Top 10 Photos of 2015

It is always great looking back over the photos of the year. So many memories and so much fun. 2015 was the year in which I ditched my DSLR during our England trip, and opted for the easier-to-use-and-carry handphone and ipad. In December, as usual, the auto focus on my DSLR decided to stop working again, so I am using my Canon entirely in manual focus mode. It has been a challenge and I am still learning how to make use of all the features and functions on the camera.

Following are my Top 10 photos of 2015:

#10

I love this photo of these small white flowers lying upside down on the ground with their stalks standing up straight in the air. They arrived in this position after a heavy downpour detached them from their plant

#9

My daughters loved their new dresses from their English grandma so we went out to the park for a photo shoot. Here they pose perfectly atop a slide complete with umbrella to provide some relief from the scorching sun. Natural light is always my preferred condition to shoot in

#8

Posing for a photo in front of the all-white Masjid Abdullah in Pekan, Pahang. 

#7

Visited this stunning mosque in Pekan

#6

A night view of the Petronas Twin Towers in KL surrounded by residential condominiums. I like that there is a gentleman visible in a unit mid-way up the photo

#5

The London England temple on a cold autumn afternoon. Yellowing leaves decorate the surroundings and provide a natural frame for this beautiful scene. This was taken with my Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime handphone

#4

This image became one of my most popular facebook profile pictures of the year. This was originally in video format, whereupon I took this screenshot. I was doing an experiment putting ten mentos mints into a bottle of coca cola!

#3

The top 3 photos are of my highly photogenic and beautiful sister Florina. This one was captured at Citadines ApartHotel in Kuching while we were on a family holiday. On just my 2nd attempt I managed to get this shot of her hair flicking the water in a spiral motion

#2

I swear she should be gracing magazine covers with shots like this! Taken poolside at Citadines ApartHotel, Kuching, Florina effortlessly models swimwear with poise and a smile.
Note: I edited out a child swimming in the background

#1

My favourite photo of 2015 was taken near the start of the year and features the modelling of Florina at a recreation ground in Kuantan. Here she posed under a slide inside this cylindrical space with weathered green paint on the walls. Just love this photo!

Top 20 Photos of 2013 - #11

#11

The second photo from the Chin Swee temple complex in Genting Highlands. At 6,000ft above sea level, this is a place with a view. The temple and its grounds are stunning. We found ourselves caught in an all-encompassing mist that seemed to sweep in from nowhere, blocking all options of a landscape shot. Then suddenly the mist departed and was replaced with sunshine and clear skies. The weather changes quickly up here, so this photo was very opportune. I captured the pagoda, the hills, a line of clouds and the sky above. Unlucky not to make the top 10!

Top 20 Photos of 2013 - #13

#13

The Chin Swee Caves temple complex at Genting Highlands. 6,000ft above sea level. Chilly. As I was taking the children through the narrow passageways that make up the caves, I spotted the colourful temple pagoda through this small window in the rock. It provided the perfect composition.

My Journey to Kuantan - Part 4 - Love at First Sight

This week I am sharing a series of blog posts explaining how I ended up where I am today - in Kuantan. If you have missed any previous posts, you can get yourself acquainted with them here:

PART 1 - RAISED IN ENGLAND (1982-2002)


PART 2 - SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER (2002-2004)


PART 3 - MISSING MALAYSIA (2004-2005)

I came back to Malaysia for my second holiday in a year in May 2005. This time I went alone and for a period of 3 months. I had planned all the places I was going to visit and the people I wanted to see, including Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Kuching and Singapore.

However, just a few days into my holiday, on the island of Borneo, a girl called Fidelia threw my plans upside-down in a matter of seconds!

Meeting Fidelia one night in Kuching was completely unplanned. I didn't even know she was around. It was her younger sister Florina, who made the call and engineered our meeting.

It was after 10pm and Fidelia was coming back home from work. She walked through the door of a friend's house and it was love at first sight!

I don't know how it happened but I just thought silently in my mind, "this is the girl I'm going to marry!"

This was a picture we took on that first night we met each other. We look good together already!

Just a month later we were engaged. Can you believe it? Neither can I!

Here's where I proposed to Fidelia with a poem I wrote. Can you tell she said "yes"?!

We held a very simple engagement party at Fidelia's home. Didn't cost much but it was a nice evening spent with family and friends

Can you spot the mystery hovering paper plate?!

I briefly went to Ipoh but didn't last long there as I missed Fidelia too much! I swiftly returned to Kuching! The rest of my holiday was spent with Fidelia in Kuching and then in Kuala Lumpur.

