Daling Photography

«Jess | Musician Portraits»

2011-10-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

A gorgeous autumn day like today was a perfect day for outdoor portraits, and that's exactly what Jess and I did. We went to Larz Anderson Park in Brookline and spent a morning there enjoying the fresh autumn scenery at different parts of the park while having a relaxing time experimenting with different styles and poses. The outcome was a success. I'm really satisfied with the result! A productive and satisfying day indeed for me as I got to practice my photo taking skills once again.

2011-09-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

Rebekah Alexander is having yet another recital, this time the songs she's presenting are featuring only French composers with the collaboration of Molly Wood on piano as well as her own brother Joel Alexander on percussion. It's going to be a very exciting and satisfying recital I'm sure. So if you're in town, please come participate in this unique opportunity for a taste of Paris.

We were working on the promo materials earlier this month, and this is what we came up with as the final product!

11X17 poster

4X6 postcards
(back)

(front)

Toronto

2011-08-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

50 year anniversary in the Chinese tradition is called the "Golden Marriage". I have the privilege of going to Toronto, Canada for such a dinner event which celebrates it.
Friends and family of this senior couple came from all around the world for this joyous occasion. I am very glad to be a part of it too and also to be able to witness their 50 years of love for each other that is still going strong. Cheers to this wonderful, God-fearing "young" couple. May their love last another 50 years!!!

«NATALENE | BAPTISM»

2011-04-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

It was Easter Sunday, it was the day when Natalene from Highrock Brookline got baptized. This was not just the safe, warm, indoor type of baptism, this was the hard-cord, outdoor, NT-style baptism. It was at Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. The weather was warm that day, around high 50's to low 60's, but the water was undoubtedly cold still from the whole winter of iciness. This "chilling" experience must be one to remember not just by Natalene, but by our pastor, Dan. ^^
We were there to witness this joyful moment. Her testimony brought many to tears.

We're so happy for you Natalene!

If you haven't heard, I recently became a mommy! My daughter Sophie, two months old, was the youngest witness of that baptism, even though she slept through the whole thing. ;)

«BENEFIT CONCERT FOR THE CHILDREN OF NEPAL»

2011-01-19T18:30:00.000-08:00

The time has come for another benefit concert by Rebekah Alexander. The last one she did was a year ago titled Variation on a Woman's Life, for cancer research. This time, she's on a mission to raise money for the orphans in Kathmandu, Nepal through an organization called Hope for Nepal.

Last week, I had the privilege of being asked to design the advertisement materials for her again.
And I am happy to announce that the final products have been born.

Here is the poster:

Here are variations for the postcard designs. I personally like the first and forth version, but Becki preferred the third one. So third one it is going to be sent for printing!

The back side of the postcard:

«HAO-MING + MAELYNN | WEDDING»

2010-12-26T16:56:00.000-08:00

It was Christmas Sunday in Boston. It was snowing. It was the most romantic winter day to have a wedding – at our church. There's not much that needs to be said. The wedding was simple, elegant and heartwarming!

«HAPPY THANKSGIVING»

2010-11-30T09:45:00.001-08:00

«VICTORIA + JASMINE»

2010-10-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

You guessed it! They're twins. They can steal your heart in an instant. Gentle, kind, sweet, well behaved, considerate and smart...there can't be any more prefect girls to be found. As my privilege, these girls are also my piano students, who actually practice, at the age of 5. Wow! Can they be more angelic? Yes! If you get to hear their soft voices, they will melt your heart away completely.

«HAPPY AUTUMN»

2010-10-01T05:26:00.000-07:00

Fall in upon us. The New England leaves are changing colors.
Tim and I went to an apple/pumpkin farm with friends the other day for some apple picking and cider donuts. Yummmmm.
For some other parts of the country, the temperature is still in the 90's. Wow, hang in there. (my fellow Californians!)

«JAYAN, NISHA & JOSHUA | FAMILY PORTRAIT»

2010-08-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

On a sunny Saturday morning, we headed to Larz Anderson Park in Brookline for some fun time and family photo shoot. Joshua was turning 2 years old very soon. How exciting right! I love this adorable family.

