day 319: words with friends

08.27.10 (posted 08.31.10) - i've been experimenting with a few iphone apps and new "formulas". here's a shot i took of my laptop's keyboard. at a quick glance, the keys look like scrabble letters. 

day 318: where the streets have no name

08.26.10 (posted 08.31.10) - i work in one of the oldest parts of the city, lower manhattan. in fact at the southernmost point of the island.

there are remnants everywhere of the city's history. from the cobble stone streets, the fraunces tavern -- the site that played a prominent role in the revolution, to trinity churchyard, among other things. 

after 6 pm this place becomes a ghost town... literally. it can definitely be creepy with the tall buildings and quiet, dark streets. it always amazes me in a city of 8 million people that there are parts of it with hardly anyone there at a given time. 

day 317: too fast. too furious

08.25.10 - something had made this biker suddenly stop in her tracks. i wasn't sure what exactly happened but i nearly bumped right into her as i was walking home. this near mishap worked out to my advantage... she became the subject of my photo of the day. 

for you perceptive readers -- yes, i do have an affinity to bikes and blurry photos. i've taken one too many snapshots of both.

day 316: look before you leap

08.24.10 - i had to drop off a couple of packages today in chinatown. as i was walking back to the the subway station, i notice this guy pull out his camera and start taking a picture of a gallery across the way. he had a huge smile on his face right after he took it. 

when i looked over, i could see why. i couldn't help but chuckle as well when i saw this neon side. it brought me right back to my childhood. oh man, i loved that show. 

day 315: two sides to every story

08.23.10 (posted 08.24.10) - there's always two (or more) sides to every story. isn't there?

day 314: lock and load 'em

08.22.10 (posted 08.24.10) - lots of heavy rain today. it was great for me though... the weather kept the crowds away from the laundromat. i did 4 loads in no time flat. 

day 313: guaranteed the next day

08.21.10 (posted 08.24.10) - first off, a big happy birthday to my friend, k! we did it up right last night... so much so that hubby and i didn't get back home until 3:30 am. alright, for some of you folks out there, partying your hearts out until that hour is a piece of cake. heck, some of you can probably last until sunrise. but we have grown to become old farts after we hit our 30s and yes, naps are needed before a late night out hitting the town. otherwise, i hit a wall... a very sleepy wall around midnight. 

as you would have guessed it, we didn't crawl out of bed until well past 11 am this morning. all i could think about was food and how hungry i was. grrrroooowwwllll said my tummy. we called up our buddy, r, and headed out in search of some sustenance.

ooohhhh, brunch... my favorite meal on the weekend. guess i'm not the only one that loves it. shortly after we arrived at this local joint, the place became packed to the gills. i didn't mind... as long as the waitress kept filling up my cup of joe. 

day 312: shave and a haircut, two bits

08.20.10 (posted 08.22.10) - i accompanied hubby to get his haircut at a local barbershop today. here he is with his barber, c.

right before hubby's turn in the chair, a customer was getting his hair cut and beard shaved. as c was finishing up and pulling off the hot towel from his freshly shaven face, the customer comments, "nothing can beat this". agreed, mister. there ain't nuthin' wrong with a little pampering. we all need it.

day 311: passin' me by

08.19.10 (posted 08.20.10) - thank goodness this week went by fast. hooray for thursdays being my fridays. i can't wait to start this long weekend.

day 310: giving in to my cravings

08.18.10 (posted 08.20.10) - it dawned on me today that there are not very many weeks left before the temps start to drop. my days of being able to eat outside for lunch are limited. booooo.

in attempt to get my vitamin d intake for the year, i headed out with a bunch of co-workers to grab a bite at a food truck called cravings. they are best known for their taiwanese chicken. the line was about 20 people deep when we arrived but i didn't mind the wait. it's nice to be outside in the fresh air, sunshine, and not in front of my big black box of a computer screen. i knew my patience would be rewarded once i bit into that crispy chicken goodness. yuuuuummmm!

day 309: packed like sardines

08.17.10 (posted 08.20.10) - i get uneasy when i see that a subway platform is packed. it means trains are backed up and i may be waiting on that platform for awhile. that's just part one of the drama. once a train finally pulls up to the station, you have to fight with the other commuters to get on. (putting my game face on! grrrr!)

