- Never Stop Dreaming -
In the end I decided to scale Fuji to catch that epical sunrise on the highest point in all Japan (literally). The weather reports on Friday, 4th September were all giving me the "Clear weather ahead" signals to urge me to go forth and embark on this adventure. The date 4th Sept was exactly 2 months earlier 2 years ago on 4th Nov where I subdued Mt Asama. Hiking and mountain climbing were no where remotely close to the top of my priority list and no where near the bottom as well, in fact they were not even in the list. But since I am in Japan, I would definitely want to do this hike sometime. The main reason why I was super whiny and hesitant about such activities was because I don't exercise at all and I am most definitely not your regular "fit" type of guy. The sad truth is that I am just one fat bloke covered in flammable blubber which might just burst into flames near naked fire. My legs have a hard time getting this huge mass from point to point, so there is always the car complete with air con to do that.
With absolutely no training or whatsoever, I left work on Friday an hour earlier to tie the misc. ends together before going for the night hike. Being totally virgin to this hike, I tend to bring more so to err on the safe side. More food, energy packs, water and clothes. Drove to Komi to dump the car there and switch to public trains. It was drizzling and the skies where the usual gloomy grey giving the "end of days" feeling. Japanese trains leave on the dot which in this case did as I saw another fellow hiker from my group gasped in horror as the train pulled away from her because she was just 3 seconds late! Peered out the window to catch the dying lights of the Friday evening before receiving a phone call 20 minutes later, halfway down the train journey that suggested I bailed the train and go back, pick up my car and drive the late comers to the meeting place. I declined since I had no intention to veer from my original plan that was NOT to drive there. Reached Kobuchizawa some 1 hour plus later to find out that the convoy that was suppose to pick me up was late. Upon seeing a foreigner stranger with a huge pack that resembled a hiker, I chatted with him thinking that he was from my group since it was just not usual to have a hiker that late in the station. It turned out he wasn't from my group and was going to somewhere else. Nonetheless that killed the waiting time and I was whisked away to Fuji moments to my doom.
The journey to Fuji via the highway wasn't pleasant at all...though it was smooth, we were racing thru a massive thunder storm. Lightning, rain pounding, wipers sweeping frantically and reduced vision were all the signs that I needed to convince me to bail on this hike. Though I was and am still a huge fan of rain and storms but not in dire situations where I needed to expose myself to the elements for a cause. We kept a decent conversation throughout the journey in the little 660cc car, deep inside my head, the little voices were whispering to me, "Abandon the hike, it's not too late to do it now. " There were no angels this time to say anything convincing...Alas, we exited the highway when we passed the monstrous rollercoaster steel structure glimmering off the heavy rain and onto the foot of Mt. Fuji. Pulled up into a nearby spot to liaise with the rest of the convoy. Made another trip to a nearby convenient store amidst waiting for the rest which I stupidly stocked up more riceballs fearing that I might need them. Soon the rain stopped altogether and the fullmoon greeted me in full glory with only some strands of Cirrus illuminated with a faint yellowish outline. "God, so I guessed this is how it's supposed to be huh?" I thought to myself since this journey to hike Fuji was an accumulation of highs and lows that somehow confused me.
Then our tiny car began to crawl up the winding road to the 5th station where the hike was supposed to start. Somewhere along the journey up a huge massive silhouette of a cone shook me up pretty badly. The moonlight was so beautiful and bright to cast this silhouette of Mt Fuji so close to me against a cloudless back drop of the deep blue sky. It was the first time in my life that I actually came THIS close to a monster so huge...I was speechless for a while recovering from shock as I tried to figure out what the tiny lights lined up in a single file on Mt Fuji was. In the end, my friend in the car said, "Those are the lights of the different stations up Fuji. Fuji looks pretty small from here." Well literally he was right in the fact that Fuji did look pretty doable from the bottom up and not really that massive afterall. But from past experiences, I knew that looking from the bottom up a mountain was never the way to judge how high it was...our eyes and our presumption were always full of errors. Many times during the journey up, I had really wanted to dig my camera out to capture one of the most beautiful and priceless moonlit night scene I had ever seen but since we were already behind schedule, I decided not to and just kept them for my own personal memory sake. For that I truly apologized since no amount of wordy description could paint the actually scene.
Finally we reached the designated car park where there were at least 100 odd cars. This was an indication that we were about to be joined by heaps of other climbers up somewhere along the hike to the summit. Met the rest of our climbing crew from 2 other separate cars, geared up (My backpack was seriously overweight!) and proceeded to the one and only shop to get the sacred "Tsue" (杖).
Basically the Tsue is a fine piece of wooden hexagonal climbing stick that varied in heights and accessories. Some had bells, some had country flags (The usual Japanese / American ones only!) and some had a piece of different colored cloth covering only the top section. 2 sets of 4 kanjis were written on the cloth, "6 sides of peace and Mt. Fuji climbing stick". The prices varied as well depending on the accessories. I picked the most expensive one (the one with the cloth cover) for ¥1,300 because the bells would probably irritated the hell outta me, the flags were meaningless and the one with the cloth resembled the Buddhist "Kongotsue" (金剛杖) which I got it online after failing to find it in Kyoto. The unique thing was that this fine Tsue had a burnt insignia on it which was branded by a hot metal seal. As one proceed to different stations along the trail up, one could accumulate more seals ranging from ¥200 to ¥300 which of course feature different designs. I had read about this Tsue from numerous forums online and was already determined that I would not be able to get it since we were climbing outside the official climbing season. Holding the sacred and magical Tsue firmly in my palm before we set off did boosted my moral slightly. Took a breather, a group shot and made 4 things-to-do-at-the-summit entries in my head.
1. To catch the epical sunrise since this was the MAIN PURPOSE of climbing this monster.
2. Collect some "sacred" stones at the top for souvenirs since I don't think I would wanna do insane stints like this again.
3. Hurl a coin into the crater and make a wish and hope it comes true so I can tell others about it.
4. Since I got the Tsue I only wanted the seal at the summit to remind myself that I made an accomplishment.
With everything set, I popped my headlamp, glanced at the 10.22pm digits on my watch, pushed the tiny buttons on my watch to record the altitude change for the ascend and started what was about to be the most insane journey that I had embarked on. No pictures again since I only wanted to the sunrise and besides I was already behind the scheduled time.
Starting off the 5th station was relatively a breeze thru a short section of soft, moist (possibly due to the rain earlier) sandy path before a steep narrow route (the right trail upon reaching the twin forked intersection) up the trees covered path. Though this was only the beginning of the steep journey up, I could already feel my leg muscle straining hard. That was what you would get for not having prior training and doing silly stunts like this. After I exited from the trees, I was greeted by a string of lights consisting of tiny headlamps and big bright incandescent lamps (BBL) from the stations up above. The trail up was lined in a zig zag manner on the GIGANTIC black cone silhouette with the fullmoon smiling behind and gazillions stars twinkling. Once again the path was nothing more than a collection of relatively gentle slopes in volcanic sand and small rocks. There were occasional steps like stairs leading up to a rest station which I presumed was the 6th station or 7th station (can't remember). As I approached more zig zag path which were clearly visible even without my headlamp, and each time I looked up at those BBLs, I told myself I would only stop to rest when I reach them. Fatigue and the lack of training were already taking its toll on me but the Tsue was indeed helpful in assisting each step I took. One step at a time, I took it relatively slow with other hikers passing me to demoralize me. Stopped somewhere eventually for an energy pack, rested for no more than 3 minutes and moved on. Upon reaching the 1st station (not sure which one was it), it was thronged with hikers who rested, smoked and did everything else to keep them going on strong. I took a good look at the station and rested before moving on. Built like a log cabin, inside were tatami mats, climbing gear, snacks and other accessories and a small altar. Outside there were benches where one could view the beautiful land below sleeping like an innocent child. Listening to the sound of rumbling compressors to keep the lights and power going, I squeezed the remainder of my energy pack and admired the scene for one last moment, looked at the other hikers wheezing their O2 canisters before heading out again.
