The one with the missing post and NY Resolutions!

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Mark

Updated my resolutions with KPIs

Photo Courtesy of Alain Bachellier

I am just baffled because I actually scheduled a post to be posted on my blog on Christmas Day (knowing that I will be in church and spending time with the family) only to find out that it has been missing. Weird, huh?

Speaking of older posts, I always realised that I have been blogging about my New Year resolutions and I realised that I didn’t set any for 2009. I guess that after setting them in 2007 and 2008, it hasn’t really turned out that well. Let’s just say that I haven’t been able to get off my ass and start making a change in my life.

One of the funny things is that my friends always say that my weight is like a yo-yo. It goes down as fast as it quickly goes up. Definitely one area which I will be concentrating in my resolutions this year, maybe its because of a different motivation altogether this time. I will talk about that later.

I guess with most other people is that we all set too many resolutions. Worse of all, we try to tackle all of them all at a time. I for one, am guilty of spreading myself too thin by challenging myself to so many different habits to break that I lose my motivational momentum. Recently I read this blog post on how to stick to our new year’s resolution and it really was an eye opener!

Leo says that, (ironically he is a Leo as well )

New Year’s Resolutions usually fail because of a combination of some of these reasons:
We try to do too many resolutions at once, and that spreads our focus and energies too thin. It’s much less effective to do many habits at once (read more).
We only have a certain amount of enthusiasm and motivation, and it runs out because we try to do too much, too soon. We spend all that energy in the beginning and then run out of steam.
We try to do really tough habits right away, which means it’s difficult and we become overwhelmed or intimidated by the difficulty and quit.
We try to be “disciplined” and do very unpleasant habits, but our nature won’t allow that to last for long. If we really don’t want to do something, we won’t be able to force ourselves to do it for long.
Life gets in the way. Things come up unexpectedly that get in the way of us sticking with a habit.
Resolutions are often vague — I’m going to exercise! — but don’t contain a concrete action plan and don’t use proven habit techniques. That’s a recipe for failure.

Now from the above I can safely say that I met all of those which led me to find out that I have been missing all these time. From mentioning some of the reasons why we fail, Leo then went on to talk about the 6 changes we can do and how to start working on that.

The 6 Changes Method
So what are we to do? I’ve created the 6 Changes Method, along with a new site called 6Changes.com, to solve these problems:
We only focus on one habit change at a time, so our focus and energies aren’t spread thinly.
We implement the habit changes gradually, so we don’t run out of steam.
We start out really, really easily, so it isn’t intimidating.
We focus on enjoyable activities, so we don’t need “discipline”.
We have two months to do the habit change, so if something comes up, it’s but a small bump in the road. And because we’re publicly committed, we’re going to get back on track.
We have a very specific plan with actions built in, using proven habit change techniques.
If you stick with the method, you’ll do much better than you’ve done in the past with New Year’s Resolutions. You’ll focus on creating long-lasting habits rather than trying to reach a short-term goal that fails. You’ll maintain your enthusiasm for longer and not become overwhelmed by the difficulty of change. You’ll have habits that will change your life, and that’s no small feat.
The Method
So how does the 6 Changes method work?
It’s simple:
Pick 6 habits for 2010.
Pick 1 of the 6 habits to start with.
Commit as publicly as possible to creating this new habit in 2 months.
Break the habit into 8 baby steps, starting with a ridiculously easy step. Example: if you want to floss, the first step is just to get out a piece of floss at the same time each night.
Choose a trigger for your habit – something already in your routine that will immediately precede the habit. Examples: eating breakfast, brushing your teeth, showering, waking up, arriving at the office, leaving the office, getting home in the evening.
Do the 1st, really easy baby step for one week, right after the trigger. Post your progress publicly. (Read more.)
Each week, move on to a slightly harder step. You’ll want to progress faster, but don’t. You’re building a new habit. Repeat this until you’ve done 8 weeks.
You now have a new habit! Commit to Habit No. 2 and repeat the process.

Pretty interesting if you asked me but at the same time, don’t we feel that most of the resolutions that we set ourselves are something that we don’t like doing hence it becomes something we don’t like and hence we need a resolution to get around it? But the 6 methods does come as a truth because for every habit we might want to achieve, there is definitely something fun out of it.

