Charity = Generosity - GFC

Thank you Aynur for the opportunity to photograph the Charity Trivia lunch in support of Cystic Fibrosis Victoria.

There was a generous turn out and everyone gave generously toward this great cause. This is the tin with the donations inside. The photo doesn't do it justice but I shouldn't touch the money.

CFV Mission statement: "To promote research, increase awareness of Cystic Fibrosis and provide education, support and advocacy to Victoria's Cystic Fibrosis community."

Really exciting to see the spirit of charity not snuffed out by the global financial crisis (GFC)! Charity is a positive number because Generosity is always greater than GFC (or crisis).

Thank you to NAB and management for empowering its staff to contribute to the community in this way. If you would like to make a donation to CFV, please visit here.

Isaiah 58:6-7,14a, "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? ...The mouth of the LORD has spoken."

UBank Celebration

UBank or NextGen Release 1 has take off!

UBank is the fruit of many months of hard work, of many wonderful people from different teams, departments, and vendors, working together.

I've learned a great deal and achieved much myself. Thank you all who collaborated and cooperated with me on SCM.

Praise be to God! Philippians 4:13

This is the day to celebrate, and we did that in style at a Swiss bar restaurant, Terra Rossa.

There were lots of great foods and drinks of course. Good to see so many letting their hair down for a second to have a great laugh and getting (and giving) a slap on the back for job well done. Many awards were handed out in recognition.




I really liked the decor in the bar, very retro.

Saw $13.25 on the table not far from the entrance and wondered who would leave them there? Soon I realised that it is a piece of art! The coins and notes are sealed inside a very thick layer of lacquer and is part of the table. Sorry, this is not a good pic, but it is one of those times, where the story is more important than the image. :)

Don't think my camera liked the showers half as much as I do.. The showers, combined with lights created wonderful effect of reflections on the street.. so much life and richness!

*Please take a good look at UBank and work out for yourself whether it is the right vehicle to manage and grow your hard earned money. :)


* This is not a financial advice nor an advertisement for UBank or the National Australia Bank (nab). Please consult your financial adviser for advice.

Generosity, I recommend

I have a confession to make...

Been taking Robitussin Honey Cough Drops recently because of a persistent dry cough. They were great except that they are impossible to find. I have depended on them at work - for meetings, presentations, on the phone, etc, so it was terrible when we couldn't find them after going to no less than ten pharmacies...

With my one and only pack of Robitussin, I was at a friend's two days ago with lots of friends. Several were suffering from coughs also. With a little hesitation, I shared my precious Robitussin...

Today, we shopped at a grocery shop that is opposite a pharmacy, so I thought I will walk in and take a look. You guessed it, they have Robitussin Cough Drops, several packs in fact! The sales assistant was so nice that she even gave me a pack of 20 for free!

Thank you, thank you, thank you. :)

Proverbs 11:24,25 "One man gives freely, yet gains even more... A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed!"

PS, I don't work for Robitussin or get any commission from Robitussin. :)

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.