A Traveler's Eye

Vegetarian Sweet/Sour Pork

2010-06-18T13:01:00.006-04:00

This is the recipe for the vegetarian style of what my mom calls the "Chinese sweet/sour pork." Please note that the following measurements are approximations. A lot of Chinese cooking, and perhaps in other cultures too, is eyeballing the amount of ingredients; keep cooking until you perfect it. Another recommendation I would suggest for the batter is to use Japanese tempura flour instead of the ones I mentioned below. I think the Japanese tempura flour has the premixed ingredients and it's probably easier b/c you'd just follow the box instructions.

Fried Bananas:
- regular yellow bananas or plantains (whichever you prefer)
- 1 egg
- approx. 5 tbsp. rice flour (check the photo below)
- approx. 2 tbsp. potato starch(check the photo below)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 4 to 5 tbsp. of water

1. Combine the dry ingredients with egg and water to make the batter.
2. Slice up the bananas (at an angle) and dip them in the batter.
3. Immediately fry until golden brown (usually takes a min. or so).
4. Place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
5. Transfer to a plate.

Sweet/Sour Sauce:
- ginger (thinly sliced)
- carrots (thinly sliced)
- 1 bowl of cold water (1 bowl is about 1 cup)
- 1/2 bowl of white vinegar
- 1/2 bowl of white sugar

1. Stir-fry the carrots and ginger slightly.
2. Place them in the pot with the cold water, white vinegar and sugar.
3. Turn on stove- bring to a boil and let it simmer until sauce thickens.
4. Once sauce has thickened, pour over the fried bananas.

Enjoy!

Potato Starch

Rice Flour

Painting Inauguration

2010-06-06T20:02:00.004-04:00

The last time I painted was in 8th grade- wow, so many years ago! Anyhow, I've been inspired by a photo that my friend took and I thought this painting is my inauguration back to painting!

My Friend's Original Photo (so breathtaking!)

Tree against the sky

2010-06-06T00:35:00.004-04:00

I took this picture, modified it in several variations of colors and couldn't decide which is the best. All of them seem to be my favorite... what do you think?

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Merry Christmas 2009!

2009-12-27T13:16:00.005-05:00

What merrier sounds than the sounds of joyous babies!!

Las Vegas '09

2009-11-28T11:20:00.007-05:00

Last week, I flew to Las Vegas with my friend and we spent four days there. Las Vegas has changed much since the last time I was there in 2000. There was construction everywhere; unfortunately, due to the economy collapse, some of them were left abandoned. I also felt that not many people were there but it was probably b/c we stayed at a hotel/casino that was pretty far from all the activities on the Strip (don't stay at Circus Circus). Overall, the trip was nice. We had plenty of sunshine but the air was still too dry for me. I walked a lot and was always exhausted at the end of the day. Anyhow, I took lots of pictures and the following are some of my favorites:

flying over the Rockies, Colorado

the Strip, looking south

looking at the City Center, scheduled to open in Dec. 2009

inside the Palazzo

colors!

inside Caesars Forum

this is a gargoyle lamp and i photoshopped it. isn't this cool looking!

feeling a bit nostalgic

for the FULL ALBUM, please click HERE.

Sandy, the shar pei

2009-10-11T20:27:00.002-04:00

In memory of my friend's dog, Sandy. I like this picture.

Aerial View of Night-time NYC

2009-09-13T20:38:00.003-04:00

My friend is too lazy to downsize this image file, so I did it and sure enough, it looks just as good and most importantly, it loads faster than its original 4.6MB size (for those who are curious to enlarge this image for viewing!!)

image by FF

Manhattan's West Side

2009-09-07T10:52:00.008-04:00

I spent this past weekend enjoying the company of my aunt and cousin who came to visit my mom and I from Toronto. The weather was gorgeous and we started out at the Alice Tea Cup at W. 73rd Street. It was a lovely cute little place with china and interior decorations themed from Chapter I of Alice in the Wonderland. After brunch, we set out our journey and walked south from 73rd Street along the Hudson River. Needless to say, the walk was very very long and we were exhausted by the end. It took us about 5 hours to get to South Ferry but along the way, the views were fabulous and I captured some great images. Among them, below are my favorites (FULL ALBUM):

I dub this "the lonely grass" (寂寞的草)

Looking at NJ with George Washington Bridge on the right.

Looking at Upper West Side of Manhattan with George Washington Bridge on the left.

I just love the name of the boat! I'm proud to be a New Yorker!

This is at the Meat Packing District. The High Line Project passes right through the white buildings.

This is by Holland Tunnel. I love the sparkling light reflected by the water.

Tyson, the labradoodle

2009-08-30T11:09:00.005-04:00

I was dog-sitting for the past two weeks and got a chance to shoot several photos of this funny labradoodle puppy. He was a bit hard to photograph due to the lighting and the color of his coat, especially at indoors (even with the flash). Anyhow, it was fun to have him as company.

Tyson's favorite teared-up toy.

I don't think Tyson likes to be photographed; he always looked away from me.

