my 2008

2008

a year of change for me.

a year of "early retirement" and lots of exploring.

a year that ended in not the way i had intended.

there were happy times and sad times.
nonetheless, there were more happy times than sad times.

there were no regrets.

i wouldn't have remembered all the tidbits that happened in 2008, if it wasn't for what i've recorded on this blog.

2009

nobody knows what is ahead.
but we should all take it like an adventure.
because my 2008 was one unforgettable adventure.


wishing everyone a healthy and adventurous new year.

christmas dinner

for the past few years, i've spent christmas in asia or europe. this year is the first christmas i'm spending at home (in the u.s.) since 2003. and we decided to host a family potluck dinner at our place on christmas day.


christmas lights at our house


the christmas menu


preparing to feed the hungry family


everyone's dishes gather at the buffet station


hawaiian pizza toppings? very juicy ham


piping hot bread pudding for dessert


we raffled gifts under the "christmas tree"


looks like everyone had a good time~

merry christmas

may everyone's wishes come true this christmas

moffle

what is a moffle (モッフル)?
a moffle is a japanese-style waffle made with mochi rice cake instead of waffle batter.
it is also the name of a specialized moffle maker registered by the sanyei corporation.





a moffle maker costs about US$70-80...
why not try to make one with a traditional waffle maker?

1. preheat waffle maker; have sliced "kiri-mochi" ready (available in japanese supermarkets)


2. place sliced "kiri-mochi" on hot plate


3. close waffle maker and open when light indicates that it is ready


4. chewy moffle is ready



since mochi doesn't contain any flavor, you can pretty much add any ingredients to it - sweet or savory~

dream on

i had a dream last night. it was a sad dream and i woke up crying.

it's not the first time that i woke up crying from a dream. in the past, i've had many other sad dreams which involved something like a death, being boycotted by people, or even from something touching. it's not a good feeling waking up in tears, but on the other hand, it seems like a relief by releasing tears.

i've heard that dreams always represent something that's happening in your life, so i looked up the meaning behind why people dream and wake up crying.

"to dream that you are crying, signifies a release of negative emotions that is more likely caused by some waking situation rather than the events of the dream itself. your dream is a way to regain some emotional balance and a way to safely let out your fears and frustrations.

to wake up crying, represents some suppressed hurt or previous trauma that is coming up to the surface. you can no longer suppress these emotions. they need to be dealt with head on."

i'm a "dream girl", meaning that i dream a lot. sometimes, i can have a few dreams through out the night. but usually i don't remember the details after i wake up. once in a while, i feel exhausted from dreaming too much. i guess my brain is trying to tell me that i have many suppressed emotions?



some fun facts about "dreams":

☆ the study of dreams is called oneirology.

☆ in an average lifetime, we would have spent a total of about six years of it dreaming.

☆ we dream on a average of 1 to 2 hours every night. and we often have 4-7 dreams in one night.

☆ 5 minutes after the end of a dream, half the content is forgotten. after 10 minutes, 90% is lost.

☆ toddlers do not dream about themselves. they do not appear in their own dreams until the age of 3 or 4.

☆ if you are snoring, then you cannot be dreaming.

☆ everybody dreams! a lack of dream activity can mean protein deficiency or a personality disorder.


so dream on...


source: Dream Moods

a ride or a walk?

bling up those ears

lately, the DIY bug has been biting and i've attempted to make some jewelry.



so far, they are all earrings.

i'm obsessed with earrings.



nothing too complicated, just drop earrings with gold metal and glass beads.



the money spent on the supplies for all the above probably was worth one pair of boutique-bought earrings.

another way to add bling without splurging in times like these...

