So before falling in love with my GF1 was my G12 and before that was my Fujifilm F100. I think i used this camera for around 3-4 years before it one day started to give me the feeling it was getting old. WHat i mean by getting old is not that i was bored of it. But the fact that it started to die down in speed and would start forgetting what each button does - basically, it was dying...
The F100 was one of the camera's which i've never been happier with. I had so much fun with this camera! When the F200 came out i did check it out, but it still doesn't compare (just like how the GF2&3 doesn't compare with the original GF1) So i gave that up and carried on using my F100. Anyway, i decided to put my F100 into retirement. Every time i go traveling though, i bring it with me even though it has trouble even turning on - don't ask why, i think it was having that HOPE that it may just work again.
Another sunny day in Sanya and i was taking photos with my GF1, after a couple minutes of shooting i realized the battery was running low - some loser (me) forgot to bring the charger LOL. So i went into the dressing room and started searching, hoping that i had a spare battery - i saw my F100. I decided to TRY turning it on like i always do in any travel and......OMFG!!!! it turned on!!!!!!! I was like WTF!? FTW!? And it was working perfectly!!!! I quickly took a few shots of random clothes etc. It saved, and it was pretty! Next thing i did was of course take a photo of MYSELF! HAHA!! It's been too long my old friend...♥♥♥
Since i got my iPhone, i can’t stop taking pictures! Yes, even when i'm working and half naked. - and checking facebook more than 10 times a day. (Who doesn’t check their social media outlets that often?)
For those who own an iPhone, I know you’re obsessed too! and chances are you’ve been taking a lot more photos - perhaps even recording videos over the holidays and it all started with a harmless photo: “Oh Wow! The quality of the camera is great!” - Later we then realized that the Front Camera of the Iphone actually sucks horse, yet we don't give a shit because we could always just add an effect to it on Instagram or Pixlromatic(my new favorite).
So Hong Kong has been going through Typhoons this whole week.
I know typhoons are very deadly, dangerous and scary! Many people die and get injured too, but come on - Every cloud has a silver lining right? I think Typhoons are fun and it's kinda romantic. Thinking i've gone mad? If you are, then keep that shock in mind, and keep reading.
I find it strange in some ways when my friends become shocked that someone could enjoy a typhoon. They are even more shocked to learn that I find earthquakes quite exciting. People often comment "don’t you know that typhoons/earthquakes kill lots of people???" Of course I know that! But the fact that people are killed by something does not necessarily make all experiences of it unenjoyable.
Look people love playing with snow. People go on a ski-ing holidays and have fun building their first snowman, despite knowing that the same weather is killing so many hundreds of thousands of people every year worldwide?
Nearly two million people have died globally due to typhoons. Despite their devastating effects, typhoons are also beneficial, by potentially bringing rain to dry areas and moving heat from the tropics poleward. Out at sea, ships take advantage of their known characteristics by navigating through their weaker, western half.
Typhoons aren't entirely bad. They may destroy crops, but its because of typhoons that Hong Kong is finally getting it's Autumn! Plus, humidity levels have also gone down.
Anyway, I'm just going to end it there and get back to the main point of todays blog.
The thing about Typhoons; It's so much fun because it gives me an excuse to have a slumber party! I mean, if i was at a friends place during the day and there's suddenly a Typhoon, it's always suggested that i'd to stay the night because it's too dangerous to go outdoors/travel. I remember when i was much younger, my mother never let me slumber at someone's place even if it was a girlfriend's. (she's rather traditional) But when there's a typhoon my mother always made sure i didn't come home during that weather and even MADE me stay over at my friends place even if that friend was a guy Hoho! Fresh meat! I don't know why, maybe it's because i've never had a childhood which involved sleepover parties when i was young so now that i'm older and out of parental control, i've gone wild. (it's always the 'good' ones LOL) I love having to share a bed and wear my friend's PJs or their brothers t-shirts! Stealing half their bed or just crashing on their floor with lot's of sofa cushions was never cozier. It's so much fun!
