travel by night

2012

2012-01-31T10:51:00.000-08:00

it's been a long long time since i've written anything down... too many thoughts to figure out. emotions i can't pinpoint. ever since the failed ivf, i mean, a complete failure that even the dr suggested not going further, i've not known what to write, how to put down how i felt exactly. and then, ther'r the ppl that r ever encouraging, suggesting this dr n other dr they hv known frnd's hv used n had success at. or other suggests that once it's over, i'd get pregnant without even trying. it's been nearly 1/2 yr now. i think the fact is, there's not gonna b a child. n now, i just hv to deal with it.
i think the worst part is, i can't help the inner feeling of jealousy n envy whenever i hear another frnd or someone nearby getting pregn left-n-rt. it's a feeling i've had to suppress cuz it isn't a good feeling. i don't want to end up being one of those women who hate or gets jaded. i mean, nvr thought ths was in my plans, that i'd want a child n hv my body tell me NO! i think that's the worst, having ur body tell u NO... like there's no choice for me — i hv no control... that i'm not going to get what i wanted n just hv to deal with it. this is not easy to deal with tho. how do u naturally b happy for others that announces with pride, their pregnancy? n not feel jealous or envy? or b pitied upon by others who tread carefully around u abt ths subject?
yes, maybe going to c a psychologist or a support group will help. then again, i prefer to deal with it myself.
it's a training for the inner self to try to align with the outer self, no?

2012.
on other note.
i am moving back to soCal ths sat. flying to palm springs for a girls nite with my cat. then home to my parents'
we'll try to fig out our future elsewhere. pdx is just not quite for me.
i've packed up my studio n today i will go n rtn the keys. somehow, when i started here, there was just a box, n over the span of 1.5 yr, i've managed to accumulate a bunch of things. amazing how as humans, we tend to collect things. then manage to move from 1 spot to another w/all these things. n no matter how much u try n try to keep it minimal, there r just still a lot of "stuff"
anyway, until we actually have a place to move-TO. i've managed to absorb all the things back into our 1 bedroom condo. it's looking a bit crowded, i must say.
still, this is so exciting that we r moving out of here. the gray n wetness just... depresses me. altho i'll b missing my new frnds n the food here. o i do really love the resto scenes here. so many choices n all so nearby. no traffic to deal with. good public transport, this is a very walkable town. n having a studio for such low cost, that, i prob cannot find in LA or OC...but o, i can't seem to trade all this for the SUN n warmth.
there r still a few loose ends to tie up here n there; i am ready. i will set things up right away in oc to start back at my freelance gigs for work n try to fig out places i can possibly show my art work. n fig out where i can set up temp studio space n start working. maybe, just maybe, i can learn to b teacher assistant at the art class where sean goes n c if i can b an art teacher (part-time).
ths yr, i also want to maybe attend a yoga retreat? maybe, it's been something in my mind to do. learn to surf, really surf. get back o rock-climbing (gym) find another dance place like bodyvox (my stretch class), etc.

play
i wanna get back to being playful again.
was in whistler with my sister and her boyz. seeing them always cheers me up.

another goal we hv, since we r going to b child-less, would b to spend more time w/our families n help out with the kids. play play play, that is wht i kno best wht n how to do. so why not play w/the kids in the family? n maybe teach too.
o speaking of play, kiss is wondering why i'm sitting here for so long n not playing with HER.
so signing off.

Gotan Project au casino de Paris

2011-11-14T16:20:00.000-08:00

Gotan Project au casino de Paris: Initié à la fin des années 1990 par le programmateur français Philippe Cohen Solal et les musiciens Christop H. Müller (Suisse) et Eduardo Makaroff (Argentin...

solo exhibit: peripheral

2011-11-03T10:58:00.000-07:00

this is the write-up for my artist statement n bio for my show in nov.

PERIPHERAL : FEATURING WORK BY SOPHIE LEE

November 3, 2011 6:00pm - November 29, 2011 5:00pm
Pearl Gallery & Framing1017 NW Davis St.Portland, OR 97209
Pearl Gallery & Framing is very pleased to host
Peripheral, an exhibition of the work of Sophie
Lee. Painting calligraphic-style, incorporating
pods and seeds from the natural world into her
work, she expresses in simple strokes a life
both optimistic and rooted in a long cultural
history, with composition intended to remove
the clutter and offer a sweeping line of focus.
Lee directs our attention to details that are all too easy to overlook.
This show is a collection of Sophie Lee's exquisite paintings based on her Peripheralseries and includes original acrylic paintings on glass, acrylic paintings on canvas,original ink drawings and a unique media of natural elements (seeds and pods) curatedinto shadow-boxes and embellished with acrylic paint on glass. Captured life-cyclescombined with perfect brushstrokes are simple yet mind-bogglingly magnificent worksof art. You won't be able to buy just one, or will you?
Sophie Lee's first solo exhibit: l'arabesque 2007 was held in Taipei, Taiwan, where shewas born. She is a world traveler who first studied design at the Fashion Institute ofDesign & Merchandising, a private college in Los Angeles dedicated to educatingstudents for the Fashion, Graphics, Interior Design, and Entertainment Industries. Leethen focused on fine arts at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and upongraduation moved to New York where she spent several years designing book coversfor St. Martin's Press.
Through an exploration of the natural environment, Peripheral captures the perfectionof botanical life. With a keen focus on our environment, Lee reveals eternity in theworld around us. Many of the natural elements she chooses to encapsulate are commonin the Fall season, when trees and most plants shed their coats in the rain and chill ofthe air. These elements imply a cycle of renewal. Her brushstrokes represent asweeping line of time for us to appreciate, if we only can cast our eyes to see and takein what surrounds us.
Stop by opening night November 3rd and sample some Deschutes Beer and meet theartist. Show runs through the month of November.

a surgery

2011-09-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

woke up this morning n the the uncomfort in my tummy area came back to me. o right, i had surgery. tht was this past friday, i went in to the dr's office for a very small surgery (removing the eggs from my ovaries), yet it still requires a full body anesthesia. it's the strangest sensation, being in a hospital bed, u r being wheeled around. the perspective from ther is so.."this is not me n wher i am supposed to b" sensation. the nurses n drs r really nice n gentle with u. they try to explain every single thing they r doing, then they show u the little needle with the drugs n say, "now we'r going to inject u with this" n b4 u kno it, ur lite r turned out. everything else that happens during tht time, u r not a participant of, at least u hv no memories of it.
the time btwn tht n when u wake up can b really long or just a mere few hrs, but the anesthesia screwed it all up for u, cuz it's all lost. to me, it was just a mere flash. i woke up, n someone has already gone into my body n removed the little eggs. i don't even feel where the incisions were. then the pain starts. o yes, tho my mind has no recollection of wht happened, my body sure felt it, hard. the drugs n pain killers wears off n the insides of ur body is screaming out at u. someone has invaded in interior landscape i had held so sacred n closed to myself. every movement i make, i can feel the bruise from inside-out. i'm bloated n i hv to walk around like an old lady. no running or sudden movements. u realized how much of ur core muscles r taken out. when u use it, it's affected. even trying to sit up, u can feel the bruise inside n the pain. the simplest coughing or laugh, even speaking louder take a toll out of ur core. every twist n turn of my torso, i can feel the shift of my tummy, like someone has shaken loose my insides. altho the dr tells u tht it's a simple procedure, but they never tell u how much recovery time it takes. i had thought, ok, going home now n by sunday, i'll b fine again like normal. but no. i don't think so. nothing is going to b normal...
ther were 15 btw, then yesterday they say, only 2 fertilized. n we'll hv to wait n c if they survive til wed for the transfer. cross my fingers. it's tough to keep a positive attitude but am gonna try. this time til wed, the waiting to find out is dragging. longest wait of wondering ever.
wait, i was just going to write about the strangest feeling i had about the experience of being in a surgery. i digress. guess i'm just rambling on now. the fresh thoughts i had this morning upon waking is now a jumbled mess.

lilac wine by blind

2011-09-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

this video by vanessa marzaroli of blind, is what i've always envisioned my paintings would b like animated. one day, i will get around to do this... luv this. this article on the theory of new media art is also very interesting, talking about the time in-btwn.

late

2011-09-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

i hv abt 6 embryos growing on 1 side n 8 on the other. a little slower than normal, guess i'm just a late-comer

hundred valley exhibit

2011-09-16T15:32:00.000-07:00

remember i had submitted a pc n been selected in a juried show? yes. that is starting tonite, the reception. but, it's 3 hrs drive south. i think i'll hv to pass on it. focus on my work n ivf. but here is the postcard from the show. un peu de pays, but ok.

they can't just go to the store and buy peanuts!

2011-09-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

...that is what this woman, walking her dog, yelled at from across the street, as i was collecting these acorns from the curbside of the park. only in portland, will there b someone to tell u off abt anything, when it's none of their biz! n when i told her tht i only collect the tiny ones, she went off n said they even eat the tiny ones. then she babbled on some more which i cudn't hear from across the streets n on-coming cars, then i decided to ignore her.
n no, i didn't steal these from the squirrels. i collected most of these from the curbside n street sides. or from areas without squirrels such as parking lot, where they'r often crushed by the cars or ppl passing by. humans, do most of the damage anyways, to these acorns. whenever i walk past trees with these acorns falling off, it's normally the gardeners, city maintenance crew tht blow these off n cart them off as trash.
anyhoo. i'm having a lot of fun collecting these acorns. they r so beautiful. it's fascinating tht it began as these tiny bulbs with scaly shell, then the seed grows from inside n creates an opening thru the bulb. it continues to grow n expand until it's bigger n the bulb is now a cap to the actual nut. the color chgs too from tan to green to tan then darkening to dark brown as the acorns we often seen illustrated. hopefully, i'll hv enuf 4 a larger frame for my series. i guess this 1 will hv to b called, peanuts?

rien à dire

2011-08-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

today, i'm not going to complain. i've a good life to start and i will keep up a good attitude about ths baby thing.

vessel 4 a babe...?

2011-08-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

so i was with my acupuncturist, uma, the other day. n b4 she left me alone with the needles in me, she asked me to picture this... imagine tht i was a vessel n ready to receive this love for the baby that will grow inside me. and that all i have is love for this thing.... hmmmm. then the light flicked-on inside me. maybe, just maybe, all this talk of the baby, i just hadn't been feeling it?
when i hold my kitty, i feel a lot of love n cuddliness for her.
but... when i think about the possible invasion of a creature tht will take over my body (like aliens), feed off me, chg me, grow inside me, n then rip me apart so it can come out n take over my life... hmmmm. i shudder a bit. n maybe. maybe, this is why it hasn't happened for me, this whole baby thing. i just hadn't n cudn't wrap my mind around this whole thing. i guess ths is wht i need to work on, the inside of me need to feel like a vessel...
well, something to chew on anyway.

mini house

2011-08-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

this is a blog by brendon & akua in vancouver. they've built n moved into their new home recently. this is a small footprint house built in the other end of the yard of brendon's parents' house. it's really very green in the way it's built and of course, this is a proof that, who needs a huge house?

baby trials n errors

2011-08-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

i spent nearly all of my life worried about getting pregnant. unplanned n unwanted pregnancy was constantly in the back of my head. i hadn't even thought of it as a big deal when my ob/gyn nurse warned me when i turned 36, tht it'll b difficult to hv a kid by tht age, n tht she was obligated to warn me by "law"!!! cuz baby was just never in my plans back then. i've been free as a bird.
then i turned 39 n got married. life plans sort of took a different turn when 1 has a partner who gets a say in my life now too. so we've been trying to hv ths baby. it's not too encouraging to learn tht altho i'm healthiest 41 (now nearly 42) yr old around me, my eggs r still 40+ yrs old... n that is, i guess, old. nothing like such a news to show u ur age, no matter how u look or feel.
so now it's aug turning into sept, i can truly feel what ppl used to say, "the clock ticking away"
damn, this used to b no big deal to me. age wasn't an obstacle at all. it was just time passing, but i didn't really hear the ticking sound of the time b4 now. it's all very depressing to kno tht as i'm trying, my body is just not cooperating. so now, we'r gonna do the ivf procedure. tho it's always been something i thought i'd draw the line at, i just hv to give it a try, just to kno for sure tht i tried everything possible. it's gonna b a painful process. very nervous abt the needles n various drugs i hv to take n insert n the schedule of each item. then, ther isn't even a guarantee successful outcome! it's all a waiting game. it's been a long waiting game, ths past yr. i feel as if i've been put on hold, in a way. every month, ther is an expectation n a let down. so tiring. i just want to kno if it's happening or not! anyhoo. so i will start this cycle and if this doesn't happen, then we r moving on. no more treatments n no more tries. finito!

on lighter note.
we'r all set for block island at the end of ths month. kirk will fly home for a few days while i go ahead to nyc. then we will meet up ther n enjoy our 1st anniversary on b.i. can't wait to share the island with him. it'll b fun.

Hundred Valleys Exhibit UVAA

2011-07-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

the following is the note of acceptance from an exhibit i submitted to earlier this summer. so far this year, i've been accepted to 4 juried shows. a couple of these r online. the following will b in roseburg, OR this sept. i've also had many rejections. this is the way it is with submissions i guess. i won't b discouraged.
hopefully, the November show in portland OR will b a way for me to connect with ppl more. maybe i can then put 2gether something for sf's gallery in the fall too. until then, i'll just keep painting.

Dear art working friends –

I know many of you have been eagerly awaiting the news concerning the 5^th Annual Hundred Valleys Exhibit results. Tom Browning, this year's juror had 176 images to choose from. Those whose works were selected are listed below. If your name is not on the listing, keep working, keep submitting, never to be discouraged, "beauty IS in the eye of the beholder".

Here are some words from Tom Browning concerning his efforts to put together the exhibit.

"Judging such a show is based on several aspects that I consider to be most important in producing a painting or sculpture. Not only is the overall aesthetics of a piece important, but such things as composition, originality, drawing, and the handling of the medium are all important … Not everyone can agree on one judge's decisions, and that alone is important for all participants who submitted work to understand.
It is just one person's opinion, but I hope that what I have to offer as a professional artists is acceptable and understood by most. I appreciated the opportunity to view everyone's work, and they should all be congratulated for being willing to undergo the scrutiny of a competition such as this. Hopefully no one will be discouraged from doing so in the future. It is more important for every artist to continually be a student and strive to make the next piece of art better than the last. Respectfully, Tom Browning"
From my heart, congratulations to everyone for submitting, often a difficult step to take once you have conquered the artwork itself. I will be emailing those who have been juried in a contract for the exhibit that will need to be signed and returned. Remember, do not, again, do not make any changes or adjustments to the accepted pieces! Just make sure they come in signed.