eat pink

when:
december 4, 2008

where:
crown & crumpet tea salon @sf

who:
a housewife, an art student on holiday, and an unemployed

what:
having high tea and going crazy over cute tea sets

store front @ghirardelli square


pink and floral all the way


custom cath kidston fabric upholstered sofa, chairs, and pillows


tv fireplace and a painting of the owner's aunt and uncle from the late 19th century


the lounge corner of the salon


custom crown & crumpet tea sets


super cute rabbit teapot cozy


tea for two tower: tea sandwiches, scones and crumpets, petit desserts, and condiments (butter, clotted cream, lemon curd, and strawberry jam)


chicken and wild rice soup


quiche lorraine


tea pots for sale


tea sets and ornaments for christmas

Crown & Crumpet
Ghirardelli Square
900 North Point St, E207
San Francisco, CA 94109

turkey and a spider

thanksgiving 2008


i waited all year to have turkey at our family gathering but ended up with... none. my sis and i had to make ourselves instant noodle once we got home. luckily, i was able to order roasted chicken, cranberry sauce, and sweet potatoes at another dinner the next day. i still didn't give up on the turkey so i went to the whole foods cooked food bar and got a slice, plus stuffing and green beans. i'm now satisfied and can wait another year.


i also got a surprise visit by a huge spider, who spreaded out to be at least 2 inches long. she had a fat body and furry legs. after she had a photo shoot, she was flushed down the toilet and never returned. i hope she doesn't.
happy thanksgiving.

the great monkey project

nov. 13

james grashow's the great monkey project
@san jose museum of art
10.16.08 - 01.04.09






other exhibitions:
road trip
09.19.08 - 01.25.09

frida kahlo: portraits of an icon
10.11.08 - 03.22.09

wilfried satty
10.17.08 - 03.22.09

this end up: the art of cardboard
11.08.08 - 02.15.09


the san jose museum of art is not a very big museum compared to de young or legion of honor, but its small scale creates a unique space different from the grand galleries and hallways.



lately, i have been enjoying visiting museums because entering the galleries give me a place to escape from the "loud" world, and that everyone's focus is on the exhibits and not on anyone else. it is the only place where complete silence does not imply loneliness, and the empty echoes of the plain white walls actually has a calming effect. once stepping back into work, i probably will not have the luxury to do this on a quiet weekday...

San Jose Museum of Art
110 South Market St.
San Jose, CA 95113

ysl @de young

nov. 4


besides voting, i also visited the de young museum on election day. the main purpose of going was to see the nation's exclusive yves saint laurent exhibition.

since yves saint laurent's death in june 2008, his staff has gathered a few of his many collections to put together the exhibition. the exhibition includes 120 pieces of his earlier works, the wardrobe classics, as well as his haute couture. it's a collection definitely worth seeing. unfortunately, no photography allowed inside the gallery...

the top floor of the de young tower provides a 360 degree view of the san francisco bay and its neighboring (newly reopened) california academy of sciences.

other current/permanent exhibitions at de young...

maya lin: systematic landscapes
(oct. 25, 2008 - jan. 18, 2009)

the dorothy and george saxe collection of contemporary craft
(permanent)

de Young
Golden Gate Park
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
San Francisco, CA 94118

bridge school benefit concert

oct. 25


a friend and i were looking for fun and free things to do that weekend. we looked online and decided to attend the bridge school benefit concert at the shoreline amphitheater.

the bridge school benefit is an annual non-profit charity concert held in mountain view every october for the past 22 years. the concerts are organized by musician neil young and his wife, pegi. each year, they invite various artistes to perform and raise funds for the benefit.

this year, the lineup includes: wilco, death cab for cutie, cat power, band of horses, sarah mclachlan, norah jones, jack johnson, and neil young himself. (josh groban and smashing pumpkins only performed in the concert the next day.)


my first time inside the shoreline amphitheater... still bright and hot


huge lawn seating area where people were prepared with picnic blankets, lawn chairs, and food


the concert started at 5pm that day, and we didn't know when to expect it to end. since our only experiences were going to chinese concerts which usually only lasts for 3 hours. we thought we'd be able to get out by 8pm. i guess it's different for this one... we left the concert at 11:30pm and it's before it officially ended.


post-sunset... and the concert wasn't even half way through


we weren't familiar with the first few performers, so honestly it wasn't very fun in the beginning. especially when they have a 15-minute "set change" (intermission) in between every performer, that was definitely not fun waiting.

but sarah mclachlan, norah jones, and jack johnson's performances were amazing. their voices sounded the same, if not better, than listening to their albums.


norah jones on her guitar


jack johnson live



if it wasn't for the concert, i wouldn't have known about this non-profit organization that has been serving children with severe speech and physical impairments in the bay area. besides the annual concert, the recordings of each year's concert are also available for sale on itunes, where all proceeds will benefit the bridge school.