Snaps

Camerashy 52 Week Photo Challenge, Scavenger Hunt photos and Happies

Welcome to my collection of old photos photos. On this page I've put together some of the old photos from the last couple of years that were linked to scavenger hunts or photo challenges. Just in case you missed them.

 The 'Made with Love's Scavenger Hunt- Kindly set up by that nice lady over there who goes by the name 'Greenthumb' gave me a list of 12 Photos to be scavenged and posted per month.

The 'CameraShy Photo Challenge' were photos were taken as part of a 52 week photo challenge organised by Ingrid at camerashy (http://www.facebook.com/IngridOwens#!/CameraShyPhotography).

As well as posting my themed photo each week on the facebook page- I decided that I would post them here as well. As you can imagine some weeks there are more than one- You know how indecisive I can be- well this just proves a point- which one to choose?

Some week's themes are more abstract than others and really have you thinking out of the box just to find one picture. Some week's themes- well what can I say-There's just no stopping.. You seem to see photos everywhere and off you go snapping away.

 Feel free to ask about them- I'll happily have a chat.. again, you know me-I'll talk for England!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Take52/

Revitalize

Revitlalize  

Camerashy 52 Week Photo Challenge 

Wide

Relax

Home

Solo 

Broken

Perform

 

Lunch



Change

Self

Natural

Melt

Loud

Dream

Extreme

Pattern

Pattern:  An artistic or decorative design,  A design of natural or accidental origin

Another 52 Week Challenge and you start to see patterns everywhere. There are deliberate manufactured patterns, patterns in nature and patterns that just appear out of nowhere.

Having been away on holiday, I didn't deliberately go out with the theme in mind and take photos- I just looked at the photos I had taken this week and there they were...Patterns galore!

 

The Red Dunes at Mui Ne, Vietnam.

 Enormous sand dunes that make you feel you could be in the Sahara, that is until some small Vietnamese child comes offering you the chance to slide down them on flimsy piece of plastic- For a small fee, of course :)

Patterns everywhere- Blue and white china, Cham sculptures, Temples and basket ware. Natural patterns in sand, shells and the patchwork patterns from plane windows. Manufactured patterns in brick, tiles and fabric.

 

Sticky.

This time the theme was sticky. As it was, it just so happened that our class field trip was to our local Wetlands Centre- Full of sticky mud.

At first glance you don't actually see anything except the mud- But then there's a slight movement out of the corner of your eye and a mud crab decides to show it self.  By the time you see one you realise the whole place is teaming with Mud crabs, Fiddler crabs and a whole host of creatures that call this patch of very sticky mud, home.

As well as the crabs, I was lucky to catch some other sticky creatures too! Mud snakes- a very original name! and Mud Skippers, posing on a stick, within the sticky mud. It also looked like a giant humanlike creature had ventured into the mud- I just hope they didn't have a sticky ending to their trek!

Until next time :)

Motion

'Cause you can’t stop
The motion of the ocean
Or the sun in the sky…

 ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat’. Hairspray

WK 12

As you can probably tell by my photos- I have a thing about taking pictures of water- whether it be the sea or pools or falls or whatever- I love watching it move. So for this week's  'Motion' challenge - water was the obvious choice. However, time was short and my week was busy, so I confess- I used some previously shot pictures to post!- I usually don't like doing this- I like the photo challenge as way to look at things in a different way and shoot accordingly- But time was precious and I knew I had the perfect picture to post- The coral sphere!

Or so I thought.. because I didn't just find that picture- I found a whole lot more that could easily be used as my motion challenge- all involving water! Surfers in Bali,  fountains, waves flowing onto beaches- The list was endless. And I still wasn't happy.  Yes I was happy with the picture I had posted- but I hadn't learned anything along the way- except perhaps that I take too many photos!

So I had a mission- Try to learn to take some action shots before the week was out! Luckily I had the perfect opportunity- Our school Swimming Gala! Armed with a little knowledge gleamed from a friendly fellow shutterbug- off I went. 

The end results weren't great- but much better than my first ever attempt with blurring motion shots in Singapore!!

 (The least said about this the better!)

Yes, I did take a lot of shots that didn't work, but some did- I think?-  But I did try, I ended up with some shots that I like and moreover, I had fun- Not bad for a days work!

Let the next challenge begin! :)

'Simple'

Wk 11

Tea- one of life's simple pleasures!

Life is never simple, not when you have to think of something simple to photograph! Often the most simple pictures are the most difficult to take-It takes effort to make it look simple- Or like me- you put it on auto and press the button- Simple when you know how!