It is also interesting that Leo did mention about public accountability hence I do hope that the readers of my blog keep me accountable for my 6 habit changes! A comment or two would definitely be helpful in reminding me and checking up with me if I have been keeping up with my habits. I heard that if I do something consistent for at least 20 times then it will become a habit.

So here are my new year’s resolutions for 2010!

Wake up earlier and start my day earlier. I usually wake up quite late and have to rush through the morning. So within the next two months I will set my alarms earlier, snooze at most once or twice and force myself up earlier so that I have more time to prepare and drive to work as well as reach the office earlier and get a better parking spot. The tough bit about this is measuring this so the easiest way I think I can set is to start waking up at 7am for work.
Spend less and save more! With my wedding coming up, I definitely need to save up for plenty of stuff and for furniture as well for when I move in to the apartment above Tropicana City Mall. 8 baby steps to achieving this? I guess I can start by spending less on photography equipment (actually I told myself not to spend on any equipment at the moment as I have everything I need and lots of training DVDs to watch). Stop spending on unnecessary gadgets and utilizing what I currently have at the moment.
Lose more weight and maintaining it! Ok, with my wedding coming up, I definitely have to lose weight and make sure that I can fit into a tux. How do I achieve this? Run more often at work, at least once a week and start playing badminton with my old badminton mates on Tuesday nights. Probably get poisoned by them but I definitely need new badminton shoes. Target weight to achieve is 85kg, currently my weight now is over 100kg so its going to be a long journey.
Be more disciplined! Yup, this is one area I feel I am totally weak in. I have to be more disciplined in everything that I do, it really doesn’t help that I am kind of a slacker hence I need to be more disciplined, disciplined in my personal life, disciplined at work and disciplined in my relationship with God. I can’t really put a KPI to this yet, need to give this a little more thought.
Read more! I have a mountain of books which I happily bought and haven’t even opened them yet. To achieve this, I am going to slowly start by reading the book at least 5-10 minutes a day and as the weeks progress by, I will slowly increase my reading time. To make things interesting, I will write a book review on a monthly basis on what I have read recently.
Blog more! Frankly, blogging is one thing I have been sort of consistent about, meaning that after 3 years I am still blogging but not as frequent as I would like. I am the type of guy who likes to laze about after a days work and by that I am simply too lazy to blog. So with resolution number 4, I want to be more disciplined in blogging as well. I do admire those other bloggers out there who can blog consistently. In terms of my creative writing skills, hopefully by blogging more, I can improve on it as well.

Well here are my 6 habits or new years resolution for 2010 that I have set for myself. Do keep me accountable ok?

One of my favourite advertisements

Posted on December 11, 2009 by Mark

One of my favourite advertisements which I have seen in the cinema previously and one of those which suddenly reminded me of what the world should become instead of how it is. It is rather ironic that it is an advert about Vodka but the way it was created and portrayed as well as included in the sound track, “Money makes the world go round”, seemed so relevant to how it was presented.

Kudos to TBWA\Chiat\Day for coming out with this advert.

Darn it, the song keeps playing in my head right now….

The Monday Blues

Posted on October 26, 2009 by Mark

I always wondered who started the term “the Monday Blues”, even after searching through Wikipedia, there hasn’t been any entry on it and yet I am somewhat curious how the term came to coin. Maybe its because I got a latest dose of mystery cum adventure in the form of Dan Brown’s latest book, “The Lost Symbol”, which made me realised that I have been taking a lot of things for granted.

One of them is being the way I do things. How many times have I ever given my 110% in anything that I have done? Truthfully, I find it extremely difficult trying to perform at a 110% in all physical, mental and spiritual context. Even if my average is at say 75%, an increase of 1% may or may not prove significant, but in actual sense, the end product can have many leaps and bounds.

In truth, I am slowly coming to terms that in life, there are certain things that we take for granted, that we tend to procrastinate, that we tend to just shun off for another time. There are things that we take up, only to know that it hinders us from our actual goal. If you ask me now, what is my goal in life, my answer would have been the same 10 years ago. “No idea”, “get rich?”, “don’t need to work ever again”, seems to pop into my mind but apparently it doesn’t work just that way in life. I realised that everyday is an effort, an effort to find oneself, an effort to realise what I am and what I can accomplish.

