2010 Birthday Wish List

My friend Marvin has been bugging me about my birthday wish list for this year, and I've been meaning to make one as I did every year for my birthday, but with everything that has been going on, I can't seem to get in the mood for it. Honestly, if there's one thing I really want and need, it's for these "mysterious" aches and swollen joints to go away. I can't tell you how much I want to go back to a normal routine - to work hard on weekdays, be able to say TGIF!, and to bake/cook/shoot on weekends. I can't even remember the last time I was able to complete a 40-hour work week.

But I guess that's the point of making this wish list. It's one way to keep my mind optimistic that better days will come.

1. Apple iPad 16GB
   Estimated damage: Y 48,800
   
   
   I had initially wanted a Kindle mainly because it will give me something productive to do while waiting in line for physical therapy or on days when I'm stuck in bed, minus the bulk. But I read photography, food styling, and software development books as much as paperbacks so the small screen and black and white display of Kindle probably won't do. I heard that it's not as good handling PDF either. Also considering that at some point I will probably get tired of just reading and would need a device that lets me do more than that, again minus the bulk, so I thought maybe an iPad would be a better choice.
   
   As for the memory size, I don't really download every free app there is and I only plan on storing videos and e-books that I would be watching/reading for a few weeks at a time, so I am quite sure 16GB would be enough in the meantime. Besides, I don't want to be that fool who invests a whole lot of money on a first-gen gadget. (Why am I thinking of buying a first-gen then? Simply because I have a need and a specific use in mind for it NOW) :D



2. Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch CTH661
   Estimated damage: Y 15,200
   
   
   Primary reason I want this is that I'm hoping that putting less strain on my hands and arms would help ease my back pain a bit. Second reason, I love editing photos (probably frighteningly more than shooting...) and I'm feeling an interest in graphics design so I want to try that with something that would give me much more accuracy than a simple mouse. I've been reading good reviews about Wacom's Bamboo Fun, and it's supposedly a good and relatively inexpensive choice for beginners.



3. Datacolor Spyder3Pro
   Estimated damage: Y 20,000
   
   
   Probably the most important thing in photo editing and design is to make sure you have the color correct. You don't want a beautiful photo that looks perfect on your screen and looks like a haze of bluish crap on print or on someone else's display. I figured it's high time I bought a monitor color calibrator.



4. Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM
   Estimated damage: Y 94,000
   
   
   This is the most ambitious and expensive I have ever listed to date, BUT I really really want a macro lens! As I've probably mentioned before, there's something very seductive about getting up close to nature (except critters, ugh!) or to a gorgeous plate of food and letting their bare perfectness speak for themselves.
   



5. A Lovely Weekend In Hokkaido, Nikko, or Chiba (Kamogawa)
   
   Or anywhere where there is a great view of the ocean, the lake, or just breathtaking scenery. I think I need to give my mind a break from all that has been going on and just take the time to breathe and relax and to regroup.
   
   I have Unkai Terrace in Hokkaido in mind, for one. The view is just absolutely breathtaking and spectacular that I cannot imagine a better place to just BREATHE.