The Sandswirl Blog

Transcend by Tamar Kaprelian

2010-06-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

Can't wait for this song to come out on itunes. :)

mymomisafob.com

2010-06-07T01:18:00.000-07:00

I came across this site (mymomisafob.com) from my friend's facebook page... it's so freakin hilarious...

Some of my favorite entries:

~~~

My mom recently learned “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” to sing to my son.

“Tha itchy bitchy spider went up water spout…”

~~~

So my mom is a VERY protective mother. This is what happened after she watched a 60 minutes special on Online Predators. I’m watching a Video Blog on Youtube…

Mom: Who is that guy?
Me: I don’t know
Mom: Why is he talking to you??
Me: It’s a video…
Mom (at the computer): GO AWAY, MY DAUGHTER DON’T WANT TO MEET UP AND TALK TO YOU

~~~

“My parents’ intent was to name me Stephanie.”

-Staphanie Tung

~~~

Hehehee some of the comments for the last one were pretty hilarious:

My parents intended to name me Irene after the beautiful Miss Venezuela who ran against Mr. Chavez the year I was born...I ended up with Yrene

My friend was supposed to be Suzanne, but she was named Sujan. :O)

My parents had always loved the name Jacob.
Now I get funny looks from people when they read my name (Jakub Tsao)

My friend was supposed to be named Alexander. His name is Alexanda.

