How to Claim Tax Back When Leaving the UK

Do you know that besides claiming Value Added Tax (VAT) at the airport, you can also get your tax back? But this offer only limited to those who have stayed and resided in the United Kingdom (UK) for some time. While the residences of UK were not only white people, many permanent residences of UK coming from other races and country. Thus, it is not surprising that many of those people will leave the country for good after spending couple of years of their life in the UK. However, regardless whatever reason you left, you certainly need to do the tax back when leaving the country and I will do my best to assist you on how.

Who is eligible for tax refund when leaving the country?

Almost anyone that has worked in the UK paying income tax who then decides to leave for an extended period of time will be able to apply for a tax rebate when leaving the country.

Will I be able to claim all my tax when leaving the UK tax refund for good?

It will depend on your income for each previous tax year and how much tax you paid. However you will almost certainly be due a tax refund from the tax year when you leave the UK.

How can I calculate what my tax refund when leaving the UK will be?

When you finish working you should be given a P45 from your employer, on the P45 there will be the income and tax figures for the year. Take these numbers and input them in our tax rebate calculator and it will tell you instantly if you are due a tax refund.

What about tax rebates from previous years?

If you have P60s for previous years you can check to see if you have overpaid in these years too. The longest back you can claim for is 6 years.

When can I claim tax back when leaving the UK?

As soon as you stop working you are able to claim any tax rebate that you might be due.

Can I claim my National Insurance Tax Back when leaving the UK?

Many people are unaware that you can claim back National Insurance Contributions however this can only be done if you are still resident when you apply. An NI (National Insurance) Rebate can be claimed at anytime and only needs to be done once (from thereon it is automatically done for you each year). Press on the link to claim a national insurance rebate.

Where Can I get more info regarding the tax return?

House on a Rock at Rhode Island

Clingstone, an unusual and such a vintage, 103-year-old mansion in Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay, survives through the love and hard work of family and friends. Henry Wood, the owner, runs the house like a camp where all skilled workers welcome. The Jamestown Boatyard hauls the family’s boats and floating dock and stores them each winter in return for a week’s use of the house in the summer.

Mr. Wood, a 79-year-old Boston architect, bought the house with his ex-wife Joan in 1961 for $3,600. It had been empty for two decades. Clingstone had been built by a distant cousin, J.S. Lovering Wharton. Mr. Wharton worked with an artist, William Trost Richards, to create a house of picture windows with 23 rooms on three stories radiating off a vast central hall. The total cost of the construction, which was completed in 1905, was $36,982.99. However, bear in mind that the currency in 1905 is not the same as for now. Possibly the price is estimated about $4 millions.An early sketch of the house shows the plan on how they develop the greatest architecture. Mr. Wood is as proud as any parent of his house, and keeps a fat scrapbook of photographs and newspaper clippings that document its best moments. Many of the historic photos he has were provided by the company that insured the house for its original owners. The Newport Bridge is visible from the windows of the Ping-Pong room, to the left of the fireplace. The house is maintained by an ingenious method: the Clingstone work weekend. Held every year around Memorial Day, it brings 70 or so friends and Clingstone lovers together to tackle jobs like washing all 65 of the windows. Anne Tait, who is married to Mr. Wood’s son Dan, refinished the kitchen floor on one of her first work weekends.

There are 10 bedrooms at Clingstone, all with indecently beautiful views. The dining room table seats 14. Refinishing the chairs is a task on the list for a future work weekend. Sign by the ladder that leads to the roof reads “No entry after three drinks or 86 years of age“.

“It used to say 80 but we had a guy on a work weekend who was 84, so I changed it,” said Mr. Wood, ever the realist. It would have been a shame to curtail the activities of a willing volunteer.

Why You Should Visit Siem Reap Cambodia

As far as Angkor Wat temple go, Siem Reap ranks right at the top of its historical and cultural significance as well as global recognition. Located 5.5 km north of the modern town of Siem Reap, Angkor Wat is the essence of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia country, where it appears on its national flag, and it is the country’s prime attraction for international visitors. In my opinion, the visit to Siem Reap will not be completed without going to Angkor Wat and vice versa.

