Although I usually publish technology related news on my TGH Technology and Business portal/blog and I have been regularly covering Dell Technologies news for a period of time on their consumer products and most recently enterprise solutions. For this story, I am writing it here since I cover travel, tourism, environment and sustainability topics here on my TGH Photography and Travel portal/blog.

Sustainability has been one of the key areas that I am covering on. My love for travel photography great outdoors since my secondary school days, working with organisations in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries, coupled with my photography (National Geographic inspired) and visual storytelling in my adult years, gave me a voice that we all can, and we all must play a part in the sustainability drive to turn things around for the world, for our future generations, no matter how big or how small my role or your role can be.

Sagarmatha Next Centre

The Sagarmatha Next Centre, a non-profit NGO run by local environmental enthusiasts. Located near Syangboche Namche Bazar, en-route to Everest base camp, the centre educates visitors about this growing environmental issue and seeks to reduce the impact of waste. 

The Sagarmatha Next Centre is located at 3,775m above sea level, this is a must-stop location for visitors along Mount Everest trail. This provides the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of the organisation’s effort for every climber who passes through. 

For this project, Dell Technologies worked with National Geographic Explorer Martin Edstrom to create a short video showing the negative impacts of waste on the region. The next step was to provide the Sagarmatha Next Centre with cutting-edge technology to showcase the video and offer additional opportunities to enhance the experience through virtual reality, interactive screens and video projectors. 

How Sagarmatha Next Centre uses Dell Technologies’ technology? 

How does the Sagarmatha Next Centre uses Dell Technologies’ technology to help raise awareness on the issue of plastic waste on Mount Everest? 

• Digital exhibition. Visitors can explore and digitally experience every inch of the facility before continuing their trek. 
• Map of region and common tracks. Visitors can view the 17 different hiking routes that lead to the Mount Everest base camp and other destinations in the four main valleys of the region. 
• Education on landfills. Visitors can learn about where the more than 80 landfill sites reside in the Mount Everest region and what can be done to lessen the trash issue. 

Powered by Dell Technologies 

Powered by an OptiPlex Micro Form Factor PC, the Dell 55 4K Interactive Touch Monitors being used boast a twenty-point InGlassTM Touch and palm rejection technology, which allows multiple visitors to interact with the screens simultaneously. The monitors come with In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel technology, delivering consistent colours and a wide viewing angle – ideal for group education, even during midday when the bright sun streams in at this high altitude. 

For many visitors who trek to the Everest base camp and may not make the climb to the 8,850- meter-high summit, there is also a VR experience Edstrom created that brings the mountain peak directly to them, powered and created on Dell Precision mobile workstations. 

Sagarmatha Next’s Carry Me Back

Dell Technologies support goes beyond just providing technology, they extends into donation for Sagarmatha Next’s Carry Me Back initiative. 

As visitors leave the centre, they are encouraged to take what they have learned and be a part of the change, the solution for a new future. This Carry Me Back initiative provides visitors the opportunity to remove trash and deposit it in collection bins that are transported to and recycled in Kathmandu.

Through this initiative, the organisation has successfully removed more than 5,000 bags os trash, or 5,000kg of waste, from Mount Everest, with much of it recycled, since the programme started in April 2022.

For more information about Dell Technologies Sustainability and Education 

Passionate about sustainability and education, Dell Technologies’ support of Sagarmatha Next showcases there are no limits to where sustainability, education and technology can take us. 

If you like to learn more about Dell Technologies’ commitment to sustainability, please visit this article.

* Information and pictures courtesy of Dell Technologies and BCW *

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i Light Singapore 2023 Theme – A New Wave

i Light Singapore 2023, presented by DBS, theme for this year is A New Wave. Using light not not just as a wave that expands and radiates energy in all directions. it’s also a language, a form of communication that give rise to a range of emotions. 

i Light Singapore 2023 will explore the colour “Blue”, when you explore the various artworks on display around Marina Bay. The Blue colour wavelength is strong in the Force that brings you cool tones, vibes and different states of emotion – of calm and serenity. 

Light artworks on display at i Light Singapore 2023

I visited all of the 14 light artworks on display at i Light Singapore 2023. If you like to know more about the particular artist, the inspiration behind their artwork, you can visit i Light Singapore website to find out more or you can read more about them at the information booths at each artwork location.

