What I'm Currently Reading: Fall of Five.

Now that we're nearing the end of summer, I've discovered a dark secret about the thrills of college: summer reading. My professor from the Business Law class I'm taking next quarter suggested we read ahead a class or two. Little did I know the reading ranged from 50-70 pages per class! And so, reading leisurely had to be tossed aside as a result of priority. However, I'll be leaving soon for Taiwan! Since I'm not planning on spending the entire 12-hour plane ride on brushing up on Business Law, I've decided to bring along a book that recently came out: Fall of Five from the I Am Number Four series.

Earlier this summer, since you probably don't know this, I was hooked on the series. I read the first book a few summers ago when the movie came out. I resumed reading the books during the middle of the summer and quickly burned through Power of Six and Rise of Nine in the course of three days. I've been looking forward to reading the new book for a while!

Anyways, I'll soon be cut off from technology, so happy reading!

Something fictional.

Promises to the living.

I'll be the eyes that take in life as it passes around you,
I'll be the mind that appreciates the one wearing faux leather in a sea of blazers,
I'll be the peculiar grey manta ray you spot in the shallow, clear waters of a foreign country,
I'll be the one you drink wine with on a lonely Friday evening,
I'll be the bright, vivid color red that flows through your heart, the steady beating of the drums inside your chest, the life coursing through your veins.

You may not see it yet, but I am the upper left fragment of your heart--the memories of the living.

The sun can't burn away our sins, don't forgive me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(All photos taken at Mission Peak)

Lately, I keep quoting Craft Spells. I can't seem to get enough of their summery tunes and beautiful lyrics. This post's title, by the way, is from "From the Morning Heat" by Craft Spells.

One of the first things I did when I got my Canon EOS Rebel Sl1 was take it with me on a morning hike. It captured one of the most enlightening moments I had ever experienced. After a long trek, entirely uphill, in a sheet of morning fog, we knew we had reached the peak of the mountain. Intuition was not the indicator, but rather, the sunlight. It felt like we were a million miles closer to the sun once we emerged out of the thick fog. When I say "thick," I mean, up to the point where you could not see what was in front or behind you. Not to mention, droplets formed on our hair as well. Nevertheless, I couldn't have wished for any better conditions because being trapped in the fog made reaching the top of Mission Peak so much more rewarding.

And so, as I sat in my warmly lit room, I let the smooth melodies of Craft Spells sway me, letting the night pass into morning, the hours change until they signified an entirely new day. As time stopped for no one, I left my restless mind to what it did best: exploring into the depths of the world that curiously, continuously spun without hesitation.

My words get lost in the morning heat.





It's Monday again. Not that that's a bad thing though since I haven't started school yet! Still, a realization struck me that is best expressed through the words of Ferris Bueller, the legendary fictional hero of the rebellious anthem of the youthful minds:

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

All our lives are focused on moving towards the future. What about wanting to hold onto the present? I quote movies pretty frequently but George from The Art of Getting By makes a good point when he says, "Like a nostalgia for the present, I couldn't shake it." I mean, though the present may suck sometimes, there is always that one moment that makes you wish it would last longer.

(Floral Blazer: Urban Outfitters, Top: vintage Black&Brown, Shorts: Urban Outfitters, Sandals: Urban Outfitters, Jewelry: DIY, Lipstick: Lancôme in Blushed Rose)

Anyways, to break out of that existential thought bubble, one thing I'm always drawn towards when I am out shopping is the color black (or the "absence of color"). You add black with a floral print and some metal jewelry to toughen up the look and presto! You've got yourself an outfit for the Monday blues. Plus, with tan skin like mine, I tend to flock towards dark colors to make my skin tone a little paler. To sum up my current obsessions at the moment, besides black clothes and creepy jewelry, I've also always had a thing for tattoos. (Not that I could actually get a real one without getting the frown of disapproval from my Asian parents for the rest of my life!) Temporary tattoos are a nice alternative to drawing on your hands and arms when you have nothing to do. They last longer! So now, an anchor and a lightning bolt reside on my wrists.

It's the balance of thoughts, its the...colours to life.

Driving through downtown in a car with foggy windows, the feeling felt much different than all those times I've walked through the city I love. There was a sense of nostalgia latching itself onto the memories of the place that my friends and I have explored and familiarized ourselves with over the years. It was that feeling that after the night ended, I would be saying my first goodbye to one of my friends.

Pushing sentimentality aside, we embraced life after hours, occasionally shouting the lyrics to songs of the top 40's, hanging out with a particularly hyper dog, visiting the drive thru at In n Out, and creating a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pizza with cups at Verde Tea Café.

Life came to us in an extravagance of colors: the dark cloak the sky wore at night, the city lights, the empty streets, and most importantly, the pale green walls in the room of a friend who is now on her way to Boston.

I'm gonna hang around, long enough to be part of the furniture.

(cardigan, jeans & boots: H&M, top: Brandy Melville, Shania's boots: Urban Outfitters, rings: H&M, vintage-Black & Brown,Target, bracelets: souvenir gift from Jamaica, Black & Brown, lipstick: Rimmel in Bordeaux)

The title of this post, by the way, is a lyric from "Unzip You Harrington" by The Drowners (which is a band named after a Suede song!).

Summer days are the best because you wake up in the morning and you have the whole day ahead of you to do whatever you want. The days that go completely unplanned are the ones I find most productive. I mean, it's only natural for us to want to break away from routine right? So here's the story of how I stumbled upon the cheaper alternative to Dr. Marten boots on a spontaneous day. 

Tuesday. It was noon, around lunchtime. In the full montage of events: Funny vines, Mean Gurlz parody, Chapter 2 of my Business Law textbook, feast of pasta, chicken nuggets, and green tea ice cream, "Korea Town" at El Camino Real: Paris Baguette and Ramune soda, Goodwill, "Supermoon" at sunset, Santana Row: the perfect floral blazer at Urban Outfitters and black boots (featured in today's post) from H&M, In n Out burgers for dinner, and finally, the city lights up in the hills.

The days for me come in two flavors: I either crave the comfort of my home or I want to spend the entire day roaming around outside. There's nothing wrong with being both an explorer and a homebody!

Photographed by Shania Cheng

Summer Daze: San Francisco Photo Diary

(Photos taken at Chinatown, Twin Peaks, San Francisco)

To have lived in the Bay Area for most of my life and rarely visit San Francisco is honestly, a tragedy. It's hard not to fall in love with the lively, crowded city near the bay! Luckily, there is a necessity called a passport renewal at the ROC (Taiwanese) embassy that is a must for all Taiwanese in the Bay Area to keep your citizenship. Yes, passport renewals gave me an excuse to wake up on a Saturday morning and drive an hour into the city.

For my after thoughts on San Francisco, I've compiled photos from the two recent trips I've taken there.