February 20 - 25

The lighting and settings are off in most of these pictures, some intentional and some unintentional.  My settings must be off because it was hard to get a good picture in low light settings, which usually isn't a problem for my camera.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

We celebrated Krystal's 30th birthday with an authentic Chinese meal and salsa dancing.  The restaurant had beautiful decor of fireplaces and candles. Krystal added to the beauty with her creative invitations and party favors.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Location: Long Beach, CA

 After Krystal's birthday Monday night, I celebrated the 6th birthday of the little boy I work with. I gave him a Thomas Duplo train and three beginner reading books.  One of the books was Thomas! A combination of his two favorite things!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Location: Long Beach, CA

"Never underestimate the power of the burrito."  

Enough said, right?  So that the comment is not misinterpreted... The bag was very interesting and funny to read, basically by eating at Chipotle you are making the world a better place because they use naturally raised meats.  By choosing naturally raised meat you are encouraging farmers to change their practices to be more responsible, which may lead to legislation and government changes all because of the burrito you buy.  Didn't know your meal could have such an impact, huh? Neither did I.  I just like their food.

Thursday, February 23, 2012
Location: Long Beach, CA

This picture does not do justice to the cute cupcake flower arrangements that were the centerpiece of each table at the Interfaith Intercultural breakfast I attended. The food was alright. The speaker was amazing. 90 years old and still able to walk onto stage with little help and speak to a large audience. His second career (since retirement around 60) has been dedicated to bridging cultural and religious gaps in Long Beach and southern California. His dedication to the community of Long Beach was very inspiring.

Friday, February 24, 2012
Location: Long Beach, CA

I arranged this small flower presentation from a larger bouquet I received. I wanted to experiment with lighting and angles in this photo, but the settings were still weird on my camera so if I brought the rose into the light it was overexposed. Not my original goal, but this picture is still nice.

Saturday, February 25, 2012
Location: Long Beach, CA

Krystal is making a dress. I am inspired, but not enough to actually make one myself. I'll see how hers turns out first ;)

Palm Desert with the Family

Whenever I go on a trip I take TONS of pictures. At first I was going to break my plan of one picture a day and post a series, but since I struggle with being decisive, I thought it would be healthy for me to choose one. After much deliberation, here are my two favorites not just because of the artistic angles but because of the people in the shots.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Location: Mt. San Jacinto, Palm Springs, CA

On Saturday we took the tram to the top of Mt. San Jacinto and found a beautiful winter playground. We built a snowman, had a snowball fight and trudged around. In the foreground of this picture you see a snow laden tree and in the background you see a classic picture of Scott picking on Jorgie while Achlee and Christian stand-by.

Sunday, February 19, 2012
Location: Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival
Indio, CA

Along with the joy of spending the weekend with my family, I was very excited to go to the date festival.  The festival included ostrich and zebra races, date tasting and date shakes. In this picture is some blue ribbon dates with my date shake and an excited me!

A Week of "Love"

What is love?....

A question that has been answered in many different ways by many different people.  In this blog, I don't want to define love, because love is multi-faceted and complex and expressed and received in varying ways by each individual. However, I do want to share how I chose to express one form of love during the week of Valentine's and how I received love in return.

February 13, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

I had Monday off from work because of President's day. I took advantage of the day off to bake cookies. Anybody who knows me knows I love to bake and cook. One of the ways I show love is through service and caring for people. These cookies are a family tradition, my mom makes one for each of us every year. This year I shared the tradition by baking cookies for the teachers I work with, my roommate and some other friends. Even though Valentine's Day is a commercial holiday and I truly believe that if you really love someone you will find a way to express that love throughout the year, I like to take the opportunity to make sure that people who are important to me know that I love them.

February 14, 2012
Location: Long Beach, CA

Tuesday was Valentine's Day. I spent the day working. The wonderful thing about working in an elementary school is that my job involves painting hearts, passing out valentines and eating cupcakes. I received a few valentines from the kids at school and gave them some in return, but that wasn't really how I showed them love or how they loved me. I experience love each day through the smiles, hugs and giggles we share.  This and the knowledge that I could have a lasting impact in these kids lives keeps me going on tough days.

