Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Hiking Trail: Corippo - Oviga di Fuori - Lavertezzo (click)

After doing a little bit of research, I found out that during my trip to Switzerland, specifically in Canton Tissino (Ger. Tessin), the hike that I took after lunch was along the river from Lavertezzo to Oviga d Fuori and then towards the town of Corippo.  The entire hike would take about 1h 10min according the website Versasca.net, however, since I only had about 45mins, I wasn't able to get very far at all.


That day, I had finished eating my lunch before most of my travel companions were done, and I also felt like I needed some personal time.  After taking leave from the group, I followed a trail that took me up the hill towards the woods.  It took me farther and farther away from the river, so I stopped and turned back.  What I wanted to see, most of all, was the river.  Heading back downhill, I was able to follow the river.  The scenery of trees, rocks and river may sound a bit too simple and ordinary, but the hike is anything but.


As I was walking, I was met by many friendly trees who were waving their lusciously green leaves at me, as if beckoning me onward.  On my left was a steep decline towards the riverbank.  I could hear the chatter of the waters as they hit the rocks, cheerful and impatient, as if they were approaching a happier destination.  This only made me want to walk faster to find out where they were headed.  Every now and then, I would climb a small hill and then be treated to a view of the great white rocks and the stream of turquoise.  The thrill came when I walked across two wooden bridges, about 2.5 feet wide, and 10-12 feet long.  They were made of wooden planks, but were still very sturdy.

The hilly terrain coaxed me on, leading me to believe that after the next hill, I would arrive at the riverbank.  That was not so, but the anticipation of reaching the rocks grew evermore enticing. 

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Switzerland 2009 Home Video

I finally finished my first project using Windows Movie Maker.  The movie doesn't have a title yet, but it's basically footage from Great-Uncle's funeral last September in Basel, Switzerland.  The second half of the film is footage from two day-trips to Lake Luzern and Zermatt. 

I used several different pieces of music to compliment the video footage.  They include classical, folk and rock music.  The hardest part was putting on the subtitles for the various speeches that were read during the funeral.  The audio quality captured on my camcorder were quite poor, especially when there was a lot of background noise, such as people coughing and such.  Another difficult task is to synchronize the music with the images. 

My favourite part of the film is at end.  I've used footage shot from the top of a mountain that sits opposite the Matterhorn.  My cousin, Thien, panned the camera around to film the mountainscape.  It looks absolutely stunning!  Plus, the music from "Everything" starts off very softly and builds to a crescendo at the end with vocals, guitar and bass.  It works out perfectly with Thien's footage.  Even the tempo fits well because there is a clip where he films the landscape from a moving train. 

Actually, a lot of the footage happens to fit the music that I've selected really well.  I'm very pleased with my first project.  Now, all I have to do is buy some DVD-Rs and burn a few copies.  Next, I'll work on the cooking footage and make a video of this year's travels. 

Monday, August 16, 2010

Back in Canada

I've been back in Toronto for almost a week now.  At first, I felt really sad because: 1) I don't get to hang out with my cousins anymore, plus all the new friends I've made.  2)  I miss the atmosphere of a new place where I can go exploring on my own.  3) School is going to start soon.  Maybe this should be number 1.

This past weekend, I met up with some friends from Ling Fu, as well as my cousin from LA.  Their good company and kind words helped me greatly.  I just feel sorry I couldn't go to Thai and Catherine's house for a BBQ with Clare and Jack.  I miss the Gang so much!

Over the past week, my parents and I have been sharing our travel stories with relatives, and that has been such a blast.  Reliving the best (funniest) moments is therapeutic almost.

Right now, I'm learning to use Windows Movie Maker.  It's not as hard as I thought it would be.  First, I'm going to make a movie using the footage shot by Thien last September when my mummy when to visit.  After that, I'll make a movie of the footage that I/Dad/Thien shot during this recent trip. 

Now, it's back to the routine, mostly.  I have to start practicing piano again, as well as start preparing for Bible Studies.  The first one is this Wed.  Very much looking forward to seeing the friends from Logos again.  

I wish everyone a good week.