day 308: storm chasers

08.16.10 (posted 08.18.10) - there was a brief but wild storm that barrelled through nyc this afternoon. it happened right as i was getting out of work. here's the conundrum.   when you need to be somewhere, do you wait it out not knowing when the rain will end or suck it up and head out recognizing that an umbrella, raincoat, or a poncho will do little to keep you dry?

day 307: the beginning of it all

08.15.10 (posted 08.18.10) - today marks 10 years of living in nyc. ahhhh... a decade. honestly, i don't think i've ever lived anywhere that long. i moved a lot when i was a kid. in fact, i went to 3 different schools for kindergarten. even for the place i consider my hometown, i only lived there for 8 years. i suppose it seems like much longer since it was during a formative time in my life - elementary to high school years.

when i first moved out to nyc in 2000, i only intended to stay for 2 years while i completed grad school. funny how things didn't pan out that way. i kept saying, "ok, maybe a couple of years more than i'll move back to l.a." then another couple more years. then another couple more years after that. next thing i know it's been 10 years.

i remember vividly that i moved with 7 boxes of my possessions. almost all of which i don't own any more. my parents and younger brother made the 3,000+ mile trek with me cross country. i was 22 and didn't have the faintest clue what was in store for me. i remember it hit me like a brick when they left and i realized that i would be here in this big city not having much of a support network. i was bawling and thought, "what the heck have i done!" luckily, my hubby (then boyfriend) joined me about a week later which certainly made the transition easier since we were both learning how to live in a new city together.

a few months ago while organizing my home office, i came across my first lease for a small studio in washington heights... before the neighborhood was known as the tony award-winning musical (ha!).  i only paid $690... not too shabby for a furnished apartment with a view of the george washington bridge and the hudson river, laundry in the building, and a security guard in the lobby.

i remember by first year was all about transitions and adapting. trust me a southern california girl used to big, wide-open spaces, easy access to the beach, mountains, and nature (period), and driving a car who was now living in a cramped space in manhattan had plenty of adjusting to do.

10 years later this is a very different city than the one i got to know when i first arrived.

in 2000, a subway ride cost $1.50, tokens were still in circulation, and you could get a one-day pass for only $4.00. people began the mass exodus to a then not as "hip and trendy" brooklyn. cbgb was still open. the price for a slice of pizza was about a dollar and some change. the subway series between the yankees and the mets brought out local pride like no other.

i lived through many significant nyc events namely 9/11, northeast blackout of 2003, mta strike of 2005, great crash of 2008, swine flu outbreak of 2009, and the crazy blizzards of 2009 -- snowpocalypse, snowmageddon, and snowicane.

i guess the city isn't the only one that's changed. i have too.

looking back, i'm glad i took that leap of faith. perhaps my naivete was a good thing. it allowed me to take a chance and move away from the comforts and familiarity of my life in california. this past decade has challenged me in ways i could never imagine. many times it hadn't been easy. this is a city that will push you; but how i've grown as a person and the new things i experienced, people i have met, and places i've seen have enriched my life in ways that are hard to adequately describe. for this i am grateful and i proudly call nyc my home.

day 306: here and now, i promise to love faithfully

08.14.10 (posted 08.16.10) - i just finished second shooting my first wedding. 12 hrs later... my body aches all over. knees, back, hands. funny... but my feet are ok. that's what i was worried about. i have a greater admiration for wedding photographers. how do you folks do this several times a week? whew!

here are a few shots i took of the happy couple. congrats, jenny and jim!

day 305: it's a rat race

08.13.10 (posted 08.15.10) - new york is notoriously known for many things. perhaps among the most unsavory is that our city's subway system is full of rats. well i've had my share of nasty rat sightings. eeekkk... just flashed a memory when a rat the size of a toy dog climbed up on the subway platform then went up the stairs off the a,c line in washington heights... everyone in the train car i was on freaked out. women and men alike shrilled in horror. ugh. that image is etched in my mind forever. gross.

