November 7, 2009. The annual Taipei fireworks festival. In more than 10 years of my stay in this island, this is the first time I've heard of this, and this is the first time I've ever gone out specifically to join the masses in ogling at fireworks. This is also the first time I'm armed with digital camera to (try and) make this event memorable... and another first in my entire existence where I had the chance to actually watch a fireworks show. Hey, that's a lot of firsts.
For this event, I decided to bring the underwater and not the neckbreaker. I knew I was going to get better shots with the neckbreaker, but for some reason, I decided to go with the other.
As I made my way to the bridge an hour before the fireworks display, I can already tell the other people walking in front of me were heading for the same way. And as expected, the place was packed. Fortunately someone vacated a really good spot just when I got to that spot. It couldn't have been better timing.
There wasn't really anything I could do as I waited for the fireworks show... so I was playing around with the underwater. There were boats with colored fluorescent lights around them (obviously to make them visible and to prevent any collisions on the water). But I was getting frustrated. My only goal in catching the fireworks display (as with everything else) is one and only one: to take pictures. I wasn't getting any good nightshots because I didn't have any tripod, and I had no viewfinder to use while taking my pics. Plus, the guy behind me had his neckbreaker and I could hear the KAH-JACK of his shutter. Darn... I miss the KAH-JACKing of my own camera. =(
And so my first try with fireworks... all taken using automatic, night, and fireworks mode. I can't really tell which ones I took with which mode.
I'm looking forward to the next one, whenever and wherever that will be.
Kaleidoscope
Isn’t it always a nice surprise to find something extraordinary and special from something so ordinary? You turn it just an inch to the left, and you see the shapes take a form. Now, turn it again however you please. Do you recognize it? Do you wonder how many turns you will have to make to get the same image you saw earlier? Now, wouldn't you be enthralled if it were a person? I know I would.
(May 2, 2007)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Bummette
Sept. 5. 6pm. I am officially a bummette.
Bummette ~ (lazyious bumius of the family sofa patata) the female gender of the belly-scratching, sofa-deforming, burden to the society. Only, we look good doing it.
Gone are the days of worrying about what to wear to the office, and the days of reason to be corporate-ishly correct. Somehow it just doesn’t feel the same prancing around the house, without the aircon on, in your month’s-worth-salary skirt (or even just half a month’s worth) trying to reach those heaven-only-knows-how-my-mother-ever-did-reach-them corners where I see some faint movement of something that has accumulated over the last few months. Ack! That self-adopted dustball pet of ours has figured out a life of its own and is now playing tag with the broom. Come here you little swat!!! RRRRIIIPPPP!!! Ohmigoodness! Did I just hear what I thought I heard?
(May 3, 2007)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Deja Vu
It’s an episode he has seen a dozen of times as he stands watch from his station – a kiss on the cheek, a hug that doesn’t want to end, and the difficulty of letting go.
She’s a grandmother, swamped by her grown up sons and daughters sending her off at the airport, kissing her, hugging her tight, not wanting to let go. This doesn’t look like her first time traveling far away from her family, yet, it looks like she’s not looking forward to reaching her destination.
He’s familiar with this scene, and quite bored with it, but at the corner of his eyes, something else draws his attention.
There’s nothing extraordinary about what was going on. No dramatic lines, no long speeches, no grandiose set up, and yet it’s a scene that was touching at her heart, especially as she was seeing her trying not to cry and inconspicuously wiping away the tears forming at her eyes. Nevertheless, dramatic because it’s a real life event and because the characters involved were playing real roles and acting out real emotions.
She has always thought of the airport as a cold place. This is where goodbyes happen ~ quick ones, tired goodbyes, happy ones, excited glees, as well as teary and sad goodbyes. She’s also had her fair share of farewells. But the scene with the grandma tugs at her heart and gives her a new sense of emotion, albeit brief, about the airport. As her line moves forward, she wakes up from her reverie to the sad fact that here she is again at the airport, a place she has lost count of how many times she has passed through hurriedly and knows like the back of her hand.
