OK, as I promised, I am posting some pictures I took while in Oahu. It was a really awesome trip. I did a lot of hiking, some snorkeling (even saw the famous humuhumunukunukuapua'a) ! I'm having some problems loading pictures right now, so here are just a few...


This is some Chinese temple by the botanical garden and Chinatown


I thought it was nice that the birds got to join in on the temple offerings:)


A very small but colorful Chinatown in Honolulu


Some good looking Dragonfruit! But 5 bucks a piece??!??!!


Cool statue with leis on it. Anyone know how I can rotate the pictures?

OK, I'm going to wait a bit to try to post more pics. I'm having a little trouble with the uploading right now.

Oh my goodness, I haven't written in so long! Sorry! I have been mega-busy getting stuff set up. But guess what, I can totally ride a horse now! Well, not totally totally, but i canter pretty good. Now if I can just get over the fear of them biting me...

I will update with pictures soon. I just got back from a nice little trip from Hawaii and there were lots of pics :) I'm starting to take an interest in photography-- I just love the contrast between colors, and the old and new.  

I know I talk a lot about animals, but it's because I love them. But sometimes, I think it's just fate. I have animal fate. This past weekend, I had 2 encounters with the "wild". On Saturday, I let Charlie, my goofy hound dog, out to play. When I called him back, he wouldn't come in. So, I decide to go out into the yard to investigate. As I'm walking out, he comes bounding with this black thing in his mouth. At first, I thought it was a black piece of cloth or something. Then I realize it had wings! I thought, oh no, he's killed a bird. I'm thinking, oh geez, i have to clean this up... I yell at him, and plops this thing out of his mouth, and the bird gets up and just stands there! I realized it was probably in shock from just being in a dog's mouth. I call the dogs in, hoping the bird would regain its senses and just fly away.

It doesn't move. It just stands there.

So I realize that it was probably in shock enough that it would just keel over dead after a while if I didn't do something. Plus, it was like a hundred degrees outside. So I desperately call around for a bird rescue. Of course, there wasn't really one, because, let's be honest, this was a pigeon, and many people think they are vermin. Anyway, I did finally call some pigeon sanctuary in another city that was being run by retired nuns. Apparently, women of cloth are the only ones who can find it in their hearts to love pigeons. This one nun, who sounded like she was running this "rescue" out of her house, said she doesn't take birds anymore, but that I could trap him and keep him for a few days and see if he gets better. She also said they didn't carry diseases like people thought, and this did make me feel a little better, even though I'm thinking, does she really know?

I go out to the yard with a cat carrier, thinking this is going to be easy, since the bird is still standing perfectly still there, presumably in shock. As I go to grab him (or her), he starts hopping away! Great! Not in shock! But not flying either... Since I can't just leave him hopping around in my yard where it's a hundred degrees and without water, I corner him into the little carrier, and he goes in willingly. I give him a little water, which to my relief, he drank. Further sign that he is ok. Then I call the humane society, and they give me the name of a wildlife rescue, and I drove the pigeon to the animal hospital where he is to be picked up by the lady who ran the rescue. I also name him Herbert, the bird. I hope Herbert got better and is out flying and terrorizing people as I speak.

On Sunday, after all this animal fun, we almost ran over a desert tortoise in the middle of a two-lane road. The poor thing was stranded right in the middle of the road, and he would pull his head and feet in everytime a car drove by. I don't know if tortoises can be scared, but he looked like he was. So we pulled over, picked him up (he was really big and heavy), and walked him farther into the desert, where desert tortoises are supposed to be. Considering his size, he must have been really old, and he didn't deserve to be run over by SUVs after surviving all those years. Hopefully, he stays away from the road... I do worry though...
 
Sometimes, I think fate just sends things your way because it knows you'll take care of them.

Happy Birthday to my friend Jacob! He's a fellow AnD-er. He's a very talented guy and produces the MTV Asia show "Aiya" where they do all kinds of crazy crazy things. I've seen them film when I traveled to Thailand with the gang. Jacob and the crew are the funnest to hang with, and he knows where the best restaurants are :)

www.alivenotdead.com/jacobmense
www.aiyatv.com

I've always had a fascination with houses. Ever since I was little, I loved looking at houses. Not the grandiose, beautiful mansions as you might imagine, but the little ones, with humble block windows and a single door. I especially like trailer homes and manufactured homes. To me, they were doll-house like and in their compactness. You could easily imagine people sitting around their little tables eating dinner, or sitting on the couch watching TV afterwards.

When I was in Hong Kong, driving over the flyway bridge from North Point to Causeway Bay, everytime I would look at this one particular building on the south side of the bridge that had large glass pane windows in for every flat, and you could see right inside to someone's dining room table or flat screen TV. Sometimes you could see people eating dinner or watching TV or brushing their hai or just looking out their windows. Maybe you know which building I'm talking about. Someone has a chandelier hung above their dining table right by the window. I'm surprise I never got into an accident there considering it took my attention everytime I drove over it.

Beyond just wanting to look at these little scenes, I wanted to know what happened. What they talked about. How they lived their lives. Maybe they are celebrating a birthday or a promotion. Or maybe a family is watching TV together for the only time of they week they can spend together. Maybe one of the kids were sick and they just got back from the hospital, thankful it's over. Maybe they're getting a divorce.

The human need for a home connects us. Whether it's in a 26-room colonial mansion or an urban loft, a 600 sq.ft. apartment or even just a couple of blankets in an alley, needing a home makes us common to each other. It's the foundation to our stories. And as I paint and clean and get ready to move out of this home, I am saddened that I'm leaving a little part of my history behind. But I can imagine what new joys, new stories, and new lives will fill it in my place.