More of those sandy trails with small rocks but as I progressed, they were getting steeper as seen from pictures of Fuji. Looking back down was not a good idea since I was already pretty high up (more than 2,400 metres) and the zig zag lines of lights below were a little scary. The chilly wind blew past and I felt pretty comfortable as I raised my head up again to appreciate the moon and stars. The BBLs beaming from next couple of stations became both an inspiration icon and a much dreaded one to me as I approached them. You see when you looked up at them whilst moving up, you tell yourself that you MUST get then before taking a break. They looked like there were easily reachable since it only took me about an hour to reach the first one. WRONG! They were becoming a hassle and much harder to reach...and each time after reaching them, the trail continues and becomes steeper. "Bloody hell, Fuji is such a bitch!" came thru my lips as I forced myself to carry on. There were a series of 8th stations along the way so don't be fooled upon reaching the 1st of the series of 8th stations. From the last 8th station to the 9th station, it would be brutal since the comfortable albeit steep path were replaced with insane rocky formations. Literally I was like scaling an almost vertical cliff of dangerous rocks less the carabiners, harness and ropes. At times I would find myself dragging my ass up a rock surface almost the height of my chest. The entire route was lined on both sides with ropes but was wide enough for one to choose which way to ascend. Either way it was tough and strenuous which made me felt like giving up each time I reached a rest station. More hikers thronged the stations as it got higher and each exit I took to ascend higher from the stations, I would really really feel like turning back and giving up. So many times I questioned myself if I should carry on and would I really be able to summit. My right knee had already taken its toll and was screaming out in pain with each step I took...I could not bend it properly and had to take single climbing steps to relieve the pain. Nonetheless, I was mentally determined but physically handicapped to continue.
Somewhere along the 2,850 odd metres into those ridiculous rocky climbs, I was already worn thin by fatigue. Then to sink further into agonizing despair, I had a cramp in my RIGHT calf after attempting to push myself up one menacing rock. Sat there, took a breather and enjoyed the view from the top, blocked other hikers and forced them to take a different route, drank some Pocari Sweat and squeezed more energy packs before pressing on. The Pocari Sweat did ease off the pain for a while before the cramps came back. Shifted the weight to my left leg instead to release some pressure on my right calf...Like the will of some strange God abandoning my plight, my LEFT thigh started to have cramps too! Now I was really screwed since I was half way up and a long way down, immobilized and hurting, pissed and no way to go except up. Altitude sickness also settled in on me as each time I lifted my head to look at those BBLs or to look down at the sleeping land, I would feel nauseous. Took some rest here and there and emptied my mind of everything, gritted my teeth and proceeded all the way (slowly of course) to the 9th station before calling it quits. It seemed like an eternity of cruel torture lashed out mercilessly on me frail body as I treaded with caution all the way up to the 9th Station. The incline was now almost reaching the exponential part of a graph and the scene of of it was like those seen in the Himalayas, protruding rock formations carved like steps leading up to the top stations along an almost vertical face of the unsightly cliff. It was now 900 metres (not sure it was elevation or distance) to the summit according to a sign and it was already 2 minutes past 4 in the morning. A lot more hikers now crammed this last base before the summit and there was a long queue up. The horizon had a faint light bluish gradient hinting the sunrise soon and I was desperate. I had no more time to spare and had just 2 choices which leads to the same goal..
1. Bail out, sit out and catch the sunrise from this base...which I still had to summit at sometime since there was no other trail down Fuji...
2. Summit, catch the sunrise and descend...
In light of desperate moments like this, any contingency plans would have worked but I had none. I pulled out some precious thoughts from my memory, some beautiful faces and whispered, "For you I shall complete this feat." Finished up more energy packs, sipped some Pocari Sweat and in an instance, I blazed up like a wild raging Hellfire unleashing Armegeddon on everything else except the thought to summit and complete what I had set out for. Only 900 freaking metres up, there was absolutely no way I would give up when I was this close to the top. I chose to go forth and complete this hike, passing the massive idiotic hikers jamming the one way path up and occasionally treading off the designated route. I could feel the sudden surge in adrenalin and energy within me each time I had thoughts about how time was running out for me to summit to catch my epical sunrise. There were pockets of left over snow everywhere to distract me but I was only eyeing the tiny Tori gate which became more visible with each seconds ticking by. It was no longer the silent silhouette of the night watching viciously at foolish hikers, even the pair of Stone Lions guarding the summit in front of the Tori gate were vividly visible in the distance. I gave it my everything I'd got, kept the Tori gate in my line of sight and hunted in like an injured prey. When I was like just a couple of metres more before reaching the pair of stone lions, I could feel the agonizing pain in my body vanishing magically. I stretched out my hands and felt the cold stone lions majestically watching each hiker as they passed thru, closed my eyes and rested. I knew that I had made it...to the summit just minutes short of 5 am. It was a moment of pure bliss and self-realization for me, rebirth, reborn and rejoice! There was one last station at the summit which was now pretty packed so I chose to steal a nice spot behind one of the stone lions and unpacked my gear only to find myself trembling in the cold, totally drained. Still I fought on to pull out my baby camera and snapped some decent pictures, changed filters and snapped more pictures. That was about as much usable energy as I could harnessed...
The sunrise was indeed beautiful like a view from an airplane's window less the cabin pressure, reflective coatings on the window and the tiny confined frame of the window. Each second passed and the horizon brightened a little until a tiny glimmering ball of light greeted everyone on the summit. There were exclamations of joy, delight and accomplishment singing in the air but I wasn't echoing with any of it for I knew my much battered body was slowly succumbing to the cold. I took a little while more to enjoy my much deserved break since every other breaks that I took on the way up lasted no longer than 10 minutes. By 5:20 am the sun was already scorching and no longer the gentle baby first light of Sept 5th. I made my way pass hikers posing for pictures at the summit to the shop to brand my Tsue only to find it closed. Pissed to the point that I felt like torching everything up there and razed it to ashes, I met my hike leader and the rest who congratulated me. Ventured off to collect some stone samples and looked over to the crater in the middle of Fuji. Was just too tired to even toss a stone in front of me so I chose to skip my 3rd to-do-at-the-summit list.
By 5:30 am my group started to descend with an incredible speed which left me limping in the distance. Guessed like everyone wasn't troubled by the hike up though I heard some saying that the altitude sickness had them leaving some bile and undigested dinner up there. While descending slowly I questioned myself how silly I was to haul up so much unnecessary stuffs which were not utilized in the end. All those weight, all those burden and all those stupid and unnecessary over zealous preparations...
1. Ate none of the 4 riceballs I brought up.
2. Finished only 0.5 litres of the 2.5 litres I brought up.
3. Wasn't even cold enough to pull out my fleece jacket.
4. Wasn't even necessary for me to use a warm head gear.
5. Didn't even need extra batteries or a headlamp.
6. Didn't even need extra socks.
Without all these, the climb would have been relatively easier...Took me approximately 6.5 hours to summit from base 5 and another brutal 5 hours to descend on the wrong side of the mountain. The Subarashi Route to descend was the wrong one that I took but was also the fastest one. Why was it the fastest one I thought when all these while from the summit, it was just smooth, soft and comfortable dirt tracks that I walked on. Then came my much needed answer...the route converged into a tiny funnel and then it was an insanely steep, almost 4 to 5 km of a long, continuous stretch of volcanic ash covered dirt trail down. Though the dirt was soft to actually run, hop and slide with incredible speed down, I could do none except to take one step at a time given my busted knee and tearing leg muscles. The sun was slapping my face directly with burns and I had no other way to avoid it. The view was breath taking with the lakes, forests, land formations and winding roads all in sight. I had no chance, no energy and no effort to pull out my camera...I wasn't even admiring the view but the fact that this was in front of me and I had not other way to descend but in the this particular direction. All that was inside my head was to end this misery that I had got myself into and lie on my comfortable bed. There was no end to everything and I had been up since Friday morning, deprived of any sleep and energy. I was one really angry hiker descending Mt Fuji...
