As every photographer knows, at some point in your photographic journey you become excited by different camera technologies. Whether it’s a new and improved lens or the latest in off-camera flash remotes.

You also know that it is very tempting to buy the newest and greatest gear and think that will appease your excitement for a bit. But what if it doesn’t? It’s a constant mental battle you play over and over again. To buy or not to buy. Read reviews. To buy or not to buy. Read more reviews. And on and on and on.

Well, I pulled the trigger on my latest obsession. The Fujifilm Instax 210 is the newest member of my photo family. As you can see, it’s an instant camera — harkening back to the Polaroid days. You snap a shot and instantly the picture is pushed out the top slot ready for development. And then the anxiety builds as the photo slowly develops. Did you get the shot right? Is the composition fully captured the way you envisioned it? What about everyone’s facial expressions? Getting multiple shots of the same scene is impossible. This isn’t your typical DSLR with instant digital preview, straight-through-the-lens view-ability, and click, click, click, click, click.

This is old school — click and hope. Nothing digital to be seen here.

But why an instant camera? I literally have hundreds of gigabytes of photos in my Aperture library. Although I have printed quite a few, it’s never enough. There are numerous photos I keep telling myself that I need to print. But it rarely happens where I go back and do that. The lack of free time to attend to that portion of my hobby is troubling. So the Fujifilm satisfies that. And not only does it give me an instant print, it provides me the spontaneity and adventure that photography in the digital age sometimes lacks.

And to “shake it like a Polaroid picture” to develop quicker? In spite of Outkast’s proclamation, it doesn’t help with modern instant film. But it sure is fun to do!

Little Miss June Bug turned the big 1. And just like we are oft to do, we threw a breakfast birthday party to celebrate this momentous occasion.

We had the standards, of course: thick cut bacon, potato smorgasbord, pancakes, eggs, croissants, and all the juice you could take in. And in similar fashion as before, we ran out of bacon before everyone could partake in it. In fact, we ran out of all the foods. You would think we would have learned by now to make more food than we think. It seems some things never change.

As a special honor, we were paid a visit by Ali Sabet. Ali is the award winning artist behind the amazing Pixopop collection. He was able to draw custom art for mostly everyone — especially for the kids and even some adults. I know he helped create great memories for everyone.

But most importantly, we all gathered to wish June a very happy 1st birthday and blessings for many more.

Oh, and I’ve got to say, as a parent you really can’t help but to look back at how your other kid celebrated in the same moment. I gotta say, they both really loved it.

Take a look for yourself

Penguins sure are thrill seekers!

“Quick, kids, act normal!”

Or not.

So much greatness going on here. Definitely a candidate for this year’s Christmas card.

And what about a 3 year old?

It’s about dying and decorating eggs.

Now, I wasn’t raised in the tradition of coloring and decorating eggs during Easter. So this whole process was as new to me as it was to Zella. It was pretty cool to drop the eggs in the dye and wait while the dye performed its magic. Then to pull the egg out and see the blend of tones around the egg? Let’s just say I could really get why this is such a fun activity for kids and adults.

And so here we have it. The first 3 eggs Zella has ever colored and decorated. Her smile and the joy she expressed throughout this activity — nothing short of awesome.

Tagged: decorating eggs, easter, egg ]]> http://aquanhaphoto.com/2013/03/29/good-eggs/feed/ 0 quanha Good Eggs http://aquanhaphoto.com/2013/01/03/unique-drinks/ http://aquanhaphoto.com/2013/01/03/unique-drinks/#comments Thu, 03 Jan 2013 20:43:18 +0000 Quan http://aquanhaphoto.com/?p=1436 ]]>

In 2012, I set out on a mission. A mission to document every unique alcoholic drink I consumed. Not all the drinks I had.

Just each unique drink. Via Instagram. All using the same filter.

I will admit that I was not successful in capturing all of my unique drinks. There were times when it wasn’t convenient to whip out my phone and snap a shot. And there were other times when I simply forgot to take a photo. Alcohol and forgetfulness sometimes have a relation.

So what did I end up with? Let’s go over a few stats:

- 112: Drinks
- 14, 16, 5, 7, 12, 7, 2, 11, 12, 7, 7, 12: Drinks per month (what happened in July?)
- 76: Bottled drinks
- 12: Canned drinks
- 10: New Belgium Brewing drinks
- Pear: Most interesting item in a drink (Williams Grappa)
- Gluten: Interesting item absent from a drink (Green’s Amber Ale)
- Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale: Most interesting tasting drink (yes, bacon maple)

If you check the sequence of drinks, you can determine when Cinco de Mayo was. You can also see when I was on my trip to Thailand by way of Korea.

After all was said and done, which was my favorite?

