It's that time of the year again...

New Year's Resolutions.

Usually, I pick two to three things and try and stick to it, but like most of my other hobbies, my dedication to these resolutions tend to come and go. I pick up knitting and stop after three or four months (that is generous, more like one or two months), only to pick it up later. I start pulling out the 6B pencils and sketch for hours on end, only to stop after completing a drawing and returning to my other "come-and-go" interests. This time, I am feeling more determined. Will that last? Only time will tell. So here goes:

1. Update the blog on a regular basis without letting over three days go by without a new post. I have plenty of posts lined up with events that have happened during the break and all this leads to...
   
2. Take out my camera at least four times a week and snap photographs of everything and anything to seek inspiration and keep myself inspired. I was going to attempt project 365 or even try the self-portrait project 365, but I don't think I am ready for that yet. There are other photography things I would like to try first, such as lighting techniques highlighted in Strobist and seen in other photography blogs.
3. Learn to crochet, and also knit fingerless gloves. Given my nature, if I list any other knitting project, I can safely say this resolution will be marked unaccomplished come the next year.
4. Read books (not just magazines) for leisure. I want to say a book every two months, given academic readings and whatnot, but I may have to change that figure once school kicks in.
5. Laugh at least once a day at the simple things that will make the below-zero temperatures more bearable and the emotionally draining and mentally straining thoughts of mine less so.

I think those are enough resolutions for now. The thing is, I set goals for myself all the time. With a bunch of floormates of mine, I resolved to do sit-ups at least three times a week. That turned into a complete failure. For one week, I managed to do sit-ups the entire week, patting myself on the back for keeping it up. The next week? School projects and tests slapped me in the face and I lost the motivation to do continue. I only hope I can keep these resolutions until the end of 2009 or at least modify them only slightly to make them more doable. They seem easy enough...don't they?

Most years, I find the countdown anti-climactic. I look forward to the celebration before and after, the bonding and festivities that surround the occasion. I can only think of a handful of countdowns that felt like something. Typically? I hit that zero mark and think, "That's it? But nothing is different." I guess I forget, in that instant, that change does not come in a flash. Change does not happen instantly. I think that touches a subject and a different question all together that I do not feel like getting into.

Anyway, have a wonderful New Year's Eve celebration and may the next year be amazing, not just in that one second where 2008 turns into 2009, but throughout the 12 months, 365 days, however you want to count it. I am spending mine hopping parties and hanging out with dear friends of mine that I hold very close to my heart, for these besties of mine, are the kind that know that silence can be just as comforting as words, tears can be as healing as laughter, and doing absolutely nothing can be just as fun and priceless as doing something.

-Update-

And on a side-note, check out what my cousin created! UC Stock Photo seems like such a great idea to me and I only hope that success continues. Congratulations, Albert!

Happy Holidays

Sorry to those who do read my blog. I have seriously gone M.I.A. the last few weeks. Upon returning home, I have just shut down and been too busy soaking in "home" to update my blog. I promise you, I will be paying more attention to this blog -- sooner than later. It is one of my New Year's resolutions along with making more trips out to downtown Chicago to take photos. Or at least, taking my camera out more often...perhaps not to downtown Chicago in the dead of winter. We'll see.

Happy Holidays, everyone. As I sit in my bed right now, rain is pouring heavily around the house and the wind sounds like it is about to rip trees out from their roots. How I miss the light snow I left in Chicago. That felt more like Christmas, but of course, being with the family and my friends from home? Priceless.

12/3: Millennium Park

Thanks to everyone who made yesterday such a wonderful day. I had a blast -- a short, yet sweet birthday. A few phone calls and texts, a cake and some good songs and walking through slippery streets.

Last Wednesday, a group of us from the dorm took the Metra into Chicago to check out the Kriskindle market and skate at Millennium Park. The weather? Extremely chilly, but with snow falling lightly across the city and its lights, the evening seemed magical. The Kriskindle market had this giant Christmas tree, some small little food stands and a sea of ornaments, candy and Austrian goods to buy. It reminded me of Christmas in the Park back home, but even more festive and better. Ice skating? Absolutely romantic and magical. It is one of the few times I have skated on an outdoor skating rink. Last time? The wind and ice was so harsh that the rink was incredibly choppy and I could hardly keep my balance without the wind pushing me around. As much fun as it was to be showed up by my wonderful hockey-saavvy friend and teachers, I prefer the Millennium Park ice rink.