February 15, 2012
Location: Long Beach, CA

Really, I don't have a good narrative for this picture. Cookies are sweet; So is love. Sometimes it is difficult to tell if a cookie is good on the outside, the picture and decorations get a little blurred, but once you dive in and take a bite, you know if the cookies is good or not. Same thing happens in love. I could take this analogy further, but I will stop with this. You can never buy true love and you can never buy "your grandma's  famous cookie" from a store, but if you are looking for something close, this cookie will do it.

February 16, 2012
Location: Long Beach, CA

Thursday night I went out with my small group girls for a very fancy Valentine's dinner at Polly's.  Last year on Valentine's day I cooked dinner and baked cookies for them. I wanted to carry on the cookie tradition and share an example of the love my mom shows me every year. So here is to a circle of friends, made up of hearts, when put together shine like a star. (Ok, that was super cheesy, but that is what I see when I look closely at this picture). 

February 17, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

"A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet."

The classic expression of love, red roses. The contrast of something beautiful, bright and sweet in a place that is dirty, dull and forgotten.  What a difference a rose can make.

February 18, 2012 
Location: Palm Desert, CA
(There will be two pictures from this day, because the Valentine's week blog would not be complete without this final picture)

And finally, the infamous Valentine's day cookie from my wonderful mother. I love her so much. Thanks for showing me love in so many ways all the time!

A Week + in Photos (Feb 3 - Feb 12)

As the weeks progress into 2012, I find myself getting more and more behind on posting pictures. I also still am having trouble uploading pictures. Sometimes they show up with lines across them.  Any suggestions?  I think something is wrong with my internet connection.  Currently, I can only upload 3 pictures at a time and can't do anything else on my computer.  Nevertheless, with this set, my persistence paid off. Here are 10 days of photos in February. 

February 3, 2012 - Friday

Location: Long Beach, CA

One of my least favorite but most economical runs is to drop off my rent each month. I dislike the run because it is along a semi-busy street so I have to stop for traffic lights and there is little that is visually stimulating. However, on Friday, I intentionally looked for beauty in the city and found these flowers on the edge of someone's yard. They were a bright spot on my day. 

February 4, 2012 - Saturday
Location: Los Alamitos, CA

Ever since high school I have loved playing volleyball. I have never been all that amazing, but I have had fun. In the past few years, I have played volleyball on a church league.  My church has three different teams and I play on the middle one. It is always a great time to interact (and compete) with my friends out of the classic church setting. This picture stars Wilson (a cousin to the infamous Wilson from Castaway) and LBFC Team 3. 

February 5, 2012 - Superbowl Sunday

Location: Long Beach, CA

This is the first day where I completely forgot to take a picture. I intended to take a picture at the Superbowl  get together I attended, but with the random commercials, entertaining halftime show and dramatic ending of the game, it completely escaped my mind. So this picture was taken the week or so before. I think Walmart was very creative in their display of Pepsi products.

February 6, 2012 - Monday

Location: Long Beach, CA

I realize this picture is very overexposed, but somehow the contrast of the colors and the white seemed artistic to me. I took it at night with a flash.  Maybe this is something to experiment with more...


February 7, 2012 - Tuesday
Location: Long Beach, CA

What do spiders, clocks, broken egg shells and coconut trees all have in common?  The Nursery Rhyme unit at my school.  This was a fun few weeks teaching the kids nursery rhymes such as Little Miss Muffet (spiders), Hickory Dickory Dock (clocks), Humpty Dumpty (broken egg shells), and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom ((coconut trees) not a classic nursery rhyme, but a fun story all the same).

February 8, 2012 - Wednesday

Location: Long Beach, CA

Mmmm.... sushi....  Sushi is one of those foods that have grown on me over time. I never ate sushi as a kid.  I think my first real sushi (outside of Biola's attempt in the caf) was once I moved to Long Beach.  As long as I don't dwell on the fact that I am eating raw seafood, I really enjoy the flavors and textures of sushi.  On Wednesday, I supped on some delicious sushi with a friend. All of our rolls were very artistically displayed. This was one of my favorites in both design and taste. 