Without a doubt it was the Chimay Grande Reserve that was sold in 2012 to commemorate the 150th birthday of Chimay Trappist brewery. You can find the photo of the cork from the bottle among the last few drinks. As with all Chimay drinks, the bottling date is stamped on the cork. In this instance, the date is Dec 9, 1988. A solid 24 years old — it is old enough to have itself as a drink. If you can find yourself a bottle, I highly recommend it.

Cheers to 2012! It was quite a year for drinks.

Before and After

It’s December 1st and November is history. And like last year, this marks the end of Movember for 2012.

So I gotta say, this year I didn’t let the moustache grow uncontrolled like last year. I actually made the effort to keep it sort of clean looking.

Could I live with it?

NO WAY.

I know my limitations. And growing facial hair is one.

And, of course, you can still donate at http://mobro.co/quanha.

Tagged: moustache, movember ]]> http://aquanhaphoto.com/2012/12/01/100-movember/feed/ 0 quanha 100% Movember http://aquanhaphoto.com/2012/11/15/5050-movember/ http://aquanhaphoto.com/2012/11/15/5050-movember/#comments Fri, 16 Nov 2012 07:15:42 +0000 Quan http://aquanhaphoto.com/?p=1424 ]]>

We’re halfway through Movember!

So here’s half of me.

Think you know how this is going to end? Stay tuned!

And be sure to visit my Movember donation page at http://mobro.co/quanha.

I have been to Mammoth too many times to count. Years and years of driving up the 395 to visit the land of snow. From driving in perfect bluebird weather to plowing through snow drifts more than double overhead. Each and every time was to go snowboarding.

But this time was different.

Very different.

We not only went up during the Fall before Mammoth Mountain was open, but we were outnumbered by kids: 6 adults vs 7 kids. So what would normally be me spending my days on the slopes, turned into adventures with the kids around the lakes of Mammoth. We witnessed first-hand the beautiful colors of the foliage as the transition from Fall to Winter was well underway. The serenity of the surroundings was welcome. Definitely a complete change from my normal.

Here we are at Twin Lakes. A place which is only 5 minutes away from Mammoth Mountain and yet somewhere I have never seen in person. It was awesome with the towering rock formations looming over the trails and lakes. It was so peaceful and you immediately felt connected to nature.

Very blessed to have experienced this. More so with my family and dear friends.

It’s June.

At June.

June Mountain was the inspiration for June’s name. I have had some really amazing memories here. From snowboarding with my friends and family, to spending quality time with just Angela. I cannot describe well enough how much I simply love June Mountain and the quaint town of June Lake.

So it was with great pleasure that we were able to visit recently. We were up for an extended weekend with friends in Mammoth, and I was able to introduce them to June. We took a stroll along the June Lake shoreline. Rock throwing contests were had by the kids and adults. The air was crisp and tasty. The weather was simply beautiful. It was magical to be down by the water and looking all around and taking in the beautiful fall colors in the trees. I have never seen June at this time of year, and it was breathtaking. We then finally made our way to June Mountain.

I’m sad that June Mountain is closed for this winter season. It really is a bummer for people like me who love the mountain. But it is especially bad for the June Mountain staff and the community of June Lake which depends on the mountain visitors for business revenue. It’s a business decision and really isn’t too surprising if you have ever been to June Mountain. I suppose maintaining the mountain for the limited number of visitors it would receive just wasn’t going to work out indefinitely. A tough decision for sure.

Despite this, I plan on making an effort to put as much of my winter money into the community by staying there during Mammoth snowboarding trips. We have to somehow ensure this is the only year in which the mountain is closed.

I know June Mountain will eventually come back online, and it will be stronger and better than ever before. Until then, I have my daughter’s name to remind me of the great times.

It’s November 1st. And based on November 2011, there’s something special about to happen.

Yep, it’s Movember. My yearly journey on becoming a man. Where I (attempt to) grow a moustache and help raise money and awareness towards men’s health issues.

This year my Mac is getting in on the action. If history is any indication, it’s going to kill me in the moustache growing game.

More unsavory moustache updates to come.

Please visit http://mobro.co/quanha to donate to the cause.

June wishes everyone a Happy Halloween!

Zella loves to paint.

Really, really loves to paint.

So whenever I set up the paints for her, she gets genuinely excited. And, of course, I don’t want to constrain any of her artsy instincts. So I generally let her do whatever she wants. I try not to structure this activity too much.

It’s like what they say about people who sleepwalk. Don’t disturb them. Just sit back, watch them so they don’t get into unintentional trouble, and enjoy the show.

The outcome is often unpredictable and sometimes spectacular!

4am.