Now it's kinda the opposite, i tend to force people to stay at mine. LOL not force but you know what i mean. I get lonely! I tend to plan typhoon nights and stuff. Seriously, my home is the best slumber home ever! I have a DVD library, full stock up of different food ranges from Pasta to snacks to desserts and lots and lots of extra cushions and duvets! Best of all, shit load of alcohol and if that's still not enough, i can do the Typhoon Dance.
Then again, that hardly happens and most of the time a typhoon comes during the days i'm all alone. Like today. Living on a hill top is another issue - my internet is now completely unstable and for the first time i'm using 3G at home. With nothing better to do i am now rambling blog nothingness while playing Japan Life on both my i-devices.
And yes, i've decided to sleep on my floor tonight.
A lot of people know that Kong Kong is another "City of Lights" places so one night i looked out the window and quickly grabbed my Camera to take a picture. Why? Well, see for yourself! Isn't it beautiful? The reflection of the window made it look like Heavenly dust was falling out of the sky!
And this is the other view from my window.
Okay, i confess. I did use photoshop. But ONLY to sharpen the photo to make it more clear on every detail. I didn't mess with the colors at all - i set the camera on Scenery mode.
I'll brag now. The photos were taken with my beloved camera.(Panasonic Lumix GF1) MUAHAHA!
Don't ask. I really have no idea why i decided to hug Dark Vader in this shot.
So finally another Electronics/Gameplay blog! What is it this time? BIG 3 GUN SHOOTING Perfect Pack for PS3!
It's actually rather hard to find now, but i was able to get my hands on a few of these in a Game Store in Mong Kok for only HK$800! Which was a must buy! Why?
Released in Fall 2010, This compilation of arcade gun games includes Time Crisis Razing Storm, Dead Storm Pirates and Time Crisis 4 Arcade Version. And it doesn't end there! It gets better! It also includes Playstation Move Shooting Attachment, Playstation Eye and Playstation Move Motion Controller! ONLY HK$800?! WTF?! That's like a full on GAME DEAL ORGASM!
Okay so i'll just make a quick note about the gameplay. I'm not going to blab on about each game in this blog this time because i rather take my time on that in another blog.
Time Crisis: Razing Storm
This game really reminded me a lot of the Movie "World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles". The game takes place in a massively destructible environment to fight futuristic robotic alien like terrorists and soldiers. For Nubs i have great news, you can set it to 9 Lives max PLUS you can CONTINUE even after you lose those! So you really cannot NOT complete this game. The only way you will LOSE in this game is if you FAIL a mission and not from Dying.
Time Crisis 4
Okay! So this was one which brought back a lot of memories to me because it was the actual ARCADE VERSION! You know, the ones you used to go into Arcades and insert money to play? I remember i spent shit loads of coins on this and now i can play it for free! AMG!!! I haven't completed this yet but i'll get there. You can also play this game with a SPLIT screen with a 2nd player which is great if you have a huge monitor. Nothing more needs to be said, ITS JUST LIKE THE IM AT THE ARCADES!♥♥♥
Deadstorm Pirates
It's my first encounter with Deadstorm Pirates and it Reminds me of a cross over between The Movie - 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and the Sega arcade series, "Let's Go Jungle!" where the player is given unlimited bullets and a navigation system. This was a very exciting/cute game for me, i loved that there was more than just shooting. This game only starts you off with 2 credits but as you play AND FAIL. You will be awarded more credits according to the amount of times you play and try again. Which is how you will end up having enough credits to complete the game.
Finally i would like to add that in my opinion these games are designed mostly for 2 players because there's a lot of "team work shots" that are needed for extra points and plus! It's a lot more fun! I guess the only CON about this box set is that the games are in Japanese. But i'm sure you Gamers are smart enough to be able to figure it all out. lol
I recommend this game for all shooting games fans !!!
So now we come to the final part of the Disney Blogging! I hope you haven't got sick already haha. Firstly, it's going to be Fantasy Land.
Me and my friend went towards the "It's a Small World" attraction.
One thing i must say though, The "It's a Small World" Palace was bigger than the Cinderella Castle. HAHA!
