The cheapest way to get around Hong Kong (other than walking, of course) would be these ding dings. They’re also a great way to watch the city go by you and enjoy the outside weather. They can be quite jerky and get too hot in the summer, but it’s fun to see the bustling streets pass by you.
riding a ding ding from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
A short clip of an elephant ride I took and some pictures to go with!
elephant-riding from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
The elephants coming in so we can hop on for a ride!
Aww, I was tempted to try to "shake hands."
This little boy may be young, but he's an expert elephant driver!
Here comes my ride, ready for a spin.
I joined a mother-daughter pair on our elephant.
We were so high up I got a close look at these butterflies!
They've got this crazy coarse skin that feels really cool. Also note how their ears are used as racks for the hook used to cut up wood.
Check out how cool it is. 🙂
Oh dear, he just decided it was time and went for it.
Those hooks were used to get pieces of these trees for the elephants to eat. Apparently they find it very tasty.
We had a nice field to roam around and at one point, it looked like the people were floating in the trees.
And after our little spin around, it was time to return to the loading dock and head off to the next adventure.
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.
When I was three and a half, I flew from China to meet my parents in Pennsylvania. On the plane ride, I was with a family friend who had been tasked with babysitting me for the trip. The one thing I remember from that time in my life was during the plane ride, when the lady had to go to the bathroom. She took the airplane blanket we were using, opened it up, and draped it over me. Hidden securely underneath, she told me not to move until she came back, or else the big, bad wolf would come and eat me. Obediently, I huddled in my little cave, waiting for her to return.
A long time later, my little toddler self was getting antsy, but I was a good kid, so I stayed under the blanket. As the minutes passed, I began to wonder if perhaps the wolf had gotten her. What was taking so long? When she finally came back, I was so relieved to get my freedom back! Turns out she’d gotten distracted talking to a flight attendant on her way back from her restroom break. And here I’d thought maybe she’d forgotten me there. Thank goodness, we were both safe and the wolf was nowhere to be seen! 🙂
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." 😛
I am fascinated by sea creatures because sometimes I don’t think of them as alive until I see them in action (and even then, I’m incredulous). Clams are definitely one of the mystery animals out there, especially considering they’re so shy and hide all the time! So here I was, going paparazzi-crazy on the clams that covered the shore of Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand. Some were teeny, some were huge, some were quick movers and other slowly dug their way…
slow burrowing clam from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
happy burrowing clam from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
three burrowing clams from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Does this not fascinate you too? Is it just me?
I have been really blessed when it comes to my weight. I’ve never had to diet and never been fat (though at times I’ve been fatter than I would have preferred). However, I’ve always had a “normal” BMI (fluctuating between 19.6-22.7) and I’ve always looked and felt perfectly healthy. And though I’ve never dieted, I have certainly lost weight kind of like I might have been, which was really random.
When I left for Singapore, I weighed 140 lbs, and when I came back five months later, I was 130 lbs. I didn’t notice a difference until I weighed myself at the doctor’s, when I went in for a check-up after getting sick (just to make sure it wasn’t H1N1). Actually, even then, I didn’t really notice a difference, but not long after, I suddenly realized the reason my pants had been loose and why I had needed to wear a belt more. Since then, I’ve lost another 5 lbs for no good reason and that’s where I’m at now. When I’ve eaten, I’m around 130 and when I haven’t, I’m at 125. I don’t watch what I eat and pretty much go with whatever I am craving, which mostly happens to be pickles, ice cream, kimchi fried rice, or (most recently) chili cheese fries.
I hit my peak when I was in England, at around 145. It was probably in part due to the cold (hey, you need some insulating body fat!), lack of movement, and just general unhealthy behavior starting from when I entered college. It wasn’t until I looked at how I look now, versus pictures of how I looked then, that I can see the difference. My face is rounder and plumper in those pictures and I probably fit my pants a lot better. After all, I bought a bunch of new jeans before going abroad and now they’re all quite loose.
