There's an app for that

I recently downloaded the Hipstamatic application. I haven't done extensive tests to compare the lighting of the three lenses that came with it because they're all pretty interesting. Yeah, the retro quality of the pictures is cool, but I love how the varied light dimensions bring out greater depth and energy to the subjects. In an era where HiDef and 3D televisions become commonplace, it's nice to celebrate the imperfection of the subject.
Here are a few photos I shot that I absolutely love:

Non-census

I just filled out my 2010 census. I'm a little conflicted about it.

Before the 2000 Census I remember that 1. I didn't know much about why we did it and 2. Ethnic groups were marketing heavily in order to get people to choose their box on the forms. I remember this clearly, because as a person of Hawaiian ancestry, the word was out in my community to "be counted" in order to get money. That's pretty much what I associated with the census-a government mandate that created competition between racial groups to fight for funds.

Not only did the numbers create conflict between minority groups, it created discord within households as there was only one designation for race--for all members of that household.

My husband is of Korean ancestry. I am Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, Portuguese, English, Irish, Spanish and French. Because my husband is the main bread winner in our home, usually his name appears first on our legal paperwork such as taxes, insurance papers and the like. So when we have to choose a representative for our entire household, it's likely that we use my husband's information. But because I am a part of an indigenous group that could use some money, I was inclined (and encouraged by the Hawaiian community) to check the 'Native Hawaiian' box regardless of my other nationalities or those of the others in my home.

How did I answer the 2000 Census? I didn't. When they came to my house asking me to fill out another, I didn't. It wasn't until an auditor called and asked me to provide the information that I finally answered, claiming 'Native Hawaiian.' It didn't feel entirely representative of myself or my household.

I don't like the boxes they make you check to classify yourself, mainly because for a very long time, 'Native Hawaiian' was not an option. Choosing more than one box was not allowed on certain forms, alienating myself and other multi-racial or multi-ethnic people. Most forms neglected to provide a write-in option. Therefore, I spent many years checking the infamous 'Other' box.

Interestingly though, this census has a number of races listed on their form. With multiple check-offs encouraged and write-in options. It's a step in the right direction.

Part of my conflict is because this time I actually feel for the 'White' category. This year's census has break-downs for 'Other Asian,' where one could print in Hmong, Laotian, Thai, Pakistani, etc. Or 'Other Pacific Islander,' with Fijian, Tongan, etc. But Europeans? They get 'White,' and that's it. Here I am, excited to finally be able to check off every Asian race I embody in individual boxes, plus the 'Native Hawaiian' box, but I actually had to write in 'European' under the category of 'Some other race.'

For a long time my philosophy was to check 'Other' because it didn't feel right to claim one race or nationality if I couldn't claim the others. Some people who are multi-racial identify with one group, so they feel free to check one box. Fine. But for me, I want to be able to give it my all or nothing. (And what's up with the point that "For this census, Hispanic origins are not races."?)

I began filling out this year's census with every intention of completing it to the best of my ability. After having done so, I feel like I gave away too much information without being as thorough as I'd hoped. Essentially, I was asked about my identity and given fewer tools than necessary to answer. I'm glad to see ten years has expanded the lens of our government, but I'd love to see the 2020 Census envelope contain a single sheet of paper that reads, "Tell us about yourself. Or better yet, draw a picture."

bird sighting

Here are a few pictures of the birdies I made for my valentines. The nest was difficult, but a very good lesson in patience, the importance of building on a solid foundation and the merits of mother birds.

Enjoy!

Love birds

I was determined to make valentines cards for friends and family this year. I experimented with a few little card doodles and shapes, finally deciding on a love bird theme. Then after seeing the movie, "Bright Star," I was totally inspired by the letters John Keats sent to Fanny Brawne. Deeply in love with words, especially coupled with the tactile sensation of holding paper with lovely handwritten script, I fell hard for the idea of sending that kind of emotion to people I care about.

I'm pretty excited with the results. It was gratifying to spend the time making something with love and care, and even more wonderful to get a message from a friend saying they were happy to receive it. I wanted to take it a little further for Doug and the girls. Since I've been home with them, much of my time is spent preparing our home, cleaning, washing, arranging. I decided to make a folded bird card, connecting the birds at their beaks. And I wanted to make a nest to sit the birdie in.