Then as the trail was about to come to an end, I checked my watch for the altitude. Since I left off at 2255 metres from the 5th station earlier, I knew all these was about to end as the digits read "2500". I knew I wasn't far and in the distance I could see a man waiting for fellow hikers...As I descended closer to the 2255 marked, I was becoming more relieved...soon I found myself descending to the 2100 mark as I closed in on the gentleman at the bottom of the trail. Sound of an engine rumbling could be heard and I thought that was the bus which was supposed to take me to the other 5th station. Relieved, I went a little faster with hopes to end this misery earlier without even realizing the pain becoming more unbearable.
In the worst ever disgusting utter horror served to me, the gentleman was actually manning a kiosk with some other elderly folks trying to conspicously deceive me into buying drinks priced exorbitantly (elevation tax) and resting in some sort of rest area. The sound of the engine, PUI! was nothing more than the compressor trying to keep the fridges cold! If i had a gun I would have shot him and everyone else resting there...I was even thinking to beating the crap outta him with my Tsue. I forced an extremely reluctant sarcasm filled smile at him while he evilly grinned and said, "Only 2 km more...you can do it!" I made my way into the last section of a forested path which was even more difficult for me since there were more steps but at least the canopy sheltered the sun and it was pretty cooling to go thru it. It was funny though as I had observed...in the forest there were 2 paths, one for ascending Fuji and one for descending. The ascending one was smooth and well paved while the descending one was just some unsightly badly beaten path with tree roots sprouting, uneven and dangerous drops. Wonder which brainless F***wit came up with such an idea to further torment damaged and incredibly pissed hikers like me in search of the next victim to ghost. In the end, I crossed over to the ascending path and briskly strolled down until I reached a small dedicated shrine and descended down the very last, beautifully constructed heavenly stone steps to civilization. Looking back up, I had really wanted to desercrate the mountain, the routes so that no one could ever go thru this awful ordeal in a huge flammable blubber suit.
More mental trauma awaits me in the little village below...
Showing posts with label Canon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canon. Show all posts
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Army Reservist in Japan
- Never Stop Dreaming -
With the weather reports, live cams and bright sun rays melting the clouds this morning, I guessed I am fated to hike up Mt Fuji. Loaded up almost everything I need into a pack, whisked it up sunggly on my back and boy it felt heavy. Despite removing every other unnecessary weight like key chains, carabiners, small misc items, the pack when fully loaded feels no lighter than a regular Singapore Armed Forces full battle order field pack. The main bulk of the weight are the 1.5 litres of Pocari Sweat, the 1.0 litre of Nalgene water and the Canon 5Dmk2 + EF24-70 + 580EXII. Although the snowboarding Burton Jacket feels a little heavy, these are gonna keep me warm up there in freezing temperatures.
I walked a little around my humble mountain shack with only the pack...not too sure if I can really haul this "fridge" up Fuji. I wasn't even clad in climbing gear...Seriously I wasn't the least excited about this hike, I even felt like abandoning it. But as soon as the beautiful rays of the morning sun filtered thru the reverse grey sea and weather reports screaming fine weather, the enthusiasm kicked in and I felt a surge in my adrenalin. Still the weight of the pack felt wrong but at least mentally I was a tiny bit happy about it. Kept telling myself that the water will get depleted along the way to keep me hydrated so it will be alright.
I really hate the army daze back in SG and one of the reason why I am here in Jpn was to escape the reservist since I had already gave up some precious youth to the gah men. So right now I am just your regular couch potato, blubber throbbing over-weight bloke feasting off more food. I am just totally unprepared for this hike and putting everything together seems like I am actually doing the army reservist here in Japan and much worse, up Fuji in thin oxygen.
Looking back I had made it up Asama some 2 years ago without any prior training only to find myself struggling at the last hundred metres taking baby steps. Body ached and felt like everything was falling apart after the hike and recuperated for 2 full weeks! This one at Fuji...would probably be a killer as compared to Asama but now I really really want to do it. So be prepared for my curses and swears after the hike...
P.S. I have a wish and that is to pick up some managable pieces of rocks at the summit (that is if I do make it) as souvenirs for myself and others who I supposed will never make it up to Fuji.
God Bless and God Speed
With the weather reports, live cams and bright sun rays melting the clouds this morning, I guessed I am fated to hike up Mt Fuji. Loaded up almost everything I need into a pack, whisked it up sunggly on my back and boy it felt heavy. Despite removing every other unnecessary weight like key chains, carabiners, small misc items, the pack when fully loaded feels no lighter than a regular Singapore Armed Forces full battle order field pack. The main bulk of the weight are the 1.5 litres of Pocari Sweat, the 1.0 litre of Nalgene water and the Canon 5Dmk2 + EF24-70 + 580EXII. Although the snowboarding Burton Jacket feels a little heavy, these are gonna keep me warm up there in freezing temperatures.
I walked a little around my humble mountain shack with only the pack...not too sure if I can really haul this "fridge" up Fuji. I wasn't even clad in climbing gear...Seriously I wasn't the least excited about this hike, I even felt like abandoning it. But as soon as the beautiful rays of the morning sun filtered thru the reverse grey sea and weather reports screaming fine weather, the enthusiasm kicked in and I felt a surge in my adrenalin. Still the weight of the pack felt wrong but at least mentally I was a tiny bit happy about it. Kept telling myself that the water will get depleted along the way to keep me hydrated so it will be alright.
I really hate the army daze back in SG and one of the reason why I am here in Jpn was to escape the reservist since I had already gave up some precious youth to the gah men. So right now I am just your regular couch potato, blubber throbbing over-weight bloke feasting off more food. I am just totally unprepared for this hike and putting everything together seems like I am actually doing the army reservist here in Japan and much worse, up Fuji in thin oxygen.
Looking back I had made it up Asama some 2 years ago without any prior training only to find myself struggling at the last hundred metres taking baby steps. Body ached and felt like everything was falling apart after the hike and recuperated for 2 full weeks! This one at Fuji...would probably be a killer as compared to Asama but now I really really want to do it. So be prepared for my curses and swears after the hike...
P.S. I have a wish and that is to pick up some managable pieces of rocks at the summit (that is if I do make it) as souvenirs for myself and others who I supposed will never make it up to Fuji.
God Bless and God Speed
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
An Epic Begins Here...
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Finally after the long wait it's finally over...or is it just the beginning? I was in Tokyo over the weekend after trailing some charts resembling economic supply and demand representations here in Nagano for over a month. Met up with another fellow SGrean in Tokyo, A, another avid photographer. A was amazing laid back, suave and blended into the Japanese community just like me...but deep in our hearts, we are still very much the Kampung Kids from back home craving for the occasional Laksa and Mee Siam.
