nikon d700 + nikkor 16 mm fisheye f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 at vancouver international airport
even though in the photo you can only see his back as donut dull dull made his way down to door 1 of b-hue
you can be sure his face was to the brim with excitement [ and maybe a little sunburnt — the air bridge is a long walk for a small kid ]
after four days hanging out with the canadian kids he was now heading home on his first day time long haul flight
that means thirteen hours awake to explore the aircraft to his heart's content !!
who can resist the eye-fetching queen of the sky ? donut asked me if he could leave the lounge early
to head to the gate and admire the aircraft taking us home this afternoon before boarding
nikon d700 + nikkor 16 mm fisheye f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 upper deck
donut dull dull and my mum sat next to each other in 81 / 82 k ; these were hand-picked by donut
the upper deck is a no-brainer : beds are 6 inches longer than on the main deck and there are no bassinet positions up here
rear toilets and a maligned window on the front left are important reasons for picking this first seat on the right
but the key one for donut though — the seat is flight deck and pilot rest seat adjacent !
some photos as donut dull dull strolled around the aircraft ; in the middle one you can see him taken
completely aback by the complex arrays of controls in the cockpit [ and he thought the buttons at his seat
were tough to keep track of already ! ]
nikon d700 + nikkor 24-85 mm d f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin
this bed time photo of the b-hox cabin was taken by laurie and is easily my favorite from the flight
whereas my cabin photos are becoming quite formulaic he has a knack of taking awesome ones without really trying
it was disappointing though that we did not manage good shots of the first meal as it was served after sun down [ the balik salmon
and caviar really deserves to be naturally lit ] but i suppose we can just use this as an excuse to fly again
the canadian kids look all energetic and excited here partly because it's only the middle of the afternoon
when cx 838 departs but also because after a year and a half the jumbo is back on this route !!
nikon d700 + nikkor 24-85 mm d f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin and in flight meal
a hearty breakfast to celebrate the return ad interim of the jumbo service to vancouver
it was indeed quite nice to be sitting in the nose on a long haul flight again — if only for a brief couple of months
before they are deployed back again to europe ; fly dull dull is also loading up on energy as he will be assisting in the landing
[ with his antenna resembling the spirit of ecstacy we have dubbed him our resident rolls royce engine ]
ladybug mug mug wakes up to a cup of hong kong style milk tea as the sun rises behind the shades
the three other kids also help themselves to some healthy food before the afternoon arrival
nikon d700 + nikkor 24-85 mm d f ⁄ 4
cathay pacific boeing 777-200 cabin
the youngest of the six kids coming with us to sapporo and tokyo gathered amongst themselves to catch up
[ two months had passed since they last got together though donut see snail and little devil every now and then on the webcam ]
incidentally did you notice the new lens ? it was meant to help me imitate bayaer's superb cabin shots — some at as long as 135 mm
but as you can see it will take sometime to disinure myself from the wide angles
while there was a brief venture into 70 mm territory in the street photo below it is a good thing the zoom
has a 24 mm semi wide for me to fall back on [ and what a gem of a lens this is — full aperture at the
wide end coupled with an incredibly useful zoom range all in a remarkably light package ]
nikon d700 + nikkor 24-85 mm d f ⁄ 2.8
laurie on jr hokkaido train to new chitose airport
posing for a photo as we headed back to the airport for an early domestic flight
after a day and a half of fresh seafood and open air daiyokujou in sapporo we turned to tokyo for some serious shopping
laurie originally suggested this routing so we could fly on japan airlines [ my first time — flight attendants bow before taking their seats !! ]
but this one two punch open jaw itinerary actually works quite well as we enjoy different activities in each city
laurie getting to the jr station at six on a chilly morning — not for shopping at the daimaru unfortunately
we had to catch the first train for our flight though the shops at the airport were surprisingly decent
nikon d700 + nikkor 24-85 mm d f ⁄ 2.8
japan airlines boeing 777-200 cabin
the six kids take their seats for the short flight from new chitose to tokyo international
[ actually this is a re-enactment only — the airline allows film but not digital cameras to be used prior to take off ]
somehow the flight attendants manage four choices for breakfast with time and provisions for seconds which can be a different choice
and then a tea / coffee service all within the less than ninety minutes
the obligatory shots of the kids and their in-flight meals ; ladybug is rather adventurous with his beverages
he wakes up to a sip of strong coffee after trying a little bit of the [ surprisingly excellent ] cab sav
nikon d700 + nikkor 24-85 mm d f ⁄ 4
laurie and me outside louis vuitton ginza
here is a photo of laurie taking a nap in the middle of a busy crosswalk
walking around the various department stores and not buying anything can be exhausting !!