 Things often look simple enough- effortless almost- Watching a great athlete, or artist, or musician at work - they make it look simple but we all know it takes years of hard work and practise to get that good. Sometimes you just have to strip things back to the bare bones - to find something simple- a simple flower, a simple structure, a simple taste-But you realise that nothing is ever simple- it's full of complexities and unanswered questions and wonder.

Simply stunning

A simple life

 Simply put

Life is never simple

The simple truth

Plain and simple

 Simple minded

Make it simple

Simple pleasures

Simple style

Simple solution

So you see, Simple isn't simple at all!

'Feet'

Week 10

As soon as I saw this week's challenge I knew what I wanted to do- Highjack a load of unsuspecting children, get them to go barefoot and then to pose for me!
Now I've done something similar before, using our hands, so they are quite used to me asking them to do random things. 'Oh, she's off again- Miss G and her 'let's work together projects!' I can hear them say- So they didn't even bat an eyelid when I ask them to take their shoes off!- Oh the power we teacher's have... anyway once 'desocked' (I know, not a proper word, but it works- right?) we got down to the business of posing.

This is where the fun starts- You know the old adage of never work with children and animals- well, when you do it for a living, nothing ever surprises you. So imagine 24 barefoot children, sitting on the carpet, legs outstreched.

"Lets get in a circle" I say- An easy instruction I would have thought, but no! With much shoving and jostling, the circle was 'too big', they cried, "Too small- I can't fit in', they shouted. "Move Back", '"move forward', "change places" And so they did, time and time and time again- until they were happy with it. I just wanted a quick snap- For them, it was like UN negotiations. J couldn't sit next to S, because they didn't want the boys sitting together, C couldn't sit next to J because their feet were too similar in colour! And so on and so forth. There were mutterings and mumblings and even insightful comments and I didn't even have to say a word.

It was the class who decided that this was an exercise in diversity- a way to show that we were all different and yet we are all the same, that we work together and work as a team to get things done. I never mentioned any of that- All I wanted was a shot of feet!- but if there's a lesson in there some where, then so be it! Teaching you see, is a two way process and sometimes it's nice to be on the receiving end!

'Sprout'

Week 9

Sprouting Shallots

'Mirror'

Week 8

Mirror Imagessssssssssssss!

'Red'

Week 7

Red Lanterns



'Unconventional'

Week 6

 Unconventional Produce

'Smile'

Week 5

E's Cute Smile

'Chill'

Week 4

  Chilled Chilli

'8 o'clock'

Week 3

8 am In the Park

'Fresh'

Week 2

Freshly Caught

'Celebrate'

Week  1

Celebrate a New Day 

 Thanks for looking :)

 Amanda x

May Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to my collection of photos for my version of 'Made with Love's' Scavenger Hunt- Kindly set up by that nice lady over there who goes by the name 'Greenthumb'. 12 Photos to be scavenged and posted per month.

Hope you enjoy. See you next month.

Lines

Construction

Door

Skyline

Skyline2

Washing

Washing 2

Aqua

Patriotic

4

Broken

Map

Keys

Flag

Hope you enjoyed looking as much as I enjoyed taking the photos. Thanks for visiting.

Until next time-Amanda:)

April Scavenger Hunt

Collection

Beach collection

Big

Big whale and Big Blue Sea

Curly

As well as various curly plastic straws and stirrers I came across these curly seed pods.

Dinner

Vietnamese Street food at its best!

My Town 

Welcome to Kota Kinabalu

Night Lights

Lanterns and lights galore in Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi

Pink

Pink everywhere! - I particularly like the pink Vespa though!

Plastic

Everything seems to be made of plastic! Including a lot of litter!

Sports 

Sports shops in Hanoi

 Take off

Taking off at Da Lat and Hanoi

Texture

Shells, roofs. bricks, mushrooms and dried fish!

6

Here's to another great hunt in May!

Amanda x

March Scavenger Hunt

3

 

3rd place! At our school swimming gala.

 

Bridge 

 

I had road bridges and river bridges in mind when I saw the title, but I saw the ship's bridge and knew that this was the photo I wanted- It's the biggest boat/ ship in the marina!

 

 Eggs

 

Quails eggs- I love the colours on them.

 

 Bubbles

 

Bubbles of sea water, covering the sand as it goes around a coral sphere.

 

Empty 

 

Empty chairs at empty tables

 

 

Gate

 

I pass this gate to the local Pagoda everyday- but I have no idea what actually goes on there!

 

Green

 

I had lots of photos of green objects- but then decided to go for the alternative option of being environmentally green- Recycling bins!

 

 

Shoes

 

My shoe collection- There are more- but they wouldn't all fit in the photograph!

 

Dessert 

 

I couldn't decide which dessert picture- so posted both- Doughnuts and trifle.