AMY + RORY | WEDDING

2010-08-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of documenting my college friend Amy's marriage to her love, Rory. First of all, the drive from LAX to Temecula, CA was AMAZING! I highly recommend taking HWY 74. The view on that highway was absolutely breathtaking. So you can well imagine how beautiful the wedding was. Amy is the cutest girl I've ever met. Everything about her has cuteness written all over it. The wedding that she planned was full of charm and Amy-ness. I just loved it! It was also fun for me to catch up with college friends whom I haven't seen in a long while. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Amy for hiring me as her wedding photographer and trusting me to do this important task on her most special day. Happiness forever to her beautiful marriage!
Lastly, enjoy the pictures! ^_~

«EMI+TAKESHI | ENGAGEMENT SESSION»

2010-07-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to announce that my college best friend Emi is getting married! She and I go wayyyyy back. I am honored to be able to document Emi and Takeshi's love for one another on a gorgeous sunny day in Irvine, CA. They bring out the best in each other through the love of Jesus Christ. They're committed to serve God and people as one. I couldn't be happier for them – a match made in heaven. ^_^

A quick outfit change, and we were really for the some more

«VBS»

2010-07-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

«PLYMOUTH, MA»

2010-07-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

July 4th weekend.

«PORTRAIT | BROOKE»

2010-07-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

Town center, Plymouth, MA

«CHILDREN'S PORTRAIT | TABITHA»

2010-07-01T17:22:00.000-07:00

«CASTLE ISLAND»

2010-06-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

Castle Island, Pleasure Bay on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in June.

«ANOTHER WEEKEND»

2010-06-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

Another weekend is almost here. We'll get to see old friends from California. We might eat something nice. We might go some place unique.

Tim made this for me at work. I am happy that he thought of me when I wasn't around. But on weekends, he's all mine.

«HAPPY WEEKEND»

2010-06-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

To a warm, sunny, relaxing weekend!

«HEATHER+JOSH | WEDDING»

2010-06-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

Harris Ranch, Coalinga, California
May 30, 2010
Flowers: Annie Buran Floral Design

Josh was looking sharp that day.

The beautiful ranch located near Highway 5 in Central California.

Bridal party getting ready,

Heather was such a cute bride.

Awwww, tears of joy >_<.

Beautiful and glowing

I love the expressions of these following pictures:

The lovely girls,

Ceremony

Happy couple

The wedding party

Like dad like son =)

Reception

There were over 2000 pictures taken that night. Though my hands were sore, Tim and I had a blast!

«BOSTON UNIVERSITY-COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS | GRADUATION»

2010-05-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

May 15th, a bright, gorgeous, sunny day. My fellow BU friends celebrated their academic achievements and each graduated in style.
Tim and I attended the graduation ceremony by invitation from our friend Bess, who received her degree in Master of Music.
Thinking back on last year around the same time, I was in the same position, excited, nervous and a little bit uncertain. It was a very special moment in life.

Professors vs. students
Can you figure out which is which? Of course you can...

Here is Linda and Bess, both coming down from the stairs to be seated.

Other friends I've known in the music department graduating with Doctor of Musical Arts.

Alexandra Costin, a distinguished Romanian pianist. We both had Professor Anthony di Bonaventura as our piano teacher.

Elena Lin, DMA in clarinet performance. Besides her hardworking and driven personality, she is a terrific chef in the kitchen. There's nothing this girl can't do. She is now living in San Francisco, engaged to be married.

Yuan-chun Liu, DMA in violin performance.

Linda Lei got her Master of Music Education from online courses through BU from Macau, China. I met her two summers ago when we took two summer classes together on campus. It was during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, so she came over to my house a lot, and we watched many hours of the Olympic events.

Time for Bess to go up.

She looked really happy!

By her request, we went around BU campus and took some more photos while she was still in the cap and gown.

Best wishes to all these capable and beautiful musicians! Also, BU, you rock!!!

«BESS IN RECITAL»

2010-05-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Bess in from Taiwan. She came to Boston University a year after I came. We became good friends in the program. She has a sweet personality and a creative spirit. Even though she came to a whole new country all by herself, she never gave in to any difficulties. Her discipline and diligence has paid off.
I am proud to announce that she has successfully finished her degree recital and is ready to graduate this coming Saturday!

These photos are taken before her recital. Just thought I'd share them with you. ^_~

All the best to my dear friend!

«BECKI'S GROUP»

2010-05-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

Some photos from the benefit concert shoot for Becki and her fellow colleagues.

Becki and Molly are a professional singer and pianist duo.

From the left, Emily (singer), Becki (singer), Molly (pianist), Jess (pianist), and Pei-yeh (pianist).

