Posts Tagged ‘travel’
Sunday, June 28th, 2015
Photo of the Day: The Eiffel Tower is named after engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. His company designed and built the landmark in Paris in 1889.
View of the Trocadéro framed by the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
According to Wikipedia, “the design of the Eiffel Tower was originated by Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, two senior engineers who worked for the Compagnie des Établissements Eiffel”.
This was the dude who brought the Eiffel Tower into this world – Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923). The bust was unveiled in 1929 and is now at the base of the Northern leg of the Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
The tower was to serve as a centrepiece for the Exposition Universelle to celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution.
Incidentally, the first time I visited the Eiffel Tower was in 1989, smack in the middle of the bicentennial celebrations of the French Revolution.
Gustave Eiffel bought the rights to the patent for the design which the original designers had taken out and eventually saw the Tower to completion in time.
As with all things new, the design met with opposition and criticism right from design stage till after completion – but history has proven that the design is technically robust and aesthetically appealing.
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Tags:7D Mark II, architecture photos, Canon, design, Eiffel, Eiffel Tower, EOS, France, France 2015, holiday, Paris, photography, potd, travel, travel tech, vacation
Posted in Cameras, cameras, Canon, DSLR, EOS, Events, France 2015, Gadgets, Holiday, Lens, Photography, Photos, POTD, Travel, travel, Wiki | No Comments »
Saturday, June 27th, 2015
Photo of the Day: The Eiffel Tower is an iron lattice tower designed and built by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel in 1889 – as the entrance arch to the World’s Fair in that year.
Eiffel Tower as seen from the Pont d’Iéna. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Sepia tint added using Adobe Photoshop CC 2015. Photo credit: John Tan.
At 324m tall, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris, and was the tallest in the world for 41 years from 1889 to 1930.
It was surpassed in 1930 by the Chrysler Building in New York City.
Roughly 80 stories high, the base is square with 125m on each side.
There are three levels that visitors can visit.
I like the lace-like design in the metalwork of the Eiffel Tower. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
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Tags:7D Mark II, Canon, Eiffel, Eiffel Tower, EOS, France, France 2015, holiday, Paris, photography, photos, potd, travel, travel tech, vacation
Posted in Adobe, cameras, Canon, Creative Cloud, DSLR, EOS, Events, France 2015, Gadgets, gadgets, Holiday, Photography, Photos, Photoshop, POTD, POTD, Software, software, Travel, travel, Wiki | No Comments »
Sunday, June 14th, 2015
After having twice turned back from visiting Chateau Chambord when I’d already reached its gates, I decided to make my third and final attempt at visiting this biggest and most majestic of the numerous fabulous chateaus in the beautiful Loire Valley.
The frontal facade of the Chambord Chateau, with the moat in the foreground. The architecture is what one expects of a typical castle – an inner keep surrounded by corner towers and a moat. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
Why two unsuccessful attempts?
Well, my first attempt at visiting Château de Chambord was during the summer holidays back in school when I cycled 16km from Blois only to suffer an accident right in front of the castle.
One of many beautiful chandeliers in Chambord Chateau. Taken with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
I had to satisfy myself with some quick snapshots of the front of the Chateau before bidding goodbye to the chateau.
Decades later, I brought my family with two kids on a self-drive vacation to the chateaus in the Loire Valley.
By the end of the week and more than half a dozen chateaus later, we arrived again at the gates of the Chambord Chateau in the mid afternoon.
By then, the kids were so tired out from our earlier exertions of that day that they were so totally knackered we couldn’t bear to wake them from their sleep in the car.
And to be honest, my wife and I were up to our ears in chateaus by that time.
So my wife and I snapped the obligatory snapshots of each other posing with the (equally majestic) rear facade of the chateau within a stone’s throw of where our car was parked.
Enjoy a horse carriage ride on the extensive grounds of the Chambord Chateau. Horse lovers can also watch twice daily equestrian shows at the chateau. Taken with an Olympus OMD-EM5 Mark II with M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO lens. Photo credit: KoolKat.
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Tags:7D Mark II, Canon, Chambord, chateau, EM5 Mark II, EOS, France, France 2015, holiday, Loire, Olympus, OMD, photography, photos, potd, travel, travel tech, vacation
Posted in Cameras, cameras, Canon, DSLR, EOS, Events, France 2015, Gadgets, gadgets, Holiday, Lens, MIL, Olympus, OM-D, Photography, Photos, POTD, Travel, travel, Wiki, Zuiko | No Comments »
Sunday, May 31st, 2015
Dato’ Chef Ismail is the food ambassador of the Malaysian Tourism Ministry and owner of Restoran Rebung in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
tech4tea.com was invited by Tourism Malaysia to check out the restaurant and meet with the affable owner-chef. Here are some pictures that Wee Wu Neo has sent back to Singapore. Text by John Tan.
