Thursday, September 27, 2007
Macau, China Trip
Back from Macau.
We went to Macau(Macao), China which is right beside Hong Kong. Macau was owned by the Portuguese, until just before Hong Kong was given back to China.
So it has a huge Portuguese influence on everything. The street signs and everything is in Cantonese, and Portuguese, with English being 3rd. Except that most tourist places speak English, many others do not. Interesting.
The first thing we experienced was an international fireworks competition.
And tonight was Australia and Taiwan. (Go Taiwan!!) And did they ever.
It was amazing, the best Ive ever seen.
here is a few examples of the 1/2 hour show.
Check out the rest on http://www.dealboyrandy.com/Macau.html
Check out the rest on http://www.dealboyrandy.com/Macau.html
We went to Macau(Macao), China which is right beside Hong Kong. Macau was owned by the Portuguese, until just before Hong Kong was given back to China.
So it has a huge Portuguese influence on everything. The street signs and everything is in Cantonese, and Portuguese, with English being 3rd. Except that most tourist places speak English, many others do not. Interesting.
The first thing we experienced was an international fireworks competition.
And tonight was Australia and Taiwan. (Go Taiwan!!) And did they ever.
It was amazing, the best Ive ever seen.
here is a few examples of the 1/2 hour show.
Check out the rest on http://www.dealboyrandy.com/Macau.html
Check out the rest on http://www.dealboyrandy.com/Macau.html
Friday, September 21, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Part 2 of a Great week.
An odd turn of a typhoon on the right day at the right time, lead to a blessing in disguise.
5 months ago I had been given a formal VIP invitation to go to high end Lingerie Fashion Show as a Photographer.
As it turned out one of my students is a fashion designer for Mode Marie. Its a popular upscale womens lingerie brand. Its popular especially in Taiwan, Japan, and a couple other places which escape me just now.
Since my foray into photography, Ive wanted to touch on as many aspects in a professional setting as I could.
So I was cautiously optimistic until I made a mistake and booked off the wrong day. And the show was today which was supposed to be a busy day for me, not a good day to take off.
So out of nowhere a typhoon blows in to town just grazing the top corner of the island. The previous one was big n scary and no day off...a direct hit. This one comes and the gov't says stay home and hide, batten down the hatches, blah blah etc etc.
So day off...and then I get a call early in the morning saying the fashion show, is today and is still on...plus i have the day off....I look outside and its raining but not that big of gusts. So I'm in.
I was thinking and regretting not being able to go for a couple of weeks now... and by a whole lot of unexplainable long shots its fall into place.
Took the train in and was VIPed in, as was Nicole I might add, she was lucky enough to get in as well. The designer just said these are my special guests, and everyone had a fire lit under their bums, offering drinks and front row center seats etc....WOW
I went to where the other photographers and TV people were setting up and got a seat just off center but right in front. No prob, happy as a clam.
The show starts and I'm as nervous as it gets. I don't know why, probably the special treatment, plus I know I'm an amateur surrounded by professionals. I did feel a little embarrassed with my camera. Its not bad but I was surrounded by thousands of dollars of equipment...per person. Each guy had the Pro stuff. I felt like a six year old at a wedding with a Polaroid.
No one said much to me, and that was fine.
The lights went down and I started to click away.
( In the end....400 pictures in 20 minutes)
Here is a glimpse:
5 months ago I had been given a formal VIP invitation to go to high end Lingerie Fashion Show as a Photographer.
As it turned out one of my students is a fashion designer for Mode Marie. Its a popular upscale womens lingerie brand. Its popular especially in Taiwan, Japan, and a couple other places which escape me just now.
Since my foray into photography, Ive wanted to touch on as many aspects in a professional setting as I could.
So I was cautiously optimistic until I made a mistake and booked off the wrong day. And the show was today which was supposed to be a busy day for me, not a good day to take off.
So out of nowhere a typhoon blows in to town just grazing the top corner of the island. The previous one was big n scary and no day off...a direct hit. This one comes and the gov't says stay home and hide, batten down the hatches, blah blah etc etc.
So day off...and then I get a call early in the morning saying the fashion show, is today and is still on...plus i have the day off....I look outside and its raining but not that big of gusts. So I'm in.
I was thinking and regretting not being able to go for a couple of weeks now... and by a whole lot of unexplainable long shots its fall into place.
Took the train in and was VIPed in, as was Nicole I might add, she was lucky enough to get in as well. The designer just said these are my special guests, and everyone had a fire lit under their bums, offering drinks and front row center seats etc....WOW
I went to where the other photographers and TV people were setting up and got a seat just off center but right in front. No prob, happy as a clam.
The show starts and I'm as nervous as it gets. I don't know why, probably the special treatment, plus I know I'm an amateur surrounded by professionals. I did feel a little embarrassed with my camera. Its not bad but I was surrounded by thousands of dollars of equipment...per person. Each guy had the Pro stuff. I felt like a six year old at a wedding with a Polaroid.
No one said much to me, and that was fine.
The lights went down and I started to click away.
( In the end....400 pictures in 20 minutes)
Here is a glimpse:
Part 1 of a great week
Part 1 of a great week
So life is full of ups and downs. I was on a bit of a down for a coupe weeks, now the ride is going up.
Last week I went on a spur of the moment scooter trip by myself. I saw a picture on the back of a tourist map for a mountain and temple I had never heard of. I decided I wanted to get that same picture.
I took off at 2 pm for a place called Lion Head Mountain. This is fine and all, but the road signs are not usually in English. I knew where abouts i should be heading, so off I went.
I drove for about an hour and a half and came to an area close to where i should be, and i had to turn off a main road and onto a small mountain road. I guessed on which road i should take. I drove until i seen an English sign saying "ShihTouShan". Well I know Tou is head and Shan is Mountain. So put 2 and 3 together, and we have a maybe. Half an hour later my ass is now part of the seat, and i am no longer riding but am 'one with the scooter'.
I got tired and almost gave up on this road when i said Im going to try this smaller road that said something about a temple. I couldn't read it but it looked like a temple-ish kinda sign. Sure enough after 10 minutes I find what I was looking for.
I had to hike up the small mountain, to the temple complex.
This was my reward.
So life is full of ups and downs. I was on a bit of a down for a coupe weeks, now the ride is going up.
Last week I went on a spur of the moment scooter trip by myself. I saw a picture on the back of a tourist map for a mountain and temple I had never heard of. I decided I wanted to get that same picture.
I took off at 2 pm for a place called Lion Head Mountain. This is fine and all, but the road signs are not usually in English. I knew where abouts i should be heading, so off I went.
I drove for about an hour and a half and came to an area close to where i should be, and i had to turn off a main road and onto a small mountain road. I guessed on which road i should take. I drove until i seen an English sign saying "ShihTouShan". Well I know Tou is head and Shan is Mountain. So put 2 and 3 together, and we have a maybe. Half an hour later my ass is now part of the seat, and i am no longer riding but am 'one with the scooter'.
I got tired and almost gave up on this road when i said Im going to try this smaller road that said something about a temple. I couldn't read it but it looked like a temple-ish kinda sign. Sure enough after 10 minutes I find what I was looking for.
I had to hike up the small mountain, to the temple complex.
This was my reward.
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