kranji - turf club

was going to meet somebody he didn't know in chua chu kang mrt stn to buy his 135mm takumar lens at 7.30pm.

since it was still early, he got down in kranji mrt stn thinking he could take some pictures at the big longkang across the road. but nothing much to walk and take. so he returned to the mrt stn, walked to the back of it, and found it to be the entrance to the new singapore turf club. the races were still on. the door lady said need to buy a $3-ticket to enter, or wait for a few minutes until 6pm, when the last race would be held, then the gates would be opened for free entry.

he waited.

as soon as the gates opened, he went in - the first time ever he stepped into the race course where real animals run their guts out with little fellows whipping them mad.

still many people inside, though quite many already left - locals, foreign workers, uncles, aunties, bookies, small fries, ladies, roughmen.... you name them. it's a game that people from many walks of life got sucked into...... week in, week out.... they want to make it big on the 4-legged animals.

the horses were coaxed into the respective gates at around 6.30pm, to start the race, with horse number 10, refused to go in. after some hard labour by the people, it still would not budged. this horse was then disqualified from the race, those holding tickets with horse number 10 could get a refund from the counters later on.

the race started, all horses ran and ran.... people shouted, screamed when they were passing in front of the galleries...and number 1 won the race by a nose from number 8.

horse racing supposed to be a sport, just like buying stocks an investment. somewhere along the lines, people's ingenuity at making a few quick bucks creeps into the picture..... and the world runs with it!

they say, greed is good - even the losers do not think otherwise.

shunfu - life

clubsnap is holding a competition for pentax users, sponsored by emjay, the pentax distributor in singapore. the theme is "life in the city". participants can submit ONE picture taken from 0000-2400 26 feb 2011, anywhere in singapore.

he tried to wake up earlier today. after reading work emails and take care of some items, he planned to go downtown to take pictures. but it was too far. and he had to get back by 11am to go golfing. so he went instead to upper thompson, sin ming, shunfu area. he brot along his 50mm manual f1.4, DAL 18-55mm, DAL 50-300mm. he did captured some good photos, though not any winner.

here's the ones he like:

fengshui - the master has said

fatt's company employs a fengshui master, to cater for the managers' needs. whichever manager needs his service can ask him to come over.

fatt talked to the master the other day.

first, he asked, "lky said, fengshui is utter rubbish. what do you say?"

"he's total rubbish. he consulted fengshui also.else the merlion wouldn't have moved behind the new bridge across the other side of it."

"i heard the singapore flyer also spent hundred over dollars to reverse the direction of the wheel rotation, instead of rotating toward the sea, now it's away from the sea, so it 'brings water onto the land', meaning bring wealth onto singapore."

"yes."

"does that not mean global warming will affect singapore more than other places - the rising of the sea-level that would cause flooding problems?"

"no lah - water is money, you know. of course, water to you is water..... that's why you still stuck in your position not able to move up."

"why?"

"because, you brain not quick enough to seize the chance of turning adversity into opportunity."

threadmill - cause and effect

eat a lot these days with loheis and meals with boss over here, adding 5 kg.... have to run more - on a threadmill

after a few days of morning runs on the threadmill, fall sick!

was the sickness already set in before the run, or is the sickness caused by the run?

borders - why bother

the newspaper said borders mother company the REDgroup is in deep trouble - declaring bankruptcy. but borders in singapore is business as usual. he was there to snap some pictures in case it closes up soon.

he likes the atmosphere of the setting, where people come and browse thru books, taking some time off from their business schedule to smell the pulpy volumes, having small surprises spotting a book they like, and doing some free open-wrap readings of all the books.....

now, it's facing the fate of possible closure, could there be anything more be done to salvage the situation? is someone going to take over the operations in singapore.

no - it won't happen, unless it's a money spinning undertaking.

international flora expo - sea of flowers

if you say you like flowers, taipei international flora expo is not for you. it's for people who like not flowers but come if you like the sea. yes, it's the sea. the sea of nothing but flowers... the fragrance was over-powering!

after stunned by the sea of flowers, nothing from the expo could make any ripple in his sense of perception.

he made a quick hour-tour of the expo.... because he had a flight to catch later.

before he exited, he asked an expo lady where to exit and take the feeder bus to yuanshan mrt station. she pointed the way and said, "young man, why go out so early. you would miss many flowers.... "

he said, "auntie, enough for me. as the saying goes for tree and forest - after seeing the sea of flowers, i would not be missing any of those little flowers in all the other exhibition spots...."