day 109: now that's a handful

01.29.10 (posted 01.31.10) - today was my last full day in washington, dc. it was great to spend time with friends and i am ever so grateful to my buddies, s+s, for opening up their home to me. they are the most hospitable and gracious hosts. i've been to washington, dc plenty of times for work but this is the first time that i really felt i got to know the city from an insider's point of view. i owe that all to s+s.

i also got an opportunity to hang out with two colleagues that i used to work with. one colleague is now in seattle and participated in the same conference that i came here for. the other moved to dc last summer to attend grad school at howard university. this evening we had a chance to catch up over yummy ethiopian food at dukem restaurant in the u street corridor neighborhood. i love ethiopian food... it's flavorful and meant to be eaten communally. the best and most fun part i think is that you get to eat it with your hands!

day 108: just like riding a bike

01.28.10 (posted 01.29.10) - it's my third day in dc. i've gotten to know union station very well over the course of the last few days. here's a picture i snapped of bike racks that are near one of the entrances. right across from these racks is a humongous bikestation that houses over 100 bikes in a 1,600 sq. ft. glass and steel building that resembles a leaf. turns out my hometown also has its own (albeit smaller) version of the bike-transit center.

day 107: my language, my awakening

language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts 
run and out of which they grow.

~ oliver wendell holmes

01.27.10 - i'm staying at my friends' apartment in the dupont circle neighborhood in washington, dc for a few days. they live in the most charming building which happens to be on the national register of historic places. there have been a number of famous and notable people that have lived here including, betty friedan (feminist author), george stephanopoulos (the white house staffer turned television correspondent), and former president dwight d. eisenhower. wow. just wow!

besides being awestruck by their building, i absolutely love their apartment from the historic details to the cozy feeling with the warm tones of their furniture, decor, and painted walls. one unique thing i noticed off the bat were these little post its my buddy s had throughout the place. she is a linguist extraordinare and speaks 5 languages. she's now learning another one, marathi and the post its are of common phrases. i'm extremely impressed (and envious) of her ability to pick up and learn new languages.

day 106: last guy standing

01.26.10 (posted 01.27.10) - today i started my crazy travel schedule for the next two weeks. i'm in dc for a few days to attend a conference. on my way to meet up with a friend/colleague, i passed by this lone row house in between two large condo complexes. it reminds me in many ways of the house in the movie, up.  in one of the boarded up windows is a picture of a crow that was spray painted. quite clever i must say. i wonder if this house will eventually be bulldozed. shame if it does.

day 105: blame it on the rain

01.25.10 (posted 01.26.10) - today there was an awful lot of rain that came through nyc. on top of that, it was extremely windy. of course, this had to be the day that the buses weren't running according to schedule and thus i had to make the 11 block trek to the subway. i had a few mary poppins moments with the strong gusts. i can laugh at it now but it was kind of scary being pushed by the wind. my favorite umbrella with the zebra pattern flipped upwards and broke half way through my walk. grrrrr. an unfortunate casualty due to the terrible weather. by the time i got to my office i was drenched and didn't fully dry by the end of the day. sigh. thank goodness, i'm now in my overly toasty apartment.

day 104: and then there was light

01.24.10 - my hubby and i spent a good part of the day prepping the apartment for visitors we are having in a couple of weeks. we have a list of diy projects that we've been slowly getting to but we figured now is a good time as any to get them completed. here's a picture of my hubby putting up a light in the dim nook next to our bedroom. hopefully we can complete the other 7 or more things on that project list before our visitors arrive.

day 103: weep not for the memories

01.23.10 - i attended a funeral this afternoon for k's mother. it was held at the green-wood cemetery in brooklyn, ny. green-wood cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in the country founded in 1838.

the location of the burial site was on a small hill surrounded by several trees. i immediately understood why k's mother wanted this to be her final resting place. i was struck by how absolutely beautiful the grounds were. there are sloping hills and ponds throughout. even though it was winter, the bare trees were stunning. i could only imagine how majestic the place must look in the spring.

