Mind Speak

Mind Speak is Moving

2010-05-15T15:23:00.005-04:00

I apologize for the lack of activity lately on Mind Speak. It's because I'm working on something new - moving Mind Speak to a new home. I've been wanting to do this for a while now but never around to it because I couldn't decide which site to use. It was like another symptom of my indecisiveness-syndrome. There may be a reason for the difficulty of my choice though - it wasn't feasible to combine a photoblog and a writing blog together and as it turns out, the layouts/sites I was looking at also couldn't provide both functions for me at its optimal level. Hence, I have decided to move my photoblog to Wordpress and my collection of random thoughts to Tumblr. They are set up but still in beginning stages - I have a lot of photos and posts to move. I will be doing that while I'm in Quebec!

For the next 5 weeks, I'll be staying with a host family in Riviere-du-Loup taking French classes from Monday to Friday. I've been looking forward to this "explore" program since I've heard so many good things about it and it's always been a goal of mine to learn French. I have brought my DSLR and guitar with me so I'm expecting to be doing a lot of picture taking and guitar practicing.

The kind of freedom I feel right now is, to say the least, exhilarating. :)

Please remember to visit my new blogs! Links are above. For those who have followed my blog, I give you my thanks. I hope you will continue following me on my journey!

I am Lost In Translation

2010-04-20T01:50:00.006-04:00

Bob and Charlotte having a fun night out in Tokyo, from Lost in Translation

Quotes from IMDB:

Charlotte: I just don't know what I'm supposed to be.
Bob: You'll figure that out. The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you.

Charlotte: I tried taking pictures, but they were so mediocre. I guess every girl goes through a photography phase. You know, horses... taking pictures of your feet.

It's another one of those nights. I feel all uneasy and stressed out and just feeling like something is not right. I know I'm probably overreacting right now, feeling lost and confused after graduation.

This whole day I have talked to so many people about the little things I'm stressing about to the bigger things that I'm worried about. I probably told the buying-sunscreen-for-25mins-story too many times today (sorry for being kinda annoying!) - but it was that incident that made me say to myself: "what the hell is wrong with me". Maybe it's the buildup of so many things I have to do and the fact that I am embarking a new chapter in my life. If any of you have seen Lost in Translation (2003) you'll know what I mean. Scarlett Johansson is kind of going through a similar phase in the movie where she doesn't know who she is or what she really wants to do. I guess I am sort of trying to figure that out too. But at this moment, after many conversations (I truly thank all of you who listened and gave me wise words!), I have concluded that what is wrong is that I just stress/worry too much. So take a step back and chill out. I know I'm not alone in feeling kinda unsure about what to do and what's to come, but I know whatever I do, it will turn out to be okay. Instead of worrying pointlessly, I should be enjoying the process instead. As corny as it sounds, but yes, que sera sera.

And that is exactly what I will do. :)

Late Learning

2010-03-24T10:24:00.008-04:00

I think this is what every class should be like: the professor and students all actively engaged in a conversation discussing various view-points of a topic. The learning environment is so much more conductive and enjoyable. It actually makes me very excited and eager to listen and participate and learn. :) Those rusty brain cells of mine start to churn and process and absorb.

Today we discussed the importance of developing a long-term relationship between buyers and suppliers. The key component to that relationship is open communication/sharing and trust - if this sounds kind of like a relationship between two people, don't be alarmed, a business relationship or any kind of relationship is exactly that - it needs those ingredients. Everything in world is interconnected in one way or another.

Have you heard about this before? We were talking about "Game Theory" and we discussed about The Prisoner's Dilemma. What this model illustrates is how trust can determine the outcome of a situation. Consider the following situation: there are 2 prisoners (e.g. thieves who tend to trust no one) and 4 possible outcomes. If the 2 prisoners both rat each other out, they both get 5 years jail time. If only one of them rats out, then one walks free and the other gets 10 years. If, however, they both trust each other and not rat each other out, they both get only 1 year each. Evidently, this demonstrates that most benefits are reaped when there is trust. This model is related to the Nash Equilibrium, which is devised from John Nash, the mathematician in "A Beautiful Mind". This model is applicable to a lot of things - in economics, social science, politics, and many more. Interestingly, psychology contributes a lot to game theory - which again demonstrates that everything when broken down to its elements, relates back to fundamental relations between entities.

