new moleskines

so, this 5-year diary that looks an awful lot like the one my grandmother used to keep and tell all about meeting boys behind the boat house, used to be on my wish-list.



but I think it was just replaced by the new 2010 daily 12 color 12-month diary by moleskine.



isn't it lovely?

it features 12 different colored volant notebooks encased in a black, hardcover to protect them all. Each page in the notebooks features a different day of the month, and each color is for a different month! its so cute! and it would be so much fun to change your notebook every month with a different color.

back back back

sorry for the delayed posting..

moving out of my east asian home and traveling back to the states was quite the ordeal. i've been in recovery mode for a while, which means a lot of starbucks and shopping.

mao baby made it safely home, and is now comfortably residing in an over-sized aquarium we got for FREE. He seems happy and is adjusting well. it took him a while.

the last few days i've been working with my mom on this huge project:
in a local church.. this is an in-progress picture from my mom's camera.

also, etsy find of this week, the charlie bag:




i wants!

east west east far west

hey, just a quick update to let you know i've arrived back in the east!

central asia was incredible.. the place is just amazingly beautiful and i can't wait to share it with you.

but, seeing as i am busy seeing friends for the last time, buying last-minute gifts and packing up my life, i will just give you a snapshot of my life for the past month. real posts w more pictures to come when i am not too tired, heh.

enjoy!

back in the states saturday!

BING ma yong. the warriors.

this has been on my list of things to see before i die since i was like.. 10. seriously. as soon as i get home and find my diary with the christmas kitty on it, i will prove it to you.

in three 'pits' stand over 6000 terracotta soldiers. built for the first emperor (who is buried nearby) over 2200 years ago, they were only discovered in 1974, by some farmers digging a well!

each one is different and they represent the 50 - some odd people-groups of this country. The emperor was known for unifying the country, so building an army where all of the minorities are represented is a testament to his power. (ps. it was really interesting to see this at this time because the violence in the west started right after i saw these 'unified' warriors)

so the bodies, which all meet the requirements to be in the army, were made first. Next, came the arms and head. Beards and ears (which apparently are the predominant characteristics) came last.

also, each soldier's attire and hair-style tell what his rank is. in the front of the formation are all of the low-ranking soldiers. they wear pants, short jackets, and don't have any armor. my guide book says, "armor was unnecessary since ferocity and bravery were considered sufficient protection for infantrymen." the highest ranking officers have long coats, armor, and their hair is in a high bun. none of the soldiers wear helmets.

can you imagine, you're just digging a well one day, and you come across an ear and some other clay pieces. then, you dig a little more, and you find a body and a horse.. and then you find an entire army of soldiers... crazyyy.

doesn't this guy look intense:

anyway, they have some soldiers that are part of a traveling tour. apparently they are in Houston right now at the museum of natural science.. they will be there until the end of september.. anyone want to go with me and my momma in september??

some extras.

you can buy sunflower seeds STILL in the sunflower!

starbucks actually has pretty cool architecture...

name stamp

i finally got my name carved in stone. hah that sounds funny

anyway, its a traditional name stamp thing.. they used to use these in the old days because a lot of people couldn't write, so this was used as their signature. Now, artists use them on their paintings and old people use them to sign bank info. i think they are pretty cool

my name is 韩吉娜， han ji na.

anyway, guess who is leaving the country again? me!

tomorrow, we are heading out to central asia.. sooner than expected because of a lot of visa issues. so i am running around trying to get things done.. actually i am sitting around thinking of all of the things i need to do.. anyway. i'll be out for about 4 weeks and back in east asia on august 15, that is, if i can get a visa to come back... oh visas. I will have very limited internet access while i'm gone.. but send me emails anyway!

see you all in 4 weeks!

ps. i'm scheduling some posts from our travels.. so yeah... they will post while i am gone. enjoy!

a big nest.

also while we were up north, we were able to visit this place that might look familiar....

designed and built by Herzog and de Meuron the same guys that built the deYoung museum in SF! even though i think the deYoung functions horribly as a museum, i think this nest makes a very good... nest.

i spent a lot of time in arch 160 (construction) studying this building so it was really awesome to see it in person..

and it also looks good at night:

and the cube.. this was a team project by a bunch of guys i don't remember.. Oh and the PTW architects.

all the bubbles on the outside (and inside) are made of this plastic that comes in sheets and can be stretched.. it is double layered, stretched on a steel frame.. so, when air is blown in between the sheets, it makes a bubble! this plastic stuff is awesome.. it is lighter and more energy efficient than glass, and its recyclable! it was also used in the Eden Project.