Change: Photo Challenge

Wednesday was the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere… change has been felt here in Alberta throughout the month of August and September. Light snow flurries have been spotted in the city and more in the nearby mountains, on more than one occasion, since we arrived out here August 13th. Not only is it a change of seasons, but a change for me. Living in Shanghai for 5 years we didn’t see a lot of snow and maybe this kind of weather in January or February… not summer!

3 Seasons in 3 Days

September 11-14 we saw a big change… 3 seasons in 3 days. We climbed to 30c and dropped to single digits, snow in the mountains. The leaves had started to change colour too. This photo looks like I added colour and black and white, but it is the snow blocking out the green of the grass and evergreen trees. A few days later we were back to mid 20s. Welcome to Canadian weather… ever-changing.

You may recognise this photo. I posted it on twitter. I have been taking to twitter more and more as I have a quick pic or idea I want to share. Sometimes I tweet a random thought, event or idea instead of a posting here.  To check out my tweets, take a look at the sidebar on the right and click away.

Change can be interpreted in many ways. Here is a link to WP too see more ‘change’.

Stay tuned…

Close Up -WP Photo Challenge

Are you ready for your close up? Recently the Welland Canal Bridge in downtown Welland has been photo ready. After a very recent cosmetic facelift adding some fresh paint and bright lights it is looking good.

Welland Canal Bridge in Down Town Welland, ON Canada

Welland is known for its iconic bridges, that used to raise and lower, to allow big ships to traverse the Welland Canal. The canal made the journey easier between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario which, is connected by the mighty Niagara Falls. A new canal bypasses many of these old bridges, so they have been left alone to decay or removed for new cement overpasses. Someone decided to spare this bridge downtown and preserve some of the area’s history.

Welland Bridge at Night

In nearby Port Colborne and St Catharines some of the bridges and locks system are still in use today. Watching the ships slowly be raised and lowered is something not to be missed if you are ever in the area.

Close up of Welland Canal Bridge

Stay tuned and check out Word Press for more close ups.

 

Half & Half -WP photo challenge

Driving a few hours north of Toronto, to fetch our luggage a co-worker so helpfully brought back for us, I couldn’t help to stop and capture this photo with blue sky and yellow fields. Not a tall building in site… The other HALF or opposite in comparison with the Shanghai skyline I usually view; correction have viewed.

This week WP asked us to show half and half. Horizontally half this photo is sky and fields and vertically tree and field/sky. Half is blue and the other half yellow.

Half and Half -blue and yellow; sky and field

Stay tuned…

Early Bird Catches the Photo: WP Photo Challenge

If you get up early before the world awakes the quiet stillness surrounds you. I must admit I am more of a night owl, but early mornings are nice….sparingly. Sometimes they are forced upon me and that isn’t always a treat, but getting to see this rare sunrise in Shanghai from my balcony was.

Morning splendor

Most times the sun rise is blocked by the neighbouring buildings, but a few short days a year, I get to share  the morning splendor as I wake early for work.

 

People flock to Angkor Wat to see the sun rise behind the ancient walls and temples. The early bird here gets the best spot to capture the view.

Early Bird catches the photo

If you want to read about our trip to Angkor click on this link.

 

This past summer I was up early and enjoying a quiet house before everyone was up. Looking out as the sunrise was just coming up a little sparkle caught my eye. I noticed these amazing spider webs, covered in morning dew. A few minutes later, as the sun shifted, they became invisible once more. A lucky chance of an early morning to capture those pics. If you want to see more of the natural beauties click on this link here.

natures jewels

Be sure to visit Word Press for more examples of this theme.

Stay tuned for more…

 

Ephemeral #2 -Frozen in Time

This week I have done 2 posts for the WP Photo Challenge. The first one Ephemeral: Shanghai Sillies made me think of the time and how quickly my last few months in Shanghai are flying by. I can’t wait to go home, but there is a bit of sadness as some things I will have to leave and experience for the last time.

Ephemeral is something fleeting, that passes quickly. Sometimes we are lucky to capture something on film that you probably could never re-create, or capture again. A moment in time that flashed by, and forever frozen on film. These are my ultimate examples.

These are my nephews and for the last few summers our tradition is to capture a photo of them as they jump into the pool. This by far was our favourite as they were frozen sitting in midair.

1, 2, 3…. splash!

The second picture makes me laugh every time I see it. My nephew looks like he is falling from the sky, or the picture was photo-shopped. Nope, none of the above. This was pure luck as I caught this shot of my husband tossing my nephew into the air and catching him. Their hands and position made it extra funny, making my nephew look like he is dropping from the sky, while the entire event took milliseconds in real time.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane….. WT****…..?

Stay tuned…

 

Ephemeral -Shanghai Silly

Time and life is fleeting… As Ferris Bueller said “If you don’t stop and look around once and awhile – you will miss it.”  Our time in Shanghai has become ephemeral, fleeting and lasting for a short time. Sure it has been almost 5 years, but now we are down to months. Three more months. As I reflect and look around I try to soak up those sounds, smells and sights that I want to remember. What will I see and do for the last time? What do I want to hold onto? Counting down the days is bitter-sweet. I am excited to go home and start a new adventure, but want to savour the last days here too. Enjoy it while I can.

