A picture, a story and some memories...

Take us spinning

2012-02-13T23:24:00.001+08:00

Take us spinning, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Hear this, according to the Tibetan Buddhism, spinning such a wheel will have much the same meritorious effect as orally reciting the prayers.

Interestingly, Wikipedia says "the idea of spinning mantras relates to numerous Tantric practices whereby the Tantric practitioner visualizes mantras revolving around the his heart and other chakras of the body. Therefore, prayer wheels are a visual aid for developing one's capacity for these types of Tantric visualizations." SHOCKER!!! I never knew those wheels had such a deep meaning.

Think about this the next time you go to a monastery!!!

140 my foot!

2012-02-13T23:21:00.001+08:00

140 my foot!, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Our generation is obsessed with documenting every thought and Twitter is the weapon of choice. I remember a time when 160 characters weren't enough for a text message and people wuld wrt lyk this to fit as much as possible. With Twitter, you only get 140 characters but people write really witty things in just 140 characters.

Some researchers are worried that our attention spans are growing shorter because of reading short content on social networks. According to them, I would have lost 90% of you by this point but I am sure you are reading so I will keep writing.

Remember to read books, newspaper articles, magazines, etc to keep your attention span in check. Also remember to get others around to do it too. Most importantly, remember to share this on Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest / any other social network of your choice now. Will you?

Why grow up?

2011-12-23T00:27:00.001+08:00

Why grow up?, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I look at this little kid and I see happiness, joy, contentment too. The little boy is so happy by a fountain splashing water on him. That is all it takes for kids to be happy.

We grow up and everything changes. Materialistically, I have had my best year yet. I have the best computer, top of the line cell phone, I traveled, etc but if you ask me, right now, if I am happy, my answer will be "no. I don't think so.".

Isn't that reason enough not to grow up? Given a choice, I wouldn't want to grow up. I would rather be that child than the fat guy behind the camera.

Should I get a macro extender?

2011-12-23T00:04:00.001+08:00

Should I get a macro extender?, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I clicked this photo using a macro extender that fits with my normal Nikon lens. I am wondering if it a good investment to buy this piece of equipment.

I love the effect this little piece of equipment created on that calculator.

What do you think?

Super power

2011-11-16T00:36:00.001+08:00

Super power, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

This man had a superpower I wish I had. You know what? The ability to ignore sound waves. :)

A 'do not disturb' signboard was the only thing missing.

In the 10+ minutes that I spent there, at least 50 people walked up and down those flight of stairs but this guy did not move an inch.

Either he had too much on his mind or too little. Those are the only 2 scenarios that let a man sleep as peacefully as this.

Happy without 99% stuff you own

2011-11-05T00:32:00.001+08:00

Happy without 99% stuff you own, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”

This man, selling vegetables in a semi-temporary shop in a market in Chinatown did not look one bit sad. Tourists from all over the world walk past this man's store every single day with their fancy cameras and shopping bags and so many other things this man probably doesn't own but he seems happy with what he has and it shows on his face in this photo.

Bobby McFerrin would agree with my advice to you readers when I say "Don't worry! Be happy!" at this point. :)

Depressed

2011-11-04T01:55:00.001+08:00

Depressed, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Chinatown & Tiong Bahru have the highest number of senior citizens in Singapore.

This man, probably addicted to his inhaler, was sitting behind a Buddhist temple with a small bag of food and a big baggage of depression and memories I assume. He kept switching his inhaler from left to right every few minutes and nothing got him excited. He kept staring away every few minutes watching the world go by and then switched back to his memories and think back to the good old days of his youth I assume (again).

Do you ever wonder how your life will be when you are 65 - 70 years old? I do sometimes and it looks depressing. I think I would rather die young at my prime instead of fading away slowly one day at a time, one year at a time.

Multi-tasking

2011-11-04T00:16:00.001+08:00

Multi-tasking, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

A photographer from the rival camp (Pentax) was taking a photo of the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Chinatown but couldn't resist a cigarette. I saw her take a few photos without the cigarette but then she lit this one up, took a photo or two, looked at the photos, and went back to chatting with her friends.

There is something about these artists who smoke cigarettes. They feel a lot more comfortable once they puff in a little smoke. I know a few who play their guitars and love their cigarettes and somehow once they start smoking they just get into their art and forget about the world.

This girl looked like someone from that camp.

Smoking is injurious to health. Please make your choices carefully.

Stress

2011-11-03T23:36:00.001+08:00

Stress, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Running your own business comes with a lot of stress. Especially, small business, where you rely on daily sales to put food on your table.

I captured this in Chinatown market where this couple was in the middle of a very serious discussion. The man was doing some work on the crystal snow man, Christmas tree and some other gift articles. He was probably preparing for the festive season that will bring a lot of tourists to Singapore and, hopefully, to his store.

The lady, smoking a cigarette, looks like the dominant of the two and was not doing any of the artsy work that made the man sweat on this hot Saturday afternoon.

Slow? Me? Really?

2011-10-30T02:56:00.001+08:00

Slow? Me? Really?, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Crocodiles defy science. Usually, anything that is heavy is supposed to be really slow. Heavier animals move slower than their lighter cousins. Lighter weighing animals find it easy to move around fast.

Crocodiles defy that theory. These cold-blooded predators are one of the fastest animals when it comes to snapping up their prey. Look at the water droplets you see so clearly. The photo was taken at 1/4000 shutter after the guy at this crocodile park provoked this giant with a stick.

Wikipedia says this about their danger to humans: The main danger that crocodiles pose is not their ability to run after a person but their ability to strike before the person can react.

Please don't buy any leather products made from crocodile skins. Their future generations will come back for revenge. Very FAST!!!