«BENEFIT CONCERT»

2010-05-03T06:45:00.000-07:00

I've known Becki from our old church. She is an organized, sophisticated, funny and intelligent lady. She also did her graduate degree in Boston University few years before me. She is a professional singer with a magnetic voice.

Recently, she found out that her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. My heart goes out to her family. She is giving two benefit concerts for breast cancer research, one in Boston and one in Indianapolis, her hometown. She asked me to do a photo shoot of her and her guest musicians for this event. I also made a few designs of posters for her concert advertisements. If you are in the area during the May 21st weekend, please come support.

If you happen to be in Indianapolis around May 28th, then the concert is going to be held in the Indiana Historical Society - Basile Theater at 8:00pm.

«BROOKE'S RECITAL»

2010-05-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

By request, I made my dear friend Brooke posters for her recital. The pictures are provided by her husband Ben taken from one of the Longy's practice rooms where Brooke rehearses tirelessly day in and day out.

Brooke really like this one a lot.

«ROCKPORT | Couples Retreat»

2010-04-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

At the retreat (see entry below), we met some amazing couples who honor God in their marriage. Some of them have been married for 40+ years, and they are still very much in love with each other. Tim and I learned a lot from them. Life is not always going to pretty, but having someone to face life together is such a blessing.

Doug and Christine, our wonderful small group leaders

Our topic was "Speaking Truth in Love". At the end of the retreat, each couple made a montage choosing a scripture from Proverbs relating to the topic and with artworks that described how this weekend had spoken to us in special ways.

Luc was few of the babies there at the retreat. He was especially sunny and friendly.

Look at his gorgeous blue eyes. They can melt hearts.

Kris and Laura. Pastor Perkins is the organizer of this retreat.

Ben and Sarah, one of the nicest couples we met.

«ROCKPORT»

2010-04-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

Tim and I spent a weekend in Rockport, MA. A retreat we took, away from the city.
We stayed in Emerson Inn by the Sea and got a window view looking right out to the ocean. It was amazing!!!

,

We strode round the Inn early in the morning, and the scenery was absolutely beautiful.

Tim and I sat on those rocks right outside of the inn so many times during the day and just listened to the waves crashing against the rocks. It was the best remedy for stress.

Emerson Inn by the Sea front view

We walked to a fishing pier just to peek around.

On our way back to the inn, we picked which million dollar houses we would like to have in the future. I picked this one. =)

After our afternoon nap, we decided to check out Halibut Point State Park inside Rockport

Beautiful quarry

My dear husband who tirelessly carried my purse when I took pictures with my free hands.

"Look over there!"

Someone's artwork. ^_~

We drove to downtown Rockport when the sun was setting.

On Sunday before we took off, I sneaked a few more shots of the gorgeous inn.

«PIANO RECITAL»

2010-04-16T18:11:00.000-07:00

I've known Wei since the first day of graduate school. I was getting my master degree and she was getting her doctorate. She is fun, energetic, fashionable and optimistic. Recently, she had asked me to make her recital posters this semester. I couldn't be more delighted to have this assignment.

Version 1: Formal

(Photo provided by Wei)

Version 2: She wanted something cute

(Image taken from Charuka©)

«COLORS»

2010-04-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

How is this for some colors of Spring with a twist?

Cheers!

«SOLO»

2010-04-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

Early in the morning, I said goodbye to mom at Logan International Airport. I am now solo again. Time to give the house a good cleaning.

«HARVARD ARBORETUM»

2010-04-04T16:41:00.000-07:00

Harvard University Arboretum once again for Tim and I, and for mom, first time.

The early spring air in the forest was so refreshing and youthful.

Mom was happy to be outside on a gorgeous Sunny day in Boston.

I particularly love this photo of her gentle smile.

I picked a favorite tree during this visit to take a picture of. The way the fog was casting down on the tree branches added to the mysteriousness of the reviving spirit of Spring in this serene spot.

«NANA»

2010-03-30T13:07:00.000-07:00

Nana is 83 years old. She lives in Shanghai, China in a village where she grew up and met her husband in. She never had a chance to learn how to read or write, yet she raised 5 children and several grandchildren in Brunei, Hong Kong, Vancouver and Singapore. She cooks the world's most delicious food ever. But most importantly, she is ALWAYS joyful.

She has so many stories to tell, in her wrinkles, which make her most beautiful in her glorious age.

