Category: Traveling

Cruising

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"On the Ship" Miami, 2016
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/11, 1/400 sec, ISO400
 “On the Ship” Miami, 2016

Today we began our cruise aboard the Norwegian Sky. 🚢 It’s one of those massive ships that seem to have every amenity on board. This particular ship has an open bar… so it is affectionately known as the “Booze Cruise”. And yes, I did have a few drinks! 🍹🍷🍸🍻

"Let's Go!" Miami, 2016
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/8, 1/340 sec, ISO400
 “Let’s Go!” Miami, 2016

This day was pretty much a half-day aboard the ship but it was really fun. It began with lunch and a welcome dance up by the pool. My extended family were all wearing the same blue reunion t-shirt so we pretty much took over that deck. I think there were around 200 of us! And this family loves to dance. Besides the nightclub on the ship, just about every other family gathering had dancing. 💃 It was so much fun!

The rest of the evening was spent taking a huge group photo, a dip in the pool, dinner, karaoke, gambling at the casino, and dancing at the nightclub. And probably a visit to the midnight buffet. 🍔🍴 It was a great start to the cruise!

"Distant Clouds" Atlantic Ocean, 2016
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/40 sec, ISO3200
 “Distant Clouds” Atlantic Ocean, 2016

Note: This post was written on 8/3/2016

Baseball in Miami

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"At the Marlins Game" Miami, 2016
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec, ISO1600
 “At the Marlins Game” Miami, 2016

Hello! How’s it going?

Today a few of us decided to catch a Marlins game while we had a free day. The Mets were in town visiting and we got some great seats on the right-field side. I had forgotten that Ichiro played for the Marlins, but when we got to our seats we noticed there were a lot of Japanese fans in the seats. Then I realized that we had the chance to see the great Ichiro!

Unfortunately he wasn’t in the lineup… All the Japanese fans were bummed, I’m sure. But happily, in the 8th inning Ichiro came up to bat as a pinch hitter. He ended up striking out, but it was cool to see him play at least a little bit. ⚾️

I’m happy I have gotten to see some great ballplayers during my lifetime. Besides Ichiro, I have seen Derek Jeter, Clayton Kershaw, Mike Piazza, Tony Gwynn, and Ozzie Smith among others. Hall-of-Famers!

It’s so fun to visit the different MLB stadiums around the country. This was the 7th MLB stadium I have been to, and I’ve been to 3 in Japan.

In the end, the Mets beat the Marlins 0-3 but we still had a fantastic time. I’m so glad we went!

"Baseball Panorama" Miami, 2016
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/7.1, 1/125 sec, ISO1250
 “Baseball Panorama” Miami, 2016

おやすみなさい！

– B Barron Fujimoto

Note: This post was written on 8/1/2016

High in the sky

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"Blue Skies" Cedar Park, 2016
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/7.1, 1/2700 sec, ISO200
 “Blue Skies” Cedar Park, 2016

Summer traveling will be starting for many people. Safe journeys everyone!

I took this photo at the elementary school athletic field. My son, Koa, and I went there to throw the baseball and enjoy the outdoors. The clouds had been so interesting for the past few days so I was planning on getting a couple nice photos of them, and when this plane flew by, I snapped one of it between the clouds. I adjusted the exposure levels and color a bit in Lightroom, and also bumped up the clarity.

Cloudy skies

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"Cloudy Skies" SWEDEN. Stockholm. 2015.
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/8, 1/60 sec, ISO500
 “Cloudy Skies” SWEDEN. Stockholm. 2015.

This is a photo from the end of August 2015 when I went on a business trip to Stockholm. The city is beautiful, especially because it is on the water, where reflections can highlight the city and bridges, making for some wonderful photo opportunities. I am not sure exactly how much distance I covered during the days I had free, but the city is so walk-able that it I found it impossible not to just wander around the city. In fact, there were a couple of times where I stepped outside the hotel doors, chose a direction and just started walking. There are even some fantastic routes for running right in the middle of the city, which is so convenient. If you ever have the chance to visit Stockholm, you should!

Being early

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Here’s a wonderful post over at Unclutterer all about the benefits of being early.

I try to be early for my appointments, but especially for things like arriving at the airport. I would rather get there an hour earlier than recommended and spend the time reading or getting a bite to eat, than stressing over missing my flight, worrying about traffic, getting stuck in long security lines, etc. In fact, I feel good when I am in a long security line but realize that I have plenty of time and don’t need to stress. Or if traffic backs up unexpectedly (which fortunately Google Maps/Navigation can alleviate), I know I don’t need to worry. I’ll make it in time!

View over Osaka

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JAPAN. Osaka. 2014.
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 10mm, f/8, 1/350 sec, ISO100
 JAPAN. Osaka. 2014.

I miss Japan! Unfortunately, I won’t be traveling there this summer 😢, but perhaps next year! I took this photo from the Tsutenkaku observation deck. In it you can see the tallest building in Osaka prefecture, “Abeno Harukas”.

One thing I love when traveling in Japan is that my wife (who was born and raised in Kansai area of Japan) really takes care of us and we get to do lots of cool things. It’s kind of like we have a tour guide wherever we go! She treats us so well, and for that I am truly grateful. 🙇 You know, I would be happy just hanging out in the city during our visits, but my wife often takes us around the country to see new places (and eat local foods). It’s kind of surprising for me (as someone who grew up in the U.S.) to realize that there are so many regional differences throughout the country of Japan. I love it! So much to explore… 🇯🇵