Dead Lizards Tell No Lies

Sleepy Hollow

2012-01-16T20:15:00.000-06:00

"A place to run to, it's colder now. And in the same breath, we argue."

Feeling the gravity of old and abandoned places filling your lungs. The crunch of frostbitten mud and Frost himself, walking through these very woods on a winter evening. He must have felt it. The same peace of mind. The same pull of buried bones that never seemed quite so near to the surface.

"It must be a sign of closeness, I guess."

2012-01-02T11:18:00.003-06:00

City explorations. Sneak peak of my steadily growing teacup collection. Pink castle. I'd like to think that a princess use to live in those turrets and her beautiful things are still there, covered in an inch of dust. The door to her attic-room is hidden behind a bookcase and when you open the 2nd volume of the encyclopedia from the bottom-most shelf, there will be a shadow of a key imprinted on the pages and maybe some letters addressed to no one.

Spent yesterday afternoon at the horse farm G. works at and met some wonderful characters. Shado the dark knight. Cow-patterned Patche who loves peppermints. Angel who looks like a unicorn. And of course Lacey the shaggy palomino whom I hugged to keep warm. Despite the gloomy weather, dusk was beautiful. Standing on the hill with everyone, we watched as the last winter rays set the muddy fields aglow with fireflies. Breathtaking.

Couverture

2011-12-18T14:41:00.014-06:00

Fat sparrows. Beef gnocchi. Japanese teacups. I think I am slowly running out of words and fairy dust because time stopped sometime in November. It must have restarted again because brown is my color for winter, lingering between Christmas chocolates and the woody texture of a December forest. Some things have quietly changed, but I hope my organs are still in the same place. There is nothing quite like a broken heart to rearrange your skeleton. I can't even scrub the smell of oranges from my wind-chapped fingers anymore. Been holed up like a squirrel reading books and fussing over symmetry and squares with cold hands and cold feet. Still, it feels good to be home.

2011-11-08T23:34:00.004-06:00

Went away on a trip a few weekends ago to Springfield, Illinois. Not for any particular reason though, except maybe to save myself from quietly drowning between the pages of my textbook. It's this weather that has been getting me down. Too warm to be already November and nothing to show for it really. Bad habits turning up again. The tendency to live vicariously through other people - do you know that feeling? - coupled with the urge to fade into your own shadow. Something like turning into a ghost I imagine. Unbearable.

2011-10-23T13:52:00.005-05:00

Soulard market on a warm and fuzzy afternoon. Mind is full of apples. Hands full of apples and apple cider.There is just something different about autumn in this sleepy town. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it leaves me with this twisting sensation between my clavicles. Maybe because I don't even remember the last time I sat on a park bench with this feeling of migrating geese overhead. Quietly worrying over this problem around a cup of tea and some warm milk. Saturday, and somehow I am not thinking too much about tiny astrocytes in the brain reaching towards the milky way, like old english ivy on these brick walls. This tired feeling, Van Winkle would have understood, of trees dying. It's suffocating.

Otherside of the Ozarks

2011-10-02T02:31:00.007-05:00

Sunday morning rain. It's one of those things that you will never solve, no matter how many cups of tea are on your windowsill. Somehow. Just another one of those unnecessary things, like the blisters on your swollen fingertips between soft horsey kisses.

Dear You

2011-08-10T22:26:00.009-05:00

2011-06-20T13:22:00.005-05:00

Living somewhere between my exoskeleton and summer. I never figured out why sitting in this chair was like sitting in coffin - except the golden days seem to slip between the cracks on the ceiling too easily. Hair. It's grown longer. Probably need to cut it off again. I can't stand that kind of weight on my shoulders.

Children Who Chase Stars

2011-05-31T22:45:00.010-05:00

In another if and when, we would have all the time world to enjoy the sunshine. Even as the dust creeps slowly, but surely onto my camera lens, I will always be thinking of you and the light years between here and there and Andromeda herself. I've looked under the bed twice and once in each closet and there is probably nothing left for me here. I left a note in the space within the door for you. It says "don't forget me", but I don't really mean that because sometimes its better to be forgotten. So please, don't come looking for me in September. This is the story of a girl on a journey to say "farewell".

Rockateer

2011-05-13T21:46:00.013-05:00

I think I've been slowly turning into a classroom mouse. The one that has its nest made from pages of Shakespeare and Hemmingway and nibbles on the inky nibs of fountain pens over the weekend. Outside the window, it is summer and I think there will be another world to explore that isn't confined between brick walls and bookshelves. Sitting on the rooftop, waiting for the late train whistle at dusk, there is nothing between your dreams and that eternal sky.

Secret of Life

2011-03-28T15:08:00.006-05:00

2011-03-20T18:53:00.008-05:00

I've been spending too much time with dashing pirates and platinum haired thieves. It's hard to return to the books when the breeze is ruffling your wings.

Syndrome Y

2011-02-01T13:04:00.007-06:00

sleeping late. string theory. spaghetti dinners. soda cherries. snow days. stale cereal. stardust. spent the night playing video games until the controller slipped from my fingers. sound of ice droplets rattling my windowpane makes it impossible to sleep at night. so cold and so strange. sitting up till midnight reading about atoms and cells and diseases that break your heart into a thousand glittering pieces. sometimes I wish I had been born a boy. I could never steal you away.

All That Glitters Is Gold

2011-01-16T22:23:00.006-06:00

We went chasing for dead things, but all we found were bone shaped rocks all in the shape of your heart. I was always slightly afraid of the ocean because when I looked at its empty expanse and tilted my head to the sky I always felt dizzy, as if that open air was suffocating me slowly. And yet, with you beside me, somehow I felt less afraid. Walking carefully behind you, just in case I slipped and was pulled into the water, so I might have the courage to someday tell you how much I miss you - how much I miss this already.

