DJI Inspire 1 vs Phantom 3 Professional

May 26, 2015 9 Comments

The Inspire 1 has served me very well. It is extremely sturdy, powerful and reliable. It is the Lamborghini of prosumer-drones. After 2 months flying on the Inspire 1, I decided to get a Phantom 3 Professional (P3P) last week. I had a short encounter with the new P3P when I was in Singapore 2 weeks ago. My new drone buddy, Alvin took his P3P for a night flight around Marina Bay Sands. I was intrigued by its amazing video quality and lightweight.

Back in Hong Kong, I took my new P3P out for a test flight at the Hong Kong Peak Garden. Small, light and nimble, I was very surprised that it was able to tackle the strong high wind without much drifting problem. I did noticed some minor vibrations during landing and mid air turning but those were minor. I handed the control to Tracy who was new to drone flying. Within minutes, she was able to fly the drone for a good 15 minutes without any problem. Check out what Tracy captured in the video below.

I know many drone-shoppers are comparing the Inspire 1 and the new Phantom 3 Professional model. Even though the Inspire 1 and Phantom 3 Professional offer the same 4K camera, they are built differently. They both have their own pros and cons. That is why it is not realistic to compare Inspire 1 with the new DJI Phantom 3 series.

After handling and flying both drones, here are my verdicts:

1) MOBILITY, SIZE AND WEIGHT
I carried the Inspire 1 to Taiwan and Singapore. Twice, I was billed extra at the check-in counter for being overweight. Due to its size, it is impossible to hand-carry the Inspire 1 box on board. The original box is not strong enough to check in. I had one of those military-grade shock-proof trunks which was very costly (USD300), heavy and bulky. The trunk itself without the drone and batteries was already over 13kg! After putting in the drone, 4 batteries and 1 controller, it weighs over 20kg. This is simply not flight-friendly. I returned the box back to the shop.

I found a much cheaper and more efficient way to fly. I put the Inspire 1 box inside another larger luggage-trolley. After searching for many brands, I found the “Caterpillar” trunk (USD120) most useful and practical. (See photo below). Altogether, all the trolley, box, drone, 4 batteries, 2 chargers and 1 controller only weigh 12kg. (Tips: Number the batteries so you can use them evenly)

While I solved the airline-check-in problem, the Inspire 1 box is still a big one to carry around on foot. I bought 2 backpack options on the Chinese shopping site, Taobao. The first option was a strap (USD30) over the Inspire 1 original box. While the drone was well protected in its original box, this is a bad option as it is too heavy to carry the box around. Also, it takes a long time to unstrap the box.

I prefer the second option which is a canvas backpack (USD18). I am able to strap the drone on the bag and carry it around. There are compartment inside this bag for batteries, props and controller. The only con about this bag is it is not weather-proof. So, you should only take this out on a sunny clear day.

Phantom 3 Professional on the other hand, is so much smaller, lighter and travel-friendly. I will able to hand-carry the drone and batteries on board the plane. My drone buddy Alvin recommended me a very sturdy bag (USD68) on Taobao. I am able to store all the batteries, charger, props, ipad and drone into one bag. It is weather-proof and most important, travel-friendly.

WINNER: PHANTOM 3 PROFESSIONAL – So, if you are looking at mobility, Phantom 3 offers a big convenience for travellers. Nevertheless, do note that Phantom 3’s compact frame does compromise flight performance.

2) BUILD, POWER AND FLIGHT PERFORMANCE
Visually, both drones are built and weigh differently. The Inspire 1 (2935g) is much heavier than Phantom 3 (1280g). The Inspire 1 is partially made of carbon-fiber while the Phantom 3 is mainly made of plastic. Both are equipped with different-sized props. The props on the Inspire 1 are much longer than the Phantom’s. (Even the remote controller mimics the drone’s material, Phantom 3’s plastic and Inspire’s metallic.) Due to its unique body structure and wider wingspan, the Inspire 1 is a better drone to fly. It is certainly much stable and more powerful than the Phantom. The Inspire 1 flies much faster (22m/s) than the Phantom 3 (16m/s).

While in the air, it is much easier to identify the Inspire 1’s bearing at line-of-sight. The Phantom is almost symmetrical and it is difficult to tell its bearing by looking at it. Even though the Phantom promises longer flight time (23 mins) than the Inspire 1 (18 mins), I don’t find that overly true. Due to the Phantom’s lighter weight and smaller frame, it uses more juice to counter the strong current and this reduces its flight time eventually.

