Stockings Hung On the Chimney With Care

Waking up on Christmas morning, the first thing I would do was run down the stairs and look at all presents that had been "delivered". It was definitely one of the most exciting times of the year. This was the first view I would get of the Christmas tree and fireplace in the background. My brother and I were allowed to open up any presents in our stockings... but had to wait until later in the day to see what was under the tree. It definitely helped build up the excitement. 

Oh Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree is the centerpiece of a house during the holidays. However, when I was young, it was my least favorite item to decorate (which is probably why I've never gotten one for my own apartment). We would spend hours putting the tree together, hanging lights, replacing broken lights, unwrapping ornaments, hanging ornaments (there were hundreds upon hundreds). My brother and I would actually go in shifts. Each year I tried to convince my mom to reduce the amount of ornaments... but each one had special meaning to her and brought back memories. Therefore, I was never successful.

These are a few photos I took of my parent's tree this holiday. Can you see the tree underneath the ornaments?

Lighting Up the Christmas Spirit

When I was young, one of my favorite things about this time of year was looking at all of the houses decorated with lights. It always felt kind of "magical". My family never went overboard with the decorations on the outside of the house (maybe went a little overboard on the decorations inside the house)... but it always looked quite nice.

These are a few photos I took of my parent's home this year... my mom and dad are still keeping the tradition alive.
(wonder how much power is wasted during this time of year?)

Christmas Time

I was looking through the photos I took during the Christmas holiday and tried to find one that I felt best represented the feeling of this time of year. For whatever reason, this one caught my eye... fireplace heating the room, stockings hung with care, ornaments on the tree, colorful lights, dark setting, warm colors... can't help but get a warm/cozy feeling looking at this setting. 

Be Like Water

Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.

Most people might not realize it, but Hong Kong has a thriving film industry. One of its icons was Bruce Lee. If you walk along the Avenue of Stars, you can see all of the famous Hong Kong actors immortalized with stars and/or statues (similar to Hollywood's Walk of Fame). Jackie Chan even has a star there as well.

This photo was taken around midnight on a foggy/rainy evening. It probably would have been a nicer photo had there been no fog (so you could see the city skyline)... however, it still came out pretty good. It took me about 15 attempts to get a non-blurry photo (very difficult without a tripod), but I think it was worth the effort.

Last photo in my Hong Kong series... hope you enjoyed!

Bright Lights and Motorbikes

My hotel room (at New World Hotel) had a beautiful view of the city lights (this hotel is where Bill Clinton stayed when he visited Vietnam). However, what you can't hear in this picture are all the motorbikes buzzing and honking on the street below. I guess it would have annoyed me more had I stayed there for an extended period of time... however, having to listen to it for only 2 days added to the ambiance of Ho Chi Minh City (actually kind of enjoyed it).

In these 4 images, I messed around with different shutter speeds and ISO settings... I think the fourth image in this series is my favorite (on the bottom)

Winter Nights in Vietnam

Street market in Ho Chi Minh City

When I first got to Vietnam, I was exhausted... it took me two hours to get through customs, I was still jet lagged, and I didn't have a moment to rest since I had been in Asia. Nonetheless, Ho Chi Minh is an awesome city... and when I got there, I wanted to walk around and explore (plus, it's a bit difficult to sleep with the constant motorbike traffic all night). These are a few pictures I took while wandering around the streets by myself that first night. The majority of the photos came out poorly because I was too jet lagged to pay attention to the camera settings. What made the evening even more interesting was that I got completely lost and had to figure out how to ask for directions without knowing Vietnamese. The area I was at was relatively safe though... so didn't feel too bad walking around. Plus, I was coming from a much colder climate... and the warm weather felt amazing!

Street food in Ho Chi Minh City... delicious, but not the most sanitary

Street market in Ho Chi Minh City 

Neon Lights in Ho Chi Minh City

The Fanciest Parking Lot in the World!! (nighttime)

Recently, I posted an image of this insane parking lot here. However, it was a daytime shot... thought I would go back at night and get an even more dramatic image. This night I found out that the parking lot actually has "bouncers"... because I got "shooed away" by some giant guy (3 times my size) when I tried to climb to the top (I think a wedding was going on at the top floor?).

To recap... this parking lot in Miami is something to admire. It has a price tag of $65 million dollars and has attracted the attention of people from around the world. Located at the end of a posh shopping area in South Beach (Lincoln Rd), it features vaulted ceilings, beautiful panoramic views of the city, and a high end boutique. It's been used for art exhibits, weddings, wine tasting events, yoga classes.... and even parking cars.