My congratulations to all my colleagues. Five years was no light affair. All the best to our future endeavours.

But some old film-era 35mm format lenses can be had for relatively cheap prices on EBay if you're lucky. And as habit would have it, I landed myself an old Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 lens for something like $30. Mounting this on my G1 gives me 2/3 stops more speed than the other Canon FD lens I first bought, a 50mm f/1.8.

I suppose, the whole topic of mounting old lenses on modern digital bodies is one of debate. Some people absolutely love this ability, while others seem to loathe it. As for myself, I think I would rather have native lenses. But considering that the Four-Thirds version of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 appears to go for something like $600 after a quick search on Google, I somehow think it's ok to relegate myself to old manual focus lenses. (Not that all manual focus lenses are cheap though! Some people use Leica lenses, and I've even seen some really nice photos from crazy C-mount lenses with apertures like f/1.1!)

And then there's the much praised Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens. A fast normal prime. Very nice. Not too pricey at something like $300-400. But it's enough to still make me content with manually focusing a Canon FD 50mm f/1.4.

Of course, not everything is perfect using Canon FD lenses on m4/3 cameras. Being designed for full-frame 35mm cameras, these lenses at their widest apertures actually tend to let in too much light resulting in some internal flaring/softening of the image. Certainly, Canon EOS users might also notice similar phenomena when using full-frame EOS mount lenses on an APS-C body. Of course, maybe not as pronounced.

In some photos (like the one above) it's not all that noticeable. In others, it's very noticeable. And with the f/1.4, it's much more noticeable than the f/1.8 lens I was using before. In some situations, it's actually a nice effect. It has the ability to give a photo a bit of a dreamy look, which may or may not be suitable for different cases.

Stopping down creates some extremely sharp images, but in that case I might as well use my kit lens.

Nevertheless, the ability to use an aperture of f/1.4 allows for better chance at hand-held shots in lower light without sending the ISO speed through the roof.

Owning the Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 makes me less inclined to pick up any native m4/3 fast primes until prices come down a bit more. The 20mm f/1.7 will be on my short-list. Otherwise, my lens kit is more or less rounded out now, covering a focal length range of 14mm to 200mm (28mm to 400mm in 35mm terms). A standard zoom, telephoto zoom, and a fast prime in a length comfortable enough for portraits.

Now to continue to work on my composition.

Check out Facebook for my latest photos from the UWCCF Winter 2010 retreat (outdoor shots were with a different lens though). Any comments on composition would be much appreciated. Perhaps too many are "snapshot" in nature. But candid portraits are not something you can plan so well? Regardless, I kind of like the ability to frame so tightly with the 50mm focal length (100mm in 35mm terms). I find that it gives a rather personal feel to some of the photos.

如果你可以把记忆丢掉的话，这是好的方法吗？ 还是好可惜？

华文有许多成语。 也许有一句成语让我说这样的感觉。 有没有？

这台节目关于新加坡学生的生活。 关于父母给小孩们子的压力。 还有社会给父母的压力。 特别是新加坡人生活的压力。 很像”小孩不笨“的故事。

我最近发现上网能看这台节目（在tudou.com）。

虽然我没在新加坡长大，看这样的电视节目让我记得我是小孩儿的时候。 那时候我妈妈买了许多新加坡math assessment课本。 记得有时候我不懂一些maths的问题。 我自己和我妈妈都觉得很烦恼。 我很烦恼因为真的不懂那种的问题。 妈妈很烦恼因为他也许想我的努力不够。

看书包太重的时候觉得这样的想法是在新加坡很平常的。 哈哈有一点儿nostalgic的感受

It's always all for our own good. At least, as far as 我们的父母 understand it. 当然不是他们总是决定对的。 可是这是他们的爱。

I just wanted to post something here to fill the space. And when I selected this photo, I figured maybe I'd just write about it.

My friend, coming back from Hong Kong, brought back gifts for a lot of people. For me, I received a few items from this legendary company called Muji. Well, actually I never knew much about this company before, but I remember a year or two back my friend was talking about Muji pens.

And now I finally get to experience all that is the Muji pen. Well, all that is the Muji pen and pencil, and also just a pen. The really cool item is this writing device that is both a pen and a pencil. Only, it's not shown in the photo below.

I looked up Muji on Wikipedia and was intrigued to find that they actually produce a large amount of household consumer goods. Not just stationary. And what's interesting is that they are known not for their branding, but for the lack of branding. Most companies that are popular and sell well are often driven by their brand. But Muji is distinctly unbranded in their products. In some sense, that's what makes their stuff so cool. Their stationary, for example, is designed with a very clean industrial look. There's no text on the product, but yet, it looks high quality enough that you know it didn't come from some no-name dollar-store brand.

Apparently there are Muji stores in Singapore. The next time I'm in Singapore, maybe I'll look around for this brand-less store.

我改變那麼的多嗎? 我現在是討厭的人嗎? 老朋友都去哪裡? 還是我去了哪裡? 有可能我跟他們的關係都不見了. 為什麼總是是這樣的嗎?

朋友們的沉默... 我該想什麼?

我其實好怕... graduation的時候沒有人對我說:"再見!" 只有我說:"訣別" 可是沒有人聽到我的話. 因為沒有人在我的身邊.

都是我的錯嗎? 我為什麼這樣的人?

Thank you for supporting "Get Your Sexy Back" - Singapore's first youth-led responsible drinking programme. Get your GYSB Friends Card and start enjoying exclusive discounts at partner merchants' outlets today!

Simply email us at info@getyoursexyback.sg with the following details: Name + Gender + IC Number + Contact Number + Mailing/postal address

I wonder what partner merchants I could get discounts at?

I still don't really understand the appeal of the name Get Your Sexy Back. Maybe people lose their sexy by binge drinking? (I suppose they do, or maybe more than that... ahem).

Nevertheless, I wondered, so how again did I get on the GYSB mailing list? Oh I remember now.

In the large outdoor open area below the Central Library at NUS there are often mini fairs or bazaars. I suppose it's similar in concept to the various merchants you see passing through the SLC (at UW) throughout the term. Only, it's much better. They actually sell stuff you might be interested in buying ranging from electronics, to witty/cute/cool t-shirts, to Japanese snacks (yum, Pocky on the cheap). Occasionally they even have free stuff (the Milo truck is always a crowd favourite).

And so I guess penning down my information there entitled them to send me updates about the GYSB program.

Ok, that story didn't sound as interesting as it did in my head before typing it out.

Actually, the discount card sounds pretty cool. I just don't think I can use it here.

Oh anecdotes of NUS.

I finally got around to watching this movie, and in a lot of ways, it was rather artful. For me, I found it somehow enjoyable, yet somehow not.

Perhaps because it shows the friendship that originates by chance and is developed only over a short period of time before the two parties are forcefully removed from each other due to life moving on.

I don't know what it is for me but this past year overall seems to have developed in me that sentiment to a marked degree. While not romantic in nature (as the movie's was), I couldn't help but recount my own experiences of just having such a great time with someone while both of us know that the time we have together is short. And once that time has expired, the chance of meeting each other again is perhaps slim.

The movie was pleasant. And then the end arrives. And during that scene, my own memories of parting with those whom you had come to regard as so close to you, over such a short period of time, played back in my mind sharply. The scene just felt too close to my own sentiment. And even now I sit wondering. What will five years bring? I actually sighed out loud during that scene.

And I wonder. I wonder why it seems that those whom you meet by chance for a short period of time are sometimes those whom you really wish you could keep with you forever? I suppose, I should just be thankful I was able to be in Singapore for longer than just one night.

Is it childish of me to have this sentiment?