This year I again entered some of my photographic work in the San Diego and Orange County Fairs. This one was accepted in both fairs' competitions, while this one was accepted in the San Diego Fair but rejected by the Orange County Fair.
I also went to Las Vegas last week for a few days as a birthday present. Vegas is dead; lots of empty restaurant tables, empty lounges by the pool and the cabbies would ask us if we wanted to take the Strip or the side roads (in the past the side roads were the only choice due to all the traffic on las Vegas Blvd.).
The guys came over yesterday for a band rehearsal to prep for later this summer's party.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
New York City April, 2009
I spent a short but really fun week in New York Ciy last week. Gargoyles, Guggenheim and Gramercy, oh my!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
I went to Shenzhen, Guangdong, PRC and Hong Kong last week for business. Shenzhen is across the harbo(u)r from Hong Kong. It is possible to land at Hong Kong International Airport but never enter Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; you can go straight to the regular PRC via a ferry and then go through passport control into China when you dock.
That's what I did. It's about 2 hours from landing the plane to getting to the hotel.
Coming back I had a driver take from my hotel in Shenzhen to my hotel in Hong Kong via his car; we had to go through a big-ass passport control area prior to driving across Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor bridge back into HK.
My outbound itinerary was SAN to SFO to HKG, ferry to Shenzhen. Return was HKG to SFO to SAN. SFO to HKG was about 14, 14.5 hours. Return tip was around 11, 11.5 hours.
Hong Kong still uses its own currency, the Hong Kong dollar, official exchange rate 1.05 to 1 RMB. Shenzhen is in an economic development zone; 15 years ago it was a tiny fishing village. Now it is a huge city with all the hallmarks of fast money and a bubble economy and infrastructure. I visited a factory that manufactures my company's products; it is out behind the glitz of boomtown Shenzhen. In fact it is what we would call a "company town" from the turn of the last century. The company site is literally miles of 10 story tall buildings full of Chinese workers making our stuff. They live in dorms and eat and shop on the company property.
The engineers I worked with were mid-20's maybe and the workers on the line, many of whom are women, had an average age of 18 or 19. It was a fascinating glimpse into how our economy (meaning the US for me personally but really it's any Western country at this point) and China are inextricably linked.
A headline in the South China Daily one morning was "Finance Minister still buying Treasury bonds."
And now here are some photos.
I also went out to Anza Borrego Desert State Park a few weekends ago and took some night sky photos.
That's what I did. It's about 2 hours from landing the plane to getting to the hotel.
Coming back I had a driver take from my hotel in Shenzhen to my hotel in Hong Kong via his car; we had to go through a big-ass passport control area prior to driving across Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor bridge back into HK.
My outbound itinerary was SAN to SFO to HKG, ferry to Shenzhen. Return was HKG to SFO to SAN. SFO to HKG was about 14, 14.5 hours. Return tip was around 11, 11.5 hours.
Hong Kong still uses its own currency, the Hong Kong dollar, official exchange rate 1.05 to 1 RMB. Shenzhen is in an economic development zone; 15 years ago it was a tiny fishing village. Now it is a huge city with all the hallmarks of fast money and a bubble economy and infrastructure. I visited a factory that manufactures my company's products; it is out behind the glitz of boomtown Shenzhen. In fact it is what we would call a "company town" from the turn of the last century. The company site is literally miles of 10 story tall buildings full of Chinese workers making our stuff. They live in dorms and eat and shop on the company property.
The engineers I worked with were mid-20's maybe and the workers on the line, many of whom are women, had an average age of 18 or 19. It was a fascinating glimpse into how our economy (meaning the US for me personally but really it's any Western country at this point) and China are inextricably linked.
A headline in the South China Daily one morning was "Finance Minister still buying Treasury bonds."
And now here are some photos.
I also went out to Anza Borrego Desert State Park a few weekends ago and took some night sky photos.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
New Year
One month into the new year and only a few things to report.
I went to Santa Barbara between Christmas and New Year's, which was really fun. I spent a day driving around the local Wine Country and went to Solvang for lunch. The Hitching Post was closed, though; they're open or dinner only.
I also caught up with a Rome friend in LA who had come over for a quick 10 day Southwest US road trip.
I continue to work on music and songs in the little recording studio I have and making great progress. It's great to have such talented friends come over and play on my stuff.
