It has been a different kind of week or two and my recent images reflect that.  

We were out and about eating Vietnamese food and were near the final resting place of FC's parents ... Both of whom I much admired. She asked if we could stop and spend a moment.  

Both of them, in the Buddhist tradition, were cremated. Their ashes are contained side-by-side in small containers in-cased in a wall in a building within a cemetery. Upon walking into that room, we saw this ... two Buddhist priests performing some type of ceremony with much incense, chanting, and clanging of symbols, and an offering of food and money to take to the after life.

I've been to three Buddhist funerals but have not seen this ceremony which takes place later.

Click!

On the day before Memorial Day, I visited the Los Angeles National Cemetery again. It is an impressive place that draws me back again and again ... particularly when all of the graves are marked by the addition of small flags. There is a certain gravitas about the place that I find hard to ignore.

Click!

The flags only emphasize the rows upon rows of graves. Wait for the wind to blow them in the right direction ... Click!

And, it isn't flat  ... there is  a gentle rolling hill that is part of the acreage.

Yesterday, an old college friend was in town with his wife. I and another college friend met them for lunch ... at a Vietnamese restaurant in Orange County. Afterwards we visited a "Vietnamese" mall where I spotted these six girls checking out jewelry. They seemed to be having so much fun ... I couldn't resist ... out came the iPhone.  Were they picking out a wedding ring?  

Click!

Then, too, last weekend, we hosted an Indian friend who was returning to India for a day of sightseeing.  Of course, Downtown LA was on the agenda. This is the Bank of America building with its Calder modern art piece in front ... one of the buildings I've photographed previously.  This time, I  played with the image in post trying to emphasize the vertical nature a bit more.

The Sun was reflecting off one of the two Cal. Water Plaza towers so I went for the star burst effect. If you have a "real" camera, dial in f-22 or greater and point it at a bright light source.  BTW, don't stare at the sun.  Click!

I moved a little closer, and loved the quality of the light being reflected off those two towers.  Click!

Buddhist ceremonies, Memorial Day at the LA National Cemetery, Tall buildings, Vietnamese woman shopping for jewelry, etc  ... they seem to have nothing in common other than they were serendipitously part of my wanderings this past week. 

As always, thank you for looking. I  hope you enjoyed this little "show."

Adam