Prelude to a Long Weekend

The call I received this morning just when I was about to hit the shower pushed the number of admissions to above 20. Even though it was Chinese New Year, the admissions kept all piling in. I went home after midnight last night only to be called in again with an ICU admission which took me into the early hours.

I was thankful that I at least got three hours of uninterrupted sleep until ingot the morning call.

I was still in the middle of my morning rounds when I had to stop. I need a quick drink. I just couldn't continue on. A 15 minutes break should not hurt anyone.

I imagine that the rounds would take me to lunch. Then, I would have some time to wind down this afternoon before the undoubtedly flurry of calls from the ward. I wouldn't be surprised if I had to get in again later tonight.

I'd better enjoy the break as much as I can then. Cheers!‎

Short and Sweet

The hospital looked to be in laid back mode this morning. From the car park to the lift, things seemed to be moving extra slowly today. Might as well. The worry for me being on call was things could go out if control later in the day....

Anita and the boys left for PD as planned and when I finished my rounds, they were still stuck in a traffic jam at Sungai Besi trying to enter the highway. She forgotten to pick up the SmartTag device from may car. So, things didn't start too well for them.

I have a couple of admissions to see so far, but they can wait until the Friday prayers were done. As it stood at the moment, I better enjoy the nice and quiet...‎

All Packed Up

I would be a single man from today until Sunday. Anita and the boys would be heading to Port Dickson this morning with her Mum. The boys were looking forward to it, a nice end to their long CNY break.

I did warn them that traffic could be a hindrance but they seemed psyched up for that. After all, they would be staying at the apartment - we had a fabulously underutilised seafront duplex top floor apartment there. So, no need to worry about accommodation.

All charged upI would be on call however, so I couldn't join them. I had a few things lined up for the weekend, and hopefully the calls won't be too bad - being a public holiday and all.

They would be back on Sunday - and prepare to leave for Gombak on Monday - before returning to school on Tuesday.

I'm sure they would have great fun. And some tan....‎

23mm Tryout

Finally I managed to take the new lens for a spin this afternoon. And the weather was gorgeous. Venue, as usual around Pavilion, walking towards Berjaya Times Square.

First I took photos of the CNY decorations at Pavilion. Then, across to Fahrenheit before heading towards Times Square. Spent a fair amount of time there - first time I was there in at least a couple of years. The place was packed considering this was CNY eve.

Next, I walked to Low Yat, emerging on the opposite side to walk along Jalan Bukit Bintang. I then doubled back towards Pavilion, stopping at Tours les Jours on the way home.

I finished things off with more snaps at Pavilion before heading home. Total walking time was almost two hours. Bright sunshine and clear blue sky. Couldn't ask for more.

So, I must admit, the lens was razor sharp even wide open in good light. Things got even better stopped down to f4.0, especially when it came to contrast.

I did notice that at f1.4 in low light and high ISO, the photos were soft. Maybe because I was snapping in jpeg, and the sensor over compensated. The contrast were also lost. The 35mm was better at low light resolution wise. It was still an amazing lens however.

With the flower shaped hood, the lens attracted too much attention for my liking. Coupled this with the slow focusing speed of the X-Pro1, there was a couple of shots which I missed. The whole unit also felt heavier than I was used to as I mainly used either the 17mm or the 35mm, but I could do with the weight. The whole setup had some heft to it.

The hood definitely helped with the flare especially in the harsh sunshine.

I must say for indoors, I still prefer the 35mm. Out in the street, the focal length of the 23mm was a winner. Maybe it was a matter of getting used to things. Or the fact that I prefer to take photos of details.

I was planning for another outing this Sunday when I would be meeting up with a few of my KLickr friends. I'll be taking it for another spin then.

Slideshow of the outing here.

Not a Great Start

Last night, when we were about to go out for a quick night drive, I couldn't start the Estima. The reason? One of the lights were on all day. The battery went flat. And Estima is one of those vehicles with plenty of electronics. All went kaput.

So, we had to get a mechanic in to reset the system and replace the battery. Still to hear from Puan Anita since she was organising it with her driver.

Hopefully it could be sorted out soon since she and the boys were planning the weekend at Port Dickson. I couldn't join since I would be on duty during the weekend.

Keeping my fingers crossed!