Broken Sidewalk readers have voted Presentation Academy’s arts and athletics building at Fourth and Breckinridge the year’s best new landmark. The building topped Chamberlain Pointe, ZirMed Towers, St. Mary Academy and the new Lincoln Memorial in a readers’ poll.

Readers overwhelmingly praised the architectural detail and continuity of Presentation Academy’s new addition with its original 19th century building and with the surrounding neighborhood.  Many commented that new growth in the historic neighborhood is welcome and refreshing providing life to the corner.

Respondents favoring the Chamberlain Pointe project weren’t so talkative but were refreshed that new suburban development isn’t just a cookie-cutter strip mall.  Readers were happy to see the building’s facade broken into individual components resembling human scale buildings.

Votes for the ZirMed Towers remarked on the striking juxtaposition of old and new architecture surrounding the structure as well as the building’s materiality of industrial concrete and smooth blue glass.  Many compared the reflections in the glass to the facets of a diamond and enjoyed how the building emulates the spirit of the ZirMed Corporation itself.  And, of course, several readers found it refreshing that new development is happening on the western edges of Downtown.

Entries praised St. Mary Academy for bringing back the traditional image of the schoolhouse while blending with the architecture of nearby Norton Commons and the rural nature of surrounding farmland.  Several reported a calming affect brought about by its design.

The majority of readers who voted for the Lincoln Memorial felt that the project would stand the test of time as a true landmark.  Several guided their decision by a more fundamental idea of the word landmark and what it should represent in a community.  Connections to Kentucky history were also cited.

Notable comments for other projects included praise for the Cliff View Terrace’s attention to urban form, sustainability, and innovative structural system, admiration for theClinical & Translational Research Building’s unique, cutting edge design that reflects the advanced research going on inside, and pointed out the McAlpine Locks & Shippingport Bridge’s vast economic boon to the city as well as its long history and the design of the bridge.

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Our old abandon pier was once the gateway of commerce here in the island. After the woes of motorboat operators that they can no longer subsidized the cost of fuel in their motor boats immediately this pier become a ghost pier. About ten years after the abandonment of this pier it becomes the headquarters of Bantay Dagat (sea patrol). Before it became a station, this place was haven for lovers who wants to shy away from local folks, again this place was also a nice treat for friends who likes to hang around talk, booze around and sometimes a haven for pot sessions.

Back in time, some old folks requested that this old pier should be properly lighted, so that juvenile prankster might be prevented from doing illegal acts. There request was not heard, I have personally like the ideas of the old folks, yet I am also against, for i have admired the darkness and minimal diffuse lights shining through the seaside from the shanty houses.

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When all the city kids hang in the malls, movie houses, bars, disco houses, and videoke salons. Rural kids in this island were contented in sitting at the dock. Afternoon usually after dinner where most of the teenagers finished the household chores they usually hang out in this old abandoned pier. Some of them wait for their crushes others wait for their lover and some wishing to get a lover. All these social milieu provides activity stream around Samal Island.

At afternoon fishing with children and adults are the best activity in the pier.

Sunset is also a must see event that unfolds in this old pier her in Samal Island. I remember back in my young days that we have to run along the shoreline just to catch a glimpse of sunset in the gulf while playing our kite in windy summer.

For there are times I’d like to ask my neighbors here in Samal Island if they value the thousand sunset they have watched in their daily life here. They reply, “there are no wonderful sunset if we cannot bring fish at home.” I was dishearten, for I believe there no ordinary sunset in everyday, but I realize that most of the people including me have to struggle in our day to day lives.

Getting laid in Samal Island might be an envious idea, for some of us who stayed in fast paced lifestyle, yet living here also is also more challenging. Samalenyos, are daily wage earners some rely on motorcycle as means of living, and others rely on fishing and farming. Aside from that, others rely on local government for employment.
Amidst it’s beauty and charm it offers, Samal island remains to be untapped for it’s energy and always getting laid!!!

