Spent a lovely weekend in San Diego with my roommates, and used the old Canon ftb that my dad gave me. Wasn’t sure how they’d turn out so I didn’t have too high of expectations, but some of them really blew me away.
So quite a bit has happened since the beginning of April. I’ve…
had a birthday dinner at a peruvian seafood restaurant where the birthday song played over the PA system for about 10 minutes. no exaggeration.
visited the Adamson house in Malibu– it was built in the 1920s and remains a national historic site because of its spanish revival architecture and amaaaazing interior (thousands and thousands of tiles!)
witnessed an anonymous expression of surprise.
walked through the flower fields in carlsbad. my favorite section was the speckled white-and-pinks.
taken a tour through the walt disney concert hall. frank gehry rocks.
been left breathless at the astounding beauty of the wayfarers chapel.
found myself wandering through the cabrillo marine aquarium (it’s free!). it doesn’t seem like it’s changed since the last time i visited it in the third grade.
discovered that my new roommate tiffany is the awesomest. she is baking queen! besides the strawberry tarte (pictured), i’ve also tasted her delicious concoctions including but not limited to banana bread, blueberry tartelets, cream pie, raspberry tarte, and quiche!
constructed a crazy final project that took me basically the span of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Extended versions. It’s a mini-museum representing the works of I.M. Pei in a way that channels his architectural style.
i finished my first class in the interior design program, and i’m onto two homework intensive classes on drawing&drafting, and basic design. i’m also taking a class on personal finance for my own enrichment (and hopefully increase in personal financial worth). can’t wait!
Today Tiffany and I were talking about my final project, for which I’m currently researching architect I.M. Pei–he’s the one who designed the glass pyramid for the Louvre. We were casually discussing the controversy surrounding that pyramid, since many people don’t believe its modern and industrial look suit the traditional and historic setting of the museum. This whole time there was another girl standing beside Tiffany just looking into the mirror while doing her makeup, and she suddenly interjected, “Yea, French people hate it.” She then proceeded to talk about how she finds French people to be hypocritical because she once witnessed some French people flicking their cigarette ashes onto a carpet from the 1200s.
I wasn’t so much bothered as I was amused that she sort of jumped right in to our conversation and tried to make it sound like she was some sort of expert on French behavior. I guess she’s one of the more honest ones though, since I can recall many instances where I’ve listened stealthily to other peoples’ conversations and remarked to myself, probably mistakenly, on how little they seemed to know about what they were discussing.
Anyway, I must start updating my blog more. I have too many pictures of stuff too cool to be kept secret. But I love secrets. I digress. More coming soon.
I feel like I shouldn’t be allowed to be having so much fun right now. I’m only taking 1 class right now, so I have a lot of spare time on my hands. Before I start my full-time schedule in the summer (and probably try to take on a part-time job too), I’m taking advantage of all this time and really feeding my creative inner child. The tempo is presto con fuoco, which is Italian for “very fast, with fire”.
I’ve had two piano lessons so far, and I already feel like I’m getting the hang of Chopin’s Scherzo in B minor. I first heard that crazy piece on a CD my mom gave me and instantly decided that if I ever played piano again, I would learn that song.
Last week Ricky and I met up with a friend at the LAB or CAMPSITE or whatever that funky environmentally-friendly place is called, and we walked into a small metal RV refitted into a “succulent landscape art” store. I’ve always wanted to learn how to cultivate (har har) a green thumb, since my dad absolutely looooves his fruit trees, my mom her flower gardens, and ricky any lucky little plant that finds its way into his hands. So I spent about 15 minutes poring over the small succulents at Home Depot, and picked up a tiny little feller, scientific name Adromischus trigynus, or just calico hearts. I’ve decided to call him Neville. And today at Target, I noticed in the $1 dollar bin there were many plant-it-yourself kits, including the shy/sensitive/sleeping plant that I’ve been wanting for so long. So I picked up a a few of those too.
Lastly, I’ve watched my mom sew ever since I can remember; she even made clothes for my barbie dolls! Anyhow, I bought a sewing machine right after graduating from college, but didn’t have much of a chance to use it because I went to Shanghai soon after. Now that I’m back, I’m definitely gonna put him to use. I’ve already finished a small experimental project, and have another one on the way. What is it going to be? You’ll just have to wait and find out. 
I do have one more creative love, and that is baking. I don’t know when I’ll have the time/money to delve into that, but for now, maybe a Better Crocker pack of Devil’s Food mix and some sweet-tooth imagineering will have to do. More updates on how that turns out, after next week’s dinner at Andy and Karrie’s!
Reading about the disappeared village, the nuclear plant explosions, the tide of bodies…
My first thought is, “If that happened to us in California, I would hope I’d be able to save X, Y and Z.”
And then I realized, if that really happened, none of my possessions would really matter. No photo album or vehicle or computer hard-drive could be worth more than my life so graciously spared.
My heart and prayers to Japan, and all those suffering in the aftermath of the earthquake.
I’ve moved back to California after living in Shanghai for 1 year and 3 months. Still suffering from jetlag.
I just registered for my first interior design class at UCLA Extension. After 2 and half years, I should have a Masters Degree in Interior Architecture.
I’M SO EXCITED.
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”
Not that I want to build any ships, but I definitely have a longing for the sea. Ever since high school, one of my secret dreams was learning how to sail. And if I learned anything during my time in China, it’s how short life is and how important it is to do what you really love… so I’m planning to take sailing classes when I get back to California.
I’ve always felt more comfortable being near the ocean, rather than being secluded in the mountains. Maybe going to school in San Diego had a lot to do with it… Anyway, last week Ricky and I went scuba diving for the first time in Bali. Didn’t see any crazy animals like mantas or sunfish, but saw absolutely beautiful coral scenery with tons of fish, and even got to go in a small cave!
A rare sight in Shanghai, but at least it didn’t feel like it was so cold for nothing. 
I often went fishing up in Maine during the summer. Personally I am very fond of strawberries and cream, but I have found that for some strange reason, fish prefer worms. So when I went fishing, I didn’t think about what I wanted. I thought about that they wanted. I didn’t bait the hook with strawberries and cream. Rather, I dangled a worm or a grasshopper in front of the fish and said, “Wouldn’t you like to have that?”
Why not use the same common sense when fishing for people?
Dale Carnegie
Chapter 3, How to Win Friends and Influence People
