Circular Polarizer Filter for Landscape Photos

I always look for ways to improve my photographic skills, and recently I came across Travel to the Edge with Art Wolf. It's an excellent site for travel photographers at all levels. I spent hours on it just going through the tips and techniques section. There's so much information to absorb. I felt like a little girl in a candy store :p.

One of the tips from Art is to use circular polarizer filter when taking landscape shots on a sunny day. Here are two photos I took of post Gay Pride Parade party at English Bay last Sunday. One was taken with filter, and one without filter.




Why circular polarizer filter and when? Basically, circular polarizer filter blocks certain amount of light coming from the sun, darkens the blue sky and creates a contrast in your photo. In the second photo, the blue sky appears to be light blue, and the white clouds do not pop out catching your eyes. However, you can see a striking contrast between the blue sky and the white clouds in the first photo. To maximize the effect, use the filter on a bright sunny day when the sun is high in the sky.

Where to buy and how much? Most electronic stores do not carry accessories such as filters. You can find them at camera specialty stores. Here in Vancouver, Lens and Shutter carry a variety of filters. A good circular polarizer filter normally costs around $50. I also looked around online like CameraWorld.com; however, the ones they carry are quite average. I'd rather spend a bit more on a quality filter that will go a long way.

Roadside Surprise

Having lived on Vancouver Island for nearly a decade, I have seen a lot of live animals off the road. Deers and bald eagles are common sighting, but I had never seen a black bear on the side of the road before our trip to Tofino.


We spotted this black bear just outside of Ucluelet, a small town south of Tofino. The bear probably just came out of hibernation, hungry and determined, causing a scene on the only through road to Port Alberni. A few cars stopped including us, hoping to catch his prominent presence on camera. I grabbed my camera and stepped out of the car. Nick thought I was crazy as the bear turned around and looked at me right in the eye. I was no more than 20 feet away from him, and probably wouldn't have a chance to get away if he decided to come after me. I was determined to get a good shot of him. Nothing could stop me at that moment.

A Little African House on the Coast

I've been absent from blogging for a little while due to personal commitment. It feels good to be back to my normal routine. Let's pick up where it was left off.

What you see here is African Beach House Nick and I stayed at in Tofino. I searched for Tofino accommodations online, and very few nice accommodations came up within our price range. At the very last minute, I booked a cabin from African Beach House after obtaining the details from the owner over the phone. The owner sounded very friendly and trusting, and didn't even take any deposit or credit card information for our reservation.


After a 3 and 1/2 hours drive from Nanaimo ferry terminal, we finally arrived at African Beach House Bed & Breakfast. At first sight, "Oh god, we're staying at a run-down house..." thinking to myself. The owner came out immediately to greet us. His welcoming presence made us at ease. He led us to the cabin located behind the house you see in the photo. The self contained cabin was built with solid wood, fully equipped with kitchen, bathroom, living room and bedroom upstairs loft. Inside the cabin was tastefully decorated with an African influence. The entire property was surrounded with ancient cedar trees, providing tranquil ambiance during our stay. The best of all is its location. it's right across from North Chesterman Beach, easy beach access for morning walks or sunset watch.


I have to say it was quite pleasant to find such a hidden gem along west coast Pacific Rim. We would definitely stay there again.

Finding Waves on the West Coast - Part 2

It was a sunny but rather windy day when we woke up in our little log cabin Bed and Breakfast, and Nick was more than ready to do some surfing. He signed up a surf lesson by himself (I was still recovering from a shoulder injury) with Surf Sister, a well-known local surf school, and they were kind enough to take on a few "brothers" among their students for the day.

Once suit up and hitting the sand with their boards, they were taught the basics techniques and moves. Everything seemed easy enough (from my point view). Nick was doing well at first, hopping onto the board and even managing to stay up there for more than a few seconds. As the wind picked up and the wave got higher, he looked a bit fatigued, especially when attempting to hop onto the board. I managed to take some shots of him during the few seconds while he was on the board.


