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The Kind of Saturday

2010-12-11T13:31:00.003-06:00

It's 25°F and windy outside on a Saturday early afternoon. I'm having a bowl of homemade chili made by my friend Brian Owens with 2 slides of toasted Craberry Almond Bread from Fevere. Bossa nova is on the Internet radio. Sometimes this is all I need. Simple.

2010-12-11T04:04:00.001-06:00

T2 / Harvest Productions Dining by Design Table from T2 + Back Alley Films on Vimeo.

About this video: "Here's the collaborative table design by T2 Experience Lab and Harvest Productions at the 2010 DIFFA Dining by Design Kansas City. T2 came up with the concept and created the motion content for projection. Harvest Productions provided the projector, truss system and the lighting equipment. Team T2: Michael Ong/Creative Director/Motion Designer, Garrett Fuselier/Experience Designer, Claudia Chagüi/Motion Designer, Drew Bolton/Volunteer Designer and Andrew Kuttler/Volunteer Designer, Nick Balda/Editor. Team Harvest: Joe Athon and the whole gang of hardworking crew."

Documentary “The Next American Dream” Wins Emmy

2010-12-11T03:45:00.002-06:00

October 15, 2010 by Screenmag The documentary “The Next American Dream” a coproduction of T2 Entertainment, a division of T2 + Back Alley Films and Inland Sea Productions was honored with an Emmy award by the Mid-America Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences... ...T2 Entertainment editor Cara Myers cut and finished the documentary with creative director Michael Ong and motion graphics designers Cody Beltram and Darton Simons crafting the animated charts and graphs... Read the complete article on screenmag.tv.

Print in Motion: Commercial Spot: Children's Hospital of Illinois

2010-12-11T03:38:00.000-06:00

Print in Motion: Commercial Spot: Children's Hospital of Illinois

From Blog to Micro Blog

2010-12-11T01:31:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it has been over 2 years since I last posted on this blog. I guess Facebook and Twitter really replace how we post our updates online. Of course, writing a sentence or two is totally different than blogging. However, Facebook has up-to-the-second time stamp which makes any updates more in the moment. I'm not sure how much more I'm going to continue blogging but I thought I'll just write an entry for old time sake.

Charity: Water

2008-10-23T18:13:00.002-05:00

This is a very inspiring project. It all started out with one individual who was determined to make a change. Please support Charity: Water.

Greetings from Taipei

2008-05-24T19:40:00.003-05:00

Almost 24 hours after we left Kansas City, we finally arrived in Taipei, which is not our final destination. We still have 2 more legs of flight to catch. However, our long flight across the Pacific Ocean was very comfortable and didn't feel the journey at all. Flying the Elite Class on EVA Airlines is definitely the way to go. I highly recommend it. Anyway, we're onto our next flight right now. The journey continues.

Smart and Cute

2008-04-29T23:56:00.003-05:00

Our lucky intern got this brand new Smart Car as her graduation gift. I couldn't resist so she took me for a spin. It's so small, it looks like a toy. However, it is surprisingly spacious inside. I love it but I don't think it's practical if this is the only car for a person. I'm not sure if I feel safe driving this little thing on a high way at 70 mph next to all the regular size cars. I wonder how it drives in winter weather. I'll let someone else be the test dummy.

Dining By Design 2008

2008-04-27T23:07:00.005-05:00

Last night we attended the annual DIFFA's Dining By Design and here are some of the many pictures I took of the spectacular tables. Many tables are going green this year. One table actually made a chandelier out of clear plastic knifes. I guess if they were used, then I think it was an innovative way to reuse instead of sending them to the landfill. Suba and I sat at the Paint By Number table designed by Jonathan and Kevin. Instead of a big table, they went with 4 of 4 top tables next to a gallery of Paint By Number paintings, most of which were their personal collections. I think their table was one of the most unique ones that evening.

Signs of Spring

2008-04-22T00:49:00.002-05:00

Looks like spring is finally here. It is rather late this year. I think this week is the short little window one gets to enjoy the explosion of spectacular flowers blooming in white, red, pink and yellow on trees and bushes. Beautiful bright green of new leafs and fresh grass appears overnight. This is the first Spring for us in our house, so we're discovering the flowering plants in the yard. They are so beautiful. I'm terrible at names of flowers and plants and I can't begin to tell you what's all in our garden. However, I clipped a little branch to bring the season into the house. It is raining outside, and before we know it, our grass in the yard is knee high! Fun.

"Robot"

2008-04-14T00:29:00.003-05:00

There's a Robot in our dining room! This is my latest art acquisition for the house. It is a hand signed limited edition silkscreen by Brian Flynn. (4/25). 40.5" x 35". The fun part is, it glows in the dark. Since I our dining room has huge floor to ceiling panels of windows, I framed the artwork with a UV protection glass. Now I'm not sure if the artwork will glow in the dark anymore since the UV was filtered out by the glass. What type of light charges the glow-in-the-dark phosphors? Visible light or UV light? Anyone?

UMKC Shoot

2008-04-13T23:59:00.006-05:00

These pictures were taken during the shoot for UMKC TV commercial on March 12. It was very chilly morning, and the breeze made it even more unbearable. Just when I was cursing internally on how long and dreary this winter was, I looked up the sky and there was a group of Canadian Geese flying in V formation, heading Northward. I guess that was a sign of hope that Spring is finally here!

The rest of the pictures are just the skateboarder in the commercial, doing his jump. This young kid was totally fearless! And I, on the other hand, cringed at every jump he made.

Update: Please visit www.umkc.edu/getalife to check out the really cool spots.

Who is Superman?

2008-02-14T23:09:00.003-06:00

I came back from lunch today and sitting at the front desk of my office was this crazy big Valentine gift. It was a huge stuffed with a rose in it's mouth, and above it was 10 huge helium balloons in the shape of roses. And it was for me! I opened the envelope and inside was a hand-made card that said, To my sweet Michael from Superman, written with glue and glitter! Superman!? Clark Kent? Who could that be? I had tried to investigate as much as I could but I still could not figure it out. So whoever you are, Superman, thank you for such a thoughtful gift but please reveal yourself before I go crazy. How bizarre!

"One Voice"

2008-02-14T01:25:00.002-06:00

In October, 2006, the Heartland Men's Chorus had a joint concert with the Turtle Creek Chorale in Dallas at the Meyerson Symphony Hall. I feel very proud to be part of this memorable and rare event. I came across this clip posted by our chorus over a year later. I wish to share this with those who read my blog. Enjoy!

A Change of Scenery

2007-12-12T00:06:00.000-06:00

It was only a month ago that I posted the beautiful Fall color pictures, and now, Nature gave us a little change of scenery - Ice! Even though we didn't get hit as bad as the one in 2002, it still affected many homes in the area. I hope that if we're going to get any precipitation for the rest of the winter, please let it be snow!

Shades of Fall

2007-11-13T00:34:00.000-06:00

No matter how many times I've experienced the beauty of the fall season each year, I'm still amazed by the vivid range of colors that nature brings us. Just like many wonderful things, these moments only last for a short time. I have to remind myself to appreciate the moment. Soak it in. Better yet, snap a few digital pics and post them on the blog so others could experience it, too.

Jack-O-Lantern 2007

2007-10-28T21:46:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we had our annual pumpkin carving party at Tom and Mark's. Although I didn't win the best pumpkin, I think my creation was pretty original. Mine was inspired by the new Sprint Center in Downtown Kansas City. It looks fabulous when lit because you can see lights from all 360 degrees. It creates a very nice pattern around it!

More Pictures

2007-10-21T22:03:00.000-05:00

It seems like six weeks had passed at a blink since I posted the last entry. The warm weather is finally changing and so are the leafs. It went up to about 80 today despite the fact that it'll be Halloween in a week!

Here are some pictures of our living and dining room of our house, which is not so new now since we've already moved in for 2 months.

Fast Forward

2007-09-07T17:39:00.001-05:00

Things happen for a reason. I was rather disappointed after the Central Project went away and decided to start exploring other options. We looked at a some lots and some other houses. After having our mind set for such a long time on building and totally customize everything in our house, it's difficult to find any existing that suits our needs, and in an ideal location, that is within our budget. Then we found this mid-century modern home, built by the original owner, who was an architect. We knew as we walked in that it has our names written all over it. Fast forward to today: I sold my home bought this house, and had moved into it for 3 weeks already. Now when I looked back, it just went by so quickly that it's all a blur, but within it was a ton of stress selling and closing on my house, working on loans and buying the house, and packing and moving and unpacking...all in 60 days! So, here the destination that we ended up which we don't even know it existed when we started the journey of building our dream home. Even though this house was not built by us, it's certainly a dream come true because it reflects our design sensibility. The best of it, at this moment, we're already living in it and enjoying it!

