tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28861963412963724812024-02-20T11:46:19.646-08:00project APADwandering the states with no money, no one for company, just a lens and hopefully some beautiful memoriesBhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-40843890258479615522011-01-23T15:46:00.001-08:002011-01-23T15:46:56.906-08:00The Japan Trip!<p align="justify">Man, it’s been long overdue, so here goes :</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TTy92zfs8UI/AAAAAAAAAKM/zeOulpVf-HY/s1600-h/Japan-hk%2710-6%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Japan-hk'10-6" border="0" alt="Japan-hk'10-6" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TTy94LaHO5I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/r7DC-G5usmQ/Japan-hk%2710-6_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="501" height="333" /></a></p> <p align="justify"><em>Random Intro Picture</em></p> <p align="justify">Over the winter break I had the good fortune of going to Japan and Hong Kong with my family. We’ve been there before, but it’s a big place, unlike Singapore, where you can see the whole place (or rather, what we have that others don’t, which isn’t much, anyway) in a few days.</p> <p align="justify">The first thing that struck me in Japan was the complexity of the subway maps. Now, since I go to seoul alot, I’m no stranger to complex subways, but this was something new for me. Not only were there more lines, they were hideously interconnected, which meant that you often had to change lines a few times for only 5 or 7 stops. ]</p> <p align="justify">Not only that, it was shocking to me that in a country like Japan, the subway lines aren’t even universal. There are a few major operators running through central tokyo : JR east (which is really a train company), Todai and Tokyu (if im not mistaken). Fine and dandy, as long as the experience is seamless for the passenger, right? Well, it isn’t. All this adds up to a daily line dance of people running for trains that are never late, getting off every 2 stops, and changing not just lines but even operators. </p> <p align="justify">Not the thing you want to be doing the morning after a long flight. Thank god for kanji, though.</p> <p align="justify">First place we went was Tsukiji, the fabled market for all things seafood. You really didnt think I’d go to tokyo for fashion, did you?</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TTy95kOzCdI/AAAAAAAAAKU/Dyb0k5weuoE/s1600-h/Japan-hk%2710-7%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Japan-hk'10-7" border="0" alt="Japan-hk'10-7" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TTy96U2plMI/AAAAAAAAAKY/Urh4yf59YsQ/Japan-hk%2710-7_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="596" height="396" /></a></p> <p align="justify"><em>One of a few hundred, Tsukiji, Tokyo</em></p> <p align="justify">Tsukiji lived up to its billing for all things fresh. The casual tourist might be disappointed to find out, though, that the bulk of the place isn’t really catered to tourists at all. There are sections of the market that are outright restricted, while others may only open after the morning peak period. Make no mistake though, this is the place to get seafood from. Tuna might only come in 30 dollar blocks, but it' will be the best tuna you will ever eat in your life. It is no joke.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TTy97Py5wyI/AAAAAAAAAKc/ZxOJRs-7rM4/s1600-h/Japan-hk%2710-9%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Japan-hk'10-9" border="0" alt="Japan-hk'10-9" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TTy971nYgZI/AAAAAAAAAKg/VyoJLWECMR4/Japan-hk%2710-9_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="590" height="392" /></a></p> <p align="justify"><em>Tuna, Tsukiji, Tokyo</em></p> <p align="justify">One of the more unique sights in Japan is the proprietary shophouse. For essentially the same goods, there can be tens of the same small shops competing amongst each other. it’s the exact antithesis of the american corporation. I think it explains both the quality of japanese goods in general and also why their stuff is so expensive and uncompetitive. Walking around japan, you truly feel that they take pride in what they produce, in contrast to the chinese obsession with plagiarism and undercutting, and the western corporate culture. Unfortunately, with such a thinking, economies of scale go out the window. But in a utopian world, wouldn’t japan be the pinnacle of achievement? Where else in this world can you find seafood fresh enough to eat raw, cars half the price but equal the performance of some european makes, and shops where goods are just left unattended because so little theft goes on? As a society, as a culture, there is little fault to be found with the Japanese. </p> <p align="justify">And day after day, you wish that Singapore didn’t have to enact any laws just so that it can pretend that its people are all as courteous as the japs.</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-79234807062013810092010-06-02T21:01:00.001-07:002010-06-02T21:01:40.977-07:002 June : My Last Day.<p align="justify"> The impending heat of summer and the sweat that builds up with every day that passes is a sign that it’s time for my adventure to end and for me to head back home. albeit very reluctantly. it’s been a month and i’ve made no secret of my longing to have some familliar routine in my life again. i mean, all this constant moving around is some kind of constant, but you know what i mean. </p> <p align="justify">so i had the pleasure of watching a helicopter land on the south lawn of the white house today. that was pretty cool.. not something you see everyday. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAcpHMWpEPI/AAAAAAAAAJc/fhaMl51gFj8/s1600-h/DC-5%5B6%5D.jpg"><img title="DC-5" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="326" alt="DC-5" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAcpHlcHlLI/AAAAAAAAAJg/FqKlUUM2wxk/DC-5_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="490" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Copter over the Washington Monument, Washington DC.</em></p> <p align="justify">Today I saw a few memorials that will forever shape my political thinking. I’ve been thinking alot about how my country is run while in the states, and while I disagree with much, it’s not like im wholeheartedly embracing someone else’s ideology, either. I will probably write a long essay this summer. I might even become politically active. Never say Never. It’s been awhile since i felt conviction about things. and today 2 have dawned on me. </p> <p align="justify">1) If war breaks out, I will quit school to be a war photographer. at least, in a place where tons of asians are fighting, so i can at least blend in. </p> <p align="justify">2) I want to write about my thoughts about the PAP. lol. i probably will not publicise those articles, for obvious reasons. but still, im sure that i can come up with something rational and argumentative rather than some of the crazy nonsense the opposition routinely puts up.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAcpH9HtAPI/AAAAAAAAAJk/NF0hH6FfFdA/s1600-h/DC-6%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DC-6" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="499" alt="DC-6" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAcpIWsdc3I/AAAAAAAAAJo/JXCSw05XSVk/DC-6_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="332" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>The Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC. Determined, Gentle, Weathered. The sculptors did a great job..</em></p> <p align="justify">Most of the world embraces Democracy as a fundamental truth. Few know it as the pragmatic consequence of the rejection of monarchy in the 18th century by the american colonies. While power to the people is undoubtedly the best and most enduring form of governance, America seems to think that the whole world “deserves” to live the life they have earned. This moral high ground is obvious from excerpts, from records, from just about anything. Taken in this context the actions of this nation become alot more justified and acceptable.</p> <p align="justify">Just one thing, sir. Not everyone thinks as you do.</p> <p align="justify">It is such an exciting revelation to be able to understand things “from the inside”. being able to see both sides really puts things into perspective.</p> <p align="justify">my journey into america has finally come to an end. i’ve learnt, laughed, lived, lost, and loved. it’s been a hell of a ride, and i go home with a mix of happiness and sadness. </p> <p align="justify">it’s finally time for me to bid all a fond goodbye.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAcpItI99WI/AAAAAAAAAJs/9RZkFJCodNo/s1600-h/DC-7%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DC-7" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="479" alt="DC-7" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAcpJOu2T_I/AAAAAAAAAJw/r0ctgBqkVB8/DC-7_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="319" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Washington Monument, Washington DC.</em></p> <p align="justify">I’ll post a final post tmr..</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-81987777444582092702010-06-01T20:56:00.001-07:002010-06-01T20:56:30.431-07:00June 1 : Washington, DC. Is it already June?<p align="justify">I swear the bus was full, but I was the only non African-American on the bus. not even a caucasian.</p> <p align="justify">Well if you were expecting DC to be some parade of pomp and glitziness, in some parts it is. paved paths line the various buildings around capitol hill, with a bunch of free Smithsonian museums to boot. </p> <p align="justify">but there are parts of DC that do not reflect well on the city’s standing as the capitol of a nation. it’s just weird. new york seems more busling than this place.</p> <p align="justify">anyway, first up was the national archives, where the originals of the declaration of independence and the bill of rights are held. FREE! not to mention utterly impressive. it just makes me wonder, is our constitution not much to shout about? why arent we setting up museums for our history for people to take note of?</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAXWYPOXx3I/AAAAAAAAAI8/isBmteS6dI0/s1600-h/DC-1%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DC-1" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="384" alt="DC-1" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAXWYk7qJYI/AAAAAAAAAJA/ReaCMV-x_mQ/DC-1_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="578" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>National Archives, Washington DC.</em></p> <p align="justify">Next up, the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. Housed alot of rare planes, but the real gems are in virginia. like A SPACE SHUTTLE. and a SR71. unfortunately no idea how to get to that airport in virginia. maybe i’ll ask someone tomorrow.</p> <p align="justify">In this picture i would like to show you guys the reverse thrusters in a RR(Rolls Royce) engine. now when a plane lands everybody sees the flaps come up. does does create more drag to slow the plane down, but that’s like saying that you stop a car in a short distance by lowering the windows and putting your hand outside. