I Moved My Blog to TerryChanPhoto.com/blog

As of today October 1, 2008, a new quarter, I moved my blog to the following location.

http://TerryChanPhoto.com/blog

I decided to host my own blog rather than hosting on Blogger. There are many advantages to having it on my own web server. I have more control, I can upload more images, my slideshows will run faster, I can add plugins for special effects, etc. Essentially, I have outgrown Blogger and I am ready to move onto another level.

I want to thank Blogger for hosting my blog for the past 3 years. I totally recommend Blogger over any other free blog services out there as it served me well, served me consistently without down time, and most of all... it's free. I would definitely recommend Blogger to anyone who wants a quick turn-key solution.

I look forward to your comments and your continuing support. Drop me a line anytime. I also want to thank Jeff Revell who helped me make the transition to my own blog. He did it without any expectation of benefits of any kind. Basically, Jeff did it out of the kindness of his heart. I have to say I only met Jeff once at Photoshop World in Orlando, and he's been a big help and resource to me. Thank you Jeff. You can read Jeff's Photowalk Pro blog by clicking here. He's a fantastic photographer and his posts share many of his insights and tips on photography.

Please Say a Prayer for Jasmine Star's Mom

I met Jasmine Star briefly in the past and most recently at David Jay's Freedom to Succeed Tour. She's a wonderful and gifted photographer. In fact, I have seriously considered to hire her as my wedding photographer if and when I get married.

On her post today, she spoke of her Mom's illness. Click here to read Jasmine's blogpost and say a prayer for her and her mom. Jasmine's mom produced such a talented and gifted child, she deserves to win this battle against cancer.

Michael Phelps: The Most Decorated Olympian in History of the Olympics Games

Well, I got back to my hotel after dinner and a long day photographing a wedding in Seattle WA. I washed up and got ready for bed. It was a good thing I turned on the TV and sure enough it was Micheal Phelps winning his 8th Gold medal in one Olympics. What a feat! I ranke this way up there with Pete Sampras winning 14 grand slam titles. The only other athlete to do so is Mark Spitz and he only won 7 gold medals... back in 1972... 36 years ago?!?! Now Phelps has raised the bar to another level, a level which no human can attain any time soon. Perhaps another 36 years?!?

Let me put it in perspective for you... I was living in Hong Kong at the time when Mark Spitz won 7 gold medals in one Olympics. Now, I want to remind you that it was 1972 and broadcasting was at its infancy... no Internet, no WWW, no nothing. We didn't even know the sport of competitive swimming but we all knew who Mark Spitz was. He was a household name! Thirty-Six years later finally another American not only matched Spitz record but surpassed it a day later. Michael Phelps' performance is not human as he had to swim 17 races, setting 7 world records, winning 8 gold medals with one winning only by a mere 0.01 seconds... in 8 days. By the way, this makes 16 medals, 14 of them gold...WOW!

Anyway, I'm glad that I watched it tonight. It's inspiring to know that with a little talent, a lot of hard work, plenty of self-discipline, and undying competitive will, one can achieve greatness. This is a recipe of being successful and achieve anything we set our minds to. It's an inspiring lesson. I hope all of you enjoyed this Olympics as much as I do.

5.6 Earthquake hits Southern California

Hello Everyone,

Just in case you're curious, everyone is ok and we survived a 5.6 earthquake today. The epi-center was in Chino Hills. It was a little scary because I was on the 9th floor in my building and we swayed back and forth for about a minute and a half. 90 seconds may not seem like much but it's like an eternity when it comes to earthquake.

I quickly drove back home to check if everything was ok. I then realized that my house is so messy that it looks exactly the same. In fact, I think the earthquake sorta move my stuff in a more orderly fashion. :-) That's bachelor living in socal and working 2 jobs.

Peace. Talk to you soon.

T.

Outrageous Gas Prices!

This is insane! This is not trick photography nor very good Photoshop work. The display is correct. I just filled up my gas tank and it cost me almost $76! And I filled up my tank 5 days ago. That's an average of $18 per day to operate my car for commute. I gotta find another way to get to work.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today is a special day for many couples as they celebrate their love and affection for each other. I know it's been way too commercialized in the recent years and most everyone lose sight of what today really means. To me, it's not just a celebration of love of your significant other but it's a day to cherish the people you love in your life... friends, family members alike. So, even if you're "hitched" or "attached" to a significant other, please take some time out today to cherish the people around you who loves you, and how much you love them. No need for fancy gifts, extravagant dinner plans, or exorbitant bouquet of flowers. You don't need that to show your love for each other.

