When the rains come to LA, it sure does dampen the place. Check out the dense fog that covered us for a week!
Visibility sucks and drivers get even worse than they already were.
I don't even know how much more of that hill there might be.
The world beyond is veiled...
Oh, dreary days!
As I was getting lunch at Kaya today, I noticed their chopsticks resemble the pair I have in my To-Go Ware set. It reminded me of the day when Panda saw them and asked me why they were warped. Months later, when another friend came back from grad school in the East Coast, he saw them and asked the exact same thing. -____- Whereas I and our other friend, a history major, saw them as artistic, they saw them as warped. Wow. A lesson in the differences between North and South campus majors!
See the gentle curving to give them more character?
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.
how far we’ve come, bruin style from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
2. Go to the Rose Bowl and be entertained as Red Bull parachuters wind their way down from the sky.
redbull parachuters from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
3. Cheer your team to touchdowns (and dance along with Joe and Josie Bruin).
ucla touchdown from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
4. Enjoy a lovely halftime show, including a showdown between some young’uns.
little footballers from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
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.
rose bowl dark from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
6. Round off the night with a firework show!
rose bowl fireworks from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Besides travel the world and skydiving, I’d say that running a marathon tops everyone’s “to do” list (or for the more ambitious, perhaps a triathlon). Why? What’s the draw? I don’t quite understand it, because to me, marathons hold no interest. Then again, I’m not as into endurance sports as most people seem to be; rather, I prefer sprinting and strength exercises. Plus, I much prefer being in water than jolting my knees on land.
It seems that marathons have become a rite of passage. Much like the Greek system has a pledging process, during which pledges undergo certain challenges to prove they deserve to become a brother or sister in the organization, marathons (and training for them) seem to be a process people go through to be inducted to an unofficial club of sorts. Ultimately it’s more about bragging rights and being able to say that you’ve run a marathon than just being healthy or running for enjoyment. In fact, most people who run marathons find it excruciatingly painful and just barely finish their first few. But it’s one of those things that’s hard enough that people respect you for doing it, yet easy enough that just about anyone can do it, so long as they set their minds to it.
Running comes pretty easily to just about everyone who isn’t confined to a wheelchair. It’s a natural thing humans do, and though techniques vary, the skill isn’t really hard to pick up. Other things like swimming are harder for people to pick up, which is why I think triathlons are things that only more elite athletes go for. The average Joe finds learning to swim and bike, then having to compete in those on top of running just a bit too hard. That’s my theory on why marathons make the list while triathlons get far less attention. Marathons are a good middle ground between not doing anything physically challenging and going for a triathlon.
I’ve never gotten into them and may never attempt a marathon. That accomplishment just doesn’t mean as much to me. I’d rather be able to hold static exercises for longer, be able to pump more weights, or do endurance stuff submerged in water. I’ve never been a great fan of cardio exercises. I like strength and agility more. So though I’d love to go ocean swimming, I don’t feel the need to prove myself by swimming the English Channel. I guess that’s why I loved swimming the butterfly stroke and doing long and triple jump. There’s a lot more skill involved in addition to the strength and power you need to do those events. I’d also love to become a better shot with a pistol, revolver, rifle, and maybe even a bow and arrow. Oh, and traveling the world and skydiving are definitely on my “to do” list. But marathons? They just aren’t my thing.
Oh the funny things you find while driving…
Whatever was that for?
Good to know, in case I wanted to break in and have some of that...
Such a bright green color!
My mom adores the hot tub at our local pool and likes to go whenever she gets a chance. Since I have a bad back, I’ve been trying to go more often to help soothe those muscles. I’ve found that it actually turns out to be a good place for conversations, as the heated water swirls around you. In fact, my mom and I have discussed many an important thing while soaking there, from my thoughts of moving out of the house to our viewpoints on life issues. Surprisingly, we’ve had great exchanges and I’ve revealed more of myself than I ever have before. I guess relaxation of the body brings about relaxation of the mind, so my thoughts come out more readily.
There’s something about water that is really soothing, and great for thoughts and inspiration. The potential reasons are many, but the result is undeniable – people tend to relax more and think better when surrounded by water. For me, it’s the sort of peace and tranquility I get from it. It’s nice to just close my eyes, sink back, and let the water support me. Maybe it’s because my thoughts are “swimming” around in my head and the water helps me let them pour out. It could be just as simple as the fact that so much of us is composed of water and we developed in fluid that we feel a deep connection with it. Who really knows? I do believe it works though, and that’s what matters most.