 

Toys

 

Lego- Found in our classroom toy box

 

Uniform

 

2 uniforms in one picture- The day the local Bomba (Fire Brigade) came to visit school.

 

 

Water

 

Water- The South China Sea

 

Hope you enjoyed looking as much as I enjoyed taking the photos. Thanks for visiting.

Until next time-Amanda:)

 

February Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to my collection of photos for my version of 'Made with Love's' Scavenger Hunt- Kindly set up by that nice lady over there who goes by the name 'Greenthumb'. 12 Photos to be scavenged and posted per month.

By doing two versions I've set myself the added challenge that my photos can only be posted once and not repeated- so here goes!

Red

 Chillis in abundance at the local market

Something found no where else

A Probiscus monkey, native to Borneo. This photo however was taken at the Zoo. Not because you can;t get to see them in thew wild- you can- but just not this close up!

Kiss 

 2 shots- Because I am so indecisive and couldn't decide which one to post

14

or rather the absence of 14! If you notice there are no 4s in our apartment block. 4 is considered unlucky and therefore no 4th or 14th floor!

Heart  Shaped

All from my jewellery box

Frozen

The frozen section in the local supermarket does an array of pick and mix options- most of them are unrecognisable- but apparently they are bits of seafood!

Bus

Breakfast

This is breakfast Gaya Street style- bread buns, dim sum and dumplings

Glass

Park Bench

A weekend morning- just 'chillin' and watching the world go by.

Shopping Trolley

An abandoned shopping trolley in the distance- it looks lost

Shopping Trolley 2

Cool!

 Shadow

 Shadows on the jetty at Pedang Point, Gaya Island

Well that's it for February, here's looking forward to March's list!

January Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to my collection of photos for my version of 'Made with Love's' Scavenger Hunt- Kindly set up by that nice lady over there who goes by the name 'Greenthumb'. 12 Photos to be scavenged and posted per month.

 By doing two versions I've set myself the added challenge that my photos can only be posted once and not repeated- so here goes!
  

12

12 midnight, New Year's Eve, London

Cold

Cold, cool and delish! Ice Cream mmmm

Blue

Looks good enough just to dive straight into!

Door

I have a bit of an obsession taking photos of doors and windows. So it was really hard to decide which photo to submit- maybe I should just have a seperate page for them all...maybe not! This was was taken in Penang, Malaysia.

Produce

Our local market has lots of great produce like chilis, tumeric and ginger. Strangely enough though, most of our fruit and veg are imported!

 Food

 Another shot from Penang. Apparently street food is all the range, all up and coming and trendy- here it's just a way of life!

Mail

Our red mail box- It's surprisingly like the British one- a throwback to the time when Sabah was known as British North Borneo.

Reflection

Early morning reflections at the local park

Sign

Pointing out the many trails on Gaya Island

Statue

Govener General of Bengal- Charles Cornwallis, overseeing the fort that is named after him at Georgetown, Penang.

Warm

A very warm campfire

View

 Out in the distance, you can just make out the slopes of Mount Kinabalu.

 Well that's it for January, here's looking forward to February's list!

'52 Weeks of Happy'.

Welcome to my version of  '52 Weeks of Happy'. Four photos that show the little things that have made me happy the previous week. Well I'm saying four, but sometimes there has to be a bit of give and take! So let's say 'round about' four photos, cos we all know how indecisive I can be!

 This is clearly not my idea- I'm not that creative- So thanks to Jen at 'Little Birdie' for starting this all off!

 http://www.jenlittlebirdie.blogspot.co.uk/p/52-weeks-of-happy.html

Wk 25
17th- 23rd June

My darling sister has just bought me tickets to go to the Rewind Festival in Scotland in July. Definitely made me smile as last year was such good fun. (This was taken last year at Rewind- It's an 80's festival, hence the very strange costumes and attire!)

I often have a nice morning drive to work but this particular morning was just lovely. Sun rising over Mount Kinabalu.

Home made and on toast.mmmmm

Now this is a bit of a strange one- Clear blue sky on a Monday morning- That made me happy, for a while at least. As you see since then the slash and burn haze has come over from Indonesia- and we haven't had a clear sky all week.

Luckily for us, it's not at dangerous levels as it is over in Singapore and the mainland- but it does feel like it's not doing us any good. So I'm wishing it won't be long until it brilliant blue again.

One more Happy to round off- but no photo- just to say I had two very happy days of  lunch with friends. A very pleasant way of spending a couple of hours away from working (Well, supposedly!), just catching up over good food and coffees.

 So that's it- hopefully I 'll feel I have a few more happies next week- Reports will be finished, the magazine will be back from the printers and I have a school trip to go on.

 Hope you had a good week too!

