Hakone Garden

Magnolia

Book Stroll - Thoughts on the Female Beauty

For years, I failed to understand the appeal of Kate Moss. Why is she a super model? To me, she is, hmmm, blank.  Her face hardly shows any expression in the advertisement photos she appear and without her makeup I can hardly recognize her in the news. My mind finally clicks when I see this photo: her blankness is actually a wonderful canvas, allowing designer/photographer/makeup artist project whatever they want. Amazing.   

When I saw this Adele photo on the cover of Vogue, my first reaction was, did they do any photoshop? (A corset is definitely involved in showing the ample bosom of Ms. Adele.)

I started to think what is female beauty and spotted this book. Time to read the feminist classic. 

I agree with the message (last page of March's Smithsonian magazine). But isn't it ironic that I am reading it on my Kindle Fire? I hate to think myself as a patron of a dying art form.

I Love My Fitbit!

I confess. I hate doing exercise. I hate it so much that exercise is in fact a dirty word to me. But deep in my heart I know for my health I have to do it. Not only I have to do it, I have to do more of it. I was not disciplined. I skipped it when I was tired, or "not in the mood". Things were not improving. I knew I needed a different strategy.

I started to look for ways to make exercise work for me. (Just do it just won't do it!) I was always interested in how human brain works and I know one way to make something stick is to associate the activity with some kind of reward mechanism for a time period. After that, your brain will automatically generate a dopamin rush for the activity, motivating you to do it even more. Easy said, but how to achieve it?

Couple of weeks ago, my friend Chinchih sent me her notes of "how to use technology to improve our health", one of the sessions she attended in "She's Geeky". I noticed Fitbit. I thought it was just an advanced pedometer, but since the device automatically log and sync up my exercise data to the cloud, I figured it would be convenient. I decided to give it a try.

A few days into it, I knew it was the solution I was looking for. I got badges when I achieved my exercise goals. This insignificant reward surprisingly was enough for me to keep going. With precise data, it was easier to push because I knew how far I had to go (ok, just a few more steps). I started to observe my sleeping patterns (which I was not able to track without Fitbit). How many times did I wake up last night? How long did I actually sleep? (I now have pretty scientific data that a high quality 7-hour sleep is enough for me.) I also designed new routines to help me reaching my daily goals. For example, I found I rarely reached the daily10-floor goal. Then it occurred to me I could improve that by using the 2nd floor restroom in my company instead of the 1st floor one I usually went. Viola, problem solved, no extra effort involved.

Now I still hate exercise when I think about it, but thanks to Fitbit I now think about the goals I can reach. Somehow, it is much more fun.

P.S. with the data recorded, I also started to experiment. What's my optimal sleeping time? Do I feel better when I exercise in the morning, or at night? If I eat a big breakfast, does it impact my weight (no)? How about dinner (yes)? I never realize it can become a science project.

The Only Customer in JJ's Second Hand Bookstore

I have a Evernote folder for "career change ideas". (Right now only 2 items.) One of them is to open a second hand bookstore in Taiwan when I retire. Today I was browsing some blog about the second hand bookstores in Taiwan and one thing struck me. Some of those bookstores didn't have many books. "Those are just books I like to read", one owner explained. Wow, I told myself, looked like I wouldn't even need to buy books to open my second hand bookstore. Just my current books are more than enough. Of course, I am sure there are will only be one customer in my bookstore, me!

Filoli Garden

Entering the Garden

Fallen Flowers

On Sunday, Filoli opens at 11am, a time too late for photography. What I didn't expect was I was in the wrong season too. No roses, no peonies, only magnolias (and the all season "tea" flowers) were blooming. I felt like an idiot in the garden. I guess I may have to pay another visit after March.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this Robert Fagles translation of Iliad in the second hand bookstore.

A hardback Robert Fagles's translation of Iliad in mint condition? I immediately jumped on it. Now the Fagles family is finally complete (I had the Odyssey and Aeneid in hardback already) on my bookshelf.

Rereading the Iliad reminds me that the clash of heroes and intervention of gods as fate or destiny can be so vividly manifested in a modern NBA game.

An Early Happy Valentine!

D800 Announced

Wow, so the rumor is true. D800 is indeed a 36MP beast. Now it's really hard to decide between a D800E and the Fuji X-Pro1. Looks like selling my D3X to sponsor both is the only option.

P.S. I would be ecstatic if D800 were announced two months earlier. Now, I am not so sure. After using X100 for a month, I start to appreciate a lighter camera, and I really love the Fuji color. 36MP to me is too big since I don't shoot that many landscape photos any more. For my current shooting, X Pro1 is in fact a better fit. I guess I will read  Lloyd Chambers's review very carefully this time.

Stanford Art Museum

The horse is in fact made of steel, not dry wood.

Richard Serra Sculpture at Stanford

The new Richard Serra sculpture at Stanford Art Museum, a maze of steel in the shape of double helix.

Look at the sculpture on the ground level.

Entering the maze.

It can feel quite claustrophobic once your are inside.

Inside the maze.

Andy Goldsworthy at Stanford

Work of Andy Goldsworthy outside the Stanford Museum.