Accepted art works:

Name
Last Name
Title

Lora
Block
Roses

Carol
Chapel
H bar C, Red and Black (It's All Skip's Fault, series)

Kat
Davis
Back Forty

Kat
Davis
Cast of Characters

Tommi
Drake
Fukushima

Andrew
Duclos
A Look of Champions

Andrew
Duclos
A Quiet Stretch fo the River

Margaret
Dunbar
Rainy Pond

Jenay M
Elder
Skye Jasmyn

Jenay M
Elder
Portrait of Perry

Giovonnia Ann (G'Ann)
Fleissner
Visions of Coiled Copper

Richard
Herr
Standing Female Abstract

Janet
Hiller
The Test Of Gold

Janet
Hiller
Heat Wave

Don
Jenson
China Rockfish Quillback

Don
Jenson
Pair

Morgan Burton
Johnson
Night Guide

Maggie
Junkins
Highrock Mountain from Rocky Ridge - Rogue Umpqua Divide Wilderness

Dale
Kurtz
Rig to Cast

Karen
Lawson
Orchid In Paradise

Sophia
Lee
Flow: aranciata

Jeanne
Levasseur
Winds of Change

Jeanne
Levasseur
Melancholy Skies

Todd Milton
Mandeville
A Blanket of Roses

Renee
Manfred
Wet Land Trail

Renee
Manfred
Collision on the Reef

Kyall
McGee
Weatherly Creek Homestead

Kyall
McGee
The Beautiful Singer

Hope Carter
Meados
Koi

Hope Carter
Meados
Out To Pasture

Judy
Nigh
Inside the Storm

Judy
Nigh
Winter Romance

Mary
Oleri
The Source

Vinita
Pappas
Sunny Day in May

Renee
Richardson
Behind You

Nancy Watterson
Scharf
River Breath Life

Joshua
South
Rippen Rooster

Joshua
South
Chimera

Darci
Spetter
Bucking Appy

John J.
Spetter
Alfa Centennial

J.M.
Steele
Full Moon Rising

Gena Lee
Tharp
Percheron Power

Joren
Traveller
Just Resting

Katie
Veeninga
Rhubarb

Judy
Waller
En Pointe

Judy
Waller
His Classics

Catherine C.
Wayne
Tides Out

Catherine C.
Wayne
Sunflower Garden

Catherine C.
Wayne
Make Lemonade

Sandy
Whetzel
Grape De Menthe

Richard
Worthey
Nature's Carography

Carol
Young
Apple Blossoms

Paul
Zegers
Hart Mountain October Afternoon

Find us on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/uvarts

Go Arts!

Dance of life (attempt at artist statement)

2011-07-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

In reading Martha graham's "I'm a dancer" it resonates thru me. Since I was a child, ive always been inspired by dance. She mentioned the dance of life, our body moving thru the world, living breathing moving n aware

Rumi also talks of light n shadows r the dances of life
It's a dance from the heart, extending outward to the pt o the fingertips, the tilt of the head, turning of the legs, angle n twist of the torso... The wt of each step wih intent.
I, am also a dancer
I dance becuz my body is inspired to move
In turn. While I paint, I'm also dancing. The paint is an ext of my inner dance, becoming my visual dance. What is presented here is a record of the moment/ movement. ...

More later...

Mobile blogging

2011-07-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to try this, since I now hv an iPhone n makes it easier to hv a life online

Sophie

Tempting me

2011-06-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

Like most ppl living here in pdx area, I wait n wait, til ther's a break in the gray wet weather n the sun comes out. When it does, it gives u sudden amnesia on why u want to leave this place cuz everything is so beautiful under the sun! N b'cuz it's rained 15 days nonstop, come to appreciate the sunny moments like no one else. While it's gray n wet n chilly (it's June alrdy, damn it!)I get depressed n find it tough to make art n b in the studio, wishing for better lite than the lamp n other man made sources. Then, the sun comes out, n all I wanna do is to b outside, soaking up the rays. Suddenly ther's a smile on everyone's face. Suddenly, u realize ther's a lot o ppl living here. N then I find it hard again to b inside the studio, working, cuz this sun is so rare, how cAn I deprive myself of being outside? So I'm often really torn, like ths moment, to b out n abt or paint. How can anyone get the work done?
O the sun is so calling me
But.... I need to paint too. It's amazing to hv natural lite in the studio. I can c clearly the colors I'm applying n mixin up
O but the outside is calling me....

girl effect

2011-05-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

i think this video says it all

behance

2011-05-31T10:48:00.000-07:00

so...i joined yet another online network. i guess it'll help with my project n getting jobs, maybe? i dunno, it's something to do when i'm lost. this network seems pretty cool. it makes u so aware of how many creative ppl r out ther. almost a little overwhelmingly many.
still, i'm willing to put it out ther.
we shall c wher this leads.
i should try to get myself out ther, even if i get rejected (ths weekend, the portland rental sales gallery rejected me) blah. is ok. i will find someone out ther tht likes my work. until then, i will keep working n posting it online to find my connections.

calling all artist...

2011-04-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

so, i've been slacking off in the past year with my art-making process. was not making a lot of art nor was i submitting work to any shows, etc. just basically letting it slide.
this year, i'm finally getting my act together a little more. i don't care as much if my submissions went nowhere. i don't care if i'm getting rejected. i will just keep submitting my paintings to places here n far away to c wher it clicks. tho i don't have a ton to say, politically or socially, i'm just saying, b aware, by sharing my art with ppl out ther who might also c what i c or become aware of their surroundings, while enjoying some beauty?
below is a show i missed out on last year, but i will send it out tmrw. we shall c wher this 1 goes.
i'm also submitting a few pcs to the museum rental sales gallery. cross my fingers ther.
i've also created a more organized website of my art. finally decided on a site name, barking owls. this way, ther's a spot just to c my work n progress. n i can track of my work's whereabouts too.

Jeremy Messersmith - Tatooine

2011-04-04T13:15:00.000-07:00

Protrude Flow

2011-03-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

pele: the hawaiian goddess of fire

2011-03-09T11:36:00.000-08:00

volcano is just what is on my mind lately.

Kilauea is erupting!

and it's images r so inspiring!

i'm quite inspired to work on this.

it has been on my mind...

2011-03-09T10:49:00.001-08:00

kissa et moi

...to write something sooner, but I hv been quite distracted n lazy, I guess. N well, twittering n status updates took over. It made it easier not to really write anything substantial. Even when I'm just sitting around, I'm not really writing either, tho I hv thought abt it a lot. Thinking abt something isn't action tho, is it?

So I thought instead o playing my addicting game o bejeweled while our plane is sitting on the runway, waiting to park at the gate, I thought I might chg it up 4 once n write a brief note.

I'm flying back from England to pdx, w a transfer here in washington d.c. I've been away since mid-Jan I think? Flew to TPE for Vic+erica's engagement party. Including a side trip to Osaka w K then I took the hsr to meet up w tony, frank, chris n her boyz at a ski resort north o Tokyo. It was so much fun skiing w my family again. N I didn't go too fast n out o control like last time w tony n frank on bear mtn. Strange as it sounds, being too fast, since I'm normally the last 1 in the group trying to catch up to ppl. Maybe I hv improved? Or I'm seeing better somehow?

In line now going thru security again, after clearing customs. I had the sandwich from flt n the dog sniffed me out so I had to go thru scanning n such. Bummer, was planning on eating tht. Wht is left over were junk stuff I don't eat.
Ths is crazy traveling I hv to complain. It used to b so easy to fly somewhere. 1 didn't hv to take off shoes n all these no-fly items n crazy making. It doesn't even really stop anyone who r real terrorists to do wht they wanted if they had t intent! Just made traveling difficult n no longer romantic.

O so back to updating my recent life...
Last summer I got married in Hawaii.
b4 the wedding trip, we were consumed with the planning, etc. didn't hardly spend time doing much else. it was a constant thought on the edge of my mind (ours)...
then chris/tyler/calvin/myself spent a week in Oahu together, soaking up sun,
kirk arrives to do a weeklong trip on the Big Island w/us which near the end, we got to visit with the nyc crew,
here's eugene's HI fotos i'd like to include.
tks to jimmy (i hv not received the fotos just yet) + eugene, our wedding was well documented.
Mark n maggie r now in process o divorce.
Matthias n Cat no longer an item
Pakin/jenn has jason who is 1 now or just past?
I'm talking w diane a but these days, progress! I hv yet to c her in person but it is still progress, cuz I do miss us.
Vic popped the question to Erica, just b4 our wedding
I still live in portland
Chris's family moved to Shanghai
Tony has taken over running o co in tw
Vic has quit
I quit the catalog too now, just keeping the lunar book project n small things upon request I guess.
Vic's engaged
Vic's engaged.... it was amazing fun engagement party
Wow!
He's finishing grad school n maybe moving to Sha for a yr or two to work? Maybe? Well, not til after the wedding ths summer.
Wow!
The last 1 in the family! It was such a fun party. Tony n frank were totally wasted. It felt more like a wedding banquet instead.

While I've been away, mark's moved to TPE for a yr to study chinese n get his residency.
So many chgs in ppl's lives

Anna n simon r back in London
ShAntony r back to tpe in tienmu now with their child
Rodney is in Singapore w Starr
Eve's baby is totally cute
Niko n laurent no longer together
Abi & Horia were married just b4 us n moved to Dubai
Mike lee is abt to hv a baby
Nanci's sisters r all engaged
Celvyn n Nancy's tied the knot in DR
Matthew n Judy got married, tho I cudn't attend the wedding since we had other plans for kirk's bday around same time.
I did attend scott's wedding in Ithaca.
Camil n Candice were married just b4 us
So did Patricia
Roman is 1
Sophie's in school
Ther's another sophie born to cindy & boyd
My name is now quite popular in the US
Fiona is growing up fast
So r all my little ones, not so little anymore really.
The floating pcs hv settled
who is next?

In a yr's span, so many things has chg'd. It continuous to flow forward whether 1 wants it or not. N I like to spend time visiting frnds to catch up. It was nice to c nicky, although I hv to say, if it wasn't cuz I was nearby already, I'd rather not b in England during ths time o the yr. Just too gray n cold n wet! I mean, ther's no diff here vs pdx! Travels in the winter sh b to somewher warmer. Still it was good to catch up w/Anna n nicky n sander n eve, TPE crew in uk!
Paris was always great n I got the chance to practice it, I think I sh go back to alliance francaise to cont w my classes. I manages to meet up w johann but missed tristan. Walt n jeff were just in Paris b4 our arrival. Too bad, else Paris wd b such a blast w them! Was fun for me to try to navigate riding the bikes thru town some days.
Niki gave me a fait-main guide book n I got to explore a little differently ths time. I shopped a lot while I was ther cuz things here just seem to fit me. it was the SOLDES too! Caught the tale end o it. Chris was supposed to come too, bt in the end chg'd her mind abt coming. I wish she came tho. It's not last few yrs tht we really spent a lot o time in the same city n got the chance to kno the grown up version o ourselves better. It's amazing to hv a sister, best thing ever.
I also feel I need to sound time w all my little ones. But it's nit easy when they r so far away n not in the same parts o t world. I also really need ti spend more time w my parents. ESP since I haven't been really good abt it. They r getting older n older ea day, ther's such a distance too. I'd luv to b nearer n do things w them more often. Tho I think being on vacation w them is easier than everyday life, cuz they're less distracted n more relaxed.
I think my mission in life is just to float n flow n visit w ppl!? Haha, j/k. I need to hv a job o sorts. Ptg is just my meditation n well, prob won't b famous or at all til long after I'm gone. Or ever at all. Who knos? It's just tht some days I feel useless. Humans r raised to hv a job n feel useful. I'm lucky not hv'g to worry too much but still at times, I just feel as if I hv to hv something more meaningful? But then again, why b producing things tht just go to waste in ths world o objects n desires? Don't hv any real answers here, just pondering. Rambling on n on.

Am looking forward to being home w kissa n k. Ah, just realized tht they r both Ks. Rest n regroup n go back to Hawaii in 2 weeks! Now tht is somewhere warm. Can't wait. Sorry kissa, u r gonna hv to go stay w maha again. I'm a bad mommy.
K is waiting
Sean us talented artist
Calvin writes well
They r all amazing n such gems

Ths trip traveling w flat calvin has been gr8. (this links r the fotos taken) I realized how much I'd like to share w them the places I've been n it's beauties. I did travel down memory lane w K by going to Lyon n Vienne w him. Too bad we missed diane n Alu since they'r till in tw

Am mostly caught up now... The battery's dying anyways, so gotta save the last bits o juice for in cases. Abt to land soon too.