Angry Birds in real life

2011-10-30T02:16:00.001+08:00

Angry Birds in real life, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I took multiple photos of this white rooster and trust you me, he looks angry in each and every one of those photos.

i think the green pig at the farm I saw sheltered with wood, ice and stone structures earlier that day stole this rooster's girlfriend's eggs. He asked me if I had a slingshot and I said "no" to which he said "Why do you use a Blackberry? Only if you had iOS or Android powered phone. I am so angry. Thanks anyways!" and turned away.

(I clicked this at a fruit farm in Desaru, Malaysia and love how the white hair on the red crown is so nicely captured by the 50mm prime lens I borrowed from a friend before the trip.)

I am not in love

2011-10-30T01:53:00.001+08:00

I am not in love, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I clicked this at a recent trip to Desaru Fruit Farm. They give you a little tour of the farm when you go and make you sit thru a few sales presentation and serve lunch. This was clicked between the sales presentation and the lunch.

I was setting myself up to take a picture of the background and this girl magically appeared right when I hit the button on my camera. She walked by, checked herself out in the mirror, used the wash basin there and walked to where lunch was being served.

I love how the lens made the rough wall appear blur because the contrast with razor sharp clarity of the mirror gives it a nice effect.

I have a photo of me in that mirror too but I am sure this girl is a much better subject. :)

Fresh innovative ideas & vegetables

2011-10-22T19:43:00.001+08:00

Fresh innovative ideas & vegetables, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Necessity, historically, has been called the mother of invention. Costs, I think, can easily take the title of father.

A vegetable vendor in a wet market took a Sprite bottle and a mini pump and turned it into this.

The vegetables on sale looked so fresh and were probably gone in a few hours thanks to low cost innovation.

Re-using that plastic bottle is good for the environment too. Win-win-winnovation.

Dead & Alive (disturbia)

2011-10-22T14:46:00.001+08:00

Dead & Alive (disturbia), originally uploaded by G2clicks.

One of the most distrubing photos (for me), this was taken at a wet market in Kuching (Malaysia). Look at how the alive chicken is looking at the dead chicken hanging upside down. It even took a stab at it with its beak in the next frame but that one is even more disturbing.

For humans, death is a very sad & scary moment and the only time people saw a lot of dead bodies was during a war.

Death is not that big a deal in the animal / bird world I guess. They learn to live with it without getting emotional.

Emotions make us humans. Don't they?

The Mahatma gone fishing

2011-10-22T14:45:00.001+08:00

The Mahatma gone fishing, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I can claim that I have seen the Mahatma.

Look at this man in the photo. He bears more than a striking resemblance to Mahatma Gandhi, India's non-violence champion. It would look like a photo from Gandhiji's real life when turned into black & white.

(clicked while touring Kuching river in a boat cruise last month)

Adam, Eve & lack of options...

2011-09-30T12:21:00.001+08:00

I saw my brother put this joke on twitter. I shared it with my colleagues in the office who suggested I turn it into a comic. A quick 15 minutes with BitStrips and here it is. This is the funniest joke I have heard in recent history (last 6 months at least).

Imagine Russel Peters reading the joke if it doesn't sound funny with the characters below and remember to be creative. Always!!!

Dealing with Stupid!!!

2011-09-21T23:30:00.002+08:00

Sharing a comic I made earlier instead of a photo today. I will leave the story out too. They say, a picture is worth a thousand words and you have 2 above so that is 2,000 words already. Don't complain that I talk too much now!!!

Hope you are not keeping your creativity inside. Let it go. Let it flow. I attended an advertising festival earlier this week and am inspired to be more creative every day.

Expect more. Expect different. Expect the unexpected.

Whats up?

2011-08-27T14:08:00.001+08:00

Whats up?, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Curiosity is what makes kids adorable and funny.

Look at this kid's expression. He looks curious, excited, a little scared, all at the same time.

If there was a speech bubble there, I would write "why is cold water falling from that grey blob high up in the air."

What would you write?

Early bird gets the croissant

2011-08-27T13:16:00.001+08:00

Early bird gets the croissant, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

My mate his this theory that if you wake up early on a weekend morning, your day is longer. Since we, 9 to 6 corporate labourers, live from weekend to weekend, a longer day would definitely help.

For the last 2 weeks, I have been leaving home even before the sun shows up. As a treat to myself, I have been going to Swiss Bake for breakfast. They have amazing hot chocolate that goes perfect with this Scrambled Eggs Croissant.

Zoom in and look at the details and tell me you are not craving for one at this very moment!

Pour me a drink (Beach part 2)

2011-08-23T01:05:00.001+08:00

Pour me a drink (Beach part 2), originally uploaded by G2clicks.

(part 2 of 2)

I was waiting for my friend to get to this beach. The sun decided to take cover behind the clouds and everyone else in Singapore decided to stay in bed on this beautiful Saturday morning.

Luckily, I found a huge stick (the straw in the margarita) to do some sand art.

Weekends are all about having fun and I know a lot of people who live weekend to weekend and drink from Friday evening to Sunday morning.

This one is for all my friends who have been there at the right times. To invoke a classic AC/DC line here, "have a drink on me!!!"

Sun Rise (Beach part 1)

2011-08-23T01:04:00.001+08:00

Sun Rise (Beach part 1), originally uploaded by G2clicks.

(part 1 of 2)

Wow. That is the most beautiful sunrise ever captured on camera. Right?

I went to the beach last Saturday to catch the sun come out and start lighting the sky up on fire. Instead, there was a massive cloud cover. The sun wasn't clearly visible till 10 in the morning.

That meant less photography and more fun at the beach. I drew my own sunrise and captured it in the "golden hour" of the morning which was followed by some very good Swiss breakfast.

The only complain I had about the weekend was that it was too short.

Not made at the assembly line (part 2)

2011-08-19T00:31:00.001+08:00

Not made at the assembly line (part 2), originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Here is 2 of 2 photos I wanted to share tonight.

