For my last trip home, I took a flight to Hongkong, instead of a direct flight home. It is quite convenient to travel from Hongkong Airport to Guangzhou directly.
There are 3 coach companies offering coach service from the airport to various parts of Guangzhou. I personally have tried two, one is Wing Tung (永东), another is CTS (China Travel Service). They use a Hongkong coach to fetch you from the airport to Luo Ma Chow border crossing point. After you pass the Hongkong immigration and mainland China immigration, you will be a mainland Chinese coach all the way to your destination in Guangzhou City.
The coaches leave Hongkong airport once every 10-20 mins, quite frequent. You don't have to wait for too long. The coaches are not bad in general. There is an on-board toilet for you to relief yourself, and a water machine to provide drinking water.
Now it comes to the tricky part, which is the price. When you enquire, they will quote you a price of RMB250.00. As you hesitate or bargain, they will lower it to RMB200.00 immediately, and that's the price I paid for my ticket. Then later I realised in fact I can actually get it to as low as RMB150.00 for the trip! Please do learn my lesson!
I heard there is one more way to get to Guangzhou from Hongkong airport. Also by coach, but you don't have to get through the immigration at Luo Ma Chow. The price is higher at RMB230. But I couldn't get more details about that service.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Breakout - The Extreme Dance Performance
This is a follow-up of a previous blog entry:
Breakout - Extreme Dance Comedy.
Finally, I got to watch this performance at the Esplanade Theatre. First, let me talk a bit about the theatre. It has a seating capacity of 2000, sounds small, but yet, the seats are a bit too crammed. The feet of the person behind you are too close to your head for comfort. The leg room must be specifically designed for old-time Asians who tend to be shorter in height, and have short legs. I can't imagine how a leggy western model can squeeze into that small little space.
The theatre also has many doors, but many doors also converge into one door for exit, and one staircase. What is their evacuation plan? Mmmhh....
Ok, back to the main topic, the Breakout! Yes, the performance lasts about 80 mins, the fun-filled 80 mins. It seamlessly integrates break dance, hip-hop and stage play together into a comedy appealing to people of all ages. (By the way, yesterday audiences include from school kids to old grandmothers.) They also have good interaction with the audience, not just leaving the audience watching but no participation.
Stage lighting, music, and transitions from one scene to another are done smoothly. As the performance has very few verbal conservations, the message is mainly communicated to the audience through facial expressions and body language, which the performers did a very good job. They did it naturally, they did it in such a way that you forget you are actually watching a performance.
I highly recommend this performance. My rating is 4.9/5, the 0.1 is because everything has room for improvement :)
My only regret is I didn't get my ticket earlier and get a better seat, a seat closer to the stage. I was sitting in Circle 3, which is on level 4 of the theatre, too high up there.
Below is an excerpt from the Esplanade Diary about Breakout:
BREAKOUT is a new concept b-boy show created by Yegam and Sevensense Inc of (South) Korea. Established in 2003 and based in Seoul, Korea, Yegam and Sevensense Inc was one of the first production companies to specialise in comic martial arts performance in Asia, designed to appeal to people of all ages and international cultures.
Breakout - Extreme Dance Comedy.
Finally, I got to watch this performance at the Esplanade Theatre. First, let me talk a bit about the theatre. It has a seating capacity of 2000, sounds small, but yet, the seats are a bit too crammed. The feet of the person behind you are too close to your head for comfort. The leg room must be specifically designed for old-time Asians who tend to be shorter in height, and have short legs. I can't imagine how a leggy western model can squeeze into that small little space.
The theatre also has many doors, but many doors also converge into one door for exit, and one staircase. What is their evacuation plan? Mmmhh....
Ok, back to the main topic, the Breakout! Yes, the performance lasts about 80 mins, the fun-filled 80 mins. It seamlessly integrates break dance, hip-hop and stage play together into a comedy appealing to people of all ages. (By the way, yesterday audiences include from school kids to old grandmothers.) They also have good interaction with the audience, not just leaving the audience watching but no participation.
Stage lighting, music, and transitions from one scene to another are done smoothly. As the performance has very few verbal conservations, the message is mainly communicated to the audience through facial expressions and body language, which the performers did a very good job. They did it naturally, they did it in such a way that you forget you are actually watching a performance.
I highly recommend this performance. My rating is 4.9/5, the 0.1 is because everything has room for improvement :)
My only regret is I didn't get my ticket earlier and get a better seat, a seat closer to the stage. I was sitting in Circle 3, which is on level 4 of the theatre, too high up there.
Below is an excerpt from the Esplanade Diary about Breakout:
BREAKOUT is a new concept b-boy show created by Yegam and Sevensense Inc of (South) Korea. Established in 2003 and based in Seoul, Korea, Yegam and Sevensense Inc was one of the first production companies to specialise in comic martial arts performance in Asia, designed to appeal to people of all ages and international cultures.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Yuri Acurs - The Legendary Microstock Photographer
I found a couple of video clips about Yuri Acurs, the legendary microstock photographer. He is regconized to be the best and the most profitable and successful photographer in the microstock world.