Hello. iPhone.

2007-06-29T22:30:00.001-05:00

Today is like 1984, the year Macintosh was introduced. Just like the Mac has revolutionized desktop computers, the iPhone has revolutionized mobile phones; not only mobile phones, but touch-screen technology! I was totally fascinated by the user interface and how natural and tactile the touch screen experience, I didn't even pay too much attention to the feature of the phone. I remember when Steve Job first showed the "pinching" gesture to zoom and out of a page, I was floored. That was a "Minority Report" moment and I had been waiting to try it with my own fingers since then and I have to say, I am absolutely impressed! My good friend Cello and his wife each bought one today. I longingly looked at the bag in their hands, and wished I have that kind of a disposable income to drop $500 for a super-cool phone just like that. One thing I'm afraid of is that the a year from now, Apple will come out with an even cooler model! When is it going to end? I did feel a little embarrassed calling with my Motorola PEBL, which seems really cool when I first got it. Now my PEBL is more like a fossil.

By the way, this photo was taken at the Apple Store using PhotoBooth on one of the iMacs and e-mailed to myself. How fun!

Hot Air Balloons

2007-05-27T00:49:00.000-05:00

Eric, Suba and I went to the Great American Barbecue out in Kansas City Kansas today. Right before the torrential rain, we manage to experience the close up look at the hot air balloon display at the event. The spectators were all like kids again, fascinated by these gigantic colorful balloons, glowing in the twilight.

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-13T01:59:00.000-05:00

I just want to post this beautiful Peony that I took near my house a few days ago for my mom. She absolutely adores flowers and it's hard not to hear her gasp in my head whenever I see beautiful flowers in the spring. Happy Mother's Day, mom!

Dining By Design

2007-04-22T01:02:00.000-05:00

The party must go on! Despite the little mishap, I went to the annual DIIFFA - Dining by Design charity event which many of my peers were the designers for the tables. This years tables were extremely beautiful. And Suba got a Herman Miller Eames Rocker from the silent auction for a great deal. Will came back to Kansas City for this event, and we all had a great time. Here are some of my favorites. I particularly liked HNTB's table designed by my friend Wes. It was the minimal yet well designed. The table was a big light box and there were cutout circles for the wine glasses, plates and vases, so everything was under lit. There were also projectors hidden under the table that projected images onto the ceiling panels and there were two walls on each end of the table and both projected images onto the other side. And of cause, the table was sexier thanks to the beautiful Philippe Starck's Hudson Chairs. Bravo to all the designers. A bunch of us at at Kevin and Jonathan's bird theme table and the reported from the Kansas City Star loved it and took a few photos of us at the table for the People's section. First the SPACES magazine and now the Star. We're going to be over exposed!

Oops!

2007-04-22T00:46:00.000-05:00

I had a little mishap today on my way to the pre-DIFFA party. It was a extremely beautiful spring day and I was all dressed up and ready for tonight's big event. I was singing Dreamgirls. Totally relax and not in a hurry. I stopped at a stop sign, let one car pass, and then started to cross the street, and there was a car right behind the other one that just passed which must be at an angle that was totally hidden from my POV. I didn't even realize it was there until it was in front of me and I didn't even have time to react to it. The passenger side headlight hit the other car's side door. We both stopped and came down to check our car, and luckily no one was injured, and the driver was very nice and polite. We exchanged insurance information and went to the nearest police station to make a report.

CABOOM 4 Home Tours

2007-04-14T22:59:00.000-05:00

The home tours during the CABOOM show were fantastic. It is fascinating to take a closer look at the beautiful houses that you typically only get to see in magazines or books. Also, it is exciting to learn about the architects' creative ideas and choices of certain materials. I would certainly go back again next year.

Santa Monica, California

2007-04-03T23:30:00.000-05:00

Suba and I just came back from a long weekend in Santa Monica. We went there for the CABOOM Show, and that I'll write about it in the near future because it was a fantastic experience. We stayed at the Viceroy and it was a fabulous hotel designed by Kelly Weartler. It's located on Ocean Avenue, and a few steps away is the beautiful sandy beach. Unlike the beaches that I'm familiar with growing up, the sun could be shining yet the breeze is a little chilly. Nevertheless, there were many brave souls swimming in it! Here are some of my favorite photos taken while we were taking a little walk by the beautiful beach of Santa Monica.

SPACES April/May Issue, Pages 152-163

2007-03-22T22:48:00.000-05:00

I just came back from the Preview Party of Spaces spring issue at the new restaurant called Trezo Mare. The food there was fabulous but who cares about the food. We're on page 152! Typically the entertainment section is not a very big, but this issue, we got a whopping nine pages spread (not counting the ads.) The article is filled with 25 colorful pictures from Kevin's sushi party, double the amount of pictures on the featured home on this issue's cover. Since it is a Spring issue, the editor requested something fresh and colorful, and between Kevin's home decor and the sushi we made, the pages are bursting with a kaleidoscope of spring colors.

Light and Shadow

2007-03-18T23:36:00.000-05:00

This interesting image caught my eye as I was sitting in my living room today. The direct sunlight and reflected lights from various surfaces casted very fascinating shadows on the wall.

Mural for The Shape of Things

2007-03-05T23:36:00.000-06:00

Eric is directing a play called The Shape of Things which opens this weekend. His stage design calls for a large scale mural in an art gallery. Nicole and I agreed to paint it for him last weekend. We had a fun time putting it together. I first "Photoshoped" the pictures to get the graphic look I wanted, and then the images are projected onto the wall and traced. Then it was pretty much like paint by number filling in the paint. We spent a total of 5 hours on Saturday and just me alone another 4 hours on Sunday. I think it turned out rather stunning. I hope the director is as pleased as the artists.

Chinese New Year Greetings from afar

2007-02-18T00:16:00.000-06:00

Today is Chinese New Year and even though I'm living on the other side of the globe from my family, we still get to spend time together, online, through iChat. So here it is, my big happy family - my mom and dad, my sister, my brother-in-law, their 3 boys and a girl, and my brother who's there on vacation, and me, up in the corner... it is ALMOST like we're all in the same room.

Sushi Party at Kevin's

2007-02-13T00:52:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday, Kevin threw a Sushi Party and invited us over. The party will be featured in the April/May issue of Kansas City SPACES Magazine. There were a photographer, the editor of the magazine and a writer interviewing some of us. Here are my own pictures. I hope there will be some with me in it on the magazine. I think the party was a success. The food turned out beautiful and delicious! It was especially fun to roll the rolls with the colorful mamenori or soybean paper. They're fabulous for photography.

Armageddon

2007-02-08T01:17:00.000-06:00

At around 2pm today, the lights at work flickered a few times. This usually happens during stormy day, but today wasn't one of those days. However, it did seem rather gloomy outside. As I walked closer to the window, I realized that the was a huge plume of black smoke Northeast to our building over downtown. At a glance it looked like a big tornado. However, what seemed to be black cloud turn out to be the smoke from huge fire ignited by several exposions at the Northeast Bottoms. Later we found out that it was a chemical warehouse that burst into flames and apparently the nearby 5 block area had to be evacuated. Many businesses let their employees go early right after the incident in fear that the air could be toxic. Later I also learned that pieces of debris had fallen from the cloud of smoke, and we were urged not to touch the debris. As I was leaving today, I saw a mysterious black spungy object in a zip lock bag sitting right next to the mouse of our log out computer. It didn't come across my mind that it could be the debris from the explosion until now. Not funny! This is a snap shot from my office of the sky over downtown. Okay, I tweaked the color a little bit for drama, but it was pretty scary.

Hello, Dolly!

2007-01-17T01:38:00.000-06:00

Here's the another Olathe South poster that I designed - Hello, Dolly!. Since Dolly is such a key character in the play, I just have to include her face in the poster, so we arranged a photo session so I could photographed the student who plays Dolly; and then I treated the photo with a watercolor filter for the final effect. We had a lot of fun during the photo shoot. The costumes are very elaborate!