The temperature and humidity in Tokyo was relatively similiar to that in SG and despite me coming down from Nagano (dressed to kill), I soon found myself at the mercy of the intense heat. I was literally melting as the scorching heat zapped me of my life-sustaining fluids. To preserve my egoistic image in Tokyo, I disrobed my Jacket only to lost the Iphone I found 6 months earlier, !"#$%&'! Found it and lost it...guess like I am not fated to be with it. Walked around with A following my crumpled map with faded colors printed from a not so decent printer. Kinda reminded me of those SAF topo days...2 of the locations were stripped of the gem I was desperately seeking. I had brought hard cold cash...20 odd pieces of freshly scented Japanese bank notes with no crases ready to spurge them. Finally after sweating so badly, A and I made it to the 3rd and last location which I had mapped. 2 pieces left and I was unable to do a physical check.
Counted those 20 odd pieces of bank notes and handly them reluctantly to the shopkeeper in exchange for a white glossy box in a brown paper bag. A bit relieved since my main motive for this trip down to Tokyo was fulfilled. The nearby Mac at Akiba was the obvious choice for a well deserved break where I unboxed the gem and tested it out. Had brought along a 35L to do the test because of the shallow 1.4 depth of focus (think creamy buttery smooth blurred background with the subject in crispy clear focus!). The shutter count read 0 which of course meant it was brand new and not tested (I presumed). Vid went smooth, pictures were sweet and the sound of the mirror flipping was a little more beautiful than my old one. After the initial checks, I went to Akiba to grab some nice P.L.D filters before parting ways with A who had to attend to personal biz. Anyway a really BIG thanks to A who accompanied me thru this sweaty ordeal.
A mixture of anxiety and dispair filled me as I made my way to Harajuku to meet M, my model from Kyoto. Chilled out for a while at a sweet cafe in Harajuku before heading to Shibuya for my dinner alone since M had a dinner date with her family. Aldgate, which I found thru the net was where I wanted to go for my dinner since I have been craving for decent Fish and Chips. Besides Aldgate was a British Pub with a rather rustic medieval setting. The Fish and Chips were not as fantastic as what the net had described but the British Ale, (Aldgate's Ale) was amazing. Along the years my alcoholic escapades had led me to salivate over a pint of Old Irish or British Ale and this place surely didn't disappont. Kilkenny(s) were superb and my all time favorite but still nothing beats a local British Ale. Too bad such an exquisite taste is not a fad for 1 huge hairy beast of the forest, the Mighty but Tiny Bear...Haha! :p
Since I was alone, drinking alone in a pub would be one of the last thing I want to do. Went over to another table of 3 Japanese girls to join them for a drink since everywhere else were either non-Japanese or Japanese guys. Was really really really taken by surprise to discover that one of the girls was actually the daughter of a Japanese teacher in the next town from mine in Nagano where my friend, another foreigner, taught! What a coincidence...brats! Came some 246km from Nagano to Tokyo and only to find another fellow country bump like meself...how hilarious!
After that, I kinda wanted to do some partying to re-discover my dancing roots but in the end, I skipped that since my funds were slowly being depleted and I had to start getting aquainted with my new TOY!. Well, initially I had planned to party thru the nite to conserve funds but the amount of dirt that I had built up after all that unpleasant sweating experience in the day was just intolerable. All I want now is a nice comfy bed and a shower. Had a confirmation with C that I was granted permission to crash at her place and I knew God had heard my thoughts eventhough I didn't pray. So grateful to C for lending me a shelter for the night for free so I obliged to her request for watching a DVD with her. Her choice was Batman The Dark Knight. At her place, before the movie began, I was testing out my uber expensive TOY for dead pixels on my Mac...thank God there were none visible (Maybe I was testing it wrongly...not sure). Played around a bit more with the 35L 1.4 at movie settings before sealing it back in the bubble wrap. Then the movie began and I snoozed 3/4 towards the end till the morning. While in my little dreamland, I could vividly hear C calling me to wake up and watch it as the plot got deeper. Her disturbance got no further...Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Woke up in the morning covered in sweat...dang! Took a fast shower and conveyed my gratitude to C who was still in her zombie sleep before taking off. Boarded the 12.30 bus and continued to snooze till I hit Nagano and then my humble mountain shack. Popped in the battery and it was here where the epical journey of the Canon 5D Mk 2 begins....
Finally after the long wait it's finally over...or is it just the beginning? I was in Tokyo over the weekend after trailing some charts resembling economic supply and demand representations here in Nagano for over a month. Met up with another fellow SGrean in Tokyo, A, another avid photographer. A was amazing laid back, suave and blended into the Japanese community just like me...but deep in our hearts, we are still very much the Kampung Kids from back home craving for the occasional Laksa and Mee Siam.
The temperature and humidity in Tokyo was relatively similiar to that in SG and despite me coming down from Nagano (dressed to kill), I soon found myself at the mercy of the intense heat. I was literally melting as the scorching heat zapped me of my life-sustaining fluids. To preserve my egoistic image in Tokyo, I disrobed my Jacket only to lost the Iphone I found 6 months earlier, !"#$%&'! Found it and lost it...guess like I am not fated to be with it. Walked around with A following my crumpled map with faded colors printed from a not so decent printer. Kinda reminded me of those SAF topo days...2 of the locations were stripped of the gem I was desperately seeking. I had brought hard cold cash...20 odd pieces of freshly scented Japanese bank notes with no crases ready to spurge them. Finally after sweating so badly, A and I made it to the 3rd and last location which I had mapped. 2 pieces left and I was unable to do a physical check.
Counted those 20 odd pieces of bank notes and handly them reluctantly to the shopkeeper in exchange for a white glossy box in a brown paper bag. A bit relieved since my main motive for this trip down to Tokyo was fulfilled. The nearby Mac at Akiba was the obvious choice for a well deserved break where I unboxed the gem and tested it out. Had brought along a 35L to do the test because of the shallow 1.4 depth of focus (think creamy buttery smooth blurred background with the subject in crispy clear focus!). The shutter count read 0 which of course meant it was brand new and not tested (I presumed). Vid went smooth, pictures were sweet and the sound of the mirror flipping was a little more beautiful than my old one. After the initial checks, I went to Akiba to grab some nice P.L.D filters before parting ways with A who had to attend to personal biz. Anyway a really BIG thanks to A who accompanied me thru this sweaty ordeal.
A mixture of anxiety and dispair filled me as I made my way to Harajuku to meet M, my model from Kyoto. Chilled out for a while at a sweet cafe in Harajuku before heading to Shibuya for my dinner alone since M had a dinner date with her family. Aldgate, which I found thru the net was where I wanted to go for my dinner since I have been craving for decent Fish and Chips. Besides Aldgate was a British Pub with a rather rustic medieval setting. The Fish and Chips were not as fantastic as what the net had described but the British Ale, (Aldgate's Ale) was amazing. Along the years my alcoholic escapades had led me to salivate over a pint of Old Irish or British Ale and this place surely didn't disappont. Kilkenny(s) were superb and my all time favorite but still nothing beats a local British Ale. Too bad such an exquisite taste is not a fad for 1 huge hairy beast of the forest, the Mighty but Tiny Bear...Haha! :p
Since I was alone, drinking alone in a pub would be one of the last thing I want to do. Went over to another table of 3 Japanese girls to join them for a drink since everywhere else were either non-Japanese or Japanese guys. Was really really really taken by surprise to discover that one of the girls was actually the daughter of a Japanese teacher in the next town from mine in Nagano where my friend, another foreigner, taught! What a coincidence...brats! Came some 246km from Nagano to Tokyo and only to find another fellow country bump like meself...how hilarious!
