15. September 2000 11:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments New Car in 2000 . . . 15. September 2000 11:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetnew car in 2000ShareIn September 2000, just after I returned from my trip to Borneo, I had to buy this new car because my girlfriend had written off my car whilst I was away! *smile* I did not look forward to hunting around for a new car, but I found a good buy locally. This car is a 1997 Ford Futura, with 4.0 litre, 6-cylinder, 220-horsepower, power-steering, central locking and electronic windows (I think I am starting to sound like a car advertisement...) It is pretty much the same colour as my old car, and it feels so nice to drive! As you can see, pretty similar, but I also really miss my old car! It had a lot of computerised features - from a digital odometer, to adjusting the internal temperature of the car. It was a pretty cool car and wished I could have kept it for another few more years. A huge contrast to my first car! It is a red hatchback that I bought early 1998, a few months after I arrived in Australia. But someone wrote it off a few months after I bought it. It was a pretty bad accident, but luckily I was alright. I was only covered by Third Party insurance, and to go through a lot of paperwork just to get reimbursement for the car!
15. August 2000 10:43 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Away from Headquarters . . . 15. August 2000 10:43 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaway from headquartersShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillageAway from Headquarters . . .I managed to explore the villages at Silam. The people here wore this white stuff on their faces - I guess their form of sunscreen. These people were refugees from the Philippines. The kids were fighting to fit into the photo! The kids here were really cute.These kids here, had caught a monkey and was trying to sell it at the camp for 5 ringgit (AUD$2.50). No-one wanted to buy it because they knew if they bought it, and set it loose, the kids would just catch it again, and try to sell it. In general, there were lots of great photos at Silam village. One of the helicopter pilots was driving through the jungle roads, took a corner too fast, and had a minor mishap.We headed into Lahad Datu to get some seafood! An escape from camp food. Camp food was disgusting. There were live worms in the vegetables (yes, after cooked). Most of the food was not fresh, and was pretty boring. The seafood was fantastic here. Whenever we had the chance, we ate lots of seafood. Yum... Paul did not get to eat all of the crabs - all of us had a portion of it. Yummm... they were huge, but we did not eat them. They were too big for us to eat, pretty impressive though. They were the biggest lobsters I have seen in my life. We saw these at the same place we ate our seafood and frogs (below). We had this frog for dinner about 2 min after I took the photo. This was actually when I went out with Glen in Kota Kinabalu - he asked me to pick some food and to surprise him. I did not tell him till a year later that he ate frog meat. He asked me what it was, because he reckoned it tasted funny, but I did not tell him at the time. I think he will only eat it again. Only if he really had to. Petronis Towers - the tallest twin towers in the world. Actually, they are the tallest buildings in the world, followed by the Sears Towers in Chicago. The towers are joined by some sort pedestrian platform. These towers are located in Kuala Lumpur. I went to Kuala Lumpur to pick up my Permanent Residency for Australia. Woohoo!!! After 2 years of lots of paperwork, and correspondence back and forth with Berlin, I finally managed to get it! The inconvenience of it all, was that I actually had to leave Australia ie collect my PR before re-entering Australia. Below, is the only photo I have of the Lateral Linking Team that I worked with during the race. Back to TopReturn to Borneo HomepageCreated: 7 Dec 2001
15. August 2000 10:42 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Helicopters . . . 15. August 2000 10:42 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweethelicoptersShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillageHelicopters . . .The radio communications team had to arrive a few days before that because we had to hand out over 2,000 pieces of radio equipment. We had problems getting the necessary approvals for helicopters so they were grounded! I ended having to hand out most of the equipment as Glen and Paul had to sort out our use of the helicopters. We had to fly all the equipment to Silam before the start of the race, and our team managed to fly to Silam the day before the race started. Do you believe that Paul managed to take a photo of me whilst I was flying the chopper? He was standing to the side of me, and took the photo at night time, with the door open ... Just kidding. A couple of days before the race started, I was at the airport most of the day. We had some problems with the radios in the helicopters... I must have been in and out of those helicopters at least 200 times. I did manage to get someone to take some photos of me in a helicopter, looking very much like the pilot! I had hoped that I had the time to explore Kota Kinabalue, but we were so busy, it had to wait. Here is the 212 or "Huey" - a twin-turbine Vietnam helicopter taking off. It is a hell a lot more powerful than some of the other helicopters we were using, which were 206s. Here are the medical guys practising abseiling out of the helicopters (Aussie style)! At the start of the race, I was sitting there listening to the first rescue on the radio. 3 hours after the start, four boats had capsized... helicopters and boats were very busy! The competitors were due to arrive at Silam (another checkpoint) the next day (21st Aug). For the first few days after the race started, I had to help organise to get the fuel to the top of the mountain. After that the helicopter came in useful. It brought up 100 litres of fuel on the 4th day so I did not have to ferry fuel anymore! At the end of the race, we had to sling-load the repeaters, to get them off the mountain. That means we had to strap them onto the helicopters, and pull them off the mountains that way - quite effective really. Repeater station finally airborne! You can see a pole in the right photo. My girlfriend asked me what it was for - it helps balance the load so that it does not keep swinging whilst airborne. Below, you will see some pretty good photos from the chopper. Towards the end of the race, we had to scan the rivers for the last competitors coming in - to make sure they had completed this section of the race course. It was low-altitude flying of the river-bed. The photo on the left shows the chopper approaching Silam Village. This village was located just outside of Silam HQ. Glen liked wanted to have a photo of the back of my head - and I ruined the photo by turning my head as he took it... Here's a sunset shot of the helicopters flying around. I had to put in this fantastic photo - the lighting gives a really nice feel to the photo. Back to TopReturn to Borneo HomepageCreated: 7 Dec 2001
15. August 2000 10:42 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments The Wildlife in Borneo . . . 15. August 2000 10:42 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetthe wildlife in borneoShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillageThe Wildlife in Borneo . . .The jungles in Borneo are really dense, dark and humid. You will find that some of the photos look as though they have been over-exposed, but in reality, it is just the humidity in the air. I have a photo of this at home - Glen enlarged it for me, and framed it! Don't ask me why - I think I look rather wasted there. Glen and I tried to race through the jungle. The climb to the top of the mountain is rated as a 1.5 hour climb... Glen and I have done it in 26 minutes... actually I was confident that I could do it in less than 20 and so I did! I held the record of taking 17 minutes to race to the top of Mt Silam, covering a distance of approx 4 kilometres through the jungle, up a mountain. I was getting really fit (My girlfriend was proud of me). This photo shows how dense and dark the jungle can be. It was so humid there... no, not because I hadn't cleaned my lenses. You can see how muddy it is in the jungle - I became quite dirty after many trips into the jungle. I think these trees are just as big as the Californian Redwoods. They might not be as old, but definitely just as big. This was taken with a 300mm lens, from 1.5 metres. The most amazing thing about them, is when they are scared, the curl up into little "marbles". It