Then there is Ta Prohm temple, a structure that’s no less magnificent and is often attributed to Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found, which is the picturesque and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor’s most popular temples with visitors. The architecture is as complex as any other Angkorian landmarks, if not more so; the stones are placed at such precision and complex interlocking shaped that it is impossible to fit even a single piece of paper between them!

Said to be built by more than 1000 men, the Angkor Thom remained the capital of a kingdom in decline until it was abandoned some time prior to 1609. An early western visitor wrote of an uninhabited city of Angkor Thom as fantastic as the Atlantis which some people thought to have been built by the Roman Emperor. During its time, the ancient city is believed to have sustained a population of about hundred twenty thousands of people.

Hope this info will inspire you to visit Siem Reap of Cambodia. Do enjoy every inches of beautiful temple and nature sceneries in Siem Reap. For more details on accommodation, food and tourist guide, please do visitSiem Reap Info Travel.

Krrunching My Way to Uniquely Singapore

I was in Kota Bharu Kelantan (visiting and shopping) when a representative from Nuffnang contacted me about my blog Akademi Fantasia being the top 5 finalists for the best travel award nomination in the First Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards Ceremony 2009. I’m totally lying if I said I was not surprised and excited about this nomination. Being the top 5 finalists for travel category is an honor to me and the news is already pumping my adrenaline to the highest during these recent days. I currently wonder the person who has nominated me because I hope he/she can contact me via my email so that I can thank him/her properly for the nomination. I’ll do my best to compete for the travel award even though I feel I have very low chance of winning, plus the opponents are very professional, experienced and great. I have been in many parts of the world (US, UK, Ireland, Europe, and China) but never in Singapore (oh wait, I have but only inside the airport!) and this implicitly has inspired me to attend the ceremony. Enough with the ramblings, I will tell how you can vote this blog.

Based on what I heard, the voting is merely contributing 50% of the final points. The other 50% portion is coming from professional judges, consisting expert (s) from Nuffnang, FrankVizeum, P&G, Ripplewerkz, Asia PR Werkz, Dow Jones Newswires and Singapore Tourism Board. Good job. You are done now! You can vote every 2 hours. Follow Step 1-4 to vote for Akademi Fantasia. I will appreciate all the votes and thanks for voting. The venue for the award is at Pan Pacific Singapore. Being one of 5-stars hotels in Singapore, do you wonder how it looks like? Check this out!

The History of Tourism in Europe

The birth of modern tourism is rooted in the recent history of Europe. The emergence of middle and upper classes combined with holiday time incorporated into the workplace together fueled by the industrial revolution contributed greatly to the emergence of the industry. The terms tourist and tourism appeared less than a century ago and referred to people traveling for periods over a day at a time. Previous to the 19th century, tourism was primarily reserved for royalty and privileged families and was generally for cultural reasons. In this article, we shall see how important Britain is in the history of the industry.

Britain was the first country to modernize through heavy industry. This led to leisure time and, consequently, the leisure industry. People had time on their hands travel to for cultural, climate and health pursuits. Gradually, the working masses were able to plan for leisure like the business owning class. The British began touring the rest of Europe eventually finding and developing resorts to become popular destinations. This is rather quaintly evident in the legacy of holiday resort names scattered about Europe. The Promenade des Anglais of the French Riviera is the first and best established resort with the esplanade bearing its name. Scattered about Europe are hotels with names like the Hotel Bristol, the Hotel Carlton or the Hotel Majestic and more. The English certainly are a proud bunch, to say the least.

The British popularized many winter sports both on island as well as abroad. In the middle 1800s, many villages in Switzerland came under entrepreneurial attention to provide ski resorts for the new leisure classes. Notable is the first packaged winter vacation in 1903 to Adelboden in Switzerland. Many sports including boxing, football, rugby became organized by the British. The attraction to sports has never stopped growing worldwide and has always been a reason to travel as a tourist for an event.