Didn't he look like he knew what he was doing even though he wasn't quite doing the "Blue Crush" out there? He later told me it was one of the most liberating and satisfying activities he's ever done (probably not as exciting as body-checking people into the boards in hockey). Well, not very fun for me as I was freezing my butt off even with layers of clothes while trying to get a few shots of him.

Finding Waves on the West Coast - Part 1

Having lived on the west coast of BC for years, it is a bit surprising that Nick has never been to the west coastal side of Vancouver Island, the very tip of Pacific Rim National Park. It had been years since I went there, so I was just as excited when we set out for a weekend trip to Tofino.

It was a glorious day for highway driving, and we took full advantage of such a nice break in weather as we drove through lovely Parksville and pass the town of Port Alberni. Upon arriving Tofino sometime in the early evening, we dropped off our stuff and went straight to the famous Long Beach.


The sunset on the vast beach was one of the most striking scenes. The current swept up a steady wall of sea water over the shallow beach, and scores of evening surfers appeared and disappeared on the horizon as we looked on. As we watched the magnificent sun set, Nick anxiously waited for the beginning of the next day when he would take his first surfing lesson in his life.

Tips for Shooting Better Action Photos

I recently contributed an article to Brave New Traveler on tips for shooting better action photos. It's a brief guideline I use when taking action shots. Be sure to check it out as you may find some of the tips come in handy at the urgent moment.

How to Buy a Digital Camera

My brother has been shopping for a digital camera for a while and still hasn't bought one yet. I asked him what type of digital camera he's looking for. "Well...a quality one" he replied. Well, I guess he doesn't really know what exactly he's looking for. So, I thought this would be a good topic to talk about - how to buy a digital camera based on your own needs.

Everyone has different needs when purchasing a digital camera. You have to prioritize them before you start looking. Here's how I prioritize my own needs:

1. Budget
This is the most important step because what you want is to find the best one within a specific price range. It's always easier to compare cameras once you set the budget. You probably wouldn't get a professional digital SLR cameras just because they're better than the point-and-shoot ones, would you? Once you determine how much you are willing to spend on a camera, you'll have a basic idea of what type of cameras are affordable to you on the market.

2. Zoom
Zoom is a pivotal function in a camera, and it can make a huge difference in your photo shoot. Most digital cameras these days come with 3x optical zoom, which is equivalent to 35-105mm range. It allows you to shoot decent photos within a reasonable range. But I prefer ultra zoom, at least 10x optical equivalent to 38-380mm. With 38-380mm range, you wouldn't have to worry about getting the front seat at your favorite concerts or your kids graduation. A couple of good ones with ultra zoom on the market are Olympus SP-510 Ultra Zoom with 10x optical zoom, and Canon PowerShot S3 ISwith 12x optical zoom.

3. Image Resolution
Image resolution is defined by the number of pixels of the image. The more pixels, the higher resolution and the bigger photos can be developed. Most digital cameras come with 6 mega pixels or above. You should invest in a digital camera with higher image resolution if you want to blow up some of your amazing photos.

4. LCD and Body
Most point-and-shoot cameras are compact and small in body, and I find them hard to handle. I prefer to use the ones with a heavier body and a bigger LCD, which provide you with better grip and larger viewing area. You also shoot better images with heavier body since your hands wouldn't shake easily.

These are the basic needs I look at and how I prioritize them. I'm leaving the technical talks to the experts. It's always a good idea to read consumer product reviews, but product technical reviews done by an independent third party is more helpful. It helps you determine a few brands and models before talking to the sales person. It saves you time and energy in the whole buying process. The one I regularly reference is Imaging Resource, who provide complete full reviews on all models by all manufacturers.

Guest Contributor on Travel Happy

I've written about Travel Happy in my previous post. It's a very informative personal travel guide to South East Asia. I was asked by Chris Mitchell, the author of Travel Happy to contribute a piece of article. I was gladly obliged. It was quite flattering to be a guest contributor on such a well established site. I wrote a piece on tips of booking tours in Phuket based on my personal experience, and it was published today. You may find them useful if you are traveling to Phuket and planning to take a tour in the near future.

