a view from space

i follow a few celebs on my twitter: dita von teese, jamie oliver, richard branson to name a couple. but one whose tweets and pictures always keeps me in awe is NASA astronaut douglas wheelock. and this is why i love technology. without tools like twitter and twitpic, how would one come across these beyond beautiful photos of our earth?


the lights of japan on a clear november night. these mosaics and patterns of light from our cities, towns and villages are unintentional works of art when viewed from space... a silent and brilliant mapping of our coastlines and landscapes.


a clear starry night over the eastern end of the mediterranean sea . ancient lands with thousands of years of history stretching from athens, greece all the way around the med to cairo, egypt. storied lands, fabled cities, and alluring islands... athens - crete - rhodes - izmir - ankara - cyprus - damascus - beirut - haifa - amman - tel aviv - jerusalem - cairo are beacons on this cool november night. grace and peace from the sanctity of space.


a night view of the nile river winding up through the egyptian desert toward the mediterranean sea, and cairo in the river delta. such a stark contrast between the dark desolate lifeless desert of northern africa and the nile river teeming with life along its shores. in the distance... the eastern mediterranean on a beautiful autumn evening.


soyuz 23S, “olympus” docked to the nadir side of the space station. this will be our ride back home to planet earth when our work is complete here. thought i would tweet this view out of the cupola, as we were passing over the majestic snow-capped caucuses. the sun rising and reflecting off the caspian sea.


the isles of greece during a clear night pass over europe. athens shining brightly along the mediterranean sea. a very surreal feeling to view the splendor of this ancient land from outer space.


another breathtaking sunset…we get 16 of these each day in earth orbit, each one a treasured moment. that beautiful thin blue line is what makes our home so special in the cosmos. space is cool…but, the earth is a raging explosion of life in a vast sea of darkness.

from space, it all looks so peaceful and serene. for more breathtaking pictures from douglas "astro wheels" wheelock, click here.

back from wonderland

i never did get around to blogging about attending royal winnipeg ballet's production of wonderland at the centre for performing arts last month...

it was highly entertaining. a fusion of contemporary ballet with heaps of multi-media, some really cute costumes, (the flamingos looked like vegas showgirls), sweeping music and oodles of pop culture references. a delightful mash-up.



the red queen styled a la norma desmond and constantly yelling into her megaphone was a bit much though.

shoot 'em up

so, what would be the very first thing that i would buy on one of those group buying sites?



why, that would be admission with a .22 calibre handgun rental and 50 rounds of ammo at DVC shooting centre. and i bought 4 of them for $18 each. not quite what you'd guess?

i was super stoked when i bought this 6 months ago. DVC shooting centre is the only indoor shooting range in BC, a heated state-of-the-art facility with 13 individual shooting lanes that are 17 yards long and with motorized target return systems. the package includes an introductory lesson, safety gear, sign-your-life-away insurance and the services of a range officer.

sean and i finally got around to using our vouchers last week, right before they expired. somewhere during these past few months, i became a bit nervous about the prospect of going to the gun range. i read about a fatal shooting at an american gun range last fall and my rampant imagination nearly crippled my enthusiasm for going. the thought crossed my mind that perhaps i should just stick to archery for target practice.

but i can't go through life being afraid of everything that happens out in the world.

sean and i arrived at DVC and there was a lobby full of people waiting for their turns head back to the range. we registered, checked out the shiny guns under the glass tables and waited our turn. then we heard a loud freakin' BAM! it sounded a canon had gone off at the back of the building. yea, that did nothing to settle my worries. this gun was LOUD.



most of the people there were newbies who were redeeming their social shopper vouchers like us. a few were DVC members who had their own guns and ammo. it was a bit intimidating to see these people walk in/out with their not so easily disguised duffels and ammo boxes. and these were the ones who came with their hand cannons.


always respect the weapon

pretty soon, it was our turn. but as there were so many people using their vouchers, all the 22 calibre handguns were all being used. so the range officer gave sean and i a complimentary upgrade - a .22 WITH A SCOPE and a RIFLE with a scope. our choice of paper targets? ZOMBIES, of course!



after donning the earmuffs and safety goggles, the range officer led us to the back. we had the good fortune of being right beside a guy firing his own personal hand cannon. it was so loud that it was jarring being beside him. when he shot off his gun, it was like your head was reverberating. i did not want to be standing right beside him, so sean took that stall instead.

the range officer showed us how to hold the gun and how to put the gun down. he also explained how to load bullets, eject and lock the magazine, engage and disengage the safety and remove bunk bullets from the firing chamber. it was all very professional and safe. i was also assured that the .22 and the rifle barely has any recoil so that i'd have no problems firing the weapons.

