tathei* talks

my first VO on TV...

2008-04-26T04:19:00.001+09:00

i used a hidden tone of my voice to speak out "dotcom" at the end of this TV commercial on TV in Hong Kong...

of course my normal voice isn't like that!

Japan to strip Internet for illegal downloaders

2008-03-16T18:13:00.001+09:00

Japanese companies plan to cut off the Internet connection of anyone who illegally downloads files in one of the world's toughest measures against online piracy, a report said Saturday. Faced with mounting complaints from the music, movie and video-game industries, four associations representing Japan's Internet service providers have agreed to ...

read more | digg story

goodbye lydia~!

2008-02-27T18:12:00.000+09:00

smile from kashgar

2007-09-29T00:24:00.001+09:00

kids in kashgar* 11, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

finally i finished my trip in china, and just came back to Tokyo from Hong Kong.

during my trip in Xin Jiang, China, unfortunately 2 film cameras i had brought were broken - Contax T3 film roller has a small part fallen out due to the hot weather in the desert near Turfan... (T-T ) and shutter of LOMO LC-A suddenly didn't work in Beijing (ToT)...

i regret that i don't have many photos taken with films... well, i brought 30 rolls of films and just used 4 rolls...(>_<; ) only~! but i'm glad that i still took many shots with my Canon. so there will be many more photos to be uploaded from this trip! :D

i really enjoyed the trip in Xin Jiang... people were very friendly and they were photogenic! of course the scenery was great too!

i'm sure i will go back again with my Hassel next time (even it's a bit dangerous because there're too many sands everywhere!)...~!

a tale of tofu

2007-08-12T17:08:00.001+09:00

remembrance* a tale of tofu, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

tofu shop reminds me a story that few of my japanese friends told me "tofu" was originally invented by Japanese and it's a food from Japan that i should try it!

my another experience is that once a Japanese guy told me chopsticks were invented by Japanese and he's suprised that why i can use better than him.

another Japanese friend asked me how to call "soy sauce" in English. he said "is it called Japanese sauce? Chinese also uses Japanese sauce, right?".

while living in Japan, i've come across such experience many times... (﹣＿﹣ ; )

kowloon west promenade

2007-07-04T22:49:00.001+09:00

kowloon west promenade, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

i really love this place (park?) and i always go there. i think it's the best (or the only) place to relax in downtown HongKong. there's also the most clean public toilet i ever see in HongKong!!!

if you never go, please go and voice out to the government that we love to have somewhere like this in HongKong. of course it would be better if there are more trees...

forget about bullshit commercialized "art & entertainment theme park" proposal!

*Fujifilm Natura 1600

hongkong stop-over

2007-06-26T18:22:00.001+09:00

intermission* hongkong stop-over, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

hadn't seen such clear beautiful sky in hongkong for long time! it's been quite good weather for past 3 days since i came back to my hometown!

it's the greatest welcome for me! :)

View On Black

guy & gal* happily coupling

2007-05-30T03:43:00.001+09:00

guy & gal* happily coupling, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

they are my friends from California who visited to Tokyo last week.

i introduced them in SF back in 1998... and soon they became couple. then happily got married 4 years ago and now with a 2 year-old baby girl - Ashlee. you may see their cute daughter here... :)

time flies, and i'm really happy for them!

thousands at a glance

2007-04-21T00:33:00.001+09:00

一目千本* bottom, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

一目千本 means "thousands at a glance" (direct translation should be "one eye thousand pieces"... so far it might be the most beautiful place for sakura that i've ever seen. anyway i didn't count if there were really 1,000 sakura trees because i was totally attracted to the scene.

一目千本 is a name of the sakura place in shiroshishi, miyagi prefecture.

snowy sakura*

2007-04-04T03:57:00.000+09:00

snowy sakura* 01, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

sakura came early to tokyo this year and it seems leaving us soon since the weather has been strange these days. it's hot for few days and suddenly became like winter and rainy.

it just falls like snow. it's pretty though.

Panda Sneezes

2007-04-01T16:28:00.000+09:00


so funny!

peace in 2007!

2006-12-31T21:05:00.000+09:00

peace in 2007!, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

wishing everyone a happy new year!

back to Tokyo...

2006-12-21T16:45:00.000+09:00

end of fall* ground, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

it's been a while since i left Tokyo in last summer.

Tokyo is always one of my most favorite cities, especially under the cool blue sky in winter. just feeling the breeze and seeing the fallen leaves all around the city - nothing is more romantic than that.

