click! click! bang! bang!

guilin: float through a chinese watercolor

Jun. 1st, 2009 | 05:22 am

there's a chinese saying about guilin: '桂林山水甲天下'. the approximate meaning of this saying is that one can see everything under the heavens in guilin's mountains and waters. this is attributable to the diverse geographic landscape of the surrounding limestone hills, which often resemble various animals or other scenery, especially when reflected in the li river.

truly, these hills live up to the reputation

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {15} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Canadian Winter: Snowstorm in Vancouver

Mar. 31st, 2009 | 12:24 pm

Here's an entry that's late to the show, I completely forgot that I haven't posted pictures from my winter vacation to Vancouver. I know, I know, who goes to Canada on winter break, right? But just look at the beautiful snow! Actually it doesn't really snow much in van, but when I was there there were record storms. Just my luck?

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {11} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Shanghai Redux

Mar. 19th, 2009 | 10:52 pm

more focus on the details, less on the major landmarks (compared to 05 album)

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {9} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Suzhou, dreams on the water

Mar. 18th, 2009 | 06:42 pm

Suzhou is often known as the 'Venice of the east' (along with Amsterdam, 'Venice of the north') for it's charming cannels and picture perfect river scenes. Unlike Venice proper, the city is actually quiet the major urban center just to the east of Shanghai. I think the most remarkable thing about this city is the diversity of it's views, however, for the sake of my camera I have kept it mostly in keeping with what the post card Suzhou would look like ;)

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {13} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Hope and Change Comes to America

Jan. 22nd, 2009 | 12:40 am

Sometimes you go around looking for history, sometimes history comes to you. This past week, the 44th president of the united states was swore in not 3 blocks from where I live, would I miss this opportunity to bring you the action? HELL NO!

The lines were long, the weather was cold, and I have never seen so many american flags in my entire life. But hope was in the air.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {20} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

viva las vegas

Dec. 23rd, 2008 | 10:53 pm

so back in the fall i took a trip with my gf to sin city. sorry it took so long to post the pictures but i must do so now since i have new canadian winter pix to put up next :)

basically i wasn't all that impressed with vegas, tacky spot in the sand with nothing but materialism. next time we'll try to get out of the strip and maybe that'll be better. but hey, some of it still made for awesome pictures.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {11} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

One World One Dream: Beijing 2008

Aug. 19th, 2008 | 05:58 pm

the eyes of the world fix on china as the XXIX Olympic games take place in Beijing. This city, also my hometown, was bursting to the seams with excitement, while the rest of the world looked on china's rise with understandable ambivalence, china celebrated their coming out party and the international spirit of sportsmanship in style.

( Read more... )

Tags: beijing, beijing olympics, china, olympics

Link | Leave a comment {34} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

hong kong/macau: one country two systems

Jul. 12th, 2008 | 01:21 pm

everyone says the air in hong kong is vented with cocaine. it's not hard to see why. the pace of life and shear energy here is just staggering. this is the most cosmopolitan place in china, a city with a feel more like new york or london than say shenzheng across the way in china. my time there was short, a few days, with a side trip to macau (only a hour away by speed boat). take a look.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {23} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

bay area: redux

Jun. 22nd, 2008 | 10:00 am

for your consideration, a snap shot of the last several weeks i spent working in the bay area. as this is not a 'trip' per se, i did not do the usual organizational categories, so that the snippet nature of the experience can show through more (and it's 3am and i'm lazy :P)

bonus points if you can guess where in the bay area some of the less obvious locations are :)

next, off to hong kong!

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {18} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

lake titicaca, the highest lake in the world

Mar. 11th, 2008 | 05:30 pm

south america's largest lake and the highest navigable body of water in the world, at 12,000 feet lake titicaca offers blistering sun even in the rainy reason, a plethora of birds, and some jaw dropping views. the surrounding town of puno was the launching point for our adventures, our luck could not have been better with the weather as we saw rainstorms, sunshine, and rainbows, all in a day on lake titicaca

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {19} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

inca trail: 4 days, 40 kms, 14,000 feet, 1 machu picchu

Mar. 11th, 2008 | 02:07 pm

we started the historic trek from ollantaytambo, around 2500m above sea level, and made our way to machu picchu in 4 days, averaging 10 kms a day, going through high elevation grasslands to the cloud forests of washiwanuscca, to eventually end up at machu picchu. this was definitely one of the most physically demanding things i've ever done on my travels, but man was it ever worth it