Glacier Dreams

Tree Man

Blumiwave

Moooooootion 

< To be updated accordingly!>

Symphony 1

Block Party

the things left unsaid 

Light Anemones

Resonances 

Trumpet Flowers 

Aquatics

Bleached 

Show III

Prism

i Light Singapore photography and exploration tips 

• You might want to bring your tripod along for long exposure shots composition of the artworks, the choice is yours
• Bring a few lenses – wide angle zoom and a mid telephoto zoom lenses would give you different views and perspectives when engaging and photographing the artworks 
• Catch the light artwork projection on the ArtScience Museum during the evening blue hour time, that gives you a different background colour and feel 
• Wear comfortable shoes (You would be walking quite a fair bit)
• Wear comfortable clothes (It can be pretty hot and humid at times)
• Bring a water bottle and remember to hydrate
• Split up your i Light Singapore visit over a few nights, maybe one visit on a weekend, the other visit can be on a weekday

Ignite Your Spark on your DBS Journey at i Light Singapore 2023 

DBS makes a return as the presenting sponsor of i Light Singapore 2023, Asia’s leading sustainable light festival, part of DBS ongoing efforts in and around the Marina Bay area to give back to the community, including the recent launch of a multi-year partnership with Esplanade to provide more experiences for people to visit, discover, enjoy and express themselves. 

DBS invites i Light Singapore 2023 festival goers to “Ignite Your Spark”, to bring out the best in themselves and to Pay-It-Forward to help shape a better, brighter world. There would be fun games designed around themes of self-care, sustainable living, being future-ready, all relatable themes of today. There are also instagrammmable visual installations, including artwork that will be recycled later and be given a new lease of life, and stage performances by local talents who shine through despite their disabilities, among other experiences.Pay I

Ignite Your Spark on your DBS passport journey at i Light Singapore 2023, you can easily access just by scanning a QR code with your smartphone. An interactive journey begins for you whereby you would be challenged to collect 4 digital stamps on your DBS Passport, by participating in various experiences at Blumiwave and within the DBS Zone.

Blumiwave at Mist Walk is an artwork that aims to raise awareness of blue energy, an alternative renewable energy source that is harnessed from the sea and river waters. Created by local artists from DP Design, the “crashing” waves of Blumiwave are made of a carefully weaved fabric of safety nets and scaffolding from salvaged from construction sites. 

All plastics used in the construction of Blumiwave will recycled by Magorium after this festival is over. Magorium is a social enterprise supported by DBS Foundation, they convert plastic waste into sustainable construction called “NEWBitumen”, which can be used to pave eco-roads. “NEWBitumen” was also used in paving the driveway of DBS Newton Green, Singapore’s 1st Zero building by a bank.

[ Information courtesy of DBS Media Centre ]

GastroBeats

The Festival Village of i Light Singapore, GastroBeats is a month long celebration of eating good good, listening to good music and having good fun, bringing the community together and showcasing local culture diversity. 

For more information on GastroBeats, please visit https://gastrobeats.com.sg/  

DBS Zone at GastroBeats 

Check out the key highlights at DBS Zone at GastroBeats where many exciting activities await the i Light Singapore 2023 festival goers!

• Find Your Spark
• Eco Row and Glow
• Money Matchmaker
• Made for Travel
• POSB Money Smarts

Also look out for 

• Live performances by the community every Friday and Saturday
• Transform food waste into animal feed and fertilisers by Ento Industries (a business for impact supported by DBS Foundation) 
• Explore sustainable fashion at DBS Zone by Fashion Pulpit (a social enterprise) 

For more information on DBS participation at i Light Singapore 2023 and GastroBeats 2023, please visit https://www.dbs.com/live-more-by-the-bay/ilight-singapore.html

My i Light journeys over the years

Going back in time, here are my i Light journeys over the years that I visited, photographed and documented over the years. 

i Light Marina Bay

• i Light Marina Bay 2010 (article | photos)
• i Light Marina Bay 2012 (article 1 | article 2 | photos)
• i Light Marina Bay 2014 (article 1 | article 2 | photos)
• i Light Marina Bay 2016 (article | photos)
• i Light Marina Bay 2017 (article | photos)

i Light Singapore

• i Light Singapore 2019 (photos)
• i Light Singapore 2022 (photos)
• i Light Singapore 2023 (article | photos)

I would get back into my archives for 2019 and 2022, curating photos from the 2019 and 2022 i Light Singapore editions and upload them into my i Light Singapore / i Light Marina Bay collection on Flickr.

Visiting and photographing i Light (Singapore / Marina Bay) journeys since 2010 had been an interesting visual storytelling journey for me with my camera, capturing the growth, changes, not just in Marina Bay Singapore, on the areas of sustainability and recycling and artworks depicting those key areas that the world is looking at, and having a stronger and more urgent emphasis in this current climate.

I hope that i Light Singapore 2023 can Ignite Your Spark on A New Wave inside you in the areas of sustainability, sustainable living and habits in our daily life and work.  

* A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R6 Mark II Explorer Series Production *

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Invest In Our Planet | What Will You Do?

We need to continue what we have been doing all this time, invest in our planet. If we don’t we will lose our only home on planet Mother Earth. Therefore, what will you do? What have you done? How do I make the change and be the change for the future of Mother Earth?

