Chung Nguyen | Photographer - Wedding & Portrait Photography in San Francisco Bay Area

Travels: Coffee & Colombia

2009-11-11T18:27:00.000-08:00

I left SFO on Sunday, 9/27 to catch a red-eye to JFK (New York). From New York, I flew to Orlando, had a salad from Au Bon Pain, and caught my flight to Bogota, Colombia.

I was the first one on the plane. That warranted a celebratory photo! The flight itself was packed and it was noticeably Colombian, and not American. A few jetBlue flights before, there was a woman who was struggling to put her luggage away overhead of a gentleman who was already seated. Don't get me wrong - I'm an advocate of packing only what you can carry but, sometimes that doesn't always happen. I couldn't help her because, well, I've a huge height disadvantage. All the while I was just hoping that he would offer to help. FINALLY he did. On the flight from Orlando to Colombia, people were just all too eager to help one another. And they spoke to each other. It was a refreshing change.

I got in to Bogota late at night and had no real clue how to get to my hostel, nor where it was located in relation to the airport and the rest of the city. Yeah, great job of being prepared on my part. I ended up catching a cab instead of the bus as previously planned. (1) My Spanish is quite rusty. (2) Three different people told me that the area I was going was "muy malo" (very bad). Umm, OK.

Onward I went.

I settled into the hostel, which I really liked and highly recommend if you're in the area. The next day, I got to see the Candeleria, old-city part of Bogota.

The highlights for me: colonial architecture, amazing typeface (seriously - I'm a typeface whore), and graffiti (again, seriously). Check 'em out!

Current Crush List

2009-11-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

Dr. Owen Hunt (played by Kevin McKidd), bad-ass trauma surgeon on Grey's Anatomy. So what if my friend Eva thinks that he is "uggs" (I can see how a lot of people can find him unattractive)? But he stapled his own wound together. Color me impressed!
Sergio Cilli from infoMania. Sample clips of him hatin' on "rock", R&B, hip-hop, and rap. Note: I know all of these songs and like quite a few of them, actually, but I also know they're quite objectively bad. Therefore I won't defend my music taste. It is what it is.
Michael Rady as uber-geek Max Tyler on the show Greek. Apparently he was also in both Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies as the Greek boy. Super-adorable. Now he's on the new Melrose Place, but I just can't force myself to watch it (I tried).
+ 5. Pam & Jim from The Office. I'll admit it - their wedding brought me to tears. In case you still haven't seen the episode, here's the last scene. It's kind of ridiculously sweet and reinforces my belief that it's less about how you get married and more about finding that person to spend the rest of your life with.

The 85% Theory

2009-11-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

I finished reading Ramit Sethi's I Will Teach You To Be Rich in Colombia (his blog | Amazon). I really recommend the book for its core demographics: the 20-somethings who aren't completely sure what they're doing with their money.

The thing I love most about Ramit's book is his 85% theory in that, he recommends doing something - anything in the right direction - is far better than to do nothing at all while you research things to its death. Basically, it's a solution for those who are often struck with analysis paralysis. His plans may not be perfect, but at least they'll motivate you to start saving and automating. 85% is a lot better than 0%. (;

Brilliance!

2009-11-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

I saw Ashleigh Brilliant's Potshot cards today and thought they were pretty genius (fair warning: her site is old school, web 0.5; and I'm sorry for being a web-snob). Some of my favorites include:

You were meant for me. Perhaps as a punishment.
Isn't it a nice coincidence that you and I are both alive at the same time?
One of my favorite places in the world is wherever you are.

Too cute. Check out some more random sample postcard lines!

Hello, Lucy!

2009-11-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share a picture of Miss Lucy, who is a maltese-poodle-yorkie mix (...I'm not sure if I've got the breeds right....!!! But yeah, she's a mutt.). She's quite intelligent. And those long legs enable her to stay down in the most adorable manner ever. I'll let you be the judge:

www.chungnguyen.com

Airport - Slash - Hotel

2009-11-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

I'm sure there are a lot of road warriors who sleep at airports all the time. Despite my economical travel-methods, I've only slept at 3 airports overnight. Twice because my flight the next day is at an early hour and I (1) don't want to miss the flight and (2) don't want to spend that much on hotel just to leave at 4 AM and (3) don't want to pay super-high charges for taxi at off-hours to the airport.