We have a lavender bush in our front yard which I've neglected. The lavender stalks have grown tough and dry, but I thought they would be sturdy while emanating a wonderful scent. Being a busy mom, naturally, I had other things to do besides get started on this nest. Late last night I began assembling the nest, and I tell you, I have a new found respect for birds. I have a number of tools to use and opposable thumbs and it was really really hard.

The good news is that the birds in the nest looked great. The bad news is that I was up so late making them that I was completely zonked out and didn't see my family's reaction to them! But we had a wonderful day, sharing lots of sweet treats and special hugs. I hope all of you were able share your love and aloha with the people who are close to you.

Olympic Opening Ceremony

I get pretty choked up during the Olympics. I don't consider myself hugely patriotic, but I do take great pride in the determination and dedication of the athletes. They're giving everything of themselves to excel at their sport on an international level and we don't have to deal with ridiculous talk of salaries or teams leaving towns. These athletes are our countrymen and women. They kick ass at their sport. I dig it.

What helps suck me in are those mini biographies the TV channels host, where you get a glimpse of the athlete's background. I love their childhood photos, hearing from their neighbor or pastor or their parents about how special little Shaun or Julia or Apolo was when they were younger. I have a vivid memory of watching Ekaterina Gordeeva's bio blip and how they dubbed in "For Your Eyes Only" over a final picture of her performing, her face cropped in tight onscreen. Cheesy, but memorable.

The Opening Ceremonies were very entertaining. It's amazing what you can do with some fabric and lights! When the huge bear popped up from the floor, I was excited, but the whales were, well, killer! Very very cool effects. I loved watching the teams enter. They are full of wonder and excitement, hope so tangible it tingles toward you through the television.

I haven't been keeping up with the team, so I don't have any picks or predictions. But I will be cheering for Apolo Anton Ohno, Seattle golden boy, Dancing with the Stars champ, and really, soul patch and Cosby sweaters aside, just an all around great guy.

Good luck, Team USA!

Howlin'

Last weekend we made the trek to The Great Wolf Lodge. It's a large hotel, about two hours south of Seattle. They have a large, indoor water park in the lobby-a huge draw for the gray days of February in the Northwest.

Friends of ours who have already been twice gave us the lowdown: Check in is at 4 p.m., but you can come earlier in the day to get access the water park. Pack a snack or lunch, since there aren't many economical places to eat, most rooms have a fridge to keep food overnight. There are lockers with showers so you can even swim after you check out. Maybe we could get through the weekend with minimal damage to our wallets and maximum enjoyment after all.

We arrived to find the huge hotel packed. The line to check-in went down the entire desk, then back again. There was a lot of commotion, framed in the back by large windows looking into the water park. Luckily, the line moved briskly and our room was ready. Time to hit the park!

I don't know how big the physical space of the park is, but every inch is maximized. We spent much of that afternoon in the wave pool, but there is also a large toddler water play area (equipped with slides, replicas of water skis where kids can climb up to "ride" them while pointing water hoses at their parents, fountains, the whole bit), an indoor and outdoor hot tub, a centralized play area with water spraying everywhere and an enormous bucket of water that "spilled" every few minutes. I haven't even gotten to the three water slides, two of which extend out the back of the building and are lit up at night.

The girls loved it. Emma didn't seem to mind getting rolled around in the wave pool while Phoebe enjoyed the toddler slide. Doug and I remained in a state of shock at the size of the place and the sort maniacal frenzy that occurs when kids run amok. Not to mention the body content.

I've never been much for running around scantily clad in public, so I'm never really prepared for others who do. Living in Seattle, it's sort of nice to know that I'm required to wear multiple layers more than six months out of the year. But in this water park, it was all there-the bulges, the man-boobs, the fake boobs, tattoos-much more information about the people staying within close proximity of me than I wanted to know.

