Kinoco caviar pasta at Kitsch Bar Asia

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong
Kinoco caviar pasta, July 2026, Perth

In August 2024, modern Japanese restaurant Nine Fine Food closed. Although one of Perth’s finest restaurants is no longer with us, its owner and chef, Mr. Song (Sensei), continued to provide his marvellous cuisine through other avenues. Most recently, he has taken charge of some sessions at Kitsch Bar Asia in Leederville. I visited recently… Continue reading Kinoco caviar pasta at Kitsch Bar Asia

Penang cityscapes

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong
Penang cityscape, October 2025, Malaysia

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to visit the island of Penang in Malaysia. For those unfamiliar with it, Penang is located off the northwestern coast of western Malaysia. It actually has British colonial links with Adelaide, South Australia—Royal Navy officer Francis Light was a key figure in establishing a British settlement here… Continue reading Penang cityscapes

Terracotta warriors at the Western Australian Museum

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong
Ancient Chinese terracotta general statue, July 2025, Perth

The Western Australian Museum is currently hosting a display of the terracotta warriors of Ancient China, with this exhibit running from 28 June 2025 to 22 February 2026. Well known for being set in place to watch over the tomb of the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇; 259–210 BC). As with most such displays,… Continue reading Terracotta warriors at the Western Australian Museum

Ten years of blogging

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong

It was ten years ago that I started this photography weblog with a welcome post. What a lot has happened since then! Remarkably, my photographic equipment and process remains essentially the same as a decade ago; I am still shooting with my Nikon D70S and Nikon D700, and I think the only lens I have… Continue reading Ten years of blogging

Final upgrades for the AM4 platform

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X CPU, January 2025, Perth

As I mentioned in my previous post, I recently upgraded one of my computers. It is based on AMD’s AM4 platform, which means that any CPU (Central Processing Unit) from the AM4 range is physically compatible with the CPU socket on the computer’s motherboard (the main internal component). The first AM4 CPUs were released in… Continue reading Final upgrades for the AM4 platform

Warrior belts side by side

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong
Warrior Meijin and Warrior Silver cotton black belts, June 2022, Perth

In my recent look at the Kataaro deluxe brushed cotton black belt, I mentioned that I had old and new Warrior Silver black belts in hand. The old Warrior Silvers, dating back to almost 20 years ago, represented remarkable value for money; they cost only slightly more than typical belts, but were of far superior… Continue reading Warrior belts side by side

Kataaro deluxe brushed cotton black belt

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong
Kataaro deluxe brushed cotton black belt label, May 2022, Perth

In many Asian martial art systems, particularly those from the easternmost countries, a belt forms part of the uniform worn during training. Often, the colour of the belt denotes the rank the wearer holds within that system, with rank generally reflecting technical proficiency or expertise. The founder of Judo, Jigoro Kano, introduced this practice to… Continue reading Kataaro deluxe brushed cotton black belt

February 2017 action

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong

First Tae Kwon Do held a special grading examination in Perth recently, with one candidate undergoing the test for 1st Dan black belt. Following a rigorous programme of breaking, sparring, patterns, and self-defence techniques, she was promoted by Master Vernon Low. For the photographs above, I shot with my Nikon D700 and Nikkor 70–200 mm f/2.8… Continue reading February 2017 action

Japan with a 50 mm lens

Published on Author Yean Wei Ong

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Japan. Photographically speaking, it was clear that a mobile telephone camera or other ‘small sensor’ camera would not be desirable, and this left me with essentially choosing between my Nikon D70S and Nikon D700. Although the D70S had probably the more appropriate lens for travel… Continue reading Japan with a 50 mm lens