All of the graves faced the sea. This was most likely to be based on Feng Shui practices, which partly aimed to bring prosperity to one’s descendants. Then, there are Mountain God tombstones accompanying some of the graves (below is such picture with orange offerings).

I decide to present these tombstones with pictures of the surrounding nature. They provide an interesting parallel. One can argue that in death, one returns to ashes, and to mother nature. One may face the issue of death alone in spirit, like the lonesome tree figures. And, when one finally accepts death, it’s like letting one’s grip off the shore, and allowing oneself to be carried off by the current of the ocean. You’re free, but you don’t know where you’ll be heading to.

What struck me the most was its location — which was beneath HSBC Asian headquarter in Central. It was like breathing under the throat of capitalism for the sake of fighting its corrupting influence. The Hong Kong protestors had been criticized for not having clear demands, but still they had been on camp over the past 2 months. No signs of police trying to evict them yet.

This was the last picture I took before my 18-55mm lens died. So, it will take at least a week before there’ll be a new batch of pictures! In the meantime, I will be uploading my earlier photos of Hong Kong.

This photo was taken near the top of a hill that we have to get through to the Island. The hill was filled with over-sized Chinese graves. This is different from the typical graves that I’ve seen in H.K. are narrow and tall. I will dedicate an entry to these graves once I’ve processed the photos!

Shenzhen was designated as China’s first Special Economic Zone in 1980. As such, the city is considerably developed, and teeming with people, especially during the holiday season!

So, the purpose of my Shenzhen trip was to shop, especially for bags. Sadly, as my mom described it, our hunting trip yielded little results. “The deers and the tigers have decided to hide,” she lamented.

On our return trip, we opted for first class compartment on the train. Ticket is slightly more expensive, but the guaranteed seats were worth it. After all, we had spent about 8 hours walking!

Shot in Hong Kong.

What a year 2011 was! All the things that had happened taught me more about the world, and my own little self.

In the Chinese calendar, 2012 will be a Dragon year. People who are superstitious believe that their Chinese zodiacs would determine how their year will pan out. I don’t consider myself superstitious. A perfect year will make a boring year. So, whatever challenges and blessings that come in 2012, I will be thankful for them.

Wishing you a blessed new year!

For the past 3 months, a part of my day is always spent in the Gallery, from which live programmes are produced. The first word that I cometo associate the room with is… spaceship. Call it random. Call it watching too many Hollywood sci-fi films. But, let me explain how apt the word can be.

Usually, in a space ship, there is a commander, a pilot and the crew members. The pilot directs the spacecraft, monitoring various things like altitude, speed, wind, enemy targets etc. The commander decides on destinations and actions to take when spacecraft is under siege. The crew helps in executing any decisions.

This somewhat describes the usual situation in the Gallery. A Director oversees various on-air elements and broadcast them. A Producer decides on the order and content of the show. When breaking news occurs, the Producer would have to decide quickly on changes, before telling the Director the changes. That’s sort of like navigating through various enemy attacks of spaceship.

My weapon of choice — the prompter machine.

I will certainly miss my time at the spaceship. Every day was definitely a thrilling ride!

You wouldn’t want butterflies to invade your head in real life, right?

My legs are itching for a photography walk. Hopefully, I’ll find time within the two coming days.

Piet Mondrian — Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow, 1930