would have done much better. When I got to the area of Bourbon Street where the police had cars with bright lights flashing, I grew dizzy from the constant light/dark contrast! How do amazingly drunk people handle it? Even the police mounted horses I saw were nervous, twitching and flicking in distress.

Bourbon Street for Halloween 2009

I loved the cars parked on the sidewalks, forcing the pedestrians onto the street, because there are clear signs in the French Quarter stating not to do that. But I guess Halloween is an exception, as I expect Mardi Gras and New Year’s are too.

I was right about how fun it would be to be in New Orleans for Halloween. The energy of everyone was enlivening, and made me forget my tired feet. I had a smile on my face on the walk home.

I took a slight detour on the way home, but at least I knew where I was, just running parallel on Magazine Street to St. Charles where my hotel is to see where the trendy shopping area started. Very close to where I am staying, apparently. I found an excellent looking burrito place, and will probably visit for lunch on Monday, my last day here. I am already scheduled for a bus tour of the city, deciding to be the traditional tourist on my last day, so I can see what I have left to explore on my next visit!

Time now to go attend the last day of Voodoo. The Pogues, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Meat Puppets and Flaming Lips are on my to-do today. No walking, only public transit this time to rest my poor feet (yes, even I can overdo walking, as it turns out yesterday was at least 13.7 miles of walking according to google maps). Perhaps I will see Brett from the Bronx again at the Flaming Lips, the band he mentioned he was here to see, the gentleman I met last night who gave me a hickey on my cheek while waiting for the restroom. Is he a gentleman if he bit my cheek? As he said, anything is possible in New Orleans.

It seems like 2010 has callings for me and my father’s land. This may probably be one of them (aside from the calling to fully become a citizen):

YEAH YEAH YEAHS LIVE! – IN SINGAPORE

Venue: The Esplanade
Date & Time: 07:30PM – 12 Jan 2010
Address: 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981
E-mail: N/A | Website: www.sistic.com | Contact: +65 6828 8377
Price: S$68, S$88, S$108, S$128, S$148 (exc. SISTIC charges)

* Organized by Greenhorn Productions!

One Movement Music Festival is set on Esplanade over the weekends. Weather was beautiful and we were there with Ally. This festival wasn’t quite what we expected, thought it would be jam packed but it wasn’t. Bad timing. Good thing our tickets are complimentary. We left early for shopping & i bought my first straw hat with a black ribbon. Summer time!

Everyone gets a tatt …

Here’s water!

P.S. What am I suppose to dress up for Halloween ?

its a logo for some heartattack treatment kit.

Irgendwie sind wir noch gar nicht bereit, zurück in die Zivilisation zu fahren. Uns gefällt es in der Natur so gut, wir könnten es noch ein bisschen aushalten. Leider sind die Möglichkeiten mit nur 4 Wochen Urlaub recht beschränkt. Gerade haben wir uns an die neuen Geräusche, die rote Erde und die grüne, überquellende Natur gewöhnt, da geht es auch schon wieder zurück.  Hoffentlich, sagen wir alle 4, kommen wir hier noch einmal wieder her. Dann mit Allradfahrzeug und ausgerüstet, um weiter raus aus der Zivilisation und weiter rein in die wilde Natur zu kommen. Das für normale Touristen gesperrte Arnhemland (man muss vorher einen begründeten Antrag stellen, interessiert uns besonders. Mal sehen…

Für mich war das das erste mal das Australien, von dem ich in Deutschland so lange geträumt habe. Hitze, Sonne, rote Erde, Platz, Ruhe, wenig Menschen.

Bevor wir starten (und das auch ohne Frühstück), springen wir zum Abschied noch einmal ins Wasser. Wir sind so ziemlich die ersten heute, daher ist das Wasser klar und es liegt noch eine majestätische Ruhe über den Wasserfällen. Der Ort hat eine Akustik wie eine Kathedrale!

Erfrischt steigen wir in Auto und los gehst, eine Fruehstuecksplatz zu finden. Beim Buley Rockhole , natürlich schauen wir es uns auch an, finden wir den besten Platz. Wir sehen dabei eine tolle Eidechse, ein  paar Vögel, die ich noch bestimmen muss und natürlich das Rockhole. Es ist eine kleine Stromschnelle vor dem Tolmer Fall. Man kann baden, aber das hatten wir ja schon.

