dizzyland '11

i couldn't resist

The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Okay, I'll admit, the only reason I got this book was because I saw it in the Muir Woods store and thought it'd be really hipster if I bought it and read it. I actually didn't touch it for almost exactly one year, never being able to get past the first chapter.

Let me just make it clear, I'm sixteen and I'm about to enter my junior year in high school. I have only a small interest in botany, having gone to environmental science camp three summers in a row, but would never seriously pursue it. I do not take biology or any kind of science at school right now. So in a way, it's strange that I would even read this book, since the target audience is definitely not me. It's even stranger that I enjoyed it.

Even though I'd previously lost interest, I picked it the story while I was on a trip this summer and decided to put my heart into reading it. Because I've always loved redwoods. Once when I was standing there underneath the trees in the Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve, something clicked. They were majestic, so tall and so powerful, and I felt safe underneath them. Being inside the woods made me quiet and meditative, and I was able to absorb the trees’ looming presence. I touched one, and its massively thick trunk comforted me, and when I looked up, I couldn’t even see the peak. The trees were strong, and they were there for me, in a way I couldn’t explain.

The thing is, I think the only reason I enjoyed this book was because I appreciate redwoods. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a redwood geek, really, and I don't care to learn about its biology. I just enjoy them.

The book gradually became more compelling as I read on, learning the history of some of the characters so significant in the science of the redwoods' canopies. Although I generally barreled through the technical sections of the book, I did learn a bit about the trees. Preston's writing was also very strong, his language and casual tone made me enjoy the story.

In the end, though, it's not the most interesting book, but I will say that if I had been anyone else - more interested in science, more knowledgeable in botany, more mature - I would've loved it. However, I do know I wasn't exactly the type of audience Preston had in mind when he wrote this fantastic book.



View all my reviews

*I wrote this this summer, so I guess it's a little outdated. I, however, have decided to make this blog into a haven for the stuff I read as well as my photos... since I enjoy reading. And because I was too lazy to think of anything at the moment I copied one of my Goodreads reviews. There.

olympus stylus ∞

okay, so in case you didn't already know, i've collected a bunch of 35mm cameras this summer. i only really got to use the nikon FE2 SLR, though, that was new to me. the rest of the cameras were sort of broken. i've been promised a leica SLR from my aunt but who knows how far that's going to get.
anyway one of the cameras i did use was the olympus stylus ∞, which i thought was going to be a crappy camera since it was a viewfinder (i know, i'm much too judgmental), like one of those kodak disposables that was not disposable.
i saved it all summer, only using it when i had nothing else. also it had flash. (there's something wrong with my minolta dynax 404si flash, it will not go off.) but in the end i was extremely satisfied by the results. so i recommend this camera to you. it's easy to carry around and still delivers excellently.
the following was shot with kodak gold 200 (which, incidentally, i also think is an superb film)
none are edited.

on the hogwarts express! (my friend camille)

africa

we went to kampala and gulu in uganda, which is in central east africa. it was pretty chill. we met lots of kids, some with HIV/AIDs, built a classroom, and saw loads of animals.

update

traveling. a lot. i was in africa for two weeks, in uganda to be precise, and have many photos (digital and analogue)  from the trip. now i'm in california. i don't trust CVS or Costco to develop my photos so i'll wait until i go back to hong kong.
meanwhile, some of my photos have been printed on huge canvases:

viajo mucho. estaba en África por dos semanas, precisamente en uganda, y tengo mucho fotografías (digitales y analógicas) del viaje. aquí estoy en california. no me fío de CVS o Costco para desarrollar mis fotografías... voy a esperar hasta que vuelva a hong kong.
mientras tanto, algunas de mis fotos fueron impresas en lienzos largos:

sorry about the spanish; i need to practice.
¡lo siento por hablar español! neccesito practicar.

wine country

people & possessions isn't really working out. so this is my sophomore roommate delaney, who is with me at the moment, frolicking in the vineyards.

tai O

tai O is a village very little hong kong people know about. everyone who resides there lives in houses on stilts above the water. it's amazing.