Thursday, March 30, 2006
Animation Project - Saxophone
I've been working for 3 full days now on my animation project with Jeff (my partner). Right now we're concentrating on coming up with the solid modeling before we jump into the actual animation part. It's alot of fun, but alot of work!
Bottom View..
Top View..
Bottom View..
Top View..
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Football's greatest goals!
The video is not really high quality, but the goals are cretainly some of the greatest...one of the best goals compilation I've ever seen...
Monday, March 27, 2006
2 hrs of street-singing = $45!
The weather was really great today so i can't resist doing another round of street-singing, and this time I chose the Berkeley BART station entrance. It's also the first time I started collecting money and to my surprise, i got $45 (all in the bottle in the pic above) after 2 hours of singing! SWEET!
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Ben Stiller's "rejected project"
This is damnnn funny! haha..ben stiller + Jack Black + Owen Wilson = freaking hilarious!
Short Film: Copy Shop
Great oscar-nominated short film!
"...Virgil Widrich and his team painstakingly shot the film, printed out and re-photographed 18,000 frames to create the distinctive, scratchy aesthetic of the film... " - Google video description
Friday, March 24, 2006
Berkeley Fire Trail Run
In preparation for the Big Sur Marathon (just 4 weeks away!), I began increasing my running mileage and last weekend, I passed the 2-hour mark when I ran up the fire trail on the hill behind the Berkeley campus. I'd run up this trail before and regretted not having a camera with me because of the awesome view of the whole bay area from the top of the hill. So this time round I brought my camera with me, and was rewarded by the beautiful sceneries captured below:
This is how the sky looks when i left the apartment...perfect weather for a run...
Against a steep slope (see left side of picture)..from the very beginning..
Along the way I passed by the "food center" where i have lunch almost everyday...it's a favorite (mostly because of the lack of option near the school of engineering) hangout for engineering students..
And of course I passed by Cory Hall too, the hideous-looking building that houses supposedly one of US's best Electrical Engineering Department; a place I stayed behind too late for too many nights...
Running pass the fence that circumfrences the...
...the Stadium, home of the Cal Bears...(definitely not as grand as the Big House back in gd ol' Ann Arbor)...
"Cal"
Finally, the concrete jungle gives way for the real jungle...the air here is much more pleasant too...
Finally, I see the place I'm heading for...if all goes well I should be on top of that hill in an hour's time...
"And the road is long...."
"...with many a winding turn.."
self-explanatory..
I. HATE. MUD.
More trees...and light streams cutting through the forrest...sweet!
And I'm not alone in this journey...
....I...need..wa..water....
This is the worst part of the whole run...a murderuos 45 degrees slope...this guy in front of me is probably sub-4 marathon runner..he cleared the entire slope in half the time i took...damn it! wait for me...wa..water...aaaa..
phew! i finally climbed up the slope...yeah~~
the city council fittingly installs this emergency "Call Box" at the top of that ridiculous slope, possibly for people who's about to suffer from heart attack after climbing up that slope....
"..I'm on the top of the world, looking down on creation..."
...chasing my own shadow...
more woods...
beyond this slope...
...is a view to die for..
And of course a video of the magnificient view from the top...it's a really rewarding feeling to be greeted with this amazing view over the Bay Area after a tough run to the top...
and now...i'd just have to get to the other hill over there...
the road more travelled (left) or the road less travelled (right)?....i took both and started with the right side first...
finally! a sign that says "fire trail"...
a cable tower tugged in the valley...
a slope filled with wild flowers...
can't help myself...but the flowers were lookin so pretty i just had to pluck a few out for tammy :)
Dog's thinking "why's this dude talking to himself? and wat up with the flower..."
The right side started to get a bit boring so I turned back and checked out the left side (road less travelled)...it isn't a proper trail and the path is more narrow and winding...then it finally leads me to a clearing with this lone tree standing there, as if in defiance to the other trees hugging closely together in other parts of the forrest..
it's getting late..the sun's setting..and my body's wanning down...time to head home...
the forrest now appears more brownish and mellow under the setting sun...
