Kristin Kreuk of Smallville

Lana Lang from WB's hit TV series Smallville, a.k.a. Kristin Kreuk. These are my favourite pictures of her in public domain.
Interesting, character in Smallville, Kansas seems to love the initial LL. Let's see Lana Lang (childhood girlfriend), Lex Luther (nemesis), Lionel Luthor (Lex's father), Lilian Luthor (Lex's mother), Lena Luthor (Lex's sister), Lara Lor-Van (mother in Krypton), Lois Lane (wife), Lori Lemaris (mermaid from Tritonis), Lenora Lemaris (mermaid Lori's sister), Linda Lee (Supergirl), Letitia Lerner (Clark Kent's babysitter), Lyla Lerrol (Superman's girlfriend in Krypton), Liesel Largo, Lucy Lane, Liri Lee, Linda Lewis... I mean the LL connection goes on and on... Just checkout some of the character at the list here.
Again, simple parting words... I wish I was Clark Joseph Kent.

Cheers!

What does love mean?

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." Rebecca- age 8

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." Chrissy - age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." Terri - age 4

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss" Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate," Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet) "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody . You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." Clare - age 6

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." Elaine-age 5

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Brad Pitt " Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." Lauren - age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image) Karen - age 7

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." Jessica - age 8

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry"


Please post and share your thoughts, thanks.

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is upon us. This is the year of the Dog. If you are born in the year 1970, 1982, 1994… this is your year. If you are older than 36 years of age then please minus 1970 by 12 increments to see if you are born in the year of the Dog.

Chinese New Year is celebrated for 15 days in total, with food, color and noise.
A few interesting thing about the traditional thing to do and not to do during these 15 days:

1. You must pin up red papers and fire up red firecrackers during these period. The reason is to chase away a spirit call “Nian”(direct translation would be “Year”), or else you will suffer during the next 365 days.
2. You must eat fish! Fish rhythms with “savings”. It is the traditional believe that if you eat fish during the celebration, you will have plenty of savings thus prosperity during the year.
3. Do not sweep the floor during these 15 days. All the earnings that you have would be lost if you do so.

There are other fun stuffs to remember and do… in essence, the 15 days of celebration mirror the next 365 days of your life. If you do nice things, pay attention to details and being courteous to your guests, you will be rewarded for the full of year.

The Chinese New Year is a time to be home. To spend time with your family. To reflect and be thankful to your parents.

I have not being home during Chinese New Year for 16 years now. There’s no special celebration here in Houston, therefore, I have not observe the Lunar New Year since that time.

It is a fact, that this is the time that I miss the most since childhood, and sadden a little every time this festival comes around. It usually means that I am spending a lot of time in Chinatown, hoping to experience what I am missing. Desperately hoping I would stumble upon food that resembles my mom’s cooking. (for the record, I have never found them in 16 years)


Every time I close my eyes, I can remember the color of my home with red decorations, with poems in calligraphy, fresh flowers, smiles on my parents’ faces, laughter, money in red packets… the weather always seems to be cool and nice, and one of the most vivid of all is the occasional noise of firecrackers close and far (I would ran to the window eager to see if my friends are firing them up, and so I can join them)… and the smell… emmm… There’s nothing like the smell of firecrackers.

How I would love to go back there, at a time when I was completely happy…

Gift To A New Citizen, Kristin Kreuk And A Basketball Court In The Sky

Today, out of the blue, I received a gift from the Houston Rockets, celebrating my new Citizenship. It's very cool. I might have to re-apply for the citizenship just to get more cookies.

Other than that gift, I have also received a used full metal jacket from a 40 s&W (bullet) with a mini American Flag, FedEx-ed from Nashville, TN. My friend C said that, since I am in Texas, I will need to equip myself like every other Texans.

***

WB TV channel is going off air soon. The one most important thing that I will miss about WB, is Kristin Kreuk who plays Lana Lang... Superman's girlfriend, in TV series Smallville. All I am saying is that, it's nice to be Superman, despite of Kryptonite.


***

This is a picture of one of my recently completed projects. It's the MH Sky Court at the Toyota Center. This picture was taken from the Fan Rotunda, with Clutch the Houston Rockets' mascot greeting young fans.

The MH Sky Court is a world of interactive fun for children of all ages. And you know what's the best thing about the Sky Court? It has an exact replica of the actual Rocket's basketball court but with the hoops at 7'-0", so kids can dunk on them! It's way up in the Sky surrounded by the Houston skyline, thus "Sky Court"... and yes, it's always free.

Canon's 5 System

Introducing one of the greatest designer in the world, Luigi Colani. The following are pictures of a project called "5 Systems" that Mr. Colani did for Canon Corporation.

(The following picture and notes are taken from the Canon Camera Museum, check them out, it's a must-see for all designers)

SUPER C. BIO
An SLR Camera based on the T70, the 35-70mm zoom lens power operated, and it has a dedicated Electric flash built to the side.


