Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal

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1. January 2010 09:27
by Rene Pallesen
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New Years Eve 2009

1. January 2010 09:27 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

New years eve we celebrated first with Kims family in Coogee. Here they had a firework at 9.30pm which was rather small.

Since my dad is in Sydney we though that he should have a look at the proper midnight firework, so after Coogee my dad and I drove into the city to watch the firework at Sydney Harbour.

Kim stayed back with her family because we expected to walk a fair bit to get into the city and especially to get back afterwards (and it would be hard to walk with her being pregnant).

I brought my camera gear and this is some of the shots I took (I haven't had time to photoshop anything).

31. December 2009 01:12
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Christmas Lights

31. December 2009 01:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Every year the local area puts on some amazing christmas decoration lightshows outside their houses.

One evening we went for a drive to take some photos...and here they are:

28. December 2009 09:05
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Blue Mountains

28. December 2009 09:05 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One day when it was raining and we were unable to do any work outside, we took my dad to the Blue Mountains.

It was nice and warm up there considering that the weather was sort of drizzling. My dad wanted to go and have another look at the Three Sisters, but they were covered in clouds, so instead we came up with taking the scenic railway as an alternative into the Jamison Valley.

As soon as Kim saw the drop into the valley she immediately bailed out and said that she didn't want to go....too steep.

My dad and I continued into the valley and went for a walk along one of the tracks there. While there I did some close-up photos of some of the local fauna.

After the walk we headed back up to the top with the cable car and then to Katooma for some lunch.

After lunch it was clearing up a bit, but the sisters were still covered. Instead we went for a walk at Wentworth Falls. My dad had never been there so that was something new for him.

After the walk it was getting late and we headed back to Sydney.

26. December 2009 12:54
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Sydney to Hobart Race 2009

26. December 2009 12:54 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Every year on Boxing day (26th December) the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race kicks off.

It is a great event for anyone interested in sailing to see the large boats exit out through the heads of Sydney Harbour.

My dad was interested in seeing the race start and I wanted to get some great photos with the ships and the north head in the background.

We arrived at Watsons bay about 30 minutes before the race start and only just made it up to the viewpoint as the boats went through the heads. We were running the last 500 meters so as not to miss it (it has been a while since I've seen my dad run that sort of distance).

It was spectacular to watch all the ships and the follow boats head out through the harbour and head south towards the Tasman sea.

On the way back to the car we walked past the nude beach full of perverts (I don't mind nudists...but when it is old men with hard-on's standing facing the public swinging their willy's back and forth or pouring beer on it then they are exhibitionist perverts....click here...and....here...so see what I mean).

The winner of the race this year finished after 2 days and 9 hours.

26. December 2009 12:35
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Christmas Day 2009

26. December 2009 12:35 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

In the morning of Christmas Day we were so stuffed that we weren’t ready to start eating again already.

Kim’s family always puts on a big feats on Christmas Day with turkey, ham, seafood and a lot of other Asian and non Asian dishes.

The food was great and amazingly Santa Claus appeared again (He must have been hovering around in the area).

26. December 2009 12:34
by Rene Pallesen
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Christmas Eve 2009

26. December 2009 12:34 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This may also come as a surprise to you....but Santa Clause does exist and he visited our house on Christmas Eve.

We did the traditional Christmas dinner with friends coming over along with some of our nieces and nephews. Soeren and Nui joined us with their daughter and Andy joined us with his daughter so it was an almost equal representation of adults and kids (if you count me as a kid).

Later on in the evening Santa Clause appeared (Ethan asked where the reindeer were and apparently they were parked on the roof).

Ethan had been asking all evening whether Santa would be coming. Eventually we told him that Santa is a very busy man and that he visits all the good kids first and leaves all the naughty ones until later...that kept him quiet for a while.

He gave the children lots of presents and soon afterwards he headed off again...he is a very busy person this time of the year (I think he borrowed a couple of beer from the fridge).

