Friday, May 28, 2010

I Bowl.


Recently, Casa Grande, a hotel in Barbados, opened up a bowling alley. Last night, I went with a bunch of friends and had my first try at bowling. And it was awesome!

This place just makes me like Barbados a little bit more. This is a hotel that typically doesn't do well in business so I think this was the wisest thing the owners did. For years, we've been wanting a place that had something fun like bowling! Now, it's here and it's become my favourite place on the island. There's good food, good setup and a good atmosphere. The atmosphere in this place is such that I don't even feel like I'm in Barbados anymore. And, sadly, that's one of the biggest reasons for my liking this place so much.

There's also bumper cars and a little arcade section so you don't have to play just bowling.

I mentioned good food. When I looked at the menu, I was most pleased to see that they don't have a meat-filled one. I got myself a nice Vegetarian Club which came with fries which was well presented to me. It was a lot to eat but it was all so delicious!

No doubt I'll be heading back here time and time again. It makes for a really great liming spot.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

I Want That!

How rare it is for me to make two blog entries in the same day! And just hours apart too! I browse the internet all the time and I find stuff I find interesting all the time but sometimes, I find something so eye-catching that I just want to tell someone. That's why I blog. =)

Have you ever watched a movie and saw something you liked and said "I want that!"? It happens to us all the time...or, at least, it does to me.

Did you guys watch Iron Man 2? If you haven't, shame on you! It's great if you like movies about Marvel characters and awesome tech. Iron Man 2, just like Iron Man, had amazing eye-popping technologies here, there and everywhere that just made me go "I want that!!" The same goes for the props in the movie. It's all classy and modern. But one particular object stood out to me the most...the most realistic thing in the movie that made me go "I WANT!!!" And, if you saw the movie too, you just might have thought the same thing.
Throughout this scene, I was just wishing they could focus on the double pendulum continuously swinging on Pepper Potts' desk!

Remember that? It's called a Double Pendulum. ThinkGeek calls it a Swinging Stick Kinetic Energy Sculpture and sells it for a whopping $239.99. Wow. Sometime in the future, I'll get one. Hopefully. It's so magnificently hypnotising.
One day, when I have my own office or desk or home somewhere in the world, I'll own one of these. I hope.

There's just one more thing I would love to have on my desk, near a windowsill: the Classic Radiometer.
When I first saw it, I thought it was interesting. It certainly caught my attention. The little blades inside spin when exposed to light in a process called thermal transpiration. Science is so awesome. I stopped with the physics two years ago so I'll not go into that.
Where did I see it? I first saw it in Wong Fu Productions' short "When Five Fell" and in some of their previous shorts as well.

Little things like these make me happy. Once it's interestingly unique, I can't help but like it.

There She Is!

I came across this amazing animated series today and I just thought that I had to share it. The series has 5 short episodes more or less about a forbidden love between cat and rabbit. It sounds odd, I know, I thought so too. Initially, it was a sweet, light-hearted, funny story that eventually turned into something more.

You can watch them below or watch them in perfectly quality here: There She Is and use the sidebar to navigate to the next steps. I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

"There She Is" by SamBakZa
Step 1: There She Is

Step 2: Cake Dance

Step 3: Doki & Nabi

Step 4: Paradise

Final Step: Imagine

What do you think of the series?

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Artsy

Salamander tsuba. Sword guard. Forged by Brian Chan. He makes swords too!

Crafts. Music. Drawing. Painting. Writing. Poetry. Film.
≈Creativity≈

When I listen or see the things people create and it's great, I feel inspired. The desire to create something great just bubbles up inside. I think it's the inner child creativity in me.

When I was smaller I used to love making stuff. I was always making stuff...a hand-crafty sort of person. And I used to love it. But it's been years. Ever since I got my first laptop, it all went down hill. I slowly stopped making stuff and spent a whole lot more time on the computer. I still do. And I don't make stuff at all anymore. It's so sad. When I made my Mom an origami flower for Mother's Day, I felt that little child in me try to tickle her way out. Making something with my hands again...it felt amazing. I'm going to try to get the creativity flowing once more and hopefully keep it going. It's a gift I don't think people should so carelessly let go of.

Done with a single piece of paper. No cuts or anything.

For instance, this guy: Brian Chan. He does origami, graphic designs, metalwork (above).
I love Wall-E! So, of course, I absolutely loved this work of art. Brian is a genius!