Angels In America: Part 2

2007-01-17T01:20:00.000-06:00

Here's the poster I designed for the second part of Angels in America. I photographed the Angels of the Waters at the Bethesda Fountain in Central Park when I was in NYC last year. It could not be more perfect for the poster. Eric plays Joe Pitt's character and I'm going to the play this Sunday. It'll be a marathon of Angels starting with Part One at 2PM, and then Part Two at 7:30PM, a total of over 6 hours of play!

Mid-January: The Reality

2007-01-14T17:05:00.000-06:00

Just when I thought global warming is actually shortening the winter season, we got hit by 4 consecative days of sleet. I'd prefer a few more inches of dry fluffy snow than ice and sleet. Yuk! Anyway, needless to say, I try to avoid going out if possible, and lets hope that there's no power failure so at least I'm still connected to the outside world through the Internet. Of course, it doesn't help knowing that my parents are now vacationing on the sunny beaches of Bali. I guess it's just two weeks into the new year and living in the Midwest, the worst is yet to come.

Happy 2007!

2006-12-31T23:39:00.000-06:00

I would like to wish all my dear friends and family a happy and prosperous New Year!

Merry Christmas

2006-12-16T03:38:00.000-06:00

I would like to send my warm holiday greetings to all my family and friends who read my blog frequently. Thank you for your love, support and encouragement. It's a blessings that we get to easily share the wonderful moments of our lives with each other right here no matter how far apart we are. May your Christmas wishes all come true this year!

The Quicktime I posted here is a video and photo montage of the recent images I took during the holidays season, edit to the melodious carol of Maureen McGovern, The Christmas Tree.

I Heart NY

2006-12-13T02:04:00.000-06:00

There are too many wonderful pictures of New York for me to post them here, so I uploaded them to Flickr.com. Check it out.

Millennium Park

2006-12-09T00:35:00.000-06:00

November 28: This was the only nice weather day we had in Chicago, and I was glad that we get to visit the Millennium Park for the first time since it was completed. The "Cloud Gate" by British artist Anish Kapoor, was one of the most fascinating sculpture I've ever seen before. The ultra reflective polished stainless steel was like a mirror, distorting the reflection of the Chicago skyline, giving the visitors a whole new perspective of the cityscape. Also, what amazes me is the size of the sculpture. It was rare to see a simple form in such large scale (33-feet high/66-feet long).

Nearby was the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by Frank Gehry. The proscenium was definitely Gehry's signature style - brushed stainless steel ribbons. It looked beautiful at night when it was lit up with colorful alternating lights. However, the most amazing part of the pavilion was the gigantic trellis shaped like a big bubble, made out of crisscrossing pipes, over the Great Lawn. The function of the trellis acted as grids for speakers and lights during concert events. The pavilion seats over 10,000 people.

Vacation Ends

2006-12-07T00:53:00.000-06:00

We parted at Dean & DeLuca in SoHo, hugging and saying goodbye knowing that we will not see each other for at least another couple of years. When I left, I didn't turn back. I didn't want to make this goodbye a big deal, so as if we're going to see each other more often. I got onto the N train at Prince St Station right at the corner, heading towards Times Square. The ride was a little melancholy. Three weeks ago, my high school best friends Joshua and Derrick flew all the way from Southeast Asia to come celebrate Thanksgiving with me and Derrick's partner joined us later and we all traveled to Chicago and New York City. The whole trip was very memorable because of the change of sceneries, the change of pace and the change of weather. Time flies when we were having a great time. However, the trip was packed with all sorts of happenings. Three different hotels, one snow storm that caused us 6 hours of delay at Midway Airport, and three Broadway shows later, the vacation ended, and our memories were captured by three digital cameras and over a thousand shots. It was a privilege that we get to spend time with each other, and teased each other like when we were in high school again. It is amazing that after so many years, whenever we get together, it felt like we had just parted yesterday. True friendship can withstand the test of time. Ours has been 15 years since I left.

More Thanksgiving Images

2006-11-25T02:20:00.000-06:00

Almost everyone at the table had a digital camera that evening, and these are the images from the second camera. We're such a bunch of visual people, and I'm sure the good times that we will remember of the evening are as beautiful as these images.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-24T03:02:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Eric!

2006-11-08T22:22:00.000-06:00

It's Eric's birthday today and Naeem, Suba and I took him to Peach Tree restaurant on 18th and Vine to celebrate. The place is a very well-know soul food restaurant, and we really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. None of us have been there before so it turn out to be a very pleasant experience. Of course, on the day after the mid-term election, all of us at the table have more than just Eric's birthday to celebrate!

Two Months Flew By...

2006-11-05T15:28:00.000-06:00

I remembered we started talking about my parents' visit about one year ago. Mom and dad always wanted to go on a cruise and we just decided that the timing was right and John and I would go with them to Alaska. A year later, they came and two month after that, they waved their hands and said goodbye to us. They left on November 2nd and have arrived safely in Malaysia a day and a half later. It was a bitter sweet farewell, as we live so far apart from each other and only get the chance to visit each other every other year. However, it always lead us to the planning of the next visit. There's always something for us to look forward to, and when we finally get to see each other again, we know we're going to have a great time because we simply don't have time for other mundane things if we get to see each other more often. I'm glad that my parents are blessed with good health and hope they will continue to be blessed for many years to come so they can visit us more often.

Goodbye, Camera.

2006-10-31T01:39:00.000-06:00

Today, my new camera, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T50, finally arrived, and I'm officially saying goodbye to my old camera, Casio Exilim EX-100. My parents adopted this small wonder which took most of the pictures on this blog. In two years, we rarely part from each other, (even when I thought I had forgotten to bring it along, it was there in my bag all the while. ) I hope my folks will take good care of it. Here are the old and the new cameras, taken together in one picture.

These are among the first few pictures taken as test shots by the DSC-T50. The cool typewriter photo was taken by Bruce. I'm very pleased with the picture quality so far.

Happy Halloween

2006-10-29T21:51:00.000-06:00

This is the pumpkin that carved at Tom and Marks annual pumpkin carving party. The weather was beautiful after a few dreary rainy days. There were six of us and we went to the nearby pumpkin patch to pick our own pumpkin. Then we went to Mark and Tom's backyard, and started carving our pumpkins. Later, we all went to dinner and then came back to light our pumpkins. Then we invited the neighbors to come judge which one is the best. Tom won. But I like mine, so I'm showing my pumpkin here. It's simple and cute, and I was the first one to finish.

Much Ado About Nothing Poster

2006-10-13T22:12:00.000-05:00

Here's the poster I just designed for Olathe South High School. The mask was the creation of the costumer of the play Tam Osgood.

Cruise Activities

2006-10-10T11:55:00.000-05:00

Here's another batch of photos of the various activites we did while we're on board the cruise ship for 7 days. I was rather apprehensive about being stuck on a boring ship and have nothing to do, but much to my amazement, there are a plethora of activities to do.

Whale watching...

Playing giant chess out on the deck...

Ping Pong match...

Lounging by the pool...

All dressed up and take family photos...

Bundle up to see the glacier...

Gorge at the Midnight Chocoholic Buffet...

Enjoy a show at the theatre...

Eat and eat and eat and eat...

Or, take a little nap in between meals!

Alaska Pictures, Finally.

2006-09-19T17:27:00.000-05:00

It's been a week since we came back from our Alaska Cruise and between my brother and me, we took over a thousand digital photos. It's very overwhelming to edit them down to a manageable number. I figure the first batch of the photos should be the quintessential element of our trip - the magnificent Mother Nature. There's no other better way to immerse oneself in this amazing environment than going on the Alaska Cruise because one doesn't have to be an outdoorsy person to get to these destination. In fact, there are places like the Glacier Bay where there isn't really any other way to get there other than by sea or air. As beautiful as you can see on these pictures, they really don't justice at all in comparison to being present and be surrounded by the sheer vastness of nature.

Mount Rainier, WA. Photographed from our plane to Seattle.

Peugeout Sound, WA. The beginning of our 7 days cruise through the Inside Passage to Southeweat Alaska.

Skagway, Alaska, taken from the train on the White Pass & Yukon Route, looking down at a Class 6 rapid.

At the Inlet of Johns Hopkins, Glacier Bay, photographed from our ship. One of the most beautiful site I've ever seen in my life.

Looking at the breathtaking Johns Hopkins Glacier -- the jewel of Glacier Bay!

