A very happy start to a great weekend! My photo essay under pen name 蓝天游 on Shanghai《游七宝古镇感受千年上海》is published in today's special NATAS travel edition LianheZaobao 联合早报旅游版 dated 22 February 2019! 感谢、感恩! THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
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I stole moments on benches during the winter in Finland. Sitting there helped me to take a real time out. A pause. It's a moment of just being me, doing what I wanted. No distraction, only nature. Sitting on a bench on a winter morning or night in December in solitude is a real treat to me. "Embrace it", I told myself. "It's good to be friends with yourself. It's a gift. Embrace it." And so I did. I sat on my bench and hang out with myself. I was having a great time.
I believe in order for people to remain healthy, strong, viable providers for their family and to be positive forces in society, they need to take time out for themselves. The world as we know it now – a society based on antagonisms and competition – has left many people feeling like most of their lives are lived against the world but little or not time is spent living in it. The only way I have found to constructively deal with this, is by taking time out through solitude. It is one of the most practical ways to reconnect with oneself, to regain clarity and to be reminded of one’s deepest passions and purpose. Spending time alone allows us, as humans, to see clearly that which either we can’t see, or society won't let us see, because we are so busy trying to outdo everyone else. I adore being outside and sitting on a bench and just enjoying the sounds of nature, the gust of the wind or feeling a light breeze. Another thing I adore to photograph is benches and seats found in parks or on trails and paths or other outdoor areas. I love to photo benches with or without people on them. Maybe I long to have more outside time with the nature. This is the first time in which I really enjoyed being outside, especially in winter. I can actually participate in it rather than wish I could. The tram is part and parcel of everyday life in Finland in much the same way as gastronomy is. It is a good reason to involve the tram in Finland in every possible sense. A quintessential Helsinki tram experience takes you past the city’s palatial monuments.
The living pace in Singapore is fast, and we demand high speed in transportation too. The slow going tram in Finland, by comparison, is like a gentleman walking nobly on the street and living out his own unique lifestyle. The tram came into service on dating back to hundred years ago, and is one of the earliest forms of public transport in Finland. Getting around Helsinki on tram is an interesting experience as you can observe and photograph the lives of people in a relaxing way without needing to worry about the snow, sun or rain. Most tram passengers are not rushing for time. Instead they may just want to take a rest and think during the ride. In trams, the history is visible in the present. The tram simply looks very different from the other vehicles in the city and it is often pretty old-fashioned, even the latest versions of it. More importantly, surprisingly old models are in active use. In Helsinki, the oldest tramcars are actually older than many parts of the city. 在20世纪初欧洲的许多城市,有轨电车曾风行一时。不同的城市,不同的有轨电车,成就了不同的城市经典。但随着其他公共交通方式的普及,旧时的有轨电车不是被陆续拆卸,就是被继续现代化。在有轨电车幸存下来的城市,“叮叮咣咣声”成为绝唱,它们晃悠悠地穿过城市的老街区,不紧不慢,被这个时代所遗忘。这些有轨电车发展到今天,也成为那个时代的靓丽风景和永恒不变的历史印记。 我对有轨电车的印象,来自于香港的老电影。无论高兴,或者悲伤,香港电影里的情绪与氛围渲染常常在电车车厢的光影里演绎出不一样的诗意。这些关于电车的镜头,记录某种怀旧情结、呈现出浓郁生活气息的画面,让我不知不觉融入某种情景之中,与电影里的人物命运相连。 芬兰的有轨电车于如今它依然是赫尔辛基城主要的交通工具之一。每日乘坐电车的旅客超过二十万人次,它墨绿色的车厢早已与这座城市融为一体。在过去一百多年的风风雨雨里,电车上的乘客换了一批又一批,如果电车有记忆的话,也许它自己也数不清在这一百多年里见证了多少历史时刻,见证了多少人的悲欢离合。它就像一位百岁老人,带人游走在新旧之间,饱览城市的各种景象。搭乘电车能够带着人穿越赫尔辛基 450 多年的历史,体味从现代到古老,从悠闲到繁忙,从静谧到生动的韵律。 A very happy weekend! My short photo essay under pen name 蓝天游 on antique cars in Prague, Czech Republic《穿越世纪的布拉格古典老爷车》is featured in today Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报 dated 9 February 2019! Thrilled to see it being featured nationwide in print! Special thanks to Lianhe Zaobao, you have made my day! :) Thank U so much 感谢、感恩 。
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