Over lunch, I had an interesting conversation with my colleagues in reference to the show, “Yesman!”, starring Jim Carrey. It was a show about a guy who usually said “no” to things in life having suddenly have to say “Yes” to everything. It changed his life tremendously. So how many times is it that we said “no” to things when it should have been a “yes”? Okay, here comes the twist. How many times have we said “yes” to things when we should have said “no” instead? I have a feeling the latter occurs more often.

A good example was over the week, I said “yes” to so many things that it left me utterly exhausted. But what did I get from saying “yes”? Quite a fair bit as well. I watched my first orchestral performance at the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. On the other hand, I gained a bit of weight from eating too much at California Pizza kitchen instead as there was just too much food on the table.

Right now, I’ve got about 5 more days before I have an important meeting to discuss over my annual review. I definitely need to map out a path for myself but I have been procrastinating it for way too long. Maybe its time I took that extra 1% and channel it to what my goal is.

So, have you set your own personal goals and development plan? In your career? As a photographer? As a parent?

Don’t wait, lets start working on it.

p.s. I still can’t find out where the term Monday blues came about especially when we have cultures where the first day of work does not begin on a Monday!

Quirky Wednesday

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Mark

I learned some invaluable tips over the weekend especially when I was working with the Wedding Story team capturing a wedding on Saturday and then later joining Ian on Sunday to shoot another wedding. I really believe that the more I shoot, the more I get to know about the whole industry and how it affects me as a shooter.

Let me try my best to relate as much as I can about what happened over the weekend.

On Saturday, I realised that Bangsar Seafood Garden is a total garden wedding paradise hidden in the midst of urban development. Seriously, the place was awesome and I have to give it to the folks who decorated the place. I will blog more about the wedding on a later date. Makes me want to really consider having a garden wedding for my own wedding.

Secondly, I learned that no matter how nicely you speak to some guest with a camera, they would take that to offense and act extremely hostile towards you. It all happened when the guest started getting into our shots during the ceremony but instead of being completely irritated, I learned that this is a good opportunity for me to think harder on composition. How can I find a good composition without compromising the moment as well.

The third thing I learned also was a result from the same guest. Imagine trying to go table to table with the couple and capturing guests and whilst you are about to capture the shot, this “guest” would suddenly appear behind you with his lens located right next to my ear taking the shot. To make matters worse, the “guest” kept bumping into my camera and pushing me whilst trying to maneuver tables and other guests. Why this was a problem for me was because the people/group I was trying to take kept looking at his camera so there were shots where they were not looking into my camera. Remember, the last thing you want to do is to get angry and cause a whole commotion. Face the fact, the other person is still a “guest” hence he has every right to do what he wanted to do. So logically, we asked if he could take his photos separately, meaning we take turns taking the shot and I wouldn’t mind help set up the group for the shot. Apparently that went as well as hitting your head on a brick wall.

This was when I realised that in order to get the attention from the guests/group that I am taking, I had to be extremely vocal and in constant communication. Here are some of the things I did to gain the attention I needed.

I directed them on where to stand even though they were already in the right spot.
I constantly reminded them to look at my camera.
I smiled, a lot!
I asked them to smile, a lot!
I laughed, a lot!
I invited them to stand as a group
I always told them thank you for their time
I waved my hands around to get the attention of kids
I made funny but yet stupid jokes

To be honest, it was extremely fun interacting with the guests and the couple as well. A valuable lesson indeed.

The last lesson I learned is that usually during meal times (say during the dinner ceremony), the couple might invite you to sit down and eat as well with other guests. Most of the time I might say no because I would rather be going around shooting or have a separately meal prepared so that I don’t waste time waiting for dishes to arrive. Now, when the couple says that they want you to sit down, make sure you ask what the menu is first! Because you never know when they might just serve a whole load of soft shell crabs…..sob…

Okay, the last point might be stretching it a little but hey, I learned it the hard way.