In comes mass travel with the development of transportation. Railways become the most popular way to visit seasides and other countries. Technology allowed greater numbers of people to make the most of their new-found leisure time – the holiday. On July 5th, 1841, the British founder of modern mass tourism, Thomas Cook, chartered the first train to take a group of campaigners going from Leicester to Loughborough some twenty miles away. Seeing potential for business development, he became the first tour operator and the rest is history.

Domestic tourism flourished, naturally, in the beginning until foreign travel became in reach of more of the masses. Throughout all of Europe, resort towns sprang up to accommodate the ever increasing demand of growing tourism. European river cruises came as a result of tourist charms with the many splendid rivers throughout the Continent. It is really about the pursuit of pleasure, indeed.

For many countries today around the world their economies became dependent on the influx and commerce of international visitors. Higher speed trains and the advent of planes exponentially increased the opportunity for the masses to explore this world and its peoples. And we can thank the British for their persistence and endeavors for their contribution to the burgeoning tourist industry.

Photo Monday – Malaysia Beautiful Sunset

Being this month in many places, beautiful beaches and islands around Malaysia has really opened my eyes on the splendor of God’s creation. I managed to take shots on the sunset and share them here. One of the photos was even taken from the flight above the sky. Will the photos encourage you coming to Malaysia?

Photo Monday – 15 Inspiring Ecosystem Wallpapers

1. Library of Ages at Central California. The fog settled in after another nice sunset along the central California coast. The rock layers which record the geologic history of Montana De Oro State Park just south of Big Sur, can be read like books in an ancient library. A long exposure isolated the rock by smoothing the large surf. Indeed, the photos is very naturally magnificent.

Time Lapse Landscapes - Best Videography

Here's a beautifully photographed collection of timelapse shots from Arizona and Utah, created by one man (Dustin Farrell) using one camera (a Canon 5D Mark II). It shows iconic locations, including many used in my favorite timelapse film, Koyaanisqatsi. But Koyaanisqatsi isn't available in 1080p, so for now this'll have to do. My favorite part: the Milky Way zooming by in the background. Well done, Mr. Farrell!

Humber Bridge England Kingston - Detail n Images

The Humber Bridge, near Kingston upon Hull, England, is a 2,220 m (7,283 ft) single-span suspension bridge, which opened to traffic on 24 June 1981. It is the fifth-largest of its type in the world. It spans the Humber (the estuary formed by the rivers Trent and Ouse) between Barton-upon-Humber on the south bank and Hessle on the north bank, connecting the East Riding of Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. As of 2006, the bridge carried an average of 120,000 vehicles per week.[1] The toll is £3.00 each way for cars (higher for commercial vehicles), which makes it the most expensive toll crossing in the United Kingdom. 

Yangluo Bridge China - Images n Detail

The Yangluo Bridge is a suspension bridge near Wuhan in the Hubei province of China. With a main span of 1,280 metres (4,200 ft), it is tied with the Golden Gate Bridge for the ninth longest suspension bridge in the world. The purpose of the bridge is to carry the recently constructed Wuhan Ring Road over the Yangtze River and provide easy access to both sides of the river as part of a larger plan to promote development in the eastern portion of the city. Construction on the bridge began on November 4, 2003 and it opened to traffic on December 26, 2007. 

World's Smallest Five-Star Hotel Germany

At 2.5 meters wide and with just 53 square meters of floor space, the Eh Häusel (Wedding House) in Amberg, Germany is the world's smallest hotel, and a five-star one at that.



Smallest Five Star Hotel

Magnificent Croatia: A Memorable Vacation

There are few cars because most vehicles are too wide to fit within the narrow valleys lined between houses, shops and churches in Croatia. Located in Central and Southeastern Europe, the country of 4 million populations has among the most beauty scenery in the world. The visitors do not have to worry about the accommodation because there are quite many reliable travel agencies can be found on the net. The best option I could suggest you is Croatia Apartments. They are fascinating with very warm staffs and top services.

