AFRAID by *Alyssa

AFRAID by *Alyssa

Wedding photographer – “virgin” assignment

Here are some shots from my buddy’s wedding, where I was lead photographer.

As it is my first wedding assignment, feel free to comment.

Weddings are fun to shoot.

Camden Town/Market/Lock – quirky place to be

For the next day, Camden Market, or the greater Camden Lock, was the first thing on the itinerary. Of course, it is the nearest place within walking distance to where I stayed. The budget bed & breakfast Camden Lock Hotel which I enjoyed.

Here, you get quirky stuff like punks on the walkway holding placards that advertise their tattoo services or people dress in neon or leather and whose dyed fluorescent hair might have indicated in a loud but silent way, that they were deprived of highlighter stationery in their high school and now it is time to get back.

Camden is a place to feel young, which suits me fine as I never wanted to be older than 20. So seeing t-shirts with naughty prints allowed me to feel at home. Here are 2 examples to fuel your imagination.

Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go to London

There is this indie (not Indian nah….) feel about Camden that even a seasoned traveller is unable to describe.  A little bit like the Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok but more established with statues depicting its history.

Fun, bright, energetic, crazy, weird, out of this world….good words to describe this place, if your definition of these words are similar to mine or this elderly gentleman blowing his horn and speaking something in tight-upper-lipped heavy British accent which I could not understand.

Blowing his horn

Food.

Pizza, pasta - the Italians have influenced the British, gastronomically

Chinese noodles, Indian spices, Italian pizzas, Spanish paella but of course, I came here to savour the chocolate fudge, creamy scones, tiny muffins, home-made brownies, cooked-to-order banana crepes and whatever sinful treats you can think of.

Sinful sweet treats

Mini muffins adorably decorated

Muffins for the non-chocolate lover

Brownilicious - I held myself back

Will you like to have banana in your crepe?

And flush it down with fresh fruit juices from the pun-intended – Sadie’s Squeeze.

Fruit Juices

While sitting on half-cut scooter seats.

See what I mean, Camden is quirky but fun

Completes the whole experience of being in Camden.

Arrive in London – we took the tube

Heathrow is well connected by all forms of transport available in the city, and most importantly, the London Underground, otherwise endearingly known as the Tube. A taxi ride to my hotel will have cost GBP40 which will have blow-torched a hole in my poor single-ply cotton pockets.

I wonder why they call it the Tube. Is it due to the walkways in the Tube stations that never fail to give that feeling of horizontal vertigo? Or does this photo answer that question?

The London Underground - aka The Tube

A380 – Singapore to London Heathrow

14hour flight from Singapore to London caused internal injury to my backbone. A380 so what? I was still on cattle class. Ok at least this is SIA so the legroom is better but not good enough for the tall Englishman behind me who refuses to let me recline my seat fully. This is the 3rd time I am in an A380 and I can vouch for it’s ability to handle turbulence.

Wedged in between a friendly lard bucket on the aisle row and my petite lass in the window seat, I had no choice but to keep walking to the toilet to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or acute back-bone injury.

Wished I had travelled with a baby – they will have given me the bulkhead row for the bassinet, like this cute little girl, enjoying her cozy bassinet

Cute girl enjoying her bassinet

The flight path says we are 2 over hours away from London. It also says the outside temperature is like -20degreesCelsius or -40degrees Celsius as announced by the Captain.  I cannot remember the exact figure but anyway, DO THINK I CARE ?!#%&! the damn about the outside temperature when I am at more than 30,000 ft? I mean, Captain, should I open the window at 30,000 ft and stick my head out like a brown dog on a American roadtrip?

Frost on the window

At last, we arrived in Heathrow but damn, it was long taxi from the runway to the terminal. The captain said that we should appreciate that Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest airport. And again he goes on to announce the outside temperature, this time it is appreciated because at least I know how cold it is when I get out there.

Then I bid farewell to the lard bucket. It’s time to stiffen my upper lip.

Buddha never sleeps

Buddha never sleeps

When in Luang Prabang, countless temples dot the area creating an aura of religious calm and fulfilment. 

Even when all are sleeping, a pious believer will feel that Buddha is always there to protect .

A little path

A little path

If you see a little path like this, where a trellis of plants greet and protect you along the way, leading to a flight of stairs (metaphorically allowing you to climb), will you dare to take it?

Or will you be afraid and uncertain of the unknown? Are you a risk taker or a conformist follower?

Frogs and what they do

Piggyback or screwing?

3 against 2

Stare

Coming back ashore

Nam Khan River, Luang Prabang, Laos

There are 2 rivers around Luang Prabang – Mekong (the main river) and Nam Khan.

Boat ashore.

It signifies a little about my life.  For 2 years as a travelling auditor, i have traversed to exotic places that are out of this world, just like how this boat has explored new shores. Now it is time for me to come back ashore and do something great for myself.

Keeping Score

Luang Prabang, Laos

DIY Scoreboard for Petanque. Creative!

It’s amazing how people can live with so little in material means (less than USD 10 daily) yet always offering a smile and never giving up.