感谢 zbNOW/早报现在 Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报 今天在缤纷版的刊登我的摄影文章《白天教法律，晚上教咏春拳：叶问第五代传人李大明教授》!

在此，我也要特别感谢新加坡国立大学法学院的李大明教授 Professor Joel Lee，让我在咏春研习轩上了人生第一堂咏春拳课。咏春拳套路里面看似简单，其实蕴藏着高明深刻的哲学内涵

Thanks very much to zbNOW/早报现在 Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报 for the publication today on my photo essay titled "Law Professor By Day, Wing Chun Master By Night - 5th generation disciple of Grandmaster Ip Man (Yip Man), Professor Joel Lee!

Special thanks to National University of Singapore Law Faculty Professor Joel Lee for this opportunity that I gained an in-depth knowledge on Wing Chun! :)

Do you know where the mountain in the box of Toblerone is? It is in Zermatt, Switzerland.

​When I was in Zermatt, a beautiful unique car-free village tucked away in the Swiss alps near the famous Matterhorn, I loved every minute of it. Famed as a mountaineering and ski resort of the Swiss Alps, Zermatt is an impressive place where you will meet a mountain spirit like nowhere it the world. No visit to Zermatt is complete without an up-close-and-personal look at the one of the world’s most famous mountains. Zermatt is like the present you didn't know you wanted until you got it there and fell in love. It is such a pretty village, especially during autumn, making the whole village look so dreamy.

Switzerland is like a dream destination for anyone. Those stunning alps, mesmerising lakes, charming cobbled streets, drool-worthy Swiss chocolates always made me wonder if this enchanted land actually exists. But yes, one trip to Switzerland, and I am in awe. I have been planning a trip to Switzerland, a country that is on my bucket list for the longest time but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this trip got postponed for almost 3 years. After much planning, I finally got the chance to travel to Switzerland during autumn recently.

For those of you who have watched the Korean Drama "Crash Landing on You", I am sure some places in Switzerland are dream locations to visit. However, for those who have not, these places are certainly well worth a visit. Surprisingly, they are actually not touristy or crowded places, only the filming locations in the drama. As a matter of fact, I hunted down my favorite filming locations of "Crash Landing on You" in Switzerland. ​

Switzerland is known for its stunningly scenic train rides – the perfect combination of superbly efficient & clean trains and incredible natural beauty. I started my train journey from Zurich to Interlaken with the famous scenic GoldenPass route. This scenic train line is one of the best of these routes – covering 3 mountain passes, 8 lakes, 6 cantons and 2 language regions. You experience lush, green fields with cows grazing over them, chalet houses along the rolling hills framed against the backdrop of the Alps and beautiful lakes. The lake appears shining in the distance as you wind down the mountain roads towards it and then stays parallel to the road for several kilometres. Make sure to sit on the right-hand side of the train if you’re heading into Brienz from Interlaken so you can soak up all the views!

谢谢 zbNOW/早报现在 Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报 今天刊登了我的瑞典隆德摄影文章《漫步瑞典隆德，领略中世风情》为旅游封面！许多北欧的城市其实不算大，老城区便是北欧国家的旅游热门打卡地，瑞典也一样 。瑞典有很多老城区，隆德便是其中一个，也是瑞典最古老的城市之一。我从丹麦哥本哈根 坐火车到达隆德，整个车程才45分钟，非常方便。隆德具有很多古老的建筑，大部分建造于12和13世纪之间。在旅途中，我很喜欢探索古老建筑，然后尽量地了解那个国家的历史，甚至还会幻想自已在这里生活，或如果穿梭在这样的老建筑之中，那会是怎么样的画面等等。

Thank you so much to zbNOW/早报现在 Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报 for publishing my photo travelogue on Sweden Lund today! When I went to visit Denmark in February 2022, I decided to take the train from Copenhagen Central Station to Malmö and Lund which turned out to be my best time in Sweden. Lund is very close to Copenhagen as well as Malmö, so you can easily reach Lund for a nice day trip around the town, which takes only 45 minutes via train. Lund is one of 's oldest cities and many of the buildings in Lund are historicist creations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries thrives alongside modern buildings. It is said that you can spend your whole life here without seeing all the quiet little corners, all the beautiful buildings and details. I MISS SWEDEN.

