Camera Gibberish

Gone are the 50mm f1.8 and the kit 18-200mm. All in an attempt to fund the new lens. Of course, the stronger brother 50mm f1.4 is still being loved and used but in addition, I have introduced this to the whole set up...

Ladies & Gentleman...

The Canon 17-55mm f2.8, one of the best lens you can have for the Canon crop cameras.

Picture taken from Camera Labs


I brought it to the deserts of Dubai and now I can hear some puny bits of sand when I turn the lens but it's in perfect working condition. I'm sending it for overhaul and it'll be good as new. I'm glad I brought this lens along because with the range, it was enough. The pictures were as sharp as the stability of my hands. Colours turned out beautiful sans the cloudy sky fogged up by sand and dust. When I have the time, I will put up some of the pictures I took. Meanwhile, if you're ever considering the lens, don't hesitate. Unless, of course, if you're moving onto FF in the near future.

As for the recently added, 580EXII, it will take me a long while to master. Any expert strobist can share their experiences?

To Do. To Buy. Dubai.

Dubai, also known as City of Gold, is indeed a land of endless "gold" blown all over Dubai. If there's a breeze across Dubai, it's a sandstorm and they are incredibly common. Weather was perfect in the past week apart from the sand that exfoliated my face as I went on my tour on the Big Bus Tour.

Dubai is an incredibly expensive place for shopping although it is tax free. However, they have all the shops imagine-able congregated there from all over the world. Just to name a few, Dubai Mall alone has Dean & Deluca, Victoria's Secret, Tory Burch, Bloomingdales, Pottery Barn, Alexander McQueen, Reiss and even Oscar De La Renta! The mall itself also boasts a giant aquarium. Other brands like Repetto and LK Bennett are also setting up shop there. I was hoping for LK Bennett to reach our shores! It is not entirely fair for me to comment on the prices since I didn't buy much. I managed to keep myself away from Chanel, Prada and Bottega, which to me, is quite an achievement.

Taxis are easily accessible and cost relatively little to get from point A to point B within Dubai itself. Distance on the map may be deceiving as the roads are quite interestingly and intricately weaved. If you're going to somewhere perhaps less than 2-3km away, please be warned the minimum cab fare if AED 10 even if your fare only comes up to AED 6-7. Don't be like me - A fool sitting in a cab waiting for change...

Cab rides will be an adventure on its own. Knowledge of road names are redundant. So are any maps that you may have on hand. If you have a famous landmark, things will be waaaay easier.

Dubai being a religious Muslim city also translate into its low crime rates. I felt very safe in Dubai which is in stark contrast to my impression of Dubai before my trip. As long as you arm yourself with enough common sense and not dress too lightly (i.e. keep your knees and shoulders covered), a single female traveller will face little to no danger in Dubai.

Dubai is all about shopping, given the fact that it is an incredibly new city built right smack in the desert. Honestly, it has little to offer in terms of history but if you look at the beautiful architecture of this city, they have their very own story to tell.

A must do in Dubai is to go on to the Desert Safari. I went for the Sundowner by Arabian Adventures. The 4x4 will begin your adventure via a roller coaster ride except, it's without the rails. You can to feel the fine sand under your feet, in your nose and ears, between strands of hair and watch the beautiful sunset. You will also get to ride the camel, have a feel of smoking the shisha and enjoy a delectable Arabian meal. Belly dancing kept us entertained during dinner and star gazing in pitch dark desert became the highlight at the end of the tour.

European style afternoon tea became a staple rest break. I picked Paul for a few days running. We may have this back home but to be able to sit by the beautiful fountain overlooking the Burj Khalifa in the cool Dubai breeze, this was something I couldn't replicate here.

The luxury of space is felt in most places and it is what I feel that is lacking in our daily lives. My opinion for Dubai has drastically changed and I do think it is a highly liveable city. The rulers of Dubai must be doing an excellent job because we all forget, this was just a desert not that long ago.

Singapore Airlines Business Class

Awesome!

AWESOMEST!!!

It was a week long trip for me to Hong Kong and what I was looking forward to this time around wasn't so much the food and the shopping (although those were really high up in the priority list) but the opportunity to get on the much raved-about business class on the A380. As I was too busy lazing in the seat and being fed throughout the trip, I didn't exactly take much pictures. Not to mention I was too lazy to lug my DSLR up to Hong Kong.

First, you book your chef i.e. your meal before you board. I had some crayfish with rice/risotto thingy which was decent. But food wasn't the main part of the experience. The service was! The undivided attention and the smiles of the cabin crew, makes me fall in love with Singapore Airlines all over again. In the last few years, I was getting rather disappointed with the old and lousy cabin at the extorbitant cost.

A short anecdote on the service standard - My butter fingers couldn't deal with super luxurious lifestyle hence I dropped my hand cream into this little hole behind my seat which wasn't exactly accessible. I wasn't about to lose my hand cream which was worth a bottle of decent champers. All I had to do was to ring the bell and came the ever smiling steward. He tried ways and means including using his bag trolley. After 10 minutes, he finally got it out and trust me, I made sure he broke into a huge bead of sweat! If I haven't got a better business venture in mind, I would like to hire all these people to run service revamp camps for all the rude staffs at Singapore's high end boutiques.

Did I mention that they didn't stop feeding me and the feeding began in the LOUNGGGGEEEE? Food, more food and uppity class tea bags. Before I sound like a country bumpkin, I absolutely hate teas that are stewed, hence uncomfortable for consumption. Tea to me is a delicate form of food art. I would lift my fingers (trying to act like a spoilt brat here...) to make tea for myself anytime over having someone, ANYONE, to help me with it. Needless to say, I made my perfect tea to go with the wide selection of food in the lounge. I wish I was staying there for much longer than I did...

I don't have long legs so leg room is all a waste no me but the seats were soooo wide, I was just curled up comfortably and I was wishing hard that it was a flight to New York instead of a 4 hour flight to Hong Kong.

On my flight back on the 777, the seats were a tad smaller and not as comfortable but I have to say, I experienced equally great service on that flight back. Not wanting to sound racist, I really wanted a change of seats and they did. Apologies but I'm unable to elaborate further on this issue but I can only say, well done Singapore Airlines!