10. January 2018 19:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Vang Vieng - Watersports 10. January 2018 19:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetAt Vang Vieng we did do some water sports. Again we were extremely lucky kayaking a section of the rShareAt Vang Vieng we did do some water sports. Again we were extremely lucky kayaking a section of the river back to Vang Vieng and having the entire river to ourselves.The three kids were all in a kayak with our guide sitting on top of their life jackets - fortunately they can all swim.Kim and I was in one Kayak and Sacha and Mavis in another.Just where we started out there was a rapid with water flowing over a large boulder but with plenty of flat water on the sides. Kim was little impressed when I headed straight into the rapids and with perfect skills paddled us through them...her being soaked and the kayak being full of water may have had something to do with it.She's later said that the kayaking trip was one of her favourite and most fun activities on the trip, so maybe she was somewhat impressed with my brilliant paddling skills!!Along the river are still some of the remains of the bars and zip lines - but all very quiet now. Approaching Vang Vieng we went past some really scenic locations with bungalows etc.The experience at the end got and all thumbs up!Another water activity that Mavis and I did was tubing through one of the caves. You essentially sit in an inflated car tyre and then pull yourself along a rope inside a cave. It was fun for the kids, however this place was packed with Koreans trying to do the same thing.Aiden initially didn't want to go, but I am proud that he eventually managed to get the courage to do so.We also went to one of the lagoons. There are a number of them and some of them are very popular. We organised with a driver to drive us to one of the less popular ones. It was still scenic and it had platforms of the trees to jump from and you could see why some travelers would have killed themselves jumping off them.There were also a couple of rafts which reminded me of the first time I went to Laos and paddles across a local river on a raft. It got on one of them in the lagoon and the whole thing literally sunk under me - I only just managed to get off in time before getting soaked.The second one was able to hold my weight and I took the boys for a little paddle.
9. January 2018 19:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments A silent prayer - Laos 9. January 2018 19:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetAt one of the caves in Laos there is this amazing Buddha statue inside the cave.I couldn't help but ShareAt one of the caves in Laos there is this amazing Buddha statue inside the cave.I couldn't help but notice how beautiful the diffused light was falling onto the statue itself and through the entrance to the cave. We were there all by ourselves and I asked Kim to sit and offer a little prayer in the ray of light coming in through the cave.I didn't bring a tripod with me to Laos, so everything had to be shot handheld which was tricky as there wasn't much light there.
8. January 2018 18:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Vang Vieng - Caves 8. January 2018 18:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetIn Vang Vieng we also went to some caves. Again we were the only ones there - I don't know if this wShareIn Vang Vieng we also went to some caves. Again we were the only ones there - I don't know if this was just because no one else were interested or because we went there at a time when everyone else were doing other activities.The caves are in fairly pristine condition, they are dark, moist and other than descending a makeshift ladder walking through them gives a feeling of exploring the caves for the very first time. Some passages were really narrowAnd other parts of the caves were massive.Overall the caves are beautiful and again it was amazing having them to ourselves.
7. January 2018 21:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tribes - Laos 7. January 2018 21:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThe tribes of Laos still exist although it is no longer as noticeable. They no longer wear their traShareThe tribes of Laos still exist although it is no longer as noticeable. They no longer wear their traditional costumes but it is possible to glimpse the occasional traditional head wear or dress in one of the shops.It is especially sad to see the Hmong tribal wear gone as worn below by Mavis and Kim. The Hmong traditionally lived in the mountains. The government has forced them down into the lowlands where they can be controlled and 'integrated' into the the rest of Laos.
6. January 2018 20:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Vang Vieng Countryside - Laos 6. January 2018 20:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOn the first day in Vang Vieng we hired a local guide to take us through the country side and some oShareOn the first day in Vang Vieng we hired a local guide to take us through the country side and some of the villages around Vang Vieng. Hiking through the countryside in Laos is partly magical and at the same time an eye opener. It is not until you get into the country side that you get a glimse of the real Laos and its people, the way of living and their beliefs.Walking into the first village a group of boys came walking towards us. One of the kids was holding his head with blood dripping down his face. The other boys were taking him home to his parents. I couldn't help but notice that there was a green substance smeared across the wound and asked our guide is he knew what it was. He went over to some bushes and plucked a couple of leaves and said that if you crush them then they will help stop the bleeding. This is when you realise that a lot of the plants in the villages serve a purpose as natural herbal medicine or for eating.The village was a HMong village and at one of the houses we spotted the little girl above standing in a door opening with her grand mother. There are very few of the traditional bamboo shacks still standing and instead being replaced with brick buildings.A bit further up the road we heard a sound. Someone was hitting a gong and chanting. Thinking it might be a monk we went to investigate. The sound was coming from one of the local houses. At the back of the house the family was in the process of preparing food, but we couldn't see where the sound was coming from. Our guide asked them and was told that they had a newborn (possibly sick) child and that the Shaman was in the house talking to the 'other world to' attract the good spirits and chase the evil spirits away.As we walked on we could see him through the opening of the door and I snapped the above photo which is one of my favourite photos of the trip.In the village people go about their normal life such as this woman removing lice from her daughters hair.As we walked on we had to walk through the local school. It happened to be recess and the kids in the smaller classes were outside playing. There was a small stand selling them lunches who also sold lollies, so Kim got the idea to spoil the kids with lollies - but also turned out to be a great opportunity for our kids to interact and see what a classroom in Laos looks like.The area is still very un-developed. Although there seems to be electricity, this is mainly used for lighting. Cooking is still done by collecting wood and done on wood fired stoves and people still wash their clothes in the rivers and streams.Although there are still a number of water buffaloes these are mainly used for eating along with any other non-human living animal - such as pigs, dogs, birds etc.It was very healthy for the boys to see where their food 'potentially' comes from and understand that this is part of life.The area is full of rice paddies, but these are now worked with mechanical tools rather than buffaloes.The government has built bridges across the large river to allow access to the villages.But the smaller streams have bamboo bridges - in this case wide enough to drive a motorbike across, others just a single bamboo to allow a person walk across.At the far village (Lao and not Hmong) there was a limestone cliff with a small cave in it. This was called elephant cave and inside there was a small shrine along with some bizarre images.The whole area is spectacular - I can only imagine what it would be like during rice planting season - yes it would be muddy but also stunningly beautiful.During this whole hike we saw no other travelers. Other than at the cave we didn't get a sense that there frequently came any groups through and I think the feedback from all of us was that this was one of the highlights of the trip - no adrenaline required.
5. January 2018 16:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Vang Vieng - Laos 5. January 2018 16:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetVang Vieng is an interesting tourism destination in Laos that has undergone several iterations of reShareVang Vieng is an interesting tourism destination in Laos that has undergone several iterations of re-inventing itself.When I first visited for an overnight stopover it was a sleepy little town with maybe a handful of backpackers going tubing (more on that later). I also remember the deserted airport runway from the 'secret war' going through the sleepy little village (Lima site 6) and the stunning mountain scenery in the background. Other than that there wasn't much there.Ten years later my mum and dad visited the place and told me stories how the place had transformed. It had grown and was full of drunk backpackers with loud rave music and parties throughout the night. During the day they were floating down the river in car tubes again with beers and drinks in their hands.Then again about 5 years ago, Laos appeared in the Australian news media with stories of young backpackers breaking their necks doing somersaults off the tree branches on the river and lagoons and hitting the rocks. Stories of high highly available drugs were also emerged.The Lao government stepped in and closed the majority of the bars along the river, stopped the parties and the drugs and implemented a number of other safety restrictions. It worked, the parties stopped and the young party seeking backpackers fled.A new crowd has now moved in - this is bus loads of adrenaline seeking Koreans. They go there to go kayaking, zip lining, tubing, buggy riding etc. They eat at the Korean restaurants and stay at the same hotels, but otherwise mostly keep to themselves. This also means that some of the same old sleepy feeling has returned to this town. It also meant that is was easy (or just plain luck from our side) to avoid the tourists.The airstrip is still there, but I recon most visitors would walk across it and not notice and definitely wouldn't know the history behind the secret war in Laos, let alone the American involvement and the little airstrips around the place. It is a fascinating story and has very much shaped Laos into what it is today.The area is just absolutely stunning with steep limestone cliffs and rice paddies. I could easily have spent more time there taking photos in the surrounding area.
3. January 2018 21:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Pha That Luang - Laos 3. January 2018 21:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetA must see in Vientiane is Pha That Luang - It is on every bank note in Laos and they are very proudShareA must see in Vientiane is Pha That Luang - It is on every bank note in Laos and they are very proud of it.Unlike Buddha Park it is surprisingly quiet when it comes to tourists. The majority of people visiting seems to be either Laos or Thai people offering a prayer. The correct way here is to get the insense and flowers and then walk clockwise around the Stuba on the inside of the covered corridor (mostly to keep out of the sun I assume).Although it is not particularly old (The original 1st century structure was mostly destroyed and has undergone a number of more recent restorations), it is stunningly beautiful and impressive in size.For me to get some of the panorama photos here with the selection of lenses I'd brought along I had to take multiple photos that I then had to stitch together.Outside there is a temple that is equally interesting, although nothing compared to further north in Luang Prabang.There are also street vendors selling cage birds that are supposed to bring good luck and prayers to anyone releasing them.
2. January 2018 10:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Buddha Park - Laos 2. January 2018 10:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOne of the sights we wanted to visit was Buddha Park outside Vientiane (close to the border crossingShareOne of the sights we wanted to visit was Buddha Park outside Vientiane (close to the border crossing back into Thailand).Trying to figure out the most comfortable way to get there we settled on taking the local bus. There aren't any taxis as such in Vientiane and we weren't keen taking a tuk-tuk for 30 kilometers. Most of the tuk-tuks are in an extremely poor shape with failing brakes, wobbling wheels and thick smoke coming out of the exhaust pipes. They are perfectly fine for shorter trips inside the city (such as hotel to bus station), but not recommended for longer trips.The bus turned out to be easy to find and we were early enough to all get a seat. The bus was later packed with passengers going to Thailand and it would have been tough to stand up for the one hour bus ride.The bus is also really convenient in that it stops right outside Buddha Park which is the last stop before the bus turns around and heads back to Vientiane. Buddha Park itself was apparently established by a Monk building the statues for religious purposes as education of his religious beliefs. It is actually a nice little area and quite interesting with lots of (to us) weird statues showing bizarre things.The most obvious is the massive 'pumpkin' at the entrance that you can climb. Each level inside the the sculpture itself represents hell, earth and sky.The entrance is a head with a clock above it - meaning swallowed up by time?There is also a massive reclining buddha.And my favourite was the large centre sculpture carrying the body of a woman...no idea what this is supposed to represent.