After that, I kinda wanted to do some partying to re-discover my dancing roots but in the end, I skipped that since my funds were slowly being depleted and I had to start getting aquainted with my new TOY!. Well, initially I had planned to party thru the nite to conserve funds but the amount of dirt that I had built up after all that unpleasant sweating experience in the day was just intolerable. All I want now is a nice comfy bed and a shower. Had a confirmation with C that I was granted permission to crash at her place and I knew God had heard my thoughts eventhough I didn't pray. So grateful to C for lending me a shelter for the night for free so I obliged to her request for watching a DVD with her. Her choice was Batman The Dark Knight. At her place, before the movie began, I was testing out my uber expensive TOY for dead pixels on my Mac...thank God there were none visible (Maybe I was testing it wrongly...not sure). Played around a bit more with the 35L 1.4 at movie settings before sealing it back in the bubble wrap. Then the movie began and I snoozed 3/4 towards the end till the morning. While in my little dreamland, I could vividly hear C calling me to wake up and watch it as the plot got deeper. Her disturbance got no further...Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Woke up in the morning covered in sweat...dang! Took a fast shower and conveyed my gratitude to C who was still in her zombie sleep before taking off. Boarded the 12.30 bus and continued to snooze till I hit Nagano and then my humble mountain shack. Popped in the battery and it was here where the epical journey of the Canon 5D Mk 2 begins....
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Too Hectic Too Hectic!
- Never Stop Dreaming -
At the moment, ma hands are pretty much tied up with a lot of things. Just last week when I started off on a usual Monday, a fellow colleague dropped me a verbal wedding invitation just 5 days short of the actual day. It's not like I know him since childhood days but more of a rather hi and bye every Monday kinda relationship. Nonetheless I graciously accepted it since there wasn't any plans for the Sat as well.
The Sunday prior (15th) wasn't really spectacular to be exact...The weather was indeed really good since Heaven granted me almost 3 to 4 days of consecutive rain. But besides that blessing, everyone else was laying low beneath radar detection. Good for me as well since I am saving up for the huge expenditure coming late June to late July. In the end, I went out with C to scout for decent places to do some photoshoots. The rain did ruin everything since I wasn't agreeable to subject my gear to it but it was just nice driving around the scenic routes. While stopping by Megami Lake for a short break, the Japanese guy and his gf in the blue Evo 7 next to me bombarded me with their curious looks. Well I have already gotten over this shallow stereotype of the typical Japanese mentality that every single Chinese or Korean that walks in Japan have to be Japanese and every BLONDE have to be an American. Can't really blame them since they have not much luck knowing things outside of their self sufficient island. C was as curious as them but after hearing my reasoning, she got it as well. I swore the look of the Japanese guy was like, "Dang...wish I was that fellow Japanese chap with the hot blonde girl!" exploding inside his silent head since he can't be expressing it in front of his girl...Haha what an episode.
Ok moving on to the Friday just last week. Hit some precious 外人 (Gaijin) literally "foreigner" time with the rest of the not-so-usual crowd. New watering hole introduced by C which wasn't much of a fad except the house music was pretty listenable. Went back home tired without any alcohol poisoning but failed to make it to the Japanese class on Sat morning since it was raining and I was lazy. Slept till late into the afternoon, dragged myself outta bed and made my way to the wedding ground held at 1800 hours in Nagano City. Wasn't expecting anything much from the wedding but Mr Kitahara (The Groom) did surprise me when mid way he went out to presumably change kits like the usual Chinese wedding. He appeared back with the exact same suit PLUS an oversized striking blue backpack. Inside the backpack was something resembling a keg of Asahi Super Dry Beer with a hose connected to it aka Proton Pack Ghostbuster style. Sweet was what I thought as he made his rounds around the buffet-themed dinner that had 70% of the guests standing. Definitely better than the "Yam Seng" in SG....so Kudos to Mr Kitahara for that.
After the wedding, I went back to Ueda and met up with more friends for some TCSS session.
Sunday, 21st June...woke up to a rainy day again (in fact 2 weekends in a row). Tried to Jailbreak my Ipod Touch to get the stupid Metal Gear Touch to work but failed AGAIN after like an intense week of failed Jailbreaking. Finally after all the hair-pulling experience, Pwnage Tool for Mac weaved magic but still can't get the MGS Touch to work. Gave up and made my way to 辰野 (Tatsuno) Park to catch the fireflies party. Was given the news by one teacher who knew I like historical stuffs, anything Japanese and photography after he saw a newspaper article in the papers. About an hour and a half drive from my place that passed thru hidden valleys of paradise, Initial D styled snakey mountain passes and more breathtaking scenery that I opted to skip since I was all juiced up for the fireflies. Too bad I was doing this photography journey all solo...with only the music, the car and the beautiful day to accompany me.
Located slightly on the opposite side of the massive Suwa Lake...the mountain pass up to get over to the other side had me stealing a rather nice view of Suwa Lake. Again you can only take my words for it since there are no pics. In the end after the long almost 2 hours odd drive...I reached a small park no bigger than a football field. Checked my watch and realised that it was almost 1800 hours but the sky was slightly overcast and HOT!. Since this is the first time I was there, the ￥1,000 parking at the park was obviously the best choice. Seems like this Firefly phenomenon is quite huge at this famous place since the locals had dressed up in bright blue Happi(s) with a firefly emblem on the back. They were ushering in the cars and they littered the entire vicinity of the park to provide nusiance as well as support.
Parked the car and went inside the park to scout for possible shooting locations...it was only then I realise that the tiny initial park wasn't the place. Had to cross a bridge spanning over a wide river, sort of like the huge "Long Kang" in SG except bigger and had natural banks instead of towering concrete. Wiggled up the beaten path and viola! In front of me was a huge park with thick low-lying bushes with tiny purple flowers and streams beneath it. A complex but well organized path and the wooden fences presented this place as modern. This was all done to protect the fireflies since they were the pride of this place. Only 3 tripods and 2 photographers were in sight resting beside their gear. No cameras were in sight as well, only tripods. I smiled and picked a spot close to one of the 3 tripods since I did not know the place well and those 2 photographers looked like they really know what they were doing. So they were simply an indication of a good spot.
Went back to the car to haul my gear and whisked back to the spot. Tripod up and gear checked...I was beginning to test out my preferred framing angle, which of the 2 lenses to use, remotes, etc. and all these while the other photographers were simply checking out my setup. It's normal since I do that all the time...like in all other situations as well. Digging the cars others' drive, digging the girls other groups have in a club, digging the amount of food on my platter, etc. After that I simply laid back to enjoy the nice moist smell of the air less the pesky bugs buzzing around my face. As the clock started to tick by, one by one, two by two and hordes by hordes, people with point and shoot cameras, photographers with tripods, kids, families, couples, etc started turning up. Of course I was more concern about who or in fact what was being set up beside me. Just before the last dying light disappeared into the distance horizon, there were 5DMk2(s), 1DsMk3(s), KissDX3(s), D90s, D700s, Pentax film cameras which looked like priceless antique pieces and various assortment of lenses. The only thing that set myself apart from all these "professional-looking" photographers were that I was the ONLY young punk with a decent camera and tripod.
Getting stares and curious looks from the other fellow photographers given my youthful appeal, the prominent L lens stuck on my tiny camera might actually indicate that I knew what I was doing or that I simply had stacks of Yen to burn. Luckily for me, the guy on my left was pitching his 5DMk2 with the older 28-70L lens so I took a sneaky peep on his LCD to syphon his settings...But in the end, I stood with my settings.
And then the moment that everyone was waiting anxiously for finally strolled in with ease. One by one the tiny fireflies began to randomly "Glow" their biolumiscence light. They flew, they danced and they glowed...drawing streaks of greenish and yellowish lights everywhere just like what Nature had intended. We the invaders just go "Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" and the photographers fiddled with remotes, switches and the sounds of shutters fluttered the air. Of course there were the occasional "Spoilers" who would fire their flash from their handphones or point and shoot cameras despite countless announcements not to do so. Nonetheless nothing did dampen any enthusiastic spirit since it did not rained and the weather was good. An awesome display of light painting by gazillions of firefiles...yes there were so many of them, in the forests, in the parks, stopping on the power light on my camera since they shared the same color, stopping on people's head, hands, etc.
