Plane landed in Moscow Sheremetyevo International airport around 5:30 pm, customs, luggage, taxi, hotel. Weather is 25 C, everybody in short sleeves.

By 8:15 we are by the Red Square. Lot of people, police cordons. Sounds of music. Got standing tickets from a scalper, walked through security gates and we are on the Red Square!

Paul McCartney gig is about to start!!! Everybody exited, when he appears on stages whole square roars!!!. And then more then three hours non-stop singing! Incredible totally ectatic experience! More later.

That's what I discovered in the backpack of my Japanese friend heading to azure seas and sand beaches of Okinawa. Guess what is it?

It usually happens no more then once during Tokyo winter. Snowfall instantly changes scaly face of Tokyo. It's like geisha's make-up hides old pores and wrinkles. Unfortunately it melts away in day or two. I like snow and usually try not to miss this photo opportunity. I've probably taken photos of every single Tokyo snowfall for last ten years.

Normally snow comes in January, but this year it arrived early, in the beginning of December. I walked from home to Azabu-Juban subway station and then from Todai-mae station to my office with Fuji FinePix F402 petty digital camera clicking non-stop left and right. Fuji is a good camera. Since then I sold it to get an ultra-thin Casio ExSlim toy, which certainly inferior in image quality. The point is that it can fit into slimmest pocket.

Summer is already around the corner and I feel it's refreshing to pull some old winter photos out of closet.

Those who lived in Big Mikan know: come to Roppongi after half-year and you won't recognize the place. Your favorite midnight ramen joint turned into massage parlor, the hamburger pit was torn down and replaced by a trendy steel-and-glass boutique, and only the Tokyo Tower and old good Motown stand still as pinnacles of stability in eternally changing district.

I happened to pass through Roppongi in day light (rare event :) this Saturday and bumped into something I haven't seen before:

Suddenly these tricycle cabs resembling ladybugs crawl all over the place! Looks like fun, cost only 300 yen and certainly good for the ecology!

Even if you live in a cave for past 5 years, by now you know that Roppongi Hills Eighth Wonder of the World has been opened.

I took these photos of the tower from the Nishi-Azabu crossing with my petty Casio ExSlim S2 digital camera. The 52-storey building opened last week with 24 hours Virgin Cinemas, large museum space, observatory and thousand of shops and restaurants. It's amazing how lingering economic slump goes hand in hand with glittering night-life, always full restaurants and Mori's skyscrapers mushrooming all over the place. There is a feature on Roppongi Hills in one of the latest Metropolis's.

However the Roppongi Hills is just an excuse for this entry. I am trying to figure out why two above images taken by the same digital camera with exactly same settings within one minute interval or so, are so different in color balance.

Since I am getting inquires on what equipment I use for my photography and for producing this site, I decided to blog it. I am not sure if it's of any help or even interest to anybody, but at least I don't have to answer same questions over and over again. For the start I list my cameras and my lens right here. Sometime later I will probably review my other gadgets and may even cover particular items in more depth. Provided there is an interest.

For mainstream photography I stick with Nikon 35 mm SLR cameras.

There are different ways to live in Japan as a foreigner. You can go out, eat and drink to Roppongi, cut your hair at Australian hairdresser and ride your BMW to exclusive gym at the top of a skyscraper to jog on a jogging machine. You can shop for food in National Azabu supermarket in Hiroo. (For those who are not here National is the large expensive shopping center catering to gaijin 外人 = foreigner needs). And of course hire Philippino lady who will take care of laundry and clean your apartment while you spending your leisure time in American club.

Or you can live local.