Well my name is Karren Wong .... P_P people always ask about the extra R ....lol

~~~

Mom calls me asking what I want from In-N-Out Burgers.

Me: Can you get me the animal style fries?

thirty minutes later, mom comes home…

Mom: I asked for the doggy-style fries, but I think they ran out because they just started laughing.

I can relate to most of these. hahaha. In fact, I have my own fobby story about my name...

One day I asked my mom how she decided on naming me Sandy. She said, oh! I named you after that cute little girl from the Brady Bunch... the youngest girl with blonde pigtails.

me: ummm, mom... that's CINDY Brady!!! hahaha

at least I was lucky enough to still end up with a real name

hehehe

=)

Gonna be a city girl...

2010-05-27T23:06:00.000-07:00

ok.

I was originally planning on writing a blog about moving on to the next chapter in my life... and it basically became a HUGE novel. So, I guess I'm going to have to hold off on that blog for now until I have the time to break it down into chapters, or short stories, or categories... and then I'm going to have to decide how I want to roll them out.

So yes, knowing me -- it will take a while for me to get around to it because nowadays sharing my life story (online) has apparently moved down on my priority list in life...

Anyhow, in the meantime, I just wanted to share some cool before and after pix of my aunt's place in SF (a.k.a. our new pad in the city). She's the best for letting us stay there! It's a 2bd/2bath.. but we've only got around to fixing up 1bdr, living room, and bath so far. I'm trying to make a case for making the 2nd bedroom my walk in closet ;P we'll see how that goes.

oh yeah, there's me in my plastic gloves and sweats... probably smelling like clorox bleach

guess who's responsible for the decor? =)

that's me vacuuming all the crap off the walls before we started painting. This, btw, was probably the worst part for me because I had to come face to face with a crapload of spiders.. and anyone who has lived with me knows how I feel about spiders... eeeek!

our living room. =) yay. I've got my flatscreen tv with cable ... could I ask for anything more? hah

FYI - I'll be living in the city starting next week, as I am starting my new job in SOMA as a Product Manager at Modcloth.com! I'm sooo incredibly excited about working for this company not only because it's the perfect combination of e-commerce, social media, and fashion (3 things I <3) ... but what really sold me on this job was the people, their energy, and the company culture.

Let's hope I don't blow my paycheck on the awesome employee discount. hehe...

Meeting the 'dead' Dr. Christian Shephard from LOST [semi-SPOILER-alert]

2010-02-19T12:46:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, I was cast play a medical intern on Trauma, and was pleasantly surprised to see John Terry on set! At first, it was like I saw a ghost! I'm a HUGE Lost fan, so I kind of wanted to rush up to him and ask him to tell me EVERYTHING... ahaha, as if he would.... but, I played it cool and just stared from afar. lol.

Later in the day, I was lucky enough to get picked to be in a scene with him, so we got to chat a little bit. He was, btw, extremely friendly, funny... and super talented. =)

For those of you who don't know, John Terry plays Dr. Christian Shephard (a.k.a. Jack's dead dad) on Lost. There has been so much speculation over how things will pan out on the FINAL season of LOST -- and he is in the center of a LOT of theories.

His character, Christian Shephard, is an extremely interesting character on the show because although he was dead from episode ONE, it was later revealed in flashbacks that so many characters have had connections with him, on and off the island. As a recap, here's what we know:

-Dr. Christian Shephard was originally know as Jack's father.
-Later we found out he was also Claire's father, and he was in Australia to visit her for the last time.
-We also found out that Ana Lucia traveled to Australia with Jack's father
-Christian Shephard hit Saywer with the door of the car when he opened it in front of the bar where they later share drinks.
-On the island, Christian Shephard's coffin was found unlocked and empty, which raised questions about his death and whether or not he is still alive.
-He then, mysteriously appeared alive on the island to various characters (Jack, Hurley, Claire, Locke, Miles, Micahel, Sun, Vincent, and Frank) at different times
- He has referred to himself on the Island as being capable to speak on Jacob's behalf.

The final season kicked off focusing on Jacob and his brother (a parallel to the classic Bible story of Jacob and Esau). It has become clear that Esau brought John Locke's dead body to the island so he could use his body and impersonate John Locke to convince Ben to kill Jacob.

This makes me assume Jacob had been using Christian Shephard's body, which explains Christian's appearances on the island. But why was Christian Shephard's body missing from his coffin? It seems that Esau was able to assume John Locke's image while leaving the body in the coffin.

So is Christian Shephard really dead?

Well, when I met John Terry, I told him I felt like I was looking at a ghost, and he responded by saying, "oh, but you know Christian Shephard is not really dead..." I said, "REALLY!??!" in shock.. and then he said "just kidding, I have no idea." ... so now I'm left in confusion.

Will John Terry be in this final season of Lost?

He says he hasn't heard anything from casting yet, and they are finishing up filming within the next month or so. This seems quite weird to me -- I would assume he would need to be in this season to help answer questions about his character.

So here's my two requests to the Lost writers --
1) Please don't leave questions unanswered!
2) Bring John Terry back, he's awesome (that one's for you John!), and we want to know more about how his character fits in with everything!

hmmm... or maybe they should extend the show even more, and have a FINAL FINAL season. haha =)

Last but not least, check out Tweetswirl's LOST page and see what people are twittering about LOST right now. We just launched our page two days ago!

Follow the Lost Actors and Fans on Twitter!
See what others are saying about LOST right now!

Beverly

2010-01-09T14:57:00.001-08:00

Tried out animoto... check it out!

Lady GaGa Monster Ball

2009-12-15T01:55:00.001-08:00

lady gaga's little monsters at the monster ball...

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from sandswirl's posterous

hello Posterous

2009-12-12T04:51:00.001-08:00

Hi, I'm new here.

Posted via web from sandswirl's posterous

Look for me on TONIGHT's episode of NBC's Trauma 9/8c

2009-10-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

In tonight's episode "Stuck," an explosion at a Chinese restaurant puts lives in the balance and exposes a secret...

I had *SO* much fun working on this episode of Trauma and got to meet a lot of really cool people. I'll blog more about my experience on set - but will do so at a later date so I don't give away the plot =)

Day #1: Chinatown Outdoor

Day #2: Indoor Set

It was fun being able to watch the directors do their thing

We also got to goof around

our faces are dirty from the 'soot' from the 'fire'

that's me with some of the stars of the show.

Featured Extra Role on Trauma for Chinese Man in 30s. Anyone Interested??

2009-10-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Beau Bonneau Casting is seeking Chinese Men in their 30s that are available both 10/20 & 10/28 for a featured extra role on NBC's Trauma. The Director will be choosing one man from photos to portray a cardiac arrest victim. He along with his Mandarin speaking girlfriend are airlifted via helicopter (special effects). Selected extra will be visible on camera working with speaking actors.

In order to submit, you must appear to be of full Chinese descent and be available for the 2 non-consecutive shoot days: Tuesday 10/20 & Wednesday 10/28. Must be available All Day BOTH days from early am i.e. 6AM into late evening hours without conflict for typical 10-12 hour shoot days. We never know exact start time until the night before. Tues 10/20 will shoot at Treasure Island for green screen work, and Wed 10/28 will be in SF, maybe Chinatown.

Pay rate depends on Union status. If Union member, rate is AFTRA scale $139 for up to 8hrs plus overtime. If Non Union, the rate is $78.32 for up to 8hrs plus overtime = SF min wage $9.79 per hour. There is a possibility of the AFTRA wage for Non Union on 10/20 due to small number of background needed. I-9s will be filled out on set. US citizens must have a current US Passport OR both a valid Drivers License with either Social Security card or original birth certificate. Non US citizens must have valid Permanent Resident Card or valid Green Card.

Submit ASAP only if you fit the description and are available both days. How to submit:

You can submit online via Direct Cast Extras Roles if your sfcasting photos are current OR email recent but basic color pictures to photos@beaubonneaucasting.com ASAP with your Name and 10/20 & 10/28 in subject line including Contact info, Height and Weight in the body of the email and attach 2 or more recent color photos: close up & full standing view.

Keep in mind that simple digital photos are wanted, so we can see what you look like presently. Please do not just send links to your website, facebook or myspace photos; we need ready to view submissions with photo attachments to forward. Photos will be sent to production by Monday afternoon for review and selection. Beau Bonneau Casting staff will contact you if chosen.

Beau Bonneau Casting
www.beaubonneaucasting.com

More Dog Photos!!

2009-10-11T23:16:00.001-07:00

I finally got the chance to upload some more dog photos this weekend. YAY!! To see the larger versions, please check out my flickr

I've been meaning to post these pix of Bella for a while now. Bella loves soccer! She absolutely loves that little ball. It can keep her entertained for hours.

Love that smile! Bella is one of the happiest and friendliest dogs I know!

She's also a cuddly sweetie pie!

A while back, our housemate had a bday party and invited some cutie pies over. I couldn't resist taking a couple of shots of them:

look at those puppy dog eyes. awwwn.

Dirty Faced Lou was one of the sweetest little boys you'd ever meet. It was so cute because there were 5 dogs at our house, and he was the only boy. He was really alert, smart, and also very interested in the ladies!

More recently, I swung by the dog park to take pix of my friends' doggies. Kuma is an incredibly friendly and energetic dog who knows how to play!

This is Kuma challenging the other dogs to play fight =)

Last but not least, here's is shy little jackson. Jackson reminds me of my Beverly a little, he's a lot more cautious about playing with other dogs, but very friendly to people... and loves his mommy.

ok folks. That's all for tonight =)

At chris and amy's wedding

2009-10-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

TV is my current obsession, what’s yours?

2009-10-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

Hello world! If you don't already know -- My name is Sandy, and I am a primetime TV junkie.

It all started when my hubby got me a shiny new remote control and…. DVR. He laughed when he said it was a present that was going to change my life… but WOAH, it really did.

I’m the type of person who likes to keep really busy. I’m socially active, and I can sometimes be a work-a-holic. So up until that point, it took a great amount of effort for me to follow even one or two shows.

Enter DVR…

… comedies, medical dramas, mystery/suspense, teenie bopper high school shows, model reality, chef reality, clothing designer reality, dancing reality, even MTV reality... yeah, I’m totally serious – I watch all of the above haha. Believe it or not, the shows all somehow found its place to serve a purpose in my life. Whether it was comedic relief after a stressful day, something suspenseful to leave me on the edge of my seat, or even simple mindless reality tv to fill the void in the background as I work away on my laptop… TV became my comfort blanket. Something I could always count on to get me through the days.

All of a sudden, I found myself getting sucked in more and more -- attached to the story lines, the characters, and the people who play the characters. As if all this TV watching didn’t suck up enough of my spare time… I found myself always wanting to know more. Thank goodness for the internet!

Before I had the time to second guess myself, and question whether I was taking my TV obligations too seriously, I soon discovered I was merely a miniscule spec of dust amongst the massive number of people who were also passionately engaged in all the shows I loved, and more.

There’s something uniquely fascinating about the discovery that not only are you not alone in your thoughts, but surprisingly amongst the masses. That was one thing I found incredibly powerful and captivating about Twitter. Hundreds of people I don’t know, and will probably never know in my lifetime, are all on Twitter sharing similar thoughts as me, in real time.

I tweet a random thought, and an anonymous stranger replies. Yet, I am not obligated to respond back or get to know that person… it’s just a simple momentary discovery of common interest at a specific time, and no more.

This is how Tweetswirl came about. There are many twitter content aggregation sites out there – and they’re either quantity focused with shallow search filters, or they rely on the users to set their own search feeds. Tweetswirl takes a different spin on things. We are dedicated to creating customized pages by researching to find all the right filter terms and valuable content that fans are truly interested in, and serving it in a clean, user-friendly interface. Sure, it will take some more time and effort to build out our site, but it will result in a much more rich and engaging experience, allowing people to discover more relevant content they are interested in.

