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TRAVEL • MAR 2024 This is one of the first few spots that I hit in Tokyo for Sakura season 2024, first on the early-blooming variety along 3-chome-9 in end March, and then back again for the really famous Sakuragaoka street in early April admist a turnout that swelled to record high this year. It was nevertheless a really memorable experience for the urban explorer in me to be a part of something so fun.
TRAVEL/SPACES • NOV 2023 ANTELOPE CANYON RESTAURANT Dinner with a view. When you go to a restaurant for a meal and end up in the Antelope Canyon. It may not be immediately obvious but this very convincing slot canyon attraction is actually an indoor installation built into a 5-storey restaurant complex here in Nanning.
TRAVEL • FEB 2023 Barely a year goes by without a visit to Japan's most charming metropolis. Here are some of the more interesting spots that I have managed to cover this time around.
TRAVEL • NOV 2023 BEIBUWAN NO. 1 The new Great Wall of China. This mammoth of a building in Beihai city is a 5000-unit-strong condo designed with an undulating outline that is apparently inspired by the Guilin landscapes. All units come with an unobstructed view of the sea. Now, imagine you’re staying behind this development.
TRAVEL • NOV 2023 Caught in between the scissor stairs and the scorching sun. Our urban exploring adventure in Nanning begins in this 36yo apartment complex. While the two 7-storey blocks themselves may not look like anything out of the ordinary, the interlocking scissor stairway system in between them connects the two blocks together, giving the resulting structure a curious, maze-like vibe with a satisfying symmetry. And the icing on this vintage archi cake? It’s definitely the city’s blessed tropical-like evening weather with the sun setting right behind the stairs.
TRAVEL • MAR 2023 SHONAN MONORAIL I cannot imagine public transportation can be this much of a joyride. The Shonan Monorail began operations in the year 1970, and is till now only one of two Japan's suspended train systems. Snaking along a 6.6km scenic route from Ofuna to Enoshima, with plenty of up and downhill stretches for added drama, and two tunnels along the way, this ride feels like it came straight out of a themepark. If you're around the region, please say hi to this beautiful 50yo engineering marvel.
TRAVEL/ SPACES • SEP 2022 Located right in the heart of Chinatown is the heritage zone's latest opening. The modern, minimalistic design of Asai helps calm the senses after an day out at Bangkok's chaotic district.
SPACES • JAN 2023 Nestled deep in the quiet landed residental enclave within Sukhumvit is Japanese glasshouse-inspired Glig. This beautiful space with its lush adjoining garden is best visited on a sunny late morning.
TRAVEL • MAY 2022 SUPERKILEN PARK Offically opened in 2012, this kilometer-long park has been known to house quite a few interesting architectural elements, among which the wavy topology lines of the black market seems to have gotten the most attention. I wish I had more time to also document the red square and green park too. Perhaps in future visit.
TRAVEL • NOV 2022 PASAN Located at the confluence of the Ping and Nan River, this ultra cool symmetrical monster in Nakhon Sawan is really a beautiful tribute to the origins of the Chao Phraya River. The new landmark features a series of walkways snaking through its structure, allowing its architecture and surroundings to be admired up close and from various vantage points.
TRAVEL/ SPACES • JUL 2022 TAMNI HOTEL @ BANGKOK Redeveloped from a plot of land housing 22 units of crumbling shophouses that were over 60 years old, PO-D created this beautiful set of structures that include Tamni, a 700-square-meter hostel, sharing the space with a spa and an office block.
TRAVEL • DEC 2019 We came in search of the magic that made this place deserving of the title India's first UNESCO World Heritage City, and found it while navigating the labyrinthine alleys of the old quarters, choked with architectural details and bustling street scenes and everything in between. Ahmedabad is not for the faint-hearted, but among the overwhelming cacophony of traffic, crowd and noise, this city will charm you with the truest of smiles and warmest of hearts.
TRAVEL • NOV 2019 Being alone may be a luxury in a country as densely populated as Japan, yet with the lens turned at the right direction, those moments of quiet, reflective few seconds, away from the maddening crowd, evokes a special kind of emotions too complex for me to put into words.
TRAVEL • OCT 2019 Dedicated to the most memorable space that we had the opportunity to explore during the week-long trip to Korea, Add Coffee's perfect blend of industrial vintage interiors and cosy, functional layout spread across four floors of playground deserves a special mention.
TRAVEL • AUG 2019 It was the quickest Europe trip for me ever - a week-long journey to cover a wedding in Lisbon, and this is the spin-off album with some shots from the few hours here and there that I got to do some street photography. Absolutely loving the vibrance of the city during summer, I was mostly tracking the paths of the trams for all the best spots in town. One day I'll be back again.
TRAVEL/ SPACES • JAN 2019 It was another long break since the last trip, and with the collection of to-explore places growing I could wait no longer to be back. Happy to have also met a few new instagrammer and fb friends who accompanied me on this urban exploring journey.
TRAVEL • OCT 2018 Morocco, the gateway to Africa, has been described in many beautiful ways, it's dizzying array of landscapes can take a drastic turn from epic snow-capped mountain ranges to sweeping deserts in a matter of a few hours of road trip. It's my first venture into this new continent, and while I managed to experience its many captivating sights throughout the 2-week trip, I'm not sure if I would agree it was personally fulfilling for me as a street photographer. Throughout my years of exploring the world, I have not encountered as bad a camera-phobic community as the Moroccans. The general reaction to the sight of a camera would range from the mild closing of the faces, or a stern 'no photo' warning, to the more drastic act of requesting for the photos to be deleted. I guess explorers who are more into landscapes or taking their own selfies would fare better. For me, I would rather explore a part of the world where I could explore the street with my camera in peace.
TRAVEL • AUG 2018 A mixed bag of archi shoots, street shoots, shopping and food-hunting, the Bangkok experience continues to remain varied and captivating no matter how many times I return.
TRAVEL/ PORTRAITS • MAY 2018 REY & LORAINE: Among the few destinations that we covered, Santorini stood out as the most memorable one for both myself and for Rey and Loraine. The interplay of beautiful weather with charming architecture hit the perfect note as the couple went from one idyllic town to another, soaking in the charming Greek culture as we went along. I could spend a whole month here exploring each and every corner of this unforgettable island.
TRAVEL • APR 2018 My love for the urban heritage setting of Penang may be at it again, but what better place to try and uncover more of this charming blend outside of Malaysia than Penang's twin city Xiamen. Other than the familiar tropical summer weather that greeted us, we were definitely made more at home with the sound of Hokkien language being spoken widely, and the sights of European-inspired architecture amidst the sometimes chaotic blend of the typical chinese street scenes. I had the most fun exploring the labyrinthine laneways of the old city center just surrounding the ZhongShan Road.