Glowworm Grotto

2011-01-09T11:22:00.022-06:00

The constellation of Leo is twinkling tonight making the air so cold it hurts to breathe. It was only 4:00 but the street lamps had already turned on as he climbed the hill with vague familiarity, slipping in all the same places. He never reached the top because the scene dissolved and he was walking slowly across the cut pavement. It's the same, but different and he can't quite put his finger on it: the queer feeling as he turned on the lights and said "I'm home" to nobody in particular. But he imagined this might change, so he laughed because everything was going to be okay.

This is a memory. Which is to say, it was probably just a dream.

2010-12-31T21:08:00.011-06:00

I wonder how he felt. Stuck inside that house all winter and watching the grass turn brown before the snow came and wiped the canvas clean. And when the temperature drops, it becomes fearfully silent. So silent, he could hear his heartbeat, which was louder than his voice ever was. I wonder how he felt. Making all those children's graves all by himself. Who is suppose to make a grave for him?

Yakuma! After it stops snowing, we'll go outside and build a snowman.
Okay. I promise.

Pretty Strangers

2010-12-14T17:25:00.007-06:00

It comes at you slowly. And before you know it you are staring into a stranger's face, sitting in a stranger's body, and living in a stranger's house. All that you can hear is the sound of ladybugs crawling in the library and the click of someone turning on the lights. You've become another pale face in the audience. Whispering, turning pages, washing hands, eating, drinking, sleeping, dying.

When did it become so easy to lose yourself?

Winter's Bones

2010-12-05T14:34:00.006-06:00

Goodbye Loneliness

2010-11-23T02:16:00.019-06:00

Sleepy. Oh so sleepy. But also afraid to sleep because I might not be able to tell that I am dreaming. Being chased by solitude and half-insanity, and bird feathers that engulf the sky making it white, white, white. So I sit up all night on the porch and watch as the stars shift across the sky. My heart won't stop twinging every time I hear a stray dog bark. I wish morning would come sooner. The moonlight is so heavy.

Follow The White Rabbit

2010-10-31T01:09:00.010-05:00

Hell hath no place for cowards. Don't blink and take a deep breath before jumping.

Yours Till Niagara Falls

2010-09-03T00:25:00.011-05:00

Everything has started again. Hot summer days beside the Mississippi river with chemistry and biology textbooks, and rainy summer nights where you can't see the stars, even if you squint.

I am a bit late though, posting up pictures from my little adventure to Canada. It's chilly up there, even in the dog days of summer. We spent some time in the town of Gananoque where everyone knows everyone else and you'll never feel lonely. Walking down the cobbled road with mint chocolate (as if its autumn already) at sunset and there is no one to greet you along the way. It makes my heart ache: the quiet, the loneliness, the nostalgia under that sky. I want it all.

If you hold my hand against your heart, will I find myself again?

2010-07-13T11:27:00.010-05:00

Woke up at 5 in the morning with the mourning doves, cooing softly in the attic. I slept so little that night, falling asleep at 2 AM and wondering if birds ever get insomnia. It was cold that morning as I stood shivering in my pajamas, and breathing carefully the faintly salty air, watching the seagulls wheeling overhead against the brightening sky. Lying on the pier, feet dangling above the water in a waking dream: the murmur of groaning boats and creaking doors and boots on deck. Just you, and me, and the sound of rushing waves underneath the crescent moon.

I am sorry for not writing as much.
Everything is so tangled and sad right now I can't dream.

When The Emperor Was Divine

2010-06-21T22:13:00.004-05:00

Been dreaming about Japan lately with eyes wide open and not breathing much of the hot air. It's suffocating sometimes to be living, but you can't help yourself, can't keep yourself from thinking about Carravagio's bones and silkworms turning into thread. And everyday, you keep asking yourself the same questions, and give different answers each time. Is the emperor a man or a god? Both are the same thing. If a Japanese battleship is torpedoed in the Pacific do you feel happy or sad? Sad. Which side do you think will win the war? Neither. We have already lost a piece of our humanity to loneliness.

2 PM

2010-06-07T22:14:00.010-05:00

Hottest time of the day.

Can you feel my heartbeat?

Morning Routine

2010-06-04T14:38:00.006-05:00

I wake up twice. Once at 4 AM when the birds are chirping and once at 10 AM when the neighbors begin mowing their lawns. The house is dead quiet: just me and the spiders and the cobwebs. I get up, letting the blankets fall to the floor and brush my teeth silently in front of the window. It's the only way I remember to water my plants. 10:15 AM. The kettle is whistling on the stove. 10:18 AM. As my morning tea steams on the table, I hear a train leaving straight to Okinawa.

2010-05-27T21:19:00.007-05:00

Apple pies smothered in vanilla ice cream, still warm on the wooden table where I cool my hot cheeks and the sound of wings made by the old ceiling fan, broken by turtles scraping against the side of their box. I must have fallen asleep because I can't remember what happens next. All I recall is waking up on the floor of my bedroom, curled up with my camera. It's 8 o'clock and the sky is glorious so I walk up to my broken window and start writing in the dust. "Live Forever". I laugh because I know, this summer, I shall live for eternity.

