Vignettes – Page 3 – What's Larry Been Up To?

Edo. Edo. Edo.

Over thirty years ago I remember playing with He-Man figurines and being one among my classmates who coveted the big red tricycle. Whose idea was it to purchase three small and slow tricycles, and one large ultra-fast tricycle? What a cruel joke to play on kindergartners. This was our first lesson in how unfair the…

Project: International Afros

I take photographs of interesting people when I meet them. Even if I don’t meet them and I find them interesting I will still politely introduce myself and ask to take their photo. Sometimes I get rejected, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. Luckily, these two gentlemen who sported some nice fluffy afros that…

International Afros

Calvin Johnson

Seven years ago in front of my grandmother’s home I photographed this subject. He was at that time suffering from an unknown ailment — one that would wreak havoc on his life thereafter. Although he looked healthy, and had his wits about him, a painful cloud followed him. Whether it was his illness or his…

Telling Them Apart

While in Fukoka and walking around the city with Fuko, she confided in me that many Koreans looked noticeably alike. She could identify a Korean male mostly by his hair style. This got me thinking about the observable fashion trends and even noticeable genetic traits that Asians share because I too think I can tell most Asians apart. The following…

City of Angels

In one of my previous blog entries I wrote: “And there isn’t really a strong fear of being shot …. near the ‘Jungles’ anymore.” Oh what a long way from the truth that statement was. I made that statement after making a cursory inspection of my neighborhood after returning to Los Angeles from Seoul about one month…

Numbers Spook Me

I have this thing I do. I have noticed it ever since my birthday last year. Perhaps it occurred in the past but it was less noticeable. These days I see it happening often. I check my watch at 10:09. I see the price of goods marked 10.99. I bought a meal and my total…

沖縄県 Part II

While sitting at the bar at Chocolate Milk in Okinawa two gentlemen walked in. They were decked out in tailored suits that put my casual pants and t-shirt to shame. After greeting Hiro, the proprietor, they peered down the bar at me. I was sitting alone. These men must have noticed my dark as a sign that I was…

Buddha Like Me

After my most recent trip to Ethiopia, I marveled at the similarities between Korean and Ethiopian culture. This is the original post: I went to a temple today. Koreans built it around the sixth century. We drank tea, talked, and took some pictures. I saw a statue of Buddha — one that I hadn’t seen…

Buddha Like Me

I had always believed that Buddha was a large fat bald smiling man whose stomach Chinese people rubbed for good luck. I would see statues of this man often in Chinese restaurants. It wasn’t until 2012 that I realized this man was not Buddha, but actually a famous monk — Hotei. Back in 2012 I…