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Sri Mariamman Temple

The Sri Mariamman Temple (below) is Singapore’s oldest Indian temple.  It dates back to 1827 when a simple building put up by Naraina Pillai.  The two streets next to the temple are named Temple Street and Mosque Street.  The ‘Temple’ refers to Sri Mariamman while Mosque Street is named after its neighbour, the Jamae Mosque.

A fire-walking ceremony is held annually in the Sri Mariamman Temple.  This takes place about a week before the Festival of Lights known as Deepavali.  The building was gazetted as a National Monument on 6 July 1973.

Sultan Mosque

The original Sultan Mosque (above) in the Kampong Glam was built between 1824 and 1826 by Sultan Hussain Shah as part of his palace complex.  In 1924-1928 a big new mosque was designed by the architectural firm Swan & MacLaren to replace the old one.  Other than the renovations and an annex added in 1993, the mosque has remained basically the same structure.  The mosque was gazetted as a National Monument on 14 March 1975.

02 December 2009, Mexico

We spent the day in Mexico City and boarded the ‘hop on, hop off’ double decker bus and had a most enjoyable time. The photos below will give you an idea of what we saw. We haven’t put titles to the photos as we took so many that we can’t remember which was what!!! However no doubt we will sort them out in years to come!

The centre photo above is a huge Christmas decoration as yet unfinished!

We became very hungry after all this hard work so took some time out for some empanadas and a couple of beers. They went down a treat!

The next few photos are of some elegant homes that we saw in the inner city.

There is heaps of construction throughout the entire city. We even found a fairground.

Love this shot of the two ‘garbos’ taking it easy after a hard days work

We had a really good day and it certainly changed our opinion of Mexico City, finding it far more sophisticated and modern than we had imagined from our first impressions. With a v-e-r-y early start tomorrow to the next exotic country, we took a taxi back to the Ramada and had an early night. Yawn…

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In one of his latest raids Brickbeard found an ancient map hidden in a stoppered bottle. It has taken him many a sleepless night — as evidenced by his much used lantern — to decipher the archaic symbols and discover what and where the X marks the spot. His only clues as to its location are the fading landmarks and interpreting the centuries old language.

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For the one-month birthday of Convince Me DC, I checked “Tour the U.S. Capitol” off my project to-do list.

My public school took us on many field trips, including Gettysburg and the very educational Kings Dominion several times, yet oddly never arranged an excursion to some of the most recognizable landmarks of the city such as the Capitol and Library of Congress (or Supreme Court or White House).  My parents have lived in the DC area for over 30 years and they had also never toured the Capitol.  To rectify this, I scheduled a Saturday afternoon tour for all eight of my family members who were in town to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Free tour tickets can be reserved through the office of your representative or senator, and you will need to implement this method should you wish to visit either the House or Senate, but tours can also be arranged directly through the U.S. Capitol Visitor Services using their online reservation system.  Tours run every ten minutes beginning at 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, from Monday through Saturday except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Inauguration Day.  It’s also possible to pick up same-day passes from the Visitor’s kiosk when available.

Taking metro is certainly the easiest way to reach the Capitol.  The Capitol South and Union Station stops are only a few blocks away.  Instead of metro, however, we unwisely drove to Capitol Hill and spent a significant amount of time searching for parking.

Like a true out-of-towner, I went to the front of the Capitol by the reflecting pool and futilely looked for the visitor’s entrance.  I approached one of the security guards to ask where to pick up my visitor tickets and he pointed to the rear of the building (I’m confident that I was the first person to have ever asked him this question).  I eventually did see the couple signs with arrows pointing to the visitor’s entrance, but I was annoyed by the inconspicuous signage.

The new Visitor Center extension manages to simultaneously mimic the look of the original legislative branch while appearing modern, but the security screening remains inefficient.  Two lines form on either side of the entrance to process groups in waves.  We waited outside in line for about 30 minutes which is why they recommend that you arrive well in advance of your scheduled tour.

