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Arc de Triomphe

2012-01-28T15:09:00.000-08:00

One of the first big sights I saw here in Paris was the Arc de Triomphe.

Now I've seen pictures of it before, and I knew it was big, but I wasn't prepared for just how BIG it really is. Pictures really don't do it justice.

"Ici repose un soldat français mort pour la patrie" (Here rests a French soldier, dead for the country)

I've been really impressed with how patriotic the French are. Everywhere you turn there are monuments honoring those who have died defending the country, and those celebrating French men and women who have made this country great.

The Arc de Triomphe is found at the center of the Charles de Gaulle etoile (star), which is basically a gigantic round-about of insanity. There are roughly a million lanes of traffic going around this thing with seemingly no guidance. It's crazy.

These four sets of statues were really amazing; my favorite being the third one.

Quite an amazing monument!

Bonjour, Paris!

2012-01-24T00:47:00.000-08:00

Well I made it to Paris yesterday. It was a long flight, but it went smoothly for the most part. It's just now hitting me that I'm actually in France.

I'm in France!!!

My first impressions of Paris are: dirty, stinky, diverse, and endlessly fascinating. It's a beautiful city not just for all the history and such that it has, but because of all the dirt and stench that bring it character. It's impossible for me to bored as I walk around. There's so many things going through my head right now that I'm not really sure what to write...

More to come!

Life and such

2012-01-20T00:40:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed, it's been a while since I last posted anything. I suppose part of the reason is that I really haven't been doing anything terribly exciting lately. Don't get me wrong, going to school is a blast, and I love most everything associated with that, but it's not the most interesting thing to blog about. It's more than that, though; I've become a bit reclusive over the past couple years when it comes to the whole put-your-entire-life-on-the-internet-so-everyone-knows-what-you're-doing-every-second sort of thing. I guess I'm kind of missing the days before internet, cell phones, and all that stuff. I must be getting old.

Well, anyway, life is about to get a lot more interesting soon, so I might as well blog about it. In a couple short days, I'll be leaving for France! I'm gonna be there for a little while, and I'm sure my family and friends will be interested to see what I'm up to, so I'm gonna do my best to keep the old blog up to date. Stay tuned...

In regards to my last post some 6 months ago, I have managed to lose some weight. It's not as much as I would have liked, but it's enough that my clothes feel a little looser. I've also been working out regularly for the past few months and have noticed that I have a lot more energy now, in addition to shedding a few extra pounds. I hate dieting with a passion, but I love having more energy and feeling better about myself. I'm hoping that I'll be able to lose some more weight with all the walking I'll be doing in Paris ;-)

I don't know if anyone is still checking this, but let me know what you think of all the (hopefully) awesome adventures to come!

Dieting

2011-07-31T00:25:00.000-07:00

As I am sure is the case with every other sane man and woman on the earth, I hate dieting. Hate it with a passion. I used to be way fit and would workout 2 or 3 hours a day, eat super healthy food (I went 2 years without any soda, candy, or other junk food), and take really good care of my body. Over the past 5 years or so, though, I've been slipping further and further downhill and have gained a lot of weight. Well, I've had enough!

Back in April, my good friend Matt and I challenged ourselves to spend the entire month dieting. It actually went quite well and I managed to lose 12 lbs. Unfortunately, I started drinking Mountain Dew (my precious...) again and gained 6 of those pounds back. One thing that I did learn from that experience is that I do still have the willpower to forgo junk and eat healthful foods. I may not have the time to workout as much as I would like, but I can at least eat better and lose weight that way.

There are two things that have motivated me to finally get healthy and lose weight: 1) I promised Tomoe that I would get skinny for her birthday in September, and 2) I'm planning on going on a study abroad to France in the spring and there's no way I'm gonna go there as a fat-ass. I may not be able to get as skinny as I would like for Tomoe's birthday, but I should still be able to lose about 20 lbs. if I push myself. It'll be cutting it close as far as France goes, but if I can keep on pushing myself I should be able to get to the same weight I was when I first came to San Diego 6 years ago.

So wish me luck and if you're interested in joining me in dieting, drop me a line!

A Tale of Two Cities Book Review

2011-07-09T23:10:00.001-07:00

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first Charles Dickens book that I've ever read so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from it. For some reason, I had the impression that it would be a rather serious tale with a lot of depth. It turned out that wasn't really the case. There are some very serious themes in the story – oppression of the poor, horrors of the French Revolution, etc. - but for the most part it's just an entertaining read. I will admit that, due to my erroneous expectations, I wasn't enjoying it as much as I could have early on, but I certainly enjoyed it more and more as I got further into it.

The story is basically about the intertwining lives of some people from London and Paris around the time of the French Revolution. There's mystery, action, drama, and suspense - everything a fun, entertaining read needs. Dickens crafted a very solid story, I don't think there's a single character in the entire story who isn't linked to someone else. Even the most seemingly minor characters pop up later on in some pivotal role, which is pretty neat.

As I'm sure most people know, Dickens tales were serialized, giving them a somewhat unique feel to the rising actions, climaxes, etc. The edition that I have shows where each installment ended and you can definitely tell how Dickens would create little climaxes and cliffhangers at the end of each installment. Since Dickens, of course, would want to keep his readers buying all the issues until the very last one, the story can feel a bit slow at times. It's pretty easy to guess what's going to happen at the end once you start getting closer to it, but the story keeps throwing new things at you till the very last chapter. Even though this gave the book an odd pacing (it would have been great to read this when it was first serialized!), and not everything is revealed till the very end, I wasn't very bothered by it and it ended exceptionally well.

So even though my expectations coming into the book were a bit off, I did end up enjoying it quite a bit. The language takes a little while to get used to, but once you do, it flows quite well. If you're in the mood for something fun and entertaining, this will definitely hit the spot.

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In the Miso Soup Book Review

2011-07-03T18:07:00.001-07:00

In the Miso Soup by Ryū Murakami

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

What a stupid book. I'd wanted to read a Murakami Ryu book for a while now, having heard about him numerous times, but, based on this book, I won't be reading anything else of his. Dubbed a "Renaissance-man" from all the different things he does – writer, filmaker, and drummer for a rock band – he's won a number of literary awards, including Japan's highest award, the Akutagawa Prize, for his first book, Almost Transparent Blue, and the Yomiuri Literature Prize for this one. He's probably considered one of Japan's top contemporary writers but I didn't find him to be anywhere near as good as the other Murakami (Murakami Haruki), and just not very good writer in general.

In the Miso Soup is a book about a tour guide named Kenji who takes foreigners on "sex-tours" of Tokyo's red-light districts. It's a couple nights before New Year's Eve and Kenji taking this guy named Frank on a tour of Shinjuku's Kabuki-cho. The night before Kenji meets Frank there is a gruesome murder where somebody had cut off the arms, legs, and head of a high-school girl that was prostituting herself. Frank is super creepy and Kenji begins to wonder if Frank may be the killer, and it goes on from there. The story is extremely violent (though you don't see any of this till halfway through the book) and basically turns into a horror film.... err, book. It's really gross at a number of points and, based on what I read about Murakami's other books, this seems to be the author's main selling point.

The reason I didn't like the book isn't because it goes all Texas Chain Saw Massacre on me (which, as you can tell, I didn't care for), it's because the book is just a mess. First off, the killer has this ability to hypnotize people before he kills them, which made the book much less scary because it lost touch with reality. Next, most of the book is about as interesting as watching a slideshow of your aunt Betty's trip to Pocatello. The book is filled with soliloquy, followed by internal monologue, followed by soliloquy; it's basically a vehicle for the author to spit off rhetoric about his own personal observations on society, all in a not-so-subtle way. This brings me to my next gripe: while some of the observations on society are interesting, most are juvenile, whiny, and lacking any sort of depth beyond what a high-school kid could come up with. I guess my main problem with the book, apart from the boring monologues, is that the characters seem contrived. Just witnessed a half-dozen people being massacred? Forget running to the police, seems like a perfect time to daydream about what's wrong with today's youth!

I picked up this book mainly because I wanted something fun and easy to read, and, even though it was a very easy read, I didn't have much fun with it. I'm sure a younger reader with a taste for horror films and an interest in Japan will enjoy it (though it's definitely not for kids!), but for everyone else don't bother. Not recommended.

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South of Haunted Dreams Book Review

2011-06-30T18:08:00.001-07:00

South of Haunted Dreams by Eddy L Harris

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

How do I type a sigh? If you I could figure that out, I would probably type two or three sentences worth. Since it looks like I'm the first person reviewing this book on Goodreads, I might as well tell you what it's about before I comment on it.

This is a work of creative non-fiction about a black man who grew up around whites in the North and decides to take a motorcycle trip to the South to find his roots and face the, what he initially believes, ongoing oppression of the black people by the white man. Even though he's never personally faced much racism, he feels the weight of a long oppressed people on his shoulders and is somehow compelled to go to the South and face it head on. The book is essentially a travelogue, with both a physical and mental journey going on, so we slowly see how his perceptions change as he comes to know what the South is actually like.

That doesn't sound so bad, right? Indeed the idea of the story isn't bad at all, and the writing is pretty good too – it's no Steinbeck mind you, but it's easy to read and flows well. The problem is that the narrator is just so dang angry for most of the book. Quite literally, the first 100 pages are an angry rant of all the horrible things that have happened in the (surprisingly recent) past. Yes, some horrible things have happened and, yes, horrible things continue to happen, but we get the idea that you're pissed from the first 5 pages of the book – another 95 pages doesn't drive the point home anymore than it already has. Even when that anger has mellowed out a bit, it still seems to pop back up over and over. An example of this is the narrator meets some white folk, a number of different times, who he expects to be mean and bigoted, but turn out to be super nice to him, and even though he's like "I've completely changed my mind about what the South is," he goes right back to where he was before at the beginning of the next chapter. It's not till the very end of the book that he really mellows out, and by that point you're just fed up with him.

Another issue that I had is that the story is far too focused on the narrator's opinion of things. We're supposed to be going on this journey with the guy, but he seems more interested in convincing us his own personal agenda than taking us along for a journey of self-discovery. In fact, the story seems to be more of a personal soapbox than, well, a story.

The thing that gets me, though, is that I really really wanted to like the book. The author actually came to our English class for a couple days and he seems like a really interesting person. He's not at all angry in real life (this book was written 20 years ago, so maybe he was angry back then) and it seems like he has all these great stories he could tell. Perhaps his more recent work is better – it's only published in France, in French, where he now lives – but I don't really have any interest after this book. Anyway, I got my book signed by him, which is neat, but I didn't really care for the book, which is too bad...

Overall, while this isn't anywhere near the worst book I've ever read, it's still not very good. Perhaps some people will enjoy it, but I sure didn't. Not recommended.

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Beloved Book Review

2011-06-17T02:59:00.001-07:00

Beloved by Toni Morrison

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Haunting. That is how I would describe this book. There were more than a few parts where I was completely disgusted with what is undoubtedly a low point in human history. Black people, both freeman and slave, being treated like livestock, the fear of loving your children too much because they're liable to be sold like cattle, killing your own child because death is preferable to enslavement, it's hard to believe how close this still is to our collective history. More than a few times I had to just stop reading and think about what I'd just read; even though the book would definitely be classified as magical realism, there's a truth behind the fantastical that is disturbing to the modern sentiment. Books like this are the reason I like to read. They remind me of both the good and bad of my, and our, human nature.

Morrison is an excellent writer, it's not hard to see why she won the Nobel Prize – this book is so well crafted that I couldn't think of a single thing that I didn't like about it. Reading it, I was completely engrossed in the story, time period, language, and characters. She is extremely poetic, very singsong – I often read passages out loud so I could properly hear the beauty of the language. That being said, this isn't an easy read in a lot of ways. I was fairly confused for the first third of the book; it's like we're thrown in the middle of a story and we're not explicitly explained about what's going on. The story is so well crafted though, that Morrison is aware of these gaps and fills them little by little as the story goes on. Yes, this makes your task as a reader more intensive, but the effect it has on you when she finally reveals a major detail about a character's past is unparalleled. I will say though that I didn't completely understand the chapters in the first-person perspective of Beloved, maybe we're not supposed to completely understand what's up with her.

As you can obviously tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. It'll probably be too difficult for younger readers but for everyone else, this is a required read in American literature.

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Book Review

2011-05-30T04:40:00.001-07:00

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Much like Steinbeck's East of Eden, this is one of those great American classics that every American, young and old, should take it upon themselves to read. Like Steinbeck's aforementioned book, there's something about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest that makes it a unique piece of truly-American American literature. It represents a shared experience that goes beyond the plot laid out and into something that can unequivocally be said to be a part of the American Experience that we all share in. At times the story is laugh-out-loud humorous, while other times it is exceptionally poignant, but throughout the story is a message that not only spoke to a post-WWII generation, but to all the generations that have followed and continue to roll forth.

I'd also like to make a little plug for the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition that I read, which was really quite nice. Included alongside the text are the drawings that Kesey did of, what I assume to be, the real patients at the insane asylum which he worked at as, first, a medication guinea pig and, then, a nurse. The illustrations are quite good and actually added a lot to the story. This edition also has a really great cover with comic book illustrations of scenes from the book, high-quality paper, and a thoughtful introduction. Unfortunately it isn't available in hardcover, but it's still quite nice.

Regardless of which edition you pick up, this is a truly great work of literature and I would definitely consider it to be one of those books that everyone should read. Highly recommended.

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Herzog Book Review

2011-05-25T04:18:00.001-07:00

Herzog by Saul Bellow

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. It took me a while to finish it - partially because of school obligations, but more so because I wanted to savor every word - but it was a wonderful book with some of the best writing I've ever encountered and an amazingly dynamic, three-dimensional protagonist.

The opening line sets the tone of the story perfectly: "If I am out of my mind, it's all right with me." Moses E. Herzog is a complex character who can be difficult to pin down at times. He's an intellectual with an incredibly sophisticated mind, yet he seems incapable of maintaining mental fortitude against the disintegration of life around him. He's a twice failed husband, with a child by each wife, who readily recognizes that he wronged the first and was wronged by the second; yet, he maintains an intensity of feeling for both of them - and all the other women in his life. To deal with his precarious situation he writes unsent letters to his psychiatrist, his friends, his dead mother, President Eisenhower, Nietzsche, and even God. Through these letters we see his enormous intellect and gain an understanding of who he is and what he's going through.

The thing that most greatly impressed me about Bellow's writing is how he seems transplant Herzog's mind into every single word. At times the story is told in third person, while at other times it seems to move to first person. It's like Herzog is trying to write his own story from a neutral perspective, yet at times it becomes too personal and he slips from the position of the detached biographer. Hats off to Bellow for his amazing writing, it's some of the best I've ever read.

The book can be a bit difficult at times, especially when Herzog goes off on some soliloquy about human ideology (or whatever else), and it wouldn't hurt to have a basic understanding of French, but because of how well written the book is, and how fascinating Herzog is as a character, it rarely becomes a chore. There isn't much of a traditional plot beyond the reader's discovery of Herzog's character and the development of how he deals with his problems, but it never really bothered me. Perhaps this is part of the reason it took me a while to finish the book; without a strong plot to push me forward in reading, I was left take it in at my leisure.