Portrait of a Naturalist

2010-05-20T20:16:00.007-05:00

Lost Woods

2010-04-16T01:03:00.013-05:00

Do you still remember? That spring underneath the dogwood flowers? You promised that you would always always be here waiting for me. You were right, you know. On the corner of every street there is the place where you lost your lucky penny and a part of yourself. It's been 100 years or so (I haven't kept count). I am still lost and you are still waiting.

Bleeding Rainbows

2010-04-11T14:38:00.005-05:00

Maybe I am crazy, but this is how I see the world in all its glory - painted with rainbow and glitter. Ah please don't lock me away in the white room, for surely I will go insane. Just don't speak and we'll live like nothing has changed.

Live Life As If There Was No Other

2010-04-02T23:47:00.009-05:00

Today I turned 19.

Year 18 in review was full of sadness and sleepless nights, hard work and bouts of bitterness. But above it was you, you, and you - because YOU make it okay to laugh, live, and fall into the bushes. Because YOU know me better than I know myself and I am grateful - having someone else know you means you can never lose yourself.

2010-03-22T01:34:00.006-05:00

Writing in journals was something I had forsaken a long time ago. I am not sure why, exactly. Maybe too many thoughts and not enough words, or too many words and not enough thoughts. Maybe there just wasn't enough time to think anymore. Maybe, I felt less satisfied with pages and more hungry for people. I have been thinking a lot, but I always forget to write my thoughts down. Those thoughts were thunk and never to be found again. Not by you, nor me, nor anyone else.

It is 4 AM and the birds are singing again.

Do Not Disturb Till Spring

2010-03-11T12:57:00.015-06:00

That day we looked up at the sky

did you really believe in forever?

The Wildgoose Is King

2010-02-16T16:29:00.004-06:00

"Where sky and water meet in line,
And suns drown in the sea.
So fly and sing, the wildgoose is King."

2010-02-03T00:37:00.008-06:00

The back of my hand is stained with ink once again, with promises to not forget - ever. Even if they are fulfilled, it doesn't come off so easily. They stay there as permanent reminders. The ones that jerk you awake at 3 in the morning making you think its 3 in the afternoon. The ones that keep me up at night even though I can barely keep my eyes open.

They say sleeping beauty slept for 1000 years (or more). She must have been very happy.
1000 years of dreams. I would like that.

2010-01-27T22:47:00.004-06:00

I live in a grand old Victorian mansion in the woodsy suburbs. I live in the attic along with old-fashion pine bed-stands and drawers, which I share it with spiders and a mouse named Algernon. Sometimes squirrels come to visit me for acorns. They did not come this year. There were no acorns to give.

In my world, it is always late spring or early fall because I can open my windows and watch my white curtains billow like deer ghosts. The breeze, warm, but not stifling, rattles past my hair: whisking past my ancient easel, old newspapers, and sheets of papers that are flying like turtledoves around me.

At night I dream a lot about tomorrow. I tell myself, if the weather is fair, I will go outside and hunt for my most valuable treasures: animal bones, smooth rocks, and leaves. If it rains, I will draw and read and clean my treasures.

Tomorrow does not always come. It trips and follies over homework days and work days and now college days. And over other days I can no longer remember.

I had a pet plant. He was one years old when he climbed into the rafters and wound his way to the roof (to think he started his life in a plastic bottle). Maybe it was because I went away. Maybe it was because time passes faster when you cannot dream. When I came back, he was gone and the windows, wide open.

Here in the land of polar bears, there is no spring. There is only the cruel dawn and a dying sun and waking up to the sound of terror every morning. No cricket on the hearth or cicadas in the trees to lull you to sleep - only the soft pattering of rain and thunderstorm weather on aluminum, which I hate.

There is no saving Prussia.
Frankenstein is dead.

Year Of The Tiger

2010-01-24T00:00:00.007-06:00

I Do Not Believe In Reality

2010-01-15T13:06:00.006-06:00

I'd like to make myself believe
That planet earth turns, slowly
It's hard to say that I rather stay awake when I'm asleep
Cause everything is never as it seems.
~ Fireflies by Owl City

Bay of Light

2010-01-08T17:58:00.006-06:00

Slumped in the grass are five crazy dreamers looking into the distance.
Tired, after a day of frozen toes and fingers and ice cracking under the weight of the soul.
Even if the world is still - broken only by the cruel wind in the marshland

The world will turn.
The world will turn.

Eat-and-Run in Washington D.C.

2009-12-30T12:33:00.015-06:00

Aestivation is a terrible fate: -5 degrees C never felt so cold.
Yet, good food waits for no creature.
And so we walk.

Our first stop was Dupont Circle, a traffic circle located in the historic district of Washington D.C. The neighborhood feels a lot like an old movie, with its residents walking up and down the sidewalk dressed in trench and pea coats.

Quite by accident, we found Tangysweet, the D.C. version of Pinkberry. Though slightly expensive, it was worth a taste. The three flavors of the day were Green Tea, Pumpkin Pie, and Pink Guava. As expected from the name, the froyo was extremely flavorful and...tangy, but with a pleasantly clean aftertaste. The portions were also JUST right: enough to satisfy. The Green Tea is supposedly made from organic tea, but was much too fruity for my tastes. The Pumpkin Pie was sweet and spicy, and was probably my favorite out of the 3. Pink Guava was delightfully sour and definitely worth a try, especially since I never had Guava before.

Our next destination was Georgetown Cupcakes, THE gourmet cupcake place for cupcake lovers in the D.C. area. However, getting there was much more painful than we expected, partially because there is no conveniant way to get to Georgetown, but mostly because I barely knew the area. The cold did not help and I was jealous of the little dogs in santa suits and kittens tucked in carriages.