2. January 2018 09:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Vientiane - Laos 2. January 2018 09:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetVientiane is no longer the sleepy capital city it used to be. It is hustling and bustling with peoplShareVientiane is no longer the sleepy capital city it used to be. It is hustling and bustling with people, cars, motorbikes and shops everywhere.The once neglected colonial buildings have all been renovated and the red dust flying everywhere is long gone as the roads have been paved. In the outskirts of the city high-rise office towers have started shooting up and I think that given another decade this city will look like any other East Asian capital. The most striking difference was the banks of the Mekong River. Last time I was there it was really just a dirty path and following it north long enough there would be a string of wooden shacks with local restaurants that would serve some beautiful local dishes, fish and other seafood. The water then would come right up to the bank and the boats could pull up and during the day the local kids would jump from the trees and swim in the river. The old path has been replaced by a modern walk way (which actually is really nice) and the shacks have been replaced by some bars closer to the centre catering more for a western clientel - still with some nice seafood on the menu. The water of the Mekon has receeded and there is now a massive sand bank moving the river 2-300 meter back from the city.Although Vientiane doesn't have a massive amount of things to see, it is definitely worth a visit. The Wats are beautiful and the vertical runway (local Arc de Triumpe - called so because they used cement intended for building an airport) is worth the climb to get a view of the city (and the main road which used to be the only paved road). There is certainly plenty to do for a couple of days.About 100 meters from the Arc down a side street we had what was probably the best noodle soup of the whole trip. It was just a local mum, dad and grandma run place and it met the critia of being busy having locals eating there which means that it is likely that the food is good and relative fresh.Even with it being in the middle of the city there was no access to gas or running water, so everything was cooked over wood fired stoves with the broth for the soups likely cooking overnight and the rest cooked fresh on the spot.On the first afternoon we were sitting in a local coffee place and I started speaking to the girl working there. I asked her for local places to eat great authentic Lao food - not touristy. She recommended a place up neat That Dam (the black stuba) called Soukvinam and she showed me some photos. It looked more like a fine dining place, but the food looked delicious so we decided to give it a go. It was a quiet place with a nice ambience. We were sitting outside in the courtyard which was ideal with the kids. We ordered a lot of food sticking to specialties we had never tried before such as stuffed frogs, fermented fish eggs etc. and it was all really nice.By Lao standards it probably wasn't cheap, but for the whole group of us the entire meal ended up costing approximately $100 AUD. On that 'note' it is easy to be an instant millionaire as a foreigner in Laos - change $150 Australian dollars you are there.We also celebrated New Years Even in Vientiane which was fairly low key with a couple of late night drinks.
1. January 2018 21:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Returning to Laos 1. January 2018 21:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetReturning to Laos ShareThis year our holiday was going to a country in South East Asia called to the Laos with the boys and some close friends. I went there almost 20 years ago. I had just migrated to Australia and was going on my first holiday. Laos which had only just been opened up by the communist regime, was very much undeveloped after two decades of isolation and happened to be one of the first places I visited in Asia and it was a country that I immediately fell in love with. It wasn’t the things to see and do in the country that I fell in love with - but the people. I loved the smiles, how welcoming everyone was, and I especially loved the joy of the dirty kids playing in the streets. Everyone was living at very simple lifestyle and yet everyone had what they needed and were happy. Back then I had no firm plans, but made them up as I went along. I traveled light, caught local transport, I met locals and other travelers along the way on a budget of less than $10/day, and still remember the sticky rice sold to passengers when passing through towns. I had some incredible experiences in an amazing country. I managed to have a full busload full of locals break down laughing from me trying to read up sentences from my little pocket Lao phrase book. Through this I was invited to visit families and join their local celebrations through festive events. The only local I met up in Northern Laos who could English was a girl working for an NGO. She invited me to join her visits to remote local villages where we had to cross the rivers on bamboo rafts to get to them and experienced the local dragon boat racing. Since this distant time I had heard and lots about the country from other travelers including my Mum and Dad who visited the country ten years ago. I heard how the country had changed and how mass tourism had ruined the experience. I had heard about the young backpacker rave parties, the drugs and adrenaline junkies in Vang Vieng. I heard about the modernization, cars and traffic in Vie Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal Blog Portfolio Packages Contact About Home 4. June 2011 01:26 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Vivid Sydney 2011 4. June 2011 01:26 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetvivid sydney 2011ShareAgain this year I went into the city to have a look at Vivid Sydney. This is a festival of light and music in the city around Circular Quay, The Rocks and the Opera House.On the first few days of the festival it was raining a bit, but one evening when there was a clear night I went into the city leaving Kim and Aiden at home. I managed to get a couple of good photos I think although I spent way too much time on photos of the opera house and therefore ran out of time. This was the third year of the festival and I found this years festival much more creative than the previous years. Anyway, here are some of the more interesting photos from the evening. 1. June 2011 10:36 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Another trip to Centenial Park 1. June 2011 10:36 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetanother trip to centenial parkShareThis weekend we made another trip to Centennial Park to go for a walk, have lunch & coffee and take some photos. Is it becoming a regular event so expect some more post in the future.This Sunday the park was car free, meaning that everyone had to park outside the gates rather then drive into the park. It meant that there was a lot less people in the park which made it even more enjoyable. The trees as beautiful with their golden yellow and red leaves. It is currently Autumn in Sydney and lately the weather had been fairly miserable and even this Sunday when we went to the park it looked a bit dark and gloomy at first. Fortunately the grass and leaves were fairly dry so I could do our 11 Month photos of Aiden. At first he didn't like the leaves at all, but after a few minutes he warmed up to the idea and started having fun playing with them (and eating them). He is very funny at the moment, he is starting to crawl a lot faster and would try and get to the camera so I had to keep crawling backwards to keep the distance between us. 1. June 2011 10:17 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments ABBA Cruise 1. June 2011 10:17 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetabba cruiseShare Friday night Kim, Dylan and I joined a number of Kims friends on the Abba cruise on the Sydney Harbour. Dylan had completed a writing assignment we gave him a couple of weeks earlier (to write a 500 word essay about our easter holiday) and as a reward we took him along on the cruise. The boat was a fairly small boat (almost house boat sized) and probably fitted around 80 people onboard. The Abba band was pretty good. The singing wasn't brilliant, but still very good entertainment and they managed to get the boat rocking. We even managed to get Dylan up dancing (even though we didn't give him much choice). (oh...this photo is intentionally blurred...I tried to create a cool effect by zooming while I took the photo with a rear-curtain sync). It was a beautiful calm night, so it was nice to once in a while go up on deck to enjoy the view of the city line. Vivid Sydney had just started so Circular Quay, The opera house and The Rocks was all lit up. I will be heading in there one of the next few nights to take some more photos (I tried to take a couple of photos from the boat but Abba was rocking it too much ;-) ). I hope Nikon will soon announce the D800...my old D50 was really strugling this evening with the low light conditions and I didn't bring a Tripod along. 17. May 2011 10:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments James Blunt Concert 17. May 2011 10:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetjames blunt concertShareLast night Kim and I went to the James Blunt concert in the State Theatre in Sydney. Kim (and to some degree myself) is a big fan of James Blunt so when we heard that he was coming to Sydney we had to get tickets.The concert was brilliant and it had a lot of energy to it. He played both some of his old songs as well as some of his new ones. The stage was set up with all these LED panels so that they could project videos, images, colours and patterns onto them to change the mood depending on the songs played. 16. May 2011 10:27 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Centennial Park (again) 16. May 2011 10:27 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetcentennial park againShareOn the weekend we again went to Centennial Park to go for a walk enjoying a gorgeous Autumn day. Aiden was a bit tired and wasn't really in the mood to have his picture taken.This time we brough Dylan along for him to get some exercise (watching too much TV otherwise): 11. May 2011 03:53 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Autumn 2011 11. May 2011 03:53 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetautumn 2011ShareIt is getting cooler here in Sydney...the last 2-3 days have been freezing with temperatures at 16 degree during the day (cooler at night). We have turned on the heater in Aidens room as he kicks off his blanket. One advantage is that there are some beautiful leaves in Centennial Park... 5. May 2011 09:43 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden's Mothers day present 5. May 2011 09:43 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden s mothers day presentShareMonday Aiden went to the day care centre (we send him to daycare once a week for him to learn to interact with other kids and more structured play) and the teacher there helped him create a painted "Mum" sign as a Mothers day gift (It is Mothers day on Sunday).Kim was very proud and asked me to take a photo of it for her to post on facebook. My response was "Sure, I'll go and grap the compact camera"...to which she responded that she wanted a good picture using good lighting so I should go and get my big camera.So I went ahead and took the following photo of the mum sign using some of Aidens toys as a backdrop. ...but Kim said that she can't use it because it is too good and isn't realistic enough...back to the pocket camera ;-) ! 26. April 2011 04:02 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Easter at Lake Conjola 26. April 2011 04:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweeteaster at lake conjolaShare This Easter holiday the family rented a house at Lake Conjola 220 Km south of Sydney (past Jervis Bay). We drove down there Friday morning (about 3 hours) with all our clothes, food etc.It was a four bedroom house for 8 adults and 5 kids, so always something happening somewhere in the house. Aiden was a bit shell shocked on the first day until he got used to the surroundings etc. We had brought our travel cot (a tent) for him to sleep in, in our bedroom and this made it a bit easier for us to put him to sleep. Every morning the boys went out fishing in Chong's tinny (aussie word for boat). I went along on the first and last day (the other days I valued my morning sleep) and on the first day I caught a 25cm bream...one of the two legal catches during the week. Chong caught a fairly large flathead on one of the other days. The beach was about a 15 minute walk away from the house walking through the caravan park (On the first morning there was a coffee van parked there and much to Kims dissapointment it was gone all the following days). It it fairly cool this time of the year so none of us went swimming, but it was fun to run around and take some photos. Aiden is getting used to go to the beach and is now quite comfortable sitting looking at things (He has now finally started commando crawling after 10.5 months). And at the beach we also had some fun with some 'silly' time. In the evenings we were playing blackjack...always interesting as we play for money and some days you can be really lucky and others really unlucky. We also played charade where each team should guess movie titles by only showing gestures...which to a large part ought to be X-rated (or as least KC's turns should be). One of the days I did a bit of creative photography. I showed KC how she could make window blinds look like a nice sunset even though it was grey and overcast outside. The place had a pool table and this inspired me to the following photo of Kim playing pool. And I played with the kids colour pencils. I also did one night photograph on the only clear night we had. I should have spent more time out there, but it was late and I though I'd have a couple of nights ahead where it would be possible. This year we had agreed that each of us would cook one meal. My meal was Saturday lunch time and I was doing pasta and I has pre-cooked it from Sydney the day before so it was nice and easy. Kim was doing an Indian curry in the evening. When we ended our stay Kims dad said that this is the best food he's ever had on our holidays together. 17. April 2011 11:27 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tall Ships cruise onboard 'Svanen' 17. April 2011 11:27 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweettall ships svanenShareThis weekend we went with the Heng's onboard one of the last Tall Ships of Sydney harbour called 'Svanen. The day before it had been pouring with rain but we were lucky that the day we had booked was dry and sunny most of the day. 'Svanen' was built in 1922 in Denmark in Fredrikssund of danish oak frames, where she traded as a grain carrier between Denmark and Greenland for the tuborg beer company until 1969. She and James Craig are now the last tall ships in Sydney (The Bounty was sold to china some years ago). She ain't a big ship, but large enough to carry about 90 passengers. The interior of the ship is almost in its original state. It is still possible to see all the hand chiseled timer in the cabins. The ship itself is pretty much still operated as it was back then (although she now has a motor...not sure if she would have had that originally). And all the rope work is still the way it should be as well. The cruise lasted a couple of hours and during the trip we were served lunch, beer and wine. This was one of the special deals that Kim had found us so it ended up being a great day. 15. April 2011 11:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Fox Studio Easter show 2011 15. April 2011 11:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetfox studio easter show 2011ShareEvery year there is an Ester show at Fox Studios...it is not as big as the show out at Homebush, but it is a lot closer to where we live and entry is free.Last year and again this year we brough Dylan there as it is difficult for his mum to go there. We normally allow him to get 1 ride or one game at the show, but because we this year brough Aiden along he got three rides as we though we'd check how Aiden would reach to the rides.The first ride that Dylan chose was a Camel ride (Although they are not actually camels, but Dromedary's).Afterwards he was complaining about how smelly they are. In the mean time Aiden was watching the action (It was a pretty cool day and he had been sick the week before so he was dressed in his bunny outfit).We tried to get Dylan to look scary with some of the local performers, but I think this is the best he could do.After this I took Aiden and Dylan on the Ferris wheel and the Merry go round.These are Waaaaayyyy to scary for Kim, so she was waiting down on the ground taking photos. << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12...565758596061626364...