Tea time in York, 2012

I read several posts by different bloggers about how to better iphone photos this morning and I realised that it really is about the basics of how to take a good photograph:
1. natural lighting (direction of light)
2. composition (rule of 3rds, leading lines)
3. focus (and creating depth in the background)
4. get close enough to the subject
5. think about what you want to capture/why do you want to take a photograph of that moment and then take the photo

Newgate Coffee House

This cafe is tucked into a little side lane that leads to Parliament street. I went there on a Saturday noon in late November with my three friends and had a lovely time there as they were playing Christmas music already. Oh, I tried my first ever mince pie there, thinking that I was ordering a little meat pie a la chicken pot pie but I was so wrong! haa... (for those of you who don't know, mince pie is sweet and has minced dates, nuts, dried fruits in it).

Coffee Culture

Coffee Culture is a cozy three-floor cafe not far from my university in the city center. It's located in one of the older buildings so the stairs up to the first and second floors are narrow and crooked, which I think adds to the charm of this place. They not only serve coffee and cakes but also lunch items like yummy wraps and full English breakfast (which in the UK can be ordered for lunch and dinner too). I went there for lunch with a few friends from university and we enjoyed the food and relaxing time there.

Piccalilli's Tea Room

Since it's the new year, I think I should work on blogging more and sharing pictures I have taken, even if they might not be the most exciting adventures or the best pictures since I have pretty much utilised only my phone camera for pictures in the past few months. Here is the first installation from one of my cafe/tea room adventures with three lovely friends. We were supposed to go to a cafe in the city wall but it was closed so we went to Piccalilli's down the road instead.The coffee and tea were nothing spectacular but it was still a nice little place for an afternoon gathering with friends to talk about God's grace in our lives.

Christmas break recap

This Christmas break was a busy time for me because I not only had to be working on my essay that is 60% of my grade for the module I took this past semester, I also had a few mini trips planned. The first trip was a 3-day trip to Manchester city with 8 other Malaysian friends.
In Manchester, we visited the City Art gallery,

the Christmas market outside of Arndale Mall,
the Old Trafford Stadium, home of Manchester United football team,

   and a nice breakfast place called Koffee Pot on our last day there.

After a few days of staying home and working hard on the assignment, it's time to go spend Christmas in Darlington.

On the train to Darlington.

Good food, warmth of a home, and good company. It was a relaxing and restful time, just what I needed. On Christmas morning, we went to church and sang carols to celebrate the birth of our Saviour who came to earth to give us life eternal. Christmas dinner was a spread of goodies including lamb shank stew, mashed sweet potato and carrots, roast chicken, and our homemade mille crepes for dessert. After dinner we exchanged gifts and had fun seeing what each other got.

After Darlington was York before I headed to a 5-day year end camp for Chinese students in Europe.

The camp was a wonderful time of sharing, listening to others' life stories, witnessing God's amazing power in changing lives, getting to know new friends, re-learning spiritual truths and habits, learning how to be a servant, experiencing God's love, and being revived/prepared to start 2013 with joy and purpose.

"Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

1 Corinthians 1:7-9 

Have a great 2013 everyone!