"Take a look, it's in a book..."

Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high.

Take a look, it's in a book - Reading Rainbow.

I can go anywhere!

Friends to know and ways to grow - Reading Rainbow.

I can be anything!

Take a look, it's in a book - Reading Rainbow.

Today on the way into work, I heard some very sad news on NPR. After 26 years, Reading Rainbow's last episode will air today, Friday, August 28. (You can find the NPR article here.)

Because of a "shift in the philosophy of educational TV programming," Reading Rainbow's broadcast rights were not renewed (several hundred thousand dollars which nobody would pay for -- not even PBS or the Corporation for Public Broadcasting). Apparently, shows today are all supposed to be about teaching kids how to read... not about teaching them why to read, or aiming to instill a love and joy for reading. I know my experience as an educator has been relatively short in terms of length/years, and I won't deny the importance of helping children learn how to read. But one of the big challenges I faced as a teacher, specifically in a low-income school, was really getting my kids to enjoy reading, to understand how reading could benefit them, and to get them to want to pick up a book whenever they had a free moment. It's much easier to create a love for reading when you're around, with, or observing someone else who loves it.

I grew up watching Reading Rainbow religiously (that and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood were about all we were allowed to watch, hehe), and I will truly miss it. I think the television world has lost something valuable by not renewing the rights (which is something I don't think I've ever said before). I hope reruns will be played... but even if not, I'm going to have to go find some copies of it somewhere so I can continue to enjoy it (and get inspiration for when I inevitably return to teaching).

Until then...

To Whet Your Appetite...

I like pictures. We know that, yes? Of course.
I like Seattle. We know that, yes? Of course.
I like desserts. We know that, yes? Of course.

SO... what could be better than pictures of desserts in Seattle, right?! Well, aside from eating the desserts yourself while in Seattle... not a whole lot!

A few weeks ago, one of our Seattle adventures was a trip to the zoo with some beloved friends. This trip happened the day after my birthday... meaning I had my new camera. Now, the zoo was fabulous and wonderful, as all zoo trips should be (more on that later, I promise)... and it was also tiring, as all zoo trips should also be (it's just in the rules). So, what better way to refresh ourselves after a trip to the zoo, than by going and getting delicious cupcakes?!

I can't thank Patye enough for introducing me to Trophy Cupcakes. For one thing, the cupcakes are INCREDIBLE. They are carefully handcrafted, completely unique, and absolutely beyond delicious. For another, this place is just so darn cute! Beyond their beautiful and scrumptious cupcakes, they've got a whole variety of vintage decor and party supplies... not to mention an assortment of lattes and espressos. At $3 a cupcake, it adds up quickly (we bought 4: ate 1 there and took 3 home to share), but it's definitely worth it. I'm already looking forward to going back at Christmas!

I'm not going to say much else, other than this: Trophy makes the BEST cupcakes I have ever had in my life, and if you live in the Seattle area, you need to go. There's one in Wallingford and a new store in the U District. They are fabulous. Check out their website for hours... and for FLAVORS. There are five core flavors available everyday, then another 4-5 available depending which day of the week it is... ranging from Lemon Coconut (my favorite of the ones I tried), to Chocolate Peanut Butter, to Snickerdoodle, to Chai Cardamom. Seriously, people, go get some.

The Year of 25

This year, I hit the quarter of a century mark. Yes, it's the big milestone... I can officially rent a car now. Sweet!

Ok, so renting a car isn't that big of a deal (especially since Josh has been old enough to do so for a few years now...), but I love birthdays, and it was pretty great to be able to spend mine with my family back in Seattle.

The day was pretty laid back... hung out with Josh and my brother, Jacob, went to the game store, grabbed lunch at Red Robin (we don't have any in Philly), went to the park with Patye & Amelie... all very relaxing, indeed. Then, my whole family met up for dinner at this great little Italian place in Redmond that I found on Trip Advisor (such a helpful website). It was SO good. (And yes, we got canolis.) But the best part of the night was my special message from Josh... puzzle it out (hint: the first is a picture of him, the third picture is one of me)...

Now, I know what you're thinking... cute, romantic, thoughtful (and yes, he is)... but why am I sharing it with you? Well, it all has to do with the delivery of this message. These were the very first pictures...... on my new Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi!!! Yup, I now have a digital SLR, and I'm in love!