TRAVEL • MAR 2018 ROYAL CARIBBEAN A recent event shoot brought me on my first cruise experience, onboard Royal Caribbean's gorgeous Quantum Of The Sea. The 5-day journey saw us cruising from Shanghai to Nagasaki and back, affording me plenty of sea and sun and happy people.
TRAVEL • OCT 2017 It was two weeks' worth of only the purest quaint Japanese countryside experience. Deciding on exploring Japan's northernmost prefecture on a selfdrive arrangement couldn't have been a better decision. There is simply no other way to cater to our unique itinerary of exploring Hokkaido's everyday life at the break of autumn than to take control of the wheel. Our tiny but trusty Honda N Wagon travelled close to 1000km, covering a variety of sights from touristy towns and souvenir streets to sleepy fishing villages and abandoned houses, with bouts of spontaneous detours triggered by sightings of strange looking views and structures, and the need to drone. And yet I'm not done with Hokkaido, having covered perhaps 20% of the key areas. The next trip back will be in a different season, and a different itinerary.
TRAVEL • SEP 2017 We may not be much of a Games of Thrones fan, but Croatia's appeal extends beyond the otherworldly scenes in the series, and so the big travel project of Summer 2017 was put to action. While the country may not be as off the beaten track as we have originally thought, there are certainly some interesting highlights that made the whole trip all the more memorable, including our road trip into the countryside dotted with abandoned houses, the labyrinthine charm that is Rovinj, the sleepy but beautiful village of Komiza, those liberating experiences in the form of nude beaches, and the glorious platters of the freshest seafood that I have ever had.
ASSIGNMENTS/ TRAVEL • JUN 2017 TVR: TRUE VINTAGE REVIVAL: It was the opportunity of a lifetime, a rare glimpse into the world of the eyewear craftsmen of Sabae, Japan. The collaboration with TVR afforded us access to a scattering of charming workshops spread across town, manned by dedicated workers whose routine has stayed the same for the last few decades, and whose machineries and tools are the epitome of Japanese's relentless obsession with perfection.
TRAVEL/ AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY • MAY 2017 The opportunity to explore New South Wales would be awfully wasted if the sights are not also experienced with #heartdrone. Shot entirely on the DJI Mavic Pro.
TRAVEL/ AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY • APR 2017 Hong Kong could not be a more apt location as the first overseas destination for #heartdrone, its dizzying array of urban activities now unveiled in a fresh perspective as seen from up above the air. I had wanted to cover more locations but unfortunately the weather condition was not the most friendly for the little flying machine. Hope to be back soon for more.
TRAVEL • FEB 2017 GOOD MORNING HANOI It was seven years ago when I first set foot in Hanoi, and this second trip had me struggling to retrace the charms that I so remember the city to have. Perhaps the gradual awakening of the economic powers has opened the floodgates of modernity, or perhaps it was just my considerably more well-travelled self now upping the standards for approving what memorable travel experiences should consist of, but the car-bike ratio has definitely skyrocketed, the streets considerably cleaner and neater, and the chaos not quite as overwhelming. There were thankfully still some authentic experiences to savour, like the street vendors, the glorious pho, and drip coffee on short stools. So still a fun trip for the eight of us? Definitely!
TRAVEL • SEP 2016 LOST BOYS (ICELAND): The capital of Iceland may not be the most exciting of European cities, but we couldn't be more thrilled starting our grand Icelandic adventure in an urban setting by marvelling the quaint, laidback town and its eclectric and colorful houses. The trip was planned with at least two full days to explore the various spots of the cities, and to drop by the few cafes and restaurants that we have bookmarked. There was also time spent on hunting down Mr Mime.
GODS AND FORTS It was the promise of mystical palaces and majestic forts and colorful cities that lured us here, and the beautiful state of Rajasthan certainly did not disappoint. With Jaipur, the Pink city as our starting point, we ventured deeper into Jaisalmer, the Golden City, and then Jodhpur, the Blue city, and finally Udaipur, the Lake city, each one of them unique in their own ways.
TRAVEL • MAY 2015 Turkey sets me off at a part of the world that is until now been alien to me. While I'm used to identifying a travel experience based on the association to very distinct cultural elements of a country, here's one place that can be pretty confusing when it comes to that. Sights of women dressed in black abayas are common amongst their modern counterparts sporting the latest European fashion trends. Echoes of prayers from nearby mosques chime in to the latest Western pop culture-influenced music from bars and trendy cafes in town. Our intepretation of Turkey seems to take on different sides as we traverse from one street to the next, and from one neighbourhood to the others. This charming crossroad of the East and the West, our journey has just begun.
CROSSROADS: The minimalist movement has taken over Instagram by storm. A huge group of ardent believers are dedicating their effort to producing sets after sets of clean, uncluttered, almost OCD-like images that celebrates the simplicity of life around us. This is a movement that I have just recently picked up myself, and while Turkey, with its cacophony of mess, is most certainly not the best place to start, it was nevertheless a fun experience attempting to intepret my surrounding in a whole new way.
CRACKING KRAKOW (POLAND: KRAKOW) The eastern block of Europe has until now remained as this forgotten, faraway place that I have continuously put at the end of my long list of to-explore priorities, with Asian cities dominating most of it, but a recent work assignment brought me right to the heart of it. And so the sights of glitzy modern Europe give way to a scene that exudes this special kind of modest old-school charm that borders on neglect and dilapidation. Somehow the careless graffiti, cracked pavements and rattling trams form the perfect compliment to the rich history of the city. It's the kinda beauty that you tend to appreciate more after having spent time rubbing through the smut.
Tying together a few loose ends of places that I've always wanted to explore.
SAIGON SERENADE I wasn't sure when exactly Saigon joined this whole industrial vintage cafe rush but it couldn't have been more than 3 years ago when I last left the city feeling accomplished for having spent a quiet afternoon being seen in Highlands Coffee. With its abundance of old buildings and vintage ware (some still in use), I suppose it is not hard at all to get something going, and I'm certainly delighted to have found a string of charming cafes dotting the entire District 1 area.
GODS & GHATS (INDIA: KOLKATA/ BODHGAYA/ VARANASI) The grand trip of the year brings us back to the embrace of India where we embarked on a spiritual trip to the heart of Mother Ganga. In between navigating around generous lumps of cow dungs and the throngs of eager pilgrims and other locals alike, enlightenment is perhaps a blink of an eye away. Life begins and ends at the gentle sloping ghats along the banks.
The tiny island continues to attract with its assortment of quaint well-preserved neighbourhoods and friendly folks. That's a place I almost called home.
And here's my first attempt at doing a more proper videography project during a trip.
