A glimpse of the new Taipei Sky Dome amongst the fast-moving world of the Xinpu nightmarket in Banciao.
The Taipei Sky Dome in Banciao is our new home. Our 29 ping apartment is on the 24th floor with a magnificent view of the city of Taipei. On clear nights, you can see Taipei 101.
Our new apartment complex boasts 37 floors and over 1000 apartments. Most of the apartments are for sale, with a few available for rent.
Our main entrance has a cascading waterfall, which changes colors in the evening. The waterfall extends a floor below ground level and creates a beautiful back drop for the swimming pool. We also have access to the complete gym and spa.
The spa features nordic and thermal pools and saunas for both men and women. The gym is completely outfitted with various cardio machines, universal and free weights, and also offers classes in aerobics, dance, yoga, and tai chi. Pool tables and ping pong tables are available on the second floor. We are in heaven.
Wenhua Road, Banciao, Taiwan. Photos from our rooftop.
Looking east to Taipei.
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[...] Carrie took these photos of me hanging out on the roof. She is quite the photographer. You should check out her photos from the night. [...]
I took my pictures with a Canon Digital Ixus 65. I like having this little point and shoot for moments like these, but it really doesn’t do justice to the view.
I really wish I could invest in a new camera, but with a trip to Japan, the Olympics and our wedding coming up in the next 14 months, I just can’t see it happening.
If you’d like to see some truly gorgeous night shots from our rooftop, make sure you check out http://jorees.wordpress.com/2007/08/05/229/
Carrie,
You are quite the photographer and are doing amazing things with your point and shoot. You will have your camera sooner than you think. Your first photo of the Taipei Sky Dome is stunning.
Thanks Jo. I’m in trouble though. You’ve started an itch in me that I’m just not able to scratch at the moment. I’m feeling very limited and would love to pursue this interest further. Thanks for all of your help, guidance and friendship.
Oh, and thanks for the best one-liner I’ve heard all year! Your comment last night is still dancing in my head and making me laugh out loud. I’m not going to share with anyone either!
I know what you mean Carrie, I’ve been saying it all day… I can’t help myself, it’s applicable to a lot of different situations.
She did like the white Russians, it must be her favorite drink right about now.
I checked for you Carrie, and you could get yourself a Nikon D40 with a 18-55mm lens for about 13000NT. I’d recommend the D40 over the D80. The D80 with a lens is at least double that price and not worth the extra amount of money in my opinion. I checked a few reviews.
The D200 new is about 44000NT.
You could probably find even cheaper if you would go for a D70 or a D50, the older Nikon models.
Wow! What a great view! My apartment looks out towards a beautiful illegal rooftop apartment and another aging building… it’s not much… but it’s home for now…
Hey Range,
Thanks! That gives me something to aim for. I was also reading Andres’ blog today and he’s been thinking of getting a new camera too. He’s looking at the Nikon D80 and the Canon 400d. There must be something in the air.
Todd,
We’re thrilled. Our last apartment was really depressing, which is why we moved. We’ve doubled our rent but it’s worth it. We couldn’t see anything but the filthy walls across from our apartment. Having a view is good for the soul, and for houseplants!
Jo and I prefer Nikons, but Canons are good as well. Actually, the Canon 5D has a full frame sensor. The D200 doesn’t have that, but I’m happy with mine. I must have taken 70000 photos since last December; I kept only a total of 11000.
http://www.kenrockwell.com for some reviews and tips.
The thing though with these cameras is the lenses can be quite expensive. My lens is really hard to get and is pretty expensive. Jo’s portrait lens is pretty expensive as well. However, on a budget, you can always mix and match lenses. Ken Rockwell has some tips to keep the lenses really cheap.
Personally, there is one lens I want to get, but probably not this year. It’s a 12-24mm f4 ultra wide angle lens from Nikkor. It’s about 27000NT.
The main thing is to have a good all purpose lens. My 18-200mm is pretty decent for that. You don’t want to be constantly changing lenses and dragging a lot of lenses with you all of the time.
Great night shots, and from a point-and-shoot too! After using a DSLR for 6 months I do miss my little Sony.
The Canon 400D is a nice little camera for the price. It’s an investment but well worth it.
I won’t get into the Nikon vs Canon debate, they both have there advantages and disadvantages.
Thanks Stevo. How’s your new equipment working for you? I’m waiting to see all your fabulous pictures from Guilin!
[...] Seems lately a big portion of the Taiwan Blogsphere is upgrading or contemplating upgrading their digital cameras: Michael [Turton] purchased a Canon Powershot S5 IS, Holly bought a Canon EOS 400D, Andres is contemplating between Canon and Nikon, and it seems Carrie is thinking about going DSLR. [...]
you know Carrie, there isn’t any reason why you couldn’t find a good used Nikon or Canon camera. the good thing about higher end cameras is that people tend to take very good care of them. the major reason for upgrading is some new technology and not because there is a problem with the camera.
now i have a new problem: i found out today, thanks to Andres, that Nikon just introduced 2 new flagship DSLRs: D3 and D300. so maybe my D80 will be on the market soon!