Haiti. I'm not a news blog, nor am I an accurate source of the situation in Haiti. All I'm here to do is express my own thoughts, concerns, condolences, and prayers. In the past 48 hours I have read and witnessed tremendous distress and desperate conditions that I can only in my wildest imaginations truly understand what the people of Haiti are going through. In times like these I'm reminded of the goodness and pureness in many of those who are desperate to help in any way they can. They step aside from their personal and professional lives and make helping others who are suffering a priority. Then there are those who don't have the luxury of dropping everything and flying to Haiti to help, so they reach into their pockets and donate what they can.
Finally, there are those (yes, they're out there, I've seen it) who are cynics of those who want to help and believe that texting "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross or publicly lifting prayers are mere ways of coaxing one's ego. Cynic, I feel sorry for you. I feel sorry that you cannot see the good in others. I feel sorry that you have the ability to turn something good into something bad. I feel sorry that you are ignorant enough to believe that everyone who prays or donates to efforts does so to coax their ego.
I prayed. I'm still praying. I texted "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10. I'm still donating in other ways. Does this make me feel like a better person? Can I move on with my day now knowing I've done my good deed? No. No, I did not pat myself on the back. No, I did not do these things to make myself feel better. I do these things because I truly believe all humans have a connection whether it be with my immediate family beside me or with a person on the other side of the world. I do it because I fear one day I'll be that person in the middle of mother nature's worst praying that someone out there wants to help me. I do these things because it needs to be done.
One of my best friends Hanh met her boyfriend almost 15 years ago when we all attended the same middle school. They weren't "going out" at the time, just friends, and they remained friends throughout middle school and for most of high school until... Fast forward to our senior year when Hanh decided to call Don to see how things were going, since they both went to different high schools. There was no rhyme or reason for the call, it was just that inclination to reach out to an old friend. I call it fate. Their connection was instant! If you met Hanh, you would understand how easy it is to become her best friend, let alone want to be her boyfriend. I recall a moment in PE when we were 12, and Hanh came up to me and asked me, "Hey, you want to be my friend? Like, big sister little sister type of friends?" Isn't youth so innocent and sweet? We have been bffs ever since!
Don and Hanh continued to date all through our senior year going to each other's school proms and homecoming dances, wearing ridiculous matching outfits for Sadie Hawkins, making plans for prospective colleges... and then there was college. Don went off to Berkeley (Go Bears!) while Hanh remained 400 miles away in Orange County. And still, they remained together. Today, we are four years out of college, and Don decided it was time. It was time to do what every man must do for the woman he loves. It was time to buy the bling.
Don called me one sunny day as I was strolling down Chestnut in the Marina and told me he wanted to propose to Hanh. I nearly caused a stranger to call the ambulance! I screamed so loud and jumped up and down, laughing and smiling ear to ear, yelling, "OH MY GOSH! AHHH! CONGRATULATIONS!" Geez, you'd think I was getting proposed to...again. So we worked it out so that Mark and I would go to Disneyland with them to document where he would propose in the most creative, endearing, entertaining way I've ever seen. My brother-in-law Chris and our touristy cousin Copy ended up going as well, which made it even less suspicious to Hanh. Chris has been filming and editing small videos for fun and decided to film and edit a mini movie of Don's proposal to Hanh. He did an AMAZING job, and I can honestly say I can see a videographer partner in him one day soon... *hint hint* ;-)
Here's the awesome Chris Sithi video. Ladies, you might wanna grab a tissue.
**Edited note: Hanh is also a photographer in Orange County, so I felt extra pressured to get legit photos for her! Check out her amazing work! Hanh Nguyen Photography
Our first ride when we got there had to be Space Mountain! And that would be Chris bottom left. He's single, ladies! Doesn't this picture make you SOOO interested? =P
Collaborating...
As we skip happily.
Me: "Hey, Hanh. Can we go back to the New Orleans area? I just want to take pictures of the lights. Again. Yea..." (this is where the characature artist awaited our arrival at 7:30pm)
Hanh: "Sure! But let me take (a billion) photos of the purple castle."
Hanh: "$64 for a sketch? NO, babe. That's a lot." Don: "$64??? Suuuuure. Why not? Let's do this."
With this smile you'd think she knew what was up. But Hanh just smiles A LOT!
Waiting... waiting... the artist was making sure this was PERFECT. Don looks nervous.
No seriously, to the old lady who blurted "OH ARE THEY ENGAGED?!" Shhhhh!
Behind the scenes the painting was coming along quite nicely...
And then the artist tells them she's done, and that she would like the HUGE crowd to step back so Hanh can take a look at the painting...and this is where her world changed in a matter of seconds.
The ring! OooooOOoh... ahhHHhHhhhh...
The newly engaged couple!
What now after all the applause, screaming, cheering, and hugs? TEACUP RIDE!!! That's them in the middle blur. I knew I'd barf, so I opted out. I'm smart.