Speaking of guest contributors, I found another good travel blog a couple of days ago that also welcomes contributors, Brave New Traveler. It publishes news, views and opinions of today's savvy travelers, and definitely does not lack rich contents. Be sure to explore it.

A Night with the Four Course

In my previous post, I talked about the Cedar Room and its unique wood structure exterior and interior characteristics on our little excursion to Tigh Na Mara Resort on Vancouver Island. It is however the fabulous seafood that attracted people from all over the world.

It was the Sunday night during the Easter long weekend. We just came from a wedding in Victoria, and were rather looking forward to having a nice quiet meal. The menu was simple, just a couple pages. I have always preferred dining establishments that have a simplistic menu, based on my opinion that if a restaurant claim to do well in too many things, then they really can’t excel in anything. Nick ordered a simple Steak off the menu, straight up rare. I ordered their four course menu, which came highly recommended by the server. I am a seafood fan, and every item on this four course meal except the desert are all seafood oriented. The first course was fresh steamed clam from a local cove, cooked in fresh garlic, cracked pepper, parsley and white wine. It set a high standard for the rest of the meal, as it was done in perfection with just the right amount and mix of spices and alcohol to induce a flavor so intoxicating that it left us anxious to see what coming up could possibly outshine this first course. We were certainly not disappointed by the second course, sautéed warm tiger prawn salad. I have had seafood salad before, in Thailand. This dish was quite different from the Thai dish, for it had a sweet and sour foundation that was derived from the watercress and spicy chili garlic vinaigrette. Once we had our appetite teased, it was finally time for the main course, Fresh local halibut baked with Dungeness Crab Mascarpone and Basil, wild rice and Pea Saute. There is nothing quite as enticing as seafood caught the same day, and it was baked to perfection and artfully garnished by the chef. We topped the meal off with a little In-House made raspberry cheesecake, which completed a wonderful meal that left us with a new appreciation for not just the abundance of our local seafood source, but the creativity and dedication of the local kitchens that literally made us craving for more.

The Cedar Room

When thinking of a refreshing getaway at a resort, Parksville is usually not the place that pops to mind. Make no mistake though; this little town located in the middle of Vancouver Island, just north of Victoria, has captured the imagination of the many pleasantly surprised visitors, much like yours truly. This time we made a weekend trip to Tigh-Na-Mara Resort, a well known spa resort on Vancouver Island.


It was a typical west coast April evening, rainy and cool. After we checked in late afternoon, we went to the Cedar Room, a fine dining establishment that has a reputation as one of the most authentic seafood restaurant on the island. The exterior of the dining room is rather unassuming, except a huge piece of cedar plaque that bears the name of the restaurant. Once inside though, the center of the focus is on the wine cellar through the glass walls. The hotel lobby adjacent to the restaurant is featured by a gas fireplace and a river rock covered pillar surrounded by a network of cedar beams hanging over the dining area.

The photo above outlines the well lit hotel lobby. Stay tuned on our stay and dining experience at Tigh-Na-Mara Resort.

Lunch at Bengal Lounge

I've mentioned the Fairmont Empress Hotel in my previous posts. It's classified as 5-star hotel; however, there's been a mixed review on tripAdvisor.com. Based on individual travelers' reviews from TripAdvirsor, the 5-star Fairmont Empress is more like an average hotel, rated 3.5 out of 5 taking into consideration of room, service, value, cleanness, and pool. While some were very happy with their stays, others weren't very enthusiastic about it.


I've never had the opportunity to stay there, so I cannot really comment on the hotel in those aspects. However, I was impressed by the Bengal Lounge where we enjoyed a traditional Indian curry lunch buffet. The setting was adults oriented, suitable for business meetings, romantic dinners, and even semi-formal family and friends gatherings. One feels just as comfortable, dressed up in business attire, reading the paper and drinking martini at the bar, or taking your family out (at least the grown up ones) for a Sunday brunch.


