The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get...

Yes, More Food...

2012-02-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

Fuu!!! I swear this blog is becoming more and more of a food blog... Paris Baguette is a pretty big bakery franchise based out of South Korea but also has stores in the west and east coast. This place is so crazy busy and their food is just amazing!
As you can see, they have a wide range of goodies...

The ol' lady went with the cream horn...

I went with this cookie thingamabob... It was hellllaaa good!

Seoul Tower...

2012-01-28T23:46:00.000-08:00

It was pretty sick seeing this place in person since this is such a big hit for the tourists and locals alike!

Love padlocks... Not sure what the real story is behind this but word on the street is that the padlocks represent a couple's undying love for each other. I guess they're pretty popular in other parts of the world, as well. Anyhow, there are walls and walls of padlocks and it looks like some of them have been there for a long time.

View from the top of the hill.

Tiba's...

2012-01-22T02:50:00.000-08:00

I swear this place puts crack in their chicken... It's so friggin' addicting!

Good Eats With Good Peeps...

2012-01-14T00:22:00.000-08:00

Sushi on a rotary belt... Go figure!

Blast From The Past...

2011-12-31T17:37:00.000-08:00

Dang! It's hard to believe that another year has passed. It seems that as I get older, time goes faster. Obviously, a lot has happened within the year... A new son and a big move to South Korea to name a few. Anyhow, here's a recap of some of the photos that I've taken over the year... Enjoy and Happy New Year's to you and yours!

Like I mentioned earlier, a lot things have happened with the year but not as monumental as the day my little boy, Kellen, was born. Yup, I'm a proud dad!

Again, Happy New Year's and may it be a prosperous one!

Kraze Burger...

2011-12-22T16:05:00.000-08:00

I'm never not one to turn down new food joints especially if it has to do with burgers. Kraze Burger is South Korea's version of the good old fashion burger joint but on the healthier side. A bit contradicting since most burgers are generally bad for you... Voila, that's what a healthy burger looks like! Too bad Koreans aren't very gluttonous when it comes to eating so fries aren't included. No wonder why this place is so healthy and Koreans are tiny, little people.

Looks Ikea just threw up in here...

Beer me!

Window Shopping...

2011-12-19T04:25:00.000-08:00

I ventured out to Apgujeong which is known as the fashion district in Seoul... The place is pretty dope! Lots of cool eateries and yes, you guessed it... Lots of shops. They have everything a fashionista needs to fulfill their materialistic needs.
I walked around the area for a bit and saw the Stussy logo a couple of blocks away and got super giddy like a kid in a candy shop. Finally, an American store that I can buy stuff from and then reality sank in once I saw that everything was at a 200-300 percent markup. I should've seen that coming since all the American brands out here make a killing off the Asian demographic...

There's something for everyone... A little boutique that makes and sells their own candy. I dig eating little candies with faces on them... :)

Kind of weird that an American brand like Carhartt has a Europe Carhartt flagship store in Seoul. Yeah, I don't get it but damn, they make way better jackets then the American side of the house does... And they cost way much more! Carhartt x A.P.C. doing some damage on the streets with their ads.

Walked into some random toy shop and saw this... Pretty sickly.

Gotta love the holidays... Spend all your hard earned money!

A Quick Getaway...

2011-11-18T04:00:00.000-08:00

You know you need a little weekend getaway when life gets a little monotonous... The whole sleeping, waking up, and working just gets old fast. I'm just glad that Seoul is only an hour away to where I can just get lost and forget about my mundane life at Songtan.
The good ol' bus ride...

Right outside the Gangnam bus station...

Down the rabbit hole...

Seoul's subway system is so rad but sometimes I feel like I'm playing some sort of maze game...

I think the whole "packed like a can of sardines" is an understatement here...

And finally, the big city...

On The Hunt...

2011-11-12T23:22:00.000-08:00

Just got my Greg Hunt pair in today...

You can never go wrong with some waxed canvas!

Something different from the usual Vans Syndicate logo...

There's no denying that there was a lot of thought put into the detail process... Not for just the shoe but also with the shoe box and dust bag itself.

By far the coolest dust bag that Syndicate has come out with and with no other than Mr. Dill on it!

I feel like there's a big Alien Workshop conspiracy going on here...

Seasons Change...

2011-11-06T03:09:00.000-08:00

Floor Wars...

2011-10-22T03:44:00.000-07:00

I had a chance to check out the Floor Wars elimination rounds for South Korea the other week with some friends... The B-Boy scene is alive and well in Seoul! It's not as good as the U.S and Europe but they still kill it...
DJ Wreckx, the first DJ to bring up the Hip-Hop scene in Korea...

Don't sweat the technique, foo!

Creeper Status...

2011-10-14T23:23:00.000-07:00

Randomness...

2011-10-10T01:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've done a random photo post so here you go... Nothing spectacular, just simple and to the point.

The Bears...

2011-10-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Who would've thought that I would be watching baseball on this side of the earth... Doosan Bears vs. LG Twins.

But first, a brewski!

Now back to the game...

Apparently, the US didn't get the memo that "cheerocracy" is in.

Ahn-nyung-ha-se-yo...

2011-10-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

Positive Vibrations...

2011-10-02T01:12:00.000-07:00

Out of all places, I snapped a couple photos of some Euro folks jammin' some island music right outside the Songton bus station... Gotta love the power of some island music, brah'! Regardless of different genres, good music always puts us in a positive mood.

Egg Burger...