Dancing at the Movies - Music Video

2010-09-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

desn

2010-06-25T01:41:00.000-07:00

when does a designER becomes desn snob? a person can appreciate desn in every aspect of their lives but also know when some times, ther's a pt to pause n rethink it. wht is the diff? need to think more n delve deeper into ths b4 i can explain better what i'm thinking...

pdx->sna, sfo, sea, yvr, pdx (via train)

2010-06-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

portland has been so gray this spring, i was so tired from waiting for the sun, decided to seek him out. i've never thought for some1 like me who worships the moon that i'd b a sun seeker. but here i am, traveling south. though southern cal wasn't that much warmer, i was def able to find the sun. it brightens my heart up so much more. i guess growing up in sunny socal does make a huge difference! i appreciate the sun way more now. n i realize i've neglected the moon lately, except when i notice the full moon on a clear nite (u can't always c the moon in heavy clouds here in pdx)
anyway, all along the west coast as i traveled ths time, i realized that everyone is fully aware o t fact that spring/summer has yet to hit the west coast. it's been really really cool winter n delayed spring/summer. even michigan/nyc r in their 90s! what is going on? but of course we all kno wht. cannot deny tht our world is shifting fast. no matter which terminology u wish to use, our earth is shifting. we just don't kno the end results for sure yet. n the major thing that will hit ppl is the food shortage that will sure come around in domino effects.
on lighter note, i had an amazing time catching up w/ frnds in OC. hanging out with family n kids. just being home. tho the ocean was too cold to b in, we were able to play on the beach. walking about n visiting some other small towns such as san clemente n san juan capistrano. watched a soccer game n catch up. checked out the status o my wedding dress too. looking good!
n my frnds from nyc were visiting bay area, so i flew to meet up with them, ths was the last days o virgin america flying out from sna n my 1st time flying w/them. we were lucky to b able to stay at kelly's frnd o frnd's apt in mission district. awesome space n art n cookbooks. we walked thru town n chk'd out the Heath ceramics shop in the ferry bldg. both henry n kelly bought something. i was really tempted but due to our small condo space, less is more. i will wait til later to make tht purchase. ths day starts my eating tour. after lunch we rode the famous cable car o sf hills n ended up on polk str. turns out henry's got an illustrator, leigh, whose studio happens to b nearby. it was really nice to visit an artists studio n enjoy a nice afternoon o chatting. but seriously, ths girl gets hungry fast. so we wnt back to get ready for our trip to napa. jenn had invited us to stay w/her at her father's place for a few days. that was so much fun. eating our way thru the town n wine tasting. such a diff world here, so beautiful even in the rain. rain makes u luv the sun more. n rain here is so fresh feeling. we all agreed tho, that Cade has the best "site" most welcoming n beautiful view. commercial but not heavy handed. we ate at Bouchon tht nite n next day, with the sun being out, we were able to go on a picnic. altho i hv to say, ther's a bit o allergy here in northern cal for me. i couldn't stop sneezing. can it b tht i've become so used to the weather up in nw region tht i'm now allergic to sunny days? NOT EVER LIKELY, i hv to say. just the napa spring i'm not used to afterall.
from here i wnt back into sfo to meet up w/cindy/nick/wayne/mai for dinner b4 my flt to sea to meet w/kirk. but flt was delayed again, ths time wasn't obama's fault. it's the pilot who missed his flt to fly us north. funny. so i ended up arriving really really late into seattle airport.... 1.30am? when i searched out the taxi stand, i took the limo waiting for his last fare into the city, paying him the same rate as i would a taxi, except it was a huge limo. totally empty on the inside besides me, it felt lonely being in ther on my own. but the driver was very frndly n kept up small talks with me. hotel 1000 seemed like a nice hotel except i didn't get to c much o it since i was ther only 4 hrs to sleep.
our train to vancouver leaves at 7.30am. so nice to b traveling via t/trains again. i was able to read from the kindle i got from frank n catch up on some z's. it's so relaxing to view the world thru the train. ths particular line, the cascades, wnt along the water edge, tho it was mostly 15% gray/white look. fog n rain is covering the entire northwest. thus we had our entire yvr stay covered in mist. but yvr is such a fun city when u'r being introduced it's history, etc. k's aunt/uncle were so nice n knowledgeable, giving us a driving tour o the city. barb cooked the most amazing dinner n it all seemed so effortless. i wanna b a cook like tht. she made this kale crisps for snacks, something i've gotta try myself too. it's better than serving tortilla chips! dinner was fun cuz we got to hang out w/other cousins o k's too n the conversation always lively n thoughtful.
then we spent nxt afternoon immersed in MOA (museum o anthropology) looking at amazing 1st nation art/cultural collections. the term 1st nation is so much better n respectful to the ppl that were here b4 us than "native american" why do we not do that here also? i'm completely fascinated by the culture n myths of the nw coast ppl. i will need to do further studies on their stories. n their styles r so graphic n balanced.
it's so nice to b in touch w/ur cousins. it's another thing i will need to do too, catch up w/my own cousins. tho we always fig they don't quite like our family.
yesterday, brendon was really sweet to drive us to breakfast then train station 2 catch our bus/train back to pdx. i can't wait to c their sm footprint house at the other end o barb's yard. when i saw the floorplan n the sm model, i thought it'll b such an amazing cozy home for him n akua. our trip home was leisurely. had a couple hrs o layover in sea, bright sunny day. so we wnt to Le Pichet for lunch b4 hopping back on the train (1st leg was bus). now i'm back, back to work/paint n wedding prep world.
today, it's been a day o trying to work n fix my flt, etc. turns out to b so wet n cold. i will stay home n try to stay focused. i will also add some fotos to ths blog in a bit. once i finish editing the bookcover design

web desn, 2day.

2010-05-16T22:32:00.000-07:00

i'm finally done with ths website dsn 4 a frnd o mine in pdx, of course w/a lot o coding help from my brother, victor. what was required was a scripting thing needed since we'r scrolling only left/right, with no scroll bars, only buttons n arrows. well, in the end, though it was a lot of headache, i learned a lot... i learnt again n i remembered why i never did like web desn, n why i nvr got into it like other ppl.
and i was able to focus a bit more on our wedding invite, the cyanotype image i've made for ths project is from my artwork with luna painting and foto of the duckie/goose statues we found at good will 1 sunday afternoon.

it's taken longer to do it ths way, but invite's artwork will b unique. tmrw i will hv to go to art store to exchange my purchases o the cardstocks, etc, meet w/designer for my ring, then go to his office to print the vellum part o the invite. on tues, i'll b away again to visit OC! it's then i will finish printing the cyanotypes n assemble the whole invite together. gotta send'em out by end o stay in oc, cuz then i'm off to sfo n vancouver for memorial day weekend. so much going-ons!
just wish the book cover ordeal (dad's publisher lags) can b taken care o soon.

single image painting

2010-05-08T11:23:00.001-07:00

these r my current paintings, painted over on top of the ones i did last fall which i was not happy with, feeling unresolved. well it's now where i want them to b... need a title for these guys tho.
any ideas?

studio space

2010-04-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

i found a studio space to paint in. it isn't big at'all, 7.5'x12'? something like that, but it's a space all to myself! over the weekend, we went to move my very few things into it, only to find out i couldn't lock my space cuz the office gave me the key to the Lovejoy spaces. altho i did manage to find a work table in the refurbished area of ikea. nice working height with brushed aluminum surface and steel legs that r very sturdy. all i need to do today is go and load up the table n i can start working in ther!

kirk has been really sweet n loaned me his drafting stool and his rugs from storage.
my goal this yr is to make at least 5 larger pcs of work. tho the 1st project i hv to finish is our invites. it will b done in my studio! yipee!

the amazing part is that the rent is so amazing, 230/month including utilities. and internet wifi is preset ther so 1 can purchase it by month/week/day or hr or not at all. and it's easy access for me from home via the street car or my bike.

now i just need to get all else settled n make it cozy.

hello puffy!

2010-04-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

this is the puppy-Puffy i've become so attached to. he's adorable n still learning. loves apples n strawberries or any type of fruit, nuts, foods, etc. if it's edible, it's his. but we'r being careful not to feed him human stuff (human cooked n processed) anyway, so isn't he adorable? yah a bit gay in my pink scarf, but it matches his coloring. and i'm sure he is "dude' enough to not mind pink at all! i will miss him tons when i leave for pdx on friday.... so sad to b leaving tw, suddenly my days r getting too short. ther's not enough time to do all the stuff i still hv to do. i will def miss my brother, vic and chris n her kids. the next time i am here in twn, ther will only b vic to hang out with. chris is moving to shanghai soon. tho i want to b excited for them, it's tough to b when i kno i will miss them even more. n tho shanghai isn't that far, i can't split my visits btwn her n vic in the same locale anymore.

ths rain is def not helping with my moods.

featured exhibit @ SOPA

2010-03-22T00:47:00.000-07:00

it's been a long long while since i've posted anything onto my blog. i guess i'm just being lazy? busy? a little o both? being home for CNY holidays in feb (soCal) then now in taipei, everyday is just lots o things to do. n not staying near my computer works out to b, no blog n no fb nor twitting updates. being under the radar i guess?
well, mainly cuz ther's been no big news in my life either.
now, well, i'm in a group show in southern cal, south pasadena to b exact. it's still line work but the lines r a bit different? it's like zooming into the arabesque series a little further. i'm liking the title Fragments a lot, it describes wht ths is a bit, fragments of the larger picture. they'r my most recent work on paper. haven't chance to paint onto canvas at all. having no space to do so makes a big difference. still these smaller work r "ideas" to work out my new environment. hopefully someone will b able to view it in person. i'd love to b able to view it all install on pristine white wall with spot lights...

i've also been busy in my head lately, planning the upcoming wed party in HI. we've set a location n catering. now i got a planner person. the next step i guess is to set up a website for the event.... so much to do!

hair line or cellulose line, artists tht inspires

2010-01-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

it's been a while since i've posted any work here... well, i've not been doing too much new work. it's been very slow. maybe i've just been preoccupied, or just incubating? not sure which is which. maybe i feel as if the lines has to change for some reason? i kno it doesn't really. but what i'm seeing n experiencing, being in new town, with so many new things around me to observer, absorb, collect n regroup. it's starting to take some shape, i think. still don't kno wher ths is going just yet. i'm just glad it's moving. i was worried tht i've no longer got anything to create. tht my lines r old n farty now. maybe it is. i'm not sure, but so far, i'm liking it.

ok, so now i wanna talk about 2 artists tht i'm fascinated by recently. one is Aubrey Bearsey from over 100 yrs ago. a very young artist who only made BW work n died at the young age o 25. he was illustrating literatures n myths. i've chanced by his poster in an exhibit at musée d'orsay last nov. n finally got hold o a book on him at the library. need to read further.
and the other guy is a contemporary man, Kahinde Wiley. his paintings r figurative w/decoration n ref of the pose referring to historical renaissance art. but with current concerns n issues. i need to do further research on him as well.

spaces

2010-01-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

2day, it's rainy like ths past weeks n will continue on. the clr o t sky is as gray as my heart. darkened n wanders. wondering about the idea... space. words said, spaces expanded. i don't kno how to deal with ths. does relationship always end up ths way? the spaces in-btwn r not so scalable. things said r misunderstood, redirected back w/finger pointed at me. is it all me? am i too much for ppl? wanting to spend time becomes crowding out someone. in a town wher frnds rn't around n work to go to, no things to do cuz it's winter. wher do i go? wher do i put my self? can not b at home waiting. after 1 yr, it's becoming tiring for the other. is it necessary to b out n about? but wher to? wht for? the plan is to move, so things r on hold. take classes? but i'm going away. yes i should go away for a while. do my own things. give more spaces. cuz exhausting someone was never my intention. the idea o space is so undefinable. what does it mean? hi, hello, goodbye? or silence. or not to hang out? i don't get it. if a person needs to do their thing, then do it. i don't need someone to do everything w/me. i was just being considerate. but in the end, its crowding n exhausting. perhaps i...

mirror mirror on the wall...

2010-01-06T12:09:00.000-08:00

from the moment i stepped into the show (my thinking spot) all these thoughts came to my head. thoughts i wanted to write here. let me list it down now cuz i've been trying really hard not to forget them.
-what would u change physically, 1 part o ur body?
-with friends everywher, o all kinds, do u hv a person u spill ur heart out to?
wow, tht took some effort to remember n write down. btwn going into the shower n stepping out n getting dressed, the whole process takes up some time, not enough to do many things, but the brainwaves r funny n fast. talking in ur own head seem rather fast process n the subjects roam from 1 to another. the 1s i wanna capture, most o it, GONE! like the things i meant to write yesterday i only got to point on PM n forgotten t/rest o things.

-b4 t/shower, i was online, chatting w/my family in cali n twn. when u hv a camera up n u c t/other person, ther's an image o urself too. n tht's when i c my face most. i don't look into t/mirror in t/bathroom much, but t/camera, nothing like an moving image to draw ur attention. i can c my face n things i would criticize about. t/age lines, t/loose facial muscles, limp hair, etc. i'm comfortable enough w/it, tho u just can't help but look at ur self when it's in front o u. guess it's some form o vanity. then i started wondering, as i stepped into my thinking spot, everyone has something he/she don't like about their body, whether it's face or other parts. over the yrs, a person's list my grow longer or shorter. if u can name 1, just 1 to fix, wht will it b? i wonder if it's a question i should post on fb? i may do just tht. i want to write it down it to think it thru b4 i do just tht. my own list, depending on t/day, has grown both long n short, but 1 thing, ths 1 thing, is cosmetically on a part o me tht most ppl won't c. it's bothered me since i've became an adult n hv grown aware o my body's physical boundary. i guess in ths way, it's about self image as a woman. i wonder if it's fixable w/modern technology?

then my thoughts continued to wonder thru many things, it's a train o thoughts, linking yet not quite. 1 thought stimulates thoughts on another subject, all the while trying very hard not to forget ths 1st thought, holding onto it like a balloon on a string. like things to do today. what's on my list?

-ah. about heart to heart. i'm here in pdx. it's not a town where 1 can make frnds easily, n if u don't hv a reg job to go to, like me, then it's even tougher. i've tried taking classes, etc, still, ppl r nice n frndly when u meet, taking it further isn't easy. ther's clicks n networks o ppl, but u hv to b here for longer time to b able to really connect. it's not all tht easy like in tpe, nyc, or cali. so besides a handful, i mainly connect w/my frnds n family online. tks to modern tech, being alone isn't too bad cuz u'r not really alone... really. we hv so many frnds floating out ther. then it occurs to me to pose ths question... o all the frnds out ther u greet n hala with, hang out n do stuff or just blab, who do u turn to to spill ur guts out with? i mean a tru heart to heart talk about things that worry u n make u sad or angry? r u tht someone for ur frnds? just thoughts tht r random. in our lifetime, in comparison to someone 100 yrs ago, we would hv met so many times more ppl, making way more frnds n acquaintances, yet, wht r t/quality time spent to kno ea/other well? we'r lucky ther's many ways to keep up t/communication; do u take t/time n energy to keep it going? do i? i think i am trying. or it should b a goal in 2010. i will try.

oops, stomach calling again.
things to do today... psd the announcement foto, organize, research on wedding thing...(sigh), take time to draw, research gallery to visit for 1st thurs, fig out how to design A's website, register for french class n painting class. don't kno how many i will actually get done, since internet always get in t/way, esp the gaming, haha. but at least, i got the blog part done.

nye 2009->2010

2010-01-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

01.04.10: drizzling all day.
activities: yoga, errands, write, massage.

