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Return of the Chef
Friday, Jan 22, 2010 4:37PM / Members only
It’s been nearly 10 months since I released my last mixtape, and over half a year since I performed live, and I’ve been itching to start dj’ing live again. Checkout my just released mixtape (to Save the MP3, right-click on the red link and “save-as”). I’m a little rusty, so please cut me some slack, although I would appreciate your feedback and comments, after listening.
01 Return of the Chef by DJIronChef
Sometimes we’re so busy being busy, that we forget to take time for ourselves and engage in our true passions. I always find that I get my best ideas when I’m doing something fun and relaxing. Furthermore, it’s the best feeling in the world when you can lose yourself completely in whatever you’re doing, and just let your instinctual creative capacities to take over - I call this “flow”.
When was the last time you experienced a “state of flow”? Can you recall what activity you were engaged in? Maybe it’s time to revisit the activities that make you happy. If you want to live a life that fulfills you, then you need to know, in each part of your life, which are the specific moments that really renew your energy and bring you joy, and go after them.
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The Power of Small Daily Improvements
Wednesday, Jan 20, 2010 3:52PM / Members only
The long awaited goal of performing 100 consecutive good-form pushups finally became a reality on Monday, Jan. 18. After eight grueling weeks of staying focused and disciplined on following the “100 Consecutive Pushups Program”, the result was really a pleasant surprise, and just confirms my belief that small daily improvements over time, can lead to stunning results. Aristotle similarly states, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit.”
Following the program however, did not come without speed bumps and impediments. The first time I attempted this with my buddy, Roger Q., in Hong Kong last year, despite the fact that we kept each other accountable, we gave up somewhere around Week 5 of the program, citing elbow soreness as an excuse. That experience left a sour taste in my mouth, and I was determined this time, more than ever to get over the hump, and despite how incredibly focused I was, I suffered yet, another let down around the beginning of Week 5, allowing work and other obligations take priority, and relegating my pushups to the backseat.
Fortunately, I recommitted and doubled my efforts to get back on track after a two week hiatus. In addition to redoing the pushups in Week 5 and continuing towards the finish line in Week 6, I made the challenge even more difficult, by forcing myself to do 100 pushups per day - two sets of 50 consecutive pushups. After 8 weeks and 4,377 pushups later, I was pumped up to take the ultimate test of performing 100 consecutive good form pushups. My brother, Jordan, was witness to the feat, and I have to give him props for taking the creative open-shutter photograph above. The experience felt surreal - my arms wanted to give way after 80, and each pushup thereafter, exacerbated the feeling of my chest exploding, my knees started shaking around 85, and at 90, my head was throbbing violently, and I wanted to call it quits, but I just focused on one-pushup at a time, and was steadfastly certain that I would make it, as I kept envisioning the number, “100″ in my head, and sure enough, I collapsed after “100″, and face-planted on the carpeted bedroom - my arms were lifeless and jello-like, but I was in sheer joy.
The Japanese have a word for the concept of never ending improvement, “kaizen”. Whether it’s your respective career, a new skill you would like to develop or a new hobby, growth, progress and ultimate success come to those who train and keep training. So in 2010, what are you training for?
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Nearly hit a brick wall today
Thursday, Jan 14, 2010 4:04PM / Members only
I was clueless about what to take a picture of today, despite the fact that I had a full day, and drove everywhere. That’s when I decided to rummage through my old record collection, when I realized that I had a pretty decent collection of Frank Sinatra records. When I visited Brooklyn this past December, I learned that the famous Grimaldi’s Pizzeria (http://www.grimaldis.com/) never delivers to anyone, the exception being Mr. Sinatra - if he was in Manhattan doing a show, his pizza would be delivered to him pronto.
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A new decade, a new year, a new beginning, a new project
Friