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19. September 2017 15:09
by Rene Pallesen
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Aiden starting Year 1

19. September 2017 15:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden is now in Year 1 at school. This photo is from his first day back at school.

19. September 2017 15:09
by Rene Pallesen
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Aidens missing teeth

19. September 2017 15:09 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden lost his front teeth.

19. March 2017 16:03
by Rene Pallesen
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Zimbabwe - being chased by Leopards

19. March 2017 16:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I just completed this photo of the boys about to be eaten by a leopard in the dark jungle.

At the airport in Victoria Falls they had these awesome stuffed animals that I though could be fun for some composite work.

Trying to get the boys to act scared rather than just being silly was a different matter.

Here are some more photos of the animals.

8. March 2017 14:03
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa and Zimbabwe - Travelling with the boys

8. March 2017 14:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Traveling with the two boys can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, but this time it actually went very will. They behaved well on the flights watching movies, playing, drawing and looking out the windows.

They were even lucky enough to be invited into the cockpit while at the terminal and were allowed to press the big red button on the flight stick (transfers the flight control).

During the trip the boys were sleeping in the same bed (and sometimes in the same room as us), and they were usually so tired after a days of activities that they would sleep rather than muck around.

The accommodation was a combination hotels, lodges, cottages and apartment. (useful to have two toilets sometimes).

They also loved seeing large beetles and grasshoppers - but refused to touch them.

Some of their highlights were the unusual playgrounds they got to play in and the large lollipops at the airport.

And some of my highlights were the local toys such as the cars/tractors made from wires and the homemade slingshots.

3. March 2017 22:03
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - West Coast National Park

3. March 2017 22:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The West Coast National Park north of Cape Town is something special. During the spring all the South Africans go there to see the spring flowers, but it is equally beautiful other times of the year with its remote beaches and azure blue water inside the lagoon.

It was a beautiful spot to have Kim do a bit of modelling.

The boys absolutely loved playing in the water.

Even though it is a long drive (on easy roads) there were some interesting creatures along the way.

Such as Eland

And lots of Ostrich.

And lots of scenit spots in the small villages along the Atlantic coast.

2. March 2017 13:03
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Cape Town

2. March 2017 13:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Cape town is a nice place and fairly small by Sydney standards. Although very modern it still has an African feel to it.

It is possible to walk through the city and get a pretty good overview of most things in a single day.

In the centre of the city is the Company Gardens which is where the Dutch East India Company used to grow supplies for their ships. This is now a big park full surrounded by old buildings, souvenir stalls and full of squirrels.

On the squares there are people entertaining with dance, music and entertainers everywhere.

At the waterfront it is full a bustling environment of museums and restaurants.

2. March 2017 13:03
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Hout Bay

2. March 2017 13:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Hout Bay is just south of Cape Town - Besides from being a nice little fishing village it is also famous for its boat tours out to Seal Island. This is an island with a large colony of predominantly male seals.

From the harbour it is a short 45 minute round trip out to see the seals.

Back at the harbour there was one of the locals who had managed to train one of the wild seals to come and get food from him. It would jump out of the water and grab the food from his hand or from his mouth.

It was also tame enough for the boys to touch.

2. March 2017 08:03
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Wine lands

2. March 2017 08:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

We spent a day driving out through the wine lands around Cape Town, namely Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

As everywhere else it is a beautiful area surrounded by mountain ranges.

Kim had been recommended a nice restaurant in Franschhoek, but when we got there it was fully booked (or invitation only - not sure), so we ended up at an equally nice french restaurant down the road.

The vineyards there are massive compared to Australia - they are proper estates on massive lands.

One of the estates had this nice McLaran parked outside.

We didn't do much tasting though - the way they do it (you order a sit down wine tasting or a wine package for a fee) didn't really fit with me driving and traveling with kids.

The Boys were as usual more interested in playing.

1. March 2017 20:03
by Rene Pallesen
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South Africa - Cheetah Outreach

1. March 2017 20:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

One morning we went to the Cheetah Outreach centre outside Cape Town.

Here they train dogs to keep wild cats away from cattle and sheep so that these don't get eaten. The idea is that if the farmers keep dogs to keep their animals safe then they don't have to set traps to kill the wild cats. Interesting idea, but I would think that it would take a lot of dogs, and the farmers would probably still shoot or trap the wild cats anyhow.