Georgetown Cupcakes recently moved to a new location on the corner of 33rd and M street. As expected, there was a long line inside, but it moved quite quickly. Within 20 minutes (enough time for us to deliberate), we decided to get a dozen cupcakes. The flavors I tried were Red Velvet, Lava Fudge, Mocha, Lemon Blossom, and White Chocolate Peppermint. My favorites were Lemon Blossom and Mocha. Both were delightfully rich in flavor and texture. As an icing hater, it was my first time eating all the icing from a cupcake.

Because there was no room in the cupcake store, Teaism was our final rest stop. Hot tea, cupcakes, warmth, and good company are the perfect way to end an adventure. While the tea was quite expensive, it was also very fragrant and delicious. I had a pot of Anxi Oolong tea, which was surprisingly strong and smelled vaguely like a mix of green tea and incense perfume. Kat had Jasmine Silver Ball tea, which smelled beautiful, but tasted rather fruity. I enjoyed the presentation of the food and the coziness of the dining room and hope to actually eat something the next time I come here.

The winter evening fell heavily upon us.
Red streaks of planes and the last of Christmas lights were our last bits of amusement.
Goodbye, said the moon, rounder and fuller than the day before, Goodbye.

Till Next Time We Meet.

Between December and February We Fly

2009-12-27T22:55:00.009-06:00

Aestivation (n.) Also known as "summer sleep", is a state of dormancy somewhat similar to hibernation.

Even when it is 3 degrees outside, the world calls to me in a symphony of trills.I don't care.As long as there are friends to laugh with and cardinals to chase through the woods:I am free like a heron on the wing.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T18:19:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas!
<3

Deer Friends

2009-12-21T22:49:00.003-06:00

A few days before Christmas Eve and already I am getting somewhat impatient. However, my grades have come back so my burden has been considerably lightened. Cold skin and runny noses and dust allergies have hounded me all evening as I curled into the couch to watch Disney movies with a bag of popcorn. Look before you eat, you never know WHO is hiding amongst the kernals.

Snow Falling Softly On My Head

2009-12-19T15:30:00.004-06:00

Finally done with exams and so I am home (it was a terrible flight and baggage claim was a nightmare). I am glad I made it before the snowstorm hit. A lot of my friends are still stuck elsewhere.
I hope the snow will last me until Christmas.

Winter Lights

2009-12-07T23:07:00.005-06:00

Christmas means nights stuffed warm and cozy - frantically flipping through textbook pages for tomorrows exam & Hot chocolate, chicken noodle soup, and dancing in the snow.

Fairy light, fairy bright
First lights I see tonight
I wish I may, I wish I might
Taste the breeze on this moonlit night.

Autumn Breaking

2009-11-30T15:47:00.007-06:00

Across The Milky Way

2009-11-15T22:39:00.006-06:00

A shoal of whales galloping across the Milky Way.Only in dreams. Only in dreams.

Catching Ghosts

2009-11-14T23:56:00.007-06:00

Trying to catch a ghost is like untangling your limbs from spiderwebs.
Usually never works and you have to walk around all day with the feeling of invisible threads dangling in your hair, catching light in the sun and maybe making you feel a lot older than you really are. Still, you cannot stop believing. Cannot stop dreaming of ghost deers of seasons past, jumping right past your window.

Don't blink.
You'll miss them

We're All Rather Mad Here...

2009-11-01T13:30:00.010-06:00

To survive...you have to be mad as a hatter...

In The Garden

2009-10-24T01:42:00.006-05:00

Friday Love

2009-09-18T23:24:00.004-05:00

Finally FRIDAY! So I am letting myself unwind a bit.Weather has been chilly, but still in love. The last flowers of summer: bittersweet and fresh. Roasted gala apples on grilled pork with squash and potatoes. End the evening by the candle light with pecan pie and ice cream. Simply divine.

It is day eighteen.
Time passes so slowly
But feels like it is flying through my fingers.
I guess that is what dreams are made of.

//Title Here

2009-08-16T21:35:00.002-05:00

.

2009-08-15T21:44:00.000-05:00

Words cannot express what I feel right now.

Even so, I will try to bring some closure upon this
Sudden parting of ways.

One bitter February.
Might have changed my life forever.
Stopped me from going insane.
In place that was not there.

Cue the insanity.
The discoveries.
The love of life.
Laughter.

When I dream, I dream about this.
And when I go there
I go there with you guys
it is all I can do...

So Thank You.
For being there.

The brightest lights in the Milky Way.
That is home.
That is where I will come back to.

Don't wait up,
I will fly back....
Always.

Weekend Pass

2009-07-03T20:02:00.009-05:00

I think it finally stopped raining here, for a time at least. Weather has been holding up and after much insistence from K and much prodding by me, we took a trip to downtown to DC. First course of action: lunch at the landmark Ben's Chili Bowl. For history fanatics, it was built in 1958 on U street, which was then known as Black Broadway. Despite riots, economic decline, and metro construction, it has remained open to serve half-smokes, chili cheese fries, and milkshakes to all. I was glad I could drop by. The food was quite yummy, but heavy, and to be eaten only once every decade.

Despite engorged stomachs, we made our way to the Natural History Museum: my favorite place of all time. Love looking at dinosaur bones since always; since I dug my shovel into the dirt and found a chicken bone when I was 5.
Before we left, I made sure to leave some flowers for Algernon. I think he would like these, don't you?