Overall this was a really great book and it's not difficult to see why Bellow was, and is still, so highly praised (he won the Nobel Prize, among numerous other awards). It may not be for everyone - people looking for a more intellectual read rather than a page turner will certainly enjoy it more - but I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to say that it's a masterpiece. Highly recommended.

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Midnight's Children Book Review

2011-04-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was surprised at how much I ended up liking this book. For the first hundred pages I was really not enjoying it, it felt like a jumbled mess that wasn't sure what it wanted to be. Little by little though I started to get sucked into the story and it got really good. I think part if the problem is that for the first hundred pages it jumps back and forth from the present to the past and you're not quite sure what to make of it. After a while though it becomes more linear and you're able to get a sense of the somewhat odd prose (which is really quite good after getting used to it). By the time I got halfway through the book I was completely engrossed and didn't want to put it down.

I not even going to try and summarize the story because there's just so much to it but it basically deals with the Indian nation and her people. This book would definitely fit in the mystical realism genre, in fact I would say this book could pretty much define the genre.

Overall this was a great book and I would definitely say that it's earned its reputation. Highly recommend.

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On Beauty Book Review

2011-04-25T18:04:00.001-07:00

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

(1.5 stars)

I'll start with the good stuff: this book has a really nice cover; great minimalist design with a lovely font.

Now the bad stuff: the novel itself.

This is a story that deals with themes of race, identity, love, and finding the things that make each of us happy. The themes are interesting and far reaching in that they are easy to relate to; the problem I had is that the story and writing itself has so many faults, it ends up coming off as a bad sitcom. The writing itself almost makes it seem like a screenplay; there's a ton of dialogue, tons of melodrama, and the structure of the prose is formulaic. Virtually every single scene follows the structure of (1) describing the setting, (2) setting up the mood of the characters in the scene, and (3) presenting a back and forth dialogue. It's just so predictable that I ceased to derive even the most rudimentary enjoyment from the prose. Another problem with the writing is that a lot of the characters are supposed to be using African American English and street slang but the author can't seem to get enough away from her British English to create a believable dialogue between the characters, so things end up sounding a bit off. Perhaps the biggest issue I had with the story though is that the characters come off more as caricatures than real characters. I never really felt like the characters had true identities of their own, Smith just seemed to bend their identities around what was needed to get her points across. In the end the characters were nothing more than vaguely defined shells filled with nothing more than what the author directly presented (i.e., they were two-dimensional and didn't find a life of their own beyond the story).

I will say though that I did become more interested in the story as it neared the end (thus the extra half star), but I suppose it's a bit like watching some crappy drama on TV in that you've invested so much time in the characters that you can't help but be interested in seeing how things will turn out - regardless of how lousy the story is. I do think some people will enjoy this novel (there were several people, including the teacher, in my English class who enjoyed it), but I'm sure there are just as many who will despise it every bit as much as I did.

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The Book of Salt Book Review

2011-03-20T22:25:00.001-07:00

The Book of Salt by Monique Truong

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was really impressed by this book. Even though I couldn't really relate to the main character, a Vietnamese cook named Bình, on a personal level, I found his journey to thoroughly entrancing. What really made the book so good though was the writing. The entire book is infused with an acutely poetic sense. Sometimes the writing can be a little too ornate, but for the vast majority of the book the language was absolutely wonderful in describing the tiniest of details. A couple of my favorites were: "Her eyes were brown with ripples of sand inside" and "My French is clipped and jagged, an awkward careless collection, a blind man's home, a drunk man's stumbled steps. We will throw all our words onto the table and and find those saturated with meaning."

Another unique thing about the book is the sort of nonlinear, trickle effect manner in which we're given the plot and information about the characters. Normally, I don't really care this technique as it's often taken too far - as was the case with Dogeaters - but it worked well here. I even think it's necessary for us to be able to understand Bình's character, one that isn't straightforward nor, what most would consider, normal.

As far as the plot itself is concerned, this is a story about Bìhn, a Vietnamese cook employed by Gertrude Stein and Alice B Toklas in Paris, and his search for home, a reconciliation with his past, and the betrayals that he faces. I didn't know much about Gertrude Stein and it didn't hamper my appreciation of the story, but I'm sure people who know more about her would find it all the more interesting.

On a side note, this is not a book to read when you're hungry. Food is constantly described and if you're anything like me, you'll find yourself constantly reaching for the cupboard while reading this!

Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable read and I think it's the perfect summer read for any adult or young-adult to sit down to and just enjoy its beauty.

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iPad 2: A Launch Story & Review

2011-03-12T03:46:00.000-08:00

iPad 2 and Smart Cover

iPad 2 is finally here! It's been a grueling 9 days since Jobs announced the iPad 2 and I've been a little too excited for this day to come. I held off on getting the first gen iPad in anticipation of the superior 2nd gen model. While there are a couple features still missing that I had hoped would make it into iPad 2, a high-res display for example, it's still a vastly improved device in a few key points. Before I get to that though, let's talk about the launch day!

iPad 2 Launch - Fashion Valley Apple Store, San Diego, CA - 3/11/2011

Here's where I sat for 6 hours...

Unlike the iPhone 4 launch, Apple didn't take any pre-orders for the iPad 2. You had 2 choices: order online the day of and wait at least a week or two (it's about a month now) or stand in line and hope you get lucky. I already suffered for a week, I couldn't take another two. People were saying (online) that they didn't think the lines would be that bad with all the different places that the iPad was being sold but I really didn't want to take a chance.

The Apple Store is by the last palm tree. This is the first part of the line...

The iPad 2 was set to go on sale at 5 PM sharp (combine this with the lack of pre-orders and it's obvious that Apple was looking for some free advertising). I came here for the iPhone 4 launch and it was absolutely crazy so I knew I should get here early. Luckily the wife was working next door at Express this morning so she sent me a text to let me know that the line wasn't bad when she got to work at 8 AM.

...and here's the second part! This is after I had already bought my iPad so it was even worse before!

I waited a couple hours and ended up getting there at 11 AM. I was about the 30th person in line so I had a good spot. People were just starting to trickle in then but a couple hours later the line really began to grow. By the time 5 hit there was, from what I heard, over 400 people waiting. The wait itself wasn't too bad, even though six hours is a long time, it sure goes fast thanks to Netflix on the iPhone!

As is usual now, Apple gave out free drinks and even some umbrellas to keep us from getting too fried. Once 5 came, it sure didn't take long to get in and out. They had dozens of Apple employees working so I was able to immediately go in and by 5:10 PM I was out the door with the customary cheers, clapping, and "congratulations!" from employees and fellow comrades in Apple geekdom alike. Overall it was a fun time and it went off without a hitch.

iPad 2 Review

32GB Wifi iPad 2

I'm not going to go over all the little details of what's new in the iPad 2, there's a million other sites where you can find that, rather I'm just give you my impressions of what I like (and don't like?) about it.

Design

The iPad 2 is a gorgeous device. As you can see here, they now have a white model in addition to the black one. I heard some people (who hadn't even got an iPad 2 yet) say that the white bezel will reduce the perceived contrast of the screen but in my experience that's not the case. The screen is really bright so it negates any such effects.

The iPad 2's body is amazingly thin and light (not Kindle light, but still light). One of my biggest complaints of the first iPad was that it was just too tiring to hold the thing for a long time. It was fairly heavy and a bit bulky. The iPad 2 has changed all that. It's amazing how thin and comparatively light this is. The thing is an absolute joy to hold.

Another big change is that the device now lays completely flat without that annoying rocking that came from the first models curved back.

iPad 2 with Smart Cover attached

Power

This thing has been seriously juiced up. Everything's instantaneous and it just flies through the most graphical and process-heavy tasks. When it comes to power, the iPad 2 is a far better piece of kit than the first iPad and iPhone 4.

Cameras

The cameras are crap, there's no other way to say it. They're basically only good for Facetime video calls and maybe some light video work with the rear camera. Yes, photos look like garbage but do you really want to take photos with a big slab of aluminium? No? Didn't think so.

Smart Cover

The Smart Cover has been seriously hyped up and it's for good reason: it's cool and it works great. Apple built some magnets into the iPad 2 that allow the Smart Cover (not case, it only protects the screen) to snap into place with perfect alignment every time. I hate cases that add a bunch of bulk and make my sleek iDevice look ugly so this was the perfect fit for me. What's even better is that the cover puts the device to sleep when closed and wakes it from sleep when opened. My one complaint is that the polyurethane outside of the cover doesn't seem very sturdy, I won't be the least bit surprised if it's falling apart and/or all nasty by this time next year. Hopefully I'm be wrong. They also sell leather Smart Covers but they're $69 (!).

iPad 2 with Smart Cover closed.

Games

There are already a few games that have been updated to take advantage of the iPad 2's faster processing power and they look spectacular. Infinity Blade looks especially great with added textures and lighting effects.

Infinity Blade

Real Racing 2 HD

It's amazing how great these games look, I can't wait to see what they come up with once they build some games from the ground up for the iPad 2.

Conclusion

I've been very pleased with my use of the iPad 2 so far. It's lighter and thinner, has a faster processor, and it comes in white! For people that have been holding off on buying an iPad till the kinks were worked out, this is the perfect time to jump on in. For original iPad owners it's a tougher call. Most of the changes are on the outside of the device and with the lack of a a high-res display and USB port, you might be better of waiting till iPad 3.

Pros:

Sleek and sexy design in an ultra-thin body with reduced weight
Much faster processor
Smart Covers
Facetime capable
Apps for everything

Cons:

Crappy cameras
Polyurethane Smart Covers feel a little cheap
No high resolution display
No USB port or SD card slot

What do you guys think? Did anyone else pickup an iPad 2 or are any of you planning on getting one? For all you iPad owners, what are your favorite apps?

A Cab Called Reliable Book Review

2011-03-06T02:42:00.003-08:00

A Cab Called Reliable: A Novel by Patti Kim

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is a story about a Korean-American girl who moved to America when she was 7 and the issues of identity, culture, and coming of age that she faces. Her mother takes her brother and leaves her with her abusive father when she is 9 and she can't understand why. As she matures she strives to find her place in the world and come to terms with who she is and the hand she's been dealt.

A part of me really wanted to like this story, the writing is good and many of the themes are universal, but I just felt bored reading it. It's a really short book and shouldn't take long at all to read but there's not much excitement, I didn't feel invested in the characters and I didn't really care what happened to them. I felt like I was reading a documentary on a Korean immigrant family. The thing that really did it in for me though was the author telling me flat out the reason why the protagonist's mother left. The main character spends all this time trying to figure out why her mother abandoned her - her entire identity seems to be founded in that question - only to find that there is a simple straightforward reason to why she left. For me this book lost most of its depth and became devoid of further contemplation after that.

Even though I'm being rather critical of it, I did still get some enjoyment from reading it. Like I said, a lot of the themes are easy to relate to and to a certain extent it's interesting to see how this girl and her father develop.

While I wouldn't recommend it to any serious reader, I'm sure younger people, especially girls, could find it enjoyable.

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To Live Book Review

2011-02-22T02:02:00.001-08:00

To Live: A Novel by Yu Hua

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If I could, I'd give this book 3.5 stars. It's definitely a good book, though I would by no means put it among the greats. This is a translation of a Chinese novel that was written about 20 years ago. It's about the ups and downs that a man and his family face over some 60 years or so from the 1920s to the 1980s. After gambling away his family fortune he and his family are reduced to an extreme state of penury. As he lives out the years of his life he faces war, the Cultural Revolution, the rise of communism, and the death of all those around him.

Not surprisingly, this is a very sad novel. I'm not afraid to admit that I found myself tearing up more than once. Sometimes the novel can be a bit too sentimental, which is one of the main problems that I had with it, but overall I felt invested in the characters and was genuinely concerned for them as they faced trail after trial. Even though it's a sad story, I didn't feel that I was left with a negative feeling at the end. This entirely ordinary man, who has every reason to die, continues persevering through his suffering with a simple goal: to live.

This is a super easy read, you could easily read this is a single day and there's a good chance that many do since it's such a page-turner. The style of the writing is of a modern/minimalist slant. This makes it really easy to read but it also makes the language a little dry at times. There are a few points where his descriptions are hauntingly powerful but, for the most part, the writing is good without being great. One thing I did enjoy quite a bit though, as often is the case with reading foreign novels, was getting a view of an entirely unfamiliar part of the world. Seeing how common people lived in a changing China was fascinating and quite enjoyable.

Overall, I was pleased with this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good book to fill a lazy Saturday afternoon.

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Dogeaters Book Review

2011-02-20T01:40:00.001-08:00

Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Where to begin? First and foremost, this book was crap. That's about the nicest way to put it. I haven't read a book this bad in a long time, and it only got worse the further I got into it. While I was reading it I was literally thinking that at first this would 3 stars, then halfway through I thought 2 stars, and now at the end it's definitely a 1 star book.

Before I write about why I didn't like it, I'll write a little bit about the plot. This is a story that takes place in the Philippines (the author is Filipino) and deals with a large cast of characters from all different walks of life whose paths come in contact with each other. The author mixes in actual history and excerpts from historical documents with fictional characters - some of whom are based on real life people, like Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos for example.

This is a postmodernist work where everything - plot, characters, themes, writing style, etc. - gets thrown in a blender and presented as is, for better or worse. This brings me to one of the reasons I didn't like it: there's basically no point to this story, it has the depth of a 10 AM soap opera. The book is such a mishmash of ideas that it simply ceases to have any discernable direction. There's a very large cast of characters and unless you read this book straight through, you're going to forget who is who. To make matters worse, the story is told in the first person by a number of different characters and that character changes every couple chapters; so basically you have no idea who is speaking for the first page of each chapter. This also brings up another problem: the writing is not very good, in my opinion it's actually quite poor, and all of the characters thoughts sound the same- whether they are male or female. Everyone sounds far too similar and this makes it ten times harder to figure out who is speaking and what's going on.

I could go on and on about the things I didn't like about this book but I think you get the idea. I do want to mention one more thing though: I was quite surprised how many good reviews this book has gotten on Goodreads and Amazon. I just don't get how anyone could like this book, it's a complete mess. I've read other postmodern authors, Murakami Haruki is one of my favorites and he would definitely be classified as a postmodern author, so I don't think I have a natural aversion towards postmodern literature (though I'm starting to develop one after reading this!). Perhaps if you're one of those people who can discern the meaning of life from random splashes of paint then you might like this book, otherwise I'd recommend staying away. Don't waste your time on this one.

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Wuthering Heights Book Review

2011-02-19T00:24:00.001-08:00

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The back of the book says this is "one of the most famous love stories in the English language." I think whoever wrote that must have read a different version from the one I read; to me, this is a tale about revenge. This is a story about an ill-treated boy who, as he approaches manhood, is denied the possibility of marrying the one he loves due to his social degradation. In response he takes his revenge on all those who he feels wronged him and then proceeds to apply that vengeance to their children. Love is certainly a part of this book, but it takes a back seat to the cruelty and fiendishness of this main character as he harms all those around him, including his love, and, most especially, himself.

