hobography

LA

2011-11-13T23:44:00.000-08:00

I've been visiting LA probably once a month ever since I left this February, but I've never brought my camera for reasons of laziness and thrifty packing. Last visit I changed my mind.

Morning light

Morning coffee

Dessert

Some sun

That's a wrap

2011-11-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

It took me forever, but I finally got through my Japan photos. On to the next one

Day 19: Last night in Tokyo

2011-08-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

Epic meal time. The meal at Ryugin started off at the wrong restaurant. Our taxi driver mistakenly took us to a very fancy looking steak house in Roppongi. After searching frantically we finally found the very austere restaurant.

One menu, one seating.

I got the sake pairing.

The menu is presented under a porcelain dish in a hand made envelope on Japanese rice paper

Glass of pinot blanc for the lady and Yuki no bousya akita for me

Chef Yamamoto's interprestation of Spring "Wakatake" with Tender Simmered Abalone

Premiom Sea urchin from Hakodate and cold egg custard, grilled corn style with dry shrimp jelly sauce

This dish, along with another I ate at Thomas Keller's French Laundry is the best thing I've ever eaten. So good.

hakurakusei miyagi to wash it down

Each plate is misted to indicate that the chef has checked it and it is ready to go to table.

Ichiban Dashi Soup with Lightly Grilled Greenling Fish colorful Flower Style
The interesting thing about this soup was how insanely simple yet complicated the broth was.

As an example, take a look at how tight and small the fat globules were. Like champagne bubbles. Pretty amazing.

What goes with soup? Sake. Tenmei fukushima
I'm pretty sure this was the sake that you cannot get outside a particular region of Japan. Apparently it is hard to transport because it must remain at a very specific temperature. It was really unique tasting and delicious.

Marinated Sakura Sea Bream from naruto, Monkfish Liver from Yoichi, Hokkaido with Fragrance of Sakura. I like how the location of each ingredient is just as important

Baby Spear Squid from Aomori with Fragrance of Sudachi
Where's the Sake you ask? I had to ask them to slow it down at this point :P

Japanese Spring Vegetable in one plate. Basically EVERY seasonal vegetable was expertly prepared in this dish. I've had something similar at Melisse in Los Angeles and it's always interesting to sample the different flavors and textures at once.

Kokoryu hiirazu fukui (nama sake)

Charbroiled Alfonsino from Shimoda bay, Roasted rice on top, with Black Vinegar sauce and Chopped Vegetable Pickles

Chargrilled Sendai Beef from Miyagi with Oroshi Ponzu Sauce, Simmered Archilles and Small Beef Meatball.

This is what top of the line A5 beef from Japan looks like

Yes. I got it again. It was that good

Simmered rice with Tea of Sakura with Sakura Shrimp. Also really really good

-196 degree celsius candy apple. Before.

After.

Hot Parfait RyuGin Style Vol.6 Strawberry and Red Bean

Matcha. Amazing.

Some other really amazing tea.

So the summary is that everything was tasty. That's a given at a place like this. The sake pairing was an experience because I've never tasted such a drastically different collection of sakes. As for the meal, more than anything, I marveled at the care one could see that went into making each dish. Even though the flavors were really simple, the efforts that went into creating such simple dishes was the beauty of this meal.

Cost me what I spent on my hotel for 2 nights, but worth it.

Day 18: Reasons why I love Japan

2011-08-18T01:40:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile, which means that I've been pretty busy. Time to chip away at my "to do" list, starting with this entry. Here are a couple of reasons why I love Japan.

The bartender creating a simple vodka martini. We ended up being friends by the end of the night. He even walked me to the elevator to hand me his card. Mental note. Next time bring business cards.

THE BEST martini I've ever had in my life. It was finished off tableside and was beautiful

Someday. One for the bartender too, who told me he's never tried it because it's too expensive, but he brought it to the table just to show me. He seemed almost proud presenting them.

Words cannot describe how beautiful this image is to me. *sigh*

Day 18?: night

2011-07-17T22:53:00.000-07:00

Tokyo at night. There's not a lot of cities in the world where you can walk around at night with an expensive camera and still feel completely safe. Tokyo is one of them.

I liked the lighting on this one

neato scooter

Such pretty lighting and shapes.

I love trains

I liked how clean the ground was.

Day 18?: Fooood

2011-07-06T22:32:00.001-07:00

Like I said before, not sure if this is in order anymore but here are some of the tasty things I ate in Tokyo.

I don't know what he was yelling...

But OMG he was right. Some of the best ice cream I've ever had.

Unpasteurized caramels. Tastes like a triple cream french cheese and a caramel mixed together.

Only a serious soba place would make their own beer.

Hand made each day for centuries and very very good

Pork cutlet, beaten until thin and then folded back over. The most delicate texture and still full of flavor.

Day 18? I dunno. Everything is out of order

2011-07-04T01:07:00.001-07:00

So it's finally come to this. I can't remember which day was which. I obviously left this too long.

If you are a fan of Miyazaki, you owe it to yourself to go visit his museum. It's wonderful, and if I was a billionaire, I'd add 10 new wings to the museum so that I could wander the halls all day.

I love this world.

Day 18: Tsukiji was closed

2011-06-12T23:17:00.000-07:00

So we walked around Ginza instead. But first, a pic I forgot from the night before.

The market was one block away. Sad I missed it this time around.