LADY
A half-size camera for the novice which fits snuggly into the right hand.


HY-PRO
A system SLR camera for the professional. The viewfinder is a LCD display, and the hand fits different combinations of bumps and hollows according to whether it is being used at eye level or waist level.


FROG
A compact underwater camera. It can take up to 150 frames continuously for extended underwater sessions. Flash tubes are fitted on the left and right sides of the lens.


HOMIC (HOrizontal Memorychip Integral storobo Camera)
A still video camera. It uses solid-state memory. It is characterized by the objective lens and viewfinder being on the same axis. The flash unit fires through the objective lens.


I hope you like them and ask, "Well, where can I buy them?"

Now, here's the cool part... you can't! The "5 Systems" was the brainchild of Luigi Colani as a part of design reserach done in 1983!! Yes, 1983...

American Citizen

Today a new chapter of my life has began. I am now an American Citizen.

A long ceremony with about 2,700 immigrants and 18,000 of their relatives. Got to the auditorium at 7:30am and the ceremony finished at 11:00am. My only beef is that, they did not give away the traditional flag during the ceremony. What a bummer.

Sadness. They took, cut and dumped my green card. It was one of the most beautiful card in the world.

I have gain the right to vote. And by George I am going to vote!

I do not know what to think yet, hasn't really sank in...

Camera 4: Canon Elan 7

After 10 years as a faithful companion through the woods and hush weather (that’s when you get the best photographs), the Canon 10s finally had a little problem. There’s a little pin that need replacing at the shutter mechanism.

So I took her with me to a million places that fix cameras. My friend Sam also took me to some places that didn’t even have a business sign on. In the end, I had to call Canon Inc., because no one had the parts! I sent her to Canon after a week of investigating. They called me and gave me a quote (they did not have the parts either, they have to take apart a stock Canon 10s and replaces the pin from that)… and the price, well, let’s just say if I add another 50 bucks to it, I will get a new camera.

So that’s what I did. I did some research and bought the camera that are in the same line with the discontinued Canon 10s. Her successor was the Canon Elan 7.

The Canon Elan 7 was in a sense a newer version of Canon 10s, with a smaller focusing lapse without the barcode reader. She is a nice camera that can do anything that I needed to do (no, she still doesn’t make coffee). She’s one of the first cameras to feature the quick control dial.

She has a 7-point wide area autofocus, a top shutter speed of 1/4000 sec and 4 frame per second film advance (6 seconds to finish a roll of 24 frame), all in a compact and durable body with a simple control layout. Canon's Whisper Drive technology to ensure a nearly silent photographic experience (great for taking pictures of baby sleeping), but one of my favorite feature was and is the dedicated depth-of-field preview button.

The Canon Elan 7 is now about 5 years old. The 35mm SLR is part of a beautiful history, thanks to the digital age. She’s sitting now sitting in my glass display cabinet with a 24mm lens attached to it (next to the Canon 10s with a 35-135mm lens on). She also has a roll of half exposed film in her belly, maybe never to be finished.

Four-Leaf Clover

Found a four-leaf clover today. May be it's my luck changing... then again, if you read my resolution for the year 2006, you would know that I do not believe in luck.

I placed the clover in the middle of a novel (Blood Rites by Jim Butcher) that I am reading right now, hopefully it will retain color and shape. Well, emm I guess... wish me good luck!

Camera 3: Canon 10s

The next camera to buy was a tough decision, because photography was and is very important to me. I was drooling over the Leica cameras (anyone of the Leica actually) at the time, but I also know that I could not afford one.

I was weighting the options between Nikon, Minolta, Olympus and Canon… in that order (thanks to the Rebel Original experience). Researching on camera in the early 90s was not at easy as today. Cnet.com, Photo.net and Dpreview.com were not even born yet. I actually had to go to the library to flip through monthly issues of Popular Photography to get some insight of these monsters.

In the end, Nikon FM2 and Canon 10s (despite my experience with the Rebel) were head to head with inches to spare. The Nikon FM2 was the historical facts proven camera that went to the edge of the world and back. While the Canon 10s was hail as the best “sports and action SLR camera of the future” that complimented the famed Canon EOS 1!

Finally, two things helped me made that decision.

1. My uncle Peter, who introduced me the joy of photography, uses an EOS 650.


2. Canon has a lens called 135mm f2.8 Softfocus, that supposed to be the mother of all portrait lenses.

So I call in a mail order and got the Canon 10s.

It proved to be the right decision. Alright, it does not run without batteries, but it could do almost anything else. (No, it did not make coffee… I meant everything in photography)

The Canon 10s walked with me around the world (literally), from the fortress of Signal Hill, to the swarming wind of the Great Lakes, from the blistering dunes of White Sand to the endless prairie of Oklahoma. Of course, we crossed the Pacific Ocean a few times to the Rainforest and back as well.

