Oaks Park Rink in southern Portland is a national treasure — the oldest rink in the America, established in 1905, and the second largest in the country! I had the pleasure of spending the weekend skating on that buttery, gigantic floor for the Rose City Skate Jam. What’s interesting about the rink is not only…
Category: Travel
First Time in Portland!
Somehow I have lived this long without ever visiting Portland, Oregon. This is despite being a coffee nerd and a foodie, and it being just a short flight from San Francisco. I remedied that this weekend with a quick trip there for a skate party. (I’ll write more about the party in the next post.)…
An Epic Day at the Alameda County Fair!
We had an unexpected day off at work because of Juneteenth, which I decided to spend going back to the Alameda County Fair, which I haven’t been to for at least two decades. I have fond memories of going to the fair as a young person. But would it live up to the nostalgia after…
I Went to My First National Skate Event, Soul Skate Detroit!
This weekend, I got to experience my first national rhythm skate event, Soul Skate Detroit, one of the most popular skate events in the world. Soul Skate has been held over Memorial Day weekend for 17 years! Getting to skate in one of the historic centers of Black skating in America was high on my…
Dad’s “Can Do” New Immigrant Confidence
I always remember my dad having this confidence about everything he did, from home maintenance to sports to driving. I don’t really know where he got it from, possibly from his time working at the Clark Air Force Base, his medical training, or just generally how his adopted mom Nana Olin raised him. He never…
I’m in a SkateLyfe Video!
Check me out at 3:23! My job here is done.
Skating, Eating and More Skating in Vegas!
This weekend I traveled to my first big skate event, the 3rd Anniversary Party at Rock City Rink in Las Vegas. I joined 400+ skaters at a beautiful wood rink on the outskirts of Vegas city. I’ve been wanting to go to Vegas for awhile, and I knew a few Bay Area folks going to…
2024 Intentions: More Stamina, Skate Travel and Video Essays
I don’t tend to set “resolutions” for the New Year, which feels a bit too confining and unrealistic. Instead I do like to set “intentions” to give me direction and motivation. These are more like things I am very interested in and want to explore, but without set quantitative goals or deadlines. So not “I…
2023 Highlights: Tokyo Disney, Closing Yehoodi, Skating, Knitting, Baking
Japan Disneyland Bucket List Trip The biggest highlight of the year for me was getting to go on a bucket list trip to Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea last May. Getting to visit the two best Disney theme parks was a dream come true. Of course, I had a lot of other lovely adventures in Tokyo,…
Amazing 1958 Map of Disneyland
I decided to complete my collection of Disney theme park maps by getting a classic Disneyland map from the original era. Etsy has a number of vendors selling reprints of classic Disney park maps, and this one that was originally published in 1958 really caught my eye. So much charming artwork, so many intriguing titles,…