My Road Trip From LA to Chicago

Last week I drove from Los Angeles back to my hometown of Chicago. I've moved back home for personal reasons. It took my sister and I nine days to get across the US-- mostly just eating, driving, sleeping, and taking pictures.

The states I drove through were (in order):

1. California
2. Arizona
3. Utah
4. Colorado
5. Kansas
6. Missouri
7. Illinois

The first half of the trip from California to Colorado was rather scenic and interesting. This is where I actually took pictures.

The second half, from Kansas to Chicago was rather plain and boring-- the terrain was just flat. For the most part my sister and I just pushed our way through the midwest with only stops for food and sleep. It didn't help that there was a lot of fog and rain through these parts.

Pictures

I didn't take too many pictures, as I was trying to balance between visiting interesting places for pictures and making good time for the drive. I experimented with taking a lot of panoramas and merging them together in Photoshop later.

Road to Joshua Tree (California)
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Joshua Tree (California)
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Horseshoe Bend (Arizona)
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Zion National Park - The Great White Throne (Utah)


Garden of the Gods (Colorado)
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Here are my picture albums of Zion National Park and Joshua Tree.

Behind the Camera

Here are a few behind the camera shots I took.

Horseshoe Bend was rather scary walking right up to the edge to get a clear shot of the canyon. Just a few inches forward would be a fast way down and certain death.

Zion National Park's The Great White Throne as well as the rest of the park puts forth some interesting challenges to photograph the canyons with different lighting from the sun throughout the day.

Final Thoughts

I had fun and would love to do the drive again. There's one stop I wish we had time for-- Antelope Canyon. There were so many delays that I had to just cut this part out of the trip. Joshua Tree is another place I'd like to revisit and spend a night doing night photography in. As well as Zion National Park.

I got to see first hand that America is a lot of different things. I've spent most of my life living in or near big cities (Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, etc...). There is a very different part of America that exists betweens these cities where life is a little bit calmer and relaxed.

If you ever feel tired of where you are in life and can afford the time to get away, look to the open road. America has plenty of adventures and interesting places to see.

Be Considerate of Other Photographers

Last week I was in the Bahamas for a friend's wedding. The people, the scenery, and weather was beautiful up and through the wedding. The day after... not so much. We had a bit of a tropical storm, but it didn't last too long. Thank goodness the wedding day had clear skies.

Naturally, I brought my camera with me on the trip. I do have a post on what's in my camera bag, typically. I knew they had their own photographer(s) for the weekend, so I wanted to share with everyone how you can be considerate of photographers at events.

Get out of their way

If it's an event such as a wedding, stay out of their way. I mean this physically, don't be in front of their shot. Give the photographers priority to get their shots. They are professionals being paid to do their job. Likely you're just a guest to attend the event, it's not your place to get the absolute best shot at the expense of the bride and groom's photographers.

Minimize use of flash

The room isn't well lit. Maybe you think it's time for you to switch from auto flash to always use flash. Maybe you want to start taking photos willy-nilly-- as in all the time now that the big ceremony is over. WRONG. A constant use of flashes can actually be captured by other cameras in the area-- possibly ruining a good photo by some awkward light source. So be prudent as to how many shots with flashes you use. I'm not saying don't ever use flash. Prudence.

Do not just stand there

There may be a time for that group photo where on one side is the group, the subject, and on the other is everyone with a camera(s). So you're there on the side with everyone with a camera. After you take your shot and you're done, leave. By standing there reviewing your photo(s), you're eating up space that someone else could be in your spot to take a photo.

Take turns

Same situation as above with a group photo. It's so annoying to look at your finished group photo of eight people, where everyone but two people are looking directly at your camera. Instead, these few people are looking at someone else's. It's not the subjects' fault either, they don't know where to look! Everyone firing off shots all at once benefits no one. Take turns, call out which one the group should be looking at so they know. Then call out when everyone should be looking at yours when it's your turn.

Just one more story I'd like to share. I feel as though I'm being too preachy.

During a beach photoshoot, the photographer rounded everyone up. And I do mean everyone-- all 120+ wedding guests for a big group shot on the beach. When the different groups were taking turns, some of us wanted to also take pictures of the group. The lead photographer wouldn't have that. He basically shooed us away so he could get his shot.

At first I wasn't too pleased that I couldn't also get my shot. But I understood. I needed to get out of his way and let him do his job. I was able to sneak in some candid, behind the scene shots that turned out fine.

Okay, rant over. Sharing time. One photo only though, I like to keep this wedding album private out of respect of the bride/groom.

Here is a shot of the gazebo before the wedding. This is one of my favorite shots I took in the Bahamas.

Some Thoughts on Traveling

In July of 2010, I quit my full time job as a software developer. I wanted to break away from the nine-to-five, travel a bit, have fun, and teach myself new things in the process. I was able to visit San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, New York City, Denver, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya.