So, what are your reasons?
Check out some of the things I made with my BuckyBalls!
A snowflake.
A tube.
Pentagonal pyramid.
The pentagonal pyramid side view.
The underside of the pyramid.
That circle was just the right size for the pentagon!
216 balls means this hexagon was one ball short.
I decided it would be symmetric in more dimensions if the missing one was moved to the center.
I made myself a little tie to wear.
Unfocused lights make me think of the holidays. Warm and fuzzy lights.
My own creation.
A Bucky Ball!
I wanted to use up all the BuckyBalls so I made the ball a sidekick.
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.
penguins playing from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
macaws making out from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
bird climbing upside down from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
I’ve been looking through some of the Bloggie nominees and I found that I have no interest in the food or travel blogs. Ironic, since I love food and travel! But I think that is precisely the problem, actually. Rather than looking at pictures and videos of other people enjoying eating delectable dishes and fantastic adventures, I’d much prefer to be the one doing those things! So maybe it’s in part jealousy, but mostly it is just the fact that I’d rather go discover it myself. I don’t want to live vicariously through these other people having a great time when I could be the one loving life like that.
Food blogs are great for those who want to be shown new foods to try, how to cook cool things, or just love to look at food. Food blogs are not good for those who want to discover the great edible things out there themselves, don’t care much for cooking, or see images of food and must go eat. Now. Can you guess what type I am? I absolutely love to take pictures of my food and share it with my friends. I quite like seeing their pictures. However, reading a blog with pictures and extensive descriptions takes up too much time when I could be at a restaurant or little street stall, munching away. So though they could come in as a useful reference if I’m really having trouble finding something to eat (ha!), food blogs are generally not worth the effort to me (except in times when I miss something and just can’t find it in LA, or whichever city I’m in).
Travel blogs are great for those who can’t go and want to see what it’s like, don’t want to actually go but want to see what it’s like, or are about to go and want to see what it’s like in a new place. Travel blogs aren’t ideal for people who can travel (just not at this exact moment) and experience things themselves, don’t care about traveling at all, or want to find their way around a new city themselves. Though I can’t make it out to a far-away city right now, it’s certainly within my means in the near future and I like to not really know what it’s like til I get there and I look up places of interest, or talk to locals and recent visitors who can share their wisdom. I don’t want to spend my time hearing about other people’s travels because I want to be traveling.
Generally I’m obsessed with researching ahead of time, but when it comes to traveling, I am perfectly content with vaguely knowing what a country is like, showing up, and finding some really awesome experiences. I also seem to have random run-ins with locals. And you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way. Once again, I find that I would prefer to just use these types of blogs as references (aka: “Hey, I want to go to [insert country/city here], I wonder what random things they have to do there?” *searches entries on travel blog and glances through titles and tags* “Ah, ok, got an idea, let’s go!”). Beyond giving me an idea of what’s available, especially obscure stuff, it doesn’t interest me to frequent those type of blogs. Let those people enjoy their travels and share it with those who want to hear about it! I want to go out and do it too, without tainting the experience with too much foreknowledge!
So really, it just comes down to me not wanting to live a vicarious life. Why do that when you can be the one sharing your experiences? As my friend Ninja once said, I want to live a life worth making a movie about (or writing a book about, in my case). You can’t do that if you’re too busy cooped up reading about other people’s lives! Not that those blogs aren’t great for certain crowds. I just find that I don’t belong in the particular group that reads food and travel blogs, that’s all. 🙂
What about you? Do you like to safely follow the lives of those more adventurous than you? Or do you prefer to go have the adventures yourself?
When I went to Vegas for Christmas, we went to see David Copperfield at the MGM and came across these lovelies. They aren’t in the best of shape for their kind, but they’re still fun to look at. Where are the males?! I was hoping to see some mane action, oh well.
She's just chillin' as people stand below her and gawk.
I'm sure they don't get as much exercise as the wild ones, which might explain why she kind of looks like a pig from here...
She's just stretching her aching muscles.
Aww look, she's a tree hugger!
The handlers mostly just hung out in there, occasionally handling the lionesses.
"Hey, you lookin' at me?"
This is what I call "walking all over each other." 😛