k's mother was a phenomenal woman and meant a great deal to many people. i was so moved by the sheer number of people that came -- probably close to 150. such an amazing testament to how much she touch all of our lives. auntie w., may you be at peace now.

day 102: you made me promises, promises

01.22.10 - TGIF. ahhhhhhh. despite having monday off as a holiday, this has been the longest week ever. a lot has happened in just 4 days and i'm drained. just when i thought i had no more energy, i came across another inspirational subway message. someone out there knows that new yorkers need these little reminders. whoever you are -- thank you! carpe diem! 

day 101: do the hustle

01.21.10 - i had a meeting near columbus circle this afternoon so i decided to have lunch with a friend at the time warner center. from the second level is a great view of of the escalators going down to the whole foods market, the loop with columbus' statue, and central park south. it always amazes me when i can take a step back and look at all the hustle and bustle of the city. we look like a bunch of busy worker ants.

day 100: when in doubt, look up

01.20.10 - late last night, i got some very sad news. a dear friend's mother lost her battle with cancer. although i didn't know her very well, i was really stricken by her passing. k's cousin wrote in an email to me that her aunt was the glue to the family. she went on to say that k's kindness, sweetness, and grace were gifts inherited from her mom -- such a beautiful and heartening legacy to pass on. she will be surely missed. 

it was really difficult for me to think of picture that was fitting to how i felt. this is all i could muster up today -- a screen shot of clouds on my computer. 

day 99: if you saw a heat wave, would you wave back?

write while the heat is in you. 

the writer who postpones the recording 

of this thoughts uses an iron 

which has cooled to burn a hole with. 

he cannot inflame the minds of his audience.

~ henry david thoreau

01.19.10 - my post today is more for me to get my mind in gear and to psyche myself to stay motivated for my 365. one day more and i reach my 100th day. sometimes, i feel inspired and have plenty to say about my day, thoughts, and feelings. other times (like today), my mind is on other things like the gazillion responsibilities at my job. whew. i'm also realizing that project 365 is much more than capturing a visual of my day or something that i found appealing; but that many of these photos also evoke how i was feeling at that moment. right now, i'm kind of feeling a little burned out. i'm curious what you all do to keep motivated, creative, inspired.

day 98: the things that bind us together

01.18.10 - happy birthday, martin luther king, jr.! i saw many ways that people commemorated his life and his activism for civil rights. some of my friends participate in a day of service by volunteering their time to various causes. other people quoted his famous speeches as their facebook status or tweets. many also attended events celebrating his life and legacy. as one individual wrote on his twitter, "we are not perfect but I hope we are closer to what you dreamed for us as a country and a people." no truer words. i'm going to keep this entry short and hope the picture and title speak for themselves.

day 97: it's so easy to see, i miss you and me....

01.17.10 - yesterday's beautiful, warmer weather did a complete 180 today. it's wet and cold. ah, so much for a pleasant 3-day weekend. i've been cooped up for much of the day in the apartment. partly due to the weather and partly because i'm exhausted from a long and eventful saturday filled with shopping in the morning and a dinner party that went well into the late night. 

by the time hubby and i finally decided to get out for some fresh air it was already dark. we grabbed some ingredients at the local grocery store for our dinner tonight. while scoping out the dairy aisle, i came across this poor little thing... a single red child's mitten. it was so tiny and probably owned by a child no older than 3 or 4 years old. it's always sad when pairs are separated - people and things. 

day 96: the thrill of the hunt

01.16.10 - my hubby, our best buds, and i woke up at the crack of dawn to make our way to a shopping extravaganza! today is the housing works thrift store warehouse sale in long island city, queens. you pay $20 USD for all-you-can-stuff in a shopping bag of clothing and accessories. many of the items are designer brand and you never know what "treasures" you will find in the numerous bins. there is also a used-electronics section with gadgets that are heavily discounted.

it's our second time attending the event and we had a game plan. i was on a mission for purses and handbags. hubby was looking for jackets. once we were let in. it was every man, women, child for themselves. 

