Re: [MC74 and Friends] My entries for Simple Pleasure/Key to Happiness

Dear friends,

I take pleasure in so many little things that it's very hard for me to choose, but I have to say one
of the simplest pleasure for me is to be near, in, and on …......


.
..

…

…. water :-) be it lake or ocean.



A couple of weekends ago, we took R's mom on a cruise of the SF bay and I took these photos which I hope will bring you a bit of the feeling :-)

There it is … the one and only … Golden Gate Bridge

I was very happy to catch one of the seagull in flight,  and behind the sailboat is Alcatraz

Here you can see from left to right the Embarcadero, the pointy Embarcadero buliding and on the
far right hand side the Coit tower.  The water is a lot calmer the further you get away for the GG bridge.

And here is the Bay Bridge and another seagull … yeah!






Herb Caen said it all :-)

My entries for Simple Pleasure/Key to Happiness

Dear fellows Pho' Nhoms\, hoa. si~, thi si~ and van si~ en herbe and Forum friends

Here are my entries for Key to Happiness or Simple pleasure:

The first entry entitled Pure Happiness is a picture of my two girls holding hands, enjoying having their feet in the water, in the warm sunlight. I quickly took a picture to capture the sweetness of the moment. I could feel in my heart that it was a moment of pure happiness for them; it was also a simple pleasure for me to witness it.  

My second entry is entitled "Serenitea". Sometimes, all I need is a cup of green tea...
I took this picture at the Byodo Temple in Hawaii; the Japanese lady who gave us a quick lesson in tea ceremony told us that this green powder came from the best green tea in Japan. It was a pleasure for me sitting with Mai Khoi at that moment, watching the lady preparing the tea and looking at her beautiful tea cups. I loved the color of the brush, the tea cup and the green liquid, so much so I had to take a picture.

Quang, how about dessert with ly che\ ba mau^\ and finish with a cup of green tea?

My third entry is entitled Key to Happiness, to quote Mr. Kiu. I saw this big mural ad across the street from Port Authority on 42nd street, last week when I was catching the bus to go the office, but did not have time to take a picture. So on our way back from dim sum with Trang, Vit and Quang. I made sure I stopped to take a photo of it. I loved its design and message which I think is very relevant to our theme. 

Enjoy what you do on this Sunday and during the week...:-)

EmCi

[MC74 and Friends] This week theme - Simple Pleasure

Che thai for dessert - simply oh la la!

TNS

Fw: [MC74 and Friends] For this week's theme 'through the window'

 

Hello dear  BT, MC, CTT, Caro Nhu-Hoa, HH2, Trang, KL  and MC friends,

Thank you soooo much for sharing all your interesting/witty/funny postings, fabulous parties and pics and...poems!!!

MC, Trang look  radiantly happy  in such a great company !. What is your recommended restaurant  for Dim Sum in Chinatown?

As we speak of Matthieu Ricard, may I join here an article in 2004of the National Academy of Sciences about gamma wave activity in meditation:

http://www.pnas.org/content/101/46/16369.full

and some old pics (from 2010)  of my neck of the swiss mountains while we await for spring.

Cordialement,

Thu-Dung Caro TD4

Fw: MIEUX VAUT TARD QUE JAMAIS

TRAm oi,je ne sais pas si le sujet du jour est toujours THROUGH THE WINDOW ,mais mieux vaut tard que jamais! BIZ

HLan

Fw: [MC74 and Friends] For this week's theme 'through the window'

Wow, BT! Such artistic talent you've got my dear! Thanks for the lovely collage. I'm finally getting a chance to catch up on email and enjoy looking at all the great photographic contributions.

This is probably very late, as I have no idea whether the theme Through the Looking Glass is still on this week or not, but here are a couple of pictures taken during our brief stay in NY last week. The first one is entitled Empire State of Mind and shows the NY skyline from across the Hudson River in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. The second one was taken during my little excursion in Chinatown with Em Ci and Mr Kiu and is labeled Two Birds With  One Stone, as it could almost double as a shoe theme entry (well, if sandals and flip flops count as shoes) as well as the Through the Looking Glass theme. 

Thank you BT, and keep up the good work!