Kids at the pool party

2009-08-02T13:41:00.005-04:00

This weekend, I attended my friend's pool party (her son's, actually) and had the opportunity to shoot photography of the kids who attended. It was a joyous event w/ all the kids running around and laughing. It was also a challenge for me to take their photos b/c most of them moved so fast that I couldn't focus my lens and click! And then, some of them didn't want to be photographed and played around to avoid me. Actually, I thought their escape from me created the most interesting expressions, along with giggles and laughter. Luckily, I was able to capture some of those moments and here they are. Enjoy!

Pondering Dreams - 2001

2009-07-19T11:34:00.001-04:00

When I am still lying awake
In the blackness of the night,
I wonder how you are doing.
Sleeping soundingly,
Under your warm covers
Dreaming away–
The quietness lingers,
And I wonder again.
Do you feel my presence?
Quietly entering your dreams,
I see you smiling.
Reaching over,
I embrace you longingly.
And lay a kiss on your forehead.
Silence...
Then faintly,
I hear soft music playing.
The warm feelings overpower my senses.
Unconsciously,
I close my eyes,
And I drift into my own dreams...

Power of Love - 2001

2009-07-19T11:32:00.001-04:00

For you,

I'd dare to plunge,

Into the deep waters,

Of an enraging cataract...

Neglecting my sanity,
I stood on the cliff.
My arms extended,
And body arched.
I glanced down once,
Never thought twice,
And my feet quickly departed the edge.
My body gathered acceleration,
The breeze attempted to lift me up.
Yet, I continue to descend,
Speeding like a bullet...
The thundering fall deafened my ears.
The cool, heavy mist blinded my eyes.
Losing altitude,
Only memories of you flooded my mind.
And suddenly,
The white misty foam swallowed me whole.
Have I demolished my existence?
Aware of the perils, the pain and risks...
Still, I pursue onward,
Because I know --
I have once ventured,
Just for you.

High School/College Memories

2009-07-19T09:55:00.006-04:00

I have almost forgotten that I had joined the literary magazine clubs, writing poetry, creating artwork and working as L'Artiste-in-Chief and Editor, back in high school and undergrad studies, respectively. I suddenly remembered it over this weekend and decided to look at the work I had done- wow, I'm impressed! Although I only submitted few pieces of poetry/artwork, I continued to write and I'm just amazed at how powerful some of my work were. Anyway, I'm going to share some in the next few posts.

saigon & hong kong

2009-06-15T22:53:00.001-04:00

traveling once again and sharing my many pictures: http://jennyhho.com/asia/asia.html ~ enjoy!!

Doggie Day in March, 2009

2009-03-18T13:57:00.003-04:00

Ellis is the yellow lab retriever and Joe di Maggio is the black lab & pittbull mix. I love my digital SLR for capturing their actions!

Waterless Toilets

2009-01-11T17:15:00.004-05:00

Wishing all a Happy New Year!! This year, I have a lot to accomplish and among them, I hope to pass the LEED (stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) exam.

This weekend, I was reading on "Water Efficiency" and learning about Waterless and Composting Toilets. It's actually pretty interesting, considering how toilet technology has advanced over the years - from the outhouse, to indoor facilities and now facilities that recycle human wastes in order to conserve water supply and at the same time, the end-products are environmentally safe and can be reused as valuable soil additive.

As a child, I remember my aunt telling us stories about eating these big fat juicy lychees, picked from a tree that was growing in their backyard when my family was living in China. Apparently, under this tree was the outhouse, where all their human waste served as fertilizer for the tree. Thinking in the days of the past, I really don't see this as a problem b/c the food supply was mostly natural, w/ no additives unlike in today's food; I would think it'd be okay for consumption as long as the fruits were thoroughly washed. Even in the book, Under the Metropolis - Chapter on Japan, Alex Marshall discussed the value of human waste and it was collected to be used as fertilizer for the rice fields. Anyhow, I'm a little skeptical about reusing nowadays human waste as fertilizer, even if the composting toilet system does work. Why? I think there is too much chemical in today's food. I have my distrust but then again, if we are using nowadays human waste as fertilizer, I suppose it doesn't make any difference in today's food supply b/c we're constantly eating chemicals.

Anyway, here are some interesting information on Waterless/Composting Toilets:

http://www.biolet.com/resources/biolet-video-gallery.html

http://compostingtoilet.org/compost_toilets_explained/what_is_a_composting_toilet/index.php

http://www.buildinggreen.com/features/mr/waste.cfm

Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)

2008-12-07T14:24:00.007-05:00

It is very exciting to read about how architects derive their ideas and create a piece of art in construction. Although I'm not too crazy about modern architecture, I am fascinated to read and learn about how a piece of architecture can transform a city, provided by an infrastructure to support it. Really, which comes first - the architecture or infrastructure? It is a difficult question to answer b/c each city has its own unique story.

I'm currently researching on the story of Berlin - how its S-Bahn metro system became the backbone or infrastructure of Berlin, weathering through the years of war destruction, division, reunification and modernization. As architecture and infrastructure intertwine together, Berlin has become an experiemental ground for modern architecture. The Berlin Hauptbahnhof is one example that displays the re-birth of a new Berlin through modern architecture and technology...

Berlin Hauptbahnhof

More is to come...