taking a deep breath and assuming the position, i thought to myself, "if i don't like it after one shot, there's no shame in leaving". i was not above packing it in if i didn't feel good after firing the .22. and then i fired one off and i was surprised to find that my fear disappeared. in its place, i felt a thrill and exhilaration. the fact that i had a scope made it more fun. i felt like one of charlie's angels at the police academy.



having bought 4 vouchers, that gave sean and 100 bullets each. the magazine holds 10 bullets at a time so that would make it 10 rounds. i found out that 100 bullets go by really fast.

i traded with sean so i could try out the rifle. it was way heavier and after a few shots, i had to place my elbows down on the table to fire instead of holding it up. i might have shot some more but the hand cannon going off next stall proved too distracting. and i think i was more comfortable with a handgun for my first time out.





i don't think sean minded me going back to the .22. i look at the picture of me with the rifle and not only do i think of sarah palin, but i also think that that rifle looks too big for me. i'm going to stick with the girl gun this time out.





when sean holds the .22, doesn't he look like he's holding the noisy cricket from men in black?

twenty five minutes later, we blew through all our bullets. i had fun at the shooting range. not going to lie, it was an enjoyable experience. but to be clear, i liked it because it was target practice. the actual act of shooting a gun was secondary. i would NEVER have a gun in my house. blunt instruments or fighting sticks for star-whacking intruders sure, but never a gun.

given the choice, i still prefer the bow and arrow. it's much more elegant and more my style.


how did we do? retracting our zombie targets


shots to the head, heart and crotch. yea, i'd say these zombies are toast

but at least i know what it feels like to hold, aim and fire a gun. and i'm sure this skill would come in handy in the event of a zombie apocalypse. remember, always aim for the head.

wanna know what sean and i will be doing next? using our groupon coupons for a bodyflight over a vertical wind tunnel. we be flying!

a three-peat anniversary

happy 3rd blogoversary to me!

wowzers. i can't believe that i've been blogging for 3 years now. and more importantly, that i still have a passion for it.

there's been a long-standing argument that blogging is dead. bloggers faced with time constraints and lack of motivation would rather use micro-blogging tools such as twitter and tumblr to record their thoughts, likes and what happens in the lives. say what you want to say in 140 characters or less or post a weblink or attach a photo with a byline and be done with it.

don't get me wrong, that's all fine and good. i myself use twitter and tumblr. but for very different reasons. i use twitter to meet and have conversations with like-minded people, to keep up with breaking news and the latest happenings in social media and technology. it's my feed into what's going on in the world. and tumblr, i use it to post music, fashion or quotes that move me. sorta like an inspiration board.

but i don't use these twitter or tumblr to journal my life. there's so many things that go on in a day (even in an hour), that i find it impossible to reduce it into a caption or a picture or two. i'm wordy and scrapbook-y. i like to delve into the little details and go off on a tangents.

blogging is time consuming. and honestly, sometimes it can feel like a chore. but i can't imagine my life without blogging. writing things down gives me a deeper appreciation of events that have happened in my life. it helps to slow down my mind that goes a hundred miles an hour. and also, hopefully, teaches me to become a better storyteller.

but most of all, i like to collect things, especially experiences. and blogging helps me to remember it all. and share it with everyone who's interested.

thank you to everyone who's come on this ride with me. hopefully, i would've entertained you or made you smile with my antics. regular programming shall resume shortly and you won't have to hear me wax poetic anymore.

at least, not for another 365 days.

a family of swingers

every now and then, we like to take jonesy outside because she's an indoor cat. it's always a riot when she sees that red harness. kitty knows what's up. while she never fusses when we strap her in, she is belly to the ground when she walks afterwards.



she's always a little timid when we step outside. the world is a big place for a little cat, you know. but as long as she has her humans with her, she's good.



jonesy was a little easier on the claws this time and preferred to keep herself nuzzled in the crook of sean's neck. we walked to the nearby park and sat on the rocks to catch the sunset. jonesy was not very adventuresome and preferred to sit on our laps, rather than on the rocks.



and then i had a thought. would jonesy like the rocking motion of the swings, i wondered. i get rather weird thoughts in my head, like the time i brought jonesy into the shower with me. she was a kitten (who loved water by the way) and i threw her over my shoulder and stood just behind the shower head so she could feel the droplets but not get doused. luckily, she loved it. i could've gotten scratched up badly if she hadn't!

when i got her on the swings and started to gently rock us, she begun purring like a little engine. she was really enjoying it!



i passed jonesy over to sean so that he could give it a try. it was so adorable to feel her loosening up with all the swinging. i wonder if we should get a rocking chair?



on our way home, jonesy was way more adventurous. she wasn't glued onto sean's shoulder anymore, but rather all perked up, arms pushing herself away from sean and looking about everywhere. what a funny little cat.