«WEEKEND ROAD TRIP»

2010-03-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

The temperature today is still low. The wind could still cut through into the bones. However, it doesn't matter, because Spring is here!!!

Tim and I took mom around New England.
First stop: Yale University

Second stop: Narragansett Beach, Rhode Island

Final stop before sunset: Patriot Place, in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Hurray to weekends!

«BLACK AND WHITE»

2010-03-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

A beautiful day with mom in Larz Anderson Park, I think black and white suits today perfectly: snow in the morning, followed by sunshine in the afternoon.

«MOM»

2010-03-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

My beautiful mommy! Photo taken in Franklin Zoo, Boston.

«NEW WEEK»

2010-03-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

Another week has come around, and the rain has also came back. Mom is flying in tomorrow morning! I hope Boston will be nice to her and show some sunshine during her visit. ^^

«FINALLY»

2010-03-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

Finally the rain stopped and the sun came out today. Oh, I can't tell you how good that made me feel this morning! Everybody came out of hibernation.

I had lunch and afternoon tea/coffee with Bess. Isn't she just gorgeous? The sun was hitting from a perfect angle into the coffee shop. I love this picture of her!

This one, I let the light bounced off the lens directly. It created a totally different affect. Oh can I just say again that today was SUCH a gorgeous day?

After our little cozy tea hour, we went to meet these lovely couples for an afternoon tour around town.

They are too cute! ^^

And a nice day was made even better with ice cream.

Ben and Brooke on the T.
BTW, T stands for "transit" aka subway in Boston. Today though, I saw this poster on the T, and it had a handwritten sentence on it that says, "T stands for terrible". Yup, very inefficient, accident-frequent, unreliable, from the 80's (could be 70's) Boston T. Yay.....not.

Haha, but everybody was in a good mood. Why? Oh yah, because, the sun came up! Ok, I think you get my point. ^_~

«THIS RAIN»

2010-03-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

This rain, not just any other rain, has been pouring for the last 3 days nonstop.
The streets are flooded, Charles River looks just about full. Everything is wet, soaked, drenched.
Hopefully it'll stop soon, so I can take my camera out for a shoot, of spring, in the sun.

«BEAUTIFUL IN-LAWS»

2010-03-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

You've met them few blog entries ahead. you've seen their smiles. You could tell that they're a loving couple just by looking at them. And you're right!

What you can't tell from the pictures is the hardship they endured as a couple for over 30 years. Maybe the wrinkles at the end of their smiley eyes could tell you some stories. That's what marriage is about...you go through life together no matter how tough it may be at times. It's not always going to be the lovey-dovey butterfly-in-the-stomach feeling that Hollywood movies portray, but it's the bond of commitment to love one another in sickness and in health, for richer or poor... These are not just cliche words that you hear at a wedding; it is the way marriage ought to be.

I love my parents-in-law. They are just precious human beings who love their children and love life.

«TIM'S ORCHIDS»

2010-03-11T17:07:00.000-08:00

Tim gave me these for my birthday. They're still alive and well after a week. He said he wanted to get me something more special than roses, and he wanted them to last long. I say, they are just gorgeous, and yes, they last a very long time –– like our love.

«RICHARD + ANGIE» ANYTIME PHOTO SESSION CONT.

2010-03-11T10:37:00.000-08:00

So I am uploading more photos of Richard and Angie. They're just so incredibly beautiful, inside and outside. Tim and I got to spend a weekend with them at their beautiful home in Buena Park, California. Oh, I thought I was living in heaven already. ^_~

Richard, peacefully reading his Bible early in the morning, every morning.

Angie's gaze on Richard was so sweet. It brought me to tears thinking about how much love they shared with one another.

Angie asked me to take a picture of Richard in his favorite chair. She said Richard often would host Bible studies and he would share with the group words of encouragement and about the Scripture...just like that.

Angie by the window on that bright and gorgeous sunny day in Southern California. Isn't she just stunning?

At night, we went out for Chinese food together. Richard wanted to take a picture of Tim and I while I was trying to capture his photo-taking moment. They're so cute. ^^

«WHITE MOUNTAINS»

2010-03-08T10:21:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday, four of us, as a double date, went to the White Mountains in New Hampshire. After the Hong Kong trip, getting out in the wild was exactly what we needed. No buildings, no walls, no neon lights, no advertisements and billboards, just simply nature itself: the sun, the snow, the mountains, the water, the trees, the birds, the rocks. Oh so so different.