That was my wake-up call for a chance to catch a glimpse of history. As you know, NASA’s Space Shuttle program was recently shutdown. The remaining shuttles were put up for bid by museums and educational institutions. The California Science Center in Los Angeles was lucky enough to land one of the three fully functional shuttles — Space Shuttle Endeavour. During its final voyage to LA, it went on a whirlwind tour of California on the back of the 747 transport plane used to carry the shuttles around. Unfortunately, I was unable to witness the fly-by show. A pretty big disappoint as I have always had a fondness for science and technology. But I was not going to miss the moving of Endeavour from LAX to its final destination at the Science Center.

I am fortunate enough to have grown up in the day and age of the Space Shuttle program. One of the most lasting memories I have is of the day when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart shortly after take-off on January 28, 1986 — killing all the astronauts on-board. This particular flight was extra special due to teacher Christa McAuliffe being on-board. I remember being corralled into my elementary school’s media center to watch the launch. I also remember the pure shock and dismay on the faces of my fellow students and teachers. The tears and sadness are unforgettable.

A few years later, I was able to take a field trip to witness the landing of the Space Shuttle Atlantis at Edwards Air Force Base. It was a really small group of us who went and is something I will never forget. I remember watching Atlantis drifting to a perfect landing after entering the Earth’s atmosphere with its trademark double sonic boom.

I was ready to leave for the drive to LA. After my buddy Joel made it over, we were quickly on the road. I had a game plan all set and if everything worked out, we would soon be looking at Endeavour — live!

It couldn’t have worked out any better. We got there shortly before 6am and we were able to park a block away from the starting point of Endeavour’s move day. Upon first seeing the shuttle sitting on its transport vehicles, I was in complete awe. It was absolutely crazy to see the shuttle sitting in the middle of the street — all lit up and what must have been a hundred people surrounding it. It was early but you could tell people were there all night. There were all kinds of people, from little kids being handed Space Shuttle stickers, to adults of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. Everyone was staring at Endeavour. Wide eyed. Smiling. Giggling. Pointing. Shocked.

It soon started to move and we were off to watch it navigate through the streets of LA. Moving at 2mph, it wasn’t going to get out of our sight. We walked in parallel with it. Along sidewalks, through parking lots, and even a quick zip through a parking structure to head it off. There were times when we would run to get far enough in front to stage ourselves for its passing by. We were even able to climb onto the roof of a strip of businesses to get an eye-level view of the shuttle. All the while, the crowds witnessing this historic moment were slowly becoming larger and larger.

When Endeavour finally reached the Forum for a planned break and viewing celebration, we had walked, ran, and chased after the shuttle for over 1 mile and more than 2 hours. It was awesome. I was so pleased, thrilled, beside myself…

And still in awe.

On our way up to Oxnard to visit friends, we came across a sea of flags. The flags were all placed into a hillside fronting Pepperdine University in Malibu. It was something we knew nothing about. After learning the purpose, we were amazed at the symbolism.

There were 2,977 flags.

Each flag represented the country from which a victim of the 9/11 terrorist attacks came from. Without a doubt, there was a vast majority of American flags. But you could easily see foreign flags intermixed in the group. They were all waving in the breeze as equals — a reminder and dedication to all of those who lost their life.

It was 4 days after September 11th when we saw the flags. We have come to learn that the following day a large contingent of bike riders would ride to these flags from Point Mugu Naval Base. The ride is called the “Ride to the Flags” and has been going on since the flags have been erected at Pepperdine University in 2008. Thousands of bike riders have taken part in this ride.

2,977 lives honored in a very glorious way.

We got to play at Disneyland and California Adventure courtesy of Angela’s co-worker, Michael (Thanks!). We’ve been with Zella before, so we knew she would love it. But this time, we got to bring along her cousins, Mia and Kaya.

As you can imagine, it was a blast for them. They ran around and went on lots of rides. Some were memorable (It’s A Small World…again) and some not so much (Pirates of the Caribbean).

Blah blah blah

But what about us? It was awesome for Angela and me to finally be on a real ride together. As you can tell…

Zella wants to remind everyone that summer is almost over.

So get out there and have fun!

I just ended a 30 day photo challenge on Instagram; a challenge which was brought to my attention by my friend Charmaine. The challenge was to post a photo to Instagram for 30 days — with each day having a different theme. The themes ranged from the standard self-portrait to a childhood memory of yours. There were even themes which I knew the iPhone wouldn’t be able to handle too well, such as, long exposure. But with a challenge like this, it isn’t so much about the technique used to make the photo but rather your interpretation of the theme and how you executed against your vision.