Pictures around the world

2008-12-07T14:23:00.001-05:00

While researching for my project on the S-Bahn of Berlin, I found this site which has great pictures of the various cities around the world. I'm excited to share this and even more excited that I got to see some of these cities in person! Enjoy!

http://www.aviewoncities.com/

Ellis, the lab-retriever pup

2008-11-09T17:19:00.007-05:00

I went to visit my friends over the weekend and got to meet their third puppy whose name is Ellis. My friends are a retired couple who volunteers their time to train puppies for the Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) program. I'm a dog lover and of course, I can't resist taking photographs of this adorable and funny fellow.

Naadam Festival - 2008

2008-10-25T20:49:00.006-04:00

The Naadam Festival took place last weekend up at the Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park in Carmel, NY. Despite the chill, the weather was gorgeous and the scenery was absolutely beautiful! There was a lovely array of light for shooting photos. Aside from documenting the festival, I also shot portraits, which is becoming my specialty. Nevertheless, the events were exciting! They included: youth group fighting, warrior fighting, archery, horse-riding games, and the feast! (thank you, cooks!) Click on the following image for the full album of the Naadam festival. Enjoy!

pictures from my euro trip

2008-09-05T23:17:00.003-04:00

hi all,

i'm back from europe and it was a great trip! i know you're eager to see my pictures but it took me a while to organize and upload them. so anyway, i've finally sorted out the highlights of each city i visited. i took A LOT of pictures but can't post all of them up. you'll see new ones as i update my website in the future. meanwhile, be AWED by the places i visited!

http://jennyhho.com/europa/europa.html

interstitial space

2008-08-13T23:40:00.002-04:00

so, what is "interstitial space (or floor)"?

in architectural terms, interstitial floor is usually the mechanical floor of a building where all the ducts travel and sometimes electrical wiring is located there as well or there might be an interstitial floor for plumbing work. last week, i was assigned to do a site visit on this project i'm working on, which is some renovation work inside a hospital. my part of site visit was fairly simple- verify some dimensions, make sure the floor plan matches to the existing conditions and take some pictures. however, my mechanical engineer co-worker was having some trouble in the interstitial floor. she was trying to locate some mechanical devices but they were located inside this room that she couldn't go in by herself. she asked that i come along and so i did.

oh my gosh!! it was DARK, pure darkness and muck! as i maneuvered my way to this room, i clumsily climbed over the hvac ducts. not that they would break instantaneously b/c it has to be durable metal but i guess i was afraid to leave dent marks or i'd accidentally fall through the duct or something. on the way out, i again clumsily climbed over the ducts and accidentally hit one of the metals and caused a loud racket which echoed down the ducts. oh man, i felt like a human rat, crawling and making noise through the ducts, which people get nervous as if they see a rat fall out of a vent!!

what an experience!!- that's the highlight of last week.

enjoying summer

2008-07-14T23:37:00.006-04:00

so far, i've finished reading da vinci code by dan brown. it's a very well-crafted book and i appreciate and applaud the author for doing all the research and writing this story so meticulously and creatively. i loved the book. and of course, when i return to paris again, i would be re-visiting all the sites told in the story.

i started reading holy blood, holy grail by by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln- very interesting but im currently reading beneath the metropolis by alex marshall. he talks about the infrastructure of several selected cities. (wow, i feel like im learning a lot!) the author will be teaching my class, elements of infrastructure, this fall. i look forward to it.

had a wonderful 2 hour massage at the graceful spa in manhattan: http://www.gracefulspa.com
im still sored though...i wonder if the pressure was a bit too intense for me!?!

saw the "fuerzabruta" on sunday- http://fuerzabrutanyc.com/about.html. my neck aches from looking up but it was a very different experience from the shows i've seen. it was pretty cool. im surprised that i didnt get too drunk from chugging a whole bottle of corona b/c they didnt allow ppl to carry drinks while watching the show. i guess my tolerance is building, YAY!! and we had mexican food at the "dos caminos" on park ave S. between 26th and 27th streets. tried some white sangria - YUM!!

that's all for now.

looking forward to reading: harry potter, book 6

turtle story

2008-06-29T09:38:00.003-04:00

im home for almost a week now! time seems to fly faster when im back home than i was in europe, where it was relaxing everyday and im always looking forward to seeing something new and different. anyhow, this weekend, i went to pick up my turtle (my co-worker had generously taken my ninja in and took care of him while i was in europe- thank you, paula) and then i went to visit my aunt. i left my turtle in her bathroom shower floor, w/ the lid (lid has holes, so my turtle can breathe) opened b/c i thought my turtle needed the extra air. later in the evening, the kids and i went out to the movies, forgetting most of everything, and not long after we returned home, i noticed my turtle was missing!! i panicked!! everyone went on a turtle hunt- the worst that i feared was my ninja wandering off and falling down the stairs to the basement. it took us hours to find him. i nearly gave up and thought he must be dead somewhere...(lol, my aunt was afraid to find more bugs if he were really dead- i dont blame my aunt). so, right before i went home, my aunt checked again and found him, hiding under a big pile of bags in the kitchen. i was so scared to find him dead but he twitched when i touched his feet. he just laid there motionless, with his head and limbs all tucked inside his shell, waiting to be rescued. it was both a hilarious and frightening night- 7 people searched all over the house and couldnt find ninja, i realized how much im attached to my turtle (LOL, 4 years of raising him!!) and the fear i thought he was dead!! i nearly cried but i was so happy to have found him! quite surprisingly, after this hide-and-seek ordeal, he adjusted pretty well after i settled him back home. he's swimming like crazy, climbing up and down the float, basking and eating quite a lot since last night. what a turtle!

