DJ Equipment Shots 2010
I took some snapshots of my current DJ setup, here they are. iPad is new, obviously. Everything else is from 6+ years ago.
The turntables turn 10 pretty soon! They were signed by Darren Emerson, Adam Freeland and the Bassbin Twins on the night they were taken out of the boxes: the night of a massive in DC at the DC Armory: Revolution, on November 20, 2000!
Two Photos from Zebra Music Festival
Jovian's afternoon set. The music was great and just out the frame people are chilling on the grass. I saw the photographer and posed spontaneously
I was having a blast at this point, although it looks like I'm DJ'ing in total darkness. They didn't have turntables so I had to scratch on CDJ's which is what I was doing here. Overall it was a great outdoor festival show at sunset.
Coffee’s New Tattoos
My roommate is slowly getting covered in tattoos. Two days ago he came home with a new piece on his right shoulder and the next day (yesterday) he came back with an accompanying piece on his left side. Both were done by a good friend and Chengdu resident, Mao Mao, who has done several other tattoo's for Coffee in the past.
I think these look really good!
Left forearm lotus flower and Coffee's silver jewelry.
Both sides were done this week - they're both traditional Chinese designs, both lions
Closeup of the right arm. The detail on both these pieces is pretty good! Lots of fine lines.
Old tattoo is on the left and new one on the right. Looking very "fresh".
Snapshots from Hong Kong
I just got back from Hong Kong, here are some snapshots:
A late Thai dinner, prepared by Akeeta at dinnertime and eaten by me at 2am. Delicious
Half-eaten Lamb Falafel from Ebeneezer's in Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong. $52 HKD and very tasty.
We hooked up a vintage Nintendo up to a modern LCD and played Super Mario 2. Awesome graphics.
Cassady and Romance of the Three Kingdoms on NES go way back, apparently. Great game.
Snacking on delicious treats with friends on a weeknight evening. Cheese, bread, pizza, wine, more
And how could I forget the sweet tunes, streamed wirelessly to an Airport Express & studio monitors
Cassady's record collection is quite impressive for Hong Kong. Huge variety, too. Resssspect
This was taken while I was playing records. Charlotte got a great natural snapshot here
Huge thanks to my generous host, Cassady. Check out his DJ stuff here, here and here (if Facebook is blocked for you because you're in China, read this).
Evening Fireworks
Fireworks explode in distance on the first eve of the new year. Taken outside my window
Going to Hong Kong
I leave for Hong Kong tomorrow evening to handle some business and take a short vacation in one of my favorite cities. Although I was in Macau about a year ago, I haven't been in Hong Kong for a very long time - the last time I was there I couldn't speak Chinese, as a matter of fact. I'm looking forward to returning and getting a chance to reassess the city with a new perspective. Being able to communicate with people this time will help, although it's an uncertainty as to how much that will actually help since the language they officially speak there is Cantonese.
In preparation for the trip, I finally made a purchase which I've had on my mind for years. A wide angle lens for my camera. Not only is it the first piece of photo equipment I've acquired in 4 years, but it's a lens that I've been yearning for ever since I tried it out on my last trip to Macau. It's a wide angle lens, so the range is 12-24mm and it's made by Tokina. I bought it second hand from a local guy that I know here for 2,600rmb, approx. $370, which isn't a bad deal. I was considering getting a similar lens, a Sigma, for 2,500rmb but my reservations there were related to shipping the lens, not being able to see and try it before I buy it, and it being a Sigma lens (I'd prefer the Tokina). I've traveled around Hong Kong with my camera before and I can't wait to do it again with this new lens. It'll work especially well in crowded urban areas. Here's a snapshot I took outside my house yesterday afternoon:
I'll probably be in Hong Kong/Macau for about a week this time. As soon as I get back I'll be going to a new apartment which I'll sign the contract for tomorrow morning before I leave. Can't wait to get outside of Chengdu and travel a bit, it's been too long.
One more photo of the chess game which I lost today. Click on the photo to enlarge
Jiu Jin Shan & Diao Yu Cheng
Shots from Jiu Jin Shan & Diao Yu Cheng. Click to enlarge:
:krakken:
Qing Cheng Mountain
Yesterday I went with Andre and Brendon on a daytrip to Qing Cheng Shan (Azure City Mountain) which is two-hours outside of Chengdu. After eating at 祖母厨房 （Grandma's Kitchen) for breakfast we went to 茶店子车站 (chadianzi bus station) and got tickets to Qing Cheng Shan and were on our way.
Qing Cheng Shan is the birthplace of Daoism - a mountain dotted with temples and dozens of peaks. Compared to Emei Shan it's an easy climb, taking half a day, so we arrived at the peak just in time to see the sunset. At the peak of the mountain was a temple and tall pagoda that rose high over the trees which we climbed up to to rest after the long hike and watch the sun set over distant peaks. I tried to get as many valuable photos along the way that I could, and I've arranged them in a gallery here.