The writing is good, though not as great as some other famous Victorian writers or previous greats like Jane Austen. There's an immaturity in the writing that, I feel, certainly would have improved had the author survived to write further. She throws in references from Romantic poets like Wordsworth and Coleridge from time to time which to me seemed slightly out of place in their complexity to the rest of the work. Nonetheless, the writing is good and easy to read.

What really shines is the edginess that this novel has, especially in relation to other Victorian literature of the time. There's violence in the story that is quite shocking and I find it hard to believe that there's a single person who's read this book that doesn't hate at least one character. I hated nearly every character, not because they were poorly portrayed but because they were just so evil, pathetic, despicable, or self-centered. Any of those traits are fine to me (at least in a book!), as long as the character is written well.

Overall I though this was a very enjoyable read that's only getting better in my mind as I muse upon the characters and story. Highly recommended.

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The Secret Agent Book Review

2011-02-13T02:15:00.001-08:00

The Secret Agent: Centennial Editon by Joseph Conrad

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first Joseph Conrad book that I've read and as such I was a little unsure of what to expect but I can now say that I'm thoroughly impressed by his mastery of English prose, something that's all the more amazing considering that he didn't even learn English till he was in his twenties. There's something about his writing that I really enjoyed. He takes his time exploring the psychology of his characters, developing their thoughts and providing a basis for the actions they commit. I'll be the first to admit that his style may seem rather slow to the modern reader in this age of minimalism and postmodernism but, for me at least, I found it to be quite elegant and superbly paced in the way it keeps you in suspense.
This is a book about terrorism and the psychosis of terrorists and their supposed law-abiding antagonists. While I suppose you could loosely classify this as a detective/thriller book, I think it's a lot more than that. Sure, Conrad purposely keeps you in suspense about certain plot points to add to the thrill of the tale, but at its center this is story that goes beyond simple entertainment. This is a story of opposing forces that seek reconciliation in instances of extreme psychological and emotional pressure. Sometimes these things are shocking to a degree that, if you're like me, you may find yourself having to stop reading so you can come to terms with some markedly disturbing events that take place. Even though this book was published over a hundred years ago, there's a disconcerting similarity between the terror-struck world of The Secret Agent and the one that we find ourselves in at the beginning of the 21st century.
I apologize that this review doesn't really contain any concrete details about the book's plot, I figure you can find a synopsis pretty much anywhere and I wanted to express what this book meant to me. Needless to say, I enjoyed this book and wouldn't hesitate in recommending it. I don't think everyone will enjoy it as much as me, especially if you only read modern or light-weight literature, but this is a truly great book with some eerily prophetic themes.

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Confessions of a Mask Review

2011-01-29T22:46:00.000-08:00

Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mishima Yukio is considered one of Japan's great post-WWII authors and I had wanted to read some of his work for sometime. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature three times, though he never won it, and he died at the age of 45 (Nov. 25, 1970) after committing ritualistic suicide - seppuku - and having his he cut off. An interesting life to say the least.

Confessions of a Mask is his first novel and was published in 1948 when he was just 23 years old. It is said that it is semi-autobiographical, though there's no way to know how true to actual life events it is. The entire book is written in the first-person and is basically a window into the narrators inner self, a self that is at odds with itself. Themes of sexuality, homosexuality, death, love, and normality are prevalent and they provide a fascinating view on subjects that are often still regarded as taboo to this day. If the raciest book you've read is Pride and Prejudice, then you may want to avoid this one. There are numerous instances of masturbation, mutilation, necrophilia, homosexual fantasy, and, believe it or not, armpit fetishism. Through it all though is a truth that is rarely recognized, much less spoken of. It may be hard to pity the narrator at times, while at times he is very pitiable, but you may find yourself surprised in how many ways you can relate to him. I know I was.

This is a translation so it to be expected that some things will get lost along the way. While I haven't read this in Japanese, I can tell that some of his poetry does get lost in translation. It's not so bad that it's unreadable, it can just be a bit heavy handed at times.

Overall I found this to be a good read that only got better as it went on. It's not hard to see why this is a modern classic of Japanese literature and how it remains relevant some 60 years later. Definitely worth a read for those looking for something different.

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Le Rustique Camembert

2011-01-03T17:11:00.000-08:00

Tomoe and I both love cheese so for Christmas we gave each other some fancy cheeses from Trader Joe's. First up is Le Rustique camembert from Normandy France.

Out of the four cheeses that we bought, this was the one that I was most anxious to try. I guess Tomoe and I were thinking the same thing because we both bought it for each other!

Now even though I love cheese, I admittedly haven't eaten very many different kinds. This was also my first time having a camembert and even though I was excited, I was also a bit nervous as to whether I would like it or not. Opening up the cheese didn't alleviate my concerns. How can I describe the smell? The first thing that came to mind was dirty laundry and mold. This is definitely a stinky cheese. Luckily though, believe it or not, it tastes magnificent. It's super soft, so soft that it seems to melt in the fridge, and has this wonderful, refined flavor. We had the cheese with some Kristian Regále sparkling pear juice and it was the perfect combination.

This is definitely a cheese I would recommend to people looking to venture beyond the usual mozzarellas and chedders. Just try and ignore the smell :-)

Grafton, Utah

2010-12-25T03:35:00.000-08:00

Virgin River

Last weekend I took a quick trip up to St. George to take care of some business and had the chance to take a quick look around an old ghost town called Grafton. The weather was crap so I didn't do much but I still got a couple good shots and had a good time.

Schoolhouse/Church - 1862

The Louisa Marie Russell Home - 1879

The John and Ellen Wood Home - 1877

I guess they were in the process of restoring some of the remaining buildings so they all looked pretty good. I think I'd rather visit a genuine ghost town that hasn't been altered in anyway but, from what I understand, they don't last too long without some help.

Les Misérables Review

2010-11-30T23:38:00.000-08:00

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh where to begin for a book as massive and all-encompassing as this! There are few great literary tales of this length that have stood the test of time to become what we would now call a classic. Les Misérables is one of those so-called classics and, on a grander scale, so much more. The story follows the life of the ex-convict turned saint Jean Valjean as he faces ostracism and bigotry by a most unforgiving society and a redeemed conscience that seeks perpetual penance.
There is plenty in this book that I would deem "underline worthy," meaning that there are a lot of quotes that I wish to remember and recall as having a profound effect on me. Hugo is at his best when the plot is flowing, he's a masterful poet who has a way of lifting his reader to see the greatness in God, life, and man - in addition to the darkness that man and society are capable of.
The biggest problem that I, and I'm sure countless others, have with Les Misérables is Hugo's incessant desire to go off on random tangents and overly extravagant descriptions of things that have little-to-no bearing on the story. The largest is his 69 page description of the Battle of Waterloo where only the last 7 pages have anything plot related. Even though these long side notes can be maddening at times when you're anxious to see where the plot will take you, they definitely taught me a great deal about France and French history and brought an unfamiliar time and region to life.
Les Misérables is a wonderful book that has had a profound effect on my life and my views of God, man, and especially France. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to any adult reader looking for a book that goes well beyond entertainment. This is a book that will teach, educate, and, ultimately, inspire you. Just be prepared for a very long read.

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Sunset Cliffs

2010-10-10T04:02:00.000-07:00

Recently Tomoe and I had the chance to go to Sunset Cliffs when the tide was really low. Normally it's just a bunch of rocks at the bottom but every once in a while you get the chance to see a whole different world.

When we lived in San Diego before we came here when it was low tide but I wasn't really into photography at the time so I didn't take many photos. After I got into macro photography I frequently thought about a photo excursion like this. Luckily, it turned out to be everything I could have hope for.

There were lots of crabs along the rocks and it was interesting to see how different they look from the ones in Hawaii.

One thing we found out is that you have to look pretty hard to find sea creatures here. This tiny little guy was on the bottom of rock and is only about the size of a penny.

Where we really lucked out though was running into some guy who seemed to be studying marine biology or something. He was able to find this tiny baby octopus in a puddle of water in the rocks. We all took a bunch of pictures and then he set the guy free.

He also found this thing which seemed to be a cross between a starfish and a snake. I was able to hold and it felt so neat as it slithered its legs around like a snake's body.

With school and everything it was so nice to be able to get out and see San Diego some more. Next time the tide is really low I think we'll go to Wind 'n Sea beach and see what else we can uncover!

Our Big Island Adventure!

2010-08-09T00:49:00.000-07:00

A little over a year ago Tomoe, Mom, and myself took an awesome trip to The Big Island. Here are our exploits! We had an amazing time there and made some unforgettable memories, so I hope you enjoy sharing in our adventure :-)

On a side note, I made this movie using iMovie on the Mac and it was a lot of fun but it sure took a long time! I've always wanted to do some scrapbooking but I could never really get into it, I think making movies like this is my way of scrapbooking. iMovie works great and it is so easy to use but for some reason some of my still photos are rendered in really low quality, which is really frustrating. It mainly seems to affect darker photos and you probably won't notice it much, but in case you do, that is the reason why.

Next up: Night Photography

Our 3rd Anniversary

2010-07-25T01:59:00.000-07:00

Tomoe and I have a tradition where we take our portrait each year on our wedding anniversary. The past two years we took the photos in Hawaii so this was our first one in San Diego since our wedding here. To commemorate our return, we decided on taking it near where we were married on the beach in La Jolla.

We only took about 40 photos but it took quite a bit of time because I was using the self-timer with the camera on a tripod, which was a much more challenging than I expected! We had fun though and I think we got some good shots :-)

I can't believe it's only been 3 years since we were married, it feels like a lot longer! That might sound bad but I think it's just that I just can't imagine life without my sweetheart. Here's to the next 50 years!

4th of July Fireworks in San Diego

2010-07-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

Photos taken by Justin and video by Tomoe (on our iPhone 4!). Edited with iMovie.

iPhone 4: A Launch Story and Review

2010-06-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

If you've spoken with me at any length within the past month I probably mentioned how excited I was for the iPhone 4. The iPhone has changed my life in ways that were completely unexpected; I use it to play games, manage my calorie intake, find the hyperfocal distance when taking landscape photos, check weather and news, email, and check maps on the go (ask Tomoe, I have a horrible sense of direction). Oh yeah, I also make phone calls with it... AT&T permitting. It had been a year and a half since I got my iPhone 3G and it was showing it's age, so I was very excited for the upgrade - and what an upgrade it is! First off though, I want to share what it was like picking up the iPhone 4 on launch day.

The Launch @ Fashion Valley, San Diego, CA

Back of the line

I got up at 6 in the morning (a small miracle by itself) and headed down to Fashion Valley to take my place in a very long line shortly before 7. The Apple Store was scheduled to open at 7 and announced their opening with all the employees running down the line giving high-fives and shouting, a nice touch to get us all excited.

Just around the corner from the previous shot

Upon opening everyone scrunched closer together and the line moved forward a little. I should also point out that the line I was in was only for people who pre-ordered.

These poor guys probably won't get an iPhone 4 today...

This is the line for people who didn't pre-order. The line virtually stood still the entire time I was there and only a few dozen people up front got a iPhone that day, the rest were put on a priority list around 11AM.

Still got a long ways to go :-(

After about 2 hours I made it here and was greeted with an even longer line than I expected, it went down 30 meters to the kiosk in the distance, snaked back here, and then back to the kiosk where people would be escorted to the store.

Made it!

After 4 1/2 hours of waiting I was finally there! I must also say that the Apple employees were great, handing out rice crispy treats and congratulating us on our new purchase.

For more photos (which give a better view of the action) of the iPhone 4 launch at Fashion Valley, check here.

Yay!

The Review

The first thing you notice with the iPhone 4 is it's amazing "retina" display, which is basically a fancy way of saying it's got crazy high resolution. The photo below isn't great, but it gives you an idea. There really no way to describe how great the screen looks, it not only puts the previous iPhones to shame but (to a lesser extent) it also trumps my gorgeous iMac! The only downside is that app developers need to upgrade their apps with high resolution graphics to take advantage of the new screen, something that's hardly happened at all yet.

Another new feature is the inclusion of a 3-axis gyroscope, which combined with the accelerometer provides more accurate controls in games. I've only played one game so far that takes advantage of it, Real Racing (they also updated the graphics so it looks amazing as well), and it seems to greatly increase accuracy. It feels less mushy and provides better response, regardless of the position I'm sitting in.

Next is the new 5-megapixel camera with LED flash. Needless to say, when you're accustomed to using DSLRs, phone cameras are pretty pathetic. Regardless, I like the iPhone 4 camera. It's not that it could ever come close to replacing my DSLR, but the picture quality is pretty amazing and combined with tons of features like geo-tagging and tap-to-focus, it's an impressive device. For the sheer convenience and acceptable picture quality, I could see this replacing a point-and-shoot camera. Before I go any further though, let me show you some sample pictures I took earlier.

These are full-sized (click on one to see it full-size), un-retouched photos straight out of the camera and, as you can see, they're pretty good! Exposure is fairly well balanced, noise is acceptable in most, plenty of contrast and saturation, and they're fairly sharp - as you can see in the next photo.

One of my favorite features is the tap-to-focus that was introduced in the 3GS. All you do is tap the screen on where you want the camera to focus and it locks on.

Here you can see that I focused on Chris Redfield and the background is pleasantly blurred. Not only does it focus on where you touch but it also adjusts exposure for that spot.

In this shot I focused on the white page and it adjusted the exposure for that point.

There are some limits to how much it will adjust the exposure though. In this shot I focused on Chris again but it wasn't willing to blow out the background completely to correctly expose the figure.

Also introduced in the 3GS is video recording, but unlike the 3GS you can now shoot in 720p 30fps. Quality is good, especially when there's plenty of light.

There is also a front facing VGA camera that you can use for Facetime (video calling) and self-portraits. Image quality is horrible and much more cell-phone camera-like; considering what it's use is though, it works just fine.

On the hardware side of things, the iPhone 4 is a beautiful beast.

Everything about it screams sleek modern and with glass on the front and back and a stainless steel band wrapping around the side, it's a beautiful device. On the inside it's powered by Apple's new A4 chip and 512MB of RAM. This thing is powerful and it shows. While 3GS and iPad owners might not notice much of a change, coming from the 3G it's an amazing difference.

I honestly can't give enough praise to Apple's amazing new iPhone, it's a pleasure to use and a huge leap forward in the mobile phone/do-everything device market. The screen is gorgeous, games play great, camera is surprisingly robust, and it looks beautiful. If I were to rate it out of 5 stars, I would give it 6 :-)

What I've been playing lately on the iPhone

2010-06-19T03:15:00.000-07:00

With the release of the new iPhone 4 quickly approaching, I thought I'd share what I've been playing lately on the iPhone.
There are a lot of great games out there now and the number of high quality games at low prices is incredible. The problem is that it's not always easy to find the good ones among the 200,000+ apps, so hopefully this will be of some help :-) I also published another list a few months ago of my favorite game apps, many of which I still regularly play.