Have not had much time to photo and write.
Many apologies.
Working long hours.
Drawing long hours.
Studying long hours.
It hurts to know June is over already

All The Pretty Little Horses

2009-06-17T22:50:00.004-05:00

Hush-a-bye don't you cry, go to sleep-y, little baby.
When you wake you shall have all the pretty little horses.
Blacks and bays, dapple grays, coach and six white horses.
Hush-a-bye don't you cry,Go to sleep-y, little baby.

Not enough time these days to write:
too tired working and drawing from dawn to twilight.
My bag of troubles is expanding at the speed of light in my dreams.
Grumpy grumpy grumpy...
Do not deny the roses are wilting.

15 Minutes Late

2009-06-05T20:03:00.005-05:00

Sunday

2009-06-01T19:34:00.003-05:00

Weather has been getting nicer - waxing lazy in the summer sun. Just enough wind to tease your hair and keep the water freezing like Antartica. Just enough sunshine to make the flowers look radioactive and to bleach baby clams on the beach.

Summer Rain

2009-05-29T22:14:00.006-05:00

Summer rain means sleepless nights spent listening to pattering footsteps on the attic roof. Crescendos.
Thunderstorm weather, which is when the world spins twice as fast as usual.

Meet The Boys

2009-05-18T15:26:00.002-05:00

From the house of the Kwog, top to bottom: Pom-Pom - Mimi - Sumo.

Cherry Blossom Festival 2009 - Kite Massacre

2009-04-04T21:18:00.007-05:00

It is officially springtime and Washington D.C. has been on my mind

thousands of people milled about on Constitution Avenue along with geckos and beavers

...horses and marching band youths covered in blue...

...brown, white, and rainbow puppy dogs too...

...dancers, prancers...

...cheerleaders, soldiers...

...children toiling, spirits flying...

...irishmen and orangemen walking through.

Lunch was provided by Cafe Munky, sandwiches full of tomatoes and basil, summer rolls, banana nut cupcakes, and apple gallets, garnished with asian drinks, cheesecake, and fruit. I saw people having bento...I want bento too T___T

Lying on my back, the azure sky blinded me with its brilliance. The sound of laughter in the distance, dogs barking, and the wind ruffling my hair - perfect.

Tiny delicate flowers ripple seductively with the breeze: yawning, dancing, and dying one by one.

But look ahead! There in the sky, there on the ground is a rainbow of unbelievable color. As I flew the kite, I could feel it tugging against my grasp, protesting to be set free. It ran away not once, but twice, and I ran after it until the wind died and it fell in a melancholy heap on the ground.

Fly, elephant or dragon, even if you will inevitably fall - please - keep flying.

The last rays of the evening were spent lolling about the Japanese Street Festival. Only in Japan can Godzilla stare down a priest.

Only in Japan will you find pretty girls and boys, even those that cannot sing :P

But the real highlights of this adventure: Giant Hibird and Cheeburger Cheeburger

Moderato Cantabile

2009-04-01T15:25:00.004-05:00

The theater was warm as I stood waiting, clutching my oversized sketchbook tightly in my arms. The soft rays of after-rain April were difficult to swallow so I looked instead to the colorful drinks on the side. You saw my silhouette from the corner of your eye - doubledback - and laughed because I was standing so patiently, waiting for you.

The House That Almost Burned Down

2009-03-30T20:41:00.002-05:00

It was raining really hard on Saturday so of course, my instincts told me to go bake a cake for my friend who was in piano hell. Happy Birthday Katco!

A Carnegie Hall musician, an attack-all ice cream freak, and a clueless lizard: what is the worst that could happen?

Evidently, we underestimated the potential for disaster. After the oven caught on fire and was put out by 2 cups of water from a measuring cup (see right) and the butter took on the texture of rice porridge (see left), there was no other option but to "borrow" another kitchen.

So despite the epic failure, a chocolate pudding cake was made and decorated to taste. It was tasted and well...that's another story. At least we had ramen! >w<

Princess Princess

2009-03-09T18:08:00.006-05:00

I must be like the princess who felt the pea through seven mattresses - the one who pulled an all-nighter.
Waiting desperately for the morning stallion to take her away on an adventure of a lifetime.

Epic Spring

2009-03-08T14:47:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was epic. The weather was epic. Our spirits were epic. We were epic.

We fed geese never-molding bread and watched them squabble amongst each other. It is spring - finally - the birds are coming back, the mosquitoes and bees, and the hawk finally stared us down until we left.

We followed the creek - again to some elsewhere; leaping across creeks onto muddy shores. And I could only watch with pure envy as a herd of deer raced past us, leaping with much more ease than we did - boing boing boing.

Our greatest obstacles was here: the creek, too steep, too wide, and too deep to leap across. Kira: you are so beast - balancing on that poor excuse of a shtick - so pro!

The rest of us found our way across eventually. Kari climbed onto the over hanging log and swung her way across - sorta - she cursed her long-legs as they splashed into the water - soaking her with H2O and protists. Chingaling tried, almost died, and got stuck in thorns. Lizard tried, failed, and climbed down the bank - somehow - before rock-stepping across the creek. Success! Until she hit her head on an overhanging branch and passed out. Chingaling followed in a similar fashion - sorta.

Snowdrops and mating dances - truly it is Spring again. Laughing, tripping, sprinting, falling - this is what life is all about.

Shooting Star

2009-03-07T18:31:00.006-06:00

Our journey was wrong in every way possible: poorly equipped and poorly dressed, but the weather was still beautiful. Try not to fall into the lake.

The rattling trees were what really got our attention though: the redhead, brown and spotted woodpecker. The forest shook with the ring of his hammer - ratatatatatatat.

We met a turtle, a panda, and a duck on our way home - home is one of those rooftops somewhere out there.

