My photo journal

Fleet Week 2012- Blue Angels

2012-10-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

Went to Fleet Week a bit by accident. The streets of SF were crowded but we rode our bikes so we were able to get around easily. Stopped near the Marina to watch the Blue Angels perform.

A's-Mariners Game

2012-04-16T02:12:00.000-07:00

Last week was the beginning of the MLB season for 2012. Went out to see the Mariners game. Ichiro is in the latter years of his career so I want to go out to see him play whenever I have the chance. So, I jumped on the BART train and headed to the stadium. Arrived earlier than usual because I wanted to see batting practice before the game.

This is the first year that Ichiro is not hitting lead-off. His job will be to drive in more runs than getting on base. Will that happen? We'll see during the season. Also, I've heard many times that Ichiro routiely hits batting practice balls into the seats, so I was curious about that. Sure enough, he launched a bunch of pitches into bleacher seats. Will Ichiro hit more home runs this year too? Again, we'll see...

Some fielding practice after batting practice.

Munenori Kawasaki, the newest Mariner player from Japan, gets ready for his Major League debut after spending his career in Japan playing for Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.

Two young fans rooting for Ichiro and Kawasaki.

Fourth inning explosion as the Mariners score 6 runs! Ichiro drives in a run with a stand-up triple!

Classic Ichiro pose standing in the batter's box.

Too bad this was a ground out. But the Mariners won an exciting game, 8-7!

Golden Gate Park - Japanese Tea Garden

2012-04-09T04:33:00.001-07:00

Went out a couple weeks ago to Golden Gate Park, hoping to see some sakura at the Japanese garden. The weather was kinda bleh... the skies were gray which doesn't make great photos for me. I wanted to go about a week later when blossoms were blooming more, but couldn't because of work. The funny thing is, this is one of those places in SF that I have never visited, even though I lived here my entire life! Some photos turned out ok, so I hope you enjoy them!

San Francisco Zoo

2012-02-27T08:11:00.002-08:00

Kyoto

2012-01-02T04:25:00.000-08:00

Osaka

2011-11-06T03:30:00.000-08:00

Asakusa

2011-10-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

A day at the races, Japan style!

2011-10-23T00:17:00.000-07:00

Went to Tokyo Race Course, the biggest race track in Japan. It was quite a sight, as "Fuchu" is a huge racing venue! Not sure what the attendance was on this day, as it was not as many as Japan Cup Day or Japan Derby Day for sure, but there were thousands of fans, both young and old, nonetheless.

Shot of the main Fuji View Grandstand. It is said that Mount Fuji can be seen on a clear day. The top two levels of the six-floored grandstand are reserved seating, with small personal television screens. On this day, those reserved were sold out by 10 a.m.

The glass enclosed S-seats in the Memorial Stand, grandstand.

A nice security guard let us walk into the S-section to take these photos while the last race was running.

It's Japan so Hello Kitty is everywhere, this time promoting the Win5 jackpot wager by selecting the winner of five designated races. However, it does not seem that one can wager on this on-track, at least I couldn't figure out how. It may be an online wager, but I could be wrong about that.

View of the massive paddock from the third level.

The video tote board in the paddock is also enormous.

A sea of spectators looking on at the runners.

The horses parading around the paddock ring with banners of the fans' favorite jockeys on display.

The Turf Vision multi-screen video monitor is one the world's largest.

Stretch run of an allowance race.

Running past the grandstand early in a jump race.

Real Impact leads the feature race, the G2 Mainichi Okan.

It seems all wagers are made using bet cards. This is a machine used to cash winning tickets.

Time to get on the train and head back after a fun-filled day.

Take a ride on a cable car

2011-08-02T05:24:00.000-07:00

One of the most popular things to do as a visiting tourist to SF is to ride the world famous cable cars. Even though I have lived in the Bay Area my entire life, I have never ridden one until recently. I must admit, it was pretty cool. But at $6 a one-way ride, it is not an economical option to get around the city. There are special 1 day, 3 day and even 7 day passes available for buses and cable cars if one plans to ride public transportation during their visit.

A long line of people waiting to board. This is the turnaround in downtown San Francisco, which is probably the most popular place to board. It is located at Powell Street and located near the shopping district plus an underground subway / train station. We waited in line about 40 minutes and it was a Wednesday morning. Who knows how long the wait is on the weekend.

Once the cable car arrives, it has to be pushed manually from one set of tracks to the other. Then it stops in front of the loading point and riders are allowed to board. There are actually two separate lines that originate from the Powell Street turnaround. One is the Powell-Mason line and the other is the Powell-Hyde line. Both stop near Fisherman's Wharf but at different places and take different routes. We decided to take the Powell-Hyde line because it travels down the very steep hill on Hyde Street.

