Grand American Tour (Part II: New York City)

Again, New York City. What a surprise… everyone goes to New York City, or rather, everyone wants to go to NYC. There are very few cities in the world where its name becomes a logo. NYC is one. Back in school, pretty much the whole bunch of artsy fartsy friends and classmates dreamed to be in NYC to pursue their dream career. Many of them went, and therefore I was there to visit them. How many are happy? Well, all I know is I won’t be if I live there.



I visited NYC back in 2005 when I was doing an internship in Boston suburb. A friend of mine lived in Brooklyn so I got to get a taste what it is like to be a poor but aspiring student living in NYC. Everyone wants to be here. NYC, the big apple, makes it look like everyone gets a bite, but is it? In a place where there is over saturation of everything, what do you want to be? I realized that while it’s hip to live in NYC, it’s hard to be happy. Low pay, crappy and expensive standard of housing, rough commute, bad air and noise and the incredible sense of breathlessness, the feeling that you are in a city so big that it is almost impossible to get out of it. To me, NYC is literally a prison.




NYPD

Of course there are people who think otherwise. It’s THE place to be! Great shopping, on the top of the world. But I want to make an observation, which is, in any major city, there is a strong tendency for its residents to not look beyond what’s in front of them, simply because there’s more than enough around them to keep them occupied then to see further than that invisible boundary. Often, this leads to some level of arrogance caused by ignorance. My school teacher who spent quite a number of adventurous years in NYC said,” If you go to the US, but only been in NYC, you’ve not been to the US.” I think this is true for any place or city. The United States is a huge country. Yes, there’s a standardized language, currency, road signs, car rules etc, lifestyles are completely different, so are the people’s cultural views. Ever wonder why the southerners are so conservative? Ever wonder why California is so unique that people think they should just become independent? This is why I am traveling, and this is why everyone should travel.









This time, I was staying with a friend in Queens. So where he stayed is right next to the smaller of the many Chinatowns in NYC. It was extremely convenient for people with Chinese background. You can get pretty much any kind of authentic Chinese cuisine within a few blocks away. It was just like Asia! Well, that’s the problem, it’s just like Asia, but we are in America! It really makes me wonder why people immigrate when all them end up doing is to recreate an environment and lifestyle that is exactly like the one that they used to live? The food, sound, sight, language, media… everything they expose themselves to was not American, so why move? Why not just stay back home?


Washing my laundry at a local Laundromat.






In Queens. Remember the last scene in MIB?

Oh, because there’s political oppression back home. Oh, there’s a natural disaster that force people to be displaced…. But this really isn’t the case. We had dim sum for lunch, bubble tea for dessert and fish egg (HK style curry fish balls) on the way to the park. Where’s the corn dog? Where’s the freedom fries? Where’s uncle Sam?



One thing that is very unique about NYC is that this is pretty much the only American city, of which its operation depends on its public transportation. The subway culture. There are many cities all over the world that depends on public transport, most of which are in Europe and Asia. In Asia, it’s all about the speed, and speed means while you are on the public transportation system, you are just as connected to the world as when you are not. In Taiwan, you can get cellphone signal pretty much everywhere. In the underground train station, or when the train is moving in the tunnels. In the deep mountains 7000ft above the sea level, or in the deepest part of the 21km long tunnel that runs under a mountain chain. It’s a “Full Bar” culture. So having this in mind, there is a huge contrast between Taipei and NYC. Very quickly I realized that cellphone signals can’t reach subway stations or tunnels. How interesting is that, that a city so advanced, so on the leading edge, actually forcefully disconnects its people from the world!



So I was walking towards the subway station going to Manhattan and just before I stepped into the underground subway station, my phone rang. “Oh man you are lucky, I was just about to step into the subway station… you wouldn’t have been able to reach me for 45min if you called a few seconds late.”
Then, I realized that I wasn’t along. There was a lady, on her cellphone, half way down the steps to the subway station talking away… but what was also interesting was she was taking very slow steps down while she was talking, as if she was really in a hurry and tries to get that last bit of time vs distance while keeping the signal connected… Then she put the phone down and hurried into the station. So what does subway time mean to New Yorkers? Is it a moment of panic because you can’t receive the latest stock info from Wall Street? Or is it a moment of relief because you have a legit excuse to be unreachable? What about the moment as they step into the subway station, the moment when they know they are about to get disconnected. Will they be looking forward to it, or will them think about that “extra” call they could possible receive if they made one step slower? I wonder how much time a New Yorker spends on the train each day, and what does this mean to their life.


A pianist playing in the Union Square subway station platform... I have no idea how he got the piano down there, but it was the most beautiful piano performance, I've experienced, and sad.