By the end of the evening we were so stuffed with food that we had to be rolled into bed.

25. December 2009 11:59
by Rene Pallesen
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Dad - The Handyman

25. December 2009 11:59 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

My dad arrived early January to spend Christmas and New Years Eve here with us.

Before he arrived i asked him if he'd mind helping with a couple of jobs arround the house. I told him that the biggest job was the tiles in the outdoor area in the back yard.

When they built the house they only tiled a part of the area. Later they extended the area but didn't level the area properly so where the joint between the old and the new area was the tiles weren't the same level and were either loose or broken. My dad thought it was best if we removed all the tiles on the upper deck and then poured a new concrete slab on top of the old one. He said that this would guarantee that the area would have the correct run-off from the house and at the same time avoid any spots where water would collect (There is two small areas where the water collects with the result that dirt and leaves collect and makes a mess).

So far we have removed all the old tiles (360 tiles in total equalling more than 1 ton worth) and carried these to the front of the house. We also carried 1.3 ton of cement to the back to pour the slab (65 bags of cement). My dad was poiring most of this and leveling it while I was at work before Christmas. On top of this is all the new tiles, adhesive and grout (all heavy lifting).

I notices after a days rain that water was collecting in a couple of areas and my dad told me that I shouldn't worry about it as he would be able to compensate for this when laying the tiles to ensure that the water would run off.

The slab is now complete and we are ready to start laying new tiles. We bought a jackhammer which has been a life saver in terms of removing the old tiles and mixing the new cement and adhesive.

The area won't look too much different from before though. We are laying the exact same type of tiles (otherwise it wouldn't match the rest of the area at the back of the house and at the front).

I just really hope my dad does a good job making sure everything is level, because otherwise this would be a waste of the $3000 it is costing in materials and tools (I can also see that I will have a cleanup job to do afterwards...there is cement on the walls and the fence of the house how...my dads comment was that he couldn't take that much care and that I'd just have to re-paint the house). If water is still collecting then we could have accomplished the same for a fraction of the price (and work) by just replacing and leveling a couple of rows of tiles at the area where they were broken (admittedly this would have been uneven, but the savings would probably have justified it).

Problem is that I won't know how dodgy the job is until after we've finished the grouting which wouldn't happen until end of this week (with a lot of effort).

Anyway...will provide an update when we finish.

25. December 2009 10:24
by Rene Pallesen
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Expecting

25. December 2009 10:24 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Good 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
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One year Anniversary

17. November 2009 08:46 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

yesterday 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.

Click here for more photos

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
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Sculptures by the Sea

2. November 2009 08:13 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

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 2014 12:10
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Sammi's birthday at Luna Park

12. October 2014 12:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This weekend we went Luna Park to celebrate Sammi's birthday.

The kids (especially Aiden and Sammi) had loads of fun on the different rides.

11. October 2014 11:10
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More from playing in the forest at Centennial Park

11. October 2014 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last weekend we made another excursion to Centennial. This time to a different and more open area (Kim wanted to have picnic on the manicured lawn, but I convinced her to move into the trees so the kids could play).

They also wanted to go and play/climb on the rocks.

9. October 2014 09:10
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Lots of oldies but goodies

9. October 2014 09:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Here are a lot of individual photos of the kids that I haven't had a chance to post because they didn't really justify a post or not of the best quality.

First one is one of Lucas with face paint from daycare.

And he throws the biggest tantrums once in a while. Here is one on the street.

Here Aiden and Lucas are being silly and trying to balance on one leg.

And here is Aiden think he is stuck under the sofa (he is not).

Here he is very proud of his colouring in from daycare.

They both have the same bathrobes.

As a reward we took Aiden to the movies to watch 'How to train your dragon 2'.

We are still trying to teach Aiden how to ride a bicycle.

A scary hand.

They love their chocolate and ice cream.

Chilling out.

Selfies.

Breakfast.

A beautiful sunset.