Trang

Re: [MC74 and Friends] Sunlight thru window

Hi Cay Ti Xi

So beautifull and fresh tulipes ! And so artistically captured with your camera .Are they from your garden ?It' rare to see purple tulipes

Here are some coquelicots I made a few years ago to match your flowers and bring some Spring scent to all friends

Avec bien du retard, merci beaucoup pour ces belles photos et dessins à tous les amis et  que j' ai pu admirer dans le blog post de notre Sun Queen BT, elles sont toutes superbes et artistiques !

Amitiés

Hy Hoà

Sunlight thru window

Dear 2 ba chu blog and friends,

Late as usual to meet assignment’s deadline

No good ideas or subjects come to mind

Void of originality & elegance of CTT or Caroline

Ingenuity and creativity from twins EmCi & Lauren

Great techniques of Doug or Sunny’s shine

Not to mention pics of Triet and Liem so refined

As well as Anh Tuan and Ha Tuan’s beautiful skyline

Walking around empty house with a blank mind

Armed with a P&S and not a thing to find

Click click click, hoping outcome will be fine

Spring has sprung with all its glorious signs

Wishing all a wonderful and restful time…

Ktc

Re: [MC74 and Friends] For this week's theme 'through the window'

Hello Mai Chau, hello TNS & friends,
I intended to go straight ( lờ đi luôn ) but nothing
could escape your keen sense of observation, EMCI !
So, very humbly, nothing glamourous behing my window,
just a pigeon that came to nest for the second time in
my plants, see the trilogy attached
It was very difficult to photography the mariole that took
the flight as soon as I approched.
Enjoy ,
CTT

Re: [MC74 and Friends] For this week's theme 'through the window'

Hi all,

I must say that the artistic talents displayed on this forum are really impressive. It is humbling to be in you all's company. Since we have not had too many poems posted, I will follow the lead of our very talented musician/singer/poet Triet, and humbly send in my modest contribution of a small poem, all the while hoping that "tru*'ng tho^'i" will not be thrown at me.

Tự nhủ

Anh tự nhủ…quyết sẽ không nhung-nhớ,

Không giận-hờn, không suy-nghĩ vẩn-vơ,

Không tương-tư, không thao-thức đợi-chờ

Không buồn-bã những ngày em xa vắng.

Vừa xa nhau, ôi sao lòng vương-vấn,

Nhớ môi thơm đượm ngọt vị yêu-đương,

Nhớ tay đam-mê đưa lối thiên-đường,

Nhớ tình-tự những chiều Đông buốt-giá.

Nhớ làm sao lời yêu tha-thiết quá

Lúc chiều tàn em thủ-thỉ bên tai,

Nhớ làm sao trong đêm vắng canh dài

Tình e-ấp em trao anh trọn-vẹn.

Ôi anh nhớ những buổi chiều hò-hẹn

Đường em về lưu-luyến lúc chia tay,

Ôi nhớ-nhung thao-thức suốt đêm dài,

Anh tự-nhủ…sẽ yêu em mãi mãi!

Thuan

Re: [MC74 and Friends] For this week's theme 'through the window'

Hello BT, MC and friends

Very impressed by your beautifull and creative photography... The Manhattan window composition was very unique!
Here's my modest contribution for Through the Window theme, taken in Florence
Caro

My photo entry for next week theme THRU THE WINDOW

"The Nike Team!"

Photo taken from inside The Nike store, one beautiful morning looking out to Union Square, San Francisco.

[MC74 and Friends] My photo entry for next week theme THROUGH THE WINDOW

Let the light of your love shine through the window of my heart.

TNS

Fw: [MC74 and Friends] my entries for Through the window

Dear Friends,

 

Please accept my humble entry for this week's theme, Through the Window. 

A bowl of pho with reduced fat, homemade marrow bone beef stock ,  accompanied with fresh mints picked from my 100% organic herb garden, plus a café sua da  personally prepared and deferentially served by me, will be the rewards for the first friend who correctly identifies the location of this photo.   A  zero fat pate chaud  bonus prize will be presented to the one who could determine the project shown in the picture.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Tuan

Re: [MC74 and Friends] my entries for Through the window

thiThis is San Francisco by night thru the rain and thru the window. Tuan

For this week's theme 'through the window'

C’est la deluge des ‘Vitrines de Paris’.

