Classics of aviation – Mandeville, New Zealand
Thought for the day…”You will never know your limits until you push yourself to them”.
“The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time”.
Driving down to the south part of the South Island of New Zealand, you might come across some traces of the past. Down at a small settlement called Mandeville, there is a small airfield, home of the Croydon Aviation Trust. Here they restore old aircraft, and also train pilots to fly them. The old hangars are still there, and inside them you will see aircraft being restored using traditional methods, such as carpentry and dope on fabric. Mandeville was originally a wet area (=alcohol allowed), whereas nearby Gore Town was a dry area (=no alcohol allowed), which might be the reason that the airstrip prospered. Enough aircraft and flying machines in the hangars to make a stop worthwhile if you are in the area. Another nice feature is that you can actually go for pleasure flights in the aircraft, including the open cockpit Tiger Moth or the DH89 Rapide. A trip down back to the past !!
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Warbirds Over Wanaka – the preparations
Thought for the day…”The Wright Brothers created the single greatest cultural force since the invention of writing. The airplane became the first World Wide Web, bringing people, languages, ideas, and values together.” (Bill Gates)
It is almost time again for the Warbirds Over Wanaka Airshow, held around Easter every 2nd year. Today there were a few historic aircraft at the airport in Wanaka, so I had to stop and take a few photos. Sadly the weather forecast is not good for the next few days, but hopefully it will improve enough to get some better pictures. Ticket prices for the airshow have shot up over the last few shows, which might be one reason why the number of people visiting the airshow has gone down to about half of what it was previously. A few photos from today…..starting with the Vought Corsair…..followed by the Curtis Kittyhawk…..
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Coffee time in Finland
Thought for the day…”Value is more expensive than price”
“You may not know what is going to happen when you try, but if you do not try, nothing will happen”.
Two photos from opposite sides of the globe next, one from the Finnish capital of Helsinki and the second from the Central Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. Interestingly, the building in the first photo is now the City Hall for Helsinki, but was originally a hotel where the first moving pictures were shown in Finland by the Lumiere brothers in 1896. Even in winter (when temperatures are frequently below -20 degrees centigrade) people will sit outside in the area around the harbour to drink excellent, strong Finnish coffee (kahvi in Finnish language). Finland is number one in the world for coffee consumption per capita, something to do with the long, dark Artic nights. But the coffee is excellent !!! It works out to about 12kg of coffee for each person in Finland. A survey in 2014 reported that 14% of men and 6% of women in Finland drank MORE than 10 cups of coffee a day. They like their coffee !!
And another photo from the archives….Lake Hawea, Otago, New Zealand
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Pride of the Pacific – No Way
Thought for the day….”If you wish to reach the highest, begin with the lowest”
“If you want something that you have never had, then you have got to do something that you have never done”.
Air New Zealand used to have a slogan “Pride of the Pacific’, and at one time, were a very good airline to fly with. I had many happy flights on the stopping service from New Zealand via the Pacific Islands to/from the USA on NZ 47 and NZ 48, a service which followed the route of the early flying boats. Great for island hopping, as the aircraft stopped so many times at places like Fiji, Tahiti and Hawaii. And it connected nicely with NZ 1 to London as well. Service was good onboard, it was comfortable and also good value. Fast forward to the Air New Zealand of today, who are still trying to pretend that they are a quality airline. Now you find that you must pay for almost everything onboard…the basic fare gives you a seat only to which you must pay extra for checking in a bag, having a ‘meal’ onboard, choosing a seat (NZ10) and even watching a movie (another NZ10 extra). So the cash registers are ringing all the time…..basic plus $$ plus $$$ plus even more $$$. And if that was not bad enough, Air New Zealand have also gone for the high density 10 across seating in their 777s. So not only are you restricted for legroom, but now you are also finding less shoulder room. So what was once a quality airline has now turned into a budget airline. The last flight that I had on AirNZ, it took the staff OVER 1 hour 20 minutes to get me a cup of coffee, and then after that I had to ask for a refill as no refill of the small cup was offered. Pride of the Pacific it might have been, but Pride of the Pacific it is certainly not now. If AirNZ think that I am going to pay $10 extra to choose my seat and then another $10 to watch a movie on a small screen then they are very mistaken. Neither do I wish to sit in a 10 abreast seat configuration where I am pushed up against the shoulders of fellow passengers on both sides, especially on an international flight of many hours. The bottom line is that AirNZ have become a budget airline, with all the negatives that a budget airline comes with. I hope that next time that they run into financial difficulties, that the New Zealand government does not bail them out as it usually does. The quality has gone.