I sound like a total nerd right now. But ah, knowledge fascinates me. :)

La vie d'une étudiante: Tu me manques bientôt

2010-03-24T07:53:00.009-04:00

Dans environ 4 semaines, je vais graduer de cette université où j'ai passé 4 années de la vie. Je me rappelle pendant mon premier année quand j'étais une étudiante inexpérimenté, beaucoup de choses étaient nouveaux. Il est difficile de croire que je serai indépendant. Pourtant, je suis enthousiaste de l'avenir. Cet été, j'irai aux nombreaux lieux dans le monde. C'est un occasion que j'ai voulu depuis longtemps.

Les jours de liberté vont me laisser bientôt. Beaucoup de gens ont me dit avant que les années d'université sont les meillures années de la vie. Mais, j'espère que les années prochaine seront mieux.

Starbucks sur la rue de Bloor

Fill me with Positivity

2010-03-17T07:47:00.008-04:00

The start of anyone's day can be affected by so many things. It could be as simple as how rushed you are, if you eat breakfast, if catch your bus on time, the bus driver's friendly nod, and oh yes, the weather. Whenever I take the really early go bus (I go on the 6:50am bus on Wednesdays), I always catch the sunrise while I'm on the highway. The feeling of seeing the sun rising, the morning rush hour traffic representing people hustling and bustling another day, and the music I listen to is the perfect recipe for me to think about things and life. Those alone times I get on the bus are actually quite enjoyable--it's a time for me to just wind-down and have some space to myself (even though I'm surrounded by strangers). I think most of you would agree that it's really important to have this alone time to yourself. Imagine if you never had the chance to just stop and reflect - I think a lot of us would be living life quite blindly and aimlessly.

And you know what just makes my day sometimes? The waitress at Timothy's/Tuchners that just can't seem to contain her positivity and cheerfulness. She honestly could make anyone smile, even if they are having a bad day. We definitely need people like that around more! :)

Stickers on my bedroom window

This was my birthday cake - green tea mousse :)

I think this is what Mind Speak is about

2010-03-03T07:49:00.006-05:00

Here's a string of random thoughts on an early Wednesday morning:

One of the things we regret the most are the things we never say.

In our lifetime, we only really connect with a handful of people even though there are billions of people in this world. That's why you should always cherish every single meaningful connection you make.

People's character never change. The only thing that really changes is their lifestyle and maybe their attitude. I usually call these changes "phases".

Is anything definite? What we can't be sure of we can only trust and believe.

We are the main characters in our life. Everyone else is your supporting actors and actresses.

Do feelings follow actions or do actions follow feelings? I think this was discussed before in my psychology class but I forget what the theory was...

I believe in change--for the better. Those who stay stationary fall behind because the world is always changing.

That's all for now. It's time for class!

Below are pictures I took from "Rock the Runway" Charity Fashion Show put together by the students at Woodsworth College. The benefiting charity is War Child Canada.

Transition

2010-03-01T23:00:00.005-05:00

I feel like blogging today...because I tend to think more when I am a little sad.

There are certain things I want to do when I'm young - like travelling around the world, sky-diving, going on a hot-air balloon, being in a film premier, going to art shows, and many things of the sort. Then I wonder, what if I never get the chance to do these things? What if I'm only able to do these things when I'm too old to have the same enjoyment? This is definitely nothing new but that thought of not being able to accomplish these things suddenly made me feel really afraid of growing old. I don't ever want to grow old. The older I grow, the less time I have to achieve these things. The realization that I may not do everything I want in life is daunting, although it is a blatantly obvious fact. My religious friends may look beyond what we do in our life time and strive for life in eternity - a practice I fully respect, although I do not comprehend entirely. On the other extreme are those that live in the moment and make the most out of present life - a perspective that I relate to more but not to its full extent. What I seem to strive for is something in between: I want to make the most out of my life right now but I am also interested in finding something beyond that - things that will answer the bigger questions like our purpose (as corny as it sounds).

