This comes a tad late, but I was interviewed on Lifestyle Asia recently. Seeing your name in print is a foreign experience for me – particularly if it’s about photography. I think because photography so intensely personal to me. When you invest so much of yourself into your work, its hard to hand it over to others to be critiqued and judged. It’s something I’ve always wrestled with.

I’m immensely humbled by the kindness so many people have shown me. The constructive feedback which has helped me grow in leaps and bounds. And at the end of the day, art is meant to be shared, not locked away in some girl’s hard drive.

This article focuses on an aspect of my work that I often forget to blog about. My support of various NGOs, and the occasions which I’ve been privileged to see a side of life I wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to capture.

As for a personal update, summer has blazed by in a dizzying speed. I’m currently in the middle of my law degree and have had not one, but three internships this summer lined back-to-back.While taking part-time classes. Now that it’s late August, and school is just around the corner, I can scarcely believe I made it through.

I’ll be heading out of town for a few days to get some much-needed R&R. I find if I don’t leave Hong Kong every few months or so, I go a little stir-crazy. Much as I love this city, the materialism and pace inevitably wear me down. I’m looking forward to a few days of mountain biking, rock climbing and drifting lazily down a river in a bamboo raft. Aaaah.

Woo! What a crazy few weeks. My updates are fast becoming quarterly updates at best. There’s been a lot going down behind the scenes. It’s hard to find a minute to update.

The Graduate Law Student Association threw a big Gala Dinner recently and naturally, there was… a CRAZYBOOTH! :D I love me some CRAZYBOOTH action. I’ll keep this entry short and sweet, and let the photos do the talkin’.

This is a pretty photo-intensive post, so loads more after the jump

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been one of those turbo-charged productive days. I’ve been sitting in front of the computer for goodness knows how long. The thing with being a very outdoorsy kind of girl is that even if my day has been uber productive, if I haven’t been outside.. I feel like I haven’t done a thing. So.. right after this post, I am heading out. And getting coffee. Heh.

This is my motley crew that I spent the last two weeks of my backpacking trip with. (Photo courtesy of Sherman Wong). My brother and his two friends from high school, and my peace corps joining, revolution escaping, contraband smuggling best friend and I at the foot of Hua Mountain in Xi’an a little over two weeks ago. Hua Shan is one of the most brutal mountains I have ever attempted to hike up. At points, the trail was a ladder carved right into the rock face with a flimsy chain rail to cling on to. I assure you, we did not look half as energetic on our way down :)

Amblings in Southern China and Xi’an

Skimming my last entries, I realized I completely skipped out on my amblings in southern China entirely. After our adventures aboard the Roach Boat, Melissa and I took a 12 hour train down to Guilin where we immediately hopped on a bus for Yangshuo (aka, paradise.) We spent an incredible week climbing mountains (you may be noticing a trend in my travels of late..), rafting down the incredible Yulong river, and taking in some world class rock climbing on the famed carsts. It’s difficult to write about Yangshuo, because words and even photos seem like such a poor medium. It’s one of those places you just need to be there to appreciate. I was particularly honored to photograph Connie and Andy’s engagement in Yangshuo (the blog entry has temporarily been made private at the request of the client, but it will be unlocked soon). They are a phenomenal couple, and flew in all the way from Canada. Now THAT is a rockstar couple in my book.

Beijing, an epilogue

After our short visit to Xi’an, it was back home to Beijing. Things all sort of blur together at this point: a frenzy of visiting historical sites and stuffing ourselves silly with amazing food. One thing is for certain though: however long you’re spending in Beijing is never long enough.

The guys left a few days ahead of us for Jetsonville, and Melissa was kind enough to help me pack up my life in the ‘Jing. We were planning to leave on Monday.. then Tuesday… and then finally on Wednesday we booked our tickets for Thursday morning. Heh. Like I said.. my time in Beijing is never long enough.

As I write this in my apartment in Hong Kong, the past year feels like an elaborate dream. I seem tethered to this island, and it is my fourth time living here. The sense of deja-vu was made all the more apparent as I  got sick after two months of hard backpacking, spending my first two days here practically comatose. I haven’t begun to sift through the tens of thousands of images I have from my travels (tens of thousands is a rather intimidating number of images to start processing, you know). But I suppose when I do, the reality of those experiences will come thundering back. :)

I miss my Beijing friends desperately. My dear friend Monica is a wonderful blogger and shared  her experience of returning home after Beijing, and her reflections on the relationships formed while studying overseas

… the number and quality of friends that comes from spending twentysomething years of one’s life in the same city.

It was one of those rare occasions where I had to respectfully disagree. Maybe because it leaves little hope for a kid like me, who feels perpetually abroad even in my home city. :) I can’t help but feel that my friends there know and accept me in a different sort of way than others do. Maybe because they had such a hand in forming that person. Where would I have been without Joel’s bohemian influence, who taught me everything from tea to believing in my talents. Or Simon’s sense of adventure and eclectic taste in music? What if I had never met Sophia, Jessica and Stacey who were the first to take a chance on me and give me a platform to actually teach photography?? And everyone else who left an impact on my life who I couldn’t possibly list in a blog entry as it would be inexhaustible.

Much as I look forward to restarting my life in Jetssonville (yet again), it isn’t without longing that I think of Beijing. For me, China will always be my great frontier. My adventure. The place I feel compelled to escape and return to… with my Nikon. :)

Hawt-diggity. What a week.

My amazing Lithuanian-photographer-friend, Paulius got my little head churning a few months ago. Sometimes you meet a person and it’s kismet. And when you share similar imaginations and artistic mediums, well… that’s like a nuclear explosion waiting to happen. Such is my friendship with Paulius, who never ceases to inspire and challenge my creative horizons. Not only have we since collaborated on more than one shoot, he also put the idea of shooting events in Beijing into my head.

Last Saturday, I was privileged to be one of the official photographers for Beijing’s Rotary Club Annual Ball. I shot with some awesome photographers and had an absolute blast. (Fillet mignon and a side of flash anyone?) Aaaand knowing me, I brought a little special somethin’ somethin’… But for now, behind the scenes shots from Mr. Chris Jakimiuk. (What a stud muffin. He’s already got his photos downloaded, processed, and emailed to photographers! I need me some of that mad efficiency.)

With Ms. Amy, who brings us all that west coast sunshine.

All the single ladies, all the single ladies (… and their various assortment of flash diffusers. Or tupperware, if you will.)

Me apparently too happy at the fillet mignon I’m about to devour. (FYI, my eyes aren’t closed. I’m just Asian :P)

More to come.. watch this space. :D