Hong Kong Vignettes

Seriously if people took pictures quicker my eyes wouldn't be closed, it was so bright and eyes are really sensitive









This is an awesome view of Victoria Harbor up on the Hill--- Tons of tourists---and the view is awesome.

Sunny Daze

I got in my car today and put in an Sunny Day Real Estate pink album. The music brought back so many memoriesof being 15 and listening to the lead singer Jeremy Engicks unimitatible voice and melodic layering of guitar, bassand drums. I cranked up my car stereo. The pink album was their second album but the first of theirs I heard. I found out about them from someone in an internet chatroom. It took me morea than a few listens to get into it, the soundis more distant and less accessible along with the instruments and voice being much quieter than their other recordings. But as I listened to the tracks in my car it was nostalgia mixed with euphoria knowing that music could still express those same feelings it once did.

The band broke up right after this record and the lead singer Jeremy became a born again Christian. The bandreunited to do a couple more albums before pursuing other projects. They had a small but very dedicated groupof fans all over the country. Sadly they have been widely credited to have been a prime influence to emo music,even in this wikipedia article here their genre is listed as emo...ridiculous. This is something the band has denied or been clueless of. There music is so much deeper and involved than the emo trash I've heard.

This will be my favorite of theirs, and it reminded me of how much sounds shape you over time. I went to a JeremyEngick concert summer 2007 with my friend Brock Judkins, he played a bunch of new stuff and some old stuff, itall had the same passion as before.

Check em out--- the new band Paramore has been doing a bunch of covers from Sunny Day, they sound pretty good with a girl singer

Hong Kong Pictures

A view from the Buddhist temple on Lantau island in Hong Kong















Causeway Bay--the epicenter of coolness in Hong Kong.

Korean Pictures

Downtown Seoul the financial district. Ella took this picture and told me this river was new to the city.






















Ella knows the best Korean in town--- This was near the historic place called Insadong.

4th of July

Four visits to SFO in 6 months is something-- I am very much over Pier 39 and the Wharf and all that area. But I like the weather and generally coastal feel of the area. The fireworks were a bit underwhelming since they were about 50% blocked by fog which mixed with the smoke. I stayed in San Mateo which was the first time down that way--nice area.

On the flight back I sat next to a Virgin America pilot who lives in Scottsdale-- He lived in Taiwan when he was 18-30 studying martial and working as video DJ in the early 90's when video DJ's actually meant something-- and he had huge dreadlocks-- We talked about the airline industry of course and there plans for growth and rumors and speculation about other airlines. Virgin America could be strong airline if it makes it past this oil crisis.

Also I noticed no one really comments on my political analysis and commentary posts, which are sometimes drawn out and wordy---but still

prediction come true

So I don't come out say this stuff too often (atleast I'd like to think that). But sometime in January/early February it was my opinion that presidential candidates based on the east coast (Guiliani, Romney, Clinton, Edwards) were having and would continue to have a tougher time connecting with people west of Virginia and East of California (generally speaking). Candidates like Obama and McCain seemed to have more success in these areas.

I based this off of looking at the results of Presidential elections for the past 50 years, taking a look at the home state of each candidate. This is mostly an extension of the whole red state blue state concept but looking to the past its not a new concept or atleast it shouldn't be. Both Bush's came from Texas and Clinton came from Arkansas, Reagan California, Carter Georgia. So a candidate from New York or Massachussettes... well its been a while since this was successful. Massachussettes vs. and inner state like Texas has lost since JFK (Kerry 2004, Dukakis 1988), so it seemed far fetched for New York or Mass to prevail against an inner state.

It was late afternoon when I remembered explaining this to a co-worker, I am glad I remembered.

cool comments

Just read through recent comments people have posted. They were mostly interesting and had some sort of insight to the post such as a connection with the location, or their view on future of x topic.

babycakes

On the flight back from Fresno/Yosemite as we landed the guy sitting next me opened his cell and I couldn't help but notice the person he was calling on his speed dial was "babycakes" I was and still am curious of whether that was a: wife, girlfriend, daugter or who knows what else...

Satur-DAY in New York

You can do a lot in a day-- but taking the red-eye into New York from Phoenix arriving around 6am, I mostly napped and hung out at my friend Alberto's apt. in Queens (15 min from JFK) until the afternoon. Then went to Union Square, checked out some stores, made a few purchases, got some food at a Spanish Food Restaurant with my friend Vanessa and Alberto (ate clam, lobster,oyster, shrimp, and chicken all cooked fresh in one dish) and then went up to Times Square to catch a cruise around Manhattan Harbor-- then got some food around midnight at ESPN zone in Time Square.

Balmy weather and mostly overcast day. But I saw a bunch of people I hadn't seen in a while. In retrospect it was really interesting seeing the place and people where you once lived and then to come back and see the same people in a totally new perspective-- in a way they are the same-- but your different. I had that experience a couple of times, moving to Denver then back to Seattle, going to College for a while and coming back, going to Brazil for a mission for 2 years and coming back. They all share that unique feeling that blends the past with the present.

Flew back sunday.---oh and I apologize for no photo on this post-- the 3-4 i took weren't very good and definitely not worth a thousand words...

Another S.F vid--Golden Gate Park-Japanese Tea Garden

Never been to Golden Gate Park before- its like a newer, cleaner and more botanically diverse Central Park. Wish I had some more good pictures to show. From the BART you have to take the N train-- so you ride with real san franciscans, not too easy to get to, but so worth it.