It's the fourth year syndrome - I seem to be thinking more and more about this stuff as graduation inches closer. The future is full of excitement, challenges and new things. This summer will be the first expedition in this new chapter in my life.

Photoblog update: I meant to have moved this blog to a new host during reading week, but didn't get around to doing that. I am in the process of determining if I should go with wordpress or tumblr! Please stay tuned!

A New Avenue

2010-01-27T23:31:00.006-05:00

Writing is a liberating feeling. Although it does take some time to gather my thoughts and put them into words, I really enjoy the process and the being able to share these thoughts is almost therapeutic.

I heard/read somewhere that people nowadays are so eager to expose themselves on the internet via many social media channels such as blogs, twitter, facebook, youtube, flickr, and various others, that they are willing to divulge almost anything about their life on it. Are we now in a age where we can never get enough attention? Do we really need the world to know what we did last Friday with our friends with 100+ photos to prove it? Do we need minute by minute

updates of where you are at? What is it that we are all seeking? I cannot answer you right now as I only have a bit of the answer and still trying to find out the rest. I am in midst of this frenzy, although I consider myself a mild form, I too, likely, have the same desires as all those people out there. This is not meant to conclude on anything but rather, I am throwing things out there for you to think about.

Hence, I have decided to start a new blog - one that is dedicated to something just like this entry - to writing and expressing my random thoughts. Will you, dear reader, return the attention that I am seeking? :) Stay tuned.

Photoblog update: I am very sad that I haven't had time to take pictures. Instead, I have been taking some event photos, and the above is one of them. I absolutely intend to keep Mind Speak alive, but please be patient with me as I try my best to keep up with school work and everything else. Thanks for following me - it really makes me smile. :)

Open Book

2010-01-08T16:34:00.007-05:00

January 8, 2010

I have never really written a blog post before – but somehow I have the urge to write one now. It does not go with my vow to keep this strictly a photoblog, so I hope this sudden post does not throw you off.

As a new year begins, I always reflect on the year, even more so than I already about my life and what I have done and the things I have learned. I have been having a lot of thoughts lately, so much that thinking is an activity or an event to me. I stop to ask myself what I want to do and why am I doing what I am doing. Is the path I have chosen the right one for me; I wonder about my future; I think about what I need to change about myself. Sometimes there is so much on my mind that I cannot even organize them into logical, rational thoughts. It doesn’t just stop there—I also think about various things in this world—from the society, to arts and culture, to human relations, to science and religion, to politics and trends, even to the beauty of language and travels; there are so many things that I want to know about and experience!

Why am I writing this

Clearly, I need to organize all my thoughts. I have realized that when things are not written, they are easily forgotten; at least in my case. And like a broken telephone, my original thoughts would be altered and faded if I don’t flesh it out. I want to document this and even if I sound silly because it’s all a part of my growing up. A tangible record of my reflections would allow me to follow through what I tell myself I should do, or at least it is an attempt to. I do forewarn you of long, repetitive ramblings and my constant foolish theories about things.

An innate inquisitiveness

Someone once told me that I’m one of the most self-reflective people he has ever met. It came as a surprise to me because I have never thought of myself that way, until it was pointed out. As I talk to different people and I asked them about this, they too seem to agree with the idea. Come to think of it, I am a very curious person—I always want to know about things and learn about things. As a child, I probably asked a lot of “why” and “how” questions. As I am sure many people share this characteristic; there are so many wonderful things in this world to know about and experience! Just last night, I talked to my friends about how vast the universe is and how incredible organisms are. Just think that the Milky Way galaxy is just one of the millions of galaxies out there is already make me awe of the creation of this existence. At the same time, this existence can be as small as an atom or a molecule. I can go on for a while about this, but that is just one of the many examples of what a chatterbox I can become on almost any topic.