The view of Union Square from aboard the cable car.

The famous St. Francis Drake Hotel in downtown San Francisco.

One of the reasons we chose to ride the Hyde Street line is because it passes the top of Lombard Street.

Looking down Hyde Street from inside the cable car.

These two photos were taken on the street, not from inside the cable car and from two different angles, but they show how steep the hills are in parts of San Francisco. Yes, we walked up that hill!

The end of the line, at the bottom of Hyde Street.

Holiday in Tahoe

2011-07-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

Afternoon at Ocean Beach

2011-06-26T01:13:00.000-07:00

Houseboats in Sausalito

2011-06-05T23:27:00.000-07:00

Went to the city of Sausalito, which is north of San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge. It is a popular tourist destination, with restaurants, boutique shops and art galleries. But it is also well-known for the houseboat community that is located there. There are hundreds of houseboats, but I only visited a handful of them. Even though it is a community, it is free to take a nice walking tour of the docks area where the houseboats are moored.

Back in the city, I took photos of the famous sea lions that appear daily at Pier 39. It's always fun to watch them playing on the docks.

An unusual sight, a rainbow over the San Francisco skyline.

Roses in May

2011-05-15T02:39:00.000-07:00

I went to the San Jose Rose Garden again to see the roses in bloom for this spring. It is a tremendous sight to see so many colorful roses in bloom all at one time.

Play ball!

2011-04-13T04:53:00.000-07:00

The first weekend of April was the start of the 2011 Major League Baseball season. The Oakland A's were hosting the Seattle Mariners for 3 games. Sunday, April 3rd was Japanese Heritage Day. It was a promotion to recognize the many Japanese people in the Bay Area, but also to welcome Hideki Matsui, former star player of the Tokyo Giants to the Oakland A's. And of course, whenever the Seattle Mariners come to town, that means a big crowd attends to see Ichiro Suzuki.

Of course, these plans were over shadowed by the earthquake and tsunami disaster that has affected areas of Japan. As a result, there were numerous corporations and groups raising money to aid the relief organizations in Japan. The Oakland A's also donated a portion of ticket sales to the cause. Overall, it was a beautiful spring day for a baseball game. And the home team won, too!

A beautiful day to relax and enjoy a baseball game from the bleacher seats.

Ichiro hits a single!

Later in the game, Matsui hits a double!

After Ichiro ends the threat by throwing Matsui out at third base.

Ichiro jogs out to take his position in right field.

And then warming up by playing catch between innings.

More photos of Golden Gate Park

2011-03-02T02:30:00.000-08:00

I went for a 2 hour walk through various parts of Golden Gate Park, snapping photos along the way.

Tulips just beginning to bloom near the Dutch Windmill.

Different types of bicycles available to rent.

Different views of Stow Lake, which is a large man-made lake with an island

in the middle of Golden Gate Park. Boats are also available to rent at the lake.

A sign with a map of Golden Gate Park. If you look closely, you can see how big the park truly is. On the left side of the map, each of the yellow lines on the side is 1 city block! Stow Lake is in the middle.

Flowers beginning to bloom. Spring will soon be here!

Mondays in the City

2011-02-28T22:08:00.000-08:00

San Francisco skyline at sunset, taken from Treasure Island.

Baker Beach at sunset.

Golden Gate Bridge from Baker Beach.

Ferry boat at Pier 39.

New Bay Bridge under construction, taken from Treasure Island.

Hiking trail from Lands End.

Golden Gate Bridge, taken from Lands End.

Another trail near Lands End.

Lincoln Park Golf Course, near Lands End.

2011-02-13T04:07:00.000-08:00

While much of the United States was suffering through snowstorms and bad weather, it was a beautiful February weekend in San Francisco. Typical California weather and why it is such a great place to live!

Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park just before sunset.

Benches near the fountains in Golden Gate Park.

Fountains in Golden Gate Park after sunset.

California Academy of Sciences and Sutro Tower in the distance.

Christmas In the Park, a San Jose tradition

2010-12-08T03:53:00.000-08:00

Recently I visited San Jose to see holiday displays. First, I decided to visit Santana Row, the upscale shopping center and residential community. It was in the daytime, so there wasn't much to see.

After that, I traveled to downtown San Jose. In the middle of downtown, there is a park that is a popular spot to spend an afternoon. But, each winter it is transformed into a holiday display, called Christmas in the Park. It is set up by volunteers working with organizers in the city of San Jose to create this wonderful place for everyone to enjoy, entirely free of charge.

