Posts Tagged ‘travel’
Sunday, May 18th, 2014
“A Day in the Life of a Mining Engineer” in Australia. See how the Internet of Things helps him manage work from his Perth office and travel to the company’s mining site 400km away.
Click on the image to view/download the entire infographic.
This is the final of three infographics that IDC has released on the impact of The Internet Of Things on all aspects of our lives.
The infographics illustrate how being connected would mean better productivity, being connected at all times to the larger ecosystem and how this would change things for all users.
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Tags:IDC, infographics, Internet of Things, IoT, mining, travel
Posted in Infographic, infographics, Internet, Reference | No Comments »
Friday, February 14th, 2014
It’s Valentine’s Day today. This year, it coincides with Chap Goh Meh – the fifteenth and final day of the Chinese New Year – which many consider the Chinese Valentine’s Day. Here’s wishing all lovers a most romantic day/night!
Lots of lovey-dovey couples here, in the form of hugging salt and pepper bottles. I took this photo at the Hakaniemi Market Hall in Helsinki, Finland in summer. There were plenty of such charming craft stores for tourists and local Finns alike. Taken with a Nikon D600 with AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
In many places in the world that celebrate Valentine’s Day, boys buy flowers, chocolates and gifts for their girlfriends, wives, mistresses or lovers.
Actually, marketing practitioners should examine this so-called unique Japanese culture more closely.
Apparently, the practice has its roots in 1936 as part of the advertising campaign of chocolate makers in Kobe, but has captured the imagination of the Japanese populace such that it is widely practiced today.
Those chocolate makers must have been laughing to the bank, having created nation wide, recurring demand out of thin air.
Brilliant!
Sometimes the girl reciprocates.
In Japan, it is the girl who buys for the guys.
I know – because I received plenty on Valentine’s Day when I was in Japan.
The tradition in Japan is for girls to buy white chocolates (called giri-chocos – 義理チョコ) and give them to the guys.
This does not happen just between couples that are in a relationship.
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Tags:Finland, Finland 2013, Hakaniemi, Helsinki, holidays, Japan, NIKKOR, Nikon, photography, photos, potd, travel, vacation, Valentine's Day
Posted in Finland 2013, Holiday, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photography, Photos, POTD, POTD, travel | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 29th, 2014
Have you ever wondered when is the best time to book the air ticket for your travels?
Skyscanner – a global travel search site – recently analysed three years of booking data and found that on average, you can snag the cheapest flight tickets if you purchase 26 weeks ahead of your travel date.
How far in advance are flight prices typically at their lowest? Check out the interactive inforgraphic at Skyscanner.
And do you know that the best time to book airtickets to Thailand is 8 weeks before your departure date?
“The earlier in advance you book, the better, especially for long haul destinations. It is also important to note that prices can really increase at the last minute, especially on budget airlines,” according to Kevin Foo, Skyscanner’s Head of Communications for APAC.
Skyscanner’s Best Time to Book analysis revealed that on average, the cheapest flight tickets from Singapore are available 26 weeks in advance of travel dates.
However, three years of booking data has also shown that price patterns can vary by type of airline and between short and long haul travel, and is very much destination dependent.
| Top 5 destinations by search analysis |
Average return flight price |
Best time to book (weeks before departure) |
| Indonesia |
SGD203 |
16 weeks |
| Thailand |
SGD247 |
8 weeks |
| Malaysia |
SGD155 |
9 weeks |
| Philippines |
SGD257 |
5 weeks |
| Australia |
SGD558 |
22 weeks |
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Tags:flights, infographic, promotions, Skyscanner, tickets, travel
Posted in Figures, Howtos, Infographic, infographics, Internet, Reference, Study, Travel, travel | No Comments »
Saturday, November 30th, 2013
Andrew Ng checked out Kluang’s attractions last Saturday courtesy of Tourism Malaysia Singapore.
멀라이언쿠기 (Merlion Cookie) shares HER experience at Kluang, especially the Coffee Factory, since she is a coffee lover herself. This journal is dedicated to the Korean readers out there :-).
* All the pictures in this article were provided by Merlion Cookie.