this was taken on a final shopping dash before our flight home and it would been another disappointing trek
if not for stumbling across the century old eatery below in a ginza back street
some photos from rengatei where we had the most phenomenal tonkatsu and curry we've ever tasted
[ hong kong big dull dull sang numerous prayers for our meal ]
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 777-300 er cabin
donut dull dull running over the supper choices tonight to vancouver with fishball mug mug
a fledgeling himself not long ago donut took good care of his elder brother who was travelling on his first long haul flight
incidentally credit goes to our in flight service manager who suggested this setup when he saw me troubled by the dismal lighting
the winter departure of 1 am for an evening arrival kept the cabin in total darkness almost the entire time
some more photos in and out of b-kpc who was taking me and the two small kids to vancouver tonight
the two on the right show the cabin lighting during boarding and take off
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 777-300 er cabin
there was a twenty second window to capture this photo of the serene mini compartment
the flight attendants had just switched on the cabin lights [ for the second meal service about two hours from vancouver ]
ten seconds before this shot was taken the cabin was pitch black as everyone slept ; and ten seconds after people were already up stretching
and lining up for the bathrooms and basically ruining my photos
some photos of donut taking fishball by the departure and arrival lounges ; incidentally the showers and
very large towels at the arrival are great for cleaning dirty suitcases before rolling them on home
nikon d700 + nikkor 35 mm 2.0 d f ⁄ 8
boeing 747-8 freighters at paine field airport
my wide angle primes made me look somewhat inadequate at the observation deck
still with some heavy cropping this photo of the boeing 501 heavy experimental managed to turn out okay
[ fly dull dull shuddered when he heard the poor ge engines going through the numerous taxi tests ]
it was also good to know my lenses work at f numbers other than wide open
on sunday the new plane needed some rest [ his maiden flight scheduled for the next day ] and so did we
we stopped by the cheesecake factory for a leisurely sunday brunch before hitting nordstorm
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
laurie on our morning drive to seattle
hehe — ice water is the only item he is allowed to consume at this particular restaurant
we stopped at everett to catch a glimpse of the new boeing planes before continuing to bellevue for some new year shopping
see's candies [ my mum craves them ] in the states are at not even a quarter of their prices in hong kong
and together with clothes at the outlets and blu-rays at costco they already pay for the hotel stay
naturally neither donut dull dull nor fishball mug mug are big fans of tasteless tap water with ice either
spot them by their preferred beverages as they await the cx 889 boarding call on their return
nikkor 20 mm 2.8 f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 777-300 er
over the sea of japan on the return with one world liveryed b-kpl
and what a gorgeous view to wake up to — the sun is about to rise
the moon is setting and is that a comet coming in above us ?
