Combine the azure skies with the architecture and you got Italy. There are piazzas and roman columns....
Friday, October 22, 2010
Nice - Architecture, Part One
If I Didn't Know Better, I'd Think I Were in Italy
Combine the azure skies with the architecture and you got Italy. There are piazzas and roman columns....
Combine the azure skies with the architecture and you got Italy. There are piazzas and roman columns....
Nice - Cours Saleya
"The" Market in Nice
The Cours Saleya is a large open air market inland from the oceanfront a couple hundred feet. Vendors set up early every morning and sell flowers, vegetables, fruits, meat, spices and even soap - in this case blue locust soap.
The Cours Saleya is a large open air market inland from the oceanfront a couple hundred feet. Vendors set up early every morning and sell flowers, vegetables, fruits, meat, spices and even soap - in this case blue locust soap.
Nice - Promenade des Anglais
A Walk Along the Beach
Nice seems like a late-waking place but there were still plenty out walking along the beach. This old man was painting a watercolor with one hand.
Nice seems like a late-waking place but there were still plenty out walking along the beach. This old man was painting a watercolor with one hand.
Nice - the Hotel
An Oldie, Renovated
We are staying right along the beachfront on a stretch called the Promenade des Anglais in an old palatial hotel that has been recently redone. The giant marble columns remain, but not much else.
We are staying right along the beachfront on a stretch called the Promenade des Anglais in an old palatial hotel that has been recently redone. The giant marble columns remain, but not much else.
Nice - Getting Lucky
Dodging the Strikes
I've read all kinds of stories about the strikes but I've yet to see anything with my own eyes. We sat on the tarmac in Paris for an hour but I'm not sure why. Could this be the reason? In the Nice morning papers the next day the headline read "Surprise Strike Paralyzed the Airport." We didn't notice anything when we arrived. After a pleasant one hour flight we arrived to an empty airport.
I've read all kinds of stories about the strikes but I've yet to see anything with my own eyes. We sat on the tarmac in Paris for an hour but I'm not sure why. Could this be the reason? In the Nice morning papers the next day the headline read "Surprise Strike Paralyzed the Airport." We didn't notice anything when we arrived. After a pleasant one hour flight we arrived to an empty airport.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Brooklyn - The New Camera
Starting to Figure it Out, Slowly...
Dodo got me a new camera, one that allows you to manually control all the various settings like aperture, film sensitivity, shutter speed, etc. I've been reading up on it and trying out different settings. One thing's for sure, it takes much better shots than my old camera, especially under tough conditions This shot was taken in a cafe that was very dark but the shot still came out nice. In addition, note the depth of field: notice how the fork is out of focus and the leading edge of the dessert is sharp.
Dodo got me a new camera, one that allows you to manually control all the various settings like aperture, film sensitivity, shutter speed, etc. I've been reading up on it and trying out different settings. One thing's for sure, it takes much better shots than my old camera, especially under tough conditions This shot was taken in a cafe that was very dark but the shot still came out nice. In addition, note the depth of field: notice how the fork is out of focus and the leading edge of the dessert is sharp.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Manhattan - Random Shots
Exploring - Camera in Hand
When I first moved to NYC, I walked around a lot, exploring. I did the same thing a few days ago and snapped some photos. This is 23rd St and 8th Ave, looking northeast.
When I first moved to NYC, I walked around a lot, exploring. I did the same thing a few days ago and snapped some photos. This is 23rd St and 8th Ave, looking northeast.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Brooklyn - On Being a Food Blogger
I Have No Idea What I'm Doing...
....but somehow the Puff List has reached the magical milestone of 10,000 pages viewed this month. It's been exactly two years - I started the Puff List on Sept 15th, 2008. Is 10,000/month a lot? No idea. I have learned a few basic facts, however. First, it's hard work. Sometimes it's hard work just overcoming the inertia to leave the house to go to a place and other times the words don't exactly flow. Second, food blogging is like high-school: there is the cool crowd who only link and comment on each other's blogs and if you're not in that crowd, good luck getting any hits. I think a lot of those folks read Puff List but they almost never comment or link to it. I cannot figure out why - perhaps it's simply not good enough. Last, I've been doing it for two years and even when I get frustrated I keep on. Why? I enjoy writing, I like the creative aspect of it.