We learned from our server that most decors in the restaurant were originally imported from India. I was particularly impressed with the majestic pillars and the wall mounted Bengal tiger skin seen in the photo above. They remind me of a British colonial style dining room from a time long past. Overall, it was an unique and fun experience, and I gave it a high rating for. However, I would definitely take the English "High Tea" at the Empress next time, served with an amazing variety of fancy and fattening pantries. Probably a better fit for the English style city, eh?

Spring Visit to the City of Garden

I lived in Victoria for almost seven years. I live in Vancouver now, but I go back to Victoria once in a while just for a visit. Now I appreciate the city and the people more, and am discovering it from a different perspective.


Victoria is known as a city for "the nearly dead and the newly wed". It's true that it's retirees' heaven, and young couples' new world. It attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world every year. I'm lucky that I live still considerably close to it. Just hop on BC Ferries from Vancouver, I'm there.

The photo you see here was taken over Easter weekend at the popular Victoria Inner Harbour, in front of a number of century old buildings, including BC Parliament Buildings, the Fairmont Empress Hotel, and Royal London Wax Museum. As you lazily stroll along the causeway of Inner Harbour, you get a great view of a fleet of sail boats docked peacefully in the water. This is definitely a destination stop not to be missed.

Afternoon Tea at Fairmont Empress

Fairmont Empress in Victoria often dominates travelers' photo composition, but it's most known for its British style afternoon tea. It is a tradition that has lasted almost a century, and is popular among the locals. It'll be an unique experience for you to take home.

This year they're featuring once-in-a-lifetime package, Dine & Discover - The Titanic Exhibition. The whole package includes one night accommodation at the Empress and two tickets to the special exhibition at Royal BC Museum. It's only available for the next six months up until October 14th. You can book the whole package right here. So if you are planning to visit Victoria this summer, be sure to check it out.

BC Parliament Buildings

I spent my Easter long weekend in Victoria, BC, and will share my mini vacation with you in the next few posts. What you see here is British Columbia Parliament Buildings, where BC government body assembles and makes legislative decisions.

The buildings were constructed more than 100 years ago, and are full of history. I highly recommend the public tour provided by the Legislative Tour Office. The guided tour, FREE of charge, runs approximately one hour, Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm. It runs more frequent during the Summer months from May to August. Group bookings are also offered and can be booked online. You can find more detailed information here.

Happy Faces in Phuket Town

One of my favorite things to do in Phuket Town is exploring street vendors in the market. These two boys are waiting for Thai Glass Noodle Salad. I couldn't help noticing the expression on their faces, and joined in, ordered a Thai Papaya Salad. For an instance, I was brought back to my own childhood, and might have had the similar thrill on my own face too.

Thai & European Food & What?

Here's a sign you may find amusing. While waiting around at Chalong Bay to take the speed boat to get to Racha Island, Nick spotted this sign off the road. At the first look, I didn't really notice anything different until I looked at it closely, thinking if it was a mis usage. Guess not.

Soaking up the Sun

It's been raining 20 days for the past 22 days here in Vancouver. It just doesn't seem to be an end to this depressing weather. I wish I were below the equator right now, sunbathing on golden sand beaches and drinking fresh coconut juice. Wouldn't that be nice? This photo was taken by my husband, Nick, on Surin Beach, about 15 km north of popular Patong Beach. It's not a very populated beach. We didn't see many tourists out there. It's just a perfect place to get some quiet time to yourself. Look at Nick! He was just soaking up the sun and taking everything in with his lens.

A Dizzy Display for Your Senses

If you like good quality knock offs, make sure to stop over at MBK Center in Bangkok, one of the biggest malls in Asia. Brand name knock offs like these perfumes are all over the mall. I was blown away by its display of perfumes at this store. You can also easily find Diesel watches, Gucci bags, and Billabong beach wear. Almost anything you desire. It is truly shoppers' heaven.