And of course, when you have kids in an isolated place, you have stuff for sale that their parents get sucked into buying. There's a game happening at the lodge called MagiQuest. There are a series of "quests" you have to complete using a wand. The kid waves the wand in front of a treasure chest, a raccoon statue, or whatever has the MagiQuest symbol and that object animates or makes a noise. Naturally, the wand costs money. If you want it to actually make the treasure chest open up or the jewels the light up, you have to buy in to play the game. Then there are the "toppers" that decorate your wand, the ribbons that hang from the wand and the holster to hold your wand. It's maddening how totally captivated they have you and your kids. Just standing in the store I eavesdropped on three arguments between parents who couldn't agree on how much of that stuff to buy.

We got wands for both girls (without accessories) and bought the game for Emma, making her promise to animate the objects behind Phoebe if she figured out the wand waving. I have admit, if I was a kid waving a wand at a picture that suddenly lit up and started talking to me, I'd think that was super cool. Our girl felt the same. Emma ran around the lobby with very elaborate flourishes of her wand, even yelling out spells from "Harry Potter." Phee caught on right quick when a treasure chest opened for her shining with jewels and exclaimed, "I did it! I DID it!"

I loved that they were engaged, relatively safe in a hotel of other families doing the same thing, and feeling totally empowered by their newfound magical abilities. We were joined in the merriment by our friends, The Angulo Family, as well as Doug's cousin and his family (The 'L Kims'), so the girls had familiar faces to explore with them. It was far too late before the kids hit the hay, but that's what "crazy-up" time is about, right?

Throughout the weekend I thought a lot about the difficulties of taking the family out, whether it's on vacation, to a restaurant, or even to the grocery store. Everybody has their own agenda: The kids want to be entertained and have fun while the parents worry about logistics, safety, expense, avoiding tantrums and where the coffee and alcohol are located. As I watched one couple argue over the cost of the MagiQuest wand, it was obvious that they were not following the same agenda. The father was enamored with the light-up topper, perhaps even more so than his son. The mother flatly refused to pay for it. When the mother-in-law got involved, I wished I could turn my ears off.

I stood there asking myself, why do we do this? Why do we plunk down a lot of money for places like these? Why do we literally buy into the fantasy being sold to us? Why do we encourage it in our children? Looking around the shop, I saw couples conflicted, at odds with their children's expectations as well as their own. Just getting the car loaded up and the kids ready was stressful enough, then you have to navigate around the other families, the hotel merch, and keeping track of your kids amidst the sea of other crazy little gnomes.

Standing in line to buy our wands, Doug had turned to me and said, "Can we just come back and do this later?"
I answered, "We're already in line. It might be worse later."
But I wish I had realized what I was hoping for then. We were there together-as a family. We wanted our kids to have fun, and have fun with them. We wanted to give them the unexpected thrill of riding a water slide. We wanted them to be free to splash and laugh, swallowing water and gurgling to the surface. We wanted our girls to feel empowered when they made a bear statue light up or chipmunks sing them a song. In times like these, their joy becomes ours because we feel like we're finally doing something right.

That happiness. Knowing how difficult it can be to keep everyone in line, yet growing - thriving even - then seeing a crooked-toothed grin or hearing the spontaneous cry, "That was the best weekend of my life!"
It's totally rewarding. When Doug and I first talked about having children our goals were relatively simple. We just wanted them to be happy and well-adjusted. It may be too soon to tell, but I can't help but hear Phee's little voice, still clear in my mind as she shouted, "I DID it!"

Something Sweet

One of my favorite up-and-coming musicians is Kina Grannis. I first heard about her when she entered the Doritos Crash The Super Bowl commercial contest a couple of years ago. Although I prefer her original, "Message From Your Heart," the video that aired that Super Bowl Sunday must have spoken to people, because she won.

Kina's album, Stairwells, is available for pre-order today. But you can also check out her video, "Valentine," here. Just a little pre-Feb. 14 cheer to share. I love the simplicity of the video, especially paired with a sort of domino-meets-flip-book animation scheme. It's the perfect sweet treat to brighten your Monday.

I admire how tenacious Kina has been regarding her musical career. She obviously loves music very much, using it to connect with her sisters, who regularly sing on her videos, as well as a means of connecting with viewers on her blog and youtube channel. In this age of consistent consumption, it's refreshing to find someone generating and utilizing their creative gifts to spread positive energy into the world.

Congrats, Kina! All the best right back at you.