These tiny mud dolls are lined up like they are standing on a conveyor belt in a factory that makes thousands of these 5 inch toys every day.

In reality, they are all hand made by villagers in Rajasthan. Handicraft is an important source of income and employment for a lot of people in Rajasthan who are toiling hard to keeping the art alive.

I sometimes like to call this magic not art because how else can someone turn mud into this beautiful toy, bring it to life with colors, add lovely decoration and move on to make more such toys that look exactly like the previous one, like the one made yesterday, like the one made last month, like the one made last year, like how the last generation used to make these. Magic! Don't you agree?

Not made at the assembly line (part 1)

2011-08-19T00:30:00.001+08:00

Not made at the assembly line (part 1), originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Here is 1 of 2 photos I wanted to share tonight.

These tiny mud dolls are lined up like they are standing on a conveyor belt in a factory that makes thousands of these 5 inch toys every day.

In reality, they are all hand made by villagers in Rajasthan. Handicraft is an important source of income and employment for a lot of people in Rajasthan who are toiling hard to keeping the art alive.

I sometimes like to call this magic not art because how else can someone turn mud into this beautiful toy, bring it to life with colors, add lovely decoration and move on to make more such toys that look exactly like the previous one, like the one made yesterday, like the one made last month, like the one made last year, like how the last generation used to make these. Magic! Don't you agree?

Happy people on mountain top

2011-07-12T01:02:00.001+08:00

Happy people on mountain top, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Strangers are just one conversation away from becoming friends in India. This family was one such bunch.

We were at this temple on top of the mountain catching the sun set from Mount Abu in Gujarat. Our gang of 10 people and this happy family were the last ones left.

They were sitting together on the roof of this Digital Photo Studio and wanted us to take a photo.

My friend promised he will send them a printed copy of their photo and the head of the family agreed to host us on our next trip to Mount Abu. He did give us the address and directions to his crib.

I don't know if mountains attract happy people or happy people hang out in the mountains but I have always met happy people at such places.

Heavy hangs the head that wears the turban

2011-06-30T01:54:00.001+08:00

Heavy hangs the head that wears the turban, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

A turban (called safa) is a very common wedding wear for men in Rajasthan. It is made out from a single colorful strip of cloth.

The groom wears an elaborate one and other men at the wedding wear something simple like this little kid in the photo.

His 'safa' here is bigger than his face and I couldn't stop myself from clicking this.

Tipu

2011-06-26T21:57:00.001+08:00

Tipu, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Indian village life is very different. Tipu's father runs a men's salon in my friend's village. He was at my friend's house giving him a shave before one of the wedding ceremonies.

His son, Tipu, who normally is out there playing with his friends had no choice but to take care of the salon.

Guess what, he is 12 years old and just about 4 feet tall. His height made it very difficult to shave my beard but he did a decent job.

I hope he doesn't have to spend too much time at the salon at his age.

"Hang on. It will be over soon."

2011-06-26T21:51:00.001+08:00

"Hang on. It will be over soon.", originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Hindu wedding ceremonies usually have the 'baarat' ceremony where the wedding procession from the groom's house dances its way to the bride's house. The groom sits on a horse (a mare). Loud music is usually played and people burst firecrackers in front of the horse which sometimes gets difficult for the horse to handle.

Here you see the horse's master trying to pacify her. She clearly looked very disturbed with all the noise and the crowd.

This was taken at my friend's wedding in Rajasthan last month.

No Chicken and Egg story here

2011-06-23T00:34:00.001+08:00

No Chicken and Egg story here, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

What came first: the chicken or the egg? Nobody knows. Tell me in comments if you do.

Everybody knows that the warning sign above should be the other way around: "Obey The Traffic Rules to Save Life".

Per the above sign, what if you save life and the life you saved does not follow the traffic rules? See how easily I created another chicken and egg story.

Bucket List...err just buckets

2011-05-13T02:22:00.000+08:00

Bucket List...err just buckets, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Just today I called up another photo hog friend of mine to do a photo project related to bucket lists.

The number of items on my bucket list change based on my mood. One of those that I hope happens some day is a Wikipedia entry for me for something awesome that I do.

I am sure I will get to 'check' the box next to that one and a lot of others. What is on your bucket list?

Faith in the system

2011-05-13T01:37:00.000+08:00

Faith in the system, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I can't swim so I am not the most comfortable when you tell me to walk on a bridge made out of wooden planks loosely supported by wooden bamboos that shakes with every step you take.

Houses in this island village are built on stilts and these bridges are their roads. I have seen kids run on these, adults ride their mopeds, walk with confidence after downing unbelievable amount of beer.

They can do all this because they have "faith in the system".

Odd jobs

2011-05-07T11:38:00.001+08:00

Odd jobs, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

In this Indonesian island village that I recently visited, people have a very different life.

I met a cop who runs a burger push cart in the evenings, a TV repair shop owner who makes more money betting on football (with whom I watched Arsenal clobber Manchester United live), etc.

Trishaw is a very eco-friendly and a very popular mode of transport here because there were only 2 cars in the entire vilage (1 ambulance and 1 private pick up truck) and people have boats parked in their backyards.

Don't you love how cool this looks?

The (boring?) life at sea

2011-05-07T11:15:00.001+08:00

The (boring?) life at sea, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Life at sea can be a little boring sometimes.

This guy looks thoroughly bored as his mate drives the boat across long patches of blue water to reach their destination and pick up the next set of people or cargo.

Long time at sea can make you a very philosophical person introspecting a lot about everything in life.

Seeing is believing

2011-05-06T01:21:00.001+08:00

Seeing is believing , originally uploaded by G2clicks.

If you were to guess when this photo was taken, you would say "1985", "1964", "1989", etc. It was taken in 2010 last weekend in Indonesia.

It is not your fault though. You see a trishaw, a black and white photo and a man who looks really old fashioned.

