A New Beginning

I'm reposting this from my photography blog... since I think it fits in both places. =)
 


Well, folks, I'm back... once again. =)

A lot of things have happened in my absence... the biggest one being that I quit my job! Yes, you read that correctly: we're in a recession and I quit my job. It's kind of a terrifying thought in many ways, yet I know it was absolutely the right thing to do. 

While I don't have as much life experience as many others who have more, um, "wisdom" as we call it in our family (yes, years), or people who have kids, or those who have gone through layoffs, or other things like that, I do believe I've gone through enough life to realize that there are a few times in your life when you're faced with major decisions that will literally change the trajectory of your life and story. 

A few of my recent story-changing decisions include accepting a teaching position in inner-city Philadelphia with Teach For America in 2006, and saying yes to my ridiculously tall (and skinny) Asian man on August 10, 2008. Now, I'm adding to that mix quitting my job in 2010. 

So why is this such a big deal? I mean, it's "just" about money, isn't it? Not exactly. In a few words, it's simply that I'm saying yes to myself. I'm saying yes to following my dreams; I'm saying yes to letting myself be happy; I'm saying yes to allowing myself to nurture myself as an artist. I'm simply saying yes to things that up until now I've said no to for the sake of being responsible. 

I realize that's a pretty privileged thing to be able to say. Believe me, I absolutely recognize that it is! But after many long months of conversation with Josh, along with lots of prayer, fretting, tears, soul-searching, reflection, and advice from family and friends.... I came to the conclusion that if I wasn't in an "emergency" situation (i.e. one where using some of our savings was an acceptable thing to do), I didn't know when a situation would ever come along. It wasn't a time where Josh and I had physical needs to take care of (mortgage, bills, etc).... but it was a time of desperate emotional and spiritual need. I don't want to live my life with regrets, and trust me, having my spiritual life, my marriage, and my happiness suffer would be things I don't know if I could forgive myself for.

So... I quit. And this past month has been a time of figuring out what exactly that means... but also just a time of stepping back, stepping out, and giving myself room to breathe and recover. And slowly, I'm starting to step back in. 

I know I've been gone for a very long time, but don't be fooled -- I haven't stopped taking photos. I'm still committed to a photo a day; I've just been horrible at posting them. =) However, it's time to step back into this place, and I'm excited to do so.

I'll also have some exciting news to update you on over the next few weeks/months... such as a very important piece of mail I should be receiving this week or next from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. =)

One last thing: I'm really glad you're all along with me on the journey.

Happy 100th!

So, this is my 100th post... and in it I get to apologize for horribly neglecting this blog! It's been over 2 months since I've updated, and I have no excuses... but I do have a reason. Does that count?

Basically, this blog has become the forgotten child. I've been working to keep my photography/365 blog updated, and have sadly given all the "leftover" time to this blog. Which, obviously, has been none.

So, for my 100th post, I get to promise to hope to be more consistent once again. Because, let's be honest, there are quite a few board games to be reviewed, recipes to be posted, and random stories to be shared. =)

Week in Review

So, what's happened this week? Well...

February 4 - A field trip to The Franklin Institute. Lots of gizmos and gadgets to explore.

February 5 - The Wheaton Promise event at the Union League. We ate delicious food right as the snowstorm settled in.

February 6 - Day 1 of the great Blizzard of 2010! (We got about 2 feet of snow that day...)

February 7 - Snow church at our house! That's what you do when everything else gets canceled, right?

February 8 - A day of being snowed in...

February 9 - A story of being locked out...

February 10 - Still to be determined - check it out later. Though, we're getting pummeled with snow again - we've gotten about 8" so far, and it's still snowing... so it may very well be more documentation of Blizzard 2010!

In other words... I'm posting every day at my 365 Project, and if you're interested in daily happenings, you should check it out! =) 

Real Friends

I think this is great... it's just what real friends do, right?

IKEA comforter

IKEA is one of my "happy places". Just ask Josh. At any point, if I've had a bad day, or I'm in a funk... IKEA is the place I want to go. And if I don't want to go anywhere, I want to watch Harry Potter. It's just the way things are.

But I love IKEA because you can always find something. I know that makes it very dangerous... but it also makes it highly helpful! Take, for instance, our summer comforter dilemma.

We have a fabulous down comforter that I absolutely love. However, since we live in Philly, that down comforter is fabulous.... for about 7 months of the year. From about October until May, I'm in love with it. And then from May-September, it's just way too much and if we have it on the bed I am one hot, sticky, sweaty mess. It's not a pretty sight.