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAXWZFvXngI/AAAAAAAAAJE/RKktThofD-8/s1600-h/DC-2%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DC-2" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="514" alt="DC-2" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAXWZQZEvVI/AAAAAAAAAJI/GRMea7vueLY/DC-2_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="342" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Reverse Thrusters, Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, Washington DC. You are looking at what is inside that “shell” engine pod that you are familiar with. Try to picture how the Left-to-Right flowing air gets directed out through the grille at the bottom. Those are angled slightly forward as well.</em></p> <p align="justify">What really happens is, in an engine, the exhaust kinda closes and the side covering retracts to channel the air out the sides and slightly forward. to my non-sciency friends, directing the exhaust forward is like throwing a heavy ball forward and feeling yourself get pushed back. This explains the huge noise and vibrations you hear at landing. try to look out for the retracting shell the next time you fly. it’s not that hard to see.</p> <p align="justify">personally, i find it amazing.</p> <p align="justify">lastly, capitol hill, where congress takes place. didnt really go in, wasnt really interested anyway.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAXWZ1bxFZI/AAAAAAAAAJM/xoEchA33v9U/s1600-h/DC-4%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DC-4" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="492" alt="DC-4" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAXWaEiPqbI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/FAnLB871OAY/DC-4_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="327" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Birds In The House, Washington DC.</em></p> <p align="justify">most exciting part of the day? talking to a family of chinese in the hostel. turns out that the daughter just graduated from harvard (WOW) and all that. they were playing some really chinese-y CCTV show on the tv though, which is kinda :S lol…</p> <p align="justify">tomorrow’s my last day of sightseeing. can you believe it? Project APAD is actually ending.. sigh.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAXWaxlh0yI/AAAAAAAAAJU/V9xLjIZlxmI/s1600-h/DC-3%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="DC-3" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="364" alt="DC-3" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAXWbbgixwI/AAAAAAAAAJY/nZ7tc_an2Fk/DC-3_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="547" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Lime Green Chair, Washington DC.</em></p> <p align="justify">I might actually miss this country.</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-3870569271291027332010-05-31T19:28:00.001-07:002010-05-31T19:28:59.420-07:00Sunday May 30, Monday May 31: Philly 2<p align="justify">Ok, so I had an awesome chessesteak today. finally.</p> <p align="justify">as with all fast cuisine, it has the benefit of staying the same with relatively lousier ingredients. this doesnt apply to say, steak, which definitely needs a good cut of meat and some skill to cook. however, if you know how to slice beef thinly, if you can fry and onion and melt cheese, then you’re on the way to making a good cheesesteak.</p> <p align="justify">as i told a friend, making a cheesesteak with fresh beef is abit like making tuna mayo with sushi grade tuna. it does elevate the dish to another level, somewhat, but it’s almost a waste of potential.</p> <p align="justify">Okay, I have a confession to make. I am in love. With cobblestone and red brick.</p> <p align="justify">Seriously, why dont they build with these things anymore?</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TARwZL3ZHLI/AAAAAAAAAIk/-7NgmmaXWc4/s1600-h/Philly-5%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="Philly-5" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="404" alt="Philly-5" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TARwZRlZ7RI/AAAAAAAAAIs/RlVt5LUClFc/Philly-5_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="608" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>View from Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia, PA.</em></p> <p align="justify">Had the fortune of ducking into a seaport museum that costs 5 bucks on a hot summers day, but the highlight really was that you got to go into a 1960’s submarine. which is always pretty awesome. i vaguely remember visiting a sub once, and also a LST during my army days, but still. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TARwZ6OQSCI/AAAAAAAAAIw/7EkIyGlKgX0/s1600-h/Philly-4%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="Philly-4" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="400" alt="Philly-4" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TARwajq3-UI/AAAAAAAAAI0/l7DZ9FN2k7Y/Philly-4_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="601" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Torpedo Tubes, Philadelphia, PA.</em></p> <p align="justify">American history is really intriguing. but i think i will blog about that big topic some other day. i’ve been forming a bunch of ideas in my head now… i should document it for posterity.</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-17772696232636287892010-05-29T16:34:00.001-07:002010-05-29T16:34:05.210-07:00Saturday, May 29 : Philly in Black & White<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAGkXPkfJeI/AAAAAAAAAIE/NHucKnJkz8Q/s1600-h/NYC-7%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="NYC-7" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="394" alt="NYC-7" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAGkXmPEQiI/AAAAAAAAAII/yL7A2IaKH7E/NYC-7_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="593" border="0" /></a> <p></p> <p><em>103rd Street Station, NYC.</em></p> <p align="justify">After my experience with the photos of Cartier-Bresson I’ve been trying alot to walk in a 50mm lens and take the world in black and white, and that’s the philosophy that i’ve carried over to philly. fortunately or unfortunately, only time will tell. </p> <p align="justify">B&W has been a staple of my photography routine for awhile now. in fact most of my self-declared best photos are in B&W. it mirrors the way i see the world, in many ways. freed from the complications of colour, one is free to explore shape and form, tonality and texture. often, one already knows the approximate colours of the objects in focus and the brain subconsciously does the extrapolation, leaving the eyes free to observe. Writers need only words to construct a world, sure it is not impossible to document it with grayscale?</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAGkYG5jiwI/AAAAAAAAAIM/UgR7gxeYiHk/s1600-h/Philly-1%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="Philly-1" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="412" alt="Philly-1" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAGkY-ZwVuI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/paKPX9nk6PA/Philly-1_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="620" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Budden! , Philadelphia, PA. Look for the word “Budden” in the second paragraph. apparently, Singaporeans weren’t the first to use the word “Budden”… it might even be a colonial relic, shock horror. lol.</em></p> <p align="justify">Quick fact : Philly was the first capitol of the states, before DC was formed. this means that it, along with the rest of the coastal towns, retain much of that 18th century colonial flavour, comparable to cities such as Boston, MA and Savannah, GA.</p> <p align="justify">This also means that it is absolutely slow if you’ve just come down from New York. I’m starting to see why a true Yankee would probably look like a hyperactive nutcase in Philly. (Not to say that New Yorkers dont behave like that in general, lol.) Much of what I said about Portland holds true here : Nothing to shout home about, but I still think that a city is better off too slow than too busy.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAGkZcomTYI/AAAAAAAAAIU/8lHvVB3j44Y/s1600-h/Philly-2%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="Philly-2" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="407" alt="Philly-2" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAGkZ0gWxQI/AAAAAAAAAIY/66Vpz60jpOI/Philly-2_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="612" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>I Wish We Were On This Chair Together, Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA.</em></p> <p align="justify">There are only 2 things left on my itinerary that I truly still wish to see, the National Archives and the Smithsonian Aerospace Institute. That, and the usual things people see in DC. seriously not much else. I think I’m already done with philly, lol. Just SOME GLORIOUS CHEESESTEAK YO!</p> <p align="justify">Home looms large. I’m pretty okay with everything, I guess. just another step in this transient existence that still gets to me. Better to be alone or to deal with the drama that people bring? I’m no longer too sure. </p> <p align="justify">We travel the world wanting to learn more about it. Nobody ever mentions the things we learn about ourselves.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAGkaevKFLI/AAAAAAAAAIc/SizwP6ead74/s1600-h/Philly-3%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="Philly-3" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="401" alt="Philly-3" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/TAGkbLfx-AI/AAAAAAAAAIg/JrzAG6QOe1c/Philly-3_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="603" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Try #6, Philadelphia, PA.</em></p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-78825246007385205012010-05-28T21:18:00.001-07:002010-05-28T21:18:13.361-07:0028 May, philly and still no photos.<p>TIRED TIRED TIRED.</p> <p>been waiting for a call for 3 days.</p> <p>was at moma today. there was this exhibition about space, relationships and people. also, tons of naked people.</p> <p>i found the henri cartier-bresson exhibition alot more inspirational as well as entertaining. man, if only i could take photos like he can. :(</p> <p>tomorrow. tomorrow i must document philadelphia. it seems like a nice enough place.</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-75936128600774800712010-05-27T21:05:00.001-07:002010-05-27T21:05:01.094-07:00Thursday, May 27th<p align="justify">I didnt take any pictures today either, but i was out with a good friend who i haven’t met in awhile, who happened to study in columbia. Had the good fortune of touring east and west village (i think) with her and one of her friends. </p> <p align="justify">-philosophical rant alert-</p> <p align="justify">how do we view this world and how do we express it? put an artist, an engineer, a mathematician, a biologist and a writer in a room. ask them to show what they feel about the room. </p> <p align="justify">the artist is likely to draw, the writer, write. the engineer chooses some item with a blend of style and functionality, while the biologist might pay some attention to the cleanliness of the place.</p> <p align="justify">my point is, our consciousness, it is defined by the tools and senses by which we view this world. thinking out of the box, in this respect, is akin to thinking with tools you dont have. that’s why it’s such a valuable skill.