Die Fahrt nach Darwin verläuft reibungslos. Am Straßenrand verabschieden sich 2 schwarze Kakadus (Gerlinde macht dieses tolle Foto!). Auch am letzten Tag der Tour mit dem Wohnmobil, in Darwin werden wir zu Fußgängern, verrichtet das Fahrzeug treu und klaglos seinen Dienst.

Insgesamt sind wir mit dem Wagen 1095 km gefahren. Der Verbrauch lag so um die 15 Liter Benzin/100 km.

In Darwin besuchen wir zunächst meine Kollegen in der lokalen Werkstatt. Es ist alles eiskalt. Von 38 Grad draußen geht es rein in 22 Grad Werkstatt und Buero. uns friert. Aber die Kollegen sind sehr nett, freuen sich über den Besuch. Sie wollen uns ein Auto fürs Wochenende leihen, aber wir lehnen nach einer Woche Highway dankend ab.

Bevor der Wagen zurückgeht, checken wir im Hotel ein. Es ist das Holiday Inn an der Esplanade. Direkt an der Wasserfront, Luxus pur. Wir haben ein Zimmer im 6. Stock, Balkon, Klimaanlage, 2 Queensizebetten, gutes Bad

Danach bringe ich den Wagen zur Vermietung zurück. Er wird ohne Beanstandungen zurückgenommen. Mein Kollege bringt mich zurück zum Hotel.

Wir gehen eine Runde in die Stadt, versuchen, einen ersten Eindruck von der Stadt zu bekommen. Es ist schon ein bisschen Wildwest Gefühl in Darwin, irgendwie ist diese Stadt ja ein isolierter Außenposten. Näher an Indonesien, als alle anderen Städte Australiens, ist der Einfluss sichtbar. Alles ist sehr multikulturell, viele Backpacker und Touristen (vor allen Dingen deutsche), und leider auch viele bettelnde Aborigines. Es ist eine Standard-Fußgängerzone (sie ist genauso ausgestattet wie die in Townsville. Die Geschäfte Schließen schon um 17.00 Uhr (empörend oder?). Dazu hält ganz Darwin zusammen,  wenn es ums Internet geht. Wlan ist nirgendwo kostenlos (noch nicht einmal bei Mc Donalds). So kann ich keinen Blog hochladen, so können die Kinder nicht ins Schüler VZ oder ins Facebook. Gerlinde kann ihre Emails nicht checken.

Sogar die Wahl in Deutschland (was habt Ihr da bloß gemacht! Man kann Euch nicht einmal allein wählen lassen!!!) haben wir nicht nur nicht mitbekommen, sondern total vergessen. So hört sich doch Urlaub an, einmal alles hinter sich  lassen, total abschalten und in eine fremde Welt eintauchen. Wir genießen das Gefühl und schmunzeln über unsere alltäglichen Gewohnheiten. Man meint, nicht auf sie verzichten zu können. Wir haben es nicht bemerkt, noch nicht einmal vermisst. Yeah!

Es ist superschwuel, noch mehr als im Inland. Es stauen sich zum  Sonnenuntergang riesige Gewitterwolken am Himmel. Die Sicht ist den ganzen Tag dunstig. Aber der Knoten platzt nicht und es regnet nicht.

Wir hatten die gesamte Zeit im Northern Territory keinen Tropfen Regen.

Wir schlafen himmlisch in großen Betten und bei angenehmen 23 Grad im Hotel. Die Kinder entspannen im Pool. Wir lassen uns es gut gehen.

At the mouth of the Singapore River

There are many beautiful and historic bridges over the Singapore River with the oldest dating back to the late 19th Century.  All the bridges are well-lit and make for spectacular photographs at night.  This particular bridge, though neither old nor historic is at the mouth of the river and joins the Esplanade to the small seaside park where the Merlion, the mythical creature of Singapore, statue resides.  Because of this magnificent setting, the area is quite beautiful in an urban sense.  The arched supports of the concrete bridge structure with its perfect lighting placement are suggestive of sea waves and evokes a sense of calm and tranquility.