At church in Kuching

We came in 2nd place and won RM100 in a blowpipe competition in Kuching! (How good does Fidelia look?!)

At Mid-valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur

Our favourite picture together at KL Tower

We had a great day out at Sunway Lagoon water park. Later we spent some time on a children's train, and chocolate tasting at Sunway Pyramid, Subang Jaya, West Malaysia

Here's where my holiday came to an end. I was shortly heading back to England. Fidelia was returning to her studies at university near Kuantan.

I racked up a hefty RM12,000 phone bill during the period of August 2005 - April 2006. Gave my mum a cheque each month to cover it. At times it was worth it, but at times we drove each other crazy by calling at all sorts of hours (because of the time difference) and worrying about things that didn't really need to be worried about! These months were torture!

 We decided to get married in May 2006 and we would find a place in nearby Kuantan as Fidelia's university was 30 minutes drive from there.

Here are the home-made wedding invitation cards I designed. Didn't pay a penny for them!

On 2nd May, 2006 we registered our marriage at the Kuching register office, and came back to sign the papers on 4th May

To celebrate our marriage we simply booked a nearby restaurant for a small sum of money. A good-sized group of family and friends attended and it was a very nice evening. There was no huge cake, no lavish setting, no photographers, no expensive clothing code, just us and close family and friends. That's all we spent and it was worth it because we needed the money for the start of our married life, paying rent and bills etc...

We took some great photos at a studio in Kuching for a good price, and here are a few of them:

In traditional Iban attire

The second part of our marriage took place in England. There we were married inside a LDS temple, which event is kind of like going to Mecca and circling the Kaaba for a Muslim. To find out more about Mormon temples, you can follow this link:

What happens inside a LDS temple?

Have a look inside a LDS temple

Browse LDS temples all around the world

Here we are at the London England temple grounds

On the steps of the London England temple

We had a small gathering at my home in Leicester for family and friends and that was it.

My journey to Kuantan is almost complete!

Don't miss the final installment tomorrow!

Blog Flashbacks

During the first 8 days of October 2010, we gave the Herbalife 8-day trial a go. It lasted five days, but at least we tried! Here are the links to those five days of shakes, teas and aloe vera drinks:

Herbalife days 4 and 5

Herbalife day 3

Herbalife day 2

Herbalife day 1

Two years ago in October 2009, we went out to the new-look Kuantan post office to pay an amazingly low RM3 water bill for the month, pick up a package, and do a little shopping around East Coast Mall. Here it is recorded in words and pictures:

Out and about in Kuantan, October 2009

This past week's most viewed post was the collection of pictures I took at The Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall. Click the link to view them if you missed it earlier:

Wan Fo Tien Temple, Kuantan

I've entered one of the photos of this temple into a monthly photo competition where the winner receives $100, with a $50 runner-up prize. So if you like the photo, please vote for it entitled 'Duncan Horne' at the following link:

Duncan's photo

CPB members, vote for my photos here

Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall (Wan Fo Tien Temple) @ Pahang Buddhist Association

The Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall (Wan Fo Tien Temple) is part of the Pahang Buddhist Association in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia.

This temple is a beautiful place with cool breezes wafting through the hall, and peaceful serenity within the compound. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the quietness of the place, as long as they are respectful and mindful that this is a holy place and should be treated as such.

Removing one's shoes and refraining from loud speech are a couple of the regulations.

The reason this temple is named "The Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall" is because the inner walls of the temple are covered with 15,743 little tiles with the image of Buddha intricately carved into each piece, from top to bottom.

A fat Buddha awaits at the front entrance of The Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall, almost as if he is guarding the temple. Beyond him, inside the hall itself, sits a giant white jade Buddha statue.

Time spent inside The Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall is peaceful because of it's silence. You can't help but feel in awe, just because of the quiet atmosphere. Occasionally a person came in, bowed himself to the floor for a few moments, and then left, satisfied with his devotional prayers.

A panorama of The Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall

One cannot appreciate The Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall in Kuantan without noticing the beautiful gardens which lie beside it. Trees, plants and flowers adorn the area, along with a green lake where you can feed the fish, with a stunning cliff face backdrop.

I was fortunate enough to be accompanied by the most beautiful weather during my visit to The Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall. Blistering sunshine, deep blue skies, the occasional white fluffy cloud, and a gentle breeze. The sunlight really brought the pictures to life.

I love the deep blue of the sky as it contrasts with the orange roof and the white cloud

KUANTAN BLOG TOUR: Fancy a trip to the beach? Come on then!

Need to cut the tour short? Return to My Journey to Kuantan - Part 5 here