Lecture at the Asia Society

Two nights ago, I was invited by a friend to attend a lecture and book signing event by a world renowned chi gong master (gentleman seated on the right) at the Asia Society, a cultural institution and museum in the Upper East Side. The chi gong master claimed that the martial art, which included breathing exercises, can cure everything from cancer to asthma and diabetes. I was surprised nobody in the audience contradicted his statement. Maybe everyone was being polite.

So what kind of exercise do you do?

Rockefeller Center

I wasn't the only one there to see the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center. I went, I saw and I left. I am not a fan of crowded places.

When or where are you most uncomfortable?

Central Park Bench 6

Here is a new addition to the Central Park Bench series. It was taken last Sunday during the snow storm. The water on the upper right corner is simply known as The Lake.

So what is your favorite thing to do during a cold Sunday morning?

Snow Globe

This photo of a store window decorations was taken at Saks Fifth Avenue, the luxury departmental store on 5th Avenue and 50th Street. Because of the weak U.S. dollar, many retailers are targeting the increasing important tourist market this season.

Recently I bought a snow globe with the skyline of NYC for a friend who collects them. She was so happy with the gift that she baked me a cake the next week.

So what was the best gift you have ever given and/or received?

Snowy Central Park

New York City saw its first snow storm for the season yesterday and I went out to Central Park after (a hearty) breakfast to shoot some photos. This photo was taken just as the snow stopped and you can see a lot of young couples were out for a walk and enjoying the weather.

Here is a photo of the same scene, the Literary Walk, taken earlier this Spring. Which do you think is prettier - the scene with or without the snow?

Night Traffic on 5th Avenue

This photo of 5th Avenue was taken after I had visited the Rockefeller Center to photograph the Christmas tree earlier this week. The old building in the background is The Peninsula Hotel on 55th Street. Even though it was after 8 PM, the traffic in mdtown Manhattan was still roaring.

So do you have a favorite hotel or an interesting hotel story?

Theme Photo: Bridge

This month theme photo is a bridge. This photo was taken on the paestrian and bicycle path on Queensborough Bridge, which connects Queens to Manhattan. You can see the new metal and the old concrete structures of the bridge here.

Here are the other photo bloggers who are participating in the monthly theme photo: Boston (MA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Portland (OR), USA - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Inverness (IL), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Stockholm, Sweden - Setúbal, Portugal - Brussels, Belgium - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Hyde, UK - Manila, Philippines - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - London, England - Austin (TX), USA - Toulouse, France - Weston (FL), USA - Sesimbra, Portugal - Selma (AL), USA - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Cleveland (OH), USA - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - North Bay (ON), Canada - Arradon, France - Paderborn, Germany - Durban, South Africa - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - http://www.blogger.com/" target="_new">Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Portland (OR), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Wichita (Ks), USA - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Grenoble, France - New York City (NY), USA - Nottingham, UK - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Arlington (VA), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Miami (FL), USA - Cheltenham, UK - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Saratoga Spgs. (NY), USA - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Nashville (TN), USA - Toruń, Poland - New Orleans (LA), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Melbourne, Australia - Moscow, Russia - Trujillo, Peru - Château-Gontier, France - Quincy (MA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Joplin (MO), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Brookville (OH), USA - Chateaubriant, France - Chandler (AZ), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Baziège, France - Auckland, New Zealand - Wellington, New Zealand - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Subang Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Detroit (MI), USA - Riga, Latvia - Nelson, New Zealand - Budapest, Hungary - Cape Town, South Africa - Sydney, Australia - Dunedin (FL), USA - Sofia, Bulgaria - Radonvilliers, France - Turin, Italy - Montpellier, France - Kansas City (MO), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Wailea (HI), USA - Lubbock (TX), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Terrell (TX), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Budapest, Hungary - Montréal (QC), Canada - Sharon (CT), USA - Le Guilvinec, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - London, UK - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Orlando (FL), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Paris, France - Mainz, Germany - Newcastle (NSW), Australia - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Darmstadt, Germany - Naples (FL), USA - Torino, Italy - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - The Hague, Netherlands - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Melbourne (VIC), Australia - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand

Rockefeller Christmas Tree

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was unveiled on Wednesday night to great funfair and excitement. According to news reports, the 8 tons, 60-year old, 84 feet tall Norway spruce was decorated with 5 miles or 30,000 pieces of energy-efficient lights called light emitting diodes (LEDs). The LEDs use up to 60% less energy than regular light bulbs. In addition, the tree will be recycled as lumber for Habitat for Humanity after the Christmas season is over.

