The Glow of the Metropolis

Looking down on the metropolis of Hong Kong as it glows in the night sky. 

Paris Night Scenes

Some photos I took while wandering around the 1st and 7th Arrondissements while under the spell of a a jet lag haze. I'm surprised the photos aren't more blurry (considering I didn't have a tripod and I had been drinking wine for much of the day).

Paris - Cafe Nation

Many people go to Paris for the art museums, romance, architecture, or fashion. Those were the primary reasons for my first trip... however, when going back a second time, my motivation shifted. Yes, there are many ridiculously beautiful buildings/women in Paris... and the museums are the best in the world... but all I really cared about this trip was the food & wine. Therefore, I managed to schedule four meals per day. There is too much good food to only have three meals (especially since I had a limited amount of time).

I started my day with an espresso and pastry at a local boulangerie... and just sat there until the city came to life... blending in with the crowd. After a few hours of wandering around, it was time for lunch... and I looked for a cafe with a view. My lunches generally consisted of a 3 course meal + a carafe of wine. After lunch, I wandered around for a few more hours until I got thirsty. Depending on the time, I might have dinner #1 (small 1 course meal) while enjoying a glass of wine... or grab some cheese and a bottle... and find a spot with a view. This was usually around 6PM. After dinner #1, I made my way to the Seine to watch the sunset (usually on one of the bridges... each with a different perspective of the city). During summer months, the sun doesn't go down until around 10PM. It makes for some long days. After sunset, I searched out a restaurant for a proper 3 course meal + carafe of wine. My favorite area for dinner was Saint-Germain-des-Prés. It's relatively easy to get a seat if the weather is nice (because of all the outdoor seating)... but it can be difficult if the weather is bad and you don't speak French. I would recommend making a reservation if you think the weather might be bad (if possible, it is helpful to have a french person call to make the reservation that speaks french). Everything is open very late in Paris. Most of my dinners started around 11PM.

These are a few pictures I took of the cafes while wandering around. Keep in mind that the night photos were taken after a day of drinking wine... kind of surprised that some came out decently.

Le Tour De Eiffel

No trip to Paris is complete until you make one visit to the Eiffel Tower. I've never actually been to the top of it (lines are always too long), but it makes for a remarkable backdrop to any photo. The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris and can be seen from most parts of the city. It was under construction when I visited (building a new elevator system in the middle of it)... kind of interested to see what it looks like when they are finished. 

Recommend getting a nice viewing area of the Eiffel Tower as the sun goes down... puts on a nice light show.

The Pearl of the Orient

As one of the world's leading international financial centres, Hong Kong has a major capitalist service economy characterized by low taxation and free trade. This economy attracts people from all over the world and has created vast amounts of wealth (Hong Kong has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world)... but it has also lead to extreme gaps between rich and poor. 

Since Hong Kong is small territory, there is a lack of space. This has caused demand for denser constructions, which developed the city to a centre for modern architecture and the world's most vertical city. The dense space also led to a highly developed transportation network with public transport travelling rate exceeding 90 percent (the highest in the world). Hong Kong has numerous high international rankings in various aspects... its economic freedom, financial and economic competitiveness, quality of life, corruption perception (becoming a police officer in Hong Kong is one of the most difficult application processes), Human Development Index are all ranked highly.

Anyways, when you combine all of these elements in a dense area, it leads to interesting street photography. These are a few of the photos I took while wandering around Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.

Tourist Photos at Victoria Peak

Victoria Peak is probably one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hong Kong... and it's kind of easy to see why. The view is ridiculous. On one of my first trips to Hong Kong, I thought I would go up for a quick afternoon tour (ended up staying for 5+ hours just staring out into the vast cityscape). I had not gone back since... however, I was out with a friend and we decided to take a late night trip up the escalators in Soho (Hong Kong island is built on levels and there is actually an escalator system that will take you up... longest covered outdoor escalator system in the world). There were signs that kept directing us up to Victoria Peak... and we  decided to keep on going until we reached the top. However, eventually the escalators stopped and we would have had to continue walking up a steep trail (didn't seem too fun since it was hot and we had a bit to drink). That's when I hailed a taxi! The main observation deck was closed when we finally arrived (it was quite late)... but we managed to sneak onto another observation deck that had also been closed. These are a few of the photos I took before the security guards asked us to kindly leave (think they came out pretty good since I didn't have a tripod). Enjoy!

Food Culture in Hong Kong

Food is a very important part of the culture in Hong Kong (and China)... and it's one of the reasons why I enjoy visiting. You can get anything you want in Hong Kong (except good Mexican food... they still haven't figured that out yet). However, my favorite thing to eat is the local food (dumplings, hot pot, seafood, noodles, fish balls, etc)... and I also like visiting the street vendors. I've been lucky enough to become friends with some locals and I've been introduced to a lot of amazing food places (except the stinky tofu place... I didn't like that).

In the Asian culture, it's a big deal when people invite you to share a meal with them... and I definitely appreciate the warm hospitality.

Raining In the City

A "rainy day" in Hong Kong isn't necessarily a bad thing (helps that you can walk almost everywhere underground or on a covered walkway)... the rain cleans the air, cools things down, and makes for great "photo ops". I love the reflections of the neon lights... it illuminates the city even more. These are a few photos I took while walking walking around Tsim Sha Tsui (in Kowloon) post-rain storm.