The Kluang Rail Coffee welcomes visitors to Kluang upon arrival at the railway station.
싱가폴 라이프중 이로운 점 하나를 꼽으라면 다른나라로 여행이 용이하다는 점이겠다.
Dato’ Husni Zai Yaacob, High Commissioner of Malaysia in Singapore enjoying a hot cuppa with us.
많은 항공사들이 싱가폴을 경유하기 때문이기도 하지만, 인도네시아는 배로, 말레이시아는 버스나 기차로 당일치기 또는 1박2일 여행이 가능하다.
말레시아 관광청에서 많이 알려지지 않은 소도시를 홍보하는 당일치기여행 프로그램에 초청되어 이번 여행에 참여하게 되었다.
클루앙은 말레이시아 수도에서 버스로 2시간정도 떨어져있는 작은도시라고 하지만 서울크기의 약 4배정도 되는 규모이니 작다고 하긴 그렇지만 아무래도 수도인 쿠알라룸프에서 떨어진 곳이다 보니 발전된 시골정도의 느낌이었다.
싱가폴에서 우드랜드 체크포인트에서 출발하는 기차를 타고 여행이 시작되었다.
기차안에서는 말레이시아 관광청의 여행일정소개와 이번여행에 협력해준 말레시아 열차관계자 및 재 싱가폴 말레시아 외교관부부의 인사가 있었다.
Simple but delicious food in Kluang Rail Coffee.
내가 탔던 기차는 1994년 현대에서 만들어진 꽤나 오래된 기차였다.
Roasted coffee glittering like black crystals.
우리나라 무궁화열차정도라고 보면되겠지만 도착지인 클루앙까지 2시간반동안 불편한 점은 전혀없었다.
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Tags:coffee, holiday, Johor, Kluang, Korean, Malaysia, sightseeing, tourism, travel, vacation
Posted in Events, Holiday, Photos, Review, Travel, travel | 5 Comments »
Monday, November 25th, 2013
Kluang is a town and district located in the state of Johor, in the southern portion of peninsular Malaysia. The city is named after the fruit bats that were once common in the region.
Andrew Ng checks out a few of the many attractions that draw tourists to Kluang. If you’re a coffee lover, read about 멀라이언쿠기 (Merlion Cookie)’s journal about HER visit to Kluang.
* All the pictures in this article were taken by Andrew.
Kluang Coffee Powder Factory workers roasting coffee.
It was a trip down nostalgia. The last time I took a train to Malaysia, I was still in high school a few decades ago. Back then, I boarded the train at the former Tanjong Pagar station.
Grooving to the tune of Cek Mek Molek in the entertainment car.
Fast forward to 2013, I had the opportunity to relive that memory when I was invited to make a trip to Kluang.
The event was organised by the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, at the direction of Noor Aine Ismail and assisted by Putrie Rozana Soraya.
I have to say, Malaysia pulled out all the stops to ensure the participants experience a Truly Asia hospitality.
(from the right) Dato’ Husni Zai Yaacob, High Commissioner of Malaysia in Singapore; Jamaluddin Mat Lazim, Locomotive Inspector; Mohd Zain Mat Taha, General Manager KTM Intercity.
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Tags:holiday, Johor, Kluang, Malaysia, sightseeing, tourism, travel, vacation
Posted in Events, Holiday, Photos, Review, Travel, travel | 14 Comments »
Tuesday, November 19th, 2013
The Golden Mount temple in Bangkok is a landmark of the city and a popular tourist sight.
Located roughly between Khaosan and Siam Square, the temple has a chedi (stupa) built on a small artificial hill, affording a panoramic view of the entire city.
Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan, or Wat Saket – more commonly known as the Golden Mount Temple, sits atop a steep artificial hill in Bangkok. Taken with a Samsung NX 2000.
We got to the Golden Mount temple by taking the local Khlong Saen Saep canal express boat from our hotel in Sukhumvit.
The Khlong Saen Saep canal express boat is a very useful boat ferry taxi to visit many of the tourist sights in Bangkok – if you can stomach the murky water and the thrills of hopping on and off the boat before it pushes off from its very momentary stop at each pier. Taken with a Samsung NX 2000.
