I picked up a Lumix DMC-FZ7 to play with last week. Not bad! Besides having a kick-ass Leica lens, it also has shutter and aperture priority, program and manual modes and a big zoom (36-432mm) too. I was raised with SLRs and rangefinders so having a digicam with these kind of controls that dun cost an arm and a leg is exciting! The Ixus is great for carrying around and photowhoring, but sometimes you just want to work on technique and being artsy-fartsy.
Aperture priority basically means that you can focus on an object and it will blur the background for those artsy-fartsy shots that many picture-snappers aim for. See?
Since I live 5 minutes away from an international landmark, I drove 5 minutes and took some pictures last night.
Yup, it’s all a “Special Driving Zone” here…
Toll Plaza, where you pay to enter San Francisco. Is it worth it?
And the one sign that should be plastered on all sidewalks…
Homesick for Hong Kong?
While mucking about on the internet (and missing my biannual trip to Hong Kong), I found this page that makes me miss it even more.
Apparently, the guy who took the photos was there during Xmas. Twinkley lights!
Oh yah, saw MI:3 tonight. Not bad! Especially her.Wow! She’s also based outta Hong Kong…
Motorbike and Allergies
Yes, I will admit that I’ve been remiss in taking “pictures” for this blog. Mostly because I have to hang around SF during my peak travel season (the shoulder season before peak summer travel time). But I’ve a good reason, lah!!
I’m getting to know my new used bike. Its a naked Suzuki GS500 (yes, I’ll put a picture up when I remember to take one). It’s naked because it has no windscreen or fairing, which means riding it at speeds over 55 MPH (88kph) is an adventure in “gripping the handlebars tightly”.
Today was the first day of sun-shiney weather that we’ve had out here in a while. It seems that the deluge that we’ve gone through here (AKA the rainy season) has abated, thus leaving lots of weeds and horny plants about. In other words, it’s now hay fever season.
Atchoo! I mean, bleagh!
I’m get allergies in the springtime and whenever there’s a cat around. So this is not a good time for me to be here. Usually, I’m in Asia this time of the year, but am hanging around for the possibility of a straight gig. Hopefully I’ll hear something one way or the other soon…
But back to the ride. The best way to learn riding is “saddle time”. Go out and ride. So I rode. Across the Golden Gate Bridge, along US 101 to San Rafael. Stopped off at a Borders and got a book and some coffee. Enjoyed the sunshine. Then rode back on US 101, making a detour to Muir Beach, stopping there and then rode home via Sausalito.
Wait, I DID take a picture!
Notice that layer of “smug” over San Francisco. Looks like a 2nd stage smug alert! Yeeeech!
Reminders of Travel
I met up with a fren who I’ve not seen for a while yesterday night at the Giants Game.
Final Score: Giants over the D-backs, 10-2.
So while we were freezing together in the bleachers, cuz even PacBellPark SBC Park ATT Park gets cold in what passes for “weather” in San Francisco, I spotted a tenner (a ten pound note from the UK) in her wallet.
I asked, “when were you last in the UK?“, thinking it would be from a recent trip.
She said: “about nine months back” and continues while chewing her cotton candy, “it reminds me of travelling and the places I’ve been“. So that’s why she keeps foreign currency in her wallet.
I’ve done that as well, usually finding SG$, HK$ AU$ and Japanese Yen in my wallet months after my return to the states.
I thought I was the only person that did that. Glad to see I’m not THAT weird!!
Rule for Toasts
Andrea (from the UK via Cessnock) taught me this one (she learned it from a fellow backpacker), which I found repeated in the Switzerland section of the Lonely Planet Central Europe volume.
When drinking, always wait until everyone has their drink and toast each of your companions, looking them in the eye and clinking glasses. Drinking before the toast is unforgivable and will lead to seven years of bad sex, according to the superstition.
Hmmm. That would explain a great many things…since I dun drink as much as I used to!!!
Cellular Tips from Oz
If you’re stuck in the US using Cingular, this affects you…
If you happen to be travelling overseas (saaay Australia for example) and you happen to have a phone with your Cingular SIM card turned on and you receive an SMS or your phone rings (but you dun answer), guess what?
YOU GET HIT WITH INT’L ROAMING CHARGES! Frakkin’ rat bastards!
US$0.50 for each SMS received! US$1.75/minute for each call that rings! What is this?
This is the first time I’ve been hit with these kind of charges. Normally, if my phone rings and I’m awake, I take note of who called me on my Cingular SIM and then call them back on my locally sourced prepaid SIM card. You know the one, the one with the great deals…
But now Cingular charges even if your phone rings and you dun answer it overseas!! My bill this month is US$30 more than it usually is…
So lesson of the story: If you got Cingular, call in from overseas to check messages. And don’t even THINK of turning on your phone!
Also, if you have an US Triband phone (GSM 850/1800/1900) and you are mucking about in Sydney, be advised that your phone will become useless once you leave Sydney because the networks switch over to GSM 900. Solution: Quad-Band phone, world Triband phone (GSM 900/1800/1900) or a Dual-Band GSM 900/1800 phone.
Missing Tokyo?
I’ll admit it.
I’m missing Tokyo in a big way. I miss good ramen. I miss bijin. And I miss the skyline of Tokyo.
Although, I’ll admit that it looks waaay better at night. The bijin too.
This site has lots of high res pix of different parts of Tokyo at night. It helps. Just a little.
No bijin though. =\
Tuesday Night Dinner
Urggggh….
Recovering from last night’s dinner. Which consisted of:
2 slices of pizza and a diet Pepsi
Grey Goose martini, twist, extra dry
Stella Artois
Pint o’Guinness
Jagermeister shot
bottle of Bud
Jagermeister shot again
another Pint o’Guinness
Sapphire Tonic
It’s da Liquid Diet!!
Broke two of my big drinking rules (besides mixing different types of alcohol): No Jager (it’s like cough syrup without the positive side effects) and No Bud (not the greatest beer).
I’m paying for it now…can you not type so loud??
Public Service
I found this entry on National Geographic Traveler and found it important enough to share:
2. Trash your “cookies,” small files (stored in your Internet browser) that record the websites you surf—and the transactions you make. Say you go online and purchase a $200 plane ticket from Chicago to Omaha. The next time you visit that site, you could be quoted a higher rate than what’s actually available because of your spending history. Avoid this problem by deleting these files each time you log on; detailed instructions can be found under the “Help” option in your browser menu.
Now the cookie thing is common knowledge if you’ve been on the internet for any length of time. However, as (occasionally) blur as I can get, I didn’t think that the airlines would use purchasing history AGAINST you…
The most expensive part of my travel is usually airfare. I generally dun stay at fancy schmancy hotels at my destination (because that’s money best spent on FOOD and Booze); rather I stay at hostels for both the experience and economy. Don’t get me wrong, I looove fancy schmancy hotels. But unless I’m planning a rendezvous of some sort, the money spent on a fancy schmancy hotel is better used for food. And booze. And cigars.
So long entry short, delete your cookies in your browser before you do any kind of airfare hunt.
Hunter Sunrise outtake
This is the photo that came before this one.
I think this photo is more dramatic; appropriate for Australia’s big spaces. It IS a bit dark though.