My 5 recommendations to celebrate Earth Day

Explore your neighbourhood parks near your home

Go for a nature walk and explore Singapore’s flora and fauna

Take photographs of your environment, horizon and surroundings 

Share your stories and experiences 

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Every day is Earth Day

Every day is Earth Day, let us not just take only one day a year to mark Earth Day. Here is a list of 52 actions and tips invest in our planet whereby you can make a difference by Earth Day Organisation. 

For our everyday living, it’s important for everyone of us on Earth to consider how our daily living habits impact our planet Earth that we call home. do check out 5 sustainable living tips from Bosch cleaning experts.

What are the Southeast Asia region consumer and investor interests towards green financing and investments? Have a read on Earth Day 2023 “Invest in Our Planet” Survey Insights by Milieu Insight.

We can all make a difference

We all must play a part, no matter how big or small. I would continue to play my small role here on Earth, sharing my visual storytelling in the great outdoors, travel, nature and wildlife, combining them with my technology news coverage on ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) and sustainability on my TGH Technology and Business website. 

The world is facing an even greater climate and environmental challenges and crisis. From how we work and live, the change and difference that make an impact to Mother Earth, start with each and every one of us living on this planet. 

Exploring with the Canon EOS R50

The #Canon #EOSR50 was recently launched in February 2023, a new compact and lightweight APS-C mirrorless #camera. Although the EOS R50 is an entry level camera, it is packed with fun, creative tools and automated features, allowing users to create fun and high-quality vlogs, as well as fun and nice photographs.

I am currently reviewing this latest compact and lightweight camera, exploring with the Canon EOS R50 together with my visual storytelling.

This Canon EOS R50 is your ideal daily camera companion, lightweight and compact with its kit lens setup, delivering both quality photographs and vlogs, and most importantly bringing you fun and enjoyment.

* A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R50 Explorer Series Production *

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History of Contiki

With its roots starting from 1962, Contiki has come a long way since then. When a young Kiwi, John Anderson, armed with the dream of exploring as much of Europe as possible, posted an advert on a hostel notice board (“European Tour, only two seats left”) and promptly set off on a European adventure with twelve other trailblazers in a battered red kombi minivan named “Tiki” – Maori for good luck. Since that first fateful trip, Contiki has inspired millions of young travellers to embark on unforgettable journeys to discover new cultures and make lifelong connections with other like-minded globetrotters. With over 350 social travel itineraries available across Asia and globally, the original youth adventure travel brand has its sights set on delivering even more meaningful and memorable travel experiences. 

“Contiki has always been about bringing people together and discovering the world. After 60 years — which is an incredible milestone for us—the journey continues. As a brand, we’ve always kept our finger on the pulse of what matters to youth travellers. We look forward to elevating our signature sense of community together with our sustainability efforts to create experiences where our travellers can be united in caring for the one planet we share – whilst still having a lot of fun along the way.” said Mr. Adam Armstrong, Contiki’s CEO. 

Contiki Cares: Renewed Sustainability Efforts

Contiki kicked off its 60th anniversary year with care for and to stand with the environment. They are making significant progress in their parent company The Travel Corporation’s 11 sustainability goals, which are anchored to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

In January 2022, they achieved the milestone of making its trips 100% carbon neutral. Since then, Contiki has also eliminated single-use plastic in all its accommodations in favour of reusable and compostable materials. They have also switched all its accommodations to run on renewable energy. In addition to that, 81% of its itineraries now include at least one MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience that leave a positive impact on People, Planet and the Wildlife. 

Chateau Big Weekender: The Party of a Lifetime

An anniversary party is going to be a big party, there are not party like this scale and significance. Contiki intends to celebrate in style with the Chateau Big Weekender, an exclusive, one-time-only itinerary that will see travellers partying like French royalty in the Contiki Château de Cruix, a palatial property in Beaujolais, France that has wowed travellers for decades. 

Taking place from 5th to 7th August 2022, this 3D2N summer extravaganza is going to excite partygoers, living i up with pool parties set against thumping beats of live music spun by DJs, legendary nights spent dancing till the dawn inside the on-property La Cave club and making priceless memories with international friends, both new and old.

In between the bouts of revelry, more cultured activities await, including painting evenings accompanied by wines from the region, exploring the Beaujolais vineyards followed by an al-fresco French feast, and yoga on the Château’s manicured lawns. 

In line with Contiki’s commitment to making progress on its sustainability goals, the Contiki Chateau runs on 100% renewable energy, and all meals by the inhouse chefs are prepared with fresh ingredients that originate from local sources and around France. 

