Live, Love, Feel, Grow

I started my one year leave of absence (LOA) from my company December 13, 2009. During this one year leave, i had and still have many aspirations, traveling, learning to sail, getting my motorcycle license, spend time with my friends around the world whom I haven’t had a chance to see in many years, relax my mind and get my life balance, take daily photos during my LOA and post them..and most of all, be able to gather all my pictures that I’ve taken around the world the past ten plus years and finally get them in order. While during my LOA I have been able to check some of my aspirations off (travel to Central America, South America…spend time with friends, etc)…the worst thing also happened…I lost two 500G external harddrives and 1 350G harddrive that houses all my pictures from all these years. That’s been a huge factor for me to not continue on my posts.

Does anyone know how to retrieve information from external harddrives? To have lost these 3 external harddrives is a huge loss to me. I’ve tried various things however to no avail. Happy to hear suggestions!

Wanted to share some websites of music I’m checking out these days…

Vienna Teng – Taiwanese American who’s voice and lyrics I just love…
http://viennateng.com/listen/

Damian Rice – introduced to me by a friend…
http://www.damienrice.com/music.php

Maldroid – yep, gotta love youtube.com. I like the video and lyrics for this song, “He Said, She Said”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHGvh3i35Uk

I was replying to a friend’s blog on my thoughts on San Francisco today, and found some quotes that mirror my sentiments…

“San Francisco is the longest lasting love affair of my life. Her beauty inspires me anew each day and I am very thankful to be able to live here on the edge of the continent in what I feel is the heart beat of the world.” ~Nicole, sfheart.com

“San Francisco is a city where people are never more abroad than when they are at home” ~Benjamin F.Taylor

“Perpetual spring, the flare of adventure in the blood, the impulse of men who packed Virgil with their bean-bags on the overland journey, conspired~ to make San Francisco a city of artists.” ~ William Henry Irwin

“I have seen few things as beautiful as a 6:30am lift-off from San Francisco International Airport in the autumn. From above, the rippled fog layer laps against the shores of the foothills like a voluminous cotton ocean.”
~Eric Cheng

To this day, with all my travels, SF is still for me, top 3 best city in the world. Its beauty, diversity, intellect, open mind, and endless possibilities makes it an amazing place to call home. As i sit here typing away in Los Angeles, I realize I really miss SF. One day I’ll be back there. Until then, its off to Chicago and then Australia for me!