Sunday....

It is the end of the day, and I am tiptoeing around all the mess that we've made from the day
I suppose I could use this time to clean up some,
But at the end of a Sunday? Ugh...

After all, isn't Sunday a bit special?

Sunday is a day for playing, for resting, for experimenting, for the oddball tasks rather than the usual...

Like taking off, washing and drying the curtain (which incidentally made a fantastic prop for some baby photoshoot)

It's a day to play in the sun, with the baby in question,
Hide and seek (with camera on hand, no less), enjoying the sun, embracing the heat...

To stop and smell the flowers, to discover the little joys of life, more often forgotten in the midst of busier days...

A day for goofy Dog photos...

Weird self-portraits....

Even botched experiments ....

Everything else can be done on other days. But on Sundays? 

I'll put my feet up. I will enjoy myself. I will play with my family, the Kid, the Daddy, the Dog.

We'll go out and enjoy the sun. 

We'll take stupid photos (and keep it to ourselves).

We will just be.

Just because it's Sunday.

How was your weekend?

Double take

After 1 year plus settling into this place we are currently calling home, there are still times when I walked around and see things that made me did a double take.
Like... this one in front of the church, after mass:

Priest in full vestment blessing a car

Ahem.
I suppose, it kind of make sense. As a Catholic myself, on paper if not really practicing nowadays, I am quite familiar with the tradition of blessing one's new home, or even the same old home after some major work is done. But blessing a car? That's new. Never seen this one before.

Banner at the Gate

There would also signs everywhere that make me kind of feel that despite English being the official national language, they might speak a 'different' English, with their own set of vocabulary.
I don't know about you, but there is something that makes me somewhat uncomfortable with the labeling of people as 'retaker'. 
And yes, the spellchecker just confirmed my suspicion that there is not such word as 'retaker' in its database. Hmmmm......

Notice in front of an office

And at some other times, it's just bad English, plain and simple.
No office? So... are they saying that on that particular date, the office would just disappear into a third plane or something? How about, office will be closed, or simply we will be closed, instead?

But of course, the picture below is the best, and found in a government office, no less.

Men's Head?

No further comments necessary.

On the lighter side...

Image: Google Doodle

There are days when I do wonder why I even bother to keep the homepage of my browser in Google.
Today I was reminded why.
The Google Doodles. That's why.

Check out the Google Logos to find more inspiring doodles, and this link for today's doodle.
I wish I could post it here, but as of this moment, unfortunately I have yet to figure out how to feature the animated doodle. Simple screen capture is not cutting it, and obviously a link to Google homepage clicked on any other day would just result in the normal Google logo. Any help on that department is appreciated. In the meantime, you just have to take my word for it. Go on, click on the links and enjoy!

Something depressing....

A view from the past

There is something depressing about going to bed after a long, tiring day with the thought of yet another day coming where you would do the same thing (with minor variations) all over again.
And when even the weather conspire not to make you happy...
Combine that with a serious lack of inspiration...
Maybe a lack of proper tools to do some of the things you just need to do....
Or lack of time, not enough encouragement...
A memory of failure surfacing....

It's time to take a deep breath, and put things in perspective.

Playing Around

The poor basil and the flowers

Sunday morning is emerging to be my time for playing with the new toy.
Last week, I managed to get a few fantastic photos of two adorable little girls, seen here.
This week, I explored some other features, like the manual focus. Ha!
I am pathetic, I know.
Never planned on playing a DSLR so soon, so suddenly.
And honestly, all the buttons, the display, the indicators, not to mention the huge, heavy lens, are downright terrifying to a total novice like me.
But we get a long, slowly.
Currently, I am afraid my auto photos are still turning out better than the manual.
But hey, at least I got what I wanted using the manual focus.

And so we are keeping faith. We will learn. We will learn.

Just be patient with me.

Going 25 on a Sunday morning

Lesson not quite learnt: focus & composition

New Look!

New Look!

May I present you, the New Look!
It's a bit late. I think I've already changed it like a couple of days back. But I have been trying to deal with the picture for the banner. For some reason, it just refuse to be sharp.
In fact, the problem has yet to be resolved, but I can't wait anymore.

As to the reason why I have to include an shot of the Look?
Well... I do notice while reading other blogs, that although the author would occasionally mention changes in the banner, the design, etc, you don't really see them because it was already in the past.
I mean, wouldn't it be nice if you are able to see what the author was talking about, even when it was already a long time ago? I do read through the archives of the blogs that I really enjoy (which reminds me, I really need to get that review done! Ugh!), and so I learn.

As happy or as unhappy as I am with whatever current look that I have, I think it would be great to have a reminder of how it used to look like.
Just a humble opinion of mine.

Holiday!

Nice, swanky hotel

Right up to start the year with a bang, the Little One was 'invited' to visit the grandparents while they attend a symposium in Singapore. Being too young for traveling alone, of course the invitation was 'extended' to include the Mama as well.
And so we got ourselves a couple of days of holidays in Singapore, staying in a swanky hotel, eating some fantastic meals (mostly because they are not available at home), meeting some old friends and doing some shopping (for stuff which again are not available at home).

It was, all said and done, a great holiday.
And so now we shall settle back to the familiar routine, but not before just a wee few highlights of the holiday...

Doing some touristy stuff

Meeting friends/family and doing some shopping

Enjoying some good food

And lastly, getting a nice surprise toy, which hopefully will help in improving this blog. Ha!

Click!