WINNER: INSPIRE 1 – If you are looking for speed and powerful flight, the Inspire 1 edges Phantom 3 without any doubt. Inspire 1 is a much stable drone to pilot especially in windy condition. For some strange reasons, it is a much quieter drone too. (See the 2 videos below shot by Inspire 1)

3) AERIAL IMAGE CAPTURING AND QUALITY
Both the Inspire 1 and Phantom 3 carry similar 4K cameras but Inspire 1 offers an unblocked 180-degree view. Due to Inspire 1’s iconic transforming landing gears, the pilot is able to rotate the camera around. The Phantom 3 has the same limitation as its predecessors. While flying (tilting) forward, there are times when the Phantom’s front props appear in the footage.

Nothing much to compare about both drone’s image quality as both offer 12 megapixel, FOV 94° 20 mm (35 mm format equivalent) f/2.8, focus at ∞. While it is good to shoot video at 4K, I would recommend pilots to shoot in mode of minimum 48f/s and above to avoid strobing or “judder-effect”. Aerial footages shot at 25f/s must pan or rotate slowly.

WINNER: INSPIRE 1 – I would find the Inspire 1 camera a better option as it allows HD filters to be attached onto its camera. Also, the Inspire 1’s camera is removable so drone owner will be able to upgrade or replace the gimbal with other photographic options in the future. This option does come with its con, it takes 50% time longer to setup the Inspire 1. Drone owner has to set the drone on flight mode in order to attach the camera. For the Phantom 3, it is simply attach the props and it is ready to fly.


CONCLUSION
I like the Inspire 1’s imagery and flight performance. It is certainly a much powerful, stable, robust and reliable drone to fly. The camera allows ND filter and this helps in super bright sunny condition. The transforming landing gears allow me to take unblocked images and footages. It is much easier to spot its bearing in the air. Battery life is fantastic. I don’t use more than 3 batteries in one single location. Each battery allows me a good 18-20 minutes of flight. With its sturdy main frame and power propeller engines, USD2,899 is a fair deal.

The only con is its mobility. It is extremely difficult to travel with Inspire 1 on foot. I had a nasty tough time carrying it up the mountains when I was in Taiwan. Most of the box-options aren’t travel-friendly. I believe this problem can be overcome when someone comes up with a good backpack solution. Hopefully DJI can solve this.

On the other hand, I can understand why some Inspire 1 owners were crying foul in early April when DJI launched the new Phantom 3 Series. For almost a third of Inspire 1 price, the Phantom 3 Professional offers similar deal of superior flight and camera quality. It flies 500m high, 2km far and captures 4K video, I must admit it is a very good aerial camera at USD1,259. Best of all, it is so travel-friendly and I will be using this more for my local hiking trip and weekend travels.

Nevertheless, it has its own limitation. Forget about Phantom 3 lacking of HDMI output, “Follow-Me” or the second controller functions, I never think those 3 features are important for most prosumer-drone-pilots. The biggest limitation in Phantom 3 lies in its lesser aero-dynamical air frame and smaller plasticky wingspan. Drone owners have to take more precaution to avoid the front propellers appearing in their video and make more adjustment during flight to counter the strong drafts. 

It is a marketing and pricing strategy. DJI surely knows how to market its drones effectively by introducing a new segment for the semi-pro users. The Inspire sits in a well-placed price segment with a set of extra tangible features. It is unfair to compare the Inspire 1 with the Phantom 3 or even other similar drones in the market. In my opinion, the only thing comparable is the camera.

Both are excellent drones. If given a choice to choose one over another (with no monetary-constraint), I will still stick with the Inspire 1 for important trips/work and the Phantom 3 for my blog and weekend leisure. If this is your first drone, Phantom 3 Professional is the answer. 

Filed under Cool Stuffs, Life in Hong Kong Tagged with

Droning over Iconic Singapore

May 16, 2015 10 Comments

Just 2 weeks before Singapore’s unmanned aerial vehicle law becomes effective on 1st June, I brought my drone to Singapore to fly. Blessed with great sunny and clear weather, I was able to capture some of the most stunning aerial footages of Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and  Punggol Marina Club. Thanks to DJI Inspire 1‘s superior built and engine, the drone empowered me with absolute control, precision and freedom to explore Singapore from totally different angles and never-seen before perspectives. (Check out the photos and videos below!)

