Dodging the bullet

And people say places like the local public library are boring. There I am, browsing the DVD shelf; the elderly librarian is busy sorting returned items; and the second member of staff, a young, not entirely unpretty girl, is tapping away on her computer.

Cue middle-aged creepy guy, messed up hair, tracky dacks, the full program. He starts playing around with the catalog terminal, then directs his attention to the service desk:

Creepy guy: Hi

Hot library chick: Hi how are you? (she seems to know him)

Creepy guy: Good thanks. How have you been?

Hot library chick: Alright, thanks, it's been a quiet day.

Creepy guy: What do you do once you're finished here?

Hot library chick: Oh just spending time with hubby and the kids

Creepy guy: Ahh … sounds … nice
(pause)
Creepy guy: I … was going to ask you out. A movie or something like that.

Hot library chick: Ohh … right … sorry

Creepy guy (wanders off)

Older librarian lady gives Hot library chick the what was that all about? look

Hot library chick: WHAT? One day I will have a husbands and kids...


Nice one, baby. I must admit I find her just a little bit hotter now, after learning that she's a quick thinker. Perhaps I should have a go myself, just to find out what she'd come up with to shoot me down ...

Parramatta Ferry Wharf

Some photos from the partially flooded Parramatta Ferry Wharf, after a couple of hours of rain.

Parramatta under smoke

Fortunately I live nowhere near the bush fire areas, and am very happy not having to show you photos of the smoldering remains of my home. And since I don't work in the city, I also don't have any pictures of Sydney icons like the Harbor bridge or the opera house covered in smoke, or Bondi Beach under an eerie yellow-ish sky.

Still, even without any famous landmarks, the thick clouds of smoke made for a dramatic view; and so, here are some of my pics from Thursday, October 17, 2013:

Looking north on O'Connell Street, Parramatta


Looking east, towards the center of Parramatta


Looking west, from the rooftop car park of the Westfield shopping center


Looking north, from the rooftop car park of the Westfield shopping center

International Fleet Review (2)

After a long wait, it was time for the main attraction; the light show and fireworks display. To tell the history of the Royal Australian Navy, impressive images and film clips were projected onto the Opera House and the pylons of the Harbor Bridge. While it certainly was a fantastic show, it didn't make for great photography (and my somewhat obscured vantage point didn't help either), so the following pics focus mainly on the actual fireworks display.

Colorful late afternoon skies over Sydney


Darkness descends


Showtime!














The end

International Fleet Review (1)

While I didn't have to attend all the events around the International Fleet Review, I did make it to the festivities and fireworks on Saturday night. These are some pictures from Circular Quay and the Opera House forecourt (fireworks pics to follow soon-ish).


Just as I was arriving, the Rhapsody Of The Seas was departing from Circular Quay


View of the Opera House forecourt




The Royal Australian Navy band is entertaining the crowds






Navy chick taking happy snaps of the band


Singer of the Melbourne Detachment of the Royal Australian Navy Band


The Royal Australian Air Force pays a visit with the Air Force Roulettes in their Pilatus P9As

Wentworthville fire

A few pictures from the site of the building explosion and subsequent fire in Station Street, Wentworthville.

For the Before situation, please check out Google Street View.

Anyway, here's what it all looked like yesterday (the day after the event):

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Parramatta Panorama

Yes, I'm still playing around with panorama images, creating composite pictures from multiple photographs. This one consists of 14 individual shots, taken in two horizontal rows. Although I took the photos without the help of a tripod, on my little Canon Powershot S90, Hugin managed to get a "good fit" to generate the composite image.

Considering the many moving objects (people, traffic), the result isn't too bad, apart from the odd headless / legless pedestrian, and maybe a slightly shortened bus.

The picture generated by Hugin then received the full Photoshop (well, GIMP, actually) treatment, including Unsharp Mask, color level adjustment, color saturation boost, etc.

And then, you end up with something like this:

Market

Just a couple of pics from the Parramatta Farmers Market: And Bratwurscht too, jawoll!!

Parramatta Winterlight

Just a few photos from the Parramatta Winterlight festival, where you can enjoy a handful of food stalls, some pretty lights, and an ice rink.

NYE

A few photos from the New Year's Eve event on, well, Dec 31, 2012, in Parramatta:

Some band is trying their best to keep the masses entertained


But everyone is clearly just waiting for the fireworks display to begin, so here we go: