Be back in four

Oh, Labor Day weekend. You know, it doesn't really seem like a three-day weekend to me. Maybe it's because this summer has been the longest summer I have ever had and everyday is nice and relaxing. This is going to be a whole different kind of relaxation for me. My family has never gone houseboating before. I guess my mother found houseboats and thought it would be fun. We'll be lazy-ing around on a boat. I love being out to sea, but this isn't an ocean. This is Lake Shasta. I'm sure it will be absolutely gorgeous and lovely but there are a few things I am wary about. 1. We're bringing my dog on a 4-hour carride when he gets car sick on a 10-minute trip to the park. 2. Who knows how to maneuver a boat in our family?! 3. While I have googled houseboating and read up on it, I am still a little uncertain about what exactly we are doing.

It'll be an adventure, to say the least. I'll be posting about it when I get back. My co-worker was nice enough to lend me our Nikon D300 for the trip, so expect better quality photos!

In the meantime, I love Sarah-Ji's post here at Shuttersister. It speaks to me on so many levels. I claim titles simply because it is easier to say, "Yes, I am" than to go into a long, mundane argument about why I am not. Why I am not an artist. Why I am not really a photographer although the job title claims so. If a genuine love and passion for the things I do determines how I label myself, then perhaps I really can say, "Yes, I am" without hesitation.

Have a great Labor Day weekend, everyone! I'm sure there will be tons of stories to tell upon return.

About time?

I have wanted my own Digital SLR camera for quite a while now. Unfortunately, I only make so much an hour and intended on saving up my summer money for the first semester -- maybe only first quarter -- of college. But then...this came out. I. want. that.

Always and forever

I love the timelessness of this photo. It reminds me that some of the best friendships are not always formed with people I see day-to-day, but with those that I can easily fall into a comfortable silence with or roll around with in uncontrollable laughter.

Busy busy busy

Yes, I went MIA. Apologies to those who actually read this blog. I went through a week of extreme stress, bliss, and nostalgia. Rehearsals tend to do that to me. At least the rehearsals that are disorganized--with kids running about and completely unprepared for the annual performance that was only a few days away. All the shows went well though. Of course, a few minor glitches and mess-ups here and there, but why focus on those when this past weekend was my very last dance show of my high school career? And perhaps even my Chinese dance career? Anyways, thanks to everyone who showed up and those who brought flowers and gifts. It was a blast.

Of course, a milestone like this called for reminiscing and what better way to do it than with my dear old friend Erika who was there by my side when I first started dancing at the wee age of five or six. We stepped onto that concrete stage in the Monta Vista quad and wiggle our butts for the audience; we danced as swans and Disney characters; we held sleepovers and pool parties at each others' houses...and look how much we have all grown since then.

On top of all that, work has been busy to say the least. Well, it goes to show how much I am avoiding writing some of these articles as I am updating at this time of day. Let's call it alleviating the writer's block.

Oh -- and to all that have already left for college. Good luck and have tons of fun. The prospect of going away has not hit me yet, but I am hearing all these wonderful stories about college. All I want to say to all my friends is--Be happy. :D And keep in touch.

Complementary

peanut butter and jelly.
milk and cookies.
ketchup and mustard.
salt and pepper.

yin and yang.

Until next time...

It's always a bittersweet moment. I never usually sense reality until after the fact. When I say goodbye, I never expect it to be the last time I say it to you.

I have said a lot of goodbyes in the last few days with the end of camp to the beginning of friends leaving.

So to you: until next time...

Food that heals

It's been one of those weeks. Well, let's just call it my life. It's filled with ups and downs and I'm struggling to hold onto those 'ups' and to keep myself from falling too deep into the 'downs.' One of the many things I have learned with working with such a cool group of people this summer is that s'mores can heal a horrible day almost just as well as a white chocolate mocha can.

Right now, I wish I could get a fire going, slip into my PJs and under some blankets, and just drink a hot cup of tea on the couch. A s'more or two wouldn't hurt either.

Not-so vacation

I'm helping teach photography at a yearbook seminar this weekend. I only hope things go well.

Sunday afternoons

I love summers. For me, they usually mean a medley of old, routine hangouts and new experiences.

I found this as I got off the BART after watching my second A's game. My friends stared at me as if I was insane to be whipping out my camera. To me, it's cute. As if a child dressed up the pipe saying, "You need some shades."

I love finding little bits of magic in everyday life. Sure, the place I work is just a typical elementary school campus, but there are small, beautiful things lying around everywhere I look. Sure, I love doing some outrageous things like going with my international camp friends to Monterey and jumping out of a plane, but life is so much more than doing the extraordinary and creating excitement. For me, life is about finding the beauty and excitement in day-to-day life--to enjoy the timeless moments I mentioned in an earlier entry. Skydiving is not simply just jumping out of a plane. It is about the people you go with, the bonding that happens, and the overall openness to soaking in everything that is happening. So, even though my work is beginning to feel a little mundane, I find moments throughout the day that remind me that I would not want to be anywhere else--the hilarious things kids say, the jokes co-workers have with one another, and the simple beauty of how everything just is.

