Photo Shoot in SoHo

I was walking down Prince Street in SoHo when I noticed something interesting going on here --two guys were photographing each other over the SUV parked in the middle of the street. I don't know if it was a photo shoot for an advertising campaign or just some tourists taking photos of each other in SoHo.

SoHo, short for South of Houston Street, is a hip neighborhood where some of the most popular cafes, restaurants and shops are located. It is also a place to see celebrities because a lot of famous people live here. I have bumped into Meg Ryan, Iman, Daniella Pestova, Claire Dane, Moby, Audrey Marnay and Andre Leon Talley here.

So have you ever met a celebrity?

Carnegie Deli

I was at the Carnegie Deli on 57th Street and 7th Avenue with some out-of town friends this weekend and this was what the couple at the next table ordered for lunch. It was the $20.95 Carnegie Gargantuan Combo of 1/2 pound of turkey and 1/2 pound of corned beef with Swiss cheese on whole wheat bread. When I saw the waiter arrived with their sandwiches I asked if they would allow me to take of photo of one of the sandwiches. They gladly obliged!

The sandwiches my friends and I ordered were less extravagant. We had a 1/2 pound corned beef sandwich, a 1/2 pound pastrami sandwich and a slice of cheese cake to share among the three of us. Our sandwiches looked about half the size of the sandwich in the photo. But boy, were they delicious!!!

So what do you have in your favorite sandwich?

Apartment Stoop 3

Here is another photo of apartment stoop in the Greenwich Village. I especially love the intricate ironwork on the railing.

So how is your weekend so far?

All Partied Out

This young fellow looked like he is all partied out. It was around 2 in the morning when this photo was taken. Normally I don't stay out this late but I had some out-of-town friends who wanted to visit some clubs and bars in the city.

I am usually in bed before midnight. I need my 8 hours of sleep OR ELSE I'm not a pleasant person to be around the next morning.

What time do you usually go to bed?

Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum

This is the Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum located on the edge of Astoria, near the East River in Queens. It is not on the regular tourist route but sometimes, art enthusiasts will trek across the river from Manhattan to see the small but distinctive collection of Isamu Noguchi's work.

Noguchi (read about his life here) may not be a household name among great American-born artists but most of us have seen two of his most famous works (or derivatives of them), which are the paper screen lanterns/lamps and the Noguchi table.

This is one of my favorite museums in NYC because it is small and manageable, and never crowded. Of course, nothing beats MoMA or the MET, but the Noguchi Museum is in a special class of its own.

Who are your favorite artists OR where is your favorite museum?

Juice Bar

It is sweltering hot and humid in NYC this week. And one of the best cures for weather like this is a nice cold refreshing fruit & veggie juice combo. My favorite blend is an orange-apple-banana-celery-beet juice. And the best place to get one is at this juice cart in front of MoMA on 53rd Street between 5th & 6th Avenues.

What is your favorite juice combo? Yes, you can add a dash (or more) of vodka if you desire.

The Inconvenient Truth

This is another photo from the old files, which was taken the day after the iPhone was released in the US. The gentleman sitting next to me on the subway was playing with it so I asked if I could take a picture of the phone. He gladly obliged and even demonstrated some of its features to me.

When I was in Asia, my US cell/mobile phone did not work because it was not compatible with the Asian cellular phone system or the rest of the world's, for that matter. I did not think ahead of getting an Asian SIM card for my phone so I left it at home. I was phoneless for a month.

What was the most inconvenient situation or thing to happen to you during your last vacation?

Back in New York City

I'm back in NYC and regular programming will resume.

This photo was taken a couple months ago at an Italian cafe called, Caffe Dante in the Greenwich Village . My friend and I were early for a movie so we stopped in here for some coffee and gelati, and that was when I noticed the reflection on the window. What you see there are some of the most beautiful and expensive townhouses in Manhattan. These buildings are very characteristic of the Village's architecture. The cafe is very popular among hipsters and tourists alike, so if you are even in NYC, you should stop by Caffe Dante.

So how was your month of July when I was away? Did anything exciting happen?

Kuala Lumpur: Petronas Towers

This is the view of the Petronas Towers from my hotel (Traders Hotel) in Kuala Lumpur. Okay, it is NOT exactly the view from my hotel room window but rather a view from the corner of the hotel lobby. All the best rooms with tower views were sold out so I had the room with the 2nd best view from the hotel -- the parking lot. But I'm not complaining!! Kuala Lumpur is a beautiful city and the Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) area is absolultely stunning. And I'm heading back to NYC tomorrow morning.

Confession: My bathroom has a bidet. It's devine!! Am thinking of installing one in my NYC apartment.*blush*

So have you ever used one?

Meet Up With Edwin of KL Daily Photo

Met up with Edwin of Kuala Lumpur Daily Photo at the Suria Mall beneath the Petronas Towers this morning. It was great to meet a fellow daily photo blogger.

Belated Theme Day Photo: Typical Breakfast

I apologize for missing the Theme Day Photo a couple days ago. I do not have easy access to the internet while on the road but I have not been trying very hard for find it either. I'm on my last leg of the trip. Am in Kuala Lumpur this weekend in super nice hotel with broadband internet connection. YEAH!

Anyway, here is a photo of someone else's breakfast. To find out whose breakfast this is, click here.

So can you see what was on the menu for breakfast here?

Tien Jin: Artist Alley

Ch'eng Te: Lotus Blossom at the Summer Palace

Ch'eng Te: Summer Palace

The Emperor's Summer Palace is in Ch'eng Te, about 200 km north of Beijing and 110 km south of Mongolia.

To see a photo of me on the dragon boat, click here.

Beijing: Temple of Heaven

Beijing: Panda Bear

This was one of 5 pandas at the Beijing Zoo. We were lucky because all five decided to come out to see us all.

Beijing: The Forbidden City 2

Beijing: Olympic Stadium

Excuse the bad photo -- this was taken as the crazy/brilliant Chinese driver was traveling 70 mph down the highway on an especially hazy day. Traffic in Beijing is quite an experience.

Beijing: The Forbidden City

Beijing: The Great Wall of China

Notice the blurry mountains? Air pollution is a huge problem here in Beijing so the sky is always hazy.