Click here for professional photos of the tree and the festivity on Yahoo.com.

So what are you plans for this weekend?

Love is a Gamble

According to the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) advertisement here, one has a 2 to 1 odds of running into six tall, dark, handsome men on the subway. I don't know if that is a good thing or not. If you were a single girl (or a single gay man), I guess the subway is as good a place to meet men as any other place.

So where and how did you first meet your current spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner? Was it love at first sight?

I Feel Naked

I was on my way to dinner on a very cold evening this past weekend when I noticed this tree looking very naked and cold.

Have you ever felt vulnerable or exposed?

SoHo at Night

This photo was taken minutes before the one I posted yesterday. It is from the corner Prince Street and Mercer Street, where the Fanelli Cafe is located. The bar/restaurant has been here for since 1847, way before SoHo became the hot spot for fashion and art. It serves really good chilli and burgers but most people come here for the bar scene since it is right in the middle of SoHo.

Since this was late in the evening, I set the camera to a slow exposure and balance it on top of a traffic light box -- the thing that is attached to the traffic light post and goes tick-tock-tick-tock as it counts down to the light change.

Christmas Reflections

This photo was taken in front of Zoë, a nouveau American restaurant on Prince Street between Broadway and Mercer. To catch as much light as possible, I set my camera on slow exposure and stabilized it on top of a car parked on the curb of the street. The reflection you see in the photo is from the roof of the car. I have never eaten at this restaurant before but I hear it is a really nice place.

So have you put up for Christmas decorations yet? Do you have a tree with lights and ornaments?

Political Message

Todd of Postcards from Hell's Kitchen and CityGirl15 of Gramercy Cafe recently posted photos of political messages they saw in NYC and they reminded me of a photo I took almost a year ago at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. It was a small graffiti scribbled on a giant poster blanketing the wooden fence surrounding the renovation site. If you click on the image above, you will see a full size version of the photo and what the graffiti said.

If you were to scribble a graffiti on a public space (not that I'm advocating it), what would you write?

Central Park Bench 5

The weather turned really cold and wintery yesterday. This photo re, taken last weekend at Central Park, presents how it feels outsidie -- chilly and dry. I had to have the humidifier on all day long because of the low humidity in the air.

So do you prefer the warm or cool weather?

Black Friday

Today, the day after Thanksgiving, is known as Black Friday because it is the official start of the Christmas shopping season and retailers across the country are expecting to be raking in huge sales volumes and profits.

This photo taken from outside the Apple Cube structure on 5th Avenue between 59th and 60th Street shows the crowd inside the underground store. The new iPod nanos are on sale (today only) for US$136.

So have you bought anything at a sale recently?

Happy Thanksgiving

Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated in the US and it is one of the busiest traveling holidays in the country. Everyone will be go home to their families or visiting friends for the 4-day weekend. And there will be many turkey dinners served on the table.

So you do like turkey? How do you like it served?

Sausages

These sausages were from the Koglin German Hams store at the Grand Central Market. The store specializes in sausages and cured meats from around the world. Although I have not tried the sausages here, I have gotten some deli meats and some breads and cheeses from other vendors at the market for an impromptu picnic at Bryant Park.

So do you like processed meat products like sausages and deli meats?

La Parisienne Cafe

I had breakfast in Paris and was back to NYC in less than an hour. Or so it seemed. This photo was taken at the Bernarduad store window on Park Avenue and 60th Street. Bernarduad is a maker of fine chinaware and jewelry.

So what do you eat for breakfast before you go to work in the morning?

Me, Myself & I

I took this photo at the Louis Vuitton window display case this weekend. I love that you can see three of me in the photo but not everything so my identity is still a mystery. I am, afterall, Ming the Merciless from the planet Mongol.

If you have an alter ego, who would you be?

Cold Weather Gear

It has been fairly windy and cold this weekend. During weather like this, I usually have to wear a skull cap to keep my head warm or else, I will get a severe headache later in the evening. While I was in SoHo a couple weekends ago, I saw these fancy caps on sale by a street vendor on Prince Street between Mercer and Broadway. The vendor told me she knitted the caps herself.

So do you wear a hat or a cap when you go outside during the winter?