Sunday, February 25, 2007 

Colors

Came back from the gym and was looking at the sandcastle picture, and I didn't feel happy with the colors in it. So, tried again. Long way to go on my photo taking skills and also on my post processing. Ah well, have a whole lifetime to improve eh?


castle

castle2



Wonder why it looks wobbly on this page, actual size is straight.

 

Cancelled

I need to go for aircraft training before I can fully start my line training. Aircraft training is nothing more than a confidence booster. I just need to fly a couple of rounds around an airport. Then, I can start flying to proper destinations! A bit stressed out at the thought, but a bit of stress is good.

Yesterday, my aircraft training got cancelled once again. Reason being that there wasn't any aircrafts available. At least both times I was told before I reached the airport. It would be much more frustrating to reach the airport and have it cancelled once all the preparations are done! This is normal, so I just have to be patient and wait my turn.

To release my pent up energy I went over to a park by the beach to rollerblade. It's been awhile since I went to the park, or went blading. Nothing much has changed in the eight months since I was last there. There's now a cable pulled water skiing/boarding area. Quite interesting, think I'll give it a go some day. Other than that there seems to be less people blading around from what I remembered.

Sigh, I need something exciting.

castle
Mean skies
(another reason for my cancelled flight?)

fall
At least someone's flying! (^_^)

Friday, February 23, 2007 

What now...

ark
Friend's Model
(with my new lens)

With a dslr, one can fall into a trap of being an equipment freak rather than being a photographer. I'm going down a slippery slope. I've always loved gadgets, marvelling at the things that they promise to do, and throwing money at newly released items. I've managed to restrain my lust for new gadgets for awhile now, but with the purchase of the dslr, I've started to feel a want for more gear... a better lens, a macro lens, filters, monopod, and practically all the nifty things that camera accessory makers come up with to entice people like me to scrape every penny from the bottom of our pockets.

On my visit to an area quite well known for it's camera shops, I felt like a kid in a candy store. Stores and stores with shelves full of beautiful and shiny gear. I browsed one store after another, peering through the glass cases at the display of lenses for all makes. I played around with tripods and bean bags and even some monopods. I got to see beautiful film cameras that no one wants anymore but are works of art in itself. My short trip to find a used lens to expand my capabilities brought out the old greedy habit of mine.

I went there to find a standard 50mm lens so I can practice portraiture and composing. I came back with a 17-70mm macro zoom lens (which is wayy more expensive!). For the time being, I've quelled my hunger for better gear. But... I still need a 50mm lens, a flash, polarizer, monopod, and proper camera bag...maybe a lensbaby.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007 

Happy CNY

standing dragon
Abit late, but "Happy Chinese New Year!" to all.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007 

Hobby

bridge
Pathway to...

I've always envied people who could paint. I've always envied people who could express themselves through poetry, song and lyrics, any of the arts. I've always been a science man. Love the mechanics of things, how things work, and always asking why and how. Maybe that's why I like photography so much. There's a technical aspect to it. There's a lot of things to learn to be able to express the feeling you had when taking a shot through the photo. There're techniques, tools, and tricks which have methods and numbers. Or maybe I just like photography because I'd like a history of where I've gone and what I've done. Selfish reasons no doubt.

I'll be posting more photos as I learn how to use my new camera. Quite pleased with it, makes taking photos easier.

Monday, February 05, 2007 

Lonely Traveller

lonesome
Somewhere
(photo taken by friend)

Is it really weird to just go out and spend some time alone? I know this profession tends to attract outgoing, group orientated people, but I do enjoy walking out and exploring places alone. Don't get me wrong, I love hanging out with friends. I also love doing things as I want to. This includes trying out any type of eatery that catches my fancy, watching movies for the sake of watching the movie, and also just roaming the back alleys to take in the life of the area.

I've been doing this quite a bit lately, much to the amusement of my housemate. I love just taking a bus and seeing where I'll end up. Since I'm getting a new camera soon, I'll be snapping pics like I once did in Pittsburgh ( I should really clean up my photos folder and delete all the ~ugly~ pics). I've learned much more about this country from wandering around alone than by friends showing me around. So, I don't think I'll stop this solitary meandering anytime soon.

Sunday, February 04, 2007 

Hmmmm

It's been awhile since I've updated. Mostly because I was afraid of overstepping my limits and stepping on people's toes. I use the blog mainly to track my progress in training and also in my career. It's just much more fun when friends and family can see what I'm up to, and much more easier for me to explain what it is that I do and have to do. I've been told that it gets a bit technical at times, and I should use layman terms more often. I'll keep that in mind.

Where am I now?

I've finished the initial part of the jet training over in Australia. Now I'm back and have just finished the 777 simulator course. In the simulator one learns how to handle the aircraft, and learns how to handle emergencies. A typical session in the simulator would be;

1. plane just about to take off and an engine fails/catches fire/drops off,
2. plane in the air and some electrical/hydraulic system fails,
3. plane in the air and catches fire in an engine/cabin/cockpit/cargo
4. plane in the air and you lose a wing
5. plane flying happily at forty thousand feet and suddenly a door explodes open
6. land with only one engine with some instrument failure with bad weather (clouds at
five hundred feet, can only see roughly a kilometer in front of you)
7. evacuate passengers on the runway

Of course, number four doesn't happen, but we do go through all that in a session, and some sessions are much worse!

We're trained to such an extent that I can confidently say, once someone checks out as a first officer, rest assured, the passengers are in safe hands. It's taken me roughly two years to get to this point. I'm now just waiting to fly the real plane. Meanwhile, I'm going through company procedures, brushing up on aviation law, and just learning about the industry in general. There's still a lot more for me to know and understand.