Feeling Calm about the A-Z Challenge 2013

The A-Z blogging challenge starts on Monday and this is my 3rd year participating. It is also the first time I have pre-scheduled all 26 of my posts - for 3 different blogs!

Yep, call me crazy, but I've entered 3 blogs for the challenge and all of the posts through A-Z for each blog are scheduled to automatically post on each assigned day. It gives me exclusive time to go visit other blogs :)

You could say I'm feeling as calm as the beach on a perfect day:

Pictures taken at Taman Gelora, Kuantan

Fidelia's Friday - Lauren's different expressions

Here are pictures of Lauren with different expressions! 

Happy face!

Sad face!

Angry face!

Excited face!

Scary face!

Bored face!

Lauren loves to take pictures. She's good  at modelling!  

Which one is your FAVOURITE expression? Duncan thinks her bored face looks like her Aunty Rachel!

Lauren, my 3-year-old daughter

"loquacious" - talkative
"logophile" - a word-lover




Lauren


Well I couldn't really do anything else with my "L" post other than write about my beautiful daughter, Lauren.

Lauren is now 3 years and 3 months old but speaks much more like a teenager. She knows what she wants, she doesn't always get it (except when she just looks too cute and I give in!), and she is becoming increasingly loquacious. She certainly couldn't have got that from me; I grew up as an extremely shy boy, and although that's changed, I wouldn't categorise myself as being particularly extrovert.

I'm pretty sure something Lauren will take from me is my love of the English language and vocabulary. I am a logophile and Lauren already possesses a sound repertoire of words which she uses on a regular basis. She can also distinguish gender by appropriately using 'he' or 'she', something which my English students have always struggled with.

One of my favourite lines Lauren often repeats happens when I take my HP Sauce from the fridge and place it on the table ready for dinner,

"You and your HP Sauce eh!"

Yes she talks just like us. She also takes some decent pictures in front of the camera. Here are a few of my favourites:

But my favourite picture of Lauren hasn't changed since the first month of her life. Here she is at 21 days old - I just love this picture of her!

How many children do you have?

How many would you like to have?

Top Ten Photos of 2010

It has been said that a picture can speak a thousand words. But what about if you have a thousand pictures? 2010 has been a productive year with camera in hand, and here I am sharing my ten favourite photos of the past year with captions to describe each one. There is great power in both words and pictures, and when combined, they are capable of inducing fascination in the eyes and mind of the beholder.

So here are my top ten favourite photos of 2010 in descending order:

10. Snapped and stored in mid-year, the memory of this magnificent tree overhanging the green lake waters will remain forever. Fronting the South China Sea, Taman Gelora, or "Billow Park", is aptly named.
To see more of the beautiful Taman Gelora, CLICK HERE

9. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the Swiss Garden Resort & Spa. Jets of water neatly spurt out into the deep tub as a rope fence separates it from the children's pool.
To read more of our stay at Swiss Garden Resort & Spa, VISIT THIS LINK

8. Close family members and a friend joined us in celebrating Fidelia's graduation from Universiti Malaysia Pahang on Saturday 9th October, 2010. She achieved such honours whilst being engaged, married, living off campus, pregnant, sick, giving birth, missing semesters, bringing up and looking after a baby, before completing the course 6 years later!
To read more about her graduation day, CLICK HERE

7. When taking close-up pictures of flowers, two obstacles stand in the way - the breeze moving the object and the photographer's wavering hand. This one came out as steady as anything!
To observe more of Kuantan's nature FOLLOW THIS LINK

6. This photo narrowly missed out on a top-5 spot. Thin curves of smoke ghost upwards as food offerings accompanied by prayers ascend up into the air and ears of God. My visit to the Tow Moo Keong temple CAN BE FOUND HERE

5. A fascinating array of historic rocks lay strewn across the shore, eroded into peculiar shapes by tidal wind and wave.
For more pictures of these mesmerising rocks, BE SURE TO CLICK HERE

4. Taken on the last day of 2010, hues of green, blue and amber emanating from the bar, permeate the lounge in a comfortable corner of the new 5-star Zenith Hotel.
To see what else I got up to on New Years Eve at the Zenith Hotel, CLICK RIGHT HERE

3. Easily my best flower picture of the year. This purple lily slowly unfolds its petals, revealing the treasure within.
For more nature images, COME AND VISIT MY OTHER BLOG

2. It was difficult choosing which way around number one and two should be. The Fullerton Hotel, surrounded by skyscrapers, lights up the night over Marina Bay, Singapore.
To discover more of my awesome journey to Marina Bay in Singapore, TAKE A FEW MORE MINUTES AND CLICK HERE

1. Here it is, number one! Owing to the degree of difficulty in obtaining this picture, bike standing on the football field, tripod attached to camera, tripod balancing on my bicycle seat, the darkness of night, and a nervous wait on a 30-second shutter speed, this image topped them all.


On the eve of Hari Raya, pious Muslims flocked to the brilliantly illuminated Pahang State Mosque to offer their devotions as the one-month fast drew to an end, and 30 days of feasting followed.
For more pictures of this night, HOVER THE MOUSE HERE. . . . . AND PUSH THE BUTTON

I'd love to hear from you about my selection of pictures. Do you like them, or are some of them lousy? Did I make the right choice as to the number one? Which are your favourites? Just drop me a comment and let me know what you think! Thanks, and have a wonderful new year!

Christmas In Kuantan 2010 - Part 3 - Family Pictures

Part 3 of Christmas in Kuantan 2010 covers the Christmas family pictures we took in Dora's freshly painted house. The colours are cosy and warm and I think these are some of the best family pictures we've ever had! They were shot with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-F2 on "warm" colour mode.

Shirley and her boyfriend on Christmas Day

Dora closes her eyes in this one...

Lauren doesn't smile in this one!

The Tong family, with a few extras!

The Horne family

Shirley, Sharon and Melvin

Singapore Puts Malaysia In The Shade

So I concluded my previous post detailing the Marina Bay Sands area of Singapore with the following words:

"Singapore puts Malaysia in the shade."

So impressed was I with my brief sojourn in Singapore, that I have been creating a small illustration for you all to have a look at. It puts into a picture the quote above.

I'm not trying to say Malaysia is all bad. This image merely highlights the different worlds I encountered which are amazingly separated by a short 30-seconds-to-traverse road bridge across the sea.

However, I am encouraged by one thing Malaysia seems to have got spot-on in recent times. A great bus-route for tourists around KL. It takes in 40 different attractions and one can buy tickets valid for 24 or 48 hours.

But Singapore already has the transportation down to a tee!

Where have the teachers gone?

Urai came home from school this afternoon extremely excited. I wondered if she had been thrilled doing another chemistry experiment or cutting open a frog. But no, she told us that there weren't any teachers whatsoever in any of their classes today! Can you believe it?! No-one knew where the teachers were or why they hadn't arrived to teach the class. So they all just played around with someone's camera, snapping pictures for fun all morning! No headmistresses came to check on the class. What's going wrong with schools here? Can anyone help me out with this?

I wait with excitement to see all the pictures these girls managed to take while the teachers were nowhere to be seen!