What intrigues me

A lot of my thoughts are provoked by the films I see, sometimes the lyrics to a song, the books I read, general everyday activities, but most significantly, it is through the conversations I have with people. One of the most intriguing things I find are the connections that people make with each other and how much is gained through talking to that person and conversing intellectually, a heart-to-heart with substance. Whenever I talk to someone I really treasure that because I know I am always learning something new and I am sincerely really happy to talk to people. Of course, not every conversation will turn out like that but it is generally a very delightful and pleasant experience. I love coffee shops—I can sit there and read a book, look out the window at the passing strangers on the streets, look at people in the shop and observe their body language and what they are doing, and of course having a chat with someone over coffee is always great.

Recently I watched two relatively older films: Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004), both of which are movies I really enjoyed, merely for the conversation that took place. Actually, the basis of both films is just a conversation between two people. It definitely is not a typical love story but a rather a true, honest analysis of love and life and people’s behaviour and how our ideals contrast with reality.

Here are a few quotes from Before Sunrise:

“You know what drives me crazy? It's all these people talking about how great technology is, and how it saves all this time. But, what good is saved time, if nobody uses it? If it just turns into more busy work. You never hear somebody say, "With the time I've saved by using my word processor, I'm gonna go to a Zen monastery and hang out". I mean, you never hear that.” –Jesse

“I kind of see this all love as this, escape for two people who don't know how to be alone. People always talk about how love is this totally unselfish, giving thing, but if you think about it, there's nothing more selfish” –Jesse

“I always feel this pressure of being a strong and independent icon of womanhood, and without making it look my whole life is revolving around some guy. But loving someone, and being loved means so much to me. We always make fun of it and stuff. But isn't everything we do in life a way to be loved a little more?” –Celine

And here are a few quotes from Before Sunset:

“I guess when you're young, you just believe there'll be many people with whom you'll connect with. Later in life, you realize it only happens a few times.” –Celine

“You can never replace anyone because everyone is made up of such beautiful specific details.” –Celine

“There are so many things I want to do, but I end up doing not much” –Celine

[about his marriage] “I feel like I'm running a small nursery with someone I used to date” –Jesse

“They enjoy the goal but not the process. But the reality of it is that the true work of improving things is in the little achievements of the day.” –Celine

These are two brilliant films and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in a truly stimulating conversation about people and life and everything in between.

High on life

I like a lot of things. I am grateful for what I have and what I have been able to experience. I also know there are many other things I want to experience and learn. By finding out what they are, it will be a way to guide me through how I want to live my life. I admire talent and I wish to be talented myself. It feels really good to be good and passionate at something because I would get so much joy from doing it! Even though I have taken on many hobbies, I really enjoy every single one of them and am determined to pursue them. Photography, in particular, is special to me. As it has been said many times before by many people so this may sound lame, but it really is the ability to capture a moment—everything in that moment—that makes it so fascinating. It could be a smile, a window corner, a face in a crowd, the stillness of a room, the look in someone’s eyes, and anything that you can think of. My goal is to be able to capture the feeling of that moment in the picture so that anyone could abstract such feelings just by looking at the photograph. Ultimately, what I enjoy is looking at beautiful things—not necessary pretty, but anything created with love and thought is beautiful. But of course, I also like pretty things! Design is also an important part of my life—interior design, fashion, and even packaging all really interest me. Music is another very important aspect. Listening to music and playing music can be really mesmerizing in that so much emotion can go into it and be evoked. When I feel sad, listening to music can literally make me feel better. When I read books, I get lost in a trance. And when I think, I start to day dream…

Goals for a direction

Goals should be written and I am going to start it this year. It may just be a placebo effect that having it written down will make it more achievable, but either way, with my poor memory, writing it down is probably a good thing!

Personal

-continue to pursue my hobbies

-bring positivity into my and others’ lives

-travel

-be open minded

-try something new

-be more patient

-be a good listener

-keep in touch with friend

-meet new people and learn something about them

-find out what is important to me

Academic/Career

-develop discipline

-keep up to date with knowledge

-prioritize and balance

-explore (outside the box)

-do not be afraid to voice my opinions

Mental dump…

This perhaps only covers a tiny part of all the random thoughts I have. The fact that I decided to even write anything down is taking the first step for me. Every time I have a revelation, I would always be on a mental dump stage. Maybe next time I will post it here right away. I don’t know if I even brought across a point in what I wrote—these are simply my random thoughts. Random as they may be, their importance is not anything less than the homework I have to do. Hence, I wrote over 1500 words to document my ramblings. If you are still reading this, thank you for bearing with me—there will be another 1500 words another day!