....but somehow the Puff List has reached the magical milestone of 10,000 pages viewed this month. It's been exactly two years - I started the Puff List on Sept 15th, 2008. Is 10,000/month a lot? No idea. I have learned a few basic facts, however. First, it's hard work. Sometimes it's hard work just overcoming the inertia to leave the house to go to a place and other times the words don't exactly flow. Second, food blogging is like high-school: there is the cool crowd who only link and comment on each other's blogs and if you're not in that crowd, good luck getting any hits. I think a lot of those folks read Puff List but they almost never comment or link to it. I cannot figure out why - perhaps it's simply not good enough. Last, I've been doing it for two years and even when I get frustrated I keep on. Why? I enjoy writing, I like the creative aspect of it.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Brooklyn - Movie Scene
State St Gets Hijacked
It's always strange when a movie comes to your block. They basically just camp out, take over and try to shut everything down. There are people with headphones and walkie talkies acting like we're in the DMZ. "Can I help you?" Ummm, well, if you want to "help" me carry my laundry bag up five flights, that would be nice.
It's always strange when a movie comes to your block. They basically just camp out, take over and try to shut everything down. There are people with headphones and walkie talkies acting like we're in the DMZ. "Can I help you?" Ummm, well, if you want to "help" me carry my laundry bag up five flights, that would be nice.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Paris - Decathlon Update, Grudgingly
We're All Tied at One Victory
The better man won, simple as that. Neither Colin nor I had ever tried Petanque but he caught on much more quickly than I did and beat me 2-0 in a best of 3 match. The games were close, coming down to the last throw but he had the edge. We had a bigger crowd for this event, including our teacher Pierre on the left. From left to right are Ming, Colin, Laurent and Wayne.
The better man won, simple as that. Neither Colin nor I had ever tried Petanque but he caught on much more quickly than I did and beat me 2-0 in a best of 3 match. The games were close, coming down to the last throw but he had the edge. We had a bigger crowd for this event, including our teacher Pierre on the left. From left to right are Ming, Colin, Laurent and Wayne.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Paris - Coaching Em Up
Some Are Better Than Others
Yann, a colleague of mine, brought his son Eugene with us to go practice. He listened and executed better than the grownups I was instructing. Funny thing is - I'm not good enough to be showing anybody anything....
Yann, a colleague of mine, brought his son Eugene with us to go practice. He listened and executed better than the grownups I was instructing. Funny thing is - I'm not good enough to be showing anybody anything....
Friday, September 3, 2010
Paris - Decathlon, Part II
The Frenchiest Event
Time to get it on!! Next Tuesday Colin and I will battle in our second decathlon event - Boules. It's the French version of lawn bowling. Neither of us is totally sure of the rules so we've drafted a real Frenchie to come along and help. Ming, our trusty admin, got us each our own set. They're a lot heavier than they look. To make it uber-Frenchie, we are going to play in Place des Vosges.
Time to get it on!! Next Tuesday Colin and I will battle in our second decathlon event - Boules. It's the French version of lawn bowling. Neither of us is totally sure of the rules so we've drafted a real Frenchie to come along and help. Ming, our trusty admin, got us each our own set. They're a lot heavier than they look. To make it uber-Frenchie, we are going to play in Place des Vosges.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Paris - Culture Shock
I glanced at my watch, we were ticking into the third hour of dinner and hadn’t yet ordered dessert. I was outnumbered nine to one by French colleagues so English was spoken only here and there. From what I could gather, the conversation had recently drifted from a debate about the cultural superiority of Moscow over Paris to a more pressing topic – a comparison of the 2002 Medoc they were sipping to the previous Burgundy. Just twenty-four hours earlier, I was stooped over a bowl of beef noodles in Singapore, listening to a shifting mix of Singlish and Mandarin. The fried chicken was being debated – I thought it was delicious but I was in the minority. There was a better version elsewhere, they explained, at some elusive place I’ll never get to.
My cell phone rang, it was Miguel. “Where you at, kid?” “Paris”, I answered, sticking a finger into my free ear. “What time is it there?” he worried. “No problem man, it’s only 11pm, I’m still at dinner.” I was so happy to hear his voice, to understand every word. “Cool, cool. Hey, when you coming home? You know you’re my get out of jail free card.” I wanted so badly to explain just how strange it was. How weird to be in one part of the planet and then in another, just like that. It’s not the cultures themselves, I’m familiar enough with both. It’s the switch from one to the next so quickly. It’s jarring. “I’ll be home in a few weeks. Make sure you’ve got plenty of money ready, I’m bringing the new clubs with me."
My cell phone rang, it was Miguel. “Where you at, kid?” “Paris”, I answered, sticking a finger into my free ear. “What time is it there?” he worried. “No problem man, it’s only 11pm, I’m still at dinner.” I was so happy to hear his voice, to understand every word. “Cool, cool. Hey, when you coming home? You know you’re my get out of jail free card.” I wanted so badly to explain just how strange it was. How weird to be in one part of the planet and then in another, just like that. It’s not the cultures themselves, I’m familiar enough with both. It’s the switch from one to the next so quickly. It’s jarring. “I’ll be home in a few weeks. Make sure you’ve got plenty of money ready, I’m bringing the new clubs with me."
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