This ride takes you all over the world presented by very cute singing dolls and a beautiful scenery. As you know, Disney is so international, Mulan - China, Stitich - Hawaii, Beauty and the Beast - France and more!!! So as we sail through the different Countries on this ride, we would also be able to spot the different Disney Characters.
We were told that there were 38 Disney characters throughout the attraction. I think we found them all. I'm not going to post any of the pictures because there's no way i can just post ONE picture! It's just too beautiful and lots to see! I rather you go search up this ride on Youtube and watch it. hehe
After this we were running out of time and we decided to find the next big attraction. Here's a nub picture of my friend. Do you see why i called it a nub picture? lmao!
If you don't then, oh well! LOL moving on~
So, Mickey’s Phillhar Magic. Okay! Spoiler ahead: Inside you'll see a beautiful gold proscenium stage decorated with musical instruments in relief. Once everyone is seated, you hear Goofy running around backstage. "Hmmm, there seems to be a problem." Uh, oh! What's that? You hear Goofy saying that it's time for the show and... "Gawrsh, where is everyone?" The orchestra is missing and Donald is sleeping. The curtains go up anyway and the fun begins!
When the movie begins, you'll meet some of Disney's most loved characters Flounder, Ariel, Simba, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Aladdin, Jasmine, Iago, Mickey, and, of course, Donald (Who it's actually the main role, not Mickey) and hear some of Disney’s most memorable songs. The 3D effects are brilliant, but it's the pairing of the 3D with other effects (scents, vibrations, wind, etc.) that make the whole experience so fantastic. So not really 3D, more like 4D!!!!!!
It was now starting to get Dark after riding the Tea Cups again, oh god…(Those who watched my Mad Tea cup video would know i just "LOVE" it haha) I filmed another video here too. I filmed my friend's reaction, but you could see me slowly falling down with the camera hahaha! It's actually more dizzy when you look at the spinning screen. damn… Let's hurry to Tomorrow Land!
I think my favorite attraction in Tomorrowland was Stitch Encounter. The truth is, it was my first time on this attraction. Since HK Disneyland must deal with three languages, Stitch Encounter needs to accommodate this need. Outside the attraction is an ever-changing sign that lists what times the shows will be performed in each language. This information is only posted here so you must walk by and plan your day accordingly. So i never could make it in time for English every time i came Disneyland. This time i was lucky that just as i arrived, they were letting the "English" people in! Hurray!
Here at Stitch Encounter, guests get to have a real-time conversation with Stitch. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of Stitch, but I loved this attraction. It made me laugh a lot unexpectedly. I thought Stitch Encounter was going to be some boring space ship ride like Winnie the Poh. Actually, it was because of this attraction that i actually fell in love with stitch! lol!!
Spoiler: Stitch finds one of the Audiences very familiar and points him out. The man tells him his name and stitch says, "Oh i remember you! We went to space jail together!" and the poor man tells stitch he's got the wrong guy and Switch reveals the "Wanted" poster with a night shot of the guy with his name! Oh i laughed so hard!
Other than this there were other really funny issues, the man playing stitch really had to have good charisma. He did a great job!
It was really dark after this and we had to head over to Space Mountain before the day ends. There's no way you can go to Disneyland without riding the ONE roller-coaster available. LOL
All safety instructions are given in three languages and i had to take off my Marie Ears. Buu!!!
The ride was so windy and it really 'blew me away' i was screaming my shits out. Hey! it's only fun if you scream!
So in the que i made a deal with my friend that we must pull a super ugly face at the camera. The one without the ugly face must buy dinner. Okay, my friend, being more girly than me, lol, of course wasn't capable in making himself look ugly. I somehow, made a huge fool of myself……
"Lukian, i never knew your face could get so big…." said my friend. The picture freaked the shit out of myself too lol! "No! I need a beauty shot next to this picture!" haha! Here we are…
Maybe because this ride was a combo to the Mad tea cups. I actually noticed NOW that i put on my marie ears backwards…. omg……FAIL! Someone's had a little TOO much fun! lmao!
