Mr. Sanguine's Home

The Overland Track in Tasmania

2009-02-17T19:50:00.003+08:00

Looking for a holiday with a difference, Mrs S and I finally planned a long overdue hiking vacation this month. We set off on a wonderful journey of discovery in the Tasmanian wilderness where we traversed along The Overland Track. Joining a guided group track operated by Tarkine Trails, we set off on an eight day adventure which saw us walking in an alpine plateau, crossing mountain ridges and gorges, skirting tarns and wild moorlands, and meandering (toiling) through alpine rain forests. Located within the Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair National Park, it is one of the most glaciated areas in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage area. The shot above was taken from the top of the compost toilet at the New Pelion Hut after my morning ritual.

Mrs S contributed this picture taken at the Labyrinth (this link includes some other spectacular pictures of this desolate lake).

Pausing for a quick breather on our way to the Windermere Hut.

View of the large field in front of the helipad at the Pine Valley Hut.

Relaxing after a long day of walking on the helipad at the New Pelion Hut.

Taking a quick dip in the cold waters of Lake Windermere.

Enjoying a hot cuppa. Tea featured a lot in our time in the Tasmanian wilderness, a sugary cup of mint tea really got me going in the frigid mornings.

Giving a hand in stretching out those achy muscles after a tiring day of bushwalking.

Mrs S's laundry line at Windermere Hut.

Probably a lot more appetizing than it looks, our first dinner of fresh vegetables and rice noodles at Waterfall Valley. Our guides spared no effort in making sure we got hot fresh meals at all times, which explained why our food bags were always so heavy. So if you are ever looking for a trekking operator which provides great meals, please surf on over to Tarkine Trails.

Making nori rolls in preparation for the ascent to the Labyrinth. They were loaded with wasabi, which certainly helped with the climb.

Our trip ended on the shores of Lake St Clair where the group spent an idyllic time relaxing on the jetty and skipping stones on the still waters of the cold lake. The lake is also the deepest in Australia, bottoming out at 200m.

All in all, a wonderful trip which allowed us to connect with our holiday destination on a very different level. The pack weight took a bit of getting used to, since we were carrying our food, water, tents, sleeping bags and personal supplies on our backs. I did manage to shed 2kg, though it would take a couple more trips to bring my weight down to a sensible level.

Being in the outdoors, especially one as grand as the Tasmanian wilderness, has etched a lasting memory. I found myself continually inspired by the surroundings whilst enjoying a quiet solace which I haven't experienced in a long while. We were fortunate to have a great group of people with us, who arrived as strangers to each other but left as friends. That made the experience so much more rewarding and enjoyable as everyone brought a kaleidoscope of different backgrounds and humor along. I won't be surprised if we returned for another trip in a different part of Tasmania. The 80kms or so we hiked only revealed a fraction of what the island state had to offer and there is just so much more to see.

Aviation Photos 7

2008-11-10T14:16:00.002+08:00

Continued from Aviation Photos 6.

While I've taken quite a back seat to photographing airplanes these days, there are still a couple of images of these metal birds which I'd like to share.

No, I wasn't flying in formation with a B-2 Spirit when this was taken. This is a scale model close to Lockheed's famed Skunk Works where it spends its days as a gate guardian.

I've always liked this livery of Air Tahiti Nui. It kinds of transports me to an idyllic desert island setting whenever I set my eyes on it.

This little unusual airplane is the Northrop N9M Flying Wing. The only one of its kind left in the world, it first flew as a developmental aircraft in Northrop B-35 program. I was quite fortunate to see this airplane in flight as shortly after this picture was taken, the aircraft suffered an in-flight fire and has not flown again since.

This is probably the last image of my aviation series of photos. My interest in aviation photography has waned over the last few years and I hardly have any new material on this topic. So I guess it's apt that this one is flying off into a golden sunset.

Lunch's Over

2008-11-06T22:47:00.004+08:00

The long break has been great, but it's time to get off my ass and to start posting again.

The past year and a bit has been a strange blur, dealing with the major renovation project of my new home and doing quite a bit of soul searching in the midst of yelling at contractors whilst enduring nosebleed after nosebleed. If you ever want to shorten your life span by a couple of years, try building yourself a new house.

My camera equipment survived the transition but I'm not quite sure if I still remember how to use most of it. I actually found myself referring to my camera manual a couple of days ago when I decided to reach for the sorely neglected Canon.

Wife has been a great source of encouragement (or nagging, depending how you see it) in getting me off my lazy butt and to start doing something with photography again. I'm seeing the little beginnings of some ideas which have been floating around in my head, of course seeing them through to fruition is another matter altogether. Nonetheless, I find myself thinking a little bit more seriously about executing these ideas.

So, please watch this space.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, that's my lunch for today. Tweaked the recipe some to suit my taste but the original can be found here.

Walkabout in Serangoon Road

2007-03-30T00:16:00.001+08:00

It's been a bit since my last walkabout in Joo Chiat so I packed the Widelux and Ricoh for a spot of shooting. I haven't walked the Indian enclave of Serangoon Road with my camera before so a trip to Little India seemed appealing. Below are a couple of frames from the 3 rolls I shot, I'll let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy!

MV Doulos - Part 2

2007-03-16T00:03:00.000+08:00

This is a continuation from Part 1 of my recent trip on the MV Doulos.

Although the Doulos has seen many modifications throughout its long history, much of the work on board is still done manually. Here the deckhands stow the lines in preparation for the departure from Manila.

Safety drills are practiced regularly, while at sea and in port. The lifeboat crew is seen here preparing to lower a lifeboat in a man overboard scenario whilst underway to Cebu.

Approaching the main harbor of Cebu, a pilot boat approaches to board a local pilot to help guide the bridge crew of the Doulos steer the large ship into the confines of the harbor.

Volunteers are eased into shipboard life through their family groups. Older crew members act as surrogate parents to a group of volunteers. These groups meet weekly for prayer and social interaction.

The volunteers on board aren't just young adults, there are several whole families on board, some with young charges.

A schooling program is available on board, as well as recreational facilities catering to the kids.

I learnt to look forward to the freshly baked loaves of bread emerging from the bakery every morning. They really stood out from the simple fare found on board.

Dr. Carter attending to one of his many patients for the day. The ship had been without a dentist for the last several months and the recent arrival of Dr. Carter was a welcomed one as the list of dental cases started piling up. Dr. Carter also provides dental care in the land missions where teams are sent to remote areas where medical services are sorely lacking.

A glimpse into the world's largest floating bookstore. This is a typical public crowd which can be found on the Doulos on any given day in port.

Visitors, both young and old, browse through the many selections available on board.

Not quite your regular Borders, but there are unused shelves to rest yourself on for a quick browse.

On a typical land mission, a team of volunteers helps build a day care center for a village in Cebu.

Everyone on board is involved in the ministry side of things. Captain MacDonald leads a group of Manila volunteers in a quayside ministry session.

It was but a short stay on board the Doulos for me but the trip left me with deep impressions of the sacrifices many of the volunteers made to spend time away from their homes and families. It was just incredible to hear the many wonderful testimonies from young christians who have made a decision to devote their lives to mission work or just came on board to discover more about themselves.

Thermal imaging

2007-02-12T20:32:00.000+08:00

Watch what the thermal sensors at this airport catch on tape.

MV Doulos - Part 1

2007-02-05T22:32:00.000+08:00

Back in 1978 when I was a kid attending Sunday school, my favorite teacher left to start her new life as a missionary on board the MV Logos. The ship sailed around the world serving as a floating bookstore which brought literature and the Good News to the global community. I remember being excited at hearing the news that she would be spending up to 2 years on board the Logos. The notion of leading a seafaring life visiting ports around the world really appealed to this 8 year old, and I secretly made a decision to do the same one day.

Well, it's 29 years later and I've yet to give up my secular life to become a sailing missionary, but I did get to live out part of that dream 2 weeks ago when I hooked up with the sister ship of the Logos, the MV Doulos (Servant in Greek). It would have been great to visit the Logos but unfortunately, she ran aground off the coast of Argentina during a storm in January 1988.

The Doulos is currently the oldest ocean-going passenger liner in the world. She was built 2 years after the Titanic, which makes this grand dame 93 years old. She started life as the SS Medina in 1914 and has gone through a number of refits and name changes (you can read more about its interesting history here). In 1977, the ship was purchased by a German organisation Gute Bücher für alIe or Good books for All and renamed the Doulos; then, it joined its sister ship Logos bringing books to all corners of the world.

The ship is unique, not only for its mission, but it is crewed entirely by volunteers who come from all over and from all walks of life. During my time on board, there were about 320 crew members hailing from over 50 different countries. They spend up to 2 years on board though there were a number who have stretched their time to almost 4 years. The volunteers often come on board with little in common apart from their wish to do good works and their Christian backgrounds. When I say everyone is a volunteer, I mean everyone from the Chief Engineer to the Captain. Coordination and training of the volunteers is through OM International, with local coordination provided through OM Singapore.

I joined the Doulos while she was in the Philippines the afternoon before she was due to leave the port of Manila for Cebu. It had been a successful month-long stay in Manila with over 20,000 visitors to the book exhibition during the last weekend she was in port. There was a buzz of activity as the deckhands went about loading the ship, these vans travel with the ship and are used for transportation in and out of the port area.

There are departments handling various tasks to keep the ship going, and one may be assigned to the galley, engine room, welding shop, ministry offices etc... the list goes on. Every single person among the 300-odd crew members contributes to the smooth running of the ship. Here the deckhands have a timeout from loading the ship.

Pushing off from the berth in Manila during a sunset departure for Cebu.

Getting a helping hand from a tugboat. The Doulos is devoid of any thrusters which help modern ships manoeuver in the confines of a port and needs a push or pull in the right direction to get it going.

A member of the bridge crew keeping a lookout during our 2-day voyage to Cebu. Many of the volunteers who come on board have no prior experience of sailing on a ship, let alone operating one of this size. Most learn quickly on the job and pick up new skills along the way.

Preparing hot dogs for our first lunch at sea, this former lawyer from the Netherlands is 5 months into his 2-year stint on the Doulos.

Kim Chye was one of the Singaporeans I met on my week-long stay on the Doulos. The former caretaker had come on board with his wife and is almost coming to the end of his time on the ship. He has been engaged in full time ministry work for almost 10 years and finally convinced his wife to join him in the missions field when they came on board the Doulos in 2005.

With his past experience working as a welder in a shipyard, he was a natural choice to run the welding shop on the Doulos.

The welding shop produces metal parts and provides repairs that are required throughout the ship.

I spent quite a bit of time with Kim Chye during my short stay, not only because of his general hospitality, but also because of the continuous stream of great food which he and his wife often turned out from their tiny galley. Here everyone is cramped into their cabin for a popiah party. Everything was home made, down to the skin used to wrap the springrolls in. David, a retired dentist from the US, and his wife Nancy join other Asian volunteers to get their first taste of this local delicacy.

Stay tuned for the rest of the images from my Doulos trip. There are plenty more pictures of the vessel and her activities, enough for 2 or 3 more posts, I'd like to share.

Part 2 of my visit to the Doulos may be found here.

Cowboys & Aliens

2007-01-21T16:41:00.000+08:00

Some very long overdue snaps from a pre New Year's Eve costume party. Cowboys & Aliens was the theme and I was glad most who came made the effort to be in costume.

Interesting use of a baby bib from Ikea.

One of the few DIY costumes of the night, a crazed cardboard robot with a carrot stick for a nose/mouth.

Ling, protector of the Blue Planet.

Isn't that the prettiest gaylien you've seen today?

Another baby bib alien on the prowl.

Mars, the Red Planet and Toxic Avenger sidekick.

Our Tequila mama.

Chinese dudes do not look good in cowboy hats.

That's a lobster suit in case you're wondering.

Didn't know the Silver Convention was back in town.

Tequila mama, hard at work dispensing her awful concoction.

Almost lost her hair there.

Call me... yeah right.

Wouldn't want to wake up next to this one in the morning.

Cross species erotica in full swing.

Has it been a year?

2006-12-31T19:45:00.000+08:00

What a year it's been. Never quite knew where that initial foray into the blogosphere exactly one year ago would lead me but it's turned out to be one incredible journey of self discovery, forging new friendships and refining my creative juices.

A special word of thanks to you, my readers, for sharing this trip with me. I especially look forward to the comments which come my way through comments left on the blog or via email. You have no idea how every little word of encouragement keeps me going. The coming year holds the promise of new and exciting projects which I hope would eventually end up here.

Birthday wishes to this simple blog of mine and a very happy new year to each and every one of you who make the stop here at Mr Sanguine's Home. Be well...

Christmas lunch

2006-12-26T17:48:00.000+08:00

I know the posts have been a little scarce of late over here at mrsanguine.com but it's been an eventful couple of weeks with work and Mrs Sanguine's broken finger on my mind. Things have finally begun to settle down after the Christmas feeding frenzy and I thought it was high time I got back into the photography game. A couple of new projects lined up for the coming year but we'll start with a simple series of shots from my Christmas lunch.

In my line of work, it's a wonder whenever I get time off during any of the holidays. It was a real stroke of luck I managed to spend Christmas Day back at home this year. My good pals M and D opened up their home, cooked up this great huge feast and invited us freeloaders over for a lazy afternoon of grazing on many treats.

Chicken, duck, sausages, salads, ribs... the list was seemingly endless.

