Street Scenes - Hanoi

Hanoi is a unique city. These are some photos I took while wandering around the downtown area. Hanoi has the charm and character of an old European City... and if it weren't for the constant roaring of the motorbikes (and humidity), it would feel like you've transported yourself across the world. There are many winding alleyways, open markets, outdoor cafes, friendly people, and fantastic restaurants. It's definitely worth exploring.

The Taxi Queue

Why are there always taxis available when you don't need one? 

The Master

Taking a peak into the kitchen of a Michelin starred dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong (Tim Ho Wan). 

A Secret Passage

Found this "secret" passageway when wandering around the 1st Arrondissement in Paris... was searching for the Maison Martin Margiela store (which happened to be up that staircase). 

Parisian (street)Art #6, 7

Found on the streets of the 1st Arrondissement. Granted, the "Metro" photo wouldn't technically be considered "street art" (because it was put there deliberately by the government)... but the signs add character to the urban landscape.

Parisian (street)Art #4, 5

Fat man on a little bike!

Found on the streets of Montmartre.

Flower power... Parisian style

Parisian (street)Art #3

Found on the streets of the 6th arrondissement. 

Parisian (street)Art #2

Found en route to Sacré Cœur. 

Parisian (street)Art

Paris is famous for its art museums and galleries. However, scattered throughout the city is a different type of art... something that is available for all of the public to enjoy (or hate). Street art (aka graffiti) isn't for everyone, but regardless of your tastes, you have to appreciate the determination and creativity of the artists. This was one painting I found in Saint-Germain-des-Prés just above a gallery (more to come later). 

"To Err is Human... To Loaf is Parisian"

Sometimes the best thing to do on a summer afternoon is nothing... these are a few photos I took while "loafing" around in Paris.

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.

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.

One Second Moments

Life in big cities moves so fast that it can be difficult to take a moment to catch your breathe. Hong Kong is no different... sometimes moving so fast that it cannot be captured in a still image. In these photos, I  focused on a stationary object and did a one second exposure.. and then watched as taxis, cars, buses, and people rushed by. The second photo (black and white version) had about 100 people on the elevated walkway... but the majority of their silhouettes disappeared as they were moving too fast to be captured in the photo.

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.