I thought it was a wildfire at first, but turns out it's just the normal marine layer.
Sudden gloom and doom! This was creepy.
Can't even see the ocean anymore...
I feel like I've entered into another planet's atmosphere.
Posts Tagged ‘experiences’
Sudden gloom in Malibu
laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: experiences, los angeles, philosopher, pictures, weather, weird
23
November
2009
0
IM etiquette
laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: advice, behavior, experiences, friends, internet, opinion
21
November
2009
“hey”
It’s the most common instant message I receive and the one I’m least likely to respond to. It’s an opener with no purpose, no direction. Hey can lead you anywhere, yet nowhere, which is why I usually don’t bother to reply to most people who think that’s enough to start a conversation. No, I’m a doer. I need some sort of action and interaction, whether through sharing a statement or asking a question. A simple greeting via the internet just doesn’t cut it. Imagine if that’s all you got in e-mails.
“Just wanted to say ‘hi’.”
I wouldn’t even bother answering back to that. To me, it’s like great, thanks for saying hi… now what? Why did you greet me? Did you want to catch up after a long time? Did you have a question for me? Did you just want to share a bit of your life? Give me something to work with here! It annoys me when people wait hours for me to reply to their one word before finally getting to the point. I like to get the point as fast as possible and know exactly why I’m spending time interacting with someone. And so, if people won’t even make the effort to type more than a single greeting to me so I can get an inkling of where they’re trying to take the conversation, I won’t make the effort to get the point out of them.
Even something as simple as “Hey, what’s up?” is fine! At least then there’s something I can do right away – answer the question! The conversation may last no more than two lines that way, but I’d at least give you the time of day to respond to the question. Hey means nothing to me. The most pointless conversation I ever had was an exchange of “hey”s followed by “what’s up” and “nothing much.” Seriously, you have nothing better to say?! -___- I’m not looking for spectacular conversationalists, but some people really need to get the hint that when I’m not talking to them, it’s because they have given me NOTHING to talk about.
Rant over. Thank you for listening. 🙂
Monstrous bloodsucker
laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: animals, experiences, pictures
18
November
2009
This guy decided to drop me a visit one day. -___-
The larger they are, the clumsier they get (and easier to catch).
Best Buy(ing) experience
laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: business, experiences, fun, opinion, shopping
16
November
2009
For some Best Buy’s Reward Zone members, an invitation came to a private event from 7:30 to 9:30 last night. The rechargeable USB batteries were an incentive, to be given to the first 50 people to arrive. My mom and I decided to make the trip, invitation card and member ID in tow. We weren’t in much of a rush, arriving just 15-20 minutes prior to the start of the event. It’s a good thing we showed up when we did – a line of 40 had already formed! Thankfully, batteries were given per member card, so we were well within the first 50 to show up and get a slip to exchange for the free gift.
After waiting in the cold for anywhere from 20-30 minutes, the line began to move. We heard some hootin’ and hollerin’ in the distance, which confused us until we reached the entrance. Inside, all the employees of the store were standing facing us, clapping and cheering and ushering us in. A lot of thank yous were thrown out and one of the guys standing on the checkout counter was holding a big sign that thanked us for being their loyal customers (or something to that effect). I felt at once silly and appreciated, which was a great way to start their two-hour event. Now that’s what I call a great way to shop! It’s a pity I didn’t have my camera on hand to document the moment!
A raffle was held every fifteen minutes, with $50 gift cards given out. Employees swarmed the place, offering help to those with questions. Games of Rock Band and DJ Hero were set up for people to try and a special offer on Wiis was front and center by the checkout stations. All in all it was a festive time and a truly great way for Best Buy to make their members feel special while priming them to be in a spending and jolly mood. Now that’s the kind of service and experience more companies should go for! After all, happy customers make loyal customers.