Not to make light of the main courses that were served, but we were certainly spoilt for choice when it came to the desserts. I counted 7 cakes, possibly more, that were brought out one after the other. This gorgeous fruit cake by D's mom took the cake (oops!). Lovingly made over 2 weeks ago, it's been bathed regularly with generous helpings of highly intoxicating brandy over the fortnight it sat in the refridgerator. I had a mild high after my second piece. Guess who ended up carting a third of the unfinished cake home? ;)

Not to be outdone was this equally delicious carrot cake, also by D's mom. Moist yet firm, like how every piece of carrot cake I've had this year have failed to be.

Nothing like hanging around a kitchen table stacked full of food.

Topped everything off with a generous serving of Gula melaka flavored ice cream from The Ice Cream Gallery. Good stuff.

Geri's Paintings

2006-12-03T14:50:00.000+08:00

My pal Geri has been working at her paintings for the last couple of years and it's great to see how her works have evolved over time. Was down at her place taking some shots for her portfolio so I thought I'd share some of them here.

Off off Broadway - A Christmas at Eton House

2006-11-28T17:45:00.000+08:00

The kids at Eton House were putting on a Christmas musical. Here's a behind the scenes look during the full rehersal a couple of days before the big production opened.

Applying makeup to more than 120 young talents was no easy task for the teachers, and not a quiet one either.

Getting ready for her teenage years.

Looking quite a few years beyond his five after missing a shave.

Not missing a day of preschool while waiting for the rehersal to begin.

This little one couldn't help showing off her new pink costume whenever the camera was trained on her.

Looking like a nomadic tribe, the young shepherds prepare to take to the stage.

A sudden case of backstage jitters.

View from stage left.

The lively choir doing its thing.

An attentive audience during the second act.

All in all, an impressive production considering the young ages of the kids involved. A professional stage lighting and sound crew added to the polished touch and not one line was forgotten by any of the talents.

Down under with U2

2006-11-23T22:22:00.000+08:00

If you ever look at my iPod play chart at the bottom of the sidebar, you'd quite often find U2 amongst the playlist. I've been a fan for as long as I can remember and when the opportunity to catch them on their Vertigo tour Down Under came up, I jumped on it immediately. Made a short holiday out of it, Adelaide isn't a place one can spend too much time in. The crowd was surprisingly tame, perhaps due to the fact that quite a number of people around us were strung out on weed. The puff of smoke you see in the image is probably someone blowing out a cloud of happy smoke.

Kanye West was the opening act which we were fortunate enough to miss due to the rather late arrival of my cousin who was holding our tickets. Apparently we didn't miss much, guess I'm just not into the hip hop, r & b, whatever he was playing.

A RAAF P-3C Orion graced the occasion with an impromptu fly by. The aviation buff in me had to take a snap of it though the compact camera I was restricted to using did not really do it justice. I think only myself and 10 others in the crowd of 60,000 noticed when it started flashing its landing lights when directly overhead. This concert was a historic event for Adelaide, apparently it's the largest ever held in South Australia.

The cascading backdrop which dominated the stage was approximately 100 feet high and about 120 feet wide. The 12,000 individual LED spheres reproduce moving images and were a sight to behold, especially when up close, it could literally turn any venue into a city of blinding lights.

I'm not exactly a regular concert goer, my last rock concert I attended was Richard Marx (that was a strange time in my life, don't ask) at the National Stadium back in the 1980s! Was a little apprehensive about our choice of tickets but it worked out pretty good in the end. We had opted for the general admission tickets which let us stand anywhere in the field of the stadium and we ended up only about 50 feet or so from the extended stage, not bad for getting in after the concert started! Here's Bono and The Edge doing their thing.

I thought the Coexist logo was cleverly done, let's see if peace ambassador Bono gets anywhere with it. Interestingly enough, there's some controversy surrounding the use of the symbol.

Like I mentioned earlier, I could only sneak in a compact camera which I had purchased specially for the trip. I wasn't real familiar with the use of it but decided to go ahead and do some short video clips with it. I honestly didn't have any high expectations of the results but was pleasantly surprised when I reviewed the clips. Anyways, this is a short compilation of my experience at the show, please excuse the shaky hands, unlevel horizon and freaky panning, I'm no James Cameron. I spent about 2 hours editing it so the least you could do is hit the play button! Mrs Sanguine can be heard mouthing off the words to With or Without You, the last segment of the clip. I think the new beat the band played destroyed what is probably my favorite U2 song. Enjoy...

In flight entertainment

2006-11-18T20:53:00.000+08:00

Back from vacation but still Powermacless. My eyes kept getting drawn to the follicly challenged head in front of me while on the flight back this afternoon, especially when Homer came on. Love the pause button on Krisworld.

What the?

2006-11-11T08:35:00.000+08:00

I figured if I can't put up more of my own pics for the time being, I might as well plug some others in. I've visited Cambodia and Vietnam before, and I've always tried to look out for the incredible wares that are often loaded up onto the motorcycles. Below is a collection of shots that I wish were mine, they offer glimpse into the ingenious methods used which border on incredulous. I've taken the liberty of giving them titles.

Hoola hoops

3 dozen little piggies went to the market(This one is my personal favorite, especially the little fella at the bottom, straightly strung out with its nose looking like another exhaust pipe!)

Stretched limo

Gate crashing

Warning: Objects in the rear view mirror are dumber than they appear

Break-me-not

Anyone need a spare?

Fowl mobile

Pipe dreams

Basket case

Strict vegetarian

Cool operator

Intestines

Sad Mac

2006-11-10T15:39:00.000+08:00

They don't make Macs the way they used to. Had to cart my Powermac off to the tech shop this morning after it started developing strange symptons about 3 weeks back and began to behave much like a PC, ie refusing to boot up, applications hanging all the time, cooling fan running full blast for no apparent reason etc... It looked so sad lying on its side in the back of the car when I brought it to the service center, much like a corpse in a hearse. Hope they are able to revive it... all this happened after I've had the machine for only 6 months.

This brings me to the point of this entry. The dearth of posts of late has been a direct consequence of my beloved Powermac dying a sudden death on me, all my image archives are contained within it and it's my main editing platform. I'm like an artist without his palatte at the moment, working on my images on the powerbook just isn't the same. Thanks to the concerned readers who emailed me about this but really, it's not for the lack of blog fodder but Mr Sanguine's Home is experiencing technical difficulties at this time. I'm off on a short vacation next week so hopefully the folks at the club21iShop will do a good job of fixing it by the time I get back.

Cityscooped!

2006-11-07T15:17:00.000+08:00

It's seldom that I get psyched up by a new book launch but the second edition of Cityscoops really got me all excited anticipating its release. An experience guide with a difference, reviews are all 100% natural, no reviewer was paid and no animals were harmed in the production of this book. Its pages include a collection of all things eclectic in Singapore, as well as the hip and happening side, there's something for everyone. It's got a great collection of vibrant pictures shot by 5 photographers in differing styles. Available at major bookstores and also direct from the publishers (take note if you're overseas!).

Hospice care in Singapore

2006-10-23T13:50:00.000+08:00

The Assisi Home and Hospice is situated within the grounds of Mount Alvernia Hospital, off Thomson Road. You'll be forgiven if you've missed the hospital completely as it is built atop a small hill and mostly hidden from view from the main road.

The restricted visibility of the hospital and the Assisi Home somewhat reflects the state of awareness towards hospice palliative care in Singapore. A recent survery showed that hardly a third of the local population were aware of the existence of hospice care even though about 70% of patients suffering from terminal illnesses are dying without undergoing hospice palliative care in Singapore.

Organizations like the Singapore Hospice Council aim to promote awareness and synergy amongst the various hospice resources in Singapore. The council seeks to coordinate hospice activities and enhance the level of hospice care through the establishment of training programs to provide healthcare workers, volunteers and doctors with the necessary skills to work effectively with patients.

So, what is hospice care? The mission statement of of the Assisi Home captures the essence of it through a simple definiton, "to maximise patients’ quality of life, right up to their natural end". The home admits patients in one of three categories.

Respite care
To give home care givers an opportunity rest and recover, these patients are admitted temporarily.

Sympton relief
Patients suffering from pain and stress are admitted under this category. When relieved of their symptons, these patients are discharged.

Terminal care
End of life patients are admitted when it is deemed that they have about 3 months of life expectancy remaining. The majority of warded patients at the Assisi Hospice fall into this category.

My visit to the Assisi Home began with a glimpse of life in the wards. Doctors and counselling staff make their rounds in the morning, checking up on patients and determining the course of treatment for the day. Here, a counseller speaks to a patient regarding the progress of her illness.

Statistically, 30% of admitted patients end up being discharged, the remainder will live out their last days within the confines of the hospice.

In recent years, there have been a greater number of children stricken with cancer and to address that need, a children's centre was set up in the Assisi Home. The centre caters to children between the ages of 4 to 15 and provides a number of activities to support the needs of these young cancer patients and those who are in remission.

Such children are confined to their homes while recovering from their illness and oftentimes miss out on a lot of schoolwork. The centre runs several educational programmes to help the children catch up with missed lessons and to also help them with the transition of returning to their schools.

It's not all work and no fun for the kids, a multi-sensory room equipped with various activities provide the fun factor for the children.

A day care centre for adults operate from Mondays to Fridays. It runs several programmes catering to the needs of adult patients which include recreational therapy, emotional and psychological support and, pastoral care amongst several others.

I experienced several poignant moments during home visits where I accompanied Home Care nurses on their rounds to patients located all over Singapore. Some patients choose to remain in their homes where the surroundings are familiar and their families closeby as they live out their last days.

Home Care nurses tend to interact with their charges on a more personal and informal level, and operate almost independently. There were several occasions where the nurses had to determine the best course of action on their own when faced with a difficult situation with a patient. It's no wonder that only the more experienced nurses are trained to be Home Care nurses.

A typical check up includes recording of blood pressure. This old gentleman of 94 years kept recounting the time he learnt of the Assisi home and could not stop singing praises about his Home Care nurse.

One of the more distressing cases I experienced was this severely handicapped girl who was hardly a meter tall, she did not look a day over 10 but her actual age was 17. A Home Care nurse changes her head bandage before arranging for admission to a hospital to treat her infected sores.

Treated to a display of the family album during a home care visit.

The most touching moment of my time spent working on this project occurred at the Tampines home of this old lady as she lay in bed dying of cancer. Her fear of passing on commonly reflects the emotions felt by many other end of life patients. She reminded me of the basic need to have family and loved ones around when the time comes to move on, no one ever wants to die alone.

If you feel moved to want to do something more, there are many volunteer opportunities at the Assisi Hospice as well as the other hospice agencies in Singapore. A good place to start would be the Singapore Hospice Council where one can get an idea of what hospice care is all about and who to refer to regarding queries on hospice services and volunteer opportunities.

Uniquely Singaporean 3

2006-10-14T08:24:00.000+08:00

Seeing this contraption along East Coast Park reminded me of the many motorized bicycles which were recently the rage with aspiring motorcycle enthusiasts who could not afford a motorcycle. Funny how they all seemed to fall into a certain demographic – older men (perhaps reliving their youth).

These illegally motorised bikes are often decked out with tacky modifications... car-like spoilers, hi-fi systems, flashing lights, flags etc. It was a relief when the local authorities declared them illegal on the roads – along with their bike kits came an alarming Hellrider bravado making them a menace to real motorists.

This specimen was different though. I'd have thought a motor would lie under all his gizmos, but it seemed to be pure leg work powering the bike. With the prices of cars in Singapore, it's no wonder ordinary citizens are resorting to more exotic forms of transportation.

Do check out Uniquely Singaporean 2.

Walkabout in Joo Chiat

2006-10-09T23:08:00.000+08:00

One of the least best kept secrets in my neck of the woods is the quaint old neighborhood of Joo Chiat. I remember wandering these streets as a kid and not much has changed in terms of the architecture and the laid back feel of the place. Many of the shophouses are still around though most have taken on new roles as boutique hotels, bakeries, eateries, girly bars and commercial offices gradually move in.

The following images are from a recent walkabout through the alleyways and side streets. There's always something new to discover everytime I go out there even though I've lived in the area for over 30 years.

Happy food @ Azhang

2006-10-08T13:16:00.000+08:00

It isn't often that I get overly excited after a visit to a new restaurant, maybe somewhat new in this case, but Azhang did make my week after a meal there about 2 weeks back. Formerly located in Joo Chiat, it recently moved to its new premises along Mohd Sultan. Its clientele seemed to have changed to the youngish pre-yuppy crowd or so I've been told, apart from the regulars who make weekly visits to the restaurant.

Its interior is simple and cosy. Eva, part owner and server at the eatery, told me that the surroundings were designed to encourage a sense of homeliness. I thought the front half of the dining hall a little cold, and the real warmth only began past the teak wood sofa in the middle and through the end of the hall. Go down and see for yourself.

One doesn't quite get the sense of the food at Azhang solely by reading the menu. This corn salad tasted nothing like what the menu described it to be. The kernels were grilled to perfection with distinctive spicy smoky aroma about it. Tossed in a light asian-tasting dressing, it caused a lot of oohs and ahhs from our party. It's not often to see people reacting this way to corn. Two servings of the salad later, a third was ordered when everyone couldn't have enough of it.

So happened that the special on the menu that evening was a seafood paella. This was quite unlike any paella I've ever tasted, an eclectic mix of indian spices, seafood curry and chillies. We were fighting for the charred bits which were stuck to the bottom of the pan. For lack of a better word, it was shiok!

Not to be outdone by the paella, this huge grilled platter of jumbo prawns, calamari, meats and fatty salmon belly appeared next. I thought the prawns a bit overcooked, which was a real pity as they were nice and large, and just a little chalky. The rest of the dish was nicely done thought he calamari could have spent about 5 more minutes on the grill. Seasoned with middle eastern spices, this platter was another explosion in taste that characterises the fare served at Azhang. A robust bottle of shiraz would be a great accompaniment.

