Yes, I have joined Photo101 but unfortunately, I couldn’t find a picture of home, well, unless, I went on pinterest and just find a picture but that wouldn’t be Photo101, would it. Then Day 2, I could’ve just gone outside and taken a photo of my street but everyone’s already seen that and it wouldn’t be fun to see it again and again. So I chose one from my archive. Continue reading “Photo101: Street and Established Shots”
Tag: Photo challenge
Vivid Flowers
So, I want to ask, do you remember this picture?

Do not worry if you don’t. This was taken at the end of March. Why am I asking? It’s because I took the photograph below two days ago.

I hope you see the tulips are gone and it’s replaced by the roses. What a difference in just three short months!
But this isn’t about that, it is about these pictures which are my contribution for this week’s photo challenge: Vivid. I hope you enjoy.
F.Y.I: The pictures of the roses and whatever those magenta flowers are were taken with my Note 10.1 tablet and then I played with it in pixlr. The other pictures were taken with my old bad-battery camera.
First Attempt at B&W Plus Updates
I have been mostly restricted to fiction this week. If you haven’t notice, I’ve been posting nothing but fiction in the last three days. What can I say, I don’t feel like write anything when I feel like crap and yes, I still do but I seem to be just a tiny bit better this morning after mom pushed open my door at 7 am this morning and woke me in a panic for no reason at all except telling me to get to work. She’s gone for the day though, finally, taking a language exam 50 miles away.
I’m so looking forward to this weekend. She will be gone for training and I’ll have the house to myself for the weekend.
Back to feeling like crap, I think I’m having some health issues. That won’t be the first. I don’t want to see a doctor either. All the doctors I’ve been to offer no sympathy whatsoever. I know it’s not your job but still, I came to you. I’m in pain. You can’t just tell me it’s psychological and there’s nothing wrong with me. Can’t you at least do some digging?
Okay, here’s my problem. In the last two days, my head’s been hurting and my chest’s been periodically throbbing. I don’t want to think about it since there’s a chance the pain is “psychological” but at the same time, it feels like it’s getting worse. I want so much to complain but I already know what my mom’s going to say. She’ll either place a large bottle of 600 mg Ibuprofen before me or we’ll bicker.
I couldn’t take it any longer so the other night, I mentioned my discomfort while preparing dinner the other night and we’d just ended up bickering. “It’s all your fault for not drying your hair before heading to bed.” Mom said.
I was, as always, in no mood to bicker and I never went to bed with my hair wet. I always wait until it’s dried before sleeping. “I don’t do that,” I defended.
“If you do that for too many times, it’s bound to happen.” Why do I even make the effort? It’s like talking to a stone.
“Haven’t you been listening to me? I. Don’t. Do. That.” I said through my clenched teeth. There’s no point, my inner voice told me. You’re a minute too late, I snapped.
“I’ve watched you, I’ve seen you do it.” Yeah, like a few months or a few years ago. I didn’t answer. I regret to even brought it up. Forget it.
Aside from that little bicker, so many things had happened this week like I’ve found out a literary magazine HQ in Atlanta is looking for submissions. I have a story for the December issue but I’m afraid it might be too bleak. Should I go for it? I don’t want people to read the story around Christmas and burst in tears. I probably should send another one, huh, one that would cheer people, not make them cry.
I’m going out to work today. This will be the second time this week. I went on Monday and it turned out I couldn’t do much. My boss broke his pinkie last week tripping on a broken sprinkler and now he only has a working right hand while his left hand is wrapped elbow-deep in bandages. I hope he’s there because I went yesterday and he wasn’t there. So I ended up having to have to walk back home but I took my sweet time with the walk.
I’ve always enjoyed black and white photography. I just never thought it fit in with the pictures I took but I just have to try it. What do you think?

On My Way to Work
Today’s prompt asks: How do you manage your online privacy? Are there certain things you won’t post in certain places? Information you’ll never share online? Or do you assume information about you is accessible anyway? Continue reading “On My Way to Work”




An Unique Wedding Reception
Last night, I was at a wedding and as usual, we were over-dressed, thanks to mom. I was like, I’m going to wear jeans but she was like, it’s other people’s wedding, you need to be well-dressed.
Continue reading “An Unique Wedding Reception”Random Photos of a Rainy Day
I hope everyone’s Thursday is going well. Continue reading “Random Photos of a Rainy Day”
Odd-Shape Garden
I feel incredibly thankful to be sitting at my computer right now. The weather’s been horrible and the drive home from school was terrifying and nerve-wrecking. The further north I went, the harder it rained. Several times during the drive, I was down to almost zero visibility. I couldn’t even see the lane lines.
Continue reading “Odd-Shape Garden”



480 Gallons of Weeds Enveloping the Yard
I should be studying at the moment but I can’t concentrate, not with mom babbling on the phone downstairs. Even if my door’s closed, I can still hear her.
The other thing is, my legs are itching like crazy and no matter what I put on it, it wouldn’t help. Last night, I put some Tiger Balm on it and this morning, it looked slightly better. I sat up in bed and brushed my finger against it and uh oh, I reactivated the itchiness.
This week, as I complained enough, I spent the afternoons on Monday and Tuesday at the rental property cleaning the backyard. Our tenant didn’t care that the grass in the backyard was a foot high or the fact that weeds had taken over the vegetable patch.
It took me two days just to clean up the vegetable patch. We accumulated sixteen 30-gallon bags of garbage. I got the pictures as well as the marks on my arms and legs to prove it.