Two more photos from the Fuji X-E1 camera…….showing just how good the Fuji glass is….
and another photo from the archives…city centre in Ascuncion, Paraguay…
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Changing names in New Zealand
Thought for the day….”For every dark night, there is a brighter day”
“Arriving at one goal is the starting point for another”.
Next time you look at a map of New Zealand, you might notice some changes. And not changes for the better either. The politicians in New Zealand are giving in to the Maori people and are changing more and more names from their English names to alternative Maori names. There are even new names for the country itself (I refuse to mention the new name for NZ) and for the two main islands, which up to now have been known as North Island and South Island. But the politicians either do not have the guts to resist or the will to resist the increasing demands of the Maori people. Changing the names of places is just another sign of how this group of people are gradually taking over New Zealand. What the politicians are ignoring is the fact that New Zealand does not belong to maori people, as they were not the original people of the country. Not only that, but under the treaty of Waitangi, they even signed agreements over land ownership. So now, after all these years, they cannot claim that it is ‘their’ land and there can be little legal right for them to insist that names of places in New Zealand are changed to their names.
But the politicians have just given in.
So tourists when the visit New Zealand will start seeing more and more Maori names, and will probably believe that NZ actually belongs to the maori people. Quite how a MINORITY group of people has got this to happen is strange. English, not maori, is the language of the majority of people in New Zealand. Places such as Mount Cook (the highest mountain in New Zealand) should keep its English name. But the politicians have other ideas.
A peaceful summer scene for the photo today…another triumph for the Fuji X-E1 camera. Taken as a jpeg photo and cropped to produce this pleasing image.
and another photo from the archives….a backpacker talks to a local boy in Nepal…..
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If you are feeling hungry…fast food….
Thought for the day….”You cannot live a positive life with a negative mind”
“Success is a ladder that you cannot climb with your hands in your pockets”
If you are feeling overfed after the Christmas indulgence, then spare a thought for Nela Zisser (New Zealand). This woman has undertaken the challenge of eating to excess and is posting on YouTube. Her latest attempt failed. She was attempting to eat 100 MacDonald burgers in a row. Not surprisingly, the attempt fails, and she ‘only’ managed to eat 45 burgers. Apparently, after eating 45 of them, she said that the taste got to her. The record is held by a Japanese, Yuka Kinoshita, who managed to eat 62 burgers at one sitting. Also in the news this week is that the world’s heaviest man, Andres Sepulveda (Mexico) had died at the age of 38. His weight had been as high as 450kg. What will your New Year’s Resolution be????
and another photo from the archives…fireworks over the Norwegian city of Bergen…..
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Political correctness – something is wrong here.
Thought for the day…”Why does a round pizza come in a square box?”
“If electricity comes from electrons, then does morality come from morons”
If you have visited Sweden recently then you will have seen the large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers in the cities and in the train and bus stations. Whilst normal tourists need to apply for a Schengen visa to enter, it appears now that the borders to Europe are open to all, and without limit. Swedish Television has now issued instructions to it’s staff that they are not to use the words ‘immigrant’, ‘black skinned’, ‘dark’ or ‘African origin’ for fear of insulting people. The use of words such as ‘white skinned’ is still allowed though. Is that fair? Is it not discrimination?? Even worse is that anyone accused of racism by an immigrant is not going to be allowed time on TV or radio to defend themselves. And whilst people in Sweden have had to put their names on waiting lists for sometimes several years in order to get public housing, asylum seekers are being put into housing quickly. Across the border in Norway, asylum seekers are housed in hotels (at public expense) and are given a daily living allowance, whilst Norwegian people have to pay to stay in hotels and are taxed on the priviledge. Is that fair?
The photo today comes from the lakeside town of Pembroke Wanaka, on the South Island of New Zealand. A typical morning view of the lake from near the town centre.
and another photo from the archives….window cleaning in Ljublana, Slovenia
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Street corner colour – Riga, Latvia
Thought for the day…”About the time that we can make ends meet, somebody moves the ends”.
A bit of street life in the Latvian capital city of Riga for the photo today….and not much action judging by the photo. About 640 000 people live in the this city, or about 1/3 of the entire population of Lativa. Temperatures in the city in winter can fall to -20 or -25 degrees. It became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991, and interestingly, after independence around 290 000 people (about 14% today) were left with no citizenship of any country. Latvia is also home to Europe’s widest waterfall, the 110m wide Ventas Rumba Falls. Apparently, the studs on jeans were invented in Latvia, when the Latvian Jacob Davis joined with Levi Strauss.
and another photo from the archives..the waterfalls at Iguazu, Brail…..