before departing london

2008-06-23T05:56:00.003-04:00

wow, as much as i wanted time (5 weeks) to go faster but i cant believe i'll be leaving london tonight. i have already checked out of the hostel, so im just wandering around to kill time before going to the airport. quite honestly, i cant wait. it's been nice here, many reminders of hong kong but it's not as exciting as i hoped it'd be. i dont know what it is. i would still come back though...during my entire stay in london, i've been having heartburns and pain when breathing. i think it's the air. i'd feel fine when im indoors but yeah, i want to leave here soon. im tired and i missed home. maybe if i was leaving from another city, i wouldnt feel this nostalgic.

on saturday, while i was walking along the thames river, approaching the tower bridge, i found this really unique alleyway, called "shad thames" that had bridges, connecting the buildings along this street. these buildings used be warehousing, in which back in the early centuries (probably 3rd or so), goods were brought inside the buildings along the riverfront and then transported via the bridges to the next buildings. right now, the street is cleaned up and in fact, the warehouses have been transformed to residential/offices units, with commerical on the ground floors and the bridges are now balconies, decorated with pretty pots of plants and flowers. i took some pictures but will post them when i get home. along this street, i found a really cosy teahouse. i ordered the "queen's blend" tea and a scone with butter and jam- delicious!! it was so wonderful. i also have to mention though that i met pretty nice people in london. i guess the bottomline is, if you are courteous and polite, you will be treated the same in return. london is a nice place.

yesterday, i went to the london museum and the charles dickens museum. i walked a lot in btwn the two places. had dinner in chinatown and then went to the convent garden where most of the stores closed but there was a lot going on...magicians, artists, etc. were performing on the streets. i also stopped the popular "boots" store here (a higher/nicer version of CVS) and got some body stuff. ahh, i cant wait till i come home!! until then....

london

2008-06-19T15:56:00.003-04:00

im in london! we were scheduled to depart paris at 12:13 this afternoon but we missed the train because we were supposed to check-in and board at a different platform. why?? b/c we had to go through customs and security. it was retarded. we would pass one control desk and in 5 ft, we crossed the english borders and had our passport stamped. it was pretty stressful, without knowing what we had to do...the only good part was that they did not make us repay the ticket. and we were also lucky to find empty seats on the train...so instead of departing at 12, we left paris at 13:00.

our hostel is not far from the train station, which makes it easy to just take a train and head straight for heathrow airport. we bought the "osyter card" - smart card that uses radio frequency to deduct transit fare. im loving it. actually, london reminds me of hong kong. despite the congested traffic here, the transit system seems pretty efficient.

so far so good. hope the good weather stays with us. see you all soon.

au revoir from paris

2008-06-19T04:29:00.002-04:00

today is the last day in paris. i have mixed feelings because i really like the city and wish to stay here longer. i also miss europe in general since i will be coming home in several days and at the same time, i do want to be home. it is wierd... we are leaving paris today via the train. im excited to go through the chunnel even though i know there is nothing to see fot 2+ hours...

anyway, yesterday...i wanted to see basilique de sacre coeur but ended up at a cemetery (walked too far from our hotel but) it was a really nice place. many of the tombstones have the gothic architecture; it was definitely a piece of art. it was quiet and pretty, like a normal park. cats were running around. there was one freaky one- a total black cat with very prominent yellow eyes, staring at my every move! i thought some of spirit entered the cat bc he/she was staring at me very intensely. i even took a picture of it. after that, i walked around, still looking for the cathedral and wound up in a really cool local village. they had an art market and i couldnt resist, so i bought several paintings. the sacred heart was looked on top of a hill and it was a beautiful sight. then went to notre dame (beatuiful architecture) and the french pantheon. the french pantheon was modelled after the roman pantheon and its plaza was very similar to the plazzo di popilo in rome. i got to climb up to the dome of the pantheon, lovely 360 view of paris. had a WHOLE fish for dinner (thought of my mom how she would pick the bones out for me, haha! im so spoiled). took a boat ride up the seine river and ended at the eiffel tower. watched the lights light up and headed back to the hostel; it was a beautiful day...

ahh, and i love wine!!!

le louvre

2008-06-16T16:26:00.002-04:00

never felt this rushed going to a museum. i was taking my time, enjoy seeing the exhibits but before i know, le louvre announces that the museum was closing soon. i was upset that i couldnt see all the exhibits...

walked from le louvre down to arc de triomphe. my god, it was a LONG walk... didnt think it took that long. but on the way back to the hotel, i saw the garnier "opera" building. it was pretty magnificent.

another delicious night of wine, fruit and cheese. im probably gaining a lot of weight but it was sooooo GOOD!! life cannot be better than this!!

paris

2008-06-15T04:15:00.002-04:00

the french keyboard is all different; so yeqh...see if you could figure out which letters go where....

our luggqges are missing agqin, our flight was delqyed in bqrcelonq; so ze just made it to the next flight but our bqggages ddint. worst pqrt is they hqvent locqted our bags: i reqlly hope our bqgs qre not mssing.. sorry for the bqd spelling. im literqrlly stqring qt the keyvboard to type.

