"Looking Down or Over" Someday, someday... the world will be free of the cursed internal combustion engine, and then the air will - once again - actually be transparent.  Until then, sometimes looking down provides a better view than looking over, which is strange, but look how nice that green looks (upper left) - and then look how the world looks from the exact same balcony (through the exact same lens at the exact same focal length) when looking to the side, especially in the lower left view.  In the winter or immediately following a typhoon, the air is much clearer, but otherwise one can only dream of the beautiful days before the arrival of the fire-breathing monsters on wheels.      Incidentally, back in August of 1984, I briefly stayed in an apartment in one of the buildings in the lower right and upper right photos.  It was a time of mystery and adventure for me, so the view brings back a flood of memories.... Copyright 2005, by Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon, Images Through Glass, Tokyo