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Early one morning……71 degrees north
Thought for the day…” The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.”
For some reason, I have few photos of sunrise. Not that sunrise is the correct term, because the sun does not rise at all, just that the Earth is turning. Those who are into sundials will know about the equation of time, and the effects of refraction on the actual time of ‘sunrise’. Today’s photo was taken on 29th September at 71 degrees north in North Norway, just ahead of a storm. Suprisingly, about 30 minutes after the photo was taken, the scene had changed to wind and rain, but for a few minutes around ‘sunrise’ the colours and clouds were great. As usual, the Fuji X-E1 was the camera.
and another photo from the archives…..the island of Madeira and the fishing village of Camara de Lobos..
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And it does not work for them either…….Windows 10
Thought for the day….” Real happiness is cheap enough, yet how dearly we pay for its counterfeit”.
“Its not that I’m so smart, just that I stay with problems longer” (Albert Einstein).
Well I am wondering if there is any hope for the rest of us, if the experts cannot get it to work…..At a recent presentation of the features of the new Windows 10 operating system, the chairman of Microsoft, Satya Nadella could not get the Cortana (the ‘personal assistant’ contained in the new system) to work. After asking the ‘personal assistant’ Cortana to identify most at risk activities in business, the ‘intelligent’ system replied with details of where he could buy milk. Further attempts to get the system to work as promised also failed, which led to the Microsoft chairman uttering words such as ‘oh, come on”, and ‘no, this is not going to work’. He was finally helped by some behind the scenes experts, but it was hardly a good endorsement for the new system. And especially if you are the chairman of the company that makes the product and are supposed to be promoting it at a large event. So if the chairman of Microsoft cannot get it to work properly, then what can the rest of us expect???? Bring back Windows XP !!!!
and another photo from the archives….southern Oman….
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Are you one?
Thought for the day…” For sleep, riches and health to be truly enjoyed, they must be interrupted.”
Are you one? Are you one of the annoying people who walk down the pavements (sidewalk for the Americans) glued to their mobile phone?? I am so tired of these people who have no consideration for others walking towards them. Now I am refusing to move out of their way. Videos on Youtube show people walking into fountains and falling into rivers because they are fixated on their mobile phone. They deserve it. Almost as bad as those who text whilst driving. Perhaps there is an app for people like these……..
Two photos from the Norwegian coastal town of Alesund. This town was destroyed by fire in 1904, and was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style. This means that most of the buildings in the centre date from 1904 to 1907 and share the same style. Around 45 000 people live here, with fishing, tourism and a small oil-support industry being the main occupations. The first photo was taken at the top of the 488 steps which lead up from the town to the viewpoint.
and another photo from the archives….riverside in the Paraguayian capital of Asuncion
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Rice terraces in China
Thought for the day…” Do not make excuses, make improvements”.
“Expecting and accepting are two sides of life. Expecting can end in tears, but accepting will bring you cheers”.
A photo from the south west part of China for the photo today, from Yunnan province. Around 45 million people live in this province, which borders Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. The western part is mountainous, with the peaks reaching over 5000m. Ethnic groups make up about 1/3 of the population, so local dialects and colourful local costumes are very much evident in the towns and markets here. The hills in the west border the Tibet autonomous region, with deep valleys and hillside farming. It is also very rich in minerals, so mining is very important, as is agriculture. Seen here are some rich terraces not far from the border with Tibet.
and another photo from Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands……
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Sea Eagles in Norway
Thought for the day….”Those who do not learn the lessons of history are bound to repeat them”
” Do not wait for the day of judgement, it takes place every day”.
Also known as the fish eagle, the sea eagle can grow up to 1 metre in length and have a wingspan of 2m. The white tail feathers show that the birds are adult. Some sea eagles have been measured at over 7.5kg in weight, with the largest populations being found in the Artic north, including around the Lofoten Islands (where these photos were taken). Despite their name, the fish eagle also hunts small mammals but they are largely scavengers, and will often steal food from other birds.
The photos below were taken with the Fuji X-E1, hand held on a moving boat (!!) with a 50-230mm lens.
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North Norway duo.
Thought for the day…” The darkest night is often the bridge to the brightest tomorrow”.