It's economical to sleep at the airport.

It's also quite uncomfortable.

I've yet to master the art of sleeping at airports without waking up every 20 minutes and I'm convinced that airport designers make the chairs outside of the security areas extra hard as to discourage people from sleeping there. Plan - foiled!

Here they are, the list of the three slept-at airports:

London Luton (June 2005) - I caught a Ryan Air flight from Venice and got in at around 2AM or so (I pretty much passed out on the plane and only woke briefly due to bounce-out-of-your-seat turbulence). A group of us ended up sleeping on the floor (yes, the floor) with our luggage. Thank goodness the floors were clean at least. The next morning, I had to haul-butt to catch a bus to Heathrow to catch my flight home.
Singapore Changi (August 2009) - My flight to Hong Kong was at 7AM and, let's face it, I didn't want to risk not waking up at 4AM and missing my flight or having to catch a relatively pricey taxi to the airport when the train was so cheap and fast. The sad thing is, the accommodations on the other side of security was so awesome, plus, they had wifi. I managed to catch up on sleep on the flight, though. Not even sure if I was awake for any of it....
Finally, El Dorado International in Bogota, Colombia (October 2009) - I killed many hours in the domestic terminal before they kicked me out. Then I tried at least 5 different chair/luggage combination - all to no avail. I did, however, catch Moulin Rouge in Spanish (it still sucks - sorry). The thing that really struck me about this airport was its insane (INSANE!) security measures once you try to board your plane. Security is fine enough. Customs was pretty chill. But then they rummage through all of your carry-on personal items and even smell it all. I'm hoping they're looking for cocaine, otherwise the sniff-test would just be weird, right? It's a pain for me because I checked no luggage. I only had a backpack with all my belongings and the thing had 6 zipper compartments. (Yes, I'm the one who held up the line. Sorry!) But I got through and on the plane. So horray for that!

I think after these experiences, I'll learn to book my flights at better, more considerate times so that I don't have to feel like sleeping at an airport is a viable option. Although, if I had to sleep at an airport in the near future, I'd definitely pick Terminal 5 at JFK. JetBlue for the win!

My Favorite Ramen Joint* - Ramen House Ryowa

2009-11-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

*...in Mountain View, California, not ever.

Steamy!

Ex-work-hubby and I used to frequent this place a lot so it holds a lot of good, noodley memories. Plus, there's kimchi readily accessible. WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR!?! :-D

Lunch special consists of gyoza, a bowl of ramen, plus a small bowl of fried rice. All good on their own, but superb when together on one tray. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Check out the fat in that broth. Delish!

Ramen <3 Curry - Majikku Ramen

2009-10-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

I love curry, I love ramen, so the two of them must be delicious, right? Yep, you're right! BFF Cat and I went to 99 Ranch Supermarket for soy milk and other Asian goodies and we got food from Majikku Ramen beforehand (never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach, kids!). Not too shabby for Daly City. :-P

P.S. A little tidbit for those not from around here: basically the entire western side of this area is usually entirely covered by fog. The weather could be nice and sunny in San Francisco but the moment we get to the west side, visibility can sometimes be as little as 10-feet in front of you.

Cat's "mini" ramen was not as awesome as mine, but good nonetheless. And, yes, most of my photos of other people's foods have them waiting impatiently in the background. :-D

An American Classic

2009-10-26T16:10:00.000-07:00

In-n-Out is possibly one of the best hamburger chains in the US. The ingredients are fresh(!) and the menu is simple, barring the whole "secret menu" addendum. But, it's nice that you can get your hamburger exactly the way you want it. The way I want my hamburger is "animal style with raw onions instead of grilled onions": they toast the buns, there's mustard, pickles, and all the fresh fixings. Yum!

That big piece of lettuce is what's called "protein style," wherein the buns are replaced by lettuce (for the carb-free diet fans). I've tried it and I must say, the buns are yummy. Eat the buns!!! Plus, protein style is soooooo messy.

Oh, and that In-n-Out pay their employees a living wage is nice compared to, ahem, the Mc Other Guys.

The Basics

2009-10-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

I. Love. Pizza. Particularly thin-crust stuff (sorry, Chicago!). Another post about one-of-my-first-meals-back-in-the-US. (I know I wasn't gone that long, but it's a long time to go without superbly delicious pizza.)