looks like a small bug, but it is actually at least 7cm long, which is actually quite big. I noticed in Borneo, most of the insects there were huge. The wingspan of the brown moth was about 15cm wide - huge! They are mostly active at night, which is quite common for creatures in the jungle. A couple of the girls stationed in the jungles, was stationed here. Not a wise decision, considering these girls were paranoid about the insects. (Note: in the photo below, I still had conjunctivitis) I had the red eyes for most of the trip. Big and beautiful, don't you think? You can see how big the black moth is compared to the size of the telephone. These plants were kind of special because each branch split into two, so by the end of it, they formed a hexagonal pattern. Below, are plants known as the "pitcher" plant. The pitcher plants are meat-eating plants - you have watch out not to fall into them because they will swallow you whole. If you just believed that, you are very gullible! *laugh* The pitcher plant, like other carnivorous plants, feed on insects. They have sweet-smelling nectar that attract the unsuspecting insect to it. When the insect lands, it finds the surface slippery and fall straight into the “pitcher”, where the plants juices drowns it and is digested by the plant. You may have heard of other type of carnivorous plants such as the Venus Fly Trap, and the Sundew plants. Yes, you see me holding the snake with a leaf. It was a poisonous snake, and I was worried about it's venom getting on my skin. For example a puff adder, contact with the venom numbs the skin. I was not familiar with the snakes in Borneo, and was not about to risk it. The tarantella was sitting inside the catering tent hunting. Everyone was looking at it and admiring it, which was pretty amazing, considering I know many people who would willingly kill a spider in sight. Back to TopReturn to Borneo HomepageCreated: 7 Dec 2001
15. August 2000 10:41 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Repeater Stations . . . 15. August 2000 10:41 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetrepeater stationsShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillageRepeater Stations . . .Here, you see Paul and I transporting some of the repeater stations by air. From Silam, we flew down to DFVC. We stayed there for three days before going back to Silam. I am at one of the repeater sites. Here, the top of one of the mountains was cleared, so we could safely land a helicopter there. Oh... did I forget to mention that I almost chopped one of my fingers in half at the repeater site? On top of my infected eye, I had another thing for the medical team to look at. The fingernail had been chopped in half and there was not much I could do about it except clean it up and try to avoid infections. The medical team was great there... they were extremely good. We had a few problems with some of the communications gear. Paul and Glen were handling it, and at times I tried to assist. The first few days had been really tough. The top of Silam is covered in clouds for most of the afternoons, so the solar panels are quite useless. A survey of the conditions made prior to the race was useless. If you ask any of the locals, they would have told us that the peak is always covered in clouds... but apparently no-one asked them!!! We had problems keeping the generators running - they were using more power than predicted and there was no sun on the top of Silam to recharge the batteries. The generator itself was a re-built petrol engine with a car alternator on it. We basically tried to use a system where we used a jerry can, cut holes into it, and relied on the force of gravity to transport the fuel to the generator. This design ended up working best for us. Our helicopter pilot sitting on the side there, just grinning... On the third day of the race, I hiked up the mountain three times. I was really tired and all I could think of was getting a bit of a rest and some food. I managed to get a bit once I got to Danum. In Danum I managed to get 6 hours sleep before someone woke me up and told me that the repeater had died in Silam... again all the cars had to leave in a convoy... so rush, rush to find my driver and managed (just) to get into the convoy! The road to Danum closes at 6.30pm and all the cars had to go in the convoy. The helicopter flew all of us to the top of the mountain, and waited there for us till we were finished. Glen quite often told the pilot, "You don't have to shut down, because we'll only be here for 5 minutes." Well... quite often, we were there for as long as an hour and half! (Don't worry, the pilot was sensible enough to shut down immediately... he got to know Glen very well.) I went up there often make sure that it was still running. It is much better getting a helicopter to fly me up there so that I can bring some fuel with me ! Glen has mostly been on top of the mountain getting the generator back online. We have to keep the generator running 24 hours per day until the end of the race. On the third night after the race started, one of the repeaters went dead. I had to hike up the mountain on the previous day as the generator had died. I did not leave the mountain until it was dark, so I had to climb down through the jungle in the dark! Fortunately I had my torch with me! Paul later gave me strict instructions to make sure that I leave the mountain so that I could be back at HQ while there was still light! I found out that I did not have any problems navigating at night... I even offered Paul to go back up when the repeater died! Anyhow, we ended up having to send the airborne repeater up! Back to TopReturn to Borneo HomepageCreated: 7 Dec 2001
15. August 2000 10:41 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments The Competitors . . . 15. August 2000 10:41 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetthe competitorsShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillageThe Competitors . . .The competitors did not rest... three of the teams were half way through the 600 kilometre course after only three days... pretty amazing! Two of the teams were Australian. 18 teams were out of the race. At least 10 of these were due to medical problems. Hardly any people around here get enough sleep... the place is active 24 hours per day because there are always competitors coming in! I was keen to find out how the Danish team would turn out. At the beginning of the race, they were not very sociable. But by the end of the race, I think the tension of the race had gone, and I managed to have a chat with them. By the third day, the Danes are doing pretty well... they had a 22nd place! This was the mountain-bike leg of the race. The guy you see being transported to hospital in the helicopter (photos below), was doing this part of the race. He was rounding a corner on his bike and rode straight into a large branch. We had a lot of medical urgencies... we almost lost a guy with a punctured lung ! I got some great photos and helped getting the guy into the mobile hospital. There was a lot publicity on the website and through the media about it. Fortunately, he was only 15 minutes away from HQ, so it was possible for us to get him to the helicopter very quickly, and to the nearest hospital. Another leg of the race involved rowing in these “sampans”, a Malay term for “boat”. At some point, the teams in the race had to also split up - some of them swimming, some of them rowing, to complete the water leg of the race. Below, the competitors had to use a flying fox to cross the canyons. I managed to have a go at it - compared to rock-climbing... well, I found it pretty boring *smile*. I imagine most people would find it quite fun though. There are no places to climb here. I had hoped to take one of the helicopters to Madai Caves to check out the 200 metre abseil. The road to the Madai Caves lead directly through the tiny village of Gua Madai - a small cluster of homes, their wood bleached grey. The town’s main sources of income are tourism and birds’ nests. The nests are found high up the walls of the cave, tucked away in cracks and crevasses, and can command thousands of dollars. They are harvested about three times a year. My girlfriend mentioned trying "bird's nest soup" whilst I was there. She said normally the bird's nest they use belong to the swallow. It is a delicacy to many Asians, and similar to shark's fin soup - that is if you have tried it. Normally the nests are made out of the birds' saliva. There was so much rain at Silam that HQ was often flooded. Many of the competitors took the opportunity to get some sleep and the slept on whatever they could find. Back to TopReturn to Borneo HomepageCreated: 7 Dec 2001
