I would want to plug a song, titled Beautiful Word by Utada Hikaru (宇多田 ヒカル), before I start writing. It is also the official song for the film Rebuild of Evangelion 1.0, in case you’re wondering. I love the song because despite of the cheerful title, the lyrics of the song is rather sad and dark. It is used in the second official movie trailer for Rebuild of Evangelion 1.0, and since this is the case, no plans are made for an MTV of the song, which didn’t seem to go down very well with some of Hikki’s fan. The song is pretty huge though - 5.05mb, but it’s more than five minutes long. Play and them pause the song to allow it to buffer.
Anyway, I had lunch with my mom at Sushi King (a Japanese restaurant) yesterday, and I am so grateful that they’ve plugged this song in! 
my first reaction was, OMG, are they serious? Since the song is heavily related to anime, I initially thought that they won’t possibly be playing this song. And they did! No bull!
Title: Beautiful Word (in the album Beautiful World / Kiss & Cry)
Artist: Utada Hikaru (宇多田 ヒカル)
The lyrics to the song is available here (alongside with its English translation), but you’ll need to scroll down a little to the bottom of the page. Here are a few of my favourite lines:
言いたいことなんか無い
iitai koto nanka nai
I really have nothing I want to say to you,ただもう一度会いたい
tada mou ichido aitai
But I still want to see you one more time.言いたいこと言えない
iitai koto ienai
The things that I want to say – I cannot say.根性無しかもしれない
konjou nashi ka mo shirenai
Perhaps I am a coward,それでいいけど
sore de ii kedo
But it’s alright.
Back to the post, the reason why Beautiful World is selected as the title is not only because I’ve got a lovely song to plug, but also because I’ve got a couple of random photos to share, all depicting that we’re actually living in a beautiful world - you just need to be a little more adventurous, observant and appreciative to realise that.
Photos are shot using my faithful ol’ P&S, consumer-grade Pentax Optio S55 digital camera. Photos are modified for colour balance, saturation, contrast and exposure (with a certain degree of artificially widened dynamic range) using Photoshop CS2. Click on the images to view the larger ones in a lightbox. Photos in this post comes with their respective metadata as well as geolocation information (geographical coordinates are found using this neat webpage, and geotagging is part of my experiment with microformats).
Cityscape Silhouette
Taken on: 2nd of May 2008, 7:07pm
I rode to an adjacent neighbourhood one evening and discovered that there’s a huge lake tucked behind three colossus condiminium blocks. I’ve never found it even though I’ve been living a mere 3km away for 17 years!
The evening sun is directly behind the office blocks and so the camera is shielded from sun’s glare (to make sure that the sky is properly exposed). I’ve positioned the horizon exaclty at the dead middle because I was lazy to do cropping during post-shooting modifications.
EXIF data:
- Focal lengh: 6mm
- F-number: F/4.3
- Exposure time: 1/500 sec
- ISO speed: ISO-50
- Metering Mode: Pattern
- Geolocation: 3.079259, 101.601198
Bridge Silhouette
Taken on: 1st of May 2008, 5:56pm
On Labour’s Day, we went shopping to kill time and then headed home for dinner. As dad drove along the Federal Highway, a toll-free expressway that connects the suburb we live in with the downtown area, I noticed the late afternoon sun hidden behind a layer of clouds, thus creating the God’s rays (a.k.a. Crepuscular rays) in the sky. The bridge (it’s more like a viaduct because it’s parallel to the flyover underneath it) is special because it is on the third level above the highway.
EXIF data:
- Focal lengh: 6mm
- F-number: F/4.3
- Exposure time: 1/1500 sec
- ISO speed: ISO-50
- Metering Mode: Pattern
- Geolocation: 3.08410, 101.61407
Floating Water Lettuces
Taken on: 12th March 2008, 2:32pm
A macro shot of the water lettuce in my Aunt’s House garden. Sometimes it takes a little initiative on your behalf to get a nicer photo - I’ve dipped my hands into the mold-green water (of course I did wash my hands thoroughly after that) to sprinkle some water onto the waxy leaves to create a more dramatic effect.
I did a little cropping though - it was initially shot at landscape mode but the original photo had too much distracting details (flower pots, grass, bricks etc.) so I cropped away the left side.
EXIF data:
- Focal lengh: 10mm
- F-number: F/3.5
- Exposure time: 1/100 sec
- ISO speed: ISO-50
- Metering Mode: Pattern
- Geolocation: 3.03114, 101.57347
Tree-lined Avenue
Taken on: 5th of March 2007, 4:33pm
This photo is taken along the path that brings me from the bus stop to my boarding school in Singapore. The avenue where this photo is taken is called Namlee Avenue, and it isn’t really surprising to find a thousand more roads in Singapore with exactly the same scene - trees with thick canopy overhanging the road. Singapore emphasizes a lot on environmental protection, preservation and rehabilitation.