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 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 TweetThe family did lots of shopping.Kim's family had suits and shirts made and the girls bought lots of ShareThe 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 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - fruits 1. July 2015 12:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetIt is fruit season at the moment so we bought lots of really delicious fruits such as Rambutans, manShareIt 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 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Street life 30. June 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThe street life in Thailand is as it always have been with lots of food stalls and other shops.PetroShareThe 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. << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12...212223242526272829...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 9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Various of the boys 9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetShare 9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Kims old photos 9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetKims dad has some old photos hanging of Kim when she was little.This is Kims mum when she was young.ShareKims dad has some old photos hanging of Kim when she was little.This is Kims mum when she was young.This is Kims dad when he was young 9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Malabar headland 9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetMalabar headland is now open to the public. We have been there a few time now taking the kids walkinShareMalabar headland is now open to the public. We have been there a few time now taking the kids walking.Here are some photos from various walks. 9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Christmas 2016 - family photos 9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetHere are some more photos from Christmas 2016ShareHere are some more photos from Christmas 2016 9. October 2017 11:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Gerringong Family trip 9. October 2017 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetDuring the October long weekend we went to Gerringong 2 hours south of Sydney.The kids loved playingShareDuring the October long weekend we went to Gerringong 2 hours south of Sydney.The kids loved playing in the sand and water.We also visited one of the few vineyards in the area.It was Chong's birthday while we were there.One morning I made a stack of pancakes - they were all eaten.On the last day we went to Minnamurra rainforest.We also went to the Kiama blowhole - but not much action. 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Illawarra airshow 2017 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis year the airshow was on - we went there with the boys, highly recommended and will definitely fShareThis year the airshow was on - we went there with the boys, highly recommended and will definitely find time to go there next time. 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Swimming Certificates 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetShare 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments NRL - Sharks vs Cowboys 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetKA had some tickets for the lead-up final games for the NRL. I thought it could be fun to give the bShareKA had some tickets for the lead-up final games for the NRL. I thought it could be fun to give the boys the experience of seeing a game...especially Aiden was really into it. 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden student of the week certificate 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetShare 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Easter trip 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetAt easter we rented a house with the family again.ShareAt easter we rented a house with the family again. << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12...121314151617181920...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 17. October 2014 17:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Water play 17. October 2014 17:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetLast weekend it was pretty warm here in Sydney and the lawn needed watering.I turned on the sprinkleShareLast weekend it was pretty warm here in Sydney and the lawn needed watering.I turned on the sprinkler and we let the boys have some water play. 16. October 2014 18:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Playing with Dragons 16. October 2014 18:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetIt is Friday, so time for a little photoshop fun.Lucas gets really scared whenever Aiden roars like ShareIt is Friday, so time for a little photoshop fun.Lucas gets really scared whenever Aiden roars like a dinosaur/dragon. When we went to the forest last weekend he again got scared and I snapped this photo and decided to insert a dragon into it. 13. October 2014 12:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Sydney Harbour panorama 13. October 2014 12:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis weekend when we went to Luna Park I took this panorama I took this panorama from the top of theShareThis weekend when we went to Luna Park I took this panorama I took this panorama from the top of the ferris wheel.It is a series of 5 photos stitched together. The large one if amazing. You can clearly see individuals at Sydney Opera house and you can tell the colour of their clothes.It was just taken handheld with my D800 and 50mm lens. 12. October 2014 12:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Sammi's birthday at Luna Park 12. October 2014 12:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis weekend we went Luna Park to celebrate Sammi's birthday.The kids (especially Aiden and Sammi) hShareThis 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 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments More from playing in the forest at Centennial Park 11. October 2014 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetLast weekend we made another excursion to Centennial. This time to a different and more open area (KShareLast 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 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Lots of oldies but goodies 9. October 2014 09:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetHere are a lot of individual photos of the kids that I haven't had a chance to post because they didShareHere 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 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Playing in the forest with the boys 8. October 2014 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetLast weekend kim was away for a girls weekend.While she was away I decided to go to the little foresShareLast 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 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Childrens Paintings 8. October 2014 09:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetAiden and Lucas are doing a lot of painting and drawing at daycare.Here is some of their better workShareAiden 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 LucasThis is 'The night owl' by Aiden (Aiden calls it 'Wave') 8. October 2014 09:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Lucas 2yo birthday 8. October 2014 09:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetHere is a couple of photos from Lucas' 2 year birthday with the family.ShareHere is a couple of photos from Lucas' 2 year birthday with the family. 5. October 2014 15:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Open day - flower girl 5. October 2014 15:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis is without a doubt my favourite photo of the day (and it was also one of the first I took).TherShareThis 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 KalashoPhoto: Rene Pallesen << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12...262728293031323334...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 22. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Symbio Wildlife Park 22. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsymbio wildlife parkShareToday we went to the Symbio Wildlife park together with some of our friends. They don't have a lot of animals in the park, but the ones they have a pretty cool and it is a good spot to get some nice animal photos (It was especially nice to see that they had polished the glass surrounding some animals). It was also really cool to have Aiden and Sammi feed some of the more friendly animals. 22. April 2012 05:44 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Luke and Alexsandra's wedding 22. April 2012 05:44 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetluke and alexandra s weddingShareToday Luke and Alexsandra was married. She is from Serbia so the wedding itself was a beautiful traditional Serbian Orthodox wedding in a small church in Alexandria. The church was very darkly lit and I was shooting using natural light trying to be as discreet as possible using my old Nikon D50 camera (still waiting for the new D800) but by some miracle I was able to capture the above photos (by setting it to my max 1600 ISO and underexpose 2 stops and then push and noise reduce in post...would have loved to have one more stop). Luke has some Scotish ancestry so ourside the church there was a guy playing the bag pipe. Afterwards the reception was in Drumoyne with about 250 guests invited. Lots of very loud Serbian music and traditional Serbian line dancing (Not sure what the correct name is). 16. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Easter show and EQ 16. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweeteaster show and eqShareSynday we took Dylan to the Easter show at Fox Studios. We had bought him a 5 hour pass as a reward for an assignment we gave him.Dylan tried a number of rides, but I think his favourite was a dodge'm'cars.While Dylan was queueing up we had a look around at the other entertainment. 15. April 2012 07:39 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments High Tea in Royal National Park 15. April 2012 07:39 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweethigh tea in royal national parkShareToday we went to High Tea in Audley in the Royal National Park 30 minutes drive from where we live. Kim had bought a 2 for 1 deal and decided to try it.Verdict was that is wasn't anything special and even with the special deal it was a bit over priced.Afterwards we decided to go rowing up through the creek.Aiden was very keen to get to play with the water which was difficult in the rowing boat (next time we will get a Canoe).Afterwards we let him play a bit on land before heading back. 8. April 2012 06:18 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Bora Bora Island Scenery 8. April 2012 06:18 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetbora bora island sceneryShareThe island itself is a beautiful place. I took a lot of photos of the lagoon and the beauty of Bora Bora....so many that it would be too many to have in the previous Bora Bora post. With the risk of creating a post full of Blue photos...I had to separate them out to prevent the other posts from getting too big. Here they are...I will let them speak for themselves... 6. April 2012 06:19 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays 6. April 2012 06:19 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsnorkeling with sharks and stingraysShareOne of the days at Bora Bora we went with a boat around the lagoon to go snorkeling and have lunch on one of the Motu's (Islands). Along the way we went snorkeling in spots where we also could see sharks and stingrays. Our first spot was a snorkeling spot with lots of coral and different fish. I Even saw a big fat murray eel. Kim also had a bit of a snorkel in the clear blue water even though the water was deep and there was a slight current. Aiden was facinated by the fish and wanted to join mummy in the water to say hello to the fish'ies... After this we went to a more shallow spot on the reef with lots of reef sharks. Yes, that is me in the water with 12 sharks circling around me (and no safety net in place).These sharks would come swimming towards me and then turn around within a meters reach. Click here to see a video I uploaded to Facebook with the Sharks getting close After lunch we stopped to feed the Stingrays in the lagoon. They are fairly harmless and I was feeding them dead fish. While doing so I was bitten by one of them that mistook the camera I was holding in my other hand as a fish. 5. April 2012 06:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Bora Bora 5. April 2012 06:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetbora boraShare Bora Bora is a beautiful island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Kim and I had promised eachother that we one day we will go there. It is about an hours flight from Tahiti and along the way you pass a number of other Polynesian islands and atolls. When we landed we were met by the stunning blue lagoon and the very characteristic mountain which is an old extinct volcano. Aiden especially was mesmerised by the view going on the boat from the airport to our hotel. On arrival we were met by traditional Tahitian music and someone blowing a seashell. And Aiden immidiately got into the mocktails. Our hotel was on the main island itself and we had a small hut facing the lagoon and had a beautiful view every morning waking up. Every morning we had breakfast overlooking the lagoon where Aiden would stuff his face with fruits, bread and youghurt. We spent a lot of time at the small beach close to the hotel just swimming in the clear water of the lagoon. The locals were out on the lagoon showing off their skills. Aiden loved the calm clear water and the beach...it was a pleasant 27-28 degrees. Every time he saw water he would point at it and shout BoBo (Water)...and insist on going swimming. One evening I did a couple of sunset portraits. Aiden again insisted on going in the water. I also went for a swim after we finished the photos, which was absolutely magical as the light was surreal and the water was absolutely calm. Across the lagoon from the hotel we had a little island (Motu) with beautiful place to go snorkeling. First I went in the water and notices a small reef shark circling around the corals...being kinda shy. I mentioned it to Kim and as soon as she also spotted it later in the day she rushed out of the water (A couple of days later she had a similar experience with a large stingray at the beach). It was hard to leave all this beauty behind 4. April 2012 04:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Flowers of French Polynesia 4. April 2012 04:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetflowers of french polynesiaShareI took a lot of photos of flowers...enough to warrant a separate blog entry.. If you are not a flower person then just scroll down the page past these...lots of other good stuff there. Anyhow...I will let them speak for themselves... 