Almost a decade ago, I took the Myers-Briggs test for the first time. It was a requirement for school. I think I was deemed an ISTJ. I can't be completely sure as I have no document to prove that fact, and my memory's not what it used to be. (shush). Anyhow, I thought it was a fairly accurate description.
Tonight, I retook it, again for school. First of all, I thought the test was a lot longer the last time I took it, so the results may not be that accurate. It says I'm an ESFP. Yes that's right, I've supposedly flipped on every category but one. Um... huh?
I knew I'd changed, but that much? Say it isn't so.
2.07.2007
1.29.2007
2007
Happy Belated New Year!
And thus begins my year o' travel.
As my last post indicated, I needed a new camera and I needed one fast. For those wanting a quick update: I couldn't find the 700IS in stores anywhere in time, so I tried out the Canon 630. Fell in love with the 3inch display but really wanted to hold out for IS, so I returned that and borrowed my parents' Sony for my trip. As lovely as it was, it just reminded me how much I enjoy Canons. Now that I'm back in the States, I found a good deal on a the Canon 800IS and am eagerly awaiting its arrival to my apartment. :)
Which begs the question, where did I just return from and why did I need a camera so fast? Well, I've just returned from three weeks spent in Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. Similar to my Argentina and Brazil trip from last year, I visited these countries with a trip from school, part vacation part education. The trip was fantastic, save for the painful leg injury I got on the 2nd day of the trip (Thailand gutter system - not the most sophisticated) (healing nicely now, thanks). Visiting the three countries at once was pretty eye opening, to see how different the three were in terms of technological advancements, cultures, and governments.
I've gotten a lot of questions about which was my favorite. It's a tough quesiton to answer, because each one stands out for a different reason:
Malaysia was probably the one I was least prepared for. This being my first time in an Islamic nation, I wasn't expecting the religion and culture to pervade the everyday life as much as it did. My American beliefs kept doing belly flops as I realized that the separation of church and state was not a popular concept here.
Singapore is an extremely westernized (everyone speaks perfect English), nearly utopian place. Utopian in every sense of the word. The streets are beautifully clean, every last detail is managed efficiently by technology, it seems an idyllic land. And then there's things like the fact that it's unlawful to sell or even chew gum. Yup.
Thailand was the country that I had the most fun in. I felt completely comfortable, and yet there were so many cultural aspects that reminded me that I was in a locale far far away from home.
I've come home with lots of good memories, photographs, trinkets, an unwanted tan, and hopefully no long term diseases. I'll be uploading some of my better non-people pictures on Flickr. The people shots will likely end up on Shutterfly, and the link to that will be posted on my Facebook profile. Email me if you don't do Facebook but still want to see pictures.
Meanwhile, I'll leave you with a picture I took out of the plane in mid-Dec on the way to San Francisco.
It's good to be back!
And thus begins my year o' travel.
As my last post indicated, I needed a new camera and I needed one fast. For those wanting a quick update: I couldn't find the 700IS in stores anywhere in time, so I tried out the Canon 630. Fell in love with the 3inch display but really wanted to hold out for IS, so I returned that and borrowed my parents' Sony for my trip. As lovely as it was, it just reminded me how much I enjoy Canons. Now that I'm back in the States, I found a good deal on a the Canon 800IS and am eagerly awaiting its arrival to my apartment. :)
Which begs the question, where did I just return from and why did I need a camera so fast? Well, I've just returned from three weeks spent in Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. Similar to my Argentina and Brazil trip from last year, I visited these countries with a trip from school, part vacation part education. The trip was fantastic, save for the painful leg injury I got on the 2nd day of the trip (Thailand gutter system - not the most sophisticated) (healing nicely now, thanks). Visiting the three countries at once was pretty eye opening, to see how different the three were in terms of technological advancements, cultures, and governments.
I've gotten a lot of questions about which was my favorite. It's a tough quesiton to answer, because each one stands out for a different reason:
Malaysia was probably the one I was least prepared for. This being my first time in an Islamic nation, I wasn't expecting the religion and culture to pervade the everyday life as much as it did. My American beliefs kept doing belly flops as I realized that the separation of church and state was not a popular concept here.
Singapore is an extremely westernized (everyone speaks perfect English), nearly utopian place. Utopian in every sense of the word. The streets are beautifully clean, every last detail is managed efficiently by technology, it seems an idyllic land. And then there's things like the fact that it's unlawful to sell or even chew gum. Yup.
Thailand was the country that I had the most fun in. I felt completely comfortable, and yet there were so many cultural aspects that reminded me that I was in a locale far far away from home.
I've come home with lots of good memories, photographs, trinkets, an unwanted tan, and hopefully no long term diseases. I'll be uploading some of my better non-people pictures on Flickr. The people shots will likely end up on Shutterfly, and the link to that will be posted on my Facebook profile. Email me if you don't do Facebook but still want to see pictures.
Meanwhile, I'll leave you with a picture I took out of the plane in mid-Dec on the way to San Francisco.
It's good to be back!
12.12.2006
advice
So, the unfortunate has happened and my trusty digicam has bit the bucket. Technically, I can still take pictures with it, but none of the buttons actually do anything anymore, so I am forced to just be happy with the default settings. Clearly, this will not do.
So I need recommendations on what I should purchase as its replacement. I'm going to buy something this month, so no advice to wait for the new year... The list of things that are important to me is relatively short, but here they are anyways in rank order:
1. SIZE: I am primarily a spontaneous photographer, and the last thing I want is something that requires effort/planning to carry along.