Amanda x

Wk 24
10th- 16th June

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3JKKl95Ttrc
 Yesterday I spent way too long exploring you tube and finding songs that I can't stop listening too! It all came about because I couldn't get a song out of my head.  I thought I'd share it :) Maybe that way I'll stop humming it!

A great day at the annual Dragon Boat Race, it was a good way to spend a Sunday morning

Pure Indulgence; French toast made with raisin and walnut bread with maple syrup and banana; The perfect breakfast. I had a friend stay over and so being the perfect hostess- I just had to make them.

Saturday evening at the Sunset Bar for cocktails. It was meant to be a treat-( and at the prices they charge at this 5 star resort it is definitely a treat)- Well it was meant to be a reward for working hard writing reports all day- Great Idea- Except I didn't work very hard and didn't deserve it- But we had a very pleasant evening anyway.

Wk 23
3rd- 9th June


It took me a while to come round to thinking about some happy pictures this week, nothing was startlingly obvious- and then I realised I was kind of missing the point- because it's the little things that are meant to matter- not necessarily anything big- Somewhere I'd lost that notion among the way, But once I got that into my head everything slipped back into place and I began to see things in a whole new light.

Clear roads in the morning on the way to school- It's the local school holidays, so no traffic on the way to work- no mad Malay drivers, No cause for road rage, a journey time more than halved- what's not to like:) 

We held a Walkathon for charity at school this week- laps around a local park. The lake there was so still and quiet as we arrived there about 8. 15. Not for long, as the park was then filled with 150 kids, running and walking around the track- But it was sunny, out and about and a great way to spend a workday morning:)

I haven't been doing any walking/ running for quite some time now-  due to a niggling ankle pain that won't give up- but I decided to get my feet back in those trainers and start again- I may not be able to run- but doing my 5k around the park at a brisk walk was pleasing enough- It's better than nothing- so back into the habit I think.

A bit of a damp start to the morning- but you can just make out the sunrise and a beautiful morning sky.

That's me up there! Paragliding!!

Waffles and ice cream, with maple syrup!! Now I definitely need to keep up with the walking ! 

Hope you all had a great week too!

Amanda x

Wk 22
27th- 2nd June


Walks around Singapore. I love just wandering and seeing what I come across. A few snaps, a stop for lunch, a look in here, a little purchase there- all adds up to a great day. I particularly like this street in the Arab Quarter, it's full of little boutique shops and quirky buildings.

 Dirty Dancing on stage: The touring company came to Singapore and of course had to go and get a ticket. It was great. For those of us who remember the movie the first time round- the classic one liners were all in there- "No one puts Baby in a Corner" :)

Abseiling! Not a flattering pose, but good fun!

It's nice to see your name in lights, well not lights exactly- but up on a wall- and actually the photo is edited as the original said Mamanda, but it made me look twice and it made me smile

Now, I've taken this shot before and doctored the photograph, but I found the building it was one in Singapore and couldn't resist taking another shot- It just makes me smile- and for those of a certain age who remember Hitch Hiker's Guide, then it will make perfect sense!

See- 42 is the answer to everything!

This was a very sweet elderly Singaporean gentleman who asked me to take his picture. He also asked me how many children I had, and whether I was married, and then when I said not, he said he would marry me! We both went away laughing!

A big blow up bunny outside the Singapore Museum of Art- Cute and a bit surreal. But it made me smile.

Now this made me very happy, cup of tea and a salted caramel cupcake. mmmmmm

Hope you had a good week too!

Amanda x

Wk 21
20th - 26th May
Swimming in the South China Sea- Warm, calm and so relaxing

Baking- Always makes me smile

Another glorious KK sunset

My favourite time of day- Late afternoon, just before the sun begins to set.

My class - Working hard- and coming out with some great ideas and discussions, even when they don't even know you're listening.

My Favourite coffee shop- Being greeted by name and having my order known always makes me feel happy:)

I've had a very nice week this week, and this next week may even be better-

Hope you have had a good week too!

Amanda x

Wk 20
13th May- 19th May

Teacher appreciation day- A little gift for all the teachers from a very generous student.
Friends over for dinner on Thursday evening- It was nice catching up over a good meal and a glass of vino.

Having leftovers and a very chilled Friday evening.

A  very nice drive up the mountain for a nice cup of tea with a view.

Hooray fro Sunday Lunches!(There's an awful lot of food in this post!)

Particularly the ones you share with friends at the large 5 star hotel, right on the doorstep. Sunday Buffet lunch is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. 

To top it all we had a view like this one- Not bad, eh?

Amanda x

Wk 19
6 th May- 12th May

 A lovely pedicure and new toe nail polish. I chose turquoise as it went with our team shirts!