"Hey look! It's a shooting star! Make a wish!"
"Why would you ever make a wish on something that is dying?"

Fishing For Inspiration

2009-02-20T13:14:00.004-06:00

go fish go fishing gold fish gold fishing for goldfish

Still obsessing over Polaroids...I love how they make the ordinary look so beautiful? This umbrella pictured above is made of bamboo and real silk - handspun before I was born - from the shells of butterflies.

Baa Baa Black Sheep...

2009-02-08T19:08:00.008-06:00

Another Saturday excursion - heading back to nowhere to check out some new sites. This time the weather was AMAZING! It feels like spring...almost. The first left turn/parking site left us in a muddy lot and an endless field bordering a forest. Rolling up our jeans we marched forth!

To our left, a flower field full of mysterious dead stalks - remnants of a summer of sunflowers past? Perhaps. To our right lay the looming forest and somewhere beyond that, the great rushing river. Bullet shells were scattered like seeds in the tall grass, but we paid no heed and plunged into the trees.

The forest - though silent in the winter - is still full of thorns that scratch and tear at my ankles. Once again - I need to be more careful! Tumbling down a giant hill we became aware of the glittering waters beyond the trees. Swift careful steps in congruence with several yelps

Half frozen and muddy, we made small steps onto the treacherous terrain and the forest echoed with the crackling sound of splintering ice. Unfortunately, below all that ice was lots and lots of water. These were the floodplains and with no where left to go, we turned and made our way back.

Nearing the car, I gave one backwards glance into the fading skies before inspecting the fresh cuts on my ankle and thorns on my jacket.

Our next stops were the Seneca School House and the Poole's General Store. The Seneca School House is a one room school house built in 1865 by Mr. Upton Darby. With his land and the help of neighbors, the Seneca School House was built. Further down the road is the Poole's General Store, which is the oldest general store still in operation in these areas.

Surprisingly, next to the general store is a house with a corral of...
SHEEP! The remainder of the day was spent photographing these lovely (and smelly) creatures. But of course, the herd could not be complete without a black sheep!
Baa, baa, black sheep, Have you any wool?

Yes sir, yes sir, Three bags full.

One for the master, One for the dame.

One for the little boy who lives down the lane.

Baa, baa, black sheep, Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, Three bags full!

Journey to Nowhere

2009-01-31T20:32:00.009-06:00

Great thing about life is that you can go places: the park, the zoo, or to the middle of nowhere. Today was just the day for an adventure: blue skies, broken clouds, and sunshine. So with a trusty car, azn food, DBSK music, and hobo instincts we wandered to nowhere and everywhere.

We traveled along broken roads, past fields and forests grand. Found foxes and birds and mysterious trails that led to who knows where.

And then we found this beautiful fellow - a Red-shouldered Hawk. He (I am assuming gender here...) was quite calm as we took pictures of his rather puffy self!

We headed back until we reached this auspicious sign next to a rusty "dead end" warning.

Despite the road looking extremely sketchy - we proceeded onward!

Here we found the remains of what looked like older portions of the C&O canal. Despite slipping on ice to and fro, we managed to make our way through the old ruins while snapping photos along the way.

The greatest thing about ruins is that they hold so much mystery. Further research has revealed that these are actually the red sandstone remains of a large stone-cutting and polishing mill. Further up the canal is a stone quarry and Seneca Red Sandstone cliffs, which were used as early as 1774! Amazing right?

Walking towards the Potomac River, we met people ice skating on a small frozen lake!

...there were people playing hockey there as well - so pro!

The river scene was quite magnificent. The solemn row of trees and the endless ripples made my heart go doki-doki!

We then lagged a bit - while I struggled on the ice and yelped every few minutes. I tried hard to not spoil the beautiful scenery with my exclamations...

Our excursion ended with several photos and laughs. How blue could the river be at this time of year?

But as the sun broke over the water - it was clear our day was at an end. Sniffling and slipping, I followed my troupe back to the car - happy and exhausted with today's adventure.

March of the Geese

2009-01-24T14:30:00.008-06:00

Everyone has seen the "March of the Penguins" or La Marche de l'Empereur, but who has ever seen of the "March of the Geese"? I have not - until today! The weather has been relatively mild lately - a somewhat brisk wind chapped our hands but there was plenty of sunshine to warm the heart. With school and college applications out of the way, Katco and Chingmjgy and I decided to embark once more on our well-missed adventures. Although our intention was to feed fish and geese - our regular pond was basically frozen except for two spots where a collection of waterfowl gambled about. It was here we saw the strangest sight - geese tiptoeing from one mini lake to the other in a single file line.

The first one got up and soon the rest followed. It was like the procession for the Queen! I could practically hear Pomp and Circumstance playing in the background!

Their steps were so dainty and careful, I was envious of their elegant carriage! They approached the waters tentatively before sliding in with barely a splash.

Our journey ended with a kawaii San-X character and a hermit shaped cloud (can you see him?)

Unfortunately I got caught in some thorns and got scratched - must be more careful next time ^__^

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T23:42:00.004-06:00

To: Someone far away
From: Someone waiting at home

May your holidays be golden and bright - knowing that someone is waiting eagerly for your return.

Love,
Lizard

Spider Drops

2008-11-15T12:28:00.007-06:00

A noiseless patient spider,
I mark'd where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark'd how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launch'd forth filament, filament, filament out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form'd, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.

- Walt Whitman

Under the Sea

2008-11-04T10:35:00.008-06:00

It was a cold October morning through the fish eye lens in the metro station headed to D.C.

Cause life under the sea is always better!