That's about it for now but have been rather busy with work and reports lately since my Boss wanted a more detail summary. Tied up with trying to get the apps to work on my Jailbroken Ipod Touch...and buying the 5Dmk2 this weekend, going back to SG in less than 4 weeks...
I am alive and very much ready to embark on the next adventurous journey...
At the moment, ma hands are pretty much tied up with a lot of things. Just last week when I started off on a usual Monday, a fellow colleague dropped me a verbal wedding invitation just 5 days short of the actual day. It's not like I know him since childhood days but more of a rather hi and bye every Monday kinda relationship. Nonetheless I graciously accepted it since there wasn't any plans for the Sat as well.
The Sunday prior (15th) wasn't really spectacular to be exact...The weather was indeed really good since Heaven granted me almost 3 to 4 days of consecutive rain. But besides that blessing, everyone else was laying low beneath radar detection. Good for me as well since I am saving up for the huge expenditure coming late June to late July. In the end, I went out with C to scout for decent places to do some photoshoots. The rain did ruin everything since I wasn't agreeable to subject my gear to it but it was just nice driving around the scenic routes. While stopping by Megami Lake for a short break, the Japanese guy and his gf in the blue Evo 7 next to me bombarded me with their curious looks. Well I have already gotten over this shallow stereotype of the typical Japanese mentality that every single Chinese or Korean that walks in Japan have to be Japanese and every BLONDE have to be an American. Can't really blame them since they have not much luck knowing things outside of their self sufficient island. C was as curious as them but after hearing my reasoning, she got it as well. I swore the look of the Japanese guy was like, "Dang...wish I was that fellow Japanese chap with the hot blonde girl!" exploding inside his silent head since he can't be expressing it in front of his girl...Haha what an episode.
Ok moving on to the Friday just last week. Hit some precious 外人 (Gaijin) literally "foreigner" time with the rest of the not-so-usual crowd. New watering hole introduced by C which wasn't much of a fad except the house music was pretty listenable. Went back home tired without any alcohol poisoning but failed to make it to the Japanese class on Sat morning since it was raining and I was lazy. Slept till late into the afternoon, dragged myself outta bed and made my way to the wedding ground held at 1800 hours in Nagano City. Wasn't expecting anything much from the wedding but Mr Kitahara (The Groom) did surprise me when mid way he went out to presumably change kits like the usual Chinese wedding. He appeared back with the exact same suit PLUS an oversized striking blue backpack. Inside the backpack was something resembling a keg of Asahi Super Dry Beer with a hose connected to it aka Proton Pack Ghostbuster style. Sweet was what I thought as he made his rounds around the buffet-themed dinner that had 70% of the guests standing. Definitely better than the "Yam Seng" in SG....so Kudos to Mr Kitahara for that.
After the wedding, I went back to Ueda and met up with more friends for some TCSS session.
Sunday, 21st June...woke up to a rainy day again (in fact 2 weekends in a row). Tried to Jailbreak my Ipod Touch to get the stupid Metal Gear Touch to work but failed AGAIN after like an intense week of failed Jailbreaking. Finally after all the hair-pulling experience, Pwnage Tool for Mac weaved magic but still can't get the MGS Touch to work. Gave up and made my way to 辰野 (Tatsuno) Park to catch the fireflies party. Was given the news by one teacher who knew I like historical stuffs, anything Japanese and photography after he saw a newspaper article in the papers. About an hour and a half drive from my place that passed thru hidden valleys of paradise, Initial D styled snakey mountain passes and more breathtaking scenery that I opted to skip since I was all juiced up for the fireflies. Too bad I was doing this photography journey all solo...with only the music, the car and the beautiful day to accompany me.
Located slightly on the opposite side of the massive Suwa Lake...the mountain pass up to get over to the other side had me stealing a rather nice view of Suwa Lake. Again you can only take my words for it since there are no pics. In the end after the long almost 2 hours odd drive...I reached a small park no bigger than a football field. Checked my watch and realised that it was almost 1800 hours but the sky was slightly overcast and HOT!. Since this is the first time I was there, the ￥1,000 parking at the park was obviously the best choice. Seems like this Firefly phenomenon is quite huge at this famous place since the locals had dressed up in bright blue Happi(s) with a firefly emblem on the back. They were ushering in the cars and they littered the entire vicinity of the park to provide nusiance as well as support.
Parked the car and went inside the park to scout for possible shooting locations...it was only then I realise that the tiny initial park wasn't the place. Had to cross a bridge spanning over a wide river, sort of like the huge "Long Kang" in SG except bigger and had natural banks instead of towering concrete. Wiggled up the beaten path and viola! In front of me was a huge park with thick low-lying bushes with tiny purple flowers and streams beneath it. A complex but well organized path and the wooden fences presented this place as modern. This was all done to protect the fireflies since they were the pride of this place. Only 3 tripods and 2 photographers were in sight resting beside their gear. No cameras were in sight as well, only tripods. I smiled and picked a spot close to one of the 3 tripods since I did not know the place well and those 2 photographers looked like they really know what they were doing. So they were simply an indication of a good spot.
Went back to the car to haul my gear and whisked back to the spot. Tripod up and gear checked...I was beginning to test out my preferred framing angle, which of the 2 lenses to use, remotes, etc. and all these while the other photographers were simply checking out my setup. It's normal since I do that all the time...like in all other situations as well. Digging the cars others' drive, digging the girls other groups have in a club, digging the amount of food on my platter, etc. After that I simply laid back to enjoy the nice moist smell of the air less the pesky bugs buzzing around my face. As the clock started to tick by, one by one, two by two and hordes by hordes, people with point and shoot cameras, photographers with tripods, kids, families, couples, etc started turning up. Of course I was more concern about who or in fact what was being set up beside me. Just before the last dying light disappeared into the distance horizon, there were 5DMk2(s), 1DsMk3(s), KissDX3(s), D90s, D700s, Pentax film cameras which looked like priceless antique pieces and various assortment of lenses. The only thing that set myself apart from all these "professional-looking" photographers were that I was the ONLY young punk with a decent camera and tripod.
Getting stares and curious looks from the other fellow photographers given my youthful appeal, the prominent L lens stuck on my tiny camera might actually indicate that I knew what I was doing or that I simply had stacks of Yen to burn. Luckily for me, the guy on my left was pitching his 5DMk2 with the older 28-70L lens so I took a sneaky peep on his LCD to syphon his settings...But in the end, I stood with my settings.
And then the moment that everyone was waiting anxiously for finally strolled in with ease. One by one the tiny fireflies began to randomly "Glow" their biolumiscence light. They flew, they danced and they glowed...drawing streaks of greenish and yellowish lights everywhere just like what Nature had intended. We the invaders just go "Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" and the photographers fiddled with remotes, switches and the sounds of shutters fluttered the air. Of course there were the occasional "Spoilers" who would fire their flash from their handphones or point and shoot cameras despite countless announcements not to do so. Nonetheless nothing did dampen any enthusiastic spirit since it did not rained and the weather was good. An awesome display of light painting by gazillions of firefiles...yes there were so many of them, in the forests, in the parks, stopping on the power light on my camera since they shared the same color, stopping on people's head, hands, etc.
That's about it for now but have been rather busy with work and reports lately since my Boss wanted a more detail summary. Tied up with trying to get the apps to work on my Jailbroken Ipod Touch...and buying the 5Dmk2 this weekend, going back to SG in less than 4 weeks...