[ it's just a reflection of the fasten seatbelt sign ]
nikon d700 + nikkor 16 mm fisheye f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin
this photo of b-hoo was the first one taken at the start of a short but otherwise perfect holiday
this was also the first time that identical twins canada big dull dull and hong kong big dull dull travelled together
they look exactly the same but our home in canada uses air scents so you can tell them apart by smelling them up close
[ canada big dull dull smells a little better ]
from the cx 580 menu we chose : roasted duck breast with asparagus and green apple salad
followed by hong kong style curry chicken with steamed jasmine rice and chinese mixed vegetables
nikon d700 + nikkor 17-35 mm f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin
with a flight time of almost five hours [ sapporo is the furthest regional destination operated by cathay ]
the kids were able to catch up on some sleep after having woken early to get to the airport ; all the kids that is except donut
who after finishing the meal service resumed his favorite activity of strolling up and down the aisles checking out everything he could find
his young and curious mind still feels completely in awe each time he steps onto an aircraft
with the recent budget cuts however the meals were barely distinguishable from those in the back
save for the ice-cream cups !! here are the kids huddling among themselves trying to decide on a flavour
[ the fruit plate does not receive quite as much attention ]
nikkor 17-35 mm f ⁄ 2.8
sapporo jr tower
here is laurie buttoning up for a new day of shoppings !!
invariably he starts off the day imagining the endless possibilities
but somehow we always end the day empty handed ; it took him like four trips to japan to finally settle on a porter bag [ hmm ... ]
the panoramic view at breakfast at the jr tower hotel is great for getting one's bearings of the city
nikon d700 + nikkor 16 mm fisheye f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 upper deck
wanting some time away from the adults and having discovered the upper deck cabin on his flight from vancouver a week ago
canada big dull dull [ the eldest of the nine kids on this trip ] led the others up the stairs to hang out in this ravishing alcove on b-hov
he is a responsible kid — he waited until our aircraft reached its cruising altitude and then asked me
and the flight attendants for permission before leaving his ticketed cabin with the others
a couple more photos of the cabins on the intelligently misused jumbo flying us home tonight
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific airbus 330-300 cabin
the shot turned out rather well in spite of the not so imaginative angle from which it was shot
with most of my photos the past couple of years taken either using this lens or ocassionally the fisheye it may be time to try something new
perhaps a fast zoom with a bit of reach [ after all buying an expensive lens is the sure fire way of taking better photos ] or two
part of me is also entertaining the thought of switching alliances — the new singapore airlines cabins look quite yummy
fraternal twin brothers workout dull dull and mug mug joined me on a short business trip in sydney
the others had wanted to come with but they didn't managed to get up in time for the very early cx 139
nikkor 20 mm 2.8 f ⁄ 8
sunrise at the sydney opera house
this was taken from a sydney ferry at 7 am
woke up early for some photographs at the habour front and
got on a short boat ride for some more before heading into the office
[ also got enough sun to last me the year ]
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific airbus 330-300 cabin
donut dull dull is the youngest kid in our hong kong family and the one who loves air travel the most
he also holds the distinction of being the only one to have flown in all three travel classes — he gets all excited no matter he is flying up in front
[ so many kids want to come with us on those flights we have to hold a lottery ] or toughing it out in the back with me
no lottery needed on those flights !
some photos of donut waiting for his cx 548 boarding announcement at the hong kong international airport
can you spot him in each of the photos above ?
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
dusk at the tokyo tower
this photo was taken from the observation deck at the world trade center [ hamamatsu-cho jr station ]
donut dull dull joined me on a shoulder season mileage run to tokyo after the summer holidays
he is always a very gwai kid — sat patiently with me for two hours as we staked out
the best spot at the observation deck waiting for the sun to set
some more photos of frequent flyer kid donut dull dull ; it looks like he's an unaccompanied minor
in some of these photos but of course i was keeping my eye on him the whole time
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 8
dusk in daan district taipei
enjoying the view from my hotel room balcony before a fresh week of work at our taiwan office
you also get this view running on the elliptical in the gym which makes it a bit more pleasant shedding the pounds
after stuffing my face in with delicious taiwanese food [ it does get a bit lonely at times by myself here
sometimes depressingly so ] from the neighbouring multi kilometer long yanji street
a table for one is a little sad even if it is at dumpling emporium ding tai fung ; but at least donut is here
he travels with me to taipei for work every time despite it being in economy class on regional planes
nikkor 20 mm 2.8 f ⁄ 2.8
xinyi district taipei
work has taken me [ with donut ] to taipei almost every other week
besides the aforementioned yummy food we also enjoyed some terrific fares to north america on cathay ; premium tickets ex taipei
can easily be half those originating out of hong kong
these two are seasoned travellers on cx 888 to vancouver but the late departure is still hard on them
they wanted to sleep on the spacious landing on top of the storage before we even started pushing back
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 777-300 er cabin
cabin lights were dimmed during take off from vancouver on the return
this compartment was actually full but it looks like no one paid any attention to the safety instruction video
most passengers had boarded in new york where cx 889 originates and kept their seats flat
to continue sleeping as the plane took off a second time
they are the eldest in our hong kong family but big mug mug and big dull dull are still excited by
simple things like riding on the moving walkway and the luggage trolleys
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 777-300 er cabin and in flight meal
hong kong big mug mug and big dull dull listen to music as they enjoy fresh fruits prior to landing in hong kong
cathay thoughtlessly includes only one pair of headset per seat but luckily when she passed out breakfast to the kids
our flight attendant noticed that we were short a pair and offered us a spare set from an empty seat
now that is service from the heart !
