Theme Park in Shenzhen: Window of the World

Two years ago, I went to Shenzhen, and in one day was able to catch glimpses of the entire world. A popular theme park located in this bustling Chinese port city is Window of the World, which, as per its name, offers its visitors a window into the world via miniature replications of some of the biggest international tourist attractions. According to Wiki, there are about 130 reproductions packed into 118 acres of city turf. The largest, most attention-grabbing structure in the park is the replica of France's Eiffel Tower – notably with the park's name attached to the front and center.

Polaroid Photo Project (feat. the Fujifilm Instax Mini 8)

I recently made the decision to buy the Fujifilm Instax Mini 8, a popular polaroid camera selling for about $60-$70 on Amazon. Thanks to Prime, I got my purchase (along with some film) within the same week. :)

I'd read in another review that to buy the Instax Mini is to essentially embrace uncertainty and imperfection. In a manner, that statement is pretty true. This camera isn't digital, which means that prior to taking the picture, you don't get an accurate LED display of what it is going to look like post-snapshot. With the Intstax Mini, you can try to get an accurate gauge of your photographic outcome via the viewfinder, but because the actual lens and the viewfinder are in different positions on the camera, what you see in the viewfinder ultimately won't be exactly what you'll get in the polaroid.

I don't think that this discrepancy is a bad thing at all – in fact, I think part of the fun of getting the Instax Mini is anticipating the look of the final product. After all, even though I do get to plan my photograph to a limited extent (i.e. - viewfinder, adjustable exposure settings), I bought the camera not because I wanted to have "perfect" images, but because I wanted to introduce a degree of spontaneity to my life. I don't get to set the camera up on a tripod and take hundreds of photos before I choose my favorite one. Instead, I have one shot to take a photo, and I can never get that same shot again.

Learning to use the Instax in order to get the kind of brightness I want in a certain setting is a process of trial-and-error. However, I learn to appreciate the genuineness of imperfection and spontaneity. Now to challenge myself to a small polaroid photo project: to document whatever it is I wish to document each week, then upload a round-up to reflect on each moment.

The above photo shows 3 of my favorite polaroid shots from this week. There are 2 more I like that I just took, but I'll include those in the next round-up (*note to self). The polaroid on the top left is a double-exposed photo of my mom's shelf of Chinese novels and the bamboo plant sitting atop the shelf. The photo next to it is my very first Instax photo, a pot of fake sunflowers. The bottom photo is another double-exposed one of two Domo plush toys and a vase of dried roses.

A Must-Experience Biking Route: Sun Moon Lake (日月潭, Ri Yue Tan)

At number 5 on CNN’s list of 10 best “Cycling routes that’ll take your breath away” (http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/play/10-best-cycling-routes-world-902676) is Taiwan’s Sun Moon Lake (日月潭), a scenic route encompassing the perimeter of a peaceful expanse of turquoise water. My family and I visited the site late in the summer when the air was heavy and humid from monsoon season, smothering the tiny island in a layer of sweltering stickiness. Dressed aptly for the weather—but rather ineptly for the sport of the day—I mounted my chrome-colored rental bike on a sunny afternoon, wobbling slightly from lack of practice. Using scenic appreciation as an excuse for my slow speed, I lagged behind my relatives for a good quarter of a mile. However, the more I biked, the more relaxed I became as I cruised along the lakeside paths.