I love the way how light from the late afternoon sun bounched off the road and into my camera. Isn’t that lovely?
EXIF data:
- Focal lengh: 6mm
- F-number: F/2.6
- Exposure time: 1/50 sec
- ISO speed: ISO-100
- Metering Mode: Pattern
- Geolocation: 1.32889, 103.80172
Tree
Taken on: 3rd of March 2008, 10:32am
I went to a national forest reserve adjacent to the town I live in. I could still remember that we cycled quite a long way from the rental shop, and to find ourselves at the border of the forest reserve - what laid in front of us is a new housing scheme under construction, how sad. I was dying under the hot morning sun and the melting tarmac, and the only place for refuge is underneath the thin canopy of this tree. When I caught my breath and look up, I saw what is in this photo - a magnificent canopy against the blue morning sky!
EXIF data:
- Focal lengh: 6mm
- F-number: F/4.3
- Exposure time: 1/640 sec
- ISO speed: ISO-50
- Metering Mode: Pattern
- Geolocation: 3.10110, 101.49476
Comment love: med . Wancing . Melissa . teddY . Aisyah . letti . uner . razifmustapha . Amarilys . hp84 .
they’re really lovely...
25 responses to Beautiful World
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May 8th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
I like the first and the last one. The first one looked unreal. It looked like as if there wasn’t any lake at all, but actually a total reflection.
The last one is a mixture of serenity and dreaminess. Which sounds weird, but have it’s share of peacefulness. I like the bubbles cause it’s very clear. and there is one water drop that is very sparkly.
Check out jason’s last blog post: Happy Bday Steph.
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May 8th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
apparently, my stupid comp only loaded 3 pics. so my previous comment meant the 1st n 3rd. though the last is impressive too.
Check out jason’s last blog post: Happy Bday Steph.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
@jason:
Thank you! The first one is meant to look a little surreal because of the near perfect reflection - at the time the photo was taken, there isn’t any single breeze in the air. Small little ripples could still be seen on the surface, but when shrunk to such a scale, I guess they’re quite invisible.
To achieve the dreamy effect in the third photo, I’ve actually used the Diffused Glow filter in Photoshop
just for you to know.
p/s: It wasn’t your stupid computer, heh. It was my fault (or rather, my host’s). My site went offline when I was publishing the post, so it got truncated halfway. My bad!
May 8th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
i <3 the first photo, i wanna be there to see it…
Check out lix’s last blog post: wow
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May 8th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
@lix:
I wish you could be there to share it with me! It was a moment of peace, and time seemed to stand still because at that time, no wind was blowing and I’m alone (yes it’s a little spooky though, I kept thinking of a hidden stalker trying to strangle me from behind or something…)
May 9th, 2008 at 8:47 am
I can’t even begin to pick a favorite. Each photo made my heart warm.
That was such a cute song.
Check out Brandy’s last blog post: Wallet is starving.
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May 9th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
This world is so ever beautiful… the creation is almost a sign of perfection. You take very beautiful shots, and can captivate it through your lenses. I really enjoy the macro one the best. Maybe it’s coz I’m a macro kind of person… but VERY lovely. You should totally make a photoblog…
I really enjoyed that song as well. Utada was one of my favorites when I was back in Junior high, especially for “First Love”, and “Fly Me Over the Moon” or something like that… but this one is really catchy and fun, I like it ^_^
Check out Destiny’s last blog post: Have to Get the Plaques!
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May 9th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Veeeeery beautiful pictures taken! I like the first picture the most. Amazing. Perhaps we should really slow down our steps more often to realise the beautiful world around us. =)
Check out SilverIsle’s last blog post: Randomness: My New Boyfriend and Banana Cake
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May 9th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
hey terry…i didnt know photos around sunway could be that nice…keep it up as u r doing very well… and yes..its a beautiful world indeed but not perfect..as always
i’ve watched the eva series too…movie eh…cant wait for it
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May 9th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
@Brandy:
Awww thanks! Anyway I hope you’re having lots of fun with your new MacBook!
@Destiny:
I’m a big macro lover as well, but the only marco I’ve shot is nice enough to be posted, heh. What worries me is that when I get a dSLR in the future, I’ll need to buy a separate macro lens to take macro shots!
Yeap. This world is so beautiful yet not everyone learns how to appreciate it. The world is so perfect and picturesque that I suspect there is some degree of intelligent design
I got introduced to Hikki’s song because my ex-roomate is a big fan of hers. Have you listened to her 2007 remix for Fly Me to The Moon? It is awesome! There’s another Rebuild of Evangelion trailer that uses the song. The song is also included in her latest 2007 album, Beautiful World / Kiss & Cry.
@SilverIsle:
Thank you! So far I think the first photo got the most ‘love’ from everyone, heh! Anyway you reminded me of a word of wisdom - it’s not the destination that matters, but the journey. When we rush our way through the journey in a rat-race to reach the destination, we’re actually missing out all the good stuff in between.
