Cell Snaps

Islamic Argentina

2008-11-11T05:34:00.002+08:00

Instead of a sun, we have a crescent moon!

Celebrations

2008-09-01T05:30:00.000+08:00

Mixed Skies

2008-07-27T19:00:00.005+08:00

This is preciesly why I love meteorology...

Trees Up Close - The Centenarian And The Sapling

2008-06-15T21:24:00.009+08:00

Behold the powers of age and youth.

The trunk-like structures on the right are actually aerial roots of an old banyan tree, which started off as mere threads dancing in the breeze. Once they reached the ground, they grew thicker and stronger, and eventually went on to strangle the brick house beside it. That house was an old timer too.

The tree on the left has been alive for 3 years at most. Probably not a strict "sapling", but it sure does fade in comparison with the other. It manages its own feat though: breaking up concrete that gets in its way. Woohoo! Plate tectonics!!

Fungi Growth

2008-06-04T18:20:00.001+08:00

Yep that's right. A tree covered with shrooms. Haven't found out which kind they are yet (I brought back a specimen wrapped in tissue, but unfortunately a roommate of mine mistook it for rubbish). They are a pale yellow, some with a greenish tint. They are hard but brittle, and have a soft suede-like covering. The undersides are densly packed with pin point sized pores that make my skin crawl. The very mention of them gives me the goosebumps...which are coming up in profusion right now. Urgh.

Life Of A Tree

2008-05-12T18:34:00.000+08:00

Late afternoon, trees by the lake.

Trochaic Rebound

2008-03-02T15:03:00.003+08:00

Once upon a summer lakeside Densely packed with icky couples Quite in vain I searched for room and To the lonely hill retreated...

A Day's Work

2008-01-06T17:25:00.002+08:00

I hope this pic conveys the peaceful feeling we had after this huge laundry session. This seemingly simple snap took many, many times to get just the right angle and shade.

Sea-Fever

2007-11-02T11:50:00.000+08:00

On a little island not far from here lies the legendary Huangpu Military Academy...

Skyscraper

2007-07-22T22:24:00.000+08:00

I absolutely hate this building, because it was finished recently and blocked out a lot of our sunlight. It is by no means a real skyscraper, but it does looks quite intimidating in this cell snap.

The Combs

2007-07-17T21:11:00.000+08:00

A random snap taken in the campus of Shenzhen Uni. I love the way the two patterns mingle with each other.

Eyes

2007-07-09T22:41:00.001+08:00

Our cafeteria sells these small subs with squiggles on top and blueberry jam as filling. The students usually refer to them as "caterpillars". This was all quite normal - then one day as I went for my daily sub, I was amazed to see that the caterpillars had grown eyes overnight! Apparently someone decided that they might as well go the whole hog and add on the features:D

Seriously, subs with eyes are a tad spooky.

And The Clouds Go Marching By

2007-07-05T15:32:00.000+08:00

Taken on campus. There used to be a splotch right in the middle of the sun - some optical phenomenon perhaps? Anyway I erased it out because it was too creepy.

Moodiness

2007-06-12T23:24:00.000+08:00

This could win the Height of Cell-snap Crappiness Award. The view from our balcony at night, in a rainstorm, does not contribute to reputation whatsoever...having said that, I kinda like this pic. In order to take it, I held my cell phone out sideways as far as I dared go without getting it drenched, and clicked. It was totally random; I wasn't even watching the screen when the picture was taken. I like how it turned out moody and slurred and relatively well proportioned.

Flight of the Phoenix

2007-06-07T22:25:00.000+08:00

Another instance of skywatching delight. This phoenix-shaped cloud formation is huge, probably up to 100°wide. Thanks to my trusty cell phone camera and the 180°open view from our dorm balcony, I was able to get the best of it.

Portrait of a Suspension Bridge

2007-05-18T22:34:00.000+08:00

Cell snaps are bad enough without filthy coach windows blocking the light, don't you think? The thing is I have a penchant for bridges, even the ones flying by when you're on the motorway...so when we sped across this suspension bridge on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Motorway, I couldn't resist. The snaps on their own were too empty and weak, so I played around with them in Picasa, hoping to get something presentable. The end result is this dull collage that hardly qualifies as a "cell snap". At least the clouds are interesting.

Bottles

2007-04-01T18:35:00.000+08:00

I love patterns, even if it involves gaudy water bottles.

Cascade

2007-03-01T21:59:00.000+08:00

The story of this pic is nearly identical to that of Pride's. But this time it had to include the ugly dorm buildings (of the neighbouring school).

HELP

2007-02-01T19:19:00.000+08:00

Absolutely no planning involved. I happened to be tidying my desk when I slipped the orange stir stick (a gift from JH Wu) into an empty Toblerone tube. Voilà! Instant drama. The backdrop is frosted glass on the slide door that separates our dorm and balcony.

Scorched Land

2007-01-14T15:48:00.000+08:00

"...and all shall perish..."
(at least those in this abandoned construction site)

Pride

2006-12-08T21:43:00.000+08:00

This has got to be my favourite pic. It was a bright morning and we were on our way to school...suddenly I spotted this spindly little tree, stopped in my tracks, whipped out my cell, and the rest was history:D It's a miracle none of the ugly dorm buildings were framed.

Notice

2006-12-01T16:06:00.000+08:00

An actual notice written by me.
Needs no further explaination...

Mippet's Daydreams

2006-11-14T19:08:00.000+08:00

Mippet is a magnet for attention:) This is the best of the 11 takes that make up the booklet Mippet's Travels - a brief sketch of Uni-City (proudly published by me). I spent two hours on a borrowed bicycle last November taking pictures of Mippet posing in front of the various schools (which are on a island in Guangzhou, China if you were wondering). This particular one is the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.

Crepuscular Wing

2006-10-01T19:51:00.000+08:00

One of the most stunning sights I've ever seen. The sky was as absolutely clear save a blanket of loose lumpy cloudlets pulled over the northern half. The crisp, sleek boundary drew a perfect semicircle overhead - almost too perfect to be natural. It made me think of the description of converging crepuscular rays (which, like the curved cloud blanket, are illusions) on Phil's site, hence the title "Crepuscular Wing". I never found out how this phenomenon occurred, so enlightenment is welcome:)

This was taken from my dorm balcony (in uni). Not even my slightly fish-eyed cell lens could capture the whole spectrum of the sight, so I had no choice but to secure the loveliest corner.

The Holy City

2006-05-01T22:12:00.001+08:00

Most snaps that turn out a horrid neon blue get tossed into the bin - but not this one. I love the way the unusual colour and arrangement of clouds suggest movement and power, and to top it all there's a cluster of buildings in the distant that look vaguely like some lone relic. It was taken on the fifth floor balcony of my high school.

Neglected

2006-04-01T19:13:00.000+08:00

Believe it or not this place is in the most densely populated neighbourhood around my high school (this is NOT a park), and sundown is when the inhabitants all swarm outside to get a nip of cool air after a stuffy day - surprisingly you can't see a soul in this pic! A few steps to the left and I'll have a jam-packed overhead crossing instead of this peaceful scene. The sculpturesque blocks lying on the grass belong to a tiny museum showcasing the history of the ancient fortress the area once was. This one was taken on an after-supper stroll.