Thankfully, it was a pleasantly temperate day to be standing around.

I feel sorry for tourists who confine their visit to the National Mall because of the dearth of food options in sight.  The Capitol has a cafeteria restaurant with different stations; I paid $2.50 for a decent cup of Dunkin Donuts drip coffee.

I was a real tourist!  The informative guided group tour lasts approximately 40 minutes and includes a short film.

The Capitol is both a museum and a seat of government.  There is one statue donated by every state, as well as statues and paintings of historic figures significant to the birth of the country.

Freedom, the statue crowning the Capitol dome, is visible through some window angles along the tour (to the left).

The plaster model of Freedom has been restored and is displayed inside the Vistor Center.

The diamond of the rotunda marks the geographical center of the Capitol and divides the city into four quadrants.  Further, the crypt below this space was intended to house George Washington’s tomb rather than his current resting place at Mount Vernon.

Sixth President John Q. Adams’ desk used to sit here.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s desk currently sits inside here.

The frescos inside both the Capitol and Library of Congress reminded me of the opulent art inside many historical European landmarks.  The marble architecture and painted ceilings are beautiful.

We walked through the underground tunnel connecting the Capitol and the Library of the Congress.

More elaborate architecture and art inside the Library.

Soon after walking around the main visitor area of the Library without actually having peered into a stocked library yet, I started to wonder, where do they keep all the books?  There is one wide window where you can look into the reading rooms and rows of bookshelves, but can’t take photos.  To use the library, anyone can apply for a free reader ID card by showing a valid state ID.

Later, we crossed the street to the Supreme Court, another building that I have never toured.  I hope to see the Justices in session there someday soon.

Paired with a beautiful fall day and clear view of the National Mall, I found myself lingering on the Hill and taking “mental photographs”.

Could it be possible – this clichéd and classic DC day convincing me?  Maybe, maybe not, but I certainly appreciate the art and history of this city a little more.

Today is the eighth birthday of 敬宮愛子内親王 (Princess Aiko) of the Japanese Royal Family.

Princess Aiko at her school's 運動会 ("Sports Day") six weeks ago (2009 Oct).

And yesterday was the 44th birthday of her uncle, 秋篠宮文仁親王 (Prince Akishino).

Prince Akishino with his wife Princess Kiko

Today my wife and I went to check out the construction of the Tokyo Sky Tree (click here to see my previous post about this tower), and to see the イチョウ祭り (Gingko Festival) at 明治神宮外苑 (Meiji Grand Shrine Outer-Garden).

Here are some photos I took of the Tokyo Sky Tree tower today:

Only 30% complete so far...it's gonna be huge when it's done!

I always wonder how they get the cranes on top of tall buildings and towers when they're being built.

So far it's 224 meters tall. When done, it'll stand 611 meters high.

The reflection of the "Tokyo Sky Tree" in the water.

From there, we went to the イチョウ祭り (Gingko Festival) at 明治神宮外苑 (Meiji Grand Shrine Outer-Garden). (Click here to see the festival’s homepage).

I only took one photo at the festival of the イチョウ (Gingko Trees) in autumn color:

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Hajjah Fatimah Mosque

This mosque was named after a wealthy female philanthropist, Hajjah Fatimah.  She was quite possibly the first woman entrepreneur and she donated the land and money to build the mosque sometime between 1845 and 1846.  The mosque’s minaret is about 6 degrees off vertical.  The mosque was gazetted as a National Monument on 6 July 1973.

Nagore Dargah

Along Telok Ayer Street is the Nagore Dargaha.  This Muslim place of worship was built by Indian Muslims, known as the Chulias, between 1828 and 1830.  The mosque was originally named Masjid Moulana Mohammad Ally.  It was later renamed in memory of holy man Shahul Hamid Dargah of Nagore, South India.  The mosque was gazetted as a National Monument on 29 November 1974.

