Bondi Beach

How could I have missed Bondi Beach?!?!? Here are some pics of it. It is only about 8 km from City Centre. And best of all, there's a direct bus near my hotel.

Tried surfing: signed up a 2 hour surfing lesson. Felt like I was in the washing machine in cold water. Still couldn't stand up. But is was really fun!

Hunter Valley and Royal Botanical Gardens

Hunter Valley

Royal Botanical Gardens
Roses are red

Violets are blue ( actually, I'm not sure what these flowers are?)



These flowers deserve a special mention. We usually see them in pharmacy in the form of capsule /bottle/ sachet .

Tea anyone? Here are some chamomile flowers
Lavender: calming and soothing

Echinacea for immunity boost

The Animals in Australia

Batman ???

But my greatest hero and idol is actually this!!!

Other wonderful animals of Australia:
The Kangeroo

The Pelican

"Okay. Don't make any sudden moves. Hop inside my mouth, if you want to live."

Quote from Finding Nemo.

Pic from Australian Ray and Shark Centre.There isn't a Great White. But this is a really funny quote also from Finding Nemo

"I am a nice shark. Not a mindless eatin' machine. If I want to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends. Not food."

Dolphin

Emu

Singapore - Stormy Days Ahead?

Singapore is already in recession, technically. And this year, the civil servants receive the lowest bonus ever, since I started working. Inflation is still about 6% ?!?!? And according to various reports, next year's economy is going to be worse!

On another note, it seems a blessing to be a civil servant in time of economic crisis. Job stability is priced highly. So ... no complaints. Christmas/Year End shopping still continues, though at a less elaborate scale.

Marina Barrage

This is the Singapore's new dam-reservoir : The Marina Barrage. It has a 3-in-1 Benefit:

1. Water Supply
   
2. Flood Control
   
3. Lifestyle Attraction

for more information, please go to the PUB website:
http://www.pub.gov.sg/Marina/Pages/default.aspx
There are some nice photos there too.

Children playing and having fun. But, I think this is just an initial hype. Honestly, at the moment, it is not convenient to go there. You need to take MRT to Marina South and wait for a shuttle bus (which operates at 1/2 hour interval) to bring you there. Maybe in a few years down the road, the Marina Barrage will be more accessible. There are more convenient places with water spraying from the ground. There is one at Vivo City; I believe IMM has one too.

漏水？

Well, not sure if this a some feng shui stuff , but this angle seems kind of auspicious

新加坡－发啊！

JCs

It is invigilation time and I find myself in National JC. A wonderful sunrise for a morning paper, I'm not sure the students will think that way though. Their minds have better things to do than to appreciate the morning coffee and sunrise.

I hope the students there don't take this for granted.

This is ACJC on a rainy day. A different weather and a different perspective of ACJC.

Sneak in to HCI for lunch. Ha Ha.

NIE library

I would never have expected that this scene is taken from a library. Wow, I must say I'm quite impressed with NIE library. I was revising for my evening exams. It was the last paper and I thought I should treat myself with a carrot cake; actually, I thought I deserve something to sweeten my life a bit ,and of course some sugar rush for my near-dead brain.

Lovely reflection of a sunset.

these birds have guts!

... and their stomach is empty.