a couple of photos in the lounge with the kids [ no doubt you should know by now these are pretty much
required elements when we fly ] before heading to the gate for a three in the morning departure
nikon d700 + nikkor 16 mm fisheye f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin
this bright and early wide shot of the cx 506 cabin was taken on our second trip to osaka
osaka is quickly becoming our shopping destination of choice — it has the same department stores tokyo does
but without the crowds ; and with kyoto and nagoya only a short shinkansen ride away it's like having
two extra parallel universes in which to shop and eat
it looks like donut dull dull is finding a good friend in little devil — they are the youngest kids in our
respective families now ; snail is growing up too and hangs out more and more with his elder brothers
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific the pier at hong kong international airport
finally a photo that does justice to the majesty of pineapple dull dull and eggplant mug mug
we refer to them as « boss kids » ever since i brought eggplant into work and he looked so at home napping in the corner office
they are a very important part of our family — their primary task is to fly between hong kong and vancouver daily
and spray their magic sleeping essences on me and laurie so we have a good night's sleep every night
more from the cathay pacific lounges in hong kong — eggplant and pineapple sleeping soundly as usual !
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin
seven kids keep a watchful eye over the cx 507 cabin this evening as we depart kansai international
[ notice the adorable pimple ? this was the same aircraft as on our outbound trip and the blown lamp still hadn't been replaced ]
well perhaps not eggplant and pineapple — those two can sleep any time any place
what i wouldn't give for just ten percent of their magical power
the loading in the premium cabins on our return flight was not too heavy so we were able to make our
way to the upper deck to take another photo of the welcoming almost festive cabin lights of b-hug
nikon d700 + nikkor 16 mm fisheye f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin
it was bed time at 33,000 ft but laurie was still up with his chua lam food shows
[ his unstowed ptv and reclined seat marring the ~ symmetry in this photo ] naturally i was out of my seat snapping away
paying zero attention to the fasten seat belt sign heh ; by the way how fantastic is the sensor on the nikon d700 ?
this shot hand held and during some minor turbulence !
no doubt you can tell i have a strong aversion to having people in my photos [ and in real life ]
but i think we can make one small exception for the great crew we had on this flight
nikon d700 + nikkor 16 mm fisheye f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin
a question that had never arisen until tonight « would you like us to dim the lights ? »
with some very strategic planning [ mostly by laurie ] we managed to nab a first class cabin all to ourselves !!
there are reels upon reels of photos from this flight to post process but these two cabin photos were at the top of the list
the night time mood lighting in the cathay pacific first class cabin is truly a sight to behold
laurie looking like he's just been op'ed-up from economy class as he gestures the obvious
yes — things are better when the bathroom to passenger ratio is one to one
nikkor 16 mm f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin
alright just one more shot of the cabin [ though frankly
this photo shows off more my limberness than the gorgeous cabin ]
getting the symmentry and horizon exactly right when you are up on the credenza and tight against the nose was a fun challenge !!
