So Many Shoots, So Little Time to Blog (Missouri Town 1855)

I adore maintaining this photoblog because it makes me feel like I have a connection with you, dear reader. But I have to admit that sometimes I simply run a little behind on the posts. Just recently, I logged well over 2,000 shots in one week... whew!

Here is a perfect example of some landscape work I did which I simply haven't had a chance to post here. Those of you who follow me on Facebook may recognize a couple of them, as I often post exclusive first looks for my friends there...

I took a weekend jaunt over to Missouri Town 1855 this spring, when the leaves were new and the grass was sweet. It was full of incredible character and sense of place and I captured some stark scenes as well as truly lovely scenes of pastoral peace.

I found the forge absolutely fascinating as well. This man was a true worker of the anvil and not merely a character actor. The blacksmiths there make all the ironworks for the entire village, including the hinges, pulls, horseshoes, etc., thereby preserving the knowledge and practice of a time-honored trade.

 Master Blacksmith was also an excellent storyteller, entertaining us with a tale of how an old raccoon hide ended up nailed to the wall of his shop... turned out a mighty wind blew Br'er Raccoon right out of his hide and he ran away naked, leaving his skin behind for Master Blacksmith to tack up on the wall (with a nail of his own making, I might add)!

Singapore: A Final Look

So after enjoying the glittering night skyline, sampling the delicious cuisine, wandering amongst the neighborhoods of Little India, the Arab quarter, and Chinatown... I had a chance to photograph the most beautiful creatures in Singapore before I left...

Tiger tiger burning bright,

In the jungles of the night.

What immortal hand or eye

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry.

--- Tiger Tiger by William Blake

Singapore: Part II

Singapore is a beautiful city and one of the things I enjoyed so much were the incredible nightscapes. Singapore has a gorgeous skyline with some really unique structures, including the Singapore Flyer, a giant ferris wheel- like observatory, and the Marina Bay Sands resort, the building that resembles a giant ocean liner in the sky. (Nope, I didn't Photoshop that in! LOL) I put together this slideshow that highlights the skyline and also showcases some other interesting architecture and cultural elements... Enjoy!

Singapore: Beautiful Futuristic Island City

As many travelers know, different airports have different smells. When you step off the plane in Hawaii, the air smells of plumeria flowers. When you step off the plane in Hong Kong, it smells like Chinese cooking. In some cities, you immediately smell the exhaust and air pollution. But when I stepped off the plane and into Changi Airport in Singapore, I was surprised to smell -- only very clean cool air! Singapore was definitely living up to its reputation as a very clean country, from the moment I stepped off the plane.



Singapore is on the southern tip of Malaysia.



Singapore is a tiny island country located south of Vietnam, in between Malaysia and and Indonesia. All told, it is about 10,000 miles away from Kansas City (almost exactly on the opposite side of the world) and about a 23 1/2 hour flight. But boy, was it worth it!!!

I've never been in a place that is so progressive, clean and efficient on the one hand, yet chaotic, colorful and sensual on the other.

I was fortunate to have a local guide who spent an entire day showing me around: my old buddy Kim from my graduate school days! Kim is such a great guy and it was so nice to catch up with him and meet his beautiful family. He is very knowledgable about Singapore, having been an officer in their military and gave us a look at daily life as a Singaporean, taking us to a grocery store, public housing, local restaurants. He also happens to be a great karaoke singer! LOL

Eating a delicious lunch with my friend, Kim!

After getting the local view of Singapore, I split the rest of my visit between the glittering, polished cityscapes and the crowded, fascinating bustle of the local ethnic neighborhoods. There are about four to five primary groups of people in Singapore that manage to live quite harmoniously together: the Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Arabic.  There is also a British presence as well, as Singapore was once an important port in the British Empire. One of my most memorable experiences was seeing a Buddhist temple, a Hindu temple, a Muslim mosque and a Christian church all within a few streets of each other!

Singapore has a great mix of ethnicities and cultures.

I also could not get enough of the food - I tried a dish called "laksa" that uses a local herb called "laksa leaf". It reminded me of a spicy basil flavor and was delicious! I also loved the oyster omelette! (note our empty lunch plates in the photo of Kim above) YUM!

More on my Singapore experience in the next blog post...