I have often thought of doing a 365 Project, where I would take and post a photo each day for a year. I have witnessed numerous efforts start and fail. It’s not an easy project and it really tests your ability to stick to something to the very end. After doing this 30 day challenge, I can say that I would not have been successful in doing a 365 Project. In just these past 30 days, I had to make up for days missed by double posting on another day a couple of times. And this was with my iPhone to Instagram — one thing is always with me and the other consists of a very basic workflow to post. I couldn’t even imagine how quickly I would have failed doing a 365 with my DSLR and my normal photo editing workflow in Aperture and Photoshop.

But I tell you what, this 30 day challenge was awesome. It was something to look forward to everyday, thinking of the day’s theme and the photo I wanted to post, and then going out and getting it done. Reaching the end of this challenge is definitely rewarding and I’m glad that I’m done with it. Although, I’m going to miss it (a little bit).

The family took a ride up the coast to beautiful Pismo Beach with our trailer in tow. We had no idea what was in store for us because neither of us had been there before. The only thing I knew was that you could drive your car on the beach. Yes, the actual sandy beach. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

I think with our trailer, we’re going to venture to parts where we have never been before. With the burden of finding a quality hotel for us and the kids thrown out of the mix, we can really set our sights on pretty much any destination. So this time around, we chose Pismo Beach. I had heard great things about Pismo. After checking Google maps and seeing that it was about 4 hours away by car, it seemed to be within easy driving range considering June is only a few weeks old. We got really lucky to find an available campsite at Pismo Coast Village RV Resort. It was a really nice place: clean, lots of activities for kids, safe and secured, and literally steps away from the sand and ocean.

But who am I kidding? The main draw for me was the ability to drive on the beach. Living in Orange County for practically my whole life, the beach has been an integral part of my life story. I have done just about everything you can imagine when thinking about the beach. But I had never driven on one. So my excitement to be able to was pretty high.

After driving around on the beach for what seemed like miles, I can say that it was everything I thought it would be. Driving through the ocean tides — sandy dunes on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. Then getting up on the sandier parts of the beach and feeling the SUV get a little squirrely as it’s sinking a bit into the soft sand and the 4 wheel drive tries to gather traction. Absolutely thrilling. You can’t get this anywhere else in California. Well, at least legally.

Now I can’t wait to go back. The relaxation of the beach atmosphere, the superb campgrounds, and the beauty of the surrounding communities are plenty of enough reasons to do so. Throwing in driving on the beach and there is no doubt!

We recently added a travel trailer to our household. I have personally never been in one for any significant amount of time. But when asking Angela what were some of her fondest childhood memories, she often goes back to when she was camping in her grandparents’ trailer. These are the kind of memories I want to build and cherish with our family now.

So here we are — our maiden family camping trip. What exotic far off place did we choose?

Oceanside.

Considering this was our first trip, we didn’t want to be that far off. Especially with little baby June, we wanted to take it easy and not make it too long of a road trip. Paradise by the Sea RV Resort was our ultimate destination. It was a very nice facility: clean, easy to access, friendly people all around, and just a few minutes to walk to the beach. We couldn’t have picked a better place.

Now that we got this out of the way, the world is our destination. Well, at least destinations reachable by land.

We had a birthday celebration for my mom. It was pretty awesome to get together with the entire family and close friends who have been a vital part of our family. We had a great spread of food and desserts. From baked salmon and homemade seaweed salad, to an awesome birthday cake and chocolate fondue with all the fixins. All of our bellies were full by the end of the night. There was even a light show courtesy of a fire kite.

But most of all, we had all gathered together to celebrate my mom. With everyone’s busy schedules and also being geographically dispersed, it’s not that often we can all get together. So just seeing the delight in my mom’s face was enough to make it a great day.

Happy 70 young years to the best mom and grandma!

Zella got a new bike. It’s not the typical bike you would think to get a 2.5 year old. In fact, taking a good look at the bike, you’ll notice something is missing.

Pedals.

This is a balance bike made by Strider. It supposedly helps kids learn how to control their balance on a bike without the additional task of learning how to pedal. A really interesting concept. Makes complete sense to me. And seeing it in action? I was sold on it after witnessing our friend’s kid scooting around on one like it was a natural thing to do. And that kid was just barely 3 years old!

After seeing how quickly Zella has taken to her bike, I can’t wait to see how she progresses. Hopefully she is able to skip the training wheels phase and jump right into the pedal-like-crazy stage.

You can’t unsee it.

Not too long ago on my way to work, I drove past a guy standing on the side of the road waving at passing cars, strumming on a guitar. He had the biggest grin on his face and he was standing in front of a sign that read, “Welcome to Grizzly Bear National Monument.”

Bizarre? Yes.

Unexpected? Very.

Eye-catching and thought provoking? Indeed.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me. There wasn’t a chance that I could turn around and grab my camera from home without being way late for work. So I kept driving away with the sinking feeling that I missed out on a great photo and story.