there were all kinds of people attending the event -- a cross section of nyc under one roof. the one thing we had in common is our quest for a deal. we met a bunch of great folks. there were these 3 sisters who came super prepared --- latex gloves, garbage bags, hand sanitizer, and a tenacity unmatched for heavy discounts. we also met 2 friends that own a consignment/second-hand store in alexandria, virginia who happen to be in the city this weekend. they found some amazing pieces and are going to make a killing reselling these clothes and bags at their store. then a guy who exclaimed with glee when finding the perfect jacket, "it was meant to be!", as he raised his arm with utter exuberance. go, bargain hunters, go! 

after 10 minutes, you couldn't even walk because there were piles and piles of clothes strewn about the floor. you either had to dig through it or walk over the piles to find another spot to sift through. what a sight! 

about $80 USD later, hubby and i walked away with some amazing finds. i ransacked the bag bin and got handbags from valentino, cole haan, roots, and narciso rodriguez. my buddy, r, snatched a cute purse that we later found out was gucci! my other friend, e, got a photo printer for $2 USD!!!! on top of that, we all got tons of sweaters, tops, blazers, scarfs, and gloves.  it was such an excellent shopping day and the best part about it is that all proceeds from the warehouse sale goes to housing works. an organization dedicated to serving the homeless and people living with hiv/aids. 

day 95: it's a bird... it's a plane... it's...

01.15.10 (posted 01.16.10) - i went back to work today begrudgingly. i still wasn't 100% but much better than the previous two days. it seems i got a 48-hour bug. and boy... was it pesky... did a number on both my head and stomach. i took it slow today and that seemed to do the trick. by the evening, i was feeling almost back to normal. thank goodness for the long weekend coming up.

here's a picture i snapped through my office's conference room window. the window is long overdue for a cleaning but the dusty glass made for a really interesting layer on the photo. it looks a lot like a comic book illustration -- a nod to superman and metropolis.

day 94: down and out

01.14.10 - i stayed home for the second day in a row. my aches and pains haven't gone away. i still haven't been able to hold down much food and eating only saltine crackers, green tea, and soup. i managed to take a few pictures though. despite my sickness, i'm determined to not miss a photo.

i also spent a good part of the day reading updates about haiti and the rescue and recovery efforts. having grown up in a state where earthquakes are common, my heart goes out to them. while i've experienced some large tremors like the 1994 northridge, california quake, nothing can compare to the devastation experienced in haiti. as the world is eager to provide any aid they can to them at this time, may we continue to do so for the long term as well.

day 93: take 2 and call me in the morning

01.13.10 - not feeling well today. bleh. i went in to work only to immediately go home after an excruciating 2 1/2 hour meeting. i was feeling dizzy, head was pounding, stomach ached, and i wanted my mommy (waaahhhh!). seeing that my mom is 3,000+ miles away in california, my colleague was kind enough to serve as her proxy. thank you, h, for taking the train with me today and making sure i got home in one piece. 

i just woke up a little while ago after a 5 hour nap to get something to eat. i'll probably be crashing again in a few. so, until tomorrow, folks -- hope your day was better than mine. 

day 92: hope is the thing with feathers

hope is the thing with feathers 

that perches in the soul, 

and sings the tune--without the words, 

and never stops at all,

and sweetest in the gale is heard; 

and sore must be the storm 

that could abash the little bird 

that kept so many warm.

i've heard it in the chillest land, 

and on the strangest sea; 

yet, never, in extremity, 

it asked a crumb of me.

~ emily dickinson

01.12.10 - it's been about a week and half since we've started the new year. i've noticed my friends are generally feeling more upbeat, re-energized, and willing to take on new challenges. that's always the wonderful thing that comes with starting a new year or a new chapter in our lives. may this hopeful feeling be around for many more days/weeks/months to come for everyone.

day 91: (not) another manic monday

01.11.10 - on sunday night around 6:00 pm i usually get this uneasy feeling in my stomach. you might know the feeling... you realize you have only a few more hours until your work week begins. big sigh. then, it dawns on you still have a ton of things you had hoped to do during your supposed restful weekend. yeah, that's what happens on most weekends.