February 9, 2012 - Thursday

Location: Long Beach, CA

One of my favorite subjects to photograph is flowers. These are tiny daisies in the grass at El Dorado Park. I loved the angle of this shot. 

February 10, 2012 - Friday

Location: Long Beach, CA

Another nature photo taken at El Dorado Park. This is an old fallen tree stump that now has plants growing out of it.


February 11, 2012 - Saturday
Location: Los Angeles, CA

On Saturday night, I went out with my girls to a club. I thought this was a neat angle of the fire heater on the patio with such vibrant purples and pinks in the night lighting. From this picture, you can't really tell that the fire is reaching out from the holes to warm me.


February 12, 2012
Location: Long Beach, CA

Julie is going to be a bride!!  This picture was taken at Julie's bridal shower. I experimented with some fun shots of the flowers, baskets and hanging colored balls, but decided that the one with the bride was the most fitting. 

Glowing Candles, Glowing hearts

Without intention, candles were a theme of two pictures in a row. I realized that with a moving flame they are a lot harder to get focused in a picture than I realized. Something I might work on...

February 2, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

Yes, I am delayed in posting, but some of the blogs I do write in advance. So here is last Thursday's blog...

Worship is medicine for my soul. I just enjoyed a lovely night of worship and prayer with my small group. I am so thankful for such wonderful ladies with whom I can experience life, share stories, turn to for prayer, and trust in all ways. I am even more thankful for an awesome God who allows me to communicate directly with him and loves me more than I can fathom. For him I live my life and give praise.

February 1, 2012
Location: Costa Mesa, CA

My old roommate has these candles in her fireplace. I loved the light they were emanating.

The End of January

January 31, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

Nothing like a good cup of tea when you are sick. Tea heals the body, mind and soul, especially when accompanied with a good book or conversation.

January 30, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

I <3 Languages

That was going to be the title of this blog post,but I grouped it in with these other photos. Really, though, I heart languages. Yes, in recent years I've groaned at the thought of doing detailed linguistics work or learning an Asian language, but whenever I sit down and learn just a little bit of a language, that love sparks again. I take pleasure in solving the puzzle and figuring out how specific aspects of a language work. And how would that be possible without phonetics? The only class in college where you are encouraged to make funny noises (with friends who make jokes about quadrilabial clicks) while a professor is talking. On a more practical note, the foundation for why I can study a language, write down words and pronounce them with near accuracy. The only problem is I can only take linguistic analysis in small doses, then I have to socialize again because my brain starts to explode... No matter, I still love languages. I love the knowledge that is contained within them and the diversity of languages throughout the world. I wish I was fluent in multiple languages, but yet I am only fluent in English, conversational in Spanish and Melanesian Pijin, and know a smattering of impractical phrases in other languages... I hope that some day my children will be bilingual, because I think there is such value in knowing another language.

January 29, 2012

Location: Anaheim, CA

I spent Sunday evening at the happiest place on earth, or at least as close as I can get to it without a pass, Downtown Disney. I enjoyed sitting at Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar, sipping a delicious beverage, admiring the creative ambiance and sharing in conversation with a friend.

A week in photos: January 23 - January 28

As the year progresses, I am finding it is harder to get on every day and post pictures, but I have continued to take the photos daily. So here is my week in photos...

January 28, 2012 - Saturday

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Homemade fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. A delicious dinner cooked by a friend on Saturday and a great way to end the week!

January 27, 2012 - Friday

Location: Long Beach, CA

We had a field trip with my class on Friday to the Long Beach Town Center. This picture was taken while waiting for the city busy. This little girl can't help but show love. Sometimes it is so much that it almost hurts, so you can decide is this is an embrace of endearment or a head lock.