I did not have a problem for 10 years of extensive use. (During that time, it has a sidekick in the form of Canon Elph 2) By extensive use, I mean rolling off a rocky hill for 20 ft at Signal Hill, Newfoundland, shooting frozen berries out in the snow and tons of dink and dang of everyday use. I mean after 10 years… it looks 10 years old, kind of extensive use. (You are right, if I was ever to own an SUV, it would not look polish and squeaky clean… it would look like a real SUV)

The Canon 10s was precise. It had the right weight. The metering was perfect. It has mirror lock up, remote control, 2nd shutter sync flash, a bar code reader and everything else that we take for granted nowadays. And I did not have to worry about it not up to the challenge at any weather, season, night or day.

Then one day… but that’s another story.

Camera 2: Canon Rebel Original

The camera I replaced the Konica TC-X with was the Canon Rebel “Original” (a.k.a. Canon 1000). The 35mm original Canon Rebel, was the answer from Canon to the low-end SLR market.

And Boy! Was it low-end. The camera was built flimsy, the handle squeaked and the shutter shock so hard that the picture came out blurry. The kit lens was a piece of crap; it was not sharp, contrasty and prone to flare. I am sorry Canon. I really have nothing good to say about the original Canon Rebel.

I bought the camera because on TV, Andre Agassi with his then long hair looked so cool with the Rebel. Well, I traded it away in 3 months after I got it.

Comparing it to the Konica TC-X, I must say that I miss the little Konica very much. When I was in Newfoundland, it was so cold that at times the batteries would not work, but still the TC-X clicked away happily.

The truth is, even at this day and age, while I shoot away with digital cameras, I am still hoping and looking for a good TC-X on eBay. I guess I am trying to buy a little of the joyous experience of the past back.

Camera 1: Konica TC-X

If I was not an architect, I would have been a photographer.

The hobby was infused in me by my uncle Peter, loves to take pictures and teach.The Konica TC-X was the first step of my life long hobby.

At 14 years of age, my dad brought me to a local photolab to try to get the camera that I have saved my lunch money for. It was a Yashica (called Kyocera nowadays) of some type. Trouble is that I can't afford it. All I had was RM$187 in my pocket and so the store owner showed me this camera instead. It was listed to be RM$210, but after bargaining for half an hour, I got it for exactly RM$187.

The camera came with a 50mm f1.8 standard lens. It was completely manual, center weight metering, extremely loud aluminum shutter... and it was the first ever SLR camera with plastic parts!! (Camera before that are all made of metal) Oh yes, this little bugger runs without batteries if it comes to that!

A year later I added a Sigma 80-200mm, a 2x teleconverter and a speedlite to my "system". I also became the sports photographer for my school magazine through out high school until I graduated.

I gave the system away to my host parents at Newfoundland in 1992 (I did not have anything else valuable that could return their kindness). I miss it so much.

A Case On Family

Family is such an interesting concept. I have always been a “homeboy”. (well, I had my rebellion years too, but it was done secretly) My family, as noisy as it is and as poor as we were, we are always close and loving. No, we do not peck at each other’s cheek or bear hug each other when I was growing up… we are more of a caring and loving with your heart and action type.

As an immigrant, I left home (more like my parents sent me away) to the other side of the globe when I was 18, half my life I lived without being at the proximity of the place I was born. I miss my home very much, especially the closeness with my parents, the food my mom cook, mingling and solving problems with my siblings.

Figuring out why I love my family, home and my hometown so much, was not an easy task. I never could understand it until recently.

Now in my early 30s, I have a little family of my own. (A wonderful wife, two remarkable children and a little home in Texas) Everything is great, and my (now) 4 years old is going to school and starts to learn to make friends with kids his age. Things are nice… don’t get me wrong… but one trip back to my hometown with my whole family make me see things a little differently now.

My son have never see any of our relatives other than granddad and grandma who visited every other year or so. So going home in Winter’s relative cold to a “foreign” country at the equator’s summer heat was a big concern for me. Never seen any of his cousins, uncles and aunties is the close second.

However, things unwrapped very pleasantly the moment they met each other. All they asked was, “Are you my cousin?” and with a reply of, “yes”… and they were off to loud happy fun all day long. My cousin’s sons became my son’s best friend even though they have never met and they do not communicate in the exact same language!

Later that evening on the first encounter, my son said to me, “Dad, I have so many Hon relatives!” “There are so many Hon!” “I am so happy…” And he was, completely happy, and completely loved.

That got me thinking about family, and this is what I’ve learnt:
Family accepts you first before judging you with merits. Making friend with people we do not know is the opposite. You first need to prove yourself useful, or worthy, or indifferent before there’s an acceptance.