Pretty sure he was relieving himself

Ginza is quiet early in the morning.

Day 17: Night

2011-06-09T01:09:00.000-07:00

Walking around with my old school 50mm. It takes a lot of practice, but when I can nail the focus, I like the results.

Cooking something delicious

"The job is done, bring the car around"

"Yes boss"

Notice how clean the taxi is, even the rims. Working hard and taking pride in it; two things I can relate to.

Day 17: Need some help

2011-06-03T01:48:00.000-07:00

I can't quite remember exactly what happened the rest of the day, thus the title. The saddest part about not being in Japan is that when you're there there's so much you soak in that when you're away there's so much to forget.

Thank you natural skybox

For Charles and Allison

When I saw this walking past, it reminded me of HK movies from teh 90's for some reason. Not a remarkable photo, but there's a story somewhere there.

Day 17: Stuff face then walk it off

2011-06-01T20:09:00.001-07:00

Our purpose of the day was to eat at one of the supposedly best ramen places in Tokyo. Unfortunately, they do not allow pictures. They only open for 4 hours a day, 4 days a week, and yes, there is a line even before it opens.

If you're seeing this, turn around. Menya Kissou is right behind you.

Working off the ramen

"Don't wear that white skirt and stripped shirt today k? Okay"

Line up for a new Gundam Cafe that just opened up. They probably could have charged for oxygen in there.

This took awhile to get the spacing right, with nobody else in frame. Thank you plaid shirt person for rocking it.

Day 17: Wait a sec...I'm in Tokyo already

2011-05-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

You will not find streets this clean anywhere else in a major metropolis

Love skinny buildings

Chillin

Day 16: long day = empty stomach

2011-05-24T23:45:00.000-07:00

Time to eat

The chef

The refreshment

The food

The walk back. Go ahead, talk to her.

Day 16: Bridges are the best

2011-05-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

It's like a poor man's crane.

Traffic

What is this kid doing by herself?

Two points for green.

Day 16: market

2011-05-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

Somewhere among the northern jaunts of Kyoto there is a market that consists of an alleyway that cuts across the city for dozens of blocks.

Didn't try one of these little guys

Did try this though. They roasted the tea right there for you according to your tastes.

Something for him. Sorta.

Something for her.

Day 16: Last temple

2011-05-19T00:08:00.000-07:00

Not a great photo, but I like it for some reason.

The hand is saying something. I'm not sure what yet, but I agree.

In my way = in my picture.

Looks almost fake.

Day 16: Last of this temple promise

2011-05-10T01:19:00.000-07:00

Wow I'm behind.

Wish I could erase that random man on the right

Hard to see in a pic so small, but there's a policeman in there if you look carefully

This would look better large.

Day 16: More temples

2011-04-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

I'll start of this post by saying that I've once again forgotten by now the name of this temple, but I would, upon returning to Kyoto be able to find it on a map. And yes I will return.

I believe it is tradition to wash your hands before entering. I've seen some wash their faces and even drink from the water as well.

Damn those cones

Hello!

If only that tree on the right wasn't there :P Loved the temple seeing outfit though.

Day 16: umbrellas

2011-04-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

Japan and umbrellas. You can't go wrong.

I like how she's holding the umbrella.

Stylin.

Day 16: More temples

2011-04-10T14:18:00.000-07:00

Back at Kyoto station to head off to more temples

The temple

The hat

Day 15: More nightlife

2011-04-09T17:27:00.000-07:00

Some go out, others go home.

The menu

The crowd

The end

day 15: nightlife

2011-03-25T00:40:00.000-07:00

The nightlife in Kyoto is rather unique in that it largely appears that there isn't one. If Tokyo is the nightclub with music blaring out onto the streets, Kyoto is the speakeasy. One minute a silent alleyway, but a couple hidden turns and a staircase and you can already hear the clinking of glasses as they meet with beer inside.

Fast lens = bright night images.

I probably should have cropped in a little more.

The alleyway

The place to be.

The reward: chicken gizzards and beer. Life is good.

Good night.

Day 15 pt 4: couples and trains

2011-03-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

Dang flower.

Love this green

Day 15: pt3

2011-03-19T16:02:00.000-07:00

Some BW's on the way to the temple. Once again, I've forgotten the name of it, but I could have easily spent a day hiking around through the the thousands of tori.

Once again, a nostalgic photo.

Day 15: pt 2

2011-03-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to putting my computer together and hooking up my network. I've been away from the blog for quite some time now due to my recent move. Ironically, what motivated me to finally get back to it was because - like many people these days - my thoughts are on Japan. It is such a wondrous and beautiful place for me, and it upsets me greatly to see what it's going through right now. If there is any country that can rally through disaster and persevere, it is Japan. I imagine it will do it with speed, grace and hopefully with the help of many other countries.

Here's pt 2 of my temple day in Kyoto. There was a temple that I wasn't able to see the last time I was in Kyoto so I made the effort this time to make the trip down. First stop some food, then Kyoto station.

I am a stalker

Outside the station. Loved the blue against the intense red bus.

Inside the station. If you squint it looks like a Picasso collage.

Love stairs. Always so dramatic. Elevators are boring.

Had to come back here as an homage

Day 15: Temples

2011-01-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

Kyoto, to me is where you go to see temples and get a quick taste of the more traditional side of Japan. I can't remember the name of this temple, but the journey to get there and actually find it was just as entertaining as the place itself.