The New Yorker lifestyle is a unique rhythm. While it is full of challenges and competition, it also means you can always find a place for yourself in NYC, irregardless how small or insignificant it may be. In this massive world of variety, only the very few get to be something. For those who aren’t, you still have the option to be nothing.

I found the most molested cow in the world!!!! And the most perverted folks on the planet.




Horny perverted people waiting for their turns to molest the cow.

I made it a point to visit the Wall Street since I didn’t get to do so the last time. It felt special walking on the shadowed Wall Street on a cloudy day. It was a holiday so there were just tourists walking around. If this was a year or two before, this will be an inspiring place to visit. All the wealth of the world is pretty much dealt here. However, it’s less than inspiring in this difficult economic time. Every big sign of famous financial companies became an irony, even the huge flag that covers the facade of the New York Stock Exchange building somehow seems to embed a message. I find this a very appropriate representation of the Americans Dream. Something that seems so reachable but illusive. Something so approachable yet intimidating. As I walk through the street, I wonder if the tourists around me had the same feeling, the feeling of distance when looking at the very giants that have so much influence of the average people’s lives.










Ground Zero still a long time to completion.



The Highline, a park project to convert old and unused above ground rail way into a public park. Very NYC, very Architectural.



























More photos of NYC HERE

Grand American Tour (Part I: Ft Lauderdale)

Atlanta > Ft. Lauderdale > New York City > Los Angeles > San Jose > Chicago > Atlanta

The ability to travel is a privilege, and I love to spoil myself with it. Since there hasn’t been anything going on with my professional life, and that my friends have been bugging me to go visit them(hey, why don’t you people visit me?), I decided to take a long trip around the country to see what’s going on. There wasn’t any planning, and it was all in the hands of fate.

So first stop was Ft.Lauderdale. Well, this was a really short stop. The weather was cloudy for the two days I was around in town and there wasn’t anything really happening, therefore I didn’t take any photo. I cannot really make any good comment on my experience, except that the roads reminded me of the mid west… all flat and straight tarmac strips. Oh yes, I know what to say. Florida did remind me of Singapore. On the first sight of a little lizard running into the bushes, it was instant memory recall for me. It’s been quite a while since lizards are a common sight, and I feel all tropical… and sticky again.

Ft.Lauderdale was surprising like what the media portray South Florida as. It’s very Hollywood with all the rich and flamboyant all over in downtown. Sports cars and big wheels were plenty. Everyone dressed up, even on a weekday night. Well, maybe it’s because I am too dorky, but it seems that there is a strong push away from the past. It’s all about the contemporary, the now and what hot. All I can really say about my experience was, South Florida should get the title “Silicone Valley” with the “e”.

More than just wings...

So an Austrian went to Thailand and felt sick. He bought a local drink and it gave him wings. Now he wants the world to fly with him!



The story of how Red Bull went from a local energy drink to become one of the most well known and well marketed brand is remarkable. You can call this a positive turn out from a clash of cultures, between Asian and European. Asian provides the substance, European provides the kick. Now, every event that carries the name “Red Bull” name literally means energy, energy that goes beyond caffeine, but culture.



So naturally when I heard about the “Red Bull Soap Box Derby” race, I knew it was going to be extreme, and extreme it was!

I didn’t really know what to expect. Was it just going to be crazy people doing crazy stuffs, or bored people watching bored people doing crazy stuffs? Well, it was more than crazy. It was crazy with meaning, just like wings with substance. It turned out to be humor on what people care about, especially with the economic status, it was a channel of positive vent and most evident with “Team Stimulus”. The locals also took stage with topics that Atlanta residents are familiar with, like the homeless veteran in the MARTA team and Varsity team. There was also Mr.Hanky in the mix and a couple of dudes in drag. A lot of WTF moments.



















It was crowded, as expected, and it was really hard to get a spot to see the craziness roll down the ramp. I eventually found a spot by the fence for photo opportunities, but it was about ¾ ways down the long stretch of runway and the truth was, most of the crazy-on-wheels don’t even make it that far. It was mostly the drivers completing the final stretch on foot, in the most heroic style they can manage and the most memorial way the spectators can absorb. For it, it was just a hot day of madness. I didn’t know why I did it, but the free Red Bulls actually tasted alright, and the Red Bull girls provided enough motivation to stay on till the last derby run.

























A LOT MORE Photos HERE

Try say the word “Passion” with all the passion you’ve got!

And that’s what Latino culture seem to be all about.
Actually I don’t really know much about Latin American culture. I just know that they are very friendly, passionate, embrace food and alcohol, love to dance, play soccer and every lady on the Spanish TV channel has serious curves. So yeah, I went to check out the curv… I mean Latino Culture Festival.