I am alive and very much ready to embark on the next adventurous journey...
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
What more camera stuffs AGAIN?!
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Ha...yes that's so right. I can't seem to distant myself from getting cosy with camera related news, updates, prices, stockpile, etc. Can't be help since I will be dropping a huge A Bomb amount of cash on the 5Dmk2 soon. While checking out the various lens prices, I am also keeping track of the price fluctuation of the 5Dmk2. While the Recommended Retail Price (RRP) is usually super expensive because that's the price set by the company and sometimes, absent-minded consumers might just fall for it altogether. The price that I am actually trailing is the street price to be exact...this price actually fluctuates over time and it reflects the supply and demand of the consumer. So it would be most advisable to buy it at the lowest possible.
In fact the price of the 5Dmk2 was declining steadily over the months until Canon officially confirm the release of the much disputed firmware update to manually control the settings on the vid functions. With that piece of anvil-weighted news, the demands of the 5Dmk2 have suddenly took an adverse sharp spike up. This probably propelled the street price to move upwards since the sudden surge in demand will exceed the current supply. Of course if you plot the economic equilibrium chart, when demand exceeds supply, price will increase. While I do hope that the sudden demand will even out over time to decrease the price further, the mentality of all those advocates and converts of the 5Dmk2 are hard to predict with any degree of certainty.
Right now I can only hope for the price to fall further or alternatively I could visit the shops and offer to purchase an X amount of 5Dmk2 so that they will lower the price. Either way I am still getting it way cheaper than it will be in SG simply because the 5Dmk2 is made in Japan (free of lead and melamine of course!). It will be a while before I actually go get them but I can say most of my daily routine have been inevitably filled with anything that have either direct or indirect linkage to the 5Dmk2. It's in my dreams, it's in my food, it's in my eyes, it's here, there and everywhere. It's getting pretty crazy expanding all usable energy.
Then there was a piece of news from my fellow teachers that coming near Summer, there will be fantastic places to catch fireflies dance in the evenings and painting streaks of golden lines late into the night. Wow....I am all os excited.
Here are 2 lenses that I have currently set my eyes on. The EF70-200mm F2.8L IS USM for longer reach and telephotos, subject isolation and bokeh and sniping innocent targets. But this massive beast will have to wait because the price tag slapped on it is hefty too. Next is at the lower end of the spectrum, the ultra wide angle EF17-40mm F4.0L for fantastic landscape and scenematic magic. Since I do not need specific subject isolation or creamy bokeh for wide angles, this baby is just right with the affordable price as well. The other sibling EF16-35mm cost 3 times as much but I doubt it's worth it since I will not be using the 2.8 for bokeh shots. Both lenses I am actually looking at the second hand market simply because I am really not intrigued for first hands at these babies. Since acquiring my first second hand EF24-70mm F2.8L wonder, I have been a little less picky due to monetary concerns.
So many things at hand at the moment but everything is about the 5Dmk2 and nothing else.
Ha...yes that's so right. I can't seem to distant myself from getting cosy with camera related news, updates, prices, stockpile, etc. Can't be help since I will be dropping a huge A Bomb amount of cash on the 5Dmk2 soon. While checking out the various lens prices, I am also keeping track of the price fluctuation of the 5Dmk2. While the Recommended Retail Price (RRP) is usually super expensive because that's the price set by the company and sometimes, absent-minded consumers might just fall for it altogether. The price that I am actually trailing is the street price to be exact...this price actually fluctuates over time and it reflects the supply and demand of the consumer. So it would be most advisable to buy it at the lowest possible.
In fact the price of the 5Dmk2 was declining steadily over the months until Canon officially confirm the release of the much disputed firmware update to manually control the settings on the vid functions. With that piece of anvil-weighted news, the demands of the 5Dmk2 have suddenly took an adverse sharp spike up. This probably propelled the street price to move upwards since the sudden surge in demand will exceed the current supply. Of course if you plot the economic equilibrium chart, when demand exceeds supply, price will increase. While I do hope that the sudden demand will even out over time to decrease the price further, the mentality of all those advocates and converts of the 5Dmk2 are hard to predict with any degree of certainty.
Right now I can only hope for the price to fall further or alternatively I could visit the shops and offer to purchase an X amount of 5Dmk2 so that they will lower the price. Either way I am still getting it way cheaper than it will be in SG simply because the 5Dmk2 is made in Japan (free of lead and melamine of course!). It will be a while before I actually go get them but I can say most of my daily routine have been inevitably filled with anything that have either direct or indirect linkage to the 5Dmk2. It's in my dreams, it's in my food, it's in my eyes, it's here, there and everywhere. It's getting pretty crazy expanding all usable energy.
Then there was a piece of news from my fellow teachers that coming near Summer, there will be fantastic places to catch fireflies dance in the evenings and painting streaks of golden lines late into the night. Wow....I am all os excited.
Here are 2 lenses that I have currently set my eyes on. The EF70-200mm F2.8L IS USM for longer reach and telephotos, subject isolation and bokeh and sniping innocent targets. But this massive beast will have to wait because the price tag slapped on it is hefty too. Next is at the lower end of the spectrum, the ultra wide angle EF17-40mm F4.0L for fantastic landscape and scenematic magic. Since I do not need specific subject isolation or creamy bokeh for wide angles, this baby is just right with the affordable price as well. The other sibling EF16-35mm cost 3 times as much but I doubt it's worth it since I will not be using the 2.8 for bokeh shots. Both lenses I am actually looking at the second hand market simply because I am really not intrigued for first hands at these babies. Since acquiring my first second hand EF24-70mm F2.8L wonder, I have been a little less picky due to monetary concerns.
So many things at hand at the moment but everything is about the 5Dmk2 and nothing else.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Lethal Poison
- Never Stop Dreaming -
Somehow I was always thinking that I was alone in this conquest for the capture of the perfect beast untill yesterday. I found out that the lethal poison have since spread to another fellow friend who have since joined me in the conquest...there are no known cure or antidote to date but globally, the infected figures are pretty scary. Of course I feel really relieve since I am not alone on this anymore...besides the slight difference in the place that we might be unleashing this beast when we catch it.
Still lost...ok the Canon 5Dmk2 is the beast...and I have another confirm buyer from SG so it's Tokyo by the end of the month and 2 sets of the Canon 5Dmk2! Since it's cheaper to get it here in Japan, I wouldn't hesistate to piggy back a few extra sets back to SG for fanatics like myself. In fact it's an honor to render an elite service to them as well so Thank You Dear X so much for being so gracious to join me at the last minute. It sure makes me feel warm with confidence since I now have a personal friend who shares crazy and insane passion like myself.
Now comes the tedious part...the physical checking of the camera. I have gathered intel from various sources and have screen the list to just a handful of shops. It's these shops that I will haul my Mac down to to pixel peep each 5D for hot, dead or stuck pixels. Hopefully the shop will allow me to do so since it's a massive amount of money that I am parting with. I really can't imagine that buying a brand new camera is more expensive that a 2000cc Honda Accord that I am driving...simply unfathomable!
What like what W had said, resistance is futile when you know you want it. Anyway I am just really grateful and glad that I could have someone else to join me and that mere fact alone is just...sweet!
Somehow I was always thinking that I was alone in this conquest for the capture of the perfect beast untill yesterday. I found out that the lethal poison have since spread to another fellow friend who have since joined me in the conquest...there are no known cure or antidote to date but globally, the infected figures are pretty scary. Of course I feel really relieve since I am not alone on this anymore...besides the slight difference in the place that we might be unleashing this beast when we catch it.