Where you wash your hands and the statues. Each one represents something. I forget what.

The ladle

That fountain overlooks this cemetary

There is a significance to all the statues, I forget what though.

There's a name for these fancy types of arrangements, and I can't remember what it's called. I wanted to see a lot more of them, but this is the only one I got to see during the trip. Next time I'll be sure to see more. It's strange but the composition of these things are really quite extraordinary if you pay close attention.

Sun is out, so it's black and white :)

Much better light in the shade. This bamboo trail led to the water fountain in the first image.

Looking back before leaving. Light was pretty harsh, but I still like this one for some reason.

Day 14: Dinner and a stroll

2011-01-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

One of the hardest things to do in Japan is find a place to eat. Not because there aren't plenty of choices, but rather, a lot of the establishments sell the same thing and it's hard to tell which one is the best.

Soba tower

Seasonal assortment

Cool fountain

Personal eating stations for McDonalds

Good night!

Day 14: Kyoto Tower

2011-01-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

I think for me the best thing about going back to Kyoto Tower was that it felt familiar. The entrance was different and they had done a lot of renovations to the hotel below in the several years that I had been away. But of course, the view was largely the same.

Those telescopes to me are always a waste of money. Here was my first pic of them:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/akim_hobo/123478501/in/set-72157604303381201/

It is a rare moment in Japan when you can have a clear view of just one person. I stood here for quite a while wishing that everybody would go away and that the classy gentleman wouldn't.

One of the many views

Looks like a video game

Love how clean this looks. I don't even think I tilted and it still looks miniature due to the vibrant colours and how clean Kyoto is in general.

I remember we were thinking of finding out where this rooftop party/dinner was and trying to eat there. Should have.

If I were to try and describe Japan in a simple photo. This would do nicely.

The view from the outside.

Day 14: On to the next one

2010-12-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

Thinking back, I liked how small Hiroshima felt, and yet I know that we barely scratched the surface of that city. The dome, museum, Tokyu hands, okonomiyaki, and of course the ridiculously good tsukemen. I must go back.

Bye bye bikes

Hello passengers

Hello station

I have no idea where I took this, but I like it.

Hello Kyoto!

Day 14: A walk in the park

2010-12-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

Pretty sunny so not many good captures here. The park was very nice though.

The central pond

Man vs Nature. I imagine the garden's designers purposely creating views like this.

I liked this bridge. If you look closely there are people on top :)

Day 14: A walk to the park

2010-12-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

Another rule of traveling: as important as it is to spend at least one night out, one should try to wake up ridiculously early for one day as well. I started this practice due to the requirements of light when taking pictures. I usually get my best photos in early mornings when I travel because not only is the light better, but it's easier to capture people alone in their environments.

In Hiroshima I slept in. Oh well.

Rain shield, sun shield

An example of how awesome the light makes everything look, even something ordinary like a trolley

Sun's out. When old ladies take cover, your light is too harsh to take pictures anymore. That should be another rule of photography

Day 13: Night

2010-12-01T17:22:00.000-08:00

It was a long day, but as a general rule, one should always spend at least one night out in a city before you go. I'm glad we did.

The same bridge I took pictures of earlier. It was almost impossible to get focus in the dim light and without a split prism on my manual 50 1.2

Liked the texture of this one.

This is in a bar where I had my first cocktail ever in Japan. It was the second best martini I've ever had in my entire life. The best being in Shinjuku. While while the western bar scene may be more creative. Nobody has spent more time making the perfect simple cocktail than the bartenders in Japan.

The view from the window

The best. I remember now ordering a vodka martini, simply because it was the only drink I was sure they would understand in English that I also enjoyed drinking sometimes. Seriously amazing.

Another tasty cocktail. I forget which

Walking back to the hotel. Liked the colours.

Liked the shadow on this one.

Day 13: Best meal ever?

2010-11-29T00:37:00.000-08:00

Been eating a lot this weekend at random places. This would have made it the best weekend ever.

Step one: Quench one's thirst

Step two: Request spiciness level

Step three: Blow mind away

Step four: Put out fire on tongue with snack

Rejoice

One last longing glance backwards at a perfect meal

Day 13: Simple

2010-11-23T14:46:00.000-08:00

Hiroshima is simple. I like that.

Underneath the museum.

Sun is setting

Such peace in this place. I want to go back.

Day 13: My favourite things

2010-11-17T10:28:00.000-08:00

Having trouble remembering details already, which means that I'll have to soon do a massive upload of my images before I forget what I did that day. From what I can remember, we walked around to the Hiroshima Dome, the monument directly below where the bomb detonated and eventually made our way to the museum. Add bridges to the list of my favourite things.

Bridge + Umbrella = win

Bridge + Bike = win

One can see the dome through the arch of this monument. Many people frequented this monument. The thought put into it, and the space around it was just beautiful.

Day 13: Time to eat

2010-11-14T21:14:00.000-08:00

There were two main reasons we were in Hiroshima. The first being the museum, and indeed it lived up to its expectations. The second was the Hiroshima style okonomiyaki. It too did not disappoint.

Gratuitous bike photo

Rain stops. Bus stop.

Delicious.

Day 13: A pause in the rain

2010-11-05T00:12:00.000-07:00

As the rain began to fade, our hunger grew and so the search for a delicious breakfast was on. For some reason most stores and restaurants were closed so we had a tough time finding something. What we ended up with was a cafe that ended up being quite good.

