I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wedding photographer eat during a wedding. And if they do, I always imagined them trolling the reception hall for leftover bits of food during non-essential (and perhaps darkened) times — for instance, while the slideshow is playing. Now there’s a blog by an anonymous wedding photographer showcasing the meals that he (she?) gets fed while on the job. It’s probably the same meal eaten by the guests at the wedding; there’s no indication, however, that much of it is ever consumed.

In 1999, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake rocked Taiwan, devastating its central region. And a few years later, while teaching English in Tainan, I had the chance to visit the rebuilding in Taichung and see firsthand the earthquake’s destruction. During that time, I experienced several minor earthquakes and typhoons of my own, leaving me to wonder how my ancestors ever survived living on an island in the natural disaster-prone East Asian waters.

As I get older and news of disasters pile up, this is something I think about more.

Typhoon Morakat swept the island on Sunday, causing mudslides in Kaohsiung, crashing a helicopter, and killing 62 people. There are hundreds still missing. The typhoon then roared into China, displacing 1.4 million people in the southeast region.

The Boston Globe has documented this devastation in arresting collection of photos. I haven’t yet called my parents to ask about the status of my relatives in southern Taiwan, but I think that’s the next phone call I’m going to make.

Photojojo has a great new project to unbrand your camera strap by creating a custom fabric cover. I was planning to buy something new (like this clever seat belt strap Photojojo also sells), but making my own cover seems like an even better way to go. Time to break out the sewing machine!

Scientists warn that another giant jellyfish invasion is on the horizon off the Japanese coast. National Geographic published this amazing photograph during the last spawning in November 2007, when damage caused by the giant jellyfish cost fishermen billions of yen.

A picturesque ride back to Manhattan via the Metro-North Railroad along the Hudson River. We watched the sunset along the river, then I fell sound asleep on Rob’s shoulder. It’s true what they say; sometimes you need a vacation after the vacation.

The towns along the Hudson Valley contain a series of dichotomies — from an old-fashioned Main Street to the highway, from 10-stall farmers markets to national-chain restaurants, from large chain hotels to quaint bed and breakfasts. As we drove around, I was struck by the beauty of these small town traffic lights strung up across the intersection.