when i returned from x'mas visit to southern cal, we had plans to do a road trip either to VC or somewhere nearby... then on the day it snowed big time in portland, i became violently ill, tht was on 12.29.09. i had spent the day in Beaverton, running errands, hanging out. it started to snow big time n by early evening, while trying to drive home, it was traffic everywhere. ths snow has caught everyone off guard cuz i guess rain was expected instead. it took us 2 hrs to drive the 8 miles into town, once ther, we were stuck on 2 blocks for another hr. we gave up driving like many many ppl out ther n left t/car safely parked n wnt to eat at higgins. walking in t/snow w/out hat nor proper shoes was def a contributor to my sudden illness later, but i'm thinking the bug was prob ther already fr/hanging out w/kids who had passed it along... my body was fighting it off n was unsuccessful b'cuz o the wet hair n feet as we then walked on home after a quick bite.
i described it as "violent" cuz it came on so suddenly as i retched out everything in my body in all possible directions until ther was nothing left but air in my body n aching joints tht made it impossible to rest properly. i had lost all the energy i normally hv. i did finally fell asleep.
i was thankful to hv someone so caring with me, remembering to chk my temperatures. n of course t/aide o my dad's various medicines to help me thru the worst.
it wasn't until the next day i had a slight fever tho. by late afternoon, the aches gone n fever has broken. i ate some crackers n drank some juices n held it all down. then i was fine by nitefall. amazing recovery. i must've lost some o t/wt i finally gained over t/holidays. somewhere around 2lbs? wii fit says 1.5 but tht was according to the last weigh in 45 days ago. so long as i don't dip below 100, i'm ok. tho i do prefer to b at 105lbs. happy wt.

in the end, ther's no travel plans b4 nye as we had wished to do! but k was able to plan something quickly on top o our orig scheduled pink martini concert tht nite. gathering at eddy's (nice pad) n dinner at west cafe (not so great) then walk over to schnitzer for t/concert (2nd show o t nite by PM) when they perform in pdx, they hv amazing gathering force. it's a larger string n wind section, then ther's the choir ths time. amazing music of course. the song after countdown was our favorite, "sing!" for finale/ encore, was "brazil" w/another set o brazilian drum section and carnival dancers. the stage n isles were filled w/ppl n balloons (red came home w/us)
altho i'm not out partying or dancing or being in craziness, it is still amazing fun. when i heard the title song o PM's 4th album, Splendor in the Grass, it touched me deeply. i remember in paris w/my sister Chris, n we'd look at ea/other n kno tht all's well w/us, no matter our disagreements, etc... ther's always us together even if we'r on diff sides o t/pacific. i beleive ths song is my theme o 2010. ths is the lyrics to t/song...
I can see you're thinking baby
I've been thinking too
about the way we used to be
and how to start anew

Maybe I'm a hopeless dreamer
maybe I've got it wrong
but i'm going where the grass is green
if you like to come along

Back when i was starting out
I always wanted more
but every time I got it
I still felt just like before

Fortune is a fickle friend
I'm tired of chasing fate
and when I look into your eyes
I know you feel the same

All these years of living large
are starting to do a sin
I wont say it wasn't fun
but now it has to end

Life is moving oh so fast
I think we should take it slow
rest our heads upon the grass
and listen to it grow

Going where the hills are green
and the cars are few and far
days are full of splendor
and at night you can see the stars

Life's been moving oh so fast
I think we should take it slow
rest our heads upon the grass
and listen to it grow

voilà, c'est le premiere ecrit cet anneé. je souhaite contente à tout, à ma famille n mes amis. à la prochaine.
p.s. i want to thank the nice comment A has written recently on my blog. i didn't realize ther were readers other than my frnds. very encouraging thought. tks!

frozen

2009-12-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

it's nearly 1/2 way thru december now. i'm sitting indoors basking in the sun here in portland, but don't let the sunlight n warmth deceive u here, outside is somewhere in the low 30sF. tht's nearly 0 in Celsius, or freezing. i hv been working on the catalog for my family n used it as my excuse not to step out o the condo in past 2 days. its just way too cold to b out ther. well, i'm just being lazy too. once i step outside, it'll take a while b4 i can return home, as i tend to wander thru town at a slow pace. next thing u kno, i'm nowhere near catching up to my deadline. so now tht i'm in the editing mode, i'd like to just take a breather n write a little, catch up on my thoughts, random as it may b.

ths morning, i finally got off my ass n step outside n trimmed off the dead tomato plant we've named Roma. on monday, he has officially died, or froze to death. it was sad sight to bear. we've managed to grow ths plant from the first day o farmer's mkt back in may. after the whole summer passed, we've gotten 1 tomato tht got stuck on the vine til ths past sunday when i decided to cut it open n c wht's up. it just wasn't ready. but the entire fall season, we've been getting loads o blooms n ther were 2 little tomatoes coming to life. now... we'll just hv to wait til next spring n start over.
anyway, so i trimmed n rewrapped the metal container with the saran wrap tht is on ths thing. 3 out o my 4 herbs tht r planted w/Roma r still alive, so i carefully redid everything in tighter smaller space. i hope they will survive ths winter. Limone (our meyer lemon mini tree) has been quickly rescued n is now indoors along w/Minty n Purple dude (i don't kno wht ths plant is, but he's got purple leaves). it's nice having plants around the house.

i hv been really lazy about writing since summer. i kno i've yet to write up the part 2 o my oz trip. n about the other travels tht has dotted ths yr. ther's been a lot. major n minor travels. but so much to catch up on. but i've been engrossed in playing games on fb when i'm not out or traveling or working. ther's also the time u hv to stop everything to spend w/t person in ur life. n tht distracts above all else i guess.
in terms o my paintings, tht's been very slow progressing also. i'm not sure why. partially it's space. i can't just mess up ths room i live in now in pdx. it's our living room n tho i've alrdy confiscated a corner to b my desk. spreading out further is no good, cuz i'd hv to clean it up every evening. tried working outdoors, but tht doesn't work out so well when u can't c ur torches flames. ok, i can paint other things, but summer is when i'm working on the lunar book. so all i can say is, i'm a bit lazy n lost. am i supposed to come up w/something diff to work out or do i just continue my arabesque series?
many thoughts run thru my head, maybe i'm stuck cuz i'm incubating? perhaps.

well, it's time for me to get things ready to head out n run a few errands. it's like walking myself. once ths is all done, i promise myself to start going to yoga classes again. i can't believe i don't do yoga like i used to anymore. was a 3-4 day week routine + rock climbing! now i barely go yoga n no rock climbing at all!!! n ths is supposed to b great rock climbing town. but if u don't hv a partner, u don't hv chances to go. maybe i should do it in the day time. since evenings r all my precious time-spent hours.

i hope by ths evening i will remember wht i had intended to design for the cover o the catalog. damn, i should've sketched it first or write it down. now i can't recall except tht chris is on ther.

best resto list pdx_2009

2009-10-23T21:50:00.000-07:00

The Best Restaurants of 2009 just published on the portland monthly magazine...

Lucky Strike (maybe ths is t/chinese i heard about?)

Beast (heard o)

Park Kitchen (def a plus)

Syun Izakaya (need to chk out)

Bunk Sandwiches (heard o)

Clyde Common (awesome)

Nostrana (great but not awesome)

Paley’s Place (?)

Laurelhurst Market (heard o)

Nong’s Khao Man Gai (gotta try!, love carte food culture)

creeping close to nov.

2009-10-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

is it end o oct already? well very close to it, then it's nov, dec/ jan 2010! wow, time just ticks by so quickly n silently. i remember getting on the flt to portland on 12/31/08 from tpe n now it's almost a yr since i hv been here. miss my 12th floor home n vic very much. altho ths new life w/another person is great but i miss my own place too. ok, even tho tpe isn't tht ideal w/mosquitos n humidity, etc. but i did spend the time decorating it n making it my home. and i do feel bad 4 just leaving vic ther on his own in tht space. miss my sis n kids too. sometimes i wish it's all in t/same city so i can visit w/everyone often n yet lead my own life too. anyhoo. ths project is dragging on n on n on. has never been such trouble 4 me b4! "reputable" printer ≠ better printer. they suck! so now tht the pdf font issue is resolved, i hv to resolve my duotone issue! damn. when has anyone met such trouble trying to print ths thing, not i! they can't solve any problems so i hv to do it all. so tired. no time to paint n it's dragging into my free time b4 next catalog dsgn time.
enough complaining.
so yesterday i was home working. i'm all set up now w/my 23" monitor i lugged back from OC. we hv nothing left for breakfast except muesli w/yogurt. i ended up eating tht n a squash soup for late lunch n no snacks b4 hoefesh shechter dance performance at 7.30 so we rushed 2 mkt to buy some energy bar n juice n sun chips. then shared a late dinner after at Higgins. was yummy food. so yesterday i had a vegetarian day. hope my wt doesn't drop too much. anyway, the dance co performed 2 pcs, Uprising and In Your Room w/a live band n music he's composed himself. they had only 2 stops in US west, UCLA n here. they'r very powerful pcs. Uprising was a bit too masculine n raw, towards t/end it was too much the same tempo. but the tension was good. lots o very hiphop dance moves n things i saw at raves, haha. the 2nd was def more interesting, w/11 dancers, it was quite powerful. tho he's trying to say lots n maybe too much trying to say at the same time was a bit tough to get it thru. maybe in a couple o yrs his choreogrphy wl b even more mature n it'll smooth out. i love their energy n tension n dynamics tho. it's def a chroeogrpher to watch 4.

ths morning i was awakend w/an email... aiyo! i guess my hopes o not working on tht stupid book is smashed. back to drawing board.
:-(
is ok, i will treat myself by going to paris.
n buy tix to philip glasse's opera, ORPHEE later
looking forward to pink martini album release party.
hv a great day.
it's all white fog out ther.
w/lots o autumn colors.

bday

2009-10-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

wow, is it that time o the yr again? my bday which is in fall, marking the beginning o all the various holidays, halloween, thanksgiving, x'mas, new yr, chinese new yr!
i've been really out o touch w/my blog lately, not tht i hvn't got anything to write. just been so busy trying to finish my lunar book project, which is now... nearly 2 full weeks later than originally projected! i'm nearly ther tho. i had thought yesterday, after staying up all nite to finish some last minute corrections, tht i was all done. nope, still a lot o little things. will ths thing never end? i want to start painting already! really!
update on the tomato situation. hmmm, not so successful. ther's finally 1 growing, but the weather has turned really wet n cold now. i wonder if the plant will survive.
well. i hope i will b able to sort out things soon n start writing more. twittering is just not getting my thoughts n feelings thru.

lost in deadline land.

2009-09-24T10:44:00.001-07:00

i kno it's been a while since i really really wrote anything substantial, it has been such a busy summer o traveling n visiting families, n of course, the pile o summer desn work... which i'm really falling behind. hadn't even the chance to really enjoy portland's summer n now it's fall! our time here is limited. ther's a goal to leave town before the heaviest o winter sets in. i'm just hoping i can get thru all these work here so i can paint again. ther's some work i wanna work out here. maybe i should ask larry about renting a spot in his studio to paint in.
ok, enough break from my work. will continue to try to get it all done by being the latest 1 week overdue. the thing w/being designer, u get the blame when something's late. cuz u'r the end o the line o things. but i'd say 1 week isn't too bad tho since everything was stalling in t/beginning o summer. got a late start.
when ths is all done, i will continue w/part 2 o my travel writing on oz n others things ths past summer. if i can remember.

A moving sound's new album release concert

2009-09-19T08:00:00.001-07:00

I feel very lucky to b able to listen to such beautiful music at the red theatre in Tpe. It made me want to dance.

Almost 3 months?

2009-09-16T17:44:00.001-07:00

Growing up fast

New painting

2009-09-11T20:32:00.003-07:00

So i went back to cafe lili to sign my painting n finally take a foto o it. Here is. I'm liking the size.

here r the other artist's paintings from that day.

Puppy.

2009-09-11T20:32:00.001-07:00

Vic's new puppy, his name is...puffy

Hsr

2009-09-11T20:31:00.001-07:00

On Twn's high speed rail to Tcg. The sky's so clear 2day, so unusual, must b the rain. Love having ths rail. Makes traveling very convenient.

artists beat the flood, paint/ auction

2009-09-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

as i got ready to leave for nyc/ taiwan, i received an email invite calling out to artists to participate in a meaningful event in taipei, while i would b here for. so instead o going on vacation on 9/5th weekend, i decided to participate too. 21 artists painted in the gallery/ cafe of Lili in Tienmu aread from 10am to 8.30pm... w/silent auction going on thru the day n final live auction tht nite. ther were visitors throughout the day stopping by chatting w/us. we got to visit w/ea other and chat about our work n hang out. very fun to b in a community when painting. altho by 6pm, i was soooooooooo exhausted to b painting non-stop since 10 n breathing turpentine fumes tht i was a bit lite headed. i think we made total o 500,000twd for the floor releif aid. awesome! in all the chaos, i didn't get a chance to document the show at all! but the link to Lili cafe has fotos taken by Roma.

1st nite... tokyo avec bagaboo.

2009-08-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

after a long delay at the JFK airport, our orig short flt to Narita turned out to b extra long. all tht waiting on the plane w/out taking off killed me. thankfully i had a whole row to myself plus kirk gave me a nice blanket, i was set to sleep.
we arrived tokyo shibuya district after another long train ride.... but the ramen at Ichiran, just around the back o our hotel was just totally worth it.

holographic scratch board, new toy!

2009-08-07T14:58:00.001-07:00

i kno i should b working... deadline hell n all, but it's friday! i really wanna just draw... so this is today n last week's new work.

quick update

2009-08-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

ths is wht i did since friday, during an advanced encaustics workshop here in pdx. jeff gunn is a great teacher. n the new classmates were all very interesting women. it's not quite finished, but these things take time. it's been really hot here, tough to work in a studio w/out a/c nor a proper fan. but i still am loving wht i hv so far. ok, back to work now, on my bread n butter work.

rose garden

2009-07-20T09:03:00.001-07:00

still hv lots o work 2 do b4 michigan trip, so hadn't time 2 really finish writing about the rest o my oz trip. being home in cali didn't help cuz i ended up not doing ANY work. just spent time w/kids n beach. took a break last evening (8pm) 2 visit the rose garden n refill our depleted fridge (tho we did stock up on fruits n veggies from farmer's mkt) o breakfast items. when u work from home, u'd end up just eating whatever is available n nvr bother 2 leave t/house.
anyway, here r some amazing roses.
the most surprising is the Lagerfeld variety since it's named after, i presume, karl lagerfeld? it starts out lite lavender n as it blooms fades into a very pale shade o white, 8k 4c 7m (i think)?

and this deep red, i think black rose isn't far away.

yoga

2009-07-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

it's been a while since i've done proper yoga. having the right teacher is very important. since i've been in portland ths past 1/2 yr, i've yet to find a space/teacher i find interesting for me. mainly also, vinyasa is the most popular n some ashtanga n hot yoga types. not my cup o tea. but in newport beach, cali, Juris's classes r always so fun n interesting, building strength n flexibility n breath w/out the show-off ppls, etc. of course, in tpe ths last couple o yrs, i've been going to Rob's classes, which may seem basic but u build alignment while gaining strength/ flexibility. in yoga, difficult poses doesn't mean anything if ur balance is off or ur muscles, etc rn't aligned properly. so being home for a visit means i get to refresh on my fav yoga sessions n learn new things. and the sunshine/ beach!