8. October 2014 11:10
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Playing in the forest with the boys

8. October 2014 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last weekend kim was away for a girls weekend.

While she was away I decided to go to the little forested area of Centennial park and let the boys play amongst the trees.

They had a lot of fun just making up their own games.

8. October 2014 09:10
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Lucas 2yo birthday

8. October 2014 09:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Here is a couple of photos from Lucas' 2 year birthday with the family.

8. October 2014 09:10
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Childrens Paintings

8. October 2014 09:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden and Lucas are doing a lot of painting and drawing at daycare.

Here is some of their better work.

This one I call 'The water dragon' by Lucas

This is 'The night owl' by Aiden (Aiden calls it 'Wave')

5. October 2014 15:10
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Open day - flower girl

5. October 2014 15:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This is without a doubt my favourite photo of the day (and it was also one of the first I took).

There is something very serene and dream like about this photo that I really like, and the dreamy look or the model fits well.

Set & Lights: Studio 1A Sydney
Model: Jacqueline S (IKON)
HMUA: Donna Kalasho
Photo: Rene Pallesen

4. October 2014 11:10
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Open day - Christina

4. October 2014 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This was the last of the models I photographed at the goods elevator.

Set & Lights: Studio 1A Sydney
Model: Christina Tran
Hair: Roxanne Cahill
Makeup: Rachael Bastiaansen
Photo: Rene Pallesen

4. October 2014 11:10
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Open Day - Black Body Paint

4. October 2014 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

There was another model at on the day with this really nicely done black body paint.
She looked great against the black backdrop.

These were taken with a gridded beauty dish high camera left. I had someone hold a silver reflector on the right to create some separation but I don't think it is really noticeable.

Set & Lights: Studio 1A Sydney
Model: Anna Gambril
HMUA: Jade Little
Photo: Rene Pallesen

4. October 2014 10:10
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Open day - Michaela

4. October 2014 10:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Here is another one of Michaela from the open day.

Set & Lights: Studio 1A Sydney
Model: Michaela Baranov
Hair: Roxanne Cahill
Makeup: Rachel Bastiaansen
Photo: Rene Pallesen

2. May 2013 07:16
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Vanuatu food

2. May 2013 07:16 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

You would think that a country with access to some of the best seafood and freshest produce would have fantastic food.

Although the food was Ok, we didn't find it fantastic and generally very over prised.

There was plenty of restaurant in and around Port Vila and some of them serving specialties such as coconut crabs and flying foxes.

We tried the coconut crab...but it was overcooked and dry and had surprising little meat on it (no meat in the body itself).

So we stuck to more traditional seafood which most often was battered and deep fried.

And as usual Aiden got into the free kids menu desserts

2. May 2013 05:26
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Lake Macquarie 2013

2. May 2013 05:26 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This weekend we went up to Lake Macquarie with the family to stay for a couple of night at a resort. I didn't take a lot of photos because we either didn't do much or were too busy with the family.

I did however take this one photo one evening at Katherine Hill Bay.

1. May 2013 12:38
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Vanuatu - Star fish

1. May 2013 12:38 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The beach at the hotel was full of really big and colourful star fish....couldn't help but take a few snapshots.

26. April 2013 10:46
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Lucas 7 Months

26. April 2013 10:46 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Lucas is now 7 Months and for this month we decided to take his Monthly photos while he was on his first overseas trip to Vanuatu.

This series of photos was taken at Eton Beach on the east side of the island of Efate in Vanuatu...he loved the water and had a hard time to understand that it is unpleasant to eat the sand and drink the salt water.

He is now almost able to crawl...he just needs to figure out that it is not enough to just move the legs...you also have to move your hands.

3. April 2013 07:20
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Another old Lucas 4 months photo

3. April 2013 07:20 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I know it was a couple of months ago, but I only now got around to processing it.

Here is another photo that I took of Lucas when he was 4 Months.