Margerie Glacier, right at the boder of Canada. It was exciting to witnessed a few glacier calves, which accompanied by its thunderous sound of cracking and plunging into the bay.

The mesmerizing color of the glacier. A closer look at Margerie.

Seattle Public Library

2006-09-01T14:19:00.000-05:00

Thanks to free WiFi, I'm posting this from one of the coolest architecture in the US, the Seattle Public Library. It is built by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaa. It is an eleven story building, envoloped by a multi-angled glass skin. I went crazy taking photos in here.

Smile!

2006-09-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

Our family vacation started yesterday. John and I flew to Seattle a day ahead and we're meeting up with our parents later today. Then, on September 3, we'll take the cruise to Alaska. Due to the recent air travel security regulation, for the first time, I flew without my own bottle of drinking water. Southwest was kind enough to give out little snack boxes consisted of a few packets of little tit bits and a bag of Oreo chips. However, they only served us with a tiny cup of soda, perhaps about 5oz of liquid. I think I need to send this picture with an email to complain about the bad combination of food and beverages. They either have to super-size the drinks or quit serving Oreos.

The Fall of the House of Usher Poster

2006-08-30T14:04:00.000-05:00

Here's the poster I designed for Eric for his students' play The Fall fo the House of Usher. Thanks to Lauren for being my hand model. The rest are all Photoshop. (No finger nails are harmed in the making of this poster.)

Cooking With Suba

2006-08-23T15:18:00.000-05:00

Suba is teaching how to cook a fabulous meals starting with weekend, August 27. She will using my kitchen to conduct her class - "A Gourmet Kitchen" as she put it. I helped her set up her own blog so she can post class schedules and pictures from the classes online. Of course, by helping her doing that, I get to be the food taster for all classes. Yum!

Nip/Tuck Season 4 Spoiler

2006-08-17T18:20:00.000-05:00

For those of you Nip/Tuck fans, I'm sure you're eager to find out what to expect this season, starting on September 5. I would have thrown another season premiere party like last season, but I'll be in Juneau, Alaska that day. I wonder if we can get the FX Channel on the cruise ship? If not, I'll just have to depend on my DVR. I've gathered a few spoilers from various sources and publish them here for the convenience of other fans. First of all, there's a list of celebrities appearing as guest stars - Larry Hagman (a surgery on his private part), Brooke Shields Christian's psychiatrist, actually a sexual-compulsive shrink), Rosie O'Donnell, Kathleen Turner, Richard Chamberlain, Cybill Shepherd, Sanaa Lathan, Jaqueline Bisset, Peter Dinklage (McNamara's night nurse for the baby) and Catherine Deneuve (who wants her dead husbands ashes be implanted in her boobies!) Then I heard, Julia (Joely Richardson) is going to give birth to an abnormal baby in episode three. And she will be off for about five episodes and come back for the season finale. Christian will be questioning his sexuality? Interesting. According to TV Guide.com, McMahon said, "[Christian] will be exploring new aspects of his sexuality." Remember Matt shot a guy who tortured him in the season finale. Apparently he didn't die, and we get to see the resolution the story in episode two. And Kimber will be all about Matt?! And Matt will fall in love with Kimber. Yikes! So, there you go. Enjoy the Fourth Season!

Goodbye, Will.

2006-08-13T23:47:00.000-05:00

Will recently relocated to Minneapolis. Suba and I decided to compile some old pictures and put together a slide show as part of his going away gift. He burst into tears when we played for him, and of course, we all cried along with him. It was great career move for him and we are all very happy for him. However, we know we’re going to miss him dearly because he made such a big impact in all of our lives here. Farewell, my friend!

Sometimes Three Available on iTunes

2006-08-13T23:17:00.000-05:00

The album that I designed for Sometimes Three has been released on iTunes. That means the album cover will be exposed to a huge audience. I'm very excited for the band. Check them out and see what you think. Note that the picture that I posted on April 24 ended up being used for the back cover instead. I think it was a wise choice since they are a new band and it helps putting a face to the group. After all, they are VERY photogenic.

Flamingo Friday

2006-08-13T23:02:00.000-05:00

It's Flamingo Friday every Friday on our block during Summer. Each home volunteers to host the pot luck party. Mine was in mid June, and I think it was one of the best! (Considering my house is the smallest one on the block, it was a smashing success.) The first picture was in front of my yard taken two months ago. The second one is the watermelon basket I carved to bring to my neighbor's Famingo Friday Party last weekend.

Birthday Thoughts

2006-07-29T01:09:00.000-05:00

A year went by so quickly. One great benefit on keeping a blog - I went back and read my 2005 birthday thoughts with just a click of a button! Last year's thought summed up into one short sentence: Relationships are the true essence of happiness in life. A year later, that statement still means a lot to me. My friends are the fabric of my life. They connect moments and experiences through out the years that define my existence. I'm always thankful for knowing and keeping in contact with them, near and far.

Recently, I'm a little sadden by the fact that, a very dear friend of mine, Will, is relocating to Minneapolis. He is a great inspiration to me and his mild manner clams me down. We both sing in the Heartland Men's Chorus, and I still remember vividly the day we met on rehearsal in the summer of 1998. I guess people come and go in our lives. Just like me packing up and came to the United States 15 years ago, leaving behind my dearest group of friends from high school. The distance didn't keep us from being close to each other, and all of us are constantly making our best efforts to travel to see each other. This year, it's their turn to come visit, and I'm very excited to play host! Knowing that true friends can never be separated by distance, it gives me hope that the friendship between WIll and I is only mildly challenged by about 6 hours of distance.

It always amazes me to think how people cross path and meet each other amongst the sea of individuals in this world. Everyone we know in our lives, is through a chain reaction of and events or people, one person leading to the other. Some people stick around, and some people, you meet for a few hours next to you on a plain ride, and never again cross path. Either you choose to belief that this random path crossing is by design or it is just mere coincidences, we cannot deny that all these cross points effect the doors that lead us to many possibilities in life, just like the Butterfly Effect. This coming year will be an eventful one for me. My parents will be visiting in about a month, and together with my brother, we're going on an Alaskan cruise; followed by the visit of my best friends, Josh and Derrick, during Thanksgiving; and the biggest event ahead - taking the big step of sharing a home with Eric, a new one that we're building soon. Even thought, it is both exciting and a little daunting at times to go down this path that has been brought to me through many past possibilities, I choose to sit back and enjoy the adrenaline along the way. Isn't this what we call the taste of life, anyways?

My Ecological Footprint

2006-07-10T22:56:00.000-05:00

Environmental issues are not news to many people, but recently, it has become a major topic in our daily conversation. Perhaps it's because gas price has climbed up to $3.00 a gallon now. Al Gore's movie An Incovenient Truth which came out at the right time opened many people's eyes, and Who Killed the Electric Car?, another interesting documentary is coming soon, which I'm sure will make people want to go out and get a hybrid car immediately. With all these eco-talk, I've decided to take the Ecological Footprint Quiz to test and see my lifestyle, as an individual, impacts the planet. Before I took the quiz, I thought my eco-footprint would be smaller than the average American, since I grew up in Asia, and I've learned not to be wasteful. To my surprise, I scored a whopping 33 points! An average American's Eco-footprint is 24 acres, and mine is 11 acres more! (The Ecological Footprint measures the amount of ecologically productive land and sea area it takes to sustain an individual in a year.) Yikes! My worst score is under "Shelter". I guess apparently, living alone is not environmental friendly. You can take the quiz at myfoorprint.org.

Second Week of Yoga

2006-07-02T16:21:00.000-05:00

For me, one of the toughest thing going to Yoga is that the teachers likes to keep the room very warm. It was 96 degrees outside, and I was worried that the classroom is going to be as hot as outside. To my surprise, the A/C was on! It was no cool but at least it was bearable. Nicole's mom was in town and she didn't show up for the class. The second week is a much better week for me. I think things that I learned a few years ago are slowing coming back to me. And I believe that I have a little more confidence after the first class and so I pushed myself a little more this time. My body felt really great after the class because I felt like I pushed myself as much as I could and I was sweating like a pig! I don't know if it's the heat, or I'm working harder, or I'm doing the Ujjayi Breath (Victorious Breath) right, or the combination of all of the above, I was totally soaking wet, including my underwear. Today class was a great workout got me and I'm very much looking forward to the next class!