</p> <p align="justify">i had never noticed this before. then again, i’d never spoken to a friend doing liberal arts before. </p> <p align="justify">growing up an engineer, we try to use math to model this world. we derive fun from fixing things up and making them work, we are more or less the bao-ga-liaos of society. i’d never truly understood how math and science shaped how i viewed this world or shaped it.</p> <p align="justify">C++, meet charles dickens. charles dickens, meet C++. </p> <p align="justify">in the months since i’ve been extremely judgemental. even i know i’ve taken the high ground on so many things, and it feels wrong.</p> <p align="justify">but a day with a good friend – what a difference it can make.</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-48756772000254123792010-05-26T21:46:00.001-07:002010-05-26T21:46:10.542-07:0026th May : No pictures!<p>Too lazy, too busy, pictures came out too lousy. </p> <p>grand central station and brooklyn today, didnt catch too much of either. sighh..</p> <p>tomorrow it will rain. so my phototaking isnt going to work either.</p> <p>argh… cross fingers hope for the best.</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-16277799728509854582010-05-25T19:41:00.001-07:002010-05-25T19:41:58.922-07:00May 25 : Lower Manhattan…<p>I am insanely pissed at the internet in the hostel. apparently 10 people on the network is way too much. so i cant plan anything, talk to anyone, shit like that. it’s crazy and my holiday plans are up in smoke. shit.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_yJ8WCm7bI/AAAAAAAAAHs/l2MqRo4dYxM/s1600-h/NYC-5%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="NYC-5" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="427" alt="NYC-5" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_yKCm8AYtI/AAAAAAAAAHw/oVd0M04E36I/NYC-5_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="285" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Statue of Liberty, NYC. Bland skies REALLY SUCK. BAD DAY.</em></p> <p align="justify">New York is really big. and there’s so much to do! i wouldnt say it feels like home, it’s much bigger. but at least i finally get the big city feel again. things are moving even at 10 at night. the subway is awesome. it’s better than singapore’s. i think public transport back home really sucks as im just not a fan of the “hub-and-spoke” idea. thankfully i get the car sometimes, i dont enjoy taking 2 bus rides and a train ride instead of a 15 min drive. =/ here you just hop on and get to wherever you wanna go. right to the door. beat that!</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_yKGIV1xJI/AAAAAAAAAH0/ihsIXL2yy3E/s1600-h/NYC-4%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="NYC-4" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="380" alt="NYC-4" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_yKQEhye_I/AAAAAAAAAH4/EwLie0Bafas/NYC-4_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="572" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>NYSE, Wall St, NYC</em></p> <p>Walking down the streets of wall street, as with any major financial district, it makes you wonder if perhaps you should have just followed the money and gone into the world of finance. I dont think that Tiffany and Co would choose to open in the middle of a engineering company.</p> <p>Sometimes I wonder, if i put effort and balls into trading, would I have made it as one of the big players? would i be one of those types, with the tailored suits and coarse language? </p> <p>Sadly (or not) i know that i will never have the passion for the sum-zero cutthroat game that we call the stock market. so it will be a life of financial mediocrity and intellectual satisfaction for me, then.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_yKXbomuyI/AAAAAAAAAH8/C7gGNidB9NY/s1600-h/NYC-6%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="NYC-6" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="393" alt="NYC-6" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_yKcgb8YuI/AAAAAAAAAIA/w9kThd8C7sA/NYC-6_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="591" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>World Trade Center Memorial Site, NYC</em></p> <p>Kinda tired from travelling, and my attentions have shifted back towards my work. also, the MF internet doesnt help much. </p> <p>i just want my girlfriend by my side… =/</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-54922087890011527842010-05-24T22:12:00.001-07:002010-05-24T22:12:43.920-07:00May 23, 24 : New York City<p>So i havent done much today. museum of natural history, which took up all the daylight, and chicago at night, which was positively awesome. </p> <p>nyc is a busy city. you can hardly tell from the surface. it’s almost subtle… people wait for the light on the road, instead of on the sidewalk. there’s so little <em>patience</em>. it almost reminds me of home, where public transit is usually this harsh forbidding congregation of bits of personal space in too small a cabin. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_tcLnO8rkI/AAAAAAAAAHU/brHOoS98zyU/s1600-h/NYC-1%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="NYC-1" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="390" alt="NYC-1" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_tcMp0RLVI/AAAAAAAAAHY/0jIPks5AOZ8/NYC-1_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="586" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Dino Skeletons, Museum of Natural History, Manhattan, NY</em></p> <p align="justify">The museum was awesome but too little in the way of.. “live” stuff. everything’s stuffed so it was like walking through someone’s huge trophy game collection. =/ dinosaurs were awesome but the section was closed for some talk, can you believe it?!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_tcOazmGMI/AAAAAAAAAHc/9EgLxXckA4w/s1600-h/NYC-2%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="NYC-2" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="373" alt="NYC-2" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_tcPROqc1I/AAAAAAAAAHg/gZj2dyjJhfk/NYC-2_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="561" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Ambassador Theatre, Manhattan, NY</em></p> <p align="justify">Chicago was awesome! I got the rush tickets in the morning at 11 in the morning for 36.50.. about half of the price of the guys sitting next to me. At these prices I might actually try for avenue Q tomorrow! woots woots. ruthie henshall was excellent, it was a surprise to learn that she would be playing roxie. :D</p> <p align="justify">after the musical i decided to get some pictures of times square. if only because the ones i took in the day are so abjectly horrible. not that this is any better, but still.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_tcQ4AcS_I/AAAAAAAAAHk/o2QVRefjYHA/s1600-h/NYC-3%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="NYC-3" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="420" alt="NYC-3" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_tcSoHy2jI/AAAAAAAAAHo/9Z64RkSEyTU/NYC-3_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="632" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Times Square, Manhattan, NYC.</em></p> <p>Such a long day, and i’ve barely finished half of manhattan! goodness. so much more sights to see tomorrow. lol…</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-10118366623486061342010-05-22T19:14:00.001-07:002010-05-22T19:14:17.471-07:00Saturday, May 22nd : Enter to Grow in Wisdom<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_iO6wPHlHI/AAAAAAAAAG8/At-yxV3_7b8/s1600-h/BOS-11%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="BOS-11" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="351" alt="BOS-11" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_iPC4sCEMI/AAAAAAAAAHA/mXabwVTqSDc/BOS-11_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="528" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Need I say more? Cambridge, MA.</em></p> <p align="justify">Cambridge, MA houses 2 of the world’s leading institutions of higher learning : harvard and MIT. as such it’s not hard to imagine the place basically growing around the 2 colleges, with tons of cafes, bookstores and furniture stores. </p> <p align="justify">When i was young kid i used to read about yale and havard, and MIT was always my dream school, along with Caltech. A sense of sadness enveloped me as i walked through the MIT campus. All my regrets of not going overseas came back to haunt me. I knew the financial means were beyond me, so much so that I never ever took the SAT. With grad school and funding opportunities though, it’s a different story. I’m not going to to live with 2 big regrets in my life. at least im going to try. I think of my grandpa sometimes – he lived to see me fail to get into RI, but didnt live to see me get into hcjc. I remember my first thought in getting posted to hwachong was a kind of regret that my grandfather never lived to see this day. Till now, i still work hard to give my grandma good news everytime i see her.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_iPHT_fhZI/AAAAAAAAAHE/aB19A83DZLM/s1600-h/BOS-12%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="BOS-12" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="391" alt="BOS-12" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_iPP1BltrI/AAAAAAAAAHI/L0QPOMJxh8U/BOS-12_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="588" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Hugeass wind tunnel in MIT, Cambridge, MA.</em></p> <p align="justify">After this I made the best decision ever in Boston. I went to the Alive and Kicking Lobster shop. It’s mostly a seafood store but they do make lobster sandwiches. and THEY WERE AWESOME. coming from someone who’s not easily impressed by lobsters, that says alot.</p> <p>Chunky meat, fresh off the shell, chewy and delectable, with mayo between 2 buns. zomg. ZOMG! </p> <p>so this place is Alive and Kicking lobsters. find them off yelp.com. junction of river and sth. really obscure but SO WORTH IT. gem of a place! woots.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_iPTI4MiOI/AAAAAAAAAHM/8DD4GPlJf_M/s1600-h/BOS-13%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="BOS-13" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="398" alt="BOS-13" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_iPbLM-aLI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/1DPpq7LGIcY/BOS-13_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="598" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Lobster place, Cambridge, MA.</em></p> <p>I told you it was a humble family run thingy. They have their own boats and cages, so you know its fresh. :)</p> <p>The big apple beckons tomorrow. WOOTS!</p> <p>PS. forgot about breakfast at dempseys. wholesome american breakfast. tt was good as well. :)</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-77526742276017601192010-05-21T18:17:00.001-07:002010-05-21T18:17:38.809-07:00May 21st : Red Sox..<p align="justify">Freedom trail. Basically a trail explaining how Boston was the birthplace of the american revolution. A long and scenic trail that brings you through the heart of boston. It was all I did today, sometimes you just veer into the alleys and before you know it, an hour has flown by.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_cwh6wLCsI/AAAAAAAAAGM/VZ8tfOe8Uzc/s1600-h/BOS-5%5B7%5D.jpg"><img title="BOS-5" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="389" alt="BOS-5" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_cwiqRSilI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/FKO_D_oxDzU/BOS-5_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="260" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Along the Freedom Trail, Boston, MA.