27. March 2013 11:15
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Axolotls

27. March 2013 11:15 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The other night we went for dinner at Marks place. He asked us if we could help him take some photos of the kids Axolotls...our response was 'Their WHAT??'.

Anyway, it turns out to be some sort of Mexican Salamander and he'd attempted to get some photos using his point and shoot camera, but wanted something better that he could print and hang on the kids wall.

Here are some of my efforts:

27. March 2013 11:12
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Sucking feet

27. March 2013 11:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

When Lucas doesn't have any toys to play with then his favourit pass time is to suck his feet. Here is a quick snapshot from the other day when he was at it again.

He's now got two teeth, so hopefully he wont chomp off his toes.

12. March 2013 09:27
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Lucas 6 Months - Pictured and Framed

12. March 2013 09:27 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Lucas is now 6 months and is enjoying the easy life...

On the weekend we went down to La Perouse to do these creative shots of him at sunset.

I always said that I would take a photo of him and put it in a frame...but not sure if this is what everyone had in mind.

It was pretty good fun trying to set it all up. A lot of other walkers on the beach were wondering what we were doing.

I have been planning this photo for a while.

The frame I had picked up from a garbage collection day last month outside a block of units with this particular photo in mind.

The chair and table are bath aids and foot stools from home.

It was really cool to see everything come together in the end. Unfortunately we missed just the end of the sunset as there were a few clouds on the horizon.

A lot of lessons learnt came out of it. Even though the photos came out almost as I had envisioned...I still had a few things that I could have done better....just small things such as two flashes to light frame and Lucas independently, CTO gelling the flash to match the ambient, using an umbrella to avoid hard shadows, bringing a mid range zoom to have more composition options and be able to get a bit closer, use black string to hold up the frame instead of white, bring a pillow to keep his head up and then stripping his clothes and then bring my light meter to check the setting to start with instead of chimping.

It was the first time I've used the D800 for this (in the past I've been using my D50 with a different shutter system) and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to balance out the ambient with the flash and still stay below the sync speed...but it worked out like a charm...or maybe I was just lucky!

12. March 2013 09:16
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Kims Kitchen - Raspberries Creme Brulee

12. March 2013 09:16 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last night Kim made a very nice Creme Brulee...Yummiiiii!!!!

She asked me to take a couple of photos which I think turned out quite nicely.

12. March 2013 09:15
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Sydney Wildlife Park 2013

12. March 2013 09:15 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the weekend we went to the Sydney Wildlife Park at Darling Harbour.

It was good fun to show Aiden all the different animals (Although he was pretty tired by the end).

The highlight of the exhibition is the 4.5 meter long Saltie (Saltwater Crocodile). He is such a darling and he loved his girlfriends so much that he had them over for dinner (Ha Ha).

Aiden wasn't sure about the crocodiles and definitely wasn't happy with the big mouth and all the sharp teeth...

...Daddy came to the rescue and threw himself at the monster.

He was a bit more happy with the smaller cuddlier animals...

Such as the wombats...

...the Yellow Footed Rock Wallabies...

...or even the Tasmanian Devil.

The start of the exhibition is pretty amazing as you wank through a large enclosure with lots of butterflies flying around.

And besides from that there is of cause a lot of lizards, frogs and snakes on display.

4. July 2015 14:07
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Phuket - Big Buddha

4. July 2015 14:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

After 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
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Phuket - Wat Chalong

3. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One 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
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Phuket - Food

2. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The 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
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Phuket - Various

1. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Here 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
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Phuket - Shopping

1. July 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The family did lots of shopping.

Kim's family had suits and shirts made and the girls bought lots of shoes.

We also found some great tshirts for the kids.

Although the kids were more interested in the ice cream.

1. July 2015 12:07
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Phuket - fruits

1. July 2015 12:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

It is fruit season at the moment so we bought lots of really delicious fruits such as Rambutans, mangosteens, mangoes, jack fruit etc.

