Fugang Geopark （Little Yehliu）, TaiTung, Taiwan
Hospital Nursing Room
Hospital Nursing Room
Cijin Beach （旗津海水浴場）, KaoHsiung, Taiwan
Dalin （大林）, Chiayi County, Taiwan
Smangus （司馬庫斯）, Jianshi Township, Hsinchu County, Taiwan
Hutoushan （虎頭山）, Nantou County, Taiwan
In the operating theatre
I’m finally back after having so much struggles with Windows Live Writer. I must admit, the Open Live Writer developer team did a wonderful job with the open software, and I am now able to get back on track and start blogging again!
By the way, here’s something cool from Nik Filters. Users used to have to pay for the filters, but the company was recently acquired by Google. So now you can get them for free!
Pause and look back on the things you have done in the past as you move forward into the future. You shall notice that while there is still a long way to you, you have come a long way too!
It may just be the second week of my clerkship rotation at the cardiovascular surgery department, yet I have learnt so much throughout the days. I have seen many great surgical operations, meet patients and feel their anxiousness about their illness, write patient charts and interpret medical images.
A self-reflect indeed come in handy at time like this. All is well.
Story behind this shot: I stopped by the road for a rest after riding in the rain for the past hour. The paddy field was really beautiful and it was indeed a moment of reflection as I ponder whether to turn back to Hualien because the weather report indicated bad weather for the next few days to come. The image in the mirror reflected how much I had come so far, and perhaps it was the time where I brave the fear of the unknown in front of me. I pushed forward, and I had some of the best memories throughout the journey.
I certainly love the idea of having hands-on experience in the hospital. Yup, this is my second week in the hospital as a clerk, and I certainly have gained much by being foolish.
Just like what Steve Jobs’ famous quote, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish,” I may have asked some foolish questions, made myself look like a dumb some of the times, but I guess I gained a lot more for asking those questions. I know what I know, and I am truthful for what I don’t know.
May the “How-s” and “Why-s” dominate my day… And let knowledge by the path forward.
All is well. =D
Story behind this shot: This shot was possible because of the curiosity towards an ad. That evening I saw a poster at the bus station at Taitung, and I asked the ticket conductor about it. That lead me to this stunningly beautiful architecture made of bamboo. It’s the “Tree of Life”. The person standing below kindly accepted my invitation to be part of the shot, further emphasizing the significance of the tree.
Our mind tends to shut ourselves from the outside. Yet, when we’re out there, we waited and hesitated.
Well, the surprise is just out there. Believe, have faith and go forward…
This cave is just stunningly beautiful. The last time I was there, I knew that I had to go back again, armed with gears to take shots of this cave. The water temperature is about 8 to 12 degrees. A cooling shower indeed!
This cave is called 水漣洞 (Water-curtain cave), located at the end of 白楊步道 (Bai Yang Trail) at Taroko National park. It is crowded with tourists now, so it’s best if you can go there as early as possible to avoid the crowd.
I guess at times, being selectively ignorant and forgetful can make one happier. However, that doesn’t mean I care less, but I care more towards the things that mattered to me.
May all the negative feedbacks be like the falling leaves, being blown away with the wind, as I stride firmly towards my goals in life, knowing that I have made a choice that I’m proud of…
Summer has been pretty hot, and a few of us managed to take some time off to cycle out and play in the water. We headed out on the 1st of June, but this post came a little late as I was waiting for my roll of film to be developed.
Hualien is a beautiful place to explore if you’ve got the time to spare.
Exam week is coming up next, so I guess back to my books then. =D
Too much stuffs have been going through my mind lately, and I’m thinking that perhaps I’m getting a little bit complacent with life.
Or perhaps this place has suppressed too much of what I can do and what I want to achieve in life, that I’ve decided to make this decision.
As scary as it may seem, interestingly, many people that I’ve talked to supported my decision of doing so. When the time comes, I will reveal the decision (although most people that I’ve talked to knew about this idea).
But for now, I know that I need to pay more attention to things in life, and grab all the precious time that I have to learn, research and explore. To appreciate the people that I’ve met in life, and how they have made this my dream of mine come true.
It is a good start.
We do not share the same flesh and blood. Yet, fate brought us together as an extended family. Not knowing who would be sitting beside me on the train today, it was really a coincidence to have met one of my YiDe Mama (懿德媽媽) on the train. In fact, she was sitting beside me.
These “foster” parents took care of us during my study here in TCU. They came every month, be it near or far, just to accompany us, listen to our ramblings, share our joy and happiness, yet ask for nothing in return. This relationship is so unique, yet so many took it for granted.