Chef/owner Patrick appeared several times in the dining room as the night was winding down. We were curious as to how he'd label his cuisine and when asked, he simply remarked that it was "happy food". I wonder if that large goblet of wine in his hand had something to do with it. But really, it is food that makes one yearning for more, and that makes me happy.

Patrick does host a number of social nights where invited diners sample some of items which are not featured on the regular menu. So, get on his good side and he might just let you in on the dates.

Azhang
6 Mohamed Sultan Road
Singapore 238956

Tel: 6836-3436

Uniquely Singaporean 2

2006-09-30T18:51:00.000+08:00

Spotted this Pooh-mobile as it pooh-led into the Bedok Central parking lot. Kinda reminds me of the Hello Kitty craze which hit Singapore a couple of years back, the folks at Mickey D's certainly got more than what they bargained for when the idea of giving out Hello Kitty dolls erupted into scenes pandemonium as the crowds battled for the stupid stuffed toys. I personally know of a 36 year old acquaintance who had devoted a room of his apartment to display his prized dolls which he so patiently waited in line for.

Do check out Uniquely Singaporean 1 if you haven't already done so.

The Living Apsaras of Cambodia

2006-09-25T17:08:00.000+08:00

If you've ever been to the ruins of Angkor Wat, chances are that you'd have noticed the Apsara carvings that adorn the walls all around the temple remains. Traditional Khmer classical dancers bear more than a passing resemblence to these bas-reliefs and are often referred to as Apsara dancers, a somewhat inaccurate term but generally accepted nonetheless. The dance dates back to the Angkor period when court dancers performed in the thousands. Its long history was disrupted when in the post Angkor period, Cambodia was absorbed as a vassal state of Siam and much of its cultural identity was lost. The modern day revival of Khmer dance came about in the post WW2 period when the royal court under the auspices of then Queen of Cambodia, Kossamak Nearireath, sought to reintroduce the art form in Cambodia by reestablishing the Royal Ballet of Cambodia.

More recently, Khmer classical dance was put to a stop when Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge regime gained power in the 1970s. Thousands of dancers lost their lives in the genocide which followed and many thought that the art would be lost forever. The surviving dancers banded together after the Khmer Rouge fell from power and under the direction of HRH Princess Norodom Bopha Devi, a renowned Apsara dancer herself, brought about yet another rebirth of the dance in modern day Cambodia.

Apsara dance today lives on in the form of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia and other professional dance troupes, in Cambodia and other places around the globe. I was fortunate enough (thanks Chivan!) to be permitted to observe a practice session with the principal troupe of the Royal Ballet while in Phnom Penh and these images are from the 2 short hours which I spent with them.

The dance form is often characterised by delicate and complex hand gestures which represent various meanings or things. Great flexibility is required and the dancers will start a session off by stretching their fingers and limbs. I witnessed some of the dancers pulling their fingers far back enough to touch their forearms.

Performance costumes are far more elaborate than what is worn during rehersals.

A rather mind boggling pose, it's a real joy to watch such contorted movements performed with such grace and finesse. Do not try this at home folks.

An instructor provides guidance to a young Apsara dancer. The two ladies in the background provided the musical accompaniment which included lyrics which are sung. The lyrics describe the story of the dance and are usually accompanied by a full ensemble of gongs, xylophones and other traditional musical instruments during actual performances.

Dancers are selected at a tender young age and put through a regime of dance training as well as schooling. Many of the principal dancers have been with the Royal Ballet for 10 years or more.

After painstakingly seeking out the old dance teachers from around the country, and bringing them together to train a new generation of artistes, Princess Norodom Bopha Devi is said to almost have brought Khmer dance once again to its pre-Khmer Rouge level of skill and artistry.

A chorus line of a different sort.

At 75 and still going strong. This former dancer recounted the Khmer Rouge years where she avoided attention and possible death by practising the hand gestures of the dance as she lay in bed each night.

My time spent with the dancers of the Royal Ballet was one of the many highlights of my visit to Phnom Penh. If you're in Siem Reap in November of this year, be sure to look out for the Royal Ballet dancers as they perform at Angkor Wat during a week long festival to be held there. Ironically, as the beautfiul ruins of Angkor are increasingly overrun by tourists, we might find Apsara dance to be the real remaining untouched treasure of Cambodia left in coming years.

Barely legal - Banksy in Los Angeles

2006-09-21T18:15:00.000+08:00

Spent the last weekend trolling around Los Angeles and one of the highlights of the trip was a show by Banksy, a subversive artist specialising in witty and provocative stencils and other street art. His works are usually found plastered around major cities like London and San Francisco, this is one of the few times he's actually had a show with a collection of his artworks housed under one roof. The show was set up in total secrecy and the location of the exhibits wasn't revealed until opening day. The exhibition itself lasted only 3 days and I figured out why when I found the live elephant trotting around the makeshift living room, make that a live elephant painted like wallpaper. The installation piece spoke volumes but it bordered on illegal. Animal rights activists were up in arms when the discovery of the elephant was telecast over the news channels and tried to get the show shut down. Best that they could do was to have the paint removed and the elephant was exhibited in its natural color on the last day of the show. I was personally okay with the animal being there, it seemed pretty well taken care of, with an ample supply of carrots and water within easy reach.

A characteristic of Banksy's works is the often not too subtle hints at anti-establishment, subversion and anti-war, all portrayed in rather humorous situations. Combine that with unconventional methods of displaying his pieces (he likes slipping in his works into museums like the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Natural History Museum in London), Banksy has a strong underground following and with the mainstream media as well.

The following is but a small sampling of works from this talented guerilla artist, many more examples may be found here.

The Apache gunship looks almost cute in this scene. Banksy often uses the Apache helicopter as an anti-war icon in many of his works.

Prior to the opening of the show, Banksy managed to pull off this stunt with a similar hooded figure in Disneyland.

A very different sort of Jungle Book.

This one literally had me in stitches.

This simple piece was somehow my favorite piece of the show.

"Picnic" was purchased by Angelina Jolie after she showed up to the opening with boyfriend Brad Pitt. At £120,000 it sounds like the most expensive Banksy piece sold to date. Trust the stars to spoil the market.

Don't think you'll find this diagram in any airline safety card.

Even Mother Theresa wasn't spared!

Might want to check this video out of Banksy screwing with Paris Hilton's album.

Top of the world

2006-09-16T12:39:00.000+08:00

Wedding bliss and an aimless rant

2006-09-14T00:15:00.000+08:00

There might have been a time when I considered doing photography full time, it was a pipe dream as it turned out. I decided it was best left as a hobby to doodle with in my spare time, engaging in projects of my choosing and at the time of my choosing. Let's not get carried away here, I know which day job pays the bills!

It was a string of weddings a couple of years back which prompted me to relook my career choices. Most of my friends seem to have married later in life, and they decided to do it within months of each other. Great for photographic opportunities but a little hard on the wallet when it came time for gifts. And of course, after the 7th wedding or so, I had had enough of running around all day after the bride and groom, trying to catch every kodak moment as they presented themselves. No, way too much work for me.

My hat goes off to talented wedding photogs I know like Kelvin and Ron, who shoot almost nothing but weddings, day in day out. It's kinda easy to run out of creative inspiration after engaging the same subject repeatedly but I'm always amazed how they can constantly produce refreshing angles. It's a sign of growth and the need for expression, marks of a dedicated photographer.

So, what was the point of this post? Not sure really. I wanted to show the last wedding I shot at originally but after editing these 2 shots, I decided an aimless rant on my photographic endeavors seemed more appropriate. Sorry if I wasted your time in making you read this.

The 2 shots were taken during a studio session by the couple's photographer, I tagged along to capture what went on behind the scenes. It was a fun afternoon recording the candid moments shared by the couple, probably the first and last time I do something like this.

Street art in Szentendre

2006-09-10T11:09:00.000+08:00

A short 40 minute hop on the train from Budapest, Szentendre is a small town of art communities and museums by the banks of the Danube river. Well, that's what they would have you believe but I personally thought it was a tourist trap. Rather than exploring the many shops and galleries selling trinkets and pieces which could only marginally pass as "art", I had much more fun exploring the many works of the talented taggers which seem to have taken over the area surrounding the train station.

This last piece was obviously the work of a demented mind. The proportions of that index finger is way off. Priceless...

Lunch at The Song of India

2006-09-05T01:43:00.000+08:00

Not one to pass up on an opportunity to go Indian, I happily lugged my camera bag and hearty appetite down to The Song of India when a lunch invitation unexpectedly appeared.

Located near the heart of Orchard Road in a pre-war conservation house, its idyllic setting could make it hard to locate especially when its facade is partially hidden by a sheltered walkway and set a little distance away from the main road. The entrance to its parking lot (complimentary valet parking available) is nondescript and sports a rather small signboard hinting at the presence of a dining establishment.

Ascending its rather steep front steps, patrons are immediately transported to a small anteroom flanked by an impressive wine collection on either side. The wines have been meticulously selected and paired by a sommelier and they come in a range of prices. There's always something for every wallet.

The main dining room is decked out in understated oppulence. Roman pillars and plush cushions, alongside large windows, modern seating and elegant tables all make for a cosy yet sufficiently sophisticated setting. The restaurant has 2 private dining rooms, the smaller of which is pictured above. The larger room is decorated like a dining room found in an English manor, a little dry and boring in my opinion but the smaller room with its modern setting appealed to me.

Now, on to the grub. August 15th just so happened to be the Indian Independence Day so the first course was decked out to a national theme (in the colors of the Indian flag for the uninitiated). This is where I'm going to fail miserably as a food critic (I'm a photo blogger turned food blogger wannabee). Due to poor note taking, I have no idea what this is except it looked like 3 layers of something which tasted vaguely of coconut and tapioca that was stabbed by a sharp object and bleeding profusely. I appreciated the visual beauty of the dish but it didn't quite work with my tastebuds.

The kitchen is led by Chef Sovani, originally the head chef at Rang Mahal. 7 other chefs work under him and each specialise in food from a particular region of the vast Indian continent. One of these prepared this appetizer course consisting of Gilawnt Kebab and Saunf Wale scallop. The soft pan-seared lamb kebab done in a Lucknavi style tasted strangely like foie gras. The scallop which was marinated with fennel and cumin was a little too fragrant did not seem to work for me.

Next up was another salvo of appetizers consisting of Lasoori Jahinga (garlic prawn), Tulsi Murgh (basil chicken), and a white bean salad. The prawn was fiery and tasty, and the chicken was done just right, flavorful yet subtle. The bean salad I should've skipped as it was a little on the tough side. You can see how the chefs take great pains in the presentation of the food, fashioning what looked like a little bonsai plant out of parsley and a pastry for a trunk. All planted onto the bean salad which looked and tasted like a pot of rocks. Notice how an errant ikura roe has slid to one side, that was me and not the chefs... a food stylist I am not.

I'm a great lover of lamb and can often be swayed by the presence of a great lamb course even if the rest of the meal was mediocre. The lamb which showed up at our table next was perhaps one of the finest lamb curries I've had. Nalli Ghosht, or lamb shank in a secret Lucknavi sauce, was expertly done and presented in a crude but strangely appealing manner. The waiter took great care in balancing the three shanks and I could almost hear a sigh of relief when he finally set it on the table. I'd recommend you ask your server to cut these up for you because eating meat from the bone like you would in Soup Tulang isn't an endeavor to be taken in such elegant surroundings. The meat itself was succulent and tender. The wonderful flavors exploded with each bite and I was in food heaven. I think this dish alone made this dining experience a memorable one.

I thought a separate mention for the roti which accompanied the lamb shank was in order. Served in a rather odd manner in a shot glass, the heat from the roti created condensation in the glass and caused some bits of the roti to moisten. Not a good presentation idea but the roti itself was as good as the lamb. It contained an oddly robust meaty flavor and was a delicious accompaniment to the Nalli Ghosht.

The rest of the mains consisted of a Chettinad prawn curry, basmati rice and more roti. The prawn curry is not for the faint of heart. Prepare your senses for a very spicy experience. I was almost in tears by the time I made my way through my one and only prawn. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious as it was spicy. I was pretty amazed that the spiciness did not mask the flavors of the seasoning nor of the prawn itself.

The meal ended with a Malai kulfi on a stick and Choco Chikki torte (with a praline base), all topped with a warm cup of Masala tea. I can always appreciate a good kulfi especially after attempting to make some myself a couple of years ago. It's a fairly easy process but getting the right consistency can be rather tricky. This kulfi was good, very good. Not overly sweet as most kulfis go, but just nice.

Our party was quite charmed by the attentive service and wonderful surroundings, though all this come at a price. Mains are in the $15-$50 range, and desserts from $11. Weekday set lunches start from $28 and I think this represents fairly good value. There is a weekend champagne brunch starting soon at $89 per diner, with free flow of beverages (alcoholic and non) with your buffet spread, a great deal especially if you drink like a fish. Check them out at...

The Song of India
33 Scotts Road
Tel: 6836-0055

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

2006-08-31T14:31:00.000+08:00

The Khmer Rouge came into power in 1975 and brought with them a regime of terror, mindless executions and starvation in Cambodia. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum serves as a stark reminder to those dark days of modern Cambodian history.