“Life leaps like a geyser for those who drill through the rock of inertia”
Up to the Lofoten Islands in Norway for the photo today, and some typical Lofoten scenery. These islands are situated at around 68 degrees north, and inside the Artic Circle. Humans have lived in the islands for over 5500 years, despite the long, cold winters. Fishing was traditionally the main industry here, mainly for cod. The mountain peaks rise to over 1100m, whilst surprisingly, the sea here has a form of coral. As Lofoten is above the Artic circle, then the sun does not set between 25th May and 17 July, meaning 24 hours of daylight. It is also the home of the Lofoten Insomnia cycle race.
The photo was taken late evening, north of Svolvaer, Fuji X-E1 with the 18-55mm kit lens.
And another photo from northern Norway, colourful houses by the sea…another triumph for the Fuji X-E1 camera.
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Fishing boats in Norway’s easternmost town
Thought for the day….” People who say that money does not buy happiness do not know which shops to shop in”. ” Adversity is the weight that strengthens us”. Back online after some internet problems, and another photo from the north of Norway, far above the Artic circle. This photo is of Vardo, in the province of Finnmark. As Finland is so close at this point, then it also has a Finnish name (Vuorea) and a Sami name, (Várggát). Only a small population of around 21oo live here, although with the extremely long winter, then that is hardly surprising. It has the honour of being the easternmost town in Norway, with Russia being not far away across the bay. It actually lies further east (31 degrees) than Istanbul, Kiev or St. Petersburg. Much of the land around is barren and treeless artic tundra. Fishing and fish processing are the main industries here. Interestingly, it is also the site of Globus II, a radar tracking station for space junk, although given that Russia is so near, then this station may also have other uses. Vardo is one of the stops on the famous Hurtigruten coastal boat service in Norway. Another photo taken with the Fuji X-E1 camera. 
and another photo from the archives….4 modes of transport in this photo from Cuba……. 
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Colour at the top of Europe (almost).
Thought for the day…” A fool and his money are soon elected” (Will Rogers)
“It is better to regret something you did, rather than something that you did NOT do”.
Work has taken me up to the top of Norway and the top of Europe, but I took some time off to get out and about with the camera. Despite several very grey and dull days, a burst of sunshine made all the difference for a photo of these houses at Honningsvag, Norway. Officially, to be classed as a city in Norway, a place has to have over 5000 people, but Honningsvag, poplulation about 2500, was exempted from this rule. Fishing and tourism are the many industries here, with cruise ships visiting in summer to allow passengers to travel to the nearby Nordkapp. The mean average temperature here is just +2 degrees, as it is at almost 71 degrees north. Taken with the Fuji X-E1 camera and 18-55mm standard kit lens.
and another photo from the archives….a serene scene from the Seychelles.
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I get that peaceful, easy morning feeling
Thought for the day…” Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker? ”
” The cure for insomnia is to get more sleep”. ” If a book about failure does not sell, then is it a success”.
Not the words from one of the hits of the Eagles music group but a peaceful scene from Norway for the photo today. One of the early photos from the Fuji X-E1 camera here, taken whilst I was still trying the camera out. Early morning in the hills of Norway, with some light mist starting to appear over the lake and the first signs of autumn on the trees. Did you know that in the Swedish and Norwegian languages, that there is no word for ‘please’. It always sounds very strange (and impolite) to a non-Scandinavian to simply demand things (eg. give me a coffee.) instead of saying please. Finnish is another language which does not have a direct word for please (although it does have some polite ways to ask for things, such as Saisinko (=can I have). And perhaps because of the long, dark winter and cold winter nights, Norway is number 2 in the world for coffee consumption per capita, around 142 litres (or about 9.5kg of coffee beans) a year for each Norwegian citizen. Finland still tops the list.
and a photo from Brazil, with a storm approaching Sao Paulo airport……
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Getting your pulse down – slow TV
Thought for the day…..” Life is 10% what you make it, and 90% how you take it.” (Irving Berlin).
