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Japan Trip: Kyoto Day 2

2008-10-10T02:07:00.009+11:00

This was the day that I was depleted...

All those rushing and non-stop plans of mine were backfired on me. Today I felt very very tired and depleted and I could hear someone in my head saying "I told you so" (you know who you are). I think it might be a little too much for me not to have something relax between this intense trip plan. So, note to self, put something easy half way of your trip!

Today I cut down a lot of stuffs that I was supposed to be doing and picked to only the highlight ones. First stop is Nijo Castle (pronounce Nee-Jo). To get there, it's recommended that you use the Subway Train and stop at Nijojo-Mae station. (don't forget to buy day ticket unlimited rides from the information centre).

The first thing you'll notice is that the castle is quite tiny. However, all the exquisite decorations on the door will wow you.

Inside the castle, you'll see even more beautiful unusually ornate interiors, however, there's no camera allow. So, I didn't have any thing to show you here. :(

Even though it looks tiny from the outside, you'll spend a good 20 minutes walking around it, longer if you really read the story. The floors in this castle make noises. They're called the Nightingale Floors as they make noise as you step on them. No matter how hard I try to be very soft and slow on the floors, they still make noise. It's the notification system to detect intruders. Clever them. :)

I came out and walk around a bit more. The areas are quite large actually, and filled with trees and nice Japanese Garden.

There are a few more mansions around as well, but they're not open.

As I walked around, I noticed the a sign for "Tea Ceremony" plus all the tiredness start to take over, I thought it might be a good idea to rest for a while. I paid the fee to go in I think it's around 840 Yen.

Just past thru the gate, there are more nice Japanese garden. Looks very peaceful and relaxing. Sighhhhhhhh

After I walked in, there's a lady with full kimono came out to collect the ticket and asked whether I want my tea hot or cold. I choose cold for this time. And a few moments after they're served to me.

There's way to drink tea properly. First hold the bowl with your right hand and place it in the palm of your left. Turn it clockwise about 90 degrees, raise it with both hands, then empty it in THREE gulps. It's too hard? heheheh To my surprise, it tasted quite good and the desert that come with it blend in with the tea very well.

It's now time to continue my journey. Next stop is the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-Ji). Best way to get there is by bus. Check your Bus map (it'll come with the Day pass) for bus stop location. It'll only take 10-15 minutes to get there.

Walked thru the gate and the tree-shaded path, there it was... the wow factor.

It looks stunning and peaceful. It's three-story building that covered in gold that surrounded with water and garden. I also heard that it will look even more stunning in winter with snow fall.

After strolling around a little bit, it's time to move to the next destination, Nanzen-Ji Temple. Best way to get there is by Train and stop at Keage station. After the station you you need to walk about 10 minutes more to reach the Nanzen-Ji. However.... my stomach started to cry out loud. So, I had to make a detour at the restaurant along the way. :P

I picked the restaurant on the left hand side, I simply had no idea what it's called as I was very very hungry. I crawed my way in expected to just fill in my stomach.

However, as I walked in, it's kinda look fancy. With beautiful garden.

The waiter was so polite and invite me in. I looked at the set menu and picked one in a hury without much thoughts. It was the Hana set 3,000 yen with 5 different dishes.

I know the star of the show would be the "Yudofu". It's one of the famous dish in Kyoto that my friend Leslie forced me to eat.

Yodofu came in the pot. And had be be boil for awhile. The Tofu was very soft and tender. It's very refreshing even though it's only tofu. A few more dishes kept coming including Tempura and Dengaku.

Once my stomach was happy, it's time to continue my turture travelling plan. The first thing you'll notice once you step into Nanzen-Ji area is the gigantic gateway (Sanmon)

It was very very big. it also allow people to got up by stair at the back side.

I walked around the area a little bit more but I knew that my body could not take it much longer and I need to rest very soon. So, it's time to call it a day.... sadly.

Japan Trip: Kyoto

2008-08-26T23:10:00.011+10:00

I know I've been badddddddd. It's been forever since I've updated my blog. :P

Lets get to the business, shall we? :)

From Miyajima Castle, I've arrived in Kyoto in the afternoon. Kyoto station is hugeeeeee. It also connects with a big department store. The station itself is worth walking around if you have time.

I went out to check in to my hotel first to unload all my luggages. This time I stayed in Apa Horikawadori Kyoto (Check Apa Hotel Kyoto from https://b2b.hotelclub.net) for A$73.63 a night. It's very close to station, only 5-7 minutes walk. The hotel also have Sauna and Onsen at the top level for you to use for free. The room is tiny but very clean, no complains there considering the cost. :)

After checking in, I left the hotel in a hurry as I didn't have much time left to travel. I rushed back to the Station for information centre for maps and recommendation. I knew that I've arrived quite late and there're not many places that opened til 6 pm except for one... the famous "Kiyomizu-dera Temple". That's might be the only place I be able to manage to go for such a limited time. I asked for direction from the information centre. The best way to get there is by Bus. The fare one way is 220 Yen and if you travel more than 2 times, I would recommend you to buy a day ticket 500 Yen with unlimited ride. The bus day ticket can be purchased from the information centre.

The bus stopped at the bottom of the hill. You have to walk up the hill yourself. And trust me, don't run up... Along the way I saw this man-powered vehicle, it looks very interesting but I didn't have time to find out about it.

I made my way up there to the entrance and start the first thing you'll notice is the big red gate. But I thought to myself.... "hmmm not a big deal, what's so special about this temple?"

I was rushing further up to this over thousand year old temple without really enjoying much of it which is very bad. But I slowed down and enjoy more when I reached up the top of the main building... No matter how rush you are, when you see the view from the top, it'll stop you!

The 2 main buildings were surrounded by very lush greenery. And since they're both up very high, it just like like they're floating in the air. I took a lot of pictures there and stopped to enjoy the view for awhile. It's really worth it. :)

Coming down as before I went out the gate, I've noticed this little shrine where people drinks the water that came down from the roof.

"Looks authentic, lets do it" I thought. So, I joined the line and grab this cup with longgggg handle and got the water and drank it. Oh wowwwww, much better taste than the water in the bottle. I highly recommend for you to try. :)

Japanese believe that drinking this holy water to cleansing yourself and give you good luck, so drink up people. Oh and they have the "Ultra violet machine" to clean these cups, so don't have to worry much about hygien. :)

I went out the temple and headed to Ginza area for my dinner... which will be continued later. :)

Japan Trip: Himeji Castle

2008-07-27T22:18:00.009+10:00

Himeji-Jo, the Grandest of Japan's 15 remaining feudal castles.

There are many way to go to Himeji, but I would recommend Shinkansen. From the station, there is a information desk that will give you English Map and other information if needed. So, from the station just walk straight on the main road (Otemae Street) for 10-15 minutes till the end of the road. Very easy even for the one who get lost easily like me. :)

I reached Himeji around lunch time, so, a little lunch break wouldn't hurt. After all the Army march by stomachs. I asked the information desk about where's to eat the Ramen (yeah I'm a Ramen Whore) and she wrote the direction on the map and looks very easy to follow and then off I went. From the station, walk on Oemae Street past 2 small lanes and turn right. Keep going straight for 100 metre. It'll take less than 3 minutes from the station.