Walking around the new 'hood (Haight-Ashbury), hunger got the best of me so I splurged about $4 on a slice of 'za and a soda (Dr. Pepper / Mr. Pibb is my favorite; other than that it all tastes the same) from Escape From New York Pizza:

The veggie. Very delish!

My dining companion. Seeing this really made me feel at home for some reason. Yes, foreigners, US cities are a little bit ghetto at times. It's part of the, umm, charm. (;

And P.S., speaking of pizza, Adam Young of Owl City made a playlist of songs to listen to whilst eating pizza. For reals. Enjoy!

Very Special Petfolio-Building Sessions

2009-10-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

I love dogs! (And cats!) And I've decided to branch my fun+casual photography style to include pets. And in celebration of this, I'm having a "sale" of sorts for pet photo sessions. The session fees are heavily discounted and, well, you're gonna have some really stinkin' adorable pictures of your BFF(s).

What-the-dealio:

$125 session fee includes a one hour session, 10 to 15 edited images in your gallery, plus a $60 print credit to spend as you like in your gallery. Notes: There are a limited number of sessions, and you must book by 11.15.2009.

Even if you don't have a pet yourself, please consider forwarding this to those in the San Francisco Bay Area who do. I'd greatly appreciate you spreading the word!

Any questions? Email me at chung.nguyen(at)gmail.com - thanks!

By this time next year, I (hopefully) will have...

2009-10-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

traveled abroad (on a long holiday)
maxed out my 401(k) for the year
settled comfortably in San Francisco
dined at French Laundry
lived my 28th year on earth with thoughtful reckless abandonment!

It's my birthday - yay!

Break! Fast!

2009-10-22T12:14:00.000-07:00

I got back from Southeast Asia in the evening and in the morning, I ventured out into the city to get some stuff done as well as to eat! eat! eat! Here's my first breakfast back in the US from La Boulange de Hayes.

Yes, that's a gigantic bowl of coffee. I always wanted to get one of those!

This sandwich had just cheese, tomatoes, and basil, but I realized too late that there were olives in the bread. I hate olives (but I love olive oil). Olives are evil ("so evil" - just rearrange the letters and you'll know what I'm talking about!!!). I topped it with strawberry jam. Strawberry jam makes everything better! (:

There were two people sitting next to me chitchatting about their future (sorry, I eavesdrop when I dine alone; hell, I do it when I'm dining with someone!). They were probably my age, discussing graduate school and future prospects and stuff and reminded me, yeah, none of us know exactly what we want to do or should be doing. And that's OK.

Sustainable Sushi at Tataki in San Francisco

2009-10-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

You know the saying: there are plenty of fishes in the sea. That's kind of true. With the pace that we're eating them, however, that won't be the case for long. So it's kind of neat for me to hear about a sushi bar (Tataki | Yelp) that focuses on sustainable dining, eating seafood that over time hopefully won't leave our oceans and seas barren.

Side-note: It seems like whenever one of us leaves the Bay Area for a trip, we head out for Japanese food before the departure. I love that tradition!

Started with crab croquette ("deep fried mixed crab, sweet potato, vegetables with sweet sauce").

One of the specials: Kampachi Tataki ("slices of seared almaco jack and avocado with jalapeno ponzu sauce").

An order of sashimi with 12 pieces of fish; salmon (sake) is always my favorite.

The Mix-it-up roll ("spicy tuna roll topped with crab meat with avocado citrus sauce").

On Budgeting & Being an Adult

2009-10-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Kids,

While your parents may seem unhappy at times and have a ton of responsibilities, there are also some pretty great perks to growing up (and older). For starters, if, say, you're in a foreign country with a limited amount of cash on hand and you can't afford both lunch and helado (ice cream), as an adult, you can make the judgment call on what you'd like to have. If that situation presents itself, always go with the latter. (True story.)

Flavors: mandarin orange (top), cherry with chocolate (bottom).

Yum!

Sincerely,
The Almost-28-Year-Old Adult

Animal-Killing

2009-10-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

I met up with a couple of friends for drinks late one night and we start snacking on some deliciously meaty foods. Sure enough, there were vegetarians in the mix. Don't get me wrong, I respect people's life choices (can you sense the but coming? oh, it's coming!), but meat is so very, very delicious.... And I LOVE TO EAT.