It starts with TV (and some of my favorite shows), and we will continue to build out more pages based on popular request.

However, TV is not everyone’s obsession… and we are planning on adding more categories in the future (i.e. sports, technology, news, interest groups) … each category with it’s own customized pages and filters.

Please note that we’re just starting out. We decided to launch our site with only three shows, and minimal features -- to give people a taste of what’s to come and gather early feedback and suggestions. We have a lot more features in the oven, and we’re also working hard on fixing the technical hiccups (i.e. the login is acting a little funky right now). We’re a small team, and this is our very first start up together. Thank you for your support and patience as we push this site out.

Please check it out, and check back often. We are working quickly to enhance the experience and add new features.

www.tweetswirl.com

My morning cup of 'happy'

2009-10-09T09:41:00.001-07:00

My Self-Employed Lifestyle

2009-10-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

It's been well over a month since I quit eBay, and I've been enjoying the spontaneous life of self employment. I think it's kinda been one of the best months of my life!!

JT and I finally finished cleaning out the last unused room in our house, and made it into my 'office' so I've been alternating between working in that room, upstairs, and and at a local cafe w/ free wifi to keep the atmosphere fresh and interesting.

My daily work schedule is somewhat unplanned. Some days I'll pop up in the morning and be dying to jot something down or get going. I find the best times for me to work is when I'm feeling pumped and inspired. Some days, I work 10-12 hours straight because I'm *so* in the zone... and once the momentum slows down I can just call it a day, and retire to my couch where I'll watch hours of DVRed shows. =)

Since the fall season TV shows have started, I've been watching TV like a mad woman.... and I LOOOOVE it. I love the fact that the start-up I'm working on encompasses SO many things I am super passionate about, and allows me to be involved with so many aspects of the job. Working within the online social media and entertainment realm, while managing to wear so many different hats including design, business, PR, marketing... if all works out - it will truly be my dream job. Somehow this job brings it all together for me -- my years of interning at different PR firms, working in the entertainment industry, online journalism, and the web industry. No matter how it turns out, I feel more and more confident everyday that this is the right next step for me.

There has not been a 'normal' work schedule for me. Other than meeting with my startup counterparts in the evenings, daytime work hours are completely flexible. The flexibility has also allowed me to indulge in many of my other creative hobbies. I was able to play a small roll in NBC's tv show "Trauma" which will be airing October 15th! woohoo. I was also able to take part of bunch of fun photo shoots (I will post more pics soon). And... I'm spending some more time expanding my photography portfolio and photographing more happy dogs which brings me so much joy! I have a doggie park date with THREE dogs this coming Sunday! wooohoo. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, working doesn't actually start until after lunch because I have a pilates/gym date w/ my buddy Emmy.

Late starts in the day doesn't ever hold me back, because I am feeling so much more inspired these days. I'm able to work into the night and not feel like I'm working. I'm working towards my dream ... a fun product I'm passionate about. And if it doesn't work out, I'll know I at least tried, and I've been learning so much through this experience... not just about the how to do a web start-up (since this is my first time), but I am also learning so much about myself.

Of course with the unknown, there are always feelings of anxiety that make you second guess yourself. I do a lot of that... so I am so grateful for my awesomely supportive hubby who has truly been my rock. He's been cheering me on since day one.

We are gearing up to LAUNCH a simple version of our site THIS month, and I am feeling PUMMPPPPPED!

Live Like We're Dying

2009-09-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

I LOVE THIS SONG!

American Idol's Season 8 champ Kris Allen released the first single from his debut album recently, and it's a remake. Originally recorded by the UK group The Script, "Live Like We're Dying"

Here's the original:

Here's Kris Allen's version:

Sometimes we fall down and can’t get back up
We’re hiding behind skin that’s too tough
How come we don’t say I love you enough
Till it’s to late, it’s not too late

Our hearts are hungry for a food that won’t come
We could make a feast from these crumbs
And we’re all staring down the barrel of a gun
So if your life flashed before you
What would you wish you would’ve done

Yeah… gotta start
Lookin at the hand of the time we’ve been given here
This is all we got and we gotta start pickin it
Every second counts on a clock that’s tickin’
Gotta live like we’re dying

We only got
86 400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or throw it all away
We gotta tell ‘em that we love ‘em
While we got the chance to say
Gotta live like we’re dying

And if your plane fell out of the skies
Who would you call with your last goodbyes
Should be so careful who we live out our lives
So when we long for absolution
There’ll no one on the line

Yeah… gotta start
Lookin at the hand of the time we’ve been given here
This is all we got and we gotta start pickin it
Every second counts on a clock that’s tickin’
Gotta live like we’re dying

We only got
86 400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or throw it all away
We gotta tell ‘em that we love ‘em
While we got the chance to say
Gotta live like we’re dying

Like we’re dying oh - like we’re dying [x2]

We only got
86 400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or throw it all away
We gotta tell ‘em that we love ‘em
While we got the chance to say
Gotta live - like we’re dying

We never know a good thing till it’s gone
You never see a crash until it’s head on
All those people right when we’re dead wrong
You never know a good thing till it’s gone

Yeah… gotta start
Lookin at the hand of the time we’ve been given here
This is all we got and we gotta start livin it
Every second counts on a clock that’s tickin’
Gotta live like we’re dying

We only got
86 400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or throw it all away
We gotta tell ‘em that we love ‘em
While we got the chance to say
Gotta live like we’re dying

Like we’re dying oh - like we’re dying [x2]

We only got
86 400 seconds in a day to
Turn it all around or throw it all away
We gotta tell ‘em that we love ‘em
While we got the chance to say
Gotta live like we’re dying
Live like we’re dying
[Fade out]

Which one do you like better?

To be without an employer...

2009-09-02T17:31:00.001-07:00

So, this is the first time in the last 9 years I've been without an employer! It definitely feels strange to me. When I decided to leave eBay, I though I was going to thoroughly enjoy sleeping in, maybe relax and do some reading by the pool -- but that hasn't really happened yet. I've been feeling so anxious that I keep waking up in the mornings in a frantic panic. It has been three weeks already and although I've been making great progress with my web app and catching up on a lot of personal things, I still feel like the days aren't long enough. My daily to-do lists just get longer and longer.

I'm hoping I can accomplish most of what I want to get done in the next couple months and get it to a manageable state where I can start thinking about next steps and moving forward. In the meantime, I'm doing everything I can to refrain myself from job hunting. I've been crazy busy planning things, and then making sure I don't overbook myself. As the days go on, I am more and more certain this was a necessary break for me ... to really allow me to catch up on the rest of my life. I just have to allow myself to fully enjoy it and give it a chance enough to see where it can go. It's just hard not to stress about my financial situation a few months down the road.

Startup 101: Should You Form An Inc. or LLC

2009-08-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

After much research, I've decided our best option is to form an LLC initially in Delaware through an agent. Why Delaware? low cost, tax savings, and less regulations which gives your llc more flexibility. When the time comes, if necessary, we can always convert to an S-corp or c-corp.

Here's a useful article I found online:

There are three primary kinds of entities most startup founders in the U.S. will consider:

1) LLC
2) C-corp
3) S-corp

There are a number of primary factors when trying to make the choice between these: (a) will you be seeking outside investors – and if so, when? (b) will the company be generating a profittha anytime soon?

Lets compare and contrast the three types of entity.

An LLC is very easy and cheap to set up. It is also, contrary to popular belief, an entirely legitimate corporate entity. You define who the "members" are and how much each member owns as a percentage. I believe you get the same protection from personal liability as you would get from setting up a full C-corp. One of the great features about an LLC is that there is almost no regulatory BS to deal with. You are not subject to the same arduous rules /disclosures/expensive accounting that a C-corp has to adhere to.

Another big advantage is that the LLC is not taxed as an entity. The members are taxed, usually in ratio to their ownership percentages. Why is that an advantage?

A) When you are a startup, you will be losing money. Your prorated portion of that loss can be applied to your personal tax return. If you have no personal income, the IRS gives you a choice. You can roll your loss forward and use it to offset future income, or you can go back through the last three years of tax returns and apply the loss retroactively. That reduces your adjusted gross income, often leading to a refund. It can be quite beneficial in some circumstances.

B) If you are a C-corp the company is a tax paying entity -- it pays tax on all income. If the company pays you, you pay personal income tax. i.e. money coming in to the company is taxed twice by the time you get it.

Sounds good so far? LLC is a GREAT structure and is perfect for many situations. However, it does not really allow for shareholders, so if you have outside investors, an LLC is probably not going to fly. Some type of investors (particularly VCs) have structures that do not permit them to invest in an LLC.

2) The C-corp. This is your full blown corporation (e.g supasoft inc.). A C-corp is a legal/tax entity in its own right, so you get maximum protection etc. C-Corps are often incorporated in Delaware as Delaware has a great legal framework for corporations, boards and shareholders. The issue with a C-corp is that you have to have a board of directors, adhere very carefully to certain reporting requirements and generally keep your finances and operations in good order. A C-corp has shareholders, can issue stock to anyone and is a respected and expected structure for most investors. You'll have the double taxation issue mentioned above, but if you want investors to put money in your company, you need to be a C-corp, unless you meet the requirements for an S-corp.

3) The S-corp. An S-corp is really a C-corp with special permission to behave differently. The "s" refers to a subsection of the U.S. Tax (IRS) code. You form a C-corp and then take an S-election if you qualify. You have all of the regulatory side of a C-corp, but the tax pass through advantages of an LLC. The caveat: there are significant restrictions on the type of investors. Your investors cannot be corporations (i.e. VC's) or persons non-resident in the USA. There are some other restrictions too as to the number of shareholders etc.

My personal practice has been to create an LLC (they are simple, avoid double taxation and still support multiple classes of stock if needed). If and when the time comes to “convert” the LLC to a C-corp, the process is not that difficult. Whatever costs you’d incur in the “conversion” process, I think are offset by the upside you get during the time that you can benefit from being an LLC. An LLC can be setup for a few hundred dollars and likely meets the needs of most early-stage entrepreneurs.

Any other insights to share?

Goodbye eBay, Hello Startup

2009-08-17T20:30:00.001-07:00

After over 3½ years at eBay, the time had come for me to move on. It was an extremely tough decision to make - especially given the fact that I have a mortgage to pay, but in the end - I knew it was the right decision.

Despite the ups and downs, my time at eBay was an incredibly rewarding one. My time at eBay started off as a one-month contract. At the time, I had plans to move -- but I was contacted by a recruiter about the position, and told myself, "Hey, a one month contract can't hurt!" Working somewhere new, even if just temporarily, is a great way to learn. It's why I loved doing multiple internships while I was in college.

Little did I know, it wasn't going to be a short pit stop. One month became two, then six.. and somehow ended up being three years and nine months! Besides my awesome teammates, I think what really pulled me in was the fact that I was given so many opportunities to learn, challenge myself, take on new responsibilities, and continuously evolve my role.

