Vacation in Costa Rica!

I'm going to Costa Rica tomorrow for a week.  :)  I knew almost nothing about it except that it's very scenic, and there are lots of coconuts.  So I wrote up a little blog about it on Fold.  I'll be reporting back with my own pictures.

A Chicken!!

Here are some more pictures from Vermont.

The Essence of Vermont

Last weekend I visited my friend in Vermont who is getting a masters degree in soil biology!  It was really fun hanging around Burlington.  They have a pedestrian street with some chic stores, farmers market, art market, street performers, and many tourists.

In addition to hanging around Burlington, making dumplings at Lynn's, and playing MarioKart, we went to Shelbourne Farms.  It's a model farm and educational center for sustainable farming practices on a wealthy estate.  They don't produce as much food anymore, but they still make cheese.  We hung around the farm barn where they put out really desensitized animals out for everyone to annoy.  There were sheep, goats, alpacas, a cow, calves, chickens, rabbits, pigs, and donkeys.  We picked up a really chill chicken.  It was sooo cute.

Many people in Vermont seem to be interested and involved with sustainable farming and organic farming.

NYC Weekend

I visited some friends in NYC this past weekend with Alicia.  It was the first time I really spent any time in Brooklyn, which was pretty nice, actually.  We went to Smorgasbord, which was pretty much hipster food booths.

http://www.smorgasburg.com/

We also went and got food massages in Chinatown.  We found a place that wasn't sketchy.  The guys giving us massages didn't really speak English, so we also got a bonus Chinese lesson.  They did talk about learning English from TV shows so they knew "Are you kidding me?"

Alicia and I went to the Guggenheim and the Met.  The Guggenheim had a Turrell exhibit, who apparently is kind of a big deal.  He has some interesting work, but most of the exhibit was fairly underwhelming while the descriptions were extremely pretentious.

I like the contemporary art at the Met, though.  This is one by Joan Mitchell.  I guess it's just because I like colors.

I also got some crepe cakes at Lady M Confections.  It is in fact better than a crepe or a cake.  

http://www.ladym.com/portfolio/lady-m-mille-crepe/  

Road Trip Highlights

Busch gardens

baby rhino!

baby flamingos!

Grand Canyon

Arizona sun

Hoover Dam

going to CA!

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Fowl in Boston

Last weekend I visited Boston for the last time before leaving Florida. There were a lot of ducks and swans at the Swan Pond in the Boston Public Gardens. There were many ducklings and the swans were nesting. It was a nice scene.

Happy Independence Day!

Today my mom and I went to Clematis Street in West Palm Beach, Fl to hang out and watch fireworks. It was like a fair like on Memorial Drive in Boston. We got to sit on a dock, which was almost right under the fireworks! I hope the economy can keep getting better and that we can have more responsible policy-making. Just have to keep pushing...

Visitors

Last week Amandar and Smark came to visit me in Florida. Here we are with the photographer's dog!

hotel yang!

I'm encouraging my friends to visit me while I'm in this nice vacation home in Florida. I have so many towels and bedding. Last weekend, I tried to go to the shuttle launch, but it got delayed again. But it was ok because it lured Jenny Hu to Florida along with other interesting people that I got to meet.

Jenny Hu looking stylish. We even went shopping and she bought a dress! I forgot to take pictures, though. Oh well. I'm sure there will be evidence presently.

A sea turtle in a "hospital tank" at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center. It is a turtle rescue center and museum. It has an upbeat atmosphere, but actually many exhibits made me sad, especially as a proponent of environmental sustainability. It made me feel like we still have so much to do. Reducing human impacts on other species and habitats requires so much cooperation from people. Around West Palm Beach, so many condos and strip malls are named Loggerhead this Loggerhead that, and yet they are still endangered. It is frustrating that other people don't seem embarrassed about this or feel the irony. I am going to try to go volunteer sometimes to meet new people and learn more about Florida's environmental management.

Hu is in my living room

Nice photos from holiday vacation in LA

the Getty Villa
Smark with his new prescription sunglasses
me at Topanga Canyon
Smark at Topanga canyon

Little Things I Drew On Vacation

front side of a DVD cover for a fake
movie for Smark's dad, who is also
named Mark. inside was money for
fixing the whirlpool. everyone has
been giving him money for the "spa
fund" instead of buying him presents.

right side: back side for the fake movie
Smark's brother drew the little crabs


holiday card for Smark's family
hangs on the tree.



little pics for the coasters.

Gingerbread Circuits

Smark and I made gingerbread circuits. Well, Smark's mom made the gingerbread, and then we put candy on it. We actually made them to resemble actual units from my work. The smaller one is a DC-DC converter and the larger one is part of a Max Power Point Tracker for solar panels to charge batteries.

Lynn at Smark's House!

Always up to no good

Good Times Keep Rolling

Smark's Grammy

Smark's Mom's tasty food

Smark and Lynn



Priorities

Vaca in LA

Disneyland!



Salvador SKA (sometimes known as) Sebastian


fat cat

I forgot to take pictures of the things I drew, though. Oh well.