In 2011, I kept traveling, I visited Hua Hin, Phuket, Phang Nga, Singapore, Las Vegas, and Baltimore, before returning to Chicago for a time period greater than one week. Chicago is where I am right now. It's been such a rush getting on and off a plane, knowing that there's a different upcoming destination, just hours away. I've actually grown to like being in airports.



I am reminded of a blog post I read before I left for Thailand, back in October of 2010: 20 Things I've Learned From Traveling Around the World for Three Years by Tim Ferriss. I think it very much holds true.

The ones I found to be very true:

People are generally good. Most of the people I've come across have been very friendly, helpful, and well mannered towards me. This was especially true once I distanced myself from densely populated cities. Honestly, there seems to be a correlation between population density and people being unhappy or grumpy.

People don’t hate Americans. Actually, many people are either jealous or curious about Americans in general. I think their exposure to American culture is through television, movies, and what kind of technologies sprout up from the US. I often got asked the question that starts with, "Is it true that in the US..." Which leads to the next point.

Americans don’t travel. I realized this point when I was in Singapore for a conference. I met so many people from so many different countries/continents (Germany, Malaysia, Vietnam, Phillipines, Austrailia, Portugal, etc). Pretty much all of them traveled a lot or were expats. As an American, I found that my knowledge of other cultures, customs, and general map-awareness to be weaker compared to theirs. Everyone knows so much about the United States, but most Americans doesn't really know much about the rest of the world. It made me want to buy a map of the world to hang up on my wall.

You don’t need a lot stuff. This is incredibly true. I remember a general rule/saying that was posted somewhere. It goes something like: Before you pack, lay out the clothes and money you want to bring. Pack half the clothes, and bring double the amount of money. Some of the clothes I brought, I never even used. It became clear that certain clothing were favorites to wear.

Traveling doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be expensive, but it certainly doesn't have to be. The American dollar is strong, and generally goes a long way for simple basic things in other parts of the world. I highly recommend staying away from tourist traps.

Culture matters. I would add that keeping an open mind matters too. I learned that not everyone was raised with American culture. It's unreasonable for them to quickly understand jokes, references, history, and other cultural nuances Americans are used to. It really helps to be patient, to listen, and know when to talk and be thoughtful on what to say.

English is becoming universal. At least in Thailand, very basic English is taught in school. Much like how I was taught Spanish, but I never used it so I have only the very bottom basics. But with more usage, I could probably relearn it again.
But I have one more that I would add to his list:

Social Technologies matter. I used Meetup.com, Facebook, and Twitter to meet so many interesting and passionate people. Often times, they were travelers or expats. Combined with the English language, this is a great means to communicate, learn, and reach out to a local communities/individuals.>



Next month I'm looking to do some more traveling with my JetBlue BluePass. I'm still learning new things too, such as becoming a more experienced Rails developer, a better photographer, and a decent writer/blogger. I do wish to rejoin the workforce, but only once I feel comfortable and confident in what I've learned.

Getting ready to Jet Blue with Blue Pass

Last year, in 2010, I took off with JetBlue with my All-You-Can-Jet (AYCJ) pass during the month of September/October. I visited Boston, New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Denver. Five cities! Friends, food, and fun! It was such a fantastic journey!


On my plane rides, I met many other jet-setters flying around the US. I remember having interesting conversations with them, and even on one flight, sitting next to a dog!

Sadly, they're not offering that pass this year. Instead, they're offering the Blue Pass. Unlimited travel for THREE months. I chose to go with the Long Beach Select option. The cities available to me to/from Long Beach are: Seatle, Portland, Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Austin, and Chicago. So during the months of September, October, and November, I will be visiting some of these great cities.

My goal is still to make it out to California and find a great job and live a good life chasing down all my other dreams.


UPDATE (8/8/2011 6:44am): I bought my tickets last Thursdaay, August 4, and have yet to receive my confirmation email, which was supposed to arrive within 24-48 hours. I called JetBlue (1-800-Jet-Blue) yesterday (8/7/2011), and they told me that they are going to send me my confirmation email within 24 hours. They did give me a confirmation number over the phone, but I'll feel better once I get an actual confirmation email, hopefully today.


UPDATE (8/9/2011 12:53am): Still no confirmation email from JetBlue. What gives? I see the charge on my credit card. Why won't their system send me a confirmation email? I'll give them a call later on today.


UPDATE (8/16/2011 3:22am): Logged into my JetBlue, and saw that I have my Blue Pass. Awesome.

Trip to Baltimore

I was out in Baltimore, Maryland for RailsConf last week. The conference was great, but this was also the first time I've been in Baltimore other than for a flight layover. For the most part I was there for the 4 day conference and eating.

