Even before it hits, you can feel it coming on. It takes but one step from the plane onto the jetway for it to strike in full force. The humidity. The heat. It’s a giant cloud stifling you with its sticky, unsolicited embrace. Welcome to Cincinnati. To be honest, I kind of missed it. There’s…
My favorite thing about our “tafLabs” room is not the ten computers or the impressive mass of wires and hard drives everywhere. It’s not even the six Canon DSLRs with all their amazing lenses scattered on all the desks. (And you know how much I love my DSLRs!) No, it has nothing to do with…
The afternoon sun entices me out of my desk chair and over to the window. Floor to ceiling, wall to wall, Downtown Oakland. Seven palm trees in front of the Tribune tower, next to the courthouse. OUSD, Laney College off to the left. I’ve looked at this view a million times, and it still hasn’t…
It’s a struggle every day as the sun battles the clouds. Seattle’s gray, dreary reputation is redeemed each day around 2pm when finally, blue peeks through, the sun trumphantly takes over, and the city transforms. Sunny, mid-70s– beautiful. I leave you with a sneak peek from the Bite of Seattle two days ago; today’s the…
Driving back from the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco last night, I missed a turn, and Nora (my GPS) decided to take me on a scenic route around the city. As I drove along The Embarcardero, the Ferry Building came into view, perfectly lit against the sparkling lights of the Bay Bridge. All…
I am not exactly an outdoorsy person. I am quite the opposite of the athletic, adventure-sports type, and I prefer to have internet and running water around as much as possible. But somehow, I rather like the idea of camping. It speaks to the quiet explorer side of me– being able to break routine, go…
My first impressions of New York are always of the grimy streets and subways and the overwhelming number of people everywhere. The hustle and bustle has a commanding presence and an allure– that concrete jungle where dreams are made of. But first impressions aren’t always everything. My boyfriend Ernie moved back to New York in…
It’s been an amazing two weeks filled with travels, from last week in Austin, Texas to this week in New York and currently, Boston. I’ve spent almost no time in front of the computer, which is both great and terrifying (not checking email for two whole days!?), but at the moment, I’ve got my setup…
I’m here in Austin, Texas, with other staff and board members of TaiwaneseAmerican.org as we hold our parallel conference with ITASA Midwest. Wide open spaces, lots of pretty buildings, beautiful blue skies. I’ll be online less this weekend, but I leave you with these images for now.
I love the feeling of moving freely through spaces, walking through cities, and exploring and traveling across imagined boundaries. I can feel my sense of place and belonging expand as I move. I think this sensation is partly why I’ve always loved traveling. This past week has been incredible. Spurred by daylight savings, I’ve been…
Miles driven by others: 37 Miles flown: 390 Miles driven by myself: 150 ____________________________________ =577 miles traveled, and that’s just today. Sometimes exhaustion is the most gratifying feeling in the world. In that moment when you finally sit down and have a chance to rest, you can feel the very essence of gravity as it…
It was mid-morning. I sat at my desk typing away at my emails, attempting to appease the multicolored starred and flagged messages crowding my inbox. Taking a break from the work, I glanced outside, and I spared not a moment before grabbing my camera and walking straight to the window. Stretched perfectly over downtown Oakland,…