Once we got out, it was time for Fireworks! I took a video of the fireworks, but because i took it on my Iphone, the quality wasn't at it's best. So i decided to look up youtube of anyone has posted and recent fireworks display from HK disneyland. Woohoo! I got one posted up a month earlier. It's the exact same as the one i saw. So i'd like to share it with you.
I must say though, The Cinderella Castle looks much better at night. hahaa!
Strangely, Disneyland closes right after the Fireworks! Which is kind of gay considering the fireworks had just made people hyper for more Disneyland. I was so hungry at this point, but no place was open! OMG! Everywhere was closed! This was when it was kind of a turn off to my great day……
"Eddie, I'm not going home empty handed! I need to shop!!!!!" and we dashed towards the Main Street.
Luckily, we ran past a Stall which hasn't fully packed up yet and saw a lot of stick pizzas! I hurried and bought one. Yay! Wasn't enough though, but no time! Need to buy something Disney!!!!
Oh, and i still had the backwards Marie ears on. I'm pretty pissed at my friend for not noticing it. I guess however much i hate to admit this, He is a guy. Lmao. "Thanks Lukian very much.." haha, you're welcome.
So to conclude. You don't have to a huge ass camera to take great pictures. Just a normal Camera will do. It's Disneyland.
Thank you guys for readying a 3 day blog to my ONE day at Disneyland HK, with a Double date with my GF1 and Eddie with his GF1. OMG I LOVE MY NEW CAMERA!!!! ♥♥♥
Yay! Part 2 and more pictures from my GF. Me and my friend headed off to Adventureland first.
Warning, there will be spoilers in this article. LOL
Truth is i like this Theme Land the best because it's very tropical since it is themed to the remote jungles such as those found in Africa and South America.
Hong Kong Disneyland's Adventureland featured a large island area that features the unique Tarzan's Treehouse which will be circled by the Jungle Cruise.
Here's me and Tarzan's Treehouse.
Okay, the camera out focused me here, i guess the Treehouse looked more pretty to focus on haha!
The first exaggeration of an attraction is the “Liki Tikis.” The guide map says, “Sway to the beat of jungle rhythms pounded out by these ‘leaky’ tiki poles” which to be honest isn't really an attraction but more of just a play area, but i guess in HK it's considered an attraction. This area also has some drums where children can beat out a tune and a nice view of the Jungle River Cruise attraction. It looks like a pleasant spot to sit and relax, but once again, i wouldn't call it an attraction.
Now, The Jungle River Cruise…
Language plays a big part in this attraction. There are three lines for boarding, one for speakers of Mandarin, Cantonese, and one for English.
I rode the Jungle River Cruise about three times since i've been in HK and had three different experiences, all influenced by how well my skipper spoke English. In one case, my skipper’s accent was heavy and it was difficult to understand much of what he said LOL.
On another trip, the skipper spoke flawless English and she understood the jokes she was to tell and communicated them well. However, in every case, I had an enjoyable experience no matter how good or bad the skipper’s language skills were. - Just cruising around on a boat and seeing many unexpected animals and events was fun.
The Jungle River Cruise does have a finale that on my first time riding it, I didn't expect.
Spoiler ahead: The boat navigates down a narrow passageway when all of a sudden, our route is blocked by an erupting geyser.
We make a sudden turn to the right and are confronted with another geyser blocking our path and an evil-looking, monster-like rock formation. Smoke and steam start to spew from the crevices and then flames explode from the rock’s mouth.
The hot steam explosion of fire blew across my face, i felt like i was going to die or get off this ride with a burnt face.
Just when you think all is lost, we escape in the nick of time. Whew. LOL.
Oh and for your information. I did get wet. xD
Okay i got to confess. I didn't take a photo with Mickey or Mini. The que was just too long!!
I saw a few people queuing up for Baloo and i don't remember the Monkey's name… So i decided to get a turn too!
Kind of makes me want to watch jungle book again hehe!
Since i didn't grab something to eat before coming here, my tummy has been rumbling since the que for the River Cruise! I went over to the Tahitian Terrace which is a cafe serving noodle soup and Indian vegetarian dishes. Wooo! Can't say no to curry!
After curing my stomach it was just the right time for the "Festival of the Lion King".