Back to Yoga

2006-06-27T00:49:00.000-05:00

After a long break, I've finally decided to go back to practicing yoga again. Last Sunday was my first class after stopping for a couple of years. I used to go to the Yoga Gallery religiously to practice Ashtanga Yoga, a form of yoga that is popularly known as Power Yoga. The school closed down after a fire, and my routine got interrupted. After that, one of the teachers opened her own school, called Maya Yoga. I went on and off for a period of time and finally just quit totally. Maya Yoga is now right across the street from my new office. It is almost like a sign, calling me back. So, I made up my mind. Of course, I went back to the Intro class because I have a lot to catch up. I dragged Nicole, my coworker, with me, so at least I have someone to moan to after the class. During the class, I really felt like as if I've never done Yoga before. It was so hard to start after a long break. I could only do half of what I did before! And today, I am so sore, I could barely take off my t-shirt. However I feel great knowing that I've done something really good for my body, which I haven't pushed myself so much for a long time. I've been slacking on making myself fit and it long overdue. I'm looking forward to this coming Sunday for the next class, and I know it's going to get easier each time, because I've done it before.

Photo Shoot

2006-04-24T00:56:00.000-05:00

Suba and I went to the West Bottom to shoot the album cover for a local band called Sometimes Three. Here's a sneak peek of one of the many great shots we got this afternoon. We used three cameras to shoot, and I'm still waiting on the other two groups of images. For a sample of their songs, go to sometimesthree.com. The CD is scheduled to release on May 30th, the night of their performance at the Grand Emporium.

Spring is Here

2006-04-07T01:26:00.000-05:00

Here's a picture taken on the street where I live. Right now is one of the most beautiful seasons of the year, when the trees are blooming pretty pink and white... and the grass is finally green again. My mom would have gone crazy if she sees this. However, she and my dad will be visiting in Fall, which is another favorite season of mine. So, here's a Spring picture for you, mom.

San Francisco Photo Montage

2006-03-26T23:15:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Eric, we do have some very wonderful pictures from our trip. Actually, there were one or two pictures in the video that came from my disposable camera. (i.e. the Alcatraz Lighthouse.) I quickly put together a little montage of some highlights of the trip in one evening. iMovie is just simply fabulous to play with! Anyway, I'll be making a few more videos so I get to include some other pictures of our friends we met there. Enjoy the video!

San Francisco Trip

2006-03-18T21:23:00.000-06:00

I just came back from a one week vacation in San Francisco with Eric. The trip was fabulous and we did the very typical tourist stuff except I didn't have my camera with me! This is a first for me, going on a vacation without my digital camera. I found out about the absence of my camera in my bag on our way to the airport. That morning I had taken it out to clear up my memory card and must had forgotten to put it back. I was rather disappointed because I never leave home without my camera, but Eric has his with him so it was not the end of the world that I don't have mine with me. In fact, I convinced myself it would be a change for me because now I can truly experience my vacation and not trying to capture my memories through the view finder and miss out on the real deal at that moment "live!" I think it was the second day and I could not resist myself because I was itching to recording my experience with a camera, so I got myself a very low-tech disposable camera from Walgreens for $6.99. Of course, I had only 27 exposures and no zoom. I totally forgot how one has to conserve film because there's a limit to how many pictures one can take, and that one can't view the picture immediately after each click. It was certainly a refreshing experience because I vaguely remember the feeling of anticipation of each exposure and the excitement "risk taking" because of the uncertainty of the outcome. Later, I realized that I should not be complaining because at least I was using a 35mm film! Even though the camera is just a cheap plastic camera obscura with a flash, the medium itself was arguably more superior that digital. The first thing I walked into the door today was to look for my digital camera, to see where I so carelessly left behind. I looked around but it was nowhere to be found. I got panic and when back to my bag and ransacked the whole thing and sure enough, all these while, my digital camera was in my bag, which went with me to San Francisco and back, hidden between the torn lining, à la Carrie Bradshaw's signature necklace she thought she lost at the Dior store in Paris. Well, looks like I don't need my digital camera after all for me to remember this trip!

Bathroom Makeover

2006-02-12T23:51:00.000-06:00

This long overdue project is finally completed! There were many plans and many changes, numerous quotes both high and low. But in the end, I chose to make just a small face-lift since I'm not sure how long I'll be living in this house. After a few coats of fresh paint, a brand new deluxe one-piece low profile Kohler toilet and Isaac Mizrahi's bathroom wall cabinets and armoire, the transformation is done. It may not be my dream bathroom, but I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Many thanks to John and Bruce for helping installing the wall cabinet. It was deceptively difficult to hang a relatively small piece of cabinet on the wall with just two screws. It took three big guys to complete the job!

Money Tree

2006-01-29T02:29:00.000-06:00

I threw a Chinese New Year party last night. All my guests seemed to have a nice time...eat, drink, man, woman... except my best friend, Suba, missed the party because she's sick and was not well enough to show up.

I had ordered some flowers for the party a few days ago and they didn't turn out to be something I wanted when they arrived at the florist, so I just changed my plan and decided to go with a branch that looks like a bald bonzai tree. I stuck it into a pot filled with soil and covered it with some pebbles. It turn out to be pretty cool under my two paper lanterns. Half way into the party, Will suddenly remembered this tradition he learnt while he was in Hong Kong last year, and said, "I need a dollar note for the money tree." He got a buck and tied it into a bow on the branch. Apparently it's for prosperity.

Even though I'm Chinese and celebrate Chinese New Year all my life, my family never really follow closely to the tradition that has anything to do with prosperity or wealth because we're Catholics. To us, New Year celebration is thanksgiving and family reunion. Of course, after Will tied the first dollar bill on the tree, all my guests turned to me and asked me to explain about the tradition. I was puzzled but hey, it's money, so I guess I LIKE this tradition. Yes, everyone should tie money on the money tree for prosperity. In fact, next year I'll have an outdoor party. I have a bigger tree outside!

Everyone started pulling out money and made all kinds of origami to decorate the tree. It was hilarious! I haven't counted the total on the tree yet because I want to keep them up there for the whole fifteen days of the celebration. However, I did spot a few $5 notes and one $20 bill! Wow! Thank you, guys! It was quite a properous night for me. Thanks, Will. I'm definitely doing this again next year.

Little Shop of Horrors Poster

2006-01-18T18:28:00.000-06:00

Here's another poster than I recently completed. It is another popular musical that audience are expecting to see the iconic image, in this case, a giant man-eating plant. David, the director, is staging the musical ala Film Noir style and that gives me a very distinct art direction for the poster. I requested David to provide me with a line or two of some kind of a "B-Movie-esque" poster tag lines to go with the campy retro movie posters, and he actually opened it up to the students to come up with something. They end up provided me with a long list of creative tag lines to pick from. I was just exciting that the kids get to participate in the creative process as well. In the illustration, I placed the plant behind a store window, which allowed me to position the title as the store sign on the glass window. Production Note: The illustration was done with a marker on paper and then scanned and traced in Illustrator. Colors were filled in later and a digital photo of a textured surface was overlaid onto the whole image to add a touch of organic and painterly effect.

Angels in America Poster

2006-01-17T18:32:00.003-06:00

Here's the poster of Angels in America for the Jewish Community Center. Since HBO has popularized the play and the imagery of their promotional materials seem so familiar to the public, the challenge for me was to come up with something original; not to repeat something HBO had done. After meeting with Mark, the director, I've decided to take the conceptual route for the visual, as opposed to the approach of HBO which is pretty much a glorified still shot of a scene from the mini series. The final outcome was an image of a glint of hope amidst the destruction and darkness of Part One. Production Note: It was a bright sunny day on Sunday and I took a bunch of pictures at the construction site of my new office since they had just knocked down a brick wall a few days ago. The image on the poster is a composite of at least 6 still images. Of course the feather was also a separate image.

A Chorus Line Poster

2005-12-29T18:45:00.000-06:00

Here'e the poster I designed and illustrated for A Chorus Line presented by the Jewish Community Center that's coming up in a few weeks. The posters are printed and delivered today and I can't wait to see them. Next in line is Angels in America.