The next week, I see him again. The exact same location, with the same expression and sign. No camera — again. Double missed opportunity. From that day on, I kept my camera in my work bag. I was determined.

A few weeks pass and I don’t cross paths with him again. Could this have been a publicity stunt? Was this person doing publicity for an album or something? No idea. But what I did realize was that the only times I did see him, it was on Thursday mornings. So I at least had that going for me.

And then it happened…

As I crested over the hill where I get a first glimpse of the location he usually stands in, I saw him. I had my camera. I was not running late to work. Traffic was light enough for me to pull over. I cannot wait until I get his story. It is on.

As it goes, his story was beyond my wildest imagination. First off, his name is Joel. He heads up a movement to designate a large area of the Santa Ana Mountains in Southern California a national monument. With that designation, the land and its resources, plants, and animals which live within the boundaries would be assured a thriving place to live. Unbeknownst to me, but there once were California grizzly bears roaming the area. They are now extinct, never to be naturally found in Southern California. Joel and a lot of other partners are hoping to make this area safe for all the remaining plant and animal life.

What a noble cause. I wish him well in his quest. You can find out more and sign up to support the movement at http://www.santaanamountains.org.

Ta da!

This is June. She graced the world at 2:03pm on April 23, 2012. A stunning 19 1/2 inches and svelte 7 pounds, 9 ounces.

And a whole set of new adventures to be had.

We welcomed our second baby today. A day which has been greatly anticipated and feted.

No doubt our new baby girl will be given more singular attention within my blog. But the moment captured here — it represents my solo time with my baby. A time which I will never be able to recapture. A time which only she and I will ever share with each other. But a time which I want the world to know about.

I can hardly wait to see how our family grows with this little addition. A proper welcome will come soon. Until then, I give you a moment in time with baby June and me.

The inspiration for the name!

Eggs. Candy. Eggs. Candy. Eggs. Candy.

The meaning of Easter gets lost on a 2 year old.

In Zella’s case, it’s a matter of someone tried to steal my eggs. Can you please go find him and beat him up?

She’ll learn in time what Easter represents to the Christian faith. In the meantime, it’s all about the eggs. And candy. And eggs. And candy.

I will be the first to admit: I am not a water person. I’ve never been formally taught how to swim. In fact, I was tossed in the pool as a little kid and was forced to figure things out.

I still haven’t really figured it out. I can barely tread water. I can’t float on my back. My biggest fear is drowning. That fear has stopped me from doing a lot things. But you know what? I’m a certified scuba diver now.

What?

So let’s step back a bit. My buddy, Tri, asked me a couple months ago to get certified for scuba through Sport Chalet. He was already signed up and was trying to recruit others. My initial thought was, “no way in hell would I find anything about scuba diving that would interest me”. Now, I have snorkeled many times and found it enjoyable. But being under water and all that, just not for me. No way, no how. Until he said the magic word.

Lobster.

Apparently, diving for lobster is a big deal around these parts. There are plenty of lobsters and the season runs pretty long. And it’s one of my all time favorite foods. Tri made it sound so enticing. I just couldn’t resist the thought of catching a lobster, cooking it and then enjoying it with some lime juice and salt and pepper. The thought of all that was enough for me.

So we took the open water dive class through Sport Chalet. A few days of classroom instruction mixed in with a few pool sessions. Then 4 dives in the ocean later and here I am: Certified. It was a great experience to tell you the truth. I learned a lot about myself and how to overcome my fears. Keeping a cool head in what I felt were life threatening situations was something I knew I could handle. And to actually execute against that? More awesome than words can ever describe.

So now I can’t wait to get back into the ocean to dive some more and start my hunt for lobsters when the season starts up again. In the meantime, I actually think I’m going to go for the advanced diving certifications. Now that’s something no one, including myself, would have predicted for me — ever!

We had a baby celebration for our baby-to-be. It was a time to get together with family and friends. To celebrate the coming of another Ha baby girl. To give all the love and support to Angela for what she has done to provide a safe place for the baby to grow.

Jeremy and Sylvia graciously opened their home for our little event. And for that, we can never thank them enough. It provided such a pleasant environment for everyone to enjoy themselves. The kids were able to run around and be kids. While the adults were able to hang out and have adult conversations without the kids getting all up in their faces. It was quite refreshing to tell you the truth.

There was food to fill everyone’s belly up to the top. I know there was no appetite which was not filled. And to top off the food, the Pacheco’s brought a hand-made cake pop tower. You could tell so much attention to detail was paid to the creation of it — this photo as proof of that. I loved every bit of it, even though I couldn’t partake in it because of my vegan month. But it was a hit with everyone as the cake pops quickly became scarce after the first one was taken.