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific airbus 330-300 cabin
big mug mug happily taking in the cathay pacific cabin with the new herringbone seats
soon as they started boarding i rushed down the gangway with big mug mug in one arm and the d700 in the other [ shutter speed / aperture
/ iso all of course preset for cabin photography ] all so i can capture this pristine shot before someone else boarded and ruined everything
needless to say i was first at the gate ; laurie was 2nd — his task was to feign losing his boarding pass and delay the pax behind him
four kids joined laurie and me on a trip to taipei including big mug mug who was flying for the first time
look at how excited he was in the first and second photos — and he hadn't even boarded yet !
some photos of the kids on board flight cx 460 getting ready for departure to taoyuan international
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
dragonair airbus 330-300 cabin
big mug mug trying out the flat bed in the new dragonair cabin
we opted for dragonair on the return when we saw one of its flights was to be operated with a retrofitted aircraft
the kids were glad we did — they all thought the slanted bed was much more fun to play on than the horizontal one on cathay
and without the high partitions laurie and i prefer this set up when travelling together as well
on the right are a couple of close up photos of big mug mug and the kids returning from taipei
but can you spot all of them playing hide and seek in the lounge on the left ?
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin
this relaxing photo of the b-hui cabin was taken by laurie quite a while back
when the cx 888 / 9 pairing was still flown by a jumbo with a sensible afternoon departure time from hong kong
the re-timed midnight service is operated by a 773 er which has the awesome eight seat mini business class compartment
but not being at the nose of the plane its first class seats somehow feel more pedestrian
the small canada kids [ did you notice our new family member little devil dull dull ? ] on their flight home
butterfly mug mug being the smartest of the five stops by the library in the lounge before his flight
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
laurie at stanley park vancouver
we were in vancouver for a little rest over the thanksgiving long weekend
laurie is looking none too pleased though having to walk around in this fresh air
[ he gives the same look when i ask him to run on the elliptical or to skip the bbq pork skin ]
five minutes after this photo was taken we were back in the car on the way to costco
hehe tell you something — while setting up the above shots i accidentally dropped and stepped on snail
he had to be bandaged up that night and he didn't speak to me for a week afterwards
nikkor 20 mm 2.8 f ⁄ 2.8
hong kong international airport
we rarely get to see each other [ there was one close miss when
laurie was in taipei for a transit and i was stuck at work just miles away
we had been apart for two months already when that happened !! ]
let alone fly together but when we do — it is a family event
some photos of the kids coming with us on a short hop for a weekend in taipei ; the regional jet and its
old style seats are nothing to write home about but the return below — now that's something else
nikon d700 + nikkor 20 mm 2.8 d f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin
the kids settling into their spacious suite on the return from taipei two days later
hong kong big dull dull led the expedition this time with a quintet of small kids from both the hong kong and canadian families in tow
when we head to taipei again later in the year it will be big mug mug's turn to lead the charge with some other kids
[ we want to make sure that every kid gets to fly and if possible to different destinations as well ]
hehe — he checked the seat map because these kids had never flown in the new suites before and as the
big brother he wanted to be prepared so the kids can have a care free flight
nikon d700 + nikkor 35 mm 2.0 d f ⁄ 2
the first model for my new nikon primes kit
nikon read my mind [ or those of lazy available light photographers all over ]
the world's first full frame digital slr in a compact body with medium pixel count and pro level auto-focus
got the camera the week it was released and it is close to flawless ; it would be if the view finder had 100% coverage
and they shaved another few hundred grams off the weight while adding a second card slot
some more photos from fusion fifth floor
nikon d2x + nikkor 10.5 mm fisheye f ⁄ 4
the living room
if i accidentally slam a door shut at home i would apologize even though nobody else is around
which is a good thing — because where would they sit ? yes my living room is very minimalist and ocd
but have you ever taken your vacuum cleaner and run it across the entire bay window with zero obstruction ?