日本の友達は忘年会で楽しんで！でも、あまり酔っぱらっていないで！
i always think we should never forget the past - no matter it's good or bad. it's just great experience of life!

to all my friends, wishing you all a merry christmas and happy 2007, in case we will not see until new year!

halloween

2006-11-08T06:39:00.000+09:00

omg hot girl!!!!, originally uploaded by ChrissyCream.

it was taken by my friend.... really shocking and scary me.

actually i don't feel much of halloween in Asia since i've moved back. even nowadays there are many places promoting this festival in Hong Kong, but i guess there should be a parade in order to make it more popular.

this photo reminds me the great fun days on halloween when i was living in SF.

envy

2006-10-23T00:18:00.000+09:00

central night* 04, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

single people envy married people.
married people envy single people.

when we are single, we envy someone with someone.
when we are married, we envy freedom of single people.

do we want freedom?
or do we want to be loved?

is it our greed or contradiction for life?

anyway, i envy this new wedded couple, as well as photographing of his loved one.

insomnia

2006-10-20T08:40:00.000+09:00

flashback rome at night* 15, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

"... an inability to sleep and/or to be incapable of remaining asleep for a reasonable period. Insomniacs typically complain of being unable to close their eyes or "rest their mind" for more than a few minutes at a time... It is often caused by fear, stress, anxiety,..." from wikipedia

is it kind of physical or/and mental illness? somehow i am sure that i can't sleep NOT because of fear, stress or anxiety.

i realize that i'm a curious person who likes to know and think of something. my mind just can't stop thinking. and i always believe sleeping is a waste of time.

i remember that i often asked people if their brains ever went blank. i really never experience that so i'm curious to know how it feels.

friends reminded me that "oh yeah, sleeping wastes time but you may live shorter without enough sleep."

actually i do sleep but only since dawn, i replied.

maybe i really love the peace of night time. or maybe i am not a human but an owl.

memoir of cambodia

2006-10-11T07:50:00.000+09:00

encore angkor wat* 04, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

i spent a week in two cities (Siem Reap and Phnom Penh) of Cambodia right after a one-month trip in Central Europe. it's quite a big contrast between two trips.

i've learnt a lot more from Cambodia indeed.

Cambodia is still one of the poorest countries in Asia, yet people there are very optimistic with strong pride and dignity. they are poor but they seem to be very happy. so they don't need your sympathy.

temples in Siem Reap are really beautiful and seductive. Angkor Wat is the most famous one but i love Ta Prohm and Bayon more.

anyway i am not sure how to tell by words, but i would highly recommend you to travel to Cambodia before the original taste fades out.

at least, i'm sure i will go again in the future.

life on water

2006-09-29T04:13:00.000+09:00

life on water* 10, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

marriage, pregnant, giving birth, raising lives and death... all over the water at uncertain levels.

why we city people still complain?

drink or shoot

2006-08-11T04:31:00.000+09:00

i miss the summr fun in tokyo this year.

in every summer, there're lots of festivals held in Japan, such as hanabi (fireworks) and traditional cultural fest. most of japanese people also wear in yukata (like summer version of kimono) and everyone looks really beautiful.

before i headed back to Hong Kong, i had a chance to attend a Yukata party night. it was fun and i took some photos there. and this photo was taken by my friend!

it is too busy to shoot at party when you love drinking! :P

reborn of my SX-70s

2006-08-08T02:29:00.000+09:00

renovation* 01, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

Polaroid was a pioneer to digital photography nowadays - because it was first invented for instant photography.

"Polaroid was first patented in 1929 and further developed in 1932 by Edwin H. Land." - cited from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polaroid

it really changed the whole idea of photography for the world.

i discovered the cool design of SX-70 during my college time so i bought 2 of them at very reasonable price, about US$30-40 each from used camera shops. however, i only used it for couple years because SX-70 used Time Zero films which were not easy to find and quite expensive in California.

since i've been addicted to photography again in the past couple years and i found so many people from around the world still using Polaroid on Flickr, i couldn't resist to bring my SX-70 cameras out and shoot some instant photos again!

after more than a decade, amazingly my two little guys are still working great! it's lot of fun and fortunately i didn't lose or sell them!

after all, they are instant prints! we can keep them forever regardless of the death of hard disk! :D

mido revisit

2006-08-07T00:29:00.000+09:00

mido revisit* 06, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

Mido Cafe - one of the oldest hong kong style cafe from 1950s which still exists in this fast-pace Hong Kong city.

western style cafe were used to be expensive places where only rich people could go. however, many cafe like Mido began to open in early 1930s after first world war, in order to serve lower class people who wanted to enjoy western cafe culture.

honestly i never enjoy the food at Mido Cafe because they are not that oishii. but i really love the interior design.

whenever i sit there and have a cup of hot hong kong style milk tea, i would try to imagine how people were chilling there in the past...