</em></p> <p align="justify">Interestingly, the origins of the entire “Tea Party” Movement began in Boston. Reading the murals around town quickly revealed the origins of Boston as a British colony disenchanted with the ability and interests of the British to defend it. If you’ll wiki the tea party you’ll know that it’s nothing like the GOP actions these days. Indeed, those were more noble, more glorious days. Or at least history wrote it that way.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_cwjisM7sI/AAAAAAAAAGU/EpT5kydkdrc/s1600-h/BOS-6%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="BOS-6" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="358" alt="BOS-6" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_cwlCwjG-I/AAAAAAAAAGY/OVSdUrOo2Nw/BOS-6_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="539" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Quincy Market, Boston, MA. Looks like Covent Garden, Doesnt it? </em></p> <p align="justify">Moral of the story for today was : Dont eat seafood first thing in the morning. It was the best clam chowder I’ve had yet, and also the lobster roll, but still… lol. FYI, nothing special to scream about. I guess, having come from a place where seafood is cheap, good and in abundance, my standards were probably too high.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_cwl0mby0I/AAAAAAAAAGc/_4bzzqx0_Ro/s1600-h/BOS-7%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="BOS-7" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="464" alt="BOS-7" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_cwmnppZtI/AAAAAAAAAGg/VBc3Wi0oXzw/BOS-7_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="309" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Stairwell, Boston, MA. I love the architecture in the north end!</em></p> <p align="justify">Man, the place felt like a scene out of Jay Chou’s “Yi Fu Zhi Ming (In father’s name)”. It was actually filmed in italy, i think.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_cwnRxCnUI/AAAAAAAAAGk/7x0p03sm44w/s1600-h/BOS-8%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="BOS-8" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="390" alt="BOS-8" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_cwo0IO_AI/AAAAAAAAAGo/Yxwt6xzfM2A/BOS-8_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="587" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Truck, Boston, MA.</em></p> <p align="justify">Past the drydocks and onto my surprise of the day : My 7 day Boston pass gives me rides on the commuter boats as well! Nothing like a free trip across the Boston Bay, is there? I’ve kinda missed the classic “View of the Bay” as some cities have. That view is conspicuously missing from both Seattle and Boston. Even Singapore tries to engineer a nightscape with buildings and lights; efforts which to me are both a waste of money and effort and comes of more Vegas-ish than truly giving Singapore some character. Just look at Chinatowns around the world, with their chinese menus and cantonese speaking store owners – compare that to our 3-for-10 souvenir trinket shops lining the streets. In a word, our efforts to conserve our culture is <em>disgusting</em>. I sincerely hope that they leave hong lim untouched.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_cwqORCxvI/AAAAAAAAAGs/A-hKJ7nZjf4/s1600-h/BOS-9%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="BOS-9" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="387" alt="BOS-9" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_cwrAvAcYI/AAAAAAAAAGw/TMHdSuvuDrc/BOS-9_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="583" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Drydock 1, Boston, MA.</em></p> <p align="justify">Tomorrow I head for Cambridge, Massachusetts, home of Havard and MIT, which happens to be my dream school since my middle school days. In all honestly, I hope that someday i’ll return to the hallowed gates of MIT as a student, not as a tourist. I mean, who in their right mind would travel to NTU to take a picture of it?</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_cwr50wGYI/AAAAAAAAAG0/3pLUxJ2myXo/s1600-h/BOS-10%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="BOS-10" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="401" alt="BOS-10" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_cwsf8pLVI/AAAAAAAAAG4/LmstrlzH7ns/BOS-10_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="267" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>View from the Boat, Boston, MA.</em></p> <p align="justify">Have a good weekend y’all!</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-2233301158546359392010-05-20T20:57:00.001-07:002010-05-20T20:57:49.287-07:0019th, 20th May : Back on the East Coast<p align="justify">Failed to update again… lol. Maybe cos I havent had the time or space to work on this over the past few days, resulting in intermittent updating. </p> <p align="justify">An overnight flight with a transit in chicago at 6 in the morning (goodness) and I’ve arrived in boston. I got so tired that I took a nap, so in the end, I left for downtown boston at 6 anyhow.</p> <p align="justify">So, seattle rained out on me, but my friends told me that there wasnt much to see anyway. oh well. i had such a hard time getting information on where to go anyhow, so i really couldnt figure that city out. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_YEMPrmD_I/AAAAAAAAAFk/U5j2Dq23AnM/s1600-h/STL-3%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="STL-3" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="407" alt="STL-3" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_YEPWsJIDI/AAAAAAAAAFo/8m8aID3MPZs/STL-3_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="613" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Busker outside the Very First Starbucks, Seattle, WA.</em></p> <p align="justify">I like seattle as a city. it’s nice and big and developed and not too tourist-minded. which is always good. as a backpacker the last thing you want is to have specially prepared experiences for you. most of us prefer the anonymity of travelling, to pursue the kind of transience that only comes with wanderlust. to really know a place is to observe a setting – the last thing you’d want is for your act of observation to distort the original conditions. not all agree with my view, but i’d much prefer things to be this way. </p> <p align="justify">So first meal of today was at 6pm. lol.. so expensive, but so worth it. It was at this place called the daily catch. really pricey at 21 bucks for a black ink pasta. but omg. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_YETFgrLbI/AAAAAAAAAFs/MXduVXhz5Zw/s1600-h/BOS-1%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="BOS-1" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="412" alt="BOS-1" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_YEVsUjKZI/AAAAAAAAAFw/AfP0vKduN_A/BOS-1_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="620" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Flambe, Boston, MA</em>.<em> The chef posed for a series after this but i like the original one the best.</em></p> <p align="justify">The restaurant was a typical “hole in the wall” setup. (learnt that off the internet). I accidentally discovered that this restaurant was smack in the middle of Boston’s Italian community. And honestly i think it’s one of the most awesome italian communities ever. Italians know their seafood, boston has good seafood. Match made in heaven. It was also a small joint, so much so that you’re never too far from the action. take a look at how close the people on the left were to the chef, I was a similar distance away. how crazy is that?</p> <p align="justify">Apart from the food, there’s the architecture as well. the cast iron, the red brick, it brings you to another world the moment you get into it. there’s just nothing like it.. =/ in one word : amazing.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_YEasAaWkI/AAAAAAAAAF0/eiR-sAjYJiM/s1600-h/BOS-4%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="BOS-4" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="406" alt="BOS-4" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_YEe9HdbII/AAAAAAAAAF4/YhIPp8_8UME/BOS-4_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="611" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Boston Architecture, Boston, MA.</em></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_YEigJLq7I/AAAAAAAAAF8/xdc5BlMmR80/s1600-h/BOS-3%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="BOS-3" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="412" alt="BOS-3" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_YEmTNLNgI/AAAAAAAAAGA/6kDuIehiPGA/BOS-3_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="620" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Bob’s Grocery, Boston, MA. In the italian district.</em></p> <p align="justify">Ended my day with a walk by the riverside bumping into a little league game. MLB has been extremely boring for me, not least because at a professional level, you lose all vested interest in the match. once you pay for it, you’re always expecting to be blown away, by feats of athleticism that only a select few are able to display.</p> <p align="justify">not so with the little leagues. here you have excited parents cheering on their even more excited kids. the standards are of course low, i could kick the ball faster than they can hit it, but that’s not the point. kids dont hide their emotions, they do not have a grasp on the concept of composure. watch one after a catch gone wrong, or after a good pitch or a good hit. watch the reactions of the parents, urging their children on when there’s a play going on. </p> <p align="justify">it reminds me alot of collegiate sports, and in essence why we play sports in the first place. while we obviously strive for some form of sporting perfection, how many of us truly let our skills define our enjoyment? is it not mostly the company you are with, the kind of teamwork and other intangible aspects of sports that keeps us coming back? what was the most memorable sporting moment in your life? chances are, it’d be something that you did, not some record breaking feat you watched on ESPN.</p> <p align="justify">and that kind of raw, unfiltered emotion, the little leagues have in bulk. it’s amazing.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_YEpI5JG1I/AAAAAAAAAGE/ZLK1b6ET2do/s1600-h/BOS-2%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="BOS-2" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="417" alt="BOS-2" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_YEtrI3AeI/AAAAAAAAAGI/U9pMOLdVgl4/BOS-2_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="628" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Little League Match, Boston, MA.</em></p> <p align="justify">See y’all tmr!</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-43250733614092765532010-05-18T21:39:00.001-07:002010-05-18T21:39:25.682-07:00May 17th & 18th : Seattle, Washington. Friends!<p>Always good to see friends again. </p> <p>so, i know i didnt post yesterday. but no worries, news of my demise has (unfortunately) been premature.</p> <p><img title="STL-1" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="414" alt="STL-1" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_NrcnO_aEI/AAAAAAAAAFY/Lan-Lysyy_U/STL-1_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="623" border="0" /></p> <p><em>Lockheed Martin M-21 + D-21, Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA. All time fav plane.