And for those who got engaged today, a big CONGRATULATIONS to you all. Please remember to keep me in mind when selecting a wedding photographer. :-)

Happy Chinese New Year! The Year of the Rat!

Happy Chinese (Lunar) New Year! Gung Hay Fat Choi, Lay See Dow Loyr. :-)
I called my parents early this morning to wish them good health, wealth and happiness. It's always better to do that early in the morning vs. later in the day. They were happy to receive my call. :-)

This year is the year of the Rat (rather than mouse??). It's also the beginning of a new Chinese Zodiac Cycle and the year of the Pig ends it. There's an old fable that explains the "pecking" order of the zodiac signs. Unlike the western zodiac cycle, our zodiac lasts a whole year rather than a mere 30 days. By the way, this year is a good year to get married, so contact me when searching for a photographer for your wedding this year. :-)

Chinese New Year lasts 10 days and is considered a major holiday for us and our neighboring countries... except for Japan which celebrates the Western New Year on the first of January. Although the traditional Chinese calendar did not use continuously numbered years, its years are now often numbered and 2008 to be 4706.

I remember growing up in Hong Kong, Chinese New Year was a lot of fun and I looked forward to it every year. My Mom used to make a big fuss by cooking special sweet dumplings, turnip cakes, which she only bakes once a year. It's one of my favorite foods but I only get to eat it once a year. It's a long laboring process, but my Mom always seem to handle it all by herself. She also make a big fuss by buying new shoes for me. It's the only time of the year I get to buy new shoes. YES, once a year! Unlike the US culture, children get new shoes at the beginning of the school year in September. There were years where I would get new clothes too. I remember not able to sleep the night before and waking up early and get all "snazzy up" in my brand new clothes and shoes and ready to visit my relatives who we only visit once a year... yes, Chinese New Year. It's equivalent to Christmas morning for me. I must confess, it's not that I was looking forward to meet my distant aunts (who pinched my cheeks) and uncles, and cousins... it was because I get "Red Envelopes" filled with money. :-) Yes, married adults give out "Lay See" or Red Envelopes to gain good fortunes for their love ones as well as for themselves. We did however, had to rehearse a song so that we can perform in front of our relatives over and over again from one house to the next. Every year is a different song, and I was so young, I didn't even know what I was singing in English. :-) Also, since the New Year lasts 10 days, we didn't have to go to school for a whole week! Now do you see why I used to get so excited about Chinese New Year.

I was however perplexed that every year is a different day. I asked my Mom "why is it not the same day as last year, it's so hard to keep track of?" I was inquisitive because I wanted to know how many days to the New Year. I was told that our culture follows the moon phase to determine months, and therefore years. Whereas, the western civilization follows the traditional long and short months, and every 4 years an extra day in February to adjust for the misalignment to the moon. Whose system is better, who's to say? For me, just tell me when is it, and I will be ready to receive my "Red Envelope", Lay See, Hung Bao.

On a side note: the Space Shuttle Columbia crashed on the morning of Chinese New Year on Feb 1, 2003. It was a sad day for me even though it was Chinese New Year. I remember watching the first Columbia Launch in 1980 as a young lad dreaming of being on the Space Shuttle some day.

I'm Not a Goldfish!

Anyone of you out there own a goldfish as a pet? I remember when I was young, I was fascinated with them. My uncle lived with us in Hong Kong (actually, everyone lived in one roof in our traditional Chinese culture), and he had a fish tank full of goldfish, angelfish, etc. I remember I kept feeding the little fishees and eventually their belly got bloated and they turned belly up. I did it out of love and affection for the little guys but I didn't know better. I thought I was loving them and doing what's good for them. *Sigh* I was only a little lad without any understanding and knowledge of their limitations. I was thinking from my point of view and didn't pay attention to their feedback and response. This is a prime example of bad communications can result in a bad outcome.

This is the primary reason why I always avail myself and open a 2 way communications with my clients so that I have a better understanding of the needs/wants. This way, I can provide the top notch service that I strive to provide on a daily basis. Most of my clients can attest to that respect.