Ben is a wildlife biologist, and Brooke is a classical violist. They're so much fun to hang out with. Look at Brooke dipping her entire face into the snow and creating an imprint. The snowman smiley-face on a fork is an art work fashioned by my handsome hubby's creative hands. ^^

We passed by a brook on one of our hikes. Look at how clear that water is. I wanted to touch it and play with the pebbles, but I refrained from doing so thinking that I might contaminate it in some way like how we human beings are destroying this planet we call home. Soon, there won't be anything like the White Mountains for us to enjoy. Everything will be exploited and ruined. It's true. I am usually very optimistic about life in general, but when it comes to this issue, call me a pessimist, but I think sooner or later, we're going to run out of natural resources, and the world might end sooner than we think by chemicals that we created, which will ultimately end up killing us. Have you seen the documentaries that are nominated for the Oscars this year? You really should. After that you can disagree with me if you want to.

So enjoy it while we can, for we don't know if our descendants will get to see it or not. I want to keep these pictures to show my grandchildren what nature is like. Who knows what kind of world they'll be living in when they come around...

Finally, a picture of the love birds. ^^

«PARENTS-IN-LAW IN HONG KONG»

2010-03-05T06:26:00.000-08:00

My father-in-law and mother-in-law at their home in Kawloon, HK during Chinese new year. I made the red Chinese window cutouts for them to enhance the festival atmosphere. Aren't they so cute? They're great parents! Just see who they've raised? Dang~!!! ^^

«RICHARD + ANGIE» ANYTIME PHOTO SESSION

2010-03-02T15:35:00.000-08:00

To the most wonderful couple, Richard and Angie.

Love you two!

«TWO CULTURES»

2010-02-25T17:39:00.000-08:00

West vs. East. Especially during Chinese new year.
From Vancouver to Hong Kong, this is the difference. I've not spent Chinese new year in China since 1995. Wow, that was a long long time. So as soon as we landed in Hong Kong, my eyes brightened. All this RED, everywhere; I mean, EVERYWHERE. Chinese folk songs were playing in supermarkets, malls, restaurants, subway stations at all times. I haven't felt this "Chinese" for a really long while. It was very fun, to say the least. I LOVED it!

In this Westernized globalization phenomena of the post-modern world, to see this pronounced Eastern cultural celebration is really something special. I was glad to be part of this whole atmosphere.

«BOSTON TERRIER»

2010-02-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

Charlie is from Boston. When Al and Katy, our good friends, left Boston, they brought him along as a memory of the time they spent in the city that embraces Charles River, thus the name Charlie. Now he lives in his new home in Pasadena. Tim and I went to visit them, and Charlie watched Super Bowl with us. CUTE CUTE CUTE! ^^

Look at him smile, or yawn...?!?!?! I couldn't tell. ^^

«A's»

2010-02-23T20:15:00.000-08:00

Aimei and I met in Taiwan after 2 years of not being able to see each other since her wedding. She lives in Japan now, and I am all the way on the other side of the globe. But somehow when we met again, it was as if we were living right next town to one another all this time. We talked about anything and everything.
She brought her little one with her – Aina. Aina is such a good baby, so gentle, so very well behaved. She's a dream child.

She ate everything her mom gave her, and she patiently waited for her food after she was done chewing. So cuteeeeee!

Yes, I did try to kiss Aina on the cheek, but her reaction told it all of how she felt about that idea. ^^

«MEMORY2»

2010-02-23T04:23:00.000-08:00

The world moves on even if you don't. Sometimes it's painful to realize, but it is also comforting, because at least there's a force that pulls us forward.

«MELODY IN MY HEART»

2010-02-22T22:47:00.000-08:00

This picture makes me smile.
These two adorable girls are two of my very good college friends. The last time we hung out together at the same spot in LA was 4 years ago. I miss them soooo much. >_<

«MEMORY»

2010-02-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

I want to remember, but mostly, I want to go back...to that time that I once had.

«SUNDAY LEISURE»

2010-02-01T07:11:00.000-08:00

I had a restful Sunday afternoon at home after church where Tim took a nap on the couch and I doodled stuff on the sketch pad. I decided to draw Heather and Josh, the couple whom I shot an engagement session with couple weeks ago. I used a regular black ball point pen for this sketch, and it turned out quite the result that I was looking for–––kind of realistic, but kind of cartoon-like at the same time.

