day 223: that's amore!

05.23.10 (posted 05.26.10) - it was a busy sunday. i was running around central park playing second shooter and assisting my buddy, tim, on another engagement shoot. i really have to admire a+m for being such good sports. we walked to several attractions throughout the park and they were game the whole time. here are a few shots from the day.

day 222: any publicity is good publicity

05.22.10 (posted 05.23.10) - one can accomplish a lot of tasks on a subway ride. i've seen people edit papers, prep for a meeting, do their makeup, advance to the next level on a video/smartphone game, memorize lines for a play... the list goes on and on. but for the most part, you'll see people catching up on their reading... be it the daily news, a new novel, or the one vice we all are curious about and few admit to... celebrity gossip. who's with who now? who just had a baby? where are they vacationing to?

day 221: who ya gonna call?

05.21.10 (posted 05.23.10) - as a young kid growing up in the 80s, one of my favorite movies was ghostbusters. what's not to love... a large marshmallow monster that had an uncanny resemblance to the pillsbury dough boy... the amicable friendly ghost, slimer... crazy inventions like the proton pack and ghost trap... and how awesome was the ecto-1 station wagon and the firehouse?

i had a chance to relive my childhood this afternoon with a visit to the new york public library. you know... the site where dr. egon spangler and dr. raymond stantz made their initial contact with the ghost, the "gray lady". even after years of living in nyc and passing by this place numerous times, it was my first time to actually go inside and check it out. the library is everything i imagined it to be. grand... ornate... and yes, kind of spooky. it was a real treat to see the gutenberg bible up close as well. simply amazing!

here's a few shots i took while strolling around.

day 220: accidents happen

05.20.10 (posted 05.22.10) - i accidently left my iphone camera on while walking home from the train this afternoon. i didn't realize until i went to process some photos that i inadvertently took this shot of a stop light. i probably would never be able to capture that angle and framing again so i decided to make it my photo of the day.

day 219: guac and roll

05.19.10 (posted 05.22.10) - it's avocado season! i can't get enough of them. everything about avocados reminds of warm weather and good times with my friends and family. besides... i make a pretty tasty guacamole if i do say so myself. the hubby affectionately calls my recipe "guac and roll".

day 218: my life in miniature

05.18.10 (posted 05.19.10) - i attended the fit city 5 conference today -- a gathering of public health professionals, architects, urban planners, and designers that are interested in promoting physical activity through design. it was great to be among others who share the same passion for health, design, and sustainability. the event was held at the center for architecture in the west village. i snapped this shot of an architectural model that was displayed there.

day 217: it's a (concrete) jungle out there

05.17.10 (posted 05.19.10) - after living in nyc for nearly 10 years, you learn a few things... like the streets are a free for all. you need to be alert for cars, bikers, and yes, even other pedestrians!

day 216: seeing spots

05.16.10 (posted 05.19.10) - the new trees that were planted on my street a few weeks back are thriving. it probably doesn't hurt that we've been getting so much rain lately. i love the shadow it cast come mid-afternoon.

day 215: love, love, love, love, crazy love

05.15.10 (posted 05.19.10) - today was a first... the first engagement session i ever shot. thanks to my buddy, tim, for giving me the opportunity to assist and second shoot for him. here are some photos i captured of the happy couple, r+j.

day 214: it's friday, i'm in love

05.14.10 (posted 05.19.10) - TGIF! this week has kicked my tushy like no other. it felt like a horrible reenactment of finals week during college. i didn't get much sleep... i ate junk... i had one deadline after another. so happy you are here, friday!

while i was walking home from the train, i decided i needed to slow down. my stroll allowed me to notice a few things i probably wouldn't have otherwise if i was going at the insane speed i was operating this whole week. right before i was going to turn the corner on to my street, i noticed a little girl holding bubble mix in one hand and clasping tightly to her grandpa's hand in the other. their shadows cast a direct line to this guy and his dog as they were taking a quick break from their walk. it was nice to see these pairings enjoying the sun, the start of the weekend, and each other's company. happy friday!