A Frolic in A Birthday Suit

I took this photo on Kamala Beach, 20 minutes north of the popular Patong Beach. Kamala got hit severely by Tsunami in 2004. There were still some debris left on the beach when we were there last October. Restaurants and hotels were being renovated around the beach. There didn't seem to be much going on except for a few sun bathers hunkered down on the beach. We were just walking through the beach, trying to take everything in. This little boy caught my eye. He seemed to determine to have a good time with his mother. The surrounding didn't really bother him at all.

Monk's Grill at Whistler Upper Village

There is no lack of fine dining restaurants at Whistler. One of them is Monk's Grill situated at the Upper Village on Blackcomb side. It provides a vibrant dining atmosphere appealing to couples and outing groups. The restaurant is renowned for a wide selection of wine, steaks and seafoods. Check out their menu here. Be sure to make a reservation during the peak ski seasons. Nick made the reservation online during our last stay up there. Waiting for a table is the last thing you want to do after a hard day of skiing.

Dining at Whistler Village

It's fun to ski and snowboard through Whistler alpine mountains, but it can be expensive to eat there. One of the cheap eats is the Old Spaghetti Factory at Whistler Village. It provides a casual family setting, good quantity of Italian food. Every entree comes with minestrone soup or green salad, freshly baked sourdough bread, hot tea or coffee, and ice cream as desert. Price ranges from $10 to $15. After a hard day of skiing, hot seafood fettuccine sounds like the perfect choice, doesn't it? However, be prepared to wait to get a sitting during the dining hours. It is a quite popular place among travelers. If you are looking for more dining options, Whistler Blackcomb also has an online dining directory for the Village, which has a complete list of restaurants including the price range.

Shoulder Injury

My dear readers and fellow bloggers, I'm afraid that I will not be posting any new photos or articles for the next little while due to a dislocated shoulder injury from snowboarding. I'm done for the rest of the ski season. Kiss the alpine mountain good-bye 2007, but I'm not done with blogging. I'll write soon once I gain some mobility back. To the skiing and snowboarding lovers out there, have a great and safe season! It just keeps getting better and better at Whistler - home of 2010 Winter Olympics.

Adara Whistler Hotel

After spending the New Year's Eve at Whistler Blackcomb and enjoying every minute of it, Nick suggested that we celebrate my big birthday up there. He found a great accommodation deal with Adara Hotel on Last Minute Hotel Deals provided by Whistler Blackcomb. If you are traveling to the ski hills next few weeks, and planning to stay there for a few days, be sure to check out those deals. You never know what hidden treasures you may find there.

We checked in this little boutique hotel after a day of snowboarding on Whistler. Adara is the first designer boutique hotel at Whistler. The hotel itself isn't large, but is "supremely comfortable and elegantly sculpted into a bold, contemporary design" - Small Luxury Hotels of the World. I particularly loved the warm and rustic design elements in the hotel lobby. The designer red lounge chairs with the live gas fireplace and big river rocks make you feel homey and at ease instantly.

A View From A Seaside Lounge

This picture captures the very spirit of Racha Island, the sense of exclusiveness, comfort and playful luxury. This is the outdoor lounge situated right on the beach near the main lobby. The maple wood structure provided the perfect photo frame. The cloudless blue sky blends right into the layers of the sea down below, just the perfect back drop for the inviting wood and wicker furnitures.

Waiting for the Sunset

This photo was taken at the Racha Resort where Nick and I spent our honeymoon. We were just enjoying the sunset while most visitors had gone back to their villas to get ready for dinner. I thought that was the most beautiful time of the day. It's not that I don't enjoy blue sky with sunshine, I just love sunset more. No words can describe the intense fiery colors at sunset. So I'd rather snap it with my camera and remember it forever.

ADIDAP - All Day I Dream About Photography

One of my passion is photography, and when I came across a good photography site, I like to share it with my readers. ADIDAP - All Day I Dream About Photography is a good place to get photography ideas, tips and resources. Techniques such as selective color effect in black and white photos and transforming an image to a painting are commonly adopted by professional photographers, and they do wonders to your photographs. Antoine Khater, the author of ADIDAP, provided step-by-step tutorials on how to add those effects to your photos using Photoshop. Give them a try and see how you like them.