30. June 2015 13:07
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Phuket - Street life

30. June 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The street life in Thailand is as it always have been with lots of food stalls and other shops.

Petrol for all the bikes is bought in these small shops as well.

You can even get your feet cleaned by fish.

And handicraft is created there as well (The large elephant piece took him 2 weeks to create).

A new addition is the popup cocktail bars.

It reminds me of the good old days of backpacking where nothing was arranged beforehand. I would just organise accommodation when I arrived to a new place. There is still plenty of accommodation options everywhere if you look for it.

29. June 2015 13:07
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Phuket - Tuk Tuks

29. June 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The traditional Tuk Tuks of thailand are now completely gove from the Phuket area and have been replaced by mini taxis.

These have been fitted with big music subwoofers and tv's in the passenger compartments.

The Kids loved riding them...especially the 'green' ones. We used them to transport us to most places.

25. June 2015 12:07
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Phuket - Hotel swimming pool

25. June 2015 12:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The pool at the hotel was great.

The kids loved it and it was nice jumping in the pool after an excursion out and about.

It really boosted the kids confidence swimming there.

If it had been up to Kim's family then they would have stayed at the pool the entire trip and not have left the hotel.

24. June 2015 11:07
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Phuket - Monkey show

24. June 2015 11:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

There was also a monkey show with a larger trained monkey.

Apparently in the past they used trained monkeys to fetch coconuts for them and they demonstrated how they trained them.

Kim's dad had his photo taken with the monkey.

28. July 2001 11:11
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Photo Gallery

28. July 2001 11:11 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Photo Gallery

I have placed photos here - those I could not fit on the respective webpages.

Schwedagon
Big Stuba at night

Mandalay
Mandalay facing east

Marionet
Puppet Show 1

Volleyball

Created: 3 Nov 2001

28. July 2001 10:52
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South East Asia ( 24 July ~ 24 August 2001 ) . . .

28. July 2001 10:52 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I initially made plans to explore Burma and then make my way across the border into western China at Burma's only border crossing up north. I had not made any definite plans wanted to play it by ear... but in the end my trip consisted of Thailand, Cambodia and restricted areas to Burma.

I was away for a total of 5 weeks and must admit that parts of my trip really frustrated me - there were many restrictions in Burma and being in Bangkok at times stressed me because of all the tourists and crowds. I really only went to Cambodia to see the magnificent Angkor Wat - actually I really did enjoy being there. I think my most enjoyable part of the trip was the days I had climbing on the secluded areas of Krabi.


Burma (23 Jul ~ 5 Aug)	Cambodia (6 ~ 10 Aug)	Thailand

28. July 2001 10:51
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Monkeys . . .

28. July 2001 10:51 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

There were quite a lot of monkeys at Mt Popa.

Mother & Baby Monkey

The photo above in the middle, shows monkeys that look like they are playing around. They are actually fighting monkeys and can be very dangerous because they bite and also snatch things from you.

They were rather oblivious to me being there, until the flash on my camera went off. Then their attention was on me and they were ready to attack.

I adopted the “monkey mentality” - avoid eye contact and move away backwards - the only way to stop the monkeys from attacking is to not look at them.

Monkey 1

28. July 2001 10:50
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Burma Up North (continued) . . .

28. July 2001 10:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Whilst I was up north, I watched a rather interesting game of volleyball.

I have never seen such dexterity and agility amongst the players!

It was amazing to see how flexible these guys were.

Volleyball Player Photo 2

28. July 2001 10:50
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Mt Popa . . .

28. July 2001 10:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

There is a monastry on Mt Popa - a hill located 50km away from Bagan.

When I was there, it was a cloudy day.

Woman selling petrified wood at Mt Popa

I ran into a woman selling petrified wood - quite silly really, considering the place was covered with it.

Road sign

They must think tourists are stupid! *laugh* I managed to pick up a couple of small pieces to take back with me.

As you can see, there are stacks of them around.

