Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Christmas Greetings – one year retrospect

Wednesday is my day to post my weekly blog. I had a little scare last night because my one-year old IMac had an unexpected lock-up, the second time. I could not access my photos and files!!! I was panic and yet not quite because I have done my regular backup. I however started to drag about the nightmare to bring this machine to be served in Portland. I would rather drive four hours round trip to have peace of mind knowing that I am dealing with a trustworthy company-owned store than an Apple retailer who does not look after customer’s best interest.

 

Thanks to my husband who has purchased extended Apple Care that I can simply get online and make a request for Apple expert to call me at a designated time.  If we don’t specify a time and it is during work hours, we will almost immediately receive a phone call the moment when Send key is pressed. I have talked to their technicians several times and all of them sound very professional and know exactly how to do. As expected, I received a call this morning and my problem was solved in less than 10 minutes. Thanks God.

In case I get busy with holiday fever and family events, I like to send my holiday greetings out to you ALL one week before Christmas...

'Merry Christmas from our family to yours'
'May you have a good time with your children and grandchildren'
'Peace & Joy'
'May your dream come true, reindeer comes or not'
'We came across at a path for reason, may our friendship lasts                                                                    forever'

It has been a wonderful year and I have a great time writing my blogs and fond satisfaction experiencing continuous visits from my audience since day one. Even though I don’t always post good pictures and sometimes, I am not sure if I ever got my points across with my limited English vocabulary.  Every once a while, I used wrong words or mis-spelled words and my typos… Yuks.  Thank you for being there behind the scene and yet provide me immeasurable support and encouragement.

I am learning as I am blogging. My passion is to share what I have known or just discovered through my exploration journeys. With my Asian ethnic background, I often see things differently. I want my fellow Americans to know Asians better and also for my Asian friends to portrait Americans from a more realistic point of view, and not from the movies which dramatizes and exaggerates truth and facts.

My ultimate wish is my children and generations after have the opportunity to understand an integral part of their roots, perceive the value and add it onto what they have lived and learned in the place where they grow up, the United States.  Two culture, one is Lightroom and the other Photoshop (speaking like a photographer:-). Both have the strength and purpose of their own.  Neither is just a plug-in for the other. They should co-exist and compliment each other. I don’t want to feel that my children are just Americans and I am that odd and old-fashioned Asian. I want my family to be multi-cultural and international. Utilize American style freedom and openness in a more constrained Asian manner and carry beyond. Live more richly and profoundly.

 

I hope your wishes for yourself and your family will get closer to be fulfilled as Christmas comes and a new year brings you new hope and opportunities.

(The photo was taken in a foggy night)

Walks and Thoughts on Snow

Other than the extreme winter I experienced in Chicago, this is the lowest temperature that I ever witnessed here. It is hard to make believe to my tropical friends that the temperature actually went down to 1 degree Fahrenheit (Celsius 17 subzero) couple days ago. Snow came down 6 days ago and I have not touched my car key since. One day after the snow, there were 259 car accidents in Eugene according to Register Guard. Eugene people love snow, but not experienced enough to deal with it.

k

cotton call or shred ice, your call

Temperature has been so low, the one feet snow accumulated in one day is still there.  I love to see snow when I open window blind in the morning, the whole white world is so wildly beautiful.

It was sunny and gorgeous outside. The freezing chill kept me home, but my mind was wandering and my heart finally made the call – I must go out and shoot a few pictures. The problem is, I don’t dare to drive on heavy snow. I have wrecked my car twice due to lack of experience steering the wheels on snow and my memory of recent deadly-turn-magically car accident is still fresh. So, I thought about my super chauffeur, my husband.

Of course I made a sound suggestion to do a grocery run and by the way, shoot a few. Unless Ducks football game is on, he always said YES. I cheer for Ducks but they are my enemies, too, on this note, LOL.

Costco traffic is unbelievably light.  It is good time to shop while most of people would rather stay warm inside the house. By the time when snow starts to melt, the streets will be icy and messy. Housewives will swarm out after being bond at home for the entire week and when refrigerator is getting empty. I had good rationale to convince my husband to take me out even though you know what’s at the bottom of my heart….. photo walk on snow, hooray!

shaky in the cold

He certainly has a big heart. He not only replenished all our bird feeders, he brought hummingbird feeder in every night to thaw and put it out before he goes to work in the morning. I watched him bring in the feeder 3-4 times during the weekend. Birds certainly know where to go. Many are around in this last week.

It was cold and dark, I saw this hummingbird stationed on the limb for a while, I believe, to declare his territory. The shot was taken from inside the house and from distance.  The image is not very sharp, but can you see hummingbird’s fluffy feather? We add layers of clothing and put on heavy jacket, so do they. They beef up their feather to preserve the heat.

beef up to fight chill

It makes me feel good seeing gold finches were bathing in the sun and did the same as hummingbird. The expansion of its feather makes it look like an egg.  Birds have natural weathering apparels and we use the same material for our warm clothes and comforters. Interesting, isn't it?  I know I have a reason to like birds.

