Would you trust a 10 year old kid to run around with your SLR camera? How about letting her bring it to a stay-away summer camp for an entire week? Somehow my dad had the foresight to know that this would be ok. And of course, it turned out to be far more than that….
Yesterday, we boarded a 4pm bus from Boston to head back to New York. We were supposed to arrive back to the city by 8 or 9, with plenty of time to get to the sports bar and watch tip-off at 9:30. Unfortunately, halfway into the trip, with a big THUD, the bus had a…
Their relationship is quiet but insistent, punctuated by laughter. It’s built on a deep caring for one another. Simple tasks and quiet discoveries. Long conversations and simply watching television together. It’s not flashy. It’s not a show put on for others. It’s love. Pure, simple, beautiful. No bells and whistles needed. I’ve known Margaret since…
I remember our first staff meeting two Autumns ago in that transition from summer to fall, vacation to work. We were checking in with each other, talking about how we felt about starting this new school year with all the teachers old and new. I still remember what Aaron/Mr. Gardner, the 8th grade English teacher/DJ/slam…
On Thursday, I led a photography workshop for my fellow AmeriCorps members. As part of the BAYAC Recovery Team, we all work in after-school programs at different sites across San Francisco and Oakland. For the next couple months, we’re taking turns leading trainings for each other on topics of our choice. Naturally, I decided to…
It’s been a week since the Census 2010: Write in “Taiwanese” video debuted on YouTube, and it’s already garnered over 120,000 views. Produced by Slideshow Pictures in conjunction with at least seven Taiwanese American organizations, the public service announcement is part of a larger campaign to get Taiwanese Americans to self-identify on the US Census…
Five years ago, in 2005, it was just an idea. A passion project being born. Starting today, February 26, 2010, the feature film Formosa Betrayed is playing in select theaters across the country. The Taiwanese American community has done an amazing job emphasizing the importance of this weekend (everyone and their mother should go see…
“There are three holidays happening this weekend! Who can tell me which holidays?” I ask the kindergartners and first graders in my after-school program. They offer some imaginative responses (Martin Luther King Day?), but eventually, we elicit the correct answers: Valentine’s Day, Lunar New Year, and President’s Day. So in honor of the coincidence of…
Every so often– more often than not, actually– I get to spend my time working on projects I love. It’s not just a coincidence, but a conscious effort to pursue what I find compelling. And while the idea of pursuing your passions is a common enough sentiment, I think many people perceive it too difficult…
“Tis the season! It’s more subtle in California, where Christmas lights adorn palm trees and deciduous trees are still catching up to the idea that it’s time to change colors. But it’s the holiday season! Last night I flew back home to Ohio and landed amidst a snowy wonderland. Ok, I may be overstating it,…
Autumn in California may not be as dazzling or dramatic as the famed autumns of New England, but we still have some colorful trees sprinkled about, and whatever we may lack in leaves we certainly make up for with our beautiful, mild weather. The combination makes for a picture-perfect setting. On a California-autumn day in…
Let’s sit in the sun. Karthik leads the way and picks out a good spot. We had grabbed a couple dogs from Top Dog and headed to the well-manicured lawn on the edge of Berkeley’s campus. We eat and chat, catching up on each other’s lives– my after-school program and my photography; his long chain…