Enjoy the video clips and be inspired.
Enjoy the video clips and be inspired.
Friday, February 13, 2009
New York Fashion Week 2009
The New York Fashion Week 2009 will start next Monday 16 Feb 2009. It is reported that the invitation cards are printed in black to reflect the sobre mood of the current state of the economy and the one of the worst winters for high street fashion. Well, don't be so pessimistic. Even if we are going to see a repeat of the Great Depression in the last century, there will still be some rich people who can afford high fashion, and people in the streets still need to have clothes to wear. Life will still need to go on, regardless of good or bad economic conditions.
Here is a clip from YouTube on what to expect in the New York Fashion Week.
Here is a clip from YouTube on what to expect in the New York Fashion Week.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen
Hong Kong is part of China, Shenzhen is also part of China, but when you travel from one to other, you have to cross a border checkpoint just like you are crossing the border of two countries. One country, two systems!
Ok, the most popular and convenient checkpoint is no doubt LuoHu (罗湖) checkpoint. The inter-city train from Guangzhou East Railway station arrives directly at LuoHu checkpoint. You leave the train station, walk into the Mainland Chinese side of the immigration building, then walk to the Hong Kong side of the immigration building. Then you can walk directly to the Hong Kong MTR station which can bring you to anywhere in Hong Kong.
But LuoHu is usually very crowded with lots lots of people crossing the border. LuoHu area is also the breeding bed for all kinds of crimes, from petty theft to day-light robbery, to various scams by the con artists.
An alternative border crossing point, which I just discovered this past Chinese New Year, is the Futian Kou'an (福田口岸). From LuoHu train station, take Shenzhen's subway line 1 to Exhibition Centre, then transfer to line 3 to Futian Kou'an (福田口岸) station. The immigration building is part of the Shenzhen subway station building. On the other side of the border, that's Luo Ma Chow (落马州) station of Hong Kong's MTR train system. From there, you can go anywhere in Hong Kong too!
Futian Kou'an (福田口岸) is usually not crowded, with very few people in the immigration hall itself. Can you imagine I was there on the 3rd day of Chinese New Year and the immigration hall was mostly empty, while LuoHu side was very crowded.
From LuoHu or Luo Ma Chow to Hong Kong central is ~HK$43.00 on the MTR.
Next time, give Futian Kou'an (福田口岸) a try if you are crossing the border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen :)
Ok, the most popular and convenient checkpoint is no doubt LuoHu (罗湖) checkpoint. The inter-city train from Guangzhou East Railway station arrives directly at LuoHu checkpoint. You leave the train station, walk into the Mainland Chinese side of the immigration building, then walk to the Hong Kong side of the immigration building. Then you can walk directly to the Hong Kong MTR station which can bring you to anywhere in Hong Kong.
But LuoHu is usually very crowded with lots lots of people crossing the border. LuoHu area is also the breeding bed for all kinds of crimes, from petty theft to day-light robbery, to various scams by the con artists.
An alternative border crossing point, which I just discovered this past Chinese New Year, is the Futian Kou'an (福田口岸). From LuoHu train station, take Shenzhen's subway line 1 to Exhibition Centre, then transfer to line 3 to Futian Kou'an (福田口岸) station. The immigration building is part of the Shenzhen subway station building. On the other side of the border, that's Luo Ma Chow (落马州) station of Hong Kong's MTR train system. From there, you can go anywhere in Hong Kong too!
Futian Kou'an (福田口岸) is usually not crowded, with very few people in the immigration hall itself. Can you imagine I was there on the 3rd day of Chinese New Year and the immigration hall was mostly empty, while LuoHu side was very crowded.
From LuoHu or Luo Ma Chow to Hong Kong central is ~HK$43.00 on the MTR.
Next time, give Futian Kou'an (福田口岸) a try if you are crossing the border between Hong Kong and Shenzhen :)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Saizen Reit - Lost of Faith?
Saizen Reit, a reit with poor fate. When it was first launched, it immediately lost 7% from its IPO price of $1. As the financial crisis deepens, the reit is losing its value day by day. Look at its chart above, the price has gone down from $0.93 to 9.5 cents today! Reits are said to be 'defensive' plays. Defensive? My foot! In a declining market, nothing is 'defensive'! To make things worse, Saizen has issues with refinancing its debt which is to mature soon.
Can you imagine if you were the one who bought at the IPO price of S$1.00, you are only left with 9.5 cents, that's only left with 9.5% of your original investment value.
So if you are investing, please do your own research, don't just believe those so-called 'advisors' who are just out there to ...... (you know what).