Next time, don't believe everything you see.

Thinking not looking

2011-04-16T15:35:00.001+08:00

Thinking not looking, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

This baby orangutan's expression almost makes me feel like it isn't looking at where it is looking at. It is actually thinking about something.

I am not really sure how developed their brains are, but I sure know that orangutans are the most intelligent primates.

Wikipedia says "the word "orangutan" comes from the Malay words "orang" (man) and "(h)utan" (forest); hence, "man of the forest".

I wonder if this little man of the forest is really thinking about something. Hmmm.

Mother love

2011-04-16T15:21:00.001+08:00

Mother love, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Baby Orangutans are usually very close to their mother Orangutans while the father Orangutan tends to be more solitary.

I clicked this at the Singapore Zoo which has a collection of Bornean Orangutan which is 1 of only 2 species of Orangutan on our planet.

Mothers are the best in all species. Love you mom.

You will never know

2011-04-16T14:55:00.001+08:00

You will never know, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

At a recent fashion show, this model was the prettiest of them all. I mean there was no other model with a better smile.

There is something mysterious about her smile. I feel there is something she is thinking about in her head maybe someone but you will never know and I will never know. It is a little secret that will keep haunting me till the day I die / give up.

Flying

2011-04-16T14:43:00.001+08:00

Flying, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I recently went to an open fashion show to take some photos and was on the right hand side of the ramp which is not the best place to snap some good photos.

Here is one where the model's walk was really elegant and the breeze was playing with her hair. She was almost flying.

"I live in a pink handbag"

2011-03-28T00:02:00.001+08:00

"I live in a pink handbag", originally uploaded by G2clicks.

There is a saying which goes like this:

"Never check women's handbags. You never know what might pop out."

This cute little thing popped out of a girl's handbag in Bugis area when I was out with my buddies.

I hope that the dog is trained not to poop or pee in the handbag. :-)

Uploaded by G2clicks on 27 Mar 11, 11.53PM MYT.

Double Rainbow!!! No way!!!

2011-03-27T22:48:00.001+08:00

Double Rainbow!!! No way!!!, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Singapore weather changes very fast and today evening was no exception. I was indoors playing pool and when I came out I saw a rainbow. We took out the camera and took a few snaps. A very normal evening.

I came home then and put pictures online and look what I saw. DOUBLE RAINBOW. We did not notice the second rainbow while snapping the photo but on the computer screen, you can clearly see a faint second rainbow to the left.

If you don't know why double rainbow is so significant, you should search for it on YouTube.

Uploaded by G2clicks on 27 Mar 11, 10.37PM MYT.

Come pick me up :-)

2011-03-27T16:18:00.001+08:00

Come pick me up :-), originally uploaded by G2clicks.

My dear cycle has been sitting idle in the office parking lot for more than 2 weeks now. I haven't cycled since then because of the rain or a busy time at work or something else.

I am thinking of going to the office on this lazy Sunday to pick it up. The cycle has been singing 'come pick me up' for a while now and I think today is the day.

Btw, me and my bro did this experiment at Pulau Ubin where we used sand instead of the cycle stand to make the cycle stand.

Uploaded by G2clicks on 27 Mar 11, 3.19PM MYT.

My SUPER MOON

2011-03-27T02:54:00.001+08:00

My SUPER MOON, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I was a little busy when Super Moon was out there raising tide levels and making the sky look even more beautiful.

Sadly, that meant that I could not go take any photos of the awesomely lit night sky.

On my way to a friend's place though, I did click this picture.

I will wait for the next one and hope I still have the ability to take photos the next time this happens.

Moon is always super for me thought. Did you have a fun night out when the super moon was out?

Uploaded by G2clicks on 27 Mar 11, 2.40AM MYT.

Atlas Moth / Snake Head Moth

2011-02-21T00:31:00.001+08:00

Atlas Moth / Snake Head Moth, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

At Ubin, an island off the coast of Singapore, I saw this giant Atlas Moth.

It is also called the 'snake head' moth because the top edge of both wings look like a snake's head and I thought there are 2 snakes when I first glanced upon this beauty.

FYI, moths are different than butterflies and Wikipeidia tells me that someone who engages in active moth watching is called a mother (sometimes spelled at moth-er to avoid confusion).

You should read the Wikipedia entry for this moth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attacus_atlas) and moths in general for interesting facts(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moth).

Atlas moth surely is the mother of all moths and I mean mother in the way you know mother not the one I described above. :-)

Uploaded by G2clicks on 21 Feb 11, 12.22AM MYT.

Boat & the sun's tail

2011-02-21T00:10:00.001+08:00

Boat & the sun's tail, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I tried capturing the passing ferry boat in the sun's tail that you see up here but I couldn't and ended up with this.

I still quite like the lonely, peaceful feel that this photo brings. It makes me want to look at it but not really sit and look at it if you know what I mean.

Uploaded by G2clicks on 21 Feb 11, 12.00AM MYT.

Sunset from Ubin

2011-02-20T23:54:00.001+08:00

Sunset from Ubin, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Everytime I go to Pulau Ubin, I take my time and leave after sunset. Yesterday, when I went, we left earlier and that meant I caught this and a few other photos of the sunset.

I live on the east side of the country so don't get to see the sunset so much. Being out there in the middle of the sea at sunset was the nicest part of the weekend.

Uploaded by G2clicks on 20 Feb 11, 11.44PM MYT.

Politically Incorrect

2011-02-17T00:45:00.001+08:00

Politically Incorrect, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I love it how everything is going social. I love it how everyone wants to embrace social media. I love it that social media is becoming a part of our daily lives.

I love it even more when politicians try doing this new age stuff and get it wrong.

See what I found in the monthly neighbourhood magazine for Geylang Sarai. It says "please visit our facebook at (an email address)".