The shop looks like an average ramen shop. I got in and again, had to order from the machine. But this time it's better with pictures for each Ramen. I picked the most obvious one heheeh. After picking the what and pay at the machine, less than 5 minutes the Ramen was served. The stock was think and tasteful and sophisticating, Noodle was just right and very nice and tender pork. The owner was very friendly and at one stage came to sit down with me. He told me that his Ramen shop is in "lonely planet" recommended place to eat in Himeji. :)

It's time to finally go to the castle. Instead of getting back to Otemae Street, I was stopped by this endless shops mall on Miyuki Street (parallel to Otemae Street). From the Station til the castle, this mall was filled with shops, all kinds of shops. It's also in shades, so, any one who likes to walk little cooler and, this street is a must.

Then I've arrived at the entrance of the castle, tickets can be bought from the vending machines or at the counter. It'll take at least another 10-15 minutes walk to reach inside the main tower from the gate, map and suggested route will be provided whey you buy the ticket.

The reason why this is the only Castle in my trip that I want to get in is simple, it's been unharmed. Somehow this castle can dodge all the wars or natural disaster and maintain its greatness until today. It's also got the nick name of the White Egret Castle (Shirasagi-Jo).

There are a lot of section within the castle wall for you to explore before the main tower. It will take at least 30 minutes out from you. Walking around to see and imagine what these will be like back then is very fun.

The main tower of the castle really stand out with it's white plaster like colour outside. Going inside is almost the opposite. It's quite dark inside even with all windows opened. Almost all the timber floor are original from when it first built, creates very authentic looks and feel. On each floor, there are the show cupboard showing some items such as original armour, weapons or painting from the old time.

The main tower has six floors and a basement, climbing up from floor to floor is very challenging as the stair is very steep.

I made my way slowly floor by floor til I reach the top. But before that, there're a lot of "Am I there yet"

At the top, they opened all the windows on every side for people to enjoy the 360 degree view and scenery. There are chairs for people to sit down resting and recover from those steep stairs.

After absorbing all the experiences in this castle, it's time to head to the station for Kyoto. But before that... those steep stairs were even more scary going down....

Japan Trip: Miyajima Island 2

2008-07-21T14:18:00.011+10:00

Lets explore the Miyajima Island in the day light!

But wellllll lets start with breakfast. hehehe

The Japanese style breakfast at the hotel was served very promptly and the looked and tasted wonderful especially the egg dish. Highly recommend.

My Miyajima walkaround plan is very short as I had to rush to Himeji Castle next. I started from the Otorii Gate again. And as you can see from the pictures that there're deers around. So, watch out for your map or anything paper.

Next stop is Itsukushima Shrine. The whole shrine was painted with colour red/orange. And it looks very standout when you see from afar. There's entry fee, just pay for the ticket at the counter. :)

There are a few staffs of the shrine around doing some ceremony. They wore these Japanese tradition clothes. To be very honest with you... it's a nice shrine beautiful to take pictures both inside and outside... but nothing more. You can walk thru another side of the shrine for more places to visit.

There are 5 or more attractions that you can visit on the east side, however, I was running out of time and cut thru many of them, during this route, I walked thru the "Natural Promanade Walk" (asebi walk). It was very nice and quiet filled with tall trees esp Maples. I'm sure it will look very nice when they change the colour. :)

I came out to Tahoto Pagoda which located quite high from the sea level. The view is beautiful from there but the Pagoda is quite small.

Then I made my way back to the westside of Itsukushima Shrine to see Five-Storied Pagoda and Senjyoukaku and they're standing next to each other.

At Senjyoukaku, there's an entry fee for 100 Yen. Inside this old building there are a lot of old paintings hanging close to the roof. The building is quite big as they said you can put 1000 tatami mat inside, so, it'll take 10 minutes at least to walk around. :)

The time was up and I had to run back to my hotel. On my way back I found this giant object and made me wonder what the hell is it... Turned out it's the Miyajima's Giant Rice Scoop, the biggest rice scoop in the world. It's the symbol of Miyajima, the birth place of rice scoop. It's 7.7m in Length, 2.7m width and weight 2.5 tons. Do I hear some Green people screaming? :P

Then it's time to say goodbye to Miyajima, I had a great fun on this Island and wish to re-visit one day with more time. :)

Japan Trip: Miyajima Island

2008-07-15T19:34:00.005+10:00

The beautiful and peaceful island....

I left Hiroshima for Miyajima Island in the afternoon. Please checked the time table for your plan but you do not have to worry much for connections between train and ferry as the ferries come quite often. The train will take around 26 minutes from Hiroshima to Miyajima-Gochi station and you have to walk for only 5 minutes to reach the ferry.

The ferry service is under JR so, you can use your JR pass. The ferry is quite big, it will carry cars across as well. The traveling time to Miyajima Island is only 10 minutes, so no need for seasickness medicine.

Along the way you'll see some Oyster Farming which really made me hungry.... and could not wait to have my dinner. I pre-booked this hotel called Yamaichi-Bekkan which I heard from my friend that it is a Restaurant as well. I also pre-booked the 5000 Yen dinner (They have 3000, 5000 and 8000 Yen options) and 1000 Yen breakfast.

The hotel is sooooo close to the station. But it's got no English sigh that can be seen easily. I struggled to find this place a bit before I asked the local who was very kind and took me there. I was greeted and took care quite nicely, the staffs are very warm and welcome. After checking in and everything I went up to the room... It's half of the size of the one in Beppu but I did not really mind at all. It's only a place for me to sleep, as long as it's clean and safe :)

And now, it's feasting time! The dinner was served promptly as the time I told them at the check in.

The presentation was great and so as the taste for the first two sets. :)

When the lady served me the Tempura, she was trying to tell me about the radish needed to be put in the sauce... she's mistaken me for a newbie of Japanese Food hehehehe

And now the last set arrived, some kind of fish dish, clear soup and Unagi. After I finished everything I was thinking..... it's a big expensive for 5000 Yen.... hmmmm BUT I found out later on that the tiny fish dish was very special and seasonal. The tiny bowl alone can cost 1500-2000 Yen. Opps... And I didn't even like it. But over all everything was great. :)

Then it's time for a walk around. Just only 5 minutes from the hotel you can reach the Otorii Gate which is one of the most photographed site in Japan. Along the way there are a lot of shops which still open quite late.

And then there it was...

It's amazing to see the real thing!

And since I was trapped on the Island and have no place to go, I could spent as much time as I wanted to photographed it. hehe HOWEVER, during the time that I enjoyed taking photographed... the bloody deer (there are a lot of them around the island) went to my bag and
ATE my map! So, you guys just becareful for this though look cute and harmless creature. You're warned. sighhhhhhh

Not far from the Gate, you'll see the Itsukushima Shrine which is very beautiful at night too.

After pressing the shutter for hundreds of times, it's time to go back to the hotel and rest. I will continue more of Miyajima Island soon.