Abdul Gaffoor Mosque

In Singapore’s ‘Little India’ known as Tekka, one can find the Abdul Gaffoor Mosque in Dunlop Street.  The mosque had its beginnings as a simple building in 1881.  Its trustee, Shaik Abdul Gaffoor Shaik Hyder, a lawyer’s clerk, built shophouses in the area allocated for the mosque and rented them out to raise funds to build the mosque.  Work on the present structure began in 1907 and was completed in 1910.  The architecture is a combination of Arab and Victorian styles.  It was gazetted a National Monument in 1979.

The great thing about having a camera on you all the time these days is the ability to upload these to Facebook. My Palm Pre has this feature and I love it. It also gives me the ability of course to take snaps and upload them to my blog. Initially when I started this blog I was taking the pictures with a Canon EOS 5D2 which I have now sold and downgraded or swapped out for a Canon EOS T1i. The 5D2 was a fantastic camera but to be honest it was too bulky and heavy for me to take out and about on a daily basis.

The Trump Tower with it's head in the Clouds

The T1i I have yet to take an opinion on. I had it for a month and it started freezing on me at the most horrendous time i.e. at my sister in laws graduation. I was mortified. I was hoping to get some great shots of her for her album and the damn thing kept freezing while using the flash. The camera is due back from the, in warranty, repair shop tomorrow. I hope it arrives in time as I want to take it down to our friends for Thanksgiving.

Clearly the quality of the images I am taking for this blog has dropped. Here is one I took last December. I suppose ultimately I am just trying to show a sample of my day or a taste of it rather for me and for you. Who are you? Not sure really. I seem to get steady traffic to this blog, although I don’t advertise it but it’s nice you come along to view it anyway. I suppose it panders to the exhibitionist in me such as it is.

The Reflecting Pool

Once I get my Canon T1i back I want to throw myself back into my photography and get out there again taking pictures. It’s been a while and winter approaches. I hope it’s a snowy one.

Hi Friends,

This is my contribution for this weeks Sunday Stills – Horses! and Ofcourse for the MacroMonday as well!  Finally I added a small glossy effect to fit in the 4Tp  category!

Software used: Photoshop CS2 (Features used: Layers, Fill Layer & Elliptical Marque tool )

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Open up an image in photoshop!!!

Set white as the foreground color. You can easily do this by pressing D to reset the foreground and background to the default colors then pressing X to switch the foreground and background color.

2. Goto  Layer > New Fill Layer> Gradient Fill. Click OK.

A Gradient Fill window will appear.

3. In the window, change the Gradient to Foreground to Transparent, style to radial, and scale to 150%.Check the Align with Layer. Change the angle accordingly to make the gradient effect bigger/smaller.

4. Activate the Elliptical Marquee tool and create a selection with a bulge.

You may need to zoom out (Ctrl+-) to get enough room to draw the selection.

5. With the Elliptical Marquee tool still activated, move the selection so that it covers about half of the top image.                  Select the layer mask of the top Gradient Fill layer and press delete.

6. Adjust the Opacity and Fill on your layer pallette to get the desired results.

7. Your Glossy photo is ready!

PLACES OF WORSHIP

In Singapore, a significant number of religious places of worship have been gazetted as national monuments.  These important landmarks reflect the multi-religious nature of Singapore society.  Many of these religious landmarks also have a long history dating back to the early immigrant communities who settled down in 19th century Singapore.

Most of the early places of worship were located in the town area, especially around Telok Ayer Street which used to abut the sea, as well as in South Bridge Road.  The most interesting streets in Singapore in so far as religious monuments are concerned are Waterloo Street where you can find the Maghain Aboth Synagogue, the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, and the Sri Krishnan Temple; and Telok Ayer Street, home to the Thian Hock Keng Temple, the Al-Abrar Mosque, Telok Ayer Methodist Church and Nagore Dargah Mosque.