Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple

November 26, 2011
Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Inspired by my previous post, I search the net for temples in Kowloon area and my friend Google never seize to amaze me once again. Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple, just 4 mtr station or 15  minutes away from where I stay. It’s one of the popular temple in Hong Kong. Entrance is free.

	Early Saturday morning and it was already pack with people. They said many came here to pray for their wish come true. But the old man is obviously looking for something else or he just want to post for a picture because I took 3 shots of these scene and he was always there.
The dragon looks cool at the gate and almost everyone touches it saying their prayers or wish. I also tried to touch the ancient creature and wishing the lady guard to stop texting before her boss caught her.
	Not everyone came here to pray just like me and these two fellow. The other is having fun and the other one is somehow lost. Probably saying to himself “what in the world I’m doing here”.
Those balloons I mean lantern where nice and those big umbrellas are for fortune seekers.
	Getting near the altar is quite intense. The smell of incense were all over the place. I have to take a snap shot quickly else my lense will be filled with ashes. “Don’t worry old geezer your wish will come true”.
I did not intentionally took photo of the lady at the right but she was cute, doesn’t speak English though. Who’s holding the camera? guess….

Next post is Part 2 of  Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple featuring Good Wish Garden and the 9 Dragon walls. 

Nan Lian Garden

November 20, 2011
Diamond Hill, Kowloon, Hong Kong

I still remembered the first time I bought a digital camera, a canon powershot a700. It was a very first purchase using a credit card and it takes me two years to pay it but it's really worth it. I was so excited that I take photos of everything around me. It was also a start of my blogging adventure and dream to travel around the world and take photos of beautiful places. Countless clicks, couple of drops and after five years still take wonderful pictures. Very reliable piece of crap. I'm still stuck with my dream though. I bought a dslr recently (Canon EOS 600D) and I'm still figure it out how to use it properly because it's quite different from what i used to. As for my a700, i will kept it just like the memories that we shared these past years.

Here are some of the test shots using Canon EOS 600D. Photos were resized for fast web viewing.

A brief tour of Ho Chi Minh

October 14-18, 2011
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

It was unexpected trip. A week end job on company expansion project. Almost had no chance to see around Saigon but thanks to a friend who give me a brief tour to famous tourist destination on motorcyle. Two things I remember most aside from Vietnamese food and women, motorcycles and million dong.

Motorcycles is the king of the road in Ho Chi Minh.

A theater in central.

Ho Chi Minh City Hall

Notre Dame Basilica, a very old catholic church, French creation. Inside reminds me of Baclaran church. Also a lot of wedding photo ops just around the church. Wedding eh? ew...

Reunification Palace
A historical building, former south Vietnam president 's residence. Now a tourist attraction. Also reminds me of Manila Malacanang palace when Marcos left where they open it to public showcasing Imelda's shoes but this one actually shows some original things back in the 60s/70s including a replica of tank that gate crashed ending the Vietnam war.

There is a sign NO ENTRY at the right side, but every one I see enters anyway and so did I.

a view from the balconey of the palace.

Aside from these plane and tank there also some old military equipment like telephones, radios,maps, communication devices, computers, etc down at the basement of the palace. A helicopter at the roof top. Actually there is no computers, i just made that one but I'm not sure because I see a big cabinet device with recording tape that looks like a main frame. There is a one AK 47 display at the ground floor but rather than that, i didn't see any guns.

Famous market in Saigon. A lot tourist of comes here especially at night where it was actually close but there is a lot of shops outside and food stalls too where you can enjoy Vietnamese food like pho( noodles), seafoods, grills, hotpots , etc.

World Largest Lantern

13 September 2011
Victoria Park, Hong Kong

It's Hong Kong Mid Autumn Festival and no work today, so I decided to check out the Lee Kum Kee Lantern Wonderland at Victoria Park. Ride the MTR to Tin hau station and take a walk to Victoria Park. The lantern lit up at around 6:30PM and it was synched with a background music. Check out the video.