Here you are folks! We have pictures from this year's trip back. Nothing too crazy this time around. I got to see several familiar faces (including a surprising number of current USC students), eat lots of good food (oddly enough, not too many food pics) and just take in everything (possibly my last carnival for a while). Anyways, let's get things started...
The only picture of food from the whole lot, here's a pic of my dinner on the plane ride back. Grilled salmon with a spicy chutney, pasta and roast vegetables. Sadly, Sam Choy no longer creates the meals on United flights to Hawaii but this was a pretty tasty meal nonetheless.
Providing entertainment at Hawaiian Plate were the Opihi Pickers. I was a bit late to the show because I had to wait for a new batch of Portuguese Bean Soup, but I got there in time to hear Victim and Old-Fashioned Touch. Look at all those kids skankin' to the beat!
The skankers took a long enough break for me to get a clear shot of just the group. They played a good set that lasted just short of an hour with great energy from the crowd. A lot of songs I'm not familiar with, but good sounding music all around.
You get some interesting pics when you flick on the slow shutter. I do enjoy the sharpness of the stationary objects contrasting with the blurred lines of objects in motion. This shot really captures the energy of carnival and the great atmosphere you get on the nights.
This year, they put up this huge video board in the lobby-esque area of the Science Center (dunno what they've named it since I grad but that's what I'll always call it). They played some interesting pre-made student commercials and also some "video messages" recorded during carnival. I even featured in one of the commercials for the Kiddie land (they used stock footage from the year that I was chair of the wheel booth). I really enjoyed watching the screen, particularly when I had to wait 1/2 hr in line for them to resupply the corn booth (just out of frame of the pic, on the right hand side).
The swings are always a prominent feature of the carnival. Here's another slow shutter pic of the signature ride of carnival (well, a toss up between this and the zipper).
Here we have another pic of the other rides at carnival including the venerable zipper (left), pharaohs fury (background right), glider (right foreground) and swings (background left).
It's not a trip to the Punahou Carnival without the obligatory script spending spree at the Malasada booth. I took this photo moments after getting my 2 dozen. I hear they wouldn't let you buy large quantities after 9:30 pm. That sucks quite a bit since the malasada booth is THE place to go to spend the last few script you've got before heading home.
I neglected to mention that this year's theme was Carnivalot (Medieval times...the theme I actually voted for when my class was in charge). My mum was a parent chair at the fishing booth in Kiddie land and I helped her out for the last hour or so of Carnival.
Here I am working hard...
And here I am hardly working. It's good to know I can fish just as well as the little kiddies can.
And that, my friends, was my trip home for Carnival '06. It was great fun being back again and I'm quite glad that I was able to keep the tradition going. It was certainly interesting to observe the differences between going back as an alumnus to how things were when I was still a student. Definitely fewer script spent on rides and more on food. And I'm sure starting feel a bit old. It is, however, just as enjoyable now as it was when I first when as a little kid back in the old days. On that note, enjoy the pics and have a great weekend. Peace out homeys.
Yup, I went back for Punahou Carnival. Again. I've got a lot to do this week so I'm afraid a post (with plenty o' pics) will have to wait till the weekend (or at least friday). Sorry, but there's just too much to do. Sit tight folks...
*edit* Thanks to Traci, I now have the group pic from Dim Sum. Check it out below.
Hello all. Just a quick little update to tell you guys what I've been up to recently. It's been a pretty busy week trying to get rec letters for my Whitaker Fellowship application and finishing up the Personal essays. All will be done this weekend so that I can get it in the mail and to their door by monday (deadline is tuesday). Wish me luck. Thanks to the well-wishers and those who have kept me sane. On to the photos...
Dinner at the BCD Tofu House w/Carie some night a couple of weeks ago (I believe it was the night before the car show). First time there in a long time and I had a nice reunion with the Curry Soon (soup) shown above. That's beef bulgogi at the top right as well. Mmm...tasty Korean food...
Allan moved into his new place just over a week ago so Brenton and I had to give him some sort of welcome. So, we put a sofa cushion up against the door and he was caught completely off guard. Real sweet apartment Allan, real sweet.
Here's a photo of "Kert" after a peer leadership thingy (take a close look at the name written on the box). To be honest, I only went cuz there were leftover Togo's sandwiches. How hard is it to spell Kurt? I sometimes question the listening comprehension and/or spelling competency of food service personnel...