</em></p> <p align="justify">Seattle is a nice a big city which isnt touristy. much. I didnt really see much as I spent all day at the museum of flight with Tng, who was nice enough to bring me around. The museum had lots of really cool planes, though. Such as the French SPAD XIII through WWI, the above M21, the Supermarine Spitfire (also one of my favourite planes), and also the Fokker Triplane. If you’ve ever had an interest in planes, they have them right here. in abundance.</p> <p align="justify">Seattle is home to Boeing and Starbucks, arguably 2 of america’s biggest and well known companies. But Seattle, unlike some other cities i’ve visited, is diverse enough not to be defined by just a handful of large companies. </p> <p align="justify">Im too tired to blog anymore. lol. maybe i’ll just sum seattle up tomorrow. I really havent done as much travelling as i’d love to. but i’ve gone say 2 weeks without a proper place to call home and no privacy. it’s really tiring when you cant sleep well and travel around and have no privacy. it just gets to you. =/</p> <p align="justify">well, night, people. i really think seattle is an awesome city. now if i only knew where to go to check the place out…</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_Nrd19ciII/AAAAAAAAAFc/hoFs_IYom9A/s1600-h/STL-2%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="STL-2" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="359" alt="STL-2" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_Nre597atI/AAAAAAAAAFg/e-zjHJuRPys/STL-2_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="540" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>The 2 Alvins, Seattle, WA.</em> <em>The concorde’s in the background.</em></p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-70658419612974017882010-05-16T23:23:00.001-07:002010-05-16T23:23:27.329-07:00May 16th : Portland, OR. Halfway.<p>Mid month.. :(</p> <p align="justify">Sundays are extremely slow in portland as i’ve just figured out. I was thinking between going up the hill for a good view or just chilling out at powell’s. since the weather forecast wasnt very good, i went for the latter. unfortunately, the weather cleared up. BAHHH.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_Dgwx3dlZI/AAAAAAAAAE0/nM3XroI27EE/s1600-h/PDX-11%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="PDX-11" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="395" alt="PDX-11" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_DgxxG0P1I/AAAAAAAAAE4/NJU8dUjoSUg/PDX-11_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="594" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>indie coffee place called Public Domain, Portland, OR. The extremely high standard of coffee you’d have come to expect from portland, although i think the nutty Peru beans that i ordered would have been better off pressed rather than filtered. oil-less beans only work well on the light roast / floral notes coffees.</em></p> <p>Well, since half the shops were closed and all that, decided to head back up and found my way back at the art market. ate at some food cart again for lunch. like i said… portland’s big on food carts.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_DgzDSKvJI/AAAAAAAAAE8/0nccFAH_Kso/s1600-h/PDX-7-2%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="PDX-7-2" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="417" alt="PDX-7-2" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_Dg0UGT9sI/AAAAAAAAAFE/iu0basvZnqM/PDX-7-2_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="627" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Looks like Malaysia, but it really is, Portland, OR. </em></p> <p align="justify">I like how portlanders are. most people try to be a certain style or another. Say the Haight-Ashbury district in San Fran, or Orchard Road. You always, always get the feeling that the people are dressed not for themselves but for those who judge them. it’s something that feels auxiliary, like a dying species that you try to preserve, or a rare specimen that does not exist outside of a certain radius. but portlanders, they truly dress the way they do, for their own sake. </p> <p align="justify">i dont necessarily agree with that fashion sense but at least it’s something organic to this city, and that much i can apprciate.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_Dg1dfBM3I/AAAAAAAAAFI/JaHiAvcgJak/s1600-h/PDX-9-2%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="PDX-9-2" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="396" alt="PDX-9-2" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_Dg2aunnRI/AAAAAAAAAFM/DLnvmCbbia8/PDX-9-2_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="596" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Remnants, Portland, OR</em></p> <p align="justify">Like i said, i found it really hard to express this place in a picture. there just isnt a characteristic picture of this place, which sort of contributes to its charm and makes it a very lively place. there’s just a little bit of everything. I did what alot of fellow residents were doing, just chilling at the local coffeeshop for a day. i may not have seen much, but for a few hours it felt like i blended into the web of life here in Portland, instead of garishly toting my SLR and typing my jacket around my neck. </p> <p align="justify">My last picture of Portland is a place that i have been frequenting innumerate times now. I keep going back, waiting for the lighting to improve, but it never does. i tried my best, took many shots to maximise my chances but still didnt quite get what I was looking for.</p> <p align="justify">The Steel Bridge possesses character beyond most other bridges I’ve seen. and that’s said in relation to other awesome bridges along the Williamette river. Most all their bridges fold up, but the steel bridge has 2 decks with independently movable middle sections. it’s abit hard to describe, but the picture explains it all. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_Dg22HWHjI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/_ITzZdzzkfg/s1600-h/PDX-8%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="PDX-8" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="439" alt="PDX-8" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S_Dg3v_Of_I/AAAAAAAAAFU/KRkf29fA8iE/PDX-8_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="660" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Steel Bridge, Portland, OR</em></p> <p>It has a really classic 30’s steel look to it. cos i think it was build around that time, when the functionality of steel was first being discovered. I love this bridge more than i should, really.</p> <p>Tomorrow I head to Seattle. putting up with Pang and co. But Portland has certainly set some lofty standards…</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-18948720908979187892010-05-15T22:54:00.001-07:002010-05-15T22:54:42.498-07:00May 15th : Portland, Oregon. Bike city!<p align="justify">If San Francisco were what Singapore wished it could be, Portland is kinda like what Singapore is.</p> <p align="justify">it’s just abit of everything, living forever in the shadow its more illustrious sisters. in many ways i think Portland is trying to become a big city, but it’s not quite there yet. </p> <p align="justify">but that’s not to say that there isnt alot to love about portland. given a choice to live in the bay area or portland, i think i’d chose bike city.</p> <p align="justify">firstly, public transport is awesome. coming from a country that prides itself on having an awesome transport system, that says something. for starters, transport is free within the city center. the MAX light rail runs above ground, giving the cityscape some sort of visual incongruence as you watch a rail car crawl past you.</p> <p align="justify">secondly, the place hasnt been obliterated into tourist hell. that means things actually make sense. there is actually a proper supermarket in the city center selling things at normal prices. there are libraries and schools. </p> <p align="justify">most importantly, people are friendly. probably cos they arent detested by the non-existent crowds of “Portland” hoodie wearing chinese tourists. so it’s all good. and im serious about the people here being friendly. i had as much conversation here in a day as i did all week through vegas and san fran.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S--IkwPczzI/AAAAAAAAAEU/dC4sGAdYirA/s1600-h/PDX-1%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="PDX-1" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="409" alt="PDX-1" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S--IlS7bfsI/AAAAAAAAAEY/ruFGCBRU-HQ/PDX-1_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="615" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Stumptown Coffee, Portland, OR. I honestly cannot decide if i should have sex with megan fox or give that up for that espresso machine right there. work. of. art.</em></p> <p>Morning started off with a coffee at stumptown coffee roasters. true to their reputation of making good coffees, a range of beans was on sale and the brew of the day which i tried was antigua. it was a medium roast. but the truth is beans from a place vary in flavour. also, the roast affects the bean as much. so from experience, the only real way to tell what a coffee tastes like is to read the description. although there are some classic beans, just because its from guatemala doesnt always mean it’s medium roast and sweet.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S--Il7TaCXI/AAAAAAAAAEc/qSvm6EPhIhc/s1600-h/PDX-2%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="PDX-2" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="528" alt="PDX-2" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S--Imu54bjI/AAAAAAAAAEg/yFtD0Sxs6Kw/PDX-2_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="351" border="0" /></a> <em>Lazy morning, Portland OR. </em></p> <p align="justify">I have not had proper coffee in the longest time, so with book in hand I happily spent more than an hour in that place. totally worth it. I discovered another bigger branch so that’s where im headed tomorrow for my coffee. i just sat on my chair and watched the world go by me. that’s the kinda feeling portland gives me, so i just went with it.</p> <p align="justify">next up was Powell’s a private bookstore with arguably the most number of books in any place. i really enjoyed it, it was like 4 floors of books, from the obscure to the popular. anything american bookstore that has a japanese copy of inuyasha gets my nod…</p> <p align="justify">Portland has a really big food cart culture. much like the roadside stalls we frequent in asia, they are an inexpensive way to fill your tummy, often with unhealthy but pretty authentic food. just some burger joint, so it was just like some burger. lunch was not much to yell about.</p> <p align="justify">As I set off to do some phototaking the clouds came in. biggest bummer of the day. :( apparently there’s a storm system coming in so i might not get anymore good photos till i get to boston. wth right, i know. i might even fly with the storm to the east coast and get stuck there. :(:(:( what a bummer.