Roberston Quay, Singapore

I have to admit I hit a wall trying to find an image that I could post for this week's picture and then I asked myself, "Why? Why is it so hard to find just one image?"

Because I am trying too hard to find the perfect image. It might not be a remote destination or a fancy place, but the bridge in this picture reminds me of the people I met while I lived in Singapore. It also happens to be in Singapore.

The people I met added color to my day. Made me smile when I saw their faces. Made me eat well. And best of all they made me feel at home in a foreign place.

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Singapore's Nightlife

What impression do you have of Singapore? If you think it's a strict, oppressive place, then you are sadly mistaken. Singapore's nightlife is far from boring; it can keep you stimulated into the wee hours of the morning!

Whether you are at La Pau Sat enjoying the local cuisine or at one of the many trendy clubs, you can be sure there is something for you to do after dark in Singapore. And for all you foodies, Singapore has a restaurant that will suit your experienced palates.

Now let's talk about my picture. If you look along the horizon you will notice there are lamps that look like stars with long rays of light. After shooting many cities at night I began to notice this starry effect and I fell madly in love with it. The trick is to use the smallest aperture setting on your camera and adjust the shutter speed accordingly. Also don't forget your tripod and cable release so the camera is as still as humanly possible.

There was a lot of light around when I took this picture so you might have to leave the shutter open for 20 or 30 seconds. Have fun at night and enjoy a city while everyone else is sleeping, but don't forget to be safe!

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Thaipusam ~ February 8, 2009

If you don't like needles puncturing the skin then you don't want to look at the pictures for this post; they are really intense. I struggled to even look at them for a couple days, but nonetheless I got through them.

First you need to know more about Thaipusam to really understand what is going on here. It is a Hindu festival celebrated by people native to the Tamil Nadu state of India. You might be more familiar with the state's largest city and capital, Chennai. But the largest celebrations of Thaipusam take place in Singapore, Mauritius and Malaysia.

The people you see carrying the large canopies of metal and colorful decorations, or the pots of milk are the devotees. The canopy they burden is a kavadi and it is often attached to the devotee's skin with hooks or is pierced by metal spears. In order to prepare for this celebration the devotees cleanse themselves through prayer and fasting. And the devotees bearing the kavadi practice celibacy and eat food that is healthy, nutritious and clean.

So why do they perform these celebrations? Usually, Hindus take a vow to offer a kavadi to beseech help from the God Murugan for avoiding a big tragedy. For example, if you were a devotee and your son had a terminal illness, then you would pray to surrender your son's life in exchange for a vow to dedicate a kavadi to Murugan.

The small spears through the tongue and cheek remind the devotees of Lord Murugan and it prevents them from speaking, which relinquishes the power of endurance. The more pain the devotee endures, the greater the benefit.

This celebration wasn't easy to photograph so I cannot imagine what it would be like to be a devotee and burden a kavadi. To all the devotees that take this vow each year: I respect you for your great strength, courage and faith.