A day before my trip back to Malaysia at the end of my tour-of-duty in Singapore, it occured to me that it might be useful if I buy something, perhaps as a parting purchase so to speak, something which I could later proclaim, “I bought this in Singapore…”

I didn’t know what to buy… a book maybe, a watch, a suit, a pair of Dockers pants, how about a small bottle of Hugo Boss perfume, or a macro lens.

A macro lens. My heart jumped with joy at the possibility. I checked my wallet, counted about SG$250 (SG$1 = US$0.68) plus several notes in tens and twos in it, and decided that that would be the highest amount I’d be willing to part for the lens.

I was working on the 15th floor of Tower B in Ngee Ann City, so I rushed downstairs and jaywalked across Orchard Road to Lucky Plaza, one of several places in Singapore where you can shop for cameras and camera accessories and lenses till your are poor.

To cut the short story evern shorter, I got my macro lense plus a 58mm conversion lens or lens adapter as well as a wide-angle lens for SG$260. “It’s all in the package,” said the shop assistant.

I looked at the items on the table — they were not from a brand I recognise but what did I care. I would want something from Canon but I don’t think I could afford them.

But up till now I still haven’t got around to really play with the lens but here are two of my earlier shots taken with the macro lens mounted on my Powershot G6. The pictures are of a bath towel and of a 1-cm towel threads coming loose.

I hope the lens won’t turn out to be a disappointment. Because if it is, there’d be nothing I could do but to remain using a sub-standard lens because I could no longer afford to invest in a better one… budget a bit tight these days after my return to Malaysia.

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