Ever since I had a close shot of heron in Taiwan, I have seen herons in Ridgefield, in Portland in closer range and I actually saw 3 herons in Eugene Delta Ponds couple days ago.   This guy stood on snow and I liked its back-lit silhouette. I could not see them closer earlier and now they are everywhere. I think herons are now making peace with me after I witnessed its criminal act in Taiwan.

He is now my friend

If you ask me how cold is it for the temperature to be subzero 12-17 degree Fahrenheit, see it yourself. It is crystal clear, it is solid and I had cold chill by just looking at it.  I  had my snow pants on, heavier dow jacket on, plus all the warm accessories, but my fingers were still frozen, so were my feet. I know if I stay outside all night, I would turn into an ice pillar. period. There are now ice hotels in Quebec and Norway, as far as I know. I cannot begin to imagine how people get the pleasure being refrigerated in a hotel where comfort should  be priority.

Ice Jaw

Are we having such a good life that we have to torture ourselves every once a while in order to remember what misery is like and can appreciate more what we have now?

Below is the processed compost pile at Lane Forest Products.  I saw the pile steaming on cold days when I drove by. Wanting to take a picture for long,  but there is no place to pull over. Now I am on passenger side and the pile is covered with snow, even more interesting.  Suddenly a compost pile turns into a smoky mountain.

It is OK to dream

When our car stopped at traffic light, I spotted these roses from distance. Out of curiosity, I took a quick shot. Pondering how come there are still colorful roses this time of the year and how can they stay erected on snow...

When the picture is downloaded and brought close. I realized they are plastic roses and stems. But they look pretty on snow, does it matter if it is real or artificial as long as it is pleasing to our eyes?

Do you feel better when you spend more on something and think it has to be better because it is more expensive? I say, let's not to be the victim of marketing. The matter of the fact is, when the flowers look too perfect, we would start to doubt their authenticity.  It is like math, like science. When the end is reached, it goes back to a new beginning.

true or false, who cares

Now I mention above picture is taken from a compost pile, do you still enjoy the same? Simple pleasure can readily be accessible if our state of mind is not in the way. I have seen a note on a porcelain piece: "I smile because I have no idea what's going on."  

Below is a reflection shot of trees, snow, ice and pond. All are as real as it can be, but I felt original shot was too overly pronounced, too exposed, too overwhelmed with dropped tree limbs, thick snow pack and big sheet of ice. I
like the scene, but I want it simpler in order that I can enjoy more, and not to be distracted.

Bottom Line - Peace in Mind

By using a plug-in that I recently purchased, I was able to make it a semi sepia tone and fade out lots of clutters.  If I need to come up a new year resolution for 2014, I would say, 'Simplicity', and that's exactly what I addressed when I started this blog back in January.

Food haven, why skinny people?

It is a small island with twenty three millions people.  It is prosperous; It is busy and crowded than ever. And yet I was surprised to witness order and discipline among expected chaos.

Everyday is Black Friday

Taiwan is an updated and upgraded version of Hong Kong, full of industrious people and thriving enterprises and small businesses. Population density is outrageous. Traffic flow in the streets and inside the stores is heavy, in haste and horrendous.

Crowded but Orderly

MRT are packed with people during school and business hours. I have wondered how we survived in the past when subway transportation system was not established.  I was jammed and squeezed in bus going to school and now subway back home visiting.

However, I did not feel the pressure and turmoil that I was experienced as a student.  I went with the flow in and out of subway effortlessly. The subway train is very clean, fast and punctual. Most of the time, I got to sit down though I don’t particularly want to admit that I am the older and weaker among the crowd.  Young people are staring at their smartphones while older ones are taking their naps. It is very quiet, not noisy at all. People whisper if they are having a conversation.

Out of train, mess crowd instantly walked towards their exits, scanned their plastic tickets and vanished in minutes before the next crowd comes in. I have followed this routine for two weeks and was good at it. There are lots of walking and so exercise involved being MRT commuters. I realized why Asians consume lots of noodles and still remain skinny. In hole-in-the-wall places, it takes only about 20 minutes for you to go in, be served, have your meal and get out. If you go to a hot spot, people are already waiting in the line to get in, you have to give back your seats soonest you can.

So many choices, what's next?

