Panasonic Lumix GF3

Yes!!! I've got what I've been aspiring for recently.

A Red Panasonic DMC-GF3

It's the last day of Gurney Plaza Camera Fair 2011 and my family visited just to buy Lumix GF3 for me.
Honestly, I felt quite embarrassed seeing my dad insistently bargaining for the package discount and freebies (quite proud of him ironically).

For RM2150, I got:
• The camera with a 14mm pancake lens and 14-42mm zoom lens
• 8GB SD Card
• Camera bag
• Samsonite bag
• Toiletries case
• Lumix Exclusive Cleaning Kit with mini tripod, cloth, card reader, SD card holder, blower etc
• Umbrella

Lumix GF3 is so far the world's smallest and lightest interchangable lens camera. Indeed, when I compared it with Nikon D40 which I'd been using before that, I was quite astonished by the difference in size and weight.
In spite of that, the quality of image and video shouldn't be underestimated.
Touch screen is truely also a wonderful feature that makes photo shooting experience easier and fun.

The 6 color effects in Creative Control mode

Here's a test video I've taken using Creative Control: Retro, edited in Adobe Premiere Pro CS3

I'm not actually writing a review for this camera (by the way, there're so many useful reviews outside that there's no need for me to do one), just to share my happiness and excitement.

Thank you dad, I shall make it my Christmas present in advance :)

Check out the Lumix GF3 at Amazon at a special price of US$379!
You can get the body only at US$229!

Dian Xiao Er @ VivoCity

Phew, and finally it's the week marking the end of lectures, tutorials and projects for this semester :), as well as the beginning of those stressful exams ahead of us. :(

Both as celebration and motivation, a few friends from Temasek Hall and I had a relatively luxurious dinner at Dian Xiao Er 店小二, VivoCity.

Seriously, I'd rather be seated inside than outside facing the sea.
Despite the little bit of resemblance of a gazebo, firstly it's so warm outside and secondly, there's no light that favors photo capturing without flash light.

Please bear with the angle and quality as it's snapped with timer.

It's pretty uncommon to see such comprehensive surface-level nutrition facts on a menu.

Apparently I didn't bring a tripod, and the dishes had to be captured using flash light.

鐵板菜香豆腐 Hotplate Beancurd w Minced Meat & Pickled Vegetable ($16.50) ★★★★★


媽蜜雞翅皇 Marmite Superior Chicken Wing ($14.30) ★★★★★



當歸烤鴨 Duck Roasted w Angelica Herb ($23.20) ★★★★☆

My friends kept comparing the dishes with hall's. It's indeed incomparable (just look at the prices) but we should actually be thankful because hall food is considerably nice and in fact, quite delicious sometimes, with fruits and free flow of drinks and soup.

It can be foreseen that the upcoming weeks are going to be the extremely stressful ones, let's chiong instead of holding onto God's leg during the last minutes.

#02-137/8 VivoCity
1 Harbourfront Walk
Singapore 098585

Bicycle Playing Cards

Finally!! And finally I've got myself my first (two) decks of Bicycle Playing Cards.

Blue and Red Standard Decks at $4.50 each (U.P. $5 each)

It started when I went to pay the flight ticket fees to Sweden at Chinatown on a Friday since I have no lectures to attend for. Since I was already out, it makes sense that I drop by VivoCity to scout for some useful stuffs besides enquiring about mobile plan renewal and number portability.

I started surfing the net to find that whether there is anywhere that I can buy a Bicycle deck, and Toy Outpost was the only appropriate result. Lucky me, I really found the decks there and they do sell the Standard Decks (cheapest ones).

By the way, I bought Bicycle not for playing but to practice and perform card magic tricks. I probably would use only the lousy decks I have to play card games with friends.

Reasons? Bicycle Playing Cards are the most quality playing cards one can find on the earth's surface.
All famous magicians like Lu Chen, Cyril Takayama and David Blaine use them as well.

The cards are really smooth and this makes it a lot easier to do spreading, fanning, multiple lifting etc, apart from nice touching feel.

Also, I realized that each deck contains a Red/Blue Double Backed Card. This is prepared to perform Color Changing Deck magic.

Check out the Bicycle Rider Back Poker Playing Cards - 2 Decks now at Amazon for ONLY US$2.95!!

Toy Outpost – Vivocity
1 Harbourfront Walk
Vivocity #02-27
Singapore 098585

Ajisen Ramen @ Clementi Mall

Iced Green Tea and Lemon Tea (for sets)

It's the day Joling and Hooi Tin left for Johore, marking the end of their 4 days 3 nights Singapore trip. Hope that they did have fun here.

I brought them to Clementi Mall and treated them for lunch before sending them off.
And ya, anyhow picked a not-so-cheap & not-so-expensive restaurant in the mall, Ajisen Ramen 味千拉麵.

Seafood Katsu シーフードカツフライ & White Fish 白身魚フライ (Side dishes for sets)


Chicken Teriyaki Ramen 照り焼きチキンソースラーメン ($13.90 for set)


Spicy Cha-Shu Ramen ピリ辛チャーシューラーメン ($13.90 for set)


Aso Ramen 阿蘇ラーメン ($7.90)

Before they really departed from Clementi Station after lunch, since we're already at Clementi, then must let Hooi Tin try out KOI Bubble Tea, which is so crazily craved for across the island.

Tata...

Night Cycling

Night cycling is an activity that one should try or at least experience in Singapore as for example in Malaysia you won't be able to night cycle because it's too dangerous (you might get robbed, kidnapped etc.) to do it there. In Singapore, people night cycle overnight and yup, you have to sacrifice your normal sleep hours for that.

It's my second time night cycling and this time was the one with hall people. Temasek Hall Outdoor Activities Committee (TH OAC) rented hundreds of bicycle from the east coast and placed them in the communal hall on the Friday night. Those that signed up will depart on bicycle from hall all the way to the East Coast Park.

In a group of 15, we paid $15 each as registration fees and some goodies, and our journey then started with two OAC attaches who'll led the way and made sure that we're safe.

Of course there're stops for us to rest and have late supper.

Redhill

The two pretty ladies in green were our group's attaches.

Clarke Quay


The place where we had bean curd and soya milk


After a super crazy inclined slope

At the end of more than 8 hours of ride, we finally reached East Coast Park, and no words can describe how painful our inner thighs were, on top of the painfulness on our calves and glutes.

Some concluded that this will be their last time night cycling, tiredness was indeed what we paid for the fun.
I think it can only be fun with friends cycling with you - we joked, laughed, teased each other, sang songs during the journey.

For me, it's therefore one good and unhealthy experience - you might get calories burnt, but you are awake when you're supposed to be lying on your sleeping bed.

What we did next was just waiting for the dawn to break, when the sun rises like a red egg. That would be the reason for us to gather at the dock, facing the south-east horizon of the sea.

Taken by Calvin. Isn't it just beautiful?




Give yourself a round of applause if you managed too find me in this group photo.

It's past 7am and we returned our bicycles and collected our breakfast - Sausage McMuffins and Milo.

Thank God OAC catered buses for us back to hall and we're able to easily fall asleep on our way back.

Immediately when we reached hall, bathe, sleep... zzz....