This is my 20th DJI Inspire flight since my first flight at Taiwan Alishan. I always take extra precaution whenever I fly the drone around the city. Everything is checked to ensure the flight is smooth and will not endanger anyone or property. Many of my friends in Singapore have warned me about the recent drone accidents in Singapore. Such negative incidents bother me as I know how these will impact many drone pilots like myself. Being a drone owner, it is our responsibility to ensure the safety of every flight. This is not a toy but a great aerial imaging machine.

“Great power comes with great responsibility.” More than just a cliche line from our friendly neighbourhood super hero, it serves as a constant reminder to all drone pilots to be diligent, ethical and to take the highest level of precaution when flying these drones. With more and more regulations tightening up against drone flying, it is important that drone pilots observe good drone flying etiquette. It only take a few black sheep in this community to destroy the freedom that we (drone pilots) enjoy. And as much as possible, we should also refrain ourselves from taking unnecessary risk that may cause any undesirable or life-threatening incident. Always stop and check the flying condition. It is a basic respect and a code of conduct that we drone pilots should observe, protect and serve. Freedom does come with a price. So to all new drone pilots, do cherish and don’t squander this new gift carelessly away.

Flying around Marina Bay Sands was a breeze. This was the same location where DJI launched their new Phantom 3 drone a month back. I took the drone out to Gardens by the Bay and around the Esplanade. Wind and weather condition was perfect. I flew for 20 minutes before directing the drone back to the hotel’s balcony.

I realised I wasn’t the only one flying the drone that day. My wife and boss spotted a similar drone hovering above them at the Infinity Pool one evening and both of them messaged me. They thought I was flying the drone. I told them that I will never pull off a stunt like that as it was stupidly risky to fly at such close proximity near to the public.

Later the evening after dinner, another client of mine joined me to fly his newly bought Phantom 3 by the Singapore River. This was our first night flying. We attracted a couple of people who were hobbyists and drone-enthusiasts like ourselves. Flying the drone at night was certainly more challenging as it was more difficult to maintain the line of sight. The 4K camera was fairly impressive (there were some noise in both the photos and videos). I managed to capture a few never-seen-before aerial images of Singapore skyline.

I also took the drone to Punggol Marina Club to fly. The aerial view isn’t that great as there are a lot of construction sites around the vicinity. Still, it was a great eye-opening experience for my little nephew and Elkan! We even took a few “aerofies” (aero-selfies) with our drone! I am so in love with my new aerial camera! Looking forward to bring it to our next family adventure next month!

Filed under Cool Stuffs, Life in Hong Kong, Travel

Flyover – The World’s Tallest Bronze Goddess of Mercy (Tsz Shan Monastery, Hong Kong)

April 21, 2015 Leave a comment

Newly opened 5 days ago on 15th April 2015, this is the world’s tallest bronze Goddess of Mercy (觀音). Located at Tsz Shan Monastery (慈山寺) at Universal Gate Road (普門路), Tai Po District, Hong Kong, this is a mega-project funded by Hong Kong’s very own tycoon, Li Ka-Shing.

Standing at 76m, the statue stands on a lush tranquil hillside at the foot of 純陽峰, overlooking Plover Cove Reservoir (船灣). The $193 million monastery took 5 years to complete. To maintain the peacefulness and tranquility of the attraction, daily visitorship is kept at 400. Admission is free but visitors must make reservation online (http://booking.tszshan.org/) one week to a month in advance to visit this monastery. Visitors must also be 18 and above and they are not allowed to bring joss sticks, meat and alcohol into the compound.

As we didn’t know that we have to make reservation beforehand, my dad, Uncle Bok and I travelled a long way to Tai Po this evening. Fortunately, I had my DJI Inspire 1 drone with me and we managed to take a quick 5-minute overhead cruise 100m around the attraction. Despite the low lighting condition (as the sun was setting), I managed to capture a beautiful aerial footage of the monastery and the reservoir. Thanks to the possibility of the drone, I was able to capture the view where the Goddess of Mercy was facing. It was simply mesmerising. Enjoy the video.

Filed under Cool Stuffs, Life in Hong Kong, Travel Tagged with , , ,

Ride the Glorious Rainbow – Remembering Lee Kuan Yew

March 29, 2015 1 Comment

It is a very gloomy day for Singapore today. Just like the rain, our hearts are heavy and sad.