Originally run as a high school called Ponhea Yat when it opened in 1962, the building was converted by the Khmer Rogue into a detention center in 1975. It was renamed Tuol Sleng which roughly translates to "mound of poisonous trees" in the Khmer language. The buildings were also collectively known as S-21 or Security Office 21. The compound consists of 5 main buildings used to house prison cells, torture rooms, administrative offices and living quarters. The graves of several dead prisoners found by the Vietnamese army when Tuol Sleng was liberated are sited in the far left corner of the image above. The Khmer Rogue executed all surviving prisoners as the Vietnamese approached Phnom Penh.

Rough estimates show about 17,000 political prisoners were interned and executed in Tuol Sleng from 1975 to 1979. A small number in comparison to the estimated 2 million who lost their lives during the short reign of the Khmer Rouge but it is often remembered for the level of brutality committed in such a concentrated space. Killing prisoners was actually discouraged in Tuol Sleng but many inevitably died from the torture and disease which was rampant in the prison. Confessions were usually exacted from prisoners under torture and they were thereafter carted off to the nearby Choeung Ek killing fields for final disposal.

Prisoners were kept in holding cells which came in a variety of sizes. Single occupants were often shackled to the cell walls and in the larger lockups, prisoners had their legs shackled together via a long steel rod pictured above. A shorter rod about 1 meter in length was used for 3 to 4 prisoners while the longer 6 meter rods were designed to hold up to 30 prisoners. The prisoners were secured to the rods on alternating sides and had to sleep with their heads in opposing directions. This example shows how these restraints were used, the picture contains a rather graphic scene. And a painting depicting the arrangement of prisoners within the holding rooms.

Prisoners from all walks of life were subjected to systematic torture within the confines of Tuol Sleng. Many were educated people, politicians, teachers, artists... men and women, young and old, none were spared. Out of the thousands which came in, there are only 7 known survivors. Prisoners were strapped onto bare metal beds and suffered many different forms of torture including beatings, electric shocks and strangulation. Many prison guards were children ranging from 10 to 15 years of age. Most started out timid but grew to enjoy the torture they exacted on the prisoners. Vann Nath was a survivor of Tuol Sleng, saved by his skills as a painter, he was tasked with recording the activities in Tuol Sleng through his paintings. His canvas showed many horrific scenes, prisoner torture, rampant infanticide, and killings. Up till recently, pools of dried blood could still be seen in the torture rooms but this has since been removed.

Immaculate records were kept of each prisoner from the time of entry till execution. Each one was photographed and detailed biographies of their lives recorded from their childhood years. These photographs are now on display, many of the mug shots show prisoners with bewildered and startled expressions. There were many infants amongst those photographed.

Up until 2002, a map of Cambodia shaped out of 300 skulls from prisoners of Tuol Sleng was displayed. Since then, the decision was made to dismantle the map and the skulls respectfully displayed in glass cabinets. This action was supported by many human rights groups as well as the Cambodian government.

My 2 hour visit to Tuol Sleng left me with a deep sense of sorrow. Even after 30 years, the horror of what took place there was still very much apparent. The buildings are left virtually unchanged from the days of the Khmer Rouge, apart from a few modifications to accomodate the exhibition displays. Buddhist monks were conducting rites in the gardens while I was there and this is apparently a common occurence as many locals still believe restless souls roam the halls and corridors of S-21. Do include a visit to Tuol Sleng if you're ever in Phnom Penh, if only to remind ourselves how far the human race has come since then and how much farther we have to go in a world where genocide is still commonplace .

It ain't so bad, being a cow

2006-08-24T21:38:00.000+08:00

Having decided to live it up during the first part of our vacation in Cambodia, the Sanguines and a small group of friends checked into Hotel de la Paix, an upscale property located within the heart of Siem Reap. Upon entering the doors of the hotel, it's like descending into a whole different world from the dirt and grime of the city streets. As part of the deal, we were treated to a spa lunch. Wasn't exactly sure what to expect when we showed up, I for one was a little apprehensive when the fixed menu appeared. First question was "where's the meat?", the wholely vegetarian spread wasn't exactly what most of us expected. I think I heard someone say they were allergic to greens.

Anyways, the deli was nearby if anything should go horribly wrong so we proceeded to sit down and steeled ourselves for whatever the sadists in the green kitchen could throw at us.

First up was this vile looking concoction with what seemed like a 200 word description in the menu which included the history and herbal properties of ginseng "stimulate the immune system; and; stimulate appetite (as well as sexual appetite)"... woohoo! I have to say, it tastes better than it looks or smells. That extra shot of vodka did the trick.

With the energizer out of the way, the beet carpaccio showed up. From a distance it really looked like slices of beef carpaccio. I'm one of the few folks who actually like beetroot, partly due to a beetroot (yes, beetroot) diet which I embarked on a couple of years back. Accompanying this purple wonder was the tomato salad, which damn, was pretty good too. I suspect that both dishes were given generous doses of olive oil, which I'm a sucker for as well.

The watermelon dessert didn't sound quite exciting when we saw it on the menu but hey, like the rest of the dishes it was quite excellent. Juicy and sweet, flavored with mint and accompanied by a scoop of mango sorbet, it was served ice cold (plate and utensils too). I didn't quite care for the organic green tea that came along with it though... perfumed with freshly plucked pears... yeah right.

We topped it off with a rather strong coffee ice cream. Wasn't part of the menu but the nearby deli had an irresistable spread of frozen delights that no human could resist after such a healthy lunch.

Katie Reider

2006-08-20T15:16:00.000+08:00

Watching Dawson's Creek over again, one episode after the other on dvd is like experiencing a smorgasboard of musical treats. Unlike many other shows, each episode features a unique soundtrack. Imagine 6 seasons, with about 20 episodes per season, and about 7 songs in each episode... that's almost 900 songs in total, detailed stats are available here.

"Just Because" lo-fi sample
Click on image
It was in season 2, episode 9 where I discovered Katie Reider. Her sensual whisper of a voice radiating with the simple guitar accompaniment on "Remember" struck me immediately. Thanks to the iTunes music store, I was able to listen and ultimately downloaded both "Remember" and "Just Because" from her acoustic album Simplicity. "Just Because" has been on repeat play ever since and I think it's on its 35th play at the moment. Thought I'd share this little gem I found, I've included a lo-fi sample of "Just Because", click on the image to listen.

The children of COSI

2006-08-19T10:46:00.000+08:00

I've been contemplating work in the missions field for a while now and apart from serving as a photographer in church, I haven't had a real go at an overseas mission trip. An earlier attempt at joining a church planting mission team to Cambodia 3 years ago ended in failure when I came down with dengue fever two weeks before leaving. Like many other churchgoers, I was initially apprehensive about serving. This was primarily due to uncertainty as to how I could contribute and whether I could devote enough time to make that contribution in an effective manner. I eventually found my calling when I picked up photography again some 3 years ago. Prior to this year, I've been focusing on work closer to home and my church but since then, the trips I made this year to Calcutta, India and Kupang, West Timor to photograph humanitarian organisations have convinced me that there are many areas in great need of help through publicity in the form of images.

The Methodist Missions Society (MMS) is the missions arm of the Methodist church in Singapore. One of its many concerns includes the Community Outreach Services-Immanuel Children's Village or COSI for short. COSI is located in the Ang Snoul district of the Kandal Province in Cambodia. It's a 45 minute drive from the center of Phnom Penh and set in the middle of a farming community.

I was presented with an opportunity to visit COSI a couple of weeks ago and decided to see what I could capture with my camera. If you feel compelled to contribute to MMS and its various causes, please visit their website or email them at mms@methodist.org.sg. MMS is currently in greater need for people to step out of their comfort zone and enter an area of service although funds would be greatly appreciated as well.

COSI is an orphanage catering to 6 to 18 year old kids. There are currently 117 residents which is close to the maximum capacity of 120 residents. It serves as a shelter and school to all the residents. A young student picks up her homework after grading by her teacher.

Classes are taught in both English and Khmer, and in various disciplines such as language, mathematics and sciences. COSI is currently understaffed and is in need of more educators and administrators. It is currently run by a full time missionary from Singapore who teaches and acts as an administrator. Under her charge are a handful of teachers and general staff, some double up as house-parents to the children.

Kids will be kids, paying attention to the photographer instead of lessons. Most of the children in COSI would not have had an opportunity at education if they had not been brought in. Many rural families are not able to afford education past a rudimentary stage and children are often required to help out in the farming work from as young as 8 years of age.

Many of the children form close bonds while in COSI. Most have lost their parents or were given up by families too poor to raise them. When COSI first opened their doors 6 years ago, there were initially more boys than girls. Cambodian families tend to prefer females as they are deemed more useful at household chores and as such tend to give up their boys instead. The ratio has somewhat equalized over the years although the orphanage still shelters a slightly higher number of boys.

In addition to classes, the children also learn about agriculture by working in a small field for an hour in the evenings.

The children help out with chores around the compound, everyone will have their turn at cleaning, cooking and washing laundry.

COSI relies entirely on public funds to operate. The monthly budget of about US$8,000 goes to food expenses, staff salaries, diesel for the electric generators, teaching supplies and a range of other needs. Though not a large sum, considering all this supports 117 residents and more than 30 staff members, there is always a need for more. Once funds and additional human resources become available, there are plans to create another orphanage and school in other provinces.

The Emmaus Women's Centre is located within the grounds of COSI and serves as a shelter for displaced women. Here they are sheltered and equipped with skills such as sewing and dressmaking so that they might be self-supporting.

Most of the boys spend their free time around the football pitch, several hours a day.

Some of the girls sharing their stories. Many are heartwrenching tales of single parents leaving their families, parents killed in accidents or suicide, abandoned by their families... the list goes on. Their tales all end on a similar note, one which speaks of the happy times spent in COSI and the prospect of looking forward to a brighter future.

Catching a ride to the padi field. Most of the kids willl spend their entire childhood within the confines of COSI though there have been some who have chosen to leave as they could not adjust to the regiment required of their stay in the orphanage.

Accomodation is basic with the boys and girls living in separate housing. The rooms are organised into "houses" with about 16 children in each house under the care of a set of house-parents. Outside the classroom, the children are under the foster care of their house-parents who often act as mentors and provide guidance and discipline when needed.

The children rely on donated toys and clothing. There's always a ready need for more. Many are deprived of toys which more fortunate children would take for granted.

In prayer during evening vesper service. It was heartwarming to watch as the children sang hymns and shared unreservedly amongst themselves.

My time spent in COSI was but a short one though it was enough to witness the abundant grace of God at work amongst the children and community of COSI. And as mentioned in the beginning of this post, there is always a call for more volunteers come forth and offer their time and services, whether full or part-time, to help out with a range of activities like teaching and maintenance. Not just in COSI but also with many of the other social concerns under the umbrella of the MMS. Again, please visit the MMS website for details and contact information if you feel that calling within yourself.

Old Market, Siem Reap

2006-08-13T21:38:00.000+08:00

A short holiday was in order and the Sanguines packed their bags and headed for Siem Reap, Cambodia. And instead of showing you the over-photographed Angkor temples, I thought of featuring some other sights of this growing city instead. The Old Market (Phsar Chas) was but a short hop from our hotel and the promise of bargains had Mrs Sanguine all excited. I of course tagged along with my trusty Canon.

Dried meats often feature in Khmer cuisine and especially popular are the many different types of dried fish. Trei ngeat can be found in salads and porridge and I found it to be more flavorful than the dried fish used in chinese cooking.

I was quite surprised to find tortoises being sold openly in the market. They are quite popular and considered a delicacy of sorts. Cambodia farms tortoises and exports them worldwide, sometimes illegally. This poor creature seems to be looking for a way out.

Yellow noodles, found in most asian markets.

I always enjoy visiting wet markets when I travel. This one especially reminded me of the times when my grandmother dragged me off to Joo Chiat Market when I was a kid. Grimy floors, dark interior, vegetables laid out all over the floor, flies, blood... it was almost like being a child once again.

More images from our Cambodian trip to come when I get around to editing them. Still in a holiday mood...

A vadai with your meal?

2006-08-03T21:40:00.000+08:00

Lunch today was at Annalakshmi Janatha, one of my all time favorite indian vegetarian restaurants which recently moved to its new premises on Amoy Street. I was there getting shots for a project I'm working on and decided to get down and dirty with the grub... how to pass on a fine meal after savouring the sights through the viewfinder eh?

And out of sheer coincidence, a blogosphere acquaintance popped into the restaurant for a lunch meeting. She was subsequently roped in to become my unwilling restaurant patron model. The picture shows her attacking the buffet line for the 4th time. Careful, those vertical stripes will accentuate undesired body parts.

Uniquely Singaporean 1

2006-08-02T22:05:00.000+08:00

Uniquely Singapore, a tagline coined by the Singapore Tourism Board to promote this island state as a travel destination.

The image above probably isn't one you'll typically find associated with tourism but it sure is a habit unique to some Singaporeans, as far as I can tell. It involves sticking a Vicks Vapor Inhaler up one's nose for a prolonged period of time in full view of everyone else, a menthol high if you will. I've always been of the opinion that if it's something to do with your nose, do it in private.

Memories of Bali

2006-07-31T20:26:00.000+08:00

From a fairly recent escape to the Land of the Gods...

Dismembered kitten

2006-07-27T00:42:00.000+08:00

A kitten was found cut into pieces at Sims Drive earlier yesterday. Whoever did this should put behind bars for a very long time. Picture here, but it's pretty graphic, be warned. Any leads? Approach the SPCA or the cops.

JuGs

2006-07-26T23:01:00.000+08:00

Earlier this evening at KM8.