The centre also keeps some cheetahs that visitors are allowed to pat (for a fee).

1. March 2017 20:03
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South Africa - Cape Peninsula

1. March 2017 20:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The Cape Peninsula is a beautiful area with nice views and little isolated beaches where ever you look. We spent a whole day exploring along the coast...breathtaking.

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29. February 2012 07:51
by Rene Pallesen
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Aiden Walking

29. February 2012 07:51 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

It is the 29th February and the last day of the bet I had with Kim....and believe it or not, but Aiden started walking by himself today.

We are very proud of him and I am double proud of him as he delivered the goods just in the nick of time...one day later and I would have been cleaning the house (lucky that this year is a leap year)!

19. February 2012 09:25
by Rene Pallesen
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Aiden Standing by himself

19. February 2012 09:25 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Aiden is now able to stand up by himself.

He is now 20 months and should have been walking ages ago, so he is a bit behind on that front. Hopefully I can get him to take one step before the end of next week...I have a bet with Kim going whether he will walk before the end of February.

5. February 2012 08:57
by Rene Pallesen
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Centennial Park - Feb 2012

5. February 2012 08:57 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Today we went to Centennial Park to take some family photos. I had been complaining that I didn't have enough (good) photos of myself and Aiden so Kim offered to take some.

We found a nice spot in the park and managed to take a couple of shots before my camera ran out of battery...and unfortunately I had forgotten my spare at home.

Kim just came back from a business trip to Singapore a couple of days ago and it is really nice to have her back. I missed her but I am not sure Aiden missed her as much as he is such a daddys boy. When she was back he just turned away and would rather stay with me.

Also the little tiger is now 20 months and he is still not walking...what is going on?

29. January 2012 07:38
by Rene Pallesen
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Ronan Keating Concert

29. January 2012 07:38 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Last night Kim and I went to the Ronan Keating concert in State Theatre in Sydney.

Kim is a long time fan of Ronan and really wanted to see him live. I am to be honest not really familiar with his music but had a good evening nonetheless.

The warming up band was Sharon Corr (from The Corrs) and I really enjoyed her both playing and singing...she is pretty talented on the violin.

29. December 2011 10:24
by Rene Pallesen
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Tomakin 2011 - Fishing

29. December 2011 10:24 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Chong brought his Tinny (Australian slang for boat) to Tomakin and every morning the guys went out fishing for a few hours (I only went out one morning because 1. I had to look after Aiden and 2. I am not a morning person).

We caught lots of fish, but none of them were worth keeping as they were too small.

Just as well we didn't keep any, because on one of the days the fishing inspection gave us a visit.

In fact the only thing we caught that was above the size limit was this blue swimmer crab (and he was allowed to live another day).

We also had a visit from two massive sting rays (about 1 meter in diameter).

28. December 2011 10:23
by Rene Pallesen
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Tomakin 2011 - Table Tennis

28. December 2011 10:23 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The house we stayed at had a table tennis table in the garage. We had enough people to form three double teams and we spent quite a few hours playing each other.

Kims dad is 78 years old and is still going strong...he loves playing games.

27. December 2011 10:12
by Rene Pallesen
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Tomakin 2011 - Evening Photos

27. December 2011 10:12 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

On the last couple of evenings we went to the beach to do some nice sunset photos. Tomaking is very onique in that it has some beaches that are facing west so you can use the nice light in the evening.

We did some family photos (some of which are on the previous blog post) as well as some of just Kim, Aiden and I. Kim still looks as beautiful as the day I met her.

I also did a rush job taking some long exposure shots of the ocean and the cliffs (not sure if I like the post processing...may have to come back to it some other day).

26. December 2011 09:59
by Rene Pallesen
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Tomakin 2011

26. December 2011 09:59 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This years christmas family trip went to Tomakin on the NSW south coast (about 5 hours drive south of Sydney).

We rented a house with four bedrooms (for 9 adults and 5 kids) very close to the beach and fishing in the river. Fun with this large a group of people.

As usual we spent some time at the beach and I was showing Aiden how to build sand castles again.

He is still not walking so we had to hold his hands walking on the beach and in the water.

Right next to the house there was a nice litte organic coffee shop serving really good coffee and scones.

One morning we went to Mogo to have a look at the shops. There was a lot of art and crafts shop that Kim was interested in. The town had very conveniently created facilities for husbands as well.

