Bright Spot

Whenever I talk of deviating from the safe, stable science career route I'm currently on, my mom gets this look in her eyes like she's pretending she doesn't hear what I'm saying. She's not much of a risk taker so she doesn't like it when I even slightly suggest I would do anything other than traditional occupations.

But I know her weak spot. She is one huge flower lover. Yes, how typically asian mom-ish. And while I would take pics of nature stuff anyways because I love it myself, I like showing it to her because I think she secretly swoons over my shots. She's starting to see how important this has become to me and actually compliments me. (You don't know hard it is to get a compliment from this woman.) She even suggested I take it up semi- professionally. While I am light years away from actually doing that, it's nice to have my mom finally support me in something. :)

Maybe It's That Spring Feeling

I don't know what's come over me lately.

I just want to get out of here. Be somewhere else, do something else. I feel like I've been holding my breath for so long and now I'm ready to exhale.

Maybe it's because everyone around me seems to be going through important "life" changes and I want in.
Maybe it's because I am less than liking my job and I'm wondering what if...
Maybe I'm just bored and need drama.
Maybe it's that spring feeling and how, for me, that implies change.

I don't know...Just been feeling restless lately, ya know? I'm waiting for that next big thing to happen but there is nothing on the horizon. Actually what's sorta propelled everything was an interesting conversation I had with this sociologist Kris Cohen, who is working with Surry University. He contacted me through Flickr to discuss photography and the web. Very interesting guy and well spoken, although with parents yelling at each other in Tagalog and the movie "Ray" playing loudly next to me, I was easily distracted and probably sounded like a moron. I later read the breadth of his research more in depth and had a real doh! moment when I realized he wasn't just some Joe Schmoe off the street. Ugh! Should have put on my intelligent hat. He's got an interesting project going and asked thoughtful questions about my pics. He's lived in Chicago as well so he was really familiar with my photos taken around town which pleasantly surprised me.

Although our conversation was probably a fleeting thing for him, for some reason I was left with this urge to do SOMETHING with my life. I mean he's got one of the coolest occupations - he gets to interview people all the time and discuss social changes. Hmm that didn't look to interesting once I wrote it. But because of where I grew up and the people I work with the discussion of social patterns truly intrigues me. I just feel like this is another incident lately that has awaken old aspirations that were long forgotten. I've got some serious thinking to do.

Concert Season Begins

Maroon 5 Concert at UIC Pavillion. Our seats were pretty damn awesome, not too far and center section-ish. Weirdest thing was running into old friends from high school and college who I hadn't seen in ages. I was just thinking about them too recently and here they were. I love live music - it's always better live. Better energy, better sound and you get to enjoy it with room full of people who love the music as much as you do. Concert season begins. I can't wait for weezer!

Minion

Eat, sleep, work.

Eat, sleep, work.

Eat, sleep, work.

Repeat.

Photo Respiration

Photo Respiration
Originally uploaded by *snapdragon.

A photography exhibit by Tokohiro Sato at the Art Institute of Chicago. Very interesting. Sato used long exposures and "entered" his photographs, using flashlights or mirrors to reflect light back to the camera. While you don't see him, his presence is obvious by the glowy lights throughout his pics. What's neat is that the photos are mounted as transparencies in front of a bright light so the lights from Sato are more vibrant. You just have to see it for yourself.

Happy Birthday to Pepito!

Happy Birthday to Pepito!
Originally uploaded by *snapdragon.

Happy Birthday to my little sis Felice! I am so very very very lucky to have a sis like her. I wish she wasn't away at school so we could pig out on Lutz strawberry-whipped cream cake together. :)

Hello World

Woke up this morning to April showers in Chicago.

I actually love waking up to rain. I don't mind the bit of cloudiness and hearing the soft tapping on the roof actually soothes me. The only way to make the day better would be to stay in my jammies, curl up in bed and stay in to watch Oprah. A girl can dream, but a she also has to earn a living and so off to work she must go.

Something out of the ordinary today. Went to a wake of an older friend who battled cancer. The only other wake I've been to was about 2 months ago and these couldn't be any more different. In the first wake, the funeral home was packed with mexican jehovah's witnesses, making for a hot room and a very confusing ceremony since I couldn't understand a thing. The visitors filed semi-orderly in line fashion, greeting the family then making their way to the casket. All very solemn and serious. The wake today was very laid back, people in groups laughing and reminiscing with casual visits to the casket. Different but not bad.

Morbid subject for a first post? I don't like to think so. To me, in both instances, I walked away with my eyes opened a bit wider to the endless possibilities of tomorrow and to keep yourself open to the ones you care about. Sometimes it's hard for me to keep that stuff in mind but at times like these I have my rare moments of clarity.