Some of the highlights of my time at eBay include:

- Leading creative production for the Canadian French site launch -- working from the Toronto office for 5 months to train a designer and work collaboratively with a team of French linguists while being the UED liason between Canada and US eBay offices.

- All the awesome conferences (AdobeMAX, Web 2.0, Mix09, etc) I was able to attend to keep up-to-date with the latest and greatest with web technologies and innovations. I was always able to come back from one of those, feeling even more inspired.

- Putting together a training program for Experience Engineering team, and traveling to Chennai, India to train a team of 20 developers

- Traveling to Shanghai to give presentations at eBay's China Development Center, and meet with potential vendors.

- Taking part at Skunkworks (eBay's employee innovation competition) multiple times, and actually winning. Who doesn't like to be a winner?!

- Being a part of the awesome concept club / vision typing / innovative team and working with the most ambitious, creative, smart and talented designers and developers.

- Working with people I can truly consider friends...

These experiences, and the relationships I've built over the years - are things that definitely made it difficult for me to leave eBay. However, over time, I just felt I wasn't challenging myself as much as I could be. I weighed my options and decided that taking a leap into the startup world would be my best next jump. =) I had already started working on this as a side project with a couple of engineer friends... but decided I really wanted to focus on it full time. WIth doing this startup, I'm able to wear SO many hats, which really allows me to experience the type of growth I need right now. I'll be managing the requirements and content, designing the site, doing the PR/marketing and handling the business aspect of things. How exciting is that?! =)

I definitely know it's a big risk, but timing-wise it is the best time for me to take a risk -- before JT and I decide to have kids. Whether or not it works out with an ideal outcome, I'll still walk away with the experience and the piece of mind that I really gave it a shot.

As for making money - just to make things clear for all of those people who say "ooh it must be nice that you're married and you can do this..." eck No, I would not be so selfish to quit my job and expect him to cover my part. No way. To bum off my hubby is just against everything I stand for. I put myself through college on my own by working a lot of side jobs and gigs - and I plan to do the same to put myself through entrepreneurship =) It keeps things interesting to take part in a lot of different fun, creative projects anyway! It's like getting paid for doing stuff you'd do for fun. Married or not, I'd make the same decision to go for it! After we get things off the ground, I can re-evaluate my situation later this year and decide whether or not I should go job hunting.

So although I won't be discussing the details of my startup until we actually launch the site, I will be blogging about my progress and adventures along the way.

Five Days in Washington DC

2009-08-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

JT and I went to Washington DC for a five day vacation to visit my brother and cousin! It was an amazing vacation -- to say the least.

Here are some highlights:

-Watching American Idol Live on Tour at the Verizon Stadium... and screaming with all the teenage girls when Adam Lambert came out. haha

-Touring the city by Segway!

-Meeting up with Han Hong for some oysters! Thanks to facebook, we realized we were in DC at the same time!

-Getting to ride the secret underground subway on Capitol Hill w/ cousin Jonathan ... even though we got kicked off after one stop.

-Seeing the monuments and memorials in person!

-Being able to stand at the spot where Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech.

-Taking awesome pictures with my kickass camera!

-Celebrating JT's 31st bday at brazilian bbq restaurant Fogo de Chao! Holy smokes! We ate 15 different types of meat. My fav was the bacon wrapped filet mignon! Happy Bday Hubby!

-Chillin at the rooftop of a building at night with an amazing view of the city.

-Checking out the Museums! I truly wish I had more time to see them all. We were able to check out the International Spy Museum, American Portrait Smithsonian Museum, Air and Space Museum, and the Holocaust Museum.

-Pigging out!

-Hanging at busboys and poets, the non-profit bookstore/bar/poetry slam cafe inspired by langston hughes

And here's the kicker...
-Seeing President Barrack Obama HIMSELF board the Marine One right on the south lawn of the white house. How freakin lucky are we?! THank you Jonathan for hooking us up with the white house tour! We got a video of it!

-The making of my first youtube video ever:

Five days at our nation's capitol... being surrounded by all the history, passion, and hope ... left me feeling inspired. =) great trip! Thank you Jason and Jonathan for hosting us! family rocks.

For more pictures, check out my flickr site

American idol live from DC :)

2009-08-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

change is in the air...

2009-07-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

Lots to look forward to in the near future. (=P)

Booked my tickets for DC to visit my brother Aug 4-9th! Not only are we going to see American Idols on tour LIVE at the Verizon center on the 4th, we'll also be celebrating JT's bday on the 8th! I scored TWO round trip tickets to DC and back for a grand total of $340. woohoo. Thanks to the combo of rapid rewards, and kayak.com

Booked my tickets for HK October 20 - November 3rd! I'm looking forward to spending some time with friends, shopping, eating, and attending my girl Raylene's wedding! Got my tickets for a grand total of $35.00!! woohoo thanks to my united mileage plus card. It has taken JT n me to Hawaii, and Paris... now HK. love it!

Tweets on Shirts!

2009-06-03T00:36:00.000-07:00

Get your "Having an iphone has completely changed the way I poop" t-shirt on threadless!

LOL nap time !

2009-05-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

2009-05-17T13:38:00.001-07:00

I <3 DOGS! =)

2009-05-09T16:39:00.001-07:00

I recently decided to combine my love for dogs and love for photography into one awesome hobby - DOG PHOTOGRAPHY!!! woohooo

BEVERLY CHANG

This is the face that looks up at me and melts my heart everytime. She has the cutest under-bite ever.

Beverly loves to relax on her little plush cushion... in this pic she was bummed out because bela was stealing our attention

Happily chewing away at her rawhide stick!

INU MOK
Inu joined our household less than two months ago, and has already warmed her way to my heart. Her mommy Caroline loves her very much and spoils her with baked chicken and walks in the park daily! Although she is a cautious dog, you can't help but fall in love with her cute face and sweet shyness.

Inu is such a photogenic dog!

PRINCESS BELA
Bela is a happy, bubbly pomeranian who LOVES attention. We've been dog sitting her for a little over a week and she has been so much fun!

gorgeous smile!

This post is dedicated to little miss Poppy who was a sweet beautiful Lhasa Apso - my first dog ever. To this day, I still miss her soooooo much and find myself constantly talking about how cute and sweet she was. I like to recall all the quirky little things she did, how playful and energetic she was, and how she always knew how to comfort me and put a smile on my face. Although she will always be in my memories, I do regret not getting enough pictures of her. this is for you pop!

poppy and young beverly at play =) we miss you poppy!

Buddies

2009-05-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

Beverley bundled up on couch

2009-05-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

Cutie Bella being lazy in the morn

2009-05-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

Capital One Healthcare finance ad

2009-04-29T23:33:00.001-07:00

Capital One Healthcare finance, originally uploaded by Sandswirl26.

Look it's me w/ my mom. she's so adorable. Thanks Lu for sending this to me. =)

Ad in Hong Kong

2009-04-27T18:38:00.001-07:00

Ad in Hong Kong, originally uploaded by Sandswirl26.

Got an email from my old roomy asking if this was me. HAHAHA. creeped me out. I had to look twice to confirm.... nope. just a look-a-like

:)

2009-04-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

This video makes me want to be one of the 'single ladies' hehehe

2009-04-21T21:38:00.000-07:00

100 Single ladies dancing to Beyonce's song in London.

SYTYCD premiere is next month! woohoo

2009-04-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

As "American Idol" slowly starts to wrap up underwhelming year seven, "So You Think You Can Dance" gears up to launch its fifth season and my heart has already started to beat a little faster. While the audition rounds of "Idol" tend to be a mixed bag of nuts, "SYTYCD" manages to fill their first few weeks with a wide array of talented dancers, each showcasing unique styles.

Whether it's the Lindy hop, West Coast swing, tap, jazz, ballet, crazy krumping or whatever Robert Muraine was doing, the audition rounds are an awesome platform for the different genres this competition embraces.

With the May 21 season premiere looming, catch up with Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe, reminisce about last year and look forward with a quick glimpse at some of season five's most promising auditioners. - NYPOST

Vietnamese Hair Salon lady said "you not skinny"

2009-04-20T11:27:00.001-07:00

On Friday, I decided I needed a change. So I went in for a haircut at a Vietnamese hair salon, and ended up getting a wave perm.

My experience there was much like the experience you get at a Vietnamese Nail Salon:

While she's washing my hair
Hair Lady: "You so tall! you must have an American boyfren!"
Me: "umm...well my husband is chinese. He is american though, and he is tall."
Hair Lady: "oh you married? oh wow so young"
Hair Lady: "How tall are you?"
Me: "5'7" and a half"
Hair Lady: "oh wow, taller than me (she's like no taller than 5'3" btw). People think I look tall and they look my feet to see my shoes. you know."

Back to the chair while I'm getting a trim
Hair Lady: "How much you weigh?"
Me: "umm excuse me?"
Hair Lady: "you know, how many pounds? mmmhmm?"
Me: "umm.. a hundred twenty something..."
Hair Lady: "you not skinny..... but you not.. you know.. "
Me: "fat? hah yah I know I'm not fat."
Hair Lady: "mmm but you know, it's good.. it's not good to be too skinny when you're so tall"
Me: ...

*awkward silence*

Hair Lady: "you go gym?"
Me: "yah, I do."
Hair Lady: "Look me, I never go gym. I just skinny" (and yah, she is a skinny petite vietnamese lady)
Me: ...

*awkward silence*

Hair Lady: "you need more body (in your hair). Wave perm. It look good. You like it."
Me: ok

While she's applying curlers
Hair Lady: "You need eyeliner. you see? just a little bit. Like me. Just a lil dark on top and bottom." and she starts to peel her bottom eyelid down to show me how she does her makeup...
Me: ahh yah thanks. I usually only wear eyeliner when I go out at night.
Hair Lady: "it's too light.. but it's ok you look good. don't worry you look good!"
Me: (thinking: .. I wasn't worried...)

LoL.

The whole time she kept looking at me up and down and then looking in the mirror at herself. funny. If she weren't a Vietnamese lady in the hair salon, I'd probably be super annoyed or even pissed off. But I think she honestly meant well and was trying to give me some tips -- that's just how they make conversation hahha. In the end, I was super happy with my hair. She did a great job and I guess that's all that matters! =P Believe it or not, I'd definitely go back.

Mario Lopez Exposed

2009-04-20T01:25:00.001-07:00

Whenever I need a good laugh, I always go back to this clip of Mario Lopez:

MUHAHAHAHA ... simply awesome.

"ok" is never enough...

2009-04-16T00:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get into what I call a 'good funk' where I get a reality check that reminds me I am not where I want to be.

Although discontentment is not the greatest feeling ... it helps me to re-evaluate my situation, check myself, and make plans to step it up.

It can be quite draining to constantly feel like I'm not good enough. There's a lingering feeling of self-doubt and a sense of inadequacy -- and I seriously lose sleep over this a lot... but it's also what makes me feel pumped to be better, to do more, to get motivated to go after my aspirations and be much more than what I am.

The truth is, disappointment in myself is the driving force that ignites my fire to push forward.

but ... will I ever be satisfied?

updated my modeling portfolio

2009-04-14T01:28:00.001-07:00

After being bugged by my agents for quite some time, I finally got around to updating my online modeling portfolio and resume. fun fun. maybe I'll get to do some fun projects this year.

Here's some of my most recent portfolio shots:

headshot by Alex Chik
Alex contacted me via Model Mayhem to do a lighting test shoot for headshots, and I'm really glad he did. =) He's passionate about photography, has incredible sense of aesthetics, and pays attention to detail (which is very important!). He's also a super friendly Canadian, and I felt like I had known him for years. Fun shoot!

The next three are from my last shoot with buddy John Louie. He always wants to go for the mysterious seductive or moody style. John Louie is always down to hang out and shoot, so I have a lot of pix by him. We always have a good time though it get's pretty cold in SF! Here are some of my favs.

