A walk around Macau

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Last year, when Panda and I went to Hong Kong, we also got a chance to swing by Macau! His mom had spent some time there as a child, so it was pretty special. I don’t remember much from the time I went myself, so it was good to visit again. Check out some of the random things we saw, starting with some guys feeding the sea creatures at the MGM Macau. I want to do that!!!

fish tank feeding frenzy from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

fish and ray swarming diver from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

second diver entering tank from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Over at the Wynn, we watched a random show about the Tree of Life. The ceiling opened up, a tree came out of the ground, and there was some epic music. After some storytelling, the tree went back down and the ceiling closed up again… I vaguely remember seeing this the first time I was there.

Macau casino ceiling closing from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

And I got to witness a lady making treats! It’s like a crepe cookie wrapped with dried pork and seaweed. What a strange combo.

making handmade Macau treat from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Smokey’s adventures

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It’s been a busy night, so I’ll share a quick set of videos with you of life with our cat Smokey. She’s a finicky girl with some adorable quirks! First she enjoys climbing in one drawer and popping out another, second she tries to escape the scary sound of a dog after surgery on her tooth, and third she tries to walk off the anesthesia from the vet visit.

cat hiding in drawer from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

cat hiding from dog in kennel from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

cat walking off anesthesia from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Tarantula happy dance

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It always amuses me that tarantulas weave their web by doing what looks like a happy dance. This one just got a cricket to eat and is repairing parts of her web.

tarantula dance from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Lightning storm!!

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog, video blog,Tags: , , , ,
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Ok, I’m a total sucker for lightning. It’s such a wonderful phenomenon and I could stare at a light show for hours (if only the need for sleep didn’t get in the way). Tonight as I was drafting my Love With Food box review, Panda came running in from the kitchen to tell me there was lightning outside. That made me happy, to think a thunderstorm might be rolling its way through.

But when I got outside to look, it was so much better than I could have hoped for. Flash after flash of brilliant light lit up the clouds in the sky. A gentle roll of thunder was barely perceptible in the distance. And boom, boom, boom, the lightning kept coming! It was so quiet and peaceful out – the crickets singing in the night didn’t seem to care about the show overhead. Even Smokey meowed at me to let her out and join me on the porch. Together we enjoyed the warmth of the night, the humidity in the air, and the flashes that lit up our faces.

This is so much better than a fireworks show and I even saw lightning that went up for the first time. Freakin’ amazing. So I dropped everything, got some videos and a picture, and of course put off that review for another day. This is far more exciting to me. Check it out:

lightning behind cloud at night, lighting up parts of cloud in the darkness

lightning storm from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

lightning storm flashes from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Thunder and lightning

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The dark clouds were rolling in just as I arrived home today. I had driven home taking advantage of the warm air by opening my moon roof to the sky and sticking my hand out every chance I got. At red lights, I’d blissfully turn my face up to the gathering clouds, watching their ever-changing patterns. It was serene. At home, I spent the next hour gleefully enjoying the air before the storm. I love this weather! (Certainly have written about it quite a bit too.)

As the workers laid bricks on the new homes next door, I dutifully stood outside on the porch with my camera, determined to catch a photo of lightning this time around. I just can’t get enough of how they split the sky and make the whole area glow. Those crooked lines crawling across the clouds, flashing in and out before I can even react… they’re so elusive. I could sit and stare for hours as they danced around me. I really wish I had a panoramic room since I found myself chasing the light of flashes from one end of the house to the other.

After awhile, the grumbling of thunder began and a light rain splattered down. I watched as plane after plane kept coming in to the airport amid all that insanity. Oh what I wouldn’t give to be on one of those planes, watching lightning flashing around me! I’ve always been fascinated by how things look differently when you’re up in the sky and I wish I could have experienced that. Those lucky passengers. As I admired their good fortune, I noticed that I could hear birds chirping. Strange, since I would have thought they’d be hiding somewhere. Perhaps they knew the storm wasn’t that big, so they stuck around to wait it out and sing it off.

What a peaceful way to start the evening. Thunderstorms calm and excite me all at once, and always bring a sense of contentment.

moon shining in distance as storm clouds creep across sky

When I first looked out, I noticed the moon just peeking out in the distance.

glow of light from lightning flash brightening storm clouds

For the longest time I got no more than the glow from a lightning strike.

dark grey storm clouds brewing in sky

That same view without the flash of light!

lightning bolt from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

 

Construction guys kept banging away as the storm brewed. Here are some freeze frames:

flash of lightning in thunderstorm

thin lightning bolt in thunderstorm

unfocused shot of lightning in sky

Then the one flash I did capture confused my lens and made it blurry.

lightning flash from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

 

Such a quick burst! Totally explosive.

giant glob of lightning flashing from thunder clouds

cat laying in kitchen behind screen door

Smokey was really enjoying the weather too.

airplane lightning from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

 

If only I was on that plane!!!

plane flying near lightning bolt

plane engulfed in light of lightning in thunderstorm

small streak of lightning stretching horizontally across sky

I managed to get a little horizontal one!

curling lightning bolt in dark sky

I changed my view from east to north and was rewarded with this beauty. Success!!!

Peaceful plane landing

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, video blog,Tags: , , , , , ,
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I’m pooped! After leaving work around 6 to go catch the HOA Board Meeting and then spending two hours there hashing out concerns, I grabbed some fast food and arrived home to start working at something I needed to prepare for tomorrow. I finally finished up and I’m so exhausted, so I shall leave you with this lovely scene I get to see on my drive home sometimes.

plane landing over trees from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

 

Bird calls

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Whenever spring rolls around, I always look out for the emergence of birds. Last year they were everywhere! I’m finally starting to hear them again as the weather warms up. It’s supposed to get over 80 tomorrow!

birds swarming tree from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

symphony of birds from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

birds galore from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Just enough exercise

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Sometimes people do the silliest things. When I was at the airport a few weeks back, I noticed this guy putting his suitcase on the escalator, then rushing down the stairs to meet it at the bottom. Apparently taking the suitcase down the stairs was too much exercise for him and taking the escalator himself was too little exercise (or something like that).

suitcase on escalator from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Not so snowy owl

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Yesterday when I left work, I stopped at a red light and looked out my window at the falling snow. That’s when I noticed it:

brown owl sitting on fence in snowy landscape

What a beauty. I mentioned before I love birds of prey and it’s rare that I get to see an owl. Usually it’s a hawk of some sort, so this was super cool. My theory is that it was out enjoying the snow (and probably thought it blended in). I mean, if I was an owl I’d come out and chill on a fence enjoying the snow. I got a chance to snap this shot and shoot a quick video before the light turned green. I then drove home in awe and considered turning around to get another glimpse.

owl in snow from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Chinese stroller

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Who needs a stroller when you’ve got a suitcase and a kid who can balance a bit? Haha, I love the random things you’ll see Chinese people doing. Creative or practical?

suitcase stroller from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

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