Chef Ismail shares how he helped his grandmother in the kitchen since he was five, learning how to cook Malay heritage dishes over the years.
Restoran Rebung is located at No. 4-2 Lorong Maarof, Bangsar (59000) in KL, near to the bustling nightlife in the capital’s Bangsar district.
Siput Sedut or Belitung cooked in curry. In case you’re wondering, it is a species of Sea Snail.
The interior decor is very traditional and reminds one of the typical Malay home.
Get a taste of Negri Sembilan at Restoran Rebung.
The 55-year-old celebrity Chef Ismail Ahmad grew up in a small village in the Malaysian state of Negri Sembilan and includes in his menu a huge list of local cuisine that diners can order a la carte or through a buffet.
Nasi Lemak – fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf – wrapped in banana leaf and old newspaper.
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Tags:Bangsar, Chef, cuisine sightseeing, Food, holiday, Ismail, Johor, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Malay, Malaysia, restaurant, tourism, travel, vacation
Posted in Events, events, Food, Interview, Lifestyle, Photos, Prices, Travel, travel, Visits | No Comments »
Saturday, May 30th, 2015
The school holidays have just begun in Singapore. So if you happen to be heading out to Penang in Malaysia for a getaway, check out this newly opened hotel.
There are two Premier Suites (82 sqm) in G Hotel Kelawai in Penang, Malaysia.
G Hotel Kelawai has 208 rooms, three F& B outlets, and is well located next to upscale shopping malls and renowned hawker eateries, with UNESCO world heritage sites and beaches nearby.
G Hotel Kelawai in Penang, Malaysia
The hotel is within walking distance from its sibling G Hotel Gurney and allows cross usage of facilities between the two hotels.
G Hotel Kelawai offers complimentary Internet broadband and Wi-Fi to guests, as well as an infinity edge pool, mountain bikes and fitness center.
The 24-floor hotel has 208 rooms comprising 143 Deluxe rooms (35 sqm), 20 Executive rooms (35 sqm), 43 Executive Premier rooms (45 sqm) and 2 Premier Suites (82 sqm).
Every room comes with eco-friendly Appelles toiletries, Serta bed; 300 thread count linens, Herman Miller designer working chair, docking station, alarm clock, ironing facilities, 55-inch smart LED TV, free non-alcoholic minibar, coffee machine and free high speed Wi-Fi.
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Tags:accommodation, G Hotel, Gurney, hotels, Kelawai, Malaysia, Penang, travel
Posted in Events, events, Launch, Lifestyle, Travel, travel | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 8th, 2015
With senior hires from Facebook, Amazon and Palantir Technologies, Singapore is slated to become GrabTaxi’s technology hub.
The GrabTaxi R&D Centre is located at 138 Cecil Street, Cecil Court, Singapore 069538.
GrabTaxi, one of Southeast Asia’s largest mobile phone transport app, has opened its first Research and Development (R&D) Centre in Singapore.
“Though we remain focused on Southeast Asia, we know that talent is global. This new R&D Centre has put on us a level playing field with the largest technology companies in the world. In fact, we’ve recently hired great senior talent from companies like Facebook, Amazon and Palantir Technologies, as their experience and expertise with these global powerhouses will help GrabTaxi reach our true potential,” said Anthony Tan, GrabTaxi Founder and Group CEO.
This will become GrabTaxi’s technology hub and it will house the majority of its technical staff and engineers from around the world.
The 4500 sq. ft. centre is located in the heart of Singapore’s bustling Central Business District and will eventually house 200 engineers and data scientists, which is a specialised role focused on analysing data and spotting trends from multiple data sources.
This US$100 million investment over a few years is a milestone for Southeast Asian startups as very few brands – local or regional – has made such a significant investment in technology infrastructure and talent based out of Singapore.
Eventually, 200 engineers and data scientists will occupy the 4,500 sq. ft. GrabTaxi R&D Centre.
The R&D Centre reinforces GrabTaxi’s commitment to the region and an acknowledgment that Southeast Asia has the infrastructure and capacity to become a global technology hub.
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Tags:Apps, events, GrabTaxi, R&D, Singapore, taxi, transport, travel
Posted in App, Apps, events, Launch, Software, travel | No Comments »
Sunday, April 5th, 2015
Easter is a special day for Christians to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead – three days after his crucifixion and death at Calvary on Good Friday, as depicted in the New Testament of the Bible.