See more of Brian's genius at work here. I saw this and thought it was quite nice:

Artists of all kinds. I'm finding more and more of them on YouTube. But, that's a story for another time. Musicians, graphic artists, photographers, film makers...they grab my attention and inspire and motivate me to do more for myself. (It explains my recent interest in photography!) Remind me that I have it in me to make something great too. I still try to keep up with my poetry. =)

We should all try to explore the gifts we have. Whether you're aware of it or not, you have a wonderful gift unique to you and only you. What's your gift?

Monday, May 24, 2010

Hong Kong. Why?

So, I've been asked this question a couple of times and I thought I'd share my response with everyone else: Why do you want to move all the way to Hong Kong? Why Hong Kong?
The shortest possible answer I could give you: My family is there and I'm comfortable.

Yeah, so what? You were born in Barbados...it's your home...aren't you comfortable here? Honestly. I'd have to say no.

Sure, I do feel a sense of comfort here. It's the place I've grown up for more than half my life. It's safe. I have my friends here. I have that comfort. But living my life here, I'm not truly happy; I'm not comfy...I'm just living it and dying to leave it all. This place...I don't like it.

I don't like standing out like a huge zit on someone's nose. I hate that strangers walk past me while cat-calling all sorts of things like "Ching Chong! Ni hao! Konnichiwa! Chiney!" in complete ignorance. I hate that when I walk through any place, I feel people (adults and children alike) staring at me and when I look them in the eye they suddenly turn the other way and shuffle along their business. Would you feel comfortable living like that? Just because I'm a Chinese person living in a predominantly Black country.

When I was about 12, I hated that I was Chinese; that I was different and attracted all this attention; that I just stood out in the population. I didn't want to be different. I wanted to fit in. But I can't change what I am and what I look like. Eventually, I came to embrace my culture and my differences and, now, I couldn't be any more proud to be Chinese.

Of course, I've visited countries where I didn't stand out. So, why not live in one of those? Why go to Hong Kong when I don't even speak Cantonese? Because the environment doesn't feel right. England is lovely but something about it keeps me feeling unsettled. New York is cool but the city looms over my back and I wouldn't go anywhere there on my own. Miami is nice but something about the air keeps me on my toes. Hong Kong is amazing and my only "but" is that I don't speak the language.

Moving around Hong Kong is easy. Heck, I even led the way when I was told where we were going sometimes. I didn't have to tag along behind, unsure of where to go. The city is as gorgeous as any other with towering buildings and architecture. Yet it doesn't have the incredibly scary and dominating feel to it. There, I'm just like anyone else. No one gets nosey and fixes their eyes at me. I'm not afraid or uncomfortable.

On my trip to Hong Kong last December, we had a family dinner to attend but I was feeling unwell and I everyone to go on without me. I wasn't feeling well and I wanted to stay home and rest. So, I did. My Mom brought it up with me the other night asking "Weren't you afraid to be home alone that night? And we were out so late too." I hadn't realised it until she asked: I wasn't afraid at all. In fact, I felt right at home. I answered the phone when it rang and walked around a bit. I didn't once feel afraid or worried even though I was in a country that I visited only two times prior to this trip. I was practically in a country I was unfamiliar with but it really didn't feel that way.

Since my return in January, I've been saying that I want to live in Hong Kong..for a number of reasons. But it wasn't until two nights ago that I realised just how happy and comfortable I am there. It's a comfort that I haven't felt anywhere else. A sense of belonging.


In short:
  • I'm comfortable and happy in Hong Kong.
  • I want to get to know my family there better. Because even though we don't speak the same language, I'm closer to them as family than I am with my family here in Barbados. Language is a barrier that is simple to overcome.
  • And, of course, I can't possibly forget the weather. The summers are really hot like Barbados can be...or maybe even a little hotter...but there is a winter. The half-a-year or so of perfectly cool temperatures makes me happy. It's good to know that I won't have to feel like I'm about to suddenly burst into flames 365 days a year.
There are also a number of trivial reasons for my wanting to live in Hong Kong. When I move away from Barbados, I believe there are two things that I would truly miss:
  1. Fresh coconut water
  2. The beaches (even though I rarely go, it's nice to look at.)
Sorry about the somewhat long post. I felt like sharing a piece of myself with the world.