If you want to enjoy a relaxed dinner, Western restaurant is the best bet, otherwise, find a more upscale Chinese restaurant. Taiwanese buffets are incredible. Our hometown buffets here are simply no comparison. I am not bragging if I say 100 different dishes for you to choose from. On top of that, many of them are cooked right in front of you, fresh and delicious.

best sushi to die for

Check out the sushi counter with at least ten varieties, all clearly marked with wasabi saucer lined up ready to go, very efficient.  Vast consumption and fast turn-around result in absolutely the freshest food supply.
I was treated in one of the most popular buffets twice, and I did not even finish browsing all the food served. The great variety makes you wonder where should you go next. I did not want to be out of control though I have been so deprived of authentic Chinese food living in Oregon. There are only three small Asian grocery stores in Eugene. Majority of the food is either canned, frozen or shipped from somewhere else. I often brought home 'fresh' noodle or cake with moles. I cannot get right materials to make authentic Chinese food. American-Chinese fusion food is what I make. I am glad that cooking is not my most favorite thing to do, so I don't feel too bad.

Not sure since when, new branded pastry and goodie stores are rising in the marketplace like snow flakes. I do not have to mention how good they are. I brought back a fancy box of Aunt Stella handmade cookies. Out of total 40 cookies, the man in my house consumed 34. It seems to be a lot, but the cookies are very thin, only half size or less of our homemade cookies. Interesting enough, I discovered that Aunt Stella cookie was created by an American Joseph Dunkle who went with US military to Japan in 1969 and made it a household name there since 1982. Mrs. Fields cookies are more popular here. I have to say it is because the cookies are thicker and larger and that's what people want here. Price can be another factor.

In a small adjacent area about 2000 sqft, there are eight best brands of various goodies. They are tempting but truly I like their packaging more than anything. I am paying $0.05-0.10 home for a plain brown bag, but these stores are giving out fancy carry-in bags for free.

Branded Goodie Corner

Next, Please

One mid-sized bakery has five cashiers plus one mobile person to stream the lines. All of them wear uniforms, keep their hairdo up in caps, wear masks and gloves. They are food serving professionals.

For a long time, I don't count the changes given back from Asian cashiers. They are too fast and so accurate. If I intend to count, I would block the next customer.

I cannot blame them to work so fast-paced.  If they don't, the line will trail and circle around. You may have experienced that Asian clerks tend to be quieter, straighter and anxious to get the job done, no bull shit.  This is why.  There is no time for nonsense and casual talks. One 'how are you today?' will make another customer wait for 3 more minutes. Rationalize that.

Yum Yam

It seems unforgivable to talk about sweet potato when we are still struggling to finish Thanksgiving left overs. But I like this pot so much and some facts about sweet potatoes are worth knowing.

Inside the pot is yam. They are slowly-roasted and the best you can ever have. Someone actually custom made an clay pot just to store roasted yam, can you imagine how popular it is? The large word means 'roast', the words inside the square is 'yam' and the tiny word upper right addresses 'flavor'. The wood lid and roped bottom make it even more classic.

Sweet Potato and yam are all vegetables but not related. Sweet potato grows in US while Yam is from Asia or Africa. However, they are both loaded with nutritions that we commonly overlooked.  Most of people think starchy vegetables make you gain weight. In fact they are both low in calories, rich in potassium, magnesium fiber and trace minerals. Sweet potato has abundant vitamin A also E. Yam has Vitamin C and B6. From nutrition viewpoint, Sweet potato scores even higher than Yam.

open longer, work harder

The girls working in hotel reception are so thin and elegantly gestured. They are so fit that they make me feeling jealous. How can they live in this food haven, consume so much noodle and gourmet food and still stay in such great shape?  I think there is definitely something to do with Asian diet and how people live their daily lives.

Just like in Hong Kong, noodle shops are everywhere in Taiwan. Often times you see people eating big bowl of steaming noodle soup. You may think, wow, how many calories are in there?  In fact, a noodle soup contains mostly water, lots of vegetable, probably 1/3 is noodle and a few small slices of meat. If it is not that famous Taiwanese beef noodle soup, meat consumption is very low. Here in Oregon, many know Vietnamese beef noodle (pho) soup, Korean Bibimbap rice bowl and Thai food, but I believe very few have tasted authentic Chinese food and Taiwanese noodle soup. If we say Vietnamese beef pho resembles Starbucks' latte, then Taiwanese beef noodle soup is a carmel brulee latte, a fancy version, fun and utterly delicious.

Pastry and steamed buns are popular, but pastry size is usually small and steamed buns have lots of vegetable inside with very little ground meat. Steam buns sold in US China towns are mostly stuffed with barbecue pork to cater American's sweet mouth taste, so half meat and half bread are what's consumed here. Over there, people eat buns with approximately 1/3 bread, 1/3+ vegetable and 1/3- meat.  Food items are smaller and more delicate there, but bigger and bolder here.

The other big impact on a skinny body is heavy, fast and constant walking. It is tough to find parking in the city. MRT subway is primary commute tool and therefore tremendous amount of fast walking becomes mandatory on daily base. I would say, the calories gained from a bowl of noodle soup can be burnt out in one day walk that I was experienced. For us who live here, we drive to work and play. Parking is easy. Life is easy. Pace is slower and our body is not put to work as hard while food intake is larger and the diet is higher in fat and calories.