Brown is the happiest color of all
laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: advice, experiences, los angeles, observation, opinion, pictures
14
November
2009
Lately I’ve been wearing a pair of white-frame sunglasses that I got at the LA County Fair. They’re modeled to resemble Ray Bans (I think that’s what they’re called) and because of their shape, they fit my face easily. I often run into trouble finding sunglasses that fit my head because I tend to have a wider distance between temples. Most sunglasses hug my eyes and leave red marks on my cheeks after wearing them for awhile. I usually end up with a headache too.
It’s a fortunate thing that I bought this pair, because I’ve been using it consistently ever since. It seems the more you wear shades, the more you need them. Is it just my imagination or have my eyes really gotten more sensitive to sunlight? Whatever the case, psychologically at least, I need sunglasses on a bright day. I actually just got these on a whim at the fair because I thought that the white frames were outrageous enough to be silly, yet mainstream enough to not get stares. I’m always on the lookout for a snug pair that will fit my face and I suppose now I understand why the real Ray Bans are so expensive.
Well, using and abusing the white pair so much, I found one day that I didn’t know which bag I had it buried in. My purses become black holes, so it was hopeless to find the things without dumping out the entire contents of my bags. Unfortunately, I was on a time crunch, so I grabbed the first pair I could find – a brown pair I’d bought a long time ago. I think I got them at my favorite (and now non-existent) shop in Westwood, Good Choice Gifts. I do remember I had gotten the matching black pair because I couldn’t decide (as usually is the case). I’ve since misplaced the black version.
Look at how happy I am!
I ran off, sunglasses in tow and put them on just before driving the car out of the garage. And suddenly, bam. The world looked beautiful, happy, better. After so long wearing my black shades, I had forgotten the miracle a little brown shading can do for your eyes. Forget rose-colored glasses! Brown is most cheerful color of all.
If you’ve never owned a pair of brown sunglasses, I highly recommend them! I’d say lighter shades of brown are better, giving just enough tint to the world without darkening it too much. Filtering everything through this new lens on life makes greens greener, blues bluer, and everything richer! I swear the sky has never looked so appealing than when I saw it through these sunglasses.
And hey, if the world looks happier to you, you’ll probably end up being happier too! 🙂
Small world
laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: experiences, friends, opinion, ucla
10
November
2009
Living and working in the microcosm of UCLA can be quite the experience. With each person I meet, I can find about three different ways that I connect to them, whether through mutual contacts, shared passions, or similar work/volunteer/student organization involvement. It’s really crazy when you meet someone and connect to them on so many fronts, which just makes the bond that much stronger. I probably also experience this a bit more because of my tendency to be a social butterfly, with my contacts spread out far and wide. I’ve been involved in so many things in many different ways that there’s bound to be some common ground beyond just the UCLA connection. It’s really cool!
Perhaps that’s part of why it’s so hard for me to leave this Bruin world. I quite enjoy walking around and running into people I meet. There’s really nothing quite like catching up with an old friend and seeing how much things have changed. It’s also so nice to make a new friend and already have so much in common with them. This campus really is like a little world of its own and it’s a wonderful community to be a part of.
Cool Haus ice cream!
laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: experiences, food, pictures, ucla
09
November
2009
A special treat waiting for us!
Their names are architecturally-inspired.
So it's rather like Diddy Riese ice cream sandwiches... take your pick!
So this is the window in the back where you get your order.
Happily got mine.
They specially printed the Education for Sustainable Linving Program logo!
The wrapper is edible too (made of rice paper), so no waste!
Opportunity Green Conference 2009
laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: environment, experiences, green, los angeles, opportunity green, pictures, ucla, work
08
November
2009
It’s been a long and exhausting weekend for us at Opportunity Green, as we worked long and hard to throw a fantastic conference for everyone. A lot of lessons have been learned on my end, watching how the intensely crazy registration panned out for us and getting a behind-the-scenes look at how things were running. We didn’t expect so many people to show up to the event, so it was challenging to handle the overload in capacity, but it’s great that we got so many interested people to attend. All in all I had a rewarding experience, getting great feedback from participants who were so thankful and appreciative!
Working the registration table for speakers, sponsors, and press!