Everything is closed

There is a better crop here, I am just being lazy I suppose

Finally, breakfast. This place was quite busy with men reading newspapers and quietly sipping tea.

Day 13: Umbrellas

2010-11-01T21:34:00.001-07:00

Ok, I screwed up the date on the last post, and I had pics from two different days, so I'm setting it straight with umbrellas. It was my sincere wish that it pour when I was in Tokyo. I've forever been a fan of Japanese woodblock prints, in particular Hiroshige, bonus points if you know what print I'm talking about. Anyways, as it turns out, I only got Hiroshima, which for what I envisioned, didn't quite have the population density I wanted for a capture. Also, dreaming about umbrella pics is much more pleasant than actually taking pictures in the pouring rain. Maybe it was a good thing it didn't rain again in Tokyo.

I wish there were twice the people.

Seems like the lady sized clear plastic umbrellas were popular. Yes, I bought one.

This one was unique.

It only takes a glance to make you feel like you're being creepy.

Day 13: Hiroshima in Black and White

2010-10-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

Never been to Hiroshima before, but I felt comfortable walking around late at night with expensive camera equipment. That's a great litmus test I think for how safe a city is.

Again, love these shelters

A spiral staircase allows pedestrians to cross the street without disrupting traffic. There should be more of these everywhere!

Ok, I'm cheating a little because this was the next day, but it matches :)

Day 12: Hiroshima

2010-10-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to coming here for a long time. Mostly for the memorial, but also for the sign of something different. Of a city that had undergone some dramatically obvious change. Instead I find the resilience of the Japanese people. The city is different than others, but it didn't feel defined or scarred by tragedy. It makes me wonder how long the world trade center site will remain a gaping hole, and a center for controversy.

Love the shelters in this city.

Also love the trolleys. Electricity for the win.

The best tsukemen I had was here. One of my most memorable meals.

Day 11: Goodbye

2010-10-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

Last day on this island. I will be back.

Frog!

Goodbye Yakushima. I will miss you forever.

Day 10: Long story short

2010-10-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

I could bombard you with endless pictures of green, but I'll summarize for the sake of the backlog of other pics I have waiting. We of course eventually made it to see Jomon. Sadly, due to my worrying that we didn't have enough time to make it back, we didn't stay long enough to take time in taking some pictures. Oddly enough we paused to snack just 30 mins or so before reaching the top. Perhaps I'll make another pilgrimage to see Jomon. Without further adieu...

Like I said, I didn't get a lot of time to take a good pic.

The way back was a mad dash to make it in time to catch our bus. If I remember correctly, hiking in took 5-6 hours. But hiking back was easily half that. Whoops. Here is a blue shed and a green shed living in perfect harmony

I think this was there to get rid of some rubble that blocked part of the trail due to a rock slide.

Day 10: Still hiking

2010-09-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

Ahem..

Armed with plenty of water and tasty Japanese snacks we continued on the 6 hour hike up the mountain. As I continued to climb, I eventually tucked my camera away into my hiking backback for fear of a fall ending my photo taking. The ground was pretty slick in certain areas so I decided to play it safe.

Directions. Not much help.

Another waterfall.

I liked the root systems that were probably revealed through the slow erosion of the soil over hundreds of years.

Each large tree here had a name. I forgot what this one was, but it was I think almost one thousand years old. Like Jomon's little baby brother.

Day 10: More hike

2010-09-23T23:56:00.000-07:00

Lots more to see on this hike

Every once in a while the trail would open up to reveal a dried up riverbed, or the surrounding forest.

I liked the way the trees lined the trail.

Everything was covered in a healthy coating of moss.

Day 10: the hike

2010-09-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

Not much to say other than here's more hiking pics:

These were freaky to cross over

The view looking down

Everything was very green. Almost too green, as it makes for uninteresting photos

Day 10: It's game time

2010-09-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

An early morning bus ride into the clouds and a quick bathroom break before we headed out on one of the best hikes I've ever been on.

We didn't have a guide so I wasn't fully stretched and warm like these hikers were.

This was the first bridge we crossed. There were a lot of bridge crossings on the hike. Most of them just bare train tracks elevated over a shear drop. We counted how many on the way back, but I forget now.

Although fun at first. Walking over train tracks eventually really sucks on the legs. If ever confronted with such a trail, walk on the side.

Much much more to come.

Day 9: Dinner

2010-09-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

What better way to end the day.

Perfect thirst quencher

And if that doesn't do it, this will. It seems like the locals all keep a personal bottle of soju there

Yakitori assortment

Yum

One more please

Thanks

Day 9: end of the island

2010-09-02T00:05:00.001-07:00

As we began to approach the end of the line for our tour around the island, the scenery became less interesting and as hunger set in, we had other things on our minds.

Our car

The coast

A random ~~church~~ lighthouse at the end of a very narrow winding road.

More trees and paths that we didn't have time to explore.

I liked how it was the only contrasting color and composition of the environment

Day 9: more ocean, more falls

2010-08-29T23:59:00.000-07:00

Decided to go see the ocean today. Going through my Yakushima pics makes me miss the ocean. It's funny how close I am to the ocean, and yet I probably see it once a year.

Yakushima waves and sunshine.

Another waterfall

I liked the patina on these guardrails.