25. December 2011 09:46
by Rene Pallesen
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Christmas Day 2011 - Bondi

25. December 2011 09:46 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Christmas day we spent at Bondi Beach with Sacha and Mavis and their daughter. We met up at the kids pool at the end of the beach to let our kids have a splash in the water.

Aiden couldn't get enough of walking around in the water with myself and Kim holding his hands (he still can't walk by himself), he is very fond of water.

Sammi, Sacha and Mavis' daughter was wearing a flotation suit which was causing her a few problems as this photo series testifies.

24. December 2011 09:35
by Rene Pallesen
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Christmas Eve 2011

24. December 2011 09:35 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Christmas Eve this year was celebrated with Kims family. Normally we do this on the 25th like all other Australians, but this year we decided to do it the day before like in Denmark to avoid a lot of leftover food before going down south on out family trip to Tomakin.

Later in the day Santa Claus arrived to hand out presents for the kids.

For the lunch I roasted two ducks and Kim baked a chocolate ganache and made a salad.

Aiden was very excited and played with all Ethand and Kaylas toys.

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2. April 2019 13:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Onsen Osaka

2. April 2019 13:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

While in Japan we had to try a traditional Japanese bathhouse. We found a small one in the suburbs of Osaka that had good reviews and was also suited for the boys.

As most of the bath houses men and women are in different sections, so I took the boys with me which was a fun experience for them.

The bath house had a section that was full of yellow rubber ducks, and the boys spent a fair amount of time playing with them.

It also had a lot of other pools that varied from really hot to freezing cold pools as well a various mineral baths with water pumped up from deep underground.

It is difficult to describe the feeling, but both Kim and I felt amazing afterwards. No photos allowed inside, so the outside and the poster at the local trans station will have to do.

2. April 2019 13:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Universal Studios Osaka

2. April 2019 13:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

In Osaka we went to the Universal Studios theme park. It was just before Halloween, so everywhere in the park people were dressed up in 'scary' costumes.

After dark the park put on the most amazing zombie show with hundreds of actors and dancers dressed up as zombies - No One celebrates Halloween like the Japanese - amazing!!!!

1. April 2019 20:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Nara

1. April 2019 20:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Nara is an area a couple of hours outside Kyoto that is full of temples and deer roaming the streets.

It has a massive temple with one of the pillars with a hole in it. Apparently if you can squeeze through then you are enlightened.

The deers are good fun although Kim and and boys took a while to get used to them.

1. April 2019 18:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Nijo-jo Castle Kyoto

1. April 2019 18:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

This castle is close to the centre of the city. It is quite big and lit up at night. Out hotel was just around the corner so we passed it almost every day.

We didn't go inside it as there were too many other things to see.

1. April 2019 18:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Other Kyoto temples

1. April 2019 18:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

There are lots of temples in Kyoto. This is mainly because the city wasn't bombed during the second world war.

For historical reasons they are mostly outside the city centre in the hills - apparently they were banned from the city centre long time ago due to the monks growing influence.

1. April 2019 13:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) Kyoto

1. April 2019 13:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The golden pavillion in Kyoto is one of the most iconic sights in Kyoto. It is a small zen temple surrounded by a beautifully manicured landscape.

It is however very touristy with large tour buses and large crowds, but still worth the visit.

1. April 2019 09:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Asiyama at Kyoto

1. April 2019 09:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Asiyama is on the outskirts of Kyoto and this is where people go to see the Bamboo forest but there is also lots of other things to see in the area such as monkeys and more traditional sights such as temples.

The bamboo forest itself is very crowded and the foot paths are fenced in and to be honest there are so many bamboo forests in Japan in the land districts that it is hard to see why this particular forest is so special.

It is lovely to see people in traditional kimono's being transported in rickshaws.

From the place where there are monkeys, there is also a view of all of Kyoto.

1. April 2019 09:10
by Rene Pallesen
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Japan - Gion District in Kyoto

1. April 2019 09:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

The Gion district in Kyoto is the traditional Geisha district and one of the very few places in Japan where it is still possible to spot Geishas and see them perform.

It is a lovely little district with all its narrow lanes and old traditional wooden buildings.

We went there a late afternoon and were lucky enough to see a couple of Geishas heading out to perform.

Later in the evening we went to a performance where they both had Geishas perform as well as some traditional Japanese theatre, comedy and tea ceremony.