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {20} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

cuzco: heart of the inca empire

Mar. 11th, 2008 | 12:52 pm

cuzco was the heart of the incan empire during the time of its prime, its position at 10,000 feet above sea level, and the inca's love for stairs made the first couple of days in this city hard on the body, but the charm of the place, and the excellent guinea pig definitely overwrote the downsides.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {7} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

santorini, the good ol white and blue

Jan. 9th, 2008 | 07:19 pm

'the gates of paradise'

imagine running around the roof tops, jumping over the low walls that divide the balcony's of 1000 euro a night rooms overlooking a panoramic view of the ancient caldera, a volcano crater now filled by the rising ocean... the sun ripples in the sea, calm from afar but dancing with waves, as you jump from one white washed roof to another royal blue balcony, not a soul in sight or sound.

i know this is uber cheesy, but for a moment there in the light of the sunset i thought a little bit of heaven fell and i found it.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {15} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

from olympia to meteora: the greek mainland

Jan. 9th, 2008 | 11:04 am

i thought this picture, 'olives grove in the rain' was very appropriate as the title shot for the greek mainland album, since it rained or was overcast almost the entire time we were there, and there were literally olive trees EVERYWHERE on the greek mainland. i'm sure that everything we ate that entire time had olives in it.. from the sacred grounds of olympia to the misty rocks of meteora. lol

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {14} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

athens: more than the acropolis

Jan. 7th, 2008 | 04:40 pm

about 40% of greece lives in athens. everyone knows of athens as the cradle of democracy, the center of western civilization for much of its formative years, but it is so much more.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {16} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

crete: a very minoan christmas

Jan. 7th, 2008 | 07:52 am

I know I promised you guys the holy land, but at the last min my parental units chickened out of going to isreal, so we went to greece instead. not to worry, i will be heading there to the land of yarmulkes and jesus next spring break.

for now i present crete, largest of the greek islands, home to the minoan civilization, where i spent the first part of my time in greece.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {22} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

san francisco: i left something there... i forgot what

Sep. 13th, 2007 | 12:11 am

tis well into law school interviewing season, as i fly back and forth trying to hook up a job in the bay area, i can't help but post some pictures of this city that i have decided to move to after school is finished.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {30} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

rio de janiero: girls from ipanema

Aug. 19th, 2007 | 10:31 pm

rio, home to the sun worshiping cariocas, is a mix bag of tricks. its hard to sort out all the contradictions of the city, the beautiful beaches and pretty girls contrast heavily with the favelas and the constant reminders to be mindful of your safety. gliding over the city, speeding through the streets on a motorbike, or just tanning on copacabana, the only thing to do is to sit back and breath it all in.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {28} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

amazonia: in the jungle, the mighty jungle

Aug. 18th, 2007 | 07:22 pm

the amazon, where do i start? a river so vast that when you cross it, at points you cannot see the banks is home to life like i've never seen before. walking in the jungle, piranha fishing, or just floating down the amazon on a beautiful day in a little canoe. there's no place on earth like it.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {44} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

fireworks on the national mall: born on the 4th of july

Jul. 5th, 2007 | 12:51 am

O say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;

O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {25} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

upper egypt: curse of the pharaohs

Jan. 22nd, 2007 | 01:32 pm

the rest of my egyptian trip was spent cruising down the nile. while this would normally be a very tame adventure, due to some unauthorized picture taking inside the pyramids by my brother, our trip became cursed at this point. his camera memory card was erased by a mysterious error upon exiting the pyramid, and we were afflicted with all sorts of unfortunate events on our cruise down the nile (trip cancelations, boat delays, problematic rooms assignments, 2 car accidents, etc). i am still recovering from my sickness now, more then 2 weeks after the conclusion of the trip.