Relief on the metal door of the Salzburger Dom (Salzburg Cathedral). Assuming the inscriptions are in Latin, Google Translate says that “IN TE SPERAMUS” means “wait for you” or “we trust in you”. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
The above photo was taken of the door of the Salzburg Cathedral when I visited Austria last summer in 2014.
I hope my Christian friends had a spiritual and reflective Easter today.
Tags:A7, Austria, Austria 2014, Carl Zeiss, Europe, full-frame, photography, photos, potd, Salzburg, Salzburg Cathedral, Salzburger Dom, Sony, travel
Posted in A7, Austria 2014, Cameras, cameras, Holiday, MIL, Photography, POTD, POTD, Sony, Travel, travel | No Comments »
Saturday, April 4th, 2015
Photo of the Day: Hohensalzburg Castle is named “Festung Hohensalzburg” which means “High Salzburg Fortress” in English. The fortress is built on top of of a small hill in Salzburg, overlooking the historic Austrian city.
* Information for this article was from Wikipedia.
View of Fortress Hohensalzburg from Kapitelplatz at the foot of the hill upon which it is built. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
Construction of the fortress began in 1077 at the behest of the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg.
With a length of 250m (820ft) and a width of 150m (490ft), Fortress Hohensalzburg is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe.
View of Salzburg City from the Fortress Hohensalzburg with the Altstadt (old town) in the foreground. The Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) is in the centre with the Salzach River flowing in the background. The golden globe statue in front of Cathedral was where the above photo of the fortress was taken from. Photo taken with a Sony A7 with Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS full-frame E-mount zoom lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
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Tags:A7, Austria 2014, Carl Zeiss, castles, Festunsberg, fortresses, full-frame, Hohensalzburg, Kapitelplatz, MIL, photography, photos, potd, Salzach, Salzburg, Salzburger Dom, Sony, travel
Posted in A7, Austria 2014, Cameras, Events, Holiday, MIL, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, Sony, travel | 1 Comment »
Thursday, February 19th, 2015
It’s the first day of the Lunar New Year. This year, it’s the year of the Goat, according to the Chinese zodiac.
Happy New Year to all the people from cultures that celebrate this traditional festival! And to all Chinese around the world, Happy Chinese New Year!
I snapped this photo of a kid in a small town called Takamori at the Southeastern corner of the Aso caldera in Kyushu, Japan. The Chinese greetings is a pun during the Goat (on the Chinese Zodiac) years on the traditional Lunar New Year greeting “三阳开泰” – which augurs an auspicious year ahead as the sun ushers in the warm Spring from the cold Winter. Photo taken in 2012 with a Nikon D800 DSLR with an AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
It’s customary for Chinese to give out Ang Pows during the Lunar New Year. These are red paper envelopes containing money that’s given to relatives and children.
It being the new year, you’re supposed to use crispy new notes in these red packets.
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Tags:Chinese New Year, goat, holidays, Japan, Japan 2012, kid, Kumamoto, Kyushu, Lunar New Year, photography, photos, potd, Takachiho, travel, vacation
Posted in Cameras, DSLR, Gadgets, Holiday, Japan 2012, Lens, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, travel | No Comments »
Sunday, December 28th, 2014
In addition of making overseas calls from your home country, you can also use Skype to call family, friends and colleagues who back in your home country on their landline or mobile – when you are travelling overseas. All you need is Wi-Fi access or mobile broadband on your smartphone, and some Skype credits.
Check out Skype as an additional affordable means of voice/SMS communication when you travel overseas.
When I first arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, while waiting at the customs, I logged on to the free Wi-Fi network in the airport and used Skype to call a local sight to make enquiries and make reservations for a day trip to a wildlife rescue centre in Petchaburi.
Free airport Wi-Fi in Thailand
I found out when writing this article that the AOT Wi-Fi network at Suvarnabhumi Airport is provided by True Move and is available at the main internaltional airports in Thailand.
These include the airports at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Hat Yai.
The Suvarnabhumi Airport serving Bangkok provides a pretty decent free Wi-Fi to travellers in its terminals – good enough to make VoIP calls using Skype.
First you need to register in the login page for the AOT network in the airport and you get to use the network for free for up to 2 hours a day.
Don’t bother to memorise the complicated userid and password they issue you, the next time you use the network – which is probably when you leave Thailand – you can register as a new user again and use a new set of userid and password.
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Tags:airport, AOT, broadband, Microsoft, mobile, Moto G, Motorola, prepaid, SIM, Skype, Suvarnabhumi, Thailand, Thailand 2014, tips, travel, True Move, Wi-Fi
Posted in App, Holiday, Howtos, Internet, Microsoft, Network, Office, Skype, Software, Thailand 2014, Tips, travel, Wi-Fi | 1 Comment »