15. August 2000 10:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Silam and Jungle Ops . . . 15. August 2000 10:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsilam and jungle opsShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillageSilam and Jungle Ops . . .It is so bloody hot in Silam! It must have been at least 40 degrees and 100% humidity! Silam was the overall headquarters, and Danum Valley Field Centre (DVFC) was referred to as Jungle Ops. Jungle Ops controlled all radio communications and conducted the race through the the jungle. From Kota Kinabalu, we flew to Lahad Datu and drove the rest of the way to Silam. Silam was the site of one of the repeater stations. We had to set up a HQ a few kilometres from this station... heaps of opportunities for a few walks in the jungle. The operation at Silam was huge!... I had never seen such a busy place before. The place was crawling with energy. It was bigger than any military operation I had ever seen! You would be amazed to see the logistics involved in this project ! At the time I did not have the time to take a lot of photos. We had many army trucks transporting the competitors' equipment - very good cooperation from the military. They helped out with the preparation and set-up of HQ, and with the transportation of fuel. This is the headquarters on the left. The whole Ecochallenge race is governed from this office. The map in the background contains the position of all the checkpoints at which the competitors have to go through. Both of the above photos are aerial shots of HQ and were taken from a helicopter. I managed to get a nice aerial shot of Silam HQ. The big white patch in the middle is where the competitors stored all their equipment. Just to the left are the containers from where the race is controlled. The 4 'finger-like' white pads on the right are the heli-pads. The long rectangle to the left is the eating area, and just above it is the hospital. Approaching DVFC in helicopter. This is actually a research centre in the middle of the jungle - commonly known as DVFC (Danum Valley Field Centre). DVFC is not normally accessible the tourists and the general public, only to researchers. DVFC is concerned about contamination into the jungle. Outside Jungle Ops HQ. The green boxes contain bottled drinking water. By the time the race was over, most of this had been consumed - quite amazing really, considering there were really only 10 people at Jungle Ops. During the competitors were not allowed any help from us, and that included the provision of drinking water. Paul with some of the radio equipment at Silam. He is standing next to the HQ matrix, which contained all the communications equipment for headquarters. Paul is also standing next to the only 2 beds in the HQ building. These were used by the radio operators to nap in between shifts. Below, you see me sitting in the catering tent at Silam. I think it must have been a good day, to have been sitting there, smiling... I am just guessing here, because obviously I did not take the photo, and I cannot remerber the place. Bad hair day? I did not have a shower for a very long time, and to hold my hair in place, I adopted various techniques, such as the sunglasses-hairband... This place is a breathing ground for tropical diseases! As you can see, my right eye is really red. I somehow managed to get conjunctivitis and did not know it was contagious. I did not want to trouble the medics as they were pretty tied up with the competitors. When my vision on the left eye was getting blurry and I had problems seeing what was in front of me, I was ordered to get it checked. Just as well I did! In Kota Kinabalu, I had the same problem on the other eye... at one point both my eyes were infected. It started on my left eye on the way to Kota Kinabalu in the plane ! It then spread to my right eye. The nurse at Silam told me that I should be careful because it could re-infect to my left eye. It started to look and feel a lot better after using the eyedrops that they gave me. Back to TopReturn to Borneo HomepageCreated: 7 Dec 2001
15. August 2000 10:39 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Preparations at the Magellan Hotel 15. August 2000 10:39 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetpreparations at the magellan hotelShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillagePreparations at the Magellan Hotel ( Kota Kinabalu ) . . .All the Ecochallenge teams gathered together at the Magellan Hotel in anticipation of the race, which was due to start on 20th August. During our stay at Kota Kinabalu, we were staying at the most extravagant hotel - as pictured on the right. It is huge! It has 3 swimming pools, and takes us an hour to walk around the perimeter. The radio communications team had to arrive a few days before the start of the race because we had to hand out over 2,000 pieces of radio equipment. We had problems getting the necessary approvals for helicopters so I ended up having to hand out most of the equipment whilst Glen and Paul sorted out the issue of the helicopters. We had to get all the equipment and our team to Silam before the the race started. Glen and Paul checking all the equipment and re-programming some of the radios. Behind me are all the radio equipment, ready to be handed out. I am standing here waiting for the competitors to arrive as I have to sign out the equipment as I give them out. We had to improvise a lot of the furniture, using old crates to set up tables. After the race, Glen and I decided to make most of the luxury and just veg... aaahhh... bliss! Created: 7 Dec 2001
15. August 2000 10:39 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Ecochallenge ( Sabah 2000 ) 15. August 2000 10:39 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetecochallenge sabah 2000ShareEcochallenge ( Sabah 2000 )ArrivalSilam / Jungle OpsRepeater StationsThe CompetitorsHelicopterJungle Around UsThe VillageEcochallenge in 2000 was held on the east coast of Borneo, in the jungles of Sabah. It was an extreme race where the competitors taking part have to endure 10 days of running through the jungles; kayaking and swimming many kilometres offshore; and mountain-biking for 150km on dirt roads. All in all, the fastest competitors travelled 600km in a space of just over 5 days! I had the privilege of being there, being the developer of software that was used by the radio communications team. I also helped out with the setting up of all equipment and made many trips to the repeater stations. Being in the jungles of Sabah, let alone part of the Ecochallenge preparations, has proved to be a challenge and an experience worth remembering, and hope to be part of any future Ecochallenge events. As shown in the map, the red trails are where most of the competitors either ran or walked. The purple trail was the kayaking/canoeing leg. The orange trail was the mountain-bike leg and the blue trail was where the competitors had to swim with all their equipment. Back to TopReturn to Contents pageCreated: 7 Dec 2001
4. March 2000 11:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Chilli Festival ( 4th March 2000 ) . . . 4. March 2000 11:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetchilli festival 4th march 2000ShareOn this particular Saturday, I drove to Terrigal to see the Mexican Chilli Festival... it was excellent. I shot two rolls of film up there. Some of these pictures have turned out beautifully! A couple of my Mexican friends were doing the entertainment there. Victor is very good at playing the mexican harp. His wife, Shiraz, is an excellent dancer. I took a series of shots in colour and a series in black & white. I shall first show you the ones in colour and then in b&w, as the b&w ones are very artistic! Victor plays the harp like a dream! I was once at Lance's place - Lance was helping Victor record his music onto CD. The harp does not look like your ordinary orchestral harp. It was ornate and somehow different. It is was a very beautiful instrument. As you can see, these women are gorgeous! Something about silk stockings, I think... Shiraz is the photo in the middle. She did quite a few numbers, and this was one of them. All 3 girls danced in a colourful combination! Here you see Shiraz dancing in a duet. I have seen her do this dance at a similiar concert May last year, here in Lindfield. Victor and a couple of guitarists provided accompaniment to the dancing. Shiraz moved so fast that at times, all you could see was this colourful wave of skirts. Her partner's costume reminded me of the costumes the Spanish toledos wore (except without the cape). As you can see, Shiraz danced a number of dances that day. It takes a lot of energy to do those dances!
