There are many reasons why Seattle is called the "Emerald City", but I wouldn't be able to furnish each reason or the history behind each one. However, I can provide that part of it comes from the fact that the trees stay green year round due to the "healthy" amount of rainfall the city receives on a weekly basis. Given that observation, Seattle is one of the most picturesque locations I have come to know. Please enjoy views of the latest American city I have adopted since March 2007.

You're invited to see my favorite entertainer, Janet "Miss Jackson if You're Nasty" Jackson, in her element -- live on stage! These photos are from Janet's "Rock Witchu" tour at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto in late September 2008. Personal thanks to my buddy KD for the best seats at the venue and his friend Nadine for lending me her Canon PowerShot camera. I depleted the batteries' energy three-quarters of the way into Janet's amazing performance, but you'll get the gist of it here. While viewing, choose the slideshow option, play your favorite Janet song, and enjoy the show!

A few of my favorite shots over the last 20 years.

It was late November 2008, and I had yet to digitally capture Canada's third largest city on my Sony Alpha dSLR. Experience this visit and vision of Vancouver, a city that embellishes its urban expanse alongside its natural beauty, both packaged with a stylish, cosmopolitan vibe that makes it so attractive to residents and visitors alike. Vancouver has it all.

First trip to the City by the Bay: April 2008. Since I was a kid and saw pictures of the city, I had been longing to visit. Also, the unforgettable climax in the James Bond movie, "A View to a Kill", was always an incentive as well. San Francisco is, without a doubt, one of the most marvelous cities I have ever seen. I took a record 1,666 photos in the four and a half days I was there, but chose this selection to share. It was indeed one of the best photo tours I have been on to date! Enjoy.

New York City. The day before I graduated from from the University of Minnesota, I interviewed for my first "real life" job in Manhattan. I had predetermined for months that I would either move to NYC or DC (the latter came to fruition six years later). NYC was my home from 1998 to 2000. After numerous visits since, I have never grown weary of the Big Apple. "Mesmerizing" is only the first word that comes to mind when I think of this city.

Washington is a tough city. I used to call it the "Urban Jungle", a humid metropolis that was originally built on swampy marshlands over 200 years ago. Unlike most contemporary American cities, Washington's urban planning and cartographic layout are European by design, modeled after the city of Paris. It also has a zoning law that no building within the District can be taller than the U.S. Capitol. (No, the Washington Monument is not a "building" by definition). Nevertheless, the American capital is a genuine city that takes no shame in revealing its beauty, its ugliness, and its defiance of public opinion. Walk with me through this enchantingly enigmatic city that was my home for three years (2004-2007).

The Colonial City. I explored the City of Boston in late November 2006. One highlight of the visit was the observation deck at Prudential Tower, or "The Pru" as the locals coined it. The view of the downtown skyline was nothing short of spectacular. More notably, the view I captured (this picture to the left) won a photography contest hosted by the city government. Out of 400 entries, 35 winning photos were selected. I was the only winner who did not reside in Boston. For more information, check http://www.cityofboston.gov/photocontest/. It was an unexpected surprise and honor to receive a plaque for "The Aerial Grandeur of Boston" from Mayor Menino. Since then, all the selected photos have been enlarged and are now on permanent display in Boston's City Hall. Thank you for the opportunity, recognition, and boost of confidence, City of Boston!

Colorful Colorado. Every road trip I took in this state was a unique adventure. No two excursions were the same, even if the same roads were taken. Colorado was my home for three years, while attending graduate school at the University of Denver. Weekends were certainly meant for escape, and I took every opportunity.

A week after visiting Cape Flattery, I was still marvelling about the charm and lure of the Pacific Ocean. I felt an urge to pay the ocean another visit, and this time, get my feet wet (literally). This was a trip that featured some stops in Bremerton, Westport, and Long Beach, in Washington State. Additionally, I had never been to Oregon, so it was time to add that state to my tally. I was entranced by the design of the Astoria-Megler Bridge that traverses the enormous mouth of the mighty Columbia River that divides Washington and Oregon. Astoria is a lovely town too (and also where Steven Spielberg filmed "The Goonies")! My final visit was Ecola State Park, just north of Cannon Beach. It was beautiful, with sweeping landscape views of the Oregon Coast and the Pacific at sunset.