Being a 2nd Shooter

Posted on September 11, 2009 by Mark

I recently read a post over at Jasmine Star’s blog where her husband, JD, talked about being a 2nd shooter. In case you all are unaware that I am actually one of WeddingStory‘s 2nd shooter and I do 2nd shoot for other photographers as well, I thought that this post came about as very real and useful for those of you out there who wants to be 2nd shooters as well.

Note that the words in “italic” were taken from the blog post on Jasmine Star’s recent entry.

10. Dress Appropriately
Don’t be afraid to ask the main photographer what to wear on the wedding day. Some weddings are casual, others more formal. The most important thing is to always be a reflection of the main photographer’s attire and blend in with guests as much as possible. I always dress according to the Three Piece Rule: Wearing a tie/jacket/pants or tie/vest/pants…and I guess a jacket/shirt/pants works as well, but Jasmine definitely prefers a tie!

This is one point I totally agree with it. I really dislike shooters who dress so casually for a wedding shoot looking scruffy and untidy! Come on, the bride and groom are dressed so nicely and their guests are all dressed up, coming up for a shoot in your t-shirt and jeans and slippers totally makes you look unprofessional as well as you make the main photographer look bad. Unless the theme of the wedding is jeans and casual wear. But the best possible solution is to follow what the main photographer wears, no, not exactly the same (I don’t wear a dress and shoot!). If the main photographer is going to be in all black, don’t come wearing a chicken suit or a fluorescent glow-in-the-dark shirt (no matter how cool it looks). The keyword is be professional.

9. Same Day Slideshow
If the main photographer creates a same-day slideshow to display at the reception, make sure and find a nearby work station (i.e. chair and outlet). I usually find a place just outside of the reception so we can hear what’s going on and be easily accessible.

Now this is a very subjective matter especially if the main photographer is going to show their same day slide show at the reception area rather than during the dinner event itself. Help set up the slideshow either by preparing the laptop or DVD and making sure that it runs well before the dinner starts. This can be done either with the help of the audio visual crew (usually at the hotel) and the key is to do a couple of test runs. The last thing you want is for the wrong slideshow to be played from the laptop or the DVD just doesn’t work. Also, don’t get too engrossed watching the slide show and feeling good when you see your photos being displayed. You might just miss the moment capturing the guest’s reaction.

8. Gather the Family
It’s so important to help the main photographer during family formal photos. There’s a really short amount of time to execute the photos, so be sure to find grandma and Uncle Kevin (who’s usually at the bar) so the entire group isn’t waiting for one person.

Group shots are always the hardest especially when there is a large crowd. People will be talking and the noise levels just go insane. This is where you can definite help the main photographer to help organize the group, assist the guests by guiding them where to stand so that their faces can be captured and not just part of their ears. You can also help prepare the next group waiting to be photographed or carry lighting equipment during this time.

7. Taking Care of Vendors
During a wedding day, I usually don’t have time to cultivate friendships, but I always make sure to include every vendor throughout the day. If they need anything, I offer assistance. If the vendor dinner is served, I try to make sure everyone knows. It’s small things that ensure everyone feels like we’re on the same team…and there’s a high probability we’ll work together again in the future, so make sure to have everyone’s back.

Definitely a good tip, getting to know the vendors is a great way to widen your network and your connections and offering your assistance can be beneficial as well. But constantly be aware of the time you assist so that you don’t forget your main job. The last thing you want to do is either quarreling with the videographer or worse, the wedding planner! Remember, what goes around comes around. A little help always goes a long way.

6. Offer to Carry Bags
I’m kinda particular about this because it reminds me of my role as a second shooter…to make life easier for the main shooter. I’m not saying every second photographer MUST carry the bags, but it’s nice to offer. I always carry and maintain the main photo bag on wedding days and I know Jasmine appreciates it.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with helping to carry bags! Although I definitely need to learn to balance that together with my own bags but whenever the team is moving from various locations and when the main photographer is taking portraits, offer to carry all the equipment and bags.

5. Get Water
Here in Southern California, peak wedding season is during the hottest time of the year, so keeping ourselves hydrated is very important. I always make sure Jasmine has a cold glass of water waiting for her: 1. Before the ceremony; 2. After the ceremony; and 3. After cocktail hour. Usually these are the hottest (and most stressful) times outdoors because there’s so much juggling going on for her. Every time she finishes her glass, she’s recharged (and in a better mood!).