2 weeks in australia_part 1: MEL

2009-07-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

travel plans:
sat 6.13-6.22 (pdx-tpe)
mon 6.22-6.28 (pdx-melbourne)
sun 6.28-7.1 (mel-Hamilton Island)
wed 7.1-7.4 (hmi-Sydney)
sat 7.4 (syd-PDX)

1. after a week in taipei, i flew to Melbourne via HK arriving 6am, 6/23/09. after we met up at airport, we wnt to Mim's place [Brunswick] which is just north of city center. then we all wnt to chinatown for some chow's. too bad the intended resto was closed, so ended up at Post Mao nearby. it's ok food. i find chinese food in restos tend to b a bit heavy on the oil & salts. still, it was good lunch n time spend w/just mim & nicky. a great discovery today for me is a couple of aussie products. the very popular skin care line, Aesop, their most famous product being the parsley seed stuff, which i ended up buying 1 to use, very nice indeed! the other is Papaw, pronounced [poe poe] according to locals (mim). this ointment, i absolutely adore! it is as great n versatile as mim claims. so i bought a tube n a big tub... tho i'd already lost the tube traveling.
anyhoo. we spent the 1st day wandering thru town. exploring the various alleys n lanes tht is so melbourne. then we wnt back to mim's, exhausted, to try the famous aussie snack... Vegemite, altho it's not too bad, it won't b my 1st choice over P&J, ever! we then drank some wines while waiting for nick to show up to take us to his place nearby. nick jones, pls meet my frnd nicky jones! was very funny indeed. we dropped off our luggage n wnt to find dinner in the neighborhood. apparently, mel is a great place to find italian food since ther's a large immigrant population fr/italy. heard ther was even a mafia problem ther. imagine tht. i never wd've thought so. Rumi (mid-eastern fare) was the original resto we intended, but it was full. we ended up going to a sicilian place, Bar Idda, just down lygon street from Rumi. very tasty food, newly opened, 2 months maybe? we had osso buco soup n a pork pasta. afterwards, we stopped by a bar for drinks. in the back "garden" area, i can c several older italian men hanging out. it's alike a scene strait out o Godfather movie!
nick was really sweet to vacate his bed to us n slept on his own couch. felt really bad about it. he's got a really sweet cat, Mimi. boy, melbourne homes r cold in t/winter. apparently no 1 really uses heat. hmmmm. def not for me.

2. sunny day. ate breakfast at the bakery by tram stop. then we head to Federation Square to meet mim/nicky. wnt to c the John Brack retrospective ther.

then of course, we had to visit the aquarium since the penguins r in town! i just adore them! the way the swim n move about. my next fav thing ther is actually the jellyfish. love seeing how they just float w/the currents. it's at the aquarium tht we learnt a new word. BILLABONG! all this time, i just thought it's name o a surf brand or place, like Patagonia! was starving after aquarium, Satay Bar, found ths tiny tiny place nearby, seats about 5? basically the 4 of us took up all the space, maybe can fit 1 or 2 more. the grills r yummy, tho rice could improve a bit, too wet 4 my taste.
ths nite, we met up w/Nick for drinks at Cookie, pub (loads o selection on beers, great pre-dinner place) then Dainty Sichuan food, for dinner. i believe ths is wher all the chinese n melbournites go when they miss authentic spicy (everything was red!) food. too spicy 4 me, i had to drink soy milk w/my food.
i learnt tht, in aus. the restos cannot always allow take-home food unless they'r licensed for take-away. so if u hv leftovers (portions here r also quite "american" meaning "big") some places will reject ur requests for a box. something about food sanitation or safety.
these r some other place we've been to while in MEL, but i'm not remembering the order o places eaten, i will just list them here: Bambuand Hairy Canaryand Hells Kitchen i heard also ther r many nice bars on nearby fed'n square, facing the yarr river. can't remember the names tho.

3. day 3 in MEL, w/rented car, picked up neil/berta who's arrived previous nite. we woke up super early, expecting to b picked up at exactly 7am. we were in fact, too early for the Filou's Patissier, apparently a well known n loved place, nearby nick's home.
we drove out onto the Great Ocean Road with the 12 Apostles as our final destination in mind. tho we finally learnt last minute tht it takes 4-5 hrs to reach...it was unanimously decided tht we'll do Erskine Falls and Aireys Inlet Lighthouse then lunch in Wye River, ther's a semi-grocery store with a sort o cafe/pub, very nice food too. then our final goal o t/day was to c Koala bears. we managed to spot several stoned out bears high on trees in Kennet River... well mainly their very cute round asses! after their glam foto sessions, we rushed home so t/car won't b charged an extra day... the drive home was great cuz it sprinkled a little n revealed to us beautiful double full arch rainbows [taste the rainbows]!!! then home for brief rest n back to our nice dinner at the Italian, expensive formal resto, but very good food/ service. ate the chicken, simply grilled. we often forget how simply the chicken can taste w/just some salt n grilled as is.

4. in MEL, wine country tour o yarra valley!!! we gotten up bright n early, picked up by the driver (yes we got a vanbus tht comes w/driver) n off we go, still a bit sleepy tho not as early as previous day, it's now 9am. these r the stops we made, b4 lunch... no one was really into drinking wine ths early... [on ths morning, we heard the sad news o michael jackson's passing in oz]
1) PUNT ROAD, my scribbles were tht we like their Chardonnay, Cab, Bortrytis Semillon. their Etoile restaurant looked amazing. but on we go.
2) DOMAINE CHANDON, we loved their Heathcoe Shiraz n their sparkling wine, Vingtage Brut 2005. tasty. think neil made some purchases here.

3) Giant Steps/ Innocent Bystander, which is winery & bistro. after the morning of wine tasting with near empty stomach, we had to eat our lunch 1st b4 hitting the wine tasting tables. we started out with cheese platter which mim recommended. then moved onto their pizza. it's very good crust.. but the tomato sauce is the most basic n theirs was just not as good as wht Ken Artisan serves up in PDX. they do serve lots o very yummy dishes besides tho. and their giant steps line of wines carries more depth than innocent bystander line. right beside ths spot, is the beer brewery, White Rabbit. It caught our attention immediately cuz it's stood out in the midst o all these wineries. we were curious n interested to taste something other than wine, crossing the parking lot over to it, we ventured to try their brew. TASTY! is it cuz we were under t/influence? dunno, but we bought a few to take home w/us to try later on. our last tasting was 1 suggested by some1 at chandon, Red Shed Cafe, a very small hand-crafted winery along with restaurant tht is fare in price n great in taste, from wht i read on their menu n other reviews online.
back to the city we go, leaving the yarra valley, content. today, we move to our hotel room in St Kilda, the internationally & locally loved beachside o MEL. ths is wher the wedding will take place, at the poshy The Prince boutique hotel. our place, Hotel Tolarno, is also very sweet n interesting. i've never seen clrs so diff yet so well put together in harmony. thruout the hotel hallway, rooms, lobby, resto, they hung interesting yet varied art purchased from the grad class o art schools nearby. our room came w/a kitchenette. the 2 burner stove is also a mini oven! love love love its adorability o style n space... best part is, to hv a heated room! all 3 of us were quite relieved to move to hotel. wedding is only another day away! yeh! dinner was just down the street, barely 2 blocks away at Kyma. i've been wanting greek food since the cruise n didn't hv chance to eat local cuisine back then. we were not disappointed by the food. ate too much as usual, even tho we've been sharing our meals... [the white rabbit beer is very good]

5 sat in St Kilda, MEL. WEDDING DAY 4 mim n adie!!! breakfast n walk down by the boardwalk. ther's a Luna park here with all sorts o rides, but no one is interested in going for any ride. apparently, here at the pier, ther r penguins here around sunrise/set times. we c signs but don't c them. we do c a pair o very elegant black swans tho. i then heard tell tht all white swans r property o queen o england in UK. really? why? wht does it mean?
o, forgot to mention, ran into Anna!!! hadn't seen her for nearly 2 yrs since she was transfered to New Zealand. anyway, it's an evening wedding today, so still hv a few hrs b4 prepping for t/wedding to wander about a bit.

CHANGE!

2009-07-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

in memory of michael jackson.

we saw him walking in his signature shorter pants everywhere we went in australia.

availability

2009-06-16T02:17:00.000-07:00

in this mobile age, being a designer who's always worked freelance on projects, i'm quite used to being 'mobile.' To my family, however, i'm just never "available" because i'm not physically in taiwan most of the time. it is very unfair to state this, because, of all the projects i hv done in the past, most i hv done while traveling around. i'm rarely in the actual office. i was accused of not making myself available. i felt wronged in many ways, cuz i've always been online working with the taiwan office. i finish my project b4 deadline. if ther's delays, it's always been the management who doesn't respond to my emails n such. not being around has always been. but that is a physicality of the old days. ths is mobile tech world. why is it wrong to b traveling. every yr i hv to explain tht's how i've always worked in the past. i flew 14hrs to tpe just for an hour meeting just so i can b here in person, in the physical, just so things will start rolling n to prove tht i'm "here" it pains me to b accused of not being 'available' when i'm the most available once the project starts....
ths is the same thing as my family saying always tht i don't call nor do i give notice o my travels, etc. when i say it in advance, no one pays notice until i am actually away. then they'r always surprised by it n say tht i do ths n tht n i never tell them. old habbits die hard, n old impressions die hard. so even if i didn't do it, it is assumed tht i didn't call n i don't tell ahead.

Calvin

2009-06-16T02:02:00.001-07:00

It's nice 2 b hanging out w/my boys again.

taipei

2009-06-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

here i am, back home with victor in taipei. it's been 1/2 year since i've been away from tpe. our living room has grown very cozy. i like it. i guess i'm jet-lagged cuz it's daytime in pdx n i'm wide awake!!!!
good to b back, even if just 1 week. will hv loads to do, including finding my twn id card.... was it stolen? or lost?

i kno my mom does hv my tote n silver rings by accident.
it's so hard trying to remember what is wher...
so good to b back in my room.
sooooo good to hang out w/my bro again too! tho i'll only b able to c him for a few days b4 he takes off to osaka.
now i just can't b lazy n run all my errands asap! only 1 week til oz!

another line

2009-06-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

i've not shown this online yet, have i?

rose garden in the other city of roses, portland, OR

2009-06-09T23:12:00.000-07:00

Pasadena, CA was the other city of roses i've lived in yrs ago when i was going to school at art center, but i didn't really fully appreciate flowers then. now, i'm living in portland, OR, another city of roses, after a freezing winter, spring means so much more and the blooms, they'r amazing. well, maybe also, after nearly a yr of floral arrangement class, i've had better appreciation also of flowers n various plants.
we visited the japnaese garden and then stopped to look at the rose garden. the last time i was here, nearly 1 month ago. the rose bushes were all just barely starting to grow new leaves! now their blooming, beyond first blooms! wow! so amazing. the colours n varieties! it's crazily beautiful. but we were hungry so didn't stick around too much longer... well n kirk couldn't stop sneezing too.
which is ur favorite color?

bust of aphrodite

2009-06-08T22:07:00.001-07:00

i've returned from a cruise w/my parents + their frnds in the mediterranean, n this is my fav gift i brought back, now she has a glow to go w/her beauty.

sunshine weekend, pdx!

2009-05-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

what a beautiful weekend this has been, here in portland! finally the sunshine n warmth i've been waiting for stuck around thru t/entire weekend!
sat after a leisurely late breakfast, headed to the nearby farmer's market to stock up on much needed stock of veggies. since last nite the morel experience was so amazing (i've never cooked with fresh morels, wow) we bought some fresh ones n other things. only disappointing thing is tht the summer fruits r not here yet :-( too tired o apples n pears alrdy. still, it's great to b out n seeing everyone out n about enjoying the sun too.
in the p.m. we drove out to the wine country (south towards Dundee) to the Red Ridge Farm. it's ther we found our Limone (meyer lemon tree) i had no idea the flowers r so fragrant! n also purchased a few other herbs i didn't get at the farmer's earlier. this is a most beautifully organised farm/ nursery w/olive oil farm. we missed the winery hours at Lange, so no wine for sunday's picnic/hike. still, it's been a wonderful day out. we then wnt home to enjoy sun on the balcony w/a pre-dinner drink.
for dinner, used the frozen meatballs i've made w/italian sausage, grnd beef, onions n tofu (instead of breadcrumbs) n a sauce with shitake mushrooms w/leftover mint/cilantro pesto. turns out quite good, altho the sweet pea sprouts weren't all perfectly tender.

sun, after having done wii fit chk ups n a few games, we're finally off to the coast. neahkahnie mtn has a hiking trail, 3.2 miles roundtrop at med difficulty. driving out to the coast is like 70+ miles. fr/ther another 15 miles south to the trailhead. altho according to the book, it's 17.2 miles south of cannon beach, which according to t/car's odometer, it's not so. we ended up driving back n forth a bit to find it. turns out, it's just up the hill after the oswald west state park (short sand beach, wher k n alex surfs) the hike itself isn't tht steep in the ascent n it's nicely shaded w/some sun. we even saw a few kids n dogs on ths trail. our snack on the trail was a bag o peanut m&m's. after so much good food on friday/sat, today is day o simple things. upon exit of the trail, we headed to cannon beach n ther we ate our picnic w/salami, cheese, tomato n baguette from Ken's. it's the best ever!

the only failure ths weekend i must say, is the chocolate chip cookie we tried but failed to make. molasses used as brown sugar must b adjusted in order for the baking to come out right, but how? it's i will hv to study some more from my science of food book.

friday of foods!

2009-05-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

after french class at the alliance francaise, we wnt to try out luck again at Pok Pok. since it's lunch time, we'r hoping we could get seated finally, n not 1 to 2 hrs waits. we sat down to tasty lunch, altho the pad see yew was a bit on the salty side, everything else was amazing. then we had dessert, pok pok afogado (espresso w/ice cream) but their version includes condensed milk n 油條 (chinese fried donut, which is usually served as breakfast item, usually savory dips)! never thought to eat it w/ice cream but it's amazing combo!
then shopped around at new seasons mkt. for our basic groceries. been wanting to chk ths 1 out. very nice space n things. it's like a cross btwn whole food & trader joe's, with pricing in btwn the two. the produce part, will wait til sat for it.
heard tht at nike, ther's an expected 500 employee cutbacks occurring nxt week. so everyone is quite anxious. today, nearly everyone is working fr/home or taking a break. i'm benefiting fr/ths cuz we got to spend a whole afternoon hanging out. lunch, shopping, lecture at ocac, then dinner w/alex & alie at Acadia. a new orleans style resto i've been wanting to try out on Fremont. i had thought it's across t/strt fr/La Provence, but i'm way off. tho ther's a shop called Arcadia across fr/tht, not acadia! damn. both the mixed drinks & the foods were amazing. kirk has the roasted chicken w/morel mushroom. i gotta get me some o tht at the farmer's mkt tmrw.

bisous d'eskimo

2009-05-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

this is my fav music video recently!