This is my "new friend" that will be helping me out with my posts. Pretty swanky, huh? Josh got my family and some friends in on it, and it was seriously the BEST birthday present ever! (Ok, birthday/anniversary/Christmas present.) I've been hoping and wishing for a digital SLR for a while now... and by a while, I mean years. Since before I bought my last camera in 2003 (which is now, sadly, quite dead). I absolutely love photography, and I love being able to capture moments and memories. While I don't necessarily consider myself a "photographer", I really enjoy it, and am really excited to have this as a creative outlet again. I've missed having a camera so much! *Sigh* Anyway, I'm a pretty happy camper. It's not one of the top-of-the-line professional cameras, but it's definitely a good, quality camera, and I love it. Now, if only I could stop drooling over all the different lenses I'd love to have, too...

Kicking it Colorado Style

So, since I'm working on catching up on some long-ago promised posts...

Back in July, I went out to Denver for a week for the Street School Network annual conference. It happened to be held at Colorado Christian University, which is where my friend, Eric (aka "Teetz") was working (he's since moved to DC for a new job... closer to Philly, woohoo!). Eric is one of the infamous "Brown House Guys", as is his old roommate (since he has now moved to DC), Tyler. See what's happening here? Go to Colorado for a work conference... see friends who work on campus and live close by! It's a pretty sweet deal! I didn't get any pictures with those two (the broken camera strikes again), but we DID go see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! I was quite disappointed that I couldn't go to the midnight showing... I had to wait until 8:30pm to go see it, can you believe that? But I did see it, and that was probably a very good thing (it would have gotten really ugly otherwise... it was already a, uh, challenge, to wait that long).

In addition to that, one of my roommates from college, Bethany, also lives outside Denver, so she and her husband, James, came down and brought their two kiddos, Helen and Joshua, to come see me! I hadn't met either of them yet (since it'd been almost 3 years since I'd seen Bethany), so it was quite a treat. Here are a few pictures Bethany caught of me with her little ones:

Joshua's cheeks were just too kissable to resist, and Helen is one smart little cookie...

Also, one of the evenings, those of us from my school in Philly drove down to Colorado Springs (where I lived way back in 1994-97) and visited Garden of the Gods and had dinner at The Broadmoor Hotel's "Golden Bee" restaurant. It was an English pub that had a real live piano man! (There's a picture of him here!) I was so impressed -- he had all 150+ songs memorized... music, lyrics, and what page they were on in the songbook, too! The whole restaurant was singing along with him. It was great! Though I hadn't expected the jaunt down to the Springs, it was fun to see everything again (though it really all did seem a lot smaller than when I was 12). I didn't get any pictures of the piano man, but I was excited that my camera let me catch a few during our Garden of the Gods hike...

The Garden of the Gods used to be one of my favorite places to go when we lived in Colorado Springs. It's so beautiful, and is a free park open year-round. Add to that that it's set right against the foot of the Rocky Mountains and Pike's Peak, and it's just an incredible place to be. We saw this guy on our way out...

It was a great trip, all in all. Though it was the longest Josh and I have been apart (I know, totally mushy), I really enjoyed seeing my friends and the breathtaking Colorado beauty. Anyone want to meet up with me next year? ;-)

August 10, 2008

One year and 10 days ago, I married my best friend on the most beautiful, glorious day you could imagine...

Our wedding was one of the most fantastic and fun days of my life thus far. It was truly indescribable. I loved being able to have so many family members and friends there to celebrate and share our wedding day with us, and to stand beside us in support and love for our marriage. Throw in the fact that we got married outside, by a lake, on a beautiful day in the middle of summer with lots of bright color surrounding us... and it was pretty much perfect.

We celebrated our first anniversary this year up at Mt. Baker in a beautiful cabin... with my family :) It was pretty fun, though we are going to have our own "romantic" celebration, too. (It's only fitting, right?) Josh and I are still a bit shocked at how quickly time has flown. It seems like our wedding was just a short time ago... a few months, maybe, but not a year! I grow more in love with him everyday, and am more humbled by his love each day.

While I wish we could have the kind of celebration and reunion that our wedding was every year, it's not very practical (seeing as how people flew in from literally all over the country). So, this year, we'll just have to do it virtually!

As most of you know, I'm a pretty big picture person. Our photography was one of the most important things to me. I wanted every moment of our day to be captured, so that even once we grow old and our minds become fuzzy and blurred, our beautiful photographs wouldn't let the memories be forgotten.