8. July 2015 09:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Muay Thai 8. July 2015 09:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOne evening I went to see Thai boxing. I asked the rest of the family if anyone wanted to join me, bShareOne evening I went to see Thai boxing or Muay Thai as it is called locally. I asked the rest of the family if anyone wanted to join me, but they all said no (it is the national sport of Thailand). I had been once before long time ago in Bangkok and wanted to experience it again.I decided to pay the bit extra and get a VIP seat right next to the ring and that was definitely worth the extra money.There were 8 fights that evening. The first fight was between two kids around 11 years old. Especially the kid in black shorts was very strong and was dominating the fight throughout.The second fight was between two older teenagers. Again the kid in black was dominating the match.The third fight was between to women, a Canadian and a Thai. The canadian girl looked very relaxed and was definitely ready to fight. The Thai girl had no chance against her and the match ended in knockout.Before each fight they go through this unique dance ritual.I was privileged to sit next to one of the judges who has happy to talk, so between each round I could ask him questions about the scoring system which is rather confusing.The 4th match was between a French and a Thai. The foreigners are really dominating this sport now and the Thai's were generally struggling.As with all the fights wit foreigners this fight also ended in a knockout.The 5th fight was back to two Thais fighting.One of the last fights was between a brazilian and a Thai. When walking into the ring you could tell that the brazil was very strong.He started by kicking the Thai in the chest and then punched him in the face.The fight lasted less than a minute before a knockout.The last fight was more in the heavyweight class, again between a brazilian and a Thai.This fight was full of power and again it ended up in knockout.After the fights I happened see the winners lining up out the back. I managed to get a photo with a couple of them....yeah, I look really convincing there.This evening was definitely one of my highlights from the trip and if we were going back then I would probably go again. The atmosphere is amazing and if the fighters are good then the experience is phenomenal.
6. July 2015 07:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Island trip 6. July 2015 07:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOne morning Kim booked a trip out to some of the smaller islands of Phuket.The trip was in a large sShareOne morning Kim booked a trip out to some of the smaller islands of Phuket.The trip was in a large speed boat and initially the family didn't want to go because they were worried about getting seasick, but eventually they changed their minds.The boys loved the experience and were very proud wearing their life jackets.On the island we could feed the fish from the beach.And there was time to play in the water for the boys (and a bit of snorkeling for me).It is also good to see that they are still using their long tail boats for traditional fishing.
5. July 2015 12:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Baby elephant 5. July 2015 12:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetAfter visiting the big Buddha we stopped to feed a baby elephant.The kids were a little overwhelmed ShareAfter visiting the big Buddha we stopped to feed a baby elephant.The kids were a little overwhelmed by its trunk, but fun nevertheless.
4. July 2015 14:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Big Buddha 4. July 2015 14:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetAfter Wat Chalong we went up to see the Big Buddha on top of a big hill.The Buddha itself is 45 metrShareAfter Wat Chalong we went up to see the Big Buddha on top of a big hill.The Buddha itself is 45 metres tall and is very impressive.They have been building there for the past 10 years and will probably be building for at least another 10.While there we also did a little prayer for Kim's mum.And Aiden being his cheeky self did the 3 monkeys pose.And they loved the big gongs (which you actually rub rather than gong).Surprisingly they also in a far corner of the compound had some indian gods, but maybe not so surprising since we were close to Myanmar with a large indian based population (lots of Myanmar people in Phuket).
3. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Wat Chalong 3. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOne morning we ventured out to see one of the islands biggest temples, the Wat Chalong.It is a magniShareOne morning we ventured out to see one of the islands biggest temples, the Wat Chalong.It is a magnificent temple with lots to see and it was a pity that the rest of the family didn't want to join us.The temple contains what is said to be a bone fragment of buddha.And the temple itself is full of golden buddhas.Outside there are some elephant sculptures and across from that an areas where they fire of ceremonial fireworks which really scared the boys (as seen of Lucas face).
2. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Food 2. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThe food in Thailand is delicious.There are so many variations that we cannot get at home and they dShareThe food in Thailand is delicious.There are so many variations that we cannot get at home and they don't add all that sugar.Lucas was a bit tired after a morning at the beach at this one.On KC's birthday we went to an ocean front seafood place.I don't think the family liked the food in Thailand much though, because they wanted to eat japanese and wanted air conditioned restaurants even though the evenings generally were a bit cooler.
1. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Various 1. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetHere are some various photos that I haven't posted earlier.Here is one of a jumpshot with Kim and I ShareHere are some various photos that I haven't posted earlier.Here is one of a jumpshot with Kim and I in front of the big Buddha.Down at the beach there was this artificial wave surfing centre.
1. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Shopping 1. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal Blog Portfolio Packages Contact About Home 12. May 2015 11:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Grandparents and Great Grand parents 12. May 2015 11:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetGoing through some old photos I came across these of my great grand parents (on my mothers side).I aShareGoing through some old photos I came across these of my great grand parents (on my mothers side).I am pretty sure that the little girl on the left is my Mum (So the photos must have been taken around 1943-1944) and the other two girls are her sisters (My Aunties) Eli on the right and Yrsa in the middle.I assume that the women in the back are their grand parents (my great grands) with the woman on the right being my grandmothers (mormor's) mum and the one on the right being grandad's (morfar'd) mum.Here is a family photo of what I assume is my grandmothers (mormor's) family. I think it is my grandma in the middle right behind my great grandmother.I assume this is my great grandparents, but I cannot be certain.This must be a birthday for my grandmother.This was taken outside the farm where my mum grew up. It is my grandad (morfar) in the middle on the right and it could be my grandmother (mormor) on the stairs with her mum. The farm is still there today owned by my uncle.This must be some of the family on my grandads (morfar's) side, so possibly some of his siblings. 9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Comissioned work 9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetA friend asked if I would do a commissioned corporate portrait for professional usage.I said I was hShareA friend asked if I would do a commissioned corporate portrait for professional usage.I said I was happy to help and on a very rainy day we managed to get the the shoot done. This is the most corporatey of the lot. 9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Ring flash portrait 9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetI purchased a cheap ring flash and had a bit of a play with it one evening and took the following haShareI purchased a cheap ring flash and had a bit of a play with it one evening and took the following happy snap photo of Kim.We are planning a holiday and I am thinking that I might bring it along. 4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Kenya Camping 4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetIn Kenya we would just camp somewhere in the bush whenever we went out on safari. In the evening we ShareIn Kenya we would just camp somewhere in the bush whenever we went out on safari. In the evening we would sit around a camp fire and on more than one occasion were we visited by lions either wandering past or approaching the camp site at night.One night my mum woke up with a lion starring into the tent and we had paw prints on the car next to the tent. Some of the sights were truly amazing such as the extinct volcanoes.Or Lake paradise in Marsabit in the middle of the desert.Or lake Nakuru with all the flamingoes (and as I discovered, ancle deep poo).And the locals were always friendly. 4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments France 1983 4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetWhen I was a kid we spent a lot of time in southern Europe.In 1983 I went with my mum and dad througShareWhen I was a kid we spent a lot of time in southern Europe.In 1983 I went with my mum and dad through France and through Avignon.We were camping on the opposite side of the river just where the half bridge would have met the other bank.One night there was a firework and we got showered in debris from the exploded rockets. 1. May 2015 17:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tender Embrace 1. May 2015 17:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetLast weekend when we went to Eastgardens I spotted one of the shops were setting up new clothes on tShareLast weekend when we went to Eastgardens I spotted one of the shops were setting up new clothes on the mannequins. Two of the arms were placed on the floor perfectly for this tender embrace. 17. April 2015 16:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Fox Easter family show 17. April 2015 16:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetSunday we went to the Easter show at the Fox studios. This year we bought an unlimited rides pass foShareSunday we went to the Easter show at the Fox studios. This year we bought an unlimited rides pass for all of us. This mean that both Lucas and Aiden could do a lot of rides with bot Kim and I.Aiden was feeling a little sick but he didn't let that stop him and Lucas was a bit more hesitant and spend the first couple of hours refusing to go on any rides but once he got started he wasn't to be stopped.We went with a couple of friends and everyone had fun.Except he who had to take Aiden on all the rides that make me seasick.The also had a 1:1 size Lightning McQueen car and Mack truck, but Aiden wasn't in a mood to say hello or have his photo taken. 17. April 2015 13:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Symbio Wildlife park 17. April 2015 13:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOn the weekend we went a trip to Symbio wildlife park. We have been there before, but we managed to ShareOn the weekend we went a trip to Symbio wildlife park. We have been there before, but we managed to purchase some cheap tickets and it is a great place for small kids as they can pad and feed the animals. Aiden especially loves animals and is getting good at feeding them himself.Even Lucas who is normally terrified of animals eventually took courage to touch a Joey (baby kangaroo).But he was too scared to approach the larger ones.We also looked at some of the other animals there, such as the crocodiles.The Dingo's.The snakes.The EmuAnd the chameleons.And the red panda. 29. March 2015 08:03 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Le Noir - or The Dark and intimate side of Cirque du Soleil 29. March 2015 08:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis week Kim and I went with a couple of friends to Lyric Theater to see Le Noir.It was a bit of a ShareThis week Kim and I went with a couple of friends to Lyric Theater to see Le Noir.It was a bit of a last minute decision day before as cheap tickets suddenly came up.It was really good with death dying stunts and great performances and rancy sexiness to enjoy. 18. March 2015 13:03 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Bedstefar visiting 18. March 2015 13:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetI February my dad came to visit for a couple of weeks with Connie, mainly to see the two boys.Aiden ShareI February my dad came to visit for a couple of weeks with Connie, mainly to see the two boys.Aiden was very excited to have him here and Lucas was initially a bit shy but eventually warmed up.My Dad brought all my old lego from Denmark, much to the amusement of especially Lucas who enjoys building things.Aiden eventually also wanted to join.They also spent time in the garden playing ball.One day we went to Darling harbour for the Chinese new year. We stopped for some coffee and chilled out.Afterwards we went to see the chinese decorations.And we also did a carousel ride.And we also stopped to get some photos of my dad with both the kids together...which is never easy. << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12...232425262728293031...9293Older posts SearchInclude comments in search Newsletter Get notified when a new post is published. Enter your e-mail Please enter an e-mail address Please enter a valid e-mail Thank you Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal Blog Portfolio Packages Contact About Home 25. December 2009 10:24 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Expecting 25. December 2009 10:24 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetexpectingShareGood news everyone...we are expecting a baby and the stork should be delivering around mid June next year.I guess most of you guys already know by now....for the rest of you...Surprise!!It is not unexpected as we were trying.Now there is a busy time ahead preparing for the baby. Kims wants the baby room painted (Even though in my opinion the baby doesn't care what colour it is).We will also need to get hold of stuff like prams etc. If there are any baby items that you can spare (especielly items such as car baby seats, pram and changing table) then we would be very grateful.We don't know if it is a boy or a girl yet (We should know by the end of January). 17. November 2009 08:46 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments One year Anniversary 17. November 2009 08:46 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetone year anniversaryShareyesterday it was Kim and I's one year anniversary.We actually celebrated it on Saturday with a visit to one of Sydney top restaurants called Bilson's. Yesterday we instead planned to have a nice evening out watching a movie in the evening. Kim was apparently waiting for me to deliver something to her office (or so her colleague said) but after work I was waiting at the car with a bunch of flowers. Kim was so excited to go out in the evening that she forgot to get off the train at our station with the result that she by accident ended up in Parramatta (western Sydney)...it took her one and a half hours to make it to the car...but fortunately the flower still looked fresh.When we got home I spend some time experimenting with some photos and some lighting of the flowers before we went out, and here are the results. The Macro photos are taking using a 35/50mm lens reversed. The light comes from a single strobe reflected of a mirror. The movie was really good and entertaining. We saw 2012...and it doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is. 2. November 2009 08:13 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Sculptures by the Sea 2. November 2009 08:13 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsculptures by the seaShare Every year in October & November there is an exhibition called Sculptures by the Sea. The city exhibits close to 200 sculptures on the stretch of coastline between Bondi and Tamarama. The public can go for a walk and have a look at the sculptures and vote for their favourits...if they are able to find parking that is. Some of them are really good and some of them at just plain weird. Here's some photos I took of my favourites. 