2011-09-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

The choices of food joints in the Songton area can get a bit overbearing so, at times, I just want to get the simplest of all foods... A burger. No need to worry because the locals have that in check... Most of the old folks have these little food stands that cook up the usual yaki-mandu, chicken on a stick, and what not, but you have those that cook up these badass egg burgers. I smashed 2 of these bad boys the first time I had one. They are that good! Plus, they're less than 3 bones for this little burger of magnificence. Here's to gluttony, foo!

Supermarket Fantasy...

2011-09-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

It seems that Seoul is all about providing that great shopping experience for all walks of life. It even applies to supermarkets, too... My coworker told me that I had to check out the food market in the Shinsegae Mall. This place is pretty sick! It literally looks like a department store when you set foot into the place. Everything is made fresh and made in front of you. Shoot, they even put your groceries in nice little department store looking bags... I'm like, "Really, you want to put my Vitamin Water in that bag?!"

The water bar...

They even dressed up their Vitamin Water display... Oh, on a side not, American products in Asia are all cut down by an eighth of what Americans usually consume. There is no such thing as an extra large in the food joints out here. At first, I thought they were just being stingy but that's just how they roll out here... No wonder why you hardly ever see an overweight local in Korea. America can learn a thing or two from the folks out here.

Ginseng anyone? Yeah, for about $300 and it's yours...

Some of the freshly made products...

Worlds Away...

2011-09-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

So glad there's such thing as Skype... Without it, I'd be such a Debbie Downer!

Good Eats With Good Peeps...

2011-09-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

For today's menu, Japanese curry... I'm usually not a big fan of curry but then again, the only curry I've had before were Indian dishes. Japanese curry, on the other hand, I can definitely do.

The many choices... of curry.

A traditional Japanese salad... bomb.

I've finally met my match when it comes to mass consumptions of food... my roommate. Dude threw down on a big helping of salad, a chicken dish, and two plates of the following. Hot damn, son!

Heart & Seoul...

2011-09-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

Some shots I took of Seoul while we were in the area for lunch... Keep in mind, these photos were taken on the side streets so they don't do the city any justice. The main strip is filled with tons of gnarly looking architectural buildings! I hope I can make it out to the city soon so I can shoot more of the area.

New Kid On The Block...

2011-09-13T03:53:00.000-07:00

I'm officially a resident of Songtan, Republic of Korea! I've been trying to settle in by squaring away the usual stuff that comes along with moving... My room is super tiny and, as you can see, I have a friggin' twin size bed. I haven't slept in one of these things since high school! As the saying goes, "You have to make the best of the situation." Don't me get wrong, I will... eventually.

So glad that my stuff came in one piece! Especially my bike since this will be my mode of transportation around the area.

I did venture out into the wild and checked out the downtown area right outside my living quarters... Not many vendors were out since it was a Monday but if anyone needs a pair of shades, I'm your man!

I did have a chance to try out the local foods... Yaki-Mandu!

Chicken???

The infamous chicken-on-a-stick that I keep hearing about... The real question is, is it really chicken? Hmm... Either way, let me tell you, you best believe the hype! It's friggin' bomb!

The local beer... Soju! I haven't tried it out yet but from what I hear, it's bad news. I was forewarned that it makes you do some pretty dumb stuff... Yeah, I'll pass.

Sticky Icky...

2011-09-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Is it weird that I find this place cool but disgusting at the same time? I think not. The walls in this alley are literally covered with gum and every year, the city comes and cleans up shop to only have it covered up with gum within no time. Yeah, this place isn't sanitary.

This dude was so persistent to get his stuff up... Really, bro?!

Someone has too much time on their hands...

Stuck on you... No pun intended.

Around Town...

2011-09-11T03:12:00.000-07:00

Stopped by a few spots while in Seattle...
Always a must when ever there's a chance to check out a Stussy Chapter store in the area.
Seattle's very own...

Then stopped by Niketown and saw these sick looking soccer cleats...

NO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

If it weren't any obvious, we had to check out the infamous Pike Market Place which is pretty famous from the Real World Seattle series.

The first Starbucks ever! I hear that every Starbucks taste pretty much the same so I opted to try another location. Why wait for centures when I can get the same cup of Joe at another location?

Sea Town...

2011-09-09T23:57:00.000-07:00

I had the chance of checking out Seattle for a day and all I have to say is that this place is pretty dope. From what I've been told is that I came on a good day because of the weather. Lots to do and lots to see but due to my short time here, I was very limited to see what was out there. Here are some random shots I took of the downtown area...

I don't know where the rumor started that there was a Starbucks on every corner because this was probably the first one we got a drink at within the hour that we were in downtown. I mean, sure, there was one on every block but they were either closed or one was opening soon. Burn!

Hollie Day Houston...

2011-09-09T22:26:00.000-07:00

It sucks not being in the loop since I'm in Korea but I had gotten word that my wife's Lab, Hollie, that she had gotten for her birthday 10 years ago had passed away. I'm not going to lie but deep down inside, I was sad to hear the news. She was an awesome dog! She was smart, well behaved, and always great with the kiddos. I had a feeling her time was coming since she wasn't acting her usual self before I headed out to Korea. I now understand the bond between a dog and his/her master. Rest in peace, Hollie Day Houston.

On To The Next One...

2011-09-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

It's been real, San Antonio. You've been an awesome experience in this chapter of my life but now it's time to go on to the next one...