I am always amazed at the outpouring of love and support we receive from our family and friends. And the baby celebration was another example of that. It is truly one of the most humbling experiences in my life.

Blessed beyond words.

There’s a rock rolling through the Southland. Well, maybe rock is a misnomer.

This “rock” is a 340-ton granite megalith. It spans 2.5 traffic lanes, over the length of a large truck and over 2 stories tall. This single piece of rock is big. Gigantic. Enormous. Ginormous.

It is taking a fleet of trucks of all sizes to move the rock from its original location in a quarry in Riverside, through 22 cities throughout Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange and Los Angeles counties. The custom built transporter itself is over 260 feet long and has 196 wheels. Needless to say, this is a huge production. They are shutting down streets, removing overhead street lights and even trimming back tree limbs. The final destination for the rock will be the LACMA museum complex in LA. It will ultimately be the key ingredient in the Levitated Mass artwork by Michael Heizer. I really can’t wait to visit when it is completed later this year.

  We caught up with the rock in Downtown Long Beach. It was quite the spectacle. A few people were around to see it rumbling by. It felt like a big parade down Ocean Blvd for the ultimate rock star. A once in a lifetime event for sure.

So a few things I learned:

– With money, anything is possible.
– Artists go to no end to fulfill their desire and vision.
– The crazies come out after midnight in Downtown Long Beach.
– When estimating the arrival of a 340-ton granite megalith at the point where you hope to catch it, add 2.5 hours.

Every March, I make an effort to be very conscious of the food I eat.

Last year, I gave up red meat.

This year, I’m going vegan.

That means a 100% plant-based diet. No animal or animal byproduct. No cheese. No chicken. No milk. No fish. No meat. Just fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. I’m hoping there is more than that but I’m not entirely sure. But I’m certain I’ll be well versed by the end of March on which foods are vegan and which are not.

My inspiration to try a plant-based diet came from watching the movie, Forks Over Knives. I may not agree with all the points made in the movie, but it does raise a few interesting points on the effects of food on health. It’s available on Netflix and I highly recommend it.

So now for the month of March, I’ll be hunting for some good vegan recipes. As you can see, our vegetable planter will be a great help in that. And if you ever want some veggies, stop by and grab some. This planter is located in our front yard.

We went to the Orange County Zoo to hang out and check out the animals. There are quite the variety of animals in the zoo, as you would expect. There were bears, foxes, owls and even a couple bald eagles. Seeing one up close is quite a moment. They exude confidence and you can see why this magnificent bird is a national emblem of the US. You can find yourself staring at them for a long time before snapping out of it.

The exhibit that is a crowd favorite is without a doubt the petting zoo. There are various animals to pet and hand feed including sheep, pigs, and goats. You cannot forget about the goats as they tend to get the most attention. There are goats of all sizes and demeanor. You will see some that are pushy and dominating all the way to little pot belly goats just wanting to be petted. And then of course, you get the goat that just won’t stop staring at you. He’s coming up to you and just standing there.

Staring.

Scheming.

You don’t ever turn your back on this goat.

Ever.

Mia is quite the artist. She is quick to pick up a marker, pen or crayon and start drawing. Often times you can find her completely focused on creating her next drawing.

Well, this night, she had her artwork on display for all to see. It was displayed at the gallery opening at The Drawing Board art studio in Yorba Linda. There were many other artworks on display as well. They even had wall space available for guests to paint on. It was their public moral and everyone was encouraged to participate and paint. It was a cool place to hang out and watch the kids painting on the walls.

But without a doubt, the highlight of the night was to see little miss Mia’s artwork on display. As you can see, it is quite the piece of art. This is without a doubt, the start of something very special. I can’t wait to see how many other beautiful art pieces she will create.

So very proud of our little miss Mia.

Another year…another trip…another great time playing on the Greatest Snow on Earth.

This year’s 12th occurrence of the More Than Sundance trip was as memorable as all the previous years. From the early stages of wondering whether there would be any snow. To the very last day and not wanting to leave the mountain.

The weeks leading up to the trip were marked by sunny days and below average snow levels. It was practically summertime during December and January. There was a sense of dread that this year’s trip would be disappointing in terms of snow. There were hopes and prayers (and some snow dances) that something would change weather-wise. And what do you know? In the days before our arrival, the skies started to puke snow. In the end, there was over 3 feet of snowfall in the 5 days before our arrival. And then a few more inches while we were there. The snow portion of the trip was accomplished.

With that much snow, it was a guaranteed great time on the slopes. So with a group of trip veterans, along with a nice dose of newbies, the remaining piece to ensure an awesome experience was all set. The gamut of people from all walks of life mixed so well together. Many times on a trip that brings together friends and strangers for 5 days, you never know what you’re going to get. But there was great fellowship among everyone. Laughter, stories, food, drinks (and a few more drinks) — everyone was able to share in great memories.