This is who I am. This is how I feel. This is me.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

I'm going!

I'm going! I'm going! It's all confirmed and there's nothing stopping me! Oh yeah.

Where am I going? Here:

I said in a previous post that I wish I had the luxury to go to the Shanghai World Expo 2010. Well, I've been blessed with so much fortune. I'll be going to the Expo after all! I'm so super excited about it. I'll be going with my Mom and it'll be so much fun. So much. There's just so much to see there and we'll have 3 days to see all we can.

As my Mandarin is mighty poor (so poor, in fact, that I cannot even greet anyone with anything more than "Nǐ hǎo"), I'll do my best to learn even more of the language over the next few months before the trip.

"Integrated City" - This makes me so nostalgic of my winter trip to Hong Kong. It just warms my heart and makes me miss Hong Kong even more every time I watch it.

No doubt I'll be stopping in and checking out the wonderful Hong Kong pavilion at the Expo.


As the flight we'll be taking makes a connecting stop in Hong Kong as we go and come from Shanghai, we'll be spending an entire day with my family (just one) before we return home. I can't wait to see Hong Kong again. It overwhelms my heart to know that I'll have the opportunity to visit again in just less than a year.

My question to you: Are you going (or already went) to the Shanghai Expo?

Thursday, May 20, 2010

That Girl

I've been so very busy of late! Like I said before, who said summer was for relaxing? I'm running around doing errands, getting things fixed, cleaning our apartment.

Apparently the tenant who just moved out (she's a law student at U.W.I.) didn't know the meaning of the word "cleaning". She lived in a sea of dust, grease, grime, stickiness, cobwebs and spiders. And she lived comfortably. I've never seen a place do disgusting in my life. My nose kept running from all the dust I was surrounded with. It was awful. And gross. I killed a lot of spiders and destroyed many of their homes. Oh well. She was only there for 9 months but I'm so glad she's gone. If she stayed her full 2 years, I don't know what the apartment would've looked like. If anyone follows me on Twitter, you would've seen me raving about it all evening (plus how I ached all over). Anyways...onto happier things in life...


Despite being so busy, I still have time to relax. My evenings are relatively good so I get to stay home and do whatever I want. I had been one of the many people waiting for Wong Fu Productions and David Choi to release David's new music video for "That Girl", his song from his recently released album By My Side. As I don't work on PST, I didn't get to see the video till the next morning. But it was completely worth the wait. Completely.

I had heard of David Choi before. Seen some of his covers on YouTube and thought he was so talented but I never really kept up with him. Now I do. And I'm glad I do. Like I said, he has talent. And Wong Fu Productions? They have so much talent as well. As with "When Five Fell", they did an exception job with this music video.

Behind the scenes --> Here

I would love to meet the three guys behind Wong Fu Productions someday. I think they're just brimming with talent. Always looking forward to what they'll produce next.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Super Hectic Week!

So, I haven't had a chance to blog or do anything much computer or internet related in the past week. So many things have been happening, there just wasn't much time for anything!

From preparing a budget for the Medical Students' Association for three long consecutive nights to a full day of work after 4.5 hours of sleep to a day out on a catamaran and a night out at dinner and concluding with another full day of work after about 5.5 hours of sleep. It's been one mad busy week but I had a great time for the most part!

I got to see this old piece of equipment, unused in the corner of one of the Guild rooms.

The catamaran cruise was on Friday and it turned out to be great despite being seasick for the first time in my life. I've been on boats and catamarans before...without any problems so I really don't know what it was about this one. But it was a great day with friends and classmates. Tiami Cruises is quite a cool choice so if any of you decide to give Barbados a visit go on a day-long Tiami cruise!

I also celebrated Tammy's birthday dinner Friday night and it was great. Turns out, I'm great at playing pool! But maybe it was just a lucky night for me? I made some amazing shots I wish were caught on camera. Either way, I had a great night and I couldn't help practicing the art of photography.
I may only have a Sony Cybershot DSC T200 but it does the job well enough.

Who said summer was for relaxing? =)

Monday, May 10, 2010

Summer

That's how I usually spend my summer...minus the beach.

This summer will be different. Sure, I want to watch anime. I plan to. And I'll read manga too if I get the chance. And, of course, I'll indulge myself in some Pokemon.