Comment fait l'ours blanc
Tard le soir en rentrant
Comment fait le pinguoins
Quand il part au matin

Comment fait le caribou
Quand il a plus un sou
Comment fait l'otarie
Qui va vivre sa vie

REfrain:
Bisou bisou d'eskimo
Bisou bisou d'eskimo
Bisou bisou d'eskimo
Bisou bisou d'eskimo

A droite, à gauche
En haut en bas
Non pas la baleine
Elle a mauvaise haleine

Comment fait le goélad
Quand arrive le vent
Comment fait l'eskimo
Qui va faire du bateau

Comment fait l'empereur
Qui part tourjours à l'heure
Comment fait le manchot
Qui s'est levé tôt

REfrain:
Bisou bisou d'eskimo
Bisou bisou d'eskimo
Bisou bisou d'eskimo
Bisou bisou d'eskimo

Comment fait le trappeur
Après son dur labeur
Comment fait la mouette
Quand elle va faire la fête

Comment fait le pigloo
Qui sort de son igloo
Et le chien de traîneu
Le jour de son repos

REfrain:
Bisou bisou d'eskimo
Bisou bisou d'eskimo
Bisou bisou d'eskimo
Bisou bisou d'eskimo

rain

2009-05-04T20:05:00.000-07:00

it is depressing me that it's already may 4th, and i'm still freakin wearing long sleeves n coat! it rained like a ton today, i can barely hear myself think today. it's affecting me in a bad way i think. i hate long ass winters w/out a real beautiful spring (i mean w/out all the rain n coldness)

new ptg n memory lane: last summer in montréal

2009-04-30T10:17:00.003-07:00

this isn't a very good foto of the final encaustics but it'll hv to do for now. maybe i can ask jimmy to take a studio foto o it when i hang it up at the SOPA gallery for the may 9th show in south pas. it's quite large but i'm liking it quite a bit now. it's growing on me. wax is a very free-flowing technique. many unexpected things come about unplanned. u hv to b flexible with it. n ths i like very much. cuz its like me n ths life in the world.

last summer, b4 block island, i wnt to visit a frnd i met dancing at Eden (now closed) in TPE. montreal's name came from mont real. the "mountain" is really a "hill" but, it's quite a view from the top o tht "hill" anyway. i love ths foto he took of my flying hair, dancing at the drum circle on sundays. look at how tan i was! winter in pdx has really lightened up my clr. will hv to fix tht soon. but o it was such a fun weekend of dancing, from drum circles to outdoor rave to heart dancing.

cookbooks for the little ones.

2009-04-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

i came across this cookbook,The Petit Appetit Cookbook: Easy Organic Recipes to Nurture Your Baby and Toddler, as i was wandering thru the maze-like Powell's bookstore in pdx. so i looked it up on the library website n chk'd it out. the author, LISA BARNES, also wrote 1 other book, "eat, drink and be merry" for kids o all ages. both have very good ideas put to use in daily life. i even find ideas in here for myself in terms of cooking n prepping food in my daily life.

upcoming travels /planning

2009-04-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

heavy clouds, will it rain? still quite cold, wher's the sun n wamer temp?

did my taxes. i promise myself, ths yr, i will b better at it. keep better records too.

so now i hv time to think thru traveling plans. 5/23/09-6/5/09 (meeting parents in rome to join t/cruise part o/their trip, greece, turkey?) do i fly from pdx or go home 1st to OC n fly from LAX?

hv to b in melbourne by late june for mim's wedding. still working out details of exact dates n places n flts... thoughts, fly from HNL? or actually, wd like to hv stop in TPE to visit w/family.

aug? block island/ nyc, well, we'll c how tht will work out. something to think thru.

aug? OC? maybe, i guess it all depends on wher i am to b?

so many thoughts to plan thru. can't i just go?

alliance francaise de portland

2009-04-14T04:36:00.000-07:00

rain/sunny... freakin cold again! rain/ sun/ rain / sun... wher's the spring?

2day, je suis visité l'af de pdx, pour observer 2 classes. le prof sylvain parlait tres vite mais claire. j'ai lui comprendu. he's a good prof. ce vendredi la, je vais oberserver l'autre classe d'autre niveau. we'll c which 1 i decide on then.
the af is located in a nice quiet spot on 20th ave off jefferson, in a classic french lime stone faced style house. but not too big. ther's a beautiful sakura tree blossoming right out front now. sitting from inside the classroom, i kept staring into the window view of the tree n blooms dreaming o the pedals n colors.

carrot-walnut cake w/cream cheese frosting

2009-04-12T22:40:00.001-07:00

gray, some sun, rain

altho i've never been a huge fan of frostings, etc, nor carrot cake, baking kirk's nana's recipe (slightly reducing the sugar) of carrot-walnut cake, wow, it's quite delicious esp paired w/cream cheese frosting.
i think the secret with cake is not to hv it double layer n too large of a piece.
loving our stand mixer!

happy easter.

2009-04-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

we nearly forgot it's easter. but quickly made our easter eggs n started painting our eggs w/my new markers. it's quite cool, inspired by the ukrainian eggs (pysanky) design. we sorta undercooked our eggs tho so having it being left out all day, we can't eat it at dinner :-(
still, it's fun to b celebrating easter again.

shiitake mushroom pasta, rice vinegar chicken.

2009-04-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

shiitake mushrm, oyster mushrm, olive oil + butter, watercress, spinach, minced ginger, garlic from the garlic comfit, basil, carrot greens, edamame, pasta.

chicken, soy sauce, maple syrup, olive oil, pepper, rice vinegar, minced shallots + minced thyme, butter. siracha sauce to balance out.

earl grey tea mini muffins

2009-04-10T09:07:00.001-07:00

i've been forgetting to record t/weather was i did b4 when i first arrived in pdx.
so here is.
40s
gray
foggy morning.

well, i finally crossed over n made mini muffins. a recipe i got off the Just Bento blog i'd been reading. i even wnt to buy the silicon cupcake form. thinking tht her suggestion on using it also for the frozen fruit cups in the summer, which can also b the cooler in the bento pack. think multi-purpose. it's quite alright, baking with this rubbery texture thing.

anyway, it looks fine n tastes quite lite in flavor, very subtle, the tea. which is good. n lite in sugar too. can almost b treated as a scone in a way.
yeh, snacks.

as for the extra italian sausages n tofu n nearly spoiling mushrooms... well, i made miso soup w/tofu & mushrooms for lunch yesterday, n mixed some of the tofu also into the sausages to make mini meatballs. mini tofu pcs n sautéed mushrms, thinking i can use it for the bento stash. no such luck. cuz it ended into the pasta sauce for dinner last nite. turned out very tasty even tho the sauce was store bought, we added fresh basils n the carrot top greens n garlic comfit n fresh onions, but alas, no stash for monday bento.

but i got the breakaway japanese kitchen from library. can't wait til farmer's market to start trying out his recipes.

ah. woke up too early. time to nap.

bento mondays, jumbled thoughts...

2009-04-09T10:00:00.001-07:00

new objective for mondays.
since i'm taking riding lessons on monday evenings at dinnertime. it's a better idea to prepare bento's to take to the barn instead of eating the bull kaka fast food out ther.

this week, i managed to make a recipe from Helene Hendersen's The Swedish Table cookbook, using brussels sprouts, onions, n italian sausages. basically, as i'm making this, i realized while slicing up brussels tht they r like mini cabbages. something clicked 4 me then. STIR-FRY! tht's wht i'm making! so i used the garlic comfit instead o fresh garlic as eric gower suggested 4 ths recipe. then when the dish is all done, i used the left-over basmati rice n made a fried rice w/the dish. n packed a side of the siracha sauce for stronger flavor. since the italian sausage suggested orig in recipe was "hot" but i don't eat spicy, it's a good way to perk it up afterwards, allowing the non-spicy vs spicy eater the choice. siracha goes with everything anyway.

i also packed a few choco-chip cookies we made over the weekend, ice tea (i made cold infused).

this was quite a success, tho i didn't manage the time really well.
next time tho. so i started reading the just bento blog by maki who is also the author of just hungry blog. very inspiring. i think, after i get out ther n find my used books, n library books n buttons. i might try to make the tea muffin?
ah, so many ideas.
wish the kids r nearby so i can make their bento to school. wht fun!

am i being domesticated? nope. i've always been interested in cooking or at least cookbooks. i was once asked if i collected anything. everyone has a sort of collection here n ther, right? thinking back thru the yrs... i had, as a kid, a collection of stamps. i enjoyed the removing of the stamps off the envelopes. i loved the mail from/ dated stamp. i guess i'd been a dream traveller ever since, just not knowing it. but i soon gave'em to my younger cousins to play with.
over the yrs i had a little collection o ths n tht, but in the end, since was never really serious, i'd end up giving it away or chucking it out. collecting things takes time n energy n lots o space. i'd like to not have too much things, stuffs. so from time-to-time, i'd reorg n chuck or donate or giveaway (ths, i'm a bit like mom) as i'm always moving around, i tend to want to compress my belongings in these reorgs (which usually happens when i'm moving too)

a small collection i hv back at my parents' home, r things fr/traveling n gifts from ppl. becuz they'r gifts, i can't ever throw'em out. sentimental values r way high on my list i guess. in these i hv a little box n in the boxes, r little pebbles from my travels. i guess depending on wher i wnt, sometimes the souvenir r things from nature, sometimes from artists or whatnots.

as i collected lots of books. mythology is one category i love. fictions, art books, design sources, pattern books, etc but above all, i love cookbooks. whenever i start 2 rid myself o possessions, cookbooks always remain with me. n of course the cooking magazines too. even with internet n recipes posted all over, i still cant' resist wanting to own certain cookbooks. so i guess the top love i hv is for cookbooks. how i wish i can get into the contained storage where 1/2 of my books r n things so i can sort'em out.

doesn't collecting take up too much space? we humans r such funny creatures, aren't we? like snails n turtles, we pack a "home" n lug it around all the time w/us. b it a small purse, messenger bag, backpack, tote, luggages... we just move things back n forth, sometimes in short distances, at times across the globe. alas, i think it can't b helped. our conscious state is trained differently than other animals on ths planet. we hv spare time but our mind doesn't stop thinking n well, it creates desire n wants. feeling of guilt when we hv too much free time. we hv to b like worker bees or else we dunno wht to do w/ourselves. so to fill these spare moments, we fill it w/more tasks n thoughts n goals, etc. can't b helped... unless we can b at ease w/nothingness. not easy. so on we go.

i think it is time to go search out the library books. fill my head up w/more things i can't remember well.

ah, signs o spring everywher!

2009-04-07T09:44:00.001-07:00

signs o spring r everywher one can imagine. ppl r out of hiding for one, n u c smiles on their faces as they come out to soak up the sun. i hadn't realized ther's actually ths many ppl in portland. then the blooms on the trees, the freshest green imaginable budding on the bare dark branches. the bright green moss slowly dying off as tree's winter coat. n today, the fountains r running again, flowing w/water. sure sign it's all warming up. yipeee!

sakura

2009-04-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

when i c the tree blossoms in full bloom, such as the sakuras, it makes me really happy. changes everything cuz i kno sunnier days n warmer days r coming.
we ran bunch o errands around town. then to the washington park which leads to the rose garden (no blooms yet ther, tho others r really blooming) n then the japanese garden, zoo, etc. which will wait til it's all ready to b strolled thru.
wnt to st honoré for lunch, everyone's trying to grab an outdoor table. no luck for us. amazing boulangerie tho. our sandwiches were amazing. too big tho. next time i will get the smaller stuff. was just hungrier than my belly.

out to coastline, OR

2009-04-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

today, as the weather has been really nice, i mean sunny n warm, no coats necessary! nor socks! we headed out to visit the elks at the nature preserv. on the way (slight detour) to Cannon beach. wow, i realized at end o the day tht the coast from pdx is 76miles or so! still, it was nice to c the elks lazing n grazing on the green green grass. ok, so the foto from my camerafone is a bit lacking, since i had to zoom so far in to catch it closer. def need a higher powered camera.

Cannon Beach is a very cute n quiet beach town, unlike wht i'm used to as being small n quiet in southern cal beach towns. still, its very quaint. it's early in the season yet, but shops r beginning to open up. the town's filled w/ppl coming for some sun n watch the waves (altho it's quite messy today) n a bit foggy still.

then ther's the seafood market/ resto serving their fresh caught fish. our fish n chips def beat wht i ate in england hands down.

fiona

2009-03-31T16:52:00.000-07:00

i am leaving back to portland tmrw. leaving behind very good frnds, and fiona. when will the next time i c them again? seem like the taipei crew has moved to europe. reunions r not easy since every1 is far apart, even tho not really.
still
for me, i dunno when the next time i will come thru ths area.
i'd like to explore other parts o the world still so may b limited in chances o being in london again.

still, it's going to b good to go "home" again.

def miss the honn's

mos!

2009-03-31T02:21:00.000-07:00

i just want to say quickly
there r mosquitoes in LONDON!
killed one last nite, saw 1 ths morning

road trip!

