The F1 Coverage by ST Photographers

Proud of my hubby! Watch Terence and Bryan working the F1 Track.

Here we go again.

Late nights, the jet lag feel and a lot of heavy equipment and walking all those distances.. Now put what i just said all together. ARGHH.

Happy Snaps

A shot this morning in the car after arriving at Church.

Go Fly a Kite

It's harder said than done!

I've never flown a kite before.. Yes.. we are the new generation where fun and games revolve around computers, iphones and ipads. Actually, not really. I am 30 and I existed when games such as marbles, chapteh, 5-stones or jacks was still around but maybe starting get unpopular. So when I popped by the NTUC Kite Flying Festival over at the Marina Promontory with Nate just to take a look, I couldn't help but admire the pretty skyline covered with what looked like pretty butterflies. Then the bomb dropped. "Mommy can I fly a kite?" . "Umm.. ok.. i've never tried it but i'm sure we can handle it". I managed to buy some time by actually working and shooting while waiting for my dad - the kite and any other old game expert, to arrive.. So thanks dad, for teaching Nate and I the proper way to launch and keep a kite flying in the air. . Needless to say, we had heaps of fun albeit the lack of wind for most times (we were not in a very open area anyway) but it is always good to be in the sun. . Another day at play; I mean work. (by the way that dude in the cap, that's my dad)

Psalm 51

1 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness ; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. 4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. 7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean ; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation ; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise. 16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit ; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. 18 By Your favor do good to Zion ; Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering ; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

Scary Nate

This is Nate posing with an "ANGRY LOOK". He also looks like that when he plays the "See Who Laughs First Loses" game with me. Some serious attitude!

Hello

Hi found out some of you have been reading this blog. Do drop a note and say HI!

(:

'Let Vegetarianism Grow on You' - literally

A member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia dressed in lettuce leaves holds up a sign urging Singapore citizens to 'Let Vegetarianism Grow on You', at the financial district on Thursday Sept. 16, 2010 in Singapore.(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

So...

Today at work, I went down to check out what PETA was doing with the whole vegetarian movement at Raffles Place.

So happened that on one end where lettuce lady was; were mascots dressed as fried chicken drumsticks promoting their new stall.

Food Fight! - didn't happen.

Check out these Roads

Yes.. this was the state of the mud roads we took in heavy rain while making our way to one of the world's oldest leprosy colonies in Oecusse, West Timor in July... editing photos now and just remembering how crazy it was.

Eh? How Can Like That?

A store vendor leans against a wall plastered with posters highlighting sentences with correct grammatical structure during the launch of the "Speak Good English" movement, an intiative of the government which launched 10 years ago to encourage Singaporeans to speak Standard English that is universally understood, Tuesday Sept. 7, 2010 in Singapore. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

OK that was the caption I wrote when I sent my pictures to my desk up in Tokyo, which then checks through my captions and does whatever they need to do before distributing it WORLDWIDE. No problem with that EXCEPT when the Editor for the day decides to rephrase my caption to this:

A store vendor leans against a wall with posters put up on to campaign the 'Speak Good English' movement, the government has launched 10 years ago to encourage Singaporeans to speak Standard English which can be universally understood, in Singapore, Tuesday Sept. 7, 2010.(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

When I was told about it just now, my reply to my dearest boss who wanted to share a laugh with me was ..... "Excuse me while I go hit my head on the wall!"

It's really quite ironic isn't it? Now people are going to think that yes.. Singaporeans need a lesson or two...

Aiya. how can like dat one?!

Suddenly i'm a-thinking...

A thought suddenly crossed my mind.

So many things seemed to have happened in 3 months.

It's been almost 90 days since the Bangkok protests and crackdown. People died, the city was a mess and we were there on coverage and were exhausted.

I remember walking around like a zombie and trying to keep safe while lugging all that weight around with me on assignment. The flak jacket, the cavlar helmet and cameras... in the heat.

And for what? More chaos now?

And since then, what have we done after pulling the plug on the story? People have died and their family's lives change forever. We can move on.

Get back home to our comfy beds, spend an intense 2 weeks covering the Youth Olympic Sporting event and watch people achieve another step closer to attaining their dream of winning an Olympic Gold medal.

Probably the highest achievement they will ever experience in their lifetimes.

Life is so crazy sometimes isn't it? Just a country away, people are dying and yet in another, across the border not far away, people are celebrating life's achievements.

That's what makes life so darn interesting. The dynamics of it all. And we journalists are straddling in on both ends of the spectrum.

It's so easy to be totally immersed in one and then pluck out and get into another. I'm not depressed or jaded but more amazed and maybe a little overwhelmed at the pace of things moving and also sometimes how lucky we are to be able to come home away from it all. We need Jesus all the time.

Wow.

Another Photo of Nate

This was taken when he was a week old. Looking really satisfied after drinking milk.

Shooting the Tri Race is like Racing a Tri Race

Yes. And don't mind the unglamorous shot once again of the goof troop. Thanks john, for getting me in touch with the media folks there.

That was exactly what crossed my mind when I was out shooting the Triathlon Youth Men's Race.

I race triathlon races for fun and because I love pain. Not really for the second reason but it's the discipline involved which makes it exciting.

Yes I'm nuts.

But anyway, we decided to take dramatic splashing shots of athletes entering the water and coming out of the water for their first transition. Normally, in a race, you would run in the sea, swim a certain amount of distance, most times its 1.5 - 2 kilometers and then exit the sea, under a shower and into transition area where you prepare to get onto the bike. After the bike, hop back into transition area, rack your bike and go into the run leg. The final leg.

All this in as quick a time possible.

Now... Shooting a triathlon...

I found it to strangely familiar to racing because photographers have transition zones too... you sit in the water, with your cameras (waterproofed) and then get your shots, run out of the water, through the showers - but this time, take more time as compared to when you're racing, to rinse off all the salt on your cameras and clothes, go back to the media center, change out into dry clothes, pick up the equipment that you need (all layed out and planned before hand), in a race you'll be picking up your sunnies, powergels, helmet, and bike. This time, i picked up my long lens, and short lens, and put on my Pool photographers vest. Then head out, early enough to catch the Bike leg.

After which, you pop back to a different zone to catch the run segment up to the finish.

Ahhhh.... like they say in Thailand, same same but different.

Out takes

I guess I don't really have to tell you that most photographers have a crazy streak. Well, mostly brought about by long hours of waiting for or at an assignment. Naturally, we couldn't resist the wrestling mats that were empty in between session of the Youth Olympic Wrestling matches.

Here are some photos that we took together, mimicking the matches and well, improvising it quite a bit from what started out as a harmless team photo. Techinically I was shooting this solo for the AP but these guys used to be my colleagues back in the day when I was at the paper. Wonderful bunch of people who I found company in for 2-weeks. Like I said. Starts with normal sane pictures which led to......

seems so long ago

I miss small Nate.