Guitar Hero ($2.99): Everyone knows Guitar Hero, so you probably have an idea of what to expect here. Notes come scrolling down the screen and you tap them to "play" the rock music. What is surprising is how well it replicates the console experience without the plastic instrument. There aren't a lot of included songs but it's a fun game and definitely worth a download.
Assault Squadron ($2.99): A great side and overhead scrolling "bullet-hell" shooter akin to games like Gradius and R-Type. Great production values and classic gameplay.
Super Quickhook ($1.99): As sequel to Hook Champ, the Mario of the iPhone, Super Quickhook is another fun, face-paced platforming game. It starts off super easy and gets crazy hard to advance around halfway through, but it's still a lot of fun.
We Rule and GodFinger (free): Freemium (free games that you can play for free or pay to advance more quickly) games from ngmoco that can seem pointless at times but are somehow still fun to "play." Not so fun when the servers are down though...
KenKen: Train Your Brain ($.99): Tomoe and I are completely addicted to this fun combination of Sudoku and math. Interface is perfect and you actually feel a bit sharper after playing.

What have you guys been playing?

Art & Videogames as Art

2010-05-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking lately upon the subject of art; more specifically, how is art defined and what makes it so. Before I talk about that though I would like to briefly talk about what initially brought this thought about.

I've been a gamer (as in video games) since I was a little kid and while my interest has varied over the years, I tend to follow what's going on in the scene. A couple weeks ago Roger Ebert once again visited the subject of video games, more specifically that they can never be art. I'm sure you can imagine what followed as the legion of gamers over-defensively retorted with the utmost ~~civility~~ crudeness. This got me to thinking as I responded to peoples thoughts on the subject, both on video games as art and art itself. First off, I more or less agree with Ebert in his assessment that video games can never be art - at least as they exist now.

Video games are unique in their ability to relinquish control to the player and let him do what he wants within the confines of the game rules. That's where the problem begins, video games, like other games, are structured around rules, goals, and objectives that are put in place for a single outcome: entertainment. Basketball (or chess, rugby, mahjong, etc.) isn't played or watched for a higher purpose, but rather for the enjoyment of the competition (or for a select few, lots of money). There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, people need entertainment - even if it is quickly tossed aside for the latest and greatest. Entertainment does not equal art, even if art can be entertaining. The problem with relinquishing control doesn't end there either; with a lack of control comes a lack of direction. Art is focused and by means of that direction, that subversion of self where we walk in the shoes of another, we are transformed. You can probably guess where this is going, it all boils down to "what is art?" Before I get to that, allow me one more indulgence for the sake of argument.

One commenter claimed that video games were art because they were capable of evoking emotive responses in the player. To this I respond as follows:

I just finished watching Bourne Ultimatum and I was very moved at the end, not knowing whether Bourne was dead or alive. It was emotionally moving not knowing what would become of this person who I'd been so invested in over the past three movies. Seeing him swim off with the thematic music in the background I was ecstatic and couldn't help but smile. This is good and all, but I wouldn't consider the movie "art." Emotionally moving at times, yes, but it was nothing more than entertainment.
Just because a game "moves you" emotionally or makes you empathize with the main character, doesn't make it art anymore than a common action movie.

There are plenty of things that can bring out an emotional response in us, but that doesn't mean that it's art. Again, evoking emotional responses in the audience does not equal art, even if art can evoke an emotional response.

A friend of mine made the following claim about how video games can be even better than traditional art:

Art and entertainment are the same and just because there is an objective or designed path to witness doesn't mean it is not a beautiful piece of art. I think it makes the experience much more enjoyable than just staring at a screen or a painting on the wall. Just think if you wanted to see the Mona Lisa you had to follow a list of objectives designed my Da Vinci. An at the end you were awarded with to see the Mona Lisa.

To this I responded:

Da Vinci's work already has a list of objectives and prerequisites; it requires of it's audience to have a depth of character and an intelligence molded by education and enlightened by understanding - the degree of which will determine effect on the viewer.

I think where a lot of people go wrong in claiming that such-and-such game is art, is that they themselves haven't yet developed a true sense of what art is and the power it can have. It requires work, study, and experience. Our responses to art change as we change, as we grow and mature. If that foundation isn't there we simply won't "get it." Reading Les Misérables, I reflect myself into the character of Jean Valjean and look at him with my own eyes; in turn I am taken into the character by Hugo and I look back at myself through the eyes of a repentant ex-convict. Art goes both ways.

As I've discussed, art can be entertaining, even if it is not entertainment. It can evoke an emotional response, even if that isn't what qualifies it as art. So, what is art?

I haven't searched Wikipedia for a definition or scoured Google for some higher understanding, art cannot be understood by such means. Art is appreciated, and in turn understood by degrees, as we mature and increase in character and understanding. Art has the power to take us to places wholly unknown, to expand the boundaries of the mind and soul. It enriches our lives, nurtures our sense of compassion and empathy, and makes us more humane as we are enlightened to our humanity. Victor Hugo wrote in Les Misérables:

To make a poem of the human conscience, even in terms of a single man and the least of men, would be to merge all epics in a single epic transcending all. Conscience is the labyrinth of illusion, desire, and pursuit, the furnace of dreams, the repository of thoughts of which we are ashamed; it is the pandemonium of sophistry, the battlefield of passions. To peer at certain moments into the withdrawn face of a human being in the act of reflection, to see something of what lies beyond their outward silence, is to discern struggle on a Homeric scale, conflicts of dragons and hydras, aerial hosts as in Milton, towering vistas as in Dante. The infinite space that each man carries within himself, wherein despairingly he contrasts the movements of his spirit with the acts of his life, is an overpowering thing.

Art is spiritual in nature because it awakens in us something beyond the understanding of science and reason. It is of the utmost importance, not just to society, but to each and every individual.
Returning to the subject of video games as art, I have never played a game that even comes close realizing a fraction of the atributes of art; and I would are say that it's not possible to reach that status in their current form. As for the future, who knows where things will lead (insert Star Trek music) .

purple flower etc.

2010-04-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

I've been a bum lately on the whole blogging thing (again), but I have a good excuse this time! I've been reading Les Misérables and it's so amazing that I don't want to do anything else. If you're a reader and haven't read it, I highly recommend you give it a try. It can be intimidating at 1200 pages, and it's fairly demanding of the reader, but it's so good - and dare I say, "life changing" - that you will quickly understand why it's a classic.

That's the main thing I've been up to lately. I also finished up a few panoramas for the Epson Pano Awards contest that I just entered, one of which you can see a black & white version above on this blog and an inverted version on my Darkroom blog.

We've been a bit lazy since we got to San Diego, spending most of our time cleaning and looking for jobs (still looking...), but we finally got out last weekend and went for a wonderful walk around Torrey Pines. We walked south along the beach for a good while until we reached Flat Rock and then walked up into the nature reserve and came down the road from the visitor center. I've been missing all the great hiking from Hawaii so it was nice to get out and stretch the legs, even if it was a bit more walking than hiking.

Along the way we found this beautiful purple flower that... uh.... suddenly fell off. Luckily it broke at the perfect part in the stem so I could put it in Tomoe's hair and take a picture of my ever lovely, reluctant model.

Later that night I set up the tripod and broke out the macro lens for some still life shots. Being that my flash was K.I.A. from falling in the ocean, I had to improvise a bit. I took Tomoe's reading lamp and set it up a little below the flower to the right and put a diffuser (sheet of printing paper) over it. It was a bit hit and miss but I got a couple decent shots.

The Kite Runner

2010-04-09T02:52:00.001-07:00

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
As this is a fairly well known book, I'm not going to get into the specifics of the story but rather just my feelings on it.
I'm torn on how I should rate The Kite Runner. On the one hand, I'm fascinated by the Afghanistan setting that most of the book takes place. The people and places come alive and are absolutely fascinating to someone such as myself who knows very little about Afghanistan and her people. Most of the characters are interesting and well developed. For most of the story I cared for them, felt connected to them, and was concerned with their outcome. I felt like I knew these people, like they were my close friends and I was seeing them go through these things - much of which is very heart wrenching.
About halfway through the book though the plot climaxed, character development slowed to a trickle, and the story dragged on. And on. Gone was the anticipation of the unexpected. All that was left was a lengthy, slow, wrapping up of loose and largely predictable strings. I would have happily awarded another star if a hundred pages on the back end were condensed down to twenty.
The writing, while not poor, is systematical and gradually more and more repetitive. Given that this is Mr. Hosseini's first novel and he's not a trained writer, it's impressive that he was able to write it as well as he did. I'm curious to see how he matures as a writer.
Overall I'd say it's a worthwhile read, just be prepared for some excruciating slow parts and predictable plot threads.
On a side note, I must say after reading The Kite Runner, I have a far better impression of the Middle East and of a people who I knew very little of before and am now curious to learn more about. In many ways that makes this read all the more meaningful.

View all my reviews >>

Down and Out in Paris and London

2010-03-27T02:00:00.000-07:00

Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I'd read the one Orwell book that everyone reads, 1984, and had greatly enjoyed it so I thought I'd check out some of his other work. While Down and Out in Paris and London (hereafter DOPL) isn't nearly in the same league as 1984, it is in many regards just as timeless. The world has changed a great deal in the past 80 years since this was written, but a life of poverty - and being "down and out" in general - has largely remained the same. As have the stigmas towards such persons.
Certainly the life of a tramp is completely unknown to the average middle class man, and one has to wonder from time to time what it would be like to live in that world. How does one find food? Where do I sleep? How could I survive? Perhaps most importantly, living such a life, what would I think and feel. In these regards, DOPL is immensely informative as the narrator goes from a relatively comfortable life to being completely homeless and living at the immediate mercy of others. As interesting as this information is, the more enjoyable part of reading DOPL are the characters that share their stories. While many of these stories are far from credible, their incredibility makes them all the more believable.
Part journalistic story of poverty, part a plea to make changes in the laws that govern such persons. More than anything else, DOPL is a story told to relay the single point that being down and out isn't accompanied by a loss of humanity. The only line between myself and a tramp, is the one in my head.

View all my reviews >>

Otaru Snowmen

2010-03-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

Going to the winter festival in Otaru, a city 40 km or so from Sapporo, was one of the more pleasant activities during our last trip to Japan.

While the winter festival in Sapporo is given greater attention, the one in Otaru was more enjoyable in my experience. The entire community contributes in turning the town into a winter wonderland. Store owners make and remake ice candles and snowmen daily in front of their stores, adding their own personal touch to the lifeless men.

The thing that immediately struck me was how friendly everyone was. I was greeted, in English, by locals and Taiwanese volunteers who were quick to strick up a conversation and ascertain my country of origin and what I thought of Japan.

Otaru is a lovely port-town that beams with pride in it's individuality, due in large part to it's immediate connection to Russia and other countries with which trade is conducted. While one wouldn't mistake this as anything but a Japanese town, the differences are quickly noticed in the brick buildings along the canal, signs in Russian, and stores specializing in glass works and music boxes.

It was interesting seeing Otaru in the winter and how different it is from the summer. If you have the chance to visit Hokkaido, be sure to allot an afternoon to walk around Otaru and see what it has to offer - and don't be afraid to strick up a conversation with someone as well!

Monja

2010-03-14T01:28:00.000-08:00

We've had some pretty decent food in Tokyo before but it wasn't until we both tried monja for the first time that we were truly impressed.

Monja, for the unfamiliar, is a Japanese pancake of sorts - similar to okonomiyaki - that's easy to share over drinks. There are tons of different types but they usually come with bean sprouts, cabbage, small shrimp things, and some kind of meat.

After cooking the ingredients a bit you pour in the sauce and mix it all together.

We didn't have the slightest idea how to do it so the guy did it all for us!

After shaping it into a pancake he spread an egg over the top...

...and it was ready to eat! Now try and see if you can eat it with those tiny metal spatulas before it starts to burn (and don't burn yourself on the grill like I did)!

The verdict?

A certified thumb up!

Home

2010-03-13T12:49:00.000-08:00

The past few months have been a bit crazy but we've finally made it to San Diego and have a home of our own again. We went from Hawaii, to Utah, to Japan, to Utah again, and finally to San Diego. I had fun spending time with the family - most of whom I hadn't seen in at least a couple years - but it feels so nice to go to sleep in our own bed again.
I have a ton of photos to post from Japan, Utah, and Hawaii. Be sure to check my Darkroom blog in the coming weeks as I'll be sure to make regular postings of my favorite pics, while I'll posting random stories and pics of our adventures on this blog.

Daiki & Akiko's Wedding

2010-02-20T02:33:00.000-08:00

Well we just got back from our trip to Japan a few days ago. We spent a few weeks in Sapporo visiting Tomoe's family before heading down to Tokyo for my good friend Daiki's wedding to his lovely wife Akiko.

Daiki is a friend I made in Japan the first time I went there 10 years ago and we have since visited each other several times over the years, last time being when he and Akiko came to visit us in Hawaii.

I had heard how extravagant weddings were in Japan but this was my first time attending one. It was interesting to see how many Western customs they've integrated into the event while still keeping Japanese ones, such as bowing upon entrance and giving gifts to the guests. I was very impressed and it was a wonderful occasion for the bride and groom along with all the guests.

As the event was the day before Valentine's Day, Akiko gave Daiki a homemade chocolate heart that says "kore kara yoroshiku ne," or very roughly translated, "to our future."

I think the thing I was most impressed with was their consideration for their family and friends. From giving a gift to a friend who's birthday happened to fall on the same day, to the respect which they showed each others parents along with their own.

I'm so happy for you two, have a wonderful life together!

お幸せに！

Apple

2010-01-28T08:15:00.000-08:00

With the official announcement of the iPad today I've been thinking about my past feelings on Apple and how they've changed. I remember when the iPhone was announced I thought there was no way a touch screen could replace actual buttons and I was quite adamant that I would never change that stance. That all changed after I finally tried one out at the Apple store. A similar thing happened with the Mac. I initially thought that it wasn't much better than a PC and that the hefty price tag was more for the Apple brand (I still think it is to a certain degree) than anything else. This opinion changed as well after I spent some more time with it and I ended up getting (and greatly enjoying) an iMac.
I've now become a bit of an Apple fanboy. Part of this is probably due to their very effective marketing that makes me feel like I have these amazing devices that no one else yet knows about (despite seeing iPhones everywhere). I would like to think though that this has more to do with how pleased I've been with their products. The iPhone has literally changed my life, I do things with it that I never did before and it's become an essential part of my day-to-day life. I haven't been disappointed with my iMac in a single way and it's revolutionized my photography workflow, in addition to everything else that it does wonderfully.
After watching the keynote today and seeing what the iPad can do, I gotta say that I definitely want one. The reason might be different than what you expect though. While the gaming, music, web browsing, and videos are definitely a major factor, the biggest thing that I think I would use it for is its ebook capability through the iBook app. While a lot of people think it's just not possible to read a book on a computer or that it downright detracts from the experience of reading, I realized that I read far more stuff on my iPhone and iMac than I do anywhere else. Not only that, but it's become easier for me to read on a screen than it is with the printed word. I'm also sure my wife would appreciate me not taking up any more space with books as well (though she definitely won't approve of me getting an iPad either...).
For the time being I think I'll just wait and see how things turn out and what they can do with it. For a first generation product I think it's very good and not laking much in any category except perhaps hard drive space (no, I don't think it needs a camera). I first gotta save for a 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII Nikkor lens and Macbook Pro though...