All the kids joining in together, making new friends and being superstars, regardless of whether or not they got any medals, made me happy.

Just outside the stadium there was a little shine. I loved the Zebras on it. It was nice to see things like this just to remind me of where I was!

Tired but happy once I got home!

Amanda x

WK 18
29th April - 5th May

 Sea glass is one of my favourite things, so this was even more special as my Niece had sent some over for me, found at our local beach at home

One of the advantages of being sick last weekend and not up for anything else- was the chance to catch up on some reading

I just love getting mail from home. The top picture was a parcel from my grandma who had sent a whole load of pictures and newspaper cuttings. The purse and tea towel were sent form my Sister and Niece- very nice smiley things.

I just had to put in the picture of Puss Cat- resident stray!

Frozen Yoghurt- I wasn't up to eating very much this week but I did manage to eat this delicious frozen yoghurt. I just love the cow graphics too

Hope you had a good week,
 Amanda

Wk17
22nd - 28th April 2013

A) This is the Mosque that I pass every morning on my way to work. The light from the early morning sun catches the dome everyday and sunrises always makes me smile. I also like the fact that we live in a very diverse community. We have a Mosque, A Hindu Temple, A Catholic Convent, and 2 different churches all on the same street!

B) Dirty Dishes in the sink might not me the nicest thing- but I love having people over to cook for- It makes a nice change rather than just cooking for one and so this is the end result! Lots of washing up and empty glasses says it all!

C) Brand new little swallow chicks- Or they could be swifts- I'm not so sure. But they have made a nest in our roof at school. They can't possibly get any rest with 250 children running about!

D)From one extreme to another - this is the evening on the same day as my sunrise picture. Not the best photograph of Mount Kinabalu- but as it's covered in cloud so much of the day- actually seeing it peeking through, is quite special.

So that's it - 4 more 52 weeks of Happy

Wk 16
15th -21st April

My Favourite weekend breakfast- indulgence I know, but I really do enjoy sitting in the coffee shop eating pancakes and drinking Earl Grey tea. It's a time to gather my thoughts together, write to - do lists and chill!

Living out here on an Island obviously has it's perks- The weather, the beach, travelling and a good life in general. What it doesn't have however is easy access to all those things that you really want every now and again. Take Diet Coke for instance, we can go for weeks without any of the stuff. Yes I know it's not good for you- but sometimes it's the only thing that will do- and at those times empty shelves are not what you want to see. So when another boat arrives from the mainland, the shelves are stocked up again and we can be happy again. A while back, during one of these shortages, my friend D managed to find one- She presented it, with a little label that said " For emergency use only"-and when that time comes, when nothing else will do, it comes out of the fridge and drank with gratitude!

This weeks' BIG find was Rhubarb, albeit in a tin with syrup, but I was so excited I called my folks back in England just to tell them!- I love it, Don't know what I'm going to do with it but I'm saving it for a special occasion - Or I might just leave on my shelf and gaze at it!

Bubbles- I forgot how much fun they are. They bring out the child in everyone. It started off because I was washing up and a stray little bubble of washing up liquid floated up and popped in front of my face- it startled me and made me giggle- so I went out to find some and play some more. Which I did!

Fanouropita- Greek Orange, brandy and current cake. I made this as part of my  Greek Bake and Taste event and it was lovely on its own. I then decided to go one step further and make it into pudding by warming it through, adding more orange juice and more brandy and eating it with ice cream. Yummy!

A few of us got together and had a great day out along the coast- we trekked for a while and went sea kayaking. At the start of the day, the weather was great, warm but not too hot, perfect for a little paddle and a trek. Unfortunately the weather gods decided that we were having too much fun. It then became a downpour! Torrential rain, thunder and lightening and a 'wind against' current. It was hard work and we were like drowned rats- but we were all still smiling in the end!

I know I've posted this Happy before, but spending time by the pool, if only for a short while, when I have the place to myself is bliss. Selfish I know- but  you know what they say about Mad dogs and English men!- that'll be me then!

Hope you've had a good week too!

 Amanda x

  

Wk15
8th- 14th April

Week 2 of my holidays in 'Nam. Again so many happy times- but here are 4 more that made me smile.
a) A trip in Chinese Junk around Ha Long Bay- It may not have been the best weather- but it was still beautiful.
b) Street scenes of bikes and coloured walls- I love images like this and Hoi An was picture perfect- a great place to spend a few days.
c) I loved the hustle and bustle of the markets, full of fresh food and friendly faces.
d) Lanterns- what's not to like?