PS: I am not for or against this politician. I am not even sure who she is and what work she has done and if she is a nice person or not. I am sharing this purely to show a goof up in this magazine I was reading earlier today.

Uploaded by G2clicks on 17 Feb 11, 12.35AM MYT.

Peace

2011-02-15T00:30:00.001+08:00

Peace, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning at the Gurudwara. I arrived way too early because I read the timing on the wedding invite wrong.

For some reason, any place of worship, irrespective of whether it is of your religion or not, has the ability to put the mind at ease. I was out till late the night before and hardly got any sleep before getting here but my mind was totally at ease.

The 'random' mode on my phone decided to play 'Ik Omkar" to play right now which reminded me that I still haven't uploaded this photo.

This is one of my favorite photos clicked by me.

Uploaded by G2clicks on 15 Feb 11, 12.20AM MYT.

"What are you looking at?"

2011-02-15T00:09:00.001+08:00

"What are you looking at?", originally uploaded by G2clicks.

You know how toddlers love water and getting wet. There is a nice water fountain inside Bugis Junction, a shopping mall in Singapore.

Kids love this place so much that these days I have seen parents come prepared with extra clothes, towel, new set of diapers, etc. Families spend hours on weekend at this place watching their kids splash water around.

I clicked this photo on Saturday when I was on my way to a nearby temple and had my camera handy. I love how the kid made eye contact at the perfect moment.

"Mom. It is no fun playing if you don't shout at me"

2011-02-14T23:57:00.001+08:00

"Mom. It is no fun playing if you don't shout at me", originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Kids like doing things that their parents' tell them not to do. I saw an instance of this at Istana Park on Singapore's National Day last year.

This kid did not want to let go of this toy crocodile till his mom decided to do the "pretending to leave" trick. Ask any 10 year old toddler and he will tell you how his mom is the best at doing that.

I was a very obedient kid growing up. Right, Mom? ;-)

Uploaded by G2clicks on 14 Feb 11, 11.46PM MYT

Bollypore = Bollywood + Singapore

2011-02-14T23:40:00.001+08:00

Bollypore = Bollywood + Singapore, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

People love Bollywood all over the world and Singapore is no exception. I think I clicked this photo of Aishvarya Rai's photo in an underpass leading to Istana Park (Singapore's President's palace).

Marina Bay Sans recently made good money by selling tickets to live streaming of IIFA awards that one could watch from the Marina Bay lobby. Now that's what I call good business.

Uploaded by G2clicks on 14 Feb 11, 11.31PM MYT.

I was that cat today

2011-02-14T23:29:00.001+08:00

I was that cat today, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Today started with a bad headache resulting in me getting extra sleep, working from my bed, and watching weekday TV (which is massively boring btw).

This photo fully reflects exactly how I felt all day and I am even more sleepy after eating good mini pizzas for dinner.

Happy Valentine's day to all of you who are celebrating.

Lunar New Year

2011-02-06T23:51:00.001+08:00

Lunar New Year, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Per the lunar calendar, the year of the bunny is here. We had a good 5 day long weekend because the company gave an extra holiday on top of the holiday which fell on Thu & Fri. This plant is kept outside offices, hotels, apartments, homes, etc during this holiday where mandarin oranges are also given away to loved ones.

The sad part about being in Singapore is that there is no long holiday that people get. Compare that to Japan & Korea which have a 10 day golden week holiday. China had a nice 9 day break for this lunar new year.

In this stressful life in Singapore, we need more holidays, don't we?

Rojak Food

2011-02-03T22:28:00.001+08:00

Rojak Food, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

In over 2 years in Singapore, I can't believe I never gave Indian Rojak food a try.

It looks awesome and tastes fantastic too. The stuff you see in this photo is all meat which I don't eat. There was a lot of vegetarian deep fried food to choose from. It is served with a sweet and spicy chili sauce.

Give it a go when you see something like this in Singapore / Malaysia / Indonesia the next time you head out for a snack.

The Good Lion

2011-02-03T21:34:00.001+08:00

The Good Lion, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

liked this photo of the merlion that I clicked today because I keep reading so much on photography websites about filling the frame and the rule of thirds.

For once, I feel all that reading was useful and I accomplished all of that in this photo.

Gong Xi Fa Cai to everyone celebrating lunar new year.

Two is better than one

2011-01-30T16:18:00.001+08:00

Two is better than one, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

This weekend has been one rainy one and I had to cancel my cycling, trekking, and almost everything else outdoorsy that I had planned.

The fact that there were 2 umbrellas made me click this. I don't think I would have clicked if there was just one. I love how the water on the window parapet is reflecting the red color back.

The Australian Open Tennis men's final should be a good end to this lazy weekend.

Biryani

2011-01-23T16:11:00.001+08:00

Biryani, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Recently, I took some pictures for my friend who is writing a book about food. We took pictures of roti pratas of different types, biryani, mee goreng, etc. This food traveled to Singapore with the Indian Muslim community that migrated to Singapore from the state of Tamilnadu.

Having finished an early lunch, all I can think of is food right now.

Your stirrer is my spoon

2011-01-23T15:02:00.001+08:00

Your stirrer is my spoon, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

It was cold in Genting Highlands (in Malaysia) and me and my gang had to stop on and off for hot drinks. The kids were wearing really cute caps and hats to keep themselves warm.

This kid at one of the coffee shops had this cute bear cap on. Look how instead of sipping hot chocolate out of the spoon, he decided to use the stirrer. Very cute!

Beautiful Abundance

2011-01-14T01:46:00.001+08:00

Beautiful Abundance, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

People in Punjab (India) and other parts of India are celebrating the harvest festival of Lohri today (January 13, 2010).

A farmer's festival, Lohri, is celebrated to thank God for a good harvest.

Hope this Lohri brings with it an abundance of happyness in your and my life.