I also plan to read some books. I haven't yet completed the Left Behind series that I started over a year ago. I haven't even read Wuthering Heights yet. I gave Wuthering Heights a start so now I'm at chapter 3. I've got a long way more to go, though. I've set it as the book I'll read at night when I'm ready for bed. Considering the language, I understand it best when I'm relaxed at the end of the day. My treat before I sleep.

But I intend to get into doing more useful things in life. I've mentioned before that I'm starting to learn Mandarin. I haven't learnt as much as I would've liked to over the semester but I have learnt just a little bit. As I may have the opportunity to go to Shanghai for the expo (not confirmed yet), I'll do my best to study the language more rigorously as I have the time.

I'm not sure of what other productive stuff I'll end up doing but it'll be interesting, I'm sure.

As yesterday was Mother's day, I figured I'd show off a little of what I did for my Mum. I made her a card and some origami flowers. I think this one big flower turned out quite lovely. My present was well loved. ^_^.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Momma's Day


Mother's Day has arrived this year!

Happy Mother's Day!
母親節快樂!
(pronounced like: Mo chun ji fai lok)
母亲节快乐!
(pinyin: Mǔqīnjié kuàilè)

For those of you with Moms, be good to them. You'll only get one in your lifetime. For those with mother figures in your lives, treasure them. They love you as if you were their own.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Alive By Time

"Time waits for no one."
I did so much in the time that I should have been studying. I forgot to mention yesterday that I also watched an anime movie: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo). But I don't mind dedicating an entire post to this one alone anyway.

What's it about? Basically, a girl gains the ability to leap through time and does it to change small little things that'll make her life easier, like getting to school early and getting better grades. She learns however, that even changing small things can have huge consequences.

Over the years, as a big anime fan, I had heard about this movie called The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Many people said it was a good movie so, for years, that had been on my list of things to watch. But I'd forgotten about it until I saw this anime music video on Youtube which, not only reminded me about it, made me really want to watch it. As a result, I watched the movie just a few hours after seeing this video.


It's done by Soul VWS, one of my few subscriptions, who's done (and continues to make) excellent anime music videos. A rather talented with video editor in my opinion! If you're into anime as I am, you'll want to take a look at those videos.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Hello Summer!

It's so nice to meet up with you this year! This will be our first meeting of two. The second being at the end of August. =)

My exam has finally flown by me and I can sit back, relax and enjoy the 6 weeks of vacation I have ahead of me! Turns out, my Neuroscience II course wasn't so bad. I wasn't able to study everything at all! What I didn't study had few questions asked about them so I was so happy! All in all, it turned out so much better than I thought. I hope my grade will reflect this feeling.

It's been about a week since I made an entry, though, it's not like it's the longest my blog has missed my presence. During the past week, I've been trying to set myself on studying and studying alone. But it was quite difficult. Studying the same course for so long became quite monotonous. The closer the exam came, the more I didn't want to study. In the time I didn't study, I discovered and subscribed to three youtube channels, followed two people on Twitter and edited a couple photos of some flowers I took at school.

My favourite edit turned out to be this one:
The quality of images I take with my Nokia N97 mini astounds me every time.

I've decided that I'm starting to like photography a whole lot. It's really quite a fun hobby. Snap a photo of this. Snap a photo of that. I think I'm getting better at this photo-taking stuff. =)

As for the Youtube channels, I randomly discovered JumbaFund when I opened up the homepage which led me to KevJumba's channel. One of his videos further led me to WongFuProductions. And before I knew it, I was following @kevjumba and @wongfupro on Twitter. I watched a couple of Wong Fu Productions' videos and ended up following @thewesleychan. All actions were conducted over a period of two days.

I said all of that to say this: Wong Fu Productions uploaded a new video two days ago. "When Five Fell" directed by Wesley Chan, produced by Ted Fu & Philip Wang. I completely fell in love with it! It's so poetic. A phenomenal short film. A masterpiece. So, I just had to share it:


Wong Fu Productions has a number of other short films that have been so entertaining and soothing to my information-packed mind. Thank you, Ted, Phil and Wes.

I've also been trying to plan out a Shanghai trip that I convinced my Mom that we just had to go to. We'll be going to the Shanghai Expo, of course. Nothing's set in stone yet. We've come pretty far in our plans so it might as well be set in stone. Once I see all the reservations, I'll be one of the happiest people in the world! I'm so blessed. I really am.