On a side note, as you may know, I'm currently in Japan (Sapporo) and can only use my iPhone most of the time so I won't be able to post any photos until I get back stateside in a few weeks. If you're interested in what I'm up to you can check my facebook page, there's a link on the sidebar to my profile if you want to add me as a friend.
We're having a good time even though the weather kinda sucks. It's snowing everyday and it's always below freezing. I haven't taken many photos yet (which is driving me crazy) but hopefully I should have some more luck in the coming weeks with all the snow festivals coming up ;-)

Promontory Point

2010-01-11T21:43:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday Tomoe, Lucy, Mom, and I took a trip to Promontory Point to take some photos together. We left kinda late and the weather was pretty crappy so we weren't sure what we would find but we headed off anyway

Frodo came along with us and seemed to be having a great time. The snow was hardend over so he was able to walk on top of it without sinking in. He would try and walk next to us though and end up falling in the holes our footsteps made.

Lucy loves this little guy! Frodo is also known as "Tofu," "Soybean," and "Googly Eyes."

The point itself ended up being kinda lame (and completely dark by the time we got there) but we found this cool abandoned house about 30 minutes before the point. Of course we had to hop a barbed wire fence and ignore the "no trespassing" signs to get there but we found courage in our numbers and went exploring. I'm pretty pleased how this picture turned out, especially considering how crappy the light was and featureless the sky appeared to be. Thank you Photomatix! We also saw a Bald Eagle and tons of Canadian Geese.

My Favorite iPhone Games

2010-01-04T02:24:00.001-08:00

I'm completely addicted to my iPhone and I've wanted to share a list of my favorite Apps for a while. I want to do a list of games and non-games but for now I'll just start with the games. I have a lot of favorites but I'm going to limit it to my top 10. Each title will have a link to the App on the App Store in case you're interested in downloading it. So without further ado...

Peggle - this is the reason I got into iPhone gaming. Before Peggle I didn't play any iPhone games. That I still play it after nearly a year is reason enough to put it at the top of my list.
DropZap - a simple puzzler that's a little confusing at first but offers tons of depth and quick pick-up-and-play gaming.
Drop7 - an awesome number based puzzler that forces you to think and plan ahead while offering and easy paced game that you can play over and over trying to beat your high score.
Meteor Blitz - hands down the best dual-stick shooter on the iPhone and one of the most fun I've ever played on any system. Being able to see your global high score in real-time is another neat feature.
BoXiKoN - think Tetris with tons of different pieces and the ability to put your piece anywhere. The goal is to eliminate lines and stay alive as long as you can while the pieces you get become larger and more abstract. Playing this game too much will mess with your mind and cause you to see game pieces everywhere you look.
Symbolism - another puzzle game that tests your endurance and forward planning. A single game can go on for weeks (which Tomoe did herself until accidentally hitting the game over button, she still placed #8 in the world though!).
Fieldrunners - the premiere Tower Defense game that can be quite challenging but a lot of fun trying to figure out a better defense against wave after wave of enemy.
Rogue Planet - an awesome Strategy-RPG game with a fun (if simple) story that can compete with games 5 times it's price on the DS.
Auditorium - an interesting music-based puzzler with an awesome minimalist aesthetic.
Spider: The Secret of Bryce Manor - a sweet adventure game with great hand-drawn graphics and fun gameplay.

How about you? Do you have any favorite iPhone games that I didn't list?

Explosions

2009-12-29T01:10:00.000-08:00

I've been kinda a bum lately and haven't posted anything for a while... sorry! I've been taking photos (not as much as I would like...) and doing things since I arrived in Utah earlier this month, I've just been too lazy to post anything.
By far the most interesting photography I've done lately has been with my uncle Tom and his family. He has a sweet setup for some high speed photography using a microphone to trigger a flash. We've been shooting apples (our test subjects), mikan (juicy!), pumpkins (painful), eggs (messy and painful), and water balloons (awesome) with a .22 and shotgun. It can be a bit hit-or-miss at times but we've gotten a lot of good shots. Here are a few:

One of the first shots, you can see the bullet exiting the apple.

A mikan going boom.

This is one of my favorites. It was hard to get the timing right with the water balloons but we got a couple good ones.

We did a bunch more this past evening so I'll be sure to post some more soon.

Tony Humphries @ Lotus Soundbar

2009-11-28T22:52:00.000-08:00

I used to think that House music was something you played at your house until Tomoe introduced it to me when we first started dating. I wasn't sure what to think at first, it was alright but I couldn't completely get into it. Until a certain day, which I remember vividly, when I was driving to the library listening to United DJs of America Volume 18: Tony Humphries. There was a moment while a was listening to one of the songs that I realized I liked, really liked, House music. That's how it began, with Tony.
Tony Humphries is a god of House music, a music which he himself defined. He's traveled all over the world bringing his "uptempo soul" House to groups of many and few for the past 30 years. He's a bit older now so he doesn't seem to make too many appearances anymore, especially outside House hotspots like NY, LA, and in Europe. When we first moved here we found out that he had come recently and we had just missed him, we were really disappointed and didn't think we'd have the chance to see him again. A week ago we found out that he was coming again, just a few days before we leave Hawaii. And so, last night at Lotus Soundbar we witnessed a legend.

(image from dancetracksdigital.com)

We arrived fashionably late at 11 but Tony was a bit more fashionable and hadn't shown up yet. They were playing the same crap you would hear in a clothing store (Tomoe said we could hear the same music for free at Express), but all the barely-legal-drunks seemed to love it so the place was fairly crowded. We sat around till a little after 12 when the music became a bit more "soulful" all of the sudden. Some crazy hermaphrodite "chick" with an afro suddenly started dancing, literally taking up half the dance floor, and within 10 minutes the place was empty. The music wasn't too bad so we started dancing around 12:30, but still no Tony.

Around 1 we were wondering if he was going to show at all. Twenty minutes later he appears out of no where and the dozen of us that are still on the dance floor go crazy. There's no way I can adequately describe what it was like, it was simply amazing. He controlled the mood of the club, taking it from a downtempo deep sound to an uptempo soulful beat - we were just there for the ride.

It was a small group with only twenty or so people there but everyone there was having a great time, united in his masterful mixing. I made up stories for each of the people because they all seemed a bit different from the normal clubber. In addition to the aforementioned hermaphrodite afro chick with clothing straight from 1979 New York, there was Mr. Bob Marley wanna-be who liked to move his feet around fast, Spike Lee's long lost twin, insanely drunk Japanese girl who likes to jump from side to side and probably doesn't even remember the night. There was the coke head white trash guy and girl from Oregon, short fat guy who takes photos of all the girls and 50 up close shots of Tony with flash, uber-drunk lanky white military guy who dances like a kangaroo trying to box somebody (he ended up getting kicked out for taking other peoples drinks - I think he even took Tony's!), Asian sluts who want to hump everyone, and a middle aged guy with leather jacket who wants to be humped by said Asian sluts. It was an interesting group.

All I had was my iPhone so the photos look like crap, but you get the idea.

At 4 the club was going to close so Tony finished but everyone chanted for one more. At first Tony just seemed too tired but he brought that beat back. He did a song and it seemed like he was going to finish when he just kept going - all the way till 5 AM! We were exhausted but that last hour was amazing and we had a really great time. We shook his hand when he came down and thanked him for an awesome show. It truly was an amazing night!

Express Hawaii's 1st Anniversary DJ Event and Fashion Show

2009-11-22T05:19:00.000-08:00

It's already been a year since Express opened it's first store in Hawaii. To celebrate they threw a DJ event and fashion show with students from University of Hawaii modeling the hippest fashions.

The DJ was tearin' it while the models hit the runway.

Great job everyone!

My Favorite Place on Oahu

2009-11-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Well we only have a couple weeks left in Hawaii. I can't believe how fast time has flown by, I'm a bit sad to be leaving now. We've done a ton of stuff while we were here (a quick estimate puts my photo count at 20,000+) and I don't have any serious regrets.
I haven't posted too much lately but I've definitely been doing a lot in the photography department. In addition to trying to import my photos into Aperture 2, I've been going out trying to get some good last minute photos (when it's not raining too hard at least).
This brings me to the title of this post, "My Favorite Place on Oahu." Of all the places that we've been here, without a doubt, my favorite place is Ka'ena Point. Located on the western-most tip of Oahu, it's an officially designated Natural Area Reserve and a nesting area to Shearwater and Laysan Albatross - in addition to being a resting area for the critically endangered Monk Seal. It's a pretty long drive out there (by Hawaiian standards at least) and it's a pretty good walk out to the point, especially when it's hot out, but I've still managed to go six times. I've never once been disappointed when I've gone out there.
I went there by myself a few weeks ago and again last week when Tomoe's friend was visiting from Japan. Here's a few pics:

Nikon D700 with 20mm f/2.8D Nikkor

The largest of a few sea arches found along the south side on the way to the point.

Nikon D700 with 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR Nikkor

A juvenile Shearwater in it's nesting hole along the trail. This is actually the same one that I photographed a few weeks ago (click here to see the photo). You can see that it's already lost a lot of it's natal down.

Nikon D700 with 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR Nikkor

The Laysan Albatross have to be one of the most interesting and comical birds I've ever seen. They're very large with an 7 foot wingspan and the eye area on their face makes it look like they're always casting a sidewards glance at you. But the funniest thing is their dance. They have this dance where they bob up and down on one foot back and forth. They just have the most interesting personality I've seen in a bird.

Nikon D700 with 85mm f/1.4D Nikkor

The Hawaiian Monk Seal is another fascinating creature. They can often be seen at Ka'ena Point resting on the rocks during the day. They are very smart and aware of what's going on around them, poking their head up when someone enters their space. I think they're beautiful creatures and it makes me sad when I hear about people killing them for no reason, I don't understand why anyone would that (I think people like that shouldn't be allowed to live in Hawaii IMHO). There are only 1,200 left in the entire world!

The thing I'll miss the most is all the wonderful nature we have here. Beautiful mountains, oceans, and wildlife - there's a lot to love here in Hawaii.

Hi, my name is PR2 Ca... err... Justin.

2009-11-07T03:10:00.000-08:00

Today was my last day in the Navy and, as one of my coworkers put it, I am now a "nasty civilian." Free to grow my hair out, shave whenever I want, and walk out of step. It's been nearly 5 years and while at times it seemed this day would never come, I can't believe how fast it flew by.
It was with feelings of ambivalence that I took that final look around the shop and waved goodbye. I was very happy to finally be done, but sad to say goodbye to a lot of good people who I've come to call friends.
I've been blessed in a great number of ways during my time in the Navy. I've been fortunate enough to be stationed in some amazing places, make some good friends, and, perhaps most importantly, grow into the person that I'm proud to be (in large part due to challenges that I faced during my time in the service). I'm very grateful to all those who continue to serve, sacrificing valuable time with loved ones, and far too often making the ultimate sacrifice for their country and fellow man. Thank you for your service, I'm proud to have served with you.
I'm very happy to say that we'll be heading back to San Diego to finish up school at SDSU. We're excited to hit up all the old places we've missed the past couple years. In no particular order, we look forward to: Red C Lounge, Teri Cafe, Amoeba, Con Pane Bakery, Tartine, seeing good friends again, and horchata. In the meantime I'm going to be working on my Hawaii photo book, with the goal of getting it ready to print by the end of the year. I'll be sure to let everyone know when it's finished and where it can be ordered at if interested in purchasing it. Other than that I just look forward to relaxing and enjoying a, if I may say so myself, well deserved break.
In regards to becoming a "nasty civilian," I am going to grow a soul patch (though it won't last long if Tomoe has anything to do with it), I won't be growing my hair out (I don't really have much to grow...), and I think I will always walk in step.

My First Mac

2009-10-26T07:30:00.001-07:00

Well I just made the switch to Mac and I couldn't be happier. I had been contemplating the move for a while now but I wanted to wait till the rumored new iMac was announced before I made my decision.

(image from apple.com)

Apart from the lack of Blu-ray support there isn't a single thing lacking in the announcement and there are even a couple of very welcome surprises.
The biggest thing I like is the new display. 16:9 screen ratio, glass that extends all the way to the edge, crazy resolution and all that other stuff that Macs are known for.
Another big thing is the new Magic Mouse with it's multi-touch surface. When I went to the Apple store and the clerk (or "blue shirt") was showing me how it worked to limited and rather awkward results I was a bit unconvinced. After using it for a couple days though, I could never go back. Using my "old" PC mouse feels clunky and archaic.

I went to the Apple store with the idea that I might buy the new iMac but after trying it out I knew I had to get one.
Upon walking in the door I quickly found the new iMacs near the entrance and I thought to myself, "Wow! That new 27" iMac is enormous! Wait, the one next to it is even bigger... Oh! That's the 27" one. Wow." They showed me some of the features of a Mac (I'm not going to lie, I'm a complete newbie to Mac) and I knew I was going to walk out with an iMac that night.

They brought out my new 27" iMac, some software, and a free printer. I'm not exaggerating, I felt like a rockstar. Random people were coming up to me saying "Oh man, you got the new iMac!?. It's so nice!," "Ooh, I'm jealous!," heck, even the Apple store employees were saying the same things! As I walked back to my car (note to self, iMac weighs 30 lbs. - park closer!) people were staring, even stopping in there tracks. I suppose it could have been my new purple shorts though (whole different story).

So there it is, I'm a Mac convert. I find it hard to believe that I'll ever go back to a PC. With our iMac, iPhone, iPod, and iPod Touch everything is in sync, headache-free, and I couldn't be happier with the move (man, I sound like the Mac commercial).

The Big Island: Beaches

2009-10-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

I've been to quite a few beaches on Oahu, Kauai, and Maui but I must say that, apart from the red sand beach on Maui, there isn't a single beach that even comes close to what The Big Island offers. Both in terms of variety and in terms of quality.

First up is Hapuna Beach. Initially it seems like a fairly normal Hawaiian beach but as soon as you enter the water you begin to see what makes it so special. The water is crystal clear and there are no rocks on the bottom, it's all sand. It's a very gentle slop going out so you can walk quite a ways before it becomes too deep.

This is considered a white sand beach because it comes from the crushed up shells of sea creatures rather than from quartz or other silicates. It's very soft and super hot in the sun.

Here we have Kealakekua Bay. We came here on the last day just before heading home so we weren't able to get in but we sure wish we could have. We went snorkeling at a place just south from here the day before and it was unbelievable. The water was incredibly clear and the entire ocean floor was covered in massive pieces of coral with fish and sea urchins everywhere. My pinky finger brushed one of the sea urchins and was numb for a week. We really wish we could have gone snorkeling here as well.

New Kaimu Black Sand Beach was once home to a much more beautiful black sand beach before a lava flow wiped it out and created a new black sand beach.

You have to walk over the lava flow to get to the beach. I'm so curious as to why some of the lava is colored like this.