springtime at QE park

stanley park may be bigger, have more trees, have the seawall and be by the water, but i'll take queen elizabeth park any day. spring has finally sprung at QE park. sean and i had gone for a walk a couple of weeks ago and the flowers hadn't bloomed yet. blame it on this year's wonky weather. this time around, we were able to enjoy the colours and the fragrances.

here are some pics:


my favourite cherry blossom tree


sitting at "our spot"


white tubular bells


seriously, i love the colour green in nature. it just pops for me


i want to be showered in petals


spending time with quacks at the duck pond


flashing us some duck butt feathers

is there anything better on a sunny spring day than a walk in the park?

spring on my windowsill

i love spring so much, i had to bring it into my house. boom.

the horsey show

a continuation of our anniversary celebrations, sean and i went to cavalia last week. this show is so popular, it has been extended like 3 times since it's opened march 22, that's how much vancouverites are going ga-ga for horses. and i can see why.



it was beautiful. and breath-taking. from magical and mystical beginning to the rowdy and rollicking trick riding finish. simply put, a great showcase of the relationship between man and horse.

course, me being me, i couldn't stop the running commentary going on in my head while watching these sumptuous vignettes. i amuse myself with my inner monologuing or didn't you know?

like, when the female cowgirl was skipping in and out of lassoes in the one of the opening scenes, i couldn't help but think "stupid human tricks" a la david letterman. luckily it was just a warm-up to what i really wanted it to be all about -- the horses.

during the cavalcade vignette, a group of young acrobat men took turns jumping either from the trampolines or up off the ground to grab onto the leather strap on the horse galloping round and round in the enclosed circle. the acrobats would jump from one side of the horse to the other to the other and then let go so the next man can do the same. it was all very exciting but i couldn't help but think, looks like they're taking turns gang-banging this horse. i know, you can't take me out anywhere.



during the liberté I scene, sean and i laughed when this adorable horse with an over-abundance of plaited, what we called "milli vanilli hair" wouldn't comply with what the trainer wanted it to do. how can you blame the horse? all it wanted was to get this fancy hair away from its eyes.

there was some fancy footworking horses too. but one must accept that perhaps horses don't moonwalk as easily as humans do.

and like children, horses can be rebellious when put on the spot to perform. during the grand liberté, diminutive horse whisperer sylvia zerbini couldn't get one of the 10 horses to gallop around the outside ring of the stage. that horse kept taking a shortcut and cutting across the stage. but that's the very best thing about watching animals (and children). their unpredictability not only makes us laugh but also endears themselves to us. even when one of the horses would not budge an inch despite the horse whisperer's gentle prodding until it relieved himself with a giant poop on the grounds.

of all the acts, surely, the most beautiful act was the grande liberté because of all the unbridled horses running free. you could see the shape of the horses' bodies, all the muscles and how they move. horses are truly exquisite animals.


photo credit: cavalia

the carrousel act was also beautiful. imagine lord of the rings. the female riders wearing king arthurian dresses while the men in their robes and long hair looked elvish. some may find the men fabio-esque, but i prefer to think legolas-ish. so this cadre of riders and horses would trot, pose, frolick, circle each other and also do some side-stepping a la the rockettes. i half hoped the horses would break out into the electric slide.

cavalia had some really great visual projects on the huge curved backdrop. the orchestra and female vocalist, mary-pier guilbault, were amazing. when she sang, it was like you were transported to a different era. the haunting new-age world music reminded me of enya or loreena mckennitt. hmm, i think i may just go back to purchase the cd.



and last but not least, the performers were fantastic, especially the acrobats, bungee artists and aerialists. i want to soar like those aerialists! they make it look so fun.

i'd highly recommend seeing cavalia. you'll be wowed by the time you exit the big white top. it left me with such a greater appreciation of horses as well as elevating my admiration for all the incredible feats performers do in order to entertain an audience. just spectacular.

tiny dancer

my adorable 4 year old ballerina niece, CC. my, how she's grown!

losing the plot

this week has kicked my butt from here to timbuktu.

plans failed to fall into place. businesses should not say something is available and then turn around and say oopsies, no longer available. this happened not once, but 3 times this week.

the realization that my good nature is continually being taken advantage of hit me hard. don't they realize that they've made their bed, therefore they should just lie in it? give me them rusty scissors so that i may cut that cord.