The holiday is over and now it's back to reality. Let's see what will make me happy this week.
Have a good week too!
Amanda x

Wk 14
1st - 7th April

 

Being on holiday in Vietnam is full of 'Happy' moments- so it's not to difficult in finding things that make me smile- but I had to chose 4, so here goes...

a) Shopping! So many things to chose from- I would like to have bought lots more than I did- but neither my bank balance or luggage allowance would let me!

b) On the back of a motorbike- I loved this way of getting around Vietnam- 4 days of travelling' Easy Rider' style.

c) A great meal- a beautifully presented, delicious meal in a vegetarian restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. We had some great food the whole time we were away.

d)I loved the bay full of boats, this was just before sunset and all the fishing boats were in the harbour. I chose this picture as not only was it a nice view but it was one of the few photos that had all three of us on- My fellow biker chics, Chris and Julie - and me!

Hope you had a good week,

Amanda :)

Wk13

25th -31st March

 Another nice week, but posting early as I'm off on my holidays:) Things that made me happy this week:

 

a) Packing for my trip

b) Noticed these new blooms on the trees near to school- they were a really pretty colour.

c) Homemade guacamole!

d) This is our local stray cat- She makes her self at home lying in the sun, where ever she can in the apartment complex.

I'll be back soon- Have a good couple of weeks:)

Amanda x

Wk 12

18-24th March 2013

a)

It's been a pleasantly busy sort of week- You know those kind of weeks where you have no option but to just work your way through stuff- ticking things off as you go along. Well it's been that sort of week.

b) A perfect latte!

c)

Another sunset pic- This one is actually a reflection on a window- the hazy effect is a net curtain!

d) So many magazines- so little time!

 
  e) A bit of bicarb, vinegar and food colouring and BOOM!

f) Training hard, for our all too soon competitions!

 g) Swimming Galas back in England were never like this!

 a, b and c) The sunrise pics were taken at Sutera Harbour in KK. Coffee and sunsets- what a great way to spend a Saturday late afternoon.

d) Magazines! One of life's little luxuries that we can all do without- but makes life a little more pleasant if we have them- I was lucky this week as I'd had some magazines passed along to me (We do that a lot here- share mags, books and dvds!)  But I also managed to buy a couple of ones that I like, that were not a month out of date or way too expensive- which is usually the case- So I was happy. Saying that- they will probably sit waiting to be read for a long time!

e), f) and g)- School always makes me happy- I have a great job with lovely staff, great pupils and in a beautiful part of the world- so that makes me happy- Even more so this week- as we had some fun times making volcanos in science club, practising athletics and our whole school swimming gala. Good times!

Hope you had a Happy Week too :)

Amanda x

My New Point and Shoot

Now don't get me wrong- I love my Canon DSLR, but I am very happy with my new purchase! To keep things fair in the Canon v Nikon camera war- I went for a Nikon- not for any other reason except it does what I want and it was a lovely turquoise colour!

I take an awful lot of photos with my 'Big' camera, but since my old point and shoot went to the great camera shop in the sky- It does get a bit cumbersome lugging it around all the time. Hence the need for a little camera. Now I have both, what more reasons does a girl need to take more photos!

Wk 11
11th to 17th March

Aside from the purchase of my new camera, lots of things have made me happy this week:-

a) A very nice glass of grown up's pop! Chilled Rose!

b) A great day diving off Gaya Island.

c) Even at the crack of dawn, heading for the shower, these ducks make me smile.

d) A new haircut- It was so desperately in need of a cut!

Hope you had a good week too :)

Amanda x

Week 10
4th march to 10th March

Things that make me happy:

Again, more than four- But who's counting!

a) Sitting on the balcony with a cup of tea and a book.

 b)Sunshine and a swimming pool- Bliss!

 c)An iced coffee concoction, that I'm slowly getting addicted to.

 d)Pretty flowers.

 e) Home made pasta bake.

 f) A new Hard Rock Cafe is opening here in KK- But first the shop arrived- so I just had to buy a new pin to add to my collection!

 g) These fish statues are all along the waterfront and I can't help smiling when I go past them.

Ok, so that's it for another week- Hope yours is a good one- Until next time...

Week 9

25th Feb - 3rd March 2013

Things that make me happy:

Far more than four this week: It was a week of little things, that mean a lot!

a) An almost perfect day at the beach- A hot sunny day with the sea as warm as bathwater- If it wasn't for the sandfly bites- it would be full marks all round!

b) Parcels and goodies from home.
c) A girls night in- fine food and good company.
d) Coffee and a muffin from the coffee shop where they know me by name and my regular order- Sad and if not a little worrying... I really don't go there a lot..do I?
e) Gelato!? Yes I know- Who would have thought we could get decent ice cream here. It's pretty good too.
f) Jazzies.
g) A nice clean tidy desk to start the week off with- It won't stay like that for long!
h) Freshly baked bread- no, of course it's not homemade-I'm not that clever!