The locals planted new coconut trees in the black sand and somehow they're able to grow. Hi cutie!

Here's my favorite beach on The Big Island, Mahana Bay -- aka Green Sand Beach. There are only a few green sand beaches in the world.

Part of what makes this beach so awesome is the journey getting there. You have to drive about 2 miles on very rough off-road. Make sure you have a Jeep with a high clearance if you come here. I don't know how many times something hit the bottom of the carriage and there were a few times where we didn't have all four wheels on the ground. It was pretty awesome.

As you can see, the beach is amazingly beautiful. It was quite an adventure, definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

White, black, and green sand. The Big Island is a great place for going to the beach!

Cultural Influence on a Photographer's Style

2009-09-08T04:06:00.001-07:00

I read a lot of Japanese, UK, and U.S. based photography magazines and I've long noticed that there's a good deal of difference in photography styles between different cultures. Not only what is photographed, but how it's photographed. Take portraiture photography for example; you're more likely to see an Avant-garde or Lolita style photograph from a Malaysian or Singaporean photographer than you are an American or British one. Young, innocent looking girls doing every day activities in cute poses is commonly photographed in Japan; while photographing a wrinkle-faced old man is more likely in American photography than it is in Japanese photography. I've even noticed differences in style from different regions or even schools. A lot of the BYU photography students and teachers seem to have a neutral, almost pastel, look that's often cross-processed or high-key. There's nothing wrong with this, it's just interesting to notice.
I've often heard professional photographers (especially fashion/commercial ones) say that it's very important to have a "style" and stick to it so your clients can know what to expect. From a commercial standpoint I can definitely understand this; from an artistic side though, I find this somewhat limiting. It's fun experimenting with new styles, trying new things, with the hope of improving and further defining your own style all over again.
I'm not sure what my style is yet, or if I even have one. I can definitely recognize that I've improved my skills over the past couple years and I'm aware of the influence from the magazines and books I read as well as photos and photographers that I like. I like the monochrome and fine art photographs of Patrick Demarchelier. I enjoy the energetic and joyful nature found in Japanese portraiture photographs; specifically the ones found in Photo Technic Digital magazine.
I suppose the career field that a professional photographer chooses, as well as the current market, will determine (to varying extents) his style. I recognize that financial survival demands this of most. I just can't help but think that it's the people who break away from the status quo that will truly thrive, both financially (hopefully) and artistically (definitely).
People are different from one another in a million ways, and the same in a million more. Because of this I think we all have ways in which to show something new to another and share a deep commonality at the same time. Some of the best art relates an intimately familiar struggle or joy in a way that opens new pathways of understanding. Surely photography can be included in this statement.

The Big Island: Mauna Kea

2009-09-05T23:47:00.000-07:00

I'm going to do things a bit different this time. Rather than post our day-to-day doings on The Big Island, I'm going to post based on theme. First I'll start with my favorite place on The Big Island: Mauna Kea.

At 13,796 feet it's the highest point in Hawaii and at 33,476 feet, measured from the ocean floor where it was formed, it's the tallest mountain in the world. It's also one of the best places in the world to observe the night sky and, as such, it's dotted with some of the worlds best telescopes.

We actually came here twice on the trip. Once with my mom to watch the stars and the sunrise, pictured above, and again after my mom headed home to do a hike and see the sunset. We arrived about three o'clock in the morning, after the moon had already set, and were treated to an amazing scene. Numerous shooting stars and a clear view of the Milky Way. It's mind boggling how many stars are out there.

The second time, by complete chance, we were able to hook up with a tour group going to the summit and the W. M. Keck Observatory. After building the first telescope they thought it was so amazing that they decided to build another one next door, identical to the first. Rather than build one giant mirror, like the Subaru Telescope, the Keck telescope is composed of multiple smaller mirrors hooked together. This allows them to stagger the maintenance and keep the telescope in use at all times.

Tomoe and I have been living at sea level for quite a while now so 14,000 feet is pretty dang high for us. Nowhere was this more evident than when we went for a hike to Lake Waiau, one of the highest lakes in America. At sea level this would have been nothing more than a leisurely stroll, but up here it was the most difficult hike I have ever done. It went something like this: drag legs for 10 feet, rest for a minute to catch our breath and stop the pounding in our heads, and repeat. It was pretty awesome... after it was over.

The lake was bigger than we expected and it looked pretty cool reflecting the sun. That reminds me, the sun was pretty brutal up there. An 11 on the UV index is considered extreme and you're recommended to stay indoors, lacking much of the atmosphere it was a 16 (!) up there. If you didn't know better it could be quite dangerous because it's freezing cold up there and you don't even think about getting sunburned. Our tour guides were very tan.

After taking nearly two hours for a one mile hike we just barely made it back in time for the sunset. There were a billion tourists up there (we were completely alone for the sunrise). It's quite a sight watching the sun set into the clouds below us.

Here's our rental car. I think Jeep should use this for an advertisement. "Taking you to other worlds. Jeep." Or something like that.

They "encouraged" us to head back to the visitors center at 9000 feet after the sun set so we went and checked out some of the telescopes they had set up and took some more photos.

I think Mauna Kea is one of those places that just doesn't register on most people's radar when the come to Hawaii but I thought it was awesome. It was so neat seeing such a different landscape with so much history and natural beauty.

Back from The Big Island

2009-09-02T04:47:00.001-07:00

We just got back from a week long trip to The Big Island (officially known as Hawaii) and all I can say is "phew, what a trip!" After 1200 miles, 28GB worth of photos, multiple sun tans (burns), and a numb pinky finger (going on two days now) from touching a sea urchin, I can safely say that The Big Island has taken over Maui's spot as our favorite Hawaiian island. It all comes down to a few determining factors: The Big Island has the best beaches and snorkeling, an active volcano, awesome stargazing at Mauna Kea, and the greatest variety of things to do in Hawaii without being overcrowded like it is on Oahu. I'm really excited to share all the cool things we did so be sure to check back soon for some posts.

You may (or may not) notice that my upcoming photos are looking a bit wider. This is due to my most recent photography equipment acquisition:

The Nikon D700!

I've been FX (full frame sensor) lusting for a while and I've now unabashedly given into my desire. It arrived the day before we left for the trip and after a week of non-stop use I can easily say that this is an amazing camera. I won't get into the nitty gritty, as you can read any number of the reviews out there, but I will say that this is light years beyond my "old" D80. Hopefully my photography technique is improving as well ;-)

Rainier Cherries

2009-08-15T02:48:00.003-07:00

I just wanted to share a current obsession of mine: Rainier Cherries. I've always kind of liked cherries but it wasn't until I recently had a Rainier Cherry that I truly fell in love with them. Unfortunately they're pretty dang expensive, $3.29 for a small package (and that's the commissary price). The minute you bite into one though it's pure joy.

If you haven't tried one before, I highly recommend you do. They're amazing.

Interesting side note: Wikipedia says that they can retail for a doller per cherry in Japan. Crazy.

Fourth of July 2009

2009-08-15T02:04:00.004-07:00

I've been super lazy and haven't uploaded any new pics on this blog in a while so I have a bit of a back stock of things I want to blog about. Even though I'm over a month late, I figured I might as well share the photos I took on Independence Day.

As usual, we went to Ala Moana Beach Park to watch the fireworks. We went over to a friends house for a pot luck first and then we all walked down to the park to see the show. It was a little rainy but pretty good weather overall. The moon was at the perfect spot for photos.

The firework in upper part of the above photo is one of the smiley face fireworks.

Our friends Dainan and Romney took some sweet videos which you can view here. The best part is the girl who screemed non-stop the entire show.

It was a pretty good show and we had a great spot to watch it from. I just realized that this may be our last fireworks show before we leave Hawaii and I'm a little bummed. The fireworks here are one of the few things that are better than they are on the mainland (at least in my experience). More so, I'm a bit sad that we'll be leaving all the good friends we've made here (though I don't know when we'll be leaving yet...).

Afterwards we light off some sparklers :-)

New Lens Alert!! + other things

2009-08-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

I have absolutely no self restrain when it comes to buying camera stuff (who am I kidding, I have no restraint in buying anything). I suppose I can justify it because I'm want to become a professional photographer but even if photography was just a hobby, I would still buy the exact same things.
So here's my newest acquisition:

The 105mm f/2.8 Micro Nikkor lens!

I enjoy macro photography a good deal but it's really hard to do without the right equipment. Up until this point I've mainly been using my 70-300mm telephoto lens to take macro shots but with a minimum focusing distance of 5 feet it's kinda a pain in the butt. With this lens I can focus a foot away with a reproduction ratio of 1:1, meaning whatever I photograph at that distance will produce an image on the sensor that's exactly the same size as it is in real life. I'm stoked to try out photographing some new things , be sure to check out my darkroom blog for some upcoming photos!

When I started Jusco's Darkroom I wanted to make it a "picture-only" blog but I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't write a little bit about the photos I post. What do you guys think?

When I was growing up I feel like we had steak for dinner quite often. I never really cared for it that much though. After leaving home I've only made steak one time. Last night! A good friend of mine from work, Phet-Nasty, loves steak and often talks about his method for cooking it. He literally cooks it two or three times a week! So Tomoe and I went to the store the other day and got a few slabs of meat, cooked it with a simple salt and pepper flavoring, and had a nice steak dinner. I cooked it to a nice medium-rare which was just right for me, but Tomoe ended up putting hers back on the stove for a little bit longer. I think she's a bit wary of rare American beef.

Tomoe made some potatoes with asparagus and onions that were super yummy and went perfectly with the steak. Of course we also had to have rice, it just seems necessary somehow.

My mom is going to be coming in a couple weeks and we're going to head over to the Big Island for a nice, much needed vacation. We're going to spend a bit more time there than we did at the other islands to make sure we have some time to just relax and take it easy.

Our friends Dainan and Romney just got a HDTV and Blu Ray player so we went over to their place and watched Wall-E. I gotta say, Blu Ray definitely looks a lot better than DVD. We're definitely going to have to get a Blu Ray player sometime in the future. I'm hoping the PS3 will drop in price later this year so I can just get one of those. Anyway, before we watched the movie Tomoe and Dainan had to have a Dr. Mario battle! I bring this up only because I want to show you the face of a person who's locked into a duel to the death.

Romney and I were bored as could be but they seemed to be having a good time! They were a pretty good match for each other with Dainan having the upper hand on lower levels and Tomoe on higher levels.

That's about all that's been going on :-)

Kauai: Day 5

2009-07-28T21:45:00.001-07:00

For our final day in Kauai we didn't have a lot of time so we just took it easy and stayed close to the hotel.

We got some lunch at a nice little place called Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee Co.

Tomoe absolutely loves going to cafes and because of this I've grown to enjoy them myself. It's nice to take it easy and grab a drink or a bite to eat while reading a book. She used to go to cafes quite often in L.A. and we found some pretty good ones in San Diego (Tartine, Con Pane, and Tapioca Heaven were our favorites) but we haven't found any good ones here on Oahu. So we were kinda bummed that we don't have a place like Kalaheo Cafe on Oahu and that we didn't come to this place sooner on the trip!

After that we went to a little shop where they sell genuine Ni'ihau Leis that cost thousands of dollars and take years to make. They were absolutely stunning. (Tomoe took the above photo with her compact camera).

After that we headed over to the National Tropical Botanical Garden. There are two main gardens but they cost money to get in to and it takes a few hours so we just hung around the visitor center.

You remember the scene from Jurassic Park where they find the dinosaur eggs? That was filmed here.

We quickly found out that there were mosquitoes here when they literally swarmed us and bit us multiple times in mere seconds. We ran away.... and got bug repellent!

One of the spider's legs is different from the rest.

Bananas?

Lastly we stopped at Lappert's Ice cream and got a massive double scoop ice cream in a chocolate dipped macadamia nut waffle cone. So much for the diet.

We were sad to leave Kauai but we had a great time and we made some wonderful memories!

Kauai: Day 4

2009-07-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

Our fourth day in Kauai alone made the entire trip worthwhile. As you will soon see, we did quite a lot of stuff and were very lucky to be in the right places at the right times.

The first thing on the agenda was a the Canyon Trail hike in Waimea Canyon. It was a nice forest hike for the first part until it opened up to the canyon towards the end.

Waimea Canyon is amazing with it's wonderful crevices and steep drop-offs.

It was a little bit hazy in the distance but there was still a wonderful view of the green valley leading out to the ocean.

These stones arches out on a cliff edge seemed a bit too large to be man made (though I suppose it's possible somehow) and they were in a seemingly hard to get to location so I wonder how they were created.

The best part of the hike was being able to stand on the upper part of a two part 800 foot waterfall. Having viewed the water fall from the far side of the canyon the previous day, I'm guessing it was about a 200 foot drop-off.

Of course I had to go sit out on the overhang in the interest of taking some crazy photographs and scaring the crap out of Tomoe (and myself). It's kinda crazy looking 200 feet down on some rickety boulder that looks like it could give out at any time and always having the fear in the back of your head of a flash flood happening (a very real possibility here). In short, it was awesome.

Weather was great on the way there and at the waterfall but as we headed back there was a massive cloud that came through and completely drenched us (it was so concentrated that it traced a straight line out to the ocean that could be seen for hours afterwards). There were some cute little chicks in the parking lot with a mother hen protecting them from the rain. At first we could only see a couple poking there heads out but it turned out there eight chicks hiding under their mother.

After this we headed over to the Polihale State Park with it's uninterrupted 17 miles of beach. This is where the Na Pali Coast ends on the northwest side of the island. We thought about staying here till the sunset but it was still a little ways off and it had started to rain so we decided to move on.

Now what happened next is what made the entire trip worthwhile. I'm going to be fairly detailed so that you might better understand our excitement and so that I'll be able to remember the details better.

We started heading back on the dirt road from here, taking photos of the numerous rainbows (have you ever seen a double rainbow?), when I noticed this rather large bird perched in a tree along the side of the road that began to fly away. Immediately I recognized that it was an owl. I had my 20mm prime hooked up to my camera so I couldn't take a good shot, instead we used Tomoe's point and shoot. I was able to get a shot of it, though it was little more than a blob on the image, before it flew out of sight.

We continued on, happy that we were able to see an owl - in Kauai of all places! We continued scanning the horizon for any hope of being able to catch another glimpse of this amazing bird. All of the sudden another one appeared next to a side road that went into a field.

I pulled the car over with little regard to it's proximity, changed to my 70-300mm lens faster than I ever had before, and continued the chase on foot.

I took as many shots as I could, just hoping my settings were sufficient to capture a clean shot, while I literally ran after it.

It dropped down into the bush, attacking some sort of rodent. I followed it hoping to be able to catch a close up glimpse of it. It heard me coming though and quickly took to flight once more, unfortunately with nothing in it's claws.

Around this time I noticed there was another owl nearby but I kept my camera focused on the first one as it began to turn and head straight for me.

It got closer and closer as I continued to take shots, when Tomoe (who was about fifty yards behind me taking care of the car that I had left in the middle of the road) yelled "behind you!"