A visit to the traditional fish market in Singapore at Senoko Fishery Port isn’t complete till you make a pre-sunrise dash down to Jurong Fishery Port too. The size of Jurong Fishery Port doubled the size of Senoko Fishery Port as there are more than 100 stalls to choose from, where an array of stingray, sotong, and mud crabs awaits – all ready for you to bring back home to be mixed up with the savoury goodness of sambal, salted egg yolk, and chilli crab sauce.
 
At 2.00 a.m, just like the situation at Senoko, the Jurong Fishery Port is also starting to get busy. There is a general sense of hustle and bustle. People are hard at work. That's when the boats are unloading their catch and throngs of hawkers, chefs and wet market stall owners are buying in bulk. Taking turns to operate the forklifts, fishmongers move in a fluid clockwork motion, and plastic boots squelch against the wet floor. If you hear a rolling rumbling sound, you’ll instinctively turn to look if you are in the way of someone moving their fish. What warmed me is the good-natured reactions of the vendors when I apologise for being in the way. While this is admirable to me, this is just another typical day for them.

When people think of fish markets, their minds understandably wander to busy port cities such as Tokyo or Sydney, few people would ever imagine that Singapore has traditional fish markets too. There are two fishery ports in Singapore at Jurong and Senoko, which house wholesale fish markets where buyers can snap up seafood in bulk, and cheaply. Even if you are not a buyer, a visit offers a glimpse of the supply chain that ultimately makes it all tick for Singapore’s seafood scene.
 
Well, while you are asleep, the fast-paced action at a traditional fish market makes for a night’s fun and an eye-opener. I visited Senoko Fishery Port recently, located at the far end of Sembawang, in the north of Singapore, where land meets the Straits of Johor. My alarm was set for 1.00 a.m. and as I stumbled out of bed to make my way to arrive at peak hour of 2.00am. The Senoko Fishery Port, which houses more than 30 lots, are open daily from 2.00am to 6.00am, except on Mondays — this is why Singaporeans often avoid consuming seafood on Monday. On other days, more than 1,000 seafood retailers and buyers come to Senoko to stock up and many fresh fishes change hands each day.

As I entered into the complex, the first thing that struck me was that this is a wet market at its best. Fishy-smelling water sloshes around your feet, while half-dressed fish merchants tramp around in galoshes, stack baskets of squid and anchovies, and weigh shrimp with traditional scales. Shoals of fresh-caught fish are often just strewn along the ground, with baskets of prawns and other shellfish crowding the area and shaved ice spilling every which way. As I walked around photographing these early birds in their glory, I wished I could have tasted the beautiful tuna before me. The next few hours go by in a whirlwind of activity.

One of the things I love the most about travelling by plane is when you look outside of the window and can enjoy those kind of views.
 
Flying offers us a wonderful experience: the opportunity to see the sky up close, to enjoy sunsets or sunrises, gorgeous snowy mountain peaks, beautiful green fields and so on and so forth. I admit I love sitting on the seat next to the window in airplanes (and in any other means of transportation, for that matter). I want to see “out”, to enjoy the view, even through the small airplane window. And, yes, I like to take photos – and to look at photos taken from various flights. The views are breathtaking!
 
Speaking of wonderful moments, here is my collection of some lovely white clouds on flights to-date. I hope you like them.