it is so immensely pleasurable
the photos below are missing a few kids [ they were home resting in my bedroom ] and a few million pixels
as the op-up happened after security and it was too late to go home to fetch my nikon and the kids
the new boarding pass design is not exactly inspired but who cares when it has on its lower right corner
a special uppercase letter denoting its lucky owner the recipient of an involuntary upgrade !!
nikon d2x + nikkor 50 mm 1.4 d f ⁄ 1.4
laurie at kiyomizu-dera veranda kyoto
it is a special day when laurie takes some time out from his marathoning
in and between the many fine japanese department stores to visit a tourist attraction
the kids gave this temple a miss though after finding out its name translated to « clear water »
they spent the afternoon at a local mos burger with a big glass of hay shui instead
a few more photos from our trip to osaka including a much more representative photo of laurie :
perched outside one of the many daimaru's early in the morning waiting for opening time
nikon d2x + nikkor 10.5 mm fisheye f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific airbus 340-300 cabin
thanks to laurie's eagle eye — we took a small detour and returned from our osaka trip via nagoya on cx 535
its normally two class regional flight was served that day by this re-positioning three class wide body
this means that these eight lovely seats were not sold and we got to sit in this empty cabin
even though we were just holding business class tickets [ award ones at that ]
donut dull dull joined our hong kong family just a few months ago and this was his first time in first
not to worry though — his best friend and frequent traveller snail was on hand to show him the ropes
nikon d2x + nikkor 10.5 mm fisheye f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin
the aircraft taking us across the pacific ocean to vancouver today is b-hos
it is one of the first of cathay pacific's long haul fleet to be fitted with the new olympus seats — welcome aboard indeed !!
by getting rid of two seats and the overhead bins they were able to expand the seats and raise the partitions
for i think just the right blend of privacy and space
some photos of the canada kids after they dropped donut off in hong kong ; snail was sad to see him go
he is the youngest in our canada family and maybe that's why he feels a special bond with donut
nikon d2x + nikkor 70-200 mm vr f ⁄ 2.8
complete set of mcmug and mudull snow globes
laurie is looking rather distinguished below — as well he should : he is flying first class to vancouver today
luckily for our wallets laurie also knows plenty of nooks and cranies for discounted airfares and mileage redemption
take the japan shopping trip which [ because tokyo is a back tracked destination from north america ] came in at just cad 400 for him
more amazingly he could then redeem on that fare the always tremendous value companion award for me !
laurie on the airport express on his way to boarding our vancouver staple cx 888
nikon d2x + nikkor 10.5 mm fisheye f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin
cx 504 from hong kong to tokyo — the first time we flew together
the plane turned to commence its decent into narita and the entire cabin was suddenly bathed in sunlight
we held hands in 4 d / g and enjoyed a few more moments of serenity and calm before
the [ immigration queuing and ] department store hopping madness began
on our return three days later : as usual not much was bought [ the japanese sizes do not often fit laurie ]
but when you are sitting at the front of a cathay pacific jumbo the fun is squarely in the journey
nikkor 10.5 mm f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific boeing 747-400 cabin
despite its age this is one of my favorite flight photos
yup — that is laurie sitting thirty rows and two galleys / classes away !!
something got lost in translation apparently but much to his relief
we did sort it out in the air and he was escorted up
nikon d2x + nikkor 17-55 mm dx f ⁄ 4
royal vancouver yacht club at stanley park vancouver
compared to in hong kong driving in vancouver is an absolute pleasure
each time we are over here and laurie needs to work i would drop him off at the office after breakfast
and go off on a leisurely drive up north — cypress and seymour mountains and horseshoe bay typically
before coming back down to stanley park in the afternoon and picking him up again for dinner
the photo on the right was taken near the start of the very scenic upper levels highway in west vancouver
when we saw how beautiful the bay was we had to pull over and risk life walking back for a photo
nikkor 17-55 mm f ⁄ 2.8
hilton tokyo
sumimasen [ excuse me ] my eye bags
eye shades + ear plugs + valium + red wine and i am
still only clocking around four hours of sleep on a long haul flight
i think i shall redeem some eye cream with my miles
heading to dublin with a stop over at my sister's in london ; well more a stop over at the m & s simply food
which opened across from her place and from hearsay is three times the size of the one outside mine !!