Watching the live telecast on CNA from Hong Kong, the love and unity of our people touches me greatly. Young and old, braving the heavy downpour in red, black and white, line up along the streets, carrying state flag and umbrellas, bidding their last farewell to Lee Kuan Yew. It will be a very emotional day for all us and we will remember this historic moment.

If only Lee gets to witness all these. How the world leaders respect him and how his people adore him, standing in the heavy downpour, waving the national flag, chanting his name in unity. It is a very very touching sight.

I just want to remember this very moment and say thank you. It is an irony that many of us only get to read so much more about you after your passing. Like many Singaporeans aboard, I started to appreciate Singapore much more when I was overseas. The people I met overseas, from taxi drivers to businessmen spoke so highly of you. Even the young people who never know you were so curious about your life story.

Thank you for giving us a home, a great education, a priceless identity and a world-class reputation. Singapore has earned the mark of integrity, efficiency, transparency, consistency and resourcefulness. More than a stern Father, you are Singapore’s greatest ambassador. Your bravery, vision, wisdom and kindness pillared this strong nation of immigrants. I am truly proud of our identity and the Singapore brand.

Even after your death, you gave Singapore the best parting gift on the eve of our SG50 Celebration. A nation not in grief but in unity. A nation’s worth not measured in size but in its true greatness.

So goodbye our Great Lion, Chief Gardener, Founding Father and the world’s greatest Leader. You will be fondly missed eternally in history. There is no need to erect a statue or name a street to honour your greatness. We shall continue your legacy and be your greatest Monument. The sun will shine once more and we shall ride the glorious rainbow you showered and go forth bravely in the spirit of adventure, everlasting peace, purity, equality to be the brightest.

Filed under Life in Hong Kong

Magic with Jeff Teo (Magic at the Fringe, Hong Kong)

March 12, 2015 1 Comment

What an extraordinary magical night! Big thanks to Hong Kong’s Celebrity Magician, Jeff Teo who gave me an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime, money-cannot-buy experience!

“Magic at the Fringe” was sold as the only live magic cabaret in Hong Kong. Featuring some of the region’s top promising magicians, the 90-minute show delivered tons of humour, surprises and magical moments! Last night, Chowpo, Tracy and I attended its inaugural performance at Fringe Club, Lan Kwai Fong. It was full-house packed with 60 people. Some of the audience were well-known magicians themselves!

Thanks to the kindness of the Teo Family who invited us, we got the best seats in the hall. Hosted by a well-known international (and humble) magician, Harry Wong (aka Harry Gor Gor), the show exceeded all our expectations. Harry was a great host, he energised the crowd with tons of “suggestive” jokes! He was extremely funny, candid and very spontaneous! I thought I was attending a standup comedy show instead!

Harry did an excellent job to introduce and showcase 4 young and very promising magicians. They were Fung Ip, Harry Harrius, Jeff Teo and Armando Cheung. These magicians wooed the audience with their captivating performance.

I was invited by one of the magicians, Jeff Teo, to go onto the stage. I was reluctant to do so but he insisted on a “gentleman”. Once on the stage, I was told to perform a magic trick. I was very nervous as I have no idea what he wanted me to do. Just when I was getting really uncomfortable standing in the spotlight facing the crowd, magic happened! Within that short timeframe of 5 minutes, Jeff successfully transformed me into the world’s “2nd best magician”.

Thanks to Jeff’s act, my first 5-minute fame wasn’t that bad afterall. I guess I do have some good showmanship. My only regret was I should come in my pretty suit and pant! Enjoy the video clip below! I am looking forward to their next show next month!


Filed under Cool Stuffs, Life in Hong Kong

Blissful Festive Reunion

January 4, 2015 5 Comments

I never like counting down to New Year. It is the day when I bid farewell to my loved ones.

After spending 8 days of home-quarantine, I finally get to spend some quality time with my parents, wife and child. Having chicken pox at 40 was a dreadful experience. It was a good test of one’s character and endurance. For me, the timing was just bad. My sickness coincided with our Christmas family trip. I wasted one good week at home. Fortunately, I was thankful that I managed to recover in time before their departure.

Every gloomy cloud has a silver lining. Auntie Amy, Joanne and Scott were in town too! I was so excited to receive them on my first day of freedom! Tracy and I went to the airport to welcome Auntie Amy and Joanne & family!