3. April 2012 07:08 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tahiti 3. April 2012 07:08 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweettahitiShareThis Easter we decided to go to Tahiti and Bora Bora in French Polynesia in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We were supposed to have been going to Japan, but we decided that we instead wanted a more relaxing holiday and changed it to an Island holiday enjoying the sun, sand, water and sunsets. Tahiti is the main island of French Polynesia and is not larger than it is possible to drive around the entire island in a couple of hours (appx 120 km). On one of the days we rented a car and did just that. We could have joined a day tour, but I am not very keen on the 5min photo stop kind of tours and much prefer to be able to travel independently and take time to see what we would like to see. It is reasonably easy to find your way around the island. There really is just one road and the entire road is marked by kilometer markers and we had the distances for most of the sights we wanted to see. We didn;t go too much into the interior because of time restraints and some of these roads are only accessible by 4WD. First we stopped at one of the old Tahitian temples which was interesting After that we headed to some large caves full of freshwater (would have been convenient in the old days)...very damp and very dark. After this we tried to find the road up to a lake and supposedly large waterfall. Some of the locals were very helpful with assisting us with directions but unfortunately the road was closed. Fortunately we did find the nearby gardens which Kim wanted to visit (I will do a separate flower blog posting). We did find some waterfallson the island (and saw several from a long distance away high on the mountains). After this we headed to Point Venus where Captain Cook in 1769 supposedly saw the passing of Venus ...now this houses the only lighthouse in French Polynesia.The next passing will be 6th June this year...243 years after the previos passing (can be seen as a shadow against the sun). We decided to skip the museums as we would rather experience the outsde rather than objects behind glass. The other days we spent around the hotel and the marina, just relaxing, swimming and dining. Aiden loved spending most of the time in the pool at the hotel. 29. February 2012 09:31 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Project Setting 29. February 2012 09:31 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetproject settingShareYesterday I did another photo project. I wanted to do something different with composition.I had this idea of a guy being attacked by hand-spiders (I hate spiders) and thought that the garage would be a good location for it. I had an old T-shirt and some tomato paste to add some drama.It turned out to be a lot harder than expected as it was almost impossible to get the right composition, focus etc. when I both had to appear in the photo as well as take it (my head was cropped off on the first series which meant that I had to reposition the camera and then either re-shoot the series or try and stitch them up in post production...I chose the latter because of time constraints).I could definitely have done a better job if I didn't have to be two places at once, but I don't think it is a total disaster. << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12...505152535455565758...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 24. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Christmas Photo 2022 24. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetAs per tradition we again did a family Christmas photo this year.We were running out of time, so it ShareAs per tradition we again did a family Christmas photo this year.We were running out of time, so it was a bit rushed getting it done.We also tried to make one with a Karate theme. It is a nice photo, it just wasn't christmassy enough. 23. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Christmas Show - State Theatre 23. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetKim had booked a Christmas show in the State Theatre. It was an okay show, but as she said, it was mShareKim had booked a Christmas show in the State Theatre. It was an okay show, but as she said, it was more for the 'dads' than for the kids due to the costumes. 20. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Awards 2022 20. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetA couple of the awards received by Aiden and LucasShareA couple of the awards received by Aiden and Lucas 18. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Lucas Cooking 18. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetWe have been trying to encourage Aiden and Lucas to once in a while do the cooking. This is so that ShareWe have been trying to encourage Aiden and Lucas to once in a while do the cooking. This is so that they know how to cook when they become older and adults.Lucas is really loving it and Aiden doesn't really have the patience. 17. December 2022 18:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Karate - Black Belt 17. December 2022 18:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweet2022 was also the year where I finally got my Black belt in Karate (Sho-Dan - first belt).I had to fShare2022 was also the year where I finally got my Black belt in Karate (Sho-Dan - first belt).I had to fly up to Brisbane for the grading/exam with the head of the Australian organisation. 17. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aidens Confirmation and Graduation from Primary school 17. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis year Aiden was in the last year of primary school (year 6). This means that this was the year oShareThis year Aiden was in the last year of primary school (year 6). This means that this was the year of his confirmation and also his graduation before he next year starts in high school. 30. November 2022 16:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Moulin Rouge 30. November 2022 16:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetKim and I went to see Moulin Rouge at the Capitol Theatre. It was a beautiful production.ShareKim and I went to see Moulin Rouge at the Capitol Theatre. It was a beautiful production. 29. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments NSW Art Gallery 29. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOne day we made a daytrip into the city to see the NSW art gallery.ShareOne day we made a daytrip into the city to see the NSW art gallery. 12. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Denmark - Other photos 12. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetMy dads backyardCrashing after a busy dayNisse/Hvids OelMy dads houseThe house in Vaeggerloese whereShareMy dads backyardCrashing after a busy dayNisse/Hvids OelMy dads houseThe house in Vaeggerloese where I grew up.Cooking and eating Eel.Some of the old houses in Nykoebing F (probably 3-400 hundred years)Love the hotdogs Eating Pheasant (Fasan) that Bedstefar made.Bye-Bye Bedstefar - See you soon again. 12. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Denmark - Other photos 12. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetMy dads backyardCrashing after a busy dayNisse/Hvids OelMy dads houseThe house in Vaeggerloese whereShareMy dads backyardCrashing after a busy dayNisse/Hvids OelMy dads houseThe house in Vaeggerloese where I grew up.Cooking and eating Eel.Some of the old houses in Nykoebing F (probably 3-400 hundred years)Love the hotdogs Eating Pheasant (Fasan) that Bedstefar made.Bye-Bye Bedstefar - See you soon again. << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12345678910...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 28. December 2007 09:56 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Jervis Bay 28. December 2007 09:56 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetjervis bayShareAfter Christmas Eve we went a couple of days to Jervis Bay. Jervis Bay is about 3-4 hours drive south of Sydney and is not part of New South Wales, but belongs to ACT (Australian Capital Territory, Canberra). Hyams beach at Jervis has got a reputation of having the whitest sand in the world. The house we had rented was right on the beach so it was easy to go for a swim. Unfortunately the water was quite cold, so Kim and I instead opted for a trip to the local golf course. In the morning we went fishing and although we did catch a few fish they were all too small to keep. The most annoying was that we kept catching stingrays. Click here to download video of fishing at Jervis Bay #1 Click here to download video of fishing at Jervis Bay #2 I know that the area has got a lot of Port Jackson sharks and on the beaches we found a lot of shark eggs. In the evenings we played Mah Jong and 21. I decided to stay out of the Mah Jong game until I've got a better grasp of how it is played (some of the numbers on the bricks are in Chinese and it therefore took too long time to compute and I felt it was a disadvantage). I had a lucky night in 21 and won $20. Click here to see more photos from Jervis Bay 25. December 2007 09:47 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Christmas Eve and Day 25. December 2007 09:47 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetchristmas eve and dayShareThe Australians celebrate Christmas on the 25th December where we in Denmark celebrate it on the 24th in the evening. I still like to celebrate on the 24th and it is the day of the year where I most miss family (and the only day of the year where I miss the cold in Denmark).Most of my friends were either out of town or have kids and therefore not very mobile on this evening so this year I decided that it should just be Kim and myself.I cooked the traditional Christmas dinner with duck and ris-a-la-mande and we had a very nice evening.In the morning next day we went over to Kims family for lunch and there was a lot of people and kids there. Again this year I took on the duty of being Santa's local ambassador and hand out presents to the children...all good fun. 22. December 2007 12:28 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Climbing at Mt Keira - Wetting my pants 22. December 2007 12:28 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetclimbing at mt keira wetting my pantsShare Last weekend Andy, May and myself went climbing at Mt keira near woolongong south of Sydney. May had never really done any outdoor climbing before and Keira is a good place to go and try your first lead climb. The weather forecast didn't look promising but we decided to go there anyway as in our experience the forecasts are never very accurate here. Besides it said that there was a chance of one or two showers in the afternoon. As soon as we arrived to the cliffs in the morning we started feeling the first few drops. The rocks were still dry so we decided to put up an easy route anyway. Once we finished it was raining more steadily and the rocks started getting slippery. There was a climb in the corner that was still dry so we decided to quickly also do this. And afterwards we put up a top rope on a climb that also still was dry. Before we got onto it it was raining heavily and there was a storm with lots of lightening approaching. > Click here to download video After a couple of not very motivated (and wet) attempts on the climb I volunteered to clean up the climb. As I approached the top the water was coming down like from a waterfall and by the time I had cleaned up the anchors I was drenched (and yes...my pants were very wet). Climbing wise a really disappointing day...but we still had fun. 6. December 2007 06:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tokyo - Having a whale of a time 6. December 2007 06:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweettokyo having a whale of a timeShareThis week I am in Tokyo for work visiting a couple of partners and also giving them some training on some of our internal solutions that they would like to sell. I love visiting Tokyo...it is like Disney land and everything is just so slightly different. Like for instance the toilets have all the buttons on the side. Yesterday I saw one with a volume control and a "flush noise" button. I couldn't help pressing it...and yes the toilet did make very realistic sounding flushing sounds. I am unsure under what circumstances the sounds can be useful...another mystery that I may be able to solve one day.In the hotel I also tried all the other buttons and it is kind of cool with all the sprinkling water (heated to body temperature), but I still haven't found the button for the 'but' dryer. Click here to see video of Tokyo Square in Shibuya We visited one of our partners customer service centre and that was like watching a movie. They had big wall-to-wall screen showing that status of all the various sites, latest news tv, weather forecasts...or anything else that could be relevant to them running their operations. The walls were liquid crystal walls and by the flick of a button they could make the whole wall transparent and the next minute they would have the latest status projected onto the walls instead...unfortunately they wouldn't allow me to take a photo. Masaru and I also went to a whale restaurant in Shibuya...we tried Whale Sashimi, Whale Tempura, Whale Skin, Whale Bacon, Whale tongue, Whale Beef and Whale soup (I only ate it for Scientific Purposes). It was all very delicious and the Whale Sashimi (raw whale meat) was definitely my favourite. For lunch today I had a really nice baby clam soup...very unusual and very nice. In general food is really nice and there are some unusual places that specialise in their small niche markets...for instance the lunch place that specialises in 'Lemon Detox lunches'. Compared to the food in Sydney this is a magnitude better. The hotel I stay at is in Shibuya which is the area in Tokyo that is very famous with all the lights and screens...it is a very hip area where all the teenagers are wearing the latest fashion and have funny hair. My room is a lot bigger than the one I stayed in last time I was in Tokyo...in this one you can actually walk around the bed and it has got all the features you would normally expect from a western hotel room. And they serve a really nice bacon for breakfast...I bet it is Danish bacon. We also took the peak hour train in the morning...man those trains are fast and they are packed so tight that it is impossible to move let alone raise your arms. Being in Tokyo also means very long working hours. People here start working around 9am in the morning and seldom leave work until after 9pm. It is still the musical chairs with meeting rooms, the deadly silence in the offices, hot working environments etc. One evening we went out with our partners...which was a big introduction to japanese customs. We went out for a late dinner after work a big group of us and when they have dinner then a lot of drinks were served. This was a chinese restaurant so we were drinking some chinese type of wine that tasted like bitter Kahlua. After dinner we went to this drinking place which was really weird (and slightly uncomfortable but interesting). They pay an entry fee of around 3000 Yen ($30 AUD) and you then get to sit down with a girl that serves you drinks and who you can have conversation with (and conversation only).You cannot choose the girl and I guess this is the modern form of the Geisha...and a cheaper way of talking about your problems at work or with your wife than visiting a psychologist.I really like visiting Tokyo...but I don't think I could live there (too controlled). It is really interesting to visit especially in a working capacity as you see all the funny differences in lifestyle, work, objects and opinions. Most of the time it is a really good laugh...like when one of the guys asked if he could take a picture of me because he told his wife that he was working with a foreigner that looks like Tom Cruise (I told him that Tom is a full head shorter then I am).We had an earthquake while I was there. The whole building started swaying from side to side...I was looking at the Japanese guys are they were calm so I thought that there was no reason to panic. Apparently it happens all the time there. Click here to see more photos from TokyoHere is some more photos from the trip. 1. December 2007 01:23 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Hunter Valley December 1. December 2007 01:23 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweethunter valley decemberShare Before my trip to Tokyo and before Christmas we decided to go to the Hunter Valley to stock up on good wines (We buy them now cheap and drink them in 5-10 years time when they would be really expensive). Hunter Valley is about 2 hours drive North of Sydney and it had got about 200 Vinyards you can visit for wine tasting and then buy the wines straight from the cellar. We went there with a couple of Kims friends and Kim and I bought a couple of cases of wine together. Everything in the Valley was nice ang green due to a lot of rain in the area lately. Click here to see more photos from Hunter Valley 21. November 2007 01:50 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Kayaking at Woy Woy 21. November 2007 01:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetkayaking at voy voyShareWhen Kim left Epicor she got a gift certificate to go Kayaking at Woy Woy, so this weekend we headed up there together with Mike and his wife Helen.Both Kim and I have done some kayaking before but it was a new experience for Helen. We paddled up through some of the inland waters in Brisbane Waters near Woy Woy and afterwards we stopped at the fisherman's wharf for some really nice seafood. 