These are the before and after pictures of the vegetable patch. I should’ve taken pictures on the first day but I forgot the camera. You can see three of the sixteen bag of weeds in the after-photo. It was madness. Vines, weeds, and dandelions enveloped the area.

My mom’s kicking the tenant out next month. Why? He’s unappreciative, that’s why.
She complained that after all the hard work we did, not only did the tenant not say thank you but he wants to modify his lease from one-year to month-to-month. All because of what? All because he’s still pissed because mom didn’t notify him first before helping him to mow the lawn that’s why. He said we invaded his privacy and threatened to sue.
Have you seen a more ungrateful person in your life?
The least you can do is say thank you but instead, you used the law against us. Mom said, “At least I’m a tolerable woman, otherwise, I would kicked kicked him out this second.”
Uh, I don’t think constantly complaining to me is consider really tolerable. Anyway, I just want to show you the before and after pictures. You can click on each one to enlarge. This is before.




After…




So much better, right? And here’s the garbage.


Now if you’ll excuse me, have to go study. 🙂
Forces of Nature
For this week’s photo challenge: Forces of Nature. Continue reading “Forces of Nature”
All the Intricacy I’ve seen
I almost forgot about my trip to the Hearst Castle a few years ago. It’s a beautiful private landmark in Central California. It’s worth a visit. Each room in the castle is decorated with its own unique touch and from what I was told, most are hand-made. Continue reading “All the Intricacy I’ve seen”
Bald Eagle Sighting
I was browsing through my pictures when I came across these photographs. They were taken early February two years ago during my aunt’s second visit to the U.S. She had spent that Chinese New Year with us and together, we went to the Farmington Bay to watch the Bald Eagles. Apparently, bald eagles fly to Utah for the winter and the spot they settle every year is Farmington Bay which is the fresh water part of the Great Salt Lake.
It was quite a rough drive that day what with unpaved roads and ice but it was well worth it because we got to see America’s treasure up close. In keeping up with this week’s photo challenge theme Afloat, I have decided to show those pictures.
I hope you enjoy these pictures. 🙂
Floating…
I try to find something that will represent this week’s photo challenge and this is the best I can do.
So I made hot cocoa yesterday. Although it’s getting warm, I still enjoy it very much as breakfast. 😉

The bird’s nest in the tree is classified as floating, right? From my angle, it’s amazing it stayed up there for so long.
Clouds floating in the sky, don’t see much ’round here. A beautiful day is usually cloudless.
My Walk to My Job
Oh my gosh, I cannot believe that after so many days, I still fail to mention this… Continue reading “My Walk to My Job”
Asian Pear Blossoms
As promised, I am presenting the shots for the pear blossoms which I seized the opportunity to capture it yesterday morning. I think they might only be around for another week or so. Continue reading “Asian Pear Blossoms”
Backyard Apple Blossoms
Remember last week, I posted shots of blossoming plum flowers in my front yard? Well, this morning, while I was letting the turtles roam free for a few minutes, I walked over and check, the flowers were like little wrinkly balls. I guess the blossom season for plums is over. Continue reading “Backyard Apple Blossoms”
Ephemeral Flower and Sunrise
For this week’s photo challenge, I actually had to look up the word, ephemeral, in the dictionary. I’m still developing my vocabulary, you see. According to dictionary, ephemeral means… Continue reading “Ephemeral Flower and Sunrise”
A Walk in the Park

Here are some more photographs I took on my photo walk to the park last Thursday which felt like the first day of spring. The air was fresh and the mountains were still snow-capped.
These pictures were actually taken with the camera set to “landscape”, a setting I frequently use because I found it takes better pictures than just the normal manual settings.

These dogs were running and barking at me as I walked by. I am just passing by, guys, not an intruder. Calm down.

We’re pretty much surrounded by mountains on all sides and this is pretty much the most boring park I’ve ever been to. No hidden creek, no hidden woods, nothing! Just laps and laps of asphalt.

See what I mean? We’re surrounded!

My shadow which the wind had blown way out of proportion.
Until next time…

Spring: Fresh and Colorful
Yesterday, I took my camera on a walk with me to the park. It was such a beautiful day, the first this entire week, it seems. I couldn’t resist. It’s spring, everything is blooming. Even the air feels fresh. I walked out my front door and notice that even the plum tree in my front yard was blooming…
I tweaked my camera setting to “flower”, a setting apparently I didn’t know it existed. The resolution came out better than any other settings and now I know. I think these are my best yet. Plum flowers are incredibly gorgeous, don’t you think?

Anyway, I think more photos will come. I just have to wait for the roses and tulips to bloom.
Galaxies and Black Holes
I thought about what I’m going to do with this week’s photo challenge. It looks interesting and I enjoy wall art, the messier, the more beautiful and meaningful it is, in my opinion. But when I’m trying to come up with photos of a meaningful wall on my own, I got nothing. Continue reading “Galaxies and Black Holes”
My horrible first-attempt at a Photo Challenge
I have never known my home can be such a horrible place to take pictures. I am not sure whether it’s my inability to capture a good picture or what. Continue reading “My horrible first-attempt at a Photo Challenge”

