lazy
I was thinking of redoing this blog to match the rest of my website since it's the only place I update these days. And because there are navigation issues that have bugged me for forever.
But, coming home after a whole day of talking and thinking and designing websites makes it kind of unappetizing.
So instead, here are some interesting-looking crafty contest links.
Etsy + Instructables Sew-Helpful contest: you're supposed to make something useful, post it on etsy to sell and create instructions on instructables. The competition categories seem a bit daunting. "Most useful thing that helps others in need" ... does it have to fight malaria in impoverished countries? "Best combination of sewing and technology" makes me think they're going to get a lot of LED-embedded entries. That, or patchwork-skull ipod sleeves. (deadline July)
Over at BurdaStyle (neat new free-pattern and sewing site), there's a clothing design/pattern contest.
Fame and fortune if you win.
P.S. In other contest news, I got the so-sorry-you-suck form letter from Project Dollway a month or so ago. I looked at the list of participants -- the Google-able ones are all professionals, and one of them even used to design and sew for rock stars. Geez!
Recent trips - Taiwan
It's been quiet around here because last month was CRAZY with trips. It started with a weekend in Dallas, flight back to SF, then out again to Taiwan for the week, then a flight back to SFO and then to Hawaii for honeymoon. Then S found out he had to go to England for one week. Which turned into two weeks.
Anyway, recap of Taiwan. This was my first time back since a summer visit in '91, and I got a chance to go back for work (only 5 days though). I spent the days working and the evenings catching up with family and shopping.
view from work
A must do in Taiwan: eat lots and lots of street food. For full enjoyment, it helps to not be a squeamish or picky eater. Everything was amazingly delicious and cheap. My relatives did a really good job stuffing me full of tasty bits. Food stands and small shops I remember stopping by include: juice, fruit (they'll cut it up for you so you can nosh while you walk), noodle soup, mochi, shaved ice, meat bun, sweet tofu soup, grass jelly, ai-yu (a kind of clear jelly for a lemony drink), milk tea.
I still think eating wax apples is kind of like eating styrofoam in spite of all the raves I keep hearing from friends, and I think eating them in Taiwan is the best it's ever going to get. But, I tried a new fruit and it was super tasty. Google says it's called a sugar or custard apple. The flesh is white, very sweet, and smoothly textured .. almost like mango. Anyone know the chinese name?
drinks stand .. 30元~= $1 US
Another must do: night markets! We managed to squeeze in a few while I was there. They are crazy packed streets full of small shops and stands and tables and stalls and stalls of cheap glitzy things. There were hair baubles, purses, cheap shoes, clothes, household notions, cds, dvds, and many many cutely patterned umbrellas. I managed to bargain a bit, but evidently my Chinese pronunciation is so bad that every stall owner asked me where I was from.
bad photo of a night market .. should've brought something easier to use than my huge SLR
I took Friday off as a vacation, and a cousin showed me around. I'm not sure exactly where we were, but we walked through this interesting district that had wholesale shops for fabrics and sewing notions. Near there was an area with herbal and tea supplies, and in front of each shop were barrels and barrels of colorful dried flowers and herbs. We also went through a district with toy stores (keroro gunso stuff is popular right now) and purses, then ended up near Taipei station for lunch. Then we walked all the way back.
My new shoes were awesome. My feet looked cute AND they never hurt the whole time I was there. I think that's quite a feat for foreign travel. You should get BC Repeat Offender too (I found mine at Therapy, in green).