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m o r e t h a n a t h o u s a n d w o r d s i n d e x h i s t o r y g a l l e r y r é s u m é l i n k s e m a i l

me & family

Family is belonging. Family is generosity. Family is loyalty and fierceness of connection. It is laughter, wonder, splendor, rivers of tears, and arguments at three in the morning. Family is singing, silence, holding hands, and knowing exaclty where someone is three thousand miles away. Family is value, honor, discovery, and history. It is what makes us unique and similar. Family is you, me, him, her, and us.

ed edmond, my favorite picture (1973?) ed's freshman year college id, scary isn't it? (1988) ed on haight street (1999) ed as pikachu, halloween (2000) ed, rob & murphy's holiday party (2000, photo by shamim)  more ed ed (2001) the *real* sonic the hedgehog (Halloween 2001) i miss my california driver's license, don't i look like a thug? (2002) my brand new faculty id for University of Maryland, compare to my college id (2002) my brand new student id for University of Washington (2005)

family in memory of my mother, gail t.k. chang (1944-1993) mami & dadi (1991) ed's college graduation (1993) ed & alenda (1999) ed, dadi, alenda at the airport (2000)  mojo mojo kitty (2000) mojo kitty (2000)

maryland/dc area friends

"She is so conjunctive to my life and soul/that as the star moves not but in his sphere/I could not but by her" (IV.vii.14). These three lines spoken by Claudius from Shakespeare's Hamlet reveal the possibility that he truly loves Gertrude and he feels a deep connection to her life and her spirit. Such love, such sympathy, such karmic devotion is what binds me to my closest friends. I have never been a loner. Friendship, to self and to others, is vital to my health and my world view. Though I consider myself rather independent and comfortable with being alone, I hate loneliness -- the feeling of being out of touch, without community, and being divested of interest in your life and others' lives. I know, therefore, I am dependent on the companionship, the confidence, and the generosity of my friends.

I have struggled many soul-spilling nights for the definition of true friendship. And I am only a meager degree closer to the ideal in my mind every time I think about it. I do know that friendship for me is a physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual thing; it is a manifestation, an evocation, an inspiration. Lonliness is a tough spectre to dispel and my friends are my cross and light of day. I once thought friendship meant co-dependency, twenty-four hour maintenance, and the surrender of self. But I know better. My definition has matured. I know now, to me, friendship is about learning, teaching, understanding, giving, loving, and gathering; it is loyalty and laughter and reminders and roadtrips; it is touching, holding, and simply being. There is no better friend than someone with whom you can spend a long moment in silence.

One of my friends, Seth, once wrote to me: "If you worry about things like what your friends think of you, and whether or not they miss you, then you have the wrong idea of what friendship is all about." That realization is crystal to me. Friendship is the building block of any relationship -- be it platonic, familial, occupational, or romantic.

My friends in all of creation are my angels. They light on my mind every day. I don't think there is a moment when I don't think of them, whisper a moment of grace to them, or depend on their love for me. Over the years I have taken the hand of many people. I have allowed many to drift away. And, every once in a while, some of them return -- again and again and again and always. I love them deeply and I remind them often.

carol ed and carol, thanksgiving (1998) carol and noelle in sf (1999) carol's new orange hair (1999)  casper ed and casper (1997) ed and casper (1998)  cate kate at tellings (1999) cate at new years (2003)  chris christopher (2003)  christine christine (2003)

 dana dana and rob (2003)  eliz ed and elizabeth (1998)  hugh ed and hugh, national coming out day (1998)  jeff ed (left), arthur, greg, willie, lou, jeff (center) (1994?) jeff the actor, headshot from sideman (2000) ed and jeff in nyc (2002) ed and jeff (2003)  jesse jesse at the anti-valentine's day party...a photo op (2003)  john john in his whites (2003)

 kevin kevin and ed, thanksgiving (1998) kevin before new year's (1999)  lou lori lou and willie, grand junction, colorado (1996)  matt w. matty and mindy at the ultra lounge party (2003)  maggie maggie in sf (1999)  meghan nancy, meghan, and jenn (2003)  mere meredith at new years, got enough food there? (1999) meredith at new years (2003)

 mindy mindy and ed at ben and stacy's wedding (2003)  nancy nancy and ed (1997) nancy visit's ed in sf (2000) nancy & ed (2002)  peter peter in sf (2000)  rob rob at tellings (1999) dana and rob (2003)  ryan ryan smoking (2003) ryan after work (2003)

 ryan w. matty, ed, and ryan (2002) ed, ryan, and matty (2003) ryan and matty (2003)  scott rob, scott, and skinner at tellings (1999) scott in sf (2000)   seth seth and ed at great falls, maryland (1993)  shar shahriar and elizabeth at new year's (1999)

shawn shawn in the snow (2003) shawn with freshly bleached hair (2003) shawn at ben and stacy's wedding (2003)  skinner scott, ed, and skinner at tellings (1999) skinner in a kilt at his sister's wedding (2001) cate and skinner at the ultra lounge party (2003)  will h. will, ed, hugh, and nancy, the morning ed left maryland (1999) will h. in sf (2000)   will s. will s. in bar harbor, maine (1996)

san francisco

I think it is too easy to take for granted that wherever you live there is something unique, significant, and memorable about that place. I definitely took my growing up in the Washington, DC metropolitan area a little bit for granted until I moved to San Francisco. Suddenly, the Smithsonian, the Chesapeake Bay, the houses of government, and even the very terrain took on a poignant meaning.