however, this monday was different and i actually looked forward to it. i felt pretty confident after having completed by 90th day for project 365 and was ready to take on the remaining 274 days in full force. work was relatively easy going today... easy, as in there wasn't any random work emergency that came up.

i had promised that i would give myself a little treat during my afternoon break so a co-worker and i checked out la maison du chocholat. after 15 minutes, i dropped $18 USD on a cup of the guayaquil hot chocolate and 4 vanilla and coffee flavored macarons. a small fortune on a decadent but much awaited treat. here are pictures i snapped of the beautiful displays and my yummy dessert. i savored every bite and sip... ah... the life.

after work, i had drinks and dinner with friends. lots of laughs and a great way to unwind. now, i'm spending the rest of my night watching the season premiere of "no reservations", one of my favorite shows. if today is any indication of the rest of the week, then bring it on.

day 90: these aren't the droids you're looking for

01.10.10 - i can hardly believe it, folks. day 90 has arrived! woooooohoooooooo!!!! as i mentioned a few posts ago, tomorrow on day 91 i plan to celebrate crossing the milestone and treat myself to a nice, decadent dessert. just thinking about it is making me giddy. 

i'm dedicating this post to jeff golden, who recently completed his project 365. he had a wonderful post days before he was about to finish his 365 about his thoughts and reflections of the past year. i asked him how he kept motivated and jeff gave me some great advice. he said, "for me, on days where i wanted to stop i just shot something silly to keep going." 

i remembered jeff's words today and snapped a picture of my humidifier (yes, my humidifer. you read that right). this little gadget always brings a smile to my face. when my hubby brought it home from bed, bath, & beyond i couldn't believe what i saw. "it looks like r2-d2!", i told him. he says he got the best humidifer recommended by pavel, bbb's resident humidifier expert. sure... and it probably didn't take much convincing from pavel since hubby is a big star wars geek. hahaha.

so here's to being silly! thanks jeff for reminding me to keep this project fun! 

day 89: cooking up a storm

01.09.10 - whew! i just spent the last couple hours in the kitchen cutting, dicing, chopping, frying, boiling....... i'm making braised beef with mushroom and potatoes for a dinner party tonight. crossing my fingers it'll be tasty!

day 88: marvelous darling, simply marvelous

01.08.10 (posted 01.09.10) - today i bid adieu to another co-worker. wishing you well, y! on the way home from the farewell party, a bunch of us decided to check out the target in downtown brooklyn since we were in the area. my co-workers stocked up on home goods and snacks. i on the other hand went trolling for pictures in the mega-store. here's a picture i snapped of two pieces from the rodarte for target line. the first thing that popped in my head was "meooowwww". hehe.

day 87: messages in motion

01.07.10 (posted 01.09.10) - i've been noticing a bunch of scribbles along columns, pipes, and overhangs on my train route. these are posted in the most unassuming places. busy commuters would probably not even notice them unless they were standing right next to one. here's a few i found along the n, w line. i'll try to make a game out of it and hunt for other little random thoughts tagged throughout the subway platforms and exits.

day 86: coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with

he was my cream, and i was his coffee -

 and when you poured us together, it was something. 

~ josephine baker

01.06.10 - this week has been tough. i think my time off has really affected my sleeping pattern. every morning i have fallen asleep on the train! thankfully, i haven't been too knocked out that i've missed my transfer or my stop. the frigid weather doesn't help either. all i can think about is crawling back into my warm bed. good thing for a cup 'o joe. here's a picture i snapped at my favorite neighborhood diner. they serve the best brew in town in my humble opinion. 

day 85: sometimes i get sideswiped

01.05.10 - it's only tuesday and i'm bogged down at work already. sigh. all i could think about this morning while i was waiting for the train was my to-do list. as what usually happens, something shook me from my pre-occupation and i got a flash of inspiration.

it's funny. every since i started this project i'm starting to look at the world with a whole new light. even the most mundane thing like traveling to work has become more interesting. here's a couple of shots i took of sights along my route.