Day 9: Cruise and hike

2010-08-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

Our goal was to drive around the island for the day as there's a road that runs around it. Narrow at times, and always interesting. Monkeys, deer, waterfalls, and beautiful scenery. We didn't have a lot of time to stop by all the places we wanted to though.

This car was parked at the top of the hill after climbing from the beach.

We stopped by a place where we thought we could hike to see this.

There was a more strenuous climb past the waterfall but we didn't make it because we were on a tight schedule, and somebody was pooped :)

There was a ton of wildlife on the road, which ironically kept people from driving too fast naturally. Christina figured out a way to get them to look at you too. But that was after this photo.

Day 9: Breakfast

2010-08-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Eating in Yakushima was a different experience than Saigon. I couldn't walk around aimlessly in the mornings and pick and choose what I wanted that morning, made fresh. I had to purchase things at the market the night before to ensure we had stuff to eat the next day. What we traded for food convenience we got in beautiful air and landscape.

The outside of the hostel.

We encounter some early risers on our way to pick up the car, or food. I don't remember

Breakfast.

The view.

Day 9: Patient model

2010-08-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

Thank you random stranger for being up so early and ignoring me as I took your picture.

I forget what she was doing. I think she had some shellfish?

I think someday I'll compile all the photos I've taken that remind me of Millet. I should go tighter on this unless I print it big later.

I like stencils

Day 9: More sunrise

2010-08-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how different each sunrise looks despite them all being taken within a span of half an hour.

This would look better bigger because you lose the awesome texture on the siding.

Early.

Mid.

Late. It started getting to hot/bright to photograph without me going blind so I turned around and got some of the harbour. More later.

Day 9: Good morning

2010-08-19T16:39:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles has some of the world's best weather. Plenty of sunshine all year. Why is it that I miss sunsets and sunrises so much? Yakushima reminded me.

One reason why our hostel was one of the best places we stayed. This was the view from outside our room.

I like this one because it looks like there's a light on inside of the house. Really it's the sunlight ricocheting around inside.

We were right next to a warehouse like area. Some cool silhouettes.

Day 8: evening

2010-08-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

Funny thing about that day was that it got brighter towards sunset as the clouds that had rained on the island previous to arrival moved on. I took it as a good sign.

The "walk" man has a fancy hat and a suit. Love it.

Sunset. Such a nice quality of light.

What better way to end the day. I ended up hungry for food while Christina lay passed out from exhaustion. I went searching and found this izakaya place. I was the only person there for most of my meal and nobody spoke english, so I ordered in Japanese from memory of my favourite dishes: Butta Kakuni, teba saki, agedashi tofu, yaki nasu, grilled saba, etc. They then just told me what they didn't have.

Day 8: more amazing clouds

2010-08-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

If I remember correctly, the sun decided to make an appearance, and with it, the clouds changed from the gloomy overcast variety to the dramatic beauty that I could not quite capture. There were rainbows that appeared everywhere and because the clouds were so low lying, every second that passed created a new composition that was breathtaking. It was a great late afternoon.

Here's what I could muster.

\
Gloom

Here comes the sun. (do do do doo)

I couldn't quite capture how awesome the sky was.

A different perspective

Day 8: Still cloudy

2010-08-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

Things were pretty quiet in town so we checked in and went for a stroll. That's code for: we went to look for food.

Last call for gas

Loving the tiny cars

This is one of the reasons I have to go back to Yakushima. Apparently this leaf, will serve as new growth for the plant. Just need to add water. I'm definitely going to smuggle one back the next time I go there.

Day 8: Jetfoil to Yakushima

2010-08-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

From the train station in Kagoshima, there is a bus that takes you straight to the jet foil dock where you can board your high speed boat to Yakushima island. You don't ever have to walk anywhere except to board your vessel of choice. Not only that, the schedules seem to be timed quite nicely somewhere. How very efficient.

The view from the docks before boarding. I'm not sure what that building is, but it reminds me of a prison.

On board the jetfoil. It got us there in under 2 hours, which if I remember correctly is less than half the time a ferry would take.

Random silo next to our hostel. This ended up being one of the best places we stayed at while in Japan. Loved the stillness and calm of this island.

This road leads to our hostel. I like how it looks like a storm is coming. But really it was leaving to leave us in sunshine for the next several days.

Day 8: Train to Kagoshima

2010-08-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

I love train stations. I love the hustle of the people, the timed efficiency of the arrivals and departures, and I love the architectural structures of form meeting function. Riding on a train is knowing where you're going to go, and when you're going to get there. On time, every time.

I miss that.

"Oh my gosh, did you just ride a train?"
"Why yes I did?"
"Oh my gosh! Me too! Life is good!"

Clean and professional.

My view. I also like factories. Just not pollution.

Day 7: More night

2010-08-05T22:39:00.000-07:00

I'm sleepy.

A random dark corner transformed by soft light into...a less dark corner.

I like this because it's green and it reminds me of how I felt when taking it.

Goodnight.

Day 7: When the bikes come out

2010-08-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

Japan is one of those great places where you always find something interesting to photograph at night. Partly because it's so well lit that there's enough light, and also partly because there's always people, or evidence of people around you. And when there isn't, it's just as good.

lonely bike.

A secret robot disguised as a vending machine.

Another lonely bike. I love how it seems as if nobody steals bikes in Japan.

