Watching DigitalRev TV's last video of the year, I got to know Chase Jarvis (while maintaining that he doesn't know me) and learnt something very precious about taking photographs with the models.
See if you know what I mean after watching this video.
So, you know what I mean now?
Chase is indeed a great photographer not only because he can take excellent photos but he is able to comfort and understands his models. He is inspirational! He's fun-loving! He has no camera shy and he's a bit of an actor in front of it too! He has the ability to make people like him in his photo journey, and I guess, this is something I have to learn. Then again, I'm not a pro, so, baby steps.
Also, I definitely need to learn the importance of a flashlight. I'm still not getting it. Need to read more books on it.
"The best camera is the one that is with you." -- Chase Jarvis
His website has some great photos too! I particularly find the "unfocused" album interesting, at least from today, I shouldn't delete all my out-of-focus, wrong-focused photos.
You may want to check it out!
And I have another awesome website to recommend to you. Pixel-peeper.
Photos taken with Canon 7D and 24-105mm f/4 L lens
I have always wanted to test out the cameras and the lenses before buying them, but I often had trouble finding sample photographs for me to do pixel studies -- that is comparing pixel by pixel for noise and quality.
Then I found this website, which allows me to filter out the photos taken with the cameras and the lenses I want. Surely some photos have been Photoshopped but you can still get a good number of original photos. You can even set your criteria for the sizes of the photos, saving your precious time on finding the right photos you want.
With the help of this website, I have decided which wide angle lens I'm getting this Sunday!!! NICE!!!
Don't forget to "Like" this entry and the English Playground
Vocabulary: inspirational -- (adj) making you feel hopeful or encouraged fun-loving -- (adj) that enjoys the pleasures of life baby step -- (n)[C] (idiomatic) Small, tentative steps towards a goal.
I'm going to post a couple of entries today as they don't really belong to the same category and they are quite short.
First, it is the Meizu MX up for sale made US news.
Does it look more like an iPhone or an Android phone?
Cheers for a proper phone brand for China, but I'm going to look forward to the Samsung Galaxy SIII !!! With Samsung Galaxy S2 running on 1.2 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 SoC processor and Galaxy Note on 1.4 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 SoC processor, the SIII is expected to be at least 1.6GHz if not quad-core!
Vocabulary:
quad -- (n) [C]informalany of four children who are born to the same mother at the same time
Resources:
iPhone look-alike flies off shelves in China (2:36) @ Reuters
Christmas-slash-New-Year holidays are always the best time for movies as it is almost one of the cheapest entertainments which occupies hours of your time and creates bunch of excitements for your post-viewing sharing and discussions, let alone the benefits of learning English words.
But for me, my way of watching movies has evolved or even upped a new level! And that is, while searching for clues and predicting the plot of the upcoming scenes, I also search for flaws and inconsistencies appeared in the movies. If the movie is set in a modern time like Mission Impossible 4 or the earlier Transformers 3, then I also paid attention to the product placements.
Wait, was there any product placements in Transformers 3? Well, yeah! And from China too!
Canon printers and many many more! Some subtle, some apparently named like the Yili milk! For pride or exposure or both, this has become an extra fun for me!
In Mission Impossible, I saw a lot of Apple, Samsung and LG as well!
And of course, BMW!
Alright! Looks like I have sidetracked quite a bit so let's get back to the movies.
I watched MI4 after I have watched Sherlock Holmes and I think it was the right order to do so. That's because Sherlock Holmes -- A Game of Shadows has fewer product placements and I can focus more on the clues of the story.
I must say that the sequel really hasn't disappointment me with the tight action-packed plot and twists. I particularly like to see Moriarty and Holmes' battle of wits, how Holmes predicted the place, time and style of Moriarty's assassination attempt of Watson and his wife on the train, how Holmes cleverly calculated every step of the rescue and the slow-motion real-time forest escape scene shot by the Phantom high-speed cameras.
The ending was particularly funny and the Holmes in disguise was definitely not expected! Then again, Moriarty wasn't said to be dead while Holmes had an official funeral which made everybody thought he was dead, as supported by the actual fiction that Holmes had a three-year "death" [1], so in Sherlock Holmes 3, Holmes will be able to continue his fight against Professor Moriarty and more thrilling plots await us.
It was a pity that Irene Adler was killed (?) by a poisonous drink spiked by Moriarty.
All-in-all, a brilliant movie with lots of cunning plans! Must watch indeed!
As for Mission Impossible -- Ghost Protocol, I am still surprised that some of my closest friends DO NOT intend to watch! It is such a brilliant movie and my friends just don't see it! Their argument is, they can't believe that Tom Cruise can still live up to the fame of the first Mission Impossible movie! Well, if they have watched it, they will know they are SO SO wrong! because yes, Tom Cruise still does live up to, or should I say, higher than that standard! I'm no big fan of the Mission Impossible series but I have watched every single one, and despite the change of directors in every single MI movie, this one is THE best among all four!