(I was going thru my photos and thought this best reflects abundance. I clicked this at Bukit Timah nature reserve in Singapore a few months back.)

The entire population of Bombay in one photo

2011-01-14T01:14:00.001+08:00

The entire population of Bombay in one photo, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Naah. Maybe not the entire population but look at the number of people waiting to board the train at Dadar train station in Bombay.

Bombay relies heavily on the network of trains which is under so much more pressure than it can take. The growing population has meant degrading standards as you have to share your space with so many more people.

In my opinion, it is the spirit of the people to keep going that drives these Bombay trains more than anything.

Generation Next

2011-01-14T00:48:00.001+08:00

Generation Next, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

The one thing that is on everyone's mind while posing for pictures, going out, meeting people, eating out, celebrating, mourning, on festivals, etc is FACEBOOK. Everyone is constantly thinking how this photo will look on facebook, will eating at place X make me look cooler, etc.

I clicked this picture of my little cousin when I was home last month. I hope Daksh and the rest of his generation do not get entangled in the world of www and live a fruitful and sustainable lives.

I love how he is looking at the camera. I hope he is not thinking how this will look on Facebook ;-)

7 Eleven minus Four

2011-01-12T00:56:00.001+08:00

7 Eleven minus Four, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I love when people try and rip-off a popular brand and do it with pride.

This was a departmental store at the Cable Car station on our way to Genting Highlands.

For those of you who don't know, 7 Eleven is the super popular store that is open 24 x 7 wherever it exists.

There but not quite there

2011-01-12T00:40:00.001+08:00

There but not quite there, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

The good part about using a DSLR to take photos is the ability to customize things like shutter speeds.

Usually, the camera sensor records all light that comes in when the shutter is open. With a DSLR, you can control how long you want to leave the shutter open.

This is a very useful feature to capture photos in low light, take photos of fireworks, etc.

I clicked this at Genting in Malaysia.

Confused Love

2011-01-12T00:28:00.001+08:00

Confused Love, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I love this picture. I clicked this while waiting for the train when I was in KL earlier this month.

I don't know what I love about this photo but I want to keep looking at it. I love the long train track and the mini water reflecting back a small part of the clear blue sky with a few bright white clouds.

I am still confused what I really love about this photo but I simply love it.

Old is gold

2010-12-30T13:11:00.001+08:00

Old is gold, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I was reading this article while working from Starbucks in this mall in KL (http://www.digital-photography-school.com/travel-photography-subjects-architecture) and clicked on a related article which happened to be this (http://www.digital-photography-school.com/travel-photography-subjects-old-people).

A really weird co-incidence happened. This old lady was sitting on the next table at this Starbucks waiting for her grand-daughter. She started talking to me after I finished reading the line in the article that said "In the comment area below I encourage you to post a photo you’ve taken while traveling of someone old"

I started talking to her, had a nice conversation in her broken english and sign language and here is the picture.

Isn't it crazy?

Welcome!

2010-11-21T01:38:00.001+08:00

Welcome!, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Restaurants in Singapore (and I have seen this in Malaysia too) put a fat guy holding a menu or pointing to the restaurant menu.

This small restaurant in Little India in Singapore had a very interesting 'fat guy' figure. The guy was dressed like an old Indian man. He even had a 'dhoti' on. The wall behind has feedback from customers.

The place had 'awesome' written all over it but I had no time to sit and eat. I clicked this & walked away.

Awesome twins

2010-11-07T23:11:00.001+08:00

Awesome twins, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I clicked two separate photos of the 2 medals and collaged them in Picasa. These are the medals I got from the blood bank for my 5th & the 10th donation.

The 5th donation medal looks nicer in my opinion. They are the same size but one looks bigger because of how close I got while taking the photo.

Got yours? :P

Go G2!!!

2010-11-07T01:08:00.001+08:00

Go G2!!!, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Someone once told me "blood donation is the easiest way to help the community". I have tried to remember that and have tried donating blood as often as I can.

Last month, I reached my 10th donation in Singapore this year and the blood bank sent a text saying I need to come down and collect medals. I was so excited and went to collect em today. The staff took this photo for me.

I am going next week for my next round of donation but couldn't wait for another week to collect this. After almost a year of doing this I think I can safely say "blood donation is the easiest way to help the community".

Beware Car

2010-10-31T01:32:00.001+08:00

Beware Car, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Beware of car. It bites. You trouble in. Welcome Thailand to.

(For those of you who did not understand the description, the photo was taken in Thailand)

Not everybody's life is all song & dance

2010-10-30T23:03:00.001+08:00

Not everybody's life is all song & dance, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

This picture was taken from a bus. It was a rainy day and the construction workers were heading back to their homes.

These trucks that carry them do not usually have roofs so on a sunny day you see them sweating. Today I saw them trying to protect themselves from the pouring rain.

There are a lot of construction workers in Singapore who come from China, Bangladesh and my home India.

Almost Natural

2010-10-30T22:48:00.001+08:00

Almost Natural, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

You know why I called it almost natural. Right? The waterfall is natural because it was rain water running down these steps.
The 'almost' is because I was near a concrete building and not in some hill.

Today was an interesting evening with rains and me getting on the wrong bus and ending up at this place.

Danger! Danger!

2010-10-30T15:34:00.001+08:00

Danger! Danger!, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Saying it once isn't enough because the human mind goes into a state of shock when you say 'Danger'. Your whole life flashes in front of you and you start thinking about life instead of trying to save yours.

In Thailand, they warn you twice so at first you are worried and go into a state of shock and next to bring you out of it.

Sorry for 'your' inconvenience

2010-10-30T14:49:00.001+08:00

Sorry for 'your' inconvenience, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

At gate 1 & 2 the inconvenience was all mine but at gate 3, the inconvenience was all yours.

Which is why I am "sorry for your inconvenience".