I think you also tend to mythologize places you have never been imagining it, recreating it out of travel brochures, movie locations, and TV shows. I had never been to San Francisco before I moved here at the start of 1999. Suddenly, I recognized streets, buildings, parks, and landmarks that I only knew in representation not actuality. It is an awesome feeling to juxtapose what you think a place is like with what it actually like.

Alas, life has taken me away from the City by the Bay. But, I lived three fantastic years in San Francisco. The places, the faces, the friends, and the things I know and love will always be close to my heart.

sf mr. skeleton, view from twin peaks (1999) downtown skyline from dolores park (2000) victorians in the haight (2000) the golden gate bridge from the marina (2000) the transamerica pyramid and palm trees (2000) 706 mission, mercantile building, ed's (former) workplace (2000)  mission mission street, the old mission theatre, and that's #14 bus! (2001) the mission street apartment (2001) two flights of stairs up to where Ed lives (2001)  pow POW, the bar, corey's going away party (2002) POW, the dance floor, corey's going away party (2002) POW, dj ms. dress, corey's going away party (2002) POW, corey and yvette behind the bar, corey's going away party (2002)

sf/bay area friends

Perhaps one of the most difficult things anyone of a certain age -- right about when most folks would describe as "adulthood" -- is making new friends, making close friends. I was told when I moved to San Francisco that it would take three years before things fell into place, before things gelled, before things felt right. And they were right. In my last year, my life by the bay finally developed, matured, and deepened. I suddenly, almost miraculously, didn't feel so alone anymore, so isolated. I had friends. New friends.

collin collin and roman, tech geeks and their toys, how very san franciscan! (2000)  corey corey and ed, corey's last night at POW party (2002) dave and ed, corey's last night at POW party (2002)  dave dave and ed (2002) dave and ed at POW (2002)  dustin ed and dustin at POW (2002, photo by Shamim) dustin and ed (2002) dustin on the ferry, seattle (2002)  jennifer joe and jennifer dressed for 80s night at POW (2002) jennifer and ed at POW (2003)

 jill jill and ed at POW (2000) jill dancing at POW (2002)  lauren ed and lauren during pink saturday (2003)  josh ed and josh r. at POW (2002)  mo ed and mo, a 6'7 irish lad (now since returned to ireland), at espresso bravo (1999)  murphy shavy head murphy (2002) murphy's (temporary) tattoo (2003)  nate nathan on his balcony at one of the famous grattan st. bbqs (2000) nathan and wendy, haight street fair (2000) nathan and wendy from www.theknot.com wedding site (2001)

 roman ed and roman (2000)  sam sam (the rock star) and ed, boomerang club (2000) sam and ted playing paradise lounge (2000)  sarah sarah in front of a mural in the haight (2000)  tim tim and ed at POW (2002)  tobie ed and tobie, the first person i met in sf, at espresso bravo (1999)

ed's 2002-03 apartment

I returned to Maryland in March of 2002 after three years in the fabled city of San Francisco. It took over five months before I finally was able to settle into my own place. You can read about my housing travails starting with this update from September 2002. I eventually took an apartment in the very same building I used to live in (before I moved to SF). The apartment was available and was two floors down from my sister's place. Once I was settled, I wanted to create a space with a new face. A little bit of design, a little creativity, a whole lot of work and labor went into my new apartment. Here are the results.

entry and foyer entry and foyer (BEFORE), ed's new apartment (2002) entry and foyer (AFTER), ed's new apartment (2002) wall of mirrors (AFTER), ed's new apartment (2002)   the library living area turned library & gaming area (BEFORE), ed's new apartment (2002) living area turned library (AFTER), ed's new apartment (2002)   the library (other wall) other side of living area (BEFORE), ed's new apartment (2002) other side of living area (AFTER), ed's new apartment (2002)

the lounge dining area to be turned living area (BEFORE), ed's new apartment (2002) living room area (AFTER), ed's new apartment (2002) living room area (AFTER), ed's new apartment (2002)   the lounge (other wall) other side of dining area (BEFORE), ed's new apartment (2002) futon in living room area (AFTER), ed's new apartment (2002)   kitchen kitchen (BEFORE), ed's new apartment (2002) kitchen (BEFORE), ed's new apartment (2002)