Japan Trip: Hiroshima

2008-07-13T23:09:00.011+10:00

Hiroshima, a peaceful city.

I slowly made my way up and back to Western Honshu. And the more I went up, the more tourists I saw. During my Fukuoka - Beppu, I didn't really see many tourists at all. In my original plan, Hiroshima city is only the passage way to go to Miyajima Island, but since I was there quite early I made a brief stop and browse around the city a bit.

Hiroshima was a well known city but not for a good reason... It was the first city that experienced the horror of the Atomic bomb during WWII causing hundreds of thousand death. So, I decided to go visit the peace memorial not far from the station.

Again, do not forget to pay a visit at information centre at the station as they will provide English Map, the best way on how to get to the places that you want. As I will go to Miyajima Island next, they also provided the time table for trains and ferries in and out of Miyajima Island... Perfect!

For Large Version: Click Here

The best way to commune around Hiroshima city is by tram service. The fee paying system is just like the general bus system around Japan. And you can catch it just infront of the station. The city map will also show where the tram will stop. And again, every stops at the light, the drivers will turn the engine off, so don't be alarmed. :)

Only 10 minutes the tram will arrive at the Peace memorial site. The park is huge and very quiet and peaceful, even with a lot of group tourists. The first thing you'll see is the "A-bomb Dome", it's all that remains of the old bombed city.

Less than 5 minutes walk across the bridge to reach "The Cenotaph", erected in memory of the victims of the bombing.

Children peace monument also not far. Japanese made a lot of Paper Cranes surrounded it at one point and they're all kept in the show boxes as you can see in the background.

During that time, there's a Japanese kid handed me this postcard of peace and I'm very touched and I promised him to spread his message around. :)

As I still had a bit of time left, I walked out of the Peace Memorial site to have a glimpse of Hiroshima Castle. I knew that I could not go up close and personal so, I settle with a few pictures from a far.

Just a few notes here: this castle was completely destroyed during WWII and it was reconstructed and completed in 1958.

I was glad that I made this detour at Hiroshima. Now it's time to move on to Miyajima Island.

Japan Trip: Mount Aso (Asosan)

2008-07-10T22:46:00.009+10:00

One of the hi-light of my trip...

When I started planing my trip, Mount Aso (Asosan) was very high on my list to visit. There are several things that attracted me. The most important one is it's the Largest Active Volcano in Japan that you can see the crater.

Firstly, stop by at the information centre at Beppu station for "How to get to Aso", they'll give you a piece of A4 paper telling you every possible way to got to Aso from Beppu.

Click Here for Large version

You can reach Mt Aso from Beppu by Train or Buses. However there are only 4 trains scheduled to go to Aso each day, so, please check the train time table and plan your time wisely. :) Coz I didn't and missed the train, so, the next best thing is to catch the Oita - Kumamoto Bus. There is also bus going to Aso from Beppu but it'll take 3 hours! There are many trains going to Oita from Beppu and it'll take around 15 minutes. The Bus will depart at "Tokiwa Department Store" that A4 paper will have the map and every details how to get there. :) The fare for one way to Aso is 2050 Yen.

I jumped on the 13:00 bus scheduled to reach Aso at 15:00. Along the way the views were breath taking!!! Very green and countryside, I did enjoy them very much. However, half way through, the mist started to cover the area. I thought "Shit, I'm not going to see the mountain". But as we moved closer to Aso things started to get brighter again. Phewwwwww

At Aso station just next door there's an office that sells the ticket for bus to go up to Aso Moutain. Or you can DIY at ticket vending machine. It will take around 30-40 minutes for one way.

As you can see the view along the way is beautiful, the windows on the bus can be openned quite easily for taking pictures.

The Bus will stop at Aso station and I had to catch another bus to go up the mountain. Again, check that A4 paper. :) The bus will make 2 stops, 1 at Kusasenri, Grass Land and Volcano Museum (They're one place) the driver will give you 10 minutes for a toilet break here and the last stop at Asosan-Nishi where you can catch a Cable Car to go up the crater.

I bought a return ticket for the Cable Car with a warning that I might not see anything as the mist came down very badly. But well, since I was there already why not. :)

The rope way will only take 5 minutes to go up to the Crater (it's called as Mt Nakadake). I heard the lady said the last cable car is at 15.50 I nodded and went on. When I came out of the station.... the warning is true... it's very misty and several areas were closed due to the high level of Volcanic gas (Sulfur Dioxide or SO2 )

However, once in awhile, the sky did open!!! I was so happy and fired my camera non-stop. It was really out of the world view and I loved every minute I spent there watching the scenery.

I walked around the area a bit and came back to the station at 15:45 to found out that... the cable car was finished................. the last one was 15:15 not 15:50 Argggggghhhhhh All of sudden my face went pale. As if I did not make it on time down to Asosan-Nishi I would also missed the Last Bus down to Aso station!!!

Luckily there was a Japanese tourist that I helped him taking pictures before still there. So I asked him for whether he can help me and he did. Phewwwwwww I was on his motobike down to Asosan-Nishi safely and on time for the bus. I learned later that I was very lucky as Japanese Do Not take hitch-hiker. I came back to Aso Station and got the train back to Beppu safely. What a day!!! But very well worth it.

Though if I had more time I could have explored the area a bit more, the Grassland looks very nice and peaceful and there's also the Komezuka which is a gentle beautiful hill. I guess I have to come back. ;)

PS: People with Asthmatics, Bronchial Disorders or Heart Trouble ARE NOT ALLOWED to go up to Mount Nakadake.

Japan Trip: Beppu 2

2008-07-09T01:21:00.008+10:00

To Hell and Back.

Today it's going to be very exciting day for me, lots of places to visit and lots of things to do. Of course my day started with a very lovely Japanese Breakfast from the Ryokan (1,000 Yen with options of Western style or Japanese Style). It's very simple and yummy, what a way to start my day. :)

I left Ryokan for Beppu station to catch the bus to go to The 8 Hells of Beppu (Jigoku). The Bus system in Japan is quite unique... Passenger getting up from the Back Door and leaving through the Front Door.

When you get on to the bus, there'll be a ticket from the machine for you to pick up. It'll basicall show you what Area you get on the bus. Then there'll be a board at the Front left side to the driver showing the number of the area and the Fee you have to pay. For example, I get up from area 1 and if I see the board now (from the picture above) you can see that under Number 1, there's number 290 showing. It means that it's the amount you have to pay if I getting off the bus now, simple. :) However, when you pay for the bus fare, you have to have the exact amount. So, there will be the changing machine next to the driver that you can DIY. Most of people will do it before their stops to minimise wasting time of the others.

So, I jumped on the bus as the Tourist centre told me (it's in the station), however, the bus drivers don't speak English at all, and I've tried many of them. But good thing I've got the "8 hells of Beppu" brochure with me, so I point at the brochure and he knew where I wanted to be and told me to get off accordingly. There're announcements along the way telling you what is the next stop. Oh and one thing I've found funny is.... they turn the engine off at the red light. Not only Beppu but EVERY Where in Japan. I'm not sure how much fuel they save by doing that, coz the red light time is not that long.

