Time is flying by and things have been pretty hectic. This past week I was playing around with the Lensbaby Composer with a custom made aperture with some really cool effects.
Recently I just wander around the city without worrying about how to compose the shot or think about what lens to bring.
Sometimes I kick myself for not having a camera on hand but it is quite refreshing to just explore and enjoy the setting.
A vibrant sunset near Dongguan. I was so tired the camera was set at ISO1600 and then realized I had gotten off at the wrong train station…
Waiting in the rain. I covered him with a few more umbrellas!
My 5-week journey in Asia is coming to an end. Time to start packing again, see you in Toronto!
What have I learned in 2008 and how much have I changed after 2 academic terms and 1 work-term? The year 2008 has been challenging and eye-opening. After a 10 year absence, I worked in Hong Kong and China for 4 months. The work culture and lifestyle were very different from the North American way of life. Seeing the rapid development in China, the factories and workers that assemble all the goods we use on a daily basis was baffling.
One thing that stuck me was that if I was brought up in China I could have been the one sitting in the factories assembling the products. It was humbling to realize that our surrounding environment have such a large bearing on our future.
Next year will be a year of decisions. As we near graduation, it will be a new chapter for everyone in the Mechatronics 2009 class. Also for my other friends there are many other events such as re-location, engagements, and new jobs.
Despite the uncertainty and tough economic situations, I am excited to face the next year and meet the challenges!
In about 12hrs I will be waiting to board the plane that will take me back to Toronto, Canada. These past 3 and a half months have been an eyeopener for me in many ways and to see different parts of China with my own eyes.
I wonder if the hustle and bustle lifestyle of Hong Kong/China has left a mark in me?
Being born and spending the earlier portions of my childhood in Hong Kong, I still have many fond memories of the schools, games, shops, markets, and local landmarks. With the constant development in Hong Kong, many of these practices have adopted new faces or have been eliminated. I wonder how it will be like when I come back again?
I haven’t had time to sort through the photos from my Guangxi trip so it will have to wait till I get back to Canada. Right now I just have to figure out how to fit everything into 2 suitcases!
Temple Street is perhaps best known for its night market. The market contains anything from antiques, paintings, toys, ‘novelty’ toys, clothes, walking sticks, flashlights, cellphone accessories, karaoke discs, fake watches, handbags….
There are very no price tags in Temple Street because the prices are tailored to different customer. The bargaining phenomenon between locals is quite a sight.
“How much is this?”
“This is a 200yrs old masterpiece. For you, $340″
“Wah, you crazy?” starts walking away
“Very good price already…$240″
“$150.”
“You think I don’t need to make money?!…ok ok I will sell it at cost $210″
“Here is $200.”
“Ok ok”
It is interesting to note that all these stores are setup and disassembled daily and yet they are still so neat and organized.
I had the privilege of seeing some behind-the-scenes store operations from the street.
Another attraction of Temple Street are the outdoor restaurants where the patrons have to share tables in the middle of the street. Apparently the seafood is very good because they can have large open-fires in the kitchen for the woks.
This is the temple courtyard that the street derived its name from. Here some elderly gentlemen are practicing most advanced level of meditation.
There are also a stretch of road filled with fortune telling tents. A lady told me I have dragon blood coursing through my veins and that I should go inside her tent to learn more about it! HA!