I believe in music therapy

2009-12-17T11:05:00.004-05:00

And the strength that a friend can give me. Thanks Nancy. :)

Therapy playlist: Metric.

Nuit Blanche '09

2009-11-23T02:04:00.003-05:00

Taken on Nuit Blanche back in early October. I miss taking photos - been going on a hiatus! I can't wait till this semester is over so I can take some pictures again. Oh, and I need to get my camera fixed before I do that. Oh the joys and frustrations of life.

Life is a Maze, Love is a Riddle

2009-10-13T02:16:00.007-04:00

These are long overdue! But I hope it was worth the wait. :)

From the St. Lawrence Market and The Distillery District.

More to come

2009-09-28T23:20:00.002-04:00

I went on a photo-day recently and took lots of pictures! But no time to edit yet, so I will just post one pic for now as a preview. :) I should be able to post this weekend. I went around St. Lawrence Market and The Distillery District and discovered many awesome spots for picture-taking. :D

The Elgin Theatre

2009-09-19T15:06:00.002-04:00

Such a pretty theatre - it reminds of an opera house! The workers there all had these maroon-coloured uniform vests on and they would guide you to your seat with a flashlight. I LOVE the 40s 50s feeling.

It's September

2009-09-06T23:43:00.006-04:00

My goal for Mind Speak is to update monthly at the bare minimum. I should not have slacked off so much this summer. I am going to try my best to post more often and hope that I am improving slash exploring new styles along the way. Thanks for your patience. :)

A Dustland Fairytale (The Killers)

2009-08-23T23:40:00.004-04:00

Trinity College

Spotlight.

Trapped.

Liberty.

Age.

Rediscovering U of T, part II

2009-07-19T15:06:00.007-04:00

I meant to post this a lot sooner, but only got around to editing the pictures today. I also need to go take new pictures. I want to try out some portrait photography. Anyone interested in being my model? :) If you are, let me know!

The chapel was empty and someone was playing on the organs - I felt like I was walking into a foggy dream.

there is something very intriguing and calming about this place...

I can't believe people actually get to live here.

Having some good Mexican food on Baldwin Street

With some delicious virgin margaritas!

Rediscovering U of T part I

2009-07-05T21:14:00.007-04:00

I can't believe I never explored these places... Definitely coming back here many more times! The campus actually makes me feel like I'm in a university and not in the middle of nowhere (York!).

Sunrise

2009-06-29T23:51:00.001-04:00

It was 5:14am.

Jersey Boys, Luminato, Beach

2009-06-20T16:58:00.005-04:00

Jersey Boys @ Toronto Centre for the Arts - it was amazing; highly recommended! I assure you that you will walk out of it feeling all giddy, happy, and sing-alongy!

Luminato @ Harbourfront - the opening scene for Cirque du Soleil. It was good other than the fact that I had to wait 1.5 hours for it to start! Total mood kill.

Wasaga Beach - beautiful weather, sands, water, and the ever-changing sky.

I've only been taking these outings pictures. Once I get some time, I shall have another adventure with my Rebel to take some more photoblog-worthy pics! :)

Soccer and Sunset

2009-06-07T22:53:00.004-04:00

These were taken a couple of weeks ago when my dear friend Alicia invited me to go see a soccer game. My very first time seeing one! Seeing a bunch of little kids there made me realized how I haven't interacted with children in so long. I feel old. Being born in 1988 doesn't make me feel young any longer. On a brighter note, I got see a beautiful sunset! :)

walking along King Street

Into CNE to the BMO Field

Here's that lovely sunset.

It was the female Canadian vs. American team. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, we lost.

This calms me

2009-05-24T20:37:00.006-04:00

I just had the urge to take some pictures after dinner today-but really, it's to procrastinate from studying for my accounting final taking place tomorrow. :) Here's a few quick snapshots.

So I walked out to my backyard...

and saw that cherry tomatoes are planted and will blossom soon!

Ah, summer.