I got off the bus, and the Jigoku was right there. I had to pay the fee to get in. You can buy a booklet which let you go in all 8 of them for 2,000 Yen or you can only pay per location (350 Yen each). The Hells are basically the (very very) hot spring sites (they are not Onsen!) that got very unique colours and different from each other scattered to the East side of Beppu City. The temperature of the water on each site are varies, from 90-100 degree celsius. The first 6 are quite close together but the other 2 need another bus or you can spend around 25 minutes walk.

I started from Hell number 3 (Yama-Jigoku) This site got tons of smoke coming out but the smell is not strong at all and there're not only the hot springs, it's got a bit of Zoo in it as well with African elephant, Flamingos, Hippo and monkeys. As I walked from site to site, each site got its own thing. Some of them offer the hot spring for the guests to put their legs in, some selling boiled egg from the hot spring some even got Crocodiles.

After finished the first 6 then catched a bus to see the final 2 which are Chinoike-Jigoku and Tatsumaki-Jigoku. For the Tatsumaki-Jigoku, it's the geysers which means a hot spring spouting out boiling water and stream in intervals. It'll redo every 20 minutes and I didn't have time to stay and watch (sob sob) as I was a bit behind with my schedule.

Overall, the experience with 8 hells of Beppu had been amazing and it's highly recommend for anyone to go. :)

Japan Trip: Beppu 1

2008-07-07T00:29:00.012+10:00

Leaving Fukuoka was harder than I thought, I really had great feeling for this city. But just to think about relaxing time in the Capital City of Onsen, Beppu made me continue my journey with excitement.

I again catched the JR Train to go to Beppu, it'll take around 2 hours. This train looks nice and the seats are very comfy and even I could sleep in these seats.

About 30 minutes thru the journey, the train changed direction.... Almost all the passenger stood up and swing their seats to the other direction as the train. It's quite weird but when you're in Rome do what Roman did. :) The view along the way was very very Green, very natural and countryside.

I arrived in Beppu in the evening time. And in the station, you'll find information centre for tourist. You can ask for maps and more information on the places you want to go. However, the staffs are not very chatty, they will just only tell you what you ask in very short sentences. So, try to plan your trip in more details and ask them very specific things.

First thing I saw when I came out of the station is the Hotspring! It's free for you to put your legs in to relax. I've booked the Ryokan (traditional Japanese Hotel) called Nogamihonkan Ryokan for 2 nights. From their website, I printed out the direction and map, but one thing to make it clearer, take the South Exit from the station.

This Ryokan is very cheap! Only 5,000 Yen a night with huge room (Can fit 4) and internal bathroom with shower and bathtub. This price is not including any meals, breakfast is selling at 1,000 Yen and Dinner for 3,000 Yen.

During the check in, the staff will ask you book the private onsen time straight away. There are 4 styles of Private Onsen that you'll be able to use twice a day with 50 minutes for each session. During your session, you can lock the room and make them completely yours. :) After checking in, I put all my belonging in the room and changed to Yukata to be ready for my first ever Japanese Onsen. I've picked the semi-open air type as it feels more open.

For Japanese Onsen, it's a must that you take a shower first and there will always be the facility for that around. The first thing I noticed when I put my first leg in the water.... it's very very hot! Onsen will have the water temperature around 40 degree celsius. Luckily there's a cold water tap that you can turn on to cool it down a bit. But after awhile I got used to the temperature. It's very quiet and relaxing. sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

After the bath then it's time for dinner. It's a set menu and it costed 3,000 Yen which I found totally worth it and very yummy.

Now with a full stomach, I wasted no time and walked around straight away. The place I picked was Asahi Tower to take pictures of the city at night. It's a bit further down south from the hotel around 10 minutes walk.

The entry fee is 500 Yen (If I remember it correctly) which is not much. There are dinning table around, I guessed it (is/was) a restaurant. The tower open til late (10:00 pm) and that time I was the onlyone. I took a few pictures around and finished it quite quickly.

Then it's time to head back to the Ryokan for a goodnight sleep, will continue with Beppu 2 tomorrow.

Japan Trip: Fukuoka 2

2008-07-02T23:22:00.013+10:00

After a good night sleep in a very clean and comfy hotel, it's time to start my day with breakfast. If you've been following my blog, you should figured out by now that this was my Eating Trip. LOL

I picked the Traditional Japanese Breakfast (There's also normal breakfast for you to choose at the same price 1,000 YEN). After arriving at the restaurant which located downstairs, my Breaky was served very promptly. There are so many little stuffs to eat. They're all tasted good, make me very happy start of the day. However, just as I stepped out of the hotel, the rain started falling down. (damn!) But fear not, they're selling umbrella for 500 Yen at the hotel.

Then as planed, I went to Kushida Shrine which is only 5 minutes walk from the hotel. It's quite small compare to others shrines and temples that I will visit later in my trip. But this is the first Shrine I've seen and got me excited a bit. I guess I made the right choice to start from the south, if I started from Kyoto or Tokyo, I wont be able to appreciate this place that much. :)

Right after the gate, there's a kind of fountain water feature thing that you'll see on the right hand side. It's for cleansing. I've seen people wash their hands or even drink it, using the tools that they provide of course. You'll see this stuff in every shrines and temples you go in Japan.

In side there's a big rope in the model tide up with some kind of bell (a big one) and the Donation box in front of it. I could never get the process right... you're suppose to do these combination of actions... Put in the money, Clap twice, Make your wish, Shaking the rope to the make the bell ring and then Bow. Correct me if I'm wrong. :)

After praying, I noticed there's a stall for souvenirs. The shop sells many charms, good health, good relationship, safe journey etc and they are not cheap. :P

Almost opposite the shrine, there's a Hakata Machiya Folk Museum. It shows the old Japanese way of life there the Entree Fee is very cheap I think it's 200 Yen and it's worth going if you have time to kill even though all description is in Japanese.

Almost lunch time now, it's time to make my way back to the hotel and get all my belongings and prepare to depart for Beppu. I again, asked the hotel staff where should I have Sushi. He asked what is my limit.... and I said "none" (yes yes I'm a food whore LOL). Then he directed me to the Nikko Hotel Fukuoka which located on the main road in Fukuoka Taihaku-Don Ave. You can see from the map I posted at Fukuoka 1. The restaurant itself called Sushi Kawasho on level 2 of the hotel. When I first stepped into the lobby of the hotel, it looked so grand! And I started thinking "Shit, we'll this place make me bankrupt?" Turned out they have lunch special with 9 sushi types, Miso soup and Desert for 2,600 yen. I quickly agreed and sat down.

I was promptly given Green tea which I felt that it's a lot greener than any green tea I've had. The sushi was served in front of you with out any plates. with the first 3 showed up, I thought "they're look nothing special..." But the looks can be deceiving!!! With the first bite OH MY GOD it's the whole different things from I've been eating. The fish texture was wonderful, firm but not rubbery, the rice has been cooked just right with the combination of vinegar and other stuffs. My eyes were wide opened in shock. I could see the chef watched me closely and smile proudly. Each one of the sushi had it's own taste and personality and I love them all!!

