The land of Rail

Obviously I have exaggerated on the title. Today I unexpectedly dropped off at the wrong bus stop, not too far from my abode. I was walking along railings demarcating the road and the drains when I spotted these array of jumping spiders! At that particular spot, there were about 5 species frolicking around, trying to avoid being food by one of their kind. I got too near at times; it was an invite for them to jump into my lens, jeez.

Here’s one that obviously isn’t a spider; a stoic denizen.

Others lurk insidiously.

Mosquitoes have a high propensity to attack me; I was bitten rather viciously while photographing these critters on the railings. Still, I ventured a little closer down the stretch to home.

Not sure if it does moult; it has aged and flaky eyes.

Still, the crimson color is beautiful.

Just to highlight the intricacy of its wings.

I knew I had to take a shot of this.

Something irrelevant and abstract.

Some depth.

Not salient at all.

One of the less reflective ones. Makes for an even lighting.

One thorny bug to cap off the day.

Bar Bar Black Sheep

Here’s a bar tucked away in the corners of Bukit Timah Road. It strangely shares space with shops selling Western, Thai, and Middle Eastern cuisine. The burgers are great, from what I hear. It’s a great spot to catch up with friends. Also, it has a hilarious name to boot.

cat from a rent-a-box-shop

Not always as gloomy as it seems.

So I have this little piece of plastic art bought from a rent-a-box shop. I’m not too sure where this idea popped up from; you literally can rent a demarcated box in the shop to showcase your goods. Phone accessories seem to be the most common, but occasionally you get funny looking stuff like these as well.

whipping the nights

The nights have been cracking with thunder, whipping the skies into submission. Lightning is one natural phenomenon that gets me worked up; you got to take your luck on these. Some of them came frightening close. If I had one wish, I hope I could capture these over a comparatively more scenic landscape. But I don’t call the shots with nature.

Dissonance reduction

A Goldlion wallet. A brand normally associated with mature consumers, but hey, it has a sturdy feel to it. Not a big fan of soft wallets.

Sometimes I find myself exhibiting properties of psychological phenomenons I’ve read about. One such property is dissonance reduction; it applies to many things that we do and makes us so predictable.

I have a regrettably bad habit; when I want to make a purchase, I would find myself looking out for reasons to get one. I would do research on the net, justifying why I would need it. Before long, the registers ring and my wallet is a wee bit lighter. I would find myself distancing myself away from potential disadvantages, ignoring what it meant to be frugal. Dissonance is reduced. I had gotten this wallet after several contemplations, after telling myself that the coin compartment had dented the shape of my old wallet, when I was sure that I could squeeze out a good several months of use.

Now, I found myself reading up on tablets, justifying to myself that I could use its portability for books since I hardly read now. And it’s too darn hard to get the Kindle and Nook over here. I do miss reading though, and I seemed sold on the not-so-economical iPad. It’s shiny, its slick, and I’m sunk.

so, I like Pale Ale

It’s hard to find pubs carrying this label; one I know is perpetually out of stock, which makes me wonder why they didn’t just remove it from the menu. It’s still on the expensive side even if you get it from the supermarket.

Of course, I don’t think being expensive equates to great tasting, however I think this is a good bottle of brew. The ale is flavorful, with the right hints of smokiness, easy and refreshing. I would love to have this on a beach, alongside a good book.

the proverbial

I wonder how the economy can simultaneously function and on the other side, cripple spectacularly. This week, grim pictures of the euro were brought back into the picture. Well, we think we are good at speculation and prediction; considering the vagaries of the human race, I think not. I try not to subscribe to economical and financial prophecies pronounced by revered analysts.

Ain’t too sure if the moth/butterfly flapped its proverbial wings and caused havoc on the other side of the planet. Still, it’s a little confused, resting on the glass panels of the Marina Bay Financial Tower, conveniently casting the other side of the metaphorical picture.