28. March 2019 13:03
by Rene Pallesen
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Kanasawa Castle - Japan

28. March 2019 13:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

28. March 2019 13:03
by Rene Pallesen
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Kanasawa Geisha District - Japan

28. March 2019 13:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Perfect Moments Photography | A Rene Pallesen Journal

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27. March 2002 11:14
by Rene Pallesen
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Whale Watching

27. March 2002 11:14 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

We went with Donna and Sandra up to Port Stephens to go Whale watching.

It was a great day (very cold) and we saw lots of whales.

Click here to see more photos from: Whale Watching/Slideshow

27. March 2002 11:03
by Rene Pallesen
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Climbing in New Zealand

27. March 2002 11:03 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

I went climbing with Andy in New Zealand. We flew onto the glacier at Pioneer hut with a skiplane.

We attempted a couple of peaks in the area but were mainly unsuccessful due to sloshy conditions and late starts. Andy eventually insisted going down after taking a bit of a slide after taking a bit of a slide. We did however get a little bit of climbing done.

Click here to see more photos from: Climbing in New Zealand/Slideshow

16. September 2001 11:10
by Rene Pallesen
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My Friends in Denmark . . .

16. September 2001 11:10 by Rene Pallesen | 0 Comments

Believe it or not, I still have quite a few friends in Denmark. I would like to put photos of all of them here - unfortunately I do not have photos of all of them. If you are one of my friends and your photo is not on this page then please do not despair - I still consider you a friend, and maybe, the next time I go to Denmark, I shall have photos of you all!

Kenneth in kitchen

Here is one of my best friends in Denmark. This photo was taken quite a while ago, before I came to Australia.

Kenneth is now living here in Sydney, on the beautiful Manly beach - only about a half hour away from me. Kenneth came to stay with me a few months ago. He was trying out a new job, and actually came back! He is going to give Australia a go, to see if he likes it like I do. No more biting winters, lots of warmth and sunshine, beautiful mountains and bush to explore... and I think he has discovered, there are lots of friends to make - especially the pretty fun-going ones with two legs and a skirt! *smile*

He is actually a pretty good cook. Whist he stayed in my apartment for a couple of months, he cooked pot roast with gorgonzola sauce, and also gave a wonderful 3-course dinner for a small group of friends here. About two years after I arrived in Australia, I returned to Denmark for a visit. On the day I arrived in Denmark, he threw together a party for me!

Ester

Here is Ester, another one of my friends.

She is a fashion designer and paints some wonderful paintings.

Me!

Naturally at parties, there was quite a large amount of beer being consumed (how can you not?? - not possible to have a party otherwise in Denmark.

It was nice to taste one of the annual Christmas beers from Tuborg.
Created: Jan 2000 Last Updated: 16 Sept 2001

28. July 2001 11:11
by Rene Pallesen
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Photo Gallery

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

Photo Gallery

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

Schwedagon
Big Stuba at night

Mandalay
Mandalay facing east

Marionet
Puppet Show 1

Volleyball

Created: 3 Nov 2001

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

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

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

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


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

28. July 2001 10:51
by Rene Pallesen
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Monkeys . . .

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

There were quite a lot of monkeys at Mt Popa.

Mother & Baby Monkey

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

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

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

Monkey 1

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

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

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

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

It was amazing to see how flexible these guys were.

Volleyball Player Photo 2

28. July 2001 10:50
by Rene Pallesen
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Mt Popa . . .

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

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

When I was there, it was a cloudy day.

Woman selling petrified wood at Mt Popa

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

Road sign

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

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

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

Example of petrified wood

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

Toilet in Burma

Actually what I found interesting were the toilets in Burma.

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

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

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

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

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

Very clever and environmental system, I think!

Me at Mt Popa

Trying to grab a snooze... *smile*

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

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

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

28. July 2001 10:49
by Rene Pallesen
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Puppet Show . . .

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

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

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

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

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

28. July 2001 10:49
by Rene Pallesen
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Burma Up North . . .

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

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

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

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

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

Working in the rice fields

Locals working in the rice fields.

Locals using water-buffaloes to plough rice fields.

Jrrawaddy River

The train travelled along the Jrrawaddy River.

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

People living on lake

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

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

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

Most of the houses are made of wood.

Myitkyina in rain

Myitkyinã is pretty dismal in rain!

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

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

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