After the first 3, Miso soup came. It's very different Misu soup I usually have and taste much better. It's thicker in taste and got more aromatic feel to it.

Then the sushi continue to be served with each pieces continue to amaze me. For example the simple Omelet Sushi, the taste of it was a lot more complicate than the one I had before. The Prawn Sushi also got me wild with very nice sweet sophisticating Prawn.

Then it came to an end (sob sob), the desert. I was expecting something green tea but surprise! it's Black Sesame Brule. Taste creamy and sweet yummmmm. I think this is the best sushi experience in my life!! I know I used this phrase a lot but it's True!! Not exaggerated even one bit.

Fukuoka is just a place for food!!! I loved every minute here. And hope to come back to visit (the restaurants) again. Now it's time to head to Beppu, the Onsen Capital City of Japan.

Japan Trip: Fukuoka1.5

2008-07-01T21:13:00.011+10:00

.... Then now it's time to have the Best Ramen!!
It's called Ichi-Ran it's a Ramen Chain that got many branches however they sell only one kind of Ramen! The restaurant is so damn small. It looks like the Election Place rather than a restaurant. In my little space there's a tap for you to help yourself with water which I found very convenient. The tissue papaer box were on the wall.

If you are the regular eater you can have an automatic card that operate thru this machines. Or you can pick up a Form then Fill in how your want your ramen done. When you finish fill up the form then you can press the bell for a staff to come to take your order and payment.

With in 5 minutes my Ramen turned up in a rectangle shape black ceramic bowl which looks very exotic. I could no longer wait and started sipping the stock to taste right away. And man oh man!!! This is the best Ramen I had in my life!!! It's very strong pork base stock with their secret recipe sauce. The noodle and the Pork (Chachu) was tender as I ordered. Even I've tried a few famous places in Tokyo but nothing compare to this!!! I was so surprised that the Ramen Chain can be this good. I almost cried with Joy. Then I realised, it very very sucks coz I wont be able to have it again in Sydney sob sob sob. Now I have to cry with sorrow.

After finished the Ramen, just a few metres away from Ichi-ran I found a Takoyaki (Octopus balls) shop. The smell from this shop was sooo inviting. I guess I had to eat it as desert. I've ordered the original ones, there's also a prawn ones as well. I've got the mustard+Mayo sauce to accommodate my Thai tongue. And again, it's divined, the skin outside were crispy, big pices of Octopus inside. I was a very very very happy man. :)

I guess it's time to walk around now to burn all those food I've consumed. I walked along Naka River to take some pictures. And somehow, got into the small tiny lane that filled with "Those Entertainment for men places". I have to put on the backward gear so fast as those bouncers are very persistent on getting me in to take a "Bath". sighhhhhh

After that I found a lot of Food Stalls!! Arrrggghhh I have no space for more food now. There were many many kinds of traditional Japanese food there. And I heard Fukuoka is very famous for the food stalls. I just had to just take pictures and moved a long sob sob sob.

Then I walked back to my hotel for resting, another big day tomorrow.

Will continue with the rest of Fukuoka tomorrow. :)

Japan Trip: Fukuoka1

2008-07-01T11:18:00.008+10:00

For Large version: Click Here

I planed my trip to go the far south first then make my way to the West, East and North. So, I went directly to Fukuoka after Osaka. With my JR Pass I can jump on to any Shinkansen (except the Nosomi train and the Green Cars). Trick for Shinkansen is... Book Your Seat. Go to any Shinkansen ticket counters and show them JR Pass and tell them you want to reserve the seat, even a few minutes before the train leave, you can still do it. Please use the word "Reserve or Reservation" coz I tried my times using the word "Booking" it's never worked. There are non-reserve seats on Shinkansen but they always full (depends of the time as well).

The seating on the train is quite comfy, a lot of leg room and you can recline the chair quite far. Much much better than some the seats on the airplane. It also release very tiny amout of Carbon, 10 times less than the airplane. I felt so green traveling on it hehehe :) There're food and drinks selling on the train as well, so don't be scared of getting hungry. The train from Shin-Osaka to Fukuoka (Hakata) only takes 2.5 hours. On the train, there will be a staff to come and check your ticket, show them your JR Pass, if you reserved the seat also show them the reserve ticket.

If you want to take pictures of the scenery out side the train, be warned the train is very fast, you'll need 1/400 of the second or faster shutter speed to have a decent sharp image. :)

After arriving at Fukuoka Station, the first thing I saw was this longgg line of people line up to buy something... Well, that sojmething must be good I thought and joined the line. hehehe Turned out it's the shop selling Croisant. Name of the shop is "il Forno del Mignon"

There are 3 kinds of them "Plain (on the far left), Choco (in the middle), and ??? (the right). I bought two each for a pre-dinner snack hehe. After the first bite, I realised why there're so many poeple line up for it. Of all the three, I like Choco the most.

It's time to find my hotel. I stayed in "Hotel Com's Fukuoka" (you can book it thru http://b2b.hotelclub.net/) The problem about this hotel is... I couldn't find the map or direction how to get there. I did my research by looked thru http://diddlefinger.com/ and printed out the section where the hotel might be. The most difficult thing is.... there's NO street number on any buildings!! It's hard to find street names too, as at the intersection, There's no street name there. There're signs but they tell which direction goes which area sighhhhhh. I ending up asking the people around and they pointed me to this hotel safely. And don't bother calling the hotel, they're no help. So, I present you Fukuoka Details map!! Hope it helps you for your trip.

For Large version: Click Here

The hotel I'm staying is quite nice for AUD $78.2 a night. Only 7 minutes walk from the station and very close to the sight seeing places.

After checking in I wasted no time asking at the couter "Where is the best Ramen in Fukuoka" They told me to go to this "Canal City" a big shopping mall close to Naka river. Then off I went to find the best Ramen. Along the way my nose started to smell something very yummy. I've quickly following that smell and found a stall selling Yakitori just oposit the Canal City, well that could be a nice entree' I thought, so I picked up a few... sticks. :) They are very very yummy. Tried to stop at number 3 but went on for another one. hehehe

The Canal City is quite big and weird design mixing together. And as the name sugguested, it's got a little man make canal inside.

I walked around a bit and there are a lot of shops and restaurants and I was drooling along the way. They almost have the guy with a mop to follow me drying my saliva (ewwww hehehe). And there it was.... Ichi-Ran.

To be continued....

Japan Trip: Osaka 2

2008-06-29T16:58:00.003+10:00

I started my day with $10 breakfast buffet at the hotel. It's very average, not much to praise and not much to complain either, just sufficient. I left the hotel without one thing.... Asking them for a map!! Coz I thought my map in the travel book might be sufficient, and I was WRONG. Every hotels I stayed got very details map to giveaway for FREE, so, do ask one. As I walked out the hotel, there's field where a lot of kids playing baseball.

As a Japanese comic books fan, I've always known that Baseball is hugeeee in Japan. To see this, it just made me realized, I'm in Japan!

