(Almost) on the top of the world

Guess where we brought Kai this weekend?

We took him swimming!

Well, it was more like dipping him into a jacuzzi for all of like 10 minutes, but it wasn't just any old jacuzzi.

It was one of the jacuzzis up at the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark...200 meters above ground!

His granny had offered us a free room at the MBS, and who were we to turn down free accommodation?

My buddy Simon from Toronto was visiting at the same time, so we all took the opportunity to go check out Singapore's latest attraction, plus of course we wanted to take some photos from the SkyPark, which promises to offer spectacular views of Singapore.

Let's just say, for once, it lived up to it's hype (just the views, mind you, not the rest of the joint).

The sight of Singapore at dusk from the Observation Deck was simply awesome - it left even cynical old me literally speechless for a moment.

Be sure to click on the panoramas for an upsized view!

The week that felt like forever

So almost an entire eventful week has gone by, a week that felt like forever.

As in Groundhog Day, it was a deja-vu-like never-ending repeating cycle of feeding, fretting and fussing, outright 'I WANT MILK NOW!' brawling, diaper changing, swaddling, sleepless nights, nipple confusion, breast pumps, bottle sterilising & ginger infused meals....

For the parents out there, I'm sure you're just shrugging your shoulders and saying: "Yup, been there done that", but for the rest - here's a word of warning - there's no dress rehearsal and little room for error - we've been on prime-time since the start of the first contraction (and will be for the next 18 years or so) - and there's no return policy for babies (I did call up the hospital to check).

But before I make it sound like it's all doom and gloom, well, it's not - everyday brings a new round of challenges & humble learning, of discovery & unbridled joy; and everyday's a constant affirmation of nature's wonder, of the miracle of life.
To see his tiny yet perfectly formed features (down to those little fingernails so alike Lena's), those bright inquisitive eyes, that zen-like look of perfect contentment when he's well fed, the knowledge that despite how clueless we are, Lena and I are simply fumbling our way through the age-old process of sustaining a life, of bringing up a child - all that, like the ad says, is priceless.

Now, where can I go buy a six-pack of sleep?

Martin SPD-16K

So there was to be a final indulgence before the baby's arrival after all!

I had wanted a Koa backed guitar to complement my rosewood Yamaha and my mahogany Hummingbird, and I also thought I should own a Martin, given it's heritage and place in the history of the acoustic guitar, but Martin Koas were not easy to come by....

So when I found her on Ebay, I couldn't believe my luck, and as it turned out, she proved to be irresistible.

So here she is, my 11 year old Martin SPD-16K, firstly on her own, then with my other two acoustics.

If you think she looks rather plain-Jane from the front, wait till you see her Koa back and sides! =)

Penning some m4/3 thoughts

And so there was to be a new(ish) hobby after all....and do excuse the bad pun (or should that be pen?) above.

Just as you thought this has degenerated to one of those drippy personal emo blogs, here's a geeky personal tech post to keep things in balance! =P

I've been lusting over the retro-chic Olympus E-P1 camera ever since it was announced, then in December we met a friend who owned one so we had the chance to play with it hands-on.

To my surprise, Lena became as enamored with it as I was, so I quickly took the opportunity to convince her that it'll make a wonderful christmas present for moi!

So having used the E-P1 extensively over the past few weeks, here's what I have to say about it and it's underlying technology, the micro 4/3 format:

1. Form over function - it's a reflection of the world we live in that form matters as much, if not more, than function - think iPhone.

The E-P1 has no built in flash, an awfully slow AF, poor resolution LCD, but all is forgiven cos it just looks so damn cool.

*Disclaimer: I did buy the uglier but faster Lumix 20/1.7 lens over the prettier Olympus 17/2.8 lens, so I'm not all that bad.

2. Reviving legacy lenses - sure you can mount your old manual focus Canon or Nikon lens on your fancy 7D or D3, but you're negating the greatest strength of those DLSRs - blazingly fast AF.

So it never made sense to me to mate legacy lenses with my DSLR, but with this little E-P1, it makes perfect sense to shoot manual with legacy lenses cos the AF is nothing to shout about in the first place!

Plus the E-P1 just looks so damn sexy with these old lenses mounted on it (yes yes, see point 1 above).

E-P1 with Helios-44M 58/2

3. Micro 4/3 will never replace DSLR - the small sensor means it's hard to get really wide angle, yet it's poor AF speed cancels out it's advantage at the tele end eg. for sports and wildlife photography.

E-P1 with Lumix 20/1.7, Pinhole Art Filter

4. Micro 4/3 might well hasten the demise of the traditional compact digicam.

Already, it doesn't make sense to get a 'high-end' digicam like the G11 anymore, cos any m4/3 camera will beat it hands down in terms of low light, high ISO capability, but as m4/3 cameras get cheaper, smaller, and (hopefully) faster, I think they just might become the compact digicam format of choice in the medium term future.

5. Not only has m4/3 successfully found a niche between DSLR and compact digicams, but it's also found a similar niche between the 'traditional' rangefinder camera and the 'modern' SLR camera.

Indeed, the E-P1 has been dubbed the 'poor man's Leica', and I won't disagree with that claim at all.

By embracing m4/3, Olympus and Panasonic have effectively changed the rules of the game that Canon and Nikon have been dictating to the photography world all these years...that's an impressive achievement, so kudos to them!!

E-P1 with Lumix 20/1.7, Grainy B&W Art Filter

6. Lastly, this is probably just me, but with my 5D, it's all about 'serious' photography, but with the E-P1, I find it so much more inviting to go shoot 'just for fun', to go crazy with the Art Filters, to purposely shoot out of focus, to basically try 'anything goes' kind of photography, which I find very refreshing.

As a result, I'm getting shots now which I'm not even sure should be classified as photography or art.

Maybe these attempts simply count as bad photography/ bad art!

I don't know.....but to my eyes at least, they don't look too shoddy at all....

E-P1 with Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 35/2.4

So the E-P1 and m4/3 detractors can continue to say what they want, but this little Pen has certainly written it's way into my heart (and my wallet)! =)

PS. For more bad photography, see here.

Life beginning at 40

Man, so much has happened since the last post, it's been crazy!!

But thankfully it's all been good stuff.

Well, first, I, erm, got married!

Looking back at everything that happened over that 1st weekend of October, I must say I couldn't have asked for anything more.

The people who came to share this special occasion with Lena and me included my colleagues, my closest schoolmates and windsurfing buddies, my dear grand-uncle from Penang, and even overseas friends from as far off as Japan and Canada.

Ted Wu had the easy task of making Lena look as radiantly beautiful as a bride should be, and the considerably harder task of making me look good.

We had 2 separate dinners, one for the relatives, and the other for our friends, and by keeping both dinners small and intimate, we had time to mingle with all the guests, the food was good, the music was great, there was lots to drink, and in the end everyone had a good time! =)

http://www.mywedding.com/benlena/

Then came the honeymoon in Italy, then just as we were trying to settle down into the routine of married life, this happened!! =)

Stay tuned....