Throughout the trip, Contiki’s quality mainstays will remain, with an Expert Trip Manager, Driver Team and Local Guides offering friendly insights and timely support for a hassle-free trip. Starting from US$349 per partygoer for a QuadShare room at the Château, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that’s not to be missed. Bookings can be made on Contiki Chateau Big Weekender – limited slots available. 

What’s in store for 2022 and beyond?

Looking ahead, Conitki will continue to build on its impressive momentum to deepen its commitment to achieving the brand’s sustainability goals by progressing on its efforts to reduce food waste at its owned properties, improve local sourcing and introduce more MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences to its itineraries. 

At the same time, the social travel brand will be ramping up its newly launched Contiki Ambassador programme, an insider programme where socials-savvy youth can share about travel and be rewarded with trips and bonuses. With this, Contiki hopes to inspire a new generation of travellers and ignite in them the very spirit of adventurous social travel that characterised the first Contiki trip back in 1962. 

Finally, Contiki will continue to expand its impressive offering of social travel itineraries with new trips launching throughout the year = to brand new locations as well as evolving and much-loved classics. Contiki are experts in multi-country trips, allowing youth travellers to see the best of the best, and help them get back into travel in a safe, enjoyable and sustainable way – for 2022 and beyond. 

* Information and pictures courtesy of Contiki and Red Hill Asia *

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#InvestInOurPlanet

If we do not Invest in Our Planet, if we do not start to take action, the world will lose our home and only home because we all live on this planet. 

Who doesn’t want a healthy and comfortable home to live in? 

#WhatWillYouDo 

What can you do for Earth Day and what will you do? Earth Day website has a list of excellent recommendations on what you can do!

Some of the things that you can do 

• Use less plastic
• Visit nature and outdoors, take photos of your beautiful landscapes and horizon
• Bring your own reusable water bottle
• Recycle, Up-cycle
• Share your photos and stories

We can all make a difference 

Every individual on earth can play a part, no matter how big or small. Through our civic actions, making our voices heard, spreading the word on climate change, sustainability, eco-friendly measures. 

Not just today on 22nd April, we can continue investing in our planet on a daily basis, making a difference to the world today and for the future.

Photographing Singapore outdoors/nature/green areas/wildlife

With my Canon photography gear and my trusted f-stop gear backpack, going into nature and green areas, enjoying the outdoors, fresh air, it was very therapeutic for me, photographing  nature, green areas and wildlife. 

When I was testing and reviewing the Canon EOS R3 recently, revisiting the outdoors, nature and green areas in Singapore, observing the close proximity of our nature/green areas, urban areas and wildlife living together.

We need to together Invest In Our Planet, I will continue to play my part with my photography and writing. 

* A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R3 Explorer Series Production * 

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The ongoing global pandemic has caused massive economic and financial impacts to the world tourism and travel industries. I wrote, shared and published an earlier article on “When can we Restart Tourism?” in June 2021. I was cautiously optimistic, however the world situation didn’t go according as planned with the Delta variant causing havoc and further disruptions towards many countries plans to reopen their economy, as well as their tourism and travel industries. On World Tourism Day 2021, this would be my follow up article that I published earlier in June 2021.

Looking back at my travel adventures over the years, I am missing it a lot. During this ongoing global pandemic period, my wanderlust for travel has also made me reflect a lot on the future of travel as it would never be the same again before the days of COVID-19. 

First and foremost, I will now always remember these words of wisdom, travel may be a privilege for some of us, not everyone can get to travel out overseas. This ongoing global pandemic could have further widen this gap between those that can travel and those who can’t.

When the time arrives whereby we can Restart Tourism, travel overseas safely again, this would be the time to add on more travel photography adventures to my TGH Photography travel portfolio, Flickr travel photography collections and travel explorer stories here on my TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

I am keen to work on two areas when the world travel and tourism industries reopen – community based tourism and nature based/conservation/sustainable tourism. As we are preparing for the eventual reopening and recovery of the world travel and tourism industries, I am reaching out to the travel and tourism worldwide networks on collaborations and partnerships.  

While this global pandemic situation has caused massive impacts to the world tourism and travel industries, this is also an excellent opportunity for a “reset”, to address and change some of our tourism and travel industry standards, operating procedures, practices, mindsets, habits etc etc, to make a change for the better, for the future. 

Let’s help to restart the world tourism and travel industries again when it is safe to do so, sometime down the road, hopefully soon. Meanwhile, do support your local/domestic travel and tourism industries too. This is the time for inclusive growth. 

Meanwhile, when can we restart tourism again? A number of countries have started to open up their tourism markets in small and at specific destinations. Some countries have started to open up more than other countries. We are all taking steps towards reopening the international tourism and travel industries.

Till the day when we can safely #RestartTourism and travel overseas again, take care and be safe! I look forward to meeting my travel and tourism network friends when I get the opportunity to travel and visit them in their countries! 

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