We met up in Jack London Square, the waterside district of Oakland where century-old warehouses and new businesses coexist, an area in the midst of a transformation to chic before our very eyes . When Mark pulled up and stepped out of his silver sports car, it was clear that he was a man with a…
You wouldn’t know it now, but I wasn’t really one of those little girls who spent her time dreaming of her wedding day. My first wedding experience was in high school, when I was hired to play violin in a string quartet. All I can remember from that episode is the impossibly long rendition of…
The atrium of San Francisco’s Hyatt Regency unveils itself in a magnificent, sparkling display. It’s an expansive space, opening up like a great courtyard surrounded by eighteen floors of suites. Around the holiday season, strands of white Christmas lights are suspended from hundreds of feet in the air, and a great Christmas tree sits by…
“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,…
It comes upon you and envelops you. It’s so warm and rich that you want to pull it around you and curl up in it. I’m not sure how such a sound comes out of her petite frame, but one thing is certain– Alice Tong has a beautifully capitvating voice. I got ten thousand ways…
It was during onboarding, the second day of training, that I first noticed you. Stylin in your dark green cardigan & coordinated tie, wearing the orange backpack I’d eventually steal from you, talking it up and already making a name for yourself. We were strangers then, all possibilities still open. We might get to know…
Even before you can spot the water or hear the waves crashing, there is a distinct scent that floats in the air. It’s the ocean smell that welcomes you back every time. Add a setting sun, and it’s a sensory haven. The kind of scene that makes you breathe deeper, slower. As we continued down…
What a great session yesterday! I spent two hours with Ilyssa shooting in different spots around her beautiful apartment complex in Mission Bay, San Francisco. I actually met Ilyssa through a mutual friend you may have seen here before– actor Henry Chu– they both have engineering degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Ilyssa is…
San Francisco Bay Area. I am still endlessly amazed that I actually live here. Within the last week, several different friends have come and gone on their various Bay Area visits, and it’s been a great excuse for me to rediscover the sights that surround me. Berkeley. The view from Ho Chie’s roof deck at…
Wow. It’s been a year. At this time last year, I was visiting the Bay Area and interviewing with Oakland Teaching Fellows. It’s amazing to think how quickly life moves by. The week I was visiting also happened to be Taiwanese American heritage week, and I got to be here for part of the Taiwanese…
Three Taiwanese-American Female Singer-Songwriters It was an epic meeting as three Taiwanese American female singer-songwriters converged upon Berkeley and were introduced to each other for the first time. From left to right: Cynthia Lin from New York, Alanna Lin from Los Angeles, and Alice Tong from San Francisco. I was lucky enough to enjoy performances…
I seem to have let myself get backlogged with all my daily adventures! These images are from last week when actor Henry Chu came up from Los Angeles to do a second photo shoot with me. I met Henry over Thanksgiving dinner at Jon Lee’s; Henry’s one of the killers in Formosa Betrayed– Taiwanese American…