Home...sweet home...surprisingly, i didn't feel as tired as I'd expect...in fact I feel rejuvenated...it was a wonderful time...i'm definitely running up there again~
This is how the sky looks when i left the apartment...perfect weather for a run...
Against a steep slope (see left side of picture)..from the very beginning..
Along the way I passed by the "food center" where i have lunch almost everyday...it's a favorite (mostly because of the lack of option near the school of engineering) hangout for engineering students..
And of course I passed by Cory Hall too, the hideous-looking building that houses supposedly one of US's best Electrical Engineering Department; a place I stayed behind too late for too many nights...
Running pass the fence that circumfrences the...
...the Stadium, home of the Cal Bears...(definitely not as grand as the Big House back in gd ol' Ann Arbor)...
"Cal"
Finally, the concrete jungle gives way for the real jungle...the air here is much more pleasant too...
Finally, I see the place I'm heading for...if all goes well I should be on top of that hill in an hour's time...
"And the road is long...."
"...with many a winding turn.."
self-explanatory..
I. HATE. MUD.
More trees...and light streams cutting through the forrest...sweet!
And I'm not alone in this journey...
....I...need..wa..water....
This is the worst part of the whole run...a murderuos 45 degrees slope...this guy in front of me is probably sub-4 marathon runner..he cleared the entire slope in half the time i took...damn it! wait for me...wa..water...aaaa..
phew! i finally climbed up the slope...yeah~~
the city council fittingly installs this emergency "Call Box" at the top of that ridiculous slope, possibly for people who's about to suffer from heart attack after climbing up that slope....
"..I'm on the top of the world, looking down on creation..."
...chasing my own shadow...
more woods...
beyond this slope...
...is a view to die for..
And of course a video of the magnificient view from the top...it's a really rewarding feeling to be greeted with this amazing view over the Bay Area after a tough run to the top...
and now...i'd just have to get to the other hill over there...
the road more travelled (left) or the road less travelled (right)?....i took both and started with the right side first...
finally! a sign that says "fire trail"...
a cable tower tugged in the valley...
a slope filled with wild flowers...
can't help myself...but the flowers were lookin so pretty i just had to pluck a few out for tammy :)
Dog's thinking "why's this dude talking to himself? and wat up with the flower..."
The right side started to get a bit boring so I turned back and checked out the left side (road less travelled)...it isn't a proper trail and the path is more narrow and winding...then it finally leads me to a clearing with this lone tree standing there, as if in defiance to the other trees hugging closely together in other parts of the forrest..
it's getting late..the sun's setting..and my body's wanning down...time to head home...
the forrest now appears more brownish and mellow under the setting sun...
Home...sweet home...surprisingly, i didn't feel as tired as I'd expect...in fact I feel rejuvenated...it was a wonderful time...i'm definitely running up there again~
Somone posted a video of me street-singing!
So i was doing another round of street-singing, this time round at the Sather Gate in UC Berkeley Campus, and someone posted a video she took while I was singing...once again I went off-tune towards the end..haha...but it still feels really good to have someone who appreciate my music...
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Monday, March 20, 2006
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Friday, March 17, 2006
Street-singing video
Tammy took this video while I was doing a cover of Keb Mo's song "You can love yourself". Forgot the lyrics half-way, but hey...tat's live music for you~
Street-singing in Berkeley!!!
Yes! After much delay, I've finally got myself the battery-powered PA system and did the one big item on my to-do-in-berkeley list...street-singing!!!All I can say that this has gotta be one of the most exhilarating musical experience I've had...the spontaneity, the interaction with the passers-by and the sense of freedom! I'm definitely hooked!
My new toy...the 200W battery-powered PA system...
My custom-rigged "music stand"...
Setting up..
Harmonica + guitar + singing = freedom!
Singing "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley...
My new toy...the 200W battery-powered PA system...
My custom-rigged "music stand"...
Setting up..
Harmonica + guitar + singing = freedom!
Singing "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley...
skritch in SF!!!