And no... this is not a tombstone.
This is actually a road sign.

Example of petrified wood

You would be surprised how big some of these pieces are - this piece below was actually about a metre long and 40cm wide.

Toilet in Burma

Actually what I found interesting were the toilets in Burma.

My girlfriend tells me that squatting over a toilet is quite common in Asia.

In many of the city areas, they would have toilets as we know them, and they would also have a carved hole in the ground, on which either side, one places their feet on.

Toilets in the rural area are more crude than that - a hole leading into a gaping pit.

However, what I found interesting about these toilets were that recycled running water was used to wash away any excrement. The water is first used for washing one self and then used in the toilets.

As there were a few toilet cubicles a row, sometimes you would see the excrement from a toilet uphill go beneath you! *laugh*

Very clever and environmental system, I think!

Me at Mt Popa

Trying to grab a snooze... *smile*

Like Schweddagon, most of this is real gold as well.

And yes, there is a monkey sitting near my head.

If you click to the next page, you will see that I have taken a series of photos of the monkeys.

28. July 2001 10:49
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Puppet Show . . .

28. July 2001 10:49 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I saw the most interesting puppet show, known as the “Mandalay Marionettes”

There were 2 or 3 puppeteers out the front, with a live band of musicians.

Unfortunately, it was more of a show for the tourists, rather than the locals.

It cost 1,000 chats or US$2 per show.

28. July 2001 10:49
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Burma Up North . . .

28. July 2001 10:49 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I decided take a 20-hour train-ride to Myitkyinã *laugh* it took 20-hours to get there by train because there was only one track.

It was definitely faster to run next to the train than to travel in it!

We had to wait for the oncoming train to return before we could travel north.

At one point, we crossed a bridge that was so rickety that I thought it would collapse any moment!

Working in the rice fields

Locals working in the rice fields.

Locals using water-buffaloes to plough rice fields.

Jrrawaddy River

The train travelled along the Jrrawaddy River.

It would have been nice if I was able to travel to Mandalay via a riverboat down the Jrrawaddy River.

People living on lake

It was amazing to find out that people live “on” these lakes, by building houses on stilts.

This sort of housing is quite common in many parts of Asia, especially areas where monsoons quite frequently flood an area.

It is also very environmentally-sound, I think, and hurts the land less.

Most of the houses are made of wood.

Myitkyina in rain

Myitkyinã is pretty dismal in rain!

There is a huge drug problem in Burma, especially through the crossings into China.

I have scanned a copy of a recent newspaper article about this problem in Burma.

28. July 2001 10:48
by Rene Pallesen
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Mandalay . . .

28. July 2001 10:48 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

When I initially arrived in Yangon / Rangoon, I wanted to fly up Bhamo - one of the bigger towns north of Burma. I also considered exploring Myitkyinã - a town further north of Bhamo.

My Lonely Planet guide indicated that the only border crossing into China was to the east of Bhamo. My initial plans to Burma also included exploration of western China. However, I was disappointed by the military turning me back, despite the fact that my Lonely Planet guide said I could cross into China at Ruili.

I decided instead to fly to Mandalay, not only because it was cheap to do so, but it saved me a 20-hour bus ride there from Yangon.

City of Mandalay

I heard about a song for sailors.

“To be a real sailor, the sailor would have to have been to Mandalay way upriver”

I quite liked Mandalay.

The photo below, is of Mandalay Hill.
During World War II (20 March 1945), the British and the Japanese fought one another to gain control of the position on this hill.

Important Position in Mandalay

The photo to the left is taken from the hill itself facing east - as you can see, it has an aerial view of the whole city, and puts any oncoming enemies at a disadvantage. Control of Mandalay was important during the war, as the soldiers were able to set up artillery and attack anyone approaching the fortress.

This hill was of big strategic importance.

The building you see near the shrine is a monument to the British regiment who managed to take control of this hill from the Japanese.

