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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.

Nostalgia

It has been ten years since I came back to visit my birthplace Taipei.  I was immediately dazzled when I arrived at city center where my hotel is located. I cannot remember how many times I have hung out in the area when I still lived here, but now I feel so lost after all the dramatic changes. Happy to be home but I feel like a stranger.

The entire city is connected through MRT (a clean and efficient subway without single graffiti) and bus system. I have route chart in my purse and can travel painlessly from one place to the other. I have walked miles after miles in the streets looking for MRT signs, tasted almost everything that I missed and sneaked out whenever I can to take pictures.

It is very difficult to refuse long time friends’ hospitality and reception. Easy 3-5 hours can be spent in a coffee shop to play catch-up, still unfinished. Since I got here, I have only one free day to hang out in the bookstore and visit my undergraduate school. I also made it to my grade school watching little school boys and girls playing. All the classroom building are new, but my old feeling and emotion won’t never go away. It almost drew me to tears walking on the playground. I was the 2^nd tallest in the class and the president of the class for 6 years. But, when school play needed a tall girl to be the groom of the key role, Rat Bride, I was not chosen because the bride was even taller than I. I was heart-broken for a while.

In my childhood, I loved to watch puppet show. The guy who held the puppets not only did a great job manipulating the characters, he was an awesome story-teller. He made the puppets come alive and entertained the big and small audience. He worked behind the scene, the no-name hero.  There are so many heroes in our lives that we have never seen but they left imprints in our heart that last forever.

At age 6, I wanted to help my mom to pump water from the well in our living complex. I was too ambitious and had too much water in the bucket.

On the way back, I dropped the bucket of water and my left big toe nail was split into half by the sharp edge of iron bucket. I only remember that it was bleeding hard and I was taken to a nurse. My old brother later said, I did not cry at all. Really? I must be tough. The scar is forever although old style well is no longer existing.

Like these little ones, I ever surrounded the man who was skilled in making wood molds himself with various shapes of animals and fruits.  I am not sure how he made the candy dough that can be blown and shaped into little rabbit, turtle, pineapple or bird, but it was fun to play with candy animal before melt them in the mouth and eventually swallowed them down the throat.

This food art is no longer available in the marketplace. It was touching for me to watch the wrinkled hands to keep innocent faces smile in folk art culture center. Our children do not have a traditional childhood any more. Their leisure time are spent on Iphone and Ipad. Young parent's expectations have created for them a busy life early on, learning piano or violin, play soccer or basketball, run or swim, or anything else that will make them distinguished in any way, and be competitive.  

Banana is my favorite fruit, but I have not tasted this kind for ten years. The size of this banana is less than two inches long, but it has an outstanding flavor and texture. The taste is far superior than what we can find in regular supermarket.  Guess what? I even discovered its flower that I have never seen.  Plant, Flower and Fruit are three natural progression of a growth, but I often ignore one or the other. 

I certainly appreciate the time I have in hand now. If there is one thing I like about retirement, it is time. 

Except in classic Chinese movies, I almost forgot about this old-fashioned wooden door. It is constructed with very simple idea and mechanism, but it worked well.

Before I went to grade school, I actually lived in a house with this kind of door. It is welcoming when you open the door with two hands spread out.

When you get mad, you cannot slam the door easily like we do in modern days. You have to close the first panel, then the second and latch them together. Your 'flame' might have been reduced and diminished by the time when the door is being latched. We want everything efficient and speedy, but slow motion gives us time to re-think and not rush into decisions.

It has been almost 30 years since I left my root ground and went to a foreign land afar. Now I am reversing my route back to where I was originated from.

Every day, I either meet a friend, a group of classmates, a group of our relatives or play solo with my camera.  Whatever I do and wherever I go, my mind is filled with old memories. It is not just this ten year lapse, it is decades length that I have not been so close to my root and thought about it every day. I miss home back in Oregon and meanwhile, I feel like to stay here longer.  Where do I really belong? I am not sure if I can ever answer this question.

Almost a Paradise

Back home here in Taiwan, I just visited an amazing place, ‘The One’. If there is really a place like paradise, this place can be one.

A retired newspaper tycoon built his ideal paradise to enjoy his retirement life.  This place has 69 secluded acres land surrounded by dense and thriving greens in a valley setting.  The construction is a Jiangnan (meaning south of Yanz River) garden style and an ancient Chinese structure without using nails. A talented architect has been given full authority to build the place. It is definitely one distinguished architecture with sophisticated display of Chinese culture and heritage.

The owner lived here for 25 years before his decease in 1996 and the place was re-opened and brought to the public as 'The One' in 2008 as a resort.  Resort sounds too commercial to describe this unique and exquisite place. It is not too much if we simply call it a paradise.

Looking out from the balcony of the highest building, you would feel like standing in heavenly realm, it is surreal. Blue sky afar and green trees around enhance the terra cotta color buildings and that weaves a beautiful landscape all together.