Ces photos sont prises a` la derniere visite avec LHien. Comme vous voyez on leche bien les vitirines :-)  en touristes germanopratines ( petit tuyau pour ce qui suit)

Un grand PHO est le grand prix pour celui/celle qui identifie toutes les boutiques/galleries et leurs emplacements. Allons les zamis Parisiens, surement vous les placez? Chiche!

BT

Fw: [MC74 and Friends] my entries for Through the window

Dear fellows pho' nhom\, hoa si~ , thi si~ en herbe and forum friends,

Here are my two entries for the theme Through the windows.

My first entry is entitled Lady Liberty looking out the window.

I was walking down 5th Avenue on Friday,
When I saw her, Lady Liberty.
She was standing in a Souvenir shop,
With her torch, amidst mountains of T-Shirts 
Looking out the window at the passers-by,
And the rain, and the grey and cloudy sky
With her sad and beautiful eyes.


My second entry is entitled NY look and reflections

Enjoy your weekend
From be^n bo*\ so^ng (nhu*ng kho^ng say so'ng :-))
MC

,_._,___

Fw: [MC74 and Friends] More pictures on the "Through The Window" theme

Hi BiTi, Em Ci and all pho nhom,
Sorry for the late submissions but I just found these two shots that
should fit the topic quite well.
The first is a picture of our patio back in Massachusetts in the early
spring (Ah, we really miss that house, now that we're in Chicago). The
second is a shot taken just this past New Year's of our friend Di
Binh's spectacular backyard, particularly in the early morning fog.
You guys change themes so fast, it's hard to keep up! I'm working on
the "Shoes" theme now, but I suspect the ladies on the forum may have
a slight advantage over the guys on this topic. Anyway, enjoy!
Triet

-

Fw: [MC74 and Friends] My photo entry for next week theme THROUGH THE WINDOW ( Dracula Roses ):

Dear MC Friends:

I saw these "Dracula Roses" through  a vitrine at the Mall in my areas: 

It  catch my eyes, it looks scary but mysterious!

From Liem

My photo entry for next week theme THROUGH THE WINDOW

No comments.

Fw: week photo subject -- my picture of the day :-)

Dear Great MC Friends,
This is my picture of the day;

 I saw these signs on the window at Deer-park & click !

it makes me wonder all day!

Hope that you like it too,

From Liem,_._,___

Fw: [MC74 and Friends] Shoes entry

To compete with Don Johnson, here is another pair of hairy legs…

TGIF,

L.Hien

Fw: my additional entries for water, etc....

Title of my photo: Be^n bo*\ so^ng lie^u~ ru~. Somehow, looking at the photo, I felt that a Vietnamese title fitted better the poetic, but in a very Asian way, scenery.    I remember sitting by the river that day to take the photo, wishing that it was a moonlit evening...

Title of my photo: what else but "Raise the red lanterns" :-) It seemed that the view of these old houses adorned with red lanterns did remind some of us of Zhang Yimou's movie, right Doc Awake?

Em Ci

Another entry for shoes

The story of the frame and the little clogs

I brought these tiny little clogs back from Portugal, for the longest time they sat on the bookshelf collecting dust… then one Christmas the frame came ‘on’ a white elephant (gift exchange).  It sat down on the bookshelf next to the little clogs and … WHAM … one look at each other (that’s all it took), and they decided to stay glued together forever after :-)

Don’t you think they are a good match? :-)

Since the theme of the week is shoes, I thought I’d introduce them to you and to share with you a bit of my little clogs’ country of origin with a song from the young up and coming fadista Ana Moura at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zreA3NgiPYE

Enjoy!

BT

Late submission on the theme of "Shoes"

Sorry for the late submission but P-Anh gave me a great idea for the Shoes theme last night. Here it is: "Sixties Go Go Boots"! (It's also a little hommage to our own Francoise Hardy look-alike, the wonderful EmCi). Hope it meets the standard of our tough Siskel & Ebert team.

Triet

So Special Lucky Luke

 

Dear Kiu, BiTi, MC, friends,

Thank you for the subtle reminder.  I’m so flattered to be mentioned in the same breath as Kiu as a critic.  The truth of the matter is that I’m light years behind and will never be on the same par.  But since I’m diec khong so+. su’ng and just for the fun of it as Quang mentioned, what the heck.  Unfortunately, I’ll be buried deep in work the next few weeks and just like at MC and college, I’ll skip and miss some of your assignments and hopefully still pass with a barely “passable” grade at the end.  But unlike at MC and college, I will surely enjoy watching and reading your works.

