When you spend 9 days staying in the same hotel, traveling in the same bus and visiting the same tourist spots, [...]]]> #update: Some readers have reported back strange color cast on the photos (yellowish). I checked and found that the problem only occurs in IE and google chrome. If possible, please view this page in Firefox.

When you spend 9 days staying in the same hotel, traveling in the same bus and visiting the same tourist spots, together, you make new friends.

And that’s what happened during my recent trip to China. I get to know some interesting people.

With all 19 other tour members’ age go anyway between 40-year-old and 80-year-old, you add in another chap at half their age and you get an interesting combination. Did I mention 16 out of 20 of them are women?

Well, I had a wonderful time. Thank goodness. Now I’m contemplating tours with kids half my age.

While the tour guide at front was explaining the advantages of silk as bedding, and the guy next to you started to talk about heat conductivity and properties of different materials, you knew right away the guy has to be knowledgeable in physics. In fact, Mr. Yap is a retired physics teacher.

Mr. Yap, here looking serious and showing authority.

Mr. Teh is our tour guide from Malaysia. With 101 other tour guides using similar little flags to lead thousands of tourists, he bought himself a colorful toy wind turbine instead for our beacon. Brilliant.

Pretty ladies.

Yours truly’s mom

A model in silk dress. She is not our tour member.

Han Beng

We have some great news for you!

The judges in the Digital Camera Photographer of the Year competition have reached a decision – and we’re extremely pleased to tell you that your image, Nostalgia, has been given a Commended award in the Animals category.

More than 120,000 entries were received for the 2008 competition, and [...]]]> Dear Ghee Sin,

We have some great news for you!

The judges in the Digital Camera Photographer of the Year competition have reached a decision – and we’re extremely pleased to tell you that your image, Nostalgia, has been given a Commended award in the Animals category.

More than 120,000 entries were received for the 2008 competition, and this was a hotly contested category. You should feel proud of your achievement.

Marcus Hawkins
Editor
Digital Camera magazine

Nostalgia

The above winning shot was taken while I was about to leave the zoo. A friendly zoo keeper, seeing me with that huge DSLR, approached me and asked if I would like to shoot some good pictures. Of course I wouldn’t decline such an offer. He led me into a restricted area. It was then I saw this caged orang utan looking nostalgically into the distance.

He must be thinking of his happy days swinging from tree to tree in the wild..

More winning pictures from 2008 Digital Camera Photographer of the Year animal category.

Ghee Sin