With Auntie Amy and Joanne & family in town, the gathering got merrier and noisier! Both my Aunt and mum started their nagging rituals on poor Elkan. I managed to avoid the old ladies’ bombardments by joining Joanne, Felicia and Tracy. Dad was happily chatting with Joanne’s dad who was also his ex-colleague.

There were 2 days when Auntie Amy and Joanne & family went away. Auntie Amy flew to Xiamen on 28th Dec to surprise her son and Joanne brought her parents to Macau and Zhuhai. I didn’t plan anything special for my family. My old folks didn’t want to travel far. Mum and Dad weren’t feeling well as they weren’t used to the cold weather. So, we spent a lot of time dining and shopping around Central and Soho areas.

Felicia and Elkan fell ill during their last 2 days in Hong Kong. Felicia was having the same symptoms as what I experienced (Felicia went to A&E and was diagnosed with chicken pox on New Year’s Day). She lost her appetite and her body was unwell. During both their absence, Auntie Amy and Joanne & family returned to Hong Kong. Chowpo volunteered to drive my family and friends around Hong Kong on 29th and 30th of Dec. We had lunch at Stanley Market and sight-seeing at Sai Kung. Later in the evening, we had farewell dinner at Central.

Felicia, Elkan, Auntie Amy and my parents left Hong Kong on the eve of 2015. Joanne & family, Harshad, Tracy and another Hong Kong auntie came to IFC to send them off. It was another teary farewell at the airport express station. Separation makes us cherish every reunion. Elkan kept reminding himself not to cry but he eventually broke down just seconds before he boarded the train. He was suppressing his sadness the entire morning and when he broke down, I gave him a tight hug and told him it was okay. Departure was never easy for anyone of us. That is why I am always so hasten to say goodbye.

I was blessed with the company of good friends. Tracy, Chowpo and Harshad were there for me at every farewell. And this new year’s eve, I had the company of Joanne & family. We welcomed the first minute of 2015 on a rooftop watching fireworks over Victoria Harbour.

On New Day’s morning, Joanne & family joined me to welcome the first sunrise at the Peak. The weather was fantastic, we walked a total of 10km that morning! By 1pm, Joanne’s parents were so tired that they went back to the hotel to take an afternoon nap! It was also this trip when Joanne bumped into friends on the street. Amazingly, she bumped into 3 different friends in Hong Kong! It is just unbelievable how small the world is!

Finally, I bid farewell to my last visitors yesterday. Joanne and parents flew back to Singapore last evening. I started to miss all of them (my parents, wife, son, auntie and friends) already! As I walked past their hotels this afternoon, I could feel their presence. Guess it will take me quite a while to get back to my usual working pace.

Thank you all for being there with me this Christmas and New Year (in sickness and in health). Thanks for everything! See you soon my loved ones!

Filed under Family, Jo's Thoughts, Life in Hong Kong

Christmas Without the Polkadot Man

January 1, 2015 Leave a comment

It is great to see my loved ones enjoying themselves during my “chicken pox” absence (19th – 27th Dec) this festive season. Thanks to Felicia, Tracy and Chowpo for taking such good care of my old folks and boy. Here are the photos and blogs by Felicia. Enjoy!

BLOG BY FELICIA (20th Dec – 23rd Dec)

Harbin Ice Exhibition & Lychee Valley (21st Dec)

A bright sunny day was the perfect day out for us to enjoy the cool weather! To make it cooler, we took the MTR and headed to the Harbin Ice Exhibition at Yuen Long.

The exhibition site was quite crowded with lots of carnival booths. Elkan was excited about the cold while the old folks were worried if the huge ice cage would be too cold for them. This is my father and mother in-law’s first experience of -10ºC. We were each handed a thick down jacket to keep warm just before we enter the exhibition. 

Although temperature wasn’t as cold as it was at the real Harbin Ice Festival in China, Heilongjiang, but it was cold for us as we didn’t have the proper winter wear. There wasn’t many sculpture pieces inside. Some nice ones are the igloos and the slides. Elkan took his grand parents to the slides. They had fun like little kids!We quickly swept through the rest of the sculptures and headed for the exit. It was great to be back at the outdoor of 16ºC.Elkan and me decided to have a short race on the paddle go kart and it was really fun going for a few rounds on the race tracks. Not easy keeping up with Elkan’s speed now!

Next we headed to a nearby organic park, the Lychee Valley. A small park with kids playground and lots of fruits farms. Unfortunately it wasn’t the season for most of the fruits. Maybe another trip again soon!