Our wedding was recently featured on Seattle Style (an online wedding magazine/blog), and for those of you might have missed the wedding, or those of you who simply want to reminisce fondly with us, you can check it out here (it also includes some of our own thoughts and commentary)...


You can also check out our incredible slideshow (which features our first dance song) from Gerald at Gerald Pope Photography (Airika was unavailable to shoot that day, seeing as how she was my Matron of Honor!)...

My friend, Corey, of Polis Photography, was the second shooter for our wedding, and you can find his slideshow here (quick warning: it takes a while to load, but it's worth it!)...

I have a very photographic memory, and whenever I think back to something, I think in pictures and feelings, not necessarily in words. Having these beautiful images is something truly priceless to me. Being able to look back and remember not only how happy I was to be marrying my best friend and the person I love most, but also to see so many of my closest family and friends there with us, so excited and ready to support us... it's just invaluable. For those of you who are engaged, or not yet married... if you ever find yourself planning a wedding, I can't recommend enough finding photographers who will capture your story for you -- not try to create it -- but simply let your words and actions tell the story for itself. Find a photographer who you feel comfortable around, who you trust, and who you connect with... someone who is passionate about love and life and the people around them, who will turn your own life's love story into timeless, precious, cherished art.


Ok, that's my photography kick for the day :) I wasn't planning on going that direction, but our wedding photos truly are one of my most valued "posessions", and I love the power they have to connect us to people near and far. I hope you enjoy remembering and celebrating our wedding day in the virtual sense, and don't forget to check out the fabulous people who helped us tell our story.

Cultural Viewpoints

This is an email Josh's aunt sent to us that Josh and I found interesting and entertaining. While it makes very sweeping generalizations, it does highlight some pretty big differences between Eastern and Western cultures. Some things we found humorous, but others are things we've encountered in various ways in our relationship (often when with our families). Although, for some (like 1 and 5) we are flipped and I'm the Asian and he's the Westerner =) Anywho, here you go (from here on, it's all pictures and commentary directly from the email, none of mine).

(1) Opinion

Westerners: Talk to the point.
Asians: Talk around the circle, especially if opinions are different.


(2) Way of Life

Westerners: Individualism, think of himself or herself.
Asians: Enjoy gathering with family and friends, solving their problems, and know each other's business.


(3) Punctuality

Westerners: On time.
Asians: In time.


(4) Contacts Westerners: Contact to related person only.
Asians: Contact everyone everywhere, business very successful.


(5) Anger
Westerners: Show that I am angry.
Asians: I am angry, but still smiling... (Beware!)


(6) Queue when Waiting
Westerners: Queuing in an orderly manner.
Asians: Queuing?! What's that?


(7) Sundays on the Road
Westerners: Enjoy weekend relaxing peacefully.
Asians: Enjoy weekend in crowded places, like going to the mall.


(8) Party

Westerners: Only gather with their own group.
Asians: All focus on the one activity that is hosted by the CEO.


(9) In the Restaurant

Westerners: Talk softly and gently in the restaurant.
Asians: Talk and laugh loudly like they own the restaurant.


(10) Traveling

Westerners: Love sightseeing and enjoy the scenery.
Asians: Taking pictures is the most important; scenery is just for the background.


(11) Handling of Problems

Westerners: Take any steps to solve the problems.
Asians: Try to avoid conflicts, and if can, don't leave any trail.


(12) Three Meals a Day

Westerners: Good meal for once a day is sufficed.
Asians: At least 3 good meals a day.


(13) Transportation

Westerners: Before drove cars, now cycling for environmental protection.
Asians: Before no money and rode a bike, now got money and drive a car


(14) Elderly in Day-to-Day Life

Westerners: When old, there is Snoopy for companionship.
Asians: When old, guarantee will not be lonely, as long as willing to babysit grandkids.


(15) Moods and Weather

Westerners: The logic is: rain is pain.
Asians: More rain, more prosperity.


(16) The Boss

Westerners: The boss is part of the team.
Asians: The boss is a fierce god.


(17) What's Trendy

Westerners: Eat healthy Asian cuisine.
Asians: Eat expensive Western cuisine.


(18) The Child

Westerners: The kid is going to be independent and make his/her own living.
Asians: Slog whole life for the kids, the centre of your life.