(f)unemployment still reigns.

and what's with beautiful spring flowers only being here for such a short time?

yea, the past few days had me feeling like giving the big ole' two finger salute to the world.

luckily i have a good people around me, talking me down from the ledge.

a song about a nightlight

you either know birdhouse in your soul or not. it's the catchy little ditty about a nightlight serenading the occupants of its room.

and seriously, it seems that every quirky and creative person that i know knows and loves this they might be giants song. and we all have a favourite line that we can just sing out of the blue.

i've always liked the lines:

so the room must listen to me
filibuster vigilantly
my name is blue canary one note spelled l-i-t-e

i mean, what a combination of words.

the first time sean caught me humming the tune, we were in his kitchen. i asked him if he knew they might be giants. he said yes. i sang the line "not to put too fine a point on it" and without skipping a beat, sean followed with "say i'm the only bee in your bonnet."

make a little birdhouse in your soul. indeed.

oh, and pushing daisies which featured the song was a really good show.

sakura days weekend

spring is my favourite season of the year because of my love for japanese cherry blossoms.

sidebar: i still have my heart set on buying my very own cherry blossom tree when i have a house.



anyways, the sakura days japan fair took place last weekend at van dusen gardens. the weekend event not only celebrated the blooming of the blossoms, but was also a fundraiser for the japanese red cross.

sean and i went to the festival on saturday. although there weren't many flowers blooming yet, it was sunny and warm. lots of activity on the grounds. there were food vendors selling yakitori, onigiri, yakisoba, japadogs, matcha waffles and green tea just outside the garden. inside the floral hall, we spied kimono demonstrations, an ikebana workshop and vendors selling japanese wares. we caught an outdoor koto performance near the cherry grove but passed on the sake tasting tent.


top right: aquarius, bottom left: sagittarius

also spread out on the garden grounds was the emotional geometry exhibition, outdoor sculptures by acclaimed mexican artist, sebastian. the last time we went to van dusen in fall 2009, the zimsculpt exhibition from zimbabwe was there.


hare today. gone tomorrow?

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the minotaur sculpture was still there, although they moved it. it was right by the labyrinth last year and now stood closer to the front of the garden. sadly, it looks like the little hare that the minotaur holds is missing! i hope it did not get stolen cuz that would be a pity.


a panda's delight + i love the colour green

we ended our afternoon at the sakura fest with a cup of steaming hot green tea. sitting by the reflecting pool and basking in what was left of the sunshine, we watched the hordes rush to line up for last call at the food vendors. and chuckled at the young guy who pretended not to understand when the volunteer told him they had to cut the line off in front of him. even though she was speaking in english, he feigned like she was speaking gibberish. i guess he really wanted some yakitori.

for more pictures of our day at the garden, click here for my flickr.

tabling turkey...for now.

ever since i saw tarsem's the fall, i've had a thing for whirling dervishes.

so, imagine my excitement when some friends and i decided to plan a 13 day trip to turkey in october via virgin vacations.


i would get to marvel hagia sophia.


walk through the temple of artemis at ephesus, one of the 7 wonders of the world


take a dip in the pamukkale hot springs, a UNESCO world heritage site that has been around since 2nd century BC


i would get to see the moonscape that is cappadocia. i may have even been convinced to take a hot air balloon ride too!

cappadocia would've been the highlight of the trip for me. not just for the whirling dervishes, but also for cave hotels, fairy chimneys, underground cities, cave churches and monasteries carved from the soft tufa formations. check out this video and be wowed.

unfortunately, in light of what's happening in the middle east, we have to backburner the trip. i really hope someday soon, we'll be able to go. turkey is such a beautiful country and i hope it remains that way for a good long time.

meanwhile, the girls are coming up with another alternative. i could possibly be up for china, angkor wat in cambodia or the rajashthan area in india. or seriously any of the fall's film locations. just beautiful.

third time lucky?

i was perusing some old daytimers the other day when i was reminded of the one concert that i wish i could've seen. the page i had stumbled upon was april 8 2005, the date that garbage was to play the paramount theatre in seattle. vancouver was not a pit stop in their tour promoting 'bleed like me', so a friend and i were more than happy to roadtrip it down to seattle. with tickets in my tiny fists of fury, i drove down in my honda crx, getting more excited with each passing mile.

but when we got there, i couldn't have been more disappointed. on the paramount theatre door was a notice that said due to illness, the concert was cancelled. apparently, the entire group became ill when they arrived in seattle from their promotional tour of europe. i was quite bummed as we drove home after a spot of dinner.

i left for new york in august to spend time with my grandmother. and again, i got the shaft. garbage had come back around to seattle for a make-up concert and this time, they also added a vancouver date. so while i was in new york, garbage played the commodore ballroom on august 31.

*weighing new york in my left hand*

*weighing garbage in my right*

*teeter-tottering the two*

okay, maybe being in new york might have won out by a smidge, but i was still massively bummed that i missed them not once, but twice. that's how much i love shirley manson.

the band is currently recording their next album and has plans to tour later this year. perhaps third time's a charm?