Family Portrait at Simi Valley

New Year's Day! Family holiday: A rare pic of everyone all in one pic. The only one missing is EZ.

By Antibes, Monet

At the Getty, by a beautiful painting, Antibes by Monet. It reminds me of Nice.

Vintage Station

I just loved the look of Union Station in LA. Here's Vier lounging in the lobby. The place was built in the 1930's!

Starstruck at Disneyland, Annaheim

The subject title says it all. One day was not enough but it was wonderful, nevertheless. I actually cried during the fireworks, feeling like a little girl making a wish for the first time.

Pretty in Pink

Me and my lovely niece, Yana, on the day of her birthday party.

Me & Nina

Me and my niece, Nina.

Standing at the edge of a cliff

This is me and Vier, standing at the very edge of a cliff overlooking the Grand Canyon. It was a very lovely view but just too cold for comfort. After this photo session, we were rushing back to the car to keep warm. Also, notice the look of sheer terror on my face, being so close to the edge of the cliff.

A Family Cafe in the Mojave Desert

This is where we had pancakes in the Mojave desert. Took some other fantastic shots but this, more or less, captures the gritty look and feel of the place. It was built in the 1930's by the way (and it shows).

West Coast Adventures

I loved my vacation (though, there were a lot of times I felt that I should get a vacation from my vacation).

Highlights (Dec. 26, 2005 - Jan. 12, 2006)

- We had roadtrips galore
- Ate pancakes in the Mojave desert
- Got frozen in the Grand Canyon
- Loved every niece in every port (Yana in San Francisco, Nina in Simi Valley LA, Sydney in Orange County)
- Got starstruck in Disneyland, Annaheim
- Commuted to the Getty Museum in LA (getting lost along the way)
- Lovely dinner with Paula and Butch in Fisherman's Wharf, with fantastic chocolate sundae in Ghirardelli Square afterwards
- Shopping in Ross, Target and all the outlets we could find
- Shopping for origami paper, a haori (kimono coat), and yukatas in the Narita Airport
- Feast of crabs in special sauce on our last night
- Cried my eyes out saying goodbye to my brother.

Unfortunately, I haven't downloaded all the pictures yet. So far, the only one I've posted is of me and V sharing a lovely sunset at the Getty.

A Matter of Time

I was just trying to examine my fascination with the movie 2046, my fascination with the past when I ran into an analysis by Stephen Teo "2046: A Matter of Time, A Labor of Love."

"Wong (Kar Wai) shows that the theory of eroticism is the absence or denial of sex, which is the cornerstone of 'In the Mood for Love' and the recurring subject of 2046."

No wonder that film had such a profound impact on me. It is the whole "what if" of my past. There were so many quotes in the essay that stood out for me:

"Desire is better felt than satisfied."

"Time reduces the ache and discomfort while memory renders the emotion denser and purer."

But it's true. It is the most potent thing I have ever encountered. What you can never have is more alluring than what is at hand. But what does one do with desire if it will be destructive, if it is pointless, senseless? Channel it into something else, I guess. But the weight of it. Perhaps it will take a lifetime.