@med:
oh and anyway, the first film for the Rebuild of Evangelion series is out (four films are planned), compressing the first six episodes of the original anime.
Thanks coussie! You’re my biggest motivator
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May 9th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
u’ve got beautiful photos…
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May 9th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
i love the tree photo! It’s so hard see a tree standing by its own around my area. And this tree is so beautiful! Not those common ones i see along the road. Your pictures are definitely getting nicer n nicer!!
Check out Melissa’s last blog post: Mix and Match
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May 9th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
@Wancing:
Thank you!!!
@Melissa:
It’s one of my favourite photos as well! The tree is actually located at the fringe of a national park, which explains the lack of neighbouring trees. I remember that there’s a new suburb being built adjacent to the national park and so there isn’t much trees left there. This tree survived, and it’s still growing strong! I hope they don’t cut it down or something.
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May 10th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
oh wow. I love all the photos! really!
damn, even without DSLR, you can capture such great photos, what if you have a DSLR in the future? Damn, you really have what it takes to be a great photographer, dude.
and speaking of shushi… last time I had a sushi was, uh.. a very long time ago… 2 months, maybe? now, I’m craving for sushi, thanks to you, Teddy. *sigh* LOL
Check out Aisyah’s last blog post: I Hate My Bestfriend’s Boyfriend
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May 10th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
@Aisyah:
thank you Aisyah, you really make me feel very, very flattered. The photos are among 9000+ photos I’ve taken so far - other than these few, the rest are just ugly, haha! I think it’s more of luck for me to get a good photo!
Woah you are fast!!! I just left a comment at your blog and when I return, I see yours
Anyway I love sushi, especially raw salmon and cuttlefish. They taste best with a tiny bit of wasabi (I can’t take too much of it, or I’ll suffocate, heh) and some sauce. Oh and I love udon noodles too! You’re making me hungry now!
May 10th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
LOL. I thought YOU were fast. hahaha.
aww.. I love salmon sashimi too! It’s the best! teehee XD
yeah, I eat sushi with a tiny bit of wasabi, too. sometimes, when I eat it with friends, and I put a lot of wasabi in their sauces and watch them suffer -and enjoy it. mwahahah!
Check out Aisyah’s last blog post: I Hate My Bestfriend’s Boyfriend
May 10th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
You are so evil Aisyah
heh. Wasabi overdose is horrible - I’ve tried it once and I thought that I had stop breathing because the spiciness was so overwhelming. Sashimi is definitely my personal favourite! Back in Singapore there’s this sushi restaurant that includes sashimi as part of their buffet (most restaurants don’t because sashimi is expensive and they’ll most probably make a loss), and it’s only about S$18 for students. I purposely starved myself the night before and avoided breakfast in the morning just to prepare myself for the buffet!
May 10th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
wonderful perspective
Check out letti’s last blog post: Agony and Ecstacy
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May 10th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
@letti:
Thank you!
May 11th, 2008 at 1:21 am
wow, I admire the tree pic! and those photos really shows that you got a tallent in this photography arena.. I was looking for such nice place in klang valley area but i found plenty of which is not as cool
and you managed to find them.. should go to the national park one day
Check out uner’s last blog post: best man : groom’s maid, huh?
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May 11th, 2008 at 2:47 am
really-really owesome photo! great compostion, angle, exposure! Its true, it not all about the camera, its about person behind the camera!
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May 11th, 2008 at 7:53 am
Wow I just had to tell you, those photos are AMAZING I love them. The song sounds very nice too
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May 11th, 2008 at 9:09 am
@uner:
Thank you for your compliments! Lol actually I couldn’t possibly pass myself off as talented or something - I’m just 3 years into photography and I am still experimenting with a lot of techniques and tricks. The national park I’ve mentioned is actually called Malaysian Agricultural Park (I think…), and it’s somewhere north of Shah Alam.
@razifmustapha:
Thanks! Awww you’re just too nice!
@Amarilys:
the song is my personal favourite as well. I like it because the song sounds sad and it contradicts with its title. Ah, the irony.
Thank you
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May 12th, 2008 at 7:42 am
The picture ‘bridge silhoutte’ remind me of the scene that I have seen before. Now i learn the term ‘God’s rays (a.k.a. Crepuscular rays)’.
The ‘floating water lettuce’ photo is very nice. I like the stagnant water with slight reflection.
Check out hp84’s last blog post: National Planeterium
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May 12th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
@hp84:
The bridge in the photo is actually the one at the intersection between Federal Highway and LDP. I also learned the term when I was writing this post - I knew it after searching it through the all-mighty Wikipedia.
The still water plus the reflection is not the intended effect, they just happen to be there. When I took the photo, all I had in mind is to capture the water droplets on the water lettuce