The stage in the center of the theater is fantastic! During the show it frequently rotates and rises in three concentric circles as the dance numbers demand. A leading lady introduces the show (in English), sings, and tells the story. She also has two monkey-like sidekicks by her side who translate the story into Chinese.
The show was a lot of fun with great dancing, uncluding the "flying bird" ballet and the fire baton tossing.
to be continued...
PS. Hope you're not getting sick of photos of my trip to HK disneyland!
Okay so this blog is going to be a bombing of photos of my trip to Disneyland Hong Kong with my Girlfriend. My Girl Friend being my camera(GF1) lol.
There is something magical about a Disney theme park. It has the power not only to transport visitors back to their childhood, but also to a better childhood than memory serves.
One other thing is that whenever you offer someone to go with you, they always say, "I can bring my camera!" Whether it is a family trip, trip with friends, trip with your real boy/girlfriends. 80% chance one person would be going with some big ass professional camera! And when i say BIG ASS, i mean the biggest of them all the ones you see people using at a professional Model shoot. No joke, i was at Disneyland and 90% of the people were carrying a huge and heavy camera with the add on long lens and the mega flash plug-in. It's Disneyland guys!! The place is meant to be a perfect wonderland! You can take a picture with a shitty old mobile phone and it would still look great 'cause it's DISNEYLAND.
Disneyland is now a place where people show off their big and professional cameras. If you don't have a big camera, it means you're not pro, and that means you're pictures will suck. Riiiiight~
Oh, and to add to those bringing the huge ass cameras, during this trip i saw several couples and families who brought a camera STAND with them too! One chick even brought a silver reflector!
OMG… how embarrassing…
But of course, they didn't find it an embarrassment at all. I saw a couple with their camera on a stand, setting it on timer and taking a picture together, "Professionally" by themselves. How "Romantic"…… Seriously, that's why we say, Love, is blind LOL.
So what is the point of telling you all this beginning information? I'm going to prove that you don't need a big ass huge "professional" camera with a stand and flash light/light reflector to take great pictures outdoors, with a great 27 degrees sunshine at a Wonderland.
This blog will also be posted up in "Parts" because i really don't want to over flood you guys with too many photos at once and make this blog the longest blog ever! Because i do also want to share my thoughts about my trip here. It's a blog after all hehe.
So Let's start off with the beginning. I've been to all of the Disneylands including DisneyWorld in Florida and i must admit, Disneyland Hong Kong is a lot smaller. Hong Kong is very small anyway so we are proud we could actually even fit a disneyland in. So for those people who want to go to HK disneyland must be prepared and aware that it's a mini land. Once you have this in you're head, you would enjoy the park a lot more. Don't compare and just Enjoy the Disney Spirit.
About HK being very small, it is super convenient to get to DIsneyland! You just need to take the MTR (Underground/subway). They have their own Disney Line which takes you right to the gate!
HK Disneyland is right next to the HK Airport. So if you're doing a transfer flight and will be stopping in HK for 1-2 days. I would recommend you stay at the Hotels next to the airport and spend a day at HK Disneyland if you won't know HK well and haven't been to the Disneyland here.
The train only serves a direct 1 stop route to Disneyland and each train comes pretty fast so you won't have to worry if you miss one.
Okay, the Disney train is super cute with Mickey windows and Handles. The Train is rather spacious with comfy seats! They also have statues of different Disney characters. Very cute indeed!
After arriving there's already lots to see and lots of pictures that can be taken! Theres a short walk from the Station to the Ticket booth. Don't worry, you're just going to be walking through the front garden of Disneyland before actually getting in. You'll feel like you're already inside because it's just so pretty!
A single adult fee is HK$350. Rather pricey knowing that it's a Mini Disneyland but hey! Remember what i said? You're here to "Enjoy the Disney Spirit." Very good now, let's go in! (Cick here to see the HK DIsneyland Map!)
Those who have been to a Disneyland before would know that the Entrance takes you to the Main Street where you will be doing all your shopping and if you look ahead you would see the Cinderella Castle!
