A beautiful sunset along the Thai coast as I hitched a ride from Patong Beach back to Phuket Town. You can read about that story here.

A look at the other performances at Kollaboration last year.  See here for part of the winner’s performance.

It’s almost time for Kollaboration again, so here’s a look back on the winner last year:

See more performances here.

Ok, rather unrelated, but both have to do with the word “wave.” First, a wave that went around the Rose Bowl. Fifteen (maybe sixteen) times!

Then, wave boarding afterwards! The wave board I got in China had light-up wheels, which was just plain fun and awesome to play with in the dark.

I was watching this video of Aimee Mullins about adversity, and the thing that struck me, strangely enough, was not her main message, but the moment when she spoke of “childlike curiosity.”  I do agree with her message and the powerful way that language sets a precursor, as well as the strength of the human spirit.  So I suppose that’s why everything else she said didn’t hit me the way that the reference to curiosity being childlike did.

Why did that part stand out?  Well, because I wondered why attributes like wonder and curiosity and innocence are so often described as “childlike.”  It’s as if we no longer recognize that adults can be like that and when they are, it’s a rare thing.  What’s wrong with “adult-like” curiosity?  What has happened in our society that makes everything children do so great and everything that adults “grow into” so bad?  Actually, I think that’s exactly what happens because of society.  Because we have this sort of structure, at a certain age, things like responsibility and maturity take hold.  Expectations develop into more serious ones and we lose much of our freedom to do what we want, enjoy as we like, and not worry too much.

The good thing is that it seems our culture is more and more tolerant of “childlike” activities in adults.  After all, records of generations past make them seem rather rigid, but that could just be because what is recorded is not the playful silly moments shared, but the serious and “important” moments had.  Nevertheless, I still do feel that generally we are heading towards habits that allow more carefree expressions from older people.  I just hope that soon we can progress to such a point that people who sing in public because they are happy aren’t given strange looks as if they’ve lost their minds.  Or that fully-grown men and women can get child’s meals without feeling shameful.

Speaking of, why is it that small portions are only allowed to those under a certain age?  It’s like the problem with McDonald’s Super Size meals – when you offer larger portions, people will get them*.  And when they get them, they try their very best to finish the portions in front of them.  So why not just offer smaller sizes and alleviate this pressure that people have looking at their uneaten food?  I think we still stuff ourselves full much of the time because of our hunting and gathering days, when food wasn’t so easy to come by.  Nowadays, it’s far too easy to overeat, and judging adults who want to get a “child’s” meal is part of the problem.

Personally, I believe in expressing your joy.  People sometimes find me too enthusiastic or hyper when I am happy and excited.  Generally, they enjoy it, though they are wary and wonder if I’m just a bit cuckoo.  But why is that?  Why can’t I burst into song because it was playing in my head?  Why can’t I be giddy over the smallest victories?  Why can’t I jump around and share my positive emotions?  Well, I can.  Just not without being judged.  And that’s ok, I’m used to being judged.  When I’m happy, I’m happy and I’ll show it if I want to.  I think more people should.

I hope that people will learn to stop putting up the walls around themselves and open themselves up the way they did before society taught them otherwise.  I think that’s what people mean when they refer to those childlike qualities.  It’s freeing yourself from the bounds that society puts you in, even if just a little.  Let’s not become drones and make all the motions going through life without experiencing and enjoying the way we did before the clamps started to pin us down.

*The issue of portion size and the poor eating habits is up for discussion in a future post – ironically, I just watched another TED video, this time about America’s (and now the world’s) eating problem.

In the spirit of the Olympics going on now, here are some clips from the Paralympics in 2008!

Starting with a 100 meter dash by blind runners. They get partners who run with them, so it’s a challenge of teamwork too. Their running buddy can’t cross the finish line before them, but must also stay within a certain distance, so they’ve got to be about equally fit.

Then on to the 4X100 on wheels! Check out the guy who was going so fast he flipped himself over!

And finally, the medal ceremony for the 4X100 relay.

One late night on my drive home, traffic suddenly came to a standstill on the 405 North. (Read the story here.)

The ambulance arrives on the scene…

After an hour of waiting, many got impatient and started to back out, including this limo.

limo backing down shoulder of highway from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

You know you’re at UCLA when the squirrels are absolutely fearless and rather ODD.

The “near attack” part was far scary in real life, I tell you.

I love my alma mater. This is how we get into the spirit for sports games:

1. Get pumped up listening to the UCLA Bruins Marching Band.

2. Go to the Rose Bowl and be entertained as Red Bull parachuters wind their way down from the sky.

3. Cheer your team to touchdowns (and dance along with Joe and Josie Bruin).

4. Enjoy a lovely halftime show, including a showdown between some young’uns.

5. Celebrate a victory where the lights of the Rose Bowl are turned off just so we can do an 8-clap in the dark.

6. Round off the night with a firework show!

At the Singapore Bird Park, there were quite the variety of birds to see! From frolicking penguins to macaws “making out” to upside-down parrots, it was quite the adventure.