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S--InEmGJGI/AAAAAAAAAEk/6UF1Y_msHrU/s1600-h/PDX-5%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="PDX-5" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="442" alt="PDX-5" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S--InXNBqKI/AAAAAAAAAEo/OchfdN-TIR0/PDX-5_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="294" border="0" /></a> mika and nok, <em>ginthaifood cart, Portland, OR. check them out at </em><a href="http://www.facebook.com/ginthaifood"><em>www.facebook.com/ginthaifood</em></a><em>. it’s good…</em></p> <p align="justify">Like i said, portland is really unassuming. so much so that i feel like just giving a passing mention to the art market and all that. but at least this place feels alive, not kept alive by neon signs or forcefully fed by tourists. this place is alive, and it doesnt stay that way for anything or anyone. it’s not for show and there’s nothing that’s being touted. so for the average tourist, the gems take awhile to find, but at least you never live in the fear of the tourist trap.</p> <p align="justify">Dinner was at another food cart. i think that’s all that im going to eat from here. gin thai food, run by a couple of thais, lies in a row of carts on 3rd and.. i can’t rmb. i honestly didnt want to eat any asian food. especially some bastardised version of food that americans think is asian. so it’s nice to see some locals cook food "the right way”. an entree and a drink, for 6.50. what a steal. I had a conversation with the store owners and it was nice talking to them. ended up adding their stall page on facebook, haha. It’s such a lovely thing to own your own cart and run a modest business off it. sometimes, i wish i were more like these guys, braving it out in the real world. their food is really tasty. were i in the mood for thai i would definitely go there, im sure they’ll make it big.</p> <p align="justify">So. Portland really is a gem. Not much to see and do here, but what you do get in Portland, you cannot get anywhere else in the states. Its such a pity that I never got to see the wonders of the wild that is Oregon. Even in downtown, they sell outdoor goods en masse. It is a city that I have seriously failed to adequately squeeze into a jpeg. </p> <p align="justify">You can get better attractions in San Francisco. You can get better jobs in Seattle. You can even get better natural wonders in Wyoming, Nevada and Arizona.</p> <p align="justify">But that is exactly why you must be nuts to not want to come to Portland.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S--In602txI/AAAAAAAAAEs/iPPsgXSoJFo/s1600-h/PDX-3%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="PDX-3" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="531" alt="PDX-3" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S--IoX_wE-I/AAAAAAAAAEw/GQqh0RX98lw/PDX-3_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="353" border="0" /></a> <em>Highway ramp, Portland, OR</em></p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-56581338990345760892010-05-14T21:40:00.001-07:002010-05-14T21:40:15.911-07:00May 14th : My first missed flight. In transit, but really, more like in limbo<p align="justify"><em>11am, SFO</em></p> <p align="justify">I missed my 1030 flight today. </p> <p align="justify">So i thought i was gonna be fine for the plane. Leaving at 8, getting on BART at 815, getting to SFO at 9 for my 1030 flight. awesome, i thought. Just nice.</p> <p align="justify">So then I went to whip out my ATM card to pay for my BART ticket. $8.10. Cringing at how expensive it is just for such a short ride.</p> <p align="justify">I reached for the card. <em>Wasn’t there!</em></p> <p align="justify">So, naturally the first thing you’d do is panic. You dont have half an hour to spare looking for it, you need to get on the train <em>NOW</em>, and nobody around is willing to help you. what do you do?</p> <p align="justify">First up : Lady at MUNI information desk. Utterly dumb, in the stereotypical American blue collared fashion. <em>God, talking to her is even more monotonous than talking to an answering machine. </em></p> <p align="justify">“You’re going to the airport right?”</p> <p align="justify">“Yes but I really just need someone to look after my bag because the hostel is 5 blocks up and im not gonna make it if I drag it all the way back”</p> <p align="justify">“SO, you’re going to the airport, right?”</p> <p align="justify">“Yes, but –”</p> <p align="justify">“Well this is MUNI. that’s BART.”</p> <p align="justify">“Yeah well I really just need someone to look after my bag more tha—”</p> <p align="justify">“Go to the other counter, airport, BART, this is MUNI”</p> <p align="justify">“Well i just need someone to look after this huge—”</p> <p align="justify">“BART’s on the other counter, we dont do airport, we dont do BART”</p> <p align="justify">I was ready for some violence on the scale of being in breach of federal law, but oh well. This huge bag was still with me. </p> <p align="justify">next up : BART information counter</p> <p align="justify">“(Repeats Said Story)”</p> <p align="justify">“Well you could leave it here but if I get called around there’s no telling what could happen”</p> <p align="justify">“Could you leave it in the booth?”</p> <p align="justify">“No sir, im sorry. but you can leave it anywhere you want.”</p> <p align="justify"><em>Fair enough.</em> By this time desperate and desperately short of breath, I considered other options. local coffee joint – too busy. Visitor’s center? Wrong stop. …..</p> <p align="justify">I went to just some random pass selling counter. Bunch of pinoys aunties at the counter. <em>Good Lord, if they dont help me, noone’s gonna help me.</em></p> <p align="justify">“<em>(Repeats Said Story, 2 words at a time. More gasping for breath than talking)”</em></p> <p align="justify">“Well you could leave it here but if i get busy there’s no guarantee”</p> <p align="justify">“well can i leave it in the booth, then?”</p> <p align="justify">“(after much discussion and trying to understand my gasping) HURRY BACK!”</p> <p align="justify">WOOTS. paydirt. sprinted the way back to the hostel, where i remembered a guy saying that there was an extra ATM card that he forgot to return. 10 mins later, we found it. Rushed back to the BART station and hopped on the train station to the airport. it was already 9. I didnt think that I could get to the airport on time.</p> <p align="justify">so i didnt. still. I’ll never forget how retarded some counter staff are, and how some go out of their way to help you.</p> <p align="justify">it cost me 75 bucks to get onto the next flight. 75 bucks of my parents’ hard earned money. i feel really bad about it, but what good is hindsight and retrospect when it’s already over? from 1030am to 2pm. 3 hours that wouldnt have really made too much difference in the grand scheme of things. but still.</p> <p align="justify">coming from an aerospace engineer, it must quite ironic for me to say that my favourite mode of transport is still the train. checking in is not such a pain in the ass, security isnt so tough, you dont smell like kerosene after being cramped for 2 decades in economy class with recycled air and a fat bloke beside you. when you arrive on a plane, you want a bed. when you arrive on a train, you want to go shopping. </p> <p align="justify">of course, when you compare the F35 JSF to a bullet train, that’s a completely different story altogether.</p> <p align="justify">i just dont like how even 2 hour flights take up to 4 or 5 hours in total. I fly in the states because it’s so big. in Europe, i’d gladly train around the place. </p> <p align="justify">i dont particularly like trains, im not the sort to collect them or read about them. i just find them alot alot more practical as a mode of transport. </p> <p align="justify">----------------</p> <p align="justify">forgot to blog about the exciting happenings of yesterday, according to vika. so we were up at twin peaks, and we got stuck and couldnt find a way down. the girls charmed their way (and mine, thankfully) up a turkish tourbus full of middle aged people. it was honestly pretty funny… there was aleks the german/polish, vika the ukranian, sophie the french and the “whore from singapore”. we had a short conversation with the tour guide and he was translating it into turkish blow by blow for the tourists. lol.</p> <p align="justify">the driver was kind enough to drop us off at forest hills MUNI, our ticket back to civilisation. what a ride… lol.</p> <p align="justify">we bid a fond farewell to dear sophie who as usual is extremely reluctant to say goodbyes. lol. well sophie, if you’re reading this, im happy you wont walk in to my room while im sleeping anymore. hahaha.. jk. well, i kinda miss everyone now, i’ll visit everywhere again someday just so that i can meet everyone again. :)</p> <p align="justify">next up, i led vika and aleks to chinatown in search of some good dinner. it was pretty stressful for me, actually. after travelling alone for awhile, i kinda got used to my screw ups affecting myself. not liking the idea that i might lead my friends up the wrong road, or to a bad restaurant where our money would get wasted. </p> <p align="justify">thankfully, i eventually settled on something decent. we went down takeout street, which means not much in the way of restaurants for the 2 tired girls. when in doubt, just go with the tried and true method of the test of a chinese restaurant : look at the number of old chinese couples in it. if it’s stuffed with caucasians, you probably shouldnt bother. if you only see a bunch of cantonese and you dont know what’s going on in a busy shop, you’re probably at the right place.</p> <p align="justify">i ordered 3 dishes (for 20 bucks) : kung pao chicken, jiang cong niu rou (spring onion and ginger beef), sweet and sour pork. with a cup of bubble tea to boot. it was thoroughly… cantonese. lol. so we had a good time with me explaining food to them, and giving them tips on how to not hold chopsticks like a caucasian. it wasnt exactly a taste of home, just cause i seldom eat at cantonese restaurants. but definitely a good chinese meal. it’s been what, 6 months? i’d almost forgotten what it tastes like.</p> <p align="justify">after the happy chinese meal we went up to little italy for coffee. and goodness, that’s some good coffee. cafe trieste, if anyone’s heading down anytime soon. americans dont really know their coffee well, it’s hard to get good beans even in a country like the US. so it was such a revelation that there were people that knew how to do espresso properly, to finish the drink before the crema goes off. 2 coffee-starved europeans and an ex-barista sure know how to be picky about coffee, but it was so good. a good chat about life and that was about it, i guess.</p> <p align="justify">i-housers. there’s never a boring day with them around.</p> <p align="justify">i bid the 2 girls a fond goodbye on the way back… i was just glad i got to meet some friends over on the west coast. </p> <p align="justify">----</p> <p align="justify">now, to kill another hour before my flight takes off… =/</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-73081025812591899352010-05-13T21:49:00.001-07:002010-05-13T21:49:12.692-07:00May 13th : Last day in San Francisco<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-zWJMkiwvI/AAAAAAAAAD0/h4MNvgziYmY/s1600-h/SFO-14%5B6%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-14" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="395" alt="SFO-14" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-zWK63hQhI/AAAAAAAAAD4/cIarV7GuySE/SFO-14_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="594" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Michael and I, Academy of Natural Science, San Francisco, CA. Michael was nice enough to let us in the museum to have a look – for free! Thanks for that dude! Btw, the museum was awesome. Everyone should go take a look!