A small set of pics emerges from yet another photoshoot assignment to this charming little dot, mainly from Gardens by the Bay (thanks to Latif who brought me there) and Chinatown, where I stayed as usual. This also mark the first travel/journalism shot using my new fullframe baby, of which I have absolutely only praises for.
深秋学 AUTUMNOLOGY The grand 17-day cuti-cuti cheena was at least 6 months in the making, taking the gang quite a few sessions of pouring over info, and sites, and recommendations to finalise things, and still there were a few drama that managed to unfold right as the departure date drew near, threatening to bring us back to ground zero with this highly-anticipated trip. But I'm glad that we made it in the end, not just one or two of us, but the entirely gang of five who made the original pledge to explore this part of China together.
Hmmm what can i say about you. Your lake is apparently famed over generations of tourists yet I find it rather overrated, your food perhaps not half as tasty as compared to the exciting flavours of sichuan, your sky is as blown out as Malaysia, your leaves are not golden at all despite it being Autumn, and your people, oh my your people in this part of China are equally loud and choking from an over-abundance of phlegm in their throats. But thank goodness for the saving grace that is Xi Tang and it's abundance of narrow lanes, old houses and a charming collection of old-school charm that continues to live on, though amidst of a hectic tourist flavour.
黑社会THE SECRET SOCIETY The other side of Hyderabad is one that is far away from the constant honking of the autos and bikes, from the exhaust-choked air and from the maddening crowd. Here's a little spin-off album from my two-week long business trip that tries to recapture the surreal feeling that hit me every time I drag my tired soul back into the comfort of Westin, and sink my body into its infamous heavenly bed and one that is testimonial to the large social disparity that is India.
OTHERS • JUN 2016 When imagination runs wild in a warehouse-themed retreat on a rainy weekend getaway with 11 of us, this is what we get - a spin-off horror theme portrait session to keep us awake at night.
A spin-off from the 3-week long trip to the Netherland come this little weekend album, from the charming UNESCO heritage town of Brugge. Everything is almost perfect here, the cobblestone pavements, winding canals, romantic bridges. Everything but the weather. Darn.
WETNAM! Continuing the tradition of my recent group trips is this portrait version of our travel stories, documented during the 9-day journey across central Vietnam, of which camwhore backdrops include quaint backlanes (as usual), elaborate tombs, charming shopfronts and expanses of rice fields.
The charming Li river is home to perhaps one of the most well-known (and well-photographed) sceneries of China, but looking beyond the kartz topography and throngs of visitors, my camera found a more charming piece of the everyday life of the people of Li, which seems even more real and heart-warming than the reflections of limestone structures on the river on a clear, sunny, chilly day. Oh well, with hazy skies and fast receding water level towards the end of the year, I guess I didn't come here for typical Chinese painting stuff, to start with. And I just realised that this is officially my first travel album from China! Here is to countless decades of future exploration of this huge charming piece of beautiful land.:)
The charming UNESCO heritage sites of Borobudur and Prambanan, coupled with the quiant town of Yogyakarta, explored in the company of fellow camwhoring friends. And now I returned with not one, but two albums to share. The first to be published is this heartpatrick signature travel album. And please please stay tuned for the portrait album. :)
My eighth trip to Bangkok is a journey of pleasant rediscovery of the hidden treasures tucked deep in Yaowarat. It seems like I always won't have enough time to cover everything but doesn't that just give me more reason to return? :)
Third album for April 2008, and my first travel abum of the year! Oh gosh, it almost feels like I haven't been travelling for ages! I have to admit Bangkok doesn't excite us that much anymore, and I regretted my decision of not bringing my SLR there. Gosh all the wasted photo opportunities during Songkran. Perfect excuse to be back again next year, I know. ;
ONE MOODY
A DAY AT THE BAY
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SPACES/TRAVEL • MAR 2024 ONE@TOKYO @ ASAKUSA Definitely that one accommodation in Tokyo that I could not stop reminiscing about. Staying in this beautiful hotel by Kengo Kuma, and those rainy evenings spent chilling by the window seat in the room while looking at Skytree shifting in and out of the low hanging clouds were second only to exploring neighbourhood Sakura parks.
TRAVEL • DEC 2023 Time to catch up on the latest happening here in one of my favourite city in the orientals since after the pandemic, though I must admit that the city feels like it has lost some of its luster this time round.
TRAVEL • OCT 2023 GUANGXI NEW MEDIA CENTER This has got to be one of the most interesting buildings that I have photographed. The design was apparently inspired by the topology of the terraced rice fields, but one may be forgiven for unwittingly conjuring up the image of some other objects. If only I caught it with some fireworks during the new year.
TRAVEL • SEP 2022 A grand compilation of our year 2022 adventures in Bangkok, and other locations within Thailand, such as Khancanaburi and Sukhothai.
SPACES/ TRAVEL • NOV 2023 GUANGXI CULTURE & ART CENTER Emerging top on the architecture site to explore in Nanning is this beautiful work by gmp Architects. Consisting of three concert halls arranged as separate volumes on a natural stone-clad plinth building, but unified by a shared, seemingly floating roof, this shining monumental structure stood is the city's premiere destination for a wide variety of musical and cultural programs.
TRAVEL • JUL 2023 NEPAL VAN JAVA Been dreaming about this place ever since I discovered it on social media while being locked up at home in 2020. The real thing is even more captivating. Nestled in the dramatic folds of the slopes of Gunung Sumbing, about a three-hour drive from Yogyakarta, is a vegetable village that is now one of my top travel experiences of the last decade. I’m already dreaming of returning before I left.
TRAVEL • JUL 2023 Tying up the loose ends to our Java trip in 2023.
SPACES • JUL 2023 Another one of my top picks from the list of cafes that we covered in Bandung. This circular space with a hollow in the middle is best admired on a sunny day.
SPACES/TRAVEL • JUL 2023 It was a frantic 3-day trip in the cafehop capital of Indonesia, trying to cover all the prettiest f&b spots in town, and this charming restaurant certainly comes out top of the list.
SPACES/ TRAVEL • MAR 2023 LABYRINTH HOUSING ESTATE This labyrinth of a housing estate in a Tokyo suburb is quite the sight to behold. Designed by Kunihiko Hayakawa and completed in 1989, the place was already an instagram playground before the era of social media, it's white and pink blocks seemingly stacked randomly while being joined together by a series of staircases. I could spend the entire day here checking out the vantage point from each and every spot.
TRAVEL • JUL 2022 WAT PAKNAM This is the temple of Bangkok's urban explorers' dream. Wat Paknam may have been established in 1610, but it was the completion of the 69-meter-tall Buddha statue that has put it closer to the hearts of photographers. The height of the statue meant that it could be seen from a distance away, framed by Bangkok's sprawling urbanscapes. The canal that runs nearby the temple has been beautiful vantage points as well.