Well, 4/6 of skritch was in SF and it was certainly a blast hanging out with the guys again after a long break. It was a pity Bryan (in Stanford) couldn't join us, but it was still great fun; doing the usual skritch thing of 'suaning' liechuang, who apparently has earned another recording contract (he said he'd be going after the chinese christian pop music market...i wonder what that really means). In fact, he was in town to film his MTVs and record his EP. Well, I hope this would be the break he's been looking for, cos this dude has dedicated his life to music, something I regretably can't do. So despite all the usual bashing and "liechuang you suck!", I do respect him for that. Anyway, it looks like he'd be my second person I know (郭美美 is the first one; she's actually Tammy's best friend and our schoolmate in secondary school) who'd become a singer, I mean a "real" singer with a recording contract.
I'm pretty sure the record label do not want this picture of liechuang public...but, who cares..haha...that's how liechuang really looks! heee
Huahui and our future "star"...
Me and Jin...
I'm pretty sure the record label do not want this picture of liechuang public...but, who cares..haha...that's how liechuang really looks! heee
Huahui and our future "star"...
Me and Jin...
Couples Study
I came across a flier on campus 2 weeks ago; it was a recruitment flier for a psychology study couples. I'd certainly disregard it if not for the monetary award, it seems that for a 2-hr lab session & 21 days of 10-min daily survey, we'd be able to earn more than $200. So I brought home the flier and Tammy was really excited about it, so we ended up signing up for the study and went for the 2-hr lab session today.
The "examiner" brought us to an enclosed room which had been wired up with microphones and video cameras. We were made to sit in the room and talked about different topics such as "which part in the relationship causes most stress?" while the examiner watched over us in another "control room". I felt kind of awkward initially but Tammy seems to relish the opportunity to trash me about my lack of commitment in doing house chores..haha! Anyway, between the discussions, we have to provide our saliva samples, supposedly to test for hormones. I'm kind of suspicious about the real purpose of taking the saliva sample (since they won't tell us the actual purpose of the whole experiment until the very end of the whole study), but the process of collection of "saliva" is pretty interesting. The examiner gave us a vial and a tiny straw, with which we'd have to 'juice out' some saliva into the vial. It was kind of disgusting in the beginning and the vial is actually rather large. So by the end of the 3rd salvia collection, I'm already suffering from "dehydration". What's more frustrating is that the examiner tells me that I am offered an additional $3 if I drink back my own saliva! I immediately said no, but if the price is much higher, I thought I might give it a go. Anyway, the examiner threw away the 3rd sample, and that's when I thought that saliva isn't really collected for hormones-evaluation purpose.
Anyhow, the whole test proceeded with a concentration test where we'd have to read out a the color of the individual word printed on a piece of paper, except when the word is printed in black, in which case we'd have to read out the word itself instead. It gets really tricky when the words are the color word and yet printed in a different color. For instance, the word "purple" might be printed in yellow and we actually have to read out "yellow" instead of "purple". It does abit tricky especially when the test is timed.
The test ended with a rather boring "hit the spacebar when you see green circle on screen" test on a desktop. Anyhow, for all our 'hard work', we were rewarded with $60! Nice! hee...now we just need to finish the daily surveys and we'd receive the rest of the sum! It'd also be really interesting to see what is the real hypothesis this study is trying to investigate. Well, $200 for the advancement of science, we're definitely doing it!
The "examiner" brought us to an enclosed room which had been wired up with microphones and video cameras. We were made to sit in the room and talked about different topics such as "which part in the relationship causes most stress?" while the examiner watched over us in another "control room". I felt kind of awkward initially but Tammy seems to relish the opportunity to trash me about my lack of commitment in doing house chores..haha! Anyway, between the discussions, we have to provide our saliva samples, supposedly to test for hormones. I'm kind of suspicious about the real purpose of taking the saliva sample (since they won't tell us the actual purpose of the whole experiment until the very end of the whole study), but the process of collection of "saliva" is pretty interesting. The examiner gave us a vial and a tiny straw, with which we'd have to 'juice out' some saliva into the vial. It was kind of disgusting in the beginning and the vial is actually rather large. So by the end of the 3rd salvia collection, I'm already suffering from "dehydration". What's more frustrating is that the examiner tells me that I am offered an additional $3 if I drink back my own saliva! I immediately said no, but if the price is much higher, I thought I might give it a go. Anyway, the examiner threw away the 3rd sample, and that's when I thought that saliva isn't really collected for hormones-evaluation purpose.