Love at first pose

2006-07-25T19:02:00.000+08:00

I was at Changi beach late last year when I chanced upon a scene which became utterly ridiculous as it unfolded before me. If memory serves me right, there was a story which broke in the papers about a couple tying the knot, nothing terribly unusual except the groom was in his mid 20s while the bride was fast reaching 80.

It so happened the very same couple were at the beach when I was there. They were accompanied by a reporter and photographer from The New Paper, a local tabloid. They were there to do a photo shoot, and a romantic one from the looks of it. Both the cameraman and reporter were coaxing the shy couple into uncomfortable poses... a loving peck on the cheek, holding hands while wading through the water, pushing a bicycle along the beach, and finally lock lips in a passionate embrace.

I'm appalled at the lengths newspapers go to sensationalize a story. It's not enough that the age difference factor was being exploited but no, they had to make them look like a teenage couple in heat. How often do you see a Makcik (Auntie) in a tudong (headscarf) fold up her dress and wade through knee deep water, hand in hand with her lover?

I wish I had more pictures to show but I was too overcome with disgust to capture more shots. I stopped photographing after the couple was made to touch lips shortly after the picture below was taken.

The pictures eventually made the spread on The New Paper a couple of days later. I don't know if the unfortunate couple has regained their dignity since.

Ballet under the stars

2006-07-23T23:50:00.000+08:00

Singapore Dance Theatre's Ballet Under the Stars was tonight's excuse for an evening of wine and home-cooked goodies with the pals.

The girls went a little overboard with the food, bringing too much of everything - hotdogs, pasta, potato salad, dip and desserts – and the lithe bodies of the prancing dancers on stage did little to stem our gorging. There's a little Martha Stewart in them all, but V displayed the true flair of an Asian domestic goddess when she whipped out her 1-litre pump bottle of hand sanitiser.

This latest instalment of the company's outdoor dance event features New Choreographic Works as it's theme, and we thought the cast did an excellent job. Even the little kids stopped their copycat twirling to watch.

Dying Swan, choreographed by Thierry Malandain, was our favourite dance. Ballerinas Zhou Lin and Sakura Shimizu, playing the second and third swans, made the strongest impression on Mrs Sanguine and I. They were a study in power and grace.

This latest ballet by the Lion City troupe is more than an excuse to go out picnicking. There will be three more performances from July 28 to 30 and if they dance then as well as they did tonight, they'll make every bit of your S$18 ticket money well spent.

Thoughts for the day

2006-07-17T22:03:00.000+08:00

An afternoon delight

2006-07-15T22:31:00.000+08:00

Mr Sanguine likes nothing better than spending a lazy afternoon with friends and today was one such day.

My buddy M celebrated his birthday today and his wife got cupcakes from C-CUP as a birthday cake. I thought it was a pretty cool idea to have your name spelt out like that. The anagram freak in me started working on all the possible rearrangements as the cakes were being laid out but alas, they were being gobbled too quickly for me to come up with something.

Another friend D who has a nose for sniffing out new finds found this interesting pastry shop situated, of all places, on the third floor of Katong Mall (it's like the Twilight Zone from the second floor up). I was rather thrilled by the prospect of munching on that pink macaroon, and it tasted like heaven. That little tart with a mini-macaroon party going on was pretty darn yummy too. I particularly liked the delicate and interesting designs. One doesn't often find such type of french pastries here in Singapore, much less in Katong. Delectable delights were baked by Gobi.

Parties with this musically gifted lot of friends usually end in song, today was no different.

Aviation Photos 6

2006-07-11T19:53:00.000+08:00

Continued from Aviation Photos 5.

Today's theme is... pictures of airplanes facing to my left.

Newark, New Jersey
A lot of folks ask if I snapped this shot while the airplane was in the air. If that were true, I'd have been hanging onto the rear of its engine while the airplane cruised at 35,000ft and this blog would not be in existence.

Fryeburg, Maine
Oftentimes, while on vacation, I like to pop by small regional airfields to see what sort of stuff I can find. The owl perched on top of this Grumman Tiger's prop caught my eye.

Chino, California
An old DC-3 painted in the livery of Pacific Southwest sits derelict on the ramp of Chino Airport. I love these classic transports.

Los Angeles, California
Wish I could've traded places with the photographer at the white car you see at the edge of the runway. Chose the right spot where this heavy Eva Air B747-400 chose to rotate on its long haul towards Taipei.

More to come.

Clear your cupboards for a worthy cause

2006-06-30T11:00:00.000+08:00

A friend of mine is appealing for some items for the orphanage he runs in Kupang, West Timor. I last visited him in March where I spent a couple of days photographing the kids. He's NOT looking for financial contributions but would like to get supplies like toys, diapers, clothing and other essentials. If you think you can help, please click the image for more details.

Every little bit helps.

Kung Fu Kids

2006-06-26T12:15:00.000+08:00

I had as much fun as the kids during this shoot at a martial arts studio which runs classes for children up to the early teens. Nothing like a bit of rumble and tumble to toughen your kids up. The hour passed by so quickly and no one wanted to leave when time was up, myself included.

Warming up in a group exercise.

This 11 year old wushu wonder was one of the assistant instructors. He had moves I wouldn't want to mess with.

The head instructor certainly looked the part of a Shaolin master.

The kids are taught a variety of techniques during weapons class.

The I'll-Kick-Your-Crouching-Tiger-Ass stance.

Bruce Lee wannabee.

Don Quixote

2006-06-22T21:55:00.000+08:00

My knockoff of Picasso's Don Quixote. The poster print had been hanging in the outside bathroom for quite a while and mildew was starting to show. Hope my homemade replacement lasts a bit longer.

Father's Day with Hard Gay

2006-06-21T15:18:00.000+08:00

Hard Gay aka Razor Ramon is a comedian who terrorizes the Japanese public with his hip thrusts and slapstick humor. He ambushes unwary passerbys in his skimpy leather outfit, often with hilarious results. There aren't many English subtitled episodes floating around but I found this one, particularly apt since it has a Father's Day theme to it.

Hooooo!!!!!

Scenes from the Yorkshire Dales

2006-06-19T00:02:00.000+08:00

A couple of images from my recent trip to the Yorkshire Dales. Spent 2 weeks in UK back in April and had driven up for a weekend in the Peak District and the Dales.

Plopped ourselves at the West Winds tea room bed and breakfast inn. Charming little place that served some of the best cakes, pastries and jams that we had during the trip.

This little bird feeder kept me and the camera busy for 15 mins.

The sheep here seem pretty bold and actually came up to us. Quite unlike the ones we encountered in New Zealand who wanted nothing to do with humans. Wish I could upload all the bah-ing that was going on, it was a surreal chorus of almost human-like calls. Sheep are strange creatures.

An unforgettable breakfast at the West Winds. The plum jam (or "ploom" jam as the Yorkshire accent says it) you see in the background was made by the innkeeper and it was just out of this world. Try as I may, I couldn't procure any to bring back... sigh.

A hearty English breakfast. We must have lingered over the breakfast table for almost an hour and a half

More pics to come, when I get my lazy ass around to putting them up.

Sleep on it

2006-06-15T12:34:00.000+08:00

Isn't that the loveliest trachea you've seen today? I'm really surprised at how a simple visit to the ENT consultant can really add up these days. My wallet was hit with a $280 bill today, and all for a quick 10 minute consultation and an uncomfortable 5 minute nose probe (souvenier pics included). The sleep study I have to participate in the coming weeks is going to dock me another $1250! And that's just for one overnight stay in the hospital, and I ain't expecting the Four Seasons either! I foresee a couple more consultations after that and whatever sleep aids prescribed will add to the ever growing bill.

It's kinda ironic that I went in to explore a sleep problem I'm having... and I'm going to lose more sleep over the mounting bills. Sigh.

And then there were 16...

2006-06-10T22:02:00.000+08:00

Here's a recent panoramic shot I took for a book I'm working on. Cool huh? Especially since there were only 7 actual persons seated at the round table.

Ling the Filmmaker

2006-06-02T16:53:00.000+08:00

My friend Ling has always been the nature nazi of our group. She's a talented filmmaker trapped in the body of a lawyer. She lives below the ocean's surface half the time and spends the other half zipping through the hills at breakneck speed on her mountain bike.

Ling recently put up 2 of her award winning short flicks on her blog and I thought it appropriate to repost them here. One sometimes doesn't realise that there is a wealth of undersea life just off the coast of Singapore that is in danger from the ever increasing threat of land reclamation and development. The first film shows scenes that most Singaporeans aren't even aware of and the footage was mainly shot off Pulau Ubin. The second flick was footage from Manado and Pulau Tioman. Enjoy the films, they show rare marine life and are painstakingly put together by a dedicated conservationist.

Month of Photography Exhibition

2006-06-02T14:01:00.000+08:00

I do have to apologise for neglecting the blog for so long. It's inexcusable but I am having a very busy month with loads of exciting things going on in my life. The past few weeks have been consumed by preparations for an upcoming exhibition of my images from the Calcutta Rescue photo documentary. It's been an eye opening experience working on my first solo exhibition, being involved in the entire preparation and execution process has been a challenging but rewarding experience. Been learning a great deal about what it takes to set up a show. We'll see how it goes through as it only opens next week when Month of Photography '06 kicks off. If you'll like to visit, click on the MoP graphic for more information. I'm showing under the Out of Focus segment.

I hope to be more regular with the updates on the blog once this period is over. Still got the pictures from my European trip in April to put up, even the wife hasn't seen them!

On the road to Manchester

2006-05-10T16:38:00.000+08:00

From my recent trip to the UK. This is perhaps the most masculine of road signs in the whole of England.

Mr Sanguine is Out

2006-04-18T22:41:00.000+08:00

Mr Sanguine's Home will be closed till the end of April as he and Mrs Sanguine are away on vacation. Cold and blustery winds in London last week and now going through a wet spell in Budapest. Thank god the Danube didn't blow its banks here like it did in Bulgaria and Romania.

Lots of holidays pics to share, stay tuned!

Brad Drops In For a Visit

2006-04-12T16:27:00.000+08:00

Stupid stunts I get into when I find a free afternoon without anything else to do.

Calcutta Rescue - Panoramas

2006-04-04T17:35:00.000+08:00

Just got this roll of film back from the lab. Scenes from Calcutta Rescue in panoramics.

Boy at window.

Reluctant patient.

Slum children.

Waiting in line.

Medicating.

School's out.

Doctor at work.

Administrator, Calcutta Rescue.

Slum children.

Way of the Sushi-ya

2006-04-03T11:40:00.000+08:00

Learn everything about sushi and the way of the sushi-ya in this short video.

Roslin Orphanage - Part 2

2006-04-01T16:31:00.000+08:00

This post is a continuation from Roslin Orphanage Part 1. Not in the mood to write a lot so enjoy the images.

The group of students performed several community service tasks, one of which was to pave the home of this family with cement. Most villagers residing in this area of Kupang live in very sparse wooden homes with dirt floors and no plumbing whatsoever.

Hand carrying 40kg bags of cement and dirt was no easy task, especially when there were many bags to be brought back and forth.

There's a first time for everything. Here everyone learnt how to mix cement, measure floor heights and finally lay a smooth layer on the ground. By the second home, everyone was an old hand at this.

A family of 8 live in this 2 room home.

Peanuts are commonly grown on privately owned land plots and the harvest is usually enough to meet the needs of the growers. Whatever little excess is often sold at the markets in exchange for other essentials like kerosene and cooking oil.

Boys will be boys.

The group attended several "cultural exchange" meetings where the locals had an opportunity to interact with the young Singaporeans. At this particular meeting in a Catholic Church, things turned into a Dating Game type show when more and more personal questions were thrown at the group. Admirers were ready with their phone cameras to click away at whoever they fancied.

Not content with only pictures, email addresses and other contacts were exchanged. Some became instant celebrities when their fans surrounded them like they were rock stars.

M was particularly popular, with both the guys and gals.

I've always enjoyed taking pictures of kids, especially when they're at play, without a care in the world. Here a bunch commandeers a cart for a joyride.

There were lots of opportunities for interaction with local children. The group taught them new games and engaged in song sessions.

Hostel staff at play in the rain.

Pak Budi and his wife Ibu Peggy kept us all well fed.

Never knew avacadoes were grown in this region. These were delicious!

On the way to Soe, a mountain retreat about 3 hours from Kupang.

The students made the local news after their "cultural exchange" meeting at the Catholic church!

How to assemble the A380 in 7 minutes

2006-03-23T21:23:00.000+08:00

Click Me!

An interesting insight into how various oversized parts of the world's largest airliner are brought together from many different countries and assembled in Toulouse, France. The logistical task of transporting the major stuctures of the airplane is just as daunting as developing something on this scale.

Roslin Orphanage - Part 1

2006-03-23T20:46:00.000+08:00

Buoyed by the high I got from my recent photodocumentary trip to Calcutta Rescue, I embarked on a short stint to Kupang, West Timor last week at the invitation of a friend. Pak Budi and his wife Peggy run the Roslin Orphanage which is situated in the outskirts of Kupang. They were hosting a visit by a number of young Singaporean adults who were spending 2 weeks performing community work in and around the Kupang area.

The group was comprised mostly of polytechnic and university students, while others were just starting out on their careers. I had originally thought it might be interesting to observe how a group of pampered Singaporean youths adapt themselves in an environment that was lacking in many of the basic conveniences they were used to but was pleasantly surprised to learn that most have been on such trips to places like India and Cambodia in the past and their expectations were quite realistic.

I'll be breaking this post into 2 parts, the first of which will focus on life at the orphanage and the second will be a short photodocumentary of the student group as they work in their new surroundings.

Starting the day off with a bath and a fresh set of clothing.