I am collecting and shooting images to enter into the San Diego Natural History Museum photography contest also. The last day to enter is March 15. A few weekends ago I shot a bunch of images down at the pier, some of which are decent.
I went to Santa Barbara between Christmas and New Year's, which was really fun. I spent a day driving around the local Wine Country and went to Solvang for lunch. The Hitching Post was closed, though; they're open or dinner only.
I also caught up with a Rome friend in LA who had come over for a quick 10 day Southwest US road trip.
I continue to work on music and songs in the little recording studio I have and making great progress. It's great to have such talented friends come over and play on my stuff.
I am collecting and shooting images to enter into the San Diego Natural History Museum photography contest also. The last day to enter is March 15. A few weekends ago I shot a bunch of images down at the pier, some of which are decent.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tokyo and Thanksgiving
I went to Tokyo for a short and uneventful week about a month ago. Our flight was about 5 hours late and so we arrived at the hotel sometime after midnight, which really wasn't all that bad. I did get to visit Kawasaki Daishi temple one afternoon, which was quite beautiful and also quite empty. The monks were there and one of them was pounding slowly on a huge drum. It sounded great, echoing around inside the temple and then out into the courtyard. It was very late afternoon, though, so there wasn't much light butr I did manage to take a few photos regardless.
Thanksgiving was fun and we all had a great time. I didn't do anything "different" this year regarding turkey cooking; we just had roasted turkey breast; all meat, no bone, super moist an very very good.
Thanksgiving was fun and we all had a great time. I didn't do anything "different" this year regarding turkey cooking; we just had roasted turkey breast; all meat, no bone, super moist an very very good.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Rome Trip
Summer was uneventful. I worked a lot and completed the latest house project - a new and much larger balcony a patio cover. I threw a summer party for my Italian friends which was fun - the band played in the living room for an hour or so. I worked on some new songs - wrote, arranged and recorded them. I need some guitar work from Erik and some keyboard work from Jeff to finish them.
I went to Rome for a week or so and returned a week ago. Photos are here. The next day I went to Las Vegas for a few days.
Going to Japan in a few weeks for a shortish week.
I went to Rome for a week or so and returned a week ago. Photos are here. The next day I went to Las Vegas for a few days.
Going to Japan in a few weeks for a shortish week.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Crowded House and Taiwan Redux
A few weeks ago we went to see Crowded House at the Orpheum Theater in Downtown LA . The Orpheum is a 1920's vintage theater that was originally built for vaudeville and "talkies." It's on S. Broadway, a few blocks away from the Bradbury Building and one of about a dozen similar era theaters in varying states of disrepair and use.
We spent the afternoon walking around the Broadway Downtown District, looking at the various theaters and other sites, including the Clifton Cafeteria and went into several buildings in the Jewelry Market area which is immediately adjacent to Broadway.
The neighborhood is fine in the daytime if very urban with the attendant noise, crowding and dirt, but the evenings are a little different. It's not that far from Skid Row and so walking to and from the hotel for the show was not an option, so we used the hotel's limo to take us there and pick us up.
The show was great and the evening was very warm, even when the show was over at 11 PM.
The next Monday I went with a pal to Yosemite National Park for a photo safari thing, th results of which can be seen here. That was a 4 day road trip well-spent; we had a great time together and with the group and got to see the park in a way I never have; with lots of water and roaring falls. The sunset on Wednesday at Glacier Point was unbelievable as well.
I went to Taipei, Taiwan on business last week for a short week as well; I took some photos while I was there. You can see those here.
We spent the afternoon walking around the Broadway Downtown District, looking at the various theaters and other sites, including the Clifton Cafeteria and went into several buildings in the Jewelry Market area which is immediately adjacent to Broadway.
The neighborhood is fine in the daytime if very urban with the attendant noise, crowding and dirt, but the evenings are a little different. It's not that far from Skid Row and so walking to and from the hotel for the show was not an option, so we used the hotel's limo to take us there and pick us up.
The show was great and the evening was very warm, even when the show was over at 11 PM.
The next Monday I went with a pal to Yosemite National Park for a photo safari thing, th results of which can be seen here. That was a 4 day road trip well-spent; we had a great time together and with the group and got to see the park in a way I never have; with lots of water and roaring falls. The sunset on Wednesday at Glacier Point was unbelievable as well.
I went to Taipei, Taiwan on business last week for a short week as well; I took some photos while I was there. You can see those here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