so, i thought it only fitting that someone thought about spray painting a huge rat on the side of a stoop. this was in the east village. after a little digging, i found out it was created by roa, a belgian artist, who used fine tipped spray paint for this piece. there was something about it that looked trompe-l'œi to me. i hope i never come across something this big... 

day 304: run, don't walk

08.12.10 (posted 08.15.10)- one more day... one more day... one more day... that's my mantra for thursday. i just need to hold out a little bit longer 'til my weekend starts.

day 303: even the sun couldn't make her smile

08.11.10 (posted 08.15.10) - bright sunshine and beautiful flowers... now only if she could crack a smile.

day 302: connect the dots

08.10.10 (posted 08.15.10) - another random picture of things in my home. here a picture i snapped of two ceramic bowls made from a cast of a sea urchin.

day 301: alone with my thoughts

08.09.10 (posted 08.15.10) - taking a few minutes to decompress from the day... 

day 300: sailing takes me away

sailing takes me away
to where i've always heard it could be
just a dream and the wind to carry me
and soon i will be free

fantasy, it gets the best of me
when i'm sailing
all caught up in the reverie
every word is a symphony
won't you believe me

~ christopher cross

08.08.10 (posted 08.15.10) - the wedding festivities continue with a sunday brunch cruise along the potomac river. we had a tour of the many sights along the river such as the kennedy center, washington monument, jefferson memorial, lincoln memorial, u.s. capitol, and watergate. it was great to see d.c. from a different perspective other than on foot.

it's part 5 of 3 straight days of celebrations. i can't even imagine how s+s are holding up with all this partying and entertaining of family and friends... i was exhausted after my wedding and that was just one day. 

day 299: today was about love

08.07.10 (posted 08.10.10) - i'm in dc this weekend to attend the wedding of my dear friends, s+s. this wedding was extremely meaningful in many ways. the attention and care that s+s put to every detail of their ceremony and reception did not go unnoticed. from the harmonious blending of both indian and pakistani customs to hindu and muslim wedding traditions. it was simply beautiful. and in true form... the celebration didn't end at the reception. there was an after party... and even an after-after party! here's a few shots from their special day.

day 298: people living in glass houses shouldn't...

08.06.10 (posted 08.10.10) - it's another summer friday! woohoo!

once again i didn't get to sleep in because i got up early to catch another good morning, america summer concert. this time with john legend and the roots. besides, my baby bro (ok, i should stop calling him that because he is a grown man) is here visiting from los angeles and he wanted to see them perform live.

after enduring the crazy heat during the concert, we decided to check out the apple store on 5th avenue. for some reason, i started to see the place in a different light. i guess i never noticed all these great photo opps since i am usually there to buy something. one track mind... get in and get out.

i have my bro to thank for this photo. while trying to tell him the layout of the store, i couldn't help but be distracted by all these images of feet walking down the glass steps above us. it reminded me of those dancing feet instructions.

day 297: you're always by my side

08.05.10 (posted 08.10.10) - as i approach my 300th day, i'm getting both excited with anticipation of the close of this project 365 but at the same time finding it increasingly harder and harder to capture different types of shots for the remaining days.

on top of that, my work schedule has been incredibly hectic that i'm finding it more difficult to keep up with the processing, uploading, and posting of entries. sorry for that, folks. i am still diligently taking photos daily (albeit the 3 i missed thus far).... it's just life gets in the way.

anywho, that's enough excuses on my end. now on to the photo of the day. here's a picture i snapped while killing time before an evening meeting. i couldn't get over the light and the shadows on the sidewalk. i took several shots but chose this one.

day 296: round and round the world, we go

08.04.10 (posted 08.10.10) - here's a picture i snapped of the globe near trump tower in columbus circle.

day 295: the scene of the crime

08.03.10 (posted 08.10.10) - no need to worry... no person was hurt during this incident. only a nice and juicy honey dew.

day 294: metamorphosis

08.02.10 (posted 08.10.10) - i had an opportunity to go on a tour of ps 20 in flushing, ny and hear about some amazing after school and summer programs. a few of the programs posted artwork or assignments from students. i thought this little boy's narrative about the "hogre" caterpillar was too cute. eventually, the caterpillar turned into a "badrfly".

day 293: i'm your biggest fan!