And then one of the vegetarians said something akin to: "I think everyone should be forced to at least kill and prep an animal at some point before they're able to eat meat." In the moment I thought, "Heh, no problem!" I've never had to kill an animal before eating it, though. But over my trip in Colombia, I really started thinking about it and I don't know if I can do it, or, rather, if I would want to kill an animal just to eat it. I started big (cow), medium (chickens), and then small (fish). Even with fish, the thought of letting it flop around on land unable to "breathe" until it died seems ridiculously cruel just so I could eat it.

So, I'm at a crossroads. On the one hand, meat is so good. On the other hand, I really wouldn't want to kill any living thing just to eat it. And I guess I've compromised: I'll continue my meat-eating ways (so good) but also minimize it whenever possible, especially when I'm cooking at home. Honestly, if I wanted to be a full-fledged vegetarian (not even seafood), I can do it. I'm definitely living in an area that enables that lifestyle with super-delicious vegetarian cuisine. But I love the smell, texture, and flavor of meat-products too much to give it up altogether, even though hypocritically-speaking, I know I would be hard-pressed to kill the animal that lost its life for my brunch (sorry, Porky!).

So, friends, where do you stand on this whole vegetarian thing? I know my niece avoids meat-products for environmental reasons but continues to eat seafood (hopefully sustainable ones!); what about you?

My favorite meal while in Colombia just happened to be completely meatless from Boulevard Sesamo in Bogota. The meal came with a fruit drink, soup, salad bar, and this platter which was well-flavored and delicious(!) for 7,300-pesos (approximately $3.50-USD).

There's No Place Like Home

2009-10-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

To me, writing is like a muscle and, when you don't practice it enough, it atrophies. Simple as that. I'm trying to ease back into doing that which I love oh-so-much so please bear with me in the interim.

Allow me to tell you a story, then.

I met a boy while traveling. His name is Roberto and he hails from Madrid, Spain. He's been traveling around the world and mentioned that one of the most beautiful places he's been to in his travels was Colombia (yeah, the country well-known for salsa, coffee, and, oh yes, cocaine - and Shakira!).

As it so happened, I participated in the jetBlue All-You-Can-Jet deal wherein between 9/8/09 and 10/8/09, you can travel anywhere jetBlue flies for $599. Surprisingly enough, on top of a lot of major US destination, jetBlue also flies to the Caribbeans... and Colombia. Kind of odd, I thought. But remembering that Roberto had mentioned Colombia in our many conversations, topped with the fact that I've always wanted to go to South America, I decided, yes, let's fly to Colombia. And I did.

Roberto told me that if I went to the same city he did, he would tell me about a particular hostel to stay at with, who he described to be, the nicest man who worked at the reception desk that he's ever met. So at this junction, I'm basically thinking that my quest is a little strange, but sure, why not? I'd love to meet the nicest man you've ever met.

Not to spoil it or anything - but the man (Jairo Andres) turns out to be one of the coolest people I've ever met as well. And I'm glad for the opportunity to talk to him in between Club Colombia beer runs with fellow hostel-mates.

The thing that really stuck with me in our conversation was his genuine desire to see more of the world. Normally, my yuppie guilt would kick in right about then ("Why do I get to do all these things and he doesn't? Just because I was born at the right place, right time? Life is so unfair!!!") but I just calmly shared my travel adventures with him and encouraged him to start local and explore his town, region, and country. I had read in a book a quote that said (to paraphrase), "Sometimes a person can learn more from a walk around the block than others from a trip around the world." I agree with that to some extent because if you're traveling just to do exactly what you would be doing at home anyway, why bother? Whereas with those who are more observant, give them just a city block and they'll learn all that and more.

I gave him my email address so hopefully he'll stay in touch, especially if he's ever in this neck of the woods. Going around to so many places has made me really love the area/city that I live. San Francisco is pretty friggin' amazing, constant fog-infestation and unswimmable ocean aside.

It's good to be home.

Hong Kong - Poladroids

2009-09-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

OK, here are two Poladroids that exemplifies what Hong Kong has most of: (1) food; (2) high-rises.

I had no expectations of the city, but overall, it felt just like any other major metropolitan area, but with a TON of money and an equal amount of poverty. It's astounding like that.