Now, the solution seems quite simple, right? Just get a lighter quilt or blanket for the third of the year it's too warm for down. Well, we sort of have that. We've got Josh's old quilt, that works quite well... for about 2-3 months (May-mid June, and September). But then even that gets to be too much when Philadelphia decides it's summer and hits the high 90s and low 100s with almost 100% humidity.

For the sweltering months, you'd think I'd just kick off all the blankets and turn up our one window AC unit. But nooooo, that would make too much sense. I have to be all particular and be that person who can't sleep without some sort of sheet/cover on me, and we then also want to conserve energy and so we only set our AC at 82 degrees. Go figure.

And here's where IKEA, once again, becomes one of my favorite places. Not really wanting to go spend a lot of money to get another light-weight blanket (because, trust me, I looked, and none were readily affordable), I was DEEElighted to find this little beauty at IKEA:

Now, it's not super high quality down or anything like that, but it's the perfect weight for a middle-of-summer-suffocatingly-hot-night, and it was the perfect price at $9.99 (you try to beat that). Not only that, I can slip our duvet cover over it, and not even have to worry about matching it to the rest of the room's decor.

IKEA, I love you.

Apps for Everything

Why yes, there IS an app for that.

(I know this video has been pretty popular over the past few weeks, but in case you haven't seen it, it's just too good not to share...)

A Thought to Think On

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment

before starting to improve the world." Anne Frank

The Perfect Gift for Dad

So, are you stuck on what to give your dad for his next birthday, Christmas, or Father's Day gift? Look no further! It's the Dad Blanket! It can also work well for married, non-dads as well. Perhaps Josh should've thrown this on the day his aunt completely, totally unexpectedly showed up on our doorstep in Philly (she lives in NY), and he unknowingly answered the door shirtless...

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.

For Devin

Ok, so this isn't quite pretty pictures of rainbows and butterflies, but since Devin left the first comment below, I figured I better personalize it, and that this might be closer to his equivalent of things that bring a similar kind of happiness. Enjoy, Devin! (If I was at home, I'd take a picture of our games, which, I must admit, would be almost as cool as this wall, since ALL of our games are awesome, and some pictured below are just ok... hehehe.)

Farewell, Beloved Long Johns. Hello, Mugs.

Given that we haven't had any snow for 3 weeks, that only one day's "high" for this week was in the 30s, and that it is now the last week of March... I am actually starting to believe that winter is starting to end. (Notice I didn't say "Spring is here". Winter is ending. Big difference.) And yes, this means that I have finally let my tights, wool socks, fingerless gloves, and Long Johns slip back into their hibernation. Time for the happy dance!

As for spring coming... I'm now content enough with our 40 -- and sometimes 50 -- degree weather to wait a few more weeks for the buds to appear and the official jacket change to occur. (You know, switching from the winter coats to the spring jackets. The official sign of spring's arrival.) I'm also starting to get excited about Spring Break. Oh yes, I still get a Spring Break. It's one of the beauties of working at a school. So, in just over a week we'll be heading to Chicago for 6 days. (For those of you in that area, April 5-11 are the lucky days.)

As I start to cast off the winter frigidness, my eye is starting to catch wonderful bursts of color. In mugs. (More on that later.) I'm actually really liking Starbucks' new spring line/palette. It's fantastic!

See? So much happiness. The brown ones at the bottom are still admittedly slightly reminiscent of winter, but I'm digging the tree -- can't deny it. I also just LOVE orange and green. My two favorite colors. And I love seeing them so prominently displayed. (To see the full line, visit the Starbucks store.)

Now, I will admit that I'm in the middle of a slight mug craze. I know that the season for hot drinks to coming to a close... but I'm still crazy about mugs! I don't know why, especially since I don't even drink coffee. (I know, I'm bringing shame to my Seattle roots.) But who's to say you can't drink iced beverages in a mug? We're all about going green, right? Long live the mug, even into the summer months! I've been finding random inspiration here and there, such as these "Medallion" and "Swirlygig" mugs from Lollipop Pottery:

I just love them. It's a good thing we don't make a lot of money, because otherwise I would probably be stocking up the house with a ton of mugs that Josh and I would never actually be able to use all of. (Though we do already have some awesome mugs, including these sweet red and blue ones, and some Charlie Brown mugs I picked up last year at Target for $1 EACH.) But seriously, I'm having a slight obsession moment. Thus, I have decided that one of my next creativity projects will be to go to a ceramic painting place (such as Color Me Mine) and paint one. I'm not sure that this will necessarily be the "cheapest" option, but I think it will be good for my soul. Plus, I'll then have an awesome mug that I can happily and excitedly exclaim, "Dude, I MADE that!" anytime anyone picks it up to comment on how hideous it is. It just doesn't get much better than that, now does it?