«SHADOW»

2010-01-31T11:29:00.000-08:00

A shadow is an area where direct light from a light source cannot reach due to obstruction by an object. It occupies all of the space behind an opaque object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, or reverse projection of the object blocking the light.

Just want to share with you what I learned about the definition of shadow today from Wikipedia.

Happy Sunday!

«A PLACE TO REMEMBER»

2010-01-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

The reflecting pool was frozen, the air was crisp, the monument stood solemn.
Washington monument in late December night to me is the most beautiful.

«HEATHER+JOSH • ENGAGEMENT»

2010-01-18T09:13:00.000-08:00

I love this engagement session with these two love birds. They were such a joy to work with. These pictures are taken around North End in Boston on a gorgeous winter day.

She is a soprano vocalist, he is a writer. The first time I saw them together was when she sang in a BU concert dressed as a princess, and he flew to Boston to see her performance. He held her and gave her a gentle kiss as she walked out from backstage after the performance. She is his princess from that day forward.

It's been a year since that concert. They're going to be married in May!!!

May God watch over this beautiful couple and bless their marriage ahead.

«COLTS FUTURE CHEERLEADER»

2010-01-14T16:04:00.000-08:00

Simona is a classical violinist. She had no idea who the Colts were. She never watch any football, and she'd care less about any sports. She just saw Tim having the Colts jersey and the helmet on night while having dinner at our house, so she decided to pose in them for me. Haha, she's too funny. I love this picture though. She seems very serious and intelligent, nothing like the real cheerleaders. Haha, no offense.

«NEW YEAR VISITOR»

2010-01-13T06:41:00.000-08:00

Carissa was my college roommate. She came to visit me from Los Angeles. Tim and I threw her a mini party with lobsters for dinner. We also took her around town in the 15F degree weather that weekend. What an adventure! I would have taken more pictures, but my fingers would have been frozen and they would probably snap off if I leave them out in the cold without the protection of my mittens.
So this is all I got right now. I am in hibernation. ^_~

«DC TRIP»

2009-12-30T08:10:00.000-08:00

Ben and Brooke, Tim an I went on a road trip to DC together. We spent 2 nights there. It was brief, but we went there last year and had so much fun, so we decided to do the same this year by staying in the same hotel, eating at the same restaurants...etc. We did go see different monuments and museums which we didn't cover last year. Also I tried to take pictures of different things that I didn't take last time.
So here you are, our nation's capital right after Christmas.

The Union Station

The Postal Museum

The Capital building

The Air and Space Museum

The Natural Science Museum

Washington Monument

Jefferson Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

The White House

The Supreme Court

The Library of Congress

«SEASONS GREETING»

2009-12-24T18:08:00.000-08:00

I went to find Tim after his work to ride the train back home together. Brooke happened to be in downtown too, so we hung out a little bit in Prudential Center and did a little shopping. The Christmas spirit is everywhere. The city is beautifully decorated. I love Christmas!

«COOKIE FACE»

2009-12-23T06:58:00.000-08:00

Cookie Face, yup, that's what I call my new snowman. I made him last night while the wind was calm and the temperature was fairly warm during this time of the year. I used two cookies for his face, and that's where the name came from. Happy holidays everyone!
^_^

«ONE EXAMPLE»

2009-12-15T06:13:00.000-08:00

Funny picture of the day–––a person who does not like getting his pictures taken–––alone.

Waking Up With the First Snow

2009-12-06T04:51:00.000-08:00

Last night we had snow for the first time this year. The wind was fierce, blowing the snowfalls horizontally across the sky. I sat by the window watching as if seeing it for the first time. This is my third winter in the snow, and yet I am still ever so fascinated by its beauty.

This morning, I was woken up by the snow plowers. I realized that the sun is just starting to rise up. As I peek through the blinds, I could see the whole world in front of me covered in a white blanket. How beautiful, I thought, as I inhale a deep breath. God has His way of showing me that He can wipe away all the transgressions of this world. All things are covered in His grace.

Our car, making a grumpy face at me

Can you see the moon still?

From dark to light, the magic of a sunrise ^^

«THANKSGIVING»

2009-11-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving with friends was so much fun.