This was clicked at a construction site near my hotel in Thailand.

Caution a pit!

2010-10-30T14:36:00.001+08:00

Caution a pit!, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Thailand has some really funny signs. Take this one for example.

Who do you warn / caution about pits at construction site? In Thailand, you caution 'a pit' in such a case

Ronald 'Thai' Donald

2010-10-30T14:25:00.001+08:00

Ronald 'Thai' Donald, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Everyone knows Ronald McDonald. Everyone also knows that Thailand is a land of smiles and are famous for the respect they have for their guests.

McDonald's outlets in Thailand have Ronald McDonald standing with his hands folded and smiling representing the local culture.

I love how McDonald's customizes everything per the local culture. I love the menu they have in McDonald's in India. This is how they make the profits they make.

It was probably me ;-)

2010-10-30T14:10:00.001+08:00

It was probably me ;-), originally uploaded by G2clicks.

In Thailand, there is a war cemetery of soldiers from the European side in the colonial side when Japan was trying to capture more and more territories in Asia.

Me & my friend decided to find soldiers who were born on the same day as us. My friend found his August 4 buddies very easily.

It took me some time but I managed to finally locate a September 23 soldier. His name started with a 'J' too.

Lazy? You must be crazy!!!

2010-10-29T01:09:00.001+08:00

Lazy? You must be crazy!!!, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I love these huge birds. Some of them can not fly but are still part of the bird family. Their bodies are too heavy for them to fly.

These big birds exude calm and grace in my opinion. I will try and take more pictures of these birds on my next visit.

This one was taken at the Singapore Zoo earlier this year.

White but not the iPhone

2010-10-29T00:57:00.001+08:00

White but not the iPhone, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

All white tigers in the world are of India's Royal Bengal Tiger's descent. White tigers tend to be bigger in size than the usual tiger & fyi the white tiger is not an albino version of the normal tiger.

I captured this one when I went hunting. Naah...I am kidding...this one was at the Singapore Zoo.

Donate Blood!

2010-10-27T00:47:00.001+08:00

Donate Blood!, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Donating blood is safe, healthy and the only way blood banks in your neighborhood can get blood to help patients suffering from Thalassemia, undergoing a surgery for accidents, cancer, etc.

You can donate your platelets once every 4 weeks and whole blood can be donated once every 12 weeks.

I am trying to do it as often as I can and recently met someone who did about 80 donations over 20 years. Now that is some commitment.

Basketball

2010-10-27T00:23:00.001+08:00

Basketball, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

This year's NBA season is starting. I don't follow the sport. That's what TV news tells me.

Here is a picture of a local baskeball match I attended earlier this year or sometime last year I think.

It was between Singapore and Indonesia. The Philippinos in the crowd were supporting Singapore because the winner of the match was to host Philippines in a week.

Singapore lost the match and the Philippinos were more disappointed than the Singaporeans in the crowd.

Peacock

2010-10-26T16:53:00.001+08:00

Peacock, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I was planning a trip to Malaysia earlier this afternoon and remembered this photo I clicked on my trip last year.

This beauty was spotted at the KL bird Park and I have a video on my youtube channel of her dancing.

It is true that peacocks dance when it is about to rain because it did rain right after her dance.

Mini Globe Trotters

2010-10-20T00:29:00.001+08:00

Mini Globe Trotters, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I think I took my first ever flight when I was 20.

I bumped into a family from Singapore at Penang Airport.

Their kids looked like expert travelers and had this very cute Barbie backpacks cum trolley bags which they were flaunting with pride.

When did you take your first flight?

Laguna Coupe

2010-10-18T22:14:00.001+08:00

Laguna Coupe, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Just want to let everyone know that the Renault Laguna Coupe is out.

Just experimenting a little with camera features and throwing some photos out.

Disclaimer: No one paid me to put this photo up.

"You don't know who I am?"

2010-10-18T21:19:00.004+08:00

"You don't know who I am?, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Eastern Asia has people following so many different religious traditions. Taoism is one such religion.

I am, in no way, making fun of the religion here but their idols look very different. Look at this one for example which looks like a very normal person.

Pardon my lack of knowledge on the topic and feel free to tell me who this is in the comments section of the blog.

PS: I have added more photos from the same monastery which you can see here or in the slideshow below.

Fish Kiss

2010-10-18T21:02:00.001+08:00

Fish Kiss, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Teenage fish caught kissing. If you are the mother fish, you might want to keep a check on what your fish do after school.

(I love the tiny ripples in this otherwise still water shot.)

I'm lovin' it

2010-10-18T20:35:00.001+08:00

I'm lovin' it, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

A photo of this kid enjoying a lollipop on Singapore's national day.

I remember being crazy about chocolates and volunteering to go buy groceries for mom. She would let me keep the spare change which I then used to buy chocolates.

Heart

2010-10-18T20:20:00.001+08:00

Heart, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Am I the only one who sees a heart that the swans' necks made? I have seen better images on the internet but never knew it was going to be very easy to click one for real.

Swans look very pure and lovely & I love going to Singapore Botanical Garden Swan Lake everytime I can.

This was clicked at the President's palace in Singapore.

"Kid: Technology made my life boring."

2010-10-18T00:28:00.004+08:00

Kid: Technology made my life boring., originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Wifey: Honey! Please take daughter with you.
Hubby: Cannot lah. I am going photography.
Wifey: TAKE HER OUT WITH YOU.
Hubby: Alright. I will backpack her.

Kids love new stuff but this kid hated the new stroller her parents bought. The stroller had settings to convert it into a backpack to leave the parents' hands free.

I bet one of these days while using this stroller, the kid would pop out and the parent wouldn't notice.

Cycle

2010-10-18T00:28:00.001+08:00

Cycle, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I love Pulau Ubin. It is an island off Singapore where everything is like it was a few decades back.