” A mind once stretched by a new idea never returns to its original dimensions”
Back in 2013 Norwegian TV NRK broadcast a 12 hour, non-stop programme at prime time on a Friday evening showing a burning log fire. Just a log fire, nothing more. For 12 hours. It did have some commentary, from wood ‘experts’ who gave tips on burning, stacking and slicing wood. People sent messages to the TV producers, half of them complaining that the bark on the wood was facing up, and half sent messages to complain that the wood was facing down. Reports said that 1 million people, or more than 20% of the entire population tuned in to watch the wood burning. Fresh wood was added as needed, with viewers giving advice on where to place it. Now in the news is the story that Icelandic television has followed the trend, with a programme from a farm showing 24 hours of live lambing. Icelandic TV said that it wanted to give viewers an ” unforgettable time for those able to see the little lambs being born into this world”. Almost as bad as the 18 hours of salmon swimming upstream, shown live, again on Norwegian TV. I wonder if they are planning a marathon TV programme showing paint drying? It says a lot about Norway and Scandinavia !!
A happy scene from Cuba for the photo today.
and another photo from the archives….market colour in the Netherlands….
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Go Pro 4 Black – unhappy experience
Thought for the day…” Genius is 1 % inspiration and 99 % perspiration”.
“You miss 100% of the shots that you do not take”.
They say that hindsight is always 20/20, and with hindsight I would not have bought the GoPro Hero 4 Black. There are lots of brilliant videos on Youtube and the net made by GoPro cameras, but I guess that the new GoPro Hero 4 Black is not going to be producing so many of them.
I purchased the latest version of the camera recently, but was dismayed to find that it has a problem. Not just a problem but a serious one. After a short time, it gets hot and cuts out automatically (to save further damage to itself). The user manual warns you about this, and I have now read a good number of reports on the internet about problems caused by overheating. And of course, the plastic case that you use most of the time just makes matters worse, as it stops airflow around the camera, resulting in an even hotter camera. So GoPro have produced an action camera that does record in 4K (as the advertising says) but a camera that gets so hot that it cuts out after a few minutes recording.
An email to customer services at GoPro got a useless reply, which just restated what the user manual said. GoPro are suggesting that users take short video clips, and then let the camera cool down between filming. Hardly practical if you are doing action sports, as you cannot really pause your action sport for a couple of minutes just to let the camera cool !! That is a guarantee that the action moment will be missed.
But what is sad is that GoPro know of the problem, (even describing it in the user manual) and must be aware of all the complaints on the internet about it. That said, it seems that the GoPro 4 SILVER is fine, and works well, just that the top of the range Hero 4 BLACK has the overheating issue.
What would I do now if I was running the GoPro company? Admit that the units have a serious problem and recall them and offer a full refund. Customers can forgive a lot if they see that a company is trying. Mistakes do happen, but to keep selling items with a known problem is just not on. Probably bad for business in the long-term too, as selling a product with a known fault is not going to encourage loyalty or improve your company image.
So I will send more emails to GoPro in the hope that they will do the honourable thing and offer a full refund. I do not intend to limit my action sports to just a few minutes !!
No problems with the Fuji X-E1 camera, which continues to produce fantastic still photos (with no overheating problems!!). Two examples below to show how good the camera is. First photo was taken recently in Pembroke (Wanaka), New Zealand.
And another photo from the archives…early morning in autumn in the hills of Norway…..another Fuji X-E1 photo….
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Madeira, Funchal airport
Thought for the day…” Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not to impress”
“Ham and eggs. A day’s work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig”.
Two photos from Funchal airport, Madeira. Blessed by a great year-round climate, Madeira is popular with tourists, many of whom travel from Scandinavia, Germany and the UK. About 1 million tourists visit each year, including a large number of cruise ships. About 265 000 people live on the islands, most of them on the main island of Madeira itself. Mountains rise to 1862m on these volcanic islands. The islands are part of Portugal, although are semi-autonomous. Despite its small size, the airport has direct flights to a surprising number of cities. The airport is also famous for aircraft spotting, due to the excellent viewing opportunities on the side of the single runway. Infamous for the turbulent winds, watching a few arrivals normally produces a few interesting landings. No problems on this calm day though, as TAP arrives from Portugal.
And another photo from the archives…..a backpacker on the Annapurna circuit in Nepal talks to a local.
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Early one morning…..sunrise in Pembroke, New Zealand
Thought for the day…” Strong is what happens when you run out of weak”.
“If you want something that you never had, then you have to do something that you have never done”.
Currently in New Zealand waters, and at present in Auckland, is a 134m superyacht, ‘Serene’. One of the world’s largest private yachts, owned by a Russian vodka company boss, the boat is said to have cost some USD 330 million. Crewed by 52 staff, it boasts 7 decks, 2 helipads, an indoor salt water swimming pool, movie theatre, nightclub, climbing wall, gym, underwater viewing room, and several jacuzzis. When the Russian owner is not using Serene, it is available for charter. Not cheap though, as rumor has it that when Bill Gates rented it, the cost was some USD 5 million a week. No doubt that the price includes a good selection of vodkas in the bars though.