乘飞机的人一般都喜欢坐在靠窗的位置，我也是，一则清净，二者可以欣赏窗外空中美景，运气好可以欣赏到美丽的日出日落还有云海。摄影时把机翼也拍出来也是构图的一个要素，而且特别有场景感。在飞机上看云与在地面上看云感觉不同。在地面上看云，是仰望，它们遥不可及。坐在飞机上看云，它们近在咫尺，看的清清楚楚，真真切切。若不是隔着眩窗，它们准会飞进我的怀里。这么多年旅行，我不知不觉地累积了这组照片。心放空了，自己就像是在空中飞翔，早已忘了自己是坐在飞机上拍摄这些照片。
 
况且在飞机上看云，令人神清气爽，浮想联翩，心旷神怡。每个人都向往着自己就是那天空中的一片云，自由自在，无拘无束，天马行空，任自己驰骋。多少歌曲唱过，多少文人的笔下写出了——我是天空中的一片云。抬头望望天空，看着那倏忽变化的云朵，想想自己的处境，真想变成天空中的一片云。

周末愉快！我在新加坡中央商业区的高楼大廈拍摄的《倒影彩画》组的照片刊登在今天（八月二十一日）联合早报 zbNOW/早报现在【光影】版 。感谢 Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报 ！

河水流经之处必有生命。新加坡中央商业区的高楼大廈濒临新加坡河，少有双面向的独特位置。我一路沿缓缓流淌的新加坡河向滨海湾走去，欣赏新加坡河两边不同的景物，也拍摄河岸边众多的大楼反光和水面中互相辉映的倒影。每一转眼都是另一番美景，都市全景尽揽眼底。一直觉得水中倒影有着独特的美，仿佛置身于仙境之中，就象神话故事中的宝镜一样，令人心旷神怡。其实拍倒影照片，不只是借水，还要借天空，借平静的水面和摄影的技巧，才能拍出称心如意的照片 :)

My "City Skyline Reflection Along The Mouth of Singapore River" photo series is published in full coverage in today's zbNOW/早报现在. Thank you so much and much appreciated !

I took a scenic walk down memory lane with Singapore River as I have a special liking for this part of the Singapore River. Unconsciously, this is also one place that I would tend to go for some respite, or when I need to have time for quiet reflections during weekends. Furthermore, the colonial buildings nearby the area somehow have an attractive appeal to me. I simply love their designs, especially when being reflected along the mouth of Singapore River. Capturing a perfect reflection is harder than it sounds because any amount of wind at all will cause ripples and blur the surface of the water. I spent one whole day from early morning until evening to capture beautiful water reflections to form the collection. The weather was absolutely perfect that day!

If you could remember, I documented some street art in Singapore which they have a noble cause in themselves, i.e. the Wayfinding Project at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 in 2020 and at Yishun in 2021 for seniors with dementia.
 
Today I am going to introduce another new wayfinding project. These murals are located at Toa Payoh bus interchange. They are part of an initiative by Dementia Singapore and SBS transit to make more dementia-friendly bus interchanges and MRT stations.
 
The bus interchange is segmented into five unique zones as a mural of a childhood game or activity represents each zone. These colour-coded images would make it easier for seniors with dementia to find their way home, as explained in all my previous blog posts. Nostalgic images could help to tap on memories to stimulate parts of the brain. This also aids in long-term memory and cognition.
 
There are also directional floor stickers, so that if the elderly want to board a particular bus service, they just have to follow the directional arrows, which show the mural picture to lead the person directly to the boarding berth. Hopefully, this would allow seniors with dementia to feel less anxious when trying hard to remember their routes back home. The five colourful murals are:

​In these times of rising activism on climate change and other environmental issues, a new band of campaigners has joined the fight: street artists. Street art has typically focused on megacities and urban festivals. But I noticed that a generation of digitally ultra-connected artists has been encouraged to spread their brushes and spray cans elsewhere – to forests and seas – and to creatively question our relationships to the natural world. Leveraging their ability to reach one of the largest and most diverse audiences – anyone passing by – street artists are increasingly using their public works to address current issues, not the least of which is climate change.
 