nikon d70 + nikkor 17-55 mm dx f ⁄ 4
akihabara fuji noodle shop
james said all i need is find what i like and say kore kudasai [ this please ] and i will go far in japan
puh you don't even need to go through all that at this lovely noodle store — just pick out the bowl you like
match its name on the ticket machine and press the button ; no need to look at or talk to anyone
the only time you need to open mouth is for insertion of delicious noodles
a month into my secondment to hong kong and tokyo and i am already missing getting yelled at by
brighde and her undergraduate degree in photocopying every time we forget to fan the stack of paper
before loading up the laserjet
nikkor 17-55 mm f ⁄ 4
hong kong international airport
taken with eyes barely opened at six in the morning
couldn't sleep from the seven grade pigs excitement last nite
at one point close to the end there were four of us left
and we were all pigs of the sixth grade
was in alberta for three days for a conference ; did some sight seeing with marian after i finally managed
to stop playing around with the dual automatic scrolling doors on the minivan
nikon d70 + nikkor 10.5 mm fisheye f ⁄ 2.8
cathay pacific noodle bar at hong kong international airport
so how about this clear shot of cathay's famed frequent flyer refectory ?
scheduling a 2 am departure for heathrow finally gave me the chance to nab this
any other time in the day it would take a small miracle to empty this place
pre flight tip — skip the high carb noodles and get just the wontons
a couple more lounge photos including the terraces at heathrow — my piss has more thrust than their
much ballyhoo-ed hydrotherapy jets but the huge jug of molton brown in the shower suite makes up for it
[ you can never over estimate how much moisturizer transit passengers can soak up ]
nikkor 10.5 mm f ⁄ 4
the spire dublin
this is only the second time that i have used this lens here
do you know how difficult it is to find somewhere in dublin city
that looks good for a whole one-eighty degree frame ?
i cloned out fifty pieces of gum in this shot alone
a spanish girl at the july course 7 seminar asked me to join her on a 6 am day tour of the niagara falls
how many things are wrong with this invitation ?? i count five
nikon d70 + nikkor 10.5 mm fisheye f ⁄ 2.8
custom house square apartments dublin
this is where i have been staying the last two years
my secondment from the dublin office to hong kong will be announced in a meeting this afternoon
the last weeks here shall be quite care free — some mangos and blueberries while they are on sale at m & s
crunches as i catch up on dvds and a road trip if i feel like singing cantopop in the car again
cx 252 — my first time travelling at the front on cathay pacific ; jordi dismissively asked if the world
looked different from my window in first class ... « honey which window ? i have got four »
nikon d70 + nikkor 10.5 mm fisheye f ⁄ 2.8
anchorage from a cathay pacific airbus 340-600
on the way back from texas where i got my fellowship !!
it was difficult to celebrate very hard though as apparently the biggest attraction in town was sears
had a steak dinner with three other actuaries but they were too far down the life table from me for us to
have much to talk about ; in fact they all smoked so we were not even on the same life table [ cough ]
things got considerably better on a long weekend stop over in new york city including my first time
wait for it — with a one world emerald member heh
nikon d70 + nikkor 17-55 mm dx f ⁄ 2.8
custom house quay dublin
keep your eyes peeled for new gold marco polo club tags on my co-ordinated luggages !!
elite tier cards are like rim jobs — i will be wanting to take one if someone is wanting to give one
and i would feel pretty validated afterwards too ; seriously if someone is willing to stick
their tongue up your ass and then lick ? you must have gotten something right
qualified for the gold tier on the way from dublin to shanghai for the year end financial reinsurance rush
god bless regulatory arbitrage and the st regis butlers who draw you a bath after fetching you bootleg dvds
