Posts Tagged ‘experiences’

Food and travel blogs

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , , ,
01 February 2010
0

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?

iPod lost, lesson learned

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , ,
30 January 2010
0

When I was working at the Venice Whole Foods this past Monday, I was heading to get my car from street parking and bring it back to the lot so I could load up my equipment after my demo when I lost my iPod touch.  (More on this part-time job I’ve worked on and off for a couple of years in a future post.)  The last time I remember seeing it was when I was holding it in my hand walking to the car.  By the time I realized it was gone, I had driven the car to the lot, packed up in the store, and started to take my stuff out to the car.  It could have been anywhere along my walk to the car, inside the car, or in the store!  I retraced my steps again and again, hoping to see a little black pouch lying somewhere, but had no such luck.  I checked with Customer Service and nobody had turned it in, so I went around for another try, even checking my bag of used cups to see if it dropped in there while I was cleaning up.

I held out hope for a couple of hours, though I sort of knew that if I hadn’t found it by then, with my extensive efforts, it was probably already taken by someone or otherwise lost to me forever.  I spent quite some time looking up ways to track it down, but for all that effort it seemed that it wasn’t worth it.  Even if I were to track it, it’s impossibly hard to get back if someone really did take it.  By the next day, when I called to see if anyone turned it in, I pretty much knew the answer.  I also figured that it was pretty easy to figure out how to contact me if someone had it and intended on returning it, so if I hadn’t heard from anyone, it seemed a lost cause.   However, just to confirm, I also did a complete clean of the car to make sure before I committed myself to getting a new one.

Now I’ve ordered myself a brand new one, complete with engraving on the back that includes this web address, so anyone who finds it and wants to return it can do so easily.  I can happily use a passcode without worrying that the person would never be able to figure out how to get it back to me.  I’m also getting iHound, which will help ease my peace of mind in case I do misplace it again.  Now I just need to figure out how to make sure that if someone has my iPod, they don’t start using my accounts… so far no suspicious activity and no important information was stored in there.  Does signing in to an app on one device sign you out from the other?  If it’s that simple, I’ll just sign in to everything when I get the new one.  Whatever the case, I have now taken measures to be much safer with my information.  And of course, I will try not to lose this one… it’s the first electronic device I’ve lost!  🙁

Check out when I first got it… ironically, I ended up hardly ever using it to listen to music.

Fish spas, the newest craze

laelene Posted in video blog，Tags: , , , , ,
28 January 2010
0

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but fish spas are the hottest thing to hit the beauty/skincare scene!  They’ve  been quite popular in many parts of Asia and I had been intrigued for many months before I finally got a chance to try it out when I was traveling in Thailand.  Singapore also has a fair share of fish spas, as does most of SE Asia.  I don’t know about China, since it seems they’re more caught up in the blind masseur thing.  But in case you were ever so curious about what in the world “doctor fish” are and why in the world people would go to a fish spa, here’s a little preview!

Fish spas are supposed to be great for your skin, because these little fish come and nibble away your dead skin cells.  They claim that people with skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and the like should get this type of treatment to help with breakouts.  At the very least, you sure do leave with soft feet and a unique experience behind you.  I’m sure you can read more about the actual types of fish and why it’s purportedly good for your skin, so I just wanted to share my own experience at the fish spa.

doctor fish from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

When the fish swarm at you, it really tickles! I couldn’t help but giggle out loud. 😛  After awhile you get used to it and occasionally there’s a little bite that hits a nerve, but overall it’s very gentle and immensely amusing. If you happen to know of one in LA, please do let me know! The only one in the states I found was in Virginia…

Proud Chinese

laelene Posted in video blog，Tags: , , ,
26 January 2010
0

As the flag was raised for a Chinese gold medal winner at the Paralymics 2008, those around me proudly sang the national anthem.  Check out the exuberant boy!

chinese anthem from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Burrowing clams

laelene Posted in video blog，Tags: , , , , ,
22 January 2010
1

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…

little clam burrowing from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

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?

Weight maintenance

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
21 January 2010
0

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!

When your boyfriend cuts your hair

laelene Posted in video blog，Tags: , , , ,
18 January 2010
1

I don’t know what program I’m supposed to be installing to be able to record a video from my webcam on my computer, so I have resorted to online methods.  Most programs I found don’t seem compatible with Windows 7 anyway. So here’s my attempt at the vlog I wanted to do before. The audio’s a bit harsh, so turn down your volume!

Jiminy Cricket

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: , , ,
16 January 2010
2

One day, Panda noticed a cricket on the wall.  He immediately wanted it out, but I saw that she just needed a warm place to stay.  Besides, being a female, she doesn’t chirp, so she wasn’t bothering anyone by being there.  Plus, crickets are considered good luck in Chinese culture, so I figured it’d be nice to have her around the place for a bit.  We eventually compromised by capturing her and keeping her in a ventilated container.  Panda didn’t like the idea of her running around the place and I didn’t like the idea of shooing her away.

cricket with a rotting pear core

We read that they like to eat rotting food, so I figured the pear core from earlier that day was suitable. Oh yeaaah, doesn't that mold look appetizing?

cricket in plastic container on grass, with lid removed to allow it to hop out

After two or three days, I was afraid we didn't have the conditions to keep her as a pet, so I decided it was time to release her outside.

cricket hopped out onto grass and was free to go

She eventually hopped out of the container, made her way across the grass, and disappeared into a crack in the wall.