anyway, enjoy the moment whenever we could.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tathei/sets/72157594225492950/

cruising

2006-08-05T15:41:00.000+09:00

to the east, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

i enjoy driving and cruising around in the city, especially in Hong Kong and Tokyo.

i didn't like driving much in the past when i was in the states.

i think, because driving in America is more like a-must thing to do. their public transportation is just so lamed. then driving becomes a task so it's hard to enjoy something when you do everyday and ride on the same route, right?

i love driving in Hong Kong and Tokyo more because there're lots of things to see on the streets, such as people, nice cars, shops, etc... also landscape and architecture are also more interesting and enjoyable to see.

that's why i keep a car in Hong Kong even i don't really need it. when i don't want to drive, i can commute on any transportation to any place.

anyway, cars don't mean to be transportation to some people like me! =)

here, there, and everywhere

2006-08-03T05:59:00.000+09:00

old estate* 10, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

i always love to see old things, such as old music, old movies, old furniture, old architecture, old accessories, old toys, old people, and etc...

i'm not sure why i love them yet it's nothing dealt with my age...（ー＿ー；

maybe time really flies and world keeps changing, it's hard to keep the moments that we treasure and enjoy. when those things fade out, we might feel lost and missed.

recently i am trying to capture lots of old things in HongKong - a place where i was born. as you may know, HongKong is always a fast-paced city where things keep changing everyday. since here is too small to preserve every heritage, everytime i leave this place for a while, then come back and find something new and something gone.

i drove by the first public housing in Kowloon side few times but never got a chance to stop and visit. finally i got my camera and had a walk around there last week.

interestingly i could feel and imagine how people were living there, though i have never lived there. i reckon that's the most interesting way of learning history and culture.

so i created a set of "Hong Kong Classic" on my Flickr. hopefully i could capture more later:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tathei/sets/72157594220285086/

aged and experienced things are always the most tasteful and memorable! :P

talking again!

2006-07-25T03:11:00.000+09:00

he's a man, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

i always wonder why so many people in the world create and write their blogs.

has internet made us more isolated? are people more used to communicate in front of a machine nowadays? or the world has become more cruel that we cannot share our thoughts freely in front of others? or we are too lonely inside our hearts? or everyone is trying to get famous in this virtual world?

for myself, i started and wrote on another blog site few years ago but i had stopped. because i am just too lazy to write! also i prefer using photography as another way to share and communicate with others.

however, recently i am thinking to try writing again. why? simply because words are yet the best way to share my feelings directly...

age challenge

2006-07-21T12:33:00.000+09:00

age challenge, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

not too strange

2006-07-06T08:50:00.000+09:00

not too strange, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

ponder

2006-06-30T20:35:00.000+09:00

ponder, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

welcome* chopsticks

2006-06-24T05:52:00.000+09:00

welcome* chopsticks, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

profile

2006-06-24T05:51:00.000+09:00

profile, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

a sunny day of spring

2006-05-05T04:08:00.000+09:00

a sunny day of spring, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

lost

2006-04-23T01:46:00.000+09:00

lost, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

female only /女の子日和

2006-03-21T06:10:00.000+09:00

female only /女の子日和, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

daily junction

2006-03-18T13:40:00.000+09:00

daily junction, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

with my spiritual mentor

2006-03-14T05:13:00.000+09:00

with my spiritual mentor, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

beauty of tokyo tower #04

2006-03-13T04:51:00.000+09:00

beauty of tokyo tower #04, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

chill-out

2006-03-09T03:31:00.000+09:00

chill-out, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

ride-in

2006-03-09T03:30:00.000+09:00

ride-in, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

okinawa restaurant@高円寺

2006-03-09T03:28:00.001+09:00

okinawa restaurant@高円寺, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

JR日和 /good day on JR

2006-03-09T03:28:00.000+09:00

JR日和 /good day on JR, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

omotesando hills #05

2006-02-28T21:20:00.000+09:00

omotesando hills #05, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

looking down

2006-02-22T13:03:00.000+09:00

looking down, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

@grant hyatt inside jinmao tower
it's really high and scary... i was taking this with my shivering legs...

get a life

2006-02-14T00:15:00.000+09:00

eason "get a life" #12, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

eason chan concert 2006

calm

2006-01-23T01:04:00.001+09:00

calm, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

frighten

2006-01-23T01:04:00.000+09:00

frighten, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

getting to work

2006-01-21T08:34:00.000+09:00

getting to work, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

who drives a driver home?

2006-01-13T01:54:00.000+09:00

who drives a driver home?, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

how can train and subway drivers when all trains are out of services? because there's no bus either and taxi is super expensive in japan!

5 x 2

2006-01-13T01:48:00.000+09:00

5 x 2, originally uploaded by * tathei *.

love is in pairs and harmony...