I’ve also had some fabulous conversations come out of these past couple of days, as I randomly chatted with other volunteers, a few sponsors, and some of the attendees. It’s wonderful that people are so friendly and most were very patient with us. Granted, registration delays were probably expected for those who showed up without being registered online already. Things also worked so well because we had dedicated interns diligently working from the wee morning hours til late in the evening, volunteering our entire weekend to make this event happen. Of course, the OG full-timers were working even harder, sleeping less, staying longer, but never complaining about how exhausted they must have been.
Many a time we had to be resourceful, giving, and downright creative to get the work done, but as one of our staff pointed out, we never lost our cool. It never occurred to me just how useful that must have been in keeping everything running smoothly, but it’s true! I suppose that’s a large part of why the participants were so enthusiastic about their experience at the conference, because they never saw any of the fires we were putting out throughout the day. That’s exactly how things should be! It will get hectic and overwhelming at an event of this scale, but with everyone working the event being level-headed and patient, we got through just fine.
Now it’s time to enjoy the trappings I did manage to get from the conference (like these awesome bamboo USB drives from MINI USA and a lovely Whitelines notebook) and let my body recover. Everything aches or throbs and my mind is so cloudy I keep on making typo errors, but I’m glad to know that tomorrow I will have no more physically draining activities. Rather, I’ll be working hard on my sample entries for Change.org, as I apply to be a freelance blogger for them while I look for a job and try to get more involved in the green space.
Victoria Peak
laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: experiences, hong kong, pictures, storytelling, travel, travel tales
05
November
2009
Nestled in the hillside of Hong Kong is Victoria Peak, one of the highest vantage points in all the region. It is well-situated in an area that allows for spectacular views on both the north and south sides (though really it has a great panoramic view), which is probably why it has become a tourist destination. Atop “the Peak,” as it’s known, sits the Peak Tower, a funny goblet-looking building that houses a shopping complex and offers unbeatable views from its rooftop. And so, one sunny day, I went to seek out what the Peak had to offer.
The view going up.
I took the MTR to Central Station and began to follow the sparse signs to get to the Peak Tram. After climbing up a very steep hill, I finally found a sign that assured me I was going in the right direction. Right around that corner was the tram station, tucked away under one of the many high rises in the area. I got myself a ticket and waited for the tram to arrive, marveling at the steep grade of the hill. I don’t think even San Francisco has such a steep incline!
The tram eventually made its way down, gently halting before letting off its people. I got in and grabbed a window seat, wondering what the grooves in the ground were for. It wasn’t until we were climbing up the mountain that I realized without those grooves, people would slide the entire length down the aisle. Along the way were some stops, which showed us just how vertical we were. Eventually, we got high enough to begin seeing some wonderful views. Everyone stared out the right side of the tram car to enjoy the landscape before us. After a few minutes, we reached our destination and filed out into the gift shop of the Peak Tower. Clever move on their part.
So many shiny things!
I, however, ignored all the flashy items and headed straight up. I came across the Bubba Gump’s that is up in the Tower and decided to settle for a quick lunch. I got a table with a fantastic view of the harbor and enjoyed a lovely meal there. As soon as I could, I took the final escalator up to the roof, where a gentle breeze filled the air and beautiful photos ops were everywhere. I took some pictures myself and asked another tourist to take some for me as well. Below me lay a clump of buildings on Hong Kong Island. On the opposite end was a view of the ocean dotted with islands, stretching out into the horizon. Along the face of the hill was a windy road for cars to drive along and in the distance, housing for those privileged enough to get such nice property. There was even a little garden for strolling that I wish I had the time to go visit!
I wanted to stay longer to enjoy the peaceful view and bright skies, but I had a ferry ride to catch, so I took a quick spin around the perimeter of the roof and headed back down to catch the next tram down. My visit, though brief, was still satisfying.
The south side view, in case you were wondering.
County fair animals
laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: animals, county fair, experiences, los angeles, pictures
04
November
2009
Queen bee: she's the one with the yellow dot.
