A Quiet Memorial

A lonesome Liberty Square, seen from the steps of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. One man savoring the sight.

Hong Kong at a Glance

Hong Kong strikes me as a city teeming with industrialization and commercialization. Its streets are full of cars pushing toward their destinations. Its blocks are filled with towering skyscrapers casting perpetual shadows. As if these shadows weren’t enough, the city chronically suffers from low visibility and haze due to pollution. Nevertheless, daily life continues within its walls.

I didn’t see a lot of the Hong Kong outside of taxis and corporate offices. I did, however, get a chance to try Hong Kong’s very own Uber! It was interesting to see how differently it worked overseas. After submitting a request, I watched the icon of my Uber car making its way toward me, getting stuck in traffic, and making some wrong turns. After 13 minutes, I was picked up by a gentleman named Enrique (I know, right?). Aside from the boxier cars and longer wait times, Uber of HK was very much like Uber of home.

In between long meetings at the office and jet-lagged sleep at the hotel, I visited a couple fun places. At Central’s International Finance Center, I walked among the crazy tall skyscrapers and checked out the gentrified, touristy IFC mall. I tried going up to the top to see the view, but apparently the highest floor of unrestricted access is at a bank on the 55th floor. Forget that; I wanted to go to the top top! One night for dinner, I stopped by Kowloon’s popular seafood village, Lei Yue Mun, and had a my share of crustaceans and fish. If you’re ever in the area, I’d recommend the mantis shrimp and steamed fish and…and pretty much anything else if you’re into seafood! Beware the prices, though, as popular restaurants tend to steer tourists toward more expensive items on the menu.

Next time I’m in HK, I’ll have to see what else I can do and where else I can go. Any recommendations?

Hallgrímskirkja

In Reykjavik, the northernmost capital city in the world, you can find this insane church — Hallgrímskirkja. Its construction began in 1945 but did not end until a long-winded 38 years later. At 244 ft (73m) tall, it juts straight up and into the sky, practically turning the city into a giant sundial. Its geometric, jagged structure paired with its smooth, tapering curves, gives it a unique aesthetic not seen anywhere else in the world.

Inside the church is a large, mechanical action pipe organ. Its 5275 pipes combine to form a massive, 49 ft (15m) tall musical instrument. Hop onto the elevator to the top of the church, and you’ll find a small observatory providing some of the best views of Reykjavik.

Nature, Man, Sky, and Land

A crossing of lights, natural and artificial.

A meeting of the soft and the hard.

An intersection of nature and man, of sky and land.

Turmoil at the Capitol

We finally got the Capitol Building, but no good news. Just more of the same; no good news at all. And…Tess.

Pillar Point

Like the future, out of place in time: Doppler on Pillar Point.

Itsukushima Shrine

A beautiful shrine built on piers above the Hiroshima bay. Its original construction began in the 6th century, according to Wiki. In front of the main shrine lies an enormous torii gate, standing by itself in the bay’s clear waters, approachable by foot during low tides. I could sit on the wooden pier for hours.

The Other Side

How do you know you’re on vacation? When you’re setting out to start your day and every single other person is in corporate attire, heading in the opposite direction.

“A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking.” –Earl Wilson

Through the Slanted Structure

Still heading toward the Capitol Building in the Last of Us. The city’s in ruins, but what’s new. We carefully make our way through a toppled skyscraper, hoping it doesn’t buckle and collapse from the rain and decay.

Church of Rock

Sorry, not rock ‘n’ roll…but something cooler, maybe. Temppeliaukio is an epic church in Helsinki, constructed directly inside a solid mound of excavated rock. Because, why not? Solid rock? Challenge accepted.

Its roof is a giant copper dome. Its ceiling is a giant copper disk, held up by hundreds of slits and bars circling the edge of the church. Natural light filters in from the slits above; excellent acoustics reflecting off of the natural rock walls. The visual and aural senses are…tickled…