My summer will arrive on June 1, at 6:30pm, when my last exam concludes my third year of university.

This is what I do Part II

2009-05-01T11:57:00.005-04:00

More pics from that night:

This is what I do on a Saturday Night

2009-04-22T00:23:00.005-04:00

I roamed the streets with two other photog friends and snapped away! Here is part 1 of the series:

this is unedited! the colour of the sky wows me.

I definitely wouldn't mind coming here again on company's expense! =D

Part 2 will be updated shortly (when I find some time to edit photos during this crazy busy week).

That familiar stroll

2009-04-19T23:38:00.007-04:00

School finally let me breathe a little bit this weekend. So I let myself go on a much deprived mini-shopping trip, also have been chilling with some friends, reading some books (will have an entry about it later), watching Love Actually (it was heart-warming!) and taking some photos. I tried to enjoy this weekend as much as possible because I know that another wave will come at me! Lately, though, I find that I care less and less about school. I still want to do well but I am trying not to let it dictate my life. I want to keep an open-mind and let myself explore things I really feel passionate about. My mentality changes a lot, but I believe it's a foundation that keeps on molding into a set of values and beliefs I have come to live by. If you're confused with what I'm babbling about...I'm not surprised since half the time, I'm confused myself. :) Nonetheless... ;)

At Dundas Square with Nancy

A neighbourhood stroll with mom on that warm, breezy Friday evening

I love sunsets and sunrises.

More pictures to come in a few days! Still in the process of editing, so stay tuned.

The Reader

2009-03-29T00:00:00.008-04:00

Okay, not really. I used to read a lot of books, but ever since university, my leisure reading radar has dropped to nearly zero. Recently though, I read several books--all were pretty enlightening, might I add. This probably is just another excuse for me to procrastinate, but much more than that, I felt the need to get in touch with "life" and those words of wisdom. I have picked out some quotes that spoke to me.

From Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

“The only true influence you have on anyone else is by your own life, how you act, what you do.”

“It is very important to observe the other members of the group, most especially the person sitting directly opposite you. That person is a spirit reflection of yourself. The things you see in that individual that you admire are the qualities within yourself that you wish to make more dominant. The actions, appearances, and behaviour that you do not like are things about yourself that need working on. You cannot recognize what you deem to be good or bad in others unless you yourself have the same strengths and weaknesses at some level of your being.”

And from The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch:

"Brick walls are there for a reason, they let us prove how much we want something. They are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough."

"Luck is where preparation meets opportunity."

And lastly I'm sure you've all heard of the book the five people you meet in heaven--it really is a great book so go read it! :)

I really am a quotes junkie...

this reminds me of pixar... ;)

Someday

2009-03-15T15:35:00.006-04:00

...I want to open up a coffee shop.

It would play soft lounge music, have magazines and books on the shelves, a chalkboard menu, fresh flower centre-pieces, art work hung on the walls, with people talking, reading or on the internet; and ideally the shop would be on a slightly elevated level overlooking the street.

Someday.

Busy Bee

2009-03-13T17:47:00.006-04:00

I'm drowning in school - at least that's what I feel like. School just seems so impossible this semester! I cannot imagine what life will be like when I start working full time. How do people do it? Do they ever stop to think that these youthful years will never come back to them as they work day-in, day-out? Recently, a co-worker of mine introduced me to Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth", which is a book that talks about spirituality and finding yourself. I roamed around Chapters' self-help section and skimmed through a few pages of the book. In fact, I downloaded the podcast where Oprah interviewed him. So far, the most important concept I learned is that you should enjoy the present and live in that moment rather than looking back at the past or worrying about the future. When the "I" finally reconciles with the "mind" that talks to myself, I will find myself at peace... Hm. All this pondering is getting to me. So much that I've realized people are often just ignorant and undetermined to make changes to their lives. We think and dwell our thoughts - no action to speak of.

Enough of me ranting. Here are some pictures:

one of their lecture auditoriums

There were some really cool ads by OCAD students

Yonge & Bloor station

The remains of Sam's Records

Hiatus

2009-03-03T00:12:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the 2 week hiatus from my beloved Mind Speak! I was studying for exams, writing exams, and then going to work everyday and going out a lot. Haha. :) I just really wanted to make a post tonight so I didn't even bother editing any of my pictures. They are as is! I will be starting next semester this week, so the next post might be another little while. I will try my best to push myself to take more pictures and post! Thanks for following this pblog, it means a lot to me.