I never realized how fit I was in high school until I got really out of shape in college. Whereas before I had track & field, swimming, and ROTC training to keep me extremely active, in college I lazed around eating great food and lounging on couches or my bed. I guess my natural weight is just around 140, since it seems I can maintain that very easily. Nowadays I linger at 125 and I wonder if it is because I can’t eat as much as I used to. As a kid, I was always a huge eater (and more of a snacker), so my metabolism was constantly on hyperdrive. I think that helped me not gain a lot of weight and now that my metabolism has slowed, my eating habits have shrunk along with it. I’m just glad I never had to discipline myself to eat well because I love my food too much!
The past week has been really hard on me, as the pressure to get a job grew and my parents and I had a tiff over my sleeping pattern and job search, among other things. So, it was an absolute blessing that Opportunity Green was holding a retreat over the weekend. One of the Board Members owns Casa Barranca, a fabulous estate out in Ojai. People who had contributed to the Opportunity Green Conference back in November were invited to either stay the weekend or swing by on Saturday or Sunday to hang out. Tucked in the hills of Ventura County, in a gorgeously maintained house from the early 1900s, I got to spend my weekend relaxing, enjoying nature, and chatting with some really amazing people.
Delicious potluck to start off the weekend.
That yoga studio was to die for!
A cute little shop in the middle of town!
Can you believe it was only her first time teaching? She did a fantastic job and should totally be a yogi.
We came across some great vantage points and learned to be grateful for every bit of shade we got.
And for more pictures of the weekend… I’m quite proud that some came out looking nearly like a DSLR took them, or so I think!
I went to have some fun on the springy surface.
They tried to get a shot of me in the air, but the timing just wasn’t right. I had a blast anyway!
Artistic pieces sit by the doors that open out to the view over the hillside.
The view that we saw as we did yoga in the studio.
The statue that sits to the left of the yoga studio entrance.
The fire pit situated right outside the yoga studio doors.
I wonder if the tree was shot at or got infected with bugs?
This pathway led up to one end of the house, where the kitchen is located.
Looking the other way down the path, you see more fruits that you could possibly eat!
Hidden amongst the green, orange, and yellow is this little gem, just barely clinging on.
These plants grew in a patch just outside the kitchen.
I love the colors of the Bird of Paradise.
It kind of looks like those 8-prong head massagers.
Take a look at that freshness!
There’s something really fun about the dimpled texture of citrus fruits.
What a beautiful shade of purple! Absolutely gorgeous.
Jack, one of the dogs with us for the weekend.
Jazzy, the other dog hanging out with us.
One of the bungalows/teahouses scattered around the property.
Inside each were two single beds, a little desk, a fan, and heater.
A hammock was put at the edge of the hill, with a great view of the land below.
It was a hazy day and the sun began to sink slowly.
It soon became a brilliantly beautiful sunset. I love the details of the rocks in the distance.
It was so cozy, warm, and welcoming.
Everyone squeezed in to the bar for their share of the wine being sampled.
Many of these were tasted that night, as Casa Barranca generously shared their products.
Check out these awesome coasters recycling paper into a great new use! I think I remember reading they were from Vietman or Thailand or something.
Along the trail path were these funky leaves, complete with curling tendrils.
The kind of fence you used to hand make with an axe and nails.
Now that house is situated in a place with views in nearly every angle!
A random sculpture tucked away along the trail.
Such a pretty little puppy!
I was trying to capture how there was a perfect little paw print on her leggings, but the angle isn’t quite right.
So many layers of hills!
We seriously expected some sheep to be grazing here. I thought we were continuing over this hill, but thankfully we cut down the mountain before then.
You can see part of downtown Ojai now.
Now that’s an imposing wall to have for your driveway.
Back inside and we are made some fresh guacamole! I learned that putting bananas and avocados together makes them ripen faster.
There’s nothing quite like freshly-made, is there?
There was this cool rooftop patio complete with lounge chairs for resting in!
The view of part of the backyard from the rooftop.
You can sleep here and feel like you’re outdoors without the bugs!
Lines of vines of wine grapes! That’s just too fun to say.
Jealous much? 😉