Some of you might decide in last-minute to have a visit after seeing beautiful photos of Croatia. You should not worry of expensive apartment’s price because I just found a very good deal for you. This deal is exactly suitable for those who have Last Minute Croatia. You can have up to 40% discount using this last minute deal. Thus, your plan of having vacation in gorgeous Croatia will not go to a vain.

Some people do not like cheap accommodation and I understand it very well. This kind of people always expects the attractive places are well packaged with luxury accommodations. There are couples of Luxury Croatia Villas available and this selection of villas will not make you disappointed. Believe it! I can guarantee you will fall in love with this deal. You can enjoy your party, your family reunion or even wedding reception with this luxury deal. All in all, Croatia is indeed a very magnificent place that I admire for long. Have a nice holiday! Do enjoy every inches of beautiful sceneries in Croatia.

Dai Temple – A Man-Made Sacred Wonder

For those whose feet do not ache after ascending Mount Taishan, the Dai Temple in downtown Tai’an is a leisurely stroll. This is where some of the emperors stayed before or after their ascension. But “Qianlong slept here” does not begin to explain the temple’s status. The old cypresses and tortoise-supported steles are better testament to its historical value. Being on the top of one of Five Sacred Mountains, Dai Temple is indeed very beautiful place with history over 3000 years. Below are some incredible photos of the temple.

New York Sightseeing Tourism [/w PICS]

What is spring without the luscious greens and vibrant petals? Even spring season has long passed; city of New York has never lost its freshness. New York can be quite a scintillating attack on the senses, an explosion of sounds, colors and scents. That is the reason one of the biggest city in the world is spotted as among the best tourist city in the world where it attracts more than hundreds millions of visitors each year.New York City Sightseeing is the most popular business that in-charge with warm and tip-top service to the tourists. Their unique fleet of 60 new double-decker buses are always adventurous, punctual and really cheap, that they can optimize tourist’s view of the New York City.

Besides double-decker buses, they are offering packages that includes cruises, museum visits, helicopter tours and motor coach tours to nearby cities like Boston and Washington D.C. These packages are really great value for your money as they provide maximum service with great satisfaction. The price will be much cheaper if you book online in the website.

The tourists should not have to worry if they have ridiculous goal of one day spending a 24-hour period in New York City and spending less than $300 – including travel, food, lodging and sightseeing. I can assure you that the dream is not impossible to achieve with the sightseeing package included in the budget. This is because of the most expensive things in New York City travel is tickets for sightseeing itself. Have a nice holiday! Do enjoy every inches of beautiful sceneries in Ney York City.

Liu Bolin the Invisible Man Arts

Chinese must be proud to have a great artist on their vast land. The genius artist is called Liu Bolin who is 35-year-old and from Shandong, China. He has a talent to camouflage himself in any surroundings, no matter how difficult they might be. Liu works on a single photo for up to 10 hours at a time, to make sure he gets it just right, but he achieves the right effect: sometimes passers-by don’t even realize he is there until he moves. The talented Liu Bolin says his art is a protest against the actions of the Government, who shut down his art studio in 2005 and persecutes artists. It’s about not fitting into modern society. Despite problems with Chinese authorities, Liu’s works are appreciated at an international level.

Oman Natural Disaster Scary Photos

Oman is an Arab country in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Below are some real photos of huge storm that hit Oman and the consequence of it from June 4th to June 6th in 2009. The storm looks merciless and very scary.

Luxury River Cruises in Borneo

The infamous Pandaw River Cruises will venture into Borneo’s waters this July along Malaysia’s longest river, Rajang River. Measuring 640 km, it meanders from Sarawak to Indonesian region of Kalimantan. This eight-day expedition departs from Sibu city and makes stops at the river stations of Kanowit and Kapit where Brooke Raj forts and traditional Iban longhouses still stand, before navigating the Pelagus Rapids with its islands, reefs and shoals, and visiting Sarikei’s songket-weaving workshops. This will be the best opportunity for you to see in-person the live of ingenous people of Borneo.