We (Traci, Kurt, Claudia, Ryan, Me, Darren, Brandon & Priscilla) took a trip out to Ocean Park for a bit of "Yum Cha" action this past weekend. Good times and delicious food. Always a good combination.
One of my favorite items...a fried bao. I haven't had this since my first trip to Hong Kong way back in the day. Glad to see it's back in the rotation!
Last but not least, we were heading over to Brandon's place that same night when we saw this racoon stick its head out from the sewer. This is probably one of the most bizarre (and oddly cute) animal encounters I've ever had! Reminds me a lot of the stuffed animal racoon I had as a kid.
Anyways, Happy Chinese New Year for those of you in the know and hopefully I'll have some better pics to put up sometime in the near future...just as soon as I get all these assignments out of the way. Give me a week and I promise I'll be a bit more joyful. Well, take care everyone!
Howdy folks! Tonight I bring you the 2nd post of the new year and a photo blog from my trip to the 2006 Greater Los Angeles Auto Show held at the LA Convention Center. I made the trip to the show with Brad (his pics are up at his site), a pair of James(-es?) and Carie. We spent well over 2 hours cruising the aisles, snapping copious amounts of photos, ridiculing the junk cars and drooling over the nice cars. All in all, it was a lot of fun (though, not as much fun as it would've been if we could've test driven some of the cars). The following 30 photos were selected from the larger collection of pics that I took and feature what I believe to be the best of the best on display. I would like to warn you in advance that viewing these pictures may lead to a strong urge to buy a new motor vehicle. You have been warned...
*Click on the pics below to view a larger sized image.
We start the blog with two beautiful Italian supercars: (L) The Ferrari F430 Spyder is a stunningly beautiful and epitomizes what an exotic car should be. The convertible top means you can enjoy the sights, sounds and speed on the open road with the open-air freedom provided by a drop top. (R) The Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is yet another beautiful car from the Italian automaker's stables. Not only do you have a 12-cylinder engine ready to scream to life at a drop of a pedal, you also have 2 extra seats in the back so that you can bring along 3 other friends as you tear up the road!
(L) A concept car designed by Maserati. I'm not sure what the specs are but it looks lovely and has an undeniably exotic look. (R) A pair of Bentleys for those of you who might want a car that emphasizes luxury without compromising the performance. We have the Continental GT in blue and the Continental Silver Spur in...well...silver.
Continuing on, we have two Lamborghinis here. They brought all 4 cars in their product line all in the same beautiful white colour. It was quite a pretty sight. (L) Gallardo Spyder, which is a ridiculously fast convertible. (R) Murciélago, which is a bigger, even more powerful car...here in the hard top style.
This is probably the car I most wanted to see at the entire show (and many other people felt the same way). This is Bugatti's all new Veyron. The only number you really need to hear is 1001. That's how much horsepower this thing can develop at full gallop (from 16 cylinders no less). That's both terrifying and exciting. The car is also quite well styled and I do like the blue/black 2 tone color scheme. If I were to get this car, however, I think I'd go with the all black one which simply screams sexy. If I could just find $1.2 Million...
(L) The Spyker C12 Laturbie. The styling, both interior and exterior, reflect a strong aviation influence (though, I'm not sure if you can see that in the pic). (R) The Saleen S7. Probably one of the few things on four wheels to come out of the US over the past several years that actually merits a spot with these other cars (the only other worthy car might be the Ford GT).
Lotus was the automaker I most wanted to see at this show (Ferrari, Porsche, Mazda and BMW round out the top 5). Anyhow, the cars they produce are true to the spirit of sports cars. Quick, agile and focused on performance. It's all about the driving experience with these cars. (L) The Lotus Elise is a compact, open air car that is a joy to drive (if the virtual version on Gran Turismo is anything to go by). (R) The Lotus Exige is the hard top derivative of the Elise.
In addition to getting a photo of the Exige, I was also able to get a pic with the car and, subsequently, one inside it as well (thanks to James' inquiry). Let me tell you, sitting in that car was amazing. It was nice and snug like a race car should be without being uncomfortable. I really wouldn't be against getting this car and I actually would be able to afford it since it's only $50k (quite cheap for a car of this level)!
