Tempestuous

Below are pieces that evoke a certain dark mood. Would be great to brew up a cup of hot coffee for enjoyment while posting these images.

Dangling from the tiny tree branch by the edge of a rooftop is this wire mesh of a life-sized female figure. Her body arcs gracefully backward toward viewers from below, bringing out the long lines of her dress as they flap in the wind. [Budapest, Hungary]

I like the saturation of the sky and in the facade of this gothic cathedral. It was a cold day in Budapest, which adds a temperamental mood to the piece.

Considered one of the biggest ancient castles in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records, the Prague Castle stands tempestuously against an ominous sky. Its gothic angles and Romanesque interiors add a certain charm and mystery to the structure. I would love to start out a fairy-tale book with this scene as the introductory opening shot of a castle in the hills.

Significance

Certain elements generate a kind of peace and tranquility when captured. Depending on my mood, sometimes I can search all day and find not a single scene to convey the meaning, while other times, I would stumble upon a treasure cove and manage to find boundless significance in the most insignificant things.

Cracked dirt nearby train tracks (Los Angeles, CA)

Thin bamboo sticks weaved together to create a fence (Pasadena, CA)

Parked comfortably on soft grass and enjoying its moment (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Healthy Eating

2010 was a year of healthy eating and living. The rule of thumb for eating healthily is to make sure I include as many natural colors from my food sources as possible. It also helps to be conscientious when preparing meals and to treat a self-prepared meal as if one is working from a blank canvas and painting it with a wide spectrum of colors.

Certainly, this Hungarian grocer prepares his produce stand in such a way so as to bring out the vibrancy of the primary colors. The hanging bananas and chilies are not only displayed in a practical way but they also add a whimsical touch to the whole arrangement. Even more whimsical is the man's choice of red and bold black striped shirt, drawing our eyes to him and making him very much an essential piece in this scene.

Mixed beans from Trader Joe's, my favorite grocery store.



This glossy red bell pepper with its plump green stem is so beautiful in form and color that I couldn't resist capturing it before dicing it up for dinner.

Reflections

One major incentive for writing things down is to remind myself later about the dates, places and events that I have forgotten when I'm so caught up with life. Looking back at these following photos, I cannot precisely pinpoint their locations without enlisting geo-tagging software and the likes, however my memories of how I felt while capturing these photos are still strong.

Although somewhat camouflaged, this three-inch chipmunk from Sequoia National Forest was scurrying around restlessly sniffing and collecting objects. Once approaching this pine cone, it rested its palm momentarily, striking a leaning pose long enough for me to snap this photo. I am unsure if it was contemplating pushing the object along or using it as a leaning post.

These sheep were just the cutest! They saw my car stopping on the side of the road and got curious, enough to trot over timidly to check things out. From a distance, their wool looked as soft as a dandelion, but as they got nearer, the texture looked puffy but coarse. I have not touched a live sheep before so it was hard to judge if prefabricated wool is as soft as what we have in our clothing.

The weather was heavily overcast with an incoming fog along HWY 5 near Valencia. I was wrapping up my long drive from Reno and didn't expect to see much on the way back into town. Out from a clearing and in between heavy pockets of fog, I saw these creatures grazing lazily away, unaffected by the cold weather and drizzling rain. I was mesmerized by the analogous colors of their leathery skin and that of the surrounding grass. This scene reminds me of images captured in travel magazines of the Sahara. 

Creativity Is

Learning to tap into one's potential.

Nebraska

While driving through Nebraska state line on Highway 385, we encountered many dilapidated structures such as the one shown below. The ghostly presence of this farm seemed intensified when we neared it. I did want to check out its interior but decided to keep my wheels on the road ahead. It was the wiser decision as we had just escaped minutes before from an intense hail with the largest ice piece being the size of a golf ball! I'm a Californian so witnessing a wild hailstorm for the first time then was truly magnificent but rather alarming.




We came across this junk yard on the interstate highway which reminded me of my miniature collection. It also resembled a child's playground filled with toy vehicles. The complementary reds and greens of the tractors add to the playfulness and their arrangements across the field add a sense of depth, leading our eyes into infinity.

South Dakota

It was my long time dream to visit South Dakota. After the fall of Saigon in 1977, a Lutheran church sponsored my father into the United States where he settled in this midwestern state. Dad reminds us time and again how fortunate we are to be given this chance to start a humble life in the new land. It is this reminder that I tend to take life far too seriously and often carry with me a sense of restlessness and wandering. Lately, I've come to accept that these traits are essential ingredients for both a creative and productive drive when going through life.


This monumental work of the four great U.S. presidents by sculptor Gutzon Borglum looks impressive carved into the mountainside. Standing about 60-feet tall from left to right are: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln. There were various observation points around the Black Hills where one could obtain a unique perspective of the structure but I chose this generic frontal view to mark a fulfilment of a place I once dreamt of visiting.

My second destination was to the Crazy Horse Memorial, but once there at the entrance gate, I learned that the construction was not yet completed as it was done through private funds so I decided to explore The Badlands instead.


The North American grassland biome shows some beautiful landscapes such as these giant rolls of dried-up grass. At one point, I couldn't resist the urge to pull over my Dodge Caliber rental and got out only to be confronted by thousands of live grasshoppers just so I could get a feel of these cylindrical six-feet tall rolls.