As you know there is always things in Shanghai that you may never see anywhere else. That awe and wonder is what made the little daily things fun. It kept us sane as we would laugh and say “Now that will make a good post!”. I didn’t want to lose that feeling, but after a few years many things became normal and part of the every day. Somethings still stood out and once I finally invested in a smart phone I was able to capture more of those fleeting moments that only could be seen to believed.

What do you notice about this picture?

One day I was out walking and it was a beautiful sunny day. At the light we waited for it to turn green, so we could cross. A large truck did not advance when the light changed and as we stood waiting I realised the driver had his shoes off and feet on the dash. Ok…

I thought I had seen it all, but napping at the intersection coming off a major highway? NOW I have seen it all.

as I crossed the street I noticed in fact he was sleeping at the intersection! Now that was worthy of going back and snapping a pic. Another Shanghai Silly, ephemeral…

What is the funniest thing you have seen at an intersection?

Stay tuned… and check out WP for other interpretations.

 

 

Spring Fresh

This week’s theme for WP is FRESH. I could use some fresh air… living in a large city which has issues with pollution it is something we all wish for. The thick smoggy air blocks out the clouds and blue skies, something most of us would take for granted. Due to smog, rain and fog over the last 7 weeks we have seen full on bright sun only 4-6 days. The less than fresh air has lead to another cold and sinus infection. Down right depressing.

As the saying goes April showers bring May flowers, where in Shanghai it must be February and March showers. The beautiful magnolia tree, outside my building, started to bud just the other day. I thought about capturing its progress and here is the first shot.

March 12th first buds. Spring is finally coming!

…..  6 days later you can tell what colour they will be. We just need some sun and warmth.

March 18th they are opening! Not long now.

Finally temperatures started to rise and become seasonal. We have also had a longer winter and over the last 4-6 weeks below average temperatures. However, change is in the air. One day this past week we even peaked at 18c a few degrees  above normal. Finally! Look what it did!

March 20th after 2 warm days they have started to open, but today is a bit chilly. Happy to stay closed a little longer.

Then today a glorious day with subtle sunshine, but 17c and I captured this. Full bloom. Fresh flowers and sunny days give me energy and lift my spirits. I am suddenly feeling re’freshed’ and have a ‘spring’ in my step.

March 22…. we did it.

What makes you feel energised?

Stay tuned….

 

Walls -WP Photo Challenge

I could show you yet another photo of the Great Wall in China, but you have seen it from me before. Just look up at my banner 😉 Instead I want to show you a lesser known part of China -Tianzifang (pronounced tea-anne -zzz fawn). In the old French Concession part of Shanghai is a maze of little streets. Once a thriving neighbourhood with tightly compact brick buildings, narrow streets and low rise buildings. Areas like this are now rare, from the days of old, as they have been demolished to make way for steel and glass modern skyscrapers. However, this area remains and has turned into a little gem. It is popular with the locals and expats and any nice weather weekend the streets are jam packed. Many unique shops housing handicrafts, galleries with works for sale and restaurants make it a wonderful day out. It is fun to poke around in the little shops looking at leather-bound books, purses and amazing photos of China. Tired feet? Stop at one of the many restaurants with a variety of food tastes from Thai, Indian and local fares. Adventurous and have a quirky sense of humour then try the restaurant called Toilet.

Over Chinese Holiday this year I stayed in Shanghai. A few of us wandered the streets of Tianzifang and I captured some interesting photos which, happen to fit the WP theme WALLS this week.

This sign was interesting and I think it is about the holiday and maybe fireworks related? I did see other signs saying no fireworks. If anyone out there that can translate please leave a comment below on what the sign is saying.

 

This wall was very unique with the little bottles of grass growing. Decoration? Salad or food toppings? What do you think?

This last one was a little graffiti maybe…? It was too cute, so I snapped a quick pic.

If you are in Shanghai, or planning a visit and want to check it out here is the information:

Tianzifang In Chinese Characters 田子坊 and pinyin: Tiánzǐfāng

泰康路210弄, Huangpu, Shanghai, China. In English the address is Lane 210, Taikang Road.

It is a fairly cheap taxi ride even from Pudong (30-40 RMB or $6-8) and the metro is right across the street in a large shopping mall.

 

Stay tuned…

Scale -Bigger than Life: WP Challenge

This week’s WP Photo theme is SCALE. When we visited Hong Kong Disney (Fall 2014) we noticed that things from Toy Story were larger than life. All our favourite toys from childhood were creatively made into displays.

Larger than child size!

This photo here shows just how big they were; certainly not to scale.

On a side note did you know there is a Disney theme park being built in Shanghai? Just made official the park will be ready to open spring 2016.

Stay tuned…

Serenity Now -Photo Challenge

“Serenity now…. serenity now !” – Frank Costanza, Seinfeld

When times get stressful what do you imagine, or wish for?

I feel most relaxed and at peace with the whisper of the winds in the trees, a warm breeze to tickle my toes and a view like this:

The perfect view to relax. The view from my beach chair, Cuba 2012.

Thanks to WP for this theme.

Stay tuned…