Last but not least, I got a pretty good portfolio pic from my engagement shoot with Jerry Yoon (our most fabulous wedding photographer).

and the close up:

JT and I did another shoot with Jerry recently, and I can't wait to see those pix.

Buy Gweneth Paltrow on eBay

2009-04-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

Gwyneth Paltrow's clothes on eBay... 42 stylish items! Check it out!

...and I thought I looked bad with no makeup!

2009-04-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

Oh mannn... I feel bad for posting this... but I was kinda shocked when I watched Making the Band 4 last night, and saw Dawn and Aundrea from Danity Kane without makeup! scary!

Glammed up

On MTB4

1) If you know you're gonna be on camera, please put on some makeup!

2) Take better care of your skin! drink more water? proactive? shiseido? anything!?

LOL, apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so...

Isn't it awkward...

2009-04-08T19:01:00.000-07:00

When ppl fall asleep on you in long car rides? Hehehe

adam lambert is that reallly you?

2009-04-08T16:53:00.000-07:00

Is that really him?!! was he swapped out as a kid?

Adam Lambert then:

Adam Lambert now:

looks more like my friend Pete:

hahaha

Adam Lambert

2009-04-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

I was sooo bummed that AI ran over last night and Adam's performance was cut off on my dVR! =p

For those of you who missed Adam's performance last night, here it is:

Online Shopping deals

2009-04-08T15:23:00.001-07:00

When I was in shopping in Vegas a couple weeks ago, I tried on the CUTEST black dress at Arden B. It honestly doesn't look that cute just on the rack, but looks super cute on:

Unfortunately, there was only one left, and it had a broken zipper. So I told myself I'd go back and get it online. Sometimes when this happens, you end up forgetting about it and moving on.. but i did not forget about it =) so finally i went online and ordered it today.

In the process, I also found this cute dress:
and got it in yellow =) yay preparing for the summer time!

Both dresses were on sale for only $48, AND i got an additional 20% off discount with this discount code: ABBDAY0209

woohooo!

-s

Ever been de-friended?

2009-04-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

I just saw this post on yelp forums about de-friending which I thought was kinda interesting:

Some dude deleted me as a friend on FB a couple days ago. No idea why.
Barely said more than a few words to him. Thing is, on FB you can just click "see less from this person" if they really annoy you. Why he went so far as to remove me leaves me a bit puzzled.

I've always been the de-friender (on Yelp mostly never FB) not the de-friended.
Guess there's a first time for everything : /

Adding friends on facebook is not something you should do nonchalantly because you are essentially giving people e-stalking access to your life -- access to information like what you've been doing, who you've been hanging out with, pictures of you, conversations you have with other people, etc. Some people add only their close friends to facebook, but as for me, I've generally been pretty open with facebook friend adding. As long as I've actually interacted with a person before on friendly terms, I'll generally be open to adding people initially.

However, I de-friend ppl all the time... and to me it's never anything personal.

What's my general de-friending criteria?

1) Wait, who is this person again? Oops, I don't know you at all, how the heck did you get on my friends list? (Delete!)

2) I barely know this person but they requested me so I add them... and it doesn't seem like they are really trying to get to know me better. They just want to quietly e-stalk. If I ran into them in person, would they even say hi to me?! probably not... (Delete!)

3) Oh yah, I remember you from years and years ago. Were we even friends? Maybe we could re-connect... months later you've been on my FB for a while and you never respond to me. (Delete!) Sometimes I add people I haven't seen for a while thinking we're going to reconnect... and maybe it doesn't always work out that way. (delete!)

4) After adding someone, I realize they are just adding ppl for the sake of having a huge friend list... they don't actually care about me personally... and probably won't even notice if I delete them. (Delete!)

5)Some people delete friends because they have too many irrelevant updates, or spam and it get's annoying. I don't have much of that on FB, but I get it on myspace all the time, and I go and delete those people.

I think it totally makes sense why this guy would delete the girl above if she has barely spoken to him. If someone on my friend list decided to delete me for any of the reasons above, I probably wouldn't think much of it... I would care more if there was some kind of 'falling out' that I didn't know about.

I think the best thing to do if you are feeling hurt or offended by being de-friended w/o an explanation with, is to reach out directly to them rather than sitting around wondering what went wrong. And if it is someone you barely spoke to and don't really care to speak to, just let it go... people drift apart.

Inu n bev

2009-04-01T19:24:00.001-07:00

twistori

2009-03-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

I think twistori (http://twistori.com/) is pretty dang cool. There's just something uniquely therapeutic about passive discovery... whether it's discovery of a stranger's random thoughts that you can somehow relate to ... or the discovery of a product you didn't know you wanted until it crossed your visual periphery.

...kinda reminds me of the "eBay window shopping" idea we tried to pitch but didn't pan out...

Tracks of my Tears..

2009-03-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

People say I'm the life of the party
Because I tell a joke or two
Although I might be laughing loud and hearty
Deep inside I'm blue
So take a good look at my face
You'll see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer, it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears..

LOVE THIS!

awkward tree!!!!!

2009-03-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

Awkward Tree - A term describing the arm placed above and next to your head with the hand splayed out in the form of a tree and simultaneously declaring "Awkward tree!..."; this is used when a particularly awkward moment occurs.

hehehehe many awkward tree moments this weekend. LOL

Goodbye Apathy

2009-03-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

I can't sleep, no, not like I used to
I can't breathe in and out like I need to
It's breaking ice.. now, to make any movement
What's your vice? you know that mine's the illusion
And all at once (as i'm trying) I can help you out (
just to keep things right)
I'll be what you need (I kill myself to make
everything perfect for ya)
Goodbye apathy, so long apathy

Now I'm really boycotting chris brown!!

2009-03-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/05/chris.brown.charged/index.html

Just can't believe she's taking him back after all that =( Makes me feel really sad for her.

adam lambert is fricken hot! =P

2009-02-27T17:37:00.000-08:00

Happy bday to Roel

2009-02-15T21:02:00.000-08:00

VDay flowers from my Hubby

2009-02-12T12:26:00.000-08:00

The most recent home improvements!!

2009-02-06T12:07:00.001-08:00

JT and I got our second wind and have been working on our house hard-core again. Yep, this is what we've been doing with our spare time!

Check out our latest improvements:
This was my own personal initiative... after I painted the fireplace white, I thought the nook would look way better white as well! But I do have to give some credit to JT, as he was the one to help me finish it off nicely.

PROJECT NOOK

Before

After:

Then, I purchased these awesome new white roman blinds from JCPenney, ON SALE, and JT installed them:

PROJECT LIGHTING
All our old 70s style fan lights are switched out!! JT did all the installations himself. he's awesome. woohooo:

Before:

After:

PROJECT WINDOWS
For a while, I was freezing my butt off with the old single pane crappy windows that came with our house. So I started doing some research and interviewed a bunch of general contractors, and found Ruben's Construction! They gave the BEST deal and his team did an amaaaazing job installing them all in one day. We replaced a total of six for.. under 2k!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Aside from those things. I also FINALLY installed a doorbell, and switched out our ugly mailbox

San diego sunset

2009-01-18T18:26:00.000-08:00

2009-01-04T20:43:00.001-08:00

Beverly gets groomed after her bath

2008-12-14T14:30:00.001-08:00

Awwww she's so well behaved!

Home Improvements

2008-12-08T12:44:00.001-08:00

JT and I busted our asses this weekend fixing up our house. John has been working on the front yard for quite some time, and I must say it looks REALLY awesome right now.

I think once he gets really into something, he can get quite obsessed with making it perfect. This is a trait we share...

I woke up Sunday morning and found him outside fixing our NEIGHBOR's lawn. HAHAHA The part that connected our lawn to their lawn was a drastic difference... Our lawn is really nice, well kept, and healthy. Their area was dirt, rocks and weeds. So he got frustrated with it. hahaha... funny thing is, the neighbor from across the street saw he was doing this and offered to lend him a heavy duty weed pulling tool. HAHA I guess we're not the only ones annoyed of that house.

So my big project of the weekend was the fireplace. It had been bugging me for quite some time, and I finally got around to painting it. =) Here are the pix:

Before:

After:

So not only did I paint the fireplace white, I also cleaned all the nasty soot from the red brick fireplace and restored it's vibrant brick red color. Thanks to the internet, I did some research and came up with my own three step process:

1) Get a bucket of water and rags or a sponge and clean off the area as much as you can.

2) A lot of the soot gets stuck in the brick, so take a foaming bathtub cleaner and spray the areas with soot. let is sit for a while as you will see the soot in the foam. Wipe away with water and sponge.

3) Most of the soot should come off by now, but if not, this last step should take care of it. Wipe down all the bricks with a cloth dipped in household vinegar. The bricks will start to look brighter. Then get a clean bucket of water and wipe once more after you let it sit for a little bit.

I got pretty obsessed and spent almost all of Sunday by that fireplace...painting, washing, and vacuuming. So I ended up with bruised knees =(. But it was worth it!!

We also finally finished up painting the stairwell hallway, and JT also painted a wall in the garage.

Jason and proud dad of lawyer

2008-12-03T19:00:00.001-08:00

Jason n me after he is officially sworn in

2008-12-03T18:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-12-02T16:41:00.001-08:00

I went down to LA for thanksgiving and had a blast. It was my third Thanksgiving at the Tso's, but my very first as PART of the family. =) It's definitely starting to feel a lot more comfortable for me, although I am still not used to calling my new in-laws 'mom' and 'dad' or (in chinese)'mama' and 'baba'. Everyone in JT's family is so relaxed and chill so it's quite easy to fit right in.

For Turkey day, I made two side dishes - Recipes I got from Food Network.
Ultimate Potato Gratin by Tyler Florence

and a squash/zucchini casserole recipe my friend han had made before for a southern-style cookout. It was delicious!

I got a lot of positive reviews on my yummy, but fatty American style dishes. So JT's dad jokingly challenged me to cook some Chinese food next time. Little does he know, yummy chinese food is my SPECIALTY!! I'm now kinda glad I didn't pull out all the stops in attempting to impress JT's parents before getting married - because NOW I still have some tricks up my sleeve. muhahaha

It's also nice to know I am appreciated as I am at a comfortable state. Life can get tiring if you're always trying to be on top of things and pleasing everyone all the time. That's how you burn out.

So anyway, I did a ton of shopping and the highlight was I ended up with *Gasp* four new pairs of boots. But honestly, they were MUCH needed! I realized all my main boots are either cracked or totally old and messed up. So I thought...It's about time I treat myself to some nice stuff eh!? Isn't that part of the reason why I work so hard?!

So I got a pair of really cute cream and tan colored Charles David boots, a pair of comfy tan Nine West boots, some black sketchers, and these cute brown jessica Simpson Boots:

So I think I'm all set in the boots department for the next like.. 5 years (I hope). AHAHAH (no, I'm not one of those people who say "OMG that's SO outta season!") If I like it, I'll wear it till it breaks!

What else? I got some cute tops and sweaters, and a skirt. Honestly, I think Los Angeles has way more fashionable stuff than up north.

It was nice hanging with Margaret, Sherry n David, Marcus, etc. Gotta plan some more get togethers.

YES WE CAN! =)

2008-11-04T21:16:00.000-08:00

Working from Home

2008-10-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

So I decided to work from home today… no, not “work from home” like some people.. but actually WORK from home because my list of things to do at work has been building up, and it’s sometimes so hard to focus and get things done with constant distractions at work. People interrupting your train of thought, meetings interrupting a nice work session, lunch breaks, coffee breaks… etc. etc.

