Asian Celebration 2011

I had a wonderful time at this years Asian Celebration! It's always so much fun to see the amazing lion dancers and the Portland Taiko drummers perform!
This year we did something special and had a moment of silence for Jack Harsongkram and Connor Ausland, two boys killed on the Oregon coast a few weeks ago. Here are some pictures from the event.


I emceed with Liz from Mix 94.5. It was her very FIRST time at the Asian Celebration.




New Friends





With Kayla, she performed an Indonesian Dance!

Carlita!

It is SO fun to see old friends like this last weekend when I got to see my old pal and co-worker Carla Castano!

She is working in Portland now and continues to be one of the most talented, aggressive reporters that I have ever worked with.! We got together and had a wonderful time --I miss her! Here is a picture from her visit!

Fun Times

Could I be facing a mid life crisis at 31? Sometimes it darn well does feel like it. I say this mostly tongue in cheek but on days when everything is overwhelming, cloudy and the end is nowhere in sight it can certainly seem this way.

Life however holds unlimited amount of hope and I am seeing these in small but significant ways. These days there is a lot of possibility in the air. It's exciting! I am making a lot of changes and working towards my future and while the unknown can be a little scary, I have stopped fearing change :)

For a long time I was stuck in a rut and going through the motions letting life come at me and guide my course. Now I am taking charge and making my own plans that are not based upon anyone else or any different circumstances.

It's also a fun time. I am getting out, having fun ...Making new friends and exploring new places. I got rid of a futon that I had for years the other day and opening up my space has also opened up my head. Funny how something small like that can make a big difference :)

Have a wonderful day and wonderful weekend. I will be at the Asian Celebration and I would love to have you come join me!

A Heckuva Good Book!

Ok it's book time! And have I got a fun one for you! I had a wonderful time at the Eugene public library yesterday and it was one of those days where I just happened to score all around! I have had mediocre days (couple good books, a couple duds that sit on your shelf and gather dust) and downright bad days (every single book you pick up bores you to tears within the first few pages) but, yesterday every book I saw was PERFECT FOR ME!

I wanted something light, funny and an easy read and I found it. It's called "Breakup Babe". I know it sounds cheesy and lame but, it's actually beyond hilarious. I stayed up till 3AM reading it. Its a true story about a Seattle thirty something who gets dumped by her boyfriend of two years and starts a blog to help her deal. Her writing is witty, easy and clever and it's hard not be amused by her experiences in the dating world. Here is an excerpt from the book


Sunday, August 11, 2002
12:58 PM Breakup Babe

Hello, my name is Breakup Babe. Tomorrow I get to go to my new job at a large Seattle software company, where my office is right down the hall from the man I thought I was going to marry, who just lied to me, cheated on me, and then dumped me on my f*cking a*s.

That was the paragraph that started it all. I had no idea that starting a free weblog called Breakup Babe would change my life. It was just something to do to keep me sane. But what I’ve learned in the last year is that things never turn out how you envision them. When your life cracks open, like mine did, you’re messed up at first, and because of that, you do stupid things, but you also grow and change in ways you couldn’t before. Then, suddenly, you’re a lot closer to “happiness” than you were–even though “happiness” looks different now from what it did when some creepy-crawly bastard broke your heart.

But let’s start at the beginning, shall we?


And it just gets better from there! I would highly highly recommend this book if you just want a good laugh!

REACH Helicopter!

I had another wonderful day of shooting Upbeat stories for my series "On The Upbeat with Natasha Chughtai"

The BEST story we shot yesterday was going up in a tiny REACH helicopter to see how the medics transport sick victims to hospitals. These guys are really really heroes! They fly all over the state picking up critically ill victims that they transport to hospitals in the golden hour. I had a wonderful time going up in the chopper and learning all about what these guys do! Here are some pictures from yesterday!

WITH MY PHOTOGRAPHER LOREN RUARK


WITH THE REACH TEAM, PILOT, PARAMEDIC AND OPERATIONS MANAGER

Asian Celebration!

I am excited to be part of another year of the Asian Celebration here in Lane County. I emcee the annual event every year and LOVE the great food and friends I meet along the way.



This year the theme is "Nurturing Traditions"

I just shot my promo for it and will post it soon but, I hope that you will join me February 19th and 20th at the Lane Events Center in Eugene. Admission is four dollars.

Enjoy a colorful cultural festival February 19 & 20, 2011 featuring more than a dozen Asian heritages through non-stop performances, food booths, Asian marketplace; cooking, crafts, and martial arts demonstrations; a fine arts exhibit; children's activity room, game room, and so much more! Hours: Saturday 10 am-7pm; Sunday 10 am-6pm. Admission is $4, free for ages 12 and under.