Exotic Thai Food

We came across these exotic Thai food at a local night market in Phuket Town. It was right before supper time, and my appetite was instantly boosted when I saw these "tasty" creatures :p. Not only did I have to snap a few photos of them, but I also tried those oily crunchy legs and heads...NOoooo, I'm just kidding.

Travel Forum Search Engine

I was quite excited to have discovered that Chris Michelle's article on my blog was posted on San Francisco Chronicle's Website. Chris is an British writer for TravelHappy.info mentioned in my previous post. His articles on travel guides and tips are frequently posted on SFGate.com. His Travel Discussion Forums Search Engine was published there today. He compiled top 10 travel forums, and provided a google search engine on his site. Now with TravelHappy Travel Forum Search, you won't have to spend hours visiting 10 different travel forums to find the answers you need. One stop meets all your needs. I just tried it myself, searching for Phi Phi Island. All threads on Phi Phi Island topic from those 10 travel forums came up instantly. It worked really well. I wish I had found a similar search engine before my honeymoon. It would have saved me tons of time. What a brilliant idea, Chris! Cheers!

Travel Guide to South East Asia

I stumbled upon TravelHappy while browsing MyBlogLog directory a few days ago. I got blown away by the amount of travel information and the extended travel tips provided there. Whether you're a backpacker to Thailand, a first timer to Japan, or an adventurer to Cambodia, you'll find some juicy stuff on TravelHappy. Go check it out.

Spring Skiing at Whistler Blackcomb

If you are a ski/snowboard enthusiast, you've gotta check out this video tour of Whistler Blackcomb. They've got record breaking snow this season. We've been up there a few times, and the snow is truly the best this year.


I took this photo at the peak of Symphony, which just became accessible to public this season. Symphony Express, the high-speed quad chair lift provides access to acres of previously inaccessible high alpine terrain. Ski lovers used to hike 40 minutes from the top of Harmony Express to Symphony to enjoy the spectacular undisturbed mountain. Now, it's accessible to everyone.

Snowboarding Sasquatch on Mt. Whistler

Nick and I spent all day riding the thick powder up and down the trails at the Symphony bowel near the Whistler peak. That is when we ran into the big furry sasquatch hanging out near the top of the chair lift of the new Symphony high speed chair. Dressed up exactly like the evasive snowboarding sasquatch on the Kokanee beer commercial, this dude was just sitting there enjoying the spectacular view at the peak. I took out the camera, and snapped it away before he had a chance to slip down the mountain.

Rang Yai Island

Among the many places we visited during our trip in Phuket, Rang Yai Island stood apart for its subdued beauty and tranquility. Also known as Pearl Island, Rang Yai is only 15 minutes speed boat ride away from the main island. Unlike other activity packed day trips, we decided to pick a tour with the most relaxed schedule, which means plenty of time to relax, swim, snorkel and just explore the island on our own. Unbelievably, we were the only visitors on the island that day, possible due to the fact it was near the tail end of the low tourism season. After a quick tour of the pearl farm, our guide led us to the beach basically just to roam around and do whatever we desired.
As Nick snorkeled, I found this huge squid washed up on the beach. I have never seen a squid besides in a restaurant or supermarket, so it was quite an exciting discovery for me. One of the guides picked it up, and when asked what their plan was for this unexpected guest, he said flatly, "we eat".


After lunch, we borrowed a couple of bicycles and set off on our own little expedition around the island. This lovely little island can be circumnavigated in just over 15 minutes. The path were damp and soggy in certain places due to the rain storms that hit sporadically throughout the morning, so we had to be careful not to get our bikes stuck in the mud. Peeking through the trees, we would spot stretches of white sandy beaches so secluded that we just had to stop and take a closer look.

True to the nature of their laid back attitude to life, the Thai guides on the island enjoy playing a relaxing game of mini golf. The tranquil setting of the sandy beach and the palm trees provided a stunning back drop for the golf game. We would remember this island for what it stands for, much like its alias, hidden jewels in this paradise.

