Wednesday, October 30, 2013

THE HAEPARANG TRAIL

Karen Tan (seen here holding a smart phone) invited my wife and I to join her and a group of friends for a hiking trip to South Korera.  We began our little adventure as soon as we landed in Incheon on 18th Oct 2013.  This picture was taken en route towards Yeongdeok during our hot-plate dinner. 

It was the beginning of snow crab season.  Thus, n
o prize for guessing the main dish for our breakfast the next morning.

Here's the real deal - stretching along the east coast of the Korea peninsula, the Haeparang Trail offers a wonderful walking experience.

There are many photo opportunities along the trail. 


As one would have noticed, I also took the opportunity to practise taking selfies.

Justin Man is funny and he often served as my selfie practice target.

Our niece, Samantha Tan (3rd from left), was the 'baby' of the group while Dr Chin (age 72, with pink scarf) played the fatherly role.


The trail a.k.a. the Blue Road (blueroad.yd.go.kr) has many courses: from sandy beaches and gravel tracks to paved paths and boardwalks. These courses are pitched at various levels of difficulty. We even walked along the road on certain intersections.

On 21st Oct, we drove up north to Seoraksan to continue our hiking experience.  It was colder there but we were timely to witness the changing colours of the leaves.


During the hiking days, we stayed in the peaceful countryside among the local folks. One morning, I was woken by the march of the military troops outside our pension - a reminder that we were rather close to DMZ! 

Overall, it was a great hiking experience for Irene and myself. We thank Karen Tan and her 'kakis' for accommodating us during the trip.  And we sincerely look forward to the next outing with our new friends.  

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Monday, September 9, 2013

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Friday, September 6, 2013

Friday, August 2, 2013

ORIENT STAR FHAB001D (WZ0081FH)

The unique design of this watch has caught my attention for quite a while, thus I decided to have one for myself when Orient announced the discontinuation of this model.  My close friend Paul Lincoln decided to have one too.  Its design is actually inspired by old-school automobile styling.



Paul is so pleased with the watch that he took a step further to trace its source of inspiration.
1.       Watch case design inspired by side profile of Fiat 500 Classic - Small top on wide bottom divided by the continuous shoulder line.

2.       Watch Lugs design inspired by rear view of Jaguar XJS – Wedge-shape C-pillar (a.k.a. flying buttress) with recessed rear windscreen.

3.       Second hand sub-dial speedometer of VW Beetle – Simple round dial, clear numbers with a pointed hand.

4.       Display for open-heart movement inspired by Nardi Steering of Porsche 911 – Three-spoke with simple center boss.

5.       Watch Band design inspired by the seat of original Mini – Upholstered with horizontal rolls a.k.a. ‘tuck and roll’

Sunday, July 21, 2013

BIG Five-OH!

Earlier this week, Orient dealer Johnny Teo led a steady stream of well-wishers to remind me that I have reached an important milestone of my life.  His daughter Sheryl baked a butter cake while Mrs Teo personally delivered these home made longevity rice-cakes to me. 

Anthony and Kim made me feel 'Rich and Good'.

William and Shuen filled me with lots of 'hot air'.

Celebrating with friends, colleagues and William Chung (born 22nd July 1963) on Saturday with cake provided by Yang Rong.

Spending quality time on Sunday with family, siblings and feeling young with these youthful people.

Ex-colleague Sherwyn ensures that I would stay healthy by giving me this floral hamper packed with energy-boosting goodies.

I am thankful for joy and happiness that life has given me. Most importantly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for sharing this special moment with me.