This little one followed me around before asking for a photo of herself.

Breakfast time.

The children aren't put up for adoption as Budi and Peggy adopt a holistic approach to their upbringing, preferring to perform the role of foster parents to all their young charges. They firmly believe in instilling a set of sound values in the lives of the children and that's why they tend to take in kids only at an early age.

The children are given a proper education to at least a secondary level and the more promising charges are given a shot at tertiary schooling.

Given the environment that the kids are in, they tend to exhibit early signs of independence. Many are able to feed themselves from the time they're under 2 years old. Most would have been toilet trained by this age too, diapers have no place here.

The orphanage is entirely self funded by Budi's salary from working in Singapore and through some personal donations. They receive no government concessions.

The Roslin Orphanage is just one of the many projects which Budi and Peggy are managing. In addition, they provide a mobile library service, employment opportunities to the locals in their stores and farms, running a college which provides technical education and a whole host of other community activities too vast to mention.

Lip Sync Idols

2006-03-22T09:05:00.000+08:00

Ever since Gary Brolsma burst on the scene with his lip sync video of the Numa Numa Dance, a whole host of copycats have started churning out their own webcam videos.

Google recently started their own brand of American Idol in the form of Google Idol, featuring these new wannabees and their often funny creations.

Two particularly hilarious ones are Pomme & Kelly (who says the Dutch don't have a sense of humor) and The Back Dormitory Boys from Guangzhou and their endless stream of songs from the Backstreet Boys. Their rendition of I Want It That Way had me in stitches.

I've been putting off on getting a webcam for the longest time, maybe it's time for me to take my rightful place in the lip sync world. I could probably dance like the way those guys lip sync... hmmm, a dance sync video? Mrs Sanguine wouldn't know where to bury her head.

Afternoon Delight

2006-03-13T16:11:00.000+08:00

Got an unexpected treat at The Line in Shangrila this afternoon. I couldn't help but share this pic of my dessert.

Morningside Walk

2006-03-11T14:35:00.000+08:00

The warm weather this morning was a stark change from the last 2 days here in Manhattan so I took the opportunity to do a long walk. Took the subway to 116th Street and made my way from Morningside, to Harlem, through Central Park and finally back in Midtown. All in all, it took 4 hours and a bit. Some of the sights my camera captured while in Morningside.

Certainly one of the most imposing structures in this area is the Riverside Church. Construction of the church began in 1927 and it was styled after a gothic cathedral in Chartres, France. The church tower stands 392 ft tall or 24 storeys high and contains 74 bells ranging from 10 to 40,000 lbs.

Many famous historical figures have spoken from the pulpit of Riverside, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela.

Looking back towards the entrance of the cathedral.

Low Library, Columbia University. The building last functioned as a library in 1934 but still retains the name of then president, Seth Low.

A nanny with her young charges. She's going to have a tough time with the undulating terrain in Morningside with that load in her cart.

A curious canine peeking out of a sidewalk window.

Loofing Around

2006-03-10T22:05:00.000+08:00

Drinks at Loof on Tues night. I love the huge signboard hanging over the rooftop bar, too bad not all the light tubes were turned on that night.

hi! monkey

2006-03-10T00:14:00.000+08:00

Click Me!

Click Me!

I came across this gem of a website quite a while back and it seems to have grown tenfold. If you've ever wondered what life is like as a terry cloth monkey, go check out hi! monkey, it's filled with whimsical humor of everyday life... and Monkey is a great cook with wonderful recipes too.

Aviation Photos 5

2006-03-09T19:16:00.000+08:00

Continued from Aviation Photos 4

Airlines often apply special liveries on their aircraft from time to time as a means of promotion of an event or attraction. The images today are examples of some of these liveries. Aviation spotters and photographers tend to search these "specials" out as they are usually temporary and make great additions to their image library or sighting log (yes, diehard spotters keep logs).

Los Angeles, California
This Boeing 747-400 from Air Pacific in Fiji is known as "Island of Viti Levu" and bears images of two famous resort islands on her fuselage.

Los Angeles, California
Each side of the fuselage is adorned with a different image. Incidentally, this particular airplane belongs to Singapore Airlines and has been on a dry lease to Air Pacific since 2003.

Los Angeles, California
This bright baby blue Boeing 737-400 is "The Spirit of Disneyland" belonging to Alaska Airlines. The aircraft was painted back in 2002 when major marketing initiatives were formed between Alaska Airlines and the Disneyland Resort.

Los Angeles, California
Air New Zealand took advantage of popularity generated by the Lord of the Rings trilogy and painted several of their aircraft as "specials". Commonly known as the "Frodo Aircraft", this particular Boeing 747-400 has the image of Frodo and Sam Gamgee set against a backdrop of a map depicting the Shire and Hobbiton. The special decal consisted of 240 different individual pieces which were applied by hand over an area of 600 square meters.

More images in Aviation Photos 6.

Burger Round 1

2006-03-05T20:20:00.000+08:00

Inspired by Chubby Hubby's Cheeseburger Experiment, Mr and Mrs Sanguine just had to have a cheeseburger for dinner. Our attempt was not too shabby, though the Buerli Bun from Swiss Bake was not the best choice. It was a little hard for our taste, even with a bit of toasting on the grill. The patty was a mix of ground beef and italian sausage, flavored with hot cayenne pepper sauce, chopped onions, mustard powder, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and held together with an egg mixture. Condiments included more hot sauce, japanese mayo, fried onions, letteuce, cucumber tomatoes, and a slice of melted american cheddar.

It all turned out to be a delicious mess, wolfed down in less than 10 minutes and washed down with cheap wine and a Heineken. The grapes and sugar prunes went surprisingly well with the mass of meat. I think it was our first home cooked meal (not counting parties we've cooked for) in months. Looking to perfect the cheeseburger in the months to come, hopefully.

Food that tastes as good as it looks

2006-03-04T23:58:00.000+08:00

Went out with friends for a lunch at Ristorante Da Valentino today, I'd heard about this Italian restaurant nestled among the homes off Rifle Range Road but had yet to check it out till today. I'll let the pictures do the talking. Attentive service, great food, and wonderful ambience, I give it a big thumbs up.

Even the darn bread roll was great. Warm firm crust with a melt in your mouth center. Accompanied with a spicy pesto which hints at the amount of garlic to come in the main courses.

Simply called Salad of the Day, and boy, what a salad it was. Fresh tomatoes, rucola, roasted artichokes, eggplant and pepper tossed in a light balsamic dressing. Topped off with delicate slivers of fried Calamari and parmesan. Simple and totally yummilicious.

The Beef Carpaccio was one of the bestest I've had, not that I've had that many anyways. How do they get the slices of beef so thin?

Pasta Nero, cooked a little unusually in a cream sauce with chunks of crabmeat. But hey, no complains from me, it rocks my boat.

Some pasta thingy, was a little bland but with a bit of improvising (emptied half a glass of wine into it, out of sight of the head chef who was trolling the dining room) and hey presto!

Wow whee! I absolutely loved the egg bit. It's not often you find a pizza done this way around these parts. Best Pizza Bismarck I've had since my last visit to Italy a couple of years back.

Hand picked by Mrs Sanguine, this white washed everything down with class. Mr Sanguine isn't much of a wine guru, nor a food guru for that matter. You can probably tell from his highly untechnical description of his lunch.

Singapore Ga Ga

2006-03-03T10:06:00.000+08:00

"Singapore GaGa is a 55-minute paean to the quirkiness of the Singaporean aural landscape. It reveals Singapore's past and present with a delight and humour that makes it a necessary film for all Singaporeans. We hear buskers, street vendors, school cheerleaders sing hymns to themselves and to their communities. From these vocabularies (including Arabic, Latin, Hainanese), a sense of what it might mean to be a modern Singaporean emerges. This is Singapore's first documentary to have a cinema release."

- Excerpt from Singaporegaga.com

Check it out, support a local talent. I know I will, come March 29.

Runnin' out of time

2006-03-02T23:11:00.000+08:00

Chinatown, Singapore

Dodge Spam with Dodgeit

2006-02-27T07:16:00.000+08:00

Ever wanted a temporary email account to avoid spam when you're signing up for a service? I just found an excellent easy to use service which does just that. Check it out at Dodgeit.com. No set ups, no passwords, no hasssles.

Of Feathers and Antlers...

2006-02-26T10:55:00.000+08:00

The many weekend anglers at Jamaica Bay, New York pose a hazard to wildlife in the area. This fishing tackle snagged an unintended victim when it went for the bait. Seabird hookings are common occurences and often result in entanglement deaths should the line or hook not be removed immediately.

Shot at an African safari? I think not, this one was at the Singapore Zoo giving me the What-You-Looking-At look.

Snagged!

2006-02-24T09:33:00.000+08:00

I made this image of a spider devouring its mosquito prey while out on a romp around the airport.

Aviation Photos 4

2006-02-23T22:30:00.000+08:00

Continued from Aviation Photos 3

Bali, Indonesia
Evening departure out of Bali Nghurah International Airport.

Chino, California
At the annual RC Jet Fly In. This trophy winning RC jet looks almost life size in this pic but is actually only about 1.5 meters long. Seen here taxying out onto the active runway for takeoff.

Bangkok, Thailand
Vietnam Air Airbus A320 arriving in Bangkok while a Bangkok Airways Boeing 717 departs.

Singapore
A Swiss Airbus A340 comes to a halt with its engine thrust reversers fully deployed.

More images featuring special liveries are available at Aviation Photos 5.

Problem with Thumbnails

2006-02-22T23:40:00.000+08:00

It's just been brought to my attention that the thumbnails on my blog are not displaying correctly on PC platforms running Internet Explorer. The way the thumbnails are resized causes the images to be rather jagged. The full size pics display correctly when clicked. The thumbnails show up correctly in Macs and anything else not running IE.

Until such time I can go back and correct all my previous posts, the current thumbnails will have to stay. Will be mindful in my future postings and I'll be creating thumbnails through another more tedious but effective method. Unless you readers want to help me out by switching to a Mac. :)

How Does It All Fit Together

2006-02-22T12:23:00.000+08:00

Sash bears another side of herself with this moving entry in her blog.

"I never told you because I just wanted the few times we had together to be happy and free of these banal little irritations. I just assumed things would get better with time. I never told you because I needed to preserve my dignity. I was a strong, confident woman who didn't need anyone else in her life, who had a string of people who loved to spend time with her, who went through men like water. Why was I being over-sensitive and needy and pathetic like this? Absolutely out of character. I had to disown that part of myself."

Read it here.

Poetry in Motion - The Airbus A380

2006-02-21T15:50:00.000+08:00

This is my virgin sighting of the new Airbus A380 as it waltzed around at low level during Asian Aerospace 2006 today. The show organisers have no regard for photographers as they chose to schedule the flying displays at the worst possible time of day, high noon. The sun angle is way too high, casting unwanted shadows and not lighting up the subjects properly. I do apologise for the quality of the shots but I thought this particular subject was special enough to be shown, regardless of the lighting conditions I had to work with. So, I present the one and only opportunity you'd be able to see an aircraft in Singapore Airlines livery doing low level aerobatics.

After a lively takeoff roll and rotation off Runway 02C, the aircraft banked to the left towards show center. It left its landing gear down as it passed the showline and began its retraction process then. That's a lot of wheels on this big fella, 22 of them to be exact.

In a right turn, pulling away from show center. The agility of this massive airplane is impressive, especially at such slow speeds and low altitude. The pilots put up a fancy show.

Coming for its final pass overhead show center. The A380 seemed to take up the entire bit of sky over the show grounds. Amazing...

During its 10 min routine, the aircraft entered a series of steep turns, with bank angles of 60 degrees or more. Following up with rapid climbs and descents. Its size belies its excellent maneuverability and the crowds were thoroughly impressed, I know I was.

A final glimpse of the giant before it leaves the show grounds. Singapore Airlines will be the launch customer of this airplane when it takes delivery of the first aircraft in Nov 2006. This particular display aircraft was specially painted in the airline livery for Asian Aerospace only.

Hitched the KL Way

2006-02-20T16:42:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since I've been to a wedding, and so it was with eager anticipation that I drove up to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday to attend the wedding of a colleague. Now this was my first ever Malaysian wedding and I was curious to see if there were any differences from the rather sedate affairs I'm used to in Singapore. My observations...

Wedding guests dress better on the whole, especially the women

Guests actually arrive on time

Everyone is less inhibited and willing to make a fool of themselves

The father of the bride is pictured above belting out a string of evergreens on the Electone. Apparently he decided to play for most of the night, most of the songs unrecognisable to me as they sounded the same after the second one. The ipod came in handy.

Dinner conversation at my table, I didn't know half the folks, centered on which female guest is engaged and to whom, which young lady was single and available and which female preferred other females. This sort of talk went on for hours.

All in all, it was quite a fun affair. Looking forward to my next one... whenever that might be as Mr Sanguine has hardly any single friends or acquaintances remaining.

OS X Trojan!

2006-02-17T17:29:00.000+08:00

Are the virus free days of the Mac OS X coming to an end? The first ever Trojan written for the Mac has just been discovered and it's causing a great deal of concern in the virus-free-up-till-now Mac world.

Whatever you Mac users do, don't open any file with the filename "latestpics.tgz". I can't imagine installing a virus scan on my platform, the thought is just unfathomable.

It rolls in the family

2006-02-17T17:17:00.000+08:00

Taken during a recent evening walk around my home.

Aviation Photos 3

2006-02-17T15:59:00.000+08:00

This is a continuation from Aviation Photos 2.