Today’s photo is a lucky shot. Suddenly one morning for about 5 minutes the clouds parted during the sunrise, and just for a very short time, I was able to get some great photos of a dramatic sunrise. Another occasion when it was good to have the camera there and ready……..Lots of photos of sunSETS on the internet, but not so many of sunRISES. Taken in Pembroke, New Zealand, with the Fuji X-E1 camera.
And another photo from the archives…window cleaners in Ljublana, Slovenia
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Paraguayian pair – two from Paraguay
Thought for the day…”Falling down is how we grow, staying down is how we die”.
“Teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success”.
Did you know that “to google’ officially became a verb in 2006, when it was recognized by the Oxford English dictionary. And did you know that as well as more than 35 non-English languages that can be used for searches on Google, that it also has a klingon interface, just in case of a request from outer space? And did you know that you cannot create a folder called ‘con’ on a Windows computer (try it!!). And did you know that when Google assembled their first server, that the box that they used to hold the drives was made from Lego? And apparently, Bill Gates of Microsoft fame, whilst in school wrote a class scheduling program for the adminstrators. By design, this program was coded so that he ended up in classes with mostly female students!!!!
Two photos from the capital of Paraguay, Asuncion for the photos today. Surprisingly, both were taken in the city centre, and both show that the city has lost its former glory. About 6.8 million people live in Paraguay, with about one third of them living in Asuncion. Around 35% of the population are said to be poor, easily visible in the streets of the capital where you can see shacks and temporary shelters in the middle of the once grand avenues. Sadly for tourists, there is little of interest left to see, unless you have in interest in decay. Paraguay is one of the two landlocked countries in South America (the other is Bolivia). Both photos were taken with the Fuji X-E1 camera.
and another photo from the archives… a happy woman in Gambia.
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Another stunning morning in Wanaka, New Zealand.
Thought for the day….”Marriage is the main cause of divorce”.
“There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs”.
Another beautiful morning in Wanaka in the south part of the South Island of New Zealand. This popular summer and winter resort is expanding fast, with a population of over 7000 now and 1600 new houses about to be built. Until 1940 it was called Pembroke but was renamed. Wanaka receives only half the national average of rainfall, as it is in the rain shadow of the Southern Alps, which also means that it gets over 2000 hours of sunshine a year. Despite the calm appearance of the lake in the photo (taken a few days ago) the lake has flooded the town previously, the most recent being in 1999. New Zealand has become considerably more expensive recently, with prices rising fast for food, accommodation and tourist activities. It is no longer the bargain destination that it once was, and with record numbers of tourist arrivals (409 000 for the month of December alone) then accommodation and buses are still very heavily booked. Early morning in the photo, and two tourists admire the views…….
and another photo from the archives….a Mozambique woman….
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Exceptional customer service.
Thought for the day…” Two things define you – your patience when you have nothing and your attitude when you have everything”.
” Success is when preparation meets opportunity”.
So often today customer service is lacking or has gone totally (take the airlines for example, where customer service is often a thing of the past). So when you encounter great customer service now, it is noteworthy. Recently I met not just good customer service, but EXCEPTIONAL customer service. I forgot the battery charger for my camera (easy to d0), and contacted a photo shop in Christchurch, New Zealand to order a replacement one. Received an email back to say that it was out of stock, but here is where things got interesting. After explaining to the shop that I did not have a charger and could not take photos, the shop offered to recharge my batteries if I posted them up to them (I am about 480 km away) and that they would post them back. Not only that, but one of the employees of the shop who was planning a trip to Wanaka, New Zealand (where I am) offered to bring a charger down with him to recharge the batteries for my camera. Not only is this customer service, but it is EXCEPTIONAL customer service. Just goes to show that there are some retailers who deserve trade. So if you are in New Zealand then Photo & Video in Merivale, Christchurch are well worth dealing with. http://www.photo.co.nz It is so good to encounter customer service like this, and it restores faith in conventional retailers again. Guess who I will be using in future for my orders? !!!
The shopping area of Insadong in the Korean capital, Seoul for the photo today and some unusual colour…….
and another photo out of the archives…
ALL PHOTOS ON THIS SITE ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.
http://www.qualitysparesort.com http://www.qualityresortnorefjell.com
jeritilley 