Big sister, little sister
Chris: "THEY JUST GOT ENGAGED!" to everyone we passed.
And buttons provided by Disney staff to prove it!
Thank you to Mark, Copy, Chris and especially to Don and Hanh for the most memorable Disneyland trip I've ever had! Special thank you to Chris who made such an awesome video collage. Mere photos do not suffice the emotions expressed that day. Cheers to my Sithi productions partner!
(this looks like film. I like it!)
Once again, congratulations, Don and Hanh! You two make the most loving, giving, hospitable, and down right fun couple we know. We are so blessed to be part of this engagement and more importantly part of your lives.
I'm going to end with this photo Hanh asked me to take of old people slow dancing. One day that'll be you guys!
I must say this holiday season is abnormally busy for me. I know, everyone is usually super busy during the holidays, but I'm usually just working during the day then wrapping presents at night. Nothing too spectacular. But THIS year it's like everyone is throwing a party, family and friends are visiting from afar, I'm editing photos and taking pictures that then needs to be edited on top of the ones I still have to edit... it's endless. I'm not complaining, I'm just stating the nitty gritty facts. I wipe my drool dreaming of the day I don't have to work on my photos AFTER a 9-hour work day.
So I know I promised photos of Christmas, but I'm going to hold off on that today. As a treat for my few, yet loyal, followers I'm finally posting some pictures of a little family shoot I did for my cousins and my niece Corie. We took these photos almost a month ago, and just yesterday I thought I'd go through some of Corie's photos from the past two years to see how much she's grown. I'm not even her mother, yet I found myself nostalgic and emotional asking, "where has the time gone?"
Corie, one day you're going to be able to read this post, and I want you to know you are one of the luckiest kids alive. You've got these amazing parents who are captivated by your cuteness and intelligence and who foster each creative bone in your little body. Your peculiar British accent when you say "Daddy" is by far the most adorable thing I've heard. Uncle Mark is mesmerized by your charm and leaves your play dates wanting a little girl just like you every time. Corie, you are loved more than you'll ever know, and I'm so blessed to be your auntie.
Little girl in a hot pink tutu with a motorcycle. That's pretty awesome, man.
Is it really December 1st already?! Bring out the Christmas songs, sales, and cider! I'm SO ready to celebrate the holiday that celebrates the birth of Christ, the giving of gifts, the goodness of the human heart through serving others, and quite frankly all the delicious baked goods and holiday dinners. Yummm... my mouth salivates just thinking about the toffee candy I'm going to make with my sisters this year.
As the year ends I want to reflect on all the goods and bads 2009 has brought. One comes to mind instantly, oh like... me getting married! I'm just about five months young of being a new wife, and I couldn't be happier. People ask if marriage changes anything. In a weird way it does. Nothing in our routine has changed - we still wake up to our coffee maker programmed at 6:30am. We still eat cereal every morning, and Mark still makes me finish my milk even though I hate milk without cereal. We still try to walk Saka only to be stopped by him at the corner tugging us to go back home (he hates walks; weird, I know). We still do a LOT of things that are the same, but somehow marriage is still...different. It's Good. Great. Beautiful. HAPPY.
I have two final family shoots for the year in the next two weekends. Although I am eager to take more I decided I'm not going to book anymore photo gigs for the rest of the year and for all of January 2010. My goal when I first realized I wanted to start this photography business was to launch everything in March 2010. Well, March quickly approaches, and I need to make sure I meet that deadline. I'm well on my way, but I think I just need to buckle down for the next couple months to solidify the logistics.
Stay tuned for more business updates! In the meantime, enjoy your holiday shopping and remember it's not just about gifts. If you run out of a gift idea, give a favor or write a letter telling them how much they mean to you. I do this for Mark on napkins sometimes, and it works like a charm. :-)
This is an old Christmas picture, but it was a year of many firsts for us. Our first grown-up apartment. Our first Christmas tree. Our first DOG! I'll definitely post new ones as the month unfolds.
Mark and I are currently restructuring my blog and I'm TOTALLY excited to launch it. I'm not sure when this will happen, but it will be done before Thanksgiving. Mark is no computer science buff, but he sure knows a lot about the technical aspects of this business than I do. I secretly look up acronyms he and his friends throw around so I look a fraction as smart as they do when we discuss tech news. Yea, they really do discuss tech for hours at a time during occasional dinners in the city. I'm not gonna lie, it's inspired me to be a lot more tech aware from which I realized is a deep love I never knew I had.
I'm quite blessed to have a husband who's so smart he doesn't even know it, loves me to death and makes sure he tells me every single day, AND on top of his consulting work someone who really wants to help me grow in my own career. Last night I had complained that his check list for my business was way too long and overwhelming and that I just needed more time to get these things done. Mark said it best when he responded, "That's why YOU are the master creator and I am the executer! We are going to make a great team!" I couldn't help but laugh because it's all so true. I dream up these big, colorful ideas, and Mark makes sure there is logic behind it and that it happens. How did I get so lucky? :-)