2009-03-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

was sleepless last nite, so instead of tossing n turning in bed, i started reading Eclipse, hoping to fall asleep reading. instead i read 1/2 way thru the book when nicky came by to get me to bed cuz b4 i realized it, it's already 6am! jetlag is bad! tossing n turning again, i finally fell asleep n next time i woke, it's nearly noon.
picked up rodney at nearly 2pm n started to head in direction of Arundel Castle, we've not had any intake of food yet, just tea. so we saw a cute village on the way, Petworth, this is a really beautiful n ancient "village". we parked n walked about the windy roads looking 4 food. saw a sign tht looks like potential yummy place, taking us nearly out o the village tho. when we finally found it, we were disappointed to hear tht the chef has just left the bldg. is is nearly 3, all the food services all just ended, only pints r available. so we ended up waiting til we reached our destination. we found tea shop by the river n were able to hv tea n scones with cream n jam, since they'r trying to close up by 4:30, they'r not serving "food" just available pastries. soooooooooooooo very yummy, we wolfed it down in an instant. but we'r just having no lucky with "FOOD".

i must say, their english expressions r so diff than ours. it's taking a while to remember the slight nuances in the expression.
-a kipper is a nap or snooze
-potato in a jacket is baked potato
-coronation chicken is basically chicken salad (w/a bit curry in its mayo)
-food is cooked meal or anything needing assembly like sandwiches, etc, pastries don't count.
-tablet is medicine
...and many more.

we then walked along the river, a very long walk, to Black Rabbit in search for our dinner. i took lots of fotos along the way. ther's a tree i've noticed in the past couple of days here, tht has these little fuzzy buds, they look like caterpillars sprouting all over. when we fianlly reached our destination, it was dark n we'r starving again.

it's Mother's day here, everything indoor's booked n we sat by river to eat (messy garlic bread, grilled mushroom steak, burger n my porc roast_basically, ham) they forgot my food tho, so i watched my frnds eat, trying hard not to look starved! was ok tho, since they felt bad enough to return my money. free meal. not dressed warm enough n being outdoors, i think my dinner quckly burn off cuz i ended the nite around 2am at home, eating 2 more pcs of toast.
it long way ther n short way back to our car, in complete darkness along the road, cold but fun. since ther's no sidewalk along the pitch blk country road, we had to stop n step to the grassy sides to make sure we'r off the road ea/time a car comes our way. which took a bit longer. we began singing songs which turns finally into o'mcdonald song, w/lots of funny animals, including dragons n porcupines n skunks on the farm making funny noises. was lots o fun! then driving back, we "chased" trains 4 rodney cuz o the lack of trains running on sunday eve. we ended up taking him back to a town nearby horsham, (3 bridges station) so he can hop back on a bus back to brighton.

watched 5 episodes of Angel (i'm far far behind) n drank a bottle of rose b4 finally going to bed.

am happy to b here w/frnds n being silly n weather being nice n sunny. i'm a sun girl to b a happy n sun shine-y gurl-woman! i guess i'm not so moon-oriented as i used to b when i was younger.

cosmetics

2009-03-22T07:07:00.001-07:00

these r products tht nicky uses n i tried it on tht first nite we arrived n going out. i put some to conceal n brighten my dark circled eyes.
YSL's Touché Eclat, is a brush pen.
n ths other by by Dermalogica, intensive eye repair. it's even better than YSL thingy. i tried it.
sometimes, it's nice to b girly. i don't often experience ths.

Horsham, day 2 or is it 1?

2009-03-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

arrived at London heathrow airport yesterday morning, early, like 7am. tired cuz i hvn't slept much on flt, maybe age has something to do? i just couldn't sleep. i did manage to watch a few flicks on the mini screen in front of me. i do believe if i was given a tv n controller, tht's wht i end up doing on flt, catch up on films.
n'way, during the flt, i'd accendently lock myself out of my taiwan sim card. which i did a few days earlier w/my american sim card. so i cudn't get hold o anyone.
managed to b met up by nicky n since we'r both dead on our feets, we took our most expensive cab ride ever to Horsham, her hometown (150 quid!)
nice sunny day, not too cold.
sunny is the important part.

tried to sleep a little
had pub lunch w/rodney in crawley
wnt home to b talked into going to nicky's hairdresser's wher i promptly fell asleep in the shop in sitting position.
then we quickly grabbed our chg of clothes to her sister's to chg for girls' nite out.

still tired today cuz we didn't get to sleep in ths morning, woke up at 5am! but had a very slow motioned morning. took us til 2pm to leave house in search o car then lunch.
walked in the park n visited the town.
will hv stay in nite then head to Arundel tmrw w/rodney n nicky.

minty boozy chicken

2009-03-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

this is friday morning. sunny n cold out.
ther's things to do out ther, pick up my library stuff... maybe if tht purse is still at buffalo exchange?
tired of dark heavy clothes.
when will it b warm enough yet?

back tracking now to yesterday.

made the chicken dish from the Breakaway Cook cookbook. it calls for cilantro, mint, rum, orange juice, lime, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper... just to marinade the meats. it was quite amazing, even if the prep took a while, the cooking didn't take too long. n it tasted so amazing!
oops, can't take foto to share (no camera/ nor fone)
was going to serve it with quinoa, but like so many shopping mishaps i've had, i had bought bulgur instead but all ths time, i had thought i bought quinoa... i guess i was going to buy tht n ended up not getting it for some reason, tho in my mind, tht's wht i remembered i hv... haha! is ok. i ended up mixing jasmin+brown rice to serve.
n pea+feta+mint salad goes quite well with the flavors of the chicken. even tho it's another load o mint. still works well.

can't wait to try the other recipes in the book.

bye bye fone :-(

2009-03-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

broke my cell fone, k800i, while skiing. has been a strange morning/day. nothing wnt right. n while wandering alone on the slopes, lost. i forgot my pocket was unzipped n snow got in. as i was using it to connect to my frnds, i didn't realize it was wet. n i forgot to make sure i let it dry completely b4 i try powering on. didn't occur to me all the warning signs... so as i try to restart it, it fried it instead. it's my fav ever cuz it's a fone n great camera all in 1. plus it has most o functions i need, notes, calendar, contact, reminders, etc... but best o all is that when i travel, it's the only thing i need. no need for a camera + its charging cords, extra wt, extra thing to lug around.
i debated about iphone. i really love it, everything it's got. but just doesn't hv the camera i come to expect from mine. well, so i debated about 770 like chris has. another great camera/fone. my fotos of japan last fall was taken w/it. quite like it. but it's still limited compared to the c902. so tht's what i'm getting in the end. i i will wait for the iphone to hv the things i wanted b4 getting tht. i can wait for the ideal one.

breaking away...

2009-03-07T20:32:00.000-08:00

i've heard from frnds & on kcrw's good food program about eric gower, the breakaway cook n yesterday, i got my copy of the book from the library, finally! wow, i'm really amazed at how simple everything is and approachable. the ingredients r basic but so amazing. i like the way he writes too. as if he's simply talking to u, like a frnd. i can't wait to try cooking things from it.
then i looked online to c about his other book, the breakaway japanese kitchen, it's sold out! so the used copies for sale online r ranging btwn 27-191usd! crazy. but not to worry, the library has 2 copies available to borrow. phew! tmrw. i will try something... prob not hv time tho. going skiing at mt hood.

encaustics painting, 1st attempts.

2009-03-05T11:52:00.001-08:00

thurs morning, nearing noon.
gray with fast moving, very heavy clouds in the sky.
warmer than yesterday.
---
i'm sitting here listening to KCRW's in-studio performance of Tyler Bates, composer of the Watchmen film. and updating my fb & blogging... debating if i should venture out to try the lunch at Bento spot i read about or just eat in?

tonite is the monthly 1st thurs artwalk in ths town. should b fun & interesting. so, i don't hv a place to show my work but online. so here's my latest progress in learning the method of encaustics painting.... n now i've also (finally) posted a few of the pcs for sale on ETSY.com just as a test. had signed up last yr to sell, but hv been so lazy about it all. then now i'm here... most o t/work r in taiwan or newport, it's hard to fig out wht to sell.

ok, the first foto is now the 2nd painting... so much layering n texture tht's not easily seen here as foto. but i'm loving it.

altho it isn't as easy as i expected, it is def unexpected and fun. n i'm liking the torching part. tho i've learnt a lesson regarding the safety o torching... NEVER EVER touch the nozzle/ tubing w/ur bare hands! it's scorching HOT! burnt my thumb :( now i hv 3 finger scars on my hands tht will never go away. or at least it'll take few yrs. i mean the rope burn on my arm is just starting to fade a little, n tht's from 3 yrs ago! phew! 3 yrs? how time flies.
o my tea!
maybe i eat in. being lazy again.

AEBLESKIVER (danish pancakes)

2009-03-01T14:50:00.000-08:00

in an Oregon monthly magazine (march issue), ther's an article on breakfast/ brunch places in Portland. so we've decided to expand our choices for restos. 1st on my cravings list, was Swedish pancakes, at least tht's wht i thought when i saw the foto n descriptions for Broder Cafe. tho i wasn't very thorough in my reading, etc... it was also serving breakfast daily starting 9am. tht suited us fine since we had a funny sleep schedule last nite.
Broder is located in the SE Portland neighborhood. we don't go ther often, at least it's not in my streetcar/ walking distance thing. well, thinking we'd b early enough to miss the sunday morning crowd, we got ther by 9:30 n already, ther's a wait list! Already?!!! i guess many ppl read the same article? anyhoo, the wait staff was nice enough to open up the next door tavern as waiting area so we won't hv to b in the cold.
when we finally sat down, i realized we weren't ordering swedish pancakes, but danish pancakes calle Aebleskiver. it's a bit like the French profiteroles in a way. batter is cooked in ths thing called Monk's pan, it's served with lingonberry jam, lemon curd n maple syrup. the lemon curd stood out the most! so yummy. the other thing we tried was the baked scramble with ham/cheese. it's also very yummy esp wher the Gruyere cheese dominated the flavors. it is served w/choices of veggies, salad or potato pancake. we were expecting the potato pancake (latkes) to b sweet too, more like pancakes w/potato bits in it. instead it's basically like hashed potatoes w/a little batter to keep it together, n it's savory! it's very tasty, i must admit loving it (not much o a potato girl unless it's mashed w/gravy)
ther's 2 cook books on the wall in kitchen on display, Kitchen of the Light & The Swedish Table, i've gotta remember to chk if the public library has'em.
good breakfasts r always a guarantee to a gr8 start to a day!

o n since we'r talking about all ths Scandinavian food, etc... we talked about travel plans. maybe a trip to mid-west thru chicago then Minneapolis? heard it's an amazingly surprisingly cool town. can't wait.

Hambaagu dinner

2009-02-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

last nite, we had frnds over 4 dinner. since we gotten ths package of ranch direct ground beef in freezer, i've been wanting to make the japanese style hamburger/rice dish. so, tks to the Just Hungry blog, i found the recipe as my base to cook & learn from. as i also hv The Complete Tante Marie's French Kitchen cookbook for ref, i modified the recipe just a bit. instead of ground pork, i used porc sausage as the book suggested. for someone like me who's very lite handed w/salt, it's a good thing.
as for the onion, instead o typical yellow, i used the sweeter red.
one thing regarding bread crumbs... i now realize why not the crust, if using real bread. the crust doesn't really blend into the patty unless u really crush it all up b4 adding the milk.
as for the sauce, i hv the red wine & tonkatsu (to buy all the ingredients to mk ths will mk me end up w/more bottle n jars...so i just bought it), but didn't feel like buying ketchup also since i hv an opened can o tomato paste at home already. i substituted tomato paste + mustard + a very little bit o sriracha for a tad o heat.

rice wise, cooking w/out rice cooker is a little tough, for four ppl tho, i now kno we just need like 2 or 2.5 cups o rice instead. if cooking w/sushi rice, the water shouldn't b one extra cup, maybe 1/2 or equal amt?

i served glazed carrots with the rice to offset the colors + a little sprinke o fresh parsley.

b4 dinner, i made the mint, peas + feta salad w/lemon dressing. lighter offset to introduce the dinner.

for predinner drinks, we had fresh blood red oranges + champagne, wht a fresher combo than just reg oranges. very cool.

tht was last nite. i prepped most of the stuff during the day while i painted. a very slow process scrapping into the encaustics n filling the gaps w/oil pastels n buring it into the wax w/a torch. it's not as easy to control the wax n fire, etc. i'm really liking ths process tho. patience is required. surprise is always ther, nice or otherwise, i like tht, cuz it causes me to think how to turn it in my favor.
i will post my encaustics as soon as i get it downloaded from camera.

a new one... finally

2009-02-25T14:18:00.000-08:00

this is my new drawing... not sure wht to make of it yet. not sure if i even like wher it's going either. we'll c.

good weekend

2009-02-22T17:31:00.000-08:00

this weekend has been really fun.
friday nite, after dinner, we saw Coroline in 3D at the theatre, they don't give u crappy cardboard blue/red glass anymore.
sat, after a lazy morning, wnt into town to get my torch, had awesome cupcake at Saint Cupcakes, the creamcheese frosting was really yummy. it's nice to b offered mini cupcakes to buy instead of the large sized ones wher u get no chance to taste other flavors. the decor of the shop is quite nice too. for our late lunch, we wnt back to Half & Half, clam chowder & tuna melt, yum! after tht, we wnt home to get ready for our Beaux Arts Ball at the Portland Art Museum! i hv not dressed up in evening wear in such long time!

today (sun) we wnt to the skate park for big brother event. i watched all these kids fly around so easily on skateboards. i learned the basic moves n had a go on it for a few rounds. it's fun! n realized tht i've now got better balance than i did as a kid. thinking back, i never really had been encouraged in the outdoor activities unless they were the ones my mom wanted us to learn, which was tennis. if i hv the chance to b parent to someone or guidence to another kid, i'd encourage him/her to all kinds of possibility of outdoor activities. it isn't just the mainstream sports out ther. as we left the skatepark, we realized tht ths is also nearby the site of our encounter w/tht white volvo.
brunch at the J&M's Cafe in SE district. the belgium waffle w/ginger butter n real maple syrup! o yum!
nice day out n relaxing nite watching oscars. i have to admit, i've only seen a couple of movies on the nominated list. gotta catch up! o time to go baking cookies now.

time to leave OC...