( Read more... )

( a note on how i am able to travel so much )

Link | Leave a comment {50} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

lower egypt: see the pyramids along the nile

Jan. 20th, 2007 | 10:34 pm

lower (or northern) egypt was my first stop. to say that the pyramids were amazing or that the sphinx was mysterious is beyond cliche. i wish i could convey the experience of standing at the harbor of alexandria, watching the waves crash in the shadow of an ancient fort after a thunderstorm, or make you feel the claustrophobia of crawling through the belly of the great pyramid of khafre. it was a sad loss to me that i could not take a picture of the amazing golden death mask of the boy king tutankhamen or keep the faint flagrance of mint tea and shisha hanging in the air at the markets of khalili in a jar to bring home... next time i'll have to stay a little longer.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {58} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

dubai: extravagance in progress

Jan. 16th, 2007 | 06:24 pm

possibly the world's largest construction zone, dubai sites somewhere between the twilight of authentic arabian values and an orgy of materialism. while we did not stay long in the tiny emirate, the city no less gave me the impression of striking contrast.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {35} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

wahabi desert: sand and oasis

Jan. 15th, 2007 | 11:15 am

we spent some time out in the wahabi desert. in the day, you can see wisps of sand crawl along the dunes, trailing into the endless sands. in the night, if you lay on the cool sand and look up, you see all the stars and hear nothing but silence and peace.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {41} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

muscat oman: desert flower on an oil patch

Jan. 14th, 2007 | 06:35 pm

out in oman the desert creeps right up to where the sea begins. this is where we started our vacation. a desert nation of poverty only recently 'blessed' with crude discoveries, oman, unlike its more posh neighbor the UAE, still retains some of its rustic flavor.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {36} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

new york new york:i came, i ate huge slices of pizza, i conquered

Nov. 30th, 2006 | 02:18 pm

thanksgiving in new york. another sunset, another monument, this trip, giving me the addition of the met and MOMA, completed my grand tour of every major museum of western art. one more item off that life 'to do' list (#5). every new yorker i know always speak of 'the city' with a sort of loving awe.. a part of me can see that through the bustling crowds, while another part of me wonders what kind of city lives behind the wall of postcard perfect scenes

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {141} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

washington: land of the free, home of the brave

Sep. 24th, 2006 | 09:53 pm

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {18} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

home at last: a canadian summer

Aug. 13th, 2006 | 03:19 pm

here are some pictures from the last month or so, where i spend the summer in beautiful western canada, the pictures comes from calgary vancouver and the canadian rockies in between. i've been all over the world, but this is where home is.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {44} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Thailand: land of smiles

Jul. 19th, 2006 | 02:34 pm

Bangkok is all glitz and lights, golden temples buried in a sea of skyscrapers, a place where the nights fade into day and you forget where the time went.

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {19} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

cambodia: chasing butterflies through the rainforest

Jul. 14th, 2006 | 01:45 am

cambodia was by far the most remote and poor country i've ever visited. however, it was also one of the most beautiful... regretablly i was only in the country for 3 days. but angkor wat, the world's largest religious monument made the trip well worth making. there is no feeling like walking through the deep rainforest, only birds in your ears and ancient ruins to pave your path.
( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {32} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

REDS GO TOGHETHER! : korea's national obsession

Jun. 14th, 2006 | 05:47 pm

as most of the world outside north america is aware, the world cup is currently underway in germay. i venture to say that no country in the world save perhaps brazil is as football crazy as the koreans. this is a place where a strong nationalism is carried by the country's football team. who shocked the world with a final four appearance in the 2002 world cup hosted by korea/japan. ever since then, korea's national pride has been tide up with the national team, aka 'the red devils'. these days one cannot turn on the tv without seeing some sort of world cup related show, commercial, song, etc etc. my classes have been know to spontaneously break out in football songs, and the children all sport red jerseys and korea team stickers.

yesterday was the first korea world cup finals appearance. about 100,000 people packed a near by intersection to watch, not the finals, not the semi finals, JUST THE FIRST GAME. all over korea millions of people clad in red hit the streets to the sound of '대한민국'. here's their story:

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {3} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

inter-racial marriage: funny costumes for everyone!

Apr. 18th, 2006 | 04:37 pm

on the weekend two of my coworkers got married. a canadian guy and a korean girl. they got themselves a very traditional korean wedding. with traditional music, dancing, costumes and everything. and the funniest thing was that since most of the groom's friends were white, you had a bunch of white boys running around in 한복 (hanbok: traditional korean dress)

( Read more... )

Link | Leave a comment {16} | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

cherry blossoms: wish i were in kyoto :P

Mar. 26th, 2006 | 10:41 pm

cherry blossoms are admired because they only bloom for a short time before falling in a beatiful pink rain to the earth, reminding us of the passing nature of life, or something like that.

( Read more... )