Ok, so that's it for another week- Hope yours is a good one- Until next time...

Week 8

18th- 24th Feb 2013

Things that made me happy:

a) Finally finishing writing reports meant that I didn't feel at all guilty perusing the shelves of the bookshop!-  Yes of course I bought one- well maybe more than one...

b) Clean fresh bedding

c) A perfect cup of Earl Grey at the local coffee shop.

d) Getting up to date with school work- see point a)!!!

Week 7

11th to 17th Feb 2013

Things that made me happy:

a) A first birthday party, full of smiles, good company and lots of little treats like these!

b) Handmade Valentine and Chinese New Year cards from the kids in my class.

c) Pancakes with peaches and ice cream, or maple syrup, or sugar and lemon or well anything really- I just love Shrove Tuesday-I think it should be a monthly occurrence!

d) Gosh- another food picture- It must have been that sort of week!! Anyway I had friends round for dinner and made trifle- I didn't have sherry so used rum instead- why not?! It was good! mmm:)

Week 6

4th to 10th February

Things that made me happy:

A very busy week- I told you I couldn't stick to the four picture rule!

a) An invite to a traditional Chinese New Year's Eve dinner.

b) Mandarins and Ang Pow packets for CNY.

c) An empty swimming pool- this one will crop up a lot 'cos I LOVE having the pool to myself- selfish I know but still...

d) Fireworks- Every night for two weeks- and considering they are banned here in Malaysia, that's not bad going!

 e) Down at the harbour, watching the fishing boats.

Week 5

28th Jan to 3rd Feb

Things that made me happy:

a) Another beautiful Sabah sunset.

b) Watching back to back episodes of NCIS on dvd- Gibbs is my hero!

c) A cup of tea and a good book whilst sat on my balcony.

d) With views like this, Sunday lunch will never be quite the same- Sunday Roast at the local watering hole!

Week 4
21st Jan to 27th

Things that made me happy:

a) Out and about in the Jungle, snapping away. We had a public holiday and made the most of the day off by heading up towards the mountain.
b) Fresh frozen yoghurt or yogurt, whichever spelling you want to take- neither of which look right- but what the heck, it tastes good!
c)Low cloud on the mountain- What a view!
d)A very cold dip at the water fall- It was very fresh!

Week 3
14th to 20th Jan



Things that made me happy:

a) parasailing :)
b) Cocktails to celebrate a friend's birthday
c) A early morning walk in the park
d) This didn't make me happy- but I was intrigued by the different species of marine life that could be found at our local market.
e)I tried desperately to get this little chap to smile- he did eventually:)


Week 2
7th to 13th Jan

 Things that made me happy:

a) A notice board collection of all the things I got up to in 2012- now cleared and new things added for 2013.

b) The tired satisfaction from spending time at the gym.

c) Early evening light across the rooftops.

d) Fresh fruit and Veg at the market.

Week 1

31st Dec to Jan 6th

Things that made me happy:

A very special week at home in Cumbria, so I didn't stop smiling until it was time to come back over here. There were a few highlights though...

a) One of my favourite views of St Johns in the Vale- I just love the Cumbrian fells.

b) My Family- need I say anything more- well actually yes, because we were eating Fish and Chips, mmmmm.

c) Caelaverock Castle, Dumfries and Galloway- One of my all time favourite places.

d) West Cumbrian Sunsets

My Week of Happy

Start of the year

To kick of this challenge, I thought about all the little things that I didn't realise would make me so happy:

a)A real clotted cream scone at a museum cafe

b) Spending time with the labs, Izzy and Zep, who love it when Aunty Manda comes to play.

c)Early morning wintery skies

d) Watching the birds in the Garden.

So that's it- I've now caught up- it was nice to relive those 'Weeks of Happy'- On with the rest!

Amanda :)

Scavenger Hunt.

May's Photo Scavenger Hunt.

Welcome to my collection of photos taken for the Scavenger hunt that I discovered at Sophie's Blog at 'Country Girl does Norfolk'.Here  As usual I couldn't decide which photos to use, so this time I've added a few more mosaics so you can see them all.

I hope you like them.

Stone

Collection

Open

Open 2

Young

Young 2

Oh to be young again!

Purple

Middle

Bottle

Guess

Grow

Crop

Sight

 

Clear

Bonus

Until Next Time

 Amanda x

 Aprils's Photo Scavenger Hunt.

Welcome to my collection of photos taken for the Scavenger hunt that I discovered at Sophie's Blog at 'Country Girl does Norfolk'.Here  As usual I couldn't decide which photos to use, so this time I've added a few more mosaics so you can see them all. This month all my photos were taken from my trip to Vietnam.