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Thaipusam Survival Guide
Thaipusam is a big festival for Hindus, so you can expect there will be lots of crowds. And it is taking place in a tropical country, Singapore. The sun is never too gentle around noon, while Thaipusam is almost like a whole day event. Based on my two-time experience with Thaipusam, here is my survival guide.
Attire & Accessories:
1. Wear a hat to have some shade
2. Wear a pair of sun glasses if you are not taking photos
3. Dress light. Dry-fit T-shirt, bermuda and sandals will be good. Remember when you enter the Hindu Temple, you MUST remove your footwear, so don't wear something too expensive, just in case.
4. Bring at least a bottle of water. You may get dehydrated under the burning sun. However, do keep in mind that there are free drinks and snacks available for ALL. Yes, for ALL people, regardless of race, religion or whatever. Do try their snacks, if you have not, just for the experience.
Photography Locations and Timing:
1. The procession starts at the Hindu temple in Serangoon Road, near Farrer Park MRT station, ends at the Hindu temple in Tank Road.
2. The preparation starts at around 2am, but unless you are really serious and kiasu, otherwise I think you can just go early in the morning.
3. There is a preparation tent in the temple ground in Serangoon Road. You can go in there to take photos of how they do the preparation, including the praying, and piercing. This preparation lasts well into the afternoon.
4. If you are shooting early in the morning, say 8.30am and before, the lighting is not going to be too favourable. The streets the procession pass by are lined with buildings. Early in the morning, the streets are still in the shadow of the buildings. However, in the mid-day, the lighting is harsh too. So, not so easy.
5. The kavadis will only come out more after around 9.30am. before that, they are less frequent.
6. It will be handy to have a telelens to take some close-ups. The procession is quite crowded, and you can hardly get a 'clean' shot.
7. It will be good to have an external flash on hand too to do some fill flash. The shadows are killing.
Myths:
1. Serangoon/Little India area will be very crowded! Ok, depends on your definition of being 'crowded', Little India area was not crowded at all for me on 8 Feb this year. Plenty of room for you to move around. Indeed some sections of Serangoon Road is a bit narrow, and hard to get through, but it was only a couple of minutes wait.
2. The bigger Kavadis will come out in the afternoon. Not true. It is the same.
Attire & Accessories:
1. Wear a hat to have some shade
2. Wear a pair of sun glasses if you are not taking photos
3. Dress light. Dry-fit T-shirt, bermuda and sandals will be good. Remember when you enter the Hindu Temple, you MUST remove your footwear, so don't wear something too expensive, just in case.
4. Bring at least a bottle of water. You may get dehydrated under the burning sun. However, do keep in mind that there are free drinks and snacks available for ALL. Yes, for ALL people, regardless of race, religion or whatever. Do try their snacks, if you have not, just for the experience.
Photography Locations and Timing:
1. The procession starts at the Hindu temple in Serangoon Road, near Farrer Park MRT station, ends at the Hindu temple in Tank Road.
2. The preparation starts at around 2am, but unless you are really serious and kiasu, otherwise I think you can just go early in the morning.
3. There is a preparation tent in the temple ground in Serangoon Road. You can go in there to take photos of how they do the preparation, including the praying, and piercing. This preparation lasts well into the afternoon.
4. If you are shooting early in the morning, say 8.30am and before, the lighting is not going to be too favourable. The streets the procession pass by are lined with buildings. Early in the morning, the streets are still in the shadow of the buildings. However, in the mid-day, the lighting is harsh too. So, not so easy.
5. The kavadis will only come out more after around 9.30am. before that, they are less frequent.
6. It will be handy to have a telelens to take some close-ups. The procession is quite crowded, and you can hardly get a 'clean' shot.
7. It will be good to have an external flash on hand too to do some fill flash. The shadows are killing.
Myths:
1. Serangoon/Little India area will be very crowded! Ok, depends on your definition of being 'crowded', Little India area was not crowded at all for me on 8 Feb this year. Plenty of room for you to move around. Indeed some sections of Serangoon Road is a bit narrow, and hard to get through, but it was only a couple of minutes wait.
2. The bigger Kavadis will come out in the afternoon. Not true. It is the same.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Thaipusam 2009
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival to ask for forgiveness of their sins, to redeem their bad deeds. This means there will be lots of self-sacrificing acts. The following pictures may cause some uneasiness. Please proceed at your own risk!
The annual Thaipusam procession in Singapore starts at the Hindu temple in Serangoon Road, near Farrer Park MRT station along the North-East line, ends at the Hindu temple at Tank Road, which is just a stone's throw away from Orchard Road.
Thaipusam is a Hindu Festival, but somehow the Chinese Monkey King managed to sneaked into the procession. Look at those typical Chinese Monkey King portraits.
And this Hindu devotee is actually wearing the portrait of the Chinese Monkey King on his chest.
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