Thanks, guys, for your concerned e-mails. I’m just off the western coast of Irian Jaya at the moment (the western half of New Guinea), and we are quite far from the disastrous 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck north-west Indonesia earlier today. Luckily, we weren’t hit by any enormous waves either, as there is a lot of land between us and the epicenter.

Thanks also to those of you who sent me birthday wishes. Even from Indonesia, I appreciate your thoughtfulness very much.

subtle safety ring

A month and a half ago, I wrote about Mandy, RedStart Design, my sister, and a very cool ring. That ring, the Subtle Safety Defensive Ring, is now available for online purchase! I don’t have one yet, but I totally want one.

Support Mandy and buy one for a loved one for Christmas! They’re hand-made, and are beautiful. RedStart makes a a few other collections as well. My favorite is the Stream series. The silver pendant on my neck is an early Stream series prototype. :)

daphne wang

Hey, guys. Please go see my friends perform in Santa Clara on December 17th! It’s a benefit concert for autistic children, so you’ll be contributing to a good cause. Daphne kicks ass on the violin, and she’s funny and likes to eat, too.

Artists: Daphne Wang, Rueibin Chen, Si Yan Li , in a benefit concert in Santa Clara

Venue Location and Date:
Santa Clara University Recital Hall
8:00PM, Dec. 17th
$20 (Benefit Concert)
e-mail tickets.info@gmail.com for ticket reservations

Daphne writes: "Its a benefit for the Autistic Children’s Foundation…Trio stuff…Rueibin Chen (austrian pianist…) and Si Yan Li (cellist who has won YCA and Tchaikovsky Competitions) and ME! (who has won ice cream eating competitions). Program includes Brahms B [Piano Trio] (who wouldn’t love that?) and other fun stuff like Passacaglia. :)"

I have no patience at the moment. I’m still trying to clear out the large list of things I have to do before I leave. Stop reading now if you don’t want to be filled with negativity. (read more »)

golden gate bridge

I have lots of photos to share (scroll to the end of entry for links).

I spent Thanksgiving with my parents and sister in San Diego, and had a good time. The weather was amazing, as usual; I felt very much like a tourist while walking on the beach because I was wearing jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt — and, I was lugging a huge camera around. My mom and dad were funny, as usual. (read more »)