2012 San Mateo, CA - Revisited

Back in 2012, I was given the good fortune of being assigned for training for our work in the USA. I was working in San Mateo, it's a not-so-often-heard place that I haven't heard from any Hollywood movie. It's located around 20 miles south of San Francisco. Unlike the crowded 'Frisco though, it's actually very peaceful and quiet. It is by far among the best surprises I ever had. The town is very upscale and folks are friendly. This is one of the few places that I'll definitely remember. 

I got a good chance to take evening walks and a nice camera at the time. Here are some of the pictures I've taken around town. There are a lot of parks here, this one in particular is in the residential area. 

Our Home Away From Home

This cozy place is called Marriott Residence Inn. It's our home away from home. This album showcases some interesting spots in it. I think it's a homely and cozy place. It looks more like a compound than a hotel building. The rooms are complete and have generous spaces too. Uh, no, I won't have pictures of what my room looks like.

Around California

We came here for work. I managed to somehow steal some snaps along the way especially outside work. I tend to forget my photographic side when at the office due to immense tasks we tackle day in and day out. This album has some shots I have taken outside the office, during the weekend before work, or on some nights after working.

Last Leg: LAX to SFO

At last we're back in USA. But we can't settle down just yet. We're not where we want to be. We landed in LAX (LA International Airport) and gone through customs. Predictably, I don't have pictures of those. Folks are pretty paranoid about it for "security reasons". Personally I like SFO better than LAX. Need to have a short break first. And lunch as well. After that, we hit the flight to where we want to be: SFO (San Francisco International Airport). It takes us the better part of the day.
Please excuse the captions, they take a bit of time to load. You can view the complete slide show at the end of the entry.

2016 Flight To USA

I left my heart in San Francisco. Now I'm coming back... To leave other parts of me on other places I guess. Yes this is my first big adventure for some time. Make no mistake, this journey is for work. But I still enjoy being in a foreign and friendlier country. This album shows the beginning of my big journey. On a side note, I changed the settings in Flickr to ensure it shows the comments. Try clicking on the images if they don't show up upon loading.

On this entry I'll be geeking out. A lot. Growing up I've been a fan of airplanes, and aviation in general. So yes, I know my Boeing 747 from my Airbus A380 and I can tell apart the A320 from the 737. Please excuse the geek.

Monday Memories: Strolls Around Saratoga

Exactly two years ago today, that was when I was spending my final days in San Mateo before I was going to fly back to Manila. Needless to say, I miss the place.

Artificial stream. This is the view I remember most in the Saratoga area.

San Mateo In Monochrome

When somebody hears the word "San Mateo", folks where I live would instantly think "San Mateo, Rizal". I however, remember "San Mateo" differently...

This is a man-made stream that runs along Park Place in the Archstone Apartments area in front of Whole Foods.
It has decorative fountains on both ends and bridges in between. It's a romantic place. Even if you're alone.

Throwback Thursday- San Mateo

A couple of years ago I was given the good fortune of being assigned to the USA. I was working in San Mateo, it's a not-so-often-heard place that I haven't heard from any Hollywood movie. It's located around 20 miles south of San Francisco. Unlike the crowded 'Frisco though, it's actually very peaceful and quiet. It is by far among the best surprises I ever had. The town is very upscale and folks are friendly. This is one of the few places that I'll definitely remember.

I got a good chance to take evening walks and a nice camera at the time. Here are some of the pictures I've taken around town. A lot of these are experiment shots, since I was new to the handling of the E-PL2 at the time. So it's not surprising if you see several shots of the same view with slightly different settings.

Other than my long exposure shots, I also got a good chance to shoot the moon while testing my then-new lens, the Samyang 500mm f/8. It's a decent lens, to say the least.

This is one place that I long to return to someday.