TRAVEL • SEP 2022 WAT PHRA THAT PHA SON KAEW I haven't seen a Buddha statue as breath-taking as the one at Wat Phra That Pha Son Kaew. Located at the hilltop of Thang Daeng Village, this statue is really made up of five statues stacked tightly together, resulting in this majestic formation that I could not take my eyes off. Despite having arrived during the rainy season, the famed sea of clouds remained elusive to us. Perhaps we will be more lucky the next round.
SPACES/ TRAVEL • OCT 2022 This could very well be the prettiest ibis that I have stayed in. Groovy tunes, vibrant colors, and artwork inspired by Thai folklore set the tone for this new swanky hotel in the heart of Bangkok.
TRAVEL • MAY 2022 While Faroe was all about nature, our side trip to the capital city of Denmark was all about my core travel interest - architecture, and Copenhagen certainly is not short of breathtaking ones. Among the few that we managed to cover are Ørestad Plejecenter, VM Houses, Copenhill and Aktivitetstaget Bella.
TRAVEL/ SPACES • MAY 2022 CACTUS TOWERS This aptly-named set of towers definitely begs a second look. Measuring 60 and 80-meters tall respectively, the Cactus Towers, or Kaktus Towers as the locals called them, is a high-rise residential building with a stunning, spiky facade. I can't wait to be back to explore them in detail after completion.
TRAVEL/ SPACES • JUL 2022 Bonsai, which means on top of the ficus tree in Thai, pays tribute the large Ficus tree sitting on the plot of land where the hotel is built, and thus the design concept of this charming boutique hotel is born. We were first attracted to the brightly-colored staircase area, but quickly discovered that the same cheerful design language extends to the other areas too.
TRAVEL/ SPACES • JUN 2022 CIRCULAR HOUSES These surreal circle gardens on the outskirts of Copenhagen are such a feast for the eyes. Built in the year 1964 by landscape architect Erik Mygind, the circular design of Brøndby Haveby, or Brøndby Garden City, was proposed as a way to promote a sense of community, while allowing each unit their space for gardening and urban farming.
TRAVEL/ URBAN EXPLORING • JUL 2020 PANTAI MANGKUK I must admit that I have quite given the East Coast a cold shoulder until now. And it took a virus the scale of COVID19 for me to get my first taste of Terengganu. And gosh it was one of the most idyllic places that I have been! Narrow roads lined with coconut tree, in a tight, almost deserted peninsula sandwiched between a river and the sea, and three glorious days of sunny weather. We were spoilt.
TRAVEL • DEC 2019 If Ahmedabad was overwhelming, Mumbai took it up a few notches, its dizzying energy fueled by an almost 20-million strong population that just refuses to leave your senses alone. It's evidently too big to cover in five days, but the sights that we saw during the visit, from Asia's largest slum (Dharavi) to the world's largest outdoor laundry (Dhobi Ghat) was eye-opening enough to make the journey worthwhile.
TRAVEL • NOV 2019 Another two weeks spent with my favourite travel destination in the world, and the experience once again left me craving for more. There is simply not enough time to experience it all, this time amidst a country bathed in the golden, red hues of autumn.
SPACES • NOV 2019 My first trip to South Korea, and I must admit that it was a fun one. The two cities have got enough spots to occupy me for a good few days, mostly in the respect of arts, street and architecture, and I saw some sights that I don't mind returning to for future trips.
TRAVEL • APR 2019 My experience with the city of angels have had many stark changes over the years, but there's nothing quite as different as this past trip, where my urban explorer hat has grown so snugly fit on me that I could not derive any greater pleasure then to spend time digging out the best local scenes and hidden urban spots. The focus this round is on Yaowarat, Bangkok's thriving Chinatown that is both chaotic and charming at the same time.
TRAVEL • MAR 2019 Japan may not be an unfamiliar destination in my travel list, but my exploration of this charming country has been thus far limited to just Honshu and Hokkaido. So when the opportunity arised to venture into a new territory as part of the AirAsia familiarisation trip, I got pretty worked out in anticipation. And Kyushu certainly did not disappoint!
TRAVEL • OCT 2018 MOROCCO: The third blue city in my lifetime, after Jodphur and Santorini, and I have to admit it is possible the most interesting one. Chefchaouen may be compact, but it's so loaded with instagrammable angles and spots I felt this frantic rush to stop and shoot every other second. Unfortunately, even more so than the bigger Moroccon cities, the locals are not exactly the camera-friendly type, so rather than street photography, this is more of a place for influencers to take their OOTD shots.
TRAVEL • AUG 2018 THE UNDERGROUND RAINBOW/ The night I saw the photo of a set of tall escalators descending into a fiery cave station that seemed so modern yet minimalist and bare, I couldn't forget how breathless I was. As further research uncovered a string of beautiful visuals that make up the city's network of underground stations, Stockholm went straight up to the top of my travel to-do list. The two weeks spent just covering the various sights to my heart's content, that was pure luxury.
TRAVEL/ PORTRAITS • MAY 2018 This is it, the assignment from heaven that any portraits photographer would have dreamt about - accompanying a sweet loving couple on their holiday around Europe, and capturing them against the sweeping spring/summer landscapes. The whole experience was so surreal that I had to keep pinching myself throughout, never mind me being a huge lightbulb.
SPACES/ TRAVEL • FEB 2018 The collaboration with AK+ Architects brought me on my maiden trip to Melbourne. While documenting the city's architecture style was our main agenda, distractions were aplenty, in the form of artsy laneways, hipster cafes and a day trip on pipi-hunting to Victoria Bay.
TRAVEL • OCT 2017 Chongqing is known by many names - city of fog for being shrouded in over 100 days of fog annually, city of mountain for its mountainous landscape, city of bridges for having over 4500 bridges spanning its two main rivers and other streams, and 3D city for its often mind-boggling architecture that is both unassuming and functional yet complex and beautiful. It was a fulfilling week for us in an attempt to explore the city's nooks and crannies, chasing after the best angles and soaking in scenes of the everyday Chinese life that is by far the least influenced by Western cultures of the cities that I've been. Hope to be back again!
TRAVEL/SPACES • OCT 2017 The showcase of Hokkaido's beauty would be incomplete without some shots from above to marvel the country's obsession with everything orderly and organised.
TRAVEL/AERIAL • OCT 2017 The showcase of Hokkaido's beauty would be incomplete without some shots from above to marvel the country's obsession with everything orderly and organised.
TRAVEL/AERIAL • SEP 2017 #heartdrone gets its first taste of Europe, though a seemingly minor crash on the 4th day seriously limited its gimbal movement and stability. It's a piece of good lesson for me nevertheless, to never take for granted that the drone will always listen to my every command and to be ready to handle any unpredicted behaviour at any time during flight.