On a followup story, when I got out of college and decided to move back in with my aging ailing parents. I was the goldfish and my Mom was the little me. She missed having me in the house so much she fed me 5 meals a day. And I was like the goldfish, not wanting to protest and eat blindly until every morsel of on my plate (bowl in my case) was consumed. As a kid, I was told/taught to eat everything in my bowl. The old fable of if I don't eat everything, then the face of my wife will resemble my bowl which is crater-like and scared like the leftovers in my bowl. And also, my Dad kept telling me that the kids in Congo are starving. They would be so lucky to have the kind of foods we had on our table. So very soon, I gained 40 pounds and my heart rate and cholesterol level soar to unhealthy heights.

In retrospect, I should have told myself that I'm not a goldfish and that it's ok to not eat everything on my plate. It's not that I condone wasting food, but when I'm full, I should have the consciousness of saying to myself to STOP EATING!.

Al Gore is now a Nobel Peace Prize Recipient!

Wow, all I can say is wow! Even though I didn't share the same views as Al Gore, especially when he claimed that he invented the Internet. I'm truly a fan of his and he's definitely an inspiration to me regarding being persistent and having a true vision of what you want to achieve.

After he lost a very close presidential election to George Bush in 2000. Former Vice President Al Gore had won a Academy (Oscar) Award, an Emmy Award, and now a Nobel Peace Prize Award. He's the only person in history to do it all within the same year. Read the complete article in the NY Times website.

Al Gore nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16920923/

It's My Birthday!

It's my Birthday today! Yea! I had a great morning with Lan and then I went to work. My Mom called me at around 10AM, then my sister Yvonne called around 12PM, and lastly my brother Simon called me. Now, that was a pleasant surprise. I have not seen nor heard from him since Christmas.

My Birthday dinner is postponed because Lan had to work late tonight. It's ok, I don't really mind. Her career is more important, and besides, we can always have dinner another night. I did however bought my own birthday cake so that I can bring it to Mom's house and celebrate with her. Lan surprised me by skipping work early and came home at 9PM to cut cake with me and my Mom. She even brought me a dozen of roses. :-)

I have to admit that I was not taking my birthday well considering I getting older and recently I realized that I may need bifocals or reading glasses. I had to remove my glasses and basically put to book right up against my nose to read it. I can always push the book further away, but recently I found my arm is not long enough. Of course, my barber had to tell me that my head is now filled with grey hair when I got my haircut yesterday. He's been cutting my hair for the past 10 years or so. He told me that he remembers the gradual change of my hair. Gee Thanks alot Steve!! I love the guy though. Vinh's haircuts is a great place to cut hair. It's only $12 with tips it's no more than $15. If you want an appointment cut is only $20.

When I got home from Mom's, I fell right to sleep at midnight right after my birthday ended. I guess I slept like a baby. :-)

Lunch with Edna and Sara!

Lunch with Edna and Sara! It was a nice surprise when I got a call from Edna to wish me a happy birthday. She also wanted to bring Sara out and have lunch with me for my birthday. When I arrived at th Greek Restaurant at the Farmer's Market, I was presented with 2 cup cakes made especially for me by Sara. What a wonderful surprise.

I happened to bring my Canon 1dn camera with my new 50mm 1.2 L lens. I photographed the pictures below. She such a "ham", but who can blame her when you're that cute. :-)

25th High School Reunion!

Today, I arrived in NYC at 12:30AM at JFK airport. I stayed at the American Airlines Admiral Club and cleaned up at their shower facilities. I then quickly took the Airport Shuttle to my Hotel in Queens. Since I couldn't check in yet, thankfully I was able to store my luggage temporarily at the Hotel. I quickly took the subway to Brooklyn Tech because it's my 25th High School Reunion! I was a little late but I made it to my graduation class slideshow presentation.



I was glad to found my best buddies from high school Ty and Robert. They saved a seat for me in the auditorium where we graduated 25 years ago. It brought back many memories as I walked up the block and into the entrance of the school. Those were the same steps I took 30 years ago when I walked in as a freshman.