Continuing Conversations: A Collaborative Painting Effort between Subashini Nadarajah and Michael Ong

2005-12-29T17:03:00.000-06:00

Artist Statement
It takes chemistry, understanding, courage, selflessness, total faith and respect for two artists to share a canvas and come up with one final work of art. Obviously, that's the kind of relationship we have. Being best friends for 16 years, our careers and lives thrive on each other's inspirations, ideas, criticisms and encouragements.
The works in this show evoke memories of our friendship over the years and the many spontaneous conversations that we've shared...both happy and sad. This collection of twelve paintings is, in essence, a visual dialogue between the two of us.
In the making of these paintings, we would start a canvas, then send it on for the other to continue, without discussing what should be done next. We were often surprised by how far we pushed each other's envelopes. In the end, we both came to the realization that two in-sync creative minds are better than one. This is our first collaborative painting show, but it definitely won't be our last. After all, we enjoy our continued conversations.

Here's the complete collection of the 12 paintings of the show.

Christmas Dinner at Will's

2005-12-27T23:58:00.000-06:00

This year's Christmas Dinner was at Will's again. Naeem, David, Suba, Eric and I were invited and each of us brought a side dish, and Will roasted a delicious chicken. He was so proud of his accomplishment we had to take a picture to show his mom. As usual, his apartment was beautifully decorated, and the table settings were simply divine. After dinner, we opened gifts and watch Margaret Cho's new show: Assassin. An evening of food, friends, gifts, and laughter in a gorgeous environment...we couldn't have asked for anything better. But wait! There's more. Producers opened that day and we all went to see it after dinner. Cho and the Producers back to back in a night...not a good idea. I had a sore throat the next morning for laughing hysterically all night long.

Feature Painting SOLD!

2005-12-02T13:02:00.001-06:00

Suba and my Art Show opens this evening at the Crossroads at 6pm. We are both so excited because one of our paintings that was picked by the gallery owner to be hung on the feature wall is already sold. The title of the painting is called "Matinee". I hope this is a good sign for a sell out show!

Rent: Broadway vs Hollywood

2005-11-22T11:46:00.001-06:00

Went to see an advance screening of Rent last night with Will. The theater was filled with fans and for a moment, I was worried that it would turn out to be a sing-along movie night. Apart from a big applause at the first big reveal of Angel in full drag, most people were respectful enough to wait until the closing credit for their own Karaoke moment. I'm not going to write a big review of the film because I'm sure there are way too many our there. However, I can't help but wonder if the effectiveness of the movie is totally based how well the film is made or because most of us are already so familiar with it and that our tear ducts automatically cued to work on certain scenes? The film stays very true to the Broadway version. Even the costumes are recognizably similar if not identical. Seasons of Love got moved up as the opening credit, and the hot, hot, hot track, Contact, was left out. I wonder if they're saving it for the "uncut" version on the DVD version? Anyhow, even though I totally expected that this is a musical, it still took me a few minutes to adjust myself to the "musical" mode. Tango: Muarine was my favorite in the movie. It was what I hoped each song is going to be for the film but the rest are pretty much the Broadway performance on film, with close-ups. Nevertheless, I still shed a tear and sing-a-long at the closing credit.

Revolution Tee

2005-11-14T11:17:00.001-06:00

If you haven't checked out our recently launched, PodcastsUnite.com website , here's a peek of our launch t-shirt, entitled "The Revolution Tee". There are more exciting and fun items on the way! Shop, shop and shop!

Podcasters Unite!

2005-11-03T23:14:00.000-06:00

Podcasters Unite!, originally uploaded by michaelongline.

PodcastersUnite.com is officially launched today. My brother and I started a new company that sells podcast related merchandise online. Most of the stuff sold out there are rather geeky. We felt the need to elevate the quality of the design both the graphic and the apparel. We have already shipped out a batch of promo t-shirts to a network of podcasters last weekend. We hope that they will get a first hand experience of the superior quality of our product and start passing the word around. So far, we only started with one design, and there are a few already been designed and are in production now. Please check out the site and order up a few t-shirts for yourself and as holiday gifts!

Art Show in December

2005-11-03T01:22:00.000-06:00

Art Show in December, originally uploaded by michaelongline.

Here's the unofficial invitation we sent out to some friends yesterday. The show is called "Continuing Conversations". Suba and I have been doing joint shows since we were in college. This time it will be in a form of collaborative painting. Either of us start a painting and the other person end it, or we may go back and forth, just like a conversation. Just like best friends, it takes a lot of trusts to hand over something so personal and let the other person continue working on it, without any direction. It is a very exciting process and I hope people will feel the same excitement when the show opens in December 2, 2005.

Carriage Ride

2005-09-27T01:45:00.000-05:00

Carriage Ride, It's me riding a horse carriage back to my house from a party. Behind me is Cinderella's humble abode. Originally uploaded by michaelongline.

Typically, riding on a horse carriage, especially in this part of the country is no big deal. However, riding it back to my house from a party is rather rare. Come to think of it, isn't it kind of like Cinderella? I live in a historic neighborhood and many people are very proud of their homes. A neighbor of mind threw a 100th Birthday party for his house. The event was rather elaborate. He even hired actors to play the previous owners, in period costumes! Of course, a big mansion with a carriage house is incomplete without a real horse carriage. Thanks to Eric for tipping the Cowboy and "Mike" 5 bucks. Pretty generous for a one-block ride.

My New iPuppy

2005-09-15T22:23:00.000-05:00

My New iPuppy, originally uploaded by michaelongline.

I finally got myself a puppy! I've been wanting to have a dog for many years but since I live by myself and I'm at the office for at least 10 hours a day, it seems like it too cruel to leave the dog alone for such a long period of time. (That is if it can hold for that long not to potty in the house.) A coworker of my is very allergic to animal, so bringing my dog to work is out of the question, even though my boss doesn't mind us bring our dogs to work.
Then I found the perfect dog. All I need to feed him is music! It reacts to music and dances to the beat. Best of all, it doesn't pee nor poop. Isn't it fabulous! Apparently, it has moods and needs attention sometimes. And it barks occasionally. How cute. Of course, it is totally stylish because it matches my iPod and my iMac G5.

Lights On!

2005-08-02T23:43:00.000-05:00

The preview of the illuminated Bloch Building, taken from the East side of the museum, photographed by michaelongline.

Lights on over the new reflecting pool, photographed by michaelongline.

I drove by the Nelson-Atkins Museum this evening and still under-construction addition of the museum was illuminated from within. The new wing built by architect Steven Holl is scheduled to open in 2007, but it has stirred up quite a controversy in the city because most people think it doesn't appear to be the same as what's been promised. I think the light was turned on to allow people to experience the luminosity of the structure at night. What's shown here is one of the five glass skin structures situated at the north end of the campus. Being a great fan of the museum, I am very excited about the project from the beginning and is looking forward to the completion of the addition so I can totally experience the architecture inside and around it. Therefore I shall refrain myself from commenting on the architecture until it's open to the public. As for now, I'll just enjoy the little preview of surprise light show by the museum.

Deep Thoughts on My Birthday

2005-07-29T14:38:00.000-05:00

I often find it interesting that human being are so drawn to the concept of time, which is related to the change of the position of the moon and stars, and the seasons and the tides. Somehow, we feel like we have the need to count the repetitious occurrences that surround, including our our age. Has it anything to do with the fact that we use it as a marking to valid ourselves to behave certain way according to social norms, or perhaps to acknowledge the inevitable aging process in our lives and the survival of another 365 days? I don't intend to demean the essence of birthdays, but somehow, it is just another many markings we carve on a pole that may or may not mean anything certain people. I like to see birthday as a reminder, just like a photo reminds you of a certain love ones. Birthdays remind me of looking back and evaluate the past 12 months, and then making goals for the coming year, very much like most people do on New Year's Day. As the marks on the pole is getting higher each year, it certainly feels like I'm making them much quicker then before. I used to remember that when I was a little child, I had to wait forever for Christmas to come around. Now, I often catch myself asking, "that was 3 years ago?!" So, why is time flying by so fast? Most people say when you're having a good time, time flies. That doesn't mean that I had a terrible childhood. I just think now I have a lot more going on in my life than ever. I have more responsibilities, obligations and stress. I also have more friends and more people that I really care for that I need to spend time with. These makes the slices of a pie much smaller; which means each bite is even more precious to me than before. I guess if I were to look back and evaluate my pass, I realized how blessed I am for being able to share my slice of my pie with my friends, my family and my lover. And yet I still have enough leftover for myself. I cherished every moment when I'm with them, and I strived to make each moment a pleasant experience for everyone. My birthday wish is to have many more of these wonderful moments ahead of me so I could share it with my love ones. It is hard to live halfway across the globe from my family and friends. I only get so many days in every other year to see them. However, just like anything else, the experience is more precious when it is so rare that we get to see each other anymore. Everything else in life is material. Relationships are the true essence of happiness in life.