The seaweed is always greener
In somebody else's lake

You dream about going up there
But that is a big mistake

Just look at the world around you
Right here on the ocean floor

Such wonderful things surround you
What more is you lookin' for?

Under the sea
Under the sea

Darling it's better
Down where it's wetter
Take it from me

Up on the shore they work all day
Out in the sun they slave away

While we devotin'
Full time to floatin'
Under the sea

Down here all the fish is happy

As off through the waves they roll

The fish on the land ain't happy
They sad 'cause they in their bowl

But fish in the bowl is lucky
They in for a worser fate

One day when the boss get hungry
Guess who's gon' be on the plate!

Under the sea
Under the sea

.

2008-10-24T22:19:00.002-05:00

the flowers will fail to bloom at midnight
only to wake again at dawn
fail to learn; learn to fail
and smile

How To: Sea Salt Ice Cream and Kushidango!

2008-09-12T19:14:00.003-05:00

"Sea-salt ice cream is an ice cream type found in Twilight Town and Hollow Bastion, created by Scrooge McDuck. The ice cream's flavor mixes both a salty taste with a sweet taste as well. Ansem the Wise was very fond of this ice cream, and often ate it while conversing with King Mickey, and later used it as the password for his computer in the Old Mansion." - Courtesy of Wkia

Playing Kindom Hearts is one thing - eating sea salt ice cream is another - even better? Kingdom Heart + Sea Salt Ice Cream!

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream
sea salt
blue food coloring
green food coloring

PREPARATIONS

Separate the eggs into two good sized bowls. The easiest way to do this is to sift the egg yolk back and forth in the shell (see above if that made any sense to you) D:

Add in sugar into the egg yolks and mix until thick and smooth.
Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (you CAN do this by HAND but it takes forever!!)

Slowly bring the milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Pour the hot milk into yolk/sugar mixture and mix well and very quickly!! YOU DON'T WANT TO COOK THE EGGS!!

Pour milk/yolk/sugar mixture back into pot and heat on medium until it thickens more. DON'T LET IT BOIL OR HEAT FOR TOO LONG

Pour custard in with beaten egg whites and mix well AND VERY VERY QUICKLY! OR ELSE YOU WILL GET COOKED EGGS IN STUFF LIKE WE DID!!
However, if this does happen, feel free to strain out all the eggy bits :D

Add 12 drops of blue coloring, and 3 drops of green coloring to get the correct "Sea Salt Ice Cream" look

Add sea salt until it tastes salty sweet - BUT DON'T ADD TOO MUCH! And put mixture in the freezer to cool.

Once cool, add cream and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

FREEZING THE ICE CREAM

If you have an ice cream maker - follow the directions

If you are poor like us - pour the ice cream mixture into several dishes/bowls and set in the freezer (this allows it to freeze faster!) Let it set until the edges become firm and then mix thoroughly and set back into the fridge.

AND INDULGE!

with some dango if you please <3>

Hobo At The Fair

2008-08-18T20:45:00.006-05:00

I went to the Animal Fair

The bird and the beasts were there

The big baboon by the light of the moon

Was combing his auburn hair

You should have seen the munk

He sat on the elephant's trunk

The elephant sneezed and fell on his knees
And that was the end of the munk
The munk, the munk, the munk.

Said a flea to a fly in a flue

Said the flea "Oh what shall we do?"

Said the fly, "Let us flee!"; said the flea, "Let us fly!"
So they flew through a flaw in the flue

And then Hibari bit them all to death

How To: Lambo Poop Cakes/Cauldron Cakes

2008-08-05T21:45:00.004-05:00

Cauldron Cakes are a favorite of Harry Potter himself. Served only during Halloween at Hogwarts, they are a special delicacy made by the hundreds of house-elves that reside behind the painting with the ticklish pear.

Lambo is a 5-year-old assassin from the Bovino Famiglia. He was born in Italy on May 20 and has a blood type of A. His main choice of weapons are hand grenades, and his future dream is to rule the world. Lambo dresses in a cow suit complete with a tail, and has a huge afro with horns on the sides of his head which gives him the appearance of a broccoli monster. He comes to Japan to kill Reborn, so he can prove that he is worthy of becoming his own family's boss. However, he is a complete retard and gets owned in every one of his endeavors.

Because of our first failure with our Cauldron Cakes, we named the prototypes - Lambo Poop Cakes - because, like Lambo-san deshiii, they epic fail.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar (little more is okay!)
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup VERY softened butter or softened margarine
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ginger (you can also use very very finely chopped ginger)

PREPERATIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and mix eggs, sugar, butter, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla in large mixing bowl on whip until mixture is smooth

Gradually mix flour, salt, baking powder and milk in gradually in the large mixing bowl.

Put batter in muffin tins (DO NOT FILL TOO HIGH THESE CAKES SHOULD BE SEMI-FLAT). Picture above is an example of filling the pan too much -.-

Bake for about 25 minutes (don't let them burn!!!)

If you want to make Lambo Poop Cakes (which you probably don't) - carefully cut a hole out from the top and pour honey into the gap (and watch it all get absorbed into nothingness) and enjoy!

However, if you are looking for a less retarded treat...

Fill the muffin tin only half full, bake, and drizzle honey on top for a yummy cakie :D

You will also want to clean up afterwards T^T

kufufufufufu

How To: Sakuramochi Katco_Lizord Style!

2008-07-06T17:41:00.002-05:00

Sakuramochi is a sweet rice cake which is traditionally eaten on Japanese Girl's Day. There are some kinds of sakuramochi in Japan. This is a recipe to make Kanto-style (the eastern Japan) sakuramochi. Thats a lie...this is a recipe to make Katco_Lizord-style (the retarded type) sakuramochi...

