Frolicking along the Embankment

Well, as much as you're allowed to in the hustle and bustle of the business district, filled with corporate types and all. As I walked home a few weeks ago, I took my camera to capture some of the areas and landscape offered to me along my walk home from work. I won't lie, as I took out the Bridge, my fingers were freezing as there was quite a bit of chilly wind, not least a bunch of people trying to get to their station, and these were taken at a mad rush, mindful of the people around me and all, so they're not the greatest.

I do like this first one however. No idea what the building is, ha! Hotel? Who knows. 

This is not the greatest of pictures, but the skies looked magnificent above the River Thames.

Sage advice for the general public and tourist alike!

Another beautiful building behind gates, which is along the Embankment.

 There's a funny story to the following pictures. I was really intent on taking the second picture, a closeup of this really intriguing detail on the building, but when I zoomed out, I noticed something terrible coming towards me, as witnessed in my third picture!

Oops! Of course, that did not stop me from taking my picture, heh.

I need to walk up that pathway one day. I'm sure it will lead me to Fleet Street/Strand or something thereabouts.

I shall be back with a Politics related post me thinks and so I bid thee adieu!

LFC Protest et Shenanigans

A few months ago, my beloved football club were involved in a big legal wrangling with the previous owners. The hearing took place in London, not too far away from work. Yes, I was that sad as I trotted along to the High Court, to catch a glimpse of the now infamous Sir Broughton and co in action. Alas, I missed most of it due as I could only pop out during lunch time, but I do have these pictures to remember that soap-opera style legal battle.

I hope we never have to go through that again, as I spent HOURS poring through all related news throughout my working day, and the Guardian Live blogging around this was absolutely vital for all LFC fans at time. To them, I salute!

Happy New Year and Bangle Hoard

I believe I started this blog quite well, but I have slacked off in recent months. It's been very busy at work, despite recently purchasing a brilliant Canon450D (Rebel XSi). I am embarrassed to admit, I have not really been using it much, preferring to rely on the ever versatile (and much lighter) Panasonic Lumix FZ28. Though that too has been uninspiring and I have not been taking as many pictures in general.

To renew interest in all things photography, I have decided to take some pictures closer to home: My bangles to be specific. And hopefully I might make a project of showcasing my many hoards at home.

In their little boxes, as they do not fit in my bangle box, sigh!

And out of their ickle shells.

Pretty, aren't they?

There's more, but for now these should do, eh?

Yummy scrummy, oh my tummy!

Date: 27th August 2010

Location: Friend's house.

Chef: Best Matey, Arghhh.

I have a friend who makes the most amazing food. Every time I go to her place, and praise her to my siblings, they refuse to believe me as I never bring anything back nor take pictures, which is quite unlike me. This time however I got in before we broke into the starters. Alas, I never managed to get the rest of the mains and the desserts, the latter being something OH SO special at that.

But here are the pictures I did manage to bring back.

The Table:

 

And there's more!

My friend made this lovely concoction of Mango and icecream blended together smoothly in a yummy mixture. Loved it! Must try it at home. 

Starters in focus below:

I wish I had taken pics of the rest of the items. There was roast chicken pieces. There were curries! As for desserts, there was the caramel tarts with banana pieces. Admittedly I picked the banaces slice out of mine, heh, and it was yummeh! And she also made this item called an Eton Mess (oh how traditional English! heh).

Stock/google image below:

Except hers had toffee and victorian sponge cake. MMMMM.

Suffice to say, I came back home with a HUGE belly. All win for me then.

London to Scotland - Return

Here are a few pictures from above. I took my Bridge camera with me all they way to Scotland and back, even though it was a day trip and I never actually got to see Scotland itself, unless you're counting the inside of the airport, taxi, and the office as "sight seeing" and the real Scotland. Sigh.

But at least I have these babies!

I love clouds. I have always loved clouds. Be it lying back after a pinic under the teeming sun or at the beach with my friends playing the "cloud shape" game. It's ever changing and wonderful.

Other than the fact it makes me think of candy floss, and a kingdom far away with Princesses and the likes (okay, so I have a bit of a kiddish fantasy), it is an ever present reminder of the beauty that this planet offers us.  It is also one of the most accessible majestic views for us humans and it reminds me personally, that it's a beautiful place outside of the daily human toils and troubles. That there is so much more out there than our immediate concerns and short term views.  And most of all, that we need to take care of our planet lest we lose these beauties forever.

Okay, so I'm a bit of a worry wart with that last point, but there you have it. I'm clearly part of the Clouds Appreciation society.

This is Scotland from above. Magnificent, non?

Once again, clouds. Heh. It was a bit overcast at that point, but the sun threatened to breakthrough the covers.

London, Heathrow. I prefer it over City Airport and I got to see a beautiful sunset too.

I think I got used to domestic flights after all. Alas, no more as I have completed that mini project of travelling between London and Scotland. Partly phew, and partly awwww as the travel and pictures could have been so much more if I had been outside of a work capacity.

My Pictures: A history

I frequently find myself lusting after DSLRs and the output of others on the various blogs on the interwebz. Advances in technology and reliance of DIY photography has meant that there are now more people than ever picking up the craft and taking it much more seriously than the occasional snap. I would count myself as one of those.

For myself personally, it all began when I watched others taking pictures for their school slambook; this was back in 1999. We were coming to the end of a crucial point in the English education system, on the cusp of receiving our GCSEs, with major changes taking place soon after. Some of my class mates planned to stay on in sixth form (secondary school), whilst others - like myself, had opted for sixth form college instead, as it provided us with wider range of subjects at AS and A levels. In addition to the forthcoming educational upheaval, I had moved homes to a different area altogether before my final year, and a worry nagged the back of my mind, that these individuals who had come to mean so much to me over the previous fives years, would no longer be present in my daily life. It was a poignant thought, one that caused quite a bit of sadness, but one that I was resolute to fix with at least lasting memories for the future.

To ensure that I had something concrete to take away from my fabulous experience at school, pictures were a must, and so I badgered my parents for a camera,. Boy, did they get me a camera! It was a Vivatar APS (remember those?!) camera from abroad. I was such a proud owner of it as I snapped away my final year with many colourful outputs. Most of these have ended up in my own slambook, a book filled with pictures, thoughts from my school friends, many in-jokes, random things glued in and lipstick prints as my friends smacked away imprints of love for me to pore over many years later.  I still have the book and have looked through it many times since. It's a beautiful part of my past and I am glad I have it.

I loved the whole process of collecting these memories and I believe this was what set me on my way to becoming the snapper I am today.

So that's how it began for me.

P.S. I just had a look at the aforementioned Slambook and I forgot all about the friendship band, the newspaper clipping where I received my GCSE results and appeared in the local paper and the random bits of chocolate wrapper, ha. Probably better with pictures, but perhaps this ones just for my eyes only.

Rabbits, From Edinburgh

Because I was surprised to see them just outside the banking office.

GRRR, they be running away from me! But you can see some at a distance.

They have sort of blended in with the underbush area.

And that was Edinburgh. I never got to see the rest of it, sigh.