Walking through the streets of Chicago. The number of people rushing towards the Metra and stations after work? It made Chicago feel oddly enough like New York.





Cloudgate! Or more commonly known as "The Bean." Can you see the cityscape? It was the best I could do with my point-and-shoot.

11/26: The Nelson Twins

My friend Olivia came to me one day and asked me if I could take portraits of her sister and her as a Christmas gift for her parents. I have never really done a full portrait shoot before and gladly accepted the offer to help a friend with a thoughtful gift. Plus? It was a blast just taking pictures for a few hours before heading over to her house for a delicious home-cooked Thanksgiving meal.

Here are just a few from the series:

Verbal vomit

Surprisingly, I'm finding the calm in the storm again. Recently, my mind has been filled with a pile of overwhelming thoughts. Although these thoughts are nothing new and have always been running through the back of my mind, I'm in another one of my phases where they have managed to push their way to the front and cloud my mind.

That said, there is so much going on during reading week that it is easy to get my mind off of things. In the past two weeks, I've watched over five movies, attended a capella shows, gone ice skating and explored Evanston with my friends. And yet I have been surprisingly productive with my schoolwork. Have I finally found that happy balance? I doubt it. It's probably only momentary, but I'll hold onto it as long as possible.

I'm excited to go home to sunny California. It is 17 degrees outside and it is hard to get in the holiday spirit when the Christmas lights we try to put up in our suite get ripped down.

I am not really sure what I'm trying to say in this post. Really, I'm just prolonging uploading ice skating photos from Thursday. But soon!

11/23: Scarf

I started this scarf on move-in day in Sept., and finally finished it last night when I should have been studying for my sociology exam that is worth 35 percent of my grade. I am pretty sure I failed miserably, but I'm going to ignore that fact and hope for the best. Last time, I thought I did horribly and pulled off an amazing score, so hopefully luck is on my side this time as well.

Next project? Perhaps a hat, a blanket or maybe even a cable-knit sweater. Hah, who am I kidding?

Now this...

is snow.

What a wonderful surprise to wake up to. When I woke up just ten minutes ago and looked out my window, I grabbed my point-and-shoot and snapped this photo quickly. Time to pull out the snow boots!

11/23: Take a drag

After getting my D90, I happily took on more NBN projects, knowing that I would not have to deal with that frustrating and difficult-to-use Canon SLR we own. My assignment? Take a photo of people smoking for an article on social smoking. I kept thinking, how hard can it be? I have friends in the dorm that I know smoke every once in a while. Oh, how wrong was I? Turns out, some people ran out of cigarettes, others decided to quit smoking. It turned into a frantic search for people at 11 o'clock at night.

NBN finally published the article Sunday with this teaser of my friend Peter.

Here are some outtakes:

11/22: Live high

We may have missed the Lawrence stop on our way there, but that was the least of our worries. As we stepped off the El, we walked down to the Aragon Entertainment Center only to find a line of people snaked around the stone wall next to the building. It was 4 p.m. in the afternoon. Doors were not going to open for another two hours. So much for our plan to hang out in a snug coffee shop. Instead, we grabbed venti cups of Starbucks and joined the line, hardly prepared for the 20-degree weather. People were bundled up underneath blankets and layers of gear: hats, gloves, wind-resistant jackets. Us? We lost feeling in our toes and my legs became numb despite my leggings, jeans, hat and three layers of clothing.

And it was all worth it.

To hear Jazon Mraz's beautiful music. Mraz has such a great stage presence and just blew everyone away.

So we hopped back on the El with grins on our faces, disregarding the two hours in the cold and settling down at Clarke's for a late night meal.

I love the days I spend with Janise.








Can you tell that we're freezing?



Lisa Hannigan opened the show.