My Favorite Vacation Picture

2005-07-28T22:36:00.000-05:00

My Favorite Vacation Picture, originally uploaded by michaelongline.

This one of my favorite pictures I took when I visited Singapore during my Southeast Asia trip this summer. It is the very icon of Singapore -- the Merlion.

Birthday Poem from Joshua

2005-07-28T22:24:00.000-05:00

Here's a poem that my best friend Joshua e-mailed me. Sounds like a suck-up poem to me. The last Friday of July 2005 is the birthday of a very big hunk, You would be sadly mistaken to EVER call this guy a punk. When he walks in - you'd think a movie star just entered the room. You'd think someone so good-looking would have a few flaws, But his artistic talents again put me in awe. His job entails much skill with generating ideas and being creative How wonderful to get paid to do something you like. So adept in art and design even Wong-Kar-Wei would be impressed, Such talent, such charm, what more can I stress? He's so kindhearted and likeable; cool, calm, collected demeanor, what more can I say? But Best Wishes to Michael-Ong-Chee-Heng and Happy Birthday!

Greetings -- Malaysian Style

2005-06-08T10:40:00.000-05:00

Eric and I arrived in Penang from Kansas City on June 6, 2005, after 36 hours of flying and waiting at four airports in three countries. The journey was rather smooth (except a few screaming kids in the plane, which I'm cursed to be stuck with them whenever I fly), and the stay is very nice except it's hard getting use to the hot tropical weather. Even though I was born and raised here for over twenty years, it is always hard for me to adjust to the hot and humid climate whenever I come home to visit. So far, we've been greeted by family and friends with a very typical Malaysia tradition -- food, food and more food. We've been here for only three days, but I feel like we've eaten more than 30 meals! Now I know why one of the few things I missed living in the US is food from home. It is such a big part of our daily life here. It is very common to extend a meal from one restaurant to the other, a progressive meal, all impromptu. I wonder if our seats are wide enough for us when it's time for us to fly back to the US.

Stealing Beauty

2005-05-14T01:06:00.000-05:00

I stole my neighbors beautiful peonies yesterday while I was outside working on my yard. I figured since I have to look at her ugly house and her yard that has never been taken care of all the time, I deserve something beautiful to look at. Moreover, a big storm was heading this way, and I know the flowers would be damaged by the heavy rain anyway. I'm now enjoying the arrangement on my night stand and the subtle sweet fragrant fills the room. I guess I'm not as upset with my neighbor anymore for of her unsightly yard. I just wish she has a weekly supply of fresh flowers in her yard for me to steal.

My South Park Portrait

2005-04-23T02:02:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my dear friend Suba who pointed me to this fun yet absolutely senseless site where you could generate a character a la South Park from various preset elements literally from head to toe, I am pretty happy with the outcome. I think my trademark man-bag totally nailed it. Have fun making your own South Park portrait at the South Park Studio.

Prom Horror Stories

2005-04-20T18:56:00.000-05:00

Today, a string of e-mail among my friends regarding dinner plans for this weekend has somehow evolved into a prom horror story exchange. Having not growing up here in the US, the idea of going to the prom is fascinating, yet intimidating. I certainly don't have any of my own story to share but here are some of my friends' from today's e-mail: "...except there won't be a jug of cheap wine in the trunk that we can drink later on at some park so that we can go "all the way". That was the horror of my senior prom. Susie Schultz (fat blond) and I were up for prom king and queen. She had a peach dress on with white roses. I had a white tux with peach boutonniere. She had a jug of wine and had plans for us after the prom. I had to do some pretty quick side-stepping and fast-talking to get out of that one!!! Whew! barely made it out alive. Never did bang her, thank God!" "...Well at least your date didn't leave the prom with her ex-boyfriend because she (at least) knew he was good for some back seat sex. So I had to drive around in my powder blue tux until midnight pretending like I hadn't been dumped. By next school day, it had gotten out and I was the butt of jokes for a week. Gee, thanks Will for dragging up my favorite high school memories!!" "...Well, since we're talking about Prom memories, my date had the nerve to wear a red polyester number with blatantly cheap white shoes from JCPenney after she told me she was wearing a stunning black and white ensemble. My corsage and boutonniere were specially dyed to be black and white and she threw off my color palette for the entire evening. I think my expression said it all when she descended the stairs. I was so embarrassed that I actually didn't want to have my picture taken for posterity because of the fashion faux pas. After all, the evening was all about me- she was just along for the ride. The nerve of that girl."

Reunion

2005-03-11T21:10:00.000-06:00

I am happy that last night, one side of my CK sock finally reunited with the other after several months of separation. I guess most of us often under estimate how much the littlest things bring joy to our lives.

High-tech Rooster

2005-02-10T20:55:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was Chinese New Year. This year is the year of the Rooster. Over here in the US was just like any other day. Well, it fell on Ash Wednesday, actually. The traditional New Year greetings was done the high-tech way over the Internet across 14 time-zones. My mom and I "cammed" for a little while and then we all got into this 4-way conferencing using Skype among my brother, my sister, my parents and I, from four separate addresses in two different continents. It was the first year we greeted each other online instead of over a long distance phone call. If only we could receive "ang pow" (red envelope filled with cash given to children and singles) as an attachment from e-mail, it would have been even cooler. The best part was: my tech-savvy brother taped the whole conferencing as his Podcast show, so the rest of the world will have the opportunity to subscribe to it. Who would have thought that today, we are living in a sci-fi world, having audio-visual communication across the oceans in real time, which costs us almost next to nothing compared to just 15 years ago, when air mail took two weeks to arrive, and making international phone call was a luxury. We are living in an amazing era.

In My Mother's Eyes

2005-02-06T23:15:00.000-06:00

This is a beautiful and moving song from the Heartland Men's Chorus Spring concert. I just want to have it on my blog and share it with everyone. Tenderly she held me as a child upon her knee. She would rock away the nightmares that startled me from sleep. She would wipe the tears of my fears away, and whisper, "there's no need to cry." And I knew what she said was true, for truth shined in her eyes. Tenderly she held me still as I became a man. Never was her lap too small or comfortless her hand. And through the years there has been no doubt of the value of my life... And I heard every loving word, for I was worthy in her eyes. In my mother's eyes, laughter danced like starlight. In my mother's eyes, courage never faltered. In her eyes, oh how I could find such peace of mind. In her eyes, I realized all I could be. In my mother's eyes, the gift of love was granted. In my mother's eyes, my dignity was planted. In her eyes, all of my dreaming seemed possible. In her eyes, I realized all I could be. Tenderly I hold her now, old and frail become. Never was a mother's love as her love for this son. And when the time has finally come that we must say goodbye... I pray she sees the love in me that I found in my mother's eyes. Music by Robert Seeley Words by Robert Espindola

Time Warp

2005-02-04T11:37:00.000-06:00

I went to bed on January 15th and I woke up this morning and it's February 4th! What happened? Was I in a coma, or was I being abducted by the Martians? Or is Bobby Ewing still in the shower?! Actually, there's no creative way to write about a come back after a blog hiatus. There were certainly many bloggable subjects occurred, but I was simply too lazy to write it down in words. And then I started planning on what to write about not writing and I just kept procrastinating because I simply couldn't figure out something interesting to talk about. So, there you go. I was lazy. Or perhaps I was having a blogger's block? But I'm back. Let's hope that this time it will last longer than the 5th season of Sex and the City.