Experimenting my new lens, the 50mm.

The people that I have known for all my life in Canada <3>

prettiest tea pot I've ever seen

I LOVED that restaurant. It's so chic. :D

Day and Night

2009-02-14T01:02:00.006-05:00

The city can look so different between the day and the night. For winter days, I think I prefer the nights because the clear skies bring out the street lights better while the excess amount of snow on the ground reflects and blind my eyes during the day. I really can't wait till spring's here - when I can walk out without bundling up with my scarf and mittens and etc., (not that I don't like winter fashion, I love it actually, but sometimes it's too much work).

Anyway, if there are any delays in my updates, that's because I am busy "studying" for my finals this upcoming week. Oh dear, how I dread studying.

I was real "hardworking" at my cubicle ;)

I just hate how the grey sky and snow just wash all the colours away...

delish ~mmMMmMmMmm

Herme$!

work of art.

Oh yes, and Happy Valentine's Day!

An Official Adult

2009-02-09T01:16:00.003-05:00

No more excuses for immaturity, I am officially 21 now. I really do hope that this time around, I will reach the goals I have set for myself and become better all around. :) Although, I don't think I can ever lose that immaturity and naive nature in me. Heck, I'm just going to embrace it then! Thanks for visiting my blog and I wish to share with you my celebration of living 21 years with this picture:

Traditions

2009-02-02T23:26:00.005-05:00

This past weekend was Chinese New Year and as part of family tradition, we always buy sweets/snacks, make cakes, and bow to the Buddha Gods (no, I'm not religious). Just thought I would share with you some photos that reflect the biggest Chinese cultural celebration of the year.

The pot where we place the incense after praying.

You've probably seen this somewhere before - the lucky cat that brings in the cash.

I found this to be super cool - who knew that they'd get creative and have a word embossed on an apple! It means "get rich". (Yes, Chinese people like money.)

My lovely mother. :)

And if you notice that the tone of my pictures are a lot cooler and not as vibrant, that's because I'm playing around with photoshop a bit. (Trying to learn how to use it!)

Sorry for the lack of updates again; I want to post more frequently too! Thanks for visiting.

Still Life

2009-01-24T15:19:00.003-05:00

Here is the second post as promised - just more macro pictures taken at home. Can't wait till I venture outdoors. (Just wish it wasn't so cold outside). I hope these pics don't get too boring for you! :)

I think this picture gives off a romantic feeling. :)

Wilderness in the middle of my living room.

Pine trail

Purity

Lost and found!

My New Love <3

2009-01-23T15:25:00.003-05:00

First of all, sorry for the lack of updates! I haven't posted in 11 days. What has happened during this time? Well, I have finally purchased my first dSLR!!! =D My baby is the Canon Rebel XS and I am super happy and excited about it. I just opened it yesterday and have been meticulously searching for online tutorials and reading the manual on how to use it. I have very limited technical knowledge of cameras, so there's a lot for me to learn. I know I will need more motivation to keep on going but because I like taking pictures so much, it shouldn't be a problem! So for now, I'll show you a few of my test shots using the manual mode. Please comment - I welcome constructive criticisms and of course, compliments. ;) Thanks!

My baby ~ Canon Rebel XS
this picture is not edited at all (just resized) to show you the true quality of the camera

Playing around with the aperture

Indoor lighting

And this is my little puppet show... :)

Monkey

the Seal family

Mickey.

There are more pictures to come so stay tuned! :D

Special Effects

2009-01-12T21:45:00.000-05:00

To make things interesting, I finally delved into the editing realm of photography. Due to my lack of photo-editing program and the lack of knowledge of it, I have never seriously made any adjustments to my photos. But I have this photoshop copycat program called Paint.net, and I played around with it a bit. It's actually a lot of fun! It turned my ordinary looking pictures into something really cool looking. :)

Oil Painting effect

Ink Sketch effect

Portrait-softening effect

and the plain old Sepia effect.