All the buildings are designed with meaningful themes and functions. Key buildings are named after the owner, his wife and their children. They are connected with ponds, small bridges, gazebos, pavilions, rocks, and refined landscaping. View is stunning and beauty is well balanced with its subtlety.   

From the exterior, you can see how peaceful and tranquil the setting is. Ponds are full of koi and black swans are showing off whenever people are coming close. 

Noticed the design of the door frame and window case. The 'flower vase' is inviting you to go in and view the 'flowers' inside. I believe peaches are on the left side of the entrance. Peach is a symbol of longevity for Chinese.

Urns are popular in Asian, but I am not sure how many people actually thought about using them to decorate the window.  

Window case is like an open book.  It opens to another chapter, the roof of an adjacent lower building.

How about a small peek of bamboo bush and pond through the flower entry?  I just love to peek through window cases to see the garden. Regardless what angle of view you are, there is a different set of scene in front of you. If you have more time, peek through the small bamboo tubes, and image...

See what I got from this door? I can stay here for hours and make you images after images. Can you imagine how much architecture treasure you can find in this place?

My memory cards are full so is my mind. I just grabbed a few to sample. I have been away from my original culture too long and I am glad that I am here to catch up.

What next? after dream come true....

Being the last child of the family, I am certainly not the spoiled nor the dependent. The oldest child in the family, my sister, is old enough to be my mother and most of the time, I lived under the jurisdication of the older siblings who liked to tell me what to do. Generally speaking, I was obedient but it only meant that my rebellious cell had yet matured and I was brought up to show respect to the older.

I have always wanting to be a journalist, but I did not dare to enter that as my first choice for college. I did what would please my parents, became an English major.  It was glamorous in my days (in my hometown) to be an English secretary fresh out of school or a flight stewardess who proudly spoke English in the air.  How things have changed, and my dreams have been crashed many times.

Up to this point, I am barely close to do what I want to do in my life, but gradually I got to do a few things that were just my dreams, big or small. I wonder what’s next when one dream becomes true, dream the next dream? When my life spam is going downhill and I still keep building my dreams uphill? I think the answer is YES! Dreams are timeless.

Among all pets, I only like birds. On my usual walk path, I heard this beautiful and crisp sound many times, but I could not figure out the owner of the voice. How can I miss this bird? I thought I am fully aware of the birds dwelling in our neighborhood. Maybe it is one of the birds I’ve known but I never heard their voice. Who are you, bird (it sounded like from one single bird)? I have heard you for months, show up and introduce yourself. Otherwise, I am going crazy. 

A flock of sparrows flew for lives when one day I suddenly decided to walk a different path  and they were apparently shocked by my unusual presence. Just sparrows, sparrows have been around since I was a child, no big deal. But, this bird landed on the brush by me, just 2 feet away and IT started to sing. OMG, can you believe it? Listen to its voice. This is exactly what I have been hearing for months. A little dream of mine just came true.  It is the golden-crowned sparrow. Go to the link below and click the Voice.

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/GOLDEN-CROWNED_SPARROW/id

Scandinavia was only a geography term to me for more than six decades. It is not a common tourist destination, but I wanted to be there and this desire was getting stronger. My sister Grace has travelled around the world in the last 6-7 years and Scandinavia is one of the very few places she has not been. So, we made the trip and made my dream come true.

I love Norway. Though I could not take quality shots from our tour bus, I have since gone over the images tirelessly. I wish Norway is not so expensive and Oregon has fjords to enhance its beautiful nature. 

In the past, I have often dragged about the thought of getting on a cruise. I thought I would rust my brain staring at water and  feel   bound and restricted in a confined area. Endless food supply and dress-up formal nights are not temptation for me. But I was obsessed with this image I took.

This is exactly what’s missing in major part of my life. I always have a full schedule and I am always looking to do something. Confined in the ship, I was forced to nap and dream a few day dream.

So many photographers shoot Space Needle. I am gaining interest to do night shots, but Seattle is not an easy destination for me, and I had no clue where to find a right spot for the shot.  Thanks to my husband who maintained his ultimate patience while trying to find me this spot in Seattle. Getting around in Seattle and Los Angeles is surely a task. Bottom line is, I got my first night shot of Space Needle. It is nothing spectacular, but I did it. It is the thrill of dream-come-true that makes me excited like a little child.

By the time when you read this article, I am on my way to another journey, a trip that has been overdue and I wanted to do it since long time ago. I expect lots of photography opportunities if time permits, and I will surely share some with you.

 

I captured this airplane in night sky on the way back from Seattle.  I only had my 200mm in hand.  The jet showed up so suddenly, I was caught unprepared. Not a good shot, but it happens to well describe my current status: I am taking a long distance night flight crossing Pacific Ocean. I publish this post from my phone before I board the plane.

I am aiming for more journeys and therefore more discoveries, dream more dream, and make dreams come true.