How's it going, ?

It's a lovely weekend in Melbourne at the moment (or so I think since I'm currently staring at it out of hospital windows). What are you up to this weekend? Over here it's a 3 day long weekend and I expect to be living vicariously through your stories since I will be at work most of the time. So drop me a line and let me know what you're getting up to.

Before I go on, a small ask (as always!). If you have a friend who you think would enjoy the this email, maybe forward it on? It helps A LOT! If you're the friend reading this, click the link below to join! Glad to have you here!

In this week's email...

• Week in the Life - read on the blog
• Read - Kafka on the Shore
• Listen - PxR - 2021 - Music for post-covid surgery
• Gadgets & things - DJI FPV Drone
• Watch - Cappadocia FPV
• Quote - “Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life.”

Week in the life

This week has been HECTIC medically with a lot of 15 hr days. That said, I've managed to sneak in a few walks here and there to take some photos. Because of the Moomba festival, Melbourne has been lit up in red. Looks...different. See for yourself!

I feel like it gives a very different vibe to the city! It was appropriate too since that day, I had 2 patients with some interesting heart problems, so maybe the red was a sign of heart problems to come?

There was a visit to A Hereford Beefstouw for a friends birthday with involved a MASSIVE Tomahawk steak. That was around 1.5kg! Between 3 people!

Ok again, this is getting long, so more over in the blog about my Covid-19 vaccine and cat photos!

PxR / randInt() update

PxR Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/photosbyraffy

Well, after having a ton of Reels shoved into my feed on IG, I decided I'd make my very own. Super short video isnt something I've really experimented with, but essentially seems like an animated meme or a bullet point turned into a video.

The link will take you to my first proper effort. Let me know what you think!

In other news, I totally forgot that I had raffyhalim.com as my own domain! I haven't quite figured out what to put there. Suggestions welcome!

Gadgets & tech

DJI FPV Drone

https://photosbyraffy.com/dji

You know I love drones but the sort I fly like the Mavic Mini 2 are mainly for photography and cinematic videography.

There is another type of drone, known as FPV or arco-drones that do things that are simply amazing. See, FPV (or first-person view) lets you wear goggles and control the drone as if you were flying. Unlike the ones I use, these are agile and FAST. Take a look at the "Watch" section for an example.

Historically they have been difficult DIY projects but now DJI has it as an easy to use kit! My housemate has ordered one and I may have to "borrow" it frequently for the time being....

PREVIOUS/OTHER PRODUCTS

Some people keep asking about previous recommendations etc so I'm going to link a few that have come up in conversation in the last week below:

• 
  
• Lumos Ultra Helmet - Along with the e-bike, this helmet with built in stop light and headlamp should make my bike trips much safer.
• Origami office organiser - I recently just got some office organiser stuff from Per Capita and other places but damn, this looks nice and minimalist!
• Floately levitating plants - still one of my most prized home decorations. I have some succulents suspended in mid-air as you walk into the apartment and I love them!

Read

Kafka on the Shore

https://amzn.to/2OySaQL

I've realised that I really stopped reading fiction for the better part of the past decade. I was trying to think of the last author that I voraciously read was... In the last years of university and early medical career, I read almost everything that was put out by Haruki Murakami.

His works are so hard to describe. Somewhere between surrealism and an exploration of the everyday. I find as a generally analytical person, the blend of surrealism and "just out of straight logical thinking" mystery make my mind engage and disappear into his world and come out very refreshed after reading his novels. I consistently feel sad every time I finish one of the books because there's one less to read!

Kafka is quite a tale, but if you're after a "gentler" introduction, try "After Dark" which was the first novel I read. i actually was so engrossed that I finished the whole thing while in the aisle of the bookstore but felt guilty so I bought it.

Listen

PxR - 2021 - Music for post-covid surgery (~7.5hrs)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6FrxUhopb9W8AhkZVo2Ief?si=MX1rPjuRQ_SPgJS6p0eMEA

I've mentioned my surgical playlist a while ago that I make for every year and this year is no different. Last week, I had a few people ask how they could follow it, so I'm sharing the link once more.

Not that it's made exclusively for operating theatres or anything. If you have any suggestions for songs to add or if you like it, please let me know! I love hearing from you!

Watch

Cappadocia FPV (~4min)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3lv65BFmaA

This is a slightly old video released in 2019 but since I'm talking about the DJI FPV, I had to include in here so you can see the kind of insane shots you can only pull off with an FPV/acro drone! It's 3.5 mins of awesome, especially since this one is in scenic Cappadocia.

Quote I'm pondering

“Hard choices, easy life. Easy choices, hard life.”

- Jerzy Gregorek

Such a simple quote, but in essence, deep down, you know it's kinda true...

Truly random

• BBC - Walker photographs "floating" ship - Imagine going for a walk and seeing the photo in this article. You genuinely would have to wonder about your sanity or whether you were in the Matrix...

Hope you enjoyed the Sunday Surprise! As always, stay safe and stay random!

- Raffy

PS- does anyone make it to the end and read the PS comments? If let me know and email me!

Sunday Surprise uses affiliate/referral links in the newsletter. While this does not influence the product recommendations or verdict, if there are any that are likely to lead to Photos by Raffy receiving any sort of compensation from, they will be marked in orange. Non affiliate links will appear as blue.