I left Juso catching the local train (which not included in JR Pass) back to Osaka Station. When you buy the ticket it's quite challenging. At most JR stations the ticket machine got English, but this local station got only Japanese. Be fear not, the quickest way is to ask at the Counter (they don't sell ticket there) whether how much it's going to cost to the station that you want, then go the machine, put the money in accordingly and press the touch screen for that amount, Bingo! You can also see the fare from the map chart above the ticket machine it'll tell you how much exactly to the stations that you want, however, some station don't have that map in English... So, ask the counter seems to be the quickest choice sometimes.

Osaka in the sun light is very different. More people, a lot more...

Osaka station is huggggeeeeee. There are so many Entrances/Exits. If you're there for the first time, try to calm yourself a bit. :) Firstly as I checked out from my hotel already, I'll need to put my luggage in the locker so I can travel lite. The lockers make things very convenient for travelers. Most of the big stations will have lockers in many places.

It operates by 100 Yen Coin only, so, make sure you have your change before you put your things in. There are 3 sizes for lockers, 300 Yen for Small one, 400 Yen for Medium one (I can put my luggage in, and 600 Yen for the big one. I'm not sure whether there's time limit on the locker coz I've never used it for more than 24 hours. :P

After put my things in the locker then off I went to Osaka Castle. Catching the train from Osaka station go to the Osaka Circle section, and again, the best way is to ask the staffs at the entrance. And since you have to show them your JR Pass to get in anyway, why not ask. hehehe.

At Osaka Castle station, you have to walk around 10-15 minutes to the castle. Osaka Castle is the symbol of Osaka, however, the original castle was destroyed during wars and was restored in Maeji period. My friend recommended me not to go inside as it'll be all brand new. And as I will go to Himeji Castle which will be a lot more interesting, so, I stayed outside the castle. But if you guys have times, go inside wouldn't hurt. :)

After finished with the castle, I came back to Osaka station to find some lunch. I heard that in Osaka is very well known for their Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pizza) and Takoyaki (Octopus Ball), so, I picked this restaurant near by the station.

It's got no English name, I don't know what it's called... but it's fantastic!!

I ordered the Combination Okonomiyaki, and it's by far is the BEST Okonomiyaki I had in my ENTIRE LIFE!!! I wanted to cry coz it's sooooo Oishi!!! Osaka's got their trademark in Okonomiyaki by putting in the SOBA (thin egg noodle) in it.

After lunch then it's time for Shinkansen! (The bullet train). Again, back at Osaka Station to catch a train to Shin Osaka, where Shinkansen is waiting for me. However, there's one big problem.... I forgot where my locker is.... The damn station is so big and got so many exits, these got me walking around the station for 20 minutes!!! So, you guys, please take pictures around the area that you left you things in the locker to make your life easier.

Now I'm heading to Fukuoka, will continue soon.

Japan Trip: Osaka 1

2008-06-28T00:21:00.003+10:00

I've arrived at Kansai Airport quite late at night. But there's still train service to go to Osaka, Shin-Osaka and Kyoto. If you bought a JR Pass, there's ticket office that opened til 9.00 pm so you can exchange your ticket to the JR Pass.

After I've got the JR Pass then, off I went to the train. For those who're new to Japan, the mobile phones need to be in SILENT MODE. Talking on the phone on the train is considered inappropriate. And you will see a lot of people on the train do the Texting hehehe.

There're LED screens on every car telling you where is the next stop so, you can prepare to get off the train correctly. You can also check at the ticket counter what time the train will arrive at the destination, the train in Japan is quite on time, most of the time.

Getting off at Osaka station, I was shocked to see how many people at the station and the size of it. It's a little overwhelmed for me. But as my stomach is so empty, I think it might be a good idea to find something to eat before I check in to the hotel. Not far from the station (5 minutes walk) There's this little street that got many restaurants.

By the time I got there it's around 23:00, which most good restaurants were closed. So, I was left with not many choices but I picked, "Eat-Man". Which opened 24 hours. The restaurant looked cozy, however, Japan's got one of the highest rates of smoker population in the world allow people to smoke in the restaurant. Those smoke ruined my mood for food a bit. Here he came the waiter who hardly speak English. Most of the order is "Point and Choose". And I got my food like below.

Of all the food, I do like the Yakitori very much. Over all they are ok for 24 hours restaurant.

Stomach was full and it's time to sleep. I checked in to the hotel that I booked, Plaza Hotel Osaka, close to Jyo So Station. However, as it was late and dark, I choose to call a taxi to get me there. Luckily I have printed out everything, including the map. So, again, just point at the map and they took me to the hotel.

I was warned by many friends that hotels in Japan will have a small room, and they're right. But I don't really care much, coz I would spent a lot of time outside anyway. The room was very clean, the bath towel was bright and white and with only AUD $72 a night, I'm very happy for that. :)

Japan Trip: Preparation

2008-06-27T23:11:00.006+10:00

To go travel in Japan, there are many things that you need to prepare. Each person would be different in preparation, "Some one" can really manage the Micro Planning of their trips, so they do everything by second. :P But my is pretty simple (I guess).

1. Air Ticket
There are many airlines offering the flights to Japan. Jetstar seems to be very cheap. I've got my Sydney-Osaka Return about $500 inc tax!! Jetstar also fly to Nagoya. If you want to stop over in Thailand, Thai Airways got the deal where buy ticket to go to Japan but can stop over in Thailand for free. Plan your trip and thinking about how many days you can afford to stay in Japan.

2. Guide Book
Firstly buy a guide book, "Lonely planet" or the one I bought "Eyewitness Travel". Read them roughly and mark the places where you want to visit and then Start Mapping them to the routes.

3. Pin down the cities you want to visit
Put down the date and city you want to be on that date so you can plan your accommodation.

4. Book your accommodation
As you already know what city you want to be on that day, so now you can book your accommodation accordingly. I booked my at http://b2b.hotelclub.net/. They 7have variety kind of hotels and ryokans rated from very cheap AUD $67 for a hotel in Tokyo til 5 stars hotel. However, some area like Buppu or Miyajima Island might be hard to find from this website, I'll tell you later from my blog.

Tip: Try to find the hotel that's close to the JR Train station. As you are not going to be familiar with the area yet, it'll be a safer choice. If you can, email the hotel for direction from the Train Station. ASK THEM WHAT EXIT from the station, coz some station like Osaka, got million exits. You can also check the map by area from here: http://diddlefinger.com/ It'll show up the map of the area in English and Japanese.

5. Get your JR Pass
Depends on how many places and how far you want to go, but from my trip, as I need to travel a lot across the country, JR Pass is the life saver.

You can only buy the Japan Rail Pass outside Japan! So, make sure you buy it before you leave your country. You buy the ticket as it showed from the picture above, then at any main stations in Japan you can exchange this ticket with the JR Pass. It comes with 7 Days, 14 Days and 21 Days. Also comes with the Green type which allow you to sit on a more luxury seats on the green car, but it heaps more expensive. More details here: http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en001.html
Tip: After you buy the ticket from the agent, please ask for the Railway Timetable, so you can plan your trip easier.

However, if you only stay in on are like, Tokyo and the area close by within Central Honshu you might be only need the JR East Pass which can be purchased in Japan. For West area, there's also JR West Rail pass.

