Travel: New York City - Lower Manhattan

B got invited to come out to NYC and, so, we did the quickest trip ever.
Itinerary:

• Day 1: Took the red eye out LAX >> JFK.
• Day 2: Arrived in New York City, checked into an executive suite at Club Quarters. The hotel is kind of interesting because it serves purified water on every floor, complete with provided water bottles. Other than that, it's your standard business hotel. Because we were located 2 blocks away from the New York Stock Exchange, we decided to check out the Lower Manhattan: NYSE, Federal Hall, Trinity Church, Battery Park, City Hall, and the World Trade Center Site. We then went to the NYU area and saw the Washington Square Arch. We walked from NYU all the way back to our hotel to see sights along the way.

• Day 3: We checked out of our hotel, and went to Grand Central Station. We explored Times Square, ultimately having lunch there. We then strolled through lower Central Park before our return flight JFK >> LAX.

LA: UCLA Hanna Carter Japanese Garden

The UCLA Japanese Garden is actually off the main campus and in the hills of Bel Air. I had to make a reservation to go because of how tiny the parking lot is and they attempt to maintain the tranquility of the garden with as few people as possible.  There are so many elements to this small space that it actually feels much larger than it really is. With a pond (with koi fish!), gentle mini waterfalls/streams, a garden house, a shrine, and of course the garden itself, there were plenty of things to photograph within the 1 hour I spent there.

LA: The Getty Center - Revisited

I knew it was too soon to post a Getty entry this year. Lo, and behold, I had a photo assignment to shoot the architectural features of the Getty. Above is the main waterfall and garden at the Getty. Below is the inside the main building.

Travel: San Diego - San Diego Zoo

I decided to shoot my first official photography assignment at the San Diego Zoo (I had free passes). My photography teacher couldn't stop giving me accolades for this photo. Perhaps it was my best shot of the day? But, I personally don't think this shot was all that great. Then again, she sees thousands of horrible photos over the course of a semester, and I've only now begun developing an eye for photography. Hopefully, I'll be able to appreciate what I did here, later.

LA: La Brea Tar Pits

E got us free tickets to see 88BoaDrum which occurred on August 8, 2008 at 8:08PM at the La Brea Tar Pits. It had 88 drummers play 88 minutes of noise band "music" by the supposedly famous Japanese band called Boredom. It wasn't my thing, but E's into all sorts of stuff I'm not into and because I'm generally open to new experiences, this was me learning something new.

Movie: X-Files: I Want to Believe

R, E,  one of E's other friends, and I went to an AMC in La Jolla to watch the new X-Files movie which ended up being so mediocre. It was particularly disappointing because I was such a huge fan of the show and had high expectations. I suppose too much time had lapsed to maintain my interest or the storyline was just that weak. I'm not sure. Sad to say, but it was a fail.

Travel: San Diego - Comic-Con

I was a volunteer this year at Comic-Con. During one evening event that I worked on with E, I must have been asked where the after-party was at least a dozen times. Because I worked so late that night, I was hoping that I could get my day pass to see Hall H the next day (without working that day), but by the time I picked up my badge the next morning, the line for Hall H was so enormously long that I had no chance of getting in. I suppose it makes sense, since there are people who camp out the night before just to attend certain events. I met R (E's friend) who helped explain a lot of the convention to me; otherwise, I would have been clueless, as I am year after year.