Cell Phone Withdrawal

2005-01-15T16:37:00.000-06:00

I went to work yesterday without my cell phone. Of course, I thought I had it in my bag the whole time until when I was about to leave my office that I realized it was no where to be found. I thought it was in my car and even went back to my office again to look for it again after I left. My mind began to track back where I had been the whole day, and I wasn't sure if I had left it at the Taj Mahal where I had lunch. I had already planned on meeting Will and Naeem for dinner and a movie later, so I didn't have time to go home to look for my phone. The whole time I felt really uneasy because I was worried that plans might have been changed, and I was not informed. I was worried that Eric might call to let me know he's going to join us and couldn't get ahold of me. My mind was just wandering in all directions that things might have changed and I was the last one to know about it. I was the same guy, whom a few years ago thought I really don't have the use of a mobile phone. The reason that I got it is that it just looked cool to have a cell phone as an accessory for your ensemble. Who would know that I would become addicted to my phone, that I have lost all trusts in my friends, that any appointments that we made verbally or through e-mail can be easily vetoed by just a phone call. My phone may very well not ring at all, but by just having it on me makes me feel like I'm secured and I have the right to be running a few minutes late, or change my mind on a restaurant or movie time... I was glad to see my phone sitting there at home when I first walked in after the movie. There was five unanswered calls: one from Eric telling me about his evening plan; one from Will asking if the restaurant was the right one because he was the only one on time; one from Jeff asking me last minute if I would like to join their trip to St Louis for the weekend; and two other calls from me tracking down my phone. Well, I guess I am not the only one who depend on my cell phone to make last minute plans or changes. I did get a few calls while my phone is sitting in my house. Almost all my friends has cell phones nowadays, and I bet almost all of them feel the same way if they leave home without their phones.

Queer Eye Gone Queerer

2005-01-13T22:13:00.000-06:00

I frowned when I first saw the promo for "Queer Eye for the Straight Girl," but I thought I'll hold my judgment until at least after I watch an episode. True enough, this supposedly sister show hosted by the "Gal Pals" was just too hard for me to swallow. The whole concept of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guys" is to allow gay men who are (generally speaking) more in tuned with their feminine side to teach straight men a few tips to achieve the balance of their yin and yang. Women in general find gay men attractive because of their sensitivity to their feminine side. Metrosexual is IN and that's why the show is popular. Men want to learn a few tips to win women's hearts and women want to believe that their men can be buffed and polished into the Metro they've been dreaming of. As for "Girl", what is the point of the show? If it's just a make-over show, why bother making it into a Queer Eye spin-off. Isn't all male stylists and pros of every make-over show queer anyway? No offense, but isn't it totally queer to ask a lesbian about tips on how to be a lady?! Well, believe me. Her title is " Honey, the Lady"! Apparently her full name is Honey Labrador. What's with that? A pet name? I don't care if she modeled before in her past life or conditions her hair every time she shampoos. She was all giddy as soon as she put on a tool belt and had a power tool in her hands in the first episode. Maybe the other Gal Pals should seek advise from her on how to be a butch construction worker. So, what's the appeal of this show? Will straight men want to see any show that has less than two lesbians in it? Will straight girls be excited over learning the exfoliating tips from a lesbian, who's know as "The Lady"? Will gay men want to see a Cinderella story without the bitchy stepmother? And most of all, will the lesbians want to see a show that obviously added a token lesbian just so Bravo can broaden its viewership? Or, perhaps they're trying to be inclusive. I wonder what's next.

My Time Capsule

2005-01-06T18:05:00.000-06:00

This was my first car.
My parents got me a used 1969 Fiat 850 as soon as I got my driver's license when I turned 18. I had it painted a bright school bus yellow just to make a loud statement since it was almost as old as I am. My school mates all nicknamed it -- "Porsche".
I had many memorable times, not so much on the performance of the car but the experience of riding with many friends in the short few years that I owned it. The stories and gossips that we exchanged, the fights between friends, and the crazy "big squeeze" of 11 guys to avoid walking in the rain between school buildings, the rides of my teacher because he's too afraid to drive, ran out of gas on the road that cut across a cemetery, broke down halfway in the middle of rush hour traffic, smoke came out from the engine due to over heating while climbing up a steep hill, my sister got stuck somewhere because she could not figure out how to put the gear into reverse... the stories go on and on. In a way, even though it is a funny looking old car, it is a time capsule that instantly transports me back to my wonderful teenage years. I miss my first car.

My Big Fat Blog

2005-01-04T09:31:00.001-06:00

I've created another blog called "My Big Fat Blog" so I can keep track of the progress of my resolution for this year, to lose weight and look fabulous by this summer in time for my trip home to Malaysia. The blog is mainly for my own record so I can refer back to my goal if I ever go off course. Perhaps this will boost my motivation if I feel like I'm being "watched", even though I really don't think anyone is going to see the blog.

Welcome 2005

2005-01-01T15:09:00.000-06:00

It has been a rather somber holiday week between Christmas and New Year. Having growing up in South East Asia, it is very hard for me to see such a disastrous event that swept away so many lives and left behind the unspeakable griefs for the survivors. It is hard to even greet people Happy New Year when there are millions of people who are homeless and have lost their love ones taken by the tsunami. I lit a candle for world peace as I welcome the new year. I wished that those who survived will have the strength to move on. This morning when I walked into my kitchen, I noticed that the first bud of my white orchid has bloomed. I took it as a sign of hope, a sign of new life, and that life goes on.

2004-12-26T12:27:00.000-06:00

A Picture Perfect Afternoon

2004-12-12T21:54:00.000-06:00

Since there will be quite a few friends traveling during the holiday season, we've decided to celebrate it earlier this year. Naeem, Will, John Sims, Suba, Eric and I went to the recently opened restaurant on the Plaza -- Brio -- to have lunch. After the wonderful meal, we all went to Will's place to exchange gifts and for some hot cocoa and dessert. The cake was scrumptious and the gifts were fabulous. The best part of this gathering was the time being together, and the thoughts we had for each other especially during the holiday season. It just warmed my heart to be in the same room with my close friends. Will has a gorgeous apartment. It is so nicely decorated that it seems like an instant set for a photo shoot. There were an art director, a graphic designer and a photo stylist in the group, so needless to say, the afternoon had turned into a photo session. However, the pictures above were taken spontaneously, without any art direction or extra styling. Somehow, without trying, the palette and the visual elements just turned into a Burberryesque picture. So, I just had fun with it!

O Tanenbaum, O Tanenbaum

2004-12-11T02:38:00.000-06:00

To all the readers of my blog, Happy Holidays to all of you.

As the Yuletide season is fast approaching, I was debating whether or not to have a tree this year. I had a terrible experience once with a fresh tree and that had shied me away from the idea for years. Somehow, I revisited it again this year, perhaps just to entertain myself since my brother will be spending the holidays with my family in Malaysia; my best friend, Suba, will be in Montreal to celebrate her nephew's first birthday; and my boyfriend is perhaps going to visit his relatives in Colorado. That leaves me alone, all by myself. So, I've made up my mind to bring back the tree this year. A small and much manageble one. Here's the outcome of a fun filled crafty afternoon. I had been shopping for the ornaments for the past few evenings but had no luck finding the right size tree. After much running around town and calling a few places, I finally got the right one from a florist. This tree is a 4 foot Cedar Top, sparsely decorated with only 25 one-inch frosted globe lights, different sizes and shapes of glass ornaments, many shimmering icicles, and lime green & cream ribbons. The whole tree stands in a silver ice bucket with reindeer handles. I love the fact that it is unconventional, yet it has a touch of retro -- simple, monochromatic yet elegant. But most of all, I love it because it will be here with me this Christmas.

Bravo, HMC!

2004-12-05T17:48:00.000-06:00

Heartland Men's Chorus has done it again! Last night's holiday concert, With Bells On, was simply outstanding! Being part of the chorus, I was extremely proud of how high the level of their performance was. After GALA 2004 in Montreal, Canada, I decided to take a much needed break. I was glad that it allowed me to sit back and enjoy the full effects of the performance from the audience point of view. From the set design to the choralography, everything came together in perfect harmony. (No pun intended.) The balance of the religious and secular holiday songs, the juxtaposition of the serious and funny selections, and the contrast between the traditional and non-traditional pieces were meticulously crafted. I am not a music critic by any means but I know how to appreciate a stunning concert. Last nights performance was a total audio and visual treat for the audience and an emotional ride that pushed all the viewers' right buttons at the right moment. It was so hard for me to even pick a favorite piece because the performance came together so well as a complete concert. All the songs complimented each other and made every individual one unique. However, if I have to pick one, the Silent Night, Holy Night selection was by far the most powerful of all, something I've never seen or heard before. Just when you thought how many Silent NIghts can a chorus sing after 19 years of Holiday concerts, they totally surprised the audience by singing it in sign language. After the first verse, the chorus repeated the same verse. This time, in total silence. They continue signing, but no music nor singing. They sang in "silence". The audience just held their breath, awed by the haunting simulated "new" experience of being deaf and how we often take all our senses for granted. Some of us were moved to tears. Congratulations to the Chorus for all the hard-work and such a superb performance. Bravo! I can't wait to go back and sing with you guy for the next concert.