A Chinese Thanksgiving – Singapore

There was a Chinese Thanksgiving in front of Ngee Ann City on Orchard road in Singapore. That was a good occasion for the test roll of the The Leica IIIc which is back from the shop with a new curtain.

 

 

These are small sculptures on a boat, I am not too sure (how Singaporean) of the meaning.

 

Uncle watching the musians

 

Old people folding joss paper to be burned later in offering to the ancestors. I asked once about the significance of the folding and was told it is to make it easier to burn. But there may be another meaning.

 

Camera:Leica IIIc
Lens: Summitar 50mmF2
Film:Kodak trix 400ISO

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39 Syed Alwi Road – Singapore

Shop houses 39 to 45 on Syed Alwi Road in jalan Besar Area in Singapore are undergoing a massive renovation.

Camera::Hasselblad 500CM
Lens:Planar 80mmF2.8
Film::Kodak Portra 400ISO
 

The smallest hairdresser in town and the old bike repair shop are now gone and a boutique hotel will rise in the renovated building. A part of my Singaporean playground is going away it seems.

 

Wild Style

Camera::Leica IIIC
Lens:Jupiter 8 35mmF2.8
Film::Kodak Tri-x400
 

The old repair shop

Camera::Nikon F
Lens::50mmF1.4AIS
Film::Kodak Tri-x400
 

The old repair shop

Camera::Leica M4
Lens:Summilux 50mmF1.4
Film::Kodak Tri-x400
 

The trishaw

Camera::Nikon D700
Lens:Nikkor 85mmF1.8D

Urban renovation – Cannes – France

One of the rare examples I have seen in Cannes or urban renovation of an old industrial building.

Close to the center this warehouse use to be a wind tunnel for a french aeronautic company (can be Sud Aviation but I am not sure).

From what I could find on the web these are mixed habitations and offices usage.

Camera:Hasselblad 500CM
Lens:Planar 80mm F2.8
Film:Rollei RPX 100ISO

Little monks in the Thien Mu Pagoda – Hué – Vietnam

 

Little monks in the Thien Mu Pagoda – Hué – Vietnam

 
I realize it’s been a long break; my last post dates back from the end of September! Like many other people I have been busy; nearly two seeks in Vietnam, kid going back to school, seeing friends, walking around with a camera and a bit of work, in a word: life.

So Vietnam was our last destination, we spent 10 days in the the middle and south part between Hué and Ho Chi Minh city aka Saigon. Weather at this time of the year is not great and actually it is the start of the bad season. We had a lot of rain in Hué, but we were quite lucky in other places.

Camera wise I slightly modified my usual kit and brought along the Angenieux 70-210 F3.5 AI lens instead of the Nikkor 80-210 F2.8 AF. The reason is that I wanted a lighter kit that fits in a back-pack I borrowed from a friend. Yes I was again wondering about a new bag bt could not make up my mind so I decided to try a back-pack instead of taking along the Crumpler 8Mio back (which is no longer produced it seems). I could fit in the bag:
– the Hasselblad 500M with an extra back
– the D700
– the 50mmF1.8D
– the 17-35mmF2.8AF
– the Angenieux zoom

There is enough room left for the lonely planet,the light-meter, a couple of films. The rest of the accessories goes in the checked luggage, including spare film.

As we traveled “free and easy” (meaning we did not have our own car and driver all the time) I enjoyed the back-pack very much as it enabled me to carry all my stuff around all the time. On the down side, even if this one (Lowepro 200 something) has a kind of “Sling” feature, it is not as practical as a shoulder bag. So I think I will have more crisis of looking for the perfect bag in the future again.

Oh the picture, this is one of the first of the film shots, these kids are little monks in the Thien Mu Pagoda in Hué. This pagoda is famous for its 7 levels tower, but also for the monk who drove from there to Saigon to set himself in fire in 1963 in protest against the government.

Wayang (Chinese street opera) – Hong San See Temple – Singapore

The artists from this Chinese Street Opera (Wayang) troup preparing for the show at Hong San See Temple Mohamed Sultan road Singapore

You can read more on the Wayang .

All shots done with :

Camera:Nikon D700
Lens:Nikkor 85mmF1.8D

The green corridor – Singapore

It’s already a coupe of years back since the railway station in Tanjong Pagar was closed moved to Woodlands close to the Malaysian border. To give an idea to the reader with no knowledge on Singapore geography, Tanjong Pagar in in the south side of the island and the border is at the north. For the small story the station, the tracks and the land below were Malaysian property. So a couple of years back, the station (see here) was closed, the tracks removed (and returned to Malaysia) and an exchange of land and other compensation was done. So was born the green corridor, the former railway from the south of Singapore to the border of Malaysia.

Sometime on August, after a brunch at Rider’s Cafe and a drive along the border with my friend Oliver, I was dropped at the former Bukit Timah railway station (in the middle of the corridor) and walked 10 KM south until I reach a “No trespassing” sign before getting to the old station area. I carried the Hassie with 2 backs and the Leica III (That will be for next post).

 

The bridge over Upper Bukit Timah road

The bridge across Bukit Timah road and the railway station are the most interesting items to see, there lay the last meters of track.

The bridge over Upper Bukit Timah road

After (or before) this point the green corridor is a dirt track between trees; very green and very blue this day as well.

The green and blue corridor

The city is never far however and you can never forget the constructions nor the noise of the traffic. Maybe going upwards to Malaysia is different, but going south to the sea you can;t forget Singapore is a dense and busy city.

Habitation blocks along the green corridor

 

Color shots done with Fuji slides, 100 ISO. All scanned with Epson v500, adjusted with Lightroom 3.6.