So I decided today would be the perfect day to work from home, since I have no meetings scheduled ALL day for once. It was all going so well, and then 3:15, my MOM shows up at my door out of nowhere. It’s like she has some kind of sixth sense for when I’m around. Either that or maybe she comes over a lot when nobody’s home?! I wouldn’t put that beyond her.

Ya, she didn’t even know I was wfh, so she just shows up randomly with her key to drop food off… and then she was EXTRA excited and happy to see me. So of course this made me feel kinda bad to be thinking “What the heck!? Great.. now my peaceful wfh day is ruined!”

So I try to be nice… She comes in with this glow on her face saying in chinese, “Today’s my day off too! Let’s hang out!” I give her my annoyed, “MOM, I’m working…” Then she does her whole “oh, don’t mind me then, I’ll just hang out and help you tidy up around the house.”

And what am I supposed to say? I can’t kick her out of my house after she was so thrilled to see me. So I just continue with the document I was working on, and then she interrupts, “hey so how often do you work from home!? We should coordinate”… I’m like “not often”… and then “hey show me how to work your laundry machine I’ll help you do your laundry”…

“MOM.. I’m in the middle of writing something!! And no thanks, I’ll do my own laundry!!”

Waaah.

So she then says, “ok, I’ll hang out downstairs then…” in the nicest way possible which now makes me feel extra guilty for snapping at her. O mommy, I know she loves me so…

Time for a coffee break?

Back from my break =)

2008-10-27T21:02:00.001-07:00

After exhausting all my after-work creative energy on wedding planning for the last year (yea, seriously), I decided after coming back from our honeymoon, that I'd give myself a break. This break consisted of two straight months of vegging out in front of the TV after work, watching smut reality television, and *dun dun* Law & Order. O dear. When I started getting repeated nightmares of rapists and murderers mixed with melodramatic potential BFFs of Paris Hilton -- I knew it was time to draw the line.

Over the weekend, JT helped me shift my desk. Sometimes, I find that rearranging furniture really helps to give you a fresh start. I felt extra motivated and ended up reorganizing my whole work station.

I have a couple of fun pet-projects in the pipeline and I really hope they end up working out. I've also started going to castings again, which I hope will get me motivated to get back in shape. Married life has been extremely awesome and comfortable, but I don't want to get too comfy!

From the wise words of one of my good girlfriends about getting married: "Don't let yourself go & don't stop shaving your legs"

So here I am blogging about it -- in a way it's to help keep myself accountable. It's time to get back in action, and live to tell about it.

Paris

2008-10-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

Paris, originally uploaded by Sandswirl26.

John looking up at Notre Dame

Paris

2008-09-23T10:51:00.001-07:00

Paris
Originally uploaded by Sandswirl26

Check out our Honey Moon in Paris!

What's new with me?

2008-07-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

Lots been going on - and I've just been trying to keep up with all the changes that are going on in my life.

This blog will be dedicated to my many countdowns...

5 days until my bachelorette party in Vegas ! woohoo
15 days until my brother Jason's 28th bday
20 days until a nice mini get-away to Monterey with JT (a gift from my bro - thanks Jason!)
33 days until John's 30th birthday!!
34 days until Raging Waters!
41 days until Spa Day with dear friends and weekend of crazy wedding assembly
47 days until the wedding rehearsal/rehearsal dinner
48 days until I am a married woman!!!
51 days until I head out to PARIS!

Taiwan Jewelry Ad

2008-06-12T09:52:00.001-07:00

Taiwan Jewelry Ad
Originally uploaded by Sandswirl26

LOL - my mom looks good~ I look cheesy. gotta work on that smile damnit. lol jk.

good to be home...

2008-05-23T13:47:00.001-07:00

I just got back home yesterday - and I have to tell ya, driving to work this morning to my familiar beats was extremely enjoyable. =) Is it crazy to say I'm happy to be back at work in San Jose? It was great to see JT's face again!!! =) - we barely had a chance to talk while I was away because of the time difference and because I was so busy. Lucky for me, he's not still mad over it =P sorry babe!

It's so good to be home, though I'm not exactly done traveling yet. JT and I are flying in to Seattle tomorrow morn to visit Em and Ryan =) yay. I'm very excited about that. Until I get back - my blog will be a bit backed up. But I still have a lot to share about the rest of my India trip, and then Shanghai. Shanghai was aweeesooome btw =) so anyway, stay tuned - and I will have lotsa pix to post too.

-s

Day Two in Chennai

2008-05-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

The work days were long, with giving presentations in the mornings and holding workshops in the afternoon -- but it was very rewarding, because they were all really involved and interested in what we were talking about. We all had a lot of fun with the projects and group activities.

After work, our driver would take us around to go sight seeing. Pete had been in Chennai before so it was more like him showing me around. We went to Mahabalipuram where there's this giant rock called the butter ball, and a lot of temples and carvings. There were goats and cows roaming freely (like everywhere) but also had monkeys. I didn't get to see any monkeys close up, but last time Pete was there, the monkeys were everywhere.

On Tuesday night, i had another 'malaria pill' episode. It was horrrrriiible!! I seriously hallucinated. I was getting all paranoid in my sleep that i was being attacked by mosquitoes... so I kept swatting at my face - and then i opened my eyes and saw a GIANT hummingbird-sized green mosquito, that kinda looked like a cartoon. I kept blinking my eyes to make sure i was seeing it properly hovering towards the back end of the room. Then it all of a sudden flew at me really fast and i screamed and covered my head with the blankets. I had to sleep like that for the rest of the night - all throughout my hot and cold flashes. After that, I decided in the morning that i would not continue taking those crazy pills.

The Paranoia

2008-05-19T22:38:00.000-07:00

I was already really paranoid about India before coming because of all the warnings I got from friends, the travel nurse, my manager, etc about being careful about the water, ice, food, being robbed or cheated, the mosquitoes, getting sick etc. So it didn’t help that the malaria pills heightened my paranoia.

Pete and I were talking about how one of our co-workers got really sick the last time she was in India, and I had to be hospitalized.

They say: “If you wait until someone tells you that you look really sick, it’s usually too late.” Haha . we laughed about it, but then later on that day I started feeling REALLY sick.

So after our first day of presentations and training, we went straight back to the hotel, take some cold medicine and take a nap. I was getting major hot and cold chills, so I decided to put a sweatshirt on. Halfway through my nap, my temperature got really high, so I was kinda sweating it out I guess. I forgot to put the ‘do not disturb sign” up so the maid entered my room.

When I woke up, I experienced some weird vivid dream, where I felt really disoriented and thought I was in a cave. I yelled down the cave “HELLLOOO??” in a very frantic manner. The maid rushed in and looked at me and said “OH MY GOSH you look sooo SICK! Should I call the doctor madame!?”

It was almost funny that she said that… since just earlier that day, Pete and I were laughing about how it’s too late when someone sees that you look sick. LOL. I said "no thanks, I think I'll be ok" and that’s when I thought to myself ... hmm, I guess it wouldn’t be so bad if I died...I mean.. I've lived a pretty eventful life, have really lived it up, worked hard... accomplished a lot, loved and loved ... seriously I have no regrets.

But even then, I think it was the malaria pills talking.

The maid stuck around for a while in the room, i guess just to make sure I was going to be ok. Eventually the facade of the cave went away and I realized where I was again.

Singapore to Chennai…

2008-05-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

I was so happy to see Pete at the terminal. The smile on his face immediately revealed that he had experienced a completely different mini-vacation than I had. We were both given the option to take a few days off before our India trip, and he had chosen to go surfing in Bali. Here I was, all hung over and exhausted from my action packed time in HK… and Pete comes sunburned, smiling ear to ear, with such a refreshed and glowing aura. Ahhh I became green with envy all over again as he shared all the lovely pictures of the beautiful scenery… hahaha.

Anyhow, believe it or not, I was really excited to get to work in Chennai.

HK the steep hill and uneven roads

2008-05-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

I totally packed the wrong shoes. I didn't know HK was gonna be one big slope. I wore heels on the first day and it was kind of a disaster - so I stuck with flip flops for the rest of the stay there. haha.

On the first night I was in HK, my bro's friend Eddy took me to the LKF area where we ate and got a few drinks... just a really chill night. On the way back there was some plastic on the ground that Eddy kicked in front of me and I slipped and fell pretty hard. My elbow was bleeding and I got a huge bruise on my knee so I had to wear pants for the rest of the time there even though it was super hot. I didn't realize until later, but the jeans I wore that day had ripped too!!! My $250 jeans!!! NOoooo!! owell. lesson learned.. no more high heels in hk - dunno how some people do it.

Hong Kong Models

2008-05-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

We were going to check out this place called Dragon-I on Wednesday since it was their ‘model night’ which would be pretty interested to see…but ended up just having some drinks at a nearby bar.

But on Saturday night, my friend Patrick took us to a pool hall called RACKS which was swarming with models. Honestly some of the girls were so beautiful that I couldn’t stop staring hahaha. To quote Raylene, “They HAVE to be models because they’re just too pretty to be doing anything else.” Hahahaha.

I actually know a girl who came to model in Hong Kong (now she’s modeling in Singapore) … the lifestyle is so interesting to hear about…they’re put up in an apartment with bunk beds with other models, basically like in the movie zoolander. And they’re given an allowance of basically a hundred bucks a week, just to get by – and they go on castings until the book jobs, and when the do book jobs, they have to pay the allowances back. Then they have the party scene… here’s an excerpt from her blog:

the thing i like the most here though is one of the clubs out here. everyone who's a model goes there. why? well...in order to keep the place poppin they figured that they should have models around all the time. so the way that they attract us is by allowing to get in free all the time as long as we call ahead of time (normally it's $300 HK just to get in...that's about $50 US dollars i believe). once inside they then sit us down along with other models so we can socialize. then...once situated they ask us what kind of four course meal would we like. we get to choose our own appetizers (salads, soybeans, miso soup) our own sides (sushi, green beans, etc), then our on entrees (sweet and sour pork, sauteed chicken, broccoli, chow mein). i love it. then....after the dinner they pull away our tables to make room for a bigger dance floor. turn on some music then bring out the alcohol. they reserve a table for all of us models and and use it to give us an endless amount alcohol (red and white wine, vodka, some dark kind, and pitchers of red bull and many different juices). it's great.

Hong Kong part 1

2008-05-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

So, although I’m just traveling to India and Shanghai for work – my manager suggested I could take a couple days off work and check out HK on my way. Best idea ever! I have never been to Hong Kong, or India, or Shanghai… I’ve never been much of a traveler because I’ve always had jobs that kinda locked me down. I never did the backpacking thing or the study abroad thing… other than family Taiwan trips, the furthest I’ve gone on my own is Toronto. So yeah, this is much much more to me than just a special treat.

My days in Hong Kong were really eventful… It was pretty surprising to see how many people are out and about on a Wednesday night. People in HK sure know how to enjoy life. My first night there was really chill. It was nice to just kinda hang out, have a couple drinks and soak in the atmosphere. My brother’s friend Eddy is temporarily living out there, and it was really nice of him to let me stay at his place even though he was going to Taiwan for the weekend. Very nice pad he has… they have these things in HK called serviced apartments. Every afternoon the maid would come in and clean – so it’s sorta like a hotel but more homey.

My buddy Justin was also visiting HK at the same time, so it was awesome to have him here and hang out.

I spent the first day checking out the city alone, wandering around, taking pix with my spiffy Canon EOS 5d. I went up the peak tram and took pics of the city. SOOO beautiful. I went shopping, of course.

Justin got in on Thursday night, and Eddy’s friend took us to this “members only” restaurant that was REALLY good. We went to his bar and drank a ton of wine, and then went back to the LKF area to check out some clubs. Thurs night was sooooo fun! It wasn’t too crowded and the music was awesome. It was one of the drunk buzzes that made everything feel a little bit too perfect and surreal. I will elaborate further on that thought in a sec…