Water is very important especially when you work in Malaysia where humidity levels are usually off the charts. I usually like to buy extra bottles of mineral water before any shoot which helps keep everyone hydrated throughout the day. Its not guaranteed that you might have easy access to water all day so preparing water beforehand is really useful and helpful for the team. Just over last weekend I had to thank Nigel for constantly bringing water for both me and Grace. It was godsend!

4. Smile
Jasmine usually has to remind me of this one…and when she does, I usually give her a sarcastic smile. In all honesty, I know she’s right. Jasmine reminds me that guests are looking at us even when we don’t realize it and we’re a reflection of the bride’s desire of have us document her dream day. If we look hot, unhappy, tired, or annoyed, it’ll be a poor reflection on our brand. I’ll admit is sometimes hard to smile after hearing We Are Family…I’ve got all my sisters with me! for the thousandth time that month, but I then smile knowing Jasmine’s probably off dancing with the DJ! (just kidding…i had to throw this in here!)

Constantly be happy, a good impression to your guests as well as to your clients (ala the bridge and groom). What JD mentioned above is absolutely true, do you want to be known as the “grumpy photographer” around? Smile!

3. Find New Angles
Don’t shoot over the main photographer’s shoulder! When I first started shooting with Jasmine, I shot behind her and captured–basically–the same photo as she did. Okay, just not as cool. She finally explained that she didn’t need another version of her photo…she needs an entirely photo of the same moment. I’ll admit this is harder than it seems, but I know she appreciates creativity and a different photo from the exact same moment.

Being a second shooter might depend on your level of skill and what the main photographer would want you to capture. Sometimes I have been given the tasks to take all the official shots, meaning the cake cutting, pouring of the champagne, capturing the official shots of the tea ceremony where I have to get everyone in the shot whilst the main photographer will capture the artistic shots. Other times I get to do both so its good to find different angles, different locations. For example, if your main photographer is shooting downstairs, why not try to take a shot from upstairs (only if that is available but you can change the context to a low and high angle).

2. NEVER PASS OUT YOUR BUSINESS CARD
One of the first weddings we photographed together, we had another photographer tag along with us. The night was flowing nicely until I overheard the third shooter pass his/her business card to a wedding guest…and passed his/her studio name along. I can’t explain how rude this is. On a wedding day, a second and third photographer is just that…an accompanying photographer to the main photographer’s studio. If a guest asks for a business card from a second shooter (which happens often!), the second shooter should always pass along the main photographer’s business card. Period. The end.

I’ve actually experienced this quite a number of times before where I have been second shooting for another photographer and when the guests seen some of the photos especially after the slideshow was shown, the one thing I always ensure is that you carry cards of the main photographer around to pass it. If you don’t have, kindly tell the guest that you will get back to them with the card (which is what I do most of the time). Giving your own card really does portray you in a very bad light.

1. Leave Ego at the Door
This one doesn’t need much of an explanation as it’s more a rule for life in general. Just remember, as a second shooter, your number one goal is to shoot the best you can and make the main photographer’s life easier…even if it means missing the best photo opportunities at the wedding. Yes, everyone prefers to shoot the bride getting ready, the bride and groom portraits, and getting the First Kiss standing in the center of the aisle. But chances are, it ain’t gonna be like that. So own what you got and make it work. In the words of my main photographer and mentor, “Just be FABULOUS!”

If you got an assignment to do, make sure you can complete it to the requirements that were given to you. I know everyone wants to create those beautiful shots but if your job is to help carry bags, swap lenses and carrying lighting equipment, do it well and don’t sulk. If your job is to take group photos and get the photos printed, do it to your best ability and with the right ATTITUDE!

With all of my comments, I believe that every one of us is constantly learning and it is through the right ATTITUDE that we can excel in what we hope to achieve.