After the assembly at the auditorium I found my closest friends that I still kept in touch with since our 20th reunion. We decided to tour the school, walk the hallways, and visit a classroom. The title picture above from left to right is Me, Tayen, Chris, Manuel, Ming, and Robert. Notice we left our signature and mark on the blackboard behind us. We each decided to sign the board and left it for the students coming in on Monday. :-)

We then went to lunch at the cafeteria on the 7th Floor. One of us decided to walk though memory lane walk up the stairs just like we did when we were young. Young is the operant word here because most of us were huffing and puffing after 3 flights of stairs. I was thoroughly tired from walking up those tiny little stairs. When we arrived to the cafeteria, we were very very winded. :-) I guess after 25 years, we're all pretty out of shape. I gotta hit the stairmaster when I get home.

Here's a photo of the enormous auditorium at Brooklyn Tech. I remember local college and universities used to rent our auditorium for their graduation commencement. It's a fisheye 15mm Canon L lens. This lens creates an even greater grandeur of the the auditorium.

Here's a picture of all of our feet on the Tech Shield on the first floor lobby of the school.

I know to most untrained eyes, this looks like a boring window. It's actually the window Tayen and I photographed through many graduations and stage performances such as the local ballet. It used to be so hot in there in middle of June where we only had one fan blowing in the tiny projector room.

Here's another photo of Tayen and I posing next to the window. By the way, Tayen and I have been friends since the 4th grade. That makes us 35 years of friendship which is very hard to fathom even me. It's all a blur to me. It's funny that he still looks that same except I grew several inches taller after high school because I used to be shorter than him. :-)

Here's the famous lathe that we all used to make a ball-peen hammer, plumb-bob in our metal workshop. I particularly like my metal shop because it was during my sophmore year 1980 when we had a subway strike. I actually carpooled with my Dad to Manhattan and then walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to school just so that I can attend my metal shop class. By the way, I got an A in all my projects in metal shop. :-D The other shop class was Foundry and we sadly found out that it's been scrapped permanently. Current students no longer require to take that class. It was kind of cool building mold and pouring molten metal to make our metal devices. Too bad it's now gone forever. On thing for sure change is a constant, it cannot be stopped.

After the tour of most of the school and to the GO store. I bought a couple of T-shirts that we used to wear for gym. We went back downstairs to the Gymnasium for a group photo.


Here's a picture of David Milman and me. We were pretty good friends when we were in high school. He was exceptionally short 4'10" and had cubby cheeks. In short he looked like he was 12 and many of the students picked on him. I on the other hand felt everyone was mean. By the way, like me he grew several inches taller after high school. It's funny how everyone grow in height at different time of one's life. He and I were the shortest people in our graduating class. About 5 years ago we hooked up via the Internet when I sought him out via Classmates.com. He now owns a computer consulting franchise that similar to Geek Squad. Doing extremely well. So here's to all the people who picked on him.

Below is a signed Class of '82 placard used for the group picture. My signature is on the bottom right hand corner with my Chinese name. This placard is now in the possession of David Milman. It's definitely a great memorabilia for our graduating class. I managed to photograph it right before he went home after the dinner banquet.

Finally here's a photo of me and the organizer. She used to be a cheerleader and we had nothing in common. In fact, we never spoke to each other even though she was in several of my class during my 4 years at Tech. She has not aged at all even though she's a mom, and over 40 years of age. That's the beauty of reunion is that after 25 years, we find kinship and camaraderie through a commonality which is Tech. Who would have thought 25 years later we would stand shoulder to shoulder for a photo.

It's been an amazing experience. And realistically, it will probably be my last reunion because no one really goes after 25 years.. perhaps 50th year but I would be pretty old... perhaps too old to travel to NYC. I wish more of my classmates were there. I really missed some of them and wonder what they are doing now. I definitely recommend anyone to go to their own reunion. It's definitely one of the highlights of my life to be there meeting old and new friends.

Eric Clapton Concert with Edna

Edna treated me to an Eric Clapton Concert at the Honda Center tonight. He's an awesome guitarist. He basically jammed for two and half hour straight.

It's the first activity that Edna and I did since her marriage/divorce from her husband. It was nice to have her company once again. Even though she's my cousin, she's more like my little sister. We used to share with each other everything. However, that came to a screeching halt when she got married. I was looking forward to spending time with her once again.

I had a great time Edna. Thanks.