*Please check out these local San Antonio cats:
Jake The Snake, B-Rad, Jigga Josh, El Steve-O, and Party Arty. Really cool dudes with really cool blogs!!!

South Peezy...

2011-08-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

2-3 days of no showers, a Fu Manchu stache, and 10 pounds later, I decided to get out of the house and shoot some stuff. I'm ready to get out of this vacation mode and get my mental and physical health going... I take it that this is what the retired life would be like and it ain't no pretty picture, I tell ya...
The Pelican Station...

A sunset in SPI...

Not to mention that I've been taking naps everyday since I've been on vacation so my sleep habits are going crazy on me. I took this photo at 3am after randomly waking up in the middle of the night.

Air Time...

2011-08-23T06:46:00.001-07:00

Heading back to my vacation nest from San Anto...

Good Eats With Good Peeps...

2011-08-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

If you're ever in Austin and have a little mula to blow on breakfast, you absolutely have to check out South Congress Cafe! The food alone is worth the wait to be seated in this hip-looking joint. People will start turning into sharks after waiting for 20-30 minutes for a table. The smart thing to do is to sit at the bar but people are vultures for seats in that area, as well. The only qualm I have of this place is that the rich a**holes that eat here often make their presence known. By rich a**holes, I really meant entitled soccer moms that have their husbands pay for everything but yet, they're too cheap to tip.
Anyhow, the place to be at...

Mimosas are a definite no-no for me but I won't turn down a good Bloody Mary after a night of debauchery on 6th Street.

The Salsa Sampler... Three different salsa flavors to satisfy your schitzo mood. They obviously had to serve it with artsy-fartsy looking chips.

Low and behold, the best $14 dollar breakfast I've ever had! Steak and migas, cooked egg benedict style, with a potato pancake... Heaven!

Set Phasers To The Sun...

2011-08-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

I guess some would say it would be a bit crazy to be riding bikes in the afternoon in this Texas summer heat but, then again, why do a majority of human beings do half the dumb stuff they do nowadays? With that said, the wife and I decided to explore the Austin area with some bike riding... I've biked in Austin before but never for the sake of seeing what the city has to offer. With only a day to really live it up, we were really limited to see what was out there in the city itself.
Cruiser style, booooyyyy!

I've got to hand it to my wife... She was a good sport about having to bike around in what felt like hell broke loose.

Lady Bird Lake...

I was kind of bummed about having to bike all the way to the Zilker Botanical Garden to arrive to this... The place looked pretty beat up from all the heat.

At least there were some doable stuff to shoot at so it wasn't a lost cause.

Out of all the places that they could've had a pond at on the grounds, they decided to put it in the middle of the parking lot. Go figure!

No trip to Austin would be complete if we didn't see the Texas State Capital building...

Ay-Tee-Ecks...

2011-08-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

Some random shots from over the weekend...

Good Eats With Good Peeps...

2011-08-07T18:33:00.000-07:00

Guero's... A trendy staple in Austin's Mexican food restaurants that's located in the South Congress area.

Shiner Bock... Another fine product of Tejas.

The El Presidente plate, foo!

Deja Vu...

2011-07-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

This all seems a bit too familiar... After over a year of this place sucking me dry for my money, I'm finally turning in my keys to this joint. It was fun while it lasted but you know how the story goes.

The Alamodome... Not one time did I get a chance to walk from my apartment to this venue. The only thing they have going on in this venue are country acts, pop acts, and the frequent house, boat, and hunting conventions. The one time they had something worth going to was the Monster Jam but I was out of town that weekend. Would've been rad to see cars get smashed by monster trucks and drunk Rednecks with gnarly mullets.

It was fun while it lasted but time to close up shop on this pad.

A Chip Off The Old Block...

2011-07-28T16:08:00.000-07:00

I picked these up for my little girl...

and swooped these up for me!

Doing Work...

2011-07-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ah, there's no greater feeling than finishing the last touches of wedding photos... It's hard work doing weddings but can be pretty rewarding in the end. Here are some photos of a wedding I did with my buddy, Josh, a couple of weeks ago...
The usual details...

The kids...

Someone obviously had a little too much fun the night before...

The Newlyweds...

FYI, the bride was hella chill and was never in bridezilla mode! I'll take that any day!

GeeYouAyEm...

2011-07-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

I made it to out to San Antonio's Guam Liberation Picnic for the fourth year in a row. The usual stuff that always goes down...
The souvenirs...

Now say it with me... Half-A-Day. Yup, that's pretty much how you say "Hafa Adai" which means "Hello" in Guam's native language.

The food... Ribs for days, son!

I hate that Guam food is such a scarcity in San Antonio. It's like finding diamonds or gold... It's that rare. There may be a lot of Guam folks in the city but I sure don't know them enough to be invited to their social gatherings to participate in the festivities of gluttony. I always jump at the chance when ever there's an opportunity to engorge myself in a heaping plate of magnificence. I will stack plates for days, no lie!
My plate...

Man, I miss home!

House of Pain...

2011-07-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

Everyone should step out of the groove of things every now and then to enjoy the good company of others. Let's be realistic here; death is certain, life is not. With that in mind, you would think you would be used to the idea of death but in reality, we can never be ready for death. I say this from experience since I had a friend who had recently passed away because some coward with a gun didn't have the balls to fight with his fists. Anyhow, the homie, Bowser, got some new ink in memory of our friend, Che, to show respect for the great friendship they had.
This is Eric who is also within the same circle of friends... He's the one who will be inflicting pain for this evening's tribute.