TRAVEL/ AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY • MAY 2017 The exploration of the world from above continues in Singapore after having warmed up to the taste of flight in Hong Kong. It was truly a refreshing experience being able to ogle at some of these architectural wonders from a fresh new perspective. Can't thank DJI enough for having created this lightweight flying wonder.
TRAVEL • APR 2017 The quest to land myself more dizzying urban spots for the mavic pro brought me back to Hong Kong, and the pre-trip research yielded yet another long list of to-go places to satisfy the urban explorer in me. It's a city that I will perhaps never get bored with.
TRAVEL/ SPACES • JAN 2017 广州人 (GUANGZHOU, CHINA):AIRPORT EDITION It's fun to be able to start exploring a new city as soon as you land, and the glitzy, dreamy, new-age installation of the Space-Time Tunnel at Baiyun Airport made it just too easy for us to begin our taste of how progressive the modern design movement in China has been.
TRAVEL • SEP 2016 It was not that many years ago when Iceland was just this faraway, mysterious land that I could never have dreamt to explore. And then Eyjafjallajökull erupted in 2010, disrupting air travel for over 8mil passengers, and with this strange twist of fate, also putting the magnificent island on the to-go list of tourists from all over the world. This is our version of the Iceland saga, one that took us on a 12-day clock-wise round island trip covering many key sights and some off-the-beaten-track spots too. Special thanks to our principal trip planner Lee Jing Cheong for pouring his heart into creating this beautiful itinerary while his rather clueless travel mates just sat back and enjoyed the sights and experiences.
TRAVEL • JUL 2016 It's interesting to note how the passing of time changes our preferences and our priorities in life. In particular to my travel experience of Bangkok, it was from rushing from one touristy spots to another and spending the entire weekend in Chatuchak, to predominantly covering the thriving cafe scene, artsy flea markets, and exploring buildings with strong architectural elements. Our accommodation preference has also switch from staying in boutique hotels to charming airbnb units. That, is the theme of my 13th visit to Bangkok.
GODS AND FORTS IThe sweet, beautiful Rajasthanis, to dedicate an album to them is perhaps as effortless as finishing a satisfying cup of hot masala chai in one gulp. While it's definitely common to find the opportunistic ones who were out to give our tourist buck a few spins, once we got out of the tourist hotspots, we found a whole community of genuine locals who were eager to break their daily routine for some small chat about the Gods, the Forts and everything in between.
As a spin-off to the main album, this subsidiary album focuses on the old ways of living in Beijing, and on the string of attractions that have continued to capture the fancy of cultural fans from around the world.
AN APPLE A DAY: #TINYPEOPLEINBIGPLACES There's something about the visual of a lone person against the backdrop of a big wide space that makes me want to break into a song, or in the case of my street photography, a frenzied high-speed shutter to capture this almost poetic moment. Rare as it may for this opportunity to appear especially in a crowded city like New York, my tendency to stay away from the rat race and venture deep into the neighbourhoods did help.
My twelfth trip to the city of angels, and I'm not sure why I'm still counting anymore. The agenda has seen some much-needed refresh, with the last few being the need to check out the latest list of hipster cafes in town.
HOHOHOLLAND (THE NETHERLANDS: GOUDA, UTRECHT) A little sneak peek into the atmospheric christmas season over in this part of the world.
HEAVEN ELEVEN (THAILAND: BANGKOK) My eleventh trip to Bangkok, but who really is counting? Yet I have found another slice of the city life to experience, this time in the form of chic hostels and artsy cafes. And so the pull of the city of angels continues.
GODS & GHATS:
A census from year 2011 puts the number of Nepalese workers in Malaysia at 400000, yet many times this quiet, unassuming group of labourers and general workers in the service industry remains but just some nameless faces, a mere backdrop in our bustling urban life. In this journey deep into the homeland of our Nepalese friends, we stayed away from the beaten tracks of the usual tourists and ventured into the local neighbourhoods instead to experience the street scenes, uncovering a group of warm and friendly folks, who, just like us, have dreams and aspirations, and with loved ones who too left the country in pursue of a better future. The next time you come in contact with a Nepalese, try a local greeting that is close to his heart. While that may not necessarily nurse his aching longing for home, at least you have reminded him of the purpose of his hard work here. Namaste! :">
In the Lonely Planet travel book of India, Kolkata has but a mere 5 pages of coverage, yet the six days spent venturing deep into its various districts bear no justification to this blatant disregard of what must have been the most magical and fulfilling experience that I have had in the longest of time. The first two things that caught my attention about Kolkata are its charming tram ways, the only one that is still in operations in the whole of India, and the yellow ambassador cabs. Coupled that with an entire city that is magically locked still in a vintage era many decades ago, I'm totally sold. It was a street photography trip turned vintage goodies shopping spree as I made the pleasant discovery of old alarm clocks, switches, fans and typewriters all going for dirt cheap prices. And in this third trip to India, the locals proof yet again that they're the friendliest street photography subjects that you'll ever get in the world. The daily life can be a string of painstaking chores, but they always have to pose for you.
深秋学 AUTUMNOLOGY Continuing the tradition of recent travel albums, a dedicated camwhore album is a must especially against the breathtaking backdrops of Yunnan and Sichuan.
WORLD WIDE WET (SONGKRAN IN BANGKOK) My third songkran celebration, and the first one that sees my skills having grown sufficiently OK to be able to cover this chaotic event with my gears, protected by a waterproofing skin good even for underwater photography, which I have to say, is rather frustrating getting used to. And the fact that I'm shooting with my camera means I can't be shooting with my watergun instead! Not good, when all I want is to have some fun without thinking about exposure, and focal length and composition! :">
6 years has passed since my previous visit, and HK remains charming as ever. While I failed to detach myself from the hectic city life during the previous trip, I made amends this time by dedicating two full days to the exploration of the outlying islands, particularly the famed idyllic fishing villages of Tai'O and Cheung Chau that are worlds apart from that of downtown Kowloon. And oh, please excuse the number of vertical horizon and levitation portrait shots peppered throughout. :">
Heartpatrick's top travel destination of year 2011 has come and gone, and with it, the unveiling of the old-world charm that is Tibet. Loaded with peculiar treasures in architectural marvel against a backdrop of sweeping landscapes and a rich religious culture, this blessed land certainly does not disappoint, yet I return home with a sad realisation that the Tibet experience, originally thought to be spiritual and enlightening one, is unfortunately not quite different than that of the other overly-commercialised Chinese attractions. The invasion of China is a well-thought plan, starting with its throngs of unruly, loud, spitting, sometimes rude, and often crude nationals who flood the place as tourists, businessmen and workers, then the ugly tasteless structures and buildings housing the standard affair of chinese outlets not excluding karaoke lounges, health spas that make up the new part of Lhasa town, the bold bombastic propoganda displayed all over the place, the ever-presence troops of gun-yielding Chinese soldiers patrolling every corner of the old town, the ear-piercing Chinese folksongs blasting through squares, and finally the Chinese flag parading the iron claw on the highest point of Potala Palace, just to make a point. This is certainly not the Tibet that I have traveled so far for. Perhaps I have not ventured deep enough into the hidden villages where Tibetans still practice their lifestyle and cultures, venture off the beaten track of Chinese tour buses and agencies. For now, the mysterious smiles of the native Tibetan kid in traditional wear have pretty much evaded me. But at least I would have a reason to come again. For the time being though, I will nurse my sore expectations, this beautifully painful journey that is the rape of Tibet.