Playing with dominoes

Yummy food

Best tasting turkey ever made by Brooke and Ben

Wonderful company

It was a wonderful night. We ate so much, and we laughed so much too.
Now for the following days I need to go on diet. =P

«MY FUNNY PICTURE TAKING EXPRESSION»

2009-11-25T08:21:00.000-08:00

Tim took this picture of me taking a picture not of him. ^^

«ARNOLD ARBORETUM in a 50mm lens»

2009-11-23T20:36:00.000-08:00

The photos from the previous entry were taken by a 24-70/2.8, but these three are from Tim's 50/1.8. He is quite talented even though he won't admit it.
He's trying to get me a 50/1.2 =P I want one so bad, but right now our pockets are tight. Or else I would also want a wide angle lens. Now I am just getting greedy. *0*

«ARNOLD ARBORETUM»

2009-11-21T19:21:00.000-08:00

Today is a glorious day in Boston. The temperature is just perfect and the sky is clear. Tim and I decided to go visit the Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum before the winter arrives. It's already too late to catch the fall beauty since the golden leaves have pretty much all fallen to the ground, and the branches look naked. However this post-autumn, pre-winter look has its own charm to it. Well, see it for yourself!

There are several entrances into the Arboretum, and this is from one of them.

The place has all the tress labeled with their names and categories.

We chose to walk on a narrow path off the main road

The radiant sun was so gorgeous, I wish everyday were like today

This tree is so interesting in the way it's peeling off, I just had to take a picture of the phenomenon

Love the red

and the white, like feathers

and lavender, so many colors

and the beautifully clear sky

These leaves are so vibrant that I thought they were fake

Christmas is almost here, don't you want to put ornaments on this tree?

More shots of this glorious day

I personally love this one

The last few leaves left on the brances

and the last bits of flowers

These ones look like star fish crawled up on the trees, or not...

We found an earthworm struggling on the cement, it was trying to tangle itself up for some strange reason

These leaves, according to Tim, felt like paper ^0^

Do you see a bird nest up on the tree?

Walking back to the entrance

Outside the Arboretum in the streets of Jamaica Plain, don't they have the cutest houses?

«FUNNY FACIAL EXPRESSION»

2009-11-20T10:32:00.000-08:00

My lovely cousin! Hehe, when she talks to me it's always full of drama. Haha, I love to hear her talk.
Sometimes when I look at this picture I really have to lol. =DDDD

«MOOD OF THE DAY 3»

2009-11-19T10:38:00.000-08:00

Since I've been doing color theme collages I decided to do pink today.
Pink reminds me of my California trip this past summer. I played with my niece Tabitha a lot when I was there, and she had a lot of pink outfits on. Hehe

«MOOD OF THE DAY 2»

2009-11-18T06:57:00.000-08:00

Today is a chilly day. I woke up at 6:30 feeling a bit of sore throat. I quickly drank two big mugs of green tea and had Japanese hot cakes for breakfast. My mood of the day is orange, maybe because deep down I want to enjoy autumn longer, I am not ready for the New England white winter yet. Sadly, the golden leaves are all falling, and the tree branches are looking barren.

Thanksgiving is coming up soon. Since it's a season to give thanks (not complaining, like what I was just doing) to our Lord, I would like to thank Him for wonderful parents, parents-in-law, terrific husband, lovely friends and relatives, my cozy home, and my adorable piano students.

Orange is a good color. It is glorious, it is thankful, it is warm and cozy, and it brings to my eyes comfort and tranquility.

«MOOD OF THE DAY»

2009-11-17T13:22:00.000-08:00

Today is windy and cold. The day is getting dark too. I am having a stomach ache...
So to express my current mood, I decided to take pictures of a few things around my house and put them together in a collage.

This week is going by so slowwwwllllllyyyyyyyyy and I am feeling blue.

«80»

2009-11-16T07:39:00.001-08:00

I have had the privilege to study piano at the Boston University College of Fine Arts under Professor Anthony di Bonaventura. He was not only a teacher of piano, but a teacher of life.
Few days ago, he turned 80 years old. His children organized a special brunch for him. Tim and I had the honor to get invited to this intimate event.
The brunch was held at the Country Club in Chestnut Hill. The place was absolutely beautiful. The people there were lovely, and the food was excellent.
Seeing my teacher there made me wonder if I'd be able to touch so many lives in a life time like the way he did? He is an extraordinary human being, and an inspiration to all of us.

My teacher's best friend who went to Curtis at the same time when they were 19 and 17.

Professor Linda Jiorle-Nagy, a colleague of my teacher at BU.

Josh is a current student of Prof. di Bonaventura

«A COMBINATION OF THINGS»

2009-11-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

From my computer, I found some pictures that I've never posted before. Here they are, just as a random post to lighten the mood up a bit on this gloomy, cold and windy day in Boston.