His neck piece was done by none other than Lango from Skull and Sword Tattoo in San Franpsycho.

It's been a while since I've seen someone sketch out something right on the spot, let alone, not using a stencil sheet to line off of. I'd be nervous at this point...

The moment of truth...

That night was such a trip hanging out at the tattoo shop... Here you have one homie doing the tattoo, one getting the tattoo, and one that's shooting photos of the whole thing all the while we are talking about Che's passing. Like I mentioned, enjoy the good company of others.

For Your Viewing Pleasure...

2011-07-07T04:09:00.000-07:00

My homie, Eric, is such a big fan of Grime's work so when he told me that I had to check out his new coffee table book that he recently acquired, I was curious to see what he had up his sleeve. 200 frogs gets you a slip case and two books which cover a majority of Grime's works. I could never understand why someone would fork out that much cash for a book but now I know why... A really good book to have considering that he's such a household name in the tattoo world.

Team America, F*ck Yeah...

2011-07-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Let freedom ring!!!

Beach Life...

2011-07-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

Some R&R for the holiday weekend at South Padre Island...

Non beer beverages courtesy of Clayton's Beach Bar and Grill.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to get harped on about getting a Pina Colada but I just kind of went on a whim and got one. Gay or not, here's to freedom, America!

"If you like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain..."

Seeing Red...

2011-06-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

A nice little gift that my wife got me for Father's Day... It's been a while since I've gotten a pair of Syndicates. With San Antonio not having a Syndicate account and all the restrictions with shops not being allowed to sell online, they're starting to get a little bit harder to acquire. Plus, eBay is a whole other nightmare to deal with. These will pretty much hold me over for a while to satisfy the itch.

Good Eats With Good Peeps...

2011-06-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

Smashburger... This burger joint kills it!!!

The burgers are pretty much up there with In N Out, if you ask me. My wife can also testify that this place puts Five Guys to shame and that's a big thing since she loves Five Guys.

Smash Fries are a must and is a game changer!

Good Eats With Good Peeps...

2011-06-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Guenther House is one of San Antonio's historic landmarks which is located in the King Williams area. The building was originally the home of the creators of the Pioneer Flour Mills but is now a breakfast and lunch restaurant that a lot of people frequently eat at. As much as I hate the people that eat here, this place has some pretty bomba** breakfast! Every time that my in-laws are in town, my father in-law makes it a point to eat here for breakfast before they head out of town and for a good reason, too...

The Favorite Breakfast Platter... I call this the Caveman Special. This plate will surely give you some bowel movements and I don't mean that in a bad way either. This plate is just friggin' huge!

The reason why my paps in-law makes it a point to eat here... The oh-so-sweet good stuff.

A really, really, reaaaaallly random post...

2011-06-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

Just some random shots that I've taken here and there. Nothing special, nothing artsy... Just straight random.

The next two photos shot were photos from a couple months ago... My kids always inspire me. They're the reason why I picked up a camera in the first place and things just went from there.

Bubbaque...

2011-05-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Nope, no typo there... bubbaque and not barbeque. The in-laws had their annual bubbaque shrimp night at their house which was filled with good food, drinks, and old retirees. Aw, what it would be like to be retired...

The appetizers...

Caliente!

Retirees and their cheap box wine...

You have to admire Texans and their craftiness. What looks like some wooden table...

Is actually a cooler.

The calorie killer!

It's probably about that time to get back on a diet after this weekend's food binge.

MASHSF...

2011-05-27T06:17:00.001-07:00

There's no need for introductions here since everyone and anyone in the cycling community knows about this company. They're, more than likely, responsible for the "big boom" in the fixed gear scene despite that this style of riding has been around for many years. They're probably also responsible for producing a new generation of cyclists. Responsible or not, everyone should bike. BMX, fixed, road, cruisers, etc... It doesn't matter, just ride!
I didn't even know that they had recently opened up a physical shop until a friend had asked me to stop by. I wasn't sure where the place was... I just, kind of, stumbled onto the shop on the way to the Mission district.

Barry McGee x Cinelli...

The first MASHSF x Cinelli series of frames...

Now in their third series of frames, the Histogram frame... I'm seriously tempted to upgrade my frame.
There were some changes to the seat and head tubes making it look more agressive. Can anyone say, "Pursuit?"

Love On Haight...

2011-05-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

Anybody know what time it is?

Stussy and TRUE...

Lango did a sick piece off of Haight and Masonic with the help of Grime and Henry Lewis. Skull and Sword in full effect!

Around The Way...

2011-05-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

One good thing about staying in Downtown San Francisco is that everything is within walking distance... Restaurants, Chinatown, Union Square, and of course, the boutiques. There were, literally, tons of stores in the area! Some of the shops that I stopped by while I was in the city for vacation...
Mega's creation, Black Scale...

Mega is such a busy cat! He had, literally, just arrived from out of town and the dude and was on the grounds making sure everything was up to par since they just dropped their new season. This brand keeps getting better and better every season since its start!
The Hundreds... hurts my eyes. I'm not kidding, it was so dark in that shop. With the way the shop was laid out, there's no telling what you'd be running into. Other than that, it's a cool concept. You can scratch off the Rosewood and Post locations off my TH list.

Last but not least... Infinite SF. Jason, Randy, and Pablo are some really cool dudes from around the way! The wife and I had the pleasure of sharing some good conversation and some brewskis with Jason and Randy on Cinco De Mayo. Oh yeah, they run a solid brand, LIMBXLIMB. No cookie cutter designs here, my friend.

