1 Jan 2010

Yehliu Geopark

plays host to numerous bizarre rock structures known as hoodoo. The "Queen's Head" structure is famous for resembling a regal silhouette.

1 Jan 2010

California's Great America

a local amusement park, may actually be best visited in the fall. Not only were there no lines for any rides, but we got to go trick-or-treating with Nickelodeon characters. On the other hand, all of the water rides were closed.

1 Jan 2010

PCOC 2009

or Pacific Coast Origami Convention, was held in San Francisco making it by far the cheapest and easiest to attend origami convention that I've ever been to, since I didn't have to pay for housing. 

At the banquet dinner, I participated in the origami design challenge where we had five minutes to fold first a paper toilet seat cover, then an envelope into some original design. I folded an orchid and a penguin, respectively, and earned a pretty sheet of Origamido paper for my trouble. Here are photos of me/my models taken by others. For the full galleries go here and here.

1 Jan 2010

Taipei 101

is one of the tallest buildings in the world. It also lights up and has New Year's Fireworks.
The gold ball thing is the building's damper.

1 Jan 2010

The MIT Synchronized Swimming Team

basically doesn't exist anymore, but during the '06-'07 collegiate synchro season, the team even made the trek all the way out to...Wheaton for the Collegiate National Competition. 

Here are some photos of me from that season. My duet was with Joanna Rodriguez-Noyola.

30 Dec 2009

Cloverleaf knots

can be joined together to create really gorgeous combinations.

19 Nov 2009

Knots

are pretty. These are all the same, just the last one was tightened.

9 Oct 2009

Partial Half Reverse French Braid**

plaited into my own hair this morning.

Inspired by a friend's recent post on learning to french braid her hair, I decided to do something fancier than usual to my hair. This is probably one of the more complicated braids that I've ever tried to put into my own hair. The pinning is actually totally unnecessary for the hairstyle to stay, but I am hoping that adding it will prevent it from loosening over the course of the day. I took the photos just so that *I* could see what it looked like in the end, and figured I'd post them once I'd gone to that much trouble. I think it turned out ok, all things considered.

Things I learned:

  • reverse french braids are harder to put in your own hair than regular ones
  • even with a mirror it's nearly impossible to see the back of your own head


** All terminology is pretty much made up by me. This site would probably call it a classic dutch lace braid (that starts off as a regular dutch braid). In my terminology partial~=classic, half=lace, and reverse french=dutch.

 

9 Oct 2009

Schach

thrown on top of my apartment's porch is basically the same thing as a
sukkah...right?

20 May 2009

A playground

in Foster City provides an alternative to climbing at Castle Rock.

Also, other pictures from my visit to San Francisco (tower in the Japanese area) and the Exploratorium (ice freezing, geyser things) no longer sufficient for their own post now that my phone has died and I've lost most of them (including all the ones with me in them...and the pretty geometric structures...and the random break dancer...). :(
Very, very sad.

Andrea Hawksley's Space

Man cannot live by bread alone, but hummus and carrots are probably sufficient.