In lieu of a real video blog

laelene Posted in video blog，Tags: , , ,
14 January 2010
1

I wanted to do a “real” video blog today – you know the type where it’s a webcam shot of someone talking at you? Well, turns out when I upgraded to Windows 7, I lost all the pre-installed programs so now I don’t have anything to record on my webcam with. Until I figure out what software I need or find a different program that can do that for me, you’ll just have to make do with watching me enjoy the kick of this rifle.

rifling it from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Glenrock explosion? Yeah, I was there.

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: , , , , ,
13 January 2010
2

Well, what an intense night it was, what with an electrical transformer exploding underground, shaking the buildings in the Glenrock meets Levering intersection.  Panda and I were happily enjoying our dinners when I swear, the entire building swayed a few feet and then snapped back to its normal position.  For some reason, I thought it was something like a dumpster that got rolled off the roof.  It certainly sounded like it, but the movement of the building only made sense in retrospect, when we found out that it was due to an explosion.  The boom was louder than the sonic boom we’d experienced back in August or so (then again, that sonic boom came from veeery far away).  At first we weren’t sure what to do and I peeked out the porch to hear car alarms going off.  Panda called up a coworker and then reported it to the police, who’d gotten wind of it just minutes earlier.

As Apartment Coordinator, it was his duty to make sure his residents were alright and go find out if we needed to be evacuated or anything like that.  So, we headed out to see what the commotion was all about.  I went straight outside to take pictures, hoping to practice my photography skills in the dark!  Out on the street, people were all gathered staring at the steam (and smoke?) rising from a manhole in the ground.  Let me tell the rest of the story with pictures… (click pictures for full size)

firefighters and trucks gathered around manhole where electrical explosion occurred

This is the scene we were greeted with not long after the explosion. The steam is rising from the manhole that got blown off.

crowd gathers on the street to watch the manhole spewing steam

You can see across the street all the people who gathered before we were all chased away.

an ambulance takes up the span of the road after the Glenrock explosion

The ambulance quickly found that nobody was injured, thankfully.

firetruck makes its way down Glenrock after the explosion

The ambulance soon gave way to the firetruck, which lent its hose to the efforts. Apparently there was a bit of a fire going on underground.

police cars parked across the road to prevent cars from driving by

The police came and blocked off Levering at Midvale so cars wouldn't drive down towards the mess.

police cars parked to prevent traffic from passing by as people stand around wondering what happened

People kind of just stood around dumbfounded as they talked to each other trying to figure out what happened.

firefighters stood around in the middle of the street, deciding what to do

After the people were cleared, the firefighters huddled up to plan what to do.

firetruck parked in the middle of the street

The firetruck served a dual purpose of providing a hose and blocking off traffic.

hose from firetruck reeled out

I never saw what they used this hose for, but I guess they needed it underground to fight the fire the transformer set.

firehose winds its way down the street to the manhole

And so it wound its way down to the scene of the action.

policeman standing guard across the street, near the firetruck

A policeman on scene as watch guard, probably to keep pedestrians from getting too close.

part of city skyline as backdrop to the commotion going down in the streets

I loved the backdrop of the skyline juxtaposed against the bright lights below.

a floor-to-ceiling glass panel broken in the explosion

Residents nearby were startled not only by the boom of the explosion, but their glass breaking!

huge crack across entire width of window

Check out that massive crack, yikes!

shards of broken glass outside on the porch

The shards of glass that fell from above.

shards of broken glass that landed inside the room

The bits that landed inside the room. Thankfully it was pretty concentrated!

firefighters gather around the manhole

The troublesome manhole, just a rectangular hole in the ground.

car lights shining on manhole in the ground

That's where all the trouble originated from...

bright lights from a firetruck light up the street at night

Those lights were rather glaring, as they shone on the intersection.

lights went out in our apartment complex

We went back to the room after the hubbub and things were quieting down until the lights went out for us too (buildings on another street over had lost power with the blast)!

city skyline with no bright lights on streets now

The firetruck with the bright lights seemed to have retreated and we were offered a darker view of our surroundings.

city lights fade into darkness

I thought it was cool how the lights faded away into near pitch-black darkness. You don't get that much in the city!

emergency lights lit up the stairwell

The emergency lights kept people from tripping in the dark.

parking enforcement lady stands by her vehicle

The parking enforcement lady was brought out to guard this part of the road and redirect all traffic.

emergency supply closet held some hatchets

We went to get some glow sticks from the emergency supply closet and found some hatchets and axes!

bag full of glow sticks for emergency use

We got the bag of glow sticks and began to distribute them.

glow stick placed on top of fire hose

We placed the glow sticks in strategic places in stairwells and hallways.

news truck parked outside

It looked like a news truck, but had no logo and nobody was reporting outside...

cars driving down Glenrock found themselves turning around at the roadblock

Cars not knowing what went on came down Glenrock only to run into the road block and have to turn around.

the entire road dark after the blackout

This is what Glenrock looks like when all the lights on the block are out.

a building thrown into darkness from the blackout

One of the many buildings that found itself enveloped in darkness.

the neon 555 Glenrock sign was dark for once

That glaring red sign that most people know about was dark for a rare occasion.

What a night it was!  I have concluded that I should definitely get a tripod to go with my future DSLR… but these night shots turned out so much better than they would have on a normal point and shoot.  🙂

Check out the Daily Bruin article that came out just an hour after the event, then the one written after more information was gathered.

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