If you want to read another article written by another assistant, I was quite lucky when today’s guest blog on Kelby’s blog was from Drew Gurian, Joe McNally’s assistant. Check it out in the link below.

http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/2009/archives/6458

Clean Desk Day

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Mark

Alright, after @theBackPackr tweeted about today being a clean desk day and after he has reminded us again today with a blog post about it, I figured to myself, why shouldn’t I clear my desk as well? I would pretty much say that my desk at work is fairly easy to clean. Its my desk at home which is the nightmare!

Workstation at work

A quick description on what is on my desk, I have my laptop sitting on a laptop dock. It is connected to a mouse and keyboard which I use most of the time. The keyboard was a hand-me-down keyboard which I received when I moved places in the office. As you can see, my desk is pretty small which makes it easier for me to clean as well. I have an IP Phone next to me and a mini fan which I bought for myself because it is so friggin hot here.

Here are some more close up of my desk to show how messy the wires and cables can be!

Mini fan with messy cables

The mini fan is my life saver sometimes but it can be rather noisy as well.

Super messy cables including laptop lock

The IP phone has a network cable connected to it and another one connected outwards towards my docking station. There is also a laptop lock for

After a quick organising and cable management, voila, this is what happened to my desk.

Cleaned desk

Doesn’t look like much but mind you, the documents are all stored in the cabinet! Took me 3 seconds to stuff everything in there. I was seriously so amazed because of my super organizational skills.

Mini fan revisited

After careful thought and consideration and weighing various techniques and options, the best solution I came up with the mini fan was to tie the wire with a cable tie. It took me a strenuous 5 seconds to tie it up. Talk about hard work and quick thinking strategy.

Less clutter behind the laptop

At the end of the day, I get a cleaner desk where I can throw more documents on the next day especially after a meeting and get my feet tangled up because I love to cross my legs when I am at my desk due to the dangling cables.

This is where all my cables went to!

So I would love to encourage everyone to spend a little time to clean up their desk, preferbly on Monday. With that you have 4 more days of the week to mess it up again in order for you to clean up your desk again next Monday. I think I shall start a trend, #MessyDeskFridays.

Bumming at the Q for a week

Posted on June 2, 2009 by Mark

Oh my goodness, the blog went silent for a week and I have to blame the lack of internet when I was in New York. Actually there was internet available at the hotel I was staying in and it was limited to only 30minutes and the Wi-Fi connection kept dropping so after I returned back on Saturday and sort of recovered from all the jet lag, I believe its time for a new blog post.

The first week I was in the states mainly involved me living in this small room as shown in the image below. As the title states, I was at the Q Center located in Chicago for a weeklong training. Getting there was no easy task, I had to endure a flight from Malaysia to Hong Kong, transit for 2 hours before travelling another 12 hours to Los Angeles. Upon arrival which was almost midnight, I stayed a night at Los Angeles because the security checks at LAX took almost 2 hours. Then early in the morning, take another flight to Chicago which I clearly missed because I was queuing up for more than an hour and missed the 1-hour before flight check-in deadline. Anyway they just put me on the next flight which was the next hour.

stcharles blog 001 Bumming at the Q for a week

Don’t sweat it, the awesome part of this was that it had free internet as well as a TV which had more than 10 HD channels. It was really awesome watching ESPN in HD! The image is so clear, you can see all the chest hair of all the basketball players when they are playing (ironically I was catching the eastern conference playoffs )

stcharles blog 002 Bumming at the Q for a week

Most of the time I would be walking to and from my training lecture and viewing these awesome scenery and although training usually lasts until quite late through the day, I am glad that the sun sets really late (like 8ish) so I still manage to catch some wonderful sun and cool temperatures.

stcharles blog 0031 Bumming at the Q for a week

The centre used to be a golf course but they managed to preserve the last hole.

stcharles blog 004 Bumming at the Q for a week

My room was located in these apartments on the right. They are quite close to the actual lecture rooms and since classes start at 8am, I had to wake up very early every morning just to catch breakfast before classes. I am utterly amazed that the Americans love to start at 8am everyday whilst where I work, usually people come in after 9am.

stcharles blog 005 Bumming at the Q for a week

Its nice to see tulips as well as we don’t get to see many of them here in Malaysia. But it was a really nice week at St. Charles in Chicago where the sun was up every day and the temperatures were still cool.