12. October 2009 11:44 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments An almost non-climbing event 12. October 2009 11:44 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetan almost non climbing eventShareIt has been raining almost constantly for the past two weeks (since the dust storm really) and Andy and I had organised to go climbing in the Blue Mountains together with a friends of his (Dan) who's never been on on real rock before.We looked a the forecast and it didn't look promising for the mountains so the night before we decided to go to plan B and go to Barrenjoey instead.The quality of the climbing is more limited, but at least it is a shorter drive and walk-in in case you have to bail. We arrived up at Palm Beach in the morning and the roads were still soaked in water from all the rain the night before. We therefore decided to stop at a cafe and have some breakfast and let the cliffs dry out a bit before walking in there.While eating breakfast we were having a look at the latest radar pictures and we could see that it was pouring down in the mountains and we could see rain approaching the Sydney area.After breakfast we were trying to decide whether we should bail or go climbing. After much procrastination we decided to climb and went to the carpark. Andy pulled out the insect repellent and started rubbing it into his genitals (or so it looked) saying that it would keep the chicks away (which I'm sure his wife appreciates)...or was it ticks.For Dans benefit we started out on one of the easiest climbs around there called Jezebel. Andy did the first lead and as he finished we could feel the first rain drops. I then did the second climb and once I reached the top the rain became heavier. The plan was to have Dan follow me up so that he could try an absail from the top. Once he reached the top it really started pouring and all of us became drenched while setting up the absail and clearing the gear.Dan made it down in good style (although nervous) and once I'd made it to the ground as well we quickly packed our gear and headed back home for a nice warm shower.Mostly a non-climbing day really...but Andy did get his sugar-hit with the pancakes. 12. October 2009 11:37 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Wicked - How did the wicked witch become wicked? 12. October 2009 11:37 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetwickedShareSaturday evening Kim and I went with a couple of friends to the Capitol Theatre to see the Broadway play called Wicked. The play is about how the Wicked witch became wicked in 'The Wizard of Oz'.The play very cleverly provides the background for the Wizard of Oz.This was Kims birthday present to me earlier in the year...satisfied the criteria for presents: Must be an experience or a consumable. It was a really nice evening and the play was very funny...especially the Wizard of Goodness (a real blonde) 23. September 2009 04:35 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Freak weather and dust storms 23. September 2009 04:35 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetfreak weather and dust stormsShareThe last 24 hours has been the most freak weather I've (and anyone else) has experienced in Sydney.Yesterday we had 30 degrees during the day and in the evening a huge thunderstorm descended upon Sydney with massive rainfalls and very high winds. Kim found that water was dripping through ceiling and my first though was "This ain't good" and rushed up to check if there was a hole in the roof tiles or in the plumbing (if you see one of the previous posts then you'll notice that we've installed Solar hot water and this system is positioned above that same bathroom).I could clearly see where the water had come in, but it wasn't through any gaps and it seemed that the strong winds had pushed the water backwards and upwards under the tiles...whew...but I'll have another look next time it rains.Then this morning I woke up and looked out the window and everything was covered in a bright red and yellow haze and it was blowing a gale. I had a look at the forecast and stuck my head outside the window and it turned out that all of NSW was encapsulated in a massive dust storm with fine red dust coming from the Australian outback. Everything outside is now covered in this fine dust, cars, windows...everything. One of out friends too the following photo from his balcony:The area covered by the dust is huge and apparently it may even reach New Zealand. 14. September 2009 12:55 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments BBQ 14. September 2009 12:55 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetbbqShareThis weekend we invited a group of my friends over for BBQ.The official excuse was for my recovery after my Hernia surgery (which is still causing me some grief some days).It was a beautiful spring day with 31 degrees in the shade and luckily I had put up a gazebo outside to cover the area and provide a bit of shade.Most of the day I was attending the BBQ cooking Lamb Cutlets, Fish, Prawns, Vietnamese Sausages and Chicken skewers.The last batch of chicken skewers I forgot on the BBQ with a very predictable result.In the evening we had Kim's family over for dinner/BBQ, so a repetition of the afternoon. 6. September 2009 10:44 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Sasha's and Mavis's wedding 6. September 2009 10:44 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsasha s and mavis s weddingShare This weekend we went to Sasha's and Mavis's wedding. Family and friends were invited to attend the ceremony at Greenwich at 10am. The location they had chosen had a stunning view of Sydney Harvour and skyline. When we arrived neither the groom or the bride were there. Approximately 20 minutes later the bride arrived, but still no groom, so she did another round in the car. Finally at 10.30 Sasha arrived with his dad after having been stuck in traffic, shortly after Mavis arrived in her beautiful wedding dress and the ceremony could get under way. It was a beautiful ceremony, beautiful location and beautiful weather. After the ceremony it was photo time. The reception was at a restaurant called Occilate Wildly in Newtown. The food was nice and at the end of the afternoon everyone went on their way. 27. August 2009 12:18 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Videos from our trip in Italy and Denmark 27. August 2009 12:18 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetvideos from our tripShare During the trip Kim took a number of videos using her compact camera. Here are the best ones (Click on the links to download the videos): Denmark: Knights Fighting Firing Weapon Italy: Verona Aida the Opera 1 Aida the Opera 2 Aida the Opera 3 Aida the Opera 4 San Gimignano View of Cinque Terre Cinque Terre from the boat Driving to Portofino Portofino View of Lake Como Lake Como from the Boat Driving on mountain roads Cow (Dont kill the cow) Switzerland 27. August 2009 10:27 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Hernia Surgery 27. August 2009 10:27 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetherniaShareThe week before we went away on holiday I experienced pain in the pelvic area. I quickly got it diagnosed with ultrasound to be a hernia. Furtunately it could wait until we came back from holiday to be fixed although it was giving me some problems along the way carrying suitcases etc.As soon as we came back I went to see the specialist and he told he that it would have to be fixed with surgery and that he could schedule it for the following week.In the morning of the surgery I had to be at the hospital at 6.30am in the morning. Surgery started at 9am and by 11am I was awake again released at 1pm.So it terms of the surgery it was very smooth...but it was very painful afterwards. I had problems standing up and sitting down.This photo was taken two days after the surgery:The cut is 13cm long and at this point I am still very much in pain.The feedback from the doctor was that this was an Indirect Inaugural hernia and apparently the type that can cause a lot of problems later on if not fixed.Unfortunately part of hernia surgery is that they have to cut some of the nerves so that they don't get caught in the mesh they use to repair it with.This means that now two and a half weeks after the surgery there is still a large area around the cut that has got no sensation to touch or pain and some areas are hyper sensitive with the result that even the lightest touch is painful.I hope the eventually all the sensation returns to normal (apparently in 25% of the cases this doesn't happen). I also hope that the scar won't be too bad and will mostly disappear long term. << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12...656667686970717273...9293Older posts SearchInclude comments in search Newsletter Get notified when a new post is published. Enter your e-mail Please enter an e-mail address Please enter a valid e-mail Thank you
12. May 2015 11:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Grandparents and Great Grand parents 12. May 2015 11:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetGoing through some old photos I came across these of my great grand parents (on my mothers side).I aShareGoing through some old photos I came across these of my great grand parents (on my mothers side).I am pretty sure that the little girl on the left is my Mum (So the photos must have been taken around 1943-1944) and the other two girls are her sisters (My Aunties) Eli on the right and Yrsa in the middle.I assume that the women in the back are their grand parents (my great grands) with the woman on the right being my grandmothers (mormor's) mum and the one on the right being grandad's (morfar'd) mum.Here is a family photo of what I assume is my grandmothers (mormor's) family. I think it is my grandma in the middle right behind my great grandmother.I assume this is my great grandparents, but I cannot be certain.This must be a birthday for my grandmother.This was taken outside the farm where my mum grew up. It is my grandad (morfar) in the middle on the right and it could be my grandmother (mormor) on the stairs with her mum. The farm is still there today owned by my uncle.This must be some of the family on my grandads (morfar's) side, so possibly some of his siblings.