I must say that some of the neighborhoods in the evening/night didn't feel to safe to walk through. Also, the taxis there are so very expensive! I paid $22 (including tip) for a taxi to drive four miles. I'll be sure to have food pictures up on FoodIsHappiness.com soon enough.

But this marks the end of my flying/adventuring for the time being. For the past month I've been on the plane 2-3 times per week, which has been tiring me out. I look forward to staying on the ground for a bit until I can make my way out to California.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures:

My busted bed when I arrived late Sunday night (no, I didn't break it...)

Harbor Place




I thought this B&N was super interesting.


Hybrid buses. Fast, Friendly, and Free

Trip to Singapore

I went to Singapore over the weekend (April 21-25) for Red Dot Ruby Conf. It was my first time to Singapore. I didn't travel around too much, as I was in a conference for two full days (Friday and Saturday).

Some things I noticed about Singapore:

• No mosquitoes
• Hot and humid like Bangkok, but more pleasant
• Plenty of jay-walkers
• Seems the major things to do are shop and eat
• 3G is everywhere, generally very good
• Singlish takes some getting used to
• Singapore is full of folks from everywhere
• Super clean everywhere
• No traffic-- seems well managed

I ate out often at hawker centers.


Checked out Orchard Road.


Also had the chance to visit Hackerspace.


Full album here.

APN Info for Singtel's 3G in Singapore

I wanted to write a quick post on my experience with getting a SIM card in Singapore.
When I arrived to Changi Airport, I immediately went to get a SIM card from a money exchange booth. They seemed to only offer prepaid SIM cards in $50, $100, and $150 SGD if I'm not mistaken. Since I was only staying for 4 days, I chose the smallest one: $50 SGD.

After following the instructions, I was able to dial out. But most important to me was to get data. All they told me was to dial *363 to get 3G going. This was true, but they left out a vital piece of information. The APN info! 

I went back to ask what else was needed. After 5 minutes, I was able to convince the lady at the counter that it was probably the APN info that was missing. She took out a booklet and looked up that information, wrote it down on a scrap paper, and gave it to me. 



APN information:

APN: hicard 
user: 65ideas 
password: ideas 

After doing this, I was able to get 3G going on my Google Nexus One (N1). 
Don't you think this information should be given to EVERYONE when they get a Singtel card with a data plan?? I shouldn't have to ask for it!
Other notes:

• 3G is pretty good in Singapore, it's most everywhere
• I had little problem tethering on my N1 with my Macbook Pro

Hopefully this post will help others out there.

Red Dot Ruby Conf 2011

\As part of my trip back to the US, I attended Red Dot Ruby Conf 2011 on April 22-23, 2011. This event takes place in Singapore, at the Singapore Management University (SMU).

I had an awesome time. I enjoy going to these social technology events. Got a chance to talk and hang out with a lot of smart folks. I really enjoy the Ruby/Rails community

Quick summary of the talks from the two days:

Day 1
Pivotal Labs is awesome. So is Agile. Everyone uses Pivotal Tracker. Everyone is hiring. (Note this is meant in good fun)

Day 2
A more technical day with code examples, MongoDB, etc ending with a coding competition. Everyone is hiring.

Here are some of my favorite pictures I took:



The two day schedule:


I woke up a bit late and arrived a bit tardy to the conference. This is what I heard when I was registering:

P1: "And who are you?"
P2: "I'm Matz."
... (laughter ensues)

(see picture below)

Matz was also late


The Matz (@yukihiro_matz) presenting on the future of Ruby:


I'd say about ~250 people in attendance.


We got Robin, Superman, and Batman!


Dave Thomas (@pragdave) presenting on day two on how Singlish is similar to Ruby. Easily my favorite talk of the conference.


Tom Preston-Werner (@mojombo) presenting on Github and Advanced Git techniques:

Andy Croll (@andycroll) closing the event:


The coding competition (used SingPath):






The winner of the coding competition walked out with a Macbook Air! Donated by Viki.

The after party was at Uluru, sponsored by Github.




You can visit the full Picasa album here. Sorry, I really prefer Picasa over Flickr.

Sponsors of the event: HP Labs, Pivotal Labs, Github, Viki, and Rubify.

Stack Overflow Meetup in Bangkok

On the Stackoverflow blog, it was announced that April 6, 2011 would be Worldwide Stack Overflow Meetup. They created a meetup page at: Stackoverflow Meetup.

BKK Web Meetup also hosted a meetup on IDEs and other dev tools. Presentations were given on Eclipse  (by @nadam9) and Vim (by @ches). Our gracious host was, as always, Web Courses Bangkok. Afterwards, we had the usual beer/food meetup at Singha Beer Park not too far away.

I posted pictures on twitter and the chat-room right away too. Please check out Stackoverflow World-Wide Meetups-- Success! blog post. Two pictures from our meetup was posted!

Here are some pictures, full album here.