There is nothing much I can do in return of their love towards us, but I can do one thing for certain: To pay the love forward and care for the others.
A beautiful temple to visit. Although it is quite costly to pay Siem Reap a visit, Angkor Wat is definitely a must see place if you’re up for the walks and climbs.
Some of the temples are still under restoration, and this will take some time. Most of the restoration projects are funded by a join collaboration between countries like Germany, Switzerland, Japan and others. As you can see in the following photograph, the green tents set up in front of the Angkor Wat temple while waiting for the restoration project to resume.
The number of visitors dropping by is astounding. The crowd here was waiting for the picturesque sunrise, but too bad the sky was cloudy due to rain on previous night.
You can purchase your entry pass after 5.30pm (+7 GMT) and you can hike up to this Phnom Bakheng Temple, where you get to enjoy a nice sunset. However, it was drizzling that day I was up there.
Many of the Buddha statue was maimed and damaged. A handbook which you can buy easily when you’re in the temples will explain why this happened.
It will take about 1 day to see Angkor Wat and some of the temples around it. The best is if you have 3 days to spare, then you’ll be able to visit most of the places, including the ones some distance away like Banteay Srei temple and Roluos Group. Entry tickets are priced at USD 20 for 1-day, USD 40 for 3 days.
If you have some spare time, you may consider taking bus trip to Phnom Penh and return the same day. I guess I was quite lucky to visit this place early Aug. It may be the monsoon season, but it was quite windy. Sunscreen is a must, do remember to reapply them when you’re out there.
The locals here are just as interesting as the island itself. Besides being tour guides, they have other jobs as well. And they do take time of to enjoy their own island.
Some sell food and snacks for a living, while some others cheat tourists into paying them money by forcing them to buy something, e.g. placing a flower bud on your ears, saying that this would please the Gods and ask you to pay for that flower bud. They may be so poor to the stage that they are using different tactics to survive here at the outskirts of Bali. Still, there are lots of good people around. Just remember to keep small changes in your wallet, so that you can give exact amount to them. Most of them do not have small changes in their pockets.
The Jimbaran beach sunset is quite a stunning one, and therefore lots of wedding photographers like to bring their clients to these areas for wedding shoots.
This local fisherman heads out to the sea during high tide to affix the fishing nets. He collects the harvest the next morning.
Some others would spend their time preparing for their religious celebrations.
Some lazy ones would just hang out and wait for time to pass.
The kite seller sure have a pretty and nice kite for sale.
Monkeys at the temples may look harmless, but they are in fact notorious. So don’t follow suit of the lady in the dark clothing. Her sunglasses were snatched by the monkey moments later.
Lots to see and do in Bali, with the people there, it’s even more interesting. So get to know a few locals around, but remember to be not too friendly, else they would rip you off when you dine or purchase something!
To say “Balinese are religious” is quite an understatement. They spent really a lot of their time in temples (locals called it pura), be it temples built by the others or temples in their own homes. And because of the temples they’ve built, it’s enough to attract visitors for a visit.
The temples may be situated by the sea, on the cliff or up in the mountains. And their decorations are very elaborate, with lots and lots of greens and plants growing around the temples. The structures looked black-grey as they built it using the black sands of the beach.
This is an example where their house was transformed into a religious stage for ceremonial procession and just outside this lotus pond, is a restaurant they’ve built for attracting tourists.
They really pray a lot and they spend most of their time preparing for a religious festival, like the Royal Cremation Ceremony to be held soon. At the end of the ceremony, the beautifully made statues would be burnt.
Basically you’ll see lots and lots of temples while you’re staying here. Select a few famous ones to visit. I missed the floating temple during my stay here. Anyways, here are some tips while you’re visiting the temple:
1. Wear a sarong while visiting the temples, bring one if you have one. No shorts and sleeveless shirts.
2. Some temples are rip-offs, so be careful. Some charges extra, while some others would try to force you got hire a tour guide, saying that “there are some restrictions around the temple and you need a guide to lead you, so that you don’t interfere with the ceremonial procession”. Remember that you don’t need to pay for a tour guide if you don’t want to. Bargain with them if you have no choice, at least a 75% off.
3. Sunsets at Tanah Lot and Uluwatu may be enticing, but you may not necessarily see a good sunset. So be aware of that, look at the weather.
4. Monkeys may be around the area. Beware of that in case they snatch your items, especially your spectacles.
If you’ve got the time, you should stay here for a week or two as there are lots to see and enjoy.