At the eastern part of the delta, a lot of logging takes place. There was a train line built that used to cart all the trees/wood for export to Thailand.

View of the Fortress

The moat around the fortress is man-made.
Although man-made, comes from the local river.

The original fortress was burnt to the ground.
The whole fortress covered an area of 2.5 x 2.5 km

Fortress at Mandalay

The design of Mandalay was quite colonial, and surprisingly, most of the streets were at 90º to one another.

Overall, I found Mandalay the most expensive city to travel to in Burma.

No matter what one does in Mandalay, be it explore Mandalay Hill or the city itself, the locals always had “special” foreigner prices. It really annoyed me.

I tried to use local currency as much as possible. However, FEC (Foreign Exchange Currency) was more valuable and worth more to the locals. FEC is also used in China, and one tries to use local currency as much as possible. Any item you buy has 2 prices - and obviously it is cheaper to use local currency than to use FEC.

I must admit, even Mandalay Hill was not that nice for the price I paid to explore it. It was also expensive just to go into the fortress.

Surprisingly, I could not find maps of the area that was not more that 40 years old.

28. July 2001 10:47
by Rene Pallesen
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Medicine . . .

28. July 2001 10:47 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Medicine . . .

My girlfriend, Arumi, tells me one sees the wares of a 'Medicine Man' quite often throughout Asia.

Whether they sit by the roadside, or whether they own a shop in a building, one will see very similar items being sold around Asia.

The “pellets” you see here are in fact different types of roots such as ginger or some unknown vegetable, that have been sun or air dried.

The Medicine Man 1

You will see the antlers of various animals such as deer or even rhino. There are also skulls from different animals - some of these animals may be endangered species, but somehow you will see them being sold in these markets.

The Medicine Man 2

These skulls are definitely not being used as “trophies” around the house!

The Burmese, like many Asians, believe in using very 'natural' remedies to cure common ailments.

Tiger Skull

A Medicine Man may not necessarily be a “doctor” according to western standards - that means he may not have a university degree.

However, a Medicine Man, may be what we know as “witch-doctors”. Some of the remedies they know are very natural and useful.

Unfortunately, not all of these remedies work. Around Asia, you will see shops or Medicine Man selling items like tigers' paws and skulls, or ground ivory tusks. Many of these are sold as cures or enhancements for the sex life.

In Burma, there is virtually no wildlife left.

Selling Tobacco

You will even find that even tobacco is sold naturally.

Not in cigarette form, but in leaf form! The laws in Burma are not quite the same as they are here. Marijuana is also sold very freely.

Lotus Fruit . . .

Quite often in Asia, you may see lily pads floating on the water. In fairy-tales, you hear about frogs sitting on a lily pad.

You will be amazed to associate that this fruit here, comes from the flowers/plant growing out of the water near the lily pads.

The yellow seeds come from the flower itself. The seeds are used often in many Asian desserts, and said to promote better blood circulation.

While, the root of the lotus plant is also a delicacy. It is white when cooked, and has a crunchy texture, similar to that of the water chestnut. Mainly used in savoury meals, although used as a dessert as well.

Personally, I think it is too much hassle retrieving the fruit! *smile*

Created: 31 Oct 2001

28. July 2001 10:47
by Rene Pallesen
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Burma Religion & Politics . . .

28. July 2001 10:47 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Politics . . .

Queue for Rations

There is a lot of politics going on in Burma that an outsider should not get involved in - Burma is one of those countries where political opinions are best kept to oneself.

In Burma, use of the Internet and mobile phones is illegal. This is the government's way of controlling the information entering the country. Even access to equipment such as laptops is illegal - the country is so poor that many could not afford such a piece of equipment.

I saw many young women queueing for their rations. They were standing so close together that I thought they were lesbians! *laugh* The girls stand close together so another person cannot jump the queue by pushing in.

Girls Standing Close

The girls here are very young, some have barely reached puberty and are doing some very hard work.

