Photo of the Week: French Quarter

December 14, 2015December 13, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

New Orleans, United States

This iconic view of the soaring St. Louis Cathedral and the statue of General Jackson atop his horse immediately brings to mind the historic Jackson Square located in the heart of the French Quarter. This famous landmark, originally founded in 18th century has been at the center of New Orleans history, from its founding during the early colonial years to the triumphant victory of the NFL’s Saints.

Every Monday of each week, I’ll share a photo with you from my adventures around the world and at home. Most of my photos have little or no post processing. If you would like to see more, please click the ‘Follow’ button.

Photo Essay: Tarangire

December 9, 2015December 9, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

We are finally back after a whirlwind two and a half week trip around Myanmar, with stopovers in Hong Kong and Bangkok. Now it’s back to the daily grind, and of course catching up with my blogging. For the next few posts, I’ve decided to forgo the usual format and share our experience and pictures from Tanzania in a photo essay – because that’s the only way to do it justice. Continue reading →

Photo of the Week: Stone Face

December 7, 2015December 7, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor Thom, also known as the “Great City” was the last capital of the Khmer empire. The city was founded by Jayavarman VII, one of Angkor’s greatest kings who came to power in 1181 AD, ruling his city of over a million people. The spectacular Bayon temple was built at the heart of the ancient capital as the official Buddhist temple.

Pictured above are the distinctive stone faces atop the towers of the temple. The serene smiling face of the bodhisattva faces outward, keeping a sharp watch at each compass point. After almost a thousand years, these stone carvings are still awe-inspiring to look at.

Trip Report: Eastern Europe

November 30, 2015February 3, 2016 / lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments

This was a special trip because it was the first one I’ve taken with my baby sister. Even with our age difference, we always seem to be on the same page about everything, including our favorite show – Gilmore Girls. One of the things I remembered from watching the show was the backpacking trip they took through Europe and how much fun they had. That’s what I wanted to do with Kim, and this summer we finally got our chance. Since we were only going to be there for nine days, we had to narrow it down and pick a few cities that we both wanted to visit. Being on the same wavelength, we quickly decided on Prague and Berlin. The artsy, vibrant energy of Berlin, and the beautiful architecture of Prague really appealed to both of us. Below is the breakdown of our trip to Eastern Europe: Continue reading →

Day 14: On the Road in Ngapali

November 28, 2015November 28, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

On our last day in Ngapali, we paid a visit to the nearby fishing village where the local fishermen were just coming home from a night out on the sea. The catch of the day was quickly brought up on shore. Here you can see fish laid out to dry under the hot Burmese sun. The market was just opening, and buzzing with people out to buy their food for the day. In these remote villages, it’s more common to buy fresh ingredients every day, instead of relying on the fridge.

Day 13: On the Road in Ngapali

November 27, 2015November 27, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

We were walking around the beach when we saw this little girl running around and playing on the rocks while her mom was busy selling trinkets nearby. She stood out in her pink dress, running back and forth, full of energy. When we got near, she became shy and hid behind her mom. After we came over to say hi, she got over her shyness and once again started running around. Here she is posing for me in a perfect jumping shot.

Day 12: On the Road in Thandwe

November 26, 2015November 26, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Every year on the night of the full moon in November, everyone in Myanmar celebrates Ta Zaung Dine, a festival of light. Away from the glare of the neon lights, the big orange moon shines extra bright. Each house was lit up by candles, lanterns, and strings of colorful lights. People of all ages gathered to see the paper lanterns floating down the river. Occasionally fireworks and sparklers would go up to the cheering crowds. By the market, the atmosphere is even more festive where families bring their kids out to eat, buy new clothes and play games.

Day 11: On the Road in Ngapali

November 25, 2015November 25, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

IMG_20151125_113556252_HDR

After traveling for 11 days, we were ready for some R&R at the beach. Arriving at the beautiful Hilton Resort in Ngapali, we were pleasantly surprised that our status as a Gold member got us upgraded to a villa with a private pool facing the ocean. This sleepy fishing village is everything that we could hope for, crystal clear ocean, fine white sand, and peace and quiet to recharge for a few days before heading back to work.

Day 10: On the Road in Bagan

November 24, 2015November 24, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments

This morning Fausto had a little celebrity moment when he came out of the temple and ran into a bus load of locals on their way in. They were quite excited to see a white person, so they started to shake his hand and take pictures of him. Then everyone wanted to be in the photo with him. One lady took possession of his arm and wouldn’t let go. I was relegated to the sideline while Fausto soaked in the limelight. Then another white guy walked by and they couldn’t decide who to take pictures with, so they got both of them to pose together. It was a little surreal, we were not sure what was going on, but I think Fausto enjoyed himself.

Day 9: On the Road in Bagan

November 23, 2015November 23, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

This morning we woke up early and rode our bikes out to one of the temples to watch the sunrise, and were rewarded with the sight above. The hot air balloons rising over the temples of Bagan in the early morning makes for a magnificent sight. In addition, with the thick fog rolling in from the river, it also creates a sense of mystique to the whole shot.

life after 9to5

Our life. After work.