In case you have been wondering why Asians are mostly hard-working, straight-forward, practical, fast, efficient and brief (very little time for bull shit) and why they are so skinny.....

End of the day, good food is great, I like to enjoy it when opportunity comes. Nature is what I really desire and where my heart is. I step on my regular walk path and breathe in the cold chill, it is rejuvenating. Nothing is like home where I find my comfort zone.

I call this Home

Up Close

Today is the 5^th day since my return from Taiwan. My day and night are still upside down. I was dozing off at church Sunday morning service and wide awake past midnight. I went on a photo shot at Ridgefield wildlife refuge on the second day of my return, crazy enough, and majority of the images turned out blurry. I may have been day dreaming while I was shooting.

Heron and Egret are very common, but I have not had much luck getting clear pictures.  First of all, I am sensitive to weight and too lazy to carry a large lens. And, either the subject is too far away and I don’t have the right lens with me, or, I am not ready when the birds show up unexpectedly.  I know I have to be better and more dedicated if I want to be a wildlife photographer.

Since I had my eyes on birds, I have seen couple of egrets and herons dwelling in Eugene Delta Ponds. I have walked by the ponds many times, but most of the time they are too far away for me to fetch a decent shot.  Completely unexpected, I ran into both of them within 20-50 feet away in Taiwan and my 200mm lens did the job fine. How thrilled I was if you can imagine!

Little Egret

Years ago in Hawaii, I was desperate to photo cardinal and a red cardinal showed up singing about 10 feet away on the day of my departure.  I was so stirred up by that crisp voice on my daily walk path and suddenly, that sparrow stopped right in front of me. I could not get good shots of egret and heron, and now they are within reach. How do you explain that? Coincidence happened every once a while, but I can grab a handful of examples that occurred continuously and unexpectedly. End of the day I have to make a conclusion that it is the Almighty who has graciously granted my desire and I am absolutely grateful.

When I looked at egrets from distance, they are white like snow and elegant like a fairy. I particularly like their fine and silk looking feather. But the one below was wading in a water lily pond where he was the sole inhabitant. He circled around the pond and worked diligently to fetch his prey. I have never seen one so close and for at least 45 minutes I was there, he did not stop hunting his victim. All of a sudden, my elegant fairy turns into an aggressive predator.

Blue Heron has that solemn and stately look. They usually stand on the edge of water bank motionlessly and appear to ignore people’s presence, but immediately when you come a bit too close, they pull out. Their large wings flap graciously in the sky and I have always thought they are well-mannered as they seem until….

This guy flew from his spot to where three black-crowned night herons were perched. He was down low and three night herons were up high on tree limbs. I saw him moving step by step closer to the tree and in a split second, he attacked one of the night herons right on the back. Night Heron flew and hid, and I was left in shock.

Great Blue Heron

Blue heron and night heron are obviously from the same clan. Now blue heron has called for the battle. My sympathy is with night heron. I understand they are aiming for the same preys in the pond, but come on, there should be equal opportunities. Don’t attempt to kill your competitor before the competition even starts.

Black-Crowned Night Heron

My day of bird discovery had not ended, I spotted another bird hiding in the bushes to consume his prey, bugs. I have never seen this bird and I was attracted to its colors. He was just about 5-6 feet away from me and I got to click no stop. When the images were displayed on my large computer screen, I saw his large and pretty eyes, at the same time, I noticed his mouth was filled with bugs. OMG. They look so gross to me. I prefer to see them distant in their elegant silhouette, I don't want to know their true nature. I only want to remember its colorful crown, beautiful feather and its sparkling eyes.

Malayan Night Heron

I am glad that I captured this red dragonfly that I have never seen before, but I have learned my lesson. I don’t want to see them closer than that. 

Just recently I have been debating if I should get a longer lens to shoot wildlife and get clear shots. Now I have got what I wanted, do I enjoy more? I am not sure.  I seem to rather open one eye and close the other.

I cannot see well when they are distant and now I refuse to see the truth when they are up close. Art is invented to enhance our life. I am interested to explore the truth but I choose to only report the beauty not the beast.

I went to Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial to photograph a friend, but I did not catch him at right time. Instead, I found egrets and herons there who have altered my course for the day and also adjusted my prospective. I have always liked to plan ahead and aim closer to my goal. But what can I do, when the direction is geared from Above and I have no control over it? Expect the Unexpected.

Discoveries bring up positive and negative truth. I just have to take whatever it comes, and not to agonize over little things.  I am thankful enough that I am given what I desired for regardless the outcome.

Thought you may be curious about CKS memorial in Taipei, Taiwan, below are few shots for representation.