I'd like to tell you a story through my camera, of an "off the beaten track" adventure I had with 9 friends at a remote paradise Island.  Press "Play" on the top left of the image to start the slideshow.

I have also written a text version of this story, you can find it here (submitted as part of a competition entry for My Destination!).

Proyek Penyu is an amazing project which protects the abundance of Pemuteran’s dwindling turtle population due to pollution and urban development.

The project works like this: Proyek Penyu pays locals who find turtle eggs on the beach or turtles caught in fishermen’s nets. They are paid more than what they would earn selling the turtle or the egg at a market to be cooked and eaten. This method also educates locals about the problems of over-exploitation of natural resources. 

The eggs are kept safe in the hatchery at regulated temperatures until the eggs hatch and the hatchlings are three months old. The hatchlings and the turtles can then be released back into the ocean when sponsored by a visitor or tourist. Therefore, tourism funds this project.

We sponsored the release of three juvenile (3 month old) turtles and one adult turtle back into the ocean! Not only was this a unique experience for us as visitors, but we were proud to be supporting the local economy.

Please support this fascinating initiative by visiting its maker, Reef Seen Bali.

Earlier this year, I met an amazing person called Anfernee who runs an initiative called Dance Through Life - organisers of alternative dance events for good health and well-being.

I decided to try out one of Anf's events - Flashmob! The theme of Dirty Dancing, and yes it did include the famous lift.
What I loved most about this experience were the new connections I made to other lovers of dance. These guys are a new social circle for me, and now we organise all sorts of crazy dance adventures together.... 

Check out Dance Through Life for more events and info -  http://dancethroughlife.info

Here's one of the most random signs I've ever seen, found at the entrance to a park in Copenhagen. Talk about culture shock!

Sex is allowed in the park. But be aware! Many children's institutions use the park.
Therefore, avoid:

• Sex in play areas and visible areas between 9am and 4pm;
  
• Noisy sex between 9am and 4pm.
  

Remember to:

• Remove seamen, for instance from benches, after the act;
  
• Place used condoms and serviettes in the rubbish bin.
  

Copenhagen Council encourages safe sex!
Enjoy!

In 2009, I was proud to complete my architectural Masters thesis with my awesome Danish study partner, Mette Bebe Juel. Together, we designed a Performing Arts Centre at a proposed site in the coastal city of Stavanger, Norway. Not satisfied with creating only a "make believe" project, we then set off to Stavanger to publicise our work for real. Our aim was to turn it from fictional to fact. After one amazing month in this charming city, I had talked to architecture firms, the Stavanger Council, Stavanger University, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and local politicians. I also ended up being interviewed by the city newspaper Stavanger Aftenbladet, with an article being published in the newspaper on 3 December 2009.

This article is titled "Do we need this Performing Arts Centre?" where I discuss Stavanger's need for an acoustic performing arts centre and its significance to music professionals, music enthusiasts and the general public. I also present our developed architectural scheme that fuses Nordic and Japanese traditions with acoustic design.

Article by Leif Tore Lindø, Stavanger Aftenbladet, 03 Dec 2009

This project was submitted as part of my final semester architectural thesis at Aalborg University, Denmark in 2009.

A 'Music House' is designed in the context of the Norwegian city, Stavanger. It relates to a site with dramatic height changes, overlooking the  fjord and the distant mountains covering the horizon. The cultural area of Stavanger East has a vivid music and art environment, which, however, lacks a scene for non-amplied music - a place for people to learn, teach, perform and enjoy every aspect of music.


A short summary of the project is below.