6. Prepare your luggage
Please observer the seasonality of Japan before you go and have the appropriate clothes accordingly. Bath towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, Razor, Shampoo, soap or even comb are NOT necessary, as they come standard with every hotels and Ryokan (traditional hotel). So, save you space in your bag. :)

If you do travel around and change places a lot like me, I would recommend you to bring enough cloth for each day, as you might not have time to do the laundry. And Bring your COMFY SHOES. I've warned you.

7. CASH
Bring enough Cash!!! It's hard to find ATM that you can withdraw your money internationally. So, at least AUD $1000 for 10 days if you medium spender (not including the Accommodation cost).

I'll be back with Osaka part 1 soon.
Cheers,
Gun

My Japan Trip - Introduction

2008-06-26T12:14:00.006+10:00

I went to Japan from 13/06/2008 - 24/06/2008 due to a very very cheap air ticket from Jetstar ($480 Syd-Osaka returned with Tax and fuel surcharge included).

I planed a very very ambitious schedule to cover as many areas in Japan as possible. Started off in Osaka then straight to Fukuoka, Beppu, Mount Aso, Hiroshima, Miyajima Island, Himeji Castle, Kyoto, Tokyo and Nikko. Many good friends of mine were not positive with this hectic schedule but I tried it anyway. :)

I'll blog my whole trip day by day and will give you guys tips that I learned from my experience.

Hope these can help you.

Cheers,
Gun

Let there be light. (Nikon only) Part 1

2007-03-16T13:00:00.001+11:00

Karin & Bokeh, originally uploaded by Gun Sydney.

Some people hate using flash due to the horrible harsh look on the subjects. But using flash can be such a joy and give great results.

When to use flash?
1. When there's not enough light to lid the subject.
2. To "Fill", in harsh day light condition, eliminating shadows.
3. To stop motion on the fast movement subjects.
4. Want some creativity artificial light.

How to use flash to get good results.

A. When you have only Pop up flash (SLR)

1. To fill-in for daylight the pop up flash can do the work just fine. Unless you are very far from the subjects. Fill in flash will eliminate the nasty shadows and make the pictures look more flattering. Make sure you set the Flash to TTL (Through the lens)

2. At night or indoor: This is the difficult part. There are 2 hidden techniques that you could use to improve your shots.

2.1 Using the Foil. That's right, go right to your kitchen and grab a piece of foil. Use it as a bouncer attached it to the bottom of the flash. And have it block the front part of the flash. So, the light will be be re-directed up to the ceiling.

2.2 Using the Film case. Pick the white film case only, cut it in the middle (the Longer side) and stick your flash in Horizontally. It should defuse your pop up flash nicely.

to be continued.......

Shooting Sydney Mardi Gras Parade

2007-03-04T11:36:00.001+11:00

Expression, originally uploaded by Gun Sydney.

Shooting Sydney Mardi Gras Parade is not easy as it looks. You'll facing with low light, changing type of lights, Moving Subjects and all the crazy staffs that love to block your view.

So, this is my tips for preparation.

1. Get there Early. It's important that you are in the position 5:30pm the latest!! (The parade start around 7:45pm)
2. Location location location. I love to be at Oxford Street. If you can, pick the side where they have The Columbian Bar, Stone wall.
3. Pack up your gear with "Fast" in mind. Speed light and diffuser is very crucial. Forget about Tripod as you will not have any space to put it. For lens I would recommend 50mm F1.4-F1.8. Tamron 28-75 F2.8 is quite handy too.
4. Spare Battery and Spare SD/CF cards are a must. I shoot raw so, 5 GB in total will give me no worries about having to go thru pictures and delete them to free some space and lose the opportunity to shoot.
5. Also put water in your bag, as this will be a very long shoot. And it's hard for you to go anywhere as a LOT of people is behind you.

Shooting Tips.

1. It's the tradition that Mardi Gras will start with big bikes. All the lesbians and Bears will ride their bikes past you and sometimes they stop. If they're riding past you, you can either do Panning, or using Flash. If you are new with Panning, by all mean use flash and aim for the closest Bike. Put on diffuser helps, also tilt the flash up about 60 degree. Do not aim for the further one as your flash will be able to reach them. I'd say 2-3 metre from you. The setting for aperture will need to be under F3.0, better around F2.0 and ISO 400-800.

2. Now the walking part of the parade begins. The front part after the bike usually very bright as they'll have their own spot lights to shine on the show boys and girls. I think it's better to switch off the flash and shoot without flash. For those show girls/boys who are close to the lights you can even getaway with Shutter speed of 1/200 - 1/250 of a sec. which will be enough to freeze the movement. For those that do not have their lights then, turn on the flash again and pick only the ones that are in 2-3 metre range. Aperture under F2.0 and ISO800.

3. It helps if you reach out your hands and screaming and waving to attract people in the parade. They'll come very close to you even give you hugs or kisses. They'll pose for you nicely too.

4. You have to experiment a little bit before you get it right. Do not worry about the first 10-20 pics. But you have to learn it fast. Do not panic and experiment which setting will be the best combination.

5. And the last tip from me. Please keep things clean do not leave the junks or garbage behind. :)

Happy Mardi Gras,
Gun

Adobe Lightroom & Nikon Capture NX

2007-02-26T20:13:00.001+11:00

LR & NX, originally uploaded by Gun Sydney.

This is s very dilemma situation for me. Recently I've downloaded Adobe Lightroom 1.0 and tried it out. It's such a wonderful program. And as it advertised, it's the program created by photographers for photographers.

The interface looks very easy to use. You can find any things in just a few clicks. And with those very easy to understand tutorials, I can get use to this program in a matter of hours. And the work flow of it will cut your Post processing time in half.

HOWEVER!! it got one very very big flaw. It ignores all the in-camera settings such as Saturation, colour moodes or Sharpening. Which make colour of the picture so dulllllllllll and occasionally make the picture very noisy. (Only happen on RAW file though, still perfect on JPEG files. But I shoot only raw nowadays. :S)

Nikon Capture NX, on the other hand is soooo clumsy. Take ages to make modification in RAW. All the user interface and work flow is just well, how can I put it nicely... "Suck".

But NX got the U-point technology that can adjust the area on the picture in seconds. IE, add brightness to the shadowed face which will not affect the other area at all. And all in all, it's got the pictures right colour and contrast. It also remove those ugly Chromatic Abberation (CA) automatically. You can add a nice punch to the pictures in a short time (if you have fast computer). You can click on the picture below to see the differences.

If I really want to use LR then, I guess I just have to convert all the NEF files to JPEG in NX and then import to LR. That is soooo inconvenient.

My only advise now for you guys is that, if you shoot JPEG then move to Lightroom. It's a very good and cool program. But if you're Nikon RAW shooter then, stick with NX.

Adobe, you are a very big company. Please get this right.

How to shoot fireworks with DSLR

2007-02-21T01:36:00.001+11:00

fireworks, originally uploaded by Gun Sydney.