Oh wait, Where's the castle gone? Did someone rub Alice's "Drink Me Potion" on the castle?
Haha! just kidding, it's right here!
I want to say that it only looks small because it's "Far away" but i'm not gonna lie to you either. It looks just looks like a colorful pointy version of the Mansions in back in London, except the Mansions in London are still bigger than this… HAHAHA Okay! Enough cussing the castle! Forgot not to compare. Well, It does look really cute and pretty. hehe! "Enjoy the Disney Spirit!"
to be continued…
So what do you think of the pictures so far? Still think you need a huge camera to take great pictures? I think not!
My MacBook Pro battery blew up.
See for yourself - it sure doesn't look too healthy, does it?
I have had my Macbook Pro for over 4 years (2006-2011)
It was the Oldest Generation Macbook Pro and I have loved it the whole time. In fact, I still do.
However, what I obviously failed to realize, is that the battery on a MacBook Pro (I assume the same goes for other brands too) doesn't last forever.
A few months ago, my Macbook Pro started to slow down, it would even just automatically shut off. I assumed my Macbook Pro was not healthy.
I decided to put it into retirement and buy myself an iMac.
I've been through a lot with my Macbook pro. It's followed me out of London, to Surrey. Surrey to Hong Kong, Japan, US. I didn't want it to completely die on me. It's my precious.
So i left it on the top of my cupboard. - Unplugged, and turned off.
One day i wanted to take my Macbook Pro down for some cleaning. I placed it on the table and it was wobbly. I thought the wobbliness was because of some cables or other stuff I had placed the Macbook on top of. So, I lifted it off the table - there was nothing on the table so i put it back down. "Still wobbly?!" I thought, uh oh, what's going on? So I looked under the Macbook, and I was in shock to see that the whole battery was damaged! It looked like something was trying to break out of the Macbook! I was so freaked out. I carefully disconnected the battery, No leaks or damage there. However, the battery itself didn't look that great! Or what do you think?
My Macbook Pro, has exploded.
The Macbook pro battery problem.
I contacted Apple, and they asked me to check how many recharge cycles my Macbook has.
I simply replied them with, "The battery has exploded! How can i even open up the Macbook?!"
He asked me how long i've had the Macbook and i said, "4 years." The man on the phone said "oh... that's a long time. Warranty only covers around 300 recharge cycles, so I don't believe you will be covered by warranty, since you must have over this amount of recharge cycles in 4 years. However, I will connect you to sales person and they can take it from here." The Apple man also made it sound like it happens to a lot of Macbook Pro users. He also told me that i'm very lucky because 4 years is a very long time. Many people get this problem after 2 years. Now that scares me...
Needless to say, I was screwed on the warranty.
Well, I realize a battery doesn't last forever, but I never felt informed about how long the battery would last, and I never really thought about it. I think Apple should have a big sticker on the box, or more prominent info somewhere about how to make the most out of the battery life.
Maybe if it said, "Battery may Explode." I would had been smarter or been informed about how many charge recycles the battery could handle, i would buy a new battery as a spare without having to wait for it to explode.
The Conclusion.
I bought a new battery and all is now good.
Now, I'm starting to question Apple and Steve Job's wonderful technology.
Apple products are great compared to any other Computer product.
I've had my Macbook Pro for 4 years without catching a single Virus, no other trouble. I remember before when i was still using a normal computer/laptop it would have already broken down or filled with Viruses within a year - two years. But Never! Ever! have they exploded on me.
I have never heard of a Laptop battery exploding - only that it's failed to work/broken.
I'm starting to think, i have 4 year olds playing on Macbooks. What happens when it explodes WHILE they are playing on it? It was able to explode not being plugged into anything and OFF. How dangerous would it be if it exploded while connected to a charger?
The apple people makes it sound like its a very common problem. Explosions are not a NORMAL problems! If the battery starts failing to work, no questions! All electronics will have these problems. But having a time Bomb that would go off after 300 recharge cycles?
Apple, Steve Jobs, I think you better explain yourself here.
Funny how one's perspective changes so fast... I'm a huge fan, i really am.
I really hope they'd look into this and improve.