day 84: a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

01.04.10 - i thought i would dedicate this post to all my new photographer friends i met through the amazing flickr group, shutter sisters 365. i think one of the biggest challenges to completing a project 365 is to stay motivated, inspired, and disciplined. i have to admit that this is my second attempt at this. i tried in 2008 and failed after a miserable 2 weeks. i was determined that if i ever decided to do it again i would see it to completion. (and i will... mark my words. ha!)

i heard the success rate is pretty slim for most project 365-ers with the majority of projects ending around month 3. i'm 6 days shy of 90 days... the make it or break it day. when i hit my 91st day, i think i need to acknowledge that milestone somehow. maybe i'll treat myself to a dessert or something. hehe. eh, anything to keep me going, right?

it's only been 7 days since the shutter sisters 365 group was created. since i joined, i met some really awesome photogs out there that i probably wouldn't have otherwise. like bklynphoto who is also another nyc photoblogger (hello fellow new yorker!), Dr Lindy who lives in the most picturesque town and whose snow photos puts my city snow shots to shame (ah, beautiful landscapes), and jill_murray from across the atlantic in belfast, north ireland who does spectacular processing that gives her pictures a yummy vintage/retro feel. there's also an honorary "shutter sister", si 1966, a father from berkshire, united kingdom. he's a project manager by day and a photographer by night (and of course all other times as well).

a few of my friends have also begun this journey as well. here are their photoblog (third hundred sixty days of photos) and flickr pages (365 Days for 2010 and Project365). for some it's their first time and others another attempt to see it through to the end. then, there is you are my canvas, a photoblog run by my super talented buddy and '365+ photog hero', p. he's been posting daily pics for years now. i'm just trying to get through this year!

i'm looking forward to growing, learning from, and being inspired by all these photographers and many others. keep clicking/snapping/shooting!

day 83: working on my 6 pack

01.03.10 (posted 01.04.10) - it's been exactly 18 days since i started my "stay-cation". i spent the first few days of my time off running around catching up on errands that i'd been neglecting for weeks like painting and decorating my apartment, organizing and purging, as well as completing all the other holiday-related tasks and usual chores.

i finally got a chance to relax starting a couple days before christmas. i've been savoring every moment of it and will do so especially today since it's my last day off. it's been such a treat to not wake up to an alarm clock, meet deadlines, sit through meeting after meeting and conference call after conference call, write up reports, etc. this past week i got a chance to do things i love but never feel i have enough time for such as visit a museum, catch up with family and friends, watch a movie, and of course... enjoy my favorite hobby, photography.

i think we, americans, need to reconsider our vacation policies for employees. i have a pretty generous one which gives me 25 days in a year. however, i know others that are lucky if they get 12 days. compare that to other countries and we look like workaholics. time off from work i believe shouldn't be a luxury but absolutely necessary to feel renewed, reinvigorated, and creative.

i woke up this morning. brewed a large pot of coffee, made some french toast, and enjoyed my last day of so-called freedom from the grind with my hubby. tomorrow, i'm back to the thick of things.

day 82: together for ever and never to part

01.02.10 (posted 01.03.10) - one of the things i've resolved to do this year is to go on more photo walks. perhaps against my better judgement, one of my best friends and i decided to go on our stroll during one of the coldest days this year. by the time we finished it was 22°F/-6°C with the wind chill and probably colder since at one point we were by the hudson river. 

were we insane? quite possibly yes. i especially began to wonder about our decision half way through our outing. at one point, i couldn't feel my fingers... fingerless mitten-gloves were just not cutting it. i had a hard time talking because my mouth was practically frozen and i started to involuntarily tear up and get nasal drip. my poor buddy was equally in pain. a mess! that's what we were. what can i say? the things we put ourselves through for our photography. 

well, the frigid photo walk did allow us to capture some really great shots. here's one of my favorites from the day. i titled it "forever?".

day 81: dawn of a new era/close of an old time

01.01.10 - i'm always up for a challenge and why not start one on january 1st. i heard about the new year sunrise challenge yesterday and thought i could do this. (saying with my most confident and sarcastic voice) sure, i could get up at the crack of dawn, drag my non-morning person self out of bed, grab one of my 3 cameras and shoot the sunrise. a bunch of photographers both professional and amateurs alike would be doing the same thing as me throughout the world. eh, hard is that going to be?