11/19: Munch on this

The best part about living on the floor that I live on and in the suite that I live in is the great enthusiasm my suitemates bring to the table. Notified that it was our week for munchies, we quickly pulled together what is the best munchies of this quarter (I may be bias, but I'd say rightfully so). Sticking to our Moroccan-themed suite, we catered hommus and falafil from Olive Mountain, draped a sari over the ceiling, hung lanterns and star lamps from overhead and artistically placed scarves and blankets over the couches and lamps. My CA showed off her gorgeous dance moves and belly danced for us, only to be joined later by two boys from the second floor.

I must say, I'm damn proud to be a part of 3 Blue.

Reaching out

I never know how to act at one of these things. Funerals, memorial services, vigils. While I did not know Trevor Boehm at all, it felt appropriate to go, to pay my respects and to learn a little bit more about how he touched people's lives.

And I got more than I bargained for. It's amazing how much Boehm meant to the people he met. The way they talked about him, I wished I had met him, even momentarily.

I can't seem to gather my thoughts enough to write a coherent post. I guess the vigil just reminded me of the people I have lost and that my friends have lost. It was a reminder that, no matter what, the memory of a person still lives and burns strongly regardless of how long ago they actually died.

May you rest in peace and bring inspiration to others to be just as passionate, sincere and genuine as you were.

Black and White

I finally scanned a few of the photos from my black and white film photography class. So I'm posting as I avoid the overwhelming pile of work that awaits me.

I apologize in advance for the skewness of some photos and the off-coloring. These are all un-edited.

11/9: Last minute plans

The evening was going well. I escaped from the lively dorm scene to get some work done and planned to do my weekly copy-editing for North by Northwestern. A typical Sunday night; get some work done and publish some articles. I walked into the computer room to people talking about a fire on Ridge and Noyes.

"You're a photographer," my copy editor said pointedly. "Do you have a camera?"

Well, a girl like me, who just bought the brand-new Nikon D90, was not going to pass up the offer to cover a news event like this. I ran back to my dorm, up the three flights of stairs, snatched my camera and a recorder (just in case) off my desk and trekked over to Ridge and Noyes. This was one of the few times I wished I knew how to bike.

I got there after the fire was already extinguished and the firefighters were cleaning up, but I managed to snap a few shots.

I shot the photo of the bench on my way back and I just like how it turned out.





Update: Photo removed and changed due to publication on NBN post.

Flurries

It's snowing.

The weather is chilly, so chilly that every breath is palpable. From California, I have never really experienced real snowfall. Yes, there were family trips to Tahoe where blankets of snow have already fallen and yes, I've been to New York and Boston where snow fell, but somehow, this time around it's different. It's different seeing snow, knowing that I am living here in it. This time around, the snow is falling, but so light that it doesn't stick. It's the start of winter here in Evanston and surely, in a few weeks, the snow will cover the streets just like it did on my trips to Tahoe, New York and Boston.



Can you see the snow? I tried to capture it before it stopped.



My beautiful lucky bamboo. It does need a name.



This is how it looked about three days ago. I wish autumn lasted longer here in the Midwest. The reds, yellows and oranges are absolutely gorgeous. Combine the falling leaves with cool, refreshing autumn air and it just makes me smile.

Apologies

I know it's been a month since I have updated, but college took me by a storm and I have yet to find that happy balance between health, social life and studies. That said, I finally feel like I have things under control right now and this past month has definitely been a roller coaster nationally and personally. Journalism continues to prove itself difficult, but incredibly fun and exciting. My dormmates are absolutely wonderful and we spend time doing crazy things like playing Twister and carving pumpkins. The election? A historical moment for America definitely. However, I'm a little upset about California and Proposition 8, but I won't let that spoil my day.



This is my pumpkin. I believe this is the first pumpkin I have ever really carved by myself in my whole life.

And I bought a lucky bamboo plant from our local florist to brighten up my room. With the sun setting at 5 p.m. every day now, I feel like I have less and less time to do things in daylight and feel myself getting sleepy earlier and earlier. And, while the weather is absolutely gorgeous these past few days and I wish time would stop, the reality is that the temperature will drop about 30 degrees in the next few days and the first signs of snow are coming around. Am I ready? Absolutely not. Am I excited? Hell yes.







Also, I have a package coming in the mail that will make life so much more exciting! Hooray D90!