powell's books

We've had a lot of fun recently when we visited Portland. Portland is one of my favorite cities to visit. Even it was a 5-hour drive from Vancouver, I thought that it was worth the visit and it's a new experience every time.

One of the hot spots and a must-see place to visit and explore in Portland is Powell's Books. Call me crazy but that's my thing...every time I get to visit a new place, I have to find out and check out the city's public library or it's independent bookstore...aside from the usual things to do such as sightseeing, museums and their local dining cuisines.

Now allow me and let me indulge you..... you will be amazed of what you're going to hear or read! From a humble storefront beginnings --Powell's Bookstore turned into a booklover's wonderland. Or shall I put it this way -- A world's great mecca for booklovers! This is one of the biggest bookstores I've EVER seen. I think, this is the largest bookstore on earth as it takes up the entire city's block. Floor after floor of books shelved higher than one can reach, entire rooms devoted to a single topic, and not to mention their massive rare and antiquarian book collections...

This place feels more like a library than a bookstore to me. One must grab a bite first prior to walking in, because you may get hungry after walking/exploring Powell's bookstore. It's about three stories high and rooms are separated by colors which in turns tells you exactly what the room offers (i.e. sci-fi, arts, history, literature, biography, etc.)

When I walked in, I thought I'll be nuts! I wanted to stand there and throw my arms up, and spin in a circle while a triumphant music (maybe Tchaikovsky?) played. Instead I could only wander about with reverence, bug-eyed and slack-jawed, trying to take it all in and trying a little not to get lost. Did I mention that they have a gourmet coffee shop inside?

Aside from countless people who are serious book shoppers, some people come here are just watching, engrossly browsing, casually scanning, looking around, thumbing through, page flicking, book mingling, random finds, or just basically wasting away their hours in such an amazing place. Well, I am both – a serious shopper and a browser. And a very enthusiastic one! Every time I come to this city, I see to it that I must make a visit here or at least a few times in my life.

So okey...I'll be blunt and basic: I love not just books, but vast of varieties of it, and that's exactly why I love it here, there's an endless volumes of books here --an unbelievable and unbeatable wide array of it! Everything from used to brand new books. First editions, illustrated editions, signed editions, out-of-print, rare find, collectibles, hard bound, leather bound, soft bound, dust-jackets, paperbacks, award-winners, you name it!

I wish my house is surrounded with plenty of books.... and towering bookshelves, and maybe grow old with my books, until our pages are yellowed.....:-)

Oh, what a bliss that would have been!

spring break getaway

cannery pier hotel, portland, oregon

continuous truss bridge, astoria, oregon

We are heading to Portland this spring break with my family and friends. I checked out the weather and it's predicted to rain and possibly breezy and chilly. I was surfing the net and browsing any cool things to do on a rainy day…and it only left me with indoor activities such as museums, fine restaurants, cozy diners serving authentic food such as lebanese, mongolian, greek, thai and the likes...there's lots of shopping malls, not to mention SAKS store. Not only are there great shopping stores in Portland, but also the shopping is TAX-FREE!

I love the fact that Portland has lots of bookstores too..I don’t mind going to Powell’s bookstore, THE largest independent new and used bookstore in the world, with more than a million volumes and the selection is unbeatable, you can get lost here for hours! It occupies a full city block, it's just amazing and really worth visiting. Definitely, one of my favourite places to go. Picture this-----books + gourmet coffee = great day :-)

I am actually very excited, I have been to Portland, Oregon once and it was an awesome experience. Portland has a big city excitement and has a small town charm. Portland is made with walking in mind. The short blocks, combined with public art, old-fashioned sculptures and architecture, fountains, bridges and historical buildings. It is a splendid location with relaxed and urban-lifestyle that is worth exploring.

Portland is synonymous to rain you know….and rain is a relative term…there will likely be a slight mist in the air at all times. But I think the great way is --do like Portlanders do...i’ll simply ignore it and do whatever I had originally planned. Everything is still cool to do on a rainy day anyway. I’ll go on the waterfall loop and then I won't even notice it...haha! Seriously! We're going to Portland for spring break, I guess, I just have to deal with cooler and mistier weather then. Rain or shine, ready or not, Portland---here I come!!!

family over work

In pursuit of happiness, our culture is absolutely sick with an addiction to busy-ness. Admittedly, I also tend to work too much, take on too many tasks, and sometimes have to pry myself away from my work, chores, books, or a computer screen so that I can exercise, relax, or enjoy a cup of coffee with a friend and just enjoy a good conversation. Most of us constantly strive to find harmony within our own soul. I myself have a creative and driven personality that likes to get things done, yet I need still and quiet time for reflection and spiritual rejuvenation.

So every morning, before I even log-in to my workplace' computer, I make a list of the projects I would like to accomplish before I retire to bed that evening. And as the day progresses, I feel good if I can scratch items off that list. If I get stuck on one or bogged down, I find myself feeling a little bit anxious; not because it’s a really essential task, but because my progress has been impeded. If it looks like the list may not get completed by bed time, or before the week ends I have real issue on my hands. My mind begins to race and I lay in bed constructing the list for the next day.

I am sure that I am not the only one who deals with this 'busyness syndrome'. Now here is where we need to work on. Our identity is NOT wrapped up in what we do. Our accomplishments are NOT equal to our worth as a person. We are NOT valuable as a person because God knows we can get the job done like a corporate hatchet man. And it is NOT logical, or I should say plain absurd for us to get worked up and tense because we only marked 8 things off our 11-item to-do list for the day.

I used to have a very busy schedule and a demanding job before. It kept me so occupied and extremely busy. Without realizing that gradually, it had taken a toll. I can hardly find time for myself and least for my family. I am so blessed that couple of years ago, a great job had came along my way with the perfect time and location. A job that suits my needs and preferences. A job that makes me excited to go to work, ready to face the challenges of the day and be able to deliver what I am expected to do. And most of all a job that allows me to have a balance between my personal and professional life that does not put pressure on me at all.

When I took this job, I promised myself that family is my priority and I intended to laid-back a little and not to succumb to the tyranny of my day. I have to combat the stress and fight it with tooth and nail and remind myself that it is just a job! Don't get me wrong, I always strive to work everything to the best of my ability and not afraid of pushing the envelope a little bit farther. But I have to disagree with that crippling mindset that says "you matter because you know how to get things done." I don't want to replace genuine relationships with people (particularly my family) with projects.

Projects are cold, impersonal, and ultimately forgettable. Who among us can remember an all-consuming to-do list from December of 2001? Yet the people that we love are flesh and blood, with emotions and spirit, and they need us as much as we need them. We risk our very souls when we NEVER connect with our spouse, children, brothers and sisters, sacrificing genuine relationships and friendships on the altar of efficiency and industry. It is not enough to be busy without even realizing what are we busy about? Isn't it ironic that he who is too busy doing good finds no time to be good? A very close friend of mine quoted this and I liked it...according to book of Solomon, "Everything is meaningless when we miss to find God in the midst"...

So make your list. Get to work on it. Do it with diligence and excellence. But put people first..Jesus did. And I tell you....they are far more important than projects.