Ultimately, the trip can still be fun without a lot of snow. It’s the people that make it a trip that one keeps coming back to year after year. So in what has got to be the overwhelming feeling:

I can’t wait until next year!

The circus is in town with the big top tents up in full effect at the Santa Monica Pier. And when that circus is a presentation of Cirque du Soleil, you know it’s gonna be a great show.

Their latest traveling show to visit the area is OVO. The theme involves insects and the madcap adventures of an enormous egg and the insects attempting to protect and steal it. Sounds odd? Indeed. But so captivating and engrossing you can’t help but fall deeper and deeper into the story and performances.

What I like best about the traveling Cirque shows is that they are smaller, intimate shows under the big top tents. There really isn’t a bad seat under the tent. So you get to see the action up close and personal. And OVO didn’t disappoint at all. It was full of fun characters, lively performers doing stunts that only the wildest imagine could dream up, and great music.

All around good stuff!

There are a few sets of hills within walking distance of my house. They provide a decent workout with the various ascents and descents. It’s not the most difficult hike but it will get you sweating.

Once you get to the top of one of the peaks, you usually find yourself stopping to take in the view. From the ocean to the mountains, you can see it all. This vantage point is something you don’t often find yourself in. Everything just seems so mellow and easy from here. Sometimes you get lost in the daily rat race to appreciate the simplicity of the world around us.

Hiking through the hills gives you a good reset.

First day of 2012. Instead of being bundled up trying to stay warm, we had quite the opposite effect in Orange County. It was a balmy 80 degrees and perfectly sunny. Barely a breeze to keep it interesting.

For New Year’s Eve, we had multiple celebrations during our party. First was a East Coast countdown for the kiddies to get worked up over. And boy were they excited. Then came the West Coast countdown for the adults. All in all, it was a well executed party with plenty of food, drinks, and great friends.

So then how should one celebrate the actual first day of the new year? Especially considering the weather conditions?

Painting, of course!

Or as you can see in Zella’s case, hand, face, and generally everywhere else painting.

Cheers to another prosperous year. I can’t wait to experience what is to be.

One of these 3 is obviously not having fun.

This happens to be Santa as we saw him at one of the 3 Christmas holiday celebrations we were fortunate enough to be a part of. Zella hasn’t really been too keen on Santa because this seems to be her standard response to being near him. I don’t know where she gets that from.

Say cheese!

Here are dueling photos of Zella and me. The top is my view of Zella and the bottom is Zella’s view of me.

This is one of her very first photos she has ever successfully taken. She loves looking through the viewfinder of her camera and snapping photos. She will even pose the subject to get the best angle. They say kids will mimic your actions. But it is a trip seeing a 2 year old do the same things I do when I’m behind the lens. She seems so natural with it.

But then why would she want to copy my inability to take a level shot here? We got some more practicing to do all around.

*thanks to Tri, Thuy, and Lily for giving Zella her first camera

We went down to San Juan Capistrano for Zella’s little buddy’s (Devin) birthday. Being like any boy, he loves trains. So how perfect it is that the train station is down the street from our house?

This was the first time Zella has ever ridden on a train. And she took to it like a pro. She was even able to walk around while the train was moving — which on a train that rocks side-to-side can be a chore.

Our destination in San Juan Capistrano was Zoomars petting zoo. There were rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, goats, and horses for the kiddies to poke and pull at. Needless to say, the kiddies all enjoyed themselves.

The best part about taking the train was sitting back and taking a quick nap on the ride home. As long as we got off at the correct stop, there were no worries about anything else. Such a comforting feeling while traveling with kids. I can get used to ridding around in the train. And with no issues with Zella, it’s a sure bet that we’ll be taking advantage of the rail system more often.

It’s that time of year when we take it upon ourselves to chop down a perfectly good tree to decorate for our own pleasure. You really do have to wonder about that tradition and how utterly selfish of an act it is.

But hey, the kids enjoy it!

And how much more of a display of joy can you get than breaking out into a song and dance?

Zella’s well into her holiday groove.

Zella’s 2nd birthday celebration was full of friends, family, fun, and food (how’s that for alliteration?).

The food was very well received. Especially when you consider it was a delicious hand-made breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, and potatoes. And then a special serving of tea to top it all off.

The fun included a mini roller coaster ride, an extreme roller coaster ride (it’s all relative ), bouncy house with a slide, painting, and general running around screaming and yelling. I really can’t say there was one kid who was not having fun.

And the friends and family provided the humbling and blessed feelings of having such great people in Zella’s life. I can’t thank everyone enough for being a part of this wonderful day.