So, if you have any mugs you just absolutely love, please send pictures/links my way (I already have a bunch I like, but I figured it would seem just a little beyond obsessive if I actually posted them all here). I shall gladly welcome more mug inspiration as I anticipate my own mug creation. Until then, I'll sing farewell to my beloved Long Johns, and hello to my mugs.

Going Green... Unintentionally

Well, today I'm working from home. This isn't something I usually do, and I might be enjoying it a lot more if the reason I'm at home was slightly happier. (Though I must admit, being able to "just" make lunch was fantastic.)

On Monday, when I was getting ready to leave work, I discovered that my windshield was cracked in the upper corner of the driver's side. A few feet away I found a small rock which looks to be the culprit. Now, it was parked in our school's parking lot, but the parking lot happens to be right next to the playground. Hmm. Wonder what could have happened. And while I'm sure it was a child at recess who did it, I'm also sure it was unintentional for two reasons: 1) our kids are great kids, 2) despite/because our kids are great kids, they alert teachers to anything anyone does that might be "questionable", such as throwing a rock at a car. So, I'm pretty sure however it happened the child wasn't aware it hit the car, or was the only one around. Regardless, my car now has a cracked windshield.

Since I can't drive my car with a cracked windshield, I took Josh's car to work yesterday. Everything was fine, no problems. This morning, I went out, and the car wouldn't turn on. Not even a bit. The battery was just dead (and nothing was left on - we did a thorough check). Josh just now got a jump from a neighbor, and drove it to the Auto Zone a few minutes away... but it seems like the battery is completely gone. So, even though we just spent almost $1K in repairs on his car last month, it looks like we'll be shelling out a bit more for both cars now.

We had been debating selling Josh's car, but with the economy as it is right now, we decided to wait on it. However, then the necessary repairs came up last month, and spending that much $$ means we'll keep his car for a while longer (especially since the demand for cars still hasn't changed much). It's just discouraging to have something else happen to his car (even though changing the battery is a pretty normal thing), especially within less than 2 days of my car getting some fairly serious damage (windshields are really expensive to replace, and we're not sure if it's worth it to report to our insurance, given our deductible and the "high risk" of living in Philly).

So, for now we're going green... unintentionally. If I lived closer to work I would totally take SEPTA, but given that it would take 1 hour, 15 minutes (and $3 each way) for my otherwise 25-30 minute drive (15 without traffic), the benefits just don't outweigh the cost. Hmm, maybe this is my sign that we should just sell everything and go live on a small, warm, tropical island somewhere in the Pacific. That would totally be awesome (and green) living. =)

Time Change!

It snuck up SUPER early this year, but this Saturday night (well, very early Sunday morning) marks the start of Daylight Savings Time! Yup, that means for most of us, it's time to change our clocks. Now, don't forget what your mom taught you: "Spring FORWARD, Fall BACK". Unfortunately, since we land in the "Spring" part of it (I think the weather should have to follow these categories), that means we move our clocks forward and lose an hour this time. Bummer. I guess I am looking forward to having that extra daylight in the evening, though, even as it means I'll be getting up in the dark again (which I don't think I'll ever get used to).

For those of you interested as to why Daylight Savings Time seems to be earlier and earlier each year (don't worry, you're not crazy, it IS happening earlier), here's a fun website: http://www.squidoo.com/daylightsavingstime. Basically, Congress approved for DST to start earlier each year to help save electricity by having there be more daylight when most people are "active". While it presents challenges for some people/occupations, I must admit I'm one of those people who uses more electricity at night than in the morning. It's been strange the past couple years changing clocks so early in the year, though. I mean, it feels like Christmas was just here.

I'll leave you with the above image - a clock from Dutch by Design. This version sells for about $65 (clock and frames - you fill in the frames yourself), but it's my current inspiration for a project. I'm determined to make my own for much cheaper because I think it's a fabulous idea, and I am one of "those people" who like to have a clock in each room. I think this one might go into our bedroom or the study - haven't decided yet. I just know that once it's made, I'll want to look at it often. =) So, that said, don't forget to change your clocks AHEAD ONE HOUR tomorrow night!