July 27th, 2008, 9:22 am
After our big engagement party production, John and I kept the momentum going by planning a grand, grand photo shoot full of unique ideas that I am absolutely proud of. So far, we are doing things half-half, half American and half Taiwanese. That’s how we are - Taiwanese Americans. Therefore for our engagement and wedding, we’ll pick and choose what elements of each wedding culture do we like to include, and what elements to exclude.
So far, we’ve done the engagement in Taiwanese/Christian style. Next, we’ll produce a grand wedding photo album which is a must-do in contemporary Taiwanese wedding culture, and then, we’ll go all western for our wedding. The wedding photo shoot is a huge deal in Taiwan that it is a blooming industry. It’s significance is just like engagement photos in the U.S., except people in Taiwan take the extravagant route by dressing up in fancy gowns, and wedding gowns, have their hair and make up all professionally done in a wedding photo studio, then have all photos bind in a nice album which is usually two inches thick at least. People also have their photos enlarged in poster sizes, or use the photos on wedding invitations… etc. Anything you could think of to go fancy with photo taking, it has been done by Taiwanese wedding photo companies. These wedding photos is also always taken months prior to the wedding, so they will be ready to display on the wedding day. Read the rest of this entry »
July 24th, 2008, 12:33 am
Being a kid for a whole day in the happiest place on earth …
Taking our friends on rides and not caring about what others think…
Listening to uplifting music…
Indulging in cotton candy…
Enjoying the parade and firework…
Riding carousel horses for the first time in decades…
ON A MONDAY!!!
July 22nd, 2008, 10:28 pm
It has been a while since the last time my sister played the piano, but now, right at this minute, there’s sound of her beautiful music floating throughout the house.
I am SO GLAD to hear that!
She’s a natural pianist - someone I adore, and envied even because of how gifted she is at piano. Ever since she was little, the sound of music coming from her fingers is just different from any other kids. For years throughout my childhood and adolescent years, I tried everything to beat her in competitions, but could never do. While all our famous piano teachers deemed her Juilliard material as she won competition after competition, I was left being the forgotten one. It wasn’t until years afterwards that I realize there was nothing to be envied about. Piano is in her more than in me. It makes her happy more than it does to me. That’s all. Read the rest of this entry »
July 16th, 2008, 11:28 pm
There we were, out on a summer day, enjoying ourselves with a glass of wine as sun descends beyond the glorious hills of Hollywood,
And our friends, Mr. Pooh and Ms. Ya Ya, smilling so contentedly in my workout bag, waiting for the concert to start…
Then there we were again - his hand holding mine as we whispered sporadic I love yous under gentle stars.
What a perfect mid summer night’s date it was!
We were at the Hollywood Bowl last Sunday for their annual opera concert. This year, they played Bizet’s famous opera - Carmen. I’ve been to the Bowl far too many times before, but it was my first time going there with John. We took the bus to get there and back, which was a great choice as the bus pick up spot was at a very convenient location, and the round-trip fair was only $5.00! The bus gets us there in half an hour. Not only did we avoided all the traffic, we could relax during the ride, we helped the environment, also we didn’t need to pay double digits for parking! For those of you southern Californians planning on going to the Hollywood Bowl, I highly recommend doing park and ride. It was so easy!
Music wise …. er…. it was only okay…
When an opera is removed from the theatrical environment for which it belongs, everything becomes much diluted. The notes might still all be there, but the drama’s gone, the stage set’s gone, and with amplified sound, the quality of singing voice and the depth of instrumental sound were also sacrificed. I don’t know if it was the caliber of the singers, or perhaps I’ve really raised my bar for musical appreciation, I wasn’t too thrilled by the singing. Besides soprano Jessica Rivera, who sang the role of Micaëla, I wasn’t too impressed by all other singers. But then again, it could be the amplified sound that was to be blamed. Everything just sounded flat, and somewhat lifeless. I, for one, much prefer natural sound over amplified sound.
But, Hollywood Bowl is a fun place for people of all ages to enjoy all sorts of music the fun way. While elements in an opera are diluted for a serious opera nut like me, the venue itself, with its relaxed atmosphere, and its departure from a traditional opera house, makes opera music more light-hearted, and thus easier for more people to enjoy.
Until opera houses returns from their summer recess in September, an opera concert at Hollywood Bowl will serve as a good dose of live opera music for now.
July 15th, 2008, 8:51 pm
My friend Jenny is getting married in two weeks. After that, the newly-wed will move to Wyoming, where they both will start their new jobs.
We used to spend a lot of time together, but after her wedding, I obviously won’t be seeing her, unless during her future bi-yearly trips to California she happens to have time to catch up. But even that, I might be the busy one. Knowing how difficult it will be to spend time with her after her wedding, I made sure that I gave her a firm “YES” when she invited me to her bachelorette party. The bachelorette party was held over the 4th of July weekend, in Las Vegas. Read the rest of this entry »
July 9th, 2008, 11:37 pm
Two weekends ago, a group of us, all core members of a non-profit volunteer organization, got together in Las Vegas for a retreat. By retreat we meant a whole day of meeting, and only head out for food and for some fun after all businesses are done. We stayed at John’s condo. It was so very nice of him to host the group.
It was quite a bittersweet weekend. As we talked about the future of the organization, and on our future involvement in it, we learned that …. none of us present core members can continue to stay involved. Everyone has a good reason — career, school, going back to school, business travel…etc.
On my end, although I enjoyed being involved very much and am passionate about the mission of the organization, I can’t commit to it beyond my present term because… well, I’ve got a wedding to plan. Along with the wedding are many, many significant, life-changing moves to make, and changes to adjust to.
Our term in the organization will end in September. After that, perhaps we won’t even be able to get the group together anymore as everyone will go on in their busy lives. All of a sudden, I realized how precious my remaining time in the organization is. Thinking about not seeing this group of fabulous people, and not working with them on events and projects anymore, makes me sad. The picture above might be our last group picture together. Who knows?
I guess at one point or another, we must all move on. As bittersweet as it is, we must all embark on our next journey.
I wish the best of luck to everyone.
July 2nd, 2008, 11:41 pm
While having lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant in Las Vegas with friends, I saw that the TV there was broadcasting some food channel, showcasing a restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan. There was this golden soup that looked very yummy. The TV was in mute mode, but from reading the subtitle, I knew that the ingredients were chicken, pumpkin, apple, and onion.
So I tried cooking the dish myself, based on the little information I have, and was so impressed with myself because the soup turned out soooooo well! I am soooooooo happy!
It’s very simple. Here’s what I did. Read the rest of this entry »