Lights

2009-01-12T00:52:00.000-05:00

I love pretty looking lights. Lighting is such an important factor in a photo. I think I should go to Chapters/Indigo one day, grab a bunch of photography-related books, and just sit in a corner and read. I could spend the whole day there looking at photography, interior design, and cook books. This day will come.

Passage to a New Year

2009-01-03T21:27:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope your Christmas and New Year days were well spent and that you have gotten the things you wanted. I have not had much time for photos lately, hence the lack of posts and also the lack of breakthrough. I am still trying to find new perspectives--so I hope you can be patient with me as I am trying to be patient with my progress. On a lighter note, I just want to have fun with it because taking pictures is something I love doing. I feel that a photographer's feelings and thoughts could be depicted through the lens. I am hoping that with my pictures, I have somewhat achieved that.

All the best wishes in the new year.

Reminiscence

2008-12-15T22:51:00.000-05:00

I still don't have anything new to put up yet, so instead, I thought of putting up some old photos that I took last summer (2007) when I went back to China. I wish I had more opportunities to travel to different places - discovering new things is such a breath of fresh air. Be prepared for an overflow of photos!

China - A Trip to Xi-An

Hong Kong

Macau

Transient

2008-12-05T16:57:00.000-05:00

Thank you for all those that commented and gave me suggestions. I will hopefully soon put them onto the experiment table. As you can probably tell, I love roaming around the streets of Toronto - my pictures are partially inspired by Sam Javanrouh's daily dose of imagery. It feels great to discover the obscure and hidden places all around the city or even just looking at a familiar place in a new light. I hope my pictures are able to convey that feeling. I only have five pictures for this post, but next time, I promise there will be more and with new themes!

My test shot with a subject. :)

Blockade

2008-11-25T18:35:00.000-05:00

This is going to be a short post - I didn't get a chance to take that many pictures. In fact, apparently I can't take pictures in the PATH, or so I was told by some lady that approached when I was about to click. I feel like I need to take a new direction since my pictures are getting a bit repetitive, even for me, so imagine those of you that look at them! Please, shower me with ideas.

miao!

First Snow

2008-11-21T00:31:00.000-05:00

This time, I managed to walk all the way to St. Lawrence Market where I could have gotten myself some Portuguese tarts - they are absolutely delicious. I just love the festive atmosphere: decorations and lights are everywhere. No wonder they say Christmas is one of the most romantic seasons - step aside Valentine's!

A City Stroll

2008-11-17T21:51:00.000-05:00

I guess the only good thing that came out of the strike at school is that I have more time to do the things I want - like taking pictures! I hope you will grow with me as I experiment and learn more about photography.

a fairy in The Bay's window.

Yonge & QueenBell Trinity Square.Old City Hall.who left their bike?Christmas is near.TO is our local NYC.maybe I will see a musical some day?

Moulin Rouge.

A Tourist-Like Edition of Downtown Toronto

2008-11-14T22:29:00.000-05:00

To keep this photoblog up, I have decided to carry my camera with me everywhere I go so I can capture all my inspirations. I love taking pictures downtown - there are so many great architectural buildings and the hustling bustling crowds make pictures so much more interesting. I'm sure many share my thoughts on this. So why not take advantage of my breaks at work and go take photos!

This is around Yonge, Queen, Richmond, and Church area.

look at the pretty old buildings!the doors I pass by every time going to work.I love streetcars.the church bells were playing.hopefully I will save enough to buy my first SLR here!
and back to work I go.

A Beginning

2008-11-11T13:39:00.000-05:00

Discovery Walk

This morning, I finally took the time to walk around my neighbourhood to take some pictures. This marks the beginning of my long over-due photoblogging, which I intend to continue. I don't know what the purpose of my photoblog is yet, but it will be developed into whatever it was meant to be. Besides, walks are very enjoyable and serene. Let me show you what I mean:

Credit Valley Golf and Country Club.welcome.peace.cherry.caterpillar.serene.seasons changing.the perfect home.Mississauga Heights & Queenswaythin.skin.peek.wing.

fallen.