«MISS HER»

2009-11-11T09:46:00.000-08:00

So I was digging through my pictures and found this picture. My niece Tabby has grown up a little more now. I miss seeing her everyday when I was in California visiting. I wish to take more pictures of her when I visit the next time. As for now, I can only hear her screams through my phone calls with her mother. hehe

«PORTRAIT»

2009-11-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

Jialin, my cousin. She came to Boston for a visit in October. We had a lot of fun hanging out in the city.

Simona, my college friend. She's in Boston now too for graduate school. She's so beautiful!

«FRIENDS»

2009-11-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

A couple shots of my friends whom I visited in New York last weekend.
Rutsuko, new to New York, is studying in NYU in the master program in sociology. We were dorm mates back in college. I haven't seen her for 5 years since she moved back to Japan.

Ken, Linda's sweetheart.

A few shots of Linda

Saying goodbye, so tragic...

«NEW YORK, NEW YORK»

2009-11-03T04:52:00.001-08:00

Touring NY once again with Johann and Loreen. Johann knows NYC inside out. It was such a fun day. I got to see new things there that I haven't seen in all the previous visits and take pictures of the things that I haven't taken before.

I conclude with some yummy food at Juniors Cheesecake place! =P

«FALL BEAUTY-NY TO BOSTON»

2009-11-02T10:38:00.000-08:00

Tim and I took a trip to NY this weekend, on the way back, instead of going the usual way, which is highway 95, we took the inner streets. The scenes were magnificent all the way home. We vowed to do it again the next time we drive to NY and back.

«NEW ENGLAND II»

2009-10-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

New England trip continues...

«NEW ENGLAND»

2009-10-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

Tim and I went on a New England cruise. It's a autumn cruise which does not consist of summer water sports and beach activities. It's simply a scenery tour with beautiful fall colors. We had a relaxing time spent together. It was a good getaway for the both of us. More pictures to come!

«STONE ZOO-ANIMALS»

2009-10-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

«STONE ZOO-DETAILS»

2009-10-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

Stone Zoo continues, but this time there are some detail shots, just the things that came to my attention as I was walking around.

«NEW FRAME TESTING»

2009-10-10T13:13:00.001-07:00

I just designed new frames for the pictures of this blog. I am excited to try them out. So here you go. These pictures were taken from Stone Zoo of New England featuring my friend Brooke Carrol.

«FALL BEAUTY»

2009-10-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

Fall is here, 2009 is almost over. How quickly a year passes by.

«CHINESE MOON FESTIVAL CELEBRATED IN AMERICA»

2009-10-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

After talking to my parents on the phone tonight, I realized that today is Chinese Moon Festival in the lunar calendar. It is the middle of the month of the middle of the year when the moon is the most bright, most round and closest to earth. My parents and my relatives are going to celebrate it by eating moon cakes while drinking green tea under the moon tonight. After hearing this, I quickly grabbed Tim along, and we headed over to Whole Foods and selected a few pastries for ourselves. They're not close to moon cakes per say, but it is our best effort to celebrate this Chinese Moon Festival where we are at.

«PACIFIC COAST | HIGHWAY 1»

2009-09-22T06:34:00.000-07:00

«THE BEAUTIFUL SAN FRANCISCO BAY»

2009-09-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

«TABBY'S 1ST BIRTHDAY • KOREAN DRESS»

2009-09-18T04:35:00.000-07:00

Tabby's mom is Chinese and her dad is Korean. So during her birthday she wore both Chinese and Korean traditional dresses. This one is so pretty, but she liked it the least because it had so many layers, which made her hot and irritated. ^_~

«TABBY'S 1ST BIRTHDAY • CHINESE DRESS»

2009-09-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

«TABBY'S 1ST BIRTHDAY»

2009-09-15T05:48:00.000-07:00

«TABBY»

2009-09-14T05:11:00.000-07:00

More of Tabby...

My One Year Old Niece

2009-09-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

I took so many pictures of Tabby, my one-year-old niece. She's so adorable. I miss her so much. She kept me busy when I was visiting California. ^_^

Currently on Vacation

2009-08-31T11:34:00.001-07:00

Will be back in two weeks!

«ALBUM DESIGN • KEN ∞ LINDA»

2009-08-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

I made 10 spreads/20 sides for a coffee table wedding book for Linda and Ken's wedding (I, II, III). ^^