How she wishes she was the grandmother instead. Yet, here she is also at the airport, only, there was no one swamping her with kisses and hugs. She moves along the line, expression masked and face unreadable, trying to appear unmoved by the scene. But for a split second, a slight trace of loneliness and longing appear on her beautiful face, evident only to those who know, and the observant.
She contemplates for a moment which one is better.
As she watches the drama unfold before her eyes, she fails to notice she’s also being watched. And he was not fooled.
(May 9, 2007)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Nobody told me…
Nobody told me, that one day I would take the backseat, to someone, who would be so close relative-ly, yet far.
Nobody told me, that I would recall memories that were supposed to make me smile, as if somebody died.
Nobody told me, that I would be looked over in thank-you speeches at the most life-changing event of one’s life, even when I was relative-ly one of the VIPs.
Nobody told me how much it would hurt when it actually happens.
Who said what you don’t know won’t hurt you? They sure had no idea what they were talking about.
Let me tell you…
That family does not always mean the one that you were born into.
That you have to tell that person your intentions, no matter how close and ending-sentence capable you both are.
That it hurts when you feel neglected, are overlooked and ignored, especially when you were asked to sacrifice something for them.
That being too nice makes you boring and easily passed over.
And lastly…
That I am not a know-it-all… just some. I am still learning, from what nobody has told me, so that I can tell you.
(May 12, 2007)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Fight or flight?
Where do you draw the line? Do you fight for it? Or do you let go? I look at the ones that fight a losing battle, and I pity them, for not seeing the futility of it all. I look at the ones that fight and win, and I admire them, and wish I could have the same courage. I look at the ones who let go, and admire them for their bravery in sacrificing their self in the process. I look at the ones that let go, and pity them, because they will be forgotten in the aftermath. So, who wins? The fighter? Or the one that lets go?
(May 14, 2007)
We had this trip planned weeks ahead of the 3 typhoons that this tiny island had been on the lookout for, but that never came. However, we did delay the actual trip by a week because the last typhoon dumped its share of rainfall to the place we were headed for: Shangrila Leisure Farming in Yi Lan. Yes, you read it right -- FARMING -- except that I think they left out the word RESORT when they translated it into English.
Yi Lan -- is on the Northeastern part of Taiwan, about an hour plus drive from Taipei. That's all I know about this area (thanks to Wikipedia) even though I know I've been here before.
I was looking forward to this weekend, even if it meant waking up earlier than I would on weekdays. But then again, my circumstances don't always allow for leisure trips, so, I'm not really complaining. This is another chance to flex my fingers and go trigger happy with my camera. How can I complain?
Our guide for the road trip: a manual GPS. How does that work you ask? A manual GPS is a homo sapiens species deciphering what is the ancestor of the modern-day talking GPS -- a printed map. It was a fun road trip. Nothing beats the guessing which way to turn, and actually turning the wrong way, and having to go back to where we took the wrong way and taking the other way... and actually asking roadside people. It's old school. And old school has its moments.
At the resort, they had activities prepared for guests young and old:
1. DIY glutinous rice balls -- Glutinous rice flour mixed with a small amount of water to make a huge lump of glutinous rice from which we formed balls and then cooked in boiling water with sugar and served hot. Sounds yummy. (Source: Wikipedia)
2. Sky lanterns - airborne paper lanterns constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame, containing a small candle or fuel cell composed of waxy flammable material. When lit, the flame heats the air inside the lantern, thus lowering its density causing the lantern to rise into the air. The sky lantern is only airborne for as long as the flame stays alight, after which the lantern floats back to the ground. (Source: Wikipedia)
3. Spinning top - unleash your rope-wrapping and top-throwing skills and whipping anybody that gets within range... ... ... everybody out of the way!
4. Duckling race - quite self-explanatory I presume...
5. Daytime leisure farm tour
As a whole, the farming resort was fun. I could wish I had more subjects other than people to take pictures of, and I do. I'm itching to go for another road trip. [itch] [itch]