January 26, 2012 - Thursday

Location: Long Beach, CA

On Thursday I went for a long run at El Dorado Park. It was a beautiful day and an exhausting, but relaxing run. Running for me is a form of escape, especially when I am in nature. I love breathing fresh air, admiring beautiful scenery, listening to worship music and letting my thoughts flow. I ran 8 miles; Another step toward my goal of a half marathon this Spring. Before the run, I did a mini nature walk looking for artistic pictures. This is my favorite; a close-up look at something usually insignificant.

January 25, 2012 - Wednesday

Location: Long Beach, CA

Another picture in my apartment, making something everyday artistic. Starring in this photo are fake flowers from my bridesmaid bouquet at my sister's wedding and a picture made of dung that I bought in Yellowstone National Park.

January 24, 2012 - Tuesday

Location: Whittier, CA

I had a lovely evening with a friend on Tuesday. Her apartment had many different things to photograph. In the end, I decided on a picture of her bookshelves. Instead of posting some artistic angles that involved laying on the floor, I chose this one that represents a shelf of my favorite Christian author, Francine Rivers.

January 23, 2012 - Monday

Location: Long Beach, CA

On Monday, I went back to school, again. This time I am taking a class I didn't take as a grad student at CSULB. I am very excited to learn a new skill that might be helpful for future jobs in anthropology, Lord willing I can find one.

Interesting Angles

When going through life, it is good to have different perspectives on things. If we only consider our own point-of-view, we miss out on the knowledge and experience of so many others. As I live my life, I always try to consider and respect others' view points. Following this trend, this group of pictures looks at life from a slightly different angle.

January 22, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

Happy Birthday Susana! I celebrated Susana's birthday Sunday night at a delicious Italian restaurant. Here is a look at the birthday girl through some Italian wine.

January 21, 2012

Location: Los Angeles, CA

My first time at Staples stadium in Los Angeles. I watched the LA Kings vs Colorado Avalanche and the AVs won! Our seats provided for an amazing view of the game and almost double perspective.

January 21, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

Pool. One of those games I am just not very good at, but makes for a fun photo.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

When looking for art, it is truly in the eye of the beholder. Since giving myself this challenge, I have looked for something artistic in all sorts of places. Often I take lots of photos trying to get a shot that shows beauty. Maybe by the end of this year, I will take less shots or more easily take an artistic shot. For now, here a few pictures where I tried to show beauty out of something common.

January 19, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

One of my friends loves music and is a very talented musician. I love hearing her play as well as looking at the instruments she has sitting around her house. This is a picture of her guitar and cello.

January 18, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

Wednesday I took multiple shots trying to find an artistic one. I spent the day cooking and baking and took a picture of my mess, which I almost posted since it was beauty in the outcome. However, my friend drew this picture of me at our church worship meeting. How could I not post an artistic photo of a beautiful piece of art?

January 17, 2012

Location: My alley, Long Beach, CA

The sad part of Christmas... a tree once covered in lights and ornaments, abandoned by the trash cans. Three weeks ago this tree was in the center of a celebration of family and love. Dressed in the brightest colors, protecting perfectly wrapped presents underneath, a representation of unity that brings so many different parts together into something beautiful. Now it is naked and alone facing an unknown future with only memories to hold onto. Yet, there is still something beautiful about a green tree in a place usually covered with dirt, dust and trash. It made me smile and remember the times I shared with my family and look forward to more to come.

Home for the Weekend

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., I had 2 days off this weekend, which is very unusual since I usually spend holidays working at Sport Chalet. These days off gave me a chance to visit my family including my grandparents and aunt and uncle who were down from Portland, OR.

January 16, 2012

Location: My Family's house, Oceanside, CA

After trying again and again to get a good picture of Sitka and Champ, my family's dogs, I have realized that moving subjects are not the easiest target for taking artistic photos. When Champ was sitting still, Sitka wouldn't come and by the time Sitka came, Champ left. Out of all the pictures, this was the best. Sitka with his new favorite toy, old socks all rolled up.

January 15, 2012

Location: My Grandma's House, Spring Valley, CA

My grandma's orange tree is in full bloom. The oranges are not very sweet yet, but they are so colorful and look like they would be delicious!