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp shiratamako (glutinous rice) flour
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup anko (red bean paste)
***** Instead of anko you can use ICE CREAM!!!*****
Red food coloring
8 salted cherry blossom leaves
***** Instead of sakura leaves...use MAPLE LEAVES (just don't eat them)*****

PREPARATIONS

Put shiratamako (glutinous rice) flour in a bowl and add water in the bowl gradually, stirring.
Then, add sugar in the bowl and stir well.
Sift flour in another bowl.

Dissolve a little bit of red food color in the water. Add the colored liquid to the flour gradually, stirring.

Add an egg as well cause it tastes better? And its common to add an egg to Asian styled pancakes. Mix thoroughly so it becomes less chunky.

Heat some oil in a frying pan. We used an extra small frying pan so that we would limit the size of our pancake wraps. They should be about the size of your hand

Make thin oval-shaped pancakes.

You find that this is actually quite hard to do...we made circles, lumps, and...

the man in the moon shaped things (EPIC FAIL)

Let them cool on a plate and while you are at it...wash salted sakura leaves (we used MAPLE LEAVES) in water and dry them with paper towel.

Wrap each anko ball (we used ICE CREAM) with a pancake, and wrap it with a sakura leaf (we used MAPLE LEAVES)

AND YOU'RE DONE!! (aren't they pretty?) ^__^

NOW EAT! and don't forget to clean up! <3>

The House That Didn't Burn Down

2008-06-08T18:33:00.006-05:00

It was a fine summer day...
when lizard went away...
and learned that onigiri making
is really really hard T____T

we managed to end up with a plate of onigiri_panda & onigiri_regular
but there were some...accidents

I. hands + rice = crap!

II. from top to bottom: panda loses eye...panda loses butt...panda loses head

and then Lizard makes this
Kira: WTF DID YOU DOOOOO?!?!?!??!
Katco: LIZARRDDDD YOU DUMBASSSS!!!
Chingy: -.-...-sigh-
Palm Tree: O____o
Lizard: T___T
.
.
.
but more importantly
on this very fine day

the panda's were hungry that day so they attacked the poor onigiri

look at this poor onigiri D:

EBIL PANDA?

And then onigiri 2-winged Sephiroth came to save the day

And then he lost a wing and became the One Winged Angel who fights Cloud, kills Aerith, and looks damn sexy while wielding Masamune <3

Oh right...

we also made dango with mango moosh syrup
it tasted AWESOME!

How To: Dango & Bubble Tea

2008-05-27T15:58:00.003-05:00

STEP 1: WE NEEDS THE FLOWAH! (and teh bubbles!!!!) (and teh pots!!!)

Go to your local Asian market. Search the isle's for hours. Find RICE FLOUR (or glutinous rice flour - whichever one is cheaper) and TAPIOCA PEARLS. Go buy yourself (selves) a slushie for your hard work!!!!

ON SALE!!!!! 2 BAGS for 1$
being Asian = being cheap

OMGHEEEEEE RAINBOW BUBBLES :D
we made an exception...1.55$ for rainbow (36 cents more than usual)

Prepare 3 POTS!!!
1 for your bubble tea
1 for your bubble tea tea
1 for your DANGO's

STEP 2: WE NEEDS TEH DANGO!!!

Mix 1/2 cup of WATER for every 1 cup of FLOWAH
and mix with chopstix

If your mess turns out too watery (see above)...
Feel free to add more FLOWAH (see below)

A true ninja...can catch things with his chopstix

Knead dough until semi-solid

Roll Roll ROLL!
it breaks easily so be careful

Until you get something like this =)

After awhile...it should look more like this...
err...yeah

If your water ever boils
Drop those little balls of happiness in!!
:D

While you're waiting for your DANGO to cook..make some red bean paste to eat with your DANGO!
You can find canned red beans in stores and just add a bit of milk to your concoction for yumminess ^___^

Eventually, they will be done...
take then out and let cool

Don't forget to taste one to MAKE SURE ITS OKAY TO EAT

STEP-3: BUBBLE TEAAAAAAAAAAAAA! taste the rainbow

Once water is boiling (which it never will) pour your bubbles into your POT
Read instructions on bag - 1 cup BUBBLES = 10 cup WATER

We hope your tea is done as well
Let it cool for awhile and add as much milk and sugar as you want (keep count!!!)

This is the hard part...
strain out all those little BUBBLES

.
.
.
.

If you follow all of these lessons
It should look a little something like this

FATALITY....TEEHEE!

Fatality...TEEHEE

2008-04-21T19:49:00.004-05:00

Komui_Lizard & Katco_Allen & Chingy & Kira_Goosegoose & AP Munky
List of Things to DO

Have our yearly birthday party - barbeque
Make Totoro Hats
Learn to play Danse Macabre by...that French guy xP
Learn the Disney Silly Symphony Skeleton Dance
Go Hoboing
Start WRITING Baka!
Make Onigiri - DONE
Make Fruity Dango - DONE
Find a BENTO box - DONE
Make BENTO
Make Totoro Cream Puffs
Make Mochi Ice Cream
Make Sakuramochi - DONE
Sea Salt Ice Cream - DONE
Ramen
Harry Potter Cauldron Cakes - DONE
Follow the Creek - DONE
Middle of Nowhere - Again
Stargazing
Canoeing/Kayaking
Learn Mirotic by DBSK
Caroling - DONE
Jumpstart - DONE