So to borrow and few verses from one of my all time favorite songs and Sir Elton John:

I'm going back to my plough
Back to the howling winds of Texas
Looking for the flowing black oil

Oh I've finally decided my future lies
Well within the white cotton fields L

Cay Ti Xi aka Lucky Luke

RE: [MC74 and Friends] Photo on the theme of "Water"

"Broad reach!"

And, so, just like that, with the wind filling our sails, on we went, towards the bay waters! 

Faraway, you can see the haze covering the mountains. The recent California forest fires from up north have spread their smokes down to cover our land. 

Copyright (C) Douglas M. Phan 2008.  All rights reserved.

This photo is dedicated to my seconde C8, premiere C4, and TC3 classmate Tran Ha Tuan, as an invitation to adventure, one of these days, when the wind is just a little warmer, yes Tuan?

The photo is not quite complete without this:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMkIuKXwmlU>

Many thanks, for bringing back lots of memories.

My best,

Duc

PS:  "Broad reach is a technical term, a point-of-sail, perhaps the equiv of full-speed"

Fw: [MC74 and Friends] My photo entries for this week theme SHOES

Mai Chau oi ,

 

Gia^`y do* , gia^`y   cu~ co la^'y khong ?  J   

 

THg

 

Fw: [MC74 and Friends] REMINDER to Pho nhom en herbe

Dear Sweet MC Friends:
Here are my pink shoes for this week entry:

Hope you like it!
Cheers from Liem

 

 

 

Re: [MC74 and Friends] Photo on the theme of "Water"

 

This is the Marina in the Delta, close to my house. Tuan __,_._,___

Photo on the theme of "Water"

I was hoping the Twins would not notice my absence on the theme of Water but no such luck! So, since I do have today off and have a chance to go through my photo archives, here's my belated submission: "Kayaking into The Sunset", taken a few years ago in....where else? Hawaii.

Triet

Fw: [MC74 and Friends] My photo entries for this week theme SHOES

" C. ( croco) vs C. ( cashmere) "

My photo entries for this week theme SHOES

Title:  "Yesteryear!"

Just a snapshot that i took some time ago, while resting against a tree.  The brown grassland and rounded oak trees are typical of California in the summertime.  Bored with my camera, didn't know what to do --> but it did come out with a little bit of peace and quiet of a bucolic scene, as i remember it.  Missing some birds chirping and leaves rustling.  Thinking about years past, times camping with loved ones, children running etc --> hence the title.

Duc

Poesie En Herbe

Nhìn Trộm

Qua khung cửa mằt ngời tôi đã thấy em
Bâng khuâng em ve vuốt một mảnh trời đã khuất
Tay nhẹ nhàng xua những áng mây ngang
Chân dặt dìu vùi bãi cát hồn tôi

Trầm Tư

Một chút nhạc, một chút tình
Thi vị đời người nào hiếm hoi
Từng câu hát nặng trĩu những âm thầm
Bao lặng lẽ chứa chan rừng kỹ niệm
Trầm lắng ôn hoài những gì đã mất


Độc Thoại

Đã bao lần
Duỗi chân
Tôi soi mặt khung cửa thẳm miên man
Trộm nhìn những chiều tàn tình con nít bay đi
Yêu phố hè ngập bóng nắng vô tư
Vẫn vơ nhung nhớ vài mảnh tình lẩm cẩm
Xa lạ, những thân xác đói, những thây ma
Bao ánh mắt hỏa châu thiêu rụi
Thưở ấy tim tôi rướm mặt trời

Ảo mộng đã quên, bán đi hay cho không?
Nay còn miệng đắng những hoài bão cát trôi
Con rạch nào sẽ đưa đến chân trời ?
Ngoài kia mặt trời đã ngấm tắt.


Triet

Re: [MC74 and Friends] My photo entries for this week theme SHOES

Woman walking in a supermarket.

Re: [MC74 and Friends] My photo entries for this week theme SHOES

Doi giay (va chan long la) cua ai day?

TNS