farnhorlarn 返荷兰 Almost a continuation of my wetnam trip, the most part of my 3-week long business trip to the Netherlands was featured by the rather uninspiring bucket-loads of drizzle, cold wind, moody skies, and frost-bitten fingers that were denied the gloves in favour of shooting. Well at least, I had my first taste of snow, even though it was what they called wet snow, the type that melts and disappears as soon as they hit the ground. The Hague was almost like how I have left it during my first visit many years back, but back with better gears, it would be shameful not to revisit some of the places that I have liked.
LOST IN PORK CHOP STREET Narrow maze-like lanes, charming churches and airy squares, and quaint neighbourhoods, never forget the reason why I got hooked to Macau during my first visit a few years ago, and this time I'm back to properly explore every turn and corner, in the company of my fellow camwhoring friends.
LOST.IN.HANOI The first travel album of Year 2010 brings me (and Mum) to the middle of the charming old quarters of Hanoi in the midst of Tet new year preparations. Another eye-opening trip indeed, including that of a two-day-long diarrhea where I spent time getting acquainted with the hotel toilet bowl - well all part of the experience of course. :)
A journey of rediscoveries of the everyday life of Taipei folks, this time in the company of Mum, and against a backdrop of a constant drizzling and a moody sky that got completely dark everyday at 530pm. *SULKZ* And no thanks to the aftermath of the typhoon season, we had to drop our plans for Alishan as apparently the good stuff will take a few years to be restored.
Ah.. finally a purely relaxing holiday of which the main agenda includes water fights during Songkran. Gladly left my chunky SLR behind, but my ithcy finger nevertheless snapped away with the trusty Canon compact.
HO HO HO CHI MINH! Gosh it does seem like ages since I last published a travel album! After like a half-year break, heartpatrick.com finally return to its roots of travel photography with a rather sizeable collection of photos from the eye-opening trip of a fabulously chaotic fest that is Ho Chi Minh city.
The first album for July 2008, is my second vacation album of the year. Manila isn't exactly your ideal city getaway, but it was nevertheless a fun trip, especially with some good company! This album is done entirely with my Canon compact again.
A WINDOW IN CHINATOWN
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TRAVEL • MAR 2024 CHIBA URBAN MONORAIL It's time to catch the flying train again. After having tasted the joyride that’s the Shonan Monorail in Kanagawa, I’m back in Japan for their second suspended train system in the country - the Chiba Urban Monorail. Against the backdrop of the sakura blooms during spring, the scenes of these floating trains snaking their way between buildings feel right out of a retro scifi movie. It's strange why the city is not flooded with visitors to admire this engineering marvel.
TRAVEL • DEC 2023 It’s fun when a hike ends in a surreal photo spot. Located in the flight path of one of the runway used in the old Kai Tak Airport, this 98-m-tall hill had some of its slopes painted in the red-white pattern to guide pilots to fly and land their aircrafts according to the correct route, and thus its name was born. The place now has a renewed role as a recreation park with a large field on top, and of course as a cool instagram spot.
TRAVEL • NOV 2023 We are back to telling the urban stories of China post-pandemic, starting with this subtropical, green city that is the capital of Guangxi. We managed to time our visit to the blooming season of bougainvillea, so that added quite some colors to the collection.
TRAVEL • NOV 2023 OLD WAREHOUSE Too many screens, too little time. This impossibly vast TV wall at the vintage warehouse in Nanning is quite a sight to take in. But don’t let that overshadow the tens of thousands of other cool items that are fighting to jog the memories of our carefree childhood days.
TRAVEL • DEC 2022 Arguably one of Bangkok's most colorful and vibrant neighborhoods, there is never a dull moment amid the cacophony of traffic, lively locals, awestruck visitors and street vendors. Every turn unveils a new facet of Yaowarat's dynamic culture, making it an exhilarating experience for everyone.
TRAVEL • DEC 2023 One of the few architecture sites that are top on my to-do list is this museum of contemporary arts that has opened its doors in 2021. Did not go into the exhibit areas due to the steep ticket prices but that's ok as I'm here just for the structure.
TRAVEL • NOV 2023 One of the few side trips that we made while in Nanning, China, this coastal city in Guangxi shares the same name as the Malaysian town, and there’s a certain vibe that does remind me of Penang too.
SPACES/ TRAVEL • JUL 2023 AL JABBAR GRAND MOSQUE An evening of devotion. Finally witnessed the beauty of this floating mosque with my own eyes. Masjid Raya Al-Jabbar was officially inaugurated on 30 Dec 2022 after 5 years of construction and has since become a popular destination for devotees and visitors from within and outside the country.
TRAVEL • FEB 2023 Nothing like a gorgeous evening to bring out the best in a random, but quaint neighbourhood of Osaka, its narrow alleys buzzing with locals on their way home after work or school.
TRAVEL • JUL 2023 PINUS PENGGER PINE FOREST Set in a lush pine forest at the edge of the city, this enchanting art park spots some gorgeous installations built against the backdrop of the sprawling cityscape below. The place is most beautiful as day turns into night. Glad to have found time to explore this place during our Yogyakarta trip.
TRAVEL • MAR 2023 KADOKAWA MUSASHINO MUSEUM Just about an hour's train ride away from Tokyo and we are on another Kengo Kuma heritage trail. This majestic-looking rock in Tokorozawa was completed in 2020, and is equally breathtaking on the inside. If you’re both a bookworm and an archi fan, this museum is for you.
SPACES/ TRAVEL • SEP 2022 SITTISANG CAFE & AIRBNB Definitely the most memorable accommodation of our 10-day-long roadtrip in Thailand, this beautiful airbnb was restored from a pre-war shophouse in the heritage center of Kanchanaburi, with the ground floor level now converted into a cafe. Fav part of the place is the spacious balcony overlooking the busy street below.
SPACES/ TRAVEL • DEC 2022 Beautiful sun-bathed cafe, simple structure with metal mesh wall surrounded by a lush outdoor space. I could spend the entire afternoon here.