So upon arrival, another thing caught my attention, which is color. Bold colors filled the entire festival, on the banners, on the stands and on people’s clothes. There were food and games as well as Spanish DVDs and CDs, but what’s more are the rows of stalls that sold national flags of various Central and South American countries, and almost everyone had one on as fashion to represent their origins. Still, it was something that you don’t experience in Asia for that matter. People simply don’t wear bold symbols on themselves. In fact, most people feel embarrassed to do so, unless it’s on some political protest or march. It was also interesting that with everyone wearing their national flags, it still felt very much like one culture. Maybe it’s the Americanization of cultures, such as Panda Express, Taco Bell, Beni Hana. It’s going to be hard to know unless I experience the real thing myself.











Going away from the event a bit, I’ve been a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain’s show “No Reservations”. I get goose bumps when he goes to Mexico to visit his friend chef at his house for a family dinner, and the endless seafood fest in Chile. It reminds me very much of the Chinese culture, or what it should be, a family oriented culture where everyone participates. Maybe it’s the identity erosion where everyone in Taiwan’s getting a meaningless English name. Maybe it’s the surge of trend that everything Jap is kawaii and everything kawaii is desirable. Or maybe it’s the kimchi flavored TV shows and pop music that has left every Taiwanese teen’s taste buds numb to what’s original… their very own culture! A family sitting around the table wrapping dumplings the entire afternoon for dinner, or grandpa teaching grand kids how to stack earth piles to cook sweet potatoes and chicken with hot earth on their own farm land, or helping grandma prepare ingredients for rice dumplings…. You just don’t see these very often nowadays. Thinking about where I want to raise my kids, yes, South America may not be the most technologically advanced place, it may not be the wealthiest place in the world, or one with the best option for education, but it has rich culture, and it is culture that shapes a person which in turn shapes a world. South America definitely seems like a desirable place, especially with all that curves…













More Festival photos HERE

The Elevator that takes you to the same floor.

Seeing hot air balloons is as rare and exciting of an opportunity as visiting the African Safari, which I have not yet have the chance to do. Somehow I have always related the hot air balloon to the African Safari, probably because I dream to ride a balloon floating above the herds of elephants and giraffes while gazing at the sunset.



Anyway, when I was told about the hot air balloon event about 30min drive from Atlanta, there wasn’t a second thought.

With lots of anticipation for grand shots of hundreds of hot air balloons taking off at the same time on a endless plain(which made me wonder because there is no such thing as endless plain in Georgia), it was a little confusing when I pulled into a parking lot of a local sports field without any balloon in sight. It was hot, the sun was blazing and people were all sitting in the shade. The big question was, where are the balloons???

Then I found the schedule, which said that the balloons were off to a competition. It didn’t mention what kind of competition it was. Was it about speed? Was it about technical skills? I don’t know. All I know was it was definitely not a spectator sport. After about an hour of wait and watching less than exciting dances by the local community and dog training demonstrations, my friend arrived and we decided to leave for a while to get something to eat before the balloons came back.

It was getting late and close to the evening and I started to wonder if I was going to be able to get any good photo at all, however I kept thinking photos of balloons I’ve seen shot in the late afternoon glowing in the flames, which kept my hopes up. It was until when we returned to the parking lot when we realized that the balloons have already arrived. However, there was a huge suspicion that they weren’t flown in, but “trucked-in” to the fair ground. Well, that was a little disappointing considering that they should make a grand entrance by landing gracefully onto the bare and boring tarmac.



It was time for the ride demos and the crowd were gathering fast, signing the waiver forms and getting in the line to ride the balloon. So I was wondering how are 9 balloons going to give hundreds of people a ride in a night? Well, it wasn’t really a “ride”. A ride refers transportation from point A to point B. In this case, it was from point A to point A… Basically, the balloons were tied to the ground with ropes. The balloons will take its passengers up for about 90 ft and then come right down to the ground, like an elevator, except that it takes you to the same floor. Oh well, another part of the dream chipped away. So what’s next for me?







Photos of course!!! Photos of balloon glowing lively from the powerful after burners that shoot flames. As the night got darker, the balloon glow became more visible. It was time to reveal the ultimate photography weapon--- the Tripod! Well, this is the poor man’s alternative to expensive fast glasses. However, I soon realize that those beautiful glowing sharp images of hot air balloons are impossible with what I have. With the balloons swinging in the air left and right, all I will be able to capture are moving balloons due to the long exposure.




So was it a series of disappointment? Well, it’s like going to the zoo as opposed to going to the real African Safari, but the elephants and giraffes are still real. At least I can tell people that I have seen real hot air balloons with photos to show for. I just hope that the real African Safari trip on a hot air balloon won’t be too far off in the future.









More balloon photos HERE