Recently, I found an example of climate activist street art in Singapore, which shows that artists can actually bring an alternative and responsible message to the public through their work. Titled “The Birds in Our Backyard”, the series of wall art relates to human-wildlife conflict and how to live in harmony with feathered neighbors. They are all painted over ten columns located at Block 218B and 218C Boon Lay Avenue in Jurong West HDB estate. The lead artist is Ms Dorcas Tang, a climate activist and artist based in Singapore.

Ms Tang has garnered much attention in recent months for her advocacy on Instagram, (@earthtodorcas), which raises awareness of important climate issues ranging from extreme rainfall events and food waste to climate justice and conscious shopping. I find that her art is wonderful and non-confrontational, so it is perfect for spreading words about environmentalism and climate change to a broader audience. Such climate-conscious works enable us to think more critically about the impact humans are having on the environment and how we need to act in a socially responsible manner in order to conserve and protect our planet. 

我的《脚踏车骑向咖啡馆》摄影文章登在七月十日联合早报的小城大事版 zbNOW/早报现在。 感谢、感恩!

每当周末到来，就是 Cafe Hopping 的好日子。约上闺蜜一起探索隐藏在城市里的个性咖啡馆，度过一个悠闲的周末，卸下日常生活压力。咖啡文化日趋流行，新加坡有越来越多以脚踏车为主题而设计的咖啡馆，成了许多人相聚的热门地点。这些咖啡馆从装修风格到经营理念，都离不开脚踏车这一元素，将咖啡和脚踏车完美结合。一直觉得脚踏车和咖啡总有着一种近乎天然的契合度，因为爱骑脚踏车的人几乎都喜欢喝咖啡，所以当脚踏车邂逅咖啡，一动一静，就会产生精彩交集。无论是脚踏车迷还是咖啡痴，这些咖啡馆都可以让人远离喧嚣停下来休息喝咖啡，进一步了解脚踏车文化，或是与朋友小聚的闲暇时光，或者是买一辆喜欢脚踏车模型带回家。

Happy Sunday! My photo essay on bicycle-themed cafes in Singapore is published full coverage in zbNOW/早报现在 today. Thank you so much to zbNOW/早报现在 !

Coffee and cycling have always gone hand in hand, perhaps because one fuels the other, and that goes both ways. These bicycle themed cafes are based on different concepts and they are not only meant for people who love bicycles. They are places where everyone is welcome and even if the customers aren’t bicycle lovers when they walk in, hopefully they will be by the time they walk out. They are cafes which are passionate about cycling, but are also places where people with all interests can feel at home. The key interest at these cafes is to enhance and grow the culture of enjoyment around coffee and cycling :)

There is nothing I like more than being able to "kill two birds with one stone", or in this case, seeing two cities in one trip. When I went to visit Copenhagen, Denmark in February 2022, I decided to take the train from Copenhagen Central Station to Malmö (blog post here) and Lund which turned out to be my best time in Sweden. Lund is very close to Copenhagen as well as Malmö, so you can easily reach Lund for a nice day trip around the town. There are multiple departures every hour and the train journey takes only 45 minutes. 
​
Lund is one of Sweden’s oldest cities and many of the buildings in Lund are historicist creations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries thrives alongside modern buildings. It is said that you can spend your whole life here without seeing all the quiet little corners, all the beautiful buildings and details. Interestingly enough, founding dates all the way back to Year 990 when Lund was then a part of Denmark (there have been so many wars fought between these Scandinavian neighbors that at one point Denmark ruled everything, and then Sweden did, and then repeat). 

