egg drop, pants drop

the aforementioned egg drop event this weekend was worth checking out...however, the demand was certainly greater than the supply. the lines for everything were loooooong and there was lots of crowding (and lost kids).

cake wrecks

there is book called cake wrecks and it is hilarious. i learned that the author (jen yates) had created a blog a few years ago, and due to its success, decided to put together a book with the same title. if you want to laugh out loud for 15 minutes, flip through this book. below are some true cake wrecks.
p.s. of all the weddings i've shot, i've never seen a "cake wreck."
all photos found on cake wrecks blog

a teacup of taiwan

food food food
when it comes to food, i'm game for trying anything--assuming there is no potential health risk, of course. for example, i've heard that the puffer fish is poisonous and must be prepared carefully and specifically by someone who knows what they're doing; otherwise, you'll end up dead. do you see what i'm getting at here? i'm not going to "be adventurous" and put my life in the hands of a *hopefully* well-trained chef. so besides unsafe foods, i'll try anything. i don't promise to love it, but i'll try it. while in taiwan, we tried various dishes; sometimes i asked what they were, other times i didn't. here are some visual examples of my taiwanese food experiences. enjoy!

1. have you ever wondered what poultry guts look like? yeah, me neither. well here they are in all their glory. these were on display at a typical morning market in taiwan.

2. mastering the art of chopstickery. in the states, i'm usually so hungry by the time my food arrives, i don't want to fiddle with learning how to use chopsticks. i ask for a fork and that's it. when in rome....or should i say, when in taiwan....do as the taiwanese do. i got to the point where it felt natural to be eating with chopsticks and i quite liked it. now that i'm back home, i'm back to using forks and knives. 

3. roadside restaurant before the lunch rush.

4. miss jasmine with a tasty treat. it's really hard to describe, but it was strawberry-flavored and squishy.

5. jasmine and i ate at an amazing seafood restaurant. this fish was SO good!

6. on the left is ostrich. on the right are squid balls. both were divine. the ostrich tasted like beef; the squid tasted like squid.

7. typical taiwanese beef dish.

8. more seafood. the food on the right were about the size of your fingernail and you had to suck out the insides. not bad, but kind of a hassle because they were so small.

9. i want one of these right now. shaved vanilla ice cream (awesome texture) loaded with all kinds of fruit. you can get it with any topping you like. very refreshing.

10. first restaurant we ate at. the chef on the right is also the owner. he made some good eats.

11. some of his work. i ate pig intestines here; they had a fatty texture which really wasn't my thing.

12. ice cream break.

13. night market food vendor. i felt bad for her because she was vigorously working alone. i wanted to pull up a chair and tell her to take a rest.

blake break

so last weekend, ashley and i headed over to LAX (luxor's nightclub) to check out blake lewis. i almost forgot how amazing amazing amazing his beat-boxing is. check out the video below to see him perform "time of the season." i think i like his version better than the original. 

p.s. we hurried and grabbed a couple snapshots before the bouncer told everyone to put their cameras away. the one of me and ashley directly below was taken by her very persistent admirer. fun times for me, not so much for ashley. :)

a teacup of taiwan

serendipity

i believe in plans. i believe in backup plans. this being said, i also believe in serendipity. anyone who has traveled, near or far, can attest to the reality of surprises and unexpected encounters. if you resist serendipity, you will be let down. let her be your guide and she will introduce you to experiences of every kind.

1. a typical crowded sidewalk during the day. all along the left side were food vendors. we tried mochi from one and it was powdery and squishy, just how i like it.

2. on a mad dash to find a bathroom, we stumbled upon this temple and i grabbed a quick photo.

3. aloe vera and other greenery spill out from an indoor market. if you look closely, you will see the seller hidden in the plants.

4. a close up of the seller.

5. the peace sign. see what i mean? 

6. as we came out of a temple, this caught my eye.  

7. colorful decoration right outside the doors of the longshan temple.

8. while ruby slept, her mom and i zipped up to the market to check things out. (in case you can't tell, her mom is a total sweetheart).

9. right as we stepped out the door, ruby's shoe broke and it was hilarious. you just had to be there. 

a teacup of taiwan

arrival and the weather

i could not get warm enough during my first couple days in taiwan. the sky pounded down bullets of rain and the cold air seemed to flow straight through to my bones. nevertheless, we (me and ruby) skipped about the streets of taipei, using our umbrellas as shields, but still getting wet. the rain eventually ceased and became extremely pleasant. we stripped off our puffy coats and gushed over how spring-like the weather had become. throughout the two weeks i was in taiwan, i think i experienced all four seasons: it started cold, warmed up, became really hot and sticky, then cooled down the day i left.

below are a few photos we took upon arrival

1. umbrellas abound at a downtown temple.

2. on our way to our first restaurant. (okay, okay, it was a buffet. but not like a vegas buffet...) ruby is holding up a peace sign--the first of many to come. she says it's an "asian thing." i learned she was right.

3. i can't remember where we were. all i know is that i look overly excited, my hair is in the initial frizzy stages and ruby is expressing concern about something (maybe my hair?)

4. the ubiquitous peace sign.

5. in front of the national palace museum (i'll post about this later)

6. at a local temple. not sure what i'm doing. this is precisely why i'm usually behind the camera. 

7. little girl looking outside at the temple crowd. i love those bunny ears! 

my view

i floated into las vegas tonight, safe and sound. as expected, the view from the airplane kicked on the nostalgia. some people have a local spot that represents home--maybe a prominent statue or a favorite bakery. others are taken back home with the smell of honeysuckle or a familiar childhood logo. for me, it is the moment i see the vegas lights after being away. they appear as if a giant took a massive handful of glittering gold chips and scattered them in a valley; and when i look out at the millions of glowing lights, i look in the direction of where my house should be and wonder if i am looking at it in that moment. having a place to call "home" is one of the best feelings.

signing off now....sweet dreams.