Anyhow, the whole test proceeded with a concentration test where we'd have to read out a the color of the individual word printed on a piece of paper, except when the word is printed in black, in which case we'd have to read out the word itself instead. It gets really tricky when the words are the color word and yet printed in a different color. For instance, the word "purple" might be printed in yellow and we actually have to read out "yellow" instead of "purple". It does abit tricky especially when the test is timed.
The test ended with a rather boring "hit the spacebar when you see green circle on screen" test on a desktop. Anyhow, for all our 'hard work', we were rewarded with $60! Nice! hee...now we just need to finish the daily surveys and we'd receive the rest of the sum! It'd also be really interesting to see what is the real hypothesis this study is trying to investigate. Well, $200 for the advancement of science, we're definitely doing it!
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Monday, March 13, 2006
Battlefield Earth (Worse movie of all time!)
Some movies are bad (like Bulletproof monk), but at least you can still laugh at how stupid the movies are. But "Battlefield Earth" is absolute in its class, it's soooo extremely bad that I literally feel like puking after the 2 hour ordeal in the cinema 5 years ago. I dare anyone who hasn't watched it before to actually watch the entire thing...it's be a movie experience unlike any other...
Cheesy trailer (Bulletproof Monk)
I saw the trailer 2 years ago. Chow Yun-Fat is one of my favorite actors, but this is just a wrong career move man! See trailer here.
"Wise words" from the movie:
"So who are you?"
"You should ask yourself who YOU are."
"It's not about knowing the enemy, it's about knowing yourself...it's not about anger, it's about peace...."
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Driving lessons with Takeshi
So, after 3 years of procrastination, I've finally decided to get my driving license for good. See, the rationale of getting my license here in the States is pretty simple; $26 (written test AND driving test), free driving lessons by friends and high pass rate vs >$1000 and many hours of driving lessons and much higher failure rate.
Anyway, my research partner, Takeshi from Japan, who also happens to live in the same apartment building, kindly offers to teach me and Tammy! yay!
Takeshi, my 運転の先生.
どこえ行きたいですか？
Tammy! Look at the road!!!!!
If you can't drive, you can always...pose!
Me and my 先生.
師兄師妹戀！
After a morning of driving (and I finally get out of driving in carpark mode and actually thie the streets!), Takeshi brought us to this French take-out place. It's a really neat place, and the food is heavenly! We also bump into Prof Hu Chenming, possibly one of the most well-known and respected professor in Berkeley EECS (more than 50 patents under his name, former CTO of the world's biggest silicon foundry, inventor of FinFET & SPICE etc...his resume makes me feel insufficient..). He actually recognized me and said bye before we left~
そして、Takeshiの家に昼ご飯を食べあした。(with Kuniko and Ryuman)
Ryuman is Takeshi's one-yr old son. Super cute~ with an compulsive behaviour to put the food in his plate onto the dinner table and is always ready give you his share of saliva...
Anyway, my research partner, Takeshi from Japan, who also happens to live in the same apartment building, kindly offers to teach me and Tammy! yay!
Takeshi, my 運転の先生.
どこえ行きたいですか？
Tammy! Look at the road!!!!!
If you can't drive, you can always...pose!
Me and my 先生.
師兄師妹戀！
After a morning of driving (and I finally get out of driving in carpark mode and actually thie the streets!), Takeshi brought us to this French take-out place. It's a really neat place, and the food is heavenly! We also bump into Prof Hu Chenming, possibly one of the most well-known and respected professor in Berkeley EECS (more than 50 patents under his name, former CTO of the world's biggest silicon foundry, inventor of FinFET & SPICE etc...his resume makes me feel insufficient..). He actually recognized me and said bye before we left~
そして、Takeshiの家に昼ご飯を食べあした。(with Kuniko and Ryuman)
Ryuman is Takeshi's one-yr old son. Super cute~ with an compulsive behaviour to put the food in his plate onto the dinner table and is always ready give you his share of saliva...
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