Hunting the Elusive

Normally I put my photos on Pixels, but today is a bit more special, as it was my birthday (yesterday, by the time I post this). While my family had mostly completed celebrations prior to the actual day, today I went out with my sister and cosplayers Madara and Nadleeh for an afternoon and evening of low-key celebrations. Definitely one of the best birthdays I’ve had so far, and thank you to everyone for their well wishes! As it’s also the start of my holidays, I felt quite festive as well.

Started the afternoon with some high tea at Swissotel’s Crossroads Bar. I thought it was going to be danky backpackers place (since I didn’t do any prior research – it was a treat) but I was really surprised to find quite luxurious surrounds.

High tea was mostly sandwiches with deserts and tea. Fairly relaxing and quiet atmosphere.

Of course, hotels would have their Christmas trees all out and twinkling, and I can’t believe I got that family at the side all with their picture-perfect smiles without staging the photo.

For some reason my eye was drawn to the textured artwork and its reflection on the ground.

Madara and Nadleeh then changed into cosplay (Ranka; Miku, World is Mine version), and because I did not plan the day, we eventually meandered to the rose garden at the Botanical Gardens.

Ah, 7fps.

We also hung out around the outside of the Conservatorium of Music for a bit.

While the cosplayers got changed, I scoped out the Intercontinental Hotel.

Before anyone says “insta-art”, this was shot in colour but visualised in black and white – what I wanted to capture was the play of light from the window on the wall and off the furniture.

Managed to sneak into a ball-room kinda thing, which was being prepared for a graduation ball.

Some nice vintage elevators.

Brick arches and columns, a pretty nice skylight.

Focus test.

On the way to dinner, took a photo of the bird cage installation at Angel Place – used to be Tetris hung up there. Bird cages are more intricate and somehow feels a bit like HK.

Dinner at Kasumi restaurant (now a favourite haunt for the cosplay group). It was a “surprise” early b’day dinner for Straw (her b’day is later on this month). Had takoyaki roulette amongst other things (did not get the wasabi ball, lucky!)

Also had cake (shared b’day cake for Straw and I)! First time I had a b’day cake done at a restaurant. This one is not a lie.