You, Me, and Haiku - 9/29/08

Thick is the old snow
Crunching hard beneath my shoes
Like shattered bones bleached

-David Yuen

My Maine Journey (Part 6) - Maine Blueberries Baby!!!

Around our last full day in Maine, we made the decision to finally stop by one of those old fashioned blueberry stands scattered across the Maine roads during the summer season.


One thing of advice for all future Maine travelers--besides Maine lobster, the Maine blueberry is another unique thing that this coastal state has to offer. The Maine blueberry, though smaller, is far sweeter and milder in taste than your typical grocery bought blueberry. In fact, its very texture is even softer and smoother in straight comparison to any other blueberry that you can find in the local store. Just look at those babies!

Advice Number 10 For Maine Travelers:

When in Maine, don't just try the lobster, but also try the blueberries. And one note of common sense--if you're thinking of bringing some blueberries back home with you, be sure to not only bring a cooling container with you, but also be sure to purchase the blueberries either the evening before or the day your heading back home.

You, Me, And Haiku - 9/23/08

The transfer of warmth
Through the passage of old air
An eye to eye smile

-David Yuen

Got A New Job!

Well, I did it! I’m back to the workforce as a cubicle drone, since freelance writing wasn’t working out for me.

I’m pretty much going back to doing the same stuff that I did before I tried out freelance writing, which is Clinical Data Management. In case, you’re wondering what Clinical Data Management is, it’s essentially looking over clinical data gathered from a clinical trial and making sure that it abides by the drug study’s pre-determined protocol. Sounds pretty action-packed, doesn't it?

So, with me now back to being a monkey in a cubicle jungle, does that mean I’ll stop writing and blogging? Absolutely not! Maybe, I’ll be doing it less, but I’ll probably be still keeping up with my blogs on the side, while I work. Maybe, once in a while, I might even write an article or two. But now, writing is now officially back to being a “hobby” for me as opposed to a profession (or more like an attempted profession).

Overall, there’s a few things that I’ve learn from trying to make a living as a freelance writer. Here’s a basic list.

1.) Freelance writing is NOT for the lazy! In fact it’s very hard work.

2.) Freelance writing is about being PRO-ACTIVE and not just waiting for an assignment to fall on your lap. Unfortunately for me, I learned that a little too late.

3.) Freelance writing requires more discipline and self-conditioning than most regular jobs in general.

4.) Freelance writing is all about advertising yourself, making contacts, and keeping contacts. This is another thing that I unfortunately didn’t concentrate hard enough on.

5.) At the beginning of any freelance writing career, starting a blog is a must.

Short Movie Filler Day - SPIN

It's been a while since I had one of these, but from this juicy nugget that I found this morning, it's been well worth the wait!

According to the Youtube description:

A mysterious DJ is sent to a busy city block to mend a series of tragic events that occur in our everyday lives. Winner of 35 film festival awards worldwide.

My Maine Journey (Part 5) – Acadia National Park

Our greatest destination in Maine was none other than Acadia National Park, where the mountains are high and the scenery is incomparable. Besides the drive by views we saw on the way there, our first major stop in the park was for lunch at the Jordan Pond House Restaurant, on the recommendation of a friend.

For more information on this restaurant, visit: http://www.jordanpond.com/

After a few detours and taking some winding roads through the park, we finally arrived to our destination and let me tell you that the Jordan Pond House is one of the best places, if not the best place, to have lunch in Acadia National Park. Why?

Well, #1 is because of the fabulous outdoor seating and #2 is because of its well-sized gift shop! As you can see by the pictures below, not only do you get to enjoy the wonderful outdoor air, but you also get to take in the wonderful scenery of the park, while being served at your leisure.

Though the price of the food can be a little steep for lunch, the lunch they offer is still quite delicious and their “popovers” are awesome. For those of you who don’t know, a popover is a unique pastry almost exclusive to Maine and it’s kinda like a cross between a crispy croissant on the outside and a fluffy pancake on the inside!

The gift shop at Jordan Pond is also a great place to visit given its convenience. Because, once you’re done with a great meal complete with photo-moments, you can also knock out a second bird with the same stone by completing your souvenir runs too.

Finally, after our lunch we headed over to Cadillac Mountain, which is considered to be the tallest mountain on the entire east coast. Supposedly, if someone were to stand at its peak during the first few minutes of dawn, that person would be able to see the sunrise before anyone else in the east coast. Personally, I never tried it, but, if time allows on my next Maine trip, it’ll definitely be something worth a try. Below is a little video of my slow driving accent to the peak, followed by photos from a few scenic stops that I took along the way.




Here’s a video of the peak (best to turn off the volume and watch it since the wind messed the sound up) along with some photos taken from there. Isn’t Acadia cool!!!



Here's me!



So summing it up, here’s a bulk of advice for new Maine travelers:

Advice #6: Acadia Park should be the one location that you should at least visit in Maine. And Cadillac Mountain should be the one location that you should at least visit in Acadia Park.

Advice #7: Set aside at least 2 whole days to spend at Acadia National Park. I would personally suggest more.

Advice #8: The Jordan Pond House is the best place to eat lunch in Acadia! When there, be sure to go for the outdoor seating.

Advice #9: When in Maine, every visitor must try, at least once, freshly made Maine popovers with Maine blueberry jam!

Interesting Site - "Storied Mind"

I found this very interesting site just the other week or so about writing, depression, and spirituality. It's called the Storied Mind. For one thing, this writer has a very stimulating "exploration" style to his writing as he freely ponders and philosophizes on the various layers of life and existence, especially through the eyes of one who suffers from depression.

Though I don't necessarily agree with some of his spiritual views, but I do find his entire exercise of contemplation to be very stimulating and almost poetic in many cases.

The link to his site is http://www.storiedmind.com/

From now on, this site will be included in the "Links" section of this blog.

You, Me, and Haiku - 9/15/08

Lethargic the moon
When harvest comes crawling old
Autumn trees stand gaurd

-David Yuen