I hope you like them.

Orange

A beautiful bucket of Gerberas, including lots of orange ones, taken at Da Lat, in the central  mountain regions where they grow amazing amounts of fruit, veg and flowers.

Calm

Very calm waters at Ha Long Bay. It was cloudy and grey, very ethereal yet still very stunning.

Fresh

Fresh fruit and veg at a stall in Ho Chi Minh City

Wave 

On the beach near Mui Ne

Origin

 A silk worm- Origin of beautiful silk fabrics. We visited a silk factory too, so we could see the whole process from start to finish.

Spring

As it's not obviously a seasonal picture- I went for the other interpretation of Spring. This was on one of the many thousands of motorbikes and mopeds we saw.

Craft

 We visited an art café in Da Lat. After we had finished our meal, the owner, an artist, came and made us a personalised drawing to take home with us.

Tie

Lots of silk ones!

 Sweet

Sweet smiles and lots of sweet dough and fritters.

The End

The end of a houses' lifetime. On the way to Ha Long Bay they are widening the road for miles. In the process they were demolishing all the houses that were in the way.

Favour

This was a hard one- until I spotted this little dog being given a favour by one of the young girls in the water village.

Bold

Very bold prints

Bonus

 I took this one for Orange but just loved the combination of the green and yellow tree next to the orange wall.

Enjoy!  Until next time:)

Amanda x

March's Photo Scavenger Hunt.

Welcome to my collection of photos taken for the Scavenger hunt that I discovered at Sophie's Blog at 'Country Girl does Norfolk'. I hope you like them. 

Eggs

Mini eggs. mmmmmmm.

 Balance

Pairs of Balance weights

 8

A run of 8's and a total of 8

Grand

Grand- One thousand Malaysian Ringett.

 Joy

The name of a local clothes store.

 Material

Material scarves at the local market.

 

Time

A shop selling time pieces

 Oval

An oval eye

 Matched

Lots of matching china.

Wind

Flags blowing in the wind

 

Yellow

A yellow caution sign

Mad

The litter around the coast- in the sea and on the beaches, really makes me mad!

 

Bonus

Crystal clear waters - just off Gaya Island.

I'm already searching for April's list- See you then!

Amanda :)

 February's Photo Scavenger Hunt.

Welcome to my collection of photos taken for the Scavenger hunt that I discovered at Sophie's Blog at 'Country Girl does Norfolk'. I hope you like them.

Art

Street art, colourful, if a little scary!

Chilled

 A chilled chilli, on ice!

Dark

Recent fireworks in a dark sky

Flat

 Flat calm out in the bay

Heart

Mix

Shrove Tuesday pancake mix- but I could eat them anytime!

Rough

A close up shot of tree bark

 Round

Shoot

A new fern shoot found at our local butterfly gardens.

White

Local orchids, again at the butterfly gardens up on Mount Kinabalu

Water

Special

A very special time - Chinese New Year

 

 An extra bonus shot- A day diving out on Gaya Island

Looking forward to March's list:)

Amanda

February Photo Scavenger Hunt Linkup | Country Girl Does Norfolk

 January's Photo Scavenger Hunt.

Welcome to my collection of photos taken for the Scavenger hunt that I discovered at Sophie's Blog at 'Country Girl does Norfolk'. I hope you like them.

Celebration

January heralded in 2013, and also the Year of the Snake.

Blue

There seemed to be a lot of blue fishing boats down at my local harbour.

Discovery

On a recent Jungle trek I was always managing to discover new things to photograph

Frozen

Mmmm Frozen Yogurt -and I particulary like all the extra bits you throw on top!

Retro
My very own retro snowman- It comes out every winter, joins us for xmas lunch and then goes back to hibernation until next Christmas. Its been dolled up, patched up and still looks worse for wear- but after 35 years Its not doing so bad!

Film

 A film of oil, on puddle water.

No 1

The first minute of the first of the year- Day number 1

I wish I had been standing in the crowds at London- instead I watched the New Year celebrations on the tv and snapped this from the screen.

Hand

My class- 24 kids, 9 different nationalities

Distance

Early morning sun rising up over Mount Kinabalu

Fizzy

A very frothy cocktail- A very delicious one too!

Woolen

Considering I live in South East Asia, I'm not sure how much wear I'll get out of my new hat- but it certainly was useful when I was back home in Cumbria this winter!

Bonus Pic- My choice!

8am at the local park and the reflections were amazing.  The bright red umbrella stood out as I went to take my shot- best of it was- it wasn't even raining!

Lets see what I can find next month:)