Same Same, But Different

2009-09-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

I will never tire of that expression! Everywhere in Asia they used it and, in a way, it's very applicable to a lot of things. Try saying it next time.

Since the last time I blogged here.... I backpacked down Vietnam, over to Cambodia, visited Bangkok, went up to Laos, returned to Bangkok, flew to Kuala Lumpur, rode down to Singapore, and then flew to Hong Kong. I was in San Francisco briefly before I flew to New York City and I'm currently in New Orleans at a coffee shop called Mojo as I type this. I've gone by bus, by train, by boat, by plane - all with my backpack and camera in hand. It's been an amazing time (heck, still an amazing time!) and I'd love to be able to share it all with you... in due time. (;

But first, I just want you all to know that I'm alive and well and we're back in business, baby.

Please be to enjoy a few of my favorite images from Lisa & Caleb's wedding on 7.4.09. I really need to put in some truly awesome image viewer so I can easily share more pictures. Until then:

P.S.
What do you think about the little border with my URL? Am I wasting my time? I don't need to "watermark" it to protect it from being stolen and used by others, I just want, when people share the images, that it'll be easy for people who look at the photo to find out who took it. Should I keep doing it? Plus, I just love seeing my own name "in print." :-D

"Out-of-Office" Notice

2009-07-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know that I will be out of the country starting on 7/7/09 until 8/25/09 for some much needed time away. But when I get back, it'll be all photography, all the time, so wait for that.

If you need to reach me in the interim, forget calling - just send me an email at chung.nguyen@gmail.com.

A little sneak-peek at the wedding I photographed on 7.4.09.

See you on the flip side!

My Custom Guest Books

2009-07-04T02:57:00.001-07:00

Forget having guests sign generic, lined pages in a notebook. This is not your standard guest book. (:

Chung Nguyen | Photographer
http://www.chungnguyen.com

Posted via email from Life of Chung

My Self-Portrait Visa Picture

2009-07-01T18:25:00.001-07:00

No, not Visa like, accepted-everywhere, but visa like, I-need-this-to-get-into-my-motherland.

I made the mistake of going to Rite Aid for my passport photo, not realizing, DUH, YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF! Lesson learned (though it's one that I'll need to live with for another 9 years or so). (Yes, I can be vain, too.)

Happy List #2

2009-06-08T21:49:00.000-07:00

(Another Poladroid. I heart them.)

Kind, friendly people who do kind, friendly things without expecting anything in return. I'm looking at you, guy who helped the woman put her - what looked to be very, very, very heavy - luggage in the overhead compartment and then took it down for her when we were deplaning. You are awesome. And I'm glad your final destination was San Francisco.
Leftovers. I'm always happy about leftovers.
Festivals dedicated to food. Always an excellent idea.
People who'll indulge my numerous questions about their lives. Thanks for answering.
Lone Star beer. Who would've thought? It's so light and refreshing, and I highly recommend it.

Happy List #1

2009-06-04T22:12:00.000-07:00

Poladroid. Fun. Cute. Awesomeness. Who doesn't love a Polaroid? And now, it's available digitally. FOR THE PC. (PC FTW!)
Ramen with some really fatty broth. Yum.
Weekend trip to Austin, Texas. I hear it's the Berkeley of Texas. And since I do love Berkeley tremendously, this seems like a match made in heaven. Ms. Cat and I will be rockin' it this weekend in Texas.
I finished editing the wedding images from last Friday. I can't wait to share it with the couple. They're on their honeymoon right now. What a fun way to ease into married life, eh? We've also got an album design to discuss. Very excited.
Tennis. I. Love. Tennis. I love watching it. I love playing it. It's a great sport!

Happiness!

2009-06-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

Umm, sorry for the lack of posts. Life changes up ahead, which means complete and utter neglect of my beloved blog. Let's start it off with something easy. A list of happiness as of late:

Cold leftovers. So good. Sometimes even better than the original meal in its own special way.
Maker Faire. I was thoroughly inspired to create create create. Make on! (P.S. These folks are awesome, if you're in the market for some artsy prints to decorate your home. I love this one.)
Meeting my kid-version. Youngest child? A little spoiled? Funny? Bratty? Loves taking photos? Makes funny faces? Yep, that's us! (Check out the totally out-of-focus action below....)
Naps. Enough said.