Young Girls Working on Roads

There is a lot of critique by Amnesty International, of Burma's use of young girls to provide maintenance for the roads.

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20. July 2014 14:07
by Rene Pallesen
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Cabramatta

20. July 2014 14:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last weekend we went to Cabramatta to have my car services and also make a bit of a day trip out of it.

Kim had a haircut while the boys has ice cream.

She also went past the show shop where they sell boots in her size.

Aiden got a new Lightning Mcqueen pyjamas that he was very excited about.

Lots of street food about to make you hungry.

So Lunch we had...

All very tiring.

19. July 2014 14:07
by Rene Pallesen
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Aiden recovering

19. July 2014 14:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One of the last days when the kids were still a bit sick we though we'd get them out of the house and go to Darling Harbour.

Aiden wanted to go on the tea-cups even though he was still suffering a bit.

18. July 2014 13:07
by Rene Pallesen
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Hospital again

18. July 2014 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

A few weeks ago I was in Melbourne for work.

On the way back Kim called and said that Aiden had a really high fever (41+ degrees) and that she was going to get him to the hospital because she was afraid that he'd collapse like he did last time.

I jumped on an earlier flight and went straight to the hospital and spent the night with him. He was really miserable and it took 5 days (fortunately not in the hospital) before we got the fever under control.

After that Lucas got sick and then Kim as well....what a week!!

17. July 2014 13:07
by Rene Pallesen
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Various play photos

17. July 2014 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Here is some photos that I have taken from various places including work.

They don't really belong anywhere but it is a pity to not share them.

One day walking from the train station I walked past this pair of sandals under a tree. I don't know the story behind them or the reason why one was taped up.

Did the owner climb the tree and then vanish? Did he (I assume it was a male) walk away bare feet? Where did he come from (Bata is a big brand in Africa and India)?

This next one was taken on the train. I was bored and notices this girl with a small swallow tattoo.

One day I was at Warriewood for a work meeting a dropped past Narrabeen beach (where I used to live). It was a beautiful day to have a play with the panorama function on the iphone.

Here is another panorama. This time from Town hall in Sydney.

We had our annual conference there and couldn't resist getting some photos of the beautiful architecture with my phone.

A couple of weeks ago I went to Melbourne for work. On the way we flew over the Snowy Mountains and I could see the snow there.

Here is another one from work that I took ages ago. When we all moved to the Campus from the city we were invited to hand our own avatar on this wall (mine is hanging somewhere in the top left hand corner).

Here is a photo from the campus itself. It is a cool place to work. Just a pity it is so far from the city.

16. July 2014 13:07
by Rene Pallesen
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Aiden Painting

16. July 2014 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

It is not often that I see Aiden engaged in painting at daycare (he used to be reluctant to get dirty, but now he loves it).

Here he is working on one of his masterpieces.

16. July 2014 13:07
by Rene Pallesen
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Lucas Reading

16. July 2014 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Lucas loves reading books...he can sit and look at books for hours if he is allowed.

One day at daycare all the other kids were playing loudly in another room and I found him in a separate room sitting quietly sitting in a small cardboard box reading by himself.

16. July 2014 13:07
by Rene Pallesen
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Anything Thomas

16. July 2014 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The kids are really excited whenever they get something with Thomas (the tank engine) on it.

Latest is Aiden's new Bath rope. He was so excited that he asked me to take a photo.

30. June 2014 07:06
by Rene Pallesen
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Kims Birthday 2014

30. June 2014 07:06 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

It was Kim's birthday on the weekend.

In the morning the boys and I woke her up with singing Happy Birthday to her.

In the evening we had a babysitter so that we could have an evening just the two of us. We went to the Bridge Room restaurant in the city, food was nice!

30. June 2014 07:06
by Rene Pallesen
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Excursion to the city

30. June 2014 07:06 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Yesterday we decided to do a little excursion to Circular Quay and the Opera house with the boys.

The both love trains, so we took the train into the city so that they could have the experience.