Singapore Airlines and Singapore Airport

2008-05-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

this was written on 5/7 while I was at the airport:

The food court was bustling with all sorts people and noisy chatter – mainly in Chinese and English so it didn’t feel too foreign to me. Kind of felt like I was in one of those Chinese food courts in LA.

What did feel foreign to me was the feeling of being alone. Being at the airport lugging around my cart full of luggage and buying food to eat by myself made me realize how much I miss JT already. I’ll have to admit, I didn’t have a chance to miss him much while I was enjoying my nice comfy business class airplane ride. I was sleeping like a baby in my little capsule, and ate the best airplane food I’ve ever had.

A lady caught my attention from the Taiwanese food stand in the food court as I passed by. I ordered what JT would have ordered. It’s what he likes to call “five meat rice” hahahaa. It’s not really five meats, but it SOUNDS like that in Chinese when he mispronounces it. So that’s what he thought it was called. His Chinese is so funny sometimes…anyways….

Back to Singapore. I ate my five meat rice, and watched people as they passed by. Only a few more hours and I will be headed to HK!

prelude: btw, I'm on meds...

2008-05-12T18:22:00.001-07:00

A week before departing to my first destination, I had to pay a visit to the travel nurse at Kaiser to get all my vaccinations. Basically, she printed out my itinerary (SF -> Singapore -> HK -> India -> Shanghai), and then printed out a bunch of packets on diseases you can get while traveling to each location.

Pretty much every disease ended with something along the lines of "and you could die from it..." I don't know if part of the objective was to freak me out, but it did. So I ended up getting 3 shots: tetanus, polio, hepatitis A, and also had to pick up some prescription malaria pills.

O the malaria pills =/ After going through a whirlwind of physical and emotional chaos this past week, I decided to do some extra research, and found out I was prescribed the worst kind of malaria pill out there: Mefloquine!

Here are some of the side-effects:

Mefloquine may have severe and permanent adverse side-effects. It is known to cause severe depression, anxiety, paranoia, nightmares, insomnia, seizures, peripheral motor-sensory neuropathy,[2] vestibular (balance) damage and central nervous system problems. For a complete list of adverse physical and psychological effects — including suicidal ideation — see the most recent product information. Central nervous system events occur in up to 25% of people taking Lariam, such as dizziness, headache, insomnia, and vivid dreams

and they failed to mention that there are other medicines with less risk of severe side-effects and which are equally effective for malaria prevention are available like Malarone and doxycycline... the daily ones that my colleague is taking.

Damn you kaiser!

She definitely didn't mention the suicidal part, so I actually didn't read about that until this morning -- and I have to admit that the thought weirdly crossed my mind yesterday when i was breaking out in my hot and cold sweats... in a very non-melodramatic way like oh... I guess I wouldn't be too upset if I died today.

Anyway, sorry if this entry is getting a little too creepy in any way, I promise you I am feeling more than fine right now and I don't want people to get the impression that I'm going crazy, cuz I'm not. I am definitely still having a VERY positive experience here. Work is going REALLY well, and really the only time I feel it is generally when I'm alone at night.

It's a weekly pill, and I'm supposed to take my next one today. Should I? Do I take my chances with malaria and death... or do I continue on in feeling all messed up inside? it's a toughie...

So the blogging begins...

2008-05-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I am traveling in Asia this month.

I've been trying to keep up with emails here and there to update ppl on my whereabouts and experiences, but finally decided I should really share what's going on in my blog. I really should document all this... so here we go. =)

Hong Kong

2008-05-09T03:49:00.001-07:00

The Peak Tram
Originally uploaded by Sandswirl26

uploaded some pics to my flickr.

citibank ad

2008-05-03T10:24:00.001-07:00

citibank ad
Originally uploaded by Sandswirl26

JT n Me on a Citi Bank Ad

Birthday Cake!

2008-05-03T10:22:00.001-07:00

cake
Originally uploaded by Sandswirl26

Happy bday to me! pretending to be 22 again ehehehehe.

Flickr

2008-05-03T10:20:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

My 26th Bday bbq

2008-04-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

Be who you are and say what you want because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.

- quote stolen from sherry's facebook =)

I had a blast on my bday. Good friends came out, we cooked up some good food, drank a lot of pineapple infused vodka, munched burnt almond cake, and ran around like psychos (well at least some of us did). =) Others -- like my dear JT, danced around with arms flailing like a monkey (the usual)! haha

Can you believe this is my last bday celebration as a 'single' unmarried woman??? Next year (when I turn 27) I'm going to be Mrs. Wifey Tso! I'll probably have to throw a dinner party with cheese, fois gras, and wine or something! hah, well that actually sounds pretty fun too =)

Anyway, I just wanted to give a huge thank you to all my friends who came out to hang with me =) -- to those who really know how a good time *wink*, and to everyone else who loves 'sandswirl' for the crazy barf-day girl she is.

You can check out the rest of the pics here.

My 99 cent Spring Cleaning Sale!

2008-04-23T00:38:00.000-07:00

I spent all last night cleaning out my closet so I can make room for new things. I'm going out of the country soon, and I want to be able to shop till I drop with no reservations.

But the issue is, I have too much stuff in my closet as is... and I don't even use 50% of it ! I know a lot of people out there are just like me. It's just tough to let go of things you like -- but if you're not going to use it, then what's the point?!

After hours and hours of sorting, I finally ended up with two big piles of clothing. One designated for Salvation Army pick-up, and the other for you lucky eBayers out there!

I am setting all starting bids at 99 cents, and am forcing myself to 'let go' =)

Happy Bidding!!

american idol top 8 =)

2008-04-09T11:18:00.001-07:00

My top two favs!

David Archuletta - I am such a fan of this cutie patootie!

Jason Castro - he has such an amazing voice..

Back to life...

2008-02-28T12:00:00.001-08:00

I am back from my awesome weekend up in Tahoe (pics to come), finally getting better from my flu, and patiently awaiting my favorite tv shows to come back!! =)

If you are a tv-junkie like me... I'm sure you've been wondering.. when are my favorite shows coming back on!?!?

April will be a good month!

Desperate Housewives
6 new episodes (including a two-hour finale) to air beginning April 13.

Gossip Girl
Expected to shoot 5 new episodes to begin airing on April 21.

Grey's Anatomy
Expected to shoot 5 new episodes to air beginning April 24.

Heroes
No new episodes expected until fall.

The Hills
March 24th

Lost
Four pre-strike episodes remain. Expected to shoot 5 additional episodes to air beginning April 24.

Scrubs
Five pre-strike episodes remain and will begin airing on April 10. Up to four additional episodes may be shot; unclear whether they'll air on NBC or go straight to DVD.

A New Name?!

2008-02-21T12:56:00.000-08:00

President's Day Weekend

2008-02-19T09:18:00.001-08:00

What an action packed weekend!!

Fri night was kooza..

On Saturday -- bridesmaid dress fittings with Sherry n Margaret, dinner with my family for my cousin Russel's bday and belated Chinese New Years... and then we celebrated Roel's bday at Poleng Lounge.

Sunday -- I was able to catch up on some z's... and we got dinner with linda, kelvin, wendy, dom for linpin's bday.

On Monday, I shot a fun and artsy shoot of LinPin in downtown San Jose.!

Check out some pix!

Family Dinner

the whole fam, plus one of my best friends margaret

Ryan, me, and bday boy Russ

Roel's Bday at Poleng Lounge

Happy bday roel!!

The girls

me n my jt

me, sherry, n kat

My big brother!

Photoshoot...

We got Linda's crazy hair n crazy makeup done at the mall hehehehe.. more pix to come.

vday post part #2

2008-02-16T09:35:00.000-08:00

GERVAIS in Saratoga was awesome.. My fav was def my entree... It was something I've never had before... a filet mignon with mushroom and spinach around it IN a puff pastry... and sauce around it. Seriously the best combo eVER. It came with potato gratin on the side and some veggies. DELISH.

Last night, we went to KOOZA - which means 'box' in sanskrit. I loved how creative they were with the circus in a box theme...

My Top Five Favorite American Idols!

2008-02-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

Yay! It's American Idol season -- I think this season has some of the BEST talent. =) Very exciting. Here are my top 5 favs. I hope they all make it to the top 10!

Ramiele Malubay

David Archuleta

Syesha Mercado

Kady Malloy

Brook White

Who are your favorites???

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-15T08:08:00.000-08:00

JT and I had a delicious dinner last night at a French restaurant called Gervais in Saratoga. I will post pix of it later.

~~

JT and I did a TFP (Trade for Prints) engagement/portfolio shoot with Tiny Water Photography a couple months ago... Here are some of my fav shots:

coffee and JT. two of my fav things in the world in one pic! awesome!

That's me enjoying my coffee buzz and love buzz. ahahhaa (corny eh?)

hehehe I love how the little girl is running past. There were a couple of kids running through for fun while we were shooting. Caroline is pretty awesome to have caught the moment so well.

lovely shot!

hahahah JT is such a silly head. I love it!

Unclaimed Money!

2008-02-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

So I got a letter from Pettinato & Associates informing me about about some unclaimed cash. I was skeptical about the letter, and decided to look it up online where I found this other blog entry about it... and it turns out, I really do have unclaimed salary/wages from my internship at Grey Global way back in 2004... woohoo. Over a thousand bucks that I didn't know I had.

So I found out you can look up any unclaimed cash or unclaimed property you are entitled to at the California State Treasurer’s website. You can download forms from their site and simply follow their instructions to claim your cash.

Here is the link:
http://www.sco.ca.gov/col/ucp/aboutucp.shtml

Search here: http://scoweb.sco.ca.gov/UCP/

You should definitely check it out! I randomly checked up some of my friends and found out that quite a few people I know also have unclaimed money!

Check it out.

Happy Bday Han Hong!

2008-02-11T23:51:00.000-08:00

Happy bday to the one and only Han Hong who beats everyone at ugly dancing. Love ya!

What a dorko!

work it baby, work it!

Han's soulja boy dance. hahaha

More pics can be found on my flickr site.

here comes my second wind...

2008-02-05T23:58:00.000-08:00

After sitting around with my unfinished website for nearly two years now -- I finally decided that it's time to get back into the groove of things and really start cranking it out. I had said this many years before -- having a website somehow keeps me grounded, reminds me who I am, where I came from, and where I want to be. It helps me to be much more inclined to hold myself accountable for the things I promise to accomplish.

I guess I stopped updating my site since so much was going on... with my millions of jobs, then traveling, then buying the house and moving, and fixing up the house.... Things are finally starting to get a bit more comfortable...

...but comfortable is not what I'm striving for.. comfort is just what allows me to go and reach out for newer and richer experiences. I just hope that every year can be even more exciting and eventful than the last.

Las Tunas ramen place

2008-01-30T13:43:00.000-08:00

Last time JT and I went down to LA, we found a little ramen house on Las Tunas that was sooo yummy.

They had the BEST enoki wrapped in beef..

Here's the view from my side of the table... jt looks 'fierce' ahhaha... I like making him pose for me.

Then I made him switch spots with me so I could get a shot of him looking 'dreamy'

Here's me:

and the yummy red bean mochi dessert we shared

Em moves to Seattle...

2008-01-11T23:36:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it feels like life moves at a million miles an hour... I still can't believe Em moved to Seattle!

This is us the night before she left for the windy city for one last girls' night out...

We pounded down some lemon drops, Em called some guys douche bags, and then we called it a night hehe

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T23:29:00.000-08:00

Sherry & David, Margaret & Spark came over to celebrate the new year. It was a fun chill night of yummy food, poker, and then wii games. =)

Good times. I'm so happy I was able to ring in the new year with some of my nearest and dearest.

Here's me n sherry gettin buzzed before diggin in to our feast =P

It's gonna be an amazing year.

Cleaning out the closet!!

2007-12-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

I am an employee of an eBay company. Please click here to see the standards of conduct I must honor: http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/empl-agreement.html.
~~~~