</em></p> <p align="justify">I leave for portland early in the morning tomorrow. So this was about the last day that i’d be in the bay area. I’m finding it so bloody cold, I’m underprepared for the weather but guess what, it only gets colder the higher up north you go. I’m tempted to get a North Face windstopper when I see one on sale but i’m not too sure how that’ll turn up. we’ll see. </p> <p align="justify">So, I met Sophie for breakfast in chinatown. had cheap and good dim sum. Good Mong Kok is the name, however a passing fluency in Chinese and chinese cuisine is pretty required. Don’t try to venture there without an asian in tow, is all i’d say. XD</p> <p align="justify">We met Michael who works in the academy of science after that. It was a good conversation as Sophie was always interested in museum life, and i think it was a good chance to be able to observe things “from the inside”. It was nice meeting them again. Michael, if you’re reading this, congratulations to both of you on your PhD offers! Send my regards to Emily as well! I hope this means that when I go to Montreal soon I’ll get a guide around the place as well! hah.</p> <p align="justify">Up next, I had the good fortune of meeting up with some I-housers, Victoria and Aleks, who were both in town as well. Everyone was in pink so it was pretty gay for me. still.. I proposed we head up the twin peaks and they agreed…. It was a really long walk, but so worth it. </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-zWL2beGLI/AAAAAAAAAD8/0r8xwIy0H9Y/s1600-h/SFO-13%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-13" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="461" alt="SFO-13" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-zWND4XjJI/AAAAAAAAAEA/bBuQOQTsODM/SFO-13_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="307" border="0" /></a> <em>Them climbing up twin peaks, San Fran, CA</em></p> <p align="justify">Having been alone for almost a week now, I’m relishing the idea of being with friends. :) Nothing like a good day out with ‘em. :)</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-zWNzr6BvI/AAAAAAAAAEE/z86emb_lnd0/s1600-h/SFO-15%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-15" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="398" alt="SFO-15" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-zWPjnmvYI/AAAAAAAAAEI/I9IBG-a0gtY/SFO-15_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="599" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Girls Being Girls, Twin Peaks, San Fran, CA</em></p> <p align="justify">Signing off with the photo of the day, off the peak of the twin peaks. Portland, Oregon it is tomorrow. Home of the no sales tax! It was such a good day. Later!</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-zWQqMJcfI/AAAAAAAAAEM/s5t9NBeD0ao/s1600-h/SFO-16%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-16" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="416" alt="SFO-16" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-zWR_RDEqI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/iQ8EAfWw4Hk/SFO-16_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="627" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Bay Area Cityscape, San Francisco, CA</em></p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-26846487007783101432010-05-12T23:42:00.001-07:002010-05-12T23:42:05.202-07:00May 12th : San Fran<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-ufCyrSEfI/AAAAAAAAADM/umAjHDpPrLs/s1600-h/SFO-6%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-6" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="410" alt="SFO-6" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-ufDWeCbWI/AAAAAAAAADQ/GF8JTeJxR4g/SFO-6_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="617" border="0" /></a> <p><em>my room in pacific tradewinds, San Francisco, CA. Awesome room, as you can see. </em></p> <p align="justify">Its hard to explain how <em>Cantonese</em> San Fran is. in fact, you dont really see many caucasians around. well at least those that exist are all pretty uptown. so there. </p> <p align="justify">today was the touristy day.. fisherman’s wharf, golden gate, etc. have to try my best not to end up with touristy pictures. </p> <p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-ufD-WRQnI/AAAAAAAAADU/SRXC5I5QOxs/s1600-h/SFO-7%5B5%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-7" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="405" alt="SFO-7" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-ufEpPb6GI/AAAAAAAAADY/7J9TNSe4E3w/SFO-7_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="609" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Me, Lombard St (Crookedest St), San Francisco, CA. Classic Example of a touristy pic</em></p> <p align="justify">trying my best to have an opiniated blog but im so tired these days that all i want to do is to just upload and go to bed. walking 8 hours a day does wonders towards your consciousness (or lack of it).</p> <p align="justify">First up, the extremely touristy pier 39. eeks. nothing noteworthy, except the awesome chowder i had and also the sealions. gf said she wanted some, i’m throwing in some confused birds as well… hahaha..</p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-ufFQnxV7I/AAAAAAAAADc/Taz37l_cvC4/s1600-h/SFO-10%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-10" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="442" alt="SFO-10" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-ufF3fULxI/AAAAAAAAADg/uvSWR6nT6uE/SFO-10_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="665" border="0" /></a></p> <p><em>Bird with an identity crisis, San Francisco, CA</em></p> <p align="justify">Walking along the bay trail i’ve gained a huge appreciation for the bay. naturally, san francisco was seen as a crucial bay for control of the west coast, due to its location and all that. </p> <p align="justify">i must say, it’s hard not to fall in love with san francisco bay. a mist drapes over the water due to the air condensing over the cold water, which periodically thickens into a fog. the bay reaches out into the water, although it never quite intrudes on the water’s privacy. sea lions take leisurely swims, and there’s seafood. The hilly place is hard to get around but it’s the way most girls like things anyway, so pretty but so impractical. There’s very little to dislike about this place… </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-ufGrWzFyI/AAAAAAAAADk/lLz0OZLu4mk/s1600-h/SFO-11%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-11" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="434" alt="SFO-11" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-ufOA4XYmI/AAAAAAAAADo/zfIpfI5FCgA/SFO-11_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="653" border="0" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><em>On the trail to the Golden Gate, San Francisco, CA</em></p> <p align="justify">One of my main purposes of this blog is to not end up doing 1001 touristy things. I mean i do have alot of postcard pictures, but that really defeats the point if you ask me. at least on this blog, im trying to present a side of each city that’s not likely to end up on a card or on a website, just a different perspective of things. I also hope that my pictures will say something about the place, although i dont suppose that i could actually manage to characterise a town in 2 days.</p> <p align="justify">till tomorrow, ciao!</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-ufOnQ0T3I/AAAAAAAAADs/YNOAtq5CeKo/s1600-h/SFO-12%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-12" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="480" alt="SFO-12" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-ufPFt7X2I/AAAAAAAAADw/mHCjTXTE1H4/SFO-12_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="723" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Whatcha looking at? San Francisco, CA</em></p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-41386319293954290372010-05-11T22:57:00.001-07:002010-05-11T22:57:49.460-07:00May 11th : En route to San Francisco, CA<p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-pDQxU6g9I/AAAAAAAAACk/B8wWFN5vQt0/s1600-h/SFO-1%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-1" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="434" alt="SFO-1" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-pDRaHxyOI/AAAAAAAAACo/cfvqYzZBgMM/SFO-1_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="652" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>BART Station, San Francisco, CA. Looks like city hall MRT right, lol…</em></p> <p align="justify">Away from the sheer impossibility of vegas, San Francisco lay an hour and a half west by plane, over the spectacular snow-tipped mountains of Yosemite. I wasn’t able to plan a trip down, although I would have really loved to. Such a pity.. Looking at the winding ridges poking up above the billowing clouds, you can’t help but feel that an opportunity has passed, by you choosing not to go. </p> <p align="justify">A 8 dollar, half-hour ride by BART brings you into the heart of Downtown San Fran. The main thoroughfare street, Market Street evokes images of Chicago in me. Bustling skyscrapers still holding onto some historical decorative marker, with streets that feel alot more modular than thought-out, San Fran has alot that one would call the typical american “big city”. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-pDR014nMI/AAAAAAAAACs/J28OY-6SCJk/s1600-h/SFO-3%5B5%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-3" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="481" alt="SFO-3" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-pDSrodf3I/AAAAAAAAACw/_-07jOZ2C1M/SFO-3_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="320" border="0" /></a> <em>Looking down Nob Hill, San Francisco, CA. The island in the middle is Alcatraz.</em></p> <p align="justify">What sets it apart, though, it that it’s really very much like singapore. a small peninsula close to oakland and san jose, its huge bay and access to the ocean means that SF grew up first and foremost as a port city. (sound familliar?). To this day, Pier 39 remains one of the most touristy places on this Planet. (PAP, are you listening?) As a result, the place really has a Bay-ish, hill-ish city feel to it. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-pDTXyhuDI/AAAAAAAAAC0/_2yzEUDo13E/s1600-h/SFO-2%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-2" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-bottom: 0px" height="454" alt="SFO-2" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-pDT_uUyAI/AAAAAAAAAC4/qv1H0KcodH8/SFO-2_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="302" border="0" /></a><em> Random Road Junciton, San Francisco, CA</em></p> <p align="justify">I only managed to set out at 5pm, this means that I only had a few hours of sun to work with. Let me just finish with today’s set of photos and I can get down to actually seeing stuff around tomorrow. This place is so steep, they have to constantly remind people how to park on a slope without taking out a whole row of cars. