Here are some of the foods that I’ve had since I’ve been here.

Pho - Vietnamese noodle soup. This [...]]]>

Oh east coast I do love your beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, large big city life, and warm Atlantic Ocean. But you don’t have it down when it comes to FOOD. California definitely tops you in that category.

Here are some of the foods that I’ve had since I’ve been here.

Pho - Vietnamese noodle soup. This one was rare steak. Now you may think I actually ate rare steak. No no no! The broth is so hot so when they bring out the pho the very thin slices of meat are cooked in the broth. Mix it up, put your favorite veggies, and eat away!

Tip  - Before you start adding to your pho ALWAYS taste the broth first. This will give you a baseline of how the rest of your pho experience will be like. It shouldn’t be too watery and should have lots of flavor.

Tri-Tip Sandwich from Dog House Grill. Tri-Tip was first popularized in Santa Monica, CA and is a favorite in the Central Valley. The tri-tip is cut from the bottom sirloin of the cow and tastes DELISH after being marinated and seasoned. It’s also great for eating while watching my Mavericks beat my dad’s Spurs.

Tip – If you’re going to season it at home try out Pappy’s seasoning. A secret tip from my dad.

Credit to Wikipedia for the photo.

I’m thankful that it’s not all about the camera gear. I’m thankful that it’s not all about shooting the most elaborate wedding. I’m [...]]]>

I had one of the best Thanksgivings this past weekend. All the food, friends, and fun times I had. It was a great time to be thankful and I truly am thankful.

I’m thankful that it’s not all about the camera gear. I’m thankful that it’s not all about shooting the most elaborate wedding. I’m thankful that it’s not having your whole scheduled packed with clients. It’s all about what’s in the here and now. Every event and client that I’ve shot for this year has been a blessing in my life. I’ve learned a lot about myself and how to better my craft.

I’m also thankful for my photographer friends local and abroad on the interwebs. I’m so thankful for Twitter and Facebook as a way to connect with new friends. I’m most importantly thankful for God for showing me my weaknesses so that I may be stronger.

I’m also thankful for FOOD! Here’s a very small recap of my food-ing and then some this past weekend.

This was the 4th meal of Thanksgiving and it wasn’t even 2pm yet!

Sunset from Georgetown

Gizmo patiently waiting for the Thanksgiving dinner party to start

Caught up with Myrrh over the holiday. She’s still her crazy self. I’m glad. =)

Putting those calories to good use by exercising our brains!

Crepes from Point Chaud in Washington, DC

Iron Chef Jeku in the house! Late night Korean BBQs are always fun with friends.

Last bit – Found this article about 10 things I’ll have to explain to my kids from the 90s. I can’t believe I know all 10 of them (yes even #3).

Hasta la vista.

The NC State Fair is a great place to check out sights [...]]]>

I’m a big fan of food. I’m an even bigger fan of trying new crazy foods. There’s something about trying something new – the fear of the unknown, the anticipation of how it will taste, and the bragg’n rights for surviving the new endeavor.

The NC State Fair is a great place to check out sights and foods. Here are some of my favorites from this year’s fair.

 Here are some of the crazy food items at the fair.

How well do you know your fair foods? Test your might below (Answers at the bottom).

 Answers:

1. Rice Krispies on a stick
2.  Peanut Butter Chocolate Cup
3. Deep fried Snickers Bar
4. Gator on a stick
5. Philly Cheesesteak
6. Wisconsin mozzarella sticks
7. Deep fried bubble gum

I wonder what crazy foods will be at next year’s fair. Can’t wait!

Hasta la vista.

If you missed out, here’s a recap of some [...]]]>

The 50th Sakura Matsuri this year was much bigger than when I went last year! More people, more events, and more booths. Just the fact that they closed down several streets in Washington DC to have this street festival was a great awe to me. 

If you missed out, here’s a recap of some of the sights that you missed. 

The Tamagawa University Dance and Taiko Group hails from Japan and has been performed all over the world displaying their drum and dance of Japanese culture. The sounds of their taiko drums echoed through the streets of Pennsylvania Ave while their colorful outfits glistened in the sunlight. 

There were several different martial arts demos. Boy were they fierce!

10tecomai is a Yosakoi dance project from NYC. Their vision is to show the fusion of traditional Japanese and contemporary dance styles as one to the world.  

Spirit+Noise is a “Japanese junction” band. By combining Japanese tradition instruments such as the shamisen and western instruments such as the electric guitar they are able to rock out the stage.

There were merchants and booths all over the place! This salesman was selling anime masks. 

Yes even he made his appearance.

Check out the Shinkansen high speed rail model!

Plenty of otakus around.

What better way to end this post with one of the famous poses the Japanese culture has brought to the world: the V sign. For more information of of this pose, please watch the documentary video by Wong Fu Productions. 

First up is the Daffodil Festival in Fremont, North Carolina. In the 1950s the little town of Fremont was dubbed “The Daffodil Town” by a local newspaper due to its daffodil gardens. Now this town holds annual festivals in honor of the flower widely grown here.