boy was i wrong. first off, hubby and i didn't get home until past 4:00 am last night... err, morning. however, i was determined that i would wake up before the 7:20 am sunrise anticipated for new york city. my alarm went off at 7:00 am. i got up, assembled my dslr on my tripod, put on my boots, jacket, and scarf. i was ready i tell you. then, something occurred to me. maybe i should survey the area before setting up shop. as i headed out my front door, it hit me. it was cloudy and where the sun usually rises was kinda... well, blah... no glowing orange rays... nothing. frustrated, i decided to log on to google earth to see how long i had for this picture. according to it, i had until 8:15 am or so. hmmm... how can i possibly take an awesome shot with all these clouds and no access to a roof or balcony? grrrr.

i had about given up and decided that maybe i would just take a walk and go to the neighborhood drugstore instead. i ditched the dslr and grabbed my iphone instead with little hope to capture the sunrise moment. so there i was walking for about two blocks and when i turn the corner i start to see a faint hint of yellow on the horizon. can it be? i literally followed the light and after almost making a full circle back to my street there it was... the sunrise. yes, the sky was cloudy but the sun was there. i quickly grabbed my iphone and took a few shots.

now i was feeling ambitious. i had decided i couldn't stop there. i would also attempt to capture the first sunset as well. here's two of the shots of my sunrise/sunset adventures.

wishing you all a happy new year! come on teens. bring it on. i'm ready for ya.

day 80: so long farewell, auf weidersehen good-bye

12.31.09 (posted 01.01.10) - can you believe it? it's the last day of 2009 and the "(n)oughts". wow. in a few hours we start not only a new year but another decade.

for the past couple of weeks i've been viewing and reading retrospectives. the one that struck me the most was a photo montage compiled by the boston globe of 50 photos of the past 10 years. (warning: some images displayed on the montage include graphic content). what a mix of emotions i had after seeing them and recalling how i felt when i first heard about these events. this has been a extremely somber and often times devastating decade.

in many ways, i think i truly grew up these past 10 years. it's been significant in so many ways. i moved from the only place i knew as "home" to settle 3,000 miles in a new city. i started my first "real" job and worked my way up the career ladder. i got married to my long time boyfriend and we began our new lives together. i survived one of the most horrific events in the u.s. in its recent history. i learned and explored new interests, hobbies, and was given a chance to explore new parts of the world i only dreamt of visiting in the past. 

with these ever constant changes in my life, perhaps i am not surprised that 2009 turned out the way it did. this was a particularly difficult year for me and many of my family and friends. many were laid off or had their hours cut, struggled to keep up with their bills, health turned for the worst, or lost loved ones.

i used to joke that everything was going swimmingly until "mj" (michael jackson) died and then everything was downhill from there. really though... in all seriousness... the world was in a bad funk this year and negative jujus/vibes/aura/energy seemed to permeate in every crevice of the universe. 

however, what 2009 and most importantly what the 2000s has taught me is that amidst all this devastation one cannot discount humanity's perseverance and resilience. during great times of lost, it's always interesting how things come into perspective and we redefine what is truly important in our lives.  

so as we close the chapter on this year and decade, let's be thankful for what we do have and cherish the happy memories. cheers to a new beginning, new opportunities, new thinking, and new hope.

here's a couple of pictures i thought captured my feelings of the day. first is my hubby walking back to our apartment and the second one is of my lovely friend, kina. 

day 79: how sweet it is to be loved by you

12.30.09 (posted 01.01.10) - ever since the blizzard two weeks ago, there's been this lingering, bitter cold that simply isn't going away any time soon. it's gotten me to be very reflective with only two days left of the year. i think it's a perfect metaphor for how 2009 for so many people has been particularly stinging. however, with all the ups and downs that 2009 has brought, overall i'm thankful... thankful for many things, especially the loved ones that around me.