Day 7: Shopping and Ramen

2010-07-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

Fukuoka, aside from being a convenient stepping stone from Shanghai is known for it's Hakata style ramen. We asked around and apparently the easiest thing to do is to go to the mall and dine at Ramen Stadium. Which essentially is an entire floor dedicated to ramen in various styles. I think what we ate was authentic Hakata, but really, I have no way of knowing. It was very tasty though.

At the mall. I believe this was the first flowered pant that we saw. I'm not sure what is the motivation for this popular style in Japan, but I think it's not attractive at all. Pink works on the bike though.

Ah Ha!

It's dark out now.

We walked towards a bright light after exiting the Mall and passed by this car. The "bright lights" ended up being the entertainment district. We were entertained.

Day 7: Japan

2010-07-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

We land in Fukuoka and everything is different. Everything is clean. Everything is quiet. I can almost already taste the ramen.

On the shuttle from the terminal to the airport. We're thinking the same thing. Dinner.

It rained in the city earlier, makes the ordinary interesting.

I'm not sure why it was so empty everywhere, that did not last though.

Picture of a picture of a bike.

Day 7: Japan, here we come

2010-07-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

It's the train to Shanghai for a night, then a flight to Japan. My only regret is that I never really got to see the other side of the Bund. Also, not enough massages. Also, I miss the pan fried dumplings.

Our hotel was straight up that street.

This reminded me of somebody.

The Shanghai airport. I love airports.

Day 6: We out

2010-07-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Some parting shots of West Lake before we hopped back on the train to Shanghai.

This is me in 50 years.

This was me 10 years ago.

The ramp to the train station

Day 6: Almost done with Hangzou

2010-07-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

Hangzou felt rushed. Certainly a day isn't enough, and it's also one of those places where you need good weather in order to enjoy it properly. Kind of like LA. Without the constant sunshine, there's not a whole lot left to see. Only a day away from Japan. Luckily, rain or shine, there's plenty to see there.

Love this type of tiled roof

Business is slow with the muggy weather

Day 6: Last of the garden

2010-07-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

The last of the garden pics. It turns out as we hailed a cab for the ride back that we were in the not as pretty part of the lake, had we turned south instead of continually walking north, I think we would have fared better. Oh well, gives me a reason to go back.

Another bicycle/cart guy!

Yes, there was colour here, just a lot of bad light.

More of that great grass.

Day 6: more garden

2010-07-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Still wandering around the garden. Can't quite remember if this was one day or the next. Things are already becoming fuzzy for me.

One of the many small ponds around the lake

I liked how this looked like a mini forest.

The amazing part of this area was that there were no mosquitoes, even in this calm water.

Had to fit a bike in there somehow :)

Day 6: The lake and the garden

2010-07-12T23:10:00.000-07:00

Slightly tired of walking we decided to take a scooter/rickshaw/taxi thing to westlake to cut our time. Or maybe I'm remembering wrong, and this is the time we took the taxi.

Either way, it was a lazy day.

Still overcast

Being overcast though lets you shoot during the day and not have everything blow completely out. This one with the EP2

This one the D700

Day 6: EP2 vs Hangzou

2010-07-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

Didn't take a lot of pics in Hangzou despite it supposedly being one of the most picturesque places in China to photograph. I ended up more interested in getting my laundry done and getting to Japan. Here's what my EP2 saw

They have bikes that you can rent for the day and ride around. Such a great idea, but we unfortunately never ended up doing this.

The lake. Rather foggy due to the weather.

Not sure what this cart was for, just like the way the detail turned out.

I tried many times to get her perfectly in the middle of the metal doors without any camera tilt, but this was the closest I came to what I envisioned. Next time I'm just going to be creepy and stop and snap it, instead of taking it like a spy.

They keep this square nice and clean, even after it rains.

So close to making a book about bikes. Just need a few more pictures :P

My search for pulled noodles ends. They were good, but not the best. If I could have them right now of course they'd be spectacular.

*sigh*

Day 5: Last meal

2010-07-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

Travelling is as much about food as it is about the sites and photography for me. So what was the best meal in Shanghai? The breakfasts were cheap and delicious, and so were the other delectable stalls serving food so cheap and good it should be illegal. But the winner has to be this pan fried dumpling place. The inside was filled with a pork soup like mixture that had some sort of curry like spice to them.

I believe this was our second helping of it. Or was it the third?

I grab other breakfast items to feed my sleeping co-traveler.

Train station at Hangzou.

Rain + overcast light makes me think of Vietnam

Day 5: Last morning in Shanghai

2010-07-06T11:22:00.001-07:00

I trotted out early this morning to try and get a sense of the city before it became filled with people.

Empty! This was right across from our hotel.

Under the freeway.

I'm guessing that the wire boxes are for hanging your laundry. Still the cheapest way to dry your clothes

Last bike pic in Shanghai

My favourite of the morning. Couldn't have taken this during the day for sure. Seems like in Shanghai, pedestrians hit the streets before cars do.

Day 4: Bread and Dinner

2010-07-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

The day was really overcast which made it bearable to walk across town to get a sandwich.

I love this one because it looks like I took it at a museum of national history. The lighting is so flat and even, and the people seem so posed, as if they were mannequins. They are really working on the grounds of the library. Looks like they have a long way to go.

Shot this in near darkness in a back alley of some night market in Shanghai. I can't remember for the life of me what it was called though. We were supposed to eat here, but didn't find anything appetizing.