9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Comissioned work 9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetA friend asked if I would do a commissioned corporate portrait for professional usage.I said I was hShareA friend asked if I would do a commissioned corporate portrait for professional usage.I said I was happy to help and on a very rainy day we managed to get the the shoot done. This is the most corporatey of the lot.
9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Ring flash portrait 9. May 2015 18:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetI purchased a cheap ring flash and had a bit of a play with it one evening and took the following haShareI purchased a cheap ring flash and had a bit of a play with it one evening and took the following happy snap photo of Kim.We are planning a holiday and I am thinking that I might bring it along.
4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Kenya Camping 4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetIn Kenya we would just camp somewhere in the bush whenever we went out on safari. In the evening we ShareIn Kenya we would just camp somewhere in the bush whenever we went out on safari. In the evening we would sit around a camp fire and on more than one occasion were we visited by lions either wandering past or approaching the camp site at night.One night my mum woke up with a lion starring into the tent and we had paw prints on the car next to the tent. Some of the sights were truly amazing such as the extinct volcanoes.Or Lake paradise in Marsabit in the middle of the desert.Or lake Nakuru with all the flamingoes (and as I discovered, ancle deep poo).And the locals were always friendly.
4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments France 1983 4. May 2015 12:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetWhen I was a kid we spent a lot of time in southern Europe.In 1983 I went with my mum and dad througShareWhen I was a kid we spent a lot of time in southern Europe.In 1983 I went with my mum and dad through France and through Avignon.We were camping on the opposite side of the river just where the half bridge would have met the other bank.One night there was a firework and we got showered in debris from the exploded rockets.
1. May 2015 17:05 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tender Embrace 1. May 2015 17:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetLast weekend when we went to Eastgardens I spotted one of the shops were setting up new clothes on tShareLast weekend when we went to Eastgardens I spotted one of the shops were setting up new clothes on the mannequins. Two of the arms were placed on the floor perfectly for this tender embrace.
17. April 2015 16:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Fox Easter family show 17. April 2015 16:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetSunday we went to the Easter show at the Fox studios. This year we bought an unlimited rides pass foShareSunday we went to the Easter show at the Fox studios. This year we bought an unlimited rides pass for all of us. This mean that both Lucas and Aiden could do a lot of rides with bot Kim and I.Aiden was feeling a little sick but he didn't let that stop him and Lucas was a bit more hesitant and spend the first couple of hours refusing to go on any rides but once he got started he wasn't to be stopped.We went with a couple of friends and everyone had fun.Except he who had to take Aiden on all the rides that make me seasick.The also had a 1:1 size Lightning McQueen car and Mack truck, but Aiden wasn't in a mood to say hello or have his photo taken.
17. April 2015 13:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Symbio Wildlife park 17. April 2015 13:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOn the weekend we went a trip to Symbio wildlife park. We have been there before, but we managed to ShareOn the weekend we went a trip to Symbio wildlife park. We have been there before, but we managed to purchase some cheap tickets and it is a great place for small kids as they can pad and feed the animals. Aiden especially loves animals and is getting good at feeding them himself.Even Lucas who is normally terrified of animals eventually took courage to touch a Joey (baby kangaroo).But he was too scared to approach the larger ones.We also looked at some of the other animals there, such as the crocodiles.The Dingo's.The snakes.The EmuAnd the chameleons.And the red panda.
29. March 2015 08:03 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Le Noir - or The Dark and intimate side of Cirque du Soleil 29. March 2015 08:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis week Kim and I went with a couple of friends to Lyric Theater to see Le Noir.It was a bit of a ShareThis week Kim and I went with a couple of friends to Lyric Theater to see Le Noir.It was a bit of a last minute decision day before as cheap tickets suddenly came up.It was really good with death dying stunts and great performances and rancy sexiness to enjoy.
18. March 2015 13:03 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Bedstefar visiting 18. March 2015 13:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetI February my dad came to visit for a couple of weeks with Connie, mainly to see the two boys.Aiden ShareI February my dad came to visit for a couple of weeks with Connie, mainly to see the two boys.Aiden was very excited to have him here and Lucas was initially a bit shy but eventually warmed up.My Dad brought all my old lego from Denmark, much to the amusement of especially Lucas who enjoys building things.Aiden eventually also wanted to join.They also spent time in the garden playing ball.One day we went to Darling harbour for the Chinese new year. We stopped for some coffee and chilled out.Afterwards we went to see the chinese decorations.And we also did a carousel ride.And we also stopped to get some photos of my dad with both the kids together...which is never easy.
25. December 2009 10:24 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Expecting 25. December 2009 10:24 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetexpectingShareGood news everyone...we are expecting a baby and the stork should be delivering around mid June next year.I guess most of you guys already know by now....for the rest of you...Surprise!!It is not unexpected as we were trying.Now there is a busy time ahead preparing for the baby. Kims wants the baby room painted (Even though in my opinion the baby doesn't care what colour it is).We will also need to get hold of stuff like prams etc. If there are any baby items that you can spare (especielly items such as car baby seats, pram and changing table) then we would be very grateful.We don't know if it is a boy or a girl yet (We should know by the end of January).
17. November 2009 08:46 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments One year Anniversary 17. November 2009 08:46 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetone year anniversaryShareyesterday it was Kim and I's one year anniversary.We actually celebrated it on Saturday with a visit to one of Sydney top restaurants called Bilson's. Yesterday we instead planned to have a nice evening out watching a movie in the evening. Kim was apparently waiting for me to deliver something to her office (or so her colleague said) but after work I was waiting at the car with a bunch of flowers. Kim was so excited to go out in the evening that she forgot to get off the train at our station with the result that she by accident ended up in Parramatta (western Sydney)...it took her one and a half hours to make it to the car...but fortunately the flower still looked fresh.When we got home I spend some time experimenting with some photos and some lighting of the flowers before we went out, and here are the results. The Macro photos are taking using a 35/50mm lens reversed. The light comes from a single strobe reflected of a mirror. The movie was really good and entertaining. We saw 2012...and it doesn't pretend to be anything other than what it is.
2. November 2009 08:13 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Sculptures by the Sea 2. November 2009 08:13 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsculptures by the seaShare Every year in October & November there is an exhibition called Sculptures by the Sea. The city exhibits close to 200 sculptures on the stretch of coastline between Bondi and Tamarama. The public can go for a walk and have a look at the sculptures and vote for their favourits...if they are able to find parking that is. Some of them are really good and some of them at just plain weird. Here's some photos I took of my favourites.