i love our hostel though; the most unique out of qll: we qre prqcticqlly living the pqrisian life. the rooms are reqlly tiny: the lift is even worst; it is literqlly 1-1/2 ft zide by 3 ft deep. we qre on the top (6th floor) qnd we get to see the roof tops of other buildings qnd the sacre heqrt cqthedrql.

so much for now, i hqve to do some reseqrch qnd find H&M... missing luggqge is such a hassle

leaving barcelona soon, too soon

2008-06-13T17:43:00.003-04:00

im exhausted so im keeping my entry short. today, i visited a good majority of the famous works by the architect, antoni gaudi. i really like his work, especially his choice of vibrant colors. walked a lot, talked to a variety of people and had a great dinner- the classic of course, seafood paella and sangria. OMG, the sangria was SOOOOOOOOO GOOOD!! apparently, i enjoy and like drinking wine now...ahh, life is good!! i also fell in love with barcelona and would definitely come back and visit. so, until barcelona and i meet again...adios!

barcelona

2008-06-12T16:24:00.003-04:00

-barcelona maritime museum housed inside a gothic building
-the barcelona aquarium: watched ugly fishes and sharks, the highlight was the penguins
-sat by the waters and sketched
-two of antoni gaudi buildings
-walked around a lot and took the metro

the highlight at the aquarium was the penguins:
i actually stayed there pretty long, waiting for the penguins to go in the water. i love to see them dive and swim but once the two birds went in, they were just flapping around, showing off and looking like they love the attention. afterwards, a 3rd one went in, still flapping around but later on, they started diving and that was so cool! ppl crowded at the tank, taking pictures and videotaping and the PA was telling ppl not to use flash. it was feeding time by then, so more penguins dived into the water, catching the fish. it was fun watching it, LOL! btw, i think penguins are the only birds that i can tolerate...

walked around a lot, so im tired. i guess it's nice to feel tired. the itnerary tomorrow is looking at architecture. antoni gaudi designed and built a number of buildings in barcelona- the spanish modernism. im excited. im wishing now that we are staying here another day...

the last remaining cities: paris and london

barcelona, spain

2008-06-11T17:06:00.002-04:00

we finally arrived to barcelona!! there was an hour or so delay, so we arrived late and it took us a while to find the hostel. anyway, im guessing the reason for the delay is b/c there were two "united states of america" planes that landed at the ciampino airport in rome. the passengers were so excited that they ran across from one window to the other, taking pictures. my friend and i were like, "what the heck?!?" apparently, it's some high officials plane, so yeah, people got excited. on the flight, we sat next to a bunch of european hicks who just wouldnt shut up and they practically giggled the entire flight. they were clapping their hands after we landed... everyone thought they were nuts.

so far, it seems pretty nice here. our hostel is located at a quiet neighborhood, i hope b/c we are always awakened by garbage trucks- if not that, then something else. they come and pick up garbage at the most insane times. our hostel is pretty nice. it's a private room w/ twin beds and a private bathroom with tv and internet port. it feels like a hotel. maybe i wish we're staying here longer, since we only have 2 full days here and then we head for paris. cant believe the trip is near its end...

alright, i'll write what happens tomorrow. to all, a good night or good day. =)

leaving rome, and flying to barcelona

2008-06-11T05:34:00.002-04:00

another nice day yesterday, so i was in the mood to go to the vatican museum and i went. glad i went, i also went to see the sistine chapel. wow!! the artwork, sculptures, displays and interior decorations were all very amazing!! im just in awe of all the dedication that all the artists put in. the sistine chapel was absolutely amazing. they didnt allow photographing or videotaping and even talking but it was so funny that no one really listened and they had to make the message clear through the PA in all different languages. and still, no one listened. i managed to take a few pictures inside the chapel. NICE!!

i also visited the saint angelo castle yesterday, took a boat tour up and down the tiber river. i fell asleep b-c i was so tired...yesterday was hot too and they finally turned on the AC inside the bus! i cant believe im leaving rome today. if i got myself a bus map, i think i would've gone more places but i did walk a lot and saw a lot. i'd like to come back and visit again in the future.

i'll update again when im in barcelona!!!

one day in florence, then back in rome

2008-06-09T07:03:00.002-04:00

i took a day trip to florence yesterday. it was a very nice little town and the architecture is great! i wished i stayed there longer b-c i was only able to see one museum- the Uffizi, museum of renaissance paintings. i actually stood on line for an hour to get in, how crazy is that?! i would definitely love to return to florence for longer stay...i didnt even get to go inside the churches b-c yesterday was sunday and they were holding services. i wanted to go to this particular restaurant but it started raining and i was practically the only idiot walking around in the pouring rain. i didnt find the restaurant, so i ended up going somewhere near the train station.

museums close on mondays, so im doing laundry and im online...ya. after this, im going to take another tour in areas of rome that i havent visited yet- the aventine hill and the circus max. (please disregard my spelling). tomorrow will be the st. angelo museum and the roma national museum. i stopped by the st. peter's basilica this morning- the architecture is great but i lost interest in the vatican city. i'll go back another time with my friends.