08.01.10 (posted 08.10.10) -  i was in chinatown today to attend a summer street festival near columbus park. i snapped this quick pic just as i entered the subway. a definite must have in this muggy, steamy weather.

day 292: interlocking

07.31.10 (posted 08.10.10) - here's a picture i snapped of the first piece of art i purchased. it is a glass mosaic piece by my friend and artist, kevin huang. it was part of a larger collection of glass works that draws inspiration from kimonos, embroidery, and configurations of brick used in his neighborhood's victorian townhouses.

day 291: rack 'em up!

07.30.10 (posted 08.03.10) - TGIF! friday, you are here at least. what a week. i haven't had one this hectic in a while.

i met up with a bunch of my buddies tonight to celebrate my friend, t's birthday. we were all relieved and excited to let loose after a stressful week of work. we hung out a local bar that i affectionately refer to as the adult "chuck e. cheese". there are pool tables, video games, ping pong tables, air hockey... heck, there is even a massage chair. cheers to your birthday, t, and here's to the weekend!

day 290: third time is a charm?

07.29.10 (posted 08.03.10) - i'm in a serious bad streak this week with photo taking. you would think i would have learned my lesson from the other day to double, triple, quadruple check that i took a photo and not get lost in the processing of old photos...  but i didn't. raising my little fist in the area to the sky and letting out my loudest scream. AAAAHHHHH! you would think after 290 straight days it would be a habit. i am so off this week. lord, help me!

day 289: key.bored

07.28.10 (posted 08.03.10) - after living in nyc for almost 10 years, i've become desensitized to certain things that would probably raise eyebrows in other places of the world. a group of folks in the dead of winter decide to ride the subway with no pants... yes, it's happened here (see the "no pants ride"). chickens on the subway... another one.. check. people spontaneously erupting into dance or song at any given moment... yes, check and check.

so when i hopped onto the subway this afternoon to go to my afternoon meeting and i saw this dude with a huge keyboard i didn't really bat an eye. i did wonder however how many blocks he had to walk after he exited. man... that thing looks heavy and cumbersome to hold.

day 288: there is a fifth dimension...

07.27.10 (posted 08.03.10) - here's my homage to the twilight zone. even i must admit hubby looks a bit creepy here. 

day 287: absent minded

07.26.10 (posted 08.01.10) - i didn't think it was going to happen but it did... a day went by and i forgot to take a picture (again). grrrr. somehow in between processing a bunch of photos from my seattle trip i had inadvertently thought i took a photo today. however, i didn't. sigh. that makes two days during this 365 that i missed.

day 286: i bid you farewell!

07.25.10 (posted 08.01.10) - goodbye, seattle! hope to visit the pacific northwest again real soon. as the plane took off, i was treated to a incredible view of mt. rainier. talk about a grand farewell!

day 285: seattle is calling me back (home)

07.24.10 (posted 08.01.10) - it's my last full day in seattle. i got up bright and early to meet my childhood friend, s. s and her family moved out to seattle when we were in elementary school and she was gracious enough to offer a personal tour of her city. here's a few shots from the day.

first stop, pike place market to fill up on some coffee and a pastry. afterwards, we strolled through the market to taste the yummy samples and buy some goodies.

next stop was the olympic sculpture park. from any vantage point of the park is a view of the water. i could understand why someone would want to sit here for hours gazing off into the horizon. besides the numerous public art pieces, there was an outdoor yoga class happening on one end of the park.  what a lovely spot to do your "ommmmssss". 

after that we headed over to the fremont neighborhood to check the famous troll under the bridge. 

seeing that it was close to lunch time, s and i decided to head over to the waterfront for a bite to eat. we met up with her sisters, brother-in-law, and friends at ivar's. i was kind of taken a back by a sign that actually encouraged patrons to feed the seagulls. i'm more used to seeing "don't feed the birds" signs. boy, were those seagulls feisty! i guess you got to be when you want to eat...

our last stop was the seattle center to check out the space needle and experience music project. 

thanks for showing me your fantastic city, s!