New kicks! Reebok Pump Omni Lite

One of my wishlist during the recent Singapore trip was to get myself a new pair of shoes, a Reebok Pump that is. I did mention in this blog that I have a soft spot for that particular model and I currently owned a pair of Pump Bringback Edition. I browsed the net for the availability of it and found out it was cheap there, even after conversion to Ringgit. Some specs of Omni Lite.

• HexRide technology provides air cushioning
• Soft full-grain leather adds comfort and support
• Padded foam liner supplies the cushioning
• The Pump helps you find the perfect fit

I found the shoes at Bata Shoes at Capitol Centre, while we're on our way to Funan IT and Peninsula Plaza. Choices are limited though, a few Omnilites and Fury Pumps as well as Reebok's new Reezig. Then reality sets in...should I get it or should I not. It's not that I'm going to wear them everyday but since it was my childhood dream, I just can't let this pass. It took me few hours going in and out that area before I decided to get them. Besides, wifey gave her support too!




20 years of pumping...


If only they have the classic white/blue/red version in the shop.



















What's next? I'm still wishing for a Puma Disc, and LA Gears. Good to know they're back in business. LA Gears was cool last time with their LA Lights sneakers.

Kinabalu Rose Cabin

During the recent school/hari Raya holidays, my brother-in-law invited us to spend a night at Kundasang. I always liked the cold weather there so my wife and I agreed. He already booked a room at Kinabalu Rose cabin. I wasn't sure the exact location of the hotel, so I used GPS to locate it.







When I reached there, found out that it was located not far from Kinabalu Park. You can see Mount Kinabalu from this place which is an added bonus. Besides that, located behind the cabin are the nursery and farms(lot's of nice flowers here for macro shooters). Room rate starts from Rm70 to Rm250. We stayed at the Rafflesia room, just at the side of the main building and reception.








Our rooms are located upstairs.


Comes with a living room.




Going up the stairs on the right brings you to the rooms.


Sorry for the mess.


The other room.




Both rooms comes with private bathroom and heater.


This is the nursery and farms.



Feeling hungry? The management provide a cafeteria which serves local and Chinese foods.




The cafeteria closes at 9.40 pm.

The rooms however, doesn't come with a kitchen or electric kettle. The weather can be really cold at night and having a hot coffee or tea is just heavenly. I would advise bringing flask so that you can save some hot water and have your drinks without going out from your room.


A few of these are located within the cabin's buildings.


This is the view from the back of our rooms at dawn.


The next morning! This is considered a lucky shot that day as the clouds covered the mountain in an instant after that.

One more thing, do pack some mosquito coil or mosquito spray. Those mosquitoes can be an annoyance at night. Happy vacation!

35mm f1.7 C-mount TV lens for Sony Nex

Before going to Singapore, I browsed through Clubsnap.com, one of Singapore's photography forum to look for cheap things to buy while I'm there. Found out about a seller who sells the 35mm lens for $80. It looked similar to SLR Magic's 35mm, only cheaper. It's a manual focusing lens by the way.


In the package : the lens itself, C-mount to Nex adapter and macro(close-up) ring




Wide open.


When compared to a Malaysian 50 cent.




Note the aperture shape.



Manual focus is easy because the focus ring is smooth to operate. The Nex's MF Assists function helps a lot when doing precise focusing. Because the adapter doesn't have any chip, the camera cannot record the aperture used for each photos. There's a slight vignette when used wide open. Now for some sample shots. Note the blur produced. With a suitable subject and background, this lens can produce slight miniature effect. Kinda cool in a way.
















This is taken with the macro/close-up ring attached. It is screwed between the lens and the adapter.

The more I use this lens, I grow to love the photos it produced although I took more time to focus on my subjects, not forgetting the frequent 'out of focus' areas. At the moment it stays mounted on my camera most of the time.

Our Singapore trip - Views at the Changi airport

It was our last day in Singapore, so we went to the airport quite early to make sure everything was okay before flying back to KK. There were some renovation works being carried out in Terminal 1.




Not much of bags to bring back. I'm very sure it would doubled for our trip next year.




There's a wall at the airport which could be used as a background for portraits.







There's nothing much outside, so we went into the waiting hall. Inside houses quite a number of shops to do last-minute shopping.




Hey what's this?

Singapore will be next host for the Formula 1 night race at the end of this week, and the airport organized some competitions to celebrate that event.


I would not miss the chance to test my skills.


First up, F1 simulator. I got second place, no prize.

Not giving up, I tried my hands at the RC buggy.


Instructions being given before the time trial.


Lucky for me, I had some experiences in RC cars and I posted one of the best times.


Hehe. I got a 3D model of a F1 car.

Enough playing, we made our way to our gate before boarding the plane.












Everyone's favourite! Chocolates!




This is one of the open-air deck for smokers.