Experimenting

I have thousands of photos in my collection and will be off travelling again and adding more - and sometimes I get overwhelmed by them all and wonder how I can organise them. I'm not doing too badly though when I run out of time and get a bit lazy with them, I can let things get out of hand.

I've just found Picasa3 - have used Picasa from time to time, but the new program allows some more sophisticated editing, including adding some text to the photo.

I think this will be very important for those photos from China (and other places I travel) when even weeks afterwards I am not always clear on where the photo was taken. Clearly there are clues with the date and time appearing in the data collected with each photo, but I think adding some text - perhaps at the bottom, in an inconspicuous way, it will help me - especially in a few years time when I can look back and see the details.

It is a free download - go to http://www.picasa3.google.com

Out of the bus window

Riding is a bus is very comfortable in traffic, but I get the urge to call out from time to time (luckily I quell the urge) for the driver to stop so that I can take a photo. I've discovered though, that I can get good shots from a moving bus and through the window. Not perfect, but enough to show folks what it is like.

These photos were taken from the window of the bus between Jeonju and Incheon. As it turns out, it was nearly 5 hours of travel.

Everywhere there is rice growing, and everywhere is lush green foliage from the many trees and gardens along the way.

Really refreshing.

The huge cities nestled between the mountains, and the new housing complexes neat, tall, close together as if like a group of ants nests.

The Han River

Rice fields.

More information...................

I have a departure date - seems I'm going on the 21st of February and at this stage booked on Singapore Airlines to head off on this amazing adventure.

I've got just over 3 weeks to get ready, finish off things at home, and be packed and ready to go. I have been accepted officially at the school in China (though I've seen no paperwork at this point), and I'm busily reading all I can about this region of China.

On Saturday I will be lunching with friends (at a Chinese restaurant) to say farewell - and it also doubles as our belated Christmas get together.

Today I saw my grandchildren ready for school - the two girls that I took to Adelaide. One is in grade 3 this year, and the other started Prep today. It is quite amazing to see them in school uniform! So grown up. I will miss them of course, but will send emails to them and photos.

I am glad I discovered SnapFish for my photos - as I will download them and have the prints sent to my address in Brisbane - so the folks can look at them, and save them for when I return.