day 213: running, running as fast as you can

05.13.10 (posted 05.16.10) - i snapped this shot running up the stairs from the bryant park subway station. i think it depicts so much of what i've been feeling like lately -- rushing from one thing to another.

this has been an insane work week. i worked 13 hours yesterday and today is going to be another long one as well. i feel like i'm on autopilot and everything is a blur. i'm really looking forward to the weekend so i can catch up on some sleep.

day 212: my world turned upside down

05.12.10 (posted 05.16.10) - i was in albany for work today and i snapped these two photos in the courtyard of the empire state plaza convention center. it had been raining for the better part of the day but the cloudy skies made for a nice backdrop.

day 211: spray and wash

05.11.10 (posted 05.16.10) - snapped this picture as i walking to the train. a nail salon's sign was being spray washed. the owner of the store stood on the side of the street the entire time to make sure it got a proper cleaning.

day 210: instant gratification

05.10.10 (posted 05.16.10) - i've been doing some research on what films i can use for the polaroid land camera model 800 we bought at the flea market yesterday. from what i could gather, i'm going to have to do some modifications since they no longer make the film for this camera. this should definitely be an adventure... talk about a blast from the past.

day 209: on the road again...

on the road again -

just can't wait to get on the road again.

the life i love is making music with my friends

and i can't wait to get on the road again.

on the road again

goin' places that i've never been.

seein' things that I may never see again

~ willie nelson

05.09.10 (posted 05.16.10) - despite the gusts and chance of rain, my buddies and i went on a road trip to the hudson valley today. we made our way to new york's "bread basket" bright and early. about an hour and half later, we arrived in millbrook, a quaint little village known for its fantastic antique shops, wineries, gourmet cafes and restaurants.

first stop was babette's kitchen, a coffee shop and bakery. i was so hungry on the way up there that i scarfed down on a scallion and ham quiche and chai latte in no time. babette's is a super cute place that smelled absolutely divine! yuuuummmm. besides, you got to love a small cafe in the middle of the country that sells sriracha. ha! 

next stop was the rinaldi flea market in poughkeepsie. alright i'll be the first to admit that hubby and i had no intention of buying anything but we walked away with so many awesome finds. $33 later we had a polaroid  land camera model 800, bell and howell 8mm projector, and a light meter. the best score of the day was a kobena model 121 super 8 camera that i found in a $1 bin. i have no idea if it works but heck it was only a $1. if nothing else, it'll be a great display piece on my shelf. 

after an eventful shopping excursion, we headed off to millbrook vineyards and winery. bruce, our tour guide lead us through the wine distilling process and a gave us a brief history about the winery. the site was founded by john s. dyson who pioneered the goblet trellis technique and who is known for creating the first vineyard in hudson valley. oh and by the way, he was also the commissioner of commerce in new york state and under his leadership the "i love new york" campaign was conceived. talk about leaving a legacy in the state. 

we capped off the day with dinner at cookery in dobbs ferry. despite not having reservations (on mother's day nonetheless), we got seated right away and enjoyed a nice meal before heading back  home. 

can't wait for more weekend trips in the weeks to come. here's a few more shots from the day. 

day 208: a little bit of this, a little bit of that

05.08.10 (posted 05.15.10) - nibble, nibble... nosh, nosh... my buddies and i went to a tapas restaurant tonight. it's always amazes me how stuffed i could be after eating "small plates".

day 207: a small leak will sink a great ship

05.07.10 (posted 05.15.10) - ok, i'll be the first to admit this is not the greatest picture. but i'm going to have to settle for it as my photo of the day.

there was a leak on the ceiling of my bathroom. thankfully, my landlord and his crew were able to fix quickly. with all the drama that came with repairing it, i wasn't feeling very inspired. oh, well... life goes on.

day 206: capture a moment in time

05.06.10 (posted 05.14.10) - so long, arlington! it's been fun but i'm ready to go back home.

this evening, my buddies and i went to studio square, a beer garden and event space, in long island city. it was great to unwind, enjoy the music, and a couple of pitchers of beer after a few days .

here's a picture i took of the lead singer of the east coast band... taking of picture of me. =) i also captured a shot of other folks reveling in the music.

day 205: give a (wo)man a fish...

