Thursday, June 30, 2016

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In Search of the Milky Way. Taken at Cape Schanck, the southernmost tip of the Mornington Peninsula. It's only one hour drive away from the Melbourne city, but the sky is dark enough to see our beautiful galaxy.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

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Angkor Wat.
A religious complex in Cambodia built in the 12th century, Angkor Wat is known for its classical Khmer architecture. It was largely neglected until popularised by a French explorer.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

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Cherry blossom.
Spring has arrived, and flowers are blossoming everywhere in London. One of the most spectacular sights is undoubtedly sakura, the Japanese ornamental cherry trees.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

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8:08PM: Blood moon at Brighton beach.
Golden hour is the period shortly after sunrise or before sunset, a time when the sky has an orange tint. Blue hour, on the other hand, is the short period right before sunrise or after sunset, when the sun is below the horizon and the indirect sunlight casts a strong blue hue across the sky.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

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Fancy some hotdogs?
Ah the winter nights. The nights where we hide in our cosy homes watching bad TVs. One day last week I decided to do something different. I thought maybe I should take a stroll and see what happens to London after dark in winter.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

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Great Court of the British Museum. This awe-inspiring space is the largest covered square in Europe.
One of the few great things in the UK is that national museums are free (well, funded by tax payers). It does make one wonder if the locals are ultimately paying foreign tourists to visit their museum, since there's never a shortage of tourists in these places.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

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First snow in London.
It isn't very often that we get snow in London.

The last time we had snow was a couple years ago so it was a pleasant surprise to wake up to a snowy morning. I was on my way cycling to work before I realise the park that I pass by everyday (Barnard Park) was completely covered in snow! And people were bringing out their kids and dogs to play. Happy times.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

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Sunrise at Low's Peak, the summit of Mount Kinabalu.
Mount Kinabalu, one of the prominent peaks in Southeast Asia, is deeply revered by the locals and natives. The climbing route to the summit (4,095m) is a popular track for amateurs as it requires no mountaineering equipment.

Saturday, January 24, 2015

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Paradise.
Sabah, a Malaysian state on Borneo, is well known for its beautiful beaches and coral reefs. Also known as Land Below the Wind, it is situated just below the typhoon belt and hence dodges the storms and typhoons that periodically ravages its neighbour Philippines.
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Flinders Street and the Yarra River at Dawn.
Melbourne, one of the most livable city in the world, is a beautiful city. Having spent quite a number of years there, it always feels like home when I am back at this place.

Friday, January 23, 2015

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A view of the city at dawn from Calton Hill. In the foreground we have the Dugald Stewart Monument, a memorial to the Scottish philosopher Dugald Stewart. The prominent clock tower is the luxury five-star Balmoral Hotel, a landmark in Edinburgh. We can also see North Bridge in the middle, a 19th century bridge that connects the Old Town and New Town.

Edinburgh is a city of contrast. It might be very old — Romans first came in the first century AD — but there is something progressive and academic about the city which I can't put my finger on. It is no wonder that Edinburgh is the first city to be awarded UNESCO City of Literature status, in recognition of its literary heritage and present literary activities.
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Main foyer in the building. Its central design philosophy is transparency, e.g. to allow people from ground floor to see through to the upper floors the architects have decided to use some sort of metal mesh as barriers. Notice the beehive-looking structure at the back; it hangs off the roof and has a few rooms inside.

Ironically, the architecture faculty in the University of Melbourne has one of the more shoddy looking buildings on campus for years. And it was design by an alumni apparently. As a university student back then we always joked about how bad the faculty must be if their graduates can't even build themselves a proper building...