TRAVEL/PORTRAITS • SEP 2022 KHOK SALUNG FLOATING RAILWAY About a 3-hour drive away from Bangkok is perhaps Thailand’s most photogenic railway stretch. Floating above the water reservoir created by the Pasak Chonlasit Dam, this 18km-long stretch is giving us some really strong Ghibli vibes. In addition to the tracks, the site also features other cool photo and hangout spots on the vast plains of grassland below. The train only stops on the tracks for special journeys, as it will usually just zoom past quickly before you could get ready to pose, as with our case. We will be back!
TRAVEL • MAY 2022 Christmas comes early this year, or at least that’s what it feels like for us, being free and out and about again after more than two years of isolation. This is my first travel again after COVID-19, and I couldn’t have chosen a more magical place than the Faroe Islands to reboot our exploring, its 18 rocky, volcanic islands of pure outdoor adventure a dream come true.
TRAVEL/ SPACES • MAY 2022 25 HOURS HOTEL Once home to a porcelain factory, this 19th century building situated right in the heart of the city is a treasure throve of spaces waiting to be explored.
SPACES/ TRAVEL • JUL 2022 SAMSEN STREET HOTEL Nestled among a charming neighbourhood of local housing, street food vendors and wet markets is Samsen Street Hotel, transformed from a 47-year-old curtained love motel in Bangkok’s old Samsen Red Light District. Now this hip hotel is about cool design, airy interiors, and hanging your legs from the balcony for an outdoor movie night.
TRAVEL • NOV 2019 There's nothing quite like the experience of autumn in Mount Fuji. That 3-night stay here was one of the most productive trips that I have ever had. I definitely could not get enough of Fujiyoshida town, the surreal sights of this sleepy town against a snow-capped giant sitting at such an unbelievably close distant are beyond words. Something tells me that I will be back again, soon.
TRAVEL • APR 2019 Yet another collection of shots from our ever-fun island city-state neighbour. The locations covered this round include everyone's new favourite insta spot Jewel @ Changi, Pearl Bank Apartment of which I'm blessed for the opportunity to finally explore before it's torn down, and other fun spots such as South Beach, Blessed Sacrament Church and Tan Boon Liat building.
TRAVEL • OCT 2018 In addition to Chefchaouen, the other memorable highlights of the trip are the Sahara desert stay at Merzouga and the ancient city of Ait Ben Haddou. Specifically, our mud house accommodation of Kasbah Tebi, right in the UNESCO heritage site itself, was such an interesting 2-night stay, despite there being no lights, no wifi, no phone reception, only candles and loads of uninterrupted catch-up time among ourselves.
TRAVEL • AUG 2018 On slots when we absolutely needed a breath of fresh air, we headed back up to the street level which was definitely not short of fun things to explore as well. Stockholm may not have the most impressive set of modern archicterual marvels, but the scandi way of life has its fair share of charms as well.
TRAVEL/SPACES • JUN 2018 Got a free day during a recent f&b portfolio assignment in Shenzhen, and that was sufficient to yield a reasonably good collection of architectural shots. Such is the wonders of modern China cities. The two sites covered were Shenzhen University, mainly for its gorgeous student housing blocks that prove that tasteful architecture need not be posh to look striking, and then the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center that got us blown away with its beautiful perforated external steel skin. I'm definitely not done with this city. Can't wait to be back again.
TRAVEL/ SPACES • SEP 2017 The collaboration with AK+ Architect on the study on the usage of steel in buildings in Singapore brought us this collection of photos from my favourite city, covering some new landmarks such as Duo Towers to more established ones like the South Beach Tower, The Future of Us pavilion and the National Stadium.
TRAVEL • OCT 2017 Hokkaido's charming capital may not be as burstling or edgy as the other larger Japanese cities, but its unmistakable laidback holiday vibe fills the air from the shopping streets to the city parks. I especially enjoyed Moerenuma Park and the sculpture garden in Sapporo Art Park. Can't wait to be back for winter.
TRAVEL • JUN 2017 My obsession with capturing the city lights during the magical hours of dawn through night started perhaps just recently. While I was perfectly happy documenting the street scenes in full daylight before this, there certainly was no turning back anymore once I realised how much more fun (and equally challenging) it was to play with lights and reflections as the sky darkened and the vivid urban lightshow began. 12 years on, and I'm still learning the tricks of this constant learning curve called photography.
TRAVEL • JUN 2017 SYDNEYSIDER: 12 years since I started documenting my travel stories with my camera, AirAsia finally found me. The trip to explore a new continent in the company of the gorgeous Miss Universe Malaysia Samantha James was surreal - I thought just two months ago I was doing this desk job managing IT solutions for kerang. But the fun and laughter from the assignment, in the company of some really professional and dedicated people was very real indeed, something that I already miss as we parted on the last day. The week-long trip brought us to some of the best features that New South Wales has to offer, from the nature trails of Blue Mountains, to the fun and adventure of Wollongong, and finally the magical colorful ride that is Vivid Sydney. If this is what leaving a fulltime employment brought me, I hope I get a lot more of these from now on. <3
TRAVEL • 2017 COMPILATION Continuing the journey to check off items from the list of Singapore urban explorers' hangout. It doesn't help that the list seems to keep growing but that's only more reason to come back again!
TRAVEL/ SPACES • JAN 2017 Guangzhou may be famous for its booming wholesale market, but the third largest city in China is also fast placing itself on the map for urban and archi photographers with a string of modern buildings that showcases China's progressive arts movement. Working alongside these modern day marvels are the delights of the cantonese cuisine and a burgeoning thirdwave cafe culture, giving the city a rather well-rounded experience.
TRAVEL • NOV 2016 Almost a decade since I last visited Taipei. The city was almost exactly like how I have left it, to my slight disappointment. Perhaps the exposure that I have had while exploring the many other countries and cities in the last ten years or so has risen my expectations of what I want to see in an urban environment. It was a relaxing trip nevertheless.
TRAVEL • SEP 2016 LOST BOYS (ICELAND): #TINYPEOPLEINBIGPLACES The sweeping Icelandic landscape, though magnificient by itself, is the perfect canvas for a lone human figure tracing its every peak and valley and its wide expanse of nothingness. Thus the scene is set for this edition of shots that plays with the minimalist theme of human versus nature.
TRAVEL • APR 2016 Typing up some loose ends on the few key charming locations that I covered during an assignment trip down south.
My first travel album on the new Olympus OMD baby, and what better place to test its capability than Hong Kong's sweeping urbanscape of over 7mil-strong population. Things have not terribly changed as compared to my earlier trip four years ago, but my focus has. This round is mostly about the charming public housing estates made famous by instagram. My only wish is that I had the luxury of time to comb each and every one of them and squeeze all the photography opportunity dry, but that may require that I be based there for awhile, perhaps not something that I would not entertain.
