calm

January and February have been the calm before the storm of 2012.

In March, it all kicks off for us. Leaving our home of two years in Singapore, moving back to our "real" home in the UK - a process that will take nearly two months in total. Endless, endless paperwork mountains to be climbed. Making our empty house feel like home again, and starting from scratch in our big, heartbreakingly neglected garden. Contemplating the absence of Mister Breadwinner for looooong periods (sadly, this year our bread must come from Continental Europe it seems). Starting "big" school. Much-ignored, long-overdue and cripplingly expensive maintenance to our house. And numerous other challenges that make my eyes pop out of my head, some that I can anticipate, many that I'm sure I can't.

But no matter what happens this year, I'll always be happy that I got to spend a very early Monday morning in February watching the sun rise over a gradually wakening Singapore from the top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, looking out over the highest swimming pool in the world. It was very calm indeed. That breadwinner, he certainly knows how to give his girls a treat.

about 6.30am using a very long exposure and a helpfully placed wall (got to get a tripod one of these days!)

snapped with my iphone just before breakfast. she stayed there a long time in the very cold water, it almost looked like she was meditating at times.

Linking up with the wonderful Rebecca at Bumbles and Light, Kristi of Live and Love Out Loud, Faith of Sweet Violet and Alicia of Project Alicia, who are together hosting the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge. Click on the button below or go to their Pinterest board to check out the other lovely pictures.

Previous posts in the Poetic Winter series:
Solitude
Passion

passion

Fridays are busy with photo challenges this month. And though I didn't manage last week's Poetic Winter prompt (which was 'warmth' and should have been easy, since it's warm here all the time, d'uh) I really wanted to try and take part in the final two weeks.

But like my p52: true love post earlier today, I really struggled to find a photo to illustrate passion in a romantic sense. I think it's the Valentine's overload this week, it kind of puts me off. So instead, I took this photo of some elderly guys (all simply known as Uncles in Singapore) at the outdoor checkerboard tables in Kreta Ayer Square.

I love this scene. Who knows what the central character is feeling so passionate about. Maybe he's a cabby bemoaning the fare hikes and new underground networks that are ruining his trade. Maybe he's a noodle hawker feeling the pinch from ever-increasing stall rents. Perhaps he resents the new Chinatown Visitor Centre imposing on the square, certainly the checkerboards have been slightly sidelined. Maybe he's just losing the game or having a laugh at the expense of one of his friends. But one thing's for sure; none of his pals are paying the slightest attention to his outburst. You can imagine them thinking, "old Lim grumbling again. Plus ca change.".

there's a nifty little filter in Photoshop called surface blur, which perhaps I overdid a bit (like all psd newbies tend to do!) it kind of
gently flattened/smoothed out the whole image except the central character's face (by chance). Helps to vignette a bit I thought.

Now, just in case you're interested, I wasn't sure about the rules regarding publishing photos of strangers. But here's a marvelous explanation from Darcy at my3boybarians. So, sorry if this happens to be your actual Uncle, but I think this falls into the totally acceptable category because I was just standing in a square taking a picture of a public scene. Interesting stuff anyway, and a great simple explanation.

Linking up with the wonderful Rebecca at Bumbles and Light, Kristi of Live and Love Out Loud, Faith of Sweet Violet and Alicia of Project Alicia, who are together hosting the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge. Click on the button below or go to their Pinterest board to check out the other lovely pictures.

solitude

If I understood correctly, Chinese New Year was simply about celebrating the good stuff. Family reunion, reconciliation, wealth, health, happiness, luck, longevity, joy, blessings. It was celebrated with generous gifts, lavish gluttony, ear-splitting music, and red and gold adorning every surface. Chinese New Year was IN YOUR FACE.

So I guess the antithesis to Chinese New Year could be encapsulated by one word. And coincidentally that word is the first theme for the Poetic Winter photo challenge: solitude.

Solitude. It's pretty hard to come by at this time of year, when CNY coincides with The Boss' birthday (and with Singapore being the most densely populated country in the world anyway!). But here are two shots that illustrate solitary moments amidst the festivities. CNY was celebrated by millions upon millions of people worldwide, which somehow makes these images feel all the more solitary.

i seem to have a fixation with lantern photos

table for one?

Linking up with the wonderful Rebecca at Bumbles and Light, Kristi of Live and Love Out Loud, Faith of Sweet Violet and Alicia of Project Alicia, who are together hosting the Poetic Winter Photography Challenge. Click on the button below or go to their Pinterest board to check out the other lovely pictures.