My Photos

I never go anywhere without a camera.  I have several.  A little point and shoot Samsung lives permanently in my handbag, and of course, I have my mobile phone, though I don't usually like to use it.  I feel I have more power with my other cameras.

I love my Canon, but hate that it is so big and heavy, so I don't like to take it if I am flying anywhere.  It will go on my car travels, but these days I like to take my Olympus EM-10.  

So, when I travelled to China recently, it was the Olympus that was my travel companion.  I am putting together a PowerPoint presentation of some of my best photos, and the story of my two visits, but I wanted to add some to the collection of photos on my wall.  I had 13 framed photos, a couple of which I would like to replace.  I'm a little bored with them and have other good ones to replace them.

I usually go to Officeworks to print them.  Usually easy.  I went a couple of days ago to the Caboolture store, and sat before a machine, as one does, to organise the printing of the chosen photos. I started the machine, inserted my USB stick as requested, chose my photos and it went through the routine of offering me things I didn't want, and I got to the end, and it said it was processing my order.  I thought it was odd that it didn't ask for my name and phone number but.....

It didn't print out the little slip of paper that one takes to the counter either, so I lined up t the counter to find out what was wrong. Now, I had spent some 5 - 10 minutes at the machine, in good view of those behind the counter.   When I got my chance to speak with a staff member, she flips "Oh, that machine isn't working.  It is supposed to have a sign on it".  She pointed me to another machine, so I started the process all over again.
This time, it did ask for my name, and printed out the slip of paper, (oddly enough about $1.50 cheaper than the other machine quoted), and they were printed out for me in quick time.
As I left, I noticed a couple working on the machine that had failed me before.  No one had bothered to (a) put up the sign, or (b) let them know it was not working.  Pretty rude really.
Anyway, I did get my photos.  Two are now hanging on my wall.
(Ooops, one has just fallen, so I need to put it back with more sticky tape!)


Photo One

Photo 2


I stayed with a family in Shaoxing and on my second day at their home,  they took me to lunch at a family member's home on the outskirts of the city.
As we drove along, I realised that I was familiar with the area.  I was quite adventurous in China and had a couple of bikes.  One was an "ordinary" bike, which I pedalled around, and the second one was an electric bike, and I was able to go further - with my camera in the basket.

I rode along the roads stopping frequently, and photo 1 is one that I took on this trip, of a road that I had travelled a few years earlier, but from a different direction.  This time I was in the old village that ran along the side of the road I had previously travelled.  It was quite an emotional visit.

Later in the day, the families went to a historic area just outside Shaoxing, where there was a reservoir - which is in photo 2.
I like reflections - and have quite a collection from my China expeditions.






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