You can rent bicycles there. Cycling against the wind going downhill is one of the best thrills you can experience.

This is a picture of the cycle I rented while at Pulau earlier this year.

Rambutan - Give me red

2010-10-18T00:04:00.001+08:00

Rambutan - Give me red, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I love rambutan. I don't think I have eating this fruit in India but the lovely Singapore government imports this fruit from Malaysia.

I think this is one thing I will miss when I leave Singapore for good other than the 'lah', 'leh', etc lingo.

I don't know who that is. Do you?

2010-10-13T23:30:00.000+08:00

My landlord's daughter is just over 2 years old. Her mum was showing her some old pictures on the laptop when I got home. She loves looking at photos and I see signs of a immense love for computer and images in her.

I was surprised...no wait...shocked when I saw what I saw. The kid was able to recognize every one else in the photo except herself. EXCEPT HERSELF. Shocking right? At what age does the human brain start comparing images that it sees with images / visuals it has seen in the past? I am going to see if I can find that out.

The kid was unable to recognize herself in photos taken at different stages in her life. We showed her photos when she was 3 days old, 1 month old, 3 months old, 6 months old, 12 months old, and recent photos when she was 2 years old. She recognized herself in the most recent photos but in the old photos, she kept referring to herself as 'baby' which is the generic term she uses to talk about kids or other children not herself. Mind you, she did recognize her parents in the old photos but couldn't recognize herself.

The reason, I think, she was able to recognize her parents was because they haven't changed noticeably in the past 2 years while she failed to recognize herself because she has changed soooooo much in the last 2 years. Her brain hasn't developed to see something, identify potential similarity with past visuals (of herself in this case), compare the two and make that logical connection. Right now she can just see things & compare it to, lets call it, recent memory and recent would mean just over 3 months or so I am guessing. I have seen kids recognize themselves in front of a mirror and I have seen this girl recognize herself in front of a mirror and on a TV screen (when turned off) reflecting her image back as all that is extremely recent memory. Right?

I am going to check with my psychologist friends and see if I can find out more about this. For now, since we are talking about old pictures & since this is a photo blog, here is a photo of me when I think I was 7 or 8 years old. Leave your comments about the article or the photo in comments.

Raging Bull maybe?

Shadows in the world we living on

2010-09-30T01:40:00.001+08:00

Shadows in the world we living on, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

When there is no one around to take your photo but you are so attention hungry that you want to be in a photo very badly, take your own photo by standing under the sun with your camera.

This doesn't work very well in the night so please find someone to take your photo and stuff you need thereafter ;-)

Starfish on Starfish

2010-09-30T01:30:00.001+08:00

Starfish on Starfish, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I couldn't resist placing the first starfish on the second.

Art lessons in school is where we would throw one geometric shape on another for the picture to look interesting. This was doing the same thing in real life and not on paper.

Lonely Star I mean Starfish

2010-09-30T01:10:00.001+08:00

Lonely Star, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

It was one of those days when the light was perfecto for taking these pictures. I have a couple more awesome starfish photos taken at the same place.

This one also will fit in the "wallpaper extraordinaire" category like the other one.

Main aur Meri Tanhayee

2010-09-30T00:53:00.001+08:00

Main aur Meri Tanhayee, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

A scene from one of those 'Main aur Meri Tanhayee' days ;-)

Poor Devdas is sad because Chandramukhi & Paaro refuse to change their relationship status on facebook.

Passion

2010-09-30T00:38:00.001+08:00

Passion, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Sports bring out passion like nothing else.

Take a look at this casket that a Ferrari fan carried to the Sepang GP (2010). He was wearing a matador's outfit and had a hat on that read "Matador Alonso Kills Red Bull".

Sepang is one of the nicest F1 race to attend because of the passion that people bring to the circuit.

Yahooooooooooo!

2010-09-30T00:28:00.001+08:00

Yahooooooooooo!, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

Another experiment.

This time it was the Yahoo wire-manager (to manage flow of wires at your office desk) and candles burning in a tiny glass.

Clicked at a fantastic party hosted by Yahoo for my team in Singapore. We love you Yahoo.

Growing up or Growing old?

2010-09-30T00:20:00.001+08:00

Growing up or Growing old?, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

A quick photo from my 25th birthday celebration last weekend.

Ooh and also in the photo, The Awesome Cake and some smelly scotch (Chivas Regal or something). The cake was for me and the drinks were for my buddies.

Growing old is mandatory. Growing up isn't! ;-)

Reflections

2010-09-30T00:07:00.001+08:00

Reflections, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

There is something about these 'reflection' pictures I love. I love how still water reflects everything back just like a mirror would.

I think I am going to click a lot of photos with such settings so shout out if they get boring and I will avoid posting them. I will still go out and click em though :-)

How to Party err Potty in Indonesia

2010-09-29T00:47:00.001+08:00

How to Party err Potty in Indonesia, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

A picture is worth a thousand words and this picture is worth a million mentions because it teaches one how not to party err potty ;-)

Clicked by a friend in a men's wash room in Batam (Indonesia).

Unusually Usual

2010-09-27T21:30:00.001+08:00

Unusually Usual, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

This is no flood scene. This is from an island village where houses were built on stilts, the lane to walk was built of wooden planks and there were people actually riding their bikes on it while I was scared the first few meters of my walk with water on both sides.

I celebrated Hari Raya (Id) with a friend's friend and their family in this Indonesian Island village.

A Door Bell but a little different

2010-09-27T21:10:00.001+08:00

A Door Bell but a little different, originally uploaded by G2clicks.

I recently visited this island village in Indonesia where life was very different and houses were built on stilts and people were very friendly and everything was very antique of sorts.

This doorbell (not electric if you notice) was fairly loud for its size but I wonder if it is used at all. The doors to many houses were open most of the time. I had a wonderful weekend there.