Almighty Mt. Robson, BC

We've had a lot of snow on the west coast this year, which is very uncommon and reminds of my first trip to Jasper National Park. Driving on the trans Canada highway through the BC rockies on the way between Vancouver and Jasper National Park, we came across the formidable Mt. Robson. It sits majestically like an impenetrable fortress on that crisp winter day. It's easy to be captivated by the sight of Mt. Robson as you drive on the long road winding through the BC rockies. The sky was overcast and air was cold, the snow from the previous nights still visible on the side of the road and the trees extending into the hills, all of which contributing to the eerie shade of light blue tone in this phone. It would take hours to wind our way pass Mt. Robson and into the Alberta Rocky mountains, where even more breathtaking mountains awaited us.

Cash, Traveler's Cheques, or Credit Cards

One of the most common questions travelers ask on the online travel forum is whether they should bring cash, traveler's cheques or credit cards for their trips to Thailand. Here's my 2 cents based on my personal experience.

Cash - bad choice. In general, it's inconvenient to bring a large sum of cash when you travel. And you'll never get it back if it's lost or stolen. I only brought a small amount of cash with me for emergencies.

Traveler's Cheques - good choice for people who are conscious about exchange rates. All banks in Thailand accepts TC. TC offers away better rate than cash and credit cards. Credit card companies offer you the worst rate of the day and take a big chunk out of each transaction. That's how they make money. There's a service charge (about $1 CAD or 30-33 baht) to process each TC, so it's wise to get TC with large dominations like 100s. The main advantage of TC is high reliability of safe keeping of your cash. No one else can use it if it's lost. One tiny inconvenience is that you need present your passport at the time of transaction. I used TC for the first time while in Thailand, and now I'm a strong advocate of using TC.
Credit Cards - good for people who are not bothered by the low exchange rate. It's extremely convenient when you shop at department stores buying big items like jeweleries and digital cameras. I used it a couple of times at the duty free shops at the airport when I ran out of Baht.

Oh I almost forgot to mention bank cards. Yes, it's another option. You can use your bank card to take out Baht from ATM over there as long as your bank shares the same network as that of ATM, commonly Interac, Cirrus, or Maestro. The major downside of using ATM abroad is that you bear two service charges. One's from your bank, and the other is levied by the Thai bank. Your bank MAY or MAY not charge you a fee each time you use it. I say MAY because some banking plans come with a couple of free ATM usages. I bank with BMO, and my banking plan comes with two free ones every month. The fee charged by Canadian banks varies from bank to bank. Some charge up to $5 CAD, which I think is quite high. I don't know how much Thai bank charges (probably $1 or $2 CAD, my guess), you may be able to find out about it online.

Hope this helps. Happy travel!

Orchids in the Wild

Snowbabie's Snowdrops inspired me to post this photo taken on Rang Yai Island, Phuket. Wild orchids are seen everywhere on the island, and are extremely easy to grow in the warm and high humidity weather. They grow almost everywhere, even off the tree trunks, like the one seen in this photo.

New Year's Eve Celebration, Whistler, BC

It's been an eventful and memorable year for us, so what better way to send off 2006 than spending New Year's Eve up in Whistler, BC, the official winter party central. After spending the whole day on the slopes, we had dinner and ventured straight out in the village, which by then was already full of revelers in high party spirits for Whistler's First Night 2007 Celebration. The stone paved streets of whistler village looked inviting and lively on this night, illuminated by the glowing lights on trees throughout the place. People congregated here from the entire globe, with one common goal, to count down the hours and minutes with family and friends in this amazing paradise. After the performance by funk singer Zaki Ibrahim, DJ Grand Theft brought the party to a fever pitch with some hot mixes off tunes from the 90s, 80s and even some old school disco. We danced the night away under a light drift of snow that started earlier in the evening. We welcomed 2007 with a count down and great fireworks display. We will always remember this New Year's Eve, let's hope there's even more snow in 2007!