As Seen by TV http://timvan.com/blog Vespertine photography, Shanghai-style. Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:17:24 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Hangzhou ~ West Lake Performace http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/hangzhou/ http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/hangzhou/#comments Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:00:32 +0000 timvan http://timvan.com/blog/?p=1397

For 9 days in mid-November I had to document an Executive Eduction Tour by a Russian delegation visiting China (more pics on that to follow).  Touring around Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou we visited companies and tourist attractions.  This set of images was taken at a Chinese Opera performance on and in Hangzhou’s mystical West Lake, while it was raining.  It was quite beautiful to say the least.

…and with that I wish you all a HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

]]> http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/hangzhou/feed/ 0 Goodbye Vietnam, Hello Thailand http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/goodbye-vietnam-hello-thailand/ http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/goodbye-vietnam-hello-thailand/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:00:23 +0000 timvan http://timvan.com/blog/?p=1390 Well, I just returned from Thailand and I am currently busy to get those photos up… what a beautiful place south-east Asia is! But as Chinese New Year approaches (this weekend) I’ll have to first upload some things from my trips to the beautiful old Chinese watertowns of Hangzhou and Suzhou. Stay tuned (just wanted to keep you in-the-know)! :-)

Also, as a side note, although I left Vietnam back in October, I only just finished polishing those images last week, so once again, good night Vietnam, it was epic. I have traveled my fair share… seeing more than half the modern world wonders, hitting up every continent (except Antarctica), but I can now add something else to my list: I’ve seen one of the worlds top 10 ugliest buildings… according to CNN at least. Check out some of the other hideously ugly buildings on their list here.

HAPPY [CHINESE] NEW YEAR!

]]> http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/goodbye-vietnam-hello-thailand/feed/ 0 Hanoi ~ Day 3… Good night Vietnam! http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/hanoi3/ http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/hanoi3/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 07:00:01 +0000 timvan http://timvan.com/blog/?p=1382 Seems strange sitting here months after the fact reminiscing about my trip to ‘nam.  Especially considering my trips to Hangzhou, Suzhou and just getting back from 2 weeks in Thailand (more pics to look forward to!!).  But back to the subject… Vietnam was everything I could have hoped for and so much more.  Happy smiling people, amazing food, beautiful scenery… shit, words can’t really explain the sights, sounds and delicious aromas that can onl be experience first hand.  And make sure you do.

Took the last full day in Vietnam just cruising around the city… over the river, past markets, fields, palaces and temples.  Also had to give our farewell to Uncle Ho, well his empty tomb at least.  We even drove through these tiny back alleyways… which got a little tricky when you hit oncoming motorbike traffic… yup, just look at those small street pics and imagine head-on around-the-corner-lurking traffic!

Then, when the sun went down, we saw some proper traffic (check out that last pic!).   Ah, Vietnam… I miss you already.

GOOD NIGHT VIETNAM.  Trust me, I will be back.

]]> http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/hanoi3/feed/ 0 Hanoi ~ Day 2 http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/hanoi-day-2/ http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/hanoi-day-2/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:14:34 +0000 timvan http://timvan.com/blog/?p=1373 Rented a motorbike and hit the town… in the rain.  Checked out Uncle Ho’s mausoleum, the one-pillar pagoda and the strangest museum I’ve ever seen.  I was very much dissapointed that Ho Chi Minh wasn’t lying in his mausoleum, but apparently he hits a Russian spa each year for 2 months to get his embalming treatment.  Since I have already seen Mao in Beijing, I was hoping to see another comrade in the flesh.  Oh well.

 

Seriously… the Ho Chi Minh Museum makes ZERO sense.  Wikipedia statses that, “it is a museum dedicated to the late Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam’s revolutionary struggle against foreign powers.”  But… I don’t know, look at some of the pictures I took and you’ll see it was a whole mix of bizarre crap that doesn’t make sense… reproductions of Mondriaan’s “Broadway Boogie Woogie” painting? …a large exhibit of oversized fruit on table?? ….a Ford Edsel smashing through the wall!?!  I don’t get it.

Then a final picture from the balcony at our hotel……….. g’night Hanoi.

 

]]> http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/hanoi-day-2/feed/ 0 Ahoy Hanoi! http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/ahoy-hanoi/ http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/ahoy-hanoi/#comments Sat, 07 Jan 2012 09:00:07 +0000 timvan http://timvan.com/blog/?p=1366 First day & night in Hanoi… walked around a bit, started taking some night shots but unfortunately it started to rain.

]]> http://timvan.com/blog/2012/01/ahoy-hanoi/feed/ 0 Hoi An ~ The Final Night http://timvan.com/blog/2011/12/hoi-an-the-final-night/ http://timvan.com/blog/2011/12/hoi-an-the-final-night/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 18:00:44 +0000 timvan http://timvan.com/blog/?p=1348 We spent our final day in Hoi An on the beach, followed by the compulsory final night of photographic vespertine action. Hoi An, you will be truly missed. Defo worth the visit if you get the chance…

TimVan recommends Hoi An, Vietnam.
:-D

]]> http://timvan.com/blog/2011/12/hoi-an-the-final-night/feed/ 0