The shop offers goods from Crooks, Play Cloths, Acapulco Gold, Diamond and local buddy brands like Rebel8, Huf, and Benny Gold.

Pablo's Supremes... Buttery. This dude hooked me up with some free P-Diddy tickets for a show he had while in SF... How's that for some San Francisco hospitality?!

Be sure to stop by their shop as their brand listing keeps growing and add them on Facebook, as well.

9five...

2011-05-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

I came up on some new blockers for the summer heat and couldn't be any happier with a pair of matte black shades from 9five's very own Karl Watson. Plus, they're easy on the pockets so I can't complain there.

The design looks a bit influenced by the Wayfarer/Frogskin look but with a few of Watson's twists here and there. Check out the website for more models and colorways from the San Diego brand.

Paint it black, foo!

Into The Night...

2011-05-18T20:10:00.000-07:00

On The Lurk...

2011-05-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

Here's my first attempt at long exposure photography...

After I had shot this photo, I was greeted by a cop when I was loading my camera gear in the car. Apparently, some jacka** had called the cops because they thought I was out tagging. Random moment of the night...

Last Call...

2011-05-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

As we come up on the last leg of our trip in the lovely city of San Francisco, we decided to keep it minimal with the tourist spots and just check out the Castro area... Nothing gay about this area if you ask me. The place is quite nice compared to most other parts of the city and the people are just as nice, as well. I'm not one to judge but I'm pretty sure the nightly activities in this area may paint a different picture... I dare not go down that road.

The neighbors sure love their dogs in this part of the town... Seriously, every other person had a dog but that's just like any other person in California.

And now off to the Mission district since the new Benny Gold location just opened up.

Levi was literally posting up watch for the store... Such a sick little pup!

Some of the store's offering for the streetwear enthusiast...

And the man of the hour, Mr. Benny Gold!

This dude is seriously one of the nicest guys out there that are doing some serious business in the streetwear scene. The wife and I chatted with this guy for about a good 30 minutes on life and such. Support his brand and what his brand stands for! Stay Gold!

The City Of Giants...

2011-05-12T05:50:00.000-07:00

We decided to check out the Giants vs. Rockies game on day 5 of the trip. It was the ol' lady's first time to a MLB game and is now a newly converted fan of baseball and of the Giants. It gives her all the more reason to watch baseball on the tube rather than "Say Yes to the Dress" and I thank you, Giants, for that! No really, thank you!!!

Mama Seal and Lou Seal showing some love to the future die hard fans of the Giants...

High fives for everyone since the Giants won 3-0 against the Rockies!

More Attractions, Please...

2011-05-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

Made the trek back to Pier 39 on day 4 to finish off what other stuff there's to do in the area.

Of course, the Aquarium of the Bay was one on our list of things to do...

I used to have turtles when I lived in San Diego... Although we associate turtles with being slow and gentle creatures, put them in an 8 gallon octagon tank with some little swimming critters and watch them unleash the beast. They can be hella ferocious!

This place is misconceiving... This is a "land" animal.

A scared chinchilla...

Taking in the scenery...

We went to good ol' Ghiradelli Square...

For this!

Ended the day with this awesome view...

El Dia Tres...

2011-05-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

It's day 3 of our adventures in Sco...
Checked out the Exploratorium... The kid in me loves this place muy mucho!

Ooh, bubbles...

My turn...

This is what's up...

This display apparently took 35 years to make... Nothing but toothpicks and glue. Dude must've had good teeth hygiene... and no life. Super cool nonetheless!

Seriously, another Sean Connery joke?! Yup, I heard another one while scoping out the place.

The Painted Ladies... You know, from Full House?

Today's festivities were approved by Taylor gang...

Of course, I had to end the day by checking out L&L Hawaiian BBQ for some grub.

With Love, From SF...

2011-05-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

The ol' lady and I are coming up on day 2 of our stay in San Francisco. So far, we've been on this nonstop sightseeing safari so I would have to guestimate that our feet have already racked up 10 or more miles under them. That's a good thing since we've been eating like crazy so it's a win-win situation. Other than that, peep the photos of Thursday's adventure...
Every person that visits San Francisco should, at least, try to take a ride on the trolley. It's an historical item that's part of the city's history and not to mention, it's friggin' gnarly riding on the outside of this mode of transportation.

A lot of cool things to see while on the trolley...

One of San Francisco's famous landmarks, Lombard Street. Easy to walk down but hella sucks walking up this steep inclined street!

Ahh, Fisherman's Wharf... Yeah, we're not tourists.

But before we partook in any further tourist activities, I had to take my wife to see what all the Five Guys and In N Out controversy was about...

Wife's verdict... Five Guys>In N Out. She did say that it was up there with Five Guys but only because In N Out doesn't serve mushrooms with their burgers. Whatevs.
Saw these guys while at Pier 39. Yup, what smelled like piss back in '06 still smells like piss now.

We rode the ferry to check out Alcatraz and the view of the city was phenomenal!

The Rock... Not going to lie, it was kind of annoying hearing all the Sean Connery jokes from the other tourists while on the ferry.

And that's when my camera died on me!!! My camera's juice went out on me while we were docking so one can only imagine all the cool photos that could've been taken at Alcatraz. You snooze, you lose, sucka!

In The Heart Of The City...