Lantau Island, Tai O & A Surprise Sammi Concert! (22nd Dec)

Thanks to Chowpo who accompany us to Lantau and visit the Big Buddha. It was also a meaningful day to visit there as it was the 冬至（Winter Festival).

The fun of the day was the cable car trip up the hill. Apparently, my father in-law was afraid of the ride but he went along with us and bravely stepped into a crystal cable car, which is a glass-bottom cable car! Bravo!!

After a healthy vegetarian lunch, we headed downhill to Tai O. Took a short boat ride out to the sea, but we didn’t have much luck to spot any pink dolphin. At least the sea breeze was enjoyable.

The day ended with a sweet surprise! A Sammi concert for me with Tracy!

A spectacular performance with lots of gunfire, hot dance and special guest, Eason Chan! We were amazed with how the stage transforms, changing the whole dimension of the centre stage, not just once but a few times. And creating a stage within the stage! Eye-opening for me!

Dine by The Peak & Shopping at Central (23rd Dec)

Chowpo brought us to a nice restaurant with a great view for Dim Sum the next morning. It was pleasant and relaxing lunch. The food was great!

After lunch we took a short ride up the the peak garden. The higher peak which most tourist would give it a pass. The air was fresh but the wind was chilling.

We spent the afternoon shopping along the streets near our hotel. And visiting nice christmas decorations in the shopping malls. Hong Kong malls never fails to surprise us with beautiful decorations.

Filed under Family, Life in Hong Kong

The Nightmare Before Christmas

December 26, 2014 2 Comments

I had the worst nightmare before Christmas. And it happened 5 days before my year-end holiday. It ruined all my secret Christmas holiday trips with my parents and loved ones!

A week ago, I was perfectly normal. One minute, I was attending a meeting at work, the next, I was shivering with a high fever kicked in. It was a strange new experience. There was no symptoms. I had no flu, cough or sore throat. My body just shut down with this sudden high fever. I decided to stay away from work (my first MC in 2 years!) and took a day off to rest.

The next day, I went to see the doctor. He too, couldn’t provide me with any medical reason about my fever. He gave me the usual fever and pain-killer pills. He suspected a virus attack and asked me to rest for 2 more days. It wasn’t any typical fever. It came with severe headache and body-aches. I lost appetite and I had difficulties breathing. It was extremely uncomfortable and it was driving me crazy.

On the third day, I started to notice some rashes on my chest, arms and back. There were a couple of tiny red bumps near my elbow. One of them looked like a blister. Instantly, my worst fears surfaced in my mind. I was swearing and cursing in the shower room. Felicia asked me what happened, I told her my suspicion. I made a trip down to the clinic and showed the doctor the new symptom. After checking my body, he confirmed I had chicken pox.

My heart sank. The first thing I thought of was my wife and son. Like me, they never had chicken pox too. It will be devastating if the entire family was infected at the same time!

I came home and asked both of them to pack their bags. I immediately checked them into a nearby hotel for their remaining days in Hong Kong. I cancelled all our air tickets and hotel bookings. Originally, I planned a surprise 1-week Christmas vacation (for my parents, Felicia and Elkan) at Taiwan.

Having chicken pox at 40 was a humbling life experience. The books were right. Chicken pox is no small feat for adults. I sincerely urge all adults who never had chicken pox to take a chicken pox vaccination jab. Trust me, it is bearable but I wished not to experience such tortures again. The sickness took a heavy toll on my body and mind. The first three days were the worst days of my life. It was worst than what I experienced in National Service. I am extremely weak and under extreme pain. The pox spread everywhere (on my palms, in my ear and even inside my mouth). Thankfully, Tracy had chicken pox before and she took great care of me throughout this tormenting ordeal. 

It was extremely difficult for my loved ones. To avoid any contact, they cannot visit me and can only drop food/gifts by the door. Finally, after 10 days of house-arrest, my body has recovered and I managed to have a short Christmas dinner with my family and friends this evening.

It wasn’t the Christmas I have expected. Still, I appreciate this experience. It taught me the value of good health and family bonding. To my parents, wife and child – Thank you for being so patient with my sickness. Thank Felicia for dropping lovely meals by my door step. Thank Tracy for fetching me medicine, food and water 24/7. Thank Chowpo and Harshad for accompanying my parents and popping by to fill my apartment with so much warmth and sunshine. I am sure in another 2-3 days, I will be able to go out in full. On a positive note, I am finally immune, this will not come back (cross my fingers) to haunt me for a long long time. Thank you all for all the beautiful gifts and good-wishes. Looking forward to more happy moments with all of you in the coming days! Happy Poxing Day!