许多北欧的城市其实不算大，老城区便是北欧国家的旅游热门打卡地，瑞典也一样。瑞典有很多老城区，是旅客喜欢游览的地方，隆德（Lund）便是其中一个。历史悠长的隆德是瑞典最古老的城市之一，建于公元990年前后，当时还是丹麦管辖，但后来瑞典战胜丹麦，它就成了瑞典的一部分。

我从丹麦哥本哈根Copehagen坐火车到达隆德，整个车程才45分钟，非常方便。隆德具有很多古老的建筑，大部分建造于12和13世纪之间。相比瑞典的其他城市，隆德建筑保存得非常完好，甚至颁布了一个本地的法律来限制考古研究，这使得这些历史遗留的古建筑成为这座城市的瑰宝，璀璨的遗产。在旅途中，我很喜欢探索古老建筑，然后尽量地了解那个国家的历史，甚至还会幻想自已在这里生活，或如果穿梭在这样的老建筑之中，那会是怎么样的画面等等。

Gone are the days of boring, run-of-the-mill cafes. These days, cafe owners try to differentiate their business by throwing in a theme, hence the proliferation of cafes based on cartoons, movies, pets, and also hobby-based themes such as bikes. I have curated a list of bicycle-themed cafes in Singapore that you may or may not know. Bicycle themed cafes, like cycling itself, is booming, not just as a sport but also as a lifestyle. 

Coffee and cycling have always gone hand in hand, perhaps because one fuels the other, and that goes both ways. When cycling meets coffee, both bring people together for great conversation while enjoying something they love. Both bring a connection whether between long time buddies, significant others, or someone you just met. 

​These bicycle themed cafes are based on different concepts. Some bicycle cafes are coffee shop / bike repair shop hybrids, while others provide a full-service restaurant with a bike-friendly atmosphere and cycling-inspired décor. Whatever the case, these bicycle cafes are hubs in their cycling communities and provide a friendly, welcoming space that encourages the cycling culture and the active lifestyle. ​Even if you’re not an avid cyclist, you’ll still enjoy them. Whether you’re stepping off on a weekday morning commuting to work, looping around the nearby park or cruising through life on a relaxed weekend afternoon, they are all bicycle friendly business where you can enjoy a warming coffee or a quenching brew, so do check out this list.

每当周末到来，就是Cafe Hopping的好日子。我会约上好友一起探索隐藏在城市里的咖啡馆，度过一个悠闲的周末，暂时躲避日常生活的压力。咖啡文化日趋流行，我发现新加坡有越来越多以自行车为主题而设计的咖啡馆，成了许多人相聚的热点。我整理了新加坡的8间以自行车主题的咖啡馆，这些咖啡馆从装修风格到经营理念，全部离不开自行车这一元素，将咖啡和自行车完美结合。我一直觉得自行车和咖啡总有着一种近乎天然的契合度，是天生的伴侣，因为爱骑自行车的人几乎都喜欢喝咖啡，所以当自行车邂逅咖啡，一动一静，就会产生交集。
 
再加上近几年全球一直提倡“绿色生活”，曾被视为过时传统交通工具的自行车再度复兴，逐渐风靡世界，成为生活方式的一部分。因疫情的关系，生活在大城市的现代人也随着追求健康与慢活时代的变化，骑自行车逐渐成为许多人的运动项目之一。

I love LEGO. I like that LEGO is brilliant quality. I like that it encourages dexterity and spatial awareness and is great for both independent and collaborative play. Most of all, it’s fun. 

Whenever I see my 6-year old young niece playing with LEGO, LEGO is basically about building your own stuff. There is something pleasing about developing the LEGO building expertise needed so that you just knew which bricks you needed to make a sloping house roof, or how long a gap you could leave between the wheels on a bus and still make something that would “go”. Or developing that knack of being able to prise apart two flat LEGO planks that had become jammed together. I always enjoy seeing what other people create using LEGO, as well as the wonderful models that are showcased at any LEGO exhibition.

Recently, I brought my niece to a LEGO exhibition at the Singapore Science Centre, named “Brickman Wonders of the World”, which consists of over 50 large-scale iconic landmarks of the world. The exhibition was created by an Australian, Ryan McNaught, who is Brickman’s managing director and a LEGO Certified Professional himself. The whole preparation phase took him and his 6-man team more than 5,000 hours and over 1.4 million LEGO bricks to bring the ideas to life.