Using an ultra wide-angle lens can be perplexing so my style is to shoot the scene assymetric, bringing some part of the  object(s) forming the mid or background into the foreground.  Or finding an object in the foreground to draw the eye to the image.  The key is to experiment with the UWA.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Perspective enhanced by ultra-wide angle lens.

From the other side.

Partial view of the Esplanade.

Man in the dark.

I had a good day with the wife today, overall.  It got out to a rough start, and we didn’t have sex (though I tried!), but overall it was good.  We compromised, which is important, and we spent some pleasant time together.

Diet-wise, I can already feel it getting harder.  I was mightily tempted to totally throw weight watchers out the window for dinner tonight. The reason I didn’t had more to do with laziness than resolve or anything else, really. I was able to convince myself that it would be better to have fruit for dessert than some Double Stuf Golden Oreos (MMM!), so I scored some major points there.

One good motivator for staying on the weight-loss track, though, is that we spent a couple hours on the Charles today, crossing the Longfellow bridge, then walking along the esplanade. There were runners galore. Runners of various ages, genders, shapes and sizes.  And I can remember that a year ago, 3 mornings a week I was one of them. I miss that. I watched how they carried their bodies along the pavement and felt jealous as my feet ached from the limited walking I had done. I will become the inner athlete I know myself to be. I will get there.  I just need to become that person inside, then give my body a chance to catch up. Piece of cake, right?

I’m getting there. I promise myself that.

Sitting at the outdoor theatre on the Esplanade

The Esplanade at the mouth of the Singapore River is popular with both Singaporeans and visitors.  From those looking to just chill out and take in the views to lovers holding hands and walking along the wide sidewalks, a photographer can find many subjects to shoot.  It doesn’t matter if it’s night or day, there are plenty of visitors.  From this vantage point, you also have a great view of the Singapore skyline.  On this trip, we walked along the Singapore River from the Esplanade to Clarke Quay, a distance of about 5 kilometers.  Besides terrific opportunities to shoot people, there are seven bridges, numerous vintage buildings and skyscrapers.  And don’t forget the reflection of these sights on the waters of the river.

Photos were taken with a Nikon D700 and Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro lens.

Studying with the iPod.

Lost in the PSP world.

Two in contact, one not.

And from the other side.

Green, blue and orange. And red.

This is one of the productions I’ve been working sleeplessly on. I am grateful for the experience working with Boi Sakti and T.H.E. Dance Company dancers. Always a joy… tonnes of field recordings, musique conrete, acousmatics, noise and acoustic instrumentations…

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da:ns Festival Residency & Commission

“… mesmerising… with movements that were both strong and fluid at the same time” – The Jakarta Post, on Boi Sakti

“T.H.E’s work invigorated our senses; not least because they have the courage of convictions” – Dance Europe

If our souls were the windows of civilisation, what would they reveal? In VOID, choreographer Boi Sakti confronts the moral decay and hypocrisy engulfing society and calls into question the very meaning of ‘civilisation’. The soul is wounded. Conscience has fallen into a black hole. Principle and reason have given way to greed and falsities. There is a tragic loss of humanity despite claims of greater openness in a civilised world. This affecting and insightful work examines these distortions and seeks to contextualise them. The world premiere is performed by T.H.E Dance Company led by artistic director Kuik Swee Boon, and features award-winning sound designer Darren Ng. At once powerful and poetic, VOID throws the windows wide open and compels you to face what is really there.

Regarded as “one of Asia’s most interesting and important choreographers”, Sakti’s artistry draws from the traditions of Minangkabau dance and martial art forms, and the aesthetics of contemporary movement. His earthy yet fluid choreographic style has been described as one that combines “sensitivity and precise, gentle power”. He created Jendela Peradaban as a festival commission, with a two-month artist residency at da:ns 09 that took place at Esplanade and in Indonesia. T.H.E. Dance Company has come to be regarded as one of Singapore’s fastest-rising and most dynamic contemporary dance groups.

Schools may use the Tote Board Arts Grant to subsidise 60% (excluding GST) of the ticket price of this programme. For more details please contact us at 6828 8389 or email boxoffice@esplanade.com.

Read more details at these sites:

Official da:ns Festival Site

Esplanade Website

SISTIC

Photographed by naturalturn

Burning Man 2007 [049891]

– License