29. October 2007 02:57 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Berowra, Narrabeen Slabs & Australian Wildlife 29. October 2007 02:57 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetberowra narrabeen slabs australian wildlifeShareOne of the things about living in Australia is that you are exposed to a lot of creepy crawly stuff. In the urban jungle you don't really notice, but once you come a bit closer to nature then you cannot avoid seeing some of the insects etc. This is especially true when we go climbing. The last couple of weeks Andy and I have been exposed to a couple more creeps than we usually see. The last couple of weeks Andy and I have been climbing in the Sydney area. Last weekend we went up to Berowra again and had a generally pleasant day had it not been for the brown snake. On the last climb of the day we decided to try this climb that none of us had done before, but because of the protection we decided to top rope it. In the guide book the description reads: Savage Cabbage 8m 19Up thin crack then tricky moves left to main crack. Follow this (take care with pro) to new lower off. Often dirty and sometimes inhabited by a (friendly) brown snake.This was warning enough and as a safety precaution we checked the holes at the bottom of the climb and didn't see anything suspicious. He started climbing and about 2 metres up he stuck his had into one of the pockets. He then decided to take a peek to see if there was anything in there and very quickly pulled his stand out shouting "Fu...a snake". Fortunately he hadn't been bitten or I would have had to call him a helicopter....again. Wikipedia says the following about the snake:Brown snakes are easily alarmed and may bite if approached closely, handled or threatened. The Eastern brown snake is the most toxic member of the genus and is the second most toxic land snake in the world. I don't think we'll be jumping onto that climb anytime soon. This weekend we decided instead to go to Narrabeen slaps as we hadn't been there for a while and it is easily accessible (15 minutes drive from home). It is a nice selection of semi difficult slabs along the Wakehurst parkway (almost rain forest). Generally when climbing in Sydney you see many webs from the funnel webs and I also saw at least one at Narrabeen. And, when we go to other climbing areas then there are always multiple holes in the rocks where you can see the funnel shaped webs. I happen to hate spiders and always fear that I will poke my fingers into a funnel web. I have only seen a live (I think) funnel web once and that was in Nowra on the bottom of a pond of water (people generally check their swimming pools for funnel webs before swimming as they can stay below the surface for ages), I saw a tiny scorpion on the floor of the cooking area in Nowra on the same trip. Wikipedia says:Although they are rather small, they should not be handled without taking substantial precautions, because their fangs have been known to penetrate fingernails and soft shoes, resulting in dangerous bites. Funnel-webs are probably one of the three most dangerous spiders in the world and are regarded by some to be the most dangerous. While Andy was belaying me he saw a redback spider crawl across the rope back and squashed it under his feet. He told me he had to stomp on it several times before it died. Wikipedia says:The redback spider is a potentially dangerous spider native to Australia. It resembles a Black widow spider. Redbacks, along with funnel-web spiders, are the most dangerous spiders in Australia. Most Australians dislike the redback spider, thanks in part to the frequency with which it is encountered in the environs of human habitations. Also, the crag is generally infested with mosquitoes, ticks and on this day we also had the pleasure of a big fat Tiger Leech which had had a feast on Andy's big toe so it started bleeding heavily as we left the crag (but the leech lived to see another day). We saw it earlier on Andy's sandals but flicked it off...only later did we discover that it had been sucking blood from him. 16. October 2007 10:21 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Brampton Island 2007 16. October 2007 10:21 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetbrampton island 2007ShareKim finished her job at Epicor this Monday and we therefore decided to go somewhere for an extended weekend before she starts any new adventures. Our first choice was to to go Samoa, but because of school holidays the hotels and flights were booked the days we wanted to go. Instead we settled on going to Brampton Island in the Whitsundays about 2000km North of Sydney. It was a long flight up there, first to Brisbane, then on to Mackay and from there continue with a small light aircraft to Brampton Island itself. Here is a photo of the island from the aircraft. Click here to see a video of Brampton Island from the aircraft. The island is beautiful and there is only one resort on the island accomodating a maximum of 200 guests. Because of all the flights to get there it means that it is a perfect couples destination as there were no kids making noise there (according to Kenneth kids families won't go unless it is a direct flight). The Island has got a number of really nice remote beaches that are empty and where one can get up to all sorts of mischief. There is also a small 6 hole par 3 golf course as well as archery range, spa and a couple of different pools etc. Our intention for the weekend wasn't really to be very active, but really to just relax and have a nice time together. On the first day we walked around the whole island (8km) and went for a swim along the way at a beach on the other side of the island that we had all to ourselves. We managed to get a bit of a sunburn both of us so the next day we stayed in the shade. On one of the other days we got a picnic pamper and found another beach where we could relax, swim and enjoy ourselves without anyone else around. The water was crystal clear and we could see fish and stingrays swimming around in it and although we had bought our snorkeling gear we never got around to using it.Here is a photo of Kim on the beach. And...click here to see a video of Kim in the water. Both of us had a very memorable time on the beaches.Most of the other guests were just spending their time in the resort itself and when it was too hot to go anywhere we also spent the time in the resort relaxing in the shade sipping cocktails. The only thing that was a bit disappointing was that the resort had all these nice catamarans and sailboards that were free to use, but because of lack of experience of the people working on the resort they wouldn't let anyone sail them if there was any wind whatsoever (really...what's the point!?!?). In the evening there was various forms of entertainment. Especially this one man band was really good, but most of the other entertainment was pretty average as the staff to be honest had little to no clue whatsoever. Click here to see more photos from Brampton Island 17. September 2007 10:17 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Fish Market & The Coast Colf Club 17. September 2007 10:17 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetfish market the coast colf clubShareThis Sunday we went to the fish market in Sydney with one of Kims colleagues from Singapore (who also happens to be Danish) and his Singaporean girlfriend for Lunch. The Seafood at the fish market is very fresh and nice. You can go to all these small seafood stalls and buy various seafood such as various types of Sashimi, Sushi, Lobster, Abalone, Scallops, Calamari and Balmain bugs. Kim and I shared a large seafood basket with different types of seafood as well as a small box of Sashimi. Afterwards we took Michael to The Coast Golf Club while Caroline went to do some retail therapy in Paddington. We only played 8 holes as we had to leave at 5pm to be at Kims sister at 6pm for her youngest sisters birthday.I took a really cool and funny video of Kim almost making par on one of the holes. Click here to download the video of Kim 10. September 2007 05:48 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Holland September 2007 10. September 2007 05:48 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetholland september 2007Share In early September I again went a week to Holland. The purpose of the trip this time was a combination of team building, create common processes and training. The company is working on getting everyone ECM (Electronic Content Management) certified. Since I just got back from Holland a couple of months ago I decided to just quickly fly in Sunday afternoon and then return Saturday morning. I really don't like flying through London Heathrow airport. They always loose my luggage there and every time it takes 1-3 days before it eventually arrives. My flight was delayed so as I expected I missed my flight to Amsterdam. I asked them to book me onto the next available flight where my luggage also would have a chance to make it.When the flight boarded I checked with the staff to make sure that my luggage had made it...it hadn't :-(As I had plenty of time I decided it would be better for me to de-board the flight and then try and catch the next flight hoping that my luggage then would make it...which I then confirmed it did when I boarded. Heathrow is the only airport in the world where I consistently have this problem. They need at least 3 hours between the flight to have a chance of transferring the luggage. Next time I'll check what options I have to fly through Frankfurt instead. Click here to see more photos from: Holland << Older posts Newer posts >> Newer posts12...737475767778798081...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
4. June 2011 01:26 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Vivid Sydney 2011 4. June 2011 01:26 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetvivid sydney 2011ShareAgain this year I went into the city to have a look at Vivid Sydney. This is a festival of light and music in the city around Circular Quay, The Rocks and the Opera House.On the first few days of the festival it was raining a bit, but one evening when there was a clear night I went into the city leaving Kim and Aiden at home. I managed to get a couple of good photos I think although I spent way too much time on photos of the opera house and therefore ran out of time. This was the third year of the festival and I found this years festival much more creative than the previous years. Anyway, here are some of the more interesting photos from the evening.
1. June 2011 10:36 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Another trip to Centenial Park 1. June 2011 10:36 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetanother trip to centenial parkShareThis weekend we made another trip to Centennial Park to go for a walk, have lunch & coffee and take some photos. Is it becoming a regular event so expect some more post in the future.This Sunday the park was car free, meaning that everyone had to park outside the gates rather then drive into the park. It meant that there was a lot less people in the park which made it even more enjoyable. The trees as beautiful with their golden yellow and red leaves. It is currently Autumn in Sydney and lately the weather had been fairly miserable and even this Sunday when we went to the park it looked a bit dark and gloomy at first. Fortunately the grass and leaves were fairly dry so I could do our 11 Month photos of Aiden. At first he didn't like the leaves at all, but after a few minutes he warmed up to the idea and started having fun playing with them (and eating them). He is very funny at the moment, he is starting to crawl a lot faster and would try and get to the camera so I had to keep crawling backwards to keep the distance between us.
1. June 2011 10:17 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments ABBA Cruise 1. June 2011 10:17 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetabba cruiseShare Friday night Kim, Dylan and I joined a number of Kims friends on the Abba cruise on the Sydney Harbour. Dylan had completed a writing assignment we gave him a couple of weeks earlier (to write a 500 word essay about our easter holiday) and as a reward we took him along on the cruise. The boat was a fairly small boat (almost house boat sized) and probably fitted around 80 people onboard. The Abba band was pretty good. The singing wasn't brilliant, but still very good entertainment and they managed to get the boat rocking. We even managed to get Dylan up dancing (even though we didn't give him much choice). (oh...this photo is intentionally blurred...I tried to create a cool effect by zooming while I took the photo with a rear-curtain sync). It was a beautiful calm night, so it was nice to once in a while go up on deck to enjoy the view of the city line. Vivid Sydney had just started so Circular Quay, The opera house and The Rocks was all lit up. I will be heading in there one of the next few nights to take some more photos (I tried to take a couple of photos from the boat but Abba was rocking it too much ;-) ). I hope Nikon will soon announce the D800...my old D50 was really strugling this evening with the low light conditions and I didn't bring a Tripod along.
17. May 2011 10:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments James Blunt Concert 17. May 2011 10:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetjames blunt concertShareLast night Kim and I went to the James Blunt concert in the State Theatre in Sydney. Kim (and to some degree myself) is a big fan of James Blunt so when we heard that he was coming to Sydney we had to get tickets.The concert was brilliant and it had a lot of energy to it. He played both some of his old songs as well as some of his new ones. The stage was set up with all these LED panels so that they could project videos, images, colours and patterns onto them to change the mood depending on the songs played.
16. May 2011 10:27 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Centennial Park (again) 16. May 2011 10:27 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetcentennial park againShareOn the weekend we again went to Centennial Park to go for a walk enjoying a gorgeous Autumn day. Aiden was a bit tired and wasn't really in the mood to have his picture taken.This time we brough Dylan along for him to get some exercise (watching too much TV otherwise):
11. May 2011 03:53 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Autumn 2011 11. May 2011 03:53 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetautumn 2011ShareIt is getting cooler here in Sydney...the last 2-3 days have been freezing with temperatures at 16 degree during the day (cooler at night). We have turned on the heater in Aidens room as he kicks off his blanket. One advantage is that there are some beautiful leaves in Centennial Park...
5. May 2011 09:43 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden's Mothers day present 5. May 2011 09:43 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetaiden s mothers day presentShareMonday Aiden went to the day care centre (we send him to daycare once a week for him to learn to interact with other kids and more structured play) and the teacher there helped him create a painted "Mum" sign as a Mothers day gift (It is Mothers day on Sunday).Kim was very proud and asked me to take a photo of it for her to post on facebook. My response was "Sure, I'll go and grap the compact camera"...to which she responded that she wanted a good picture using good lighting so I should go and get my big camera.So I went ahead and took the following photo of the mum sign using some of Aidens toys as a backdrop. ...but Kim said that she can't use it because it is too good and isn't realistic enough...back to the pocket camera ;-) !