05.05.10 (posted 05.10.10) - day 2 in arlington, virginia! after nearly 9 hours of being sequestered in a hotel conference room... i was more than ready for some fresh air. my colleagues and i made our way to the clarendon stop. we decided to check out nam viet restaurant based on a recommendation from henry, a super helpful and informative hotel guest services staff.

everything was yummy; but the dish that was the most memorable was the 4 pound crispy red snapper cooked in house sauce with pineapple, mushroom, red peppers, chinese celery, onions, and green peppers. one colleague in particular, j, was extremely excited to dig right in. haha. 

day 204: up above the world so high

05.04.10 (posted 05.09.10) - i'm off to arlington, virginia for a couple of days for a business trip. here's a picture i snapped of manhattan, parts of new jersey, and a bit of queens as my flight took off from la guardia airport and made its way south. see that big green space in the middle? that's central park.

day 203: every cloud has a silver lining

05.03.10 (posted 05.09.10) - most subway lines in nyc run underground but one of the most spectacular views of the manhattan skyline is from the 7 train along the stops in long island city. the 7 line is one of a handful of lines that partially travels above ground.

here's a picture i snapped of the silvercup studios sign as the train was pulling into queensborough plaza. silvercup studios is best known for producing well known series such as the sopranos, sex in the city, ugly betty, 30 rock, gossip girl, and white collar.

day 202: celebrating your heritage, honoring your roots

05.02.10 (posted 05.08.10) - it was a blazing hot sunday in nyc today! this was the first time that we hit close to the 90°F. when temps get that high, you really feel what it means to live in a concrete jungle.

well, that didn't stop thousands of people from converging onto union square square for the 31st annual asian/pacific american heritage festival. this event kicks off a month's worth of activities to celebrate the contributions and diversity of individuals and communities that traced their roots to asia and the pacific islands. there was something for everyone -- performances, a kids' craft corner, community organizations and resources, vendors, and a variety of food stands.

here are a few shots i took of the festivities.

day 201: take the cannoli

05.01.10 (posted 05.02.10) - my buddies and i tried out gian + piero bakery today. the usual bakery i go to joanne's has been closed for weeks now. regardless if joanne's ever opens up again, i think i found my new go-to spot for baked goods. everything we tried was absolutely deeee-liiisssh!

hey, you going to...

eat that?

day 200: music to my ears

04.30.10 (posted 05.02.10) - i attended a performance this evening of pandibulan: bathing by moonlight, at the la mama e.t.c.  the dances depict the folklore and lifecycle rituals of the yakan people of basilan island in the philippines. after the show, i took a couple of shots of the instruments. here is the kulintang and angklung which are indigenous to the malay archipelago. 

day 199: bulls on parade

04.29.10 (posted 05.01.10) - working in the financial district of manhattan... several things are for sure. one, there is always a ton of tourists. two, it is a ghost town after 4:30 pm. three, the path along broadway is a popular route for parades and demonstrations.

today, there were barricades all throughout the area. i figured it had to be some kind of march. although i didn't see it, i certainly heard it in my office one block away and up on the 18th floor. the chanting crowds were strong and boisterous.

i had taken a picture of tourists around lunch time posing next to the wall street bull not knowing what the rally would happen hours later. on my way home, i realized what all the barricades were for. some protesters left their signs calling to "reclaim our democracy" and "hold wall street accountable". i later learned that the huge march was organized by several unions to protest against rising unemployment and bail outs for wall street and big banks.

day 198: one of these things is not like the other

04.29.10 (posted 05.01.10) - my favorite cup of joe is from a greek diner in my neighborhood. it beats starbucks or any of those overpriced coffee houses any day. probably the most iconic symbol of ny coffee is the greek coffee cup designed by leslie buck. long before dunkin donuts and starbucks coffee was on every corner in the city, many new yorkers got their cup of joe from the local greek diner. leslie buck created the cup as a nod to these owners. sadly, he passed away this week.

i love his design so much that i bought ceramic versions of it from the moma store. i bought a cup of coffee to go this morning. can you tell which one is in the disposable cup versus the ceramic one?