dear music

maybe this is true in America, but wonder if it's the same for spore...

" Mars is going to be a second moon of earth for a day.

NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN.

The Red Planet (MARS) is about to be spectacular!
Earth is catching up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again.
The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. By August 27, Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August it will rise in the east at 10p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m. by the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30a.m.

That's pretty convenient to see something that no human being has seen in recorded history. So, mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month. Share this with your family, friends, children and grandchildren. "

have made use of the national holiday to do my 2nd painting. finally put the image in my mind onto paper. it s inspired by laura veirs' song called 'snow camping', a track in her 'carbon glacier' album:


distant star

i saw the violet turn to night
i saw the water turn to ice
a thousand snowflakes hovered around me
the world aglow

i heard a distant songbird singing
a song the words i used to know
and as the melody went ringing
i felt my bones on the rocks below
the weighted trees of my only home

with brother sleeping right beside me
the blankets pulled up to his chin
the makeshift snow cave settled slightly
but held us in and sheltered us
like mom and dad, they always helped us...

first painting: http://tanchingyee.blogspot.com/2005_02_01_tanchingyee_archive.html Feb12 entry:'first time trying acrylic painting

it appeared on the shelves of borders 2 months ago. or maybe i took notice of the squarish book only then. it is a music magazine made up entirely of interviews and reviews. no gossips, tabloids, flashy advertisements. and it does comes with a smile - a compilation cd with tracks by artistes which are usually previously unreleased. good selection of artistes featured. now i ve discovered its website!

there is a cosmopolitan, Manhattan-feel kinda shop-cum-cafe near Sixth Avenue Bt Timah called Corduroy and Finch.
they serve very decent food, in small servings (compared to usual american fare) but definitely worth it on the tastebud.
personally i like the platter, oooh-aahh. small bits of food makes you pay more attention to each of them.
there is a loft upstairs, with a more relaxed setting.
aircon pretty cold though.
reservation is a must. i waited one and a half hours.

menu includes:
hungarian goulash $15
tenderloin $22
bavarian pot(german pork dish) $18
sirloin burger $18
breakfast items

where:
779 Bt Timah Rd 5 1/4 miles
64638038
8am-10pm

tried out the F2.8 Tamron macro lens. now i know why food can look so good in magazines. lens, lighting and a good crop make all the difference.

dream destination

esplanade

hotel intercontinental

fireworks lomo moments