26. April 2011 04:02 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Easter at Lake Conjola 26. April 2011 04:02 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweeteaster at lake conjolaShare This Easter holiday the family rented a house at Lake Conjola 220 Km south of Sydney (past Jervis Bay). We drove down there Friday morning (about 3 hours) with all our clothes, food etc.It was a four bedroom house for 8 adults and 5 kids, so always something happening somewhere in the house. Aiden was a bit shell shocked on the first day until he got used to the surroundings etc. We had brought our travel cot (a tent) for him to sleep in, in our bedroom and this made it a bit easier for us to put him to sleep. Every morning the boys went out fishing in Chong's tinny (aussie word for boat). I went along on the first and last day (the other days I valued my morning sleep) and on the first day I caught a 25cm bream...one of the two legal catches during the week. Chong caught a fairly large flathead on one of the other days. The beach was about a 15 minute walk away from the house walking through the caravan park (On the first morning there was a coffee van parked there and much to Kims dissapointment it was gone all the following days). It it fairly cool this time of the year so none of us went swimming, but it was fun to run around and take some photos. Aiden is getting used to go to the beach and is now quite comfortable sitting looking at things (He has now finally started commando crawling after 10.5 months). And at the beach we also had some fun with some 'silly' time. In the evenings we were playing blackjack...always interesting as we play for money and some days you can be really lucky and others really unlucky. We also played charade where each team should guess movie titles by only showing gestures...which to a large part ought to be X-rated (or as least KC's turns should be). One of the days I did a bit of creative photography. I showed KC how she could make window blinds look like a nice sunset even though it was grey and overcast outside. The place had a pool table and this inspired me to the following photo of Kim playing pool. And I played with the kids colour pencils. I also did one night photograph on the only clear night we had. I should have spent more time out there, but it was late and I though I'd have a couple of nights ahead where it would be possible. This year we had agreed that each of us would cook one meal. My meal was Saturday lunch time and I was doing pasta and I has pre-cooked it from Sydney the day before so it was nice and easy. Kim was doing an Indian curry in the evening. When we ended our stay Kims dad said that this is the best food he's ever had on our holidays together.
17. April 2011 11:27 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tall Ships cruise onboard 'Svanen' 17. April 2011 11:27 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweettall ships svanenShareThis weekend we went with the Heng's onboard one of the last Tall Ships of Sydney harbour called 'Svanen. The day before it had been pouring with rain but we were lucky that the day we had booked was dry and sunny most of the day. 'Svanen' was built in 1922 in Denmark in Fredrikssund of danish oak frames, where she traded as a grain carrier between Denmark and Greenland for the tuborg beer company until 1969. She and James Craig are now the last tall ships in Sydney (The Bounty was sold to china some years ago). She ain't a big ship, but large enough to carry about 90 passengers. The interior of the ship is almost in its original state. It is still possible to see all the hand chiseled timer in the cabins. The ship itself is pretty much still operated as it was back then (although she now has a motor...not sure if she would have had that originally). And all the rope work is still the way it should be as well. The cruise lasted a couple of hours and during the trip we were served lunch, beer and wine. This was one of the special deals that Kim had found us so it ended up being a great day.
15. April 2011 11:04 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Fox Studio Easter show 2011 15. April 2011 11:04 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetfox studio easter show 2011ShareEvery year there is an Ester show at Fox Studios...it is not as big as the show out at Homebush, but it is a lot closer to where we live and entry is free.Last year and again this year we brough Dylan there as it is difficult for his mum to go there. We normally allow him to get 1 ride or one game at the show, but because we this year brough Aiden along he got three rides as we though we'd check how Aiden would reach to the rides.The first ride that Dylan chose was a Camel ride (Although they are not actually camels, but Dromedary's).Afterwards he was complaining about how smelly they are. In the mean time Aiden was watching the action (It was a pretty cool day and he had been sick the week before so he was dressed in his bunny outfit).We tried to get Dylan to look scary with some of the local performers, but I think this is the best he could do.After this I took Aiden and Dylan on the Ferris wheel and the Merry go round.These are Waaaaayyyy to scary for Kim, so she was waiting down on the ground taking photos.
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 TweetThe family did lots of shopping.Kim's family had suits and shirts made and the girls bought lots of ShareThe 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 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - fruits 1. July 2015 12:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetIt is fruit season at the moment so we bought lots of really delicious fruits such as Rambutans, manShareIt 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 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Phuket - Street life 30. June 2015 13:07 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThe street life in Thailand is as it always have been with lots of food stalls and other shops.PetroShareThe 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.
9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Various of the boys 9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetShare
9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Kims old photos 9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetKims dad has some old photos hanging of Kim when she was little.This is Kims mum when she was young.ShareKims dad has some old photos hanging of Kim when she was little.This is Kims mum when she was young.This is Kims dad when he was young
9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Malabar headland 9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetMalabar headland is now open to the public. We have been there a few time now taking the kids walkinShareMalabar headland is now open to the public. We have been there a few time now taking the kids walking.Here are some photos from various walks.
9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Christmas 2016 - family photos 9. October 2017 12:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetHere are some more photos from Christmas 2016ShareHere are some more photos from Christmas 2016
9. October 2017 11:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Gerringong Family trip 9. October 2017 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetDuring the October long weekend we went to Gerringong 2 hours south of Sydney.The kids loved playingShareDuring the October long weekend we went to Gerringong 2 hours south of Sydney.The kids loved playing in the sand and water.We also visited one of the few vineyards in the area.It was Chong's birthday while we were there.One morning I made a stack of pancakes - they were all eaten.On the last day we went to Minnamurra rainforest.We also went to the Kiama blowhole - but not much action.
19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Illawarra airshow 2017 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis year the airshow was on - we went there with the boys, highly recommended and will definitely fShareThis year the airshow was on - we went there with the boys, highly recommended and will definitely find time to go there next time.
19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Swimming Certificates 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetShare
19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments NRL - Sharks vs Cowboys 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetKA had some tickets for the lead-up final games for the NRL. I thought it could be fun to give the bShareKA had some tickets for the lead-up final games for the NRL. I thought it could be fun to give the boys the experience of seeing a game...especially Aiden was really into it.
19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aiden student of the week certificate 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetShare
19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Easter trip 19. September 2017 17:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetAt easter we rented a house with the family again.ShareAt easter we rented a house with the family again.
17. October 2014 17:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Water play 17. October 2014 17:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetLast weekend it was pretty warm here in Sydney and the lawn needed watering.I turned on the sprinkleShareLast weekend it was pretty warm here in Sydney and the lawn needed watering.I turned on the sprinkler and we let the boys have some water play.
16. October 2014 18:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Playing with Dragons 16. October 2014 18:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetIt is Friday, so time for a little photoshop fun.Lucas gets really scared whenever Aiden roars like ShareIt is Friday, so time for a little photoshop fun.Lucas gets really scared whenever Aiden roars like a dinosaur/dragon. When we went to the forest last weekend he again got scared and I snapped this photo and decided to insert a dragon into it.
13. October 2014 12:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Sydney Harbour panorama 13. October 2014 12:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis weekend when we went to Luna Park I took this panorama I took this panorama from the top of theShareThis weekend when we went to Luna Park I took this panorama I took this panorama from the top of the ferris wheel.It is a series of 5 photos stitched together. The large one if amazing. You can clearly see individuals at Sydney Opera house and you can tell the colour of their clothes.It was just taken handheld with my D800 and 50mm lens.
12. October 2014 12:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Sammi's birthday at Luna Park 12. October 2014 12:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis weekend we went Luna Park to celebrate Sammi's birthday.The kids (especially Aiden and Sammi) hShareThis 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 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments More from playing in the forest at Centennial Park 11. October 2014 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetLast weekend we made another excursion to Centennial. This time to a different and more open area (KShareLast 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 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Lots of oldies but goodies 9. October 2014 09:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetHere are a lot of individual photos of the kids that I haven't had a chance to post because they didShareHere 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 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Playing in the forest with the boys 8. October 2014 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetLast weekend kim was away for a girls weekend.While she was away I decided to go to the little foresShareLast 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 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Childrens Paintings 8. October 2014 09:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetAiden and Lucas are doing a lot of painting and drawing at daycare.Here is some of their better workShareAiden 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 LucasThis is 'The night owl' by Aiden (Aiden calls it 'Wave')
8. October 2014 09:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Lucas 2yo birthday 8. October 2014 09:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetHere is a couple of photos from Lucas' 2 year birthday with the family.ShareHere is a couple of photos from Lucas' 2 year birthday with the family.
5. October 2014 15:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Open day - flower girl 5. October 2014 15:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis is without a doubt my favourite photo of the day (and it was also one of the first I took).TherShareThis 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 KalashoPhoto: Rene Pallesen
22. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Symbio Wildlife Park 22. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsymbio wildlife parkShareToday we went to the Symbio Wildlife park together with some of our friends. They don't have a lot of animals in the park, but the ones they have a pretty cool and it is a good spot to get some nice animal photos (It was especially nice to see that they had polished the glass surrounding some animals). It was also really cool to have Aiden and Sammi feed some of the more friendly animals.
22. April 2012 05:44 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Luke and Alexsandra's wedding 22. April 2012 05:44 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetluke and alexandra s weddingShareToday Luke and Alexsandra was married. She is from Serbia so the wedding itself was a beautiful traditional Serbian Orthodox wedding in a small church in Alexandria. The church was very darkly lit and I was shooting using natural light trying to be as discreet as possible using my old Nikon D50 camera (still waiting for the new D800) but by some miracle I was able to capture the above photos (by setting it to my max 1600 ISO and underexpose 2 stops and then push and noise reduce in post...would have loved to have one more stop). Luke has some Scotish ancestry so ourside the church there was a guy playing the bag pipe. Afterwards the reception was in Drumoyne with about 250 guests invited. Lots of very loud Serbian music and traditional Serbian line dancing (Not sure what the correct name is).
16. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Easter show and EQ 16. April 2012 07:40 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweeteaster show and eqShareSynday we took Dylan to the Easter show at Fox Studios. We had bought him a 5 hour pass as a reward for an assignment we gave him.Dylan tried a number of rides, but I think his favourite was a dodge'm'cars.While Dylan was queueing up we had a look around at the other entertainment.
15. April 2012 07:39 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments High Tea in Royal National Park 15. April 2012 07:39 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweethigh tea in royal national parkShareToday we went to High Tea in Audley in the Royal National Park 30 minutes drive from where we live. Kim had bought a 2 for 1 deal and decided to try it.Verdict was that is wasn't anything special and even with the special deal it was a bit over priced.Afterwards we decided to go rowing up through the creek.Aiden was very keen to get to play with the water which was difficult in the rowing boat (next time we will get a Canoe).Afterwards we let him play a bit on land before heading back.
8. April 2012 06:18 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Bora Bora Island Scenery 8. April 2012 06:18 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetbora bora island sceneryShareThe island itself is a beautiful place. I took a lot of photos of the lagoon and the beauty of Bora Bora....so many that it would be too many to have in the previous Bora Bora post. With the risk of creating a post full of Blue photos...I had to separate them out to prevent the other posts from getting too big. Here they are...I will let them speak for themselves...