More to come when I process the photos I took while I visited Chicago city itself.

Suffering from long transits

Posted on May 19, 2009 by Mark

On my way to Chicago, I was booked on a flight which I had to transit in Hong Kong for 2 hours and then fly another 12 more hours to Los Angeles and stay overnight at the transit hotel and before you know it, hop on a 5 hour flight to Chicago. After a 3.5 hour flight, we arrived in the Hong Kong airport and it was full blown ready to take on the reported H1N1 Flu. Actually, all I did see were cameras which monitored each person disembarking the plane to see if they showed signs. Other than that, the transit area was quite nice.

hongkongairport blog 005 Suffering from long transits

First of all, I liked the architecture of the airport itself, the design really reminded me a lot of KLIA but the airport was so much more packed compared to our wonderful deserted KLIA.

hongkongairport blog 003 Suffering from long transits

Everywhere I turned within the transit section, there were loads of stores there ranging from high end brands such as Giorgio Armani to Starbucks coffee as well as individual smaller restaurants (they could be a chain too).

hongkongairport blog 004 Suffering from long transits

I guess the rent must have been quite high as the seats that we were given were really small. So small that I can’t put my bag on the chair and sit on the chair as well (no, I am not that fat, the chair is just that small!).

hongkongairport blog 001 Suffering from long transits

Anyway, Jamie ordered a duck pizza which was interesting but it was extremely small. The damage? USD$16.30. Food prices in Hong Kong are off the roof especially in the airport.

hongkongairport blog 006 Suffering from long transits

After a quick snack, I managed to go to one of these stations to charge my laptop as well as surf the internet. Note that I realised that KLIA and the Hong Kong Airport provides free Wi-fi. Sadly LAX and O’Hare International Airport does not offer free wi-fi.

After going back on board the next Cathay Pacific flight, the one thing I noticed was that all of the flight attendants were wearing masks throughout the entire flight there. By the time I arrived at LAX, the scene over there was as if they never heard of what the H1N1 flu was. The line at immigration was very long especially since the Homeland Security has implemented the new “Visit US” rule. By the time I arrived at the transit hotel, it was already 12am and I had to get up at 6am the next day to catch the 8am flight.

Anyway I definitely need to catch my sleep now, need to definitely fight off my jet lag. Will be continuing my transit nightmares on my next blog post.

All packed and ready to go

Posted on May 16, 2009 by Mark

Ok, I lied about the title, its officially 1.14am and I have not yet finished packing. I guess I only packed the important ones, or the things which I deemed as important such as my camera gear and my laptop.

3534129856 30f6380afb o All packed and ready to go

That’s right, my camera gears! I will be at Chicago and New York in the upcoming two weeks so I definitely know I can take loads of pictures there! What’s in my bag above? I have packed in my D700, an 80-200mm f/2.8 lens, a 14-24mm lens (I want to shoot when I am on top of the Empire State building!) as well as a 50mm lens. Also together with my camera gear is my MacBookPro and I am packing all of these items into my new Lowepro FastPack 250. Not too bad eh?

I still got loads of packing to do and double checking to do so I am going to continue packing and hitting the slack soon.

My laptop is currently copying photos over to a portable hard disk where I am supposed to pass some photos to Grace and I am also considering trying to figure out where should I backup my entire laptop documents. Probably into one of my external hard drives. Ah, I do things very last minute!

At the same time I printed out an eBook and I will be reading it on the way to US as well as brainstorm and plan out my slides for my presentation at ShootFest and for a photography workshop which I am giving at my company.

Bukit Tabur

Posted on May 11, 2009 by Mark

Over the labour day weekend, I went for a climb up Bukit Tabur with some of the guys. I think I shall have an entire post dedicated to that episode but I wanted to share with everyone a shot I took whilst I was still able to breathe during the climb.

bukittabur blog 001 Bukit Tabur

I actually do have quite a number of photos to post process but after a gruelling weekend of back-to-back shoots, my feet is really killing me and I definitely need my rest. Contrary to that, it is officially 1am and I have to get up early for work. Will work on my post tomorrow!

Mark Leo Dot Net

Loving all things photography, tech, gadgets, Apple and cars

Tag Archives: Personal