Check out my ebay listings!

I've been cleaning out the closet, and have sold numerous goodies for great prices! Maybe you can find something you like?

Ouchie!

2007-12-06T17:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, at the eBay gym -- I was showing Linda how I couldn't do a single real push-up.

OK, actually -- It's worse than that. I can't even do a half push up... you know the kind where you're on your knees instead of your feet.

YA... so sad! WEAK! So I attempted to do ONE, and basically what happens is once I get down, I can't get back up... I think I just don't have any muscles there. =(

I attempted a couple times after that... and still no such luck. I'm freakin weak when it comes to upper body strength.

So today, a day after that work out, my freakin armpit muscles (I think they're called the subscapularis) were killing me!

I've realized that I don't think I've really ever had to work that muscle ... which explains what I like to call my "armpit fat" issue. hehehe No matter how fit i get, from running or the elliptical machine or bikram yoga or whatever.... I always have a stubborn pocket of fat in my armpit area. grrrr!

Ok..time to start attempting push-ups more often! My goal for the new year? Be able to do 3 REAL pushups! HAHAHAHA, sounds lame but I'm serious.

Not trying to get buff or anything, just wanna see if I can fix a problem spot!

Thunder Valley Casino Print Ad

2007-12-05T18:58:00.000-08:00

This was a fun gig =) paid well too.

-s