40+ Chicago’s Bean Stunning Photos

London-based Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor designed this sculptor for the opening of Chicago’s Millennium Park in 2004. Officially named Cloud Gate but always fondly referred to as simply The Bean, it has become a landmark for the Windy City and is one of its most photographed public arts. Weighting a whopping 110 tons, The Bean was constructed from stainless steel plates wrapped around a fortified steel frame that’s hollow on the inside and has a concave base that visitors can walk under. Upon completion, the surface was polished to give it a sleek, shiny appearance – a clean, seamless mirror that reflects the towering skyscrapers the city is famous for. Simple as it may look, The Bean has drawn numerous admirers and compliments, with some even hailing it as Chicago’s most provocative artwork since Picasso’s unnamed sculptural piece from 1967. Without further due, please enjoy the magnificent photos of Chicago’s Bean and I hope you like them.

Madain Saleh: Monument of the Past [PICS]

These photos are parts of 132 chambers and tombs left by Tsamudis and Nabateans during their magnificent architecture era which is between 200 B.C and 100 A.D. The location is about 200km from north of Medina City. In July 2008, UNESCO has proclaimed the site as World’s Heritage. Below are some of the amazing photos of the monuments. Could you imagine how their looks in the past?

Why You Should Visit San Pedro de Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama is one of the most visited tourist places in all of Chile. It’s located in the Atacama desert which is the driest place on earth. Yet many unique plants and animals like flamingos, Llamas and Alpacas can be found there. The town is located close to many different and amazing archaeological, geographic and tourist areas. You can visit such tourist attractions as Pukara (prehispanic fortress) Quitor, Tulor village (over 3,000 years old), the Tatio geysers, the Atacama salt lakes, Moon Valley as well as the picturesque Inca towns of Toconao, Peine, Socaire, Talabre and Caspana.

There are many mummies, known as the Mummies of Atacama, which have been found in this area. The driest of the desert, as well as the isolation and the saltiness of the soil are just some of the factors that helped in the natural mummification of the bodies.

In the middle of the desert you will come across the giant salt lake of Salar de Atacama. It is the world’s third largest salt flat and is inhabited by beautiful pink flamingos. Even if water is present, you should realize that the water would be toxic to humans because it has so much salt.

Some of the highest volcanoes in the South America and amazing volcanic hot springs with falls and pools are also located in the Atacama area. El Tatio Geysers are located more than 4000 meters above the sea level and are spectacular at dawn. You can also dip in the thermal pools of Puritama.

Valle De La Luna, Moon Valley, is a must see for any tourist. You will see breathtaking scenery over the desert area as well as many fascinating canyons, caves and sand dunes. The sunsets of the Moon Vally are unforgettable. Yes, people do “sand board” down the dunes.

Stunning Chinese Fisherman Photos

The live of Chinese fishermen is so poor that they have to go out to sea everyday to catch fish to sell although there is an incoming thunderstorm on the way. The choppy waters and heavy rain made it very difficult to fish. The fishermen’s little boat swayed vigorously from side to side. As they are about to throw their net into the sea, a huge wave rocked their boat, causing them to lose their balance and fall into the sea. “God, please help us!” they screamed in the water, “Who is going to take care of our wife and children?”

I just want to share that the live of fishermen is not easy and very life-threatening. Please be grateful on what you have today. Anyway, please see following photos. Really awesome!

Tokyo’s “Underground Temple” – The Largest in the World

Tokyo, with a population of 12.4 million, is one of the largest cities in the world and still growing. It is known for not only having huge amounts of anime and robot fans, but also for its annual rainy and typhoon seasons that can flood the whole city. Because of this, there is a need to build a massive underground drainage system to counter the problem. In 1992, a plan called G-Cans Project or the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel (drainage system) was approved and construction began. The G-Cans project was completed in 2004. Below are some of the pictures of “Tokyo’s Drainage System: The Largest in the World”.