In tune with culture

Waking up to the sounds of my two adorable cousins playing in the living room was a comfortable way to vacation. Smack dab in the middle of his telegraphic speech phase, he loves dawdling around the house and calling out to people in his scratchy, cute baby voice. Now, the one and a half year-old loves cars and anything on wheels. He plays with his truck, rides around on a bicycle in the middle of an apartment, and loves watching Cars. He'll point at the TV and say "車車!" and the house attendant simply press play on the DVD player. Every morning, I watched McQueen and Mater tractor-tip and drive the streets of Radiator Springs.



Director of the Graduate School of Journalism at National Taiwan University, my uncle invited me to attend a journalism forum. My job? I was to bridge the language barrier if necessary and play confederate in cases where the students did not utilize the Q&A sessions. What did I really do? I was given the opportunity to hang out with and learn from eight professional journalists from around the world while we showed them the sights and gave them a taste of Taiwanese culture. Sure, I do Chinese dance and went to Chinese school, but every trip to Taiwan reminds me of how much I don't know. I participated in a tea ceremony, went to Yi-Lan, and enjoyed the company of some talented people.

Keep me where the light is

In an effort to divert my current thoughts and overwhelming emotions, I am going to remind myself of the amazing experience I had a few nights ago. It was one of those moments where I just wanted to say, "Time, stop right now. Stop moving. Don't go anywhere. Just hold everything just the way it is." Fortunately, I have had several moments in my life where I have wanted to tell Time to stop.

Stars scattered across the dark night sky and beautiful blues filled the air. When I managed to tear myself away from the beautiful sight of John Mayer standing in front of that mic and strumming his guitar as if he had the innate talent to move his fingers at the speed of light, I could see the big dipper sitting there, amongst other constellations I have yet to learn. My heart and my whole body became so full at that moment. Everything was absolutely perfect. But wait. I don't know how it happened, but things managed to get even better. Better than perfect? How could it be? He played "Gravity". And in that split moment when his voice entertwined with the melody of his guitar, I knew that life couldn't get much better than this.

And I owe the totality of my experience to this girl, who was willing to come with me to the concert even though I sprung it on her that morning. The girl who sang with me at the top of her lungs and danced the night away.

Fisherman's Wharf

There's something about that phrase, and finding it at Monterey Fisherman's Wharf that reminds me how much I love breathing in that salty sea air, walking down the boardwalks, passing by quaint little shops and restaurants. Somehow, the sea and all surrounding areas just scream 'laidback.' For me, being out at sea is so relaxing. The sea seems to pat me on the back and tell me, "Everything is going to be all right." Plus, wharfs are another place to find cute moments like these:

Coffee Society

I don't know why I don't spend more time at the library. Every time I go, I always have a good time and I love the atmosphere. I remember walking with my brother from our house to the library with a bag slung over my brother's shoulder filled with his science fiction books and my picture books. The minute we stepped inside the doors and the counter clicked twice, we always headed down the slope to the children's section (until I got to the Sweet Valley High phase). I spent hours sitting between bookshelves, choosing which Encyclopedia Brown I would read next and which Junie B. Jones would accompany my growing selection.

To be honest, I wasn't too happy when the library went under construction. I put my foot down and refused to accept the fact that the library I spent hours in would no longer look the same. But the new library has grown on me. I may not spend hours on end sitting and reading like I used to, but I always love the moments I spend there people-watching, sipping coffee, studying, reading, or listening to music. There is just this great laid-back atmosphere that comes with being at the library. When I am there, it's as if time stops and the world just feels right.

I took this photo on one particular visit to the library. I borrowed some books, ordered a cup of coffee from Coffee Society, and settled myself down by one of their metal coffee tables to do some schoolwork. A couple guys kept walking in and out of the shop, talking to the baristas and smoking cigarettes against the wall. That day, I ended up staying at Coffee Society until the sun set and the lamps turned on, listening to these guys play a short set of songs. Moments like these are what I live for. The moments that just happen, not according to plan. The moments of being, not doing.

Mosaic

I am starting this blog on a whim because I had to post this mosaic inspired by Bohogirl's post. I have yet to choose a specific direction for this blog, but I imagine that this will simply become an outlet for my thoughts, feelings, and mainly photographs that capture moments.

I think this mini-mosaic managed to capture all aspects of me really well. The colors and images show varying facets to my personality--the ever-quickly changing moods, the simple things that make me smile, the fantastical world I paint in my head, and the grounded, realistic side as well. What does your mosaic look like?

Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr search, using only the first page, choose your favorite image, copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker (3 columns, 4 rows).

The questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you attend?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10.What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your Flickr name.

1. Emily (before, after and the benefits of RAW), 2. Japanese plum, red flower, 3. harkers island #8, 4. Red Room ★ Racheal RockStar ★, 5. Jason Mraz, 6. Lonely Tea Time, 7. A door and two shadows, 8. Molten chocolate lava cake, 9. ©Rick Needle Gallery 1 Creative Artistic Glamour Wedding Photography AlterImage Wedding Photographer, 10. wisconsin fall leaves color 2007 hasselblad h3d 39 matt anderson photography warm october wheat grass, 11. grounded, 12. Sunday Afternoon