6. April 2012 06:19 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays 6. April 2012 06:19 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetsnorkeling with sharks and stingraysShareOne of the days at Bora Bora we went with a boat around the lagoon to go snorkeling and have lunch on one of the Motu's (Islands). Along the way we went snorkeling in spots where we also could see sharks and stingrays. Our first spot was a snorkeling spot with lots of coral and different fish. I Even saw a big fat murray eel. Kim also had a bit of a snorkel in the clear blue water even though the water was deep and there was a slight current. Aiden was facinated by the fish and wanted to join mummy in the water to say hello to the fish'ies... After this we went to a more shallow spot on the reef with lots of reef sharks. Yes, that is me in the water with 12 sharks circling around me (and no safety net in place).These sharks would come swimming towards me and then turn around within a meters reach. Click here to see a video I uploaded to Facebook with the Sharks getting close After lunch we stopped to feed the Stingrays in the lagoon. They are fairly harmless and I was feeding them dead fish. While doing so I was bitten by one of them that mistook the camera I was holding in my other hand as a fish.
5. April 2012 06:10 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Bora Bora 5. April 2012 06:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetbora boraShare Bora Bora is a beautiful island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Kim and I had promised eachother that we one day we will go there. It is about an hours flight from Tahiti and along the way you pass a number of other Polynesian islands and atolls. When we landed we were met by the stunning blue lagoon and the very characteristic mountain which is an old extinct volcano. Aiden especially was mesmerised by the view going on the boat from the airport to our hotel. On arrival we were met by traditional Tahitian music and someone blowing a seashell. And Aiden immidiately got into the mocktails. Our hotel was on the main island itself and we had a small hut facing the lagoon and had a beautiful view every morning waking up. Every morning we had breakfast overlooking the lagoon where Aiden would stuff his face with fruits, bread and youghurt. We spent a lot of time at the small beach close to the hotel just swimming in the clear water of the lagoon. The locals were out on the lagoon showing off their skills. Aiden loved the calm clear water and the beach...it was a pleasant 27-28 degrees. Every time he saw water he would point at it and shout BoBo (Water)...and insist on going swimming. One evening I did a couple of sunset portraits. Aiden again insisted on going in the water. I also went for a swim after we finished the photos, which was absolutely magical as the light was surreal and the water was absolutely calm. Across the lagoon from the hotel we had a little island (Motu) with beautiful place to go snorkeling. First I went in the water and notices a small reef shark circling around the corals...being kinda shy. I mentioned it to Kim and as soon as she also spotted it later in the day she rushed out of the water (A couple of days later she had a similar experience with a large stingray at the beach). It was hard to leave all this beauty behind
4. April 2012 04:09 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Flowers of French Polynesia 4. April 2012 04:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetflowers of french polynesiaShareI took a lot of photos of flowers...enough to warrant a separate blog entry.. If you are not a flower person then just scroll down the page past these...lots of other good stuff there. Anyhow...I will let them speak for themselves...
3. April 2012 07:08 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tahiti 3. April 2012 07:08 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweettahitiShareThis Easter we decided to go to Tahiti and Bora Bora in French Polynesia in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. We were supposed to have been going to Japan, but we decided that we instead wanted a more relaxing holiday and changed it to an Island holiday enjoying the sun, sand, water and sunsets. Tahiti is the main island of French Polynesia and is not larger than it is possible to drive around the entire island in a couple of hours (appx 120 km). On one of the days we rented a car and did just that. We could have joined a day tour, but I am not very keen on the 5min photo stop kind of tours and much prefer to be able to travel independently and take time to see what we would like to see. It is reasonably easy to find your way around the island. There really is just one road and the entire road is marked by kilometer markers and we had the distances for most of the sights we wanted to see. We didn;t go too much into the interior because of time restraints and some of these roads are only accessible by 4WD. First we stopped at one of the old Tahitian temples which was interesting After that we headed to some large caves full of freshwater (would have been convenient in the old days)...very damp and very dark. After this we tried to find the road up to a lake and supposedly large waterfall. Some of the locals were very helpful with assisting us with directions but unfortunately the road was closed. Fortunately we did find the nearby gardens which Kim wanted to visit (I will do a separate flower blog posting). We did find some waterfallson the island (and saw several from a long distance away high on the mountains). After this we headed to Point Venus where Captain Cook in 1769 supposedly saw the passing of Venus ...now this houses the only lighthouse in French Polynesia.The next passing will be 6th June this year...243 years after the previos passing (can be seen as a shadow against the sun). We decided to skip the museums as we would rather experience the outsde rather than objects behind glass. The other days we spent around the hotel and the marina, just relaxing, swimming and dining. Aiden loved spending most of the time in the pool at the hotel.
29. February 2012 09:31 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Project Setting 29. February 2012 09:31 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetproject settingShareYesterday I did another photo project. I wanted to do something different with composition.I had this idea of a guy being attacked by hand-spiders (I hate spiders) and thought that the garage would be a good location for it. I had an old T-shirt and some tomato paste to add some drama.It turned out to be a lot harder than expected as it was almost impossible to get the right composition, focus etc. when I both had to appear in the photo as well as take it (my head was cropped off on the first series which meant that I had to reposition the camera and then either re-shoot the series or try and stitch them up in post production...I chose the latter because of time constraints).I could definitely have done a better job if I didn't have to be two places at once, but I don't think it is a total disaster.
24. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Christmas Photo 2022 24. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetAs per tradition we again did a family Christmas photo this year.We were running out of time, so it ShareAs per tradition we again did a family Christmas photo this year.We were running out of time, so it was a bit rushed getting it done.We also tried to make one with a Karate theme. It is a nice photo, it just wasn't christmassy enough.
23. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Christmas Show - State Theatre 23. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetKim had booked a Christmas show in the State Theatre. It was an okay show, but as she said, it was mShareKim had booked a Christmas show in the State Theatre. It was an okay show, but as she said, it was more for the 'dads' than for the kids due to the costumes.
20. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Awards 2022 20. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetA couple of the awards received by Aiden and LucasShareA couple of the awards received by Aiden and Lucas
18. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Lucas Cooking 18. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetWe have been trying to encourage Aiden and Lucas to once in a while do the cooking. This is so that ShareWe have been trying to encourage Aiden and Lucas to once in a while do the cooking. This is so that they know how to cook when they become older and adults.Lucas is really loving it and Aiden doesn't really have the patience.
17. December 2022 18:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Karate - Black Belt 17. December 2022 18:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweet2022 was also the year where I finally got my Black belt in Karate (Sho-Dan - first belt).I had to fShare2022 was also the year where I finally got my Black belt in Karate (Sho-Dan - first belt).I had to fly up to Brisbane for the grading/exam with the head of the Australian organisation.
17. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Aidens Confirmation and Graduation from Primary school 17. December 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetThis year Aiden was in the last year of primary school (year 6). This means that this was the year oShareThis year Aiden was in the last year of primary school (year 6). This means that this was the year of his confirmation and also his graduation before he next year starts in high school.
30. November 2022 16:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Moulin Rouge 30. November 2022 16:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetKim and I went to see Moulin Rouge at the Capitol Theatre. It was a beautiful production.ShareKim and I went to see Moulin Rouge at the Capitol Theatre. It was a beautiful production.
29. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments NSW Art Gallery 29. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetOne day we made a daytrip into the city to see the NSW art gallery.ShareOne day we made a daytrip into the city to see the NSW art gallery.
12. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Denmark - Other photos 12. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetMy dads backyardCrashing after a busy dayNisse/Hvids OelMy dads houseThe house in Vaeggerloese whereShareMy dads backyardCrashing after a busy dayNisse/Hvids OelMy dads houseThe house in Vaeggerloese where I grew up.Cooking and eating Eel.Some of the old houses in Nykoebing F (probably 3-400 hundred years)Love the hotdogs Eating Pheasant (Fasan) that Bedstefar made.Bye-Bye Bedstefar - See you soon again.
12. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Denmark - Other photos 12. November 2022 17:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments TweetMy dads backyardCrashing after a busy dayNisse/Hvids OelMy dads houseThe house in Vaeggerloese whereShareMy dads backyardCrashing after a busy dayNisse/Hvids OelMy dads houseThe house in Vaeggerloese where I grew up.Cooking and eating Eel.Some of the old houses in Nykoebing F (probably 3-400 hundred years)Love the hotdogs Eating Pheasant (Fasan) that Bedstefar made.Bye-Bye Bedstefar - See you soon again.
28. December 2007 09:56 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Jervis Bay 28. December 2007 09:56 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetjervis bayShareAfter Christmas Eve we went a couple of days to Jervis Bay. Jervis Bay is about 3-4 hours drive south of Sydney and is not part of New South Wales, but belongs to ACT (Australian Capital Territory, Canberra). Hyams beach at Jervis has got a reputation of having the whitest sand in the world. The house we had rented was right on the beach so it was easy to go for a swim. Unfortunately the water was quite cold, so Kim and I instead opted for a trip to the local golf course. In the morning we went fishing and although we did catch a few fish they were all too small to keep. The most annoying was that we kept catching stingrays. Click here to download video of fishing at Jervis Bay #1 Click here to download video of fishing at Jervis Bay #2 I know that the area has got a lot of Port Jackson sharks and on the beaches we found a lot of shark eggs. In the evenings we played Mah Jong and 21. I decided to stay out of the Mah Jong game until I've got a better grasp of how it is played (some of the numbers on the bricks are in Chinese and it therefore took too long time to compute and I felt it was a disadvantage). I had a lucky night in 21 and won $20. Click here to see more photos from Jervis Bay
25. December 2007 09:47 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Christmas Eve and Day 25. December 2007 09:47 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetchristmas eve and dayShareThe Australians celebrate Christmas on the 25th December where we in Denmark celebrate it on the 24th in the evening. I still like to celebrate on the 24th and it is the day of the year where I most miss family (and the only day of the year where I miss the cold in Denmark).Most of my friends were either out of town or have kids and therefore not very mobile on this evening so this year I decided that it should just be Kim and myself.I cooked the traditional Christmas dinner with duck and ris-a-la-mande and we had a very nice evening.In the morning next day we went over to Kims family for lunch and there was a lot of people and kids there. Again this year I took on the duty of being Santa's local ambassador and hand out presents to the children...all good fun.
22. December 2007 12:28 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Climbing at Mt Keira - Wetting my pants 22. December 2007 12:28 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetclimbing at mt keira wetting my pantsShare Last weekend Andy, May and myself went climbing at Mt keira near woolongong south of Sydney. May had never really done any outdoor climbing before and Keira is a good place to go and try your first lead climb. The weather forecast didn't look promising but we decided to go there anyway as in our experience the forecasts are never very accurate here. Besides it said that there was a chance of one or two showers in the afternoon. As soon as we arrived to the cliffs in the morning we started feeling the first few drops. The rocks were still dry so we decided to put up an easy route anyway. Once we finished it was raining more steadily and the rocks started getting slippery. There was a climb in the corner that was still dry so we decided to quickly also do this. And afterwards we put up a top rope on a climb that also still was dry. Before we got onto it it was raining heavily and there was a storm with lots of lightening approaching. > Click here to download video After a couple of not very motivated (and wet) attempts on the climb I volunteered to clean up the climb. As I approached the top the water was coming down like from a waterfall and by the time I had cleaned up the anchors I was drenched (and yes...my pants were very wet). Climbing wise a really disappointing day...but we still had fun.
