How do I melt this snow?

© Joselito Briones

This is just an extra photo of the past snow weeek here in Erlangen. The snow has since melted, of course. It's bright again. Luckily this kind of snow reacts to changes in the weather. The other kind, the personal kind, it keeps one cold long after it's melted.


XXX

Powdered Pebbles

© Joselito Briones

This is a photo of the landscaping pebbles in the driveway downstairs. It's not even powder anymore. More like iced, except not completely yet. Yep. One of those days when there's really nothing worth saying. At least there's this picture to show.


XXX

Gil

© Joselito Briones

Here's a picture of another one of my nephews. His name is Gil, "bunso" to Irma. It's his birthday today. I've shown him this photo and unfortunately, he doesn't like it. I suspect, from the pictures that he does like, that he prefers to look tough or reserved in his photos. He's at that exciting age where projecting an image counts more than anything.


XXX

I guess it's never easy walking in somebody else's shadow

© Joselito Briones

Well now, I get low and I get high,
And if I can't get either, I really try.
Got the wings of heaven on my shoes,
I'm a dancin' man and I just cant lose.
You know it's all right, it's OK,
I'll live to see another day.
We can try to understand
The New York Times effect on man.

- BeeGees, "Staying Alive"


XXX

Announcement

© westerndesign

Dominic, a friend and colleague from Hong Kong who has since moved back to Paris and cofounded "western design " with his friend, especializing in retail shops (including Nickel in Chelsea, Manhattan, among other equally fabby ones in Paris), has announced recently the creation of "Building", its "filiale de Maîtrise d’œuvre". I won't even try to understand what that is. Sounds exciting though, doesn't it? I guess it's because it's in French with all those weird letter combinations and accent grave, and I don't understand it. I'll ask him to explain later.

Here's a portrait of him, from when we still worked together in Hong Kong.

© Joselito Briones

XXX

Snow

© Joselito Briones

We got snowed in! I didn't think this place could have so much snow, but it did. First thing we saw on TV are videoclips of kids playing in the snow, so early in the morning. I guess they've been waiting for this one. The city looks so different and feels so different. It's so nice and bright and pretty.

XXX

More of Taal Volcano

© Joselito Briones

Here's a digitally enhanced film version of the photo of Taal Volcano, as viewed from Tagaytay. I think last time I showed you the digital version of this, it was accompanied by complaints about food there, so I'm making this one into another foodie, with a recipe for fresh fennel atsara (more like a salad).

Fresh fennel salad (for 2)

Ingredients:
1 bulb fennel, finely sliced and thoroughly washed,
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, diced or cut into decorative shapes
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
fresh chillies or pepperoni - as hot as you can take, optional
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. vinegar
palm sugar to taste
salt and pepper

Mix fennel with vinegar and lemon juice with hand thoroughly, squeezing the fennel slices. Add ginger, palm sugar, carrots, chillies, and onions. Toss. Add salt and pepper. Chill before serving.

It goes really well with any grilled or roasted meat.


XXX

Don

© Joselito Briones

I'm sure by now you're probably tired of my Hong Kong photos, so I thought I'd change it a bit by showing you a portrait I took recently. This one was taken in Carmona, in the Philippines. This one is of the oldest among my numerous nephews, Don, or Dionisio (he was named after my paternal grandfather, the only grandparent I knew).


XXX

Sleek Hong Kong: The Departed

© Joselito Briones

Just so you won't get the impression that Hong Kong is all old and monotonous, here's a photo of one of the best buildings there, in Admiralty. It's already an icon in Hong Kong, of course, the Bank of China, by I. M. Pei. The best time to look at it is the early evening in Autumn, when the sky is clear and deep blue, there's no fog, and you can see the lines clear and sharp all the way to the top.

As this is the last Hong Kong image I'll be showing you for a while, I'll just write here something else that Hong Kong is famous for. Movies! Action movies to be exact. Okay, fine, it's not about a Hong Kong movie, but something based on one.

The movie, of course, is "The Departed", based in Hong Kong's 2002 critically acclaimed thriller "Infernal Affairs".



And what a movie! The cast was excellent, especially Mark Wahlberg and his filthy-mouthed character. Jack Nicholson just cruised through it, like it's all fun and play for him. Matt Damon adopted his inscrutable poker-faced persona in the "Bourne Identity" franchise, and even Leonardo di Caprio, who showed teen-level angst in what is meant to be a grown-up role, managed to project a bit of grit in his eternally pre-pubescent voice. The star of the movie though, no question asked, is director Martin Scorsese. The way he constructed the twists and plots was the work of a true master. It was also great that, in what I assume other people would see as plot holes, instead of spoon-feeding us, the audience, with every details, he let us figure things out for ourselves. Ok fine, there are still holes in the plot, but who cares! The tension was unrelenting in the whole movie, there was no chance to think of inconsistencies - until the next day when you've had about 24 hours to mull things over.

I'm not even putting a synopsis here. Go watch it, it's great!


XXX

Color overload

© Joselito Briones

Photo taken in Cat Street, Hong Kong.

And another recipe for Wil:

Baked Ribs

Marinate ribs in:
1 Lemon Juice
1 Onion (or 3 shallots)
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp A1 sauce (optional)

In a baking tray, put marinated ribs in preheated oven (220 C), bone curve up, for 20 minutes. Take out the tray, cover with aluminum foil, put back in, for at least an hour. Remove cover, and flip ribs. Broil for 10 minutes.


XXX

Staying Low

© Joselito Briones

This photo was also taken in Hong Kong, in Midlevels, and interesting in that these are among the very few low buildings remaining in (Midlevels). Most of the buildings in this area (mostly residential) are like the ones I posted a few days ago. This one was also taken from Josen's apartment window, looking down.


XXX

Midlevels

© Joselito Briones

I know, by now you're probably tired of photos I took in Hong Kong. But I want to post them anyway, and it's not like I've got a lot of things to tell you presently, so this'll have to do. This one's also taken from Josen's apartment in Midlevels, in the south side.


XXX

Windows 07.01 HongKong Edition

© Joselito Briones

This is what one can photograph from Josen's apartment window, and I guess from just about anybody's apartment window in Midlevels. Taken new year's day in Hong Kong.


XXX

Images of Hong Kong II

© Joselito Briones

This is from the same series as yesterday's photo, same technique. This is the street where I lived for a year or two, in an apartment that used to be occupied by Hon and Dwayne.


XXX

Images of Hong Kong

© Joselito Briones

First scan of film photos from hong kong. This was taken in Peel Street, which runs perpendicular to Hollywood Road. With such a high tonal differences between the highlights (in this case, the sun in direct view) and the shadows, I used the old reliable -3 technique with kodak tmax100 film and rodinal.


XXX

Nathan Road

© Joselito Briones

More leftover photo from Hong Kong. I picked up the film versions from Frankenlabor today, so by tomorrow I could probably show you the proper photos. Not that Nathan Road is all like this. It's a mixture of high-end shops, old dirty-looking buildings, and lots and lots of tourists.


XXX

Overspill

© Joselito Briones

As I said yesterday, next few days will probably be overspill of holiday pics, both from Hong Kong and Philippines, while I try to catch up with everyday humdrum here in Erlangen. This one's in Hong Kong, perpendicular to Hollywood Road, next to Man Mo Temple.


XXX