rome

2008-06-07T04:02:00.002-04:00

yay!!! im finally in rome! it's actually really nice here. the weather played out nice, as it started raining in vienna. getting a cool breeze and the sun is out, loving it! anyway, i had an ordeal at the airport. my friend and i checked-in our bags together but when we got to rome, my bag was still in vienna while my friend got hers. i was pretty annoyed b-c i'd have to waste another day retrieving my baggage. anyway, it worked out okay. went to the airline service desk, my bag got sent overnight and the next day, they actually delivered my bag to my hostel. i hope my bag doesnt go missing in the next 2 flights w-in europe. it's such a hassel...

anyway, did a lot in the last days. went to see the piazza navona, campo de fiori, pantheon, monumento a vittorio emanuele II, ancient rome (forum)+collessum (i apologize for spelling errors) and fountain trevi (threw the coins for you, AJA)- but i think i threw the coins the wrong way, so im going back today and throw more coins in the fountain, hehe. im planning a day trip to florence tomorrow, looking forward to that.

my hostel is pretty far from the internet cafe, so i wont be posting much. what else?? im having a really time here, i look forward to seeing more. sorry im unable to post pictures...that'll have to wait. ciao!!

the ringstrasse, vienna

2008-06-03T17:12:00.010-04:00

vienna is famous for its ringstrasse (the ring) which was built in the late 1860-70s, after austria was liberated and wanted to create a city similar to paris, full of arts and culture- a "cultural self-projection" as they call it. the plan of the ringstrasse was an inverted baroque style. instead of having a city that radiates out in radial shape, vienna is horizontal and linear, where all the great buildings are mainly located at the ringstrasse. "monumentality" was the architectural theme of the beautification of vienna, which architects used historical architectural details and modern materials, glass and iron. the following pictures show some of the famous buildings that gave ringstrasse its name.

back of the hofburg (the imperial palace) used to be a theater but now houses many museums

front of hofburg

entrance to the hofburg which leads to the current local austrian public library

the parliament

looking at the rathaus (town hall)

walking in the colonade of the rathaus

votivkirche (votiv church)

vienna, austria

2008-06-02T14:24:00.002-04:00

we're finally in vienna, yeah!! although prague was beautiful, we were dying to leave there b/c both of us got sick from the food and spent a good amount of time in bed. anyhow, our hostel wasnt too difficult to find and it's actually the best one we've stayed so far. our room is located in an apartment- inside has several rooms too and everyone shares a small kitchen. it has a great and the best shower! hopefully, we dont get too much noise from the streets... my gosh, last night, we thought we could get a good night sleep but Nooooo... the cleaning guys came into the courtyard and power-washed the walls of another building and garbage cans, starting at 5am! and for whole freaking 3 hours!! many ppl in the hostel were awake and were complaining about the noise. anyway, i look foward to the sights tomorrow. i wished we were staying in vienna for an extra day. so far, i like this city and im really enjoying the room we're staying in. i would definitely recommend to anyone who plans to come to vienna. the hostel is close to the metro system and i dont think it's far from the center. i'll write more later... ich liebe vienna.

prague castle

2008-05-31T14:52:00.013-04:00

i went to see the prague castle today. it was WOW!! i crossed over the charles bridge and walked up to the castle. along the way, i went inside the st. nicholas church, very nice. i loved all the intricate designs on the columns, arches, mosaic glass- beautiful!! i felt like i was back in time but of course, the amount of tourists bring me back to reality. anyhow, it's been hot these several days...i already have a tan. inside the church was cool...i didnt even want to leave.

the flying monkey (j/k)

charles bridge, packed with people and vendors. i actually got a really pretty necklace here, handmade.

uhm, yeah... i saw this... would you want to kiss the hairy guy in the back?? what a sale?!

inside st. nicholas cathedral

inside st. vitus cathedral

outside of st. vitus cathedral

inside st. vitus cathedral

the lucky horse inside the national gallery at the prague castle. visitors are not allowed to touched anything inside the gallery- that's a given but the security guard checked that no one was around and told me to touch the horse's nose for good luck. i was confused when he told me to do so but i did it. he was a nice man.

pictures from prague

2008-05-31T05:41:00.003-04:00

the internet is kinda slow here, so im only posting a few pictures...

pictures from Berlin

2008-05-31T05:26:00.005-04:00

the pictures came out pretty nice, without flash, too!! =)

prague, czech republic

2008-05-29T15:34:00.002-04:00

wow! im in prague... first of all, i noticed while on the train, the east and west has pretty big difference, of course in its architecture. a lot of the buildings in the east or was in the hands of the former soviet union look pretty dilapidated, which is sad. however, there are still many of the "european" styles of architecture, all derived from the architectural past. first day here was... confusing and messy. there were a lot of people. actually, i should mention about the train to prague. we rode on an older version of the deutsch bahn (german train), so the ventilation wasnt great. each time the glass doors opened on the train, (we sat at the end of the car) there were swooshin sounds like some guy was spraying lysol to freshen up the toilet- yeah, anyway... i thought czech stuff was cheap but not at all and perhaps be more expensive than expected b/c they practically survive on tourism. the streets here can be narrow and it took us pretty long to find the hostel b/c the entrance was located w/in a courtyard on this tiny and narrow street. so we planned to do laundry once we arrived and the guy from the hostel directed us... OMG! we spent almost one freaking hour finding the laundromat, walking in circles and again, the laundromat was located in the small alley. by the time we got there, the stores were closing...so yeah. now, food...stores are closing...we ended eating at a japanese restaurant not too far from the hostel. prices were similar to NY so i didnt miss anything... i look forward to seeing the sites but at the same time, i cant wait i leave. i guess im not too fond of prague or maybe i'll change my mind in the next 2 days. i feel lost here, maybe b/c i dont understand their language. funny thing is... there are a lot of tourists here but many of the czechs dont seem to speak english. there are a lot of asians here too. i didnt even see that many at the last several places i stayed at. so, we'll see....