6. December 2007 06:01 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Tokyo - Having a whale of a time 6. December 2007 06:01 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweettokyo having a whale of a timeShareThis week I am in Tokyo for work visiting a couple of partners and also giving them some training on some of our internal solutions that they would like to sell. I love visiting Tokyo...it is like Disney land and everything is just so slightly different. Like for instance the toilets have all the buttons on the side. Yesterday I saw one with a volume control and a "flush noise" button. I couldn't help pressing it...and yes the toilet did make very realistic sounding flushing sounds. I am unsure under what circumstances the sounds can be useful...another mystery that I may be able to solve one day.In the hotel I also tried all the other buttons and it is kind of cool with all the sprinkling water (heated to body temperature), but I still haven't found the button for the 'but' dryer. Click here to see video of Tokyo Square in Shibuya We visited one of our partners customer service centre and that was like watching a movie. They had big wall-to-wall screen showing that status of all the various sites, latest news tv, weather forecasts...or anything else that could be relevant to them running their operations. The walls were liquid crystal walls and by the flick of a button they could make the whole wall transparent and the next minute they would have the latest status projected onto the walls instead...unfortunately they wouldn't allow me to take a photo. Masaru and I also went to a whale restaurant in Shibuya...we tried Whale Sashimi, Whale Tempura, Whale Skin, Whale Bacon, Whale tongue, Whale Beef and Whale soup (I only ate it for Scientific Purposes). It was all very delicious and the Whale Sashimi (raw whale meat) was definitely my favourite. For lunch today I had a really nice baby clam soup...very unusual and very nice. In general food is really nice and there are some unusual places that specialise in their small niche markets...for instance the lunch place that specialises in 'Lemon Detox lunches'. Compared to the food in Sydney this is a magnitude better. The hotel I stay at is in Shibuya which is the area in Tokyo that is very famous with all the lights and screens...it is a very hip area where all the teenagers are wearing the latest fashion and have funny hair. My room is a lot bigger than the one I stayed in last time I was in Tokyo...in this one you can actually walk around the bed and it has got all the features you would normally expect from a western hotel room. And they serve a really nice bacon for breakfast...I bet it is Danish bacon. We also took the peak hour train in the morning...man those trains are fast and they are packed so tight that it is impossible to move let alone raise your arms. Being in Tokyo also means very long working hours. People here start working around 9am in the morning and seldom leave work until after 9pm. It is still the musical chairs with meeting rooms, the deadly silence in the offices, hot working environments etc. One evening we went out with our partners...which was a big introduction to japanese customs. We went out for a late dinner after work a big group of us and when they have dinner then a lot of drinks were served. This was a chinese restaurant so we were drinking some chinese type of wine that tasted like bitter Kahlua. After dinner we went to this drinking place which was really weird (and slightly uncomfortable but interesting). They pay an entry fee of around 3000 Yen ($30 AUD) and you then get to sit down with a girl that serves you drinks and who you can have conversation with (and conversation only).You cannot choose the girl and I guess this is the modern form of the Geisha...and a cheaper way of talking about your problems at work or with your wife than visiting a psychologist.I really like visiting Tokyo...but I don't think I could live there (too controlled). It is really interesting to visit especially in a working capacity as you see all the funny differences in lifestyle, work, objects and opinions. Most of the time it is a really good laugh...like when one of the guys asked if he could take a picture of me because he told his wife that he was working with a foreigner that looks like Tom Cruise (I told him that Tom is a full head shorter then I am).We had an earthquake while I was there. The whole building started swaying from side to side...I was looking at the Japanese guys are they were calm so I thought that there was no reason to panic. Apparently it happens all the time there. Click here to see more photos from TokyoHere is some more photos from the trip.
1. December 2007 01:23 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Hunter Valley December 1. December 2007 01:23 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweethunter valley decemberShare Before my trip to Tokyo and before Christmas we decided to go to the Hunter Valley to stock up on good wines (We buy them now cheap and drink them in 5-10 years time when they would be really expensive). Hunter Valley is about 2 hours drive North of Sydney and it had got about 200 Vinyards you can visit for wine tasting and then buy the wines straight from the cellar. We went there with a couple of Kims friends and Kim and I bought a couple of cases of wine together. Everything in the Valley was nice ang green due to a lot of rain in the area lately. Click here to see more photos from Hunter Valley
21. November 2007 01:50 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Kayaking at Woy Woy 21. November 2007 01:50 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetkayaking at voy voyShareWhen Kim left Epicor she got a gift certificate to go Kayaking at Woy Woy, so this weekend we headed up there together with Mike and his wife Helen.Both Kim and I have done some kayaking before but it was a new experience for Helen. We paddled up through some of the inland waters in Brisbane Waters near Woy Woy and afterwards we stopped at the fisherman's wharf for some really nice seafood.
29. October 2007 02:57 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Berowra, Narrabeen Slabs & Australian Wildlife 29. October 2007 02:57 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetberowra narrabeen slabs australian wildlifeShareOne of the things about living in Australia is that you are exposed to a lot of creepy crawly stuff. In the urban jungle you don't really notice, but once you come a bit closer to nature then you cannot avoid seeing some of the insects etc. This is especially true when we go climbing. The last couple of weeks Andy and I have been exposed to a couple more creeps than we usually see. The last couple of weeks Andy and I have been climbing in the Sydney area. Last weekend we went up to Berowra again and had a generally pleasant day had it not been for the brown snake. On the last climb of the day we decided to try this climb that none of us had done before, but because of the protection we decided to top rope it. In the guide book the description reads: Savage Cabbage 8m 19Up thin crack then tricky moves left to main crack. Follow this (take care with pro) to new lower off. Often dirty and sometimes inhabited by a (friendly) brown snake.This was warning enough and as a safety precaution we checked the holes at the bottom of the climb and didn't see anything suspicious. He started climbing and about 2 metres up he stuck his had into one of the pockets. He then decided to take a peek to see if there was anything in there and very quickly pulled his stand out shouting "Fu...a snake". Fortunately he hadn't been bitten or I would have had to call him a helicopter....again. Wikipedia says the following about the snake:Brown snakes are easily alarmed and may bite if approached closely, handled or threatened. The Eastern brown snake is the most toxic member of the genus and is the second most toxic land snake in the world. I don't think we'll be jumping onto that climb anytime soon. This weekend we decided instead to go to Narrabeen slaps as we hadn't been there for a while and it is easily accessible (15 minutes drive from home). It is a nice selection of semi difficult slabs along the Wakehurst parkway (almost rain forest). Generally when climbing in Sydney you see many webs from the funnel webs and I also saw at least one at Narrabeen. And, when we go to other climbing areas then there are always multiple holes in the rocks where you can see the funnel shaped webs. I happen to hate spiders and always fear that I will poke my fingers into a funnel web. I have only seen a live (I think) funnel web once and that was in Nowra on the bottom of a pond of water (people generally check their swimming pools for funnel webs before swimming as they can stay below the surface for ages), I saw a tiny scorpion on the floor of the cooking area in Nowra on the same trip. Wikipedia says:Although they are rather small, they should not be handled without taking substantial precautions, because their fangs have been known to penetrate fingernails and soft shoes, resulting in dangerous bites. Funnel-webs are probably one of the three most dangerous spiders in the world and are regarded by some to be the most dangerous. While Andy was belaying me he saw a redback spider crawl across the rope back and squashed it under his feet. He told me he had to stomp on it several times before it died. Wikipedia says:The redback spider is a potentially dangerous spider native to Australia. It resembles a Black widow spider. Redbacks, along with funnel-web spiders, are the most dangerous spiders in Australia. Most Australians dislike the redback spider, thanks in part to the frequency with which it is encountered in the environs of human habitations. Also, the crag is generally infested with mosquitoes, ticks and on this day we also had the pleasure of a big fat Tiger Leech which had had a feast on Andy's big toe so it started bleeding heavily as we left the crag (but the leech lived to see another day). We saw it earlier on Andy's sandals but flicked it off...only later did we discover that it had been sucking blood from him.
16. October 2007 10:21 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Brampton Island 2007 16. October 2007 10:21 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetbrampton island 2007ShareKim finished her job at Epicor this Monday and we therefore decided to go somewhere for an extended weekend before she starts any new adventures. Our first choice was to to go Samoa, but because of school holidays the hotels and flights were booked the days we wanted to go. Instead we settled on going to Brampton Island in the Whitsundays about 2000km North of Sydney. It was a long flight up there, first to Brisbane, then on to Mackay and from there continue with a small light aircraft to Brampton Island itself. Here is a photo of the island from the aircraft. Click here to see a video of Brampton Island from the aircraft. The island is beautiful and there is only one resort on the island accomodating a maximum of 200 guests. Because of all the flights to get there it means that it is a perfect couples destination as there were no kids making noise there (according to Kenneth kids families won't go unless it is a direct flight). The Island has got a number of really nice remote beaches that are empty and where one can get up to all sorts of mischief. There is also a small 6 hole par 3 golf course as well as archery range, spa and a couple of different pools etc. Our intention for the weekend wasn't really to be very active, but really to just relax and have a nice time together. On the first day we walked around the whole island (8km) and went for a swim along the way at a beach on the other side of the island that we had all to ourselves. We managed to get a bit of a sunburn both of us so the next day we stayed in the shade. On one of the other days we got a picnic pamper and found another beach where we could relax, swim and enjoy ourselves without anyone else around. The water was crystal clear and we could see fish and stingrays swimming around in it and although we had bought our snorkeling gear we never got around to using it.Here is a photo of Kim on the beach. And...click here to see a video of Kim in the water. Both of us had a very memorable time on the beaches.Most of the other guests were just spending their time in the resort itself and when it was too hot to go anywhere we also spent the time in the resort relaxing in the shade sipping cocktails. The only thing that was a bit disappointing was that the resort had all these nice catamarans and sailboards that were free to use, but because of lack of experience of the people working on the resort they wouldn't let anyone sail them if there was any wind whatsoever (really...what's the point!?!?). In the evening there was various forms of entertainment. Especially this one man band was really good, but most of the other entertainment was pretty average as the staff to be honest had little to no clue whatsoever. Click here to see more photos from Brampton Island
17. September 2007 10:17 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Fish Market & The Coast Colf Club 17. September 2007 10:17 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetfish market the coast colf clubShareThis Sunday we went to the fish market in Sydney with one of Kims colleagues from Singapore (who also happens to be Danish) and his Singaporean girlfriend for Lunch. The Seafood at the fish market is very fresh and nice. You can go to all these small seafood stalls and buy various seafood such as various types of Sashimi, Sushi, Lobster, Abalone, Scallops, Calamari and Balmain bugs. Kim and I shared a large seafood basket with different types of seafood as well as a small box of Sashimi. Afterwards we took Michael to The Coast Golf Club while Caroline went to do some retail therapy in Paddington. We only played 8 holes as we had to leave at 5pm to be at Kims sister at 6pm for her youngest sisters birthday.I took a really cool and funny video of Kim almost making par on one of the holes. Click here to download the video of Kim
10. September 2007 05:48 by Rene Pallesen 0 Comments Holland September 2007 10. September 2007 05:48 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments Tweetholland september 2007Share In early September I again went a week to Holland. The purpose of the trip this time was a combination of team building, create common processes and training. The company is working on getting everyone ECM (Electronic Content Management) certified. Since I just got back from Holland a couple of months ago I decided to just quickly fly in Sunday afternoon and then return Saturday morning. I really don't like flying through London Heathrow airport. They always loose my luggage there and every time it takes 1-3 days before it eventually arrives. My flight was delayed so as I expected I missed my flight to Amsterdam. I asked them to book me onto the next available flight where my luggage also would have a chance to make it.When the flight boarded I checked with the staff to make sure that my luggage had made it...it hadn't :-(As I had plenty of time I decided it would be better for me to de-board the flight and then try and catch the next flight hoping that my luggage then would make it...which I then confirmed it did when I boarded. Heathrow is the only airport in the world where I consistently have this problem. They need at least 3 hours between the flight to have a chance of transferring the luggage. Next time I'll check what options I have to fly through Frankfurt instead. Click here to see more photos from: Holland