Tying up some loose ends from the random shots that I got from a few afternoons here and there in between an assignment to Bali.
GODS AND FORTS Continuing the tradition of big travel projects, here's a compilation of our portraits taken during the ten-day journey through Rajasthan. With just the three of us this round, we are definitely missing the impact afforded when we go out in full force, all eight of us.
The check-in to Beijing, China's massive capital of over 11mil people, was greatly motivated by the need to admire the thriving modern arts and culture scene there, though its setting against a historical backdrop that stretches back three millennia was quite a unique contrast. The modern architecture circuit is easily followed by searching for all the SOHO developments in the city, and along the way, hutongs and their new-found quirkiness make for an interesting distraction that is worthy of an afternoon here and there. This album focuses on the modern take on the city as well as the on the creative reimagination of the old.
Finally, the sinking of my eager teeth in the Big Apple has arrived. This giant metropolis of which magical images has been ingrained firmly in my memory via its portrayal in all forms of media imagined, to be able to actually experience it with my own pair of eyes is strangely surreal.
TRAVEL • MAY 2015 CROSSROADS: As the camera and image quality of photos shot on smartphones improve over the years, I'm finding more and more occasions during my trips where I have reached out for my phone for those photogenic moments rather than my SLR. And what a waste it would be to just have the shots be kept in the camera roll of my phone instead of in my portfolio. So here goes. :">
GODS AND MONSTERS (CAMBODIA: SIEM REAP, PHNOM PENH) The grandeur that is the Angkor Architectural park, spanning a few hundreds of square kilometers, is perhaps only matched in scale by the brutality of the Khmer Rouge genocide in the late 1970's that wiped out one fourth of the country's population. And thus the perfect contrast of Cambodia's rich history is presented.
MEMOIRS (JAPAN: KYOTO, NARA, OSAKA, MT FUJI) The exploration of the matcha country continues with Kansai region.
GODS & GHATS VIDEO COMPILATION (INDIA: KOLKATA/ BODHGAYA/ VARANASI) Varanasi has always been on the top of my to-do list for India, and I'm glad that I'm able to now check that off in the company of my beloved travel mates. I have also successfully kept the video-taking momentum going throughout most part of the trip to have enough footages to compile these short clips as a compliment to the album that will come next. :">
Shanghai, a metropolis of over 23million people, yet never have I felt as disconnected with the locals as when I was in this city. The title of the album itself is perhaps an antithesis of what I have published in this set, showing my need to escape from the maddening crowd who once again proved that they absolutely do not fancy the idea of having any types of cameras being pointed their way.
COLORKATA THE PORTRAITS EDITION Continuing the tradition of Heartpatrick's travel album, is an subsidiary album of holiday portraits, of which poses should only be attempted in a place like India, where locals beg to model alongside with you, and would do anything to appear in your shots.
The mysterious city that has eluded me in year 2011, first due to the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear-scare, and then followed by work-related commitments, has finally succumbed to my persistent need to uncover its shroud of quirkiness and new-world contrast. And so I explored it to my heart's content, though I'm far from being done.
MERRY Took advantage of a 2-week business trip to the Hague for more exploring of the quaint European towns and cities around, and I came back with a bundle of joy that caught a local scene in its best festive mood.
大成故事 CHENGDUOLOGY A spin-off trip should always just remain as one, i.e. a transit point that should never ever be overshadowed by the main agenda of a holiday. Yet despite the breathtaking experience of Tibet, the few days spent in Chengdu before and after Lhasa were unexpectedly fun, in fact, in many different aspects, more fun than Tibet. haha. Exploring the few attractions that I had time to go, this city reminds me of old-school Kowloon or Taipei.
黑社会THE SECRET SOCIETY India! Finally a strange, new piece of unchartered land begging to be explored. The first thing that any photographer will notice as soon as they pull out their gear is just how camera-friendly the locals are. In fact, they don't just stop everything they do to pose and smile obediently at the sight of your lens, but will even go to the extend of chasing you down and beg you to have their pictures taken. Definitely a refreshing change from the stark contrast of unfriendly stares and curses that you get in some other parts of Asia. In their own heart-warming, though a little crude, way, I have been touched. My arms, by eager kids who grabbed on to check out their photos on my camera, my back, by edges of carts pushed along an impossibly crowded open-air market at the old city, my face, by the pinch of a local who must have only seen a chinese face on TV before this, my ears, by the constant honking of impatient motorists, my hair, by the gentle swirl of a wandering hijab. And finally my heart, by the impossibly friendly locals who flashed their smile and greetings my way, who pointed their cameras and camera-phones at me and my colleagues, who rushed over to take photos with us, and made me feel like both a celebrity and a National Geographic photographer. :P To Hyderabad, and beyond.
OTHERS • OCT 2015 A short weekend getaway with a bunch of close friends is a sure way of energizing those jaded tired city routine. The lack of data networks means that we can finally leave our smartphones back in the room and have healthy wholesome interactions just like in the good old days.
The permanent feature of our 9-day trip to Central Vietnam was this constant, persistent drizzle that was thankfully not heavy enough to keep us and our cameras off the streets, but disturbing enough to kill some mood of exploration and camwhoring amidst a seriously ill-prepared wardrobe selection that consisted mainly of shorts and tshirts. Nevertheless, as with most trips, the company made all the difference, and we did return loaded with memories, learnings, tons of pics, and stuffed baggages. :) ITINERARY: Saigon > Hue > Hoi An & My Son > Danang > Saigon
九曼谷 ban9kok My ninth trip to the city of angels. Seems like just yesterday when I first set foot on this vibrant colourful city. Bangkok is just as charming as I have left it two years ago, and I'm back this time, with better gears, and sharper, keener eyes, to revisit some of the places that I have gasped at, to try and do justice to its charms. And to fall in love all over again.
A spin-off from the Hanoi trip was a 3D2N side-trip to the rolling highlands of Sapa dotted with rice terraces and native tribes eager to sell you something. I didn't arrive at the right month, so er the terraces were just barren unfortunately.
LOST IN Of course, in the company of my fellow cam-whoring friends, no travel is complete without a dedicated portrait album. :)
YOGYAKARTA/ BOROBUDUR Here you go, my first travel portrait album, taken while camwhoring from the quaint sidelanes of Yogyakarta town to the charming temple ruins of Borobudur, Prambanan, Ratu Boko and a few others of which names I think I will soon forget haha. But of course thanks to photography, the memories of the great company from the trip stays on. :)
A FRANGIPANI DAY
BUTTERFLIES AND HOUSTON SKIES
BREAKFAST IN SURIWONG
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