(L) There was a huge exhibit of modified cars and parts suppliers (think blingingn rims" and tricked out cars ala fast & furious). Since I'm not really into that sorta thing, this is the only car pic I took down there. No surprise, it's actually a factory modified, Mazda Speed MX-5. The paint job (pattern) is similar to those on Mazda race cars (including the 787B car that was the only Japanese car to win the Le Mans 24 hr endurance race). (R) This is the Mitsubishi Eclipse Ralliart Concept Car. I dunno exactly what is conceptual about it (since it looks a lot like the regular Eclipse) but it has a nice sporty look about it and I do respect Ralliart for their contributions to rallying.
(L) Speaking of rally...here's a Subaru Impreza WRC (World Rally Car). The name on the side is Solberg (Norwegian Petter Solberg) who is Subaru's lead driver in the World Rally Championship and a former World Champion. I hold Rally drivers in very high esteem since it requires so much skill to be quick in that sport. (R) Another incredibly beautiful car. The BMW M6 is the "M" (BMW's performance division) version of their 6 series sports coupe. A 10 cylinder engine allows this car to go pretty damn fast too.
This is the Lexus LF-A Concept Car. Quite a bit more angular than last year's concept (can't remember the name) but the idea is the same: create a luxury super car and I, for one, think Lexus have done a decently good job (well, in the looks department). We'll have to see if this car will actually make it to production...
(L) A Volkswagen concept car that catches the eye because it only has 3 wheels. It certainly seems like it was inspired by motorcycle styling. (R) Staying with VW, here's the Golf GTi. It's a "hot hatch" that rides quick and has been well received by journalists around the world. If memory serves me, the New Zealand Sunday Star Times named it their Car of the Year for 2005!
(L) The McLaren Mercedes SLR is an amazing car and another stunningly beautiful super car. They brought this car last year and so that's probably why I'm not quite as enthusiastic as I was year ago. With that said, it's still amazing to behold this car in person! (R) The Mazda CX-7 Concept Car. It's an SUV styled w/Mazda's "zoom-zoom" philosophy. So, it has that sporty look and it supposedly drives sporty as well.
(L) This one goes out to Ryan because of his eco-friendliness. A Saab 9-5 powered by Bio-diesel. (R) The new Jaguar XK. It's a nice evolution of the previous one. And, how about that slogan!
The Porsche Cayman S is new this year and fills the void between the Boxster and 911. I'm actually quite a fan of this new Porsche and I like how it has the unmistakable look of a Porsche without being too similar to a 911.
Finally, I ended the night looking at the first car I saw last year. The Carrera GT just has an allure about it that instantly snatches your attention and makes you want to hop in for a drive. It certainly is up there on the list of the best cars money can buy! Let's hope I'll one day get a chance to go for a spin!
Well, I hope you guys enjoy checking out the pictures! Congrats if you were able to make through all the pics! I'm not sure what else is on the cards for MLK weekend but hopefully something blog worthy happens and, if so, you'll hear about it next week. Until then, have a good weekend everyone!
Happy 2006 to everyone! I'm back at USC after spending just over a week back in Hawaii. Home was awesome and, after being away for 6+ months, it sure was nice to be back! Unfortunately, I got sick (on the same day as the Rose Bowl as well...yes, THAT Rose Bowl...no further comment) and that really limited what I was able to do while I was home. Anyways, here are some pics from my last week in New Zealand.
Here I am on Christmas Day holding a Weta in my hand. The Weta was simply sitting outside the door of the house where we went for Christmas Lunch and so my Uncle said "why not take a picture?" So here it is. In case you're wondering, a Weta is an insect found in NZ. If you've seen King Kong, some of the insects in that scene where the group was attacked by all the "creepy crawlers" were modelled on Wetas (look closely...it's easier to see if you check out the trailer).
After Christmas, the extended family went up to the holiday home up at Omaha Beach (presumably named after the famous beach in Normandy, France). It's beautiful there. Omaha Beach, NZ that is. I absolutely love it!
All along the beachfront community, they have placed 5 of these Teko Teko (Maori Tiki statues). Here, I do my best imitation of the pose.
The beach was particularly beautiful that day and it was nice and warm. Water was a bit chillier than typical Hawaii conditions but it wasn't too bad. I really wished I could've stayed a bit longer cuz I bet New Year's at the beach house would've been pretty damn sweet!!!
Well, that's just about the end of NZ. Very sad indeed! Regardless, I'm back at USC for my Senior Year (semester really) and it's been a lot of fun so far. I've seen a ton of people even though I've been back less than 48 hours. By the way things have gone so far, I can tell this should be a semester to remember. I'm very much looking forward to it all! Au Revoir for now!
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