2011-05-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

What seemed like it took forever, I am finally in San Franpsycho, Killerfornia! I'll be here for about a week as a tourist guide for my ol' lady since she's never been to the West Coast. One last hoorah before I head over to Korea so this vacation was long overdue.
Our hotel room is not too shabby... kind of small, but this place is only for dropping heaters, showering, and sleeping.

Our view from the 7th floor... Hella sketchy for me since I'm kind of freaked out of heights!

Let the "hellas" ensue!

Up...

2011-05-04T05:03:00.000-07:00

SF bound...

Save The Tatas...

2011-05-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

I did a good deed over the weekend and showed my support for boobies at the San Antonio Susan G. Komen for the Cure 5K! I had originally planned on doing the 5K run but it turned out that my wife, with her luck, managed to break her toe the day before the event. With that said, we still went and walked the 5K so I have to hand it to her for her dedication. She wasn't going to let a little broken toe stop her from showing her support for the cause. Here's to life... and to finding a cure!

Wedding Bells Are A Ringing...

2011-04-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some random shots that I took for a wedding a couple of weeks ago. It's been a while since I've taken wedding photos and I realized there's a lot of work that goes into it. Long hours, on and off the lens...

Happy Easter...

2011-04-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

I'm a day late but hope everyone had a Happy Easter...

Good Eats With Good Peeps...

2011-04-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

There's no better way to end a weekend other than having a chill BBQ with some homies... Kalbi ribs, steak, apple smoked sausage, chicken wings, potato salad, and crab salad... Hella business!

All the while this little guy is lurking for some food scraps.

Ooh, Baby, I Like It Raw...

2011-04-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

Good restaurants are hard to come by when it comes to foods that are innovative and hits all the points of your taste palate. Uchiko does not disappoint whatsoever! Uchiko is the offspring of Uchi and is based out of Austin, TX. Both restaurants are unique in its own way in regards to taste offerings due to their executive chefs' styles. Uchi is your traditional Japanese style where as Uchiko leans more towards the Japanese fusion style. Most Japanese fusion establishments tend to concentrate more on the restaurant ambience and putting out food art yet the food quality itself is lackluster... Uchiko pulled it off with the ambience and the food art that, yes, tastes incredible. Enough with the food critic spiel and here are the offerings from the gods...

This one was my personal favorite... Not sure what is was called but I know that it was a Kobe steak shavings concoction...

The guys in the kitchen were kind enough to accommodate my old lady's request since she's not much of a sushi person... Chicken in its glory!

Dessert!!!

Washed it all down with some Kirin brews...

I also had the pleasure of meeting the Uchiko Executive Chef, Paul, and handed him some Sarap Buhay stickers. He supports the good life!

Uchiko...

2011-04-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

By far, one of my favorite establishments in Austin! Check it out, you will not be disappointed...

Viva Fiesta...

2011-04-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

Looks like it's that time of the year... Yup, Fiesta week is officially here and what better way to enjoy the festivities than to check out one of the main hubs of events of Fiesta week in Market Square in Downtown, SA. Such a cool spot to check out for some good food and really cool items up for grabs.
The crew...

The goods...

Not sure why but I think sugar skulls figurines are pretty dope in my book...

The entertainers...

The Mexican Elvis... Not a real entertainer but entertaining nonetheless.

And the locals!

Viva Fiesta!!!

Kiddos...

2011-04-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

I love my seeds to death...

Zapatos...

2011-04-07T17:02:00.001-07:00

My little personal collection of Vans... With the exception of some beaters that I've used for skating/biking, some that I've sold, and some that I've given away. I will definitely be adding more when I get out to SF!

Old Habits Die Hard...

2011-04-02T19:50:00.001-07:00

I thought I was over this whole skateboarding thing but obviously I haven't gotten rid of the itch. It's been almost a whole year since I haven't pushed around a skateboard with the exceptional messing around with a couple of friends' boards here and there. In fact, I remember the day that I gave my board to some neighborhood kid that lived at my old apartment complex that I used to stay at... Let me see, I wasn't landing tricks, I sucked like hell, no people to skate with, no good spots to skate(if there were any, you had to drive there), and etc. That pretty much summed up all the reasons to quit so I willingly gave that kid my board. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit sketchy giving it away like that with the thought that I would regret it. Nope, no feeling of remorse there until recently. Like the ol' saying goes, "Old habits die hard" and I think this is a great example of that saying. It's hard to shrug off a hobby that you've been into for a long time and I tend to forget that it's all about having fun. Though I may not skate like the best of this industry, it's not about that. It's about getting psyched when you see some crazy stuff go down on a board. It's about that trick you've been trying to land for hours and then you finally land it. Either way, I will always have this love/hate relationship with skateboarding until my knees give out on me and I can skate no more. With all that said, I bought a new setup to satisfy the itch and I'm glad I did. What the bike can't fulfill, the skateboard does and vise versa...

PSHN.W8...

2011-03-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

My buddy, Ian, came through with some stickers of his new brand that he's coming out with... The concept was derived from pushing weight which can be applied to all different lifestyles. It can be the brother that's hustling on the street, the skateboarder that's pushing along, or even the dude that's just trying to make moves in the world. Every individual can define what PSHN.W8 means to them... Just want to say thanks to Ian and good luck on this business venture. Also, did I mention that the sticker designs were designed by MR44? Ian's rolling with the big dogs!

All Boxed Up...

2011-03-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

Looks like Supreme stepped up their shoe box game with Vans...

Good Grinds...