almost forgot! we almost missed the train to prague this morning. we made a mad dash from the city metro to the train platform (2 flights down in the same building) but fortunately, the train was 20 mintues late. whew!!

last night in berlin

2008-05-28T15:54:00.002-04:00

the 'z' is Y and the 'y' is Z

we had beautiful weather todaz! we started the daz bz taking the cruise down the river that passes through berlin (shame on me for not knowing...i'll revise that later, anzwaz) and saw both modern and historic buildings, verz beautiful and took mz pictures. i havent uploaded pictures b-c im at an internet cafe and onlz have limited time... so it was an hour tour on the river, with the nice breeye, couldnt be better!! afterwards, we took the metro train and went outside of berlin to potsdam where thez have a verz large park with beautiful palaces and churches. it was built bz the wilhem fredrich (sorrz if i get mz historz wrong, again..i'll correct it later b-c i dont have all the info w- me, but zou can certainlz google it zourself- google 'san soucci potsdam') built it as a 2nd home for literature and arts. we rented bikes and rode through half the park... OMG!! i havent ridden a bike in the longest time and thought i forgot but i didnt... we did have crappz bikes and im usuallz too short for the bikes... anzwaz, i was practicallz relearning how to ride a bike... freaking ran into a tree b-c the path got reallz narrow and i was at the edge of the road. im sure pass-bzers were laughing at me and then later, i ran into a freaking pole b-c i was trzing to avoid another biker. i felt like a fool but good thing was that i learned how to jump off the bike before i injured mzself. anzhow, since i havent biked in so long, im going to be sored tomorrow, what fun!! im so exhausted but i had a great daz! loved the breeye, loved the sun and loved the views. if i have internet access at prague, i will upload some pictures. im ending it here.. good night!! oh, im leaving for prague tomorrow.

Kassel, then Berlin, Germanz

2008-05-25T13:46:00.002-04:00

Hello! I'm in Berlin, Germanz and im having trouble with the german kezboard b-c there are too manz extra letters and iäm being time for using the internt, so disregard the spelling. anzwaz, i had a great time in kassel. i saw mz friends. we watched jesus christ superstar in kassel. i thought it was in german but it was in english (didnt understand much of it b-c of their accents) so i started reading the german subtitles. we stazed in the countrzside bc mz friend lives out there. we saw manz green trees and smelled cow manure. we went sunbathing on the grass in this big open field, next to a stream. the sun was out! absolutelz relaxing!!

todaz, we took the train from kassel to berlin. berlin has verz interesting architecture, a combination of old and modern stzles. our hostel wasnt hard to find. the transit szstem is verz convenient but there are manz connections that require going up and down. wasnt fun for us b-c we had to drag our luggages up and down. anzhow, we live in the east berlin area. our room is absolutelz beautiful, high ceilings and big windows. i didnt bring mz cable and pictures with me, so i cant post pictures.

tomorrow, we will go on a free tour. (the museums close on mondazs here) and then the next two dazs, we will wander around. we are planning to visit the jewish and holocast museums.

please disregard mz bad spelling. the 'z' replaces the letter 'y' - alright, time to get going. i will update again when i have the chance! gutten tag!!!

2nd day in Amsterdam

2008-05-21T02:03:00.004-04:00

Goodness! how many times do they clean the streets here?! this morning, man w/ the water power hose walked through our street 3 times! it sounded like a large rolling garbage truck or something. we're off to go on a tour today and take more pictures...

oh, i found out that the noise this morning was the many electric scooters passing through the street we stayed in. damn, they were LOUD!! anyway, we walked around A LOT, passing through the red district and chinatown. we also rode several different trams and got to see the outer parts/suburbia of amsterdam, which was interesting. the suburbs were mostly housing, brick buildings with various kinds of facades. what i loved most was the metal work on balconies; there were many beautiful designs. we passed by the "dam square" many times today and of course, that was the former forum of the town, which was surrounded by classical buildings. we had red wine, more cheese with fruits, bread and sweets. YUM!!

Amsterdam, the Netherland

2008-05-20T12:18:00.003-04:00

British Airways is a very nice airline, very comfortable, at least for the long flights. We landed in London at like 3AM NY time and waited for another 2 hours for the transfer flight to Amsterdam. It's very nice here. The sun is out and there is a nice breeze. We saw a lot of bicycles- everyone's almost fighting for the street. We basically walked around and saw really nice shops. We bought food from the supermarket (variety of stuff) and chEEse and fanta. so far, so good...looking forward to see more. oh! as we flew into amsterdam, i saw wind turbines in the water! that's pretty neat!!

Off to Europa!!