2. PRICE: I'd like to keep this under the $300 mark if possible.
3. PICTURE QUALITY: I've heard a little about the Image Stabilization stuff some cameras have... Sounds pretty useful, but I don't know how well it works, anyone that has tried it - please chime in!
4. MEMORY TYPE: It would be really nice if it used compact flash so that I could just use my current memory card, but that's not a huge requirement.
Other than that, I don't think I have many specifications. I'm not looking for something ultra-professional, I hardly used all the features on the one I had - the Canon Powershot S410. Speaking of which, if anyone has any advice on how to just fix my current camera, that would be very useful as well.
Okay, I know most of you have lots of experience and opinions with cameras, please help! :)
So I need recommendations on what I should purchase as its replacement. I'm going to buy something this month, so no advice to wait for the new year... The list of things that are important to me is relatively short, but here they are anyways in rank order:
1. SIZE: I am primarily a spontaneous photographer, and the last thing I want is something that requires effort/planning to carry along.
2. PRICE: I'd like to keep this under the $300 mark if possible.
3. PICTURE QUALITY: I've heard a little about the Image Stabilization stuff some cameras have... Sounds pretty useful, but I don't know how well it works, anyone that has tried it - please chime in!
4. MEMORY TYPE: It would be really nice if it used compact flash so that I could just use my current memory card, but that's not a huge requirement.
Other than that, I don't think I have many specifications. I'm not looking for something ultra-professional, I hardly used all the features on the one I had - the Canon Powershot S410. Speaking of which, if anyone has any advice on how to just fix my current camera, that would be very useful as well.
Okay, I know most of you have lots of experience and opinions with cameras, please help! :)
11.23.2006
Thanksgiving
So today is Thanksgiving, a holiday so uniquely American. Eating till you can't see your feet, followed by crazy, crowded, deal hunting shopping? Truly American. :) While I can't say I celebrate it with the traditional turkey-induced coma, I won't complain about the vacation days, or the general festive mood it puts everyone in in preparation for Christmas and the end of the year.
One thing I do embrace about the holiday is the idea of thinking of things you're thankful for. We're all thankful for the basics, so I won't repeat those. But I have to say, in particular this year, I'm thankful for getting back in touch with friends. Whether through this blog, Flickr, Facebook or a random street sighting (it's true!), I am really happy to have gotten back in touch with so many old friends. Facebook is especially fun - I'm too old to deal with the mess of MySpace, but Facebook I like. If you don't have an account, you should really sign up just to see what all the fuss is about. And add me as a friend once you do. :)
Gobble gobble!
sangeet
11.05.2006
Diwali
First off, Happy Belated Diwali!
So, I'm just now getting around to watching some of last week's television, and in my normal fashion, I never watch commercials/promos/etc so I had no clue as to the theme of this past week's episode of The Office. Wow, I was completely unprepared for an entire episode, not only titled Diwali, but with Diwali/Indians as its central theme.
I have to say, my knee-jerk reaction was to cringe. In what fashion is mainstream American television going to slay my culture? Not to mention one of THE most important and widely celebrated holidays in the year for Indians. Instead, I was completely and pleasantly surprised.
(Just for reference, Diwali was on October 21st this year. The show aired on Nov 2, so it was just a touch late... but I'm really nitpicking here.)
It was strangely exhilarating to watch the episode unfold. It was a great blend of cultural tension (and therefore perfect for The Office's slightly uncomfortable, squirm-in-your-seat brand of humor): equal parts mockery of both Indian sterotypes of Americans, and American sterotypes of Indians. Bonus were the "inside jokes" for the Indians watching.
Thank you Mindy Kaling (and of course the rest of the head honchos at the show) for even putting this holiday on the map in American culture, let alone writing/acting in this wonderful episode. Brava, chica. How can it be that you and I are about the same age? I feel so unaccomplished. But never mind me, keep doing what you're doing!
(I tried really hard not to give anything in the episode away for those that haven't watched it. If you don't watch the show at all... you're sorely missing out.)
So, I'm just now getting around to watching some of last week's television, and in my normal fashion, I never watch commercials/promos/etc so I had no clue as to the theme of this past week's episode of The Office. Wow, I was completely unprepared for an entire episode, not only titled Diwali, but with Diwali/Indians as its central theme.
I have to say, my knee-jerk reaction was to cringe. In what fashion is mainstream American television going to slay my culture? Not to mention one of THE most important and widely celebrated holidays in the year for Indians. Instead, I was completely and pleasantly surprised.
(Just for reference, Diwali was on October 21st this year. The show aired on Nov 2, so it was just a touch late... but I'm really nitpicking here.)
It was strangely exhilarating to watch the episode unfold. It was a great blend of cultural tension (and therefore perfect for The Office's slightly uncomfortable, squirm-in-your-seat brand of humor): equal parts mockery of both Indian sterotypes of Americans, and American sterotypes of Indians. Bonus were the "inside jokes" for the Indians watching.
Thank you Mindy Kaling (and of course the rest of the head honchos at the show) for even putting this holiday on the map in American culture, let alone writing/acting in this wonderful episode. Brava, chica. How can it be that you and I are about the same age? I feel so unaccomplished. But never mind me, keep doing what you're doing!
(I tried really hard not to give anything in the episode away for those that haven't watched it. If you don't watch the show at all... you're sorely missing out.)
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