2011-03-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

It's always the hole in the wall joints that have such dope food! I've been going to Guillermo's for a bit and for a good reason at that... Good eats, good price, and a good atmosphere that makes me come back for more.

Their spinach and bowtie pasta salad is friggin' crazy bomb! It has spinach, olives, sun dried tomatoes, sun dried cranberries, almonds, banana peppers and all sorts of stuff... Really random foods all put together in a bowl but somehow works out.

The wife had the meatball and cheese on focaccia bread...

Went with the chicken cilantro on pita bread tonight and was not disappointed at all.

Come hungry because the food's filling!

Colors...

2011-03-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

Thought I would have a little fun with some of the photos that I took at the Clogged Caps event...

Respect The Skill...

2011-03-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend marked Clogged Caps' 7th graffiti event and ish went down! Lots of artists with different styles from all over the country. That's what I love about graffiti... there are no boundaries. It's the different styles that make street art progress more and more each and everyday. It has progressed so much that graff artists are now doing it legally which was unheard of back in the day! The talent out there just blows my mind... The streets are the canvases for these militants!

REVOK...

REVOK always kills it...

World Tour...

2011-03-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

I friggin' love this graphic tee! A nice little twist to the Stussy World Tour concept but this time well-known skate parks were incorporated into the design. Simple yet classy...

The Product of Technology...

2011-03-10T15:55:00.000-08:00

After 10 days of not checking my mail, I somehow received a clothing catalog from some surf shop in California. I can't recall the last time I've ever gotten an actual physical copy of a store catalog. Long gone the days of an actual catalog since technology and the internet have taken over. It kind of brought back memories of when skate and surf shops used to mail out catalogs to buy products from their stores. Thanks to the convenience of the internet, now it's all in the touch of button... Needless to say, Swell put together a rather interesting take on the catalog which looks like a high-end zine when you first look at it.

Aah, how summer is fastly approaching.

The Meet and Greet...

2011-02-25T18:24:00.000-08:00

Sarapbuhay had recently thrown a meet for car enthusiasts at an unusual location yet, with a sweet twist to it... Yup, it was held at Sonic. It was a good turn out with folks coming in from other parts of Texas like Houston and Austin. The parking spots at Sonic had literally been filled up with sick cars with the exception of 3-4 spots that were used by your regular everyday Sonic customers. Looks like this will be something that may be an every so often event. And what's not to like about sweet treats with sweet cars?! Yeah, I knew you would agree. Good to see that Texas is big on the car movement so hopefully more folks will come out in the near future at these types of shindigs. More good things to come in the future from the crew at Sarapbuhay!

Yo, Ish Just Got Real...

2011-02-19T10:18:00.000-08:00

Got a nice package today from Amazon... Been saving up for this bad boy for a couple months now and I'm really excited to have this as my first L lens. The lens is hella heavy! It feels like a friggin' brick especially with the body and battery pack. Either way, no more adjusting my distances to shoot photos of objects or people. My love for zoom lens has been revived!

Pika..

2011-02-16T17:47:00.000-08:00

The best fast food dinner ever... especially with some Sriracha and you're t*ts! This reminds me of San Diego when me and the homies used to frequent a spot off of El Cajon Blvd. It was the only food joint besides L&L Hawaiian BBQ that we ate at on Sundays. It was some fried chicken joint called, "Crispy Fried Chicken," that was owned by a Vietnamese family. This place was in the cutty areas of SD where most crack heads and gangsters are at. They all checked out this spot! No surprise there since most grimey spots are usually the best eateries of all. You should definitely try it out when you get the chance. The #4, 3 piece chicken strips with fries, at Bill Miller's, and Sriracha hot sauce. Toss the bread and gravy out and drown that sucker with hot sauce and you're good! I'm calling this the SD special... Yeyah!

Randomness...

2011-02-07T20:08:00.000-08:00

Been a while since I've done a randomness photo post so I thought I would do one just to show that I, too, can take dumb pictures of anything... Anyhow, I hate "urban" photography only because I suck at it. I don't even know if that's the real term for it... Felt like focusing my camera at one point because I had taken a 100 shots and I only liked 8 of them. Bleh, whatevs... Enjoy!

Snow?

2011-02-04T03:41:00.000-08:00

In San Antonio? Yep, it snowed...

01/26/2011...

2011-01-29T18:23:00.000-08:00

Oh boy, back to square one with the new addition, Kellen. Due to pregnancy complications with my wife, this will be our last child so I pretty much lucked out with having a girl the first time. The procedure went smoothly compared to the first child we had which the wife was in labor for over 35 hours. Other than that, just grateful that I can have a little son to rough up since the wife is always nagging at me about messing with my daughter too much. She says I treat her like a little boy. Geez, give me a break. It's not like I've done this before. Here's to new beginnings...

Photo Sesh...

2011-01-23T12:28:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I last shot photos of a human being other than my family... Fun stuff, none the less.

Sundays Are Fun Days...

2011-01-10T16:53:00.000-08:00

Bike Polo anyone?

So the guys that you see around in San Antonio riding their fixed gear bikes are starting a new thing on Sundays. Bike Polo... Yes, similar to the sport that you see rich folks on horses hitting a rubber ball with mallets. Instead, it's just a bunch of hooligans on bikes hitting a ball cursing like there's no tomorrow. Looks pretty fun but requires a lot of skill. Yeah, riding a bike is easy but try steering and hitting away at a ball... No wonder why the rich folks are always going crazy over Polo. Anyhow, check it out on Sundays at Brackenridge High off of 400 Eagleland Dr. Support your two-wheeled friends!