In the Air, Sea of Japan
With the sun just peeking over the horizon, this Airbus A340-500 makes its long trek from Los Angeles to Singapore, a journey in excess of 18 hours. Singapore Airlines pioneered commercial ultra long haul routes with the launch of the Los Angeles service in 2004. Its other direct destination is Newark which currently holds the record for the world's longest scheduled commercial flight.

Los Angeles, California
Approach end of Runway 25L in Los Angeles International.

Chino, California
An old North American T-28 Trojan undergoing restoration at a workshop in Chino Airport.

In the Air, North Atlantic
Pilotless cockpit in flight, crack of dawn over the North Atlantic.

More pics found over at Aviation Photos 4.

Where is the Love?

2006-02-16T20:17:00.000+08:00

Paralleling the US move to rename "French Fries" to "Freedom Fries", the Iranians have deemed it necessary to do the same to Danish Pastries sold in Iran. All this because of a bunch of stupid, ignorant, insensitive cartoons and an unrelenting Danish government. Where is the love folks?

Kenny Sia - Folliclely Challenged

2006-02-16T13:26:00.000+08:00

Kenny Sia of kennysia.com discovers his 24 year old head is losing a couple of strands.

Click Me!

(Unauthorised manipulation of Kenny's image by me. Will be glad to remove the image or reapply his hair if he asks)

Of Geysers and Calderas

2006-02-16T11:19:00.000+08:00

I'm in the midst of reading A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. The chapter discussing geology and volcanic activity was particularly interesting.

Have you ever wondered why Yellowstone National Park has so many active geysers and hot springs? That's because it's sitting on an enormous bed of molten rock about 200km deep and 72km across, roughly the same dimensions of the park itself. A supervolcano if you will. Apparently this has been known for a while but it wasn't till the 1960s when scientists began to wonder where the valcano's caldera was. Volcanoes possess two forms of caldera, the readily identifiable conical peak of Mt. Fuji is one, and the other lesser known type formed by a massive explosive rupture. Yellowstone is of the latter type.

A NASA experiment with high altitude photography of the park finally yielded some clues as to where the caldera might be. The scientists, to their horror, discovered the reason why they had been unable to find it. The park was in fact the Yellowstone caldera, nearly all 9000 square kilometers of it. The crater was found to be almost 65km wide!

Measurements have concluded that Yellowstone blows once every 600,000 years or so. The last known eruption was 630,000 years ago and it appears that the supervolcano is due for another big spurt anytime. Considering the last eruption was thought to be 1,000 times the strength of the somewhat recent eruption of Mount St Helens, imagine what an eruption in this present day would do to the Earth and its inhabitants.

Mammoth Terraces, Yellowstone National Park
by Ron Niebrugge

I never knew all this when I was at Yellowstone several years ago. It's hard to imagine that beneath its idyllic surroundings lies a time bomb ready to annihilate humankind. It's a very sobering thought and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it after reading the chapter in the book several weeks back.

The book is a fascinating and fun read even if you don't have a yearning for the sciences. If anyone wants to borrow my copy after I'm done with it, drop me an email.

Mobile Phone Fraud

2006-02-14T12:59:00.000+08:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know of a mobile phone scam that's been going round lately in Singapore. If you're a M1 or Singtel subscriber, there might have been recent charges to your account which may have been faked.

Subscribers who have received SMS greetings over the recent Chinese New Year period from the short number 77330 will have been charged $1 per greeting. The service is from a company called mTouche, and the charge would have been levied even if you've not subscribed to their greeting service. mTouche has been fined by IDA in the past for the same offence but they seem to be doing it again.

Do check your recent statements carefully. So far it seems only M1 and Singtel customers are experiencing this problem but subscribers to other networks should review their statements just to make sure.

The best thing you can do if you've received these extra charges is to send a complain to IDA at info@ida.gov.sg. Don't bother calling mTouche as they've disconnected their phone lines as of this morning. The telcos are also claiming they are unable to do anything about charges levied by a third party.

Aviation Photos 2

2006-02-11T09:59:00.000+08:00

This is a continuation from Aviation Photos 1.

Bali, Indonesia
Wholly owned by Qantas, Australian Airlines provides a level of service a cut above its larger parent. Plying mainly to holiday destinations in Asia, the airline is known for its friendly and prompt cabin service even though it operates as a low cost arm to Qantas. This Boeing B767-300 is lining up for an evening departure out of Bali. I love how the orange livery glows in the low setting sun.

Frankfurt, Germany
A ightly loaded Airbus A330-200 in early rotation for a short european hop.

Singapore
I snapped this during Asian Aerospace 2004 as an entry to a photo competition which was running during the airshow. I figured that as the contest was being judged by the aviation-unsavvy editors of the Straits Times that I'd just try to include some human subjects they'd be able to relate to. I titled this Bald Eagle but I think the irony was lost upon the judges (and I suspect some of you too). Nonetheless it managed to clinch the 3rd prize (along with publicity in a full page article in ST!), not bad for my first ever competition eh?

Los Angeles, California
The little bizjets also use Los Angeles International as a base, along with the big guys.

In the Air, South China Sea
This is the auto pilot panel, it functions as the interface between the pilot and his machine. Turns, descend, and climb commands can be initiated from this panel. You'd have to push the right buttons of course. The airplane is currently maintaining an altitude of 32,000 feet and Auto Pilot 2 (there are 2 on this aircraft) is doing the work. Navigation work is currently performed by an on board computer which is flying a pre-programmed route.

More photos found in Aviation Photos 3.

noitulovE

2006-02-10T10:48:00.000+08:00

Click Me!

This catchy television ad by Guiness won the Epica 2005 award for film production. noitulovE (Evolution) was produced by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, London. Check it out.

Aviation Photos 1

2006-02-09T00:25:00.000+08:00

For those who know me, you'd know that my journey into photography began some 20 years ago when my dad gave me my first Nikon. With that camera, I found a marriage of sorts when I merged my love for all things aviation with photography. I used to spend countless hours at Changi Airport as a teenager, hanging out by the fenceline to catch the metal birds on film as they came and went. All the time dodging the airport cops who patrolled the perimeter roads. That seems like a real long time ago and it's not something I do regularly now though I still engage in aviation photography from time to time, usually on my constant travels.

I thought it appropriate to start a series of posts of aviation images I've captured over the years. My rate of shooting did increase a whole lot when I picked up my first digital SLR some years back so you'd see more of those featured. Been too lazy to scan my old negatives but there are some gems in there, I think.

Los Angeles, California
This image of a Southwest Boeing 737-700 was made towards the end of a long day. Parts of the evening sky was lit up by dramatic light from the setting sun. I zoomed into one bit of the sky and waited for the airplane to float into view as it made its approach to the runway. It's not often I get to shoot in light like this, it's a photographer's wet dream come true.

Los Angeles, California
Well, it's a bird but not a metal one. I shoot on and off at Los Angeles International at times and this image was captured while hanging around at one of my usual spots around the airport. During a lull in aircraft movement, I was taking a series of shots of the gull as it was fluttering around me. This must have been the 4th shot in the series when it suddenly flew in front of a huge Chevrolet billboard. With a bit of creative cropping I managed to achieve the desired effect. Many folks who have seen this shot often ask me how I managed to shoot from such a low angle and where this field is located.

Bali, Indonesia
Garuda Airbus A330-300 on short finals into Bali's Nghurah Rai Airport. Bali is special to me, not just for the warmth and friendliness of its people, but also because of its beautiful scenery and laid back sensation I experience everytime I'm there. The airport is wonderful for photography with its runway stretched out into the sea, a photographer can get some pretty dramatic looking scenes there.

Mojave Desert, California
Spaceship One made aviation history on June 21, 2004 when it became the first manned flight of a private spacecraft to break out of the Earth's atmosphere (an altitude of 62 miles). This image shows Spaceship One slung underneath its mothership White Knight as it barrels down the runway for the historic launch.

Los Angeles, California
The park by the In n Out hamburger joint near Los Angeles International is a favorite hangout for aviation enthusiasts. One can get pretty up close and personal with jets arriving from the westerly approach to the airport. The big guy on the right is watching another big fella on short finals.

That's it for now, I'll be posting more over the coming months.

More photos in Aviation Photos 2

I'm rich!

2006-02-08T22:20:00.000+08:00

Apparently Mr Sanguine's Home is placed No. 1 in Blogshare's Top Stock pick, apparently chosen because of the low p/e ratio. Whatever that means.

Good thing I own every share on this blog, I'll go get a blook deal now. Might as well ride my hour of fame before the list refreshes itself in the next hour.

This tiny place we call home

2006-02-08T21:12:00.000+08:00

I picked up this second hand large format printer this afternoon after a search through Ebay Singapore. The seller, a professional photog, and I inked a deal with a quick SMS exchange, and a meeting was set up at his working studio.

As I drove past his shophouse studio off Serangoon Road, I was overcome by a strangely familiar feeling. I think it must've been the sight of his car parked in the driveway. Told myself, "Nah, this can't be.". Parked the car, and walked to the front door... and lo and behold who should I find? My next door neighbor, from my apartment, smiling at me.

We not only live in a tiny puny island nation where you meet folks you know every three steps you take, but even our cyberspace suffers from that strange sense of familiarity.

The Epson 4000 Stylus is a tad older but is still a great printer to use... doubles up as a coffee table too.

Humming Along

2006-02-07T21:50:00.000+08:00

Ken Malloy Harbor Park, Los Angeles

Life's A Beach 2

2006-02-06T22:31:00.000+08:00

This is a continuation from my earlier post. I apologise if it's been a bit late and disjointed. I thought I had better tell the rest of the story, though it's no guarantee I'd be finishing by the end of this post. Here goes...

Previously, I mentioned that the couple was "extended" a helping hand in relocating to more permanent housing. This relocation effort came about in early Dec last year during one of my visits and I'd like to expand a little on that experience. I was in two minds about going down to Changi Beach to visit them as it was drizzling and I wasn't looking forward to the 1 hour bus journey that lay ahead. I prayed about it and felt moved to go so I finally set off mid afternoon for the visit.

On reaching the beach, I couldn't find them in their usual spot. I knew they were being harassed by the park rangers and had to shift the tent continually to pacify the rangers. Took me a while before I found them at the far end of the beach, they had just moved to the new spot and were in the process of pitching up their tent. After a quick update, I found out that they had been given a stack of application forms in order to get the paperwork going for their new rental flat but were unsure as to how to fill them out. They had not been extended any assistance with the application process.

I stepped away from the beach to make a phone call and at that instance, I noticed a large group of official looking folks making their way to the couple's spot on the beach (see picture above). Counted at least 40 persons, and they all descended upon the hapless couple. Turns out there were park rangers, public relations administrators from NParks, police officers, social workers, reporters and photographers. A heated discussion ensued between Cik Nik and one of the park rangers. They started to confiscate some of the couple's belongings and you could see tears rolling down Cik Nik's cheeks. It was a sad sight to behold and it must have been quite overwhelming for the couple to have this much unwanted attention heaped upon them so suddenly. The presence of so many officials was rather oppressive and clearly meant as a show of force. Needless to say they succumbed to the harassment and had their tent taken away. It was at this point when I whipped out my camera to capture the heart wrenching scenes. The NParks folks and police tried to stop me but with the newspaper photographers clicking away, they had no valid reason from preventing me doing likewise. I only had my manual panoramic camera loaded with very slow film at the time so I apologise if the shots didn't turn out that well. It was kinda hard focusing manually and under such poor lighting conditions. I'm diverging here, sorry, but it's the photographer in me doing the talking.

There wasn't much else I could do at this point. The couple had been left with only some clothes and without shelter, everything else had been taken away.

It took almost a month from the time all this happened before their new rental flat was ready. The wait was due mainly to the many administrative hurdles that had to be crossed... rental deposits, background checks, submitting a ton of application forms... I would've thought the process could have been sped up a little, considering the two of them had to seek refuge under one of the many open air pavillions on the beach, exposed to the rainy December days.

As mentioned in the first post. Their story did have a somewhat happy ending. They now live in a small single room flat in Kallang Bahru. Jemilah had been working for a month as a cleaning lady but has since lost that job. Cik Nik is still unemployed but hopes to start as a taxi driver next month. Their flat is very sparsely decorated and they lack basic appliances like a stove and refridgerator but they've somehow made do with what little they have and seem happy. My visits to them have been less frequent now as they learn to grow to be more independent.

I don't think their story will ever end, at least for me. I just got back from a visit to them this evening and Jemilah looks like she's lost quite a bit of weight. I think they have been missing meals as I didn't see much food in the flat. It's so sad, I will post my thoughts on that in another instalment. Sigh...

Hassey 30/5.6 Xpan Lens For Sale!

2006-02-06T13:58:00.000+08:00

If you're a Xpan user, you'd know what this is.

Putting up this severely underused lens for sale. More pics and details on my thread at ClubSNAP.

Drop me an email if you're interested.

*UPDATE* Lens has been sold.

I'm a llama

2006-02-05T22:30:00.000+08:00

The friends and us were living it up in the land of the big cloud recently and while visiting the Akaroa region, we had the opportunity of staying in a charming B & B in Kahikatea. The owners used to breed llamas and this was the first time I've been up close and personal with one.

They're rather stupid creatures really, which is why I stuck this picture up today cos it reflects my current mood. They're always turning away from the unfamiliar and as long an unwanted presence is out of sight, it's all right with them llamas. Shying away...

More Photos From Calcutta

2006-02-02T13:46:00.000+08:00

These images were captured on my trip to Calcutta to shoot the photo documentary on Calcutta Rescue.

Fish monger near Howrah Bridge.