I took one last photo of the approaching bird when I turned around to see the other owl, with a wingspan of six or seven feet, two feet from my face flying deadly silent just slightly above eye level. As it came next to me it arched it's neck towards me and with it's white face dyed yellow in the setting sun it locked it's confident black beady eyes with my own. I swear that time slowed down at that moment and everything else was forgotten as we stared at one another, unable to move a muscle. Then it broke it's gaze and slowly turned it's head forward again. I can't even begin to explain how amazing this was, I will never forget that look in it's eyes as we exchanged something for a fraction of a moment.

Yet another one appeared and I continued to follow them until they were out of eyesight, after which I started heading back.

Less than a minute back on the road I noticed a rock-like shape a ways ahead that quickly revealed itself as yet another owl. A Jeep was quickly approaching so I stopped the car and took four quick shots before it flew away. I called my mom immediately after this to see if she could identify it. She said that if it had black eyes, which it most definitely did, that it was a barn owl.

There are moments in people's lives that they never forget. The moment that owl flew next to me and we stared at one another is one of those memories that will be with me forever.

Kauai: Day 3

2009-07-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I forgot a couple of the things we did on the second day in Kauai so I'll post them here.

On the way to the Kalalau Trail we stopped at the Hanalei Lookout. The mountain with it's top in the clouds had a enormous waterfall coming out of it. It was a very beautiful spot.

On the way back we stopped at the Kilauea Wildlife Refuge. It was already closed but we could still see the wonderful view of the lighthouse. You can see a larger version of this pic here.

There were tons of birds all along the cliff, many of them young ones like this one here. A lady there said she had been watching them grow up, waiting for the day they would finally leave the nest.

For our third day in Kauai we headed over the the Waimea Canyon and the Kalalau Valley lookout. This is the Waimea Canyon, in the upper left you can see a waterfall which we hiked to the following day.

We had planned on hiking the Honopu Trail but there was construction and the trail head was blocked off so we came up the Kalalau Valley lookout instead. It's hard to demonstrate the scale in these photos, it may not look too amazing but the cliffs are 3000 feet hight and when you're standing right on the edge it's unbelievable! Truly, this is one of those places where you just have to be there to fully comprehend how amazing it is.

The view was so nice that we decided to hike the Pihea Trail around the ridge. It was ultra muddy so we were very glad to have hiking shoes (thanks Dad!).

Even though it was muddy it was still a lot of fun, a bit different from what we were used to hiking.

Here's what we saw when we got to the top.

Luckily it cleared up after 15 minutes!

Once again we stopped to check out the Waimea Canyon view on the way down. What a beautiful sight!

Kauai: Day 2

2009-07-12T04:48:00.000-07:00

In large part thanks to National Geographic, the Na Pali coast is one of the most famous places on the Hawaiian islands. Hailed as a "Shangri-La," it draws in countless adventures every year. Most easily accessed by boat, you're treated to sea caves, isolated beaches, and towering cliffs. The only problem is that I get sea sick so easily that I didn't dare get in a boat. Instead we opted to take the 11 mile Kalalau Trail as far as we could.

It was bound to be rough but we were up for any challenge.

The view was great and even though it looks like great weather, it was extremely erratic. It would be nice and sunny at one point, then rainy after turning a corner, and super windy after turning another. As you can see though, the water was amazingly beautiful, there are very few places in the world - let alone America - where you can find places like this.

The trail wasn't too hard, just a gradual up and down for the most part. We stopped at Hanakapi'ai Beach, two miles in, which you can see in the first photo.

After the hike we stopped at the nearby caves. This dry cave went back about 75 meters and was about 2-3 meters high in most spots.

This wet cave was really interesting because the water was extremely blue and it looked like it went a ways back. I wish we could kayak in here and see where it leads!

Kauai: Day 1

2009-07-04T02:50:00.000-07:00

Kauai, The Garden Isle, is a place that has an awfully big reputation to live up to. Famous places like the Na Pali Coast, Mt. Wai'ale'ale, Kalalau Valley, and Waimea Canyon are frequently referred to as being transcendent in their beauty by way of magazines like National Geographic and Conde Nast Traveler. Knowing this, Kauai had a pretty hefty reputation to live up to. Perhaps due to our constant exposure to the beauty of the Aloha State, we weren't quite as dumbfounded as our mainland friends. Rather, it was another wonderful piece of the beautiful puzzle that makes up the Hawaiian Islands. Each island shows the visitor a different snapshot in time. Hawaii in it's childhood, Maui in it's early adulthood, Oahu in it's middle years, and Kauai in it's golden years.

For our first stop we headed over to Wailua Falls. Government maps apparently list it as being 80 feet high, yet the authors of Kauai Revealed did their own test by using a fishing line and found it to be 173 feet high. It certainly looks closer to 173 feet than it does to 80 feet.

Next up was Spouting Horn, an impressive blow hole on the South Shore near our hotel.

There'a also a dry blow hole that would accompany the Spouting Horn with a loud sound every time it went off. Apparently there used to be a far more impressive blow hole just to the left of this one that would shoot up to 200 feet in the air. Back when there used to be sugar cane fields here the manager was tired of the salt water from the blow hole stunting the growth of his nearby crops so he ordered some workers to detonate some explosives in the hole. Now water just unimpressively fumbles out of the hole, being robbed of its former glory.

It seemed that it was hatching season for the chicks as they were all over the place. Chickens are a lot cuter when they're babies.

Last up was the Lithified Cliffs. This place was absolutely amazing. First off we had to take some crazy dirt road just to get to the place (breaking our rental vehicle contract) and then we had to wander around in the middle of nowhere just to find these cliffs. It was all worth it though, we were able to witness the full fury of the ocean as it did it's best wash away the land.

The wind was intense, sending a constant spray of salt water in our faces, while the waves would beat up against the rocks creating jagged edges and undercutting the cliffs.

There was very little life here, apart from small bushes and grass, that could survive the constant wind and salt water.

While people often associate a laid-back, peaceful vibe with Hawaii, the truth is that Mother Nature is constantly trying to take back the land. Even though it will take millions of years, eventually she will win.

I suppose that's part of what makes Hawaii so unique, it's in a constant state of change - of birth, death, and rebirth - and we're able to witness it.

Back from Kauai

2009-06-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our 5-day trip to Kauai on Saturday and we had a great time. We did a ton of stuff as usual and didn't have a lot of time to relax but it was great to get away to someplace new. I took over 1200 photographs ( a lot of them are panoramas which consist of 20 to 40 photos each) so it will take me a little while to go through them all but I hope to post something later this week. Actually I have posted one thing on my Darkroom blog, a photo from Kilauea Point Wildlife Refuge (if you look in the bottom left-hand corner you can see some white baby birds in the trees), so be sure to check it out. I'll probably blog about our Kauai trip before I get to the Maui trip since it's still fresh in the noggin'.
Apart from all the things you'd expect, one thing I really enjoy about travelling is having a reference point to see how my photography has improved (or not improved!). I learn a lot when I get home from a trip and see what did and didn't work. Of course this process happens when I'm photographing at home but it's a bit different when traveling. I photograph such a wide variety of subjects during a short period that it allows me to evaluate my photography as a whole.
I had to go back to work today, which always sucks after coming off a vacation, but it wasn't too bad - we have a four day weekend starting Thursday so I only have to work two more days! Yay!

Used Books, Hiking, Shave Ice, Camel Bak, and State of Play

2009-06-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure you can tell from the title, I had a busy day today. I woke up bright and early this morning at 7:30 (after going to bed at 3:00 AM) and headed over to McKinley High School with Dainan and Romney for the annual book sale. I was quite amazed at the selection of books they had and the ridiculous number of people who showed up. My mission was simple: find the best photography books possible before anyone else. Nineteen dollars later I ended up with nine excellent photography books. Some were new, "National Geographic The Photographs" (large hardbound edition), some were old, "Photography in the Twentieth Century" (published in 1967 - it has some amazing photos!).
After that we went home and I got some lunch while Tomoe headed off to work, then Dainan and Romney picked me up and we headed over to Koko Head Crater for a nice hike. It was blazing hot and I must have been carrying 20 or 30 pounds with all my camera gear but it was a lot of fun. I set up my new Nodal Ninja 5 Panoramic Tripod Head at the top and commenced shooting four different panoramas. I'm in the process of stitching the first one together right now and it's looking pretty good. This was my fourth time up there but my heart still skips a beat every time I stand on the edge of the crater and look out and the wonderful view - this is one case where photos really don't do it justice. Dainan and Romney had a great time too and they seemed to enjoy shooting videos with their new HD video camera.
Afterwards we headed over to Kokonut's Shave Ice and I got a lilikoi, lychee, and honeydew flavored shave ice that was super good and hit just the right spot.
After Tomoe got home we headed over to Sports Authority and got some more hiking socks for our trip and I picked up another Camel Bak that has more room for storage so I can carry extra water, food, and my tripod head.
We had a quick bite at McDonald's and then hurried over to the dollar theater to see State of Play with Dainan and Romney. The movie was pretty good and it was a nice relaxing way to end the day.
Well I just finished rendering the first panorama and it looks really good. I'm really glad that I got that 1TB hard drive the other day though - this single panoramic photo is 500MB!

New Toys

2009-06-20T03:22:00.000-07:00

We've been pretty busy lately with all different types of things going on. I finally managed to fill up the 300GB of space on our hard drive with pictures and music so I went over to Best Buy and picked up a new 1TB hard drive. I installed it myself, thanks to YouTube, without any problems and it was quickly up and running. Hopefully that should keep us good for a while, at least until I pick up a new 24 megapixel (I'm waiting for you Mr. D800!) camera someday ;-)

In preparation for our trip to Kauai next week I picked up some new AKU hiking boots from Sierra Trading Post which my Dad had recommended to me. They just arrived today and they look like they will work out great; they're super light and have deep treads that should help with wet conditions on Kauai.
I'm getting super excited for our trip. Kauai is supposed to have the best hiking in Hawaii and from what I've read in our Kauai Revealed guidebook, it looks like it's true. We're planning to go on three different hikes which all look pretty intense but should offer views not available anywhere else in the world.
I'm so glad that we got into hiking out here, it's been a lot of fun and it's amazing how many awesome hikes there are in Hawaii. I was thinking back about how we started getting into it and I think a lot of the credit goes to my interest in photography. Ever since I got my Nikon D80 last year I've had this insatiable desire to see all the amazing sights that Hawaii offers and photograph them. It's great having a hobby that encourages you to go out and try new things and expand your horizons, in addition to being a great way to spend time with the missus! The only thing that kinda sucks is having to lug around all the gear to take the photos, which brings me to my next new toy:

The Nodal Ninja 5 Panoramic Tripod Head! I sold a bunch of games to Amazon last month and used the credit to buy this tripod head that will allow me to take virtually seamless panoramic photographs. It's pretty intense. In fact, when I opened it up earlier this week I had absolutely no clue how to put it together - let alone use it. I've now spent a good deal of time studying the manual and messing around with it and I think I'm getting the hang of it. The thing is amazingly well built (it better be for how much it cost!) and it's ridiculously accurate. So if you're shopping for a panoramic tripod head you should definitely check this one out.

It works by rotating the camera around the entrance pupil (sometimes called the nodal point) of the lens. By doing this you eliminate parallax, the change in perspective when something is viewed from a different point, and you're more easily able to stitch photos together and create a panorama. You have to find the entrance pupil manually and it's different for each lens so it takes a bit of time but the effort is worth it. At least I hope it is, I'll be testing it out in the "field" tomorrow when I head up the Koko Head Crater with Dainan and Romney. Here's hoping everything works out all right!
I'm still working on the photos from Maui but hopefully I should have some up before we leave. Have a great weekend everyone!

Day 32 (final) - Tokyo Midtown 東京ミッドタウン

2009-06-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit late but here's my final entry on my "30 Days of Japan" segment. Tokyo Midtown has to be our favorite place in Tokyo. There aren't any big attractions, shows, or anything in particular that would draw a big crowd -- what makes it awesome is the vibe. It's a big playground for artists and art enthusiasts. There's tons of sculptures, gardens, fountains, and more. We walked around for a few hours and took a million photos, then headed over to the Fuji Photography Museum and checked out other's work. It was an awesome day, I highly recommend you check it out if you have the chance.

Rather than try and commit to words what every little bit of Midtown is like, I've put together a collection of photos that will hopefully give you a good sense of what it's like. Enjoy!

Jusco's Darkroom

2009-06-08T11:43:00.004-07:00

I've started a new blog called, as I'm sure you can guess, Jusco's Darkroom. I have been intending to do this for a while but just hadn't made the time for it. It's still a bit rough but I've already posted a couple photos. In fact, photos are the only thing I'll be posting on this blog. The entire purpose of the blog will be to showcase my best photos in the event someone wants to see some of my work. Some of the photos will be repeats from this blog, especially early on, but eventually I will post my best work only on that blog.

So be sure to check it out, subscribe, become a follower, and leave plenty of comments about what you like (or don't like). Don't be afraid to critique my work, it will only help me to improve.

juscosdarkroom.blogspot.com

Day 31 - Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building 都庁

2009-06-01T01:29:00.000-07:00

One of the best ways to see Tokyo, which is also one of the cheapest, is to go on a self-guided walking tour. The Tokyo Tourism website has a great list of 53 different walking tours you can take. One such tour is of the Skyscraper District.

Unfortunately we didn't allot enough time to walk the whole tour so we just headed over to Tochou, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. I came here with Daiki last time I was in Tokyo and it was really awesome. It was pretty hazy this day so we couldn't see very far but it was still fun. On a clear day you can see Mt. Fuji.

We got a bit lost trying to find the place, I figured I'd remember how to get there and if not we'd be able to see it because it's so tall. I guess I forgot just how tall the other buildings around it are...

As always, there was some contemporary art near the entrance.

This is definitely one of my favorite places in Tokyo (especially since it's free!).

Day 30 - Tokyo Imperial Palace 皇居

2009-05-31T00:50:00.000-07:00

Neither of us had been to the Imperial Palace before so we weren't really sure what to expect. We were a bit disappointed to find out that you can't actually enter the palace grounds. I guess we shouldn't really be that surprised, I mean the royal family actually lives here.

It was still fun to just walk around and see the palace walls and the moat that surrounds them.

The total area is 3.41 kilometers and, according to Wikipedia, during the bubble economy of the 80's the palace grounds were considered by some to be more valuable than all the real estate in California. Now that's impressive.

I can't even imagine what it must have been like here when the original Edo Castle was built at this very same spot in 1457.

One thing I love about Japan is the melding between the old and new. How many places do you have castles and shrines surrounded by skyscrapers and 35 million people. Even though the area could be put to good use in a land-starved city like Tokyo, it wouldn't be the same without it. Japan and the Japanese people would lose a piece of themselves if places like this didn't exist.

Day 29 - Kamakura 鎌倉

2009-05-30T17:26:00.001-07:00

I almost made it to the end of the month without missing a day... I was just too tired last night *_* Anyway, on with today's post.

A couple days before we were scheduled to head home we took a day trip over to Kamakura, a small town close to Tokyo famous for it's temples and giant Buddha statue.

It rained all day long but it actually worked out in our favor. There were very few tourists and the rain gave the place a sense of somberness that suit sacred places like this well.