All Grown Up...

2011-01-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

Almost a year ago, my brother in-law drove a good 4 hours to get a Boxer pup in San Antonio. Fast forward to now and you'll see that it was all well worth it. Deucealicious is in the house...

Dog got mad hops...

My Backyard...

2011-01-01T07:38:00.001-08:00

Literally speaking, this is what I saw from my balcony area. No crowds, no walking, just some quality time with the family. Happy New Year, world!

Cheers!

Here's To The New Year...

2010-12-27T06:55:00.000-08:00

It was a good year for a lot of people this year... The Giants took the world series, Lakers won another ring, and the Chargers... Well, let's just leave it at that. For me, it was a good year for photography. Not to say that I'm the best at it but I've learned a lot of the tricks of the trade. It's always a good thing when you're progressing in something you like to do. I don't take it seriously as most others do but hey, it's more of a fun hobby for me. I think when money's involved, it just ain't the same. Priorities change and it doesn't feel the same... The reason why I picked it up in the first place was to capture my daughter's every waking moment and the occasional random artsy fartsy stuff. Although, it's fun doing little jobs here and there for shoe money. :) Anyhow, here are some photos that I've taken over the year that I like and have made me go, "Whoah, did I take that?!"

Last but not least... My personal favorite.

Here's to the New Year!

Bella, ella, ay, ay...

2010-12-26T17:52:00.000-08:00

It's a small kine dog, brah'.

Merry Christmas...

2010-12-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Military Tradition...

2010-12-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

I've been really lacking on the posts lately reason being that I've been in school and Airman Leadership School. For the non-military folks that read this blog, basically, ALS is a 6 week course that consists of all military aspects that cover history, supervisory info, group dynamics, blah, blah, blah, and more blah. Imagine a full 16 week semester compacted into 6 weeks... Pretty crazy stuff! Imagine doing that and taking college courses on top of that! There were times where I felt like all I was doing was living in stacks of books just reading every friggin' day. I haven't really hung out with my wife and child for the last 6 weeks. I missed a lot of cool opportunities to shoot photos, hang out with friends, and such. I was literally spending only an hour a day with my family because of the hectic time management that I had to use in order to study, read, and do homework. At last, I see the light at the end of the tunnel because tomorrow is my graduation date for ALS and I'm so glad that it's over... Stress was really stacking... It was an awesome experience being that I met a lot of new people from different personalities and backgrounds and simply for the fact that we all want to make a difference on the future of our work areas. It was also an awesome experience to see what my limits were to the break point of going crazy and see that I could overcome the madness that I had gone through this time period. I really commend those that work full time and go to school full time, as well. Especially those with kids! Enough with the crazy talk, just felt like I needed to get all this stress out since it's been in me for a while. Anyhow, Nasty Nate is back in full effect so hopefully, I can get a chance to snap some photos, eat some good food with good peeps, and just be the happy guy I usually am again. Stay up!

Stitched Up...

2010-11-24T19:56:00.000-08:00

Kind of late on this but I attended the Stitched Up event a couple of weeks ago which was hosted by the Sneaks Up crew. Good stuff considering that these were brands that I haven't heard of before. Despite the fact that I had my camera on me, I didn't really shoot a lot because I was too busy mingling with friends and such. Enjoy!
Josh StopTheFury...

And his girl, Brittany a.k.a. Queen Boom...

Dope art!

De Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...

Sarapbuhay graced the scene with their presence...

And with a sneak preview of something... Stay tuned!

TheGoodLife Project...

2010-10-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

An addiction? I believe that's an understatement when it comes to Jake Danklefs. Jake lives the sneakerhead lifestyle and it shows in his collection. As part of the TheGoodLife project, we chose to cover Jake, as he is, an avid collector. Anything that you can pretty much put your feet in and turns heads, he's got it. I'll let the pics speak for themselves...

All I see is orange!

Penny Hardaway inspired Nike IDs...

The inspiration... I haven't seen these since middle school and it's crazy how clean these bad boys are!

Orchard Street Dunks...

Jake's bringing out the bangers... OG Jordan 1's. Not one, but a couple OG Jordan I's... That's how Texas does it, they do it big.

The man, the myth, the legend... MJ!

Supreme inspired Hi-Dunks... A product of Dank customs. I must say that these are really nice in person... Clean as hell and you can tell that the job must've taken a while but as they say, "You can't rush perfection."

The best one out of all the heaters... Penny! His most sought-out, holy of holy grails... And yes, Penny as in "Penny Hardaway." Like I said it before, he lives the lifestyle of a sneakerhead!

For more on Jake Danklefs and his escapades, check out his blog.

Keeper Of Soles...

2010-10-15T19:03:00.001-07:00

Keeper Of Soles...

2010-10-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

Randomness...

2010-10-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

Another Year In The Works...

2010-10-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

Kids are truly the best gift that God can bless someone with! Today marks the the 1st birthday of my beautiful daughter, Kennedy. To think that this day, last year, has changed my perspective on life in so many ways... I'm looking forward to many more birthdays for this little nugget.

Stickies...

2010-09-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Mr. Brandon SB... Thanks, brosef!

Randomness...

2010-09-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

This Day Changes Everything...

2010-09-11T09:11:00.001-07:00

9/11/2001...

Never forget.

Randomness...

2010-09-10T20:58:00.000-07:00