To download of rain water, the complex is equipped with a turbopump 59. Their total capacity of 14 thousand horsepower, they can outrun the top 200 tons of water per second. It seems that this might certainly be designed for the most intense flooding. However, in this area in a heavy downpour falling on 200 millimeters of precipitation, and sometimes up to 400 (monthly rainfall for Moscow, for example, is 35 millimeters). Therefore, margin of safety facilities placed enormous. Let all the sea would rise in clouds and rain fall. Designers should consider a set of massive underground storage for many thousands of tons of water to the height of precipitation area upstairs is not to submergence.

Since its opening, the G-Cans has prevented floods from entering the metropolis, but “unfortunately” it can’t prevent many people, including celebrities and film makers from flooding the place. It is due to the G-Cans project is also meant to be a tourist attraction, and can be visited for free twice a day, from Tuesday to Friday. Unfortunately, the tour is conducted only in Japanese. 

Top 10 Most Magnificent Mosques in the World

Mosques are places where the followers of Islam worship. There are many of them around the world, ranging from very large Mosques that can seat 50,000 people to ones so small that they can only hold 10 people at a time. They are known for having amazing domes with crescents on top; tall and slender minarets that are usually situated at the corner of the building structure; amazing Art of Arabic Calligraphy and Quran verses in the Prayer Halls. Here is my list of the “Top 10 Most Magnificent Mosques in the World”. You may have been fortunate enough to have already visited some of them. 

No 10. Mosque of Dearborn, Michigan, USA

No 9. Shah Faisal Mosque, Islamabad, Pakistan

No 8. Muhammad Ali Mosque, Cairo, Egypt

No 7. Shah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran

No 6. Al Aqsa Mosque (Dome of the Rock), Jerusalem, Palestine

No 5. Putra Mosque, Putrajaya, Malaysia

No 4. Sultan Ahmed Mosque a.k.a Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

awan, Brunei

No 2. Al-Nabawi (Prophet) Mosque, Medina

No 1. Haram Sharif Grand Mosque, Mecca

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe: The Most Creepiest Pool in the World

Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders) or The Victoria Falls, which was named by Scottish explorer, David Livingstone, is located in Zimbabwe, Southern Africa. The height of the magnificent waterfalls is 108 meters, which can be considered among the highest waterfalls in the world.

The most popular location is known as the “Devil’s Swimming Pool” where during the months of September and December, visitors can swim as close as possible to the edge of the falls without falling over. Pretty cool isn’t it? Below are the brave and splendid photos of people who have visited the scariest pool.

Siege of Leningrad Blockade Now and Then Photos

History has told us all but frequently we forget about the hardship experienced by generations past, especially during certain wars. However, some people have a very creative and profound way of reflecting on times gone by, presenting their take on the world in a new light. Hopefully our children and future generation will still remember that comfortable life they get is coming from bloodshed of people in the past.

These haunting, hybrid images of past and present St Petersburg – formerly known as Leningrad – are the works of Sergei Larenkov. After studying old images of the city, Larenkov visited the same spots, capturing them on film. He then digitally superimposed the old image over new, producing these eerie and thought-provoking shots using remakable photoshop technique.

Like ghosts captured forever on film the scenes depict all too clearly a harshness that can result only from times of war. The 900-day Siege of Leningrad, also known as The Leningrad Blockade, lasted from September 9, 1941, to January 27, 1944 – just over 65 years ago – and was “one of the longest and most destructive sieges of major cities in modern history, and second most costly,” according to Wikipedia sources.

Although the blend of the two images seems natural, it’s hard not to ignore the colorful boundary of the present and focus totally on the black and white scene of the past. Each image demands the viewer to stop and contemplate what life must have been like in Leningrad during World War II. The difference between life now and then in these moving images is distinct, and deserves the attention of an undoubtedly more privileged audience. Thumbs up!