2008-05-17T10:48:00.001-04:00

WOW, how time flies!! I thought school would never end but now that it did, I can't believe it's already Saturday, 2 days before my departure!! Euro-backpacking is something that I've always wanted to do for a long long time. I have been inspired by 2 aunts- Abby who told me, since I was very young, to travel abroad whenever I get the chance and Janet who actually went on the very same trip years ago for 2 whole months! How I wished I could stay longer... I imagine if I stayed there long enough, I would never want to come home! which I don't mind, really. Anyhow, here are the cities my friend, Jai and I will be visiting in the order shown:

Amsterdam
Kassel
Berlin
Prague
Vienna
Rome
Barcelona
Paris
London

We are flying out on Monday night, 5/19 and won't be back until 6/23. Depending on accessibility, I'll be checking my email and updating my blog periodically and hopefully posting some images. I'm very excited!! This still feels a little unreal to me... I'll be like, "OMG, I'm on the plane!!!" I'm off now... love you all! =)

Can't resist babies

2008-05-17T10:07:00.008-04:00

I would like to become a freelance photographer one day, so I'm building my portfolio and also learning from my Canon Rebel XT. I want to thank my friend, Matt and his wife, Kate, for letting me take these beautiful pictures of their gorgeous children. You guys are wonderful!!

My Ninja

2008-05-17T09:29:00.008-04:00

Can't resist taking some cute photos of my turtle. I've been trying to catch him at these rare moments before he shoots off into the water.

Good deeds

2008-04-11T17:15:00.003-04:00

I love my long hair but it is time to donate to Locks of Love... well, I'm also traveling to Europe this summer for 5 whole weeks, so shorter will be more convenient. From now on, I am keeping my hair long.

www.locksoflove.org/

Never judge things by their appearance

2008-04-11T17:09:00.004-04:00

What am I breeding? Doesn't this remind you of something? HAha!!
Well, I love avocados! It is so delicious on bread!

Exploring NYC

2008-03-25T01:17:00.003-04:00

My friend from Germany came to visit me during my Spring Break and here are our pictures:

Chinese New Year Greetings!

2008-02-12T09:17:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late in posting but wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!!

New Year's Eve 2007

2008-01-02T23:25:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! =)

Global Warming

2007-12-09T21:15:00.000-05:00

This is funny but true...

At the bar...

2007-11-17T23:01:00.000-05:00

Canon A540

Warriors' Naadam - The Silver Horde

2007-10-26T23:44:00.000-04:00

Naadam is the Mongolian word for a festival type of holiday, with the connotation of sport or play... The Silver Horde is a group of friends with a common interest in Mongol history and culture...

My friends are members of the Silver Horde and I joined them in their Mongolian fest.

The Silver Horde - priceless!!

Sorry, didn't turn on the red-eye reduction. You all look so devilish...

Silver Line in Boston

2007-10-26T23:11:00.000-04:00

My class and I took a day trip to Boston and learned more about the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System. Their BRT line is called the "Silver Line." We got to ride on the bus and experienced the efficiency, reliability, and convenience of BRT. When we departed, they gave us really nice gifts!!

Doesn't this look like a train station? But it's not! It's BRT!

BRT buses have both forward and backward seating. This is an articulated bus with two additional exit doors.

BRT uses advance technology - smartcards are finally used! BRT system also uses transit signal priority to expedite its travel, enabling efficiency, reliability and convenience.

This is an underground BRT station.

Our complementary gift. We received additional miscellaneous toys but I like this the most.

Ecotheology

2007-10-02T21:37:00.000-04:00

"...[T]o commit a crime against the natural world is a sin. For humans to cause species to become extinct and to destroy the biological diversity of God's creation; for humans to degrade the integrity of Earth by causing changes in its climate, by stripping the Earth of its natural forests, or destroying its wetlands; for humans to injure other humans with disease; for humans to contaminate the Earth's waters, its land, its air, and its life, with poisonous substances; these are sins."

Humans should stop being so anthropocentric and androcentric (which is the real problem).

From Baghdad, With Love...

2007-09-26T21:31:00.000-04:00

I recently finished reading this book about a Marine who found an abandoned puppy when his and his team went to search inside a deserted house in Fallujah. It was an extremely touching story. No matter how crazy the world is, there are little living creatures out there, in this case - "Lava" (the dog in the story) is so innocent and he brings humans back to sanity. I'm so glad that Lt. Col. Kopelman and Lava are reunited back in the States.

http://www.jaykopelman.com
Lava YouTube Video

NYC Night lights

2007-09-24T08:40:00.001-04:00

These pictures were taken with my Canon Rebel XT, using programmed settings, no flash and self-timer. I have trouble steadying my hands as I waited for the shutter to close, plus the wind didn't help much as I sat on the railings at a friend's roof deck.

Just sharing cute images...

2007-09-23T23:14:00.000-04:00

If I had this puppy, I would name her "Panda."

Getting started

2007-09-22T17:24:00.000-04:00

Wow! This blogspot appears nicer than Xanga. I will attempt to update it often as I am now running full mode in the course of school...We are currently learning about the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system which is defined as a "flexible, rubber-tired rapid transit mode that combines stations, vehicles, services, running ways, and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) elements into an integrated system with a strong positive identity that evokes a unique image." We are working on a proposal to implement the BRT system in the city of Newark, NJ.