Melbourne Open House

MOH was a fantastic event!

One day in the year, 32 buildings in the CBD open to the public for free, most accompanied with guided tours. More than 50,000 people turned up for the event and God was kind and gave us amazing sunny weather on the day.

I love architecture so I wasn't going to miss this!


Yes, the queues were very long... But, my wife and her girlfriend later joined me which certainly made the day even more pleasurable. They saved a good two hours as well. To top it off, we had a fab lunch after that. Although it was kind of small. Loved the risotto and the company. I am hungry just thinking about it... :O...

This is the roof top view from MU.


I was lazy or perhaps just being realistic on the day... left my tripod at home... was going to bring it... it went as far as the door. Sorry tripod...

Tripod could have been useful at the St. Paul Cathedral. Anyway, had to do with handheld on the day. A wider angle lens would be nice too. I do love this cathedral, a wonderful house of God.



This is CH2. CH2 is the first purpose-built office building in Australia to achieve the six Green Star certified rating. A truly fasinating and innovative building albeit it took a long wait to get in also.

Love those infamous wooden louvers, yellow roof top turbines (also called wind crowls) and cooling through heat absorption into the concrete, etc... Magnificant!

After a long day of walking, met up with friends at Shanghai Village for dinner. The chicken dish was so nice! We are definitely going back again. Good choice Rumi/Yoshi. :)

A Sydney-sider told me buildings are even prettier in Sydney. Oh, I certainly love the Sydney Habour Bridge, the Opera House and I like The Circular Quay also. But this Melbourian is more than happy with what Melbourne has to offer.

Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne! =3=

The All New Mr & Mrs Bubb

Congratulations to Andrew and Dharshana, the new Mr & Mrs Bubb!


Fourth of July, affectionately known as the Independence Day. However, 4th July, 2009 will always be remembered by Andrew and Dharshana as the day they pledged their love for one another in front of their family, friends and before their God; to love one another in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, so long as they both shall live.

Look at this royal wave from one very proud woman. What about the lucky fella next to her? He is so happy, no one could wipe that smile from his face on their big day.

May the Lord bless you with a lifetime of happiness and ever growing love for one another. May the Lord be the head of your household and your house be always filled with laughters and warmth.

Proverbs 18:22, "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD. "

Love each other with the same love Christ has for the church. Giving to each other, prefering one another over yourself. Giving and forgiving just as in Christ God has forgiven us and continue to bear with us.

Through God, your love will never fail.

Multiple Exposures

Today is a very windy day.. even our little indoor flower is swaying in the wind.. Haha, not quite. It is a solar powered flower pot I got my wife from Malaysia originally intended for her office. You can just see the solar cell in the middle.

Taken using the built-in mutliple exposures feature of my camera. It is so much fun! Gain was set to auto.

Haven't played with custom time interval yet.. sure to be the next to explore.

Here is a single exposure. I was so lazy I didn't keep the flower from swaying before getting another frame. Thank God that the shutter speed was fast enough to freeze it. The center of the flower (stamen, pistil, etc) looks so much like the yolk of an egg. :)

It reads (on the base), "Flip Flap is a cute flower bud which moves by light. Please grow your Flip Flap in your mind and bloom your own special flower." LOL


Solar Powered Flip Flap Flower Flowerpot -Sourcingmap.com - Watch a funny movie here

Jewelry from Heaven

Yes, jewelry from heaven - the morning dew.

Just as I was getting out (alright, rushing out) of the house to attend church, I saw this beauty in the backyard.

Beauty? Mmm, it is merely a lonely leaf, less than 2cm in length, that has fulfilled its purpose (to collect and process energy, to shade and protect the plant and much more). It is now lying on the concrete drying up and returning to earth. Yeah, I actually thought it is really beautiful that even for a leaf spent that God would dress it so beautifully with dew. What about us - people, we are precious in God's eyes.

Matthew 6, "...do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

...Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

What about this second photograph? An unwanted plant thus called a weed (or valueless plant growing wild as the dictionary says) in a pot.

I actually thought the leaves look like wings of butterflies, many butterflies, dressed so beautifully with dew again. A truly beautiful moment captured forever! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do. :)

One more thing, they were taken by my 28-200mm G lens, a humble little lens, without AF-S, given by my mother-in-law. It is a lovely little lens.

Forever Barbie - 50th Anniversary

Who would not love to look their best forever? Barbie is the most popular plastic doll for girls in history and she still looks her best and trendy after 50 years.

Forever Barbie, celebrating 50th year of a pop culture icon - Barbie - is being showcased at Federation Square (top floor car park). It is the biggest Australia has ever seen. In fact, it is the biggest Barbie exhibition ever in the southern hemisphere!

With over three hundred Barbies, from the yesteryears to the new. From retail models to custom made ones, accessories - bags, glasses, shoes, more bags, houses, furnitures, automobiles (and space shuttle and horses) and pets and of course Ken (which may be classified as her pet also?)! From Barbie doll size to life-size fashion designs...

Not only Barbie fans will find it interesting. There are heaps of merchandise to purchase as well and I don't mean just dolls! Barbie is more than just a doll!

If you haven't checked it out yet. I highly recommend it, especially for this school holiday. It will be open (since Friday, 26th June) until Sunday, 12th July. Checkout the Barbie site for more details.

KEN: "To debunk all the rumour claiming that my relationship with Barbie is rocky, here is proof! We love each other and we are very happy together.

All you eligible bachelors out there, go look somewhere else!

Fans, thank you for your unwavering support to both Barbie and me! XOXO"

The King of Pop Michael Jackson has left

Very sad and unbelieveable news that Michael Jackson (29/08/1958-25/06/2006) has passed away this morning at the age of 50. He was such a great performer, so talented.

His life and career was filled with so much drama and he was undoubtedly the most influential music performer in the last 30 years. On the same day, Farrah Fawcett, one of the original Charlie's Angels also died. She was one of the most beautiful during my childhood years. ;_;

Must say like many, I was somewhat turned off by Michael's look in his later years after the plastic surgeries and skin condition... when he was given the nickname Jacko.

Nevertheless, he was a significant person during my childhood. Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean, Bad, Black or White are some of his songs that have permanent residence in my memory.

It was quite a moving experience at Federation Square tonight. They screened many of Michael's top hits on the giant screen. Many stopped, stood there, sat there, cuddled another and watched. There were older folks, younger people and even some kids.


While there was some technical problems here and there (the video flickered and the audio could not be heard in some songs), people patiently waited, looked on... filling in the gaps with what they remembered and remembered so well.

I wonder about all the memories that must have rushed back to each person as they saw Michael perform... I felt like everything came to a standstill for a moment...


It is so sad that he is not with us anymore. No doubt he will be remembered as a legend, a great achiever, one who won many hearts. Lets remember him for his amazing talent, wonderful songs and moon-walk. RIP Michael.

The Light in Winter

Wanted to photograph the light shows at Federation Square for sometime. Tonight is the night! It was indeed very nice. Federation Square has officially became one of my favorite place! :)

The whole exhibit is called The Light in Winter which is all part an enlightenment theme. This first picture is The Gift of Light. Visit here for more details.
This exhibit is called Volume, LED light columns that reacts to human movements. I love all the colours of the exhibit and also the rich colours of the buildings near by. Beautiful!
Lets see it from ground level.

The next one, called Context, is a really interesting one. It is a real fire. You probably guessed it, it relates to the indigenous people of Australia.

Indeed, it was deigned by Vicki Couzens with the elders of the indigenous communities.