Tuesday, June 12, 2012

New bento box!

I'm always on the lookout for a fun new lunch container.  I'm trying not to get any new bento boxes unless there's something different about it than I've already got, but it's true that I'm always on the lookout. Most of my "real" bento boxes are the cheap ones from Daiso; they're really cute but not something you want to be microwaving in due to plastic, potential BPAs, etc and death.  I've noticed that there's a trend in new hip lunchboxes to go back to older-style food containers.  Things like stainless steel boxes, tiffins, that is, metal lunchboxes such as are commonly used in other countries.  They're durable, food safe, and reheatable...in a toaster over.

Well, that is pretty good, aside from the fact that I don't have a toaster oven at work after the Crumb Fire of Negligence back in 2008 or so.  (Not my crumb fire, by the way.)  But, all the metal lunch boxes I found were SO EXPENSIVE! I was really considering paying $20 or more for a lunch box but I just couldn't pull the trigger.  Which turned out to be a really good thing, because while I was on vacation in New York, my friend introduced me to a wonderland called Pearl River Mart.  All my favorite Chinatown things at reasonable prices, and THEY HAVE A WEBSITE YOU CAN ORDER FROM.  Wow.  It's like my kryptonite!


While I was there I picked up this very old school "just like my parents used to have" lunchbox for $6!  They also have plenty of $20 lunchboxes that are fancier, and I'm eyeballing a stainless steel themal container....but anyhow.  I busted out this dual layer beauty to bring to work today.  For the top layer I made a breakfast bento with a nice jumbo poached egg and cake...and fruit!  Bottom layer I filled up with leftover salmon fried rice, veggies, and chicken.  I put the lunch layer into microwaveable silicone cups in case I wanted to heat anything up.  It holds a good amount of food, this was pretty good for me today but I will also mention I brought fruit and a breakfast smoothie  for snacks through the day.  If one was trying to watch portions, this could help keep track of how much you're eating. And since this is stainless steel I ought to be able to put it in the oven - can't wait to bake something in it to bring for lunch! :)


Monday, June 11, 2012

Photographer, photograph thyself

natural pose
The funny thing about taking pictures for a hobby is that I always feel so awkward about posing for photos.  Despite the fact that I often do pose for my own photos (a teacher in college was very surprised to hear me say I am camera shy, since I used myself as a model for most projects), there's a huge difference in doing something with a self timer, and posing while someone is actively looking at you through the lens.  And, most of the things I take for myself aren't the typical "fashion" look.  While I'm of course vain enough to want to look good in the photo, you'll notice my own self portraits I'm often not looking at the camera or really just not STANDING there trying to look like a model.

After the wedding, WL and I went around our fabulously appointed hotel to take some more glamor oriented photos with the dresses we had made.  We're making it an ongoing goal to feel more confident about how to compose ourselves for this kind of photo.  Hand in hand with that, I'd like to learn how to take better photos, how to direct people to pose.  What kind of lenses, what angles to put myself at?  Photography is such a strange thing where angles that look strange in real life 3D are flattened in a way that really works on camera.   Maybe I should start watching Top Model to get some more clues?  It's definitely a skill!  Models aren't just pretty people, it's work to get yourself to look good in a photo.


the "glam" pose
We took many photos but here's the two I ended up liking.  Ha!  Favorite is where I don't have to look at the camera.  The only one I liked where you can see my face is the most "natural" one, which, I guess is all right.  Having photos of myself looking vacant eyed and artificial wouldn't really look like me at all. :)