So recently I went on a vacation to Hawaii and got to go snorkeling. When we got off the boat into the water, there was the option to jump in, so of course I jumped (haha) at the opportunity. Unfortunately, in my quest for that perfect jump shot, I only got a bunch of almosts and a couple of utter fails. I guess not everyone has a knack for awesome timing like me. 😛 If only I could shoot pictures of myself jumping… I guess I could get a tripod, but I was really hoping that Panda could get the shot for me. Oh well, here’s what we ultimately got:
Posts Tagged ‘travel tales’
Picture perfect timing – in pursuit of that great jump shot
Surf’s up (finally)
Today I got around to learning how to surf after talking about it for the last 10 years. Wow, how did that happen?! Time sure does go by fast. Luckily, there are still plenty of years left for me to continue to try surfing. As for this first try, I joined two other girls for a group lesson in the morning. Panda stayed in shore to watch and take pictures for me.
It was extremely busy at Waikiki Beach, but Erik our instructor showed us the “sidewalk” that you paddle up, which is sort of a safe zone to the right of most of the surfing action. If you head up that channel, it’s pretty safe. Once you get far enough in (there were visual cues for us to line up to make sure we were positioned correctly), you’d wait in the “parking lot,” staying aware of your surroundings so you don’t run into anyone who may be coming in on a swell. When the coast was clear, we’d paddle towards Erik and he’d send us off on a wave.
We had practiced how to get up on the board back in the shop, ensuring we could keep a strong stance and maintain our balance. While the sensation of this force pushing you from underneath and behind was strange, it was relatively easy to get up and not flail around.
My first wave was a short ride and as I tried to get back on my hands and knees for greater stability, I fell over into the water. The second attempt wasn’t much better – my timing was a bit off. But by the third try, I was able to catch a wave almost all the way back to shore! On my way back I had one mishap where I wasn’t straight enough heading into a wave so I got turned around right next to a guy surfing. Thankfully, he was an instructor, so he was incredibly skilled at keeping us from colliding. Other than that, I was pretty proud of how well I was able to avoid any accidents, even getting out of the way of a fast-moving outrigger canoe (if you never had one charging at you before, it can be intimidating).
For some reason, my breastbone feels bruised from the experience. At first I thought that it was due to my bathing suit, but I just had a soft string there, no knots or pieces of plastic to dig into the flesh. Long after I got out, it was still hurting too. I thought I’d be more sore since I was feeling it getting out of the water, but I feel good so far. My triceps hadn’t gotten that kind of workout in awhile! I’d expected paddling to be easier than it was since I’m a good swimmer, but boy did I feel weak and inefficient.
Ultimately I’m so glad I finally took a surfing lesson and I can’t wait to try in the California coast sometime. Hopefully next time, Panda will be confident enough to join me.
Awesome aquatic pets
If I could have a huge saltwater tank, I’d want a pet ray. Remove the stinger and these guys are amazing – so soft, so graceful, and quite friendly too!
This guy was so eager to be petted he was coming out of the water!
bobbing ray from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
They’re not just soft, they kind of feel… fluffy.
petting spotted ray from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
I quite like the cownose ones, probably because this one was super friendly.
pet cownose ray from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Their little mouths are so cute! They look like a face themselves, but the eyes of course are actually on top. I believe those are the nostrils?
Tourist village
Ngong Ping is a nice little (fake) village up in the mountains of Hong Kong. The town center is a tourist’s dream, with shops, food, and even a tea house. As far as I can see it’s kind of like Disneyland though – completely constructed for tourists and not actually lived in. However, if you go outside this main area, you’ll find some real people along the way to the temple and the Buddha way up high.
ngong ping village from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Meet Sasha
In D.C. on Sunday, Panda and I came across this adorable squirrel! She was hardly scared of people and after feeding her I decided to name her Sasha.
Her paws were so soft and slightly scratchy where the nails were. I want a pet squirrel!
Dolphins, the ultimate entertainers
They’ve got skill and personality! Check out some more videos here and here.
dolphins balancing balls from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
dolphin feeding from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
dolphin hula skills from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Floating at sea
Our second day in the Bahamas was supposed to be on those islands you can see way in the distance, but with weather like this, we couldn’t dock and spent the day at sea instead.
choppy seas from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Riding up the HK mountains
Taking a cable car up to Ngong Ping village, with others whizzing by, the air flowing through, planes taking off in the distance, and finally, a view of the Buddha. Check out other videos from my Ngong Ping visit.
cabin whizzing by from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
crystal cabin ride from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
ngong ping buddha from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Touching pool
At Sentosa Island, you can go to the Underwater World and find this touching pool, which is super fun. Hold your hand still and the fish will come up to you with a quick swipe against your skin. The guy narrating thought there was a close call, but that’s what it looks like when they swipe you. So fast it doesn’t look like it happened!
fish swiping from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Inclement weather
December 29th, 10 PM. My dad and have been waiting at JFK for two hours, wondering if we can get on the last flight to LA that night. The recent blizzard that swept through the area left many passengers stuck in the airport for days. Thankfully, we were lucky enough to get seats so I wouldn’t have to spend my birthday in the airport!