Moving House

THE PHOTO PILE has now transferred to a new home. It's been fun posting on Blogger but I decided to make this baby part of my newly-refurbished webpage. From now on, please go to
http://apps.skylightimages.info/blog/ to see more of THE PHOTO PILE.

Thank you!

Skylight Images Reloaded

Finally.. after several years, my website has a new look!



Please check it out at:

http://www.skylightimages.info/

Please send me a message with any comments/broken links/violent reactions you might have :)

Incidentally, I am transferring this blog over to my website, so this will probably be my last entry here from now on, kindly log on to
http://apps.skylightimages.info/blog/

Stick it to me baby...

An Indian devotee prepares to have his tongue ritually pierced during last year's Thaipusam festival, held on the streets of Singapore:



The white stuff on the hands and face is ash, which is supposed to cleanse the resulting wound.

"A Last Look" Reloaded

"Nayong Pilipino: A Last Look" is the name of the first ever photography exhibit that I did, way back in 2001:



It was supposed to be a last look at Nayong Pilipino before it was gonna be torn down to make way for the NAIA terminal 3. It was to be moved to Quezon City, they said. Eight years later what's left of it still stands on its old location near the airport - now there's the new terminal beside it.

I think you can still take as many "last looks" as you want :)

A Last Look

SOUTH OF EAST ends on Monday, 9 February 2009. If you still haven't gone down to see it, please drop by the Royal Plaza on Scotts Hotel (Scotts Road, very near the DFS Singapore mall). That's six years worth of traveling up and down South and Southeast Asia :)



More information about SOUTH OF EAST can be found at http://www.artsentralasia.com/index.html

Stack This

How many plates can you stack on one arm?



The waiter of this Padang restaurant in Trowulan can carry twelve. That's nothing special for any masakan padang restaurant in Indonesia, where a full meal can easily take up to 24 plates on one table.

Java Stuff

Java Coffee:

Cappucino at Java Dancer, Malang.


Java Rice:

Farmers at the East Java countryside.


Java Man:

Photographer Buce Buwantoro tries out my spanking new sheesha pipe!

Remnants

... of the Hindu empire that once held sway over most of Java before they were overran by the Muslims:



Candi Jago, near the village of Tumpang, is one of the many Hindu temple ruins that dot the landscape of East Java.

Believe it or not, the descendants of this empire are still around. After the Majapahit kingdom was pushed out of Java, the survivors made their way east, to the island of Bali. Now you know why the Balinese aren't muslims like the rest of Indonesia :)

New Year Requirements

Folks in the Chinese-speaking world make a beeline for the major temples to pray for health, wealth and prosperity in this newly-minted year:





The crowd at Singapore's Kwan Im temple was so thick it had to be regulated by rent-a-cops.

Some folks here say the fact that my birthday falls on CNY 09 is a lucky thing. Well I'm not Chinese so this doesn't apply to me at all :P

Aaaah... Boraaaaah...

Finally, after almost 4 years...



I made it back to Bora!

Between my last visit in 2005 to now, there's been quite a few changes. The old boat stations 1-3 exist only in name now, and cars are already allowed inside the island. There 's also a concrete road running parallel to White Beach now, and Club Bazzura - poor Club Bazzura - has since gone.

Been around some of Asia's best beaches, though, and I tell you - still nothing beats Boracay :)

We Interrupt this Blog To Bring You a Special Announcement:

VIVA SANTO NINO!!!!!




It's the month of the Christ Child once again, and its party time throughout the Philippine islands :)



HALA BIRA!!! PWERA PASMA!!!! VIVA SANTO NINO!!!!

In Invitation:

SOUTH OF EAST: The Travel Photography of Lester V. Ledesma

Multi-awarded travel photojournalist Lester V. Ledesma presents timeless glimpses of Asia in this stunning collection of limited edition photographs at the Art Space of the Royal Plaza on Scotts in Singapore.

The exhibit entitled South of East: The Travel Photography of Lester Ledesma will be presented at the prestigious Art Space from January 15 to February 9, 2009.

The photographs taken over a span of five years, through Ledesma's countless journeys to South and Southeast Asia is a testament to both the natural beauty and cultural heritage of this region we call home.

Photos were taken in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam and Taiwan.



Ledesma is the 2002 ASEANTA Awardee for Excellence in Travel Photography, the 2005 ATTA Silver Medalist for Travel Photography, and the 2006 PATA Gold Awardee for Travel Photography. His work has been showcased in prestigious international photography expos such Chobi Mela Festival of Light in Bangladesh, Photoworld International in Manila, and the Singapore International Photography Festival.

South of East is organized by Art Sentral Asia in cooperation with PSA International, Unilever, and GoodNewsPilipinas.com. For more information and a preview of the photographs log-on to http://www.ArtSentralAsia.com/, or email artsentralasia@yahoo.com

The First Sunrise of 2009

...was hidden behind thick clouds. Here's the classic view of Angkor Wat from the southern moat.



This shot is so common it's been taken by everyone. But the view is so beautiful that everyone must take it :)

What Would You Do If...

You are a Buddhist monk walking along the shore in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, and you come across a sea monster on the sand. What would you do? What would you do????



You have a picture taken with it, of course!!!!