2009-02-16T23:32:00.000-08:00

almost here 2 weeks. tried to reconnect with many old frnds, but just running out of time. driving to everyone from OC is tougher than i remembered. ther's way more cars than ever b4. my family being further south also doesn't help much.
some ppl i just can't manage to meet up at all.
too bad.
overall tho, i had fun being home. even if the weather sucked big time. 40-50s most days/ nites. not much better than portland i must say. still, so cal does need the water.
love ths time o the yr cuz o the dramatic cloud formations
i wish ther's more time to c everyone n hang out
but time to go back to the class i'm taking.

number cookies

2009-02-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

we made saber croquant last nite. but instead of waiting 12 hrs for it to set, we divided it up into 2 batches, 1 to cut up w/numbers cookie cutter, the other we waited til today to test wht the difference is. either way, it's all good. my tante marie's french kitchen cookbook is a great book even if it was published in 1962.

home less homeless

2009-02-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

tues: sunny & warmest since i've been here.
so yesterday, as i was walking in town, looking for Ken's artisan bakery (very good macaron too). i saw a homeless man asking for money for a sandwich. after i bought some things to eat at the bakery, i felt bad for the guy n so as i was shopping in Trader Joe's, i bought him a sandwich. leaving the place, he's no longer ther in the corner. instead, ther's another guy in front of TJ's w/a sign. then another homeless guy came by n they greeted ea/other n asked if it was ok to set up his sign.... i can't offer my sandwich to one n not the other. n well... just overwhelming. so i returned the sandwich to TJ's.
it's a place we all fear to end up one day. homeless on the street. i feel very lucky to hv so much. i feel very insignificant to not being able to do much.
ths thought sat on my mind for a bit. thought i'd share n get it out o my sys.
onto other things....
along the way home, saw some interesting bldgs. color full.

today: sun's out.
ready to go out a bit? will hv lunch in area called NW23. so much to explore. n tonite will b my first class in encaustics. need to go shopping later for my supplies b4 class.
then tmrw, i head back to cali for a couple of weeks. yes, warmer temp n the kids. sean. my mini.

monday. sunny.

2009-02-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

unwinding today fr/trip to whistler today.

last monday
morning we drove north to seattle, spending the day in seattle n t/nite @ ACE hotel. we walked thru pike street area, having fish n chips at the pike fish mkt. very fresh fish i must say. altho seattle is way colder than where i was. apparently being closer to sea means humid cold tht is bone chilling. saw a pair of great boots in the patagonia store, i think on return trip, if we stop by, i will buy it. better than an Ugg. in the early evening, we met up with Joseph & his frnds joe/betty at Rain sushi just a little outside downtown seattle. it was amazing food, very fresh, american woman sushi chef, how rare! altho the fish slices r way too american in size (huge).

tuesdayseattle to vancouver, then whistler.
weather was rain/bits of snow. crossing border n to vancouver. can't locate the dim sum resto betty recommended. so we continued on to squamish for a bite at zephyr cafe. meeting up in whistler w/everyone at 6.30pm. our condo is on 3rd floor above the grocery store in whistler village. early dinner n settling in to sleep.

slopes day 1: blackcomb
icy condition, gray but dry enough. nice lunch in the resto. tiring day. quinlan bbq'd. hot tub too after drinks n dinner. my skis r way faster than i wanted, but i'm doing ok i think.

slope day 2: whistler
gray soft snow. not bad. tiring cuz the previous day adds to today's tired legs. taking it a bit easy. dinner @ new korean resto. expensive but surprisingly good.

slope day 3: whitler then blackcomb
slower start today, but ther was a bit of sun on whistler side ths morning. taking the peak to peak gondola. wow, the view n ride was clear n beautiful. ppl here r so helpful n nice. breaking early for lunch n was saw the weather turn immediately. windy/fog+rain/snow! can hardly c well, but it's still good skiing. good thing we didn't ride the gondola when it was windy even tho we'r told it can stand up to 90km/h wind. better not scare ourselves.
made pasta for dinner w/shrimps. (had to stay off junky food)

sat: whistler, bowen island, vancouver
nice partly sunny day. def way more ppl here in whistler today. had a snack after everyone left at the Beet Root Cafe in village. it's cute n cozy. then drove down to squamish, back to zephyr cafe for some rice bowl. taking the 4.30 ferry from horseshoe bay to bowen island for barbara's bday dinner. nice family. i luv the table settings.
hyatt hotel in vancouver, soooooooooooooo nice to hv our own room n not b on sofa anymore.

sun: rain
since it's raining here, need to leave early enough. so quick breakfast n we'r on the road. ther's a 40min wait at the border! then we quickly arrive in seattle. Le Pichet for some raclette n onion soup. wow, it's the best i've had in a long time. i'm in love w/ths little bistro. n back to patagonia (altho they'll hv winter sale soon, the boot is already at 60% off) so it was nicer surprise to find my boot only 70bux. i guess it's all in the psyche. i had thought it was going to b just over 100. made it home by 8! resting up. unwind.

sunny mon

2009-01-26T09:38:00.000-08:00

on y va!

happy new year! (ox)

2009-01-25T22:13:00.001-08:00

happy new year. it snowed last nite here!

snowing!

2009-01-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

it snowed last nite while i slept. always something amazing to wake to the wht/grayness outside. suddenly i feel time warped backwards n i thought it felt like x'mas again.

last nite i met a little boy name kai. kai is always been a boy name i liked. he's 1/2 japanese, only speaks japanese tho at ths stage. almost 3. so cute n playful. we b'came frnds instantly. showed me the various toys he was playing with. altho we didn't communicate w/language, we were able to play anyway.
josh (neighbor)'s ribs were so tasty! yum! think tht's the most meat i ate since i got here!

i am a little more than 1/2 way thru shantaram now. finally. curious about the rest, but tough to read thru quickly.

will b travelling north tmrw. meet up w/joseph for dinner?
never been to seattle, should b interesting.

vancouver, just in time for chinese new year, i think...?

whistler, can't wait, for the snow.

i chk'd online how to improve my skiing a bit better. i wonder if ths will help my feet n shins. n better thru moguls. can't wait.

new work.

2009-01-23T11:24:00.000-08:00

different environment and material inspired my hands to do different things. i'm liking ths so far!

01.22.09:gray to sunny!

2009-01-22T14:44:00.001-08:00

i woke up w/a song from Lhasa humming in my head, decided tht today will b walking around n listening to them til i'm tired.

had another hat fitting appt. excited tht i will hv it for vancouver! yeh!
the day started out a bit gray & of course, very cold.
walking thru town, errands, looking around...
can't wait for my new shoes to arrive, something else to wear
can't wait to go home n pick up my shoes ther or at least, to kno if i hv any more winter shoes to wear or i need to buy something? i only remember buying boots or sandles (flips)

got a ski helmet last nite, dual reasons, i seem to become clumsier these days on slops, gotta b careful. & for horseback riding lessons too. tht should b good safe thing to do.
made ratatouille finally... but not sure, something might b missing in the recipe for the taste... missing a punch.

speaking of food. i realized, indian food outside of india, no matter where u go in this world, is always quite pricey in comparison (tried out the east india co today, lunch)

walking home, i stopped by the art museum. didn't realize the foto show was done 2 weeks ago. but saw the mixographia exhibit. jorge pardo's work was my fav (not just cuz we wnt to school together) others were amazing too but his was my fav. makes me wanna b drawing, which i will do now.

o, the sun, s out shining n warming up. (music still playing!)

weekend is coming up... seattle, vancouver, whistler next week! can't wait.
back to cali after tht.
london in march!

01.20.09: sun shines up & inauguration day!

2009-01-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

i kno i've been wanting to blog everyday somehow, but not easy to keep up this intention...

catching up... fri nite cont...
white bird dance series (bad boys of dance)
late dinner at Clyde Common, cod & taglietelle, delicious food. warm atomsphere.

sat. sunny still!
a day to wander thru town n run a few errands.
sat at the sunny table in Half & Half, gr8 sandwiches. chai not so good, but serves stumpton coffee. the sun heats up this cozy space by window tht 1 tends to forget it's only 40+ degreesF outdoors. back to Nau's sale again to chk out if ther's anything else. tried the mini cupcakes. not bad. good thing it's mini.
yoga (vinyasa, sarah, too fast but at least not too chatty)
cooked my own version of miso fish w/out soy sauce, mirin nor sake! using miso, jam, port.... LOL, turned out to b fairly good still. we'r learning to b better at using up everything in the fridge to make nice dinners still.

sun. sun/windy
wake early to go Mt Hood for a bit of ski, warm up to Whistler.
it's quite warm day, morning all icy
softens up n happy to b on slopes. tho having trouble getting on the lifts ths day (1. lost a ski, 2. fell off the lift while getting on)! wht's going on?
leaving around 3.
will hv sore legs tmrw (yoga prob helped)?
dinner @ alex/allie's.

mon. sun/windy (martin luther king's day)
it's time for house cleaning.
moody? how to sense n rid o ths sense of lostness
grocery shopping. trader joe here is quite small.
late lunch@ vivace
1st time @ Fred Meyers
Patagonia
home, silence....
horseback riding lesson. freezing weather up in mtns. in barn.
got to trot after a bit o struggles w/horse.
picnic in front o tv (chipotle burrito)
tv/ work. silence...

TUES. SUNNY here, SUNNY freezing in D.C. too!
ths is the day, i'm sitting here watching the Obama inauguration. past presidents. all these ppl, looking 4 hope. high pressure. great speeches.... n day continues.
IT'S DONE.
THE WORLD IS WATCHING!

01.16.09 (fri) SUN!

2009-01-16T16:25:00.000-08:00

wed. 01.14.09 (heavy fog then sun!!!!)
ok, so i forgot what it was i did on wed (01.14.09) after blogging. i prob stayed in n hung out, maybe i worked a bit? all coming back to me now... i lay by the window n got some sun while catching up on reading Shantaram, quit when it started to suck for the main character. then i wnt to yoga class at yoga pearl. this time, i took yoga fusion class. it's a bit workshop like, tho it is quite interesting & i like the teacher, she didn't talk too much b.s. stuff, so tht's always nice. i think i will continue to go to her classes.
quiet evening at home watching dvd (west wing) wow, these ppl talk so fast n the conversation is sometimes hard to follow. i guess it's all about the quick responses tht keeps us intrigued.

thurs. 01.15.09 (sunny but COLD still)
i spent the morning painting. started something new cuz the sky outside inspired the clrs! n well, the braided tree trunk outside the library inspired me to try out the lines. we'll c wher this goes. so back starting to pain. when i was younger, i think sitting hunched over my work causes no pain nor aches, but wow, our body really tells u off these days. so i quit for the day. the outdoor's calling me.

this has been a crazy shopping week i guess.
try to buy a pair of running/walking shoes tht i can also ride horse in, but instead, i got a jacket.... hmmmm.
it's supposed to b Patagonia's sale, but then found out Nau is having a major warehouse sale! so we wnt ther instead. i mean, 5 bux for a lot of the items i got isn't bad at all! my shoes order also arrived. the lux o shopping in USA, returns! i can pick n choose wht to keep n return!

fri. 01.16.09 (lots of SUN in the cold)
i hv hat fitting today w/Dayna in downtown area @ Pinkham Millinery, my especially small head size makes it tough to gage exactly how my hat would fit me. the store has since expanded when i was in it last yr sept. lots n lots of beautiful hats, wow! i love'em all! turns out, i need one more fitting next week.... (walking here from home i realized how within downtown i am to everything. so close! the streetcar is just for convenience n getting out o the wet/ cold or if i'm carrying stuff n being lazy)
yoga is not so great today. it's hatha, which is fine. but the teacher talks way too much. so right fr/start, doing breath exercises, i dozed off!
errands
walk about town, walking almost everywhere n building body map of the town. i'm happily adjusting i believe.
tonite is the dance performance! yeh!

1.12-13.09_gry then sunny tues!

2009-01-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

monday will b monday. working during the day at home. not feeling the need to b outside at all. work is slow progress.
then it's my first horseback riding lesson 2nite!
inside the cold barn
i'm relearning to ride. so different than b4. paying more attention. not western style. i like ths much better i think. the saddle suits me better.
tho it's only 1 hr, it is tiring but fun.

tues
sun came out, making it tough to stay in n work.
attempt to go yoga failed, but had my pants altered at Gien's Tailors near library.
wnt shopping w/allie instead. learning shops, walking thru the pearl (Frances May, etc) then to downtown. visiting several interesting 2nd hand shops including the antique optical frame shop n the Portland Outdoor Store, which is diff than US Outdoor Store in same area. then Nordstroms for a quick spin then to the Buffalo Exchange. where ppl constantly bring things into shop to sell n then buying in the shop. so many things to browse thru! it's a quick fix for my clothing issues i think :D
then to Moulé, intersting things in ther too.
dinner at Everett Street Bistro, new zealand wht wine is quite tasty. dinner yummy too, interesting chicken marbela, is it suppsed to hv tht sweetness hint to it? i dunno.
found out where REI etc/ train station's located in my orientation.

Name	Last Name	Title
Lora	Block	Roses
Carol	Chapel	H bar C, Red and Black (It's All Skip's Fault, series)
Kat	Davis	Back Forty
Kat	Davis	Cast of Characters
Tommi	Drake	Fukushima
Andrew	Duclos	A Look of Champions
Andrew	Duclos	A Quiet Stretch fo the River
Margaret	Dunbar	Rainy Pond
Jenay M	Elder	Skye Jasmyn
Jenay M	Elder	Portrait of Perry
Giovonnia Ann (G'Ann)	Fleissner	Visions of Coiled Copper
Richard	Herr	Standing Female Abstract
Janet	Hiller	The Test Of Gold
Janet	Hiller	Heat Wave
Don	Jenson	China Rockfish Quillback
Don	Jenson	Pair
Morgan Burton	Johnson	Night Guide
Maggie	Junkins	Highrock Mountain from Rocky Ridge - Rogue Umpqua Divide Wilderness
Dale	Kurtz	Rig to Cast
Karen	Lawson	Orchid In Paradise
Sophia	Lee	Flow: aranciata
Jeanne	Levasseur	Winds of Change
Jeanne	Levasseur	Melancholy Skies
Todd Milton	Mandeville	A Blanket of Roses
Renee	Manfred	Wet Land Trail
Renee	Manfred	Collision on the Reef
Kyall	McGee	Weatherly Creek Homestead
Kyall	McGee	The Beautiful Singer
Hope Carter	Meados	Koi
Hope Carter	Meados	Out To Pasture
Judy	Nigh	Inside the Storm
Judy	Nigh	Winter Romance
Mary	Oleri	The Source
Vinita	Pappas	Sunny Day in May
Renee	Richardson	Behind You
Nancy Watterson	Scharf	River Breath Life
Joshua	South	Rippen Rooster
Joshua	South	Chimera
Darci	Spetter	Bucking Appy
John J.	Spetter	Alfa Centennial
J.M.	Steele	Full Moon Rising
Gena Lee	Tharp	Percheron Power
Joren	Traveller	Just Resting
Katie	Veeninga	Rhubarb
Judy	Waller	En Pointe
Judy	Waller	His Classics
Catherine C.	Wayne	Tides Out
Catherine C.	Wayne	Sunflower Garden
Catherine C.	Wayne	Make Lemonade
Sandy	Whetzel	Grape De Menthe
Richard	Worthey	Nature's Carography
Carol	Young	Apple Blossoms
Paul	Zegers	Hart Mountain October Afternoon