Animal Photography

A lot of friends have asked me how I managed to take so many action shots of Curly as well as still shots where he looked right into the camera.

I am no professional photographer, so I don't have much to share in terms of technique.  Though I do have a few tips to share (with those who struggle with this):

1. STAY command for STILL shots - Absolutely necessary otherwise your picture will always be fuzzy and out of focus.  You need to be able to make your dog stay still (willingly - if forced down, your dog's expression will show it). 

2. TOY or TREAT to capture attention - For still shots, if you have a toy or a treat in one hand, not only will your dog be more willing to stay for the picture, but also he/she will more likely have a happy/ excited expression on his face.  In Curly's case, his eyes basically light up!  For action shots, it helps to throw a toy in the direction you want your dog to run to.  In many cases, you need to do it repeatedly to get the best shot.
3. EYE CONTACT for STILL shots - Cameras, phones are inanimate objects hence not the most interesting things to stare at for a long time while you try to set the focus or adjust the flash.  After you've done all the adjustments, try not to stare into the camera viewfinder or the screen of your iphone, but lower it a little so you can have eye contact with your dog.  This helps to capture your dog seemingly looking at the camera.
4. GET DOWN on your knees - Especially if you have small dogs, you get much better shots of your dog's expression and movement when you lower yourself (and your camera) to their eye level.
5. TV MODE of DSLR cameras for ACTION shots - iPhone is fine for still shots, but definitely not suitable for action shots.  If you have a DSLR, TV Mode can help you really capture the movement as if you've stopped time.  I love mid-air shots of my dog.

Sri Lanka - colors, grace, and subtlety (updated)

I traveled to Sri Lanka alone 3 years ago, in search of inner peace, adventure, and cultural experience.

I feel that Sri Lanka is a country which can only be fully appreciated in person, and with an open-mind.  Unlike countries like India, Barcelona, Brazil, Morocco, Japan,.....bursting with overwhelming madness, boldness, energy, which could be easily described in words, Sri Lanka strikes me as graceful, subtle and genuine, contrary to my prior expectation, but delivered the most pleasant surprise.

My trip started in Negombo, then continued to Kandy, Ella, Yala, Dickwella, Galle, and ended in Colombo.  I spent 9 days there, and loved every bit of it.  The extremely friendly and down-to-earth people, the needy driver, nerdy spice/herb salesman, my deaf-mute friend on the train who fell in love with me, the resort front desk boy who thought I would sleep with him for a cheaper room upgrade; the road-trip and the 7-hour mountain train ride; the mountain area and the coast; the botanical garden and the quirky Brief Garden; elephant orphanage and the safari.....

I truly hope such a beautiful country will remain unspoilt for a long time.

South Bay beach, Hong Kong

I love living in Hong Kong for the fact that I can be at the beach within 20mins.  South Bay is my favourite hangout when weather is great and I want to be far away from the crowds, especially on a weekday when it is absolutely quiet.

Koh Samui Thai Cooking Class - Siam Kitchen

Siam Kitchen's Thai cooking class is a must-do in Koh Samui, if you enjoy cooking, good food, and want to get a taste of Thai culture.

Koh Samui is not the most exciting or romantic travel destination in Thailand.  For shopping I'd go for Bangkok, for culture Chiangmai, for sun and beach Phuket, for tranquility Koh Lanta, etc.  My short Koh Samui trip wouldn't have been half as interesting if I hadn't spent 3 hours at Siam Kitchen, learning Thai cooking from Sont, the instructor and founder of this local cooking "school".

The class starts with Sont taking you to the local farmer market to show you typical ingredients used in Thai cooking and how to pick the freshest herbs, seafood, meat, fruits, vegetables.....

You will then be taken back to Sont's kitchen where he'll brief you on the principles of Thai cooking.

Before cooking each dish, he will give you a quick briefing.  Then you are expected to start cooking the dish following his instructions.  Sounds easy - but the cooking time is usually within 10 minutes, so everything happens very quickly!  Add in three-quarters tablespoon of vinegar now!  Half a teaspoon of sugar!  Taste it!  Is it sour enough?  Is it sweet enough!  Adjust the taste so the sweetness doesn't cover the sourness!  Keep tasting!  ........

It was really exciting, like being on a reality cooking show, in a cooking contest!   The dishes turned out perfect, better than any Thai food I had had in any Thai restaurants.  I really enjoyed the class and felt like I learned a lot from Sont.

The dishes I cooked were:

Laab Gai, Moo/ Spicy minced chicken or pork

Thom Khaa Gai/ Coconut milk soup with chicken

Phad Thai/ Stir-fried rice noodle”Thai”style

Gaeng Kiew Waahn Gai/ Green curry with chicken

After each dish, you'd have time to enjoy the food at a table on the pavement.  It was quite a special, local and authentic way to enjoy such authentic Thai food - Sont teaches only authentic Thai dishes cooked the traditional way, so nothing Americanized or internationalized!

Don't forget to book in advance.   Go to the website and email Sont to arrange directly.

Enjoy!

Hong Kong Best Kept Secret - Home boutique, Soho

On 63 Peel Street, Soho, Hong Kong, there is a small quaint boutique called "Home", importing selected fashion items from Japan, Taiwan and Korea, usually free size and in very limited quantities.  There is also a great collection of accessories from beautiful scarves to headbands, belts, stockings, purses, etc.