Kamakura was quite lush, especially compared to Tokyo, with lots of trees, bamboo, and flowers.

There are quite a few temples and shrines, most within walking distance, and it was very interesting seeing the different designs.

My favorites were the ones that were a bit off the main path. We had most of the places entirely to ourselves, which was great for taking pictures. I also got very good at taking photos while holding an umbrella.

Unfortunately, with all the rain and lack of pedestrian traffic we had to be careful to not walk into all the spider webs -- and believe me, they were everywhere. This spider was about three inches long. (Sorry Lucy...)

I'm so glad we don't have spiders like this here.

Hopefully you're still reading after those gross spider pictures...

Tomoe also enjoyed taking photos and she was once again very patient while I took a billion shots.

There were some very cool caves here with gravestones (I think) in them.

One thing I love about Japan is the great level of variety they have there, even though it's a relatively small country. You could spend your entire life there and always find new things to do or see.

I'm not really sure what this is for but it sure looks neat.

Day 28 - Shibuya 渋谷

2009-05-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

If you want to go to a super trendy place where you can find all the latest fashions for teenagers and young adults then Shibuya is the place.

Shibuya is insanely crowed at all times of day and night. This is where Tokyo gets the "city that never sleeps" adage.

Even though it can be a bit maddening being surrounded by countless people, there's a strange sense unity among the craziness. Advertisements for pachinko parlors, kogals, and sushi restaurants come together to create a modern image of Tokyo.

It was fun to just walk around and see what we could find tucked into little corners off the main path.

Somehow I don't think this LDS stands for Latter-Day Saint.

If you want some good cheap sushi this is the place to go in Shibuya, with most plates priced at 120 yen ($1). I ate so much that the chef asked if I was okay when we got up to leave. I thanked him for the meal and said it was very good, he was quite impressed. It gets so crowded that you're only allowed to stay for 30 minutes.

One of the most famous spots is the Shibuya Crossing. All the traffic lights turn red and it's complete pandemonium as a thousand (quite posssibly) people cross the street at the same time.

Hachiko, a popular spot to meet someone next to the train station.

Shibuya is one of those places you have to go if you visit Tokyo, and for good reason. Tons of people, stores, and things to do. If you go to Tokyo make sure you leave an afternoon open to check it out.

Day 27 - Ginza 銀座

2009-05-28T01:12:00.000-07:00

Have some money that's burning a hole in your pocket and you want to get rid of it as fast as you can? Are you obscenely rich? Do you need to buy the most expensive clothing and jewelry available so you can gloat to your "friends"? Ginza is the place for you. Nowhere else in Japan (well, perhaps nowhere is an exaggeration) can you buy such ridiculously over priced merchandise.

Even so, it was still fun just looking around at the super fancy stores and crowds of people.

There was a larger purpose to our visit here though, H&M just opened! We don't have H&M in Hawaii so we figured we take the chance to go there while we were in Tokyo. Wait a second, what's up with this line? It's literally three blocks long!

It couldn't be...

Yep, it's the line for H&M. We waited in the line, which actually moved fairly quickly, and made it into the store. It was insanely crowded and they didn't really have anything decent but at least we checked it out.

"Man, my glasses are really dirty."

Day 26 - Asakusa 浅草

2009-05-27T01:53:00.002-07:00

Here are some pictures from our stop in Asakusa and the Senso-ji Temple.

From the entrance to the temple you can see the "poo building," It's actually the Asahi Beer building but it sure looks like poo to me.

Kaminari-mon, or Lightning Gate, which leads to the temple.

Giant Budda-sized slipper.

Number 13 (?).

On the way to the temple you're flanked by tons of souvenir shops. When I came a few years ago they didn't have a roof over the walkway. I'm sure it's nice when it's raining or snowing but it sure is ugly.

Asakusa is a major tourist spot but it's worth a look if you're in the area.

Day 25 - Ghibli Museum 三鷹の森ジブリ美術館

2009-05-25T02:30:00.001-07:00

Once Tomoe and I decided we were going to visit Tokyo we knew we would have to stop at the Ghibli Museum. The Ghibli movies hold a special place in our hearts (my personal favorites are Laputa, Nausicaä, and Howl's Moving Castle) so it was an awesome opportunity to come here.

Part of what makes the museum so interesting is the actual building itself. Let's just say that it looks like it belongs in a Ghibli movie.

Unfortunately you can't take any photos inside the museum so all these photos we taken outside.

The coolest part was watching a short Ghibli movie that you can only see there called "The Day I Harvested a Planet." It was very very good.

There was a giant Cat Bus from Totoro that kids could play on. I'm sure they must have been having the time of their life.

There were a bunch of rooms that were made up to look like where the animators created the movies. The walls were covered with original drawings, cells, and paintings.

We stopped at the cafe and got a couple drinks that were very unique and a slice of organic strawberry shortcake. The straw was made from an actual plant stem.

You gotta love the little touches like Jiji the cat from Kiki's Delivery Service on the plate and a Totoro flag in the cake.

Life size robots from Laputa = awesome.

We had a great time.

Day 24 - Free Hugs, Waffles, the Metro, and Erotic Costumes

2009-05-24T18:55:00.001-07:00

Tokyo has some pretty random things and it's even more random when you compile them together. So here are some random things we saw, did, or ate while in Tokyo.

Japan is a place that's driven by ever-changing fads. These fads can last days, weeks, months, or years -- you never know. The big thing we noticed this time was little shops selling waffles. I don't know how this came about but they were pretty good, though I would surely get tired of it before too long.

Best enjoyed with a fresh glass of milk in a bottle (like miniature versions of the milk they used to deliver to peoples houses early in the morning).

When Westerners think about Harajuku the thing that usually pops into mind is tons of people dressing up in crazy costumes walking the main drag outside the station. I know I did and that's why we waited till Saturday to come here. A million other tourist were thinking the same thing.

Unfortunately someone forgot to tell the costumed Japanese to come and, apart from this small group of Gothics, the whole thing was a complete bust. Apparently this fad has found its end.

That didn't stop this intrepid tourist though as he snapped hundreds of photos of the Gothics as though they were caged animals (seriously, he got a foot away from their faces and snapped photo after photo non-stop). This is why I try to avoid tourist hot-spots, it's frickin' embarrassing.

Feeling lonely? Get a hug from a cute Japanese girl or a creepy middle-aged foreigner. Somehow I don't think this is going on now with all the swine flu paranoia in Japan.

I love trains, they're awesome and it's the only way to get around in Tokyo. It's also a great place to do some fun people watching...

...and take some interesting photos.

Japan has awesome pasta. However good I thought our pasta was here, it wasn't till I went to Japan that I realized how many different types there are. Trust me, there is so much more to pasta than spaghetti with tomato sauce.

Good old Akihabara, home to societies strangest fetishes. Where else could you go to a cafe where all the waitresses are dressed in French maid costumes. Here we have a five story building of nothing but erotic costumes. Awesome.

Day 23 - Disney Sea

2009-05-23T18:31:00.000-07:00

The Japanese love Disney, anyone who's been to Disney Land in Anaheim knows this. So it's no surprise that Japan has it's own Disney theme park, well actually two theme parks -- Tokyo Disney Land and Disney Sea. Tomoe has already been to Tokyo Disney Land (she says it's better than the one in Anaheim) so we decided to check out Disney Sea. I actually saw it on an episode of パパパパフィー (Pa Pa Pa Pa Puffy), a TV show that Puffy Ami Yumi did a few years ago, and it looked pretty cool. It's aimed at adults more than children and it has a lot of rides and shows.

There was a ridiculously long line to get your photo taken in front of the entrance (typical Japanese style).

We weren't about to wait an hour just to get our picture taken so we just took it from the side.

As you would expect, "water" is the theme here.

Mickey is ever prevalent.

Lots of people wearing Mickey and Minnie ears as well.

There's supposed to be a fireworks show every night but it was really windy so they canceled it :-(

They had a nice show though.

We both rode this roller coaster that does a full loop. We were way nervous as neither of us had ever done this before and we walked back and forth for a good twenty minutes before we finally got in line. It ended up being a lot of fun. I held on to my camera for dear life though.

Riding the Merry-Go-Round.

We had a great time, I think this was Tomoe's favorite thing in Tokyo, and it was definitely worth the full day we spent there. It seems like no matter how old I get there will always be a special place in my heart for those classic Disney characters, a special link with my childhood, as I'm sure there is for a lot of people.

Day 22 - Tokyo Tower 東京タワー

2009-05-23T02:07:00.001-07:00

Tokyo Tower is one of those places that you have to go as a tourist. As a giant red tower in a sea of concrete it's iconic. I'm generally a bit hesitant about going to the touristy spots (which is hard in Japan because virtually every interesting place is touristy) but Tokyo Tower is awesome. As you walk towards it it gets larger and larger, the pictures really don't do it justice.

At night it takes on a supernatural orange glow that stands in contrast to the other city lights.

During the day it shows it's bright red color.

My main interest in going there was to do some night photography. I'd already been here a few years back but this was Tomoe's first time so I wanted to show her the wonderful night view. In this photo you can see Odaiba and the Rainbow Bridge.

bloodstream

On the left you have Roppongi Hills, which I blogged on in my last post.

Tokyo Tower is a lot of fun and I would highly recommend it to first time Tokyo visitors.

Day 21 - Roppongi 六本木

2009-05-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

After spending three weeks in Hokkaido we headed down to Tokyo for a week before we headed home. We were sad to leave Hokkaido and kind of wished we could spend another week there instead but it was too late to change our mind. Tomoe had only been to Tokyo once before and I'd been there a couple times so I did most of the planning on where we would go.

The flight there was awesome, the Japanese landscape is amazing! Tons of mountains, lakes, cities and lots of green. This is a picture of the northern tip of Honshu (the main island of Japan). There were a bunch of windmills on the tip.

Sendai

As we got closer to Tokyo it got progressively smoggier, it was kinda gross and a bit depressing, but what is that in the distance?

Mt. Fuji! Regardless of the smog, it was awesome being able to see Mt. Fuji above the [smog] clouds.

We were staying in Hiroo, which is very close to Roppongi, so we headed over to Roppongi Hills first. The entire building is built on shocks to protect itself against earthquakes. It's super tall and way modern.

Of course you gotta have some cool art around the place to add that contemporary vibe. There were "eggs" inside the spider's sac, thus the pointing.

Day 20 - Moerenuma Park モエレ沼公園

2009-05-20T03:01:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, one of the most fun places we went to in Japan was Moerenuma Park. It's like a gigantic playground for kids and adults. Crazy architecture, playgrounds, a water show and amazing soft cream -- all types of things. We spent the entire day there and there was still tons left to see and do. It was so awesome because entire families, couples, old people, young people -- in short, everyone was there.
Here's a small snippet of what we saw and did:

Atop one of the several pyramids there.

The water show.

They had the championship battle for the fastest window washer going on (?!?!). I guess it was kinda big, they were showing in on TV.

Something about this place just made you want to be a big kid and go crazy.

It's even more fun when you can take pictures of yourself going crazy and...

...just being plain silly.

The place was actually built on a landfill. I think it's awesome when they create things like this out of places that we normally try to avoid.

We had so much fun here, someday I would like to bring my own children here and just spend the day having fun together.

Day 19 - Ishiyama Ryokuchi 石山緑地

2009-05-19T03:01:00.001-07:00

table for two

mercury

spiral jetty

the red box

Day 18 - Moiwayama　藻岩山

2009-05-18T03:01:00.001-07:00

Continuing on with the "panoramic views" theme, we headed to Mount Moiwa after we had finished at Okurayama Jump.

The best part was that the moon just began to rise as we were driving up the mountain so it added a lot more to what would have otherwise been a "plain old view" of Sapporo.

Moiwayama is 531.03 meters (1,742 ft) high and it was super cold up there. Tomoe was very patient with my long exposure picture taking.

The biggest thing that differentiated this view from the others was that we were higher up and further away from the city so it looked much more like a "ocean of lights."

Lots of couples came here to enjoy the wonderful night view.

I may sound a bit pretentious saying this but it kills me when people use their flash to take a night shot of the city. Turn it off! It's not doing anything except blinding everyone! ....I feel better now.

I found this nice spot a little bit off the beaten path. I was all alone taking shots of the moon framed by this bare tree and I thought to myself, "moments like this are what I love about photography."

Day 17 - Okurayama Jump 大倉山ジャンプ

2009-05-17T05:00:00.002-07:00

As I'm sure you've noticed from my previous two posts, panoramic views are a particular favorite of mine -- as I'm sure most people enjoy them. There's something inspiring about getting away from the city rush and taking some time to look out into the distance and regain some perspective in life. It's simplifying and inspiring at the same time.

This time we headed over to Okurayama Jump, host to the ski jump in the Sapporo 1978 Winter Olympics.

You can walk all the way to the top but we decided to pay the 300 yen for a ride.

There were some people practicing the ski jump (you can see a guy in red going off the jump in this photo) while we were there.

It was quite impressive.

On the way down.

We waited quite a while for the fountain to go off so I could take this photo.

Again, I love reflections.

(...........)

Day 16 - Sapporo TV Tower さっぽろテレビ塔

2009-05-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

As the sun was getting lower on our day in downtown Sapporo we headed over to Sapporo TV Tower to see the panoramic view of Sapporo from the observatory floor.

The Sapporo TV Tower is only 147 meters high, compared to Tokyo Tower's 333 meters, with the observatory deck at 90 meters.

The location is what makes it great though as it's located in Odori Park and it offers a wonderful view of the 1.5 km long park. During the winter the famous Sapporo Winter Festival is held here.

It was pretty crowded up on the little observation deck but it was a lot of fun.

Long way down...

"shadows dancing in the setting sun"

Day 15 - Downtown Sapporo 札幌のダウンタウン

2009-05-15T23:03:00.000-07:00

For some reason, long before we ever went to Japan, I had this picture in my mind of Sapporo being similar in size to Salt Lake City. I'd hadn't really seen any pictures or looked at any population figures, somehow I just didn't think it was that big. Obviously I was quite wrong and seeing the downtown area drove that point home. Sapporo is every bit a metropolis. Head downtown and you'll be greeted with tall buildings, tons of people, and all the things you'd expect from a large city. If Tokyo is like New York City, then Sapporo is like San Diego; it's not ridiculously over populated but there's a lot of people.

The same day we went to JR Tower (see previous post) we spent some time walking around downtown. I'm a complete sucker for reflections and downtown areas are great for them.

It's interesting running into random things like this.

This is the Sapporo Clock Tower. It was built in 1878, ten years after Sapporo was chosen as the administrative center of Hokkaido, and it's still functioning. It's the oldest standing building in Sapporo.

This is the former Hokkaido Government Office Building. It was built in 1873 and it was the biggest building in Japan at the time. It was destroyed by fire in 1879 and rebuilt in 1888.

"through the looking glass"

Sapporo was very interesting and I quickly fell in love with it's charms. It's not too large but it has all the conveniences you'd expect from a modern Japanese city. We spent quite a bit of time there so my next few posts with deal with things there.