Unique Decor

January 14, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

I was at dinner with a friend at a local Italian eatery with delicious pizza. I didn't realize until my friend pointed them out, but all the lampshades were decorated with grapes. Made me wish I could be drinking wine while eating cheese or gelato in Italy while gazing at the beautiful countryside... Anyways, back to reality... I found them very unique, so I had to take a picture. It was really tough taking a picture of a light, so the quality is not that great, but the shot is still kind of fun.

Land Before Time meets the Transformers

January 13, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

This little boy brings both smiles and strains to my face, but I love him nonetheless. I have been working with him for the last 2 years. I introduced him to the Transformer cars earlier this week and then on Friday I suggested he play with the dinosaurs too. He didn't like the dinosaurs at first, but by the end of our playtime, they were all getting along. I believe they were trying to journey to the volcano (currently covered by dinosaurs) before it exploded.

Afternoons with Friends

This week I spent three afternoons with friends doing various things around Long Beach. I tried to take an artistic photo representing something of each.

January 12, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

On Thursday, I had lunch with a friend from church. We enjoyed homemade chicken salad sandwiches and delicious fruit tarts from a local bakery. Even more than the food, I appreciated the chance to talk and relax together.

January 11, 2012

Location: Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum, Long Beach, CA

On Wednesday, I went to PIEAM (Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum) with another friend from church. Since this museum opened a year ago, I have wanted to see the art and cultures that are represented. Most of the art is from Micronesia, but there was also a small sampling of art from Polynesia and Melanesia. It was a great chance to reminisce on memories from my time in the Pacific Islands and share these stories and knowledge with someone else.

January 10, 2012

Location: Sandwich shop, Long Beach, CA
One of my favorite things about Long Beach is the small community feel in such a large city. On Tuesday, I ate lunch with a friend at a local sandwich shop called On Broadway. It had the small town feel. A few regulars came in and the man at the counter knew exactly what they wanted. This man, who I assume is the owner, knew almost everyone who came in and was very friendly. Their tables were all carved from wood, which was a unique decor in the middle of Long Beach. To add to all this, the sandwiches were good and decently priced. The only downside was that it was small, so there wasn't much privacy or many places to sit.

My Eyes within my Apartment

In challenging myself to this project, I recognize that many days may come to an end and I will realize that I have not yet taken a picture. These two pictures are examples of this. But this also gave me a chance to look at ordinary objects within my apartment and find artistic ways to display them, so that in and of itself is a challenge of its own.

January 8, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

Considering that it was Sunday, I felt it was appropriate to photograph something about my church, Long Beach Friends, since this is where I spend most of my time on Sundays. I attend a church that is mainly Cambodian, but also has a smattering of other cultures. I love the diversity and personalities that the different cultural backgrounds bring.

On Sunday, we read from 1 Chronicles 16:8-11, a song written by David praising the Lord for all the works that he does. Too often in our busy lives we do not take time to reflect on all the ways God has worked and what he is still doing. I appreciate that on Sunday, our pastor took time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the next. For me, the past year has had its ups and downs, but God's hand has been with me and guiding me through it all. I am always amazed to look back on the journey and see how God has been directing me all along the way. If I had not overcome the trials and gone certain places, I would not be the woman I am today.

To the Lord, I give thanks. To the Lord, I sing praise. I seek his strength and presence in this new year. Through my life (and this blog), I hope to tell of his wondrous works. (adapted from I Chr. 16:8-11)

January 9, 2012

Location: Long Beach, CA

If you know anything about me, you know that I love to travel and experience new cultures. In this picture, you see a basket, two fans and two arrows from my time in the Solomon Islands in 2008. The basket and the large fan on the left were given to me as presents from women that I lived with before I returned to the States. The fan on the right was made by yours truly, hence the significant difference in quality. The arrows are still used for hunting with traditional bows. All of these items are handmade from palm fronds. I find the talent, skill and ingenuity that goes into the making of such items, very impressive! In order to take an artistic shot, I rearranged the items in my room, and afterwards, I realized I like this display even more than the original.