Action-wise, you still get that just-3-inches-off-the-floor jump! Plus, you get Tom Cruise doing those amazing stunts on the glass walls of Burj Khalifa -- the highest building in the world with a height of 829.84m, twice the height of IFC 2 (46.8m)!
What could be the reason for this? Could it be the director Brad Bird? He is the director of The Incredibles, The Simpsons, and Ratatouille! Creativity explodes when it comes to cartoons and animations, and MI4 does seem much less cruel than MI3 and funnier than all its prequels! Yet it doesn't compromise the thrill and the unexpectedness!
So while it is still on cinema, catch the movie ASAP in IMAX!!! Worth every penny of yours!
Don't foreget to "Like" this article and the English Playground! Your "Like" tells me which types of article you like more!
Vocabulary: evolve [I or T] to develop gradually, or to cause something or someone to develop gradually up -- (vb) [T](-pp-) to increase something such as a price flaw -- (n) [C] a fault, mistake or weakness, especially one that happens while something is being planned or made, or which causes something not to be perfect inconsistency -- (n) If a reason, idea, opinion, etc. is inconsistent, different parts of it do not agree, or it does not agree with something else product placement /embedded marketing (n)[C] -- a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. sequel -- (n)[C] a book, film or play which continues the story of a previous book, etc. twist -- (n) [C] [C]a complicated situation or plan of action assassination -- (n) [C or U] the murder of someone famous or important attempt -- (n)[C] when you try to do something, especially something difficult spike -- (vb) [T] to make a drink stronger by adding alcohol, or to add flavour or interest to something stunt -- (n)[C] an exciting action, usually in a film, that is dangerous or appears dangerous and usually needs to be done by someone skilled prequel -- (n) [Cusually singular] a film, book or play which develops the story of an earlier film, etc. by telling you what happened before the events in the first film, etc compromise -- (vb) [T]disapproving to allow your principles to be less strong or your standards or morals to be lower eye candy -- (n) [U]informal someone or something that is attractive but not very interesting or useful
Day 2 of the Taipei trip, woke up in a cold and drizzling morning, the breakfast was not amazing but it seems to me that Taiwan breakfast is kind of like Japanese breakfast in a sense they both have rice with mini side dishes such as spicy bean sprouts and fried green vegetables.
Image from Locky's English Playground
The hot spring hotel requires their customers to check in at 5pm but check out at 12pm, so there was really not enough time to spend in the room, but they do offer free shuttle for the customers and their luggage, or just their baggages and not the customers, so making use of this service to walk around without your luggage for most of the time and then have your luggage delivered to you at the nearby MRT stations is a great strategy!
Image from Locky's English Playground
Leaving Beitou to Tamsui and there is a harbour walk with snack shops and restaurants. The snacks were all great! dry pork slices, Taipei 101-like ice-creams and potato crisps, pork sausages and many more. Their huge sizes definitely attract tourist to give it a go and kill their SD card memory, but the scenery is not to be missed.
Image from Locky's English Playground
One interesting thing observed about the Starbucks Coffee in Taipei is that they don't just come in a shop, but the entire building! You see the photo below? That is a four-storey Starbucks coffee! Man, I would love to go there often to enjoy my coffee. Just look at the view from the above photo! The coffee shop is directly facing this!
Image from Locky's English Playground
After picking up the luggage and went to check-in at a much cheaper hotel in Ximen, it was time for more walking around and snacking. There is this really popular noodles shop which serves fine melt-in-your-mouth noodles in soup in Ximending and is always very crowded, not sure if the locals like it but definitely attracts tourists. You can see some people eating their bowl of noodles on the street while others take photos of other people eating in the photo below.
Image from Locky's English Playground
Many stores and restaurants have Japanese-scripted lanterns and banners to attract their customers and they seem to work very well!
Image from Locky's English Playground
Absolutely a place with a nice blend of the Japanese and the Taiwanese cultures!
Image from Locky's English Playground
Took the following picture just before leaving Ximen Ding, not exactly the same as Japan's-chō, but definitely an alternative if Japan isn't a choice on your list.
Image from Locky's English Playground
Outside of the busy shopper's paradise, museums and artistic structures harmonise the atmosphere.
Image from Locky's English Playground
Dinner time arrived and it was this station we were heading. There was only one restaurant in the plan......
Image from Locky's English Playground
Leaving a quiet MRT station? Just because it was still early, it was so packed on the way back.
Image from Locky's English Playground
And then we arrived at THE ONE!
Image from Locky's English Playground
Yes, Hong Kong also has Din Tai Fung, but I won't want to miss the origin of the restaurant. Hey! Must see how different they are, right?