Filed under Family, Jo's Thoughts, Life in Hong Kong

Camping at Wan Tsai (西貢灣仔)

December 14, 2014 Leave a comment

It has been almost 20 years since I last camped outdoor. Thanks to my colleagues (Sean and Wing) who invited us, Felicia, Elkan, Tracy and I had our first family camping experience last Saturday. When I told my friends that I will be camping at Wan Tsai, many of them assumed I will be occupying Central on the highway. Unknown to many, there is really a campsite by the name of Wan Tsai (not Wanchai) and it is located at the far northeast of Sai Kung. It was a long ride from our apartment in Central. First, we took a cab to Wong Shek Terminus at Sai Kung Country Park. From there, we then took a 20min-ferry to the campsite.

The Wan Tsai campsite is a good site for beginners. It is located just right beside the pier, so we need not to walk very far with the heavy gears. There are lavatory and shower facilities around the campsite and they are very clean! There were many other campers around so we felt very safe.  Felicia, Tracy and I were so inexperienced and unprepared for the trip (we brought all the outdoor toys, snacks and bottled drinks but not the basic survival gears!). Lucky for our more camping-savvy friends, they came with the right tools and gears. The weather wasn’t that good. It was misty cold (at about 10-12°C) and it rained in the wee hours. We managed to survive the long cold wet night with some really good warm supper and breakfast. I never expect a cozy night sleep (the tent we bought was too short for my body length) and this was a very good experience for all of us. With better cool days coming ahead, I am sure we be doing more outdoor camping in the next few weeks!

Filed under Family, Life in Hong Kong

Coincidentally Taipei

November 16, 2014 Leave a comment

This was one amazing trip of fateful coincidences. Tracy and I were supposed to use these discounted air tickets to meet Lionnel and Joey in Taipei. Due to a Super Typhoon, we had to cancel our September trip at the last minute. Without any plan in mind, we picked a random date in mid November to exhaust the tickets.

It seemed that Fate had other plans for us. Coincidentally, 2 weeks before our November trip, I was informed that two of my best buddies in office (Chowpo and Vanliza) will be flying to Taipei for business on the same travel dates as ours. We were so happy to know that as Tracy and I didn’t have any special plan for our postponed trip. I changed my hotel booking so we can all stay around the same vicinity.

Since we were part of the same business unit, Tracy and I decided to lend Chowpo and Vanliza some help on Friday evening. We accompanied them to the client’s office to move some props. There, at the lift lobby, another delightful coincidence occurred! I bumped into an old client-friend, Mandy! She was so excited and surprised to see us! What a small world! We started chatting non-stop outside the lift door. We haven’t seen each other for almost 4 years! It was great bumping into her!

The next morning (Saturday), we were supposed to make a trip to visit another friend at Taizhong. At 7am, I received a surprise text message from my Cousin Bin! His family and he were all in Taipei! I supposed to join them for breakfast but one thing led to another. Coincidentally, Cousin Bin was staying at the same hotel I originally booked (but I changed another hotel to be closer to my colleagues). He was planning a 1-day tour along the northern coastal towns of Taipei. I checked with the ladies and we decided to tag along!

It was an awesome gathering! I was so happy to meet Cousin Bin and family! It was so unreal! The excitement was indescribable. Perhaps all these were fated! Cousin Bin booked 2 cabs for us. We went to visit Yehliu Geopark (野柳), had lunch at Jiufen Old Town (九份), hiked across a suspension bridge at Shifen Waterfalls (十分大瀑布), and released sky lanterns (天燈) at Shifen Old Street (十分老街). It was an extraordinary day with so many delightful moments! I was so glad that my friends and cousin enjoyed themselves.

Surely, no any other pre-trip planning can match what I experienced this trip. Tracy and I weren’t expecting anything special after our disappointing cancellation last September. This postponed trip was simply amazing and fulfilling! Fate certainly has its own unique way to connect people. Thanks God (and the power of social media) for this wonderful arrangement. This is indeed one of my best Taiwanese visits ever! And yes, life is beautiful. May all our wishes (on the sky lanterns) come true. Enjoy the photos! 

Filed under Family, Life in Hong Kong, Travel

← Older posts

Newer posts →