According to the history, it was started in 1950 by a local businessman who set up displays in front of his store. The attraction grew over the years, and was eventually donated to the city to accommodate large crowds. But it ran into problems and was put away into storage for years. Then nearly 30 years ago, a group was organized to restore this once-defunct holiday tradition. Now each year, many many volunteers put in thousands of hours to bring this tradition for everyone to enjoy.

Unfortunately, lack of funds seems to threaten it once again. The decorated trees, photos taken with Santa, and the food booths collect funds and donations to try to keep it going year after year. There was a sign that said, if each person that visited only donated $1, they would have enough money to bring it back year after year.

This was the first time I had even heard about this holiday tradition ( It was featured on the news ) I plan to go back and make a small donation. Hopefully, others will too, and it can continue to delight families and citizens for many years to come.

But to truly experience the beautiful spectacle, it absolutely must be seen at night, when all the lights are fully illuminated!

Halloween

2010-11-04T03:37:00.002-07:00

On Halloween night, I visited a neighborhood home that is converted into a haunted house. Much of it has been hand-crafted throughout the years and I was told that it takes two days to unpack everything each year to set up. It was like visiting a theme park, but there are no admission fees and no sponsors. Just a handful of dedicated people working tirelessly to create this unique spectacle for the hundreds of families and neighbors to enjoy each year.

Yountville

2010-10-20T01:33:00.000-07:00

I took these photos walking down the main street, Washington Avenue, in Yountville, which is a small town located in the Napa Valley. It seems to be a popular destination for tourists, honeymooners and wine lovers.

Pacific Grove

2010-10-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

Practice at a public golf course in Pacific Grove, CA.

But what I thought was interesting were these deer that were feeding on the grass.

Sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

Downtown Pacific Grove.

Red House Cafe.

A Day at the Races, Hollywood Park

2010-10-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

I flew to Los Angeles for a day at the races at Hollywood Park on October 2nd.

Morning sky over Los Angeles, taken from the plane.

Flowers in the paddock.

Crowd at the paddock, assembled to see the day's main attraction, Zenyatta.

Zenyatta, the undefeated 6-year old mare is a California super horse. Every time she runs, Zenyatta draws big crowds. On this day, she was running in her final race in California, attempting to win her 19th straight race, in addition to becoming the North American earnings holder with $6,404.580.

Minutes before entering the starting gate.

2010 Lady's Secret Stakes at Hollywood Park

Zenyatta has dead aim on her 19th straight win. Her final race will be on November 6th,

in the Breeder's Cup Classic in Kentucky, where she will attempt to win her 20th race

and retire undefeated.

A Day at the Races, Golden Gate Fields

2010-10-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

These are photos I took recently at Golden Gate Fields, the racetrack near San Francisco.

The horses are headed to the starting gate.

The stride of a thoroughbred race horse can propel horse

and jockey at speeds over 30 miles per hour.

The start of a race over the turf course.

The horses run past the grandstand for the first time.

Cruising to victory.

Time to pose for the winner's photo.

Fireworks over the Lake

2010-09-08T11:57:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend, which includes the first Monday of September, is traditionally seen as the end of summer. Especially when I was a child growing up, a new school year would start days after Labor Day. So it was usually a time, to spend that final weekend with friends and family, having a barbecue or picnic.

A tradition in South Lake Tahoe is to watch fireworks blazing through the night sky, over the lake. ( This also happens over the Fourth of July holiday ) The fireworks are launched from a boat on the lake, so the best place to watch it is from a boat but there are many beaches that offer a spectacular view, too. I took these photos from the sandy shores of Nevada Beach, on the Nevada side, just north of South Lake Tahoe.

View of Lake Tahoe from the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

A beautiful house on a hill near Lake Tahoe.

Nisei Week in Little Tokyo

2010-08-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

I went on another road trip this past weekend. I had never been to Little Tokyo in Los Angeles before, so I decided to head down that way for 70th Annual Nisei Week. Like The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco each sprinig, Nisei Week is a cultural festival to celebrate and recognize the Japanese-American community as well as share Japanese culture with the local communities.

Some of the buildings in Little Tokyo.

The Japanese-American National Museum.

I thought it was interesting to watch this artist drawing a portrait from a photograph.

Some of the Ikebana displays.

Handmade Japanese dolls.

Tanabata Festival

Visiting Cherry Blossom Queen and her court from Seattle and Honolulu.

U.S Olympic figure skater, Mirai Nagasu