Pattaya Days Gone
An ordinary backup from an extraordinary website
Sun had set and we were left with a dull golden light, and I spotted a yacht out in Pattaya bay. Stuck the Panasonic 100-300mm and took a shot at 250mm; 1/25th second.
Was planning to write a post on the current political situation in Thailand; but it’s such a mess that I couldn’t decide where to start. So instead I decided to change the theme for Pattaya Days. I can’t do much of the editing until the theme is live (unless I install the theme elsewhere first, and that is too much effort for an old fart like me), so please bear with me until it is finished. I thank you.
Taken a bit of a break after my Kyoto photo processing bonanza; and what better way to wind down than by shouting obscenities at space craft.
As is so often the case, it’s The Son’s fault; because he pointed me in the direction of the Kerbal Space Program. Part game, part simulator, complete time absorber.
KSP has been under development for some time and is regularly updated. As of now there is a sandbox mode where all components are available to you; and a career mode where you start with limited components and conduct science in space to garner points that will foster research into new components. Under advice, I chose the latter, and it was a good decision because even with limited components you can get yourself into serious trouble; or at least I did.
Been busy preparing a review of the Olympus 12-40mm lens, to appear on my other site shortly. One of the cool features of this lens is its ability to focus very close to the subject; making it almost a macro. Like this:
I had a mini-bus booked at 1245 to take me to the airport. I knew they were picking up at various locations across the city, so assumed the pick-up time was approximate. It wasn’t, at exactly 1245 the bus appeared outside the door; how do they do it?
Trouble free return flight with JAL (and yes, they did have a vegetarian meal for me) and she who must be obeyed was waiting for me at the airport. And it is my wife I need to thank most of all for this trip. Firstly for suggesting that I should go, and secondly for ensuring I was adequately prepared with items that I considered frivolous but which turned out to be essential (long underwear, an extra wooly jacket and lip balm come to mind).
After five days of hitting the sights of Kyoto, I woke up on my final day and realised I had succeeded in going where I had wanted to go; with a few extra sites thrown in for good measure. But I still had a day left and I wasn’t going to waste it sitting around in my warm room browsing the internet (although the idea was tempting). Instead, I applied my usual layers of clothing and headed out to Nishiki market.
Which is an unnecessarily vulgar way of saying that I went windsurfing today.
It has been many many months since I last indulged and to be honest I was feeling a little nervous, for reasons I could not really pin down. Anyway, it all went very well and I lasted an hour; mainly because the wind was at medium strength and so I was not over-exerting my very unfit body. Came home, sat on the sofa. Slept very well.