All in all, isn’t this what it’s all about?

This is the end of Movember.

A quick recap of how I looked at the beginning and the middle.

One thing is certain, I am not able to rock the mustache. In the wise words of Angela, “that looks bad.”

The razor can’t reach my face fast enough.

But seriously, the purpose of this all was to raise awareness of men’s health issues. With a special emphasis on prostate cancer. Amazingly, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, only behind lung cancer. In fact, 1 in 36 men will die from prostate cancer. What this hopefully means is that men will make the effort to get physical checkups and do things to prevent the onslaught of cancer.

We should all live to see the next Movember.

(and it’s never too late to donate at http://mobro.co/quanha)

We spent Thanksgiving day in Julian. It’s a little mountain community not that far from the rat race. But far enough away to make it worth a trip.

It was a great time with friends and family. I think Thanksgiving, of all the holidays, brings out the most people. It’s always a long weekend and it kicks off the end of year festivities. Kids and adults seem to really enjoy themselves during this time. And you really can’t argue with 3 NFL games in a row either.

This year I had a deep fried turkey for the first time. I got to witness the entire process and I must say, it was quite impressive. From the prepping of the bird to the prepping of the deep frying station. I was taking it all in. One thing I learned is that you can reuse the oil year after year.

And look at that bird. Nice and golden brown on the outside. With the frying process sealing in the moisture, it was delicious!

Maybe I’ll take a chance and try it someday.

The LA Auto Show is now in full swing. It’s easily one of the premier auto shows with many manufacturers displaying their current line of autos and future prototypes.

In addition to that, there’s the specialty car section where you see the ultimate “Pimp My Ride” cars. These cars are matte finished, big wheeled, very expensive vehicles.

What I like about the show is being able to sit in all the cars. Where else can you go from sitting in an itty-bitty Smart car to the monstrosity of an American made Dodge Ram?

But then again, you have this — which easily surpasses all the other things going on! This motion capture was produced in bullet time. To achieve this effect, 27 cameras were set up in the Chevy booth in an arcing pattern. On command, all 27 cameras snapped a photo at the exact same time. After a little merging magic, we end up with this.

Very Matrix. Very cool.

Today marks the middle of Movember.

Quite a different look compared to how I was at the beginning of Movember.

I’m kind of worried how I’m going to look at the end.

Don’t forget to visit my Movember donation page at http://mobro.co/quanha.

Update:

Movember: The End

What you see is the result of 5 months of feeding, cleaning, and caring for the chickens.

The first egg. El primer huevo. Le premier oeuf.

Days of swearing at the chickens for pooping everywhere. Nights of trying to wrangle them back into their coop. Cleaning their poop from off the patio. Feedings. Cleaning.

Did I mention all the pooping they do?

This is the goal.

Mission accomplished.

Tagged: chickens, egg, more poop than eggs ]]> http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/11/13/the-chicken-or-the-egg/feed/ 4 quanha The Chicken or The Egg http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/11/06/occupy-san-francisco/ http://aquanhaphoto.com/2011/11/06/occupy-san-francisco/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:44:32 +0000 Quan http://aquanhaphoto.com/?p=1123 ]]>

What started out as a protest of Wall Street in New York, has slowly grown to more and more cities. Cities reaching across the nation and across the world. Big cities…smaller cities.

The Occupy Movement is real. There are those who feel this is the time to stand up and voice their opinions. San Francisco is not immune to this. The Occupiers set up camp across from the Ferry Building in Justin Herman Plaza. There were rows and rows of tents set up. From young to old, the Occupiers were represented quite the mix. Walking around the camp, you get the feeling that they were trying to do something. Some were working aggressively to set up tents and support systems. Some were gathered in little groups in intense conversations. While others were just hanging out and minding their own business. It was very easy going and non-confrontational.

Everyone has an opinion of the Occupy Movement. Some feel this is not the right forum. Others feel this is indeed the best forum. This issue brings out passionate debate — which in my eyes, is the whole purpose. To shed light. To get people talking. To make a change.

A restaurant with a bocce ball court off the back patio. With views into the San Francisco Bay. Serving excellent wood fired oven pizzas.

A little restaurant in the little city of Sausalito, just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge.

This place is called Bar Bocce. And if you’re ever in the area, do yourself a favor and make it a point to stop by for a meal on the patio. You will not be disappointed by the food, views, or service.

And make time for a quick game of bocce ball.

San Francisco.

Golden Gate Bridge.

You really can’t think about one and not the other. The bridge is iconic — larger than the sum of its parts. There are countless stories involving this bridge: romantic, death defying, death not-defying, heroic, life changing, memorable. It is an awe-inspiring sight to look back at the city from across the bay.

*click the photo to get the full panoramic view