New York for the open

took a trip to new york to check out the us open - got to watch rafa play under the open skies with planes flying in and out of JFK

the lights of arthur ashe stadium in the early evening - the atmosphere is quite unlike other sporting events - i must say that the open is quite an experience

a view of the empire state building from the top of rockefeller plaza looking downtown

grand central station and its grand concourse has not changed one bit since i was last here

graffiti is taken to a new level - seen here, buildings in an industrial section of brooklyn along side the metro tracks

a collage of photographs of faces of those who lost their lives in the sept 11 tragedy

so sad

a casually dressed commuter returning to staten island from manhattan on the free ferry service

a port-side view of the statue of liberty from the ferry

the southern tip of manhattan

perhaps one of the best pizza's i've had in a long time - courtesy of john's of bleecker street

shopping is an experience here too - here models pose outside a hollister store - perhaps selling an attitude more than a style

a restaurant that serves cold cuts and wine in the upper west side

somewhere in the upper edges of harlem, the local and state elections is heating up - candidates working hard to reach out to voters and future constituents

new york seems to still have a healthy number of family-run businesses passed down through the generations - here a neighborhood store sells pickled fish in the lower east side

fine dining in midtown

there are pockets of serenity in the concrete jungle - jackie o reservoir in central park

another southern view from the top of the rock

a wide-angle view of time square on a hot summer night

Shanghai in the summertime

hong kong international airport at 6am - summertime is a busy time for travel and last-minute business travel in these cost-conscious times necessitate layovers in various asian cities

though layovers are still an enjoyable experience - catching some sights as the airport wakes up

there are always restaurants open to cater to the temporarily-stranded traveller

on an evening stroll in the suburbs of shanghai, walking by a restaurant, past a couple enjoying their late-night meal

the view looking down from a hotel room on the 27th floor to the streets and apartment buildings below

the iconic view of pudong from an extremely crowded waterfront walkway on the bund

women taking a rest along the bustling tourist-lined, pedestrian nanjing road between the bund and peoples park

in the sweltering heat of the summer night, a local man searches for a more comfortable position on a street-side stone bench while his son enjoys watching people go by

a look up at a hotel building - the sky is strangely blue in shanghai - and the air is not as polluted as in days past

a young girl carries a baby boy as she dodges traffic along a busy road looking for sympathy and handouts

another view of the strange blue-sky phenomenon

carp served with two types of peppers in a gourmet cantonese restaurant

a storekeeper selling family seals

serene moments are not easily found in this populous city - this moment is no exception - taken in the overcrowded yuan-yuan gardens while battling for balance so as not to be pushed into the pond by a mob of frenzied amateur photographers

just a few meters outside the garden grounds, the crowd of weekend shoppers and tourists seemingly approaching critical mass

the mother of all doglegs - one of the many entrances to the world expo - taken late in the day - i'm told that they fill up in the mornings

the expo experience is one of waiting for endless hours in the sweltering heat while water is sprayed down onto the restless masses, in an attempt to reduce heat-related health incidents.

there were some incidents of deaths in week prior to my visit

there are some glimpses of other cultures

some exhibit halls from various nations are quite stunning - this one from Taiwan

this one from hong kong - aptly titled history of the banknote

and ofcourse the mother of all expo exhibition halls - not sure if this needs any introduction

new camera

many colors for sale at a tourist concession in the heart of downtown los angeles


a view from twin peaks out over the city and the north bay


a few of the ladies posing on a fair summer afternoon

down by hayes street, a bar and grill whose namesake is a potent distilled beverage

sunset on the beach seen at a reststop on a drive up the california coast

moonrise over marina del rey

playing with the diorama setting on my camera - taken from the comfort of a window seat on a commuter airline

car show

was in the southland for a weekend to take care of some business.
came across a car show while out looking for lunch


not quite sure what the theme of the show was but here is a perfectly good car if not for the lack of a suspension


wonder how they keep their cars so clean

many seemed to arrive dressed up for the event, tattoos and all

not sure about these guys - i got a hunch they guys normally dress like this

- cos i think i've seen these guys before somewhere

a band played rockabilly tunes