Wait for it....

...And my love for noodles continues.

Day 4: Shopping and the search for bread

2010-06-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

We eventually escaped the market with two new handbags and an appetite. Undeterred by our previous attempt to find good bread, we set out to the French quarter to find a place that we were guaranteed had great bread.

A walkway over a busy street.

The walk back over the bridge.

Looking for the smell of bread, we instead find fire. Everybody stopped to look. Inside the plume of smoke.

Orange + bike. Love it.

Day 4: Breakfast

2010-06-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

Breakfast in Shanghai can't be beat. You can purchase as much as you can carry in both hands for probably less than $5. Not only that, everything is made fresh on the spot every day. It's probably because of that fact that it's so good. How can you make something thousands of times and still have it suck.

Fresh made baos

Breakfast prep.

Bicycles. Had to put this as it's been too many posts without one.

Day 4: Mornin

2010-06-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

Apparently the best shopping to be had in Shanghai lies across the bridge into a less well developed area called, "Qipu road". By best shopping, I mean of course high quality knock offs of designer brands. Away we go!

The bridge there.

Graffiti here is in English. Weird.

Everything is muted on this side of the river, so this caught my eye. Way to rock the pink little girl.

day 3: Dinner and a Drink

2010-06-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

Google is great. Especially when you're traveling. It's not just maps, it's your security blanket, gently warmed in the dryer. So when it tells you that a restaurant is on a particular street you go there and walk blindly back and forth on that street desperately looking for the restaurant. There is no questioning the mighty Google. Except I suppose in Asia.

Long story short, we finally find the place by making a phone call in a department store to our friend Karen. If we had to, we probably wouldn't be able to find it again, not only was it off the street, it was up a back alley staircase.

Snapped this when we thought we knew where we were going.

Dinner time. Love open kitchens and the rare-hard-to-find Northern vegetarian Chinese food.

Introduced to Japanese whiskey as a nightcap at a swanky bar. It's good stuff. Notice the ice. These bartenders don't mess around.

Day 3: Night Cont'd

2010-06-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

As promised. More umbrellas.

The best part about rain is the reflective ground.

Umbrellas are the second best part.

I stood here like a creepy man and watched these two lovebirds have fun in the rain. It caught my eye because it reminds me of another photograph with umbrellas I really like.

Day 3: Night

2010-06-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

I believe we ended up trying to find a good Shao Lin Bao place to eat dinner at. It turned out it was closed. Not only was it closed, but the road that it was supposed to be on was closed, and every single shop was also closed.

The good news is that it was raining, so I got some interesting lighting situations.

Street food stall. The red blows out here a little, wish I used a smaller aperture.

I love my umbrellas.

Cleaning up.

More umbrella photos are around the corner.

Day 3: Afternoon cont'd

2010-06-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

Like every day before it, this day was about getting food.

Here's some of the interesting architecture on our way to get dumplings.

Hand pulled noodles at apparently the best dumpling place in Shanghai. The dumplings were good, but not mind blowing.

This was though.

Posted for Jacob

Day 3: Afternoon

2010-06-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

We didn't quite make it into the Expo, but we had a fun time walking around it.

The overpass near the entrance for the Expo. I like how the image looks modern and retro at the same time.

Each pavilion was surrounded by a blue gate.

Wish I had a 45mm tilt for this one. These guys were lounging around in interesting groupings.

They looked important.

Day 3: Good Day!

2010-05-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

I always seem to get more photo opportunities in cities where I take public transit. It not only gets you from A to B in a cheap way, but lets you mingle with the locals and take more time to appreciate your surroundings. Here are some more I took on our way to the EXPO site.

Still loving the neon signs. I think nobody does it better than HK and Shanghai. HK wins though.

At people's square metro entrance. I stood here for awhile to make sure I only got one person, which is not as easy as it might seem.

At the metro for the Expo. We are excited because we still think we can sneak in like ninjas.

I'm guessing a cleaning worker? Not sure. But I was digging on his bright blue shirt.

Day 3: Good Morning!

2010-05-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

I think one of the few days we got out early-ish. Our mission was to eat random foods and make our way down to the Expo site to see if we could break in or pay somebody to get us in somehow.

Worker takes a break

Suit + top hat. Another one of my favs to photograph. Add an old bicycle and an umbrella and we're set.

Love the transformers here and how low to the ground they are. Should have used a faster shutter speed on this one. Oh well.

Scary ass mannequins. These are the type that come alive at night.

This is a drive through, a pick up window and the front of house.

Day 2: Night

2010-05-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Goodnight

Day 2: Evening

2010-05-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

After a tiring day walking around Shanghai, we return to our hotel for the best peanuts I've ever had in my life and a corona. No pictures of that here, since it's not like peanuts are that exciting. Here's the rest of the evening and our trip out to the main road.

Traffic.

Love the different styles of architecture.

Cleaning. I was surprised by how many cleaning staff were continuously circling this city, keeping it in shape. Probably due to the World Expo, but it really helped.

All that's left from today's sales.

Night lights. I should've shot this at f8 :(

Day2: Late afternoon

2010-05-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

Just some more captures of the cityscape as we walked around. A lot of people walk in Shanghai, so there's always something to capture. I imagine if you removed the cars from LA, it would be a ghost town.

Love suits. Love bikes.

Lost like us.