Magnificent Beach Houses in Dubai Photos

Dubai has not only been known as the fastest growing city in the world, but also the most lavish city in the world. Last time, I posted about the top 5 secret places and the top 5 places of interests you must not miss during your vacation at Dubai. Now, I want to post the photos of magnificent architecture beach houses that can be found in the city of Palm 

Magnificient Missouri St. Louis Getaway Arc Photos

On this post, I want to share with you about such magnificient Getaway Arc photos taken by one of my real life friend. His portfolio can be found on his fotopages called ShahStudio. They went to St. Louis, Missouri for 4 days (24 to 28th December) during the winter break. Well, I used to be with during this time to travel around the states. I really miss those valuable time with them. The drive took them about 10 hours from Minneapolis to St. Louis, Missouri. The city was not as hectic as Minneapolis (my college city). Biggest attraction there is the Gateway Arc. Designed by a Finnish architect, Eero Saarinen. It was a magnificent and working statue. Saarinen really did think about everything, Especially the unique design of the elevators. Too bad he didn’t have the chance to see the arc before he died.

Beautiful Photos of 2009 Solar Eclipse “Ring” Seen Over South East Asia

The rare event of solar eclipse had happened at Southeast Asia region, on which the dark disk of the moon creeps across the setting sun. Only people viewing from the southern Indian Ocean were among the few to see the full annular eclipse, so called because at its peak the eclipse is surrounded by an annulus, or ring, of fiery light.

A fantastic sequence of photos above shows the moon passing between Earth and the sun before, during, and after an annular eclipse, as seen on January 26, 2009, from Bandar Lampung in Indonesia. The path of the full annular eclipse crossed mostly open ocean in the southern part of the globe, starting about 560 miles (900 kilometers) south of Africa and not reaching land until it crossed Australia’s Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean. However, observers in southern Africa, Madagascar, Australia, and Southeast Asia were able to watch a partial eclipse.

Astronomer Jay Pasachoff used a specially equipped camera to capture images of the January 26, 2009, annular eclipse from the Indonesian island of Java. Practicing photography techniques and for getting the public excited about astronomy is significant for him as he added later.

The image of haze blurs the bright ring around an annular eclipse on January 26, 2009 was captured from Anyer Beach on the Indonesian island of Java, one of the few places where the solar eclipse was completely visible. Crowds gathered across Indonesia to witness the event, some cheering and banging drums as the moon seemed to cross the face of the sun.

These two magnificient photos were taken from Malaysia. The clouds seems to fold during the eclipse and the color reacts accordingly. The picture has been taken from one of the busiest highway in the nation.

New Year 2009 Celebrations at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Malaysia has celebrated its 2009 new year practically early than any other place in the world. Why? Go open your high school’s geography book and find out yourself. :p These are some pictures of 2009 countdown at variety of places in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysians ushered in the new year by letting their hair down at several countdown parties. Anyway, as reported by local newspaper today, despite concerns over the turbulent state of the economy, many were intent on having fun ushering in 2009 which was greeted by some fearsome fireworks displays. At Dataran Merdeka here, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad and AmBank Group chairman Tan Sri Datuk Azman Hashim joined the crowd for the countdown organised by the bank. They were entertained by artistes such as M. Nasir, Mawi, popular bands Point Blanc, Hujan

, Estranged and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall orchestra as well as performances by various cultural troupes including the orang asli. As the Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad clocktower struck twelve, there were shouts of “Happy New Year” and cheers. The crowd was then treated to a spectacular fireworks show. Parties were also held at KLCC and Bukit Bintang.

Meanwhile, In PETALING JAYA, the festivities centered on 1 Utama shopping complex with samba dancers, fire eaters and Brazilian percussionists adding colour before a line-up of artistes took to the stage. Deejays from the 988 radio station played games and gave away prizes to the partygoers. The highlight of the celebration was the special appearance of Hong Kong singer Justin Lo, who got the crowd going with his catchy pop tunes. A stone’s throw away at The Curve, artistes Juwita Suwito, Karen Kong, Faisal Tahir and Rynn Lim entertained the crowd at a street party.