I love the shirts they import from Korea, usually quite long and loose, very smooth and flowy fabric, perfect with a belt and tight pants/ leggings.  I like this relaxed romantic style very much.  The shirts are usually between HKD 300- 600, so they are very reasonably priced for the quality and style.

I was told that they have opened a showroom on Hollywood Road near Press Room.  If you feel that this could be your style, do check it out.  This place is a little treasure to me.  I am looking forward to their winter coats already!

Things which make me happy: My Sweet Home on Sundays

My home looks particularly nice on Sundays, after my helper spent 5 hours cleaning and tidying up. I really love this space a lot. Living alone is great when you have a space so customized to your style you feel you are in your own little world.  

Thanks to my new Sigma 10-20mm Super Wide Angle Zoom Lens, I was able to take pictures of the entire space.

Hong Kong's Best Kept Secret: Visage One, Private Jazz Club

This was a truly special night. Visage One is a hair salon by day run and owned by Ben, jazz club by night (first & second Saturday of each month). On jazz nights, it is transformed into the coziest space, for musicians to perform, jazz lovers to indulge in good music. No fancy furniture or decorations. No foods served. Just wine and music.

This is definitely one of Hong Kong's best kept secret. The whole atmosphere, respect & appreciation of music makes it special. Karissa Muse is very well known in the HK jazz scene, she is a female jazz guitarist, jazz radio show host, and jazz music critic. I had heard of her name for years, and had seen her numerous times in various jazz gigs but had never watched her perform/ listened to her play. Last night's visit to Visage One was an impromptu idea over dinner at my place with a few friends. I was so glad, after 2.5 years, I visited Visage One again and had the pleasure to listen to Karissa's music. She even played Chega de Saudade as the second last song - which I sing every other day in the shower in Portuguese.

Things which make me happy - A Date with Myself

My long-awaited date with myself on a Friday night.  Nothing comes between me, an enjoyable book, a nice pot of mint tea, a light dinner (plate of parma ham, cheese, bite size farm bread with Moroccan fig jam), and absolute peace.....

Spending quality time with myself - priceless.



          

Things that make me happy: Trilby Hat - Suncare

Being under the sun every weekend for hours due to my much loved outdoor lifestyle, suncare catches my attention increasingly as I get older and need to protect skin more.

Never really a hat person, I recently bought 2 hats for an upcoming trip to Koh Samui.  I played with the hats for hours at home, trying them with loose braids, tight braids, messy braids, chignon, ponytail, hair down, hair up, with shades, without shades, etc.....  Felt a bit silly but I had loads of fun!

I did a bit of research online and learned that trilby hat is supposed to be very versatile, and depending on the size and shape of the hat it looks good on almost everyone.  Some common tips I came across:
- Wear it slightly tilted
- Wear the front of the hat slightly lower till it is just about eyebrow level for a sexy look
- Wear it with a light and loose shirt over shorts for the perfect look
- Wear it with messy braids for a romantic look (didn't really work on me though)
- Don't wear it too high up, defeats the purpose of wearing a hat
- If you have big / curly hair, tie it back or to the side to avoid looking like a crazy woman

Things which make me happy: Simple Wholesome Food

I love food, and I appreciate good food.  It's not always the more expensive, the more complex the better.  In fact, some of my best meals were the most simple dishes.

I remember going to a wine tasting dinner once, and had the opportunity to hang out with the chef from Australia.  My friend and I took him to dim sum lunch, and I was shocked to see the chef dip shrimp dumplings (hargow) in soy sauce, and commented that Chinese dim sum lacked flavor.  How can a chef not appreciate the natural flavor of vegetables, seafood, meat, etc.?  After tasting his multi-course dinner at the wine tasting, I learned that he liked using a lot of sauces and strong flavors in his dishes (mostly European), but to me often times the natural flavor was outshone, with the exception of fresh oysters dipped in lemon sorbet, which was sensational.

Things which make me happy - Smiling Flowers

Hope this lifts up your mood as it did to mine.

Things which make me happy - Quality Time with Friends

Spending time with friends, whether catching up, having fun, celebrating important days or milestones, or just watching them having a great time is priceless.  There are many things in life one can live without, but friends is one of those one cannot.

快樂可以很簡單

讓自己漂亮些...

拍下/ 記錄令自己快樂的東西...

Calmness

Underwater

Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Race 2010 @ Victoria Harbour

Despite only taking part in one race due to injuries, it was a real experience paddling in Victoria Harbour!

A few of my favourite pictures from Casablanca, Morocco

Beautifully Creative Restaurant - Maison du Gourmet, Casablanca

Rick's Cafe in Casablanca, Morocco - as appeared in the movie

Finding My Roots - Tang Ancestral Hall

Last Saturday I went to help out at an event similar to Amazing Race, and was assigned to Pit Stop 3 - Tang Ancestral Hall in Ping Shan, Yuen Long. It was completely by chance my last name is Tang, so I joked about finding my roots there. Coincidentally, there was a middle-aged, retired cop walking around the hall at night, so I chatted him up and he started telling me the history of the Tang's. By the way, in that village, most residents have the last name, Tang.