r.i.p ah-gong

he was not a man of many words, but always held a striking presence. he was my idol – smart, generous, kind. my grandpa passed away early yesterday morning and though devastated, i know he lived his 90 years vicariously. it gives me a sense of happiness that he’s at peace and of course, he will live on forever in my heart. he was traditional and didn’t express his emotions as we americans do. whenever i would go to taipei to visit him, i’d hug and kiss him. he didn’t get that much from any of his grandchildren, let alone my grandma. however, looking past the slightly uncomfortable and rigid expression, i could tell he loved it when i did that.

here’s to a humble celebration of his time here on earth. the last photo was just a month ago.

no comments

who knew?

who knew steam mopping the floor could be so exhilarating? part of me thinks it disinfects my soul more than it does the floors. from last week’s emo post til now, ive taken the first step every therapist wants their client to aim for – acknowledging i have been in a funk. now i just need to snap out of it!

last night, dozer stared at me looking mighty bewildered. if i could guess, he’s thinking im crazy for running around the house like a mad woman, cleaning my ass off. vacuum, steam mop, laundry, dishes, bed linens… oh my, what a glorious night!

later on, dozer was doing what he does best – dozing off – and looked too cute to ignore. i tried practicing manual focus. failed on that last one…then i got distracted by my flowers on the coffee table.:)

no comments

just add water

h-eye!

no comments

taiwan’s traditional market

the aisles of vons, ralphs, whole foods and the like are well-groomed and systematically organized. fluorescent lighting bounces off the polished floors, vegetables receive a refreshing spritz every so often, and meats are wrapped or cased to reach america’s high sanitary standard. hell, many markets now provide antibacterial gel or wipes for their mysophobic patrons. now, imagine the exact opposite and you’re likely to picture something more similar to a traditional market in taiwan. it’s not to say the market is disgusting or uncivilized – just very, very different. i thoroughly enjoyed visiting the market on my visit to my home country last month.

taiwan’s markets are a maze of exotic fruits and on-the-scene slaughtered meats. innards and animal parts you’d never imagine were edible hang everywhere and if you’re not cautious, a large intestine or cow tongue will probably grace your face. it’s festively loud, with mopeds honking their way through the stands and everyone haggling for the best price. many vendors are old. they wake up before the sun and haul their harvest to the market each day. it’s quite amusing and surely a humbling experience.

no comments

back in action

i’m truly sorry, dear blog! i’ve neglected you. please forgive me…it’s a new year and a new me, so get ready for some awesome photos. tiff and i have some exciting shoots and weddings booked for 2012 and we’re in the works of a new website redesign that i can’t wait to share.

i hate excuses but in my defense, much has happened these past couple months. i’ve been on a roller coaster ride of emotions that took me to both low and high places. my father was diagnosed with infective endocarditis  after doing some dental work. his supposedly qualified dentist failed to prescribe antibiotics after a tooth extraction so bacteria was able to make its way into his heart valves and do some major damage. after a couple months, he took his yearly trip to taiwan where he felt uneasy and was admitted into the hospital for emergency open heart surgery. thankfully, taiwan healthcare is extremely efficient, thorough, and suffice it to say much cheaper than healthcare in the states. my brother and i rushed to taipei to see our parents and spent almost 3 weeks there. our visit was a surprise. as soon as we landed at midnight, we went straight to the hospital where he was sleeping. he woke but didn’t have his glasses on so we had to move our faces literally 6 inches away from him until his eyes could focus and once he made our faces, his eyes widened with pure joy. it was, hands down, the highlight of my trip.

the 4 of us together is a rarity so the presence of everyone in one small hospital room day after day was extremely comforting and personally, very emotional. i witnessed my mom care for my dad in ways i thought were long lost in their relationship. i bonded with my brother. i cherished my dad. to think i was even just a tiny bit closer to losing him was overwhelming and reasserted what we all already know but constantly brush off…that life is delicate and needs to be appreciated.

leaving taipei was difficult. i fought back tears the last 2 days knowing i wouldn’t see my mom for years but am super thankful i got the chance to go.

as soon as i got back to the states, there were tons of things to take care of. it felt never ending. on a positive note, i closed escrow on a condo in pasadena!!! now the fun begins to slightly remodel it and get it rented. my plans were to move in but due to my dad’s condition, i’m staying put for now so i can take care of him. perhaps this will turn out to be better on an investing standpoint.

not only have i neglected the blog and my readers, my 5d is also screaming at me to use him (his name is chauncey, btw). it’ll be refreshing to get back into shooting again. since this is starting to become more of an emo diary entry than a blog post, the least i can do is leave you with some photos, courtesy of my iphone. that is…if you even read this far. tl;dr. sidenote…i’ve subconsciously known this but after selecting images, it’s confirmed – 80% of my iphone photos are of dozer….:)

happy 2012 everyone!!!!

1 comment

Iphonography

no comments

veg out

back in june we planted some veggies in the yard. some died, some grew super deformed looking things, but fortunately, some were successful! here’s some sage, pomegranate, and green bell pepper. and for no good reason, dozer’s foot was looking mighty cute. that, and he just would not hold still for a flick.

1 comment