Still lost...ok the Canon 5Dmk2 is the beast...and I have another confirm buyer from SG so it's Tokyo by the end of the month and 2 sets of the Canon 5Dmk2! Since it's cheaper to get it here in Japan, I wouldn't hesistate to piggy back a few extra sets back to SG for fanatics like myself. In fact it's an honor to render an elite service to them as well so Thank You Dear X so much for being so gracious to join me at the last minute. It sure makes me feel warm with confidence since I now have a personal friend who shares crazy and insane passion like myself.
Now comes the tedious part...the physical checking of the camera. I have gathered intel from various sources and have screen the list to just a handful of shops. It's these shops that I will haul my Mac down to to pixel peep each 5D for hot, dead or stuck pixels. Hopefully the shop will allow me to do so since it's a massive amount of money that I am parting with. I really can't imagine that buying a brand new camera is more expensive that a 2000cc Honda Accord that I am driving...simply unfathomable!
What like what W had said, resistance is futile when you know you want it. Anyway I am just really grateful and glad that I could have someone else to join me and that mere fact alone is just...sweet!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Take a break from Hell.
- Never Stop Dreaming -
So it seems that shits in life are really like diarrhea, they will strike you in the most unexpected situations leaving you with some foul and uncomfortable wet pants! Just when the world's economy is showing a little glimmer of the raging bull, the sneezy pig comes in and stomp the hopes outta everyone.
While it may seem like a huge pandemic scare everywhere, I am more concern about how much the Yen will be affected. Ha...because with every single catastrophic event that happen, I might either be 1 step closer to buying stuffs off other countries cheap or vice versa. Of course I want it to be cheap...when the Yen plummeted to a shocking 84 points against the USD, I was more than delighted. But before I could do anything much, it had rose to 100 points when the Finance Minister of Japan took a blunder. Then when the ever so cute pigs brought some deadly flu into the world, the Yen dipped again to around 96. And today, it went up to 99 AGAIN!
This is after all the currency market where opportunities are lurking at every corner. If you are fast, it can either make you a whole lot more money or rob you of every cent you slogged for so far.
Well all I am saying is that I am eyeing some pretty hefty camera stuffs here so yes I am indeed pretty concern on the exchange rates. Here are some of the items that I am keeping a look our for...
1. Canon 5D Mark II (98% chance of aquisition)
2. EF 70-200 F2.8 IS USM (50% chance of aquisition)
3. Pocket Wizard FlexTT5 and MiniTT1 (98% chance of aquisition)
4. Canon 430 EX II (67% chance of aquisition)
5. Base Unibody MacBook 2.4Ghz (10% chance of aquisition)
6. Final Cut Studio 2 (98% chance of aquisition)
The main reason for the 5D MkII is because I am already using a 1.6x sensor camera so longer lens have a much longer reach so I kinda want to expand on the wide angle of a full frame camera. Besides the video capabilities of this camera are simply astounding abiet the lack of a full manual control. Of course there are numerous work arounds but it's simply these following vids that got me cancerously poisoned!
Don't say I didn't warn you...
(The link provided will bring you to the site Cinema5D where you can find those 4 or 5 stars rating vids. Thks to YOU for informing me about the broken link...Cheers!)
CLICK HERE
Of course there is the Vicent Laforet's masterpiece but those above are more subtle for my taste. I really can see the bold opportunities that are being open up from the fusion of stills and vid. Hopefully I can find more people with such passion to work with. However the years of Photoshopping would be useless for vids and I have to cry like a baby once again to learn everything from scratch with Color and Final Cut Pro.
No. 3 are the wireless triggers for me to fiddle around with off camera strobes but too bad Japan are seriously lacking in talents in such an industry. No.2 the legendary white "shark" lens might be really useful for longer reach but will probably hold for the moment. New Macbook...I am not sure but might be able to get it as a surprise. And of course No. 4 strobe will compliment the current one I have and the wireless triggers.
Man this is gonna be one really expensive journey...so everything photography aside, here is one game I am eagerly anticipating...PSP SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3. Because I have completed Fireteam Bravo 2 and it's an awesome game, I have also completed Resistance Retribution and I NEED MORE GAMES! Here is one peekture to tease everyone...and also to bring back the good o' shoot 'em up SAF days..."Rattattatta...tattattattat!"
Alternatively you can visit HERE for more pictures.
And my oh my...my Golden Week holiday starts tonite! Planning to go up to Kiso for photography and also Ninja Village for some serious shurikens fun. Whoooooooooo!
So it seems that shits in life are really like diarrhea, they will strike you in the most unexpected situations leaving you with some foul and uncomfortable wet pants! Just when the world's economy is showing a little glimmer of the raging bull, the sneezy pig comes in and stomp the hopes outta everyone.
While it may seem like a huge pandemic scare everywhere, I am more concern about how much the Yen will be affected. Ha...because with every single catastrophic event that happen, I might either be 1 step closer to buying stuffs off other countries cheap or vice versa. Of course I want it to be cheap...when the Yen plummeted to a shocking 84 points against the USD, I was more than delighted. But before I could do anything much, it had rose to 100 points when the Finance Minister of Japan took a blunder. Then when the ever so cute pigs brought some deadly flu into the world, the Yen dipped again to around 96. And today, it went up to 99 AGAIN!
This is after all the currency market where opportunities are lurking at every corner. If you are fast, it can either make you a whole lot more money or rob you of every cent you slogged for so far.
Well all I am saying is that I am eyeing some pretty hefty camera stuffs here so yes I am indeed pretty concern on the exchange rates. Here are some of the items that I am keeping a look our for...
1. Canon 5D Mark II (98% chance of aquisition)
2. EF 70-200 F2.8 IS USM (50% chance of aquisition)
3. Pocket Wizard FlexTT5 and MiniTT1 (98% chance of aquisition)
4. Canon 430 EX II (67% chance of aquisition)
5. Base Unibody MacBook 2.4Ghz (10% chance of aquisition)
6. Final Cut Studio 2 (98% chance of aquisition)
The main reason for the 5D MkII is because I am already using a 1.6x sensor camera so longer lens have a much longer reach so I kinda want to expand on the wide angle of a full frame camera. Besides the video capabilities of this camera are simply astounding abiet the lack of a full manual control. Of course there are numerous work arounds but it's simply these following vids that got me cancerously poisoned!
Don't say I didn't warn you...
(The link provided will bring you to the site Cinema5D where you can find those 4 or 5 stars rating vids. Thks to YOU for informing me about the broken link...Cheers!)
CLICK HERE
Of course there is the Vicent Laforet's masterpiece but those above are more subtle for my taste. I really can see the bold opportunities that are being open up from the fusion of stills and vid. Hopefully I can find more people with such passion to work with. However the years of Photoshopping would be useless for vids and I have to cry like a baby once again to learn everything from scratch with Color and Final Cut Pro.
No. 3 are the wireless triggers for me to fiddle around with off camera strobes but too bad Japan are seriously lacking in talents in such an industry. No.2 the legendary white "shark" lens might be really useful for longer reach but will probably hold for the moment. New Macbook...I am not sure but might be able to get it as a surprise. And of course No. 4 strobe will compliment the current one I have and the wireless triggers.
Man this is gonna be one really expensive journey...so everything photography aside, here is one game I am eagerly anticipating...PSP SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3. Because I have completed Fireteam Bravo 2 and it's an awesome game, I have also completed Resistance Retribution and I NEED MORE GAMES! Here is one peekture to tease everyone...and also to bring back the good o' shoot 'em up SAF days..."Rattattatta...tattattattat!"
Alternatively you can visit HERE for more pictures.
And my oh my...my Golden Week holiday starts tonite! Planning to go up to Kiso for photography and also Ninja Village for some serious shurikens fun. Whoooooooooo!
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