Now back in Texas, I miss my family everyday… my son misses his cousins and grandparents every time he slows down. We talk about our relatives every night after bedtime storys.

Here’s the lyric to a song by Bon Jovi that become one of my favorite driving music of late.

Who Says You Can't Go Home
I spent twenty years trying to get out of this place
I was looking for something I couldn't replace
I was running away from the only thing I've ever known

Like a blind dog without a bone
I was a gypsy lost in the twilight zone
I hijacked a rainbow and crashed into a pot of gold

I been there, done that
But I ain't looking back on the seeds I've sown
Saving dimes spending too much time on the telephone
Who says you can't go home

(Chorus)
Who says you can't go home
There's only one place they call me one of their own
Just a hometown boy born a rolling stone
Who says you can't go home
Who says you can't go back
I been all around the world and as a matter of fact
There's only one place left I want to go
Who says you can't go home
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright, it's alright

I went as far as I could, I tried to find a new face
There isn't one of these lines that I would erase
I lived a million miles of memories on that road

With every step I take I know that I'm not alone
You take the home from the boy
But not the boy from his home
These are my streets, the only life I've ever known
Who says you can't go home

(Repeat Chorus)

It doesn't matter where you are,
It doesn't matter where you go
If it's a million miles away or just ten miles up the road
Take it in , Take it with you when you go
Who says you can't go home?

Enjoying Vanilla Coke

What’s wrong with me?

I was trying to enjoy my Christmas gift, the twelve pack of Vanilla Coke by myself. Trying to drink it with the respect and honor that they deserved. Of course, by myself… I mean my wife rates Vanilla Coke as high as 7up and my sons can't differentiate them from Grape Juice, so sharing with them would be such a tragedy to a great invention, right?

Well, not exactly… You see, I did not enjoy the Vanilla Coke that I was addicted to! I could not enjoy it by myself! I did not understand why. But I tried to find a solution. The obvious solution is to share with my wife and kids right? Well, it works!

I don’t get it. That goes with tennis too. I play tennis about 3 times a week. Whacking the ball pass an opponent that tried hard to return the ball but can’t reach it, gives me an incredible rush. Well, I don’t enjoy it as much anymore. I am considering playing once a week… soon.

I would rather spend the time playing with my kids or even watch Monster Inc. for the 352th times.

I still don’t get it. May be there’s a pill out there that can help me over come this defection. But then again, I think I can live with this problem fine.

For my fellow Vanilla Coke addicts out there. I recently found a bunch of these good stuffs at Academy Sports Store. I was there to get my brother a good pair of working glasses and when was trying to pay for them, there they are in the fridge… the Holy Grail shinning in their own way, just above the price tag. So if you live here in the Southwest region, you are in luck.

Oh yes! Almost forgot, you can also get these "Precious" from Ebay.

New Year 2006

It’s J. R. R. Tolkien’s birthday… marking another year passed, another just begun.

Looking back at last year, if there are three things I felt deeply, I must say that firstly, is of the blessing of a visit from an angel. Unfortunately, it’s just a visit… well, I would not have asked for her to stay.

Secondly, watching my kids growing up a little more, B is one good boy, he has the maturity of an older boy… due to the circumstances… and I am sorry for that. He is extreme resourceful and has a natural knack to solve problems… and I am proud of that. J is now one year old. He is the energizer bunny that never stops and has unbeliever curiosity. They are the reason I work hard and leave a smile on my face, in this unremarkable world.

Third, would be the trip my family and I had a month ago. To go home and see all my families and old friends… as well as some new friends. As an immigrant in a foreign land, it is nice to remember that I am not alone in this… hmmm… unremarkable world.

This year has started with a painful pull on my left chest muscle. Hopefully it’s not an omen to 2006.

Fortunately, I do not believe in destiny. I do not believe in luck. Luck is the sum of wise planning, hard work and resourcefulness.

So if I have to make some resolution for the year… let’s say three.

The first one will be to register for Architecture IDP and start taking exam to get my architecture license. It’s time to stop feeling sorry about my situation and stop using them as my lame excuse to procrastinate. I am too young to regret and too old to start over. But I can take control of my destiny. I have thought about richness and making million. Well, I am too stubborn to change and too in love with architecture to ever… yes, ever change my career or start a business. So that settled it. That is what I will do this year. (Oh! By the way, I did exchange for 1 million Rupiah a month ago, so technically, I do have my million now)

Second, will be to make a change for the better. To be a better father, better husband, better chess player, better tennis player, better architect… better over all. Better!

Thirdly, to volunteer in one organization and help others who are in need… making a difference, not just reading the news and shake my head. And if I could I would vote… yes, I WILL.

That’s what in this slightly used mind during the New Year holiday.

Wishing all of you a Happy New Year and hopefully your head is not as mess up as mine.