Photo of the Week: Disappearing Act

September 14, 2015September 25, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 1 Comment

IMG_20130908_123840227_HDR San Francisco, USA

This picture was taken a few years ago on a short trip to San Francisco. By some mishap, I managed to leave my camera’s memory card at home. So for the whole weekend, we had to make do with our cellphone camera. We decided to walk over to the Golden Gate bridge and take a few pictures, but as you can see, the whole bridge was covered in thick grey fog. From this vantage point, it looks like the bridge is disappearing into thin air.

Day 4: On the Road in Rio

September 8, 2015September 7, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments

IMG_20150907_145853519_HDR

It’s our last day in Rio and the sky is still overcast and ominous looking. We were excited to go hang gliding on this trip, but due to unfavorable weather conditions, we had to reschedule 4 different times. Today was our last chance, and after waiting around for 3 hours, we were finally given the all-clear to head up the mountain. Unfortunately when we got there, the wind picked back up and it was too dangerous to take off. This picture was as far as I got to becoming a bird. It was not meant to be.

This trip had it’s fair share of bad luck for us, starting with the canceled flight to the crappy weather, to the hang gliding. Ironically, this was the hottest winter in Brazil and it only rained 4 times throughout the whole season. Lucky for us, it rained all 4 days we were here. I am not complaining, we had a great time bad weather and all, and Rio can only get better from here. Time to head back to New York.

Day 3: On the Road in Rio

September 7, 2015September 25, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments

Today we visited Rocinha, the largest favela in Rio de Janeiro built on the side of a steep hill. This small area of about one square kilometer holds over 80,000 people. There are over 700 favelas of various sizes throughout Rio. These shanty towns were made famous in the movie City of God, showing the rampant crime and drug activity festering in these close quarters. Today, the government with the help of the military have attempted to overtake the area, drive down crime, and improve infrastructure. Our visit was pretty safe, we walked through the alleyways while learning a bit about the history of favelas got a glimpse into the life of its inhabitants.

Day 2: On the Road in Rio

September 6, 2015September 5, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

This morning we woke up to more rain and clouds. Since we weren’t able to go to the beach, we decided to head over to Parque Lage, a public park area that sits at the foot of the Corcovado in the shadow of Christ the Redeemer above . Inside this preserved tropical forest is a quiet English garden and an old palazzo, built by Henrique Lage for his wife. This impressive mansion was later turned into a public area where you can sit and have lunch in the courtyard while enjoying the view.

Day 1: On the Road in Rio

September 5, 2015September 5, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

We arrived in Rio after much drama with our flight. Our first stop was Corcovado to visit the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. It sits atop a lofty hill, overlooking all of Rio where you can see the outlying islands in the distance, giving the picture a surreal touch. The breathtaking view from here will leave you speechless.

Photo of the Week: Skylight

August 31, 2015August 30, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments

Barcelona, Spain

The Palau de la Música Catalana is a well-known classical concert venue in Barcelona, and long considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world. From the facade to the stage, the design of the Palau is ornate and rich in organic motifs that symbolize Catalan culture.

The music hall is illuminated by natural light that shines through the intricate stained glass ceiling pictured above. This masterpiece of creativity and imagination was designed by Antoni Rigalt to represent the sun and the sky.

Every 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 of the Week: Fairy tale

August 24, 2015August 23, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Hohenschwangau, Germany

Neuschwanstein, one of the most famous castle in Europe was built for the famously reclusive Ludwig II as a retreat. This castle, was where the misunderstood Swan King withdrew into a fantasy world of his own creation. The romantic architecture combined with the idyllic surroundings evokes images of fairy tales, so it’s no surprise that it was the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty castle. This picture was taken from the nearby Marienbrücke where you can get the full view of the castle set against the clear lake.

Photo of the Week: Bedazzled

August 17, 2015August 16, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / Leave a comment

Bangkok, Thailand

For the last few weeks my sister has been traveling around Thailand, which makes me nostalgic for this great country. I miss the friendly people, the cheap food, and of course the $2 foot massage.

I went through my old photos and found this one taken at the dazzling Grand Palace in Bangkok. The palace is made up of numerous buildings, halls, and pavilions set around gardens and courtyards. This was the royal residence for over 150 years. These intricate golden Garuda and Naga grace the outside of the famous Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Photo of the Week: In Flight

August 10, 2015August 9, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 4 Comments

La Fortuna, Costa Rica

This picture of a hummingbird in flight was taken in the small village of La Fortuna in Costa Rica. This volcanic region is known for its tropical rainforest, beautiful waterfalls, and natural hot springs. There is tons of wildlife in this fertile area, and walking around town you can see the humming birds buzzing around, feeding on the flowers.

Berlin: Street Arts

August 5, 2015August 11, 2015 / lifeafter9to5 / 2 Comments

Art critic Emilie Trice has called Berlin “the graffiti Mecca of the urban art world.” In addition to the artwork of the East Side Gallery, Berlin is rich with lots of beautiful street art throughout the city. Everywhere you look—from the walls of buildings, to doorways and even garbage cans—you’ll find murals, stencils, paste-ups, and many other artistic experiments staring back at you. The colorful public art helps to brighten the cityscape and inspires Berliners and visitors. Evolving trends result in an evolving art scene.

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