Image from Locky's English Playground
And the differences were great! Not the taste really, but the portion and the price. In Taipei, the same restaurant offers double portion for almost everything but charges only half the price of Hong Kong's!!! You will have to believe me with the bill shown below.
Image from Locky's English Playground
It was definitely a great restaurant to visit and had the time been longer, I would have had the same food again and again!
Don't forget to "LIKE" this entry and the English Playground
Vocabulary: drizzle -- (vb) [I]to rain in small light drops -chō -- (n) [U] harmonise -- (UK usuallyharmonise) [I or T] to be suitable together, or to make different people, plans, situations, etc. suitable for each other
Looking back at this year, I think I have done some good jobs in my research and wrote some of the articles which I really like, particularly, those under the label Medical, Health and Fitness, Technology and the recent ones on radiation under Travelling and Living.
I see myself expanding in my pool of knowledge much quicker and I'm eager for more!!!
This year, I shall continue to expand my knowledge through detail researches and then of course, bring you the best of the digest.
My snappy doctor friend (see Medical & News: What Causes Cancer? -- Part 1 and Medical & News: What Causes Cancer? -- Part 2), who was not snappy yesterday, is going to visit Japan, and in our recently set up Whatsapp chat group a friend asked if the food in Japan is safe for consumption. This doctor friend said she doesn't care. Then of course, I knew the answer and told her, but she insists on not caring.
Is there anything wrong with her thinking? Nope. Doctors often see life and death as commonplace as missing breakfast. But how about the rest of us?
Many of us thought that as long as the air is clean, like the guy in the movie above, then it will be safe. The fact is of course NOT.
Why not? Because the worst is still in the ground.
Pay attention to the part which the plants pick up the radioactive elements from the ground, because even if the air is far below the safe limit of radioactive level, like the video below taken in Chernobyl (the region of the Chernobyl Disaster on 26th April 1986), the Geiger counter level started off at a rate lower than Hong Kong's ( roughly 0.200 μSv, microsievert, for most updated count, see Hong Kong Observatory Ambient Gamma Radiation Level ) and began to signal DANGER when placed next to a patch of grass.
And one of the most dangerous thing to eat? Mushrooms!
As shown and admitted by the Japanese government in the news below.
Then how do I know what food from Japan is safe to eat and what is not? This question suddenly popped up when I picked up two packets of 3.6 Hokkaido milk at a discounted price of $15. I heard those packets on one hand, found a great Android App from Market, check it and then decided to put down the milk.
Which app? FoodSafety -radiation in food- It is a really good app and I highly recommend you download it and check it when necessary, especially when doing your grocery shopping.
1) It lists out the date of update, the region, the test dates, the food type, the level of iodine (131) and cesium (137) in Bq/kg, becquerel per kilogram.
Image from Locky's English Playground
So, from the above screen capture, mushrooms from region Miyagi has been tested on 16th November with radioactive iodine "not detected" ND but 1400 Bq/kg of radioactive cesium. Fukushima, the region of the nuclear plant explosions, has mushroom at 4900 Bq/kg of cesium!!! But the highest is Tochigi with 6940 Bq/kg of cesium!!!! Anyway, they all go under the Red upset face, which means they are over the safety level. Touch them NOT!!!
Image from Locky's English Playground
2) The prescribed safe limits for radioactive elements recommended by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for each type of food are used in this app.
As shown above, the prescribed safe limits for radioactive cesium in milk is 500 Bq/kg. Although the Hokkaido milk gets only 0.1 Bq/kg cesium, I decided to put down the great bargain.
My snappy doctor friend might not care, but it is your body and your health at the end of the day.
Once again I say, Knowledge is power! The more you know, the better you take good care of yourself and your love ones!
Don't forget to "like" this article and the English Playground
Vocabulary: snappy -- (adj) also snappish easily annoyed and often speaking in an angry way commonplace -- (adj) happening often or often seen or experienced and so not considered to be special Chernobyl
sievert (Sv) -- (n)[C] the SI unit of equivalent dose. It is the dose of a given type of radiation in Gy that has the same biological effect on a human as 1 Gy of x-rays or gamma radiation. microsievert (μSv), 10 −6 Sv
grocery -- [C](UK alsogrocery shop, US alsogrocery store) old-fashioned a grocer's
iodine (131) -- also called radioiodine, is an important radioisotope of iodine. It has a radioactive decay half-life of about eight days. Its uses are mostly medical and pharmaceutical. It also plays a major role as a radioactive isotope present in nuclear fission products, and was a significant contributor to the health hazards from open-air atomic bomb testing in the 1950s, and from the Chernobyl disaster, as well as being a large fraction of the contamination hazard in the first weeks in the Japanese nuclear crisis.
cesium (137) -- is a radioactive isotope of caesium which is formed as a fission product by nuclear fission. It has a half-life of about 30.17 years.