Crowds going home.

Day 2: Afternoon

2010-05-14T15:06:00.001-07:00

Spent most of the afternoon walking around trying to find a place that would produce for Christina a ham sandwich. Yes, we walked around Shanghai looking for bread and meat. We didn't find any, but we did have the best La Mien (pulled noodles) of the trip. So while I can be sore that we walked across the city looking for a bakery that sucked, those noodles were totally worth it.

He is a super star.

Do people really buy this stuff?

A colourful wall.

A highway overpass. Pretty cool they way they stack these things.

Fellow pedestrians. It's funny how we walked all over the place to save money, even though we took the subway everywhere in Japan, where everything was more expensive. Oh well, walking is better :)

The reward!! Worth it!!

Day 2: Morning

2010-05-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

Tried to wake up early to walk around the city. Managed to snap off some before the light got too harsh.

Butcher's freshest cuts.

Pedestrian walkway over a major intersection. Loved this place.

The light started to get harsh after this.

Shanghai Day one

2010-05-10T22:34:00.001-07:00

I'm rusty. And it shows. Looking through my last pics I see better technique and ideas, oddly enough though I see more patience in these photos, like I waited for them to happen instead of rushing.

Waiting to fly on my adventure.

My transfer to Inchon Airport. My favourite thing was the escalators that turned on only if you stepped on them to save power.

I got some cautious eyes from the security guards for taking this one at the maglev train into Shanghai, it's the fastest in the world.

For me Shanghai was all about the food on the street.

Flavour was just good, but the chewy noodles were fantastic. Great first meal.

Other people have the same idea.

It doesn't get better than this.

One dude went crazy on the corn. He kept coming back and ordering more. He even put it on the grill himself. That's a hungry man.

Rooftop drink on the balcony of a club. We got locked out but managed to get back inside :)

Missed two

2010-05-05T19:30:00.001-07:00

Got back from my Trip to Shanghai and Japan. Didn't shoot as much as I thought I would, but still took enough to probably last until the next trip. Here are some stragglers:

Airport in Singapore. Love the clouds in Singapore.

More clouds in Singapore.

Leaving soon

2010-04-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

So I took so many pictures last trip that it's lasted me until now. Here are some pics of the flight out from Vietnam and back to America. Next week I leave for China and Japan.

Vietnam had a surprisingly nice airport.

I was lucky he had no friends.

I'm still here

2010-04-03T01:04:00.000-07:00

I'm still on the show. 2 weeks of 14+ hour days is my excuse for not posting anything. Here's the last run of my trip from one year ago. I'm a lazy bum.

Camped out here on a main street to have my very last Vietnamese iced coffee.

Gotta love that bike.

And the coup de grace, the Mona Lisa. Man on street mistakes wall for urinal.

Almost done

2010-03-12T15:45:00.000-08:00

Almost done with my show. I'm behind....

This is where your fine furniture with mother of pearl inlays are made.

Best food in the world can probably be found not in a 3 star michelin restaurant, but a busy street in Asia. That being said, only one of them can potentially send you running for the bathroom.

I'm out!

BUSY

2010-02-24T14:25:00.000-08:00

I've been crunching at work. Here are some old pics of an airport in Singapore that I forgot about. Like everything about that city, it is clean, stylish and unusual.

The flight in. Singapore has some great clouds.

Some seating next to a small atrium.

Loved the retro phones.

Nothing about this hallway screams "airport" to me. Other than the signage that is.

Feel like crab

2010-02-09T14:44:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's because the winter's almost up (crab season), maybe it's because my sister sent me pictures of her eating crab. But I really feel like eating crab or lobster right now.

Here are some lost pics of a meal I had in the back alley market in Saigon.

Got there early to watch them setup.

Love the colors here.

Before.

After.

Not the best I've ever had, but the experience counts for a lot.

Best thing about rain

2010-01-30T09:59:00.000-08:00

Is how clean the air is after, and how shiny everything is when the sun finally peaks back through.

I have a soft spot for bicycles as well as scooters.

I forgot what this kid was setting up, but I think he was selling something.

It's raining

2010-01-22T17:48:00.000-08:00

One more from the river bank.

And here's a pic I took after a showering of rain.

My faves

2010-01-20T18:38:00.000-08:00

Probably some of my favorite captures from my Vietnam trip occurred here. Something about the light quality made everything come out flat and painterly.

I like the way the candycane pole is bent. It would have been perfect if that shadow in the left corner weren't there.

Love how this turned out almost as a duotone. Would look great printed as a poster I think.

I wonder what they're selling.

Food

2010-01-19T12:21:00.000-08:00

When I travel, my excursions are usually split up into two categories: Sights, and Food. Here are some pics from a food expedition in Saigon.

Light was harsh getting to this place so no pics of the journey here. This place was supposedly known for their pork and rice dishes. It was really good.

Walking towards the river.

Freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. This was probably the best deal and quality we had the entire trip.

Ridiculously cheap and good.

Leaving Cat Ba

2010-01-15T19:12:00.000-08:00

Thinking back, it was a surreal experience doing the Ha long + Cat ba island combo. I think its remote location coupled with the strangeness of being on a boat for that long made it seem like I dreamed the whole thing up.

Took this waiting for our van. The kid was diggin her panda ballon.

Wished I had a longer lens to capture her face better.

Back on the mainland. Love the miniature trucks