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-pDU_fQVPI/AAAAAAAAAC8/L9n-LkDmmqI/s1600-h/SFO-4%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-4" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="425" alt="SFO-4" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-pDV0155CI/AAAAAAAAADA/fQ17oqhfL70/SFO-4_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="639" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Parking Instructions, San Francisco, CA</em></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-pDWpBUbAI/AAAAAAAAADE/msvvuLkjinM/s1600-h/SFO-5%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="SFO-5" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="433" alt="SFO-5" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-pDXIPJnrI/AAAAAAAAADI/F5gQqf-MOwk/SFO-5_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="651" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>Bay Area, San Francisco, CA</em></p> <p align="justify">Cheers all!</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-64837171057725935192010-05-11T00:38:00.001-07:002010-05-11T00:38:56.996-07:00May 10th : Grand Canyon, Arizona : with some concluding thoughts on Sin City<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-kJdAF0aeI/AAAAAAAAAB0/rda_Zgvl-_k/s1600-h/vegas-1%5B3%5D.jpg"><img title="vegas-1" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="388" alt="vegas-1" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-kJd4WT9UI/AAAAAAAAAB4/uXv6aXuo0dI/vegas-1_thumb%5B1%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="584" border="0" /></a> <p></p> <p><em>Paris Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV</em></p> <p align="justify">Sin City is aptly named. Although it’s lost alot of its glamour and splendour over the years, it still remains very much a place where time stops and reality ends. A myriad of gaming and entertainment opportunities await, limited only by the amount of money you currently possess.</p> <p align="justify">beneath all the glitz and glamour lie simple mathematics : The house always wins. Forget that, and you will soon find yourself on the wrong side of the vegas experience.</p> <p>There is nothing ordinary about the strip. likewise, nobody pretends to be normal. if ever a city could be described as being “superlative”, Las Vegas would be it. There is an amount of decadence on display that nobody could possibly fathom. Who else on earth would beam a light beam into the night sky for the heck of it?</p> <p>Nevada owes itself to gaming, being a state with precious little else to leverage upon. No more so is this visible than in the middle of Las Vegas, surrounded only by the mojave desert, with almost nothing of note in sight nearby. </p> <p>The whole surrealism of vegas, is summed up pretty nicely in their wedding chapels.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-kJeVVfeRI/AAAAAAAAAB8/bZpYZ9gcdiY/s1600-h/vegas-3%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="vegas-3" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="408" alt="vegas-3" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-kJe70eAuI/AAAAAAAAACA/TZ63ZKDTjSg/vegas-3_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="614" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify">Las Vegas exudes a sense of surrealism unlike any other. Step into a casino, and time will feel like it's stopped. for the right price, anything can be done. nothing is too stupid, too impractical, or too hard to accomplish for the right price.</p> <p align="justify">Go there poor, however, and the aridness of desert life pop up devastatingly quickly. The cool breezes at caesars give way to the unforgiving howls of suburban vegas. there is scarcely anything noteworthy to eat or relax in. i havent even seen how groceries make their way here, yet it has no problem supporting all that happens in the city. Its like a bathtub of entertainment that is painstakingly maintained : all the junk must go somewhere, and out the back door it goes. it’s a really disconcerting thing to see, and it is so far removed from the usual sights and sounds you’re so used to at the strip. </p> <p align="justify">----------------------</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-kJflp3o1I/AAAAAAAAACE/-zIBBx7lstA/s1600-h/grand%20canyon-1%5B8%5D.jpg"><img title="grand canyon-1" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="483" alt="grand canyon-1" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-kJgRnpFeI/AAAAAAAAACI/FRrdqA1QVNI/grand%20canyon-1_thumb%5B6%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="728" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>South Rim View, Grand Canyon, Arizona</em></p> <p align="justify">There was a short but ultimately forgettable pass over the Hoover dam, which was a pity. Apparently after 911 they started building a Hoover bypass so nobody could go and bomb the damned thing anymore. which is pretty smart.</p> <p align="justify">The real prize, after close to 5 hours of bus-ing, was the grand canyon. Boy was I flabbergasted. It wasnt the best day for photos but i tried my best. Also, i wanted to present the grand canyon in a way that wasnt postcard/wikipedia reference –ish. i’m just gonna show you one here, it gets repetitive after awhile anyway. and yes, i was at the outcrop in the picture above. AWESOME :D</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-kJgyGCkoI/AAAAAAAAACM/nTV8gCC_bQw/s1600-h/grand%20canyon-2%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="grand canyon-2" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="405" alt="grand canyon-2" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-kJhqQYQtI/AAAAAAAAACQ/bFOc8ruS174/grand%20canyon-2_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="610" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Me, Grand Canyon, Arizona</em></p> <p align="justify">The winds here are equally unrelenting. However, if you believe in all those indian spirit thingies, you do feel, in a moment of solitude, that the wind speaks to you. walk past a brush and hear the wind howl through it, as though discriminating your presence. Listen to the pine woods, as they howl and whistle, as though dispensing advice. Everything here feels alive, it feels spiritual, it feel so much more than simply awe insipiring photography. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-kJiGRchKI/AAAAAAAAACU/ul6BJpmBuIY/s1600-h/grand%20canyon-3%5B5%5D.jpg"><img title="grand canyon-3" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="417" alt="grand canyon-3" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-kJikbimWI/AAAAAAAAACY/Xrneafkh5Lk/grand%20canyon-3_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="626" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>South Rim Trail, Grand Canyon, Arizona. Lovely, I know</em></p> <p align="justify">Nature has a way of connecting us to life in a very unique way. and in the Grand Canyon, this interconnectedness was in full force to anyone who was willing to stop and smell the….. okay, there arent any flowers. lol. Again, pardon the superlatives. it’s hard keeping a straight mind at the end of the day.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-kJjTNw-yI/AAAAAAAAACc/CqHqvFsfPHM/s1600-h/grand%20canyon-4%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="grand canyon-4" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="423" alt="grand canyon-4" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-kJj5WyOdI/AAAAAAAAACg/5mqorXq-U68/grand%20canyon-4_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="636" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Deadfall, Grand Canyon, Arizona</em></p> <p>I’m signing off this post by saying that im moving to san francisco tomorrow. a whole new type of place awaits. It should be awesome, I can’t wait! If I have time tomorrow before the flight, I might rewrite some commentary or post up some additional comments. or i might just go whore around on facebook.</p> <p>cheers all!</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-72351455586040158272010-05-10T01:00:00.000-07:002010-05-10T01:03:42.725-07:009th May, Las Vegas, Nevada : Vegas, baby!<p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-e9yvXRqAI/AAAAAAAAABc/jOR8Jh1R9hk/s1600-h/vegas-4%5B6%5D.jpg"><img title="vegas-4" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="407" alt="vegas-4" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-e9zRMshgI/AAAAAAAAABg/3Uw3hZkNGEI/vegas-4_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="612" border="0" /></a> </p> <p align="justify"><em>DIY M&Ms, Las Vegas, NV. Check out the colours!</em></p> <p align="justify">I walked 12 miles today to save 6 bucks. do a pair of knees cost 6 bucks? </p> <p align="justify">neways, i made my way down to las vegas, nevada, and i decided to skip taking the half an hour bus and opt instead for a 3 hr walk.  so this entire trip turned into a 3 hr escapade.</p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-e90YJGluI/AAAAAAAAABk/XOagy58glWA/s1600-h/vegas-5%5B5%5D.jpg"><img title="vegas-5" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="405" alt="vegas-5" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-e91WdFI0I/AAAAAAAAABo/WNi-VOt-w08/vegas-5_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="610" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Entrance to Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas, NV</em></p> <p>unfortunately im way too tired. it’s 1am now and the bus to the grand canyon leaves at 6 so there. i need sleep. comments tomorrow, with the grand canyon pics aight. yeap, grand canyon….</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-e91xvfjrI/AAAAAAAAABs/Oi_WyW5jmTA/s1600-h/vegas-2%5B4%5D.jpg"><img title="vegas-2" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="412" alt="vegas-2" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-e93XfK_VI/AAAAAAAAABw/3Lfw0_dV9RI/vegas-2_thumb%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="620" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Evening Fountain Show, Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV</em></p> <p>really gotta run. listing down some sailent points lest i forget :</p> <p>-many chinese workers in casinos</p> <p>-decadent/opulent theme</p> <p>-disparity btw main strip and suburbs</p> <p>-the whole craziness of the place</p> <p>bonne nuit!</p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2886196341296372481.post-55405524150997947502010-05-09T10:19:00.001-07:002010-05-09T10:19:09.721-07:008th May, Atlanta, Moving out, Moving out<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-buggXqPeI/AAAAAAAAABE/jSQp465_LUI/s1600-h/GT24.jpg"><img title="GT-2" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="410" alt="GT-2" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-buhXbwlJI/AAAAAAAAABM/KoiCOF3yCCM/GT2_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="600" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>Back view of I-House, Atlanta, GA</em></p> <p>So, first attempt at blogging screwed up as my draft for my other blog went over this one. so i’m retyping this, and as you probably can tell, i have no patience to redo everything exactly the same way.</p> <p>To cut a long story short, I’m really going to miss my I-House experience. if any of you guys end up at GT, go to Ihouse. Trust me.</p> <p>But it’s time to move on, in more ways than you guys can shake a stick at. Vegas baby, here we go.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-buiXWI7aI/AAAAAAAAABQ/H9Jyl2PO_58/s1600-h/savannah104.jpg"><img title="savannah-10" style="border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="393" alt="savannah-10" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_3TpsIaYOIUg/S-bujCqYICI/AAAAAAAAABU/AiYreCnE_r4/savannah10_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="577" border="0" /></a> </p> <p><em>American Flag, Savannah, GA</em></p> BhLoAlCeKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16812432631008073162noreply@blogger.com0