The Wonder of Neon (the Loop, Chicago)

They don't make old timey neon signs like this any more, do they? I think neon is magical. Not only is it beautiful but the idea that it's made from gas--and an element among an elite group that has earned the moniker "noble"--makes it extra thrilling. I suppose it's only fitting that this old-time sign promote the wares of a business that itself has changed dramatically. Nothing underscores the obsolescence of cameras more than the fact that I took this photo with my phone. 

Lunch in Tokyo (Except We Were Really in Herald Square)

FoodParc, a sleek modern food mall, opened off Herald Square, and my friend Robyn and I celebrated her birthday there. Customers place their order (with help from green t-shirted staff, as in the photo) with three different food stands via a touch screen and check their orders' progress via large flat-screen TVs. We ordered from all three places, as you can see in the photo below (our order is third from the bottom). I felt like we were in Tokyo.