office 2nd bedroom turned office (BEFORE), ed's new apartment (2002) office, ed's desk (AFTER), ed's new apartment (2002) office, other wall (AFTER), ed's new apartment (2002)   bedroom bedroom, ed's new apartment (2002)

ed's townhouse

At the start of the summer in 2003, I decided that I couldn't live in my apartment at Fairland Gardens any more. I really liked living in the same building as my sister, but my upstairs neighbors (and the high rent) drove me out of there. My father offered to let me stay in the family's townhouse rent free. It was my parent's first house, which they kept as a rental property. The townhouse was very close to campus and had been sitting empty for some time (because the previous tenants had been evicted). My father said that the house needed "a little fixing up." It turns out that the townhouse, which is situated in a nice ghetto-fabulous neighborhood, needed a lot of work. From late July to the start of September, I worked on getting the place livable. The kitchen was a disaster. The bathrooms were rife with mold. The hardwood floors needed refinishing. And I can't forget about all the roaches! With the help of some friends, a lot of elbow grease, and power tools, the townhouse eventually became hospitable to human life. You can read all about it in my entries from last summer. After a lot of hard work, here are some of the results. Additional photos to be added soon.

exterior the front of ed's townhouse (2003) the front of ed's townhouse, screendoor askew (2003, photo by scott)

the kitchen gross kitchen counter (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) gross kitchen stove and sink (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) gross kitchen base cabinets (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) shoddy kitchen shelves (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) the floor & under the kitchen counters (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) water damage under the kitchen sink (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) scott ripping up flooring & subfloor in the kitchen (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) no more subfloor (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) ed putting down the new kitchen subfloor (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) new kitchen subfloor (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) new kitchen subfloor under door (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) painted new subfloor ready for tile (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott)

more kitchen starting to paint the kitchen (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) ed painting kitchen (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) priming the walls and cabinets (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) newly painted kitchen (AFTER), ed's townhouse (2003) new kitchen sink and counters (AFTER), ed's townhouse (2003)

the living room ugly mirrors, ugly floors, ugly chandelier in the living room (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) again with the ugly living room (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) water damage under the radiator in the living room (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) ugly crooked mirrors glued to the living room wall (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) again with ugly mirrors in the living room (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) the living room as work area (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) my living room, my wood shop (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) old base cabinets, which were thrown out (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) scott patching water damaged hardwood flooring (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) work on the living room hardwood floor (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott)

more living room ed sanding the living room floor (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) ed having fun with the power sander (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) newly sanded, half-sealed living room floor (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) newly sanded, half-sealed living room floor (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) refinished living room floor (AFTER), ed's townhouse (2003) golden hardwood living room floor (AFTER), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) finished hardwood living room floor (AFTER), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) repaired area of living room floor (AFTER), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) living room, futon & gaming table (AFTER), ed's townhouse (2003) living room, entertainment center (AFTER), ed's townhouse (2003) living room, red & blue walls (AFTER), ed's townhouse (2003)

downstairs half-bath the downstairs half-bath...grody... (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) more of the gross downstairs half-bath (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) water damage in the half-bath ceiling (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) a leak in the ceiling of the half-bath...grodier... (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) half-bath ceiling pulled down, leaky pipes (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) half-bath wallpaper archaeology (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003)

the stairs brian & alenda on the stairs resting after pulling out a million staples (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) ed going upstairs (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) the stairs (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) top of the stars (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) refinished staircase (AFTER), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott)   upstairs bath upstairs bath...pink and grody... (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) ed cleaning the upstairs bath (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003)

bedrooms master bedroom (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) sanded floors in the bedroom (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) master bedroom sanded floors (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) more of the master bedroom sanded floors (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) smallest bedroom sanded floors (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) more of the smallest bedroom sanded floors (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) second bedroom/ed's office before sanding the floors (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) second bedroom/ed's office sanded floors (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott)

the basement scary stairs down to the basement... note the WHEELCHAIR at the bottom of the steps! (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) more of the scary wheelchair down in the basement (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) basement, buckling paneling (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) more of the ugly basement (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) basement, a total mess with scary old appliances (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003) under the basement stairs, note the old transmission and fine use of cardboard (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) ghetto basement fabulousness, old appliances that don't work (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) basement wiring and other madness (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) more basement wiring madness...yeah that's safe... (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott) ed and skinner ripping down the old paneling in the basement (BEFORE), ed's townhouse (2003, photo by scott)

other photos

Other pictures, images, and photos can be found scattered through the pages of my website, but are neatly indexed here.

© 2001-2005 Edmond Chang. All original material. All rights reserved. Email the webmaster of this site. Best viewed with Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer. Open your browser to the largest viewable area.

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