Thursday 28 March 2013

Out of Office!

Just to let you know I'll be away for a couple of weeks- So I'll apologise now for not keeping anything up to date. To keep you going I've posted a 52 Weeks of Happy early! Just click on the bar above to find it.
 
I'll leave you with a couple of pictures too- My reading matter this week- which is pretty self explanatory!
 
 
 
Secondly,  a beautiful clear blue sky and two Egrets at the local Wetlands Centre.
 
 
 
 
See you soon,
 

 
Amanda :)

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday


 A weekly photo that needs no comment and no explanation- But then I might decide otherwise:)
 
 
See you next time:)
 

Sunday 24 March 2013

52 Weeks of Happy

'52 Weeks of Happy'

Four photos that show the little things that have made me happy the previous week.

If you have time, why don't you pop over to my 52 weeks page to have a better look? :)
 
Wk 12
18-24th March 2013
 
Not a bad view for a Saturday evening :)
 
 
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.
 
a) and f) The sunrise pics were taken at Sutera Harbour in KK. Coffee and sunsets- what a great way to spend a Saturday late afternoon.
 
b) 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  But I also managed to buy a couple of ones that I like, that were not a month out of date or way too expensive- which is usually the case- So I was happy.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!
 
c), d) and e)- 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
 

Saturday 23 March 2013

Saturday Snaps

Saturday Snaps- Summer in Skye


A photograph, each Saturday- Quirky or Serious?, Fun or Interesting?, Real or Abstract?

A comment or not, a thought, a quote or whatever-Let the pictures do the talking!
 
 
One of the hardest things about taking lots of photos is trying to decide which ones to keep. Now, as I may have already mentioned in some other post, making decisions is not one of my strong points. I am a ditherer, never really wanting to chose anything- just in case it's the wrong decision. Well, when it comes to chosing photos, I am just the same. So this week I had some hard decisions to make in the photo choosing stakes- for I had to choose 5 to make into postcards for my Liberate your art Postcard swap. This was one that was left out- Too 'postcardy' and not 'arty', but I love it anyway.
 Taken at dusk, on a camping trip with mum, on the Isle of Skye. A total contrast to where I am now, which is why I like it. Hope you do too!
 
I'd just like to say a big hello to all my new followers too, I still find it strange that anyone would want to follow my blog - so thank you:)
 
Until next time :)
 
Amanda x
 
 
 

Wednesday 20 March 2013

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

 A weekly photo that needs no comment and no explanation- But then I might decide otherwise:)
 
 Parasailing away!
 
 
 Until next time:)
Amanda x

Sunday 17 March 2013


I've just signed up for this- How very exciting! Sending 5 postcards of my photos to various different places across the globe- The biggest decision will be be which ones to chose!

'52 Weeks of Happy'.


Four photos that show the little things that have made me happy the previous week.

If you have time, why don't you pop over to my 52 weeks page to have a better look? :)
 

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

Saturday 16 March 2013

Saturday Snaps

Saturday Snaps


A photograph, each Saturday- Quirky or Serious?, Fun or Interesting?, Real or Abstract?


A comment or not, a thought, a quote or whatever-Let the pictures do the talking!
 
 
One of the things I like doing on a weekend, is to wander down Gaya Street. It's one of the original streets in KK and was, and indeed still is, the hub of the Chinese community.
 
But this week it looked decidedly different- a bit empty- and then I realised why. The red lanterns that had been strung up since January for Chinese New Year, had been taken down. Despite the bright shop fronts and people milling about the street- it looked a lot less colourful without them.
 
So for this week's Saturday Snap- I'm posting a picture of Gaya Street complete with lanterns, just to keep the colour a little while longer.
 
Until next time :)
Amanda x

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday- A weekly photo that needs no comment and no explanation- But then I might decide otherwise:)
 
 
Until next time :)
 
Amanda x
 

Sunday 10 March 2013

52 Weeks of Happy

'52 Weeks of Happy'.

Four photos that show the little things that have made me happy the previous week.
If you have time, why don't you pop over to my 52 weeks page to have a better look? :) 
 

Makes me smile!

 These fish statues are all along the waterfront and I can't help smiling when I go past them. 
Week 10
4th - 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) Fish!

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

Camerashy- Feet First!


 Take 52 Wk10 - Feet!


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!

Saturday 9 March 2013

Saturday Snaps

  Saturday Snaps

A photograph, each Saturday- Quirky or Serious?, Fun or Interesting?, Real or Abstract?
A comment or not, a thought, a quote or whatever-Let the pictures do the talking!
 
 Week 10- March 9th
 
 Kota Kinabalu's famous sunsets!
 
 

Wednesday 6 March 2013

A not so 'Wordless Wednesday'

As many others out there in Blogland do- I was going to have a Wordless Wednesday- A great idea where a photo is posted weekly that needs no comment and no explanation. But then I got thinking, that it's not often I'm short of words and that I would be more inclined to witter away about nothing.

When left to it, I could blabber away for hours- One tale could lead to another, an anecdote here another one there, only pausing to catch breath. It's hard to imagine for some people - Yes, you know who you are...My so called friends (?!) who cannot believe I was known as the "Quiet one" of the family- because they still insist I could talk for England. I was quiet- honestly! But I just don't know what happened-The "Quiet one" got loud.  Now I can blather with the best of them, usually about nothing in particular!

Which brings me back to my current predicament. Do I post a silent but salient picture that speaks for itself? Or do I post a picture that begs to be talked about?- You know the kind that needs just a little bit of interpretation, just so you really know what it's about and not just something that prompts the question- Why on earth would she want to put that on the blog?.. and so a decision has been made... Drumroll, please.. Wednesday will be wordless- I will fight then urge to spill the beans and let the photo speak for itself. It may be difficult- as I'm already chomping at the bit, waiting to say something, but that's my own personal challenge- to see if I can be quiet for once. And so decision made: Welcome to 'Wordless Wednesday'- Although on second thoughts, I might have to go and chat this over with someone...





Tuesday 5 March 2013

52 Weeks of Happy

Jazzies


mmmm. Yes, these little pieces of confectionary can be seen to some, as happiness in one small bite
 

Yes, I know I'm late at posting this one- but I have finally caught up with posting all the previous weeks of '52 Weeks of Happy'. If you have time, why don't you pop over to have a better look? :)  '52 Weeks of Happy'. Four photos that show the little things that have made me happy the previous week.

Week 9
25th Feb to 3rd March
 
 
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...
 
Amanda :)
 
 
 
 

Saturday 2 March 2013

Saturday Snaps


A photograph, each Saturday- Quirky or Serious?, Fun or Interesting?, Real or Abstract?

A comment or not, a thought, a quote or whatever-Let the pictures do the talking!
 
 
 
Week 9 - March 2nd
 
 
 
 

Saturday Snaps

Saturday Snaps

A photograph, each Saturday- Quirky or Serious?, Fun or Interesting?, Real or Abstract? 
A comment or not, a thought, a quote or whatever-Let the pictures do the talking!
 
Ok, As you know I'm new to this business of blogging, but have actually been thinking about it for a while. I knew what I wanted to do and started taking photos ready for that time when I would actually work out how to post them!- So for that reason, here's are my backlog of Saturday Snaps...
 
 
Week 8 - Feb 23rd
 
 
Week 7- Feb 16th
 
 
Week 6- Feb 9th
 
 
 
Week 5- Feb 2nd
 
 
 Week 4- Jan 26th
 
 
Week 3- Jan 19th
 
 
 
Week 2- Jan 12th
 
 
 Week 1- Jan 5th 2013
 
I hereby promise to post them weekly!!!
 
Amanda :)