Many people do not have a clue on shooting fireworks. I was that many people until recently. Just want to share some tips with you guys on how to achieve the nice results.

Equipment requires;
1. a DSLR camera.
2. a tripod (the heavier the better)
3. Remote Release (Optional)

Other requirements;
1. Good location
2. Or good friends to book a very good location for you (I prefer this one :) )

Pre settings
1. change to manual focus mode.
2. put the lens focus to infinity
(with these two done, you will not loose time from camera searching for focus)
3. put on Manual Exposure mode.
4. with ISO 100, I recommend Shutter speed = 6-8 seconds and Aperture = F6-F8
5. mount your camera to the tripod and make sure it's steady.
6. if you know where the fireworks are going to be then, aim at that location.

Shooting
1. your ears will be your eyes. once you hear the shooting noise press the shutter release or use your remote. If you are further away then, you might need to time your shoots
2. leave your camera until it's done expose. (6-8 sec as you program it). For the first few shots you might need to re-adjust your position quickly, also quickly check the results and adjust the aperture value.
3. if there are a lot of big fireworks in the middle of your shots, you might need to use your lens cap to close the lens for awhile, the picture might turn up Over exposed.
4. again, hope for the best.

Hope all these tips help.
Happy snappy,
Gun

Hanging Beer Glasses

2007-02-16T09:26:00.003+11:00

Bokeh bokeh bokeh, originally uploaded by Gun Sydney.

I've been walking past this beer place many times and see those hanging beer glasses and Know these will make a good shot.

Well, it does (I think). And I'm very happy that I start shooting before drinking. :)

Happy Snappy,
Gun

Shape of my heart.

2007-02-13T23:06:00.001+11:00

Shape of my heart, originally uploaded by Gun Sydney.

I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier.
I know that the clubs are weapons of war.
I know that diamonds mean money for this art.
But thats not the shape of my heart.

Bokeh

2007-02-12T19:56:00.001+11:00

What is it?

It's a photography way to describe the Tiny discs of light that happend in the out of focus area of the picture. They can be in Circle or Polygon shape. For the long and full description please go to Ken Rockwell

Why do I need to know?

Coz they are beautiful and in many cases bokeh really help pleasing the eyes. And to get away the boring normal photograph.

What do I need?

1. A camera. Doesn't have to be DSLR, but you'll achieve an easier and nicer result from SLR type camera. (I think)

2. Look for those points of light. During day time, look for the trees that have the light come thru the leaf, like in this picture. You can see that those lights that came thru the leafs became bokeh.
At night, look for the something like this or like this

3. Going for the smallest F number that you're allowed. For those who got DSLR, I would recommend the Fast Prime lenses, so you can go for F2.8 or lower which will make it easier. Focus on the subject and frame those background that I mentioned earlier behide the sujects.

4. shoot and hope for the best.

What's the best lens for bokeh?

In my opinion, Nikkor 85mm F1.4 got very smooth and nice bokeh. But it'll dry up your saving account really fast like its speed. So, the next best thing will come down to 50mm F1.4 or more economical 50mm F1.8.

More Bokeh pictures, please visit More Bokeh

Have fun shooting people,
Gun

Slow sync flash is Fun!!

2007-02-09T13:18:00.001+11:00

Slow sync, originally uploaded by Gun Sydney.

If you are in the dark pubs try it out. It works quite well. All of the DSLR will have this function. The way it works is combining Flash and Slow shutter speed together. The results, you'll have the bright background and lit up the subject.

There are 2 types of Slow Sync Flash, the Front Curtain and Rear Curtain. It's just the Front one will fire the flash a the very first moment you press the shutter. It means that it will freeze the moment you press the shutter and then slow shutter speed continue to lit up the backgroud. To make it clear, just imagine a car driving past you at night with their lights on, the front curtain will make the light trail in front of the car, coz it freezes the first moment.

The Rear Curtain will not fire until the very last moment before the shutter close. So, it freezes the last moment. With the same scenario of the car, the picture will come out with the light trail behide the car.

For more pictures of the Slow sync, please visit,
More Slow sync

Happy snappy.
Gun

What wrong with Norah Jones!

2007-02-08T13:20:00.000+11:00

Her first album was “great”, I’m still listening to those songs (this morning in fact). Her second one is “OK”. And her latest one? I really want a refund but HMV got no refund policy. Goodbye to my $22.00 sob sob.

Norah my dear, we know that you are talented already. Why you have to try to prove yourself writing those songs? The melody is boring the lyrics are not really catchy it’s like you mumble them not singing them. I’m really disappointed with this album.

In the matter of facts, all my favorite singers seemed to try too hard for their new albums and messed them up real bad. Josh Groban is another example. Awake? Well, I would say the opposite.

You guys can call me old or old-fashion but those hip-hop craps will not get my money. I like the songs that can be sing-along with or can be relaxed listening to them not just the heavy beats and catchy rhythm.

Mii talking about Wii

2007-02-07T11:45:00.001+11:00

4285 8934 1940 5135, originally uploaded by Gun Sydney.

My first love for electrical device was the video games. The first machine I’ve ever owned was Famicom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famicom (Nintendo in US and Europe). I think it was in 1985 that my father bought it for me after millions of hours spent at the game shop.

With (only) 8 bit, during that time it was a revolution compare to the other machine like Atari. The games got more play times and a lot more sophisticate. Mario Bros was a big smash hit, followed by many classics such as Dragon Quest series, Final Fantasy series or Contras. The machines sold over 60 millions worldwide and Nintendo was a household name. (I just realised that spell check will not correct the word Nintendo)

During that time I was playing games like a mad kid. I can go on and on for a very long time without foods or drinks. I lost 10 kg in the process and my mother was not happy!!

Warp to 2007, and Nintendo has done it again. New console name Wii (a what?) is very refreshing and very fun to play with. And it’s ATM the only source of exercise I get (the boxing game from Wii Sports is really good for cardio).

Many claimed that Wii is not for the real gamers but only for general public. I am really wondering what kind of gamers they are (the ones who’ll buy PS3 I guess)? Since when the only things that we the gamers concern is graphic and the horse power of the console? I always think that Gameplay is everything for gamers. It’s cool to have nice graphics but if the gameplay sucks then what’s the point of playing at all (unless you’re pervs who love DOA beach volley ball). Secondly, it’s the games that define the target audience. Of course Wii sport will target for all general audience, but for gamers Zelda Twilight Princess will do the work just fine. And it’s not that Wii’s graphic is bad. It’s actually good, and it’s not even reached its full potential yet.

Only time will tell that who will win the wars for this generation of consoles. But atm, Wii’s future is getting brighter and brighter.

PS: If anyones want to add my wii to their list, here's my wii number, 4285 8934 1940 5135.

At last!

2007-02-06T20:28:00.001+11:00

Me with old castle, originally uploaded by Gun Sydney.

I have finally put up my blog. I am still thinking what is this blog going to be. Since my main interests are computer, gadget and photography, you guys will see a lot of those.

You'll also see a lot of miss-spelling words and weird grammars in all of the post in the future as I originally came from Thailand.

Hope you guys will enjoy this blog.

Cheers,
Gun