12. October 2009 11:44 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments An almost non-climbing event 12. October 2009 11:44 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetan almost non climbing eventShareIt has been raining almost constantly for the past two weeks (since the dust storm really) and Andy and I had organised to go climbing in the Blue Mountains together with a friends of his (Dan) who's never been on on real rock before.We looked a the forecast and it didn't look promising for the mountains so the night before we decided to go to plan B and go to Barrenjoey instead.The quality of the climbing is more limited, but at least it is a shorter drive and walk-in in case you have to bail. We arrived up at Palm Beach in the morning and the roads were still soaked in water from all the rain the night before. We therefore decided to stop at a cafe and have some breakfast and let the cliffs dry out a bit before walking in there.While eating breakfast we were having a look at the latest radar pictures and we could see that it was pouring down in the mountains and we could see rain approaching the Sydney area.After breakfast we were trying to decide whether we should bail or go climbing. After much procrastination we decided to climb and went to the carpark. Andy pulled out the insect repellent and started rubbing it into his genitals (or so it looked) saying that it would keep the chicks away (which I'm sure his wife appreciates)...or was it ticks.For Dans benefit we started out on one of the easiest climbs around there called Jezebel. Andy did the first lead and as he finished we could feel the first rain drops. I then did the second climb and once I reached the top the rain became heavier. The plan was to have Dan follow me up so that he could try an absail from the top. Once he reached the top it really started pouring and all of us became drenched while setting up the absail and clearing the gear.Dan made it down in good style (although nervous) and once I'd made it to the ground as well we quickly packed our gear and headed back home for a nice warm shower.Mostly a non-climbing day really...but Andy did get his sugar-hit with the pancakes.
12. October 2009 11:37 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Wicked - How did the wicked witch become wicked? 12. October 2009 11:37 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetwickedShareSaturday evening Kim and I went with a couple of friends to the Capitol Theatre to see the Broadway play called Wicked. The play is about how the Wicked witch became wicked in 'The Wizard of Oz'.The play very cleverly provides the background for the Wizard of Oz.This was Kims birthday present to me earlier in the year...satisfied the criteria for presents: Must be an experience or a consumable. It was a really nice evening and the play was very funny...especially the Wizard of Goodness (a real blonde)
23. September 2009 04:35 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Freak weather and dust storms 23. September 2009 04:35 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetfreak weather and dust stormsShareThe last 24 hours has been the most freak weather I've (and anyone else) has experienced in Sydney.Yesterday we had 30 degrees during the day and in the evening a huge thunderstorm descended upon Sydney with massive rainfalls and very high winds. Kim found that water was dripping through ceiling and my first though was "This ain't good" and rushed up to check if there was a hole in the roof tiles or in the plumbing (if you see one of the previous posts then you'll notice that we've installed Solar hot water and this system is positioned above that same bathroom).I could clearly see where the water had come in, but it wasn't through any gaps and it seemed that the strong winds had pushed the water backwards and upwards under the tiles...whew...but I'll have another look next time it rains.Then this morning I woke up and looked out the window and everything was covered in a bright red and yellow haze and it was blowing a gale. I had a look at the forecast and stuck my head outside the window and it turned out that all of NSW was encapsulated in a massive dust storm with fine red dust coming from the Australian outback. Everything outside is now covered in this fine dust, cars, windows...everything. One of out friends too the following photo from his balcony:The area covered by the dust is huge and apparently it may even reach New Zealand.
14. September 2009 12:55 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments BBQ 14. September 2009 12:55 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetbbqShareThis weekend we invited a group of my friends over for BBQ.The official excuse was for my recovery after my Hernia surgery (which is still causing me some grief some days).It was a beautiful spring day with 31 degrees in the shade and luckily I had put up a gazebo outside to cover the area and provide a bit of shade.Most of the day I was attending the BBQ cooking Lamb Cutlets, Fish, Prawns, Vietnamese Sausages and Chicken skewers.The last batch of chicken skewers I forgot on the BBQ with a very predictable result.In the evening we had Kim's family over for dinner/BBQ, so a repetition of the afternoon.
6. September 2009 10:44 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Sasha's and Mavis's wedding 6. September 2009 10:44 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsasha s and mavis s weddingShare This weekend we went to Sasha's and Mavis's wedding. Family and friends were invited to attend the ceremony at Greenwich at 10am. The location they had chosen had a stunning view of Sydney Harvour and skyline. When we arrived neither the groom or the bride were there. Approximately 20 minutes later the bride arrived, but still no groom, so she did another round in the car. Finally at 10.30 Sasha arrived with his dad after having been stuck in traffic, shortly after Mavis arrived in her beautiful wedding dress and the ceremony could get under way. It was a beautiful ceremony, beautiful location and beautiful weather. After the ceremony it was photo time. The reception was at a restaurant called Occilate Wildly in Newtown. The food was nice and at the end of the afternoon everyone went on their way.
27. August 2009 12:18 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Videos from our trip in Italy and Denmark 27. August 2009 12:18 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetvideos from our tripShare During the trip Kim took a number of videos using her compact camera. Here are the best ones (Click on the links to download the videos): Denmark: Knights Fighting Firing Weapon Italy: Verona Aida the Opera 1 Aida the Opera 2 Aida the Opera 3 Aida the Opera 4 San Gimignano View of Cinque Terre Cinque Terre from the boat Driving to Portofino Portofino View of Lake Como Lake Como from the Boat Driving on mountain roads Cow (Dont kill the cow) Switzerland
27. August 2009 10:27 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Hernia Surgery 27. August 2009 10:27 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetherniaShareThe week before we went away on holiday I experienced pain in the pelvic area. I quickly got it diagnosed with ultrasound to be a hernia. Furtunately it could wait until we came back from holiday to be fixed although it was giving me some problems along the way carrying suitcases etc.As soon as we came back I went to see the specialist and he told he that it would have to be fixed with surgery and that he could schedule it for the following week.In the morning of the surgery I had to be at the hospital at 6.30am in the morning. Surgery started at 9am and by 11am I was awake again released at 1pm.So it terms of the surgery it was very smooth...but it was very painful afterwards. I had problems standing up and sitting down.This photo was taken two days after the surgery:The cut is 13cm long and at this point I am still very much in pain.The feedback from the doctor was that this was an Indirect Inaugural hernia and apparently the type that can cause a lot of problems later on if not fixed.Unfortunately part of hernia surgery is that they have to cut some of the nerves so that they don't get caught in the mesh they use to repair it with.This means that now two and a half weeks after the surgery there is still a large area around the cut that has got no sensation to touch or pain and some areas are hyper sensitive with the result that even the lightest touch is painful.I hope the eventually all the sensation returns to normal (apparently in 25% of the cases this doesn't happen). I also hope that the scar won't be too bad and will mostly disappear long term.