Couple of guys who forced me to take their picture after their cricket game.

Cleaning up in the morning.

The men are using tooth sticks made from the wood of Araak trees to clean themselves. The medicinal qualities of the wood provide whitening and cleansing effects and has been used for many centuries.

Fish monger near the Howrah Bridge.

The flower market at the eastern end of the Howrah Bridge bustles with life in the early morning hours. The colors are abundant and almost overwhelming. This effect of masking out other colors except for the rose bouquet is commonly used in wedding photos, wanted to see how it worked for this flower merchant.

Open refuse dumps are a common sight throughout the city. A crew cleans this one when it piles up high enough.

It's quite common to see males relieving themselves in the open.

Laundry day.

This sliver of sunlight in St. John's Church kept this photographer occupied for at least half an hour.

Barber at work.

This pehlwani wrestler took a break from his studies as an accounting student to learn the sport.

His wrestling partner struck a pose which I couldn't resist not photographing.

Roadside stall.

Dinner @ Botak Jones

2006-01-27T23:19:00.000+08:00

Been hearing about Botak Jones quite a bit lately so decided to drag the wifey down for dinner to see what the hype was all about. Botak opened up a new outlet in Ang Mo Kio recently which saved me the drive to the original stall in Tuas, which is on the other side of the world from where I live.

Bernie Utchenik aka Botak Jones was the original owner of Bernie's Restaurant and Bernie Goes To Town in Boat Quay. Having sold the the last restaurant back in 2000, it wasn't until 4 years after before he decided to get back into the swing of things. With Botak Jones, Bernie is determined to bring pub type food to the masses, which explains the locales he's chosen... a neighborhood coffee shop and a food center in an industrial park. He mans the grill and puts his personal touch into every plate served.

We started off healthy, sharing a Caesar Salad between the two of us. The salad wasn't drowned in dressing and you could actually taste the anchovy bits. Leaves were crisp and fresh, this one got our thumbs up. Overall a pretty good deal for $4.50.

It was all downhill after the salad as we started munching our way towards the thousand calorie mark. The Bar-B-Qued Chicken Wings wasn't exactly the kind of dish I would've ordered myself but the missus wanted them. I hate getting my fingers all greasy and I find it extremely difficult and ungratifying trying gnaw through middle bit of the wing. Anyways, this one didn't go down too well with us. It could have spent a bit more time on the grill. It was a little too flacid for our tastes though the marinade was tangy and different from the usual crop of BBQ sauces you've probably come across. A minute longer on the grill would have done it wonders. $1.50 each.

Next up was the Hot N Spicy Bratwurst the wife ordered for herself. We had our doubts upon being served the dish. It didn't seem too appetizing with that load of raw onions all over it. But with a bit of ketchup and mustard thrown on, it actually tasted a whole lot better than it looked. A nice crunchy dog, we liked it. $5.50 served with bun.

My Double Botak burger was smothered with cheese. The double 150 gram patties are a lot bigger than they look. Point of reference with wife's finger. Easily one of the best burgers I've had in a long while... and I've had quite a few in my time. Patties were thick yet juicy and evenly cooked through. I suspect they're boiled before being thrown on the grill. This one has a whole list of options which include bacon, whoopass con carne, fried egg, sauteed onions... the list goes on, one highly customisable burger. Served with fries and slaw for $9.00

Their menu is pretty extensive so it's best to ask for the printed version which includes some pretty corny descriptions. You can get anything from Chicken Gumbo to a 400gm ribeye steak. It's definitely pub grub with an attitude.

The grill was going non stop for the hour we were there.

Botak isn't too shy on proclaiming the goodness of his food.

The serving staff were prompt and attentive, quite a change from the regular kopitiam service. But then again, the food didn't come at regular coffeeshop prices either. Botak Jones can be found at the corner coffeeshop of Block 608, Ang Mo Kio Ave 5. They "usually" operate from 12-10pm. I shan't bother with the details of the Tuas stall, who goes to Tuas anyways?

*Update* The address of the Tuas outlet is Sungei Kadut Eating House, 32 Pioneer Sector 2.

Calcutta Rescue

2006-01-25T23:57:00.000+08:00

Many have written to me with questions on how to get in touch with Calcutta Rescue. Details of how you may contribute to the organisation may be found here.

I would like to emphasise that I had permission to visit and document its work in photos because Dr Preger was aware I would be giving images to a friend of his who is writing a book on Calcutta Rescue, and there would be other forms of publicity for the charity. They do not have the resources to entertain visiting photographers who might want to tour their facilities just for photography purposes.

Thank you all for your kind understanding and sensitivity in this matter.

Calcutta Rescue - A Photo Journey

2006-01-24T12:40:00.000+08:00

Having been given a couple of days off work last week, I decided to pack myself off to Kolkata (Calcutta), India. I had decided it was to be a pure photo trip documenting the works of a NGO (Non-Government Organization) dealing with social issues. The choice of destination was limited by which NGO I could tie up with in the short period of time and after a flurry of email exchange, Calcutta Rescue agreed to allow me to shoot a photo documentary of their clinical and educational operations.

Should you feel compelled to contribute financially after viewing the images, more information can be found here.

_________________________

Calcutta Rescue was founded in 1979 by Dr. Jack Preger, a Briton hailing from Manchester. Operating a pavement clinic in Middleton Row, he provided the poor and destitute with free healthcare. From that humble beginning, Jack has built up Calcutta Rescue to what it is today, a workforce of 200 fulltime health workers assisted by volunteers, working in a variety of medical and educational establishments in both urban and rural Calcutta. I hope my pictures are able to convey the importance of the work that Calcutta Rescue is undertaking in this city ravaged by poverty, disease and an uncaring attitude.

_________________________

Sealdah Clinic, Sealdah

Located within the compound of the Loreto Day School, this daily clinic provides treatment for a range of ailments including diabetes, heart diseases, cancer and neurological conditions.

Many of the patients at Calcutta Rescue are illiterate. Pictorial representation on medicine packets provides simple instructions as to how the medicine should be consumed.

The clinic is staffed by both full time and volunteer health care workers. Andrea is a German volunteer providing physiotherapy services for the patients. Many first time volunteers have a hard time adjusting to the living and working conditions but all whom I spoke to found the work extremely challenging and rewarding.

A sufferer of Parkinson's disease undergoing a simple physiotherapy exercise. Because of the distance that patients need to travel for their clinical visits, sometimes more than 200km, and the infrequency of such visits, many unorthodox methods needed to be adopted to cater for their needs. As in the case of this patient, exercises which include catching and kicking a ball can be performed at the clinic and at his home. His year long therapy has been one of the success stories at Calcutta Rescue.

Patients at the clinic come from a wide ranging area, from within the city confines to the rural countryside. Some travel as far as 200km and can thus afford to visit the clinic on a monthly basis. This has been a particular problem for patients with chronic illnesses.

In addition to their regular clinical treatment, Calcutta Rescue also provides free hospitalisation should a patient require it.

_________________________

School No. 10, Sonagachi

School No. 10 was the first informal school established by Calcutta Rescue in 1989. It provides free prepatory education for about 200 children in the Sonagachi district. Space is extremely tight in the small 4 storey building it occupies and there are plans to expand it once sufficient funding is secured.

A break between classes.

In line with its holistic approach, Calcutta Rescue runs its schools with an all round program which includes meals, hygiene/health education and regular medical screenings, all this in addition to classes in science, mathematics, arts and general knowledge.

This pavement dweller occupies a tiny space just across from School 10 in the Sonagachi district of Calcutta. His partner, who used to occupy the space just behind him, passed away recently. Sonagachi is the largest red light district in West Bengal, home to almost 10,000 prostitutes. Of this number, almost 10% are HIV positive.

Giving thanks for a piece of clothing that was given to him.

_________________________

Talapark Clinic, Tarashankar Sarani

Talapark clinic provides mainly paediatric, antenatal and postnatal care to its patients. As with all its other operations, immaculate record keeping is required to ensure proper care is accorded to all its patients.

A man lost in pain. His story is very common amongst the poor of Calcutta. Having broken his leg in a fall, he was given improper outpatient treatment in a government hospital which resulted in his leg becoming gangrene, the rotting flesh permeating the corner of the dressing room he was in. He now risks losing his right leg, doctors at Talapark clinic sent him to another hospital shortly. This time his treatment will be paid for and supervised by Calcutta Rescue.

Calcutta Rescue adopts a policy of holistic healthcare and conducts educational classes for its adult patients too. Here a group is being taught proper sanitation methods and also instructed on proper techniques to administer the medication they've been given.

The need to provide childcare services in this area resulted in the establishment of Talapark school, situated within the premises of the clinic.

The school caters to the needs of about 40 children, allowing their parents access to employment as they now have someone to take care of their children.

Playing in a field.

_________________________

Belgachia and Chitpur Clinics

Belgachia clinic is the primary treatment center for tuberculosis cases.

Dr. Preger (or Dr. Jack as he is more commonly known) screens patients at Belgachia.

The morning stream of patients arrive at Chitpur clinic. The clinic is located by the bank of the Hooghly river, in a squatter community. As such, its status is illegal but has been operating successfully for the last 12 years.

Chitpur serves as the primary care center for leprosy patients.

Leprosy patient undergoing physiotherapy.

Specially made sandals with soles made of micro cellular rubber are provided for the patients. Sufferers of leprosy often experience sensory loss in their limbs and soles, exposing the patient to foot ulceration. The special shoes provide added protection.

Dr. Preger ponders on the treatment for this boy who had fallen and injured his spine, resulting in semi-paralysis.

_________________________

Slum Project, Salimah Railway Station

This clinic at the Salimah Railway Station gives free healthcare for the slum dwellers who make the surrounding area of the railyard their home. Here Calcutta Rescue provides medical relief for more than 900 families, mainly targetting the Railway Children who barely etch out an existence collecting bottles, cans and other recyclable waste for a few rupees a day.

A toddler being administered a concoction of Vitamin A and deworming medicine. To date, more than 5,000 slum dwellers in this area alone have undergone treatment since the slum program was started some 2 years ago.

About 50 patients turn up at these twice weekly visiting clinics and it does take a few hours to see them all. A little girl awaits her turn.

A small school set up last year provides rudimentary education for about 60 slum children. The children are currently receiving a lesson in the importance of hygiene.

The school is housed in a tiny brick hut and can be extremely uncomfortable in the summer months. Funds allow only for a single session taught by a lone educator.

Though poverty seemed rampant everywhere in the slums, there seemed to be a cheerful spirit amongst everyone I met during my visit.

Everyone was always ready with a smile, especially the children.

The unusually hot winter heat must have gotten to this little one.

_________________________

Rural Programmes

Calcutta Rescue operates a number of mobile clinics in rural districts west of Calcutta. They provide medical relief for farming communities who otherwise have only limited access to ineffective government health services.

A tuberculosis patient waits for the doctor. Government programmes fighting against the spread of TB have thus far proved ineffective and the efforts of NGOs like Calcutta Rescue are a small drop in the ocean, but the fight presses on.

Waiting her turn. One thing which has struck me and many other photographers is the constant presence of colors prevalent in Indian culture, from clothing and homes to automobiles and street signs, everything is drabbed in bright strong colors.

A weaving loom manufactures bandages for use by the clinics of Calcutta Rescue. The organization operates a handicraft and small manufacturing facility in rural Bengal. It provides employment as well as skills training for weavers.

The loom hard at work.

Material weaved at the loom factory are used to create various handicraft items for sale in order to raise funds.

Some more Calcutta Rescue images may be found here.

Edit (27/9/06) - A new book on Dr Preger and Calcutta by Basil McCallis due out soon, a preview and more information here.

My Dinner

2006-01-20T17:25:00.000+08:00

Can't believe I've gone 3 posts without putting up a picture, how thoughtless of me. So for the sake of maintaining the resemblence of a photo blog, here's a pic of my TV dinner as I sat alone in my hotel room... sigh. Tonight's menu - a pulled pork sandwich from Lucille's.

The Office is showing today, the scene with the giant inflatable penis came on just as I shot off this frame (not intentional!).

5 Strange(?) Facts About Myself

2006-01-20T12:20:00.000+08:00

My very first Tag. This isn't going to be easy, I tend to consider myself a straightforward, what-you-see-is-what-you-get sort of person, brought up in a very ordinary manner and thus living life in a similarly ordinary manner. We'd see how this goes... :)

I get nauseous whenever I smell lilies, been like that ever since going to the funeral of a good friend who passed some years ago. She'd been a popular person and the parlour was stuffed full of the disgusting flowers and even the casket was draped with them. Since then, l've likened lilies to the smell of death.

The sound of ice cubes clinking in a glass irks me, especially if it's not my own glass.

I have 4 different yet distinct handwriting styles, depending on time of day, my prevailing mood and type of writing implement used.

I am but a 2 minute stroll to the peppery crabs of Eng Seng Restaurant on Joo Chiat Place, widely acknowledged to be one of the finest dishes in this land of ours, as evidenced by the long midweek queues which form from 5pm onwards. They are usually sold out before 9pm everyday. But yet, I have never been and absolutely have no yearning to patronise the place even though I consider myself a lover of pepper crab.

As a child, I used to break into my aunt's cosmetic drawer when she was out and plyed my face with every single eye shadow, blush, lipstick, foundation etc... I could get hold of. Oftentimes layering different types of makeup on top of another. I remember looking like a child transvestite with a bad makeup day. It's a wonder I grew up to be the man I am today. :)

I'm suppose to tag 5 others but being kinda new to the blogging scene, I don't think I know enough! How about 2 instead?

Kewl Nitrox

londonchicky