That ride in itself is a little adventure and a good way to sit among the locals and get a taste of how they actually commute.
It was also the most direct, cheapest and effortless way for us to get to the temple.
Panoramic view of Bangkok city from the top of Golden Mount. Taken using Panorama mode with a Samsung GALAXY Note 3.
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Tags:Bangkok, Bangkok 2013, Golden Mount, holiday, panorama, Saket, temple, Thailand, travel, vacation
Posted in Bangkok 2013, Cameras, Events, GALAXY, Holiday, MIL, Note, Photos, Samsung, Travel, travel | 16 Comments »
Monday, November 18th, 2013
A temple with a panoramic view, safari of wild animals, shopping every step of the way, massages and perennially congested traffic.
End of year is a good time to visit Bangkok, when it’s not so hot and it doesn’t rain so much or at all. Taken with Samsung GALAXY Note 3.
Thailand used to be a frequent destination for our year-end break, being so near to Singapore, and the friendliness of its people.
Our whole family had a whale of a time, “interacting” with the wax figurines. Visitors are allowed to touch and pose with wax replicas of Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Ronaldo, Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities. Taken with Samsung NX2000.
What we liked most was how doting they were to little children – wherever we went with our young children, you could see the face of the locals brighten up with a smile, some going out of their way to chat with them and pat them.
Water fountain outside Siam Center. Taken with Samsung NX2000.
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Tags:Bangkok, Bangkok 2013, holiday, shopping, Suvarnabhumi, Thailand, travel, Tussauds, vacation
Posted in Bangkok 2013, Cameras, Events, GALAXY, Holiday, MIL, Note, Photos, Samsung, Travel, travel | 16 Comments »
Thursday, October 31st, 2013
Boasting Time Lapse and Anti Shake functions, the new EXILIM EX-ZR1200 is available (S$549) in four colors, yellow, pink, white and black at CEE 2013.
The Casio EXILIM EX-ZR1200 is available in Singapore at S$549.
Here are the key features of the Casio EXILIM EX-ZR1200 compact travel camera.
- 16mp camera with a 12.5X optical zoom.
- 180 degrees tilt-type high-definition LCD display.
- 5-axis/5-stop High Speed Anti Shake image stabilising capability allowing users to move their cameras to merge consecutive shots in 5 directions-removing blur and enhancing clarity.
- Skin Brightening function takes flattering shots at many angles and makes skin appear smoother and brighter.
- Fitting nicely in the hand, it weighs only 256g inclusive of the batteries and memory card.
Read/download the press release below for more details and the technical specifications.
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Tags:cameras, Casio, compact, EXILIM, launch, Singapore, travel
Posted in Cameras, cameras, Casio, Compact camera, EXILIM, Gadgets, gadgets, Launch, newArrivals, Specifications | No Comments »
Monday, August 19th, 2013
The Suomenlinna Church was first built in 1854 as a Greek Orthodox garrison church for the Russian troops stationed in the Suomenlinna sea fortress, and originally had five onion domes.
The simple chandelier hangs directly below the dome of Suomenlinna Church. Both photos taken handheld with a Nikon D600 with AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
During the 1920s, the Suomenlinna Church was converted into an Evangelical Lutheran church.
Its central dome serves as a lighthouse, which sends out blinking Morse code signals for the letter “H” in Helsinki.
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Tags:church, Finland, Finland 2013, Helsinki, NIKKOR, Nikon, photography, photos, potd, Suomenlinna, travel, vacation
Posted in Finland 2013, Holiday, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photography, Photos, POTD, Travel | No Comments »
Sunday, August 18th, 2013
My family and I were walking back to our hotel in Helsinki when we spotted this Irish Wolfhound across the road.
Gigantic Irish Wolfhound along the streets of Helsinki. Photo taken with a Nikon D600 with AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR lens. Photo credit: John Tan.
Its owner was taking it for an evening walk and both of them were waiting at the traffic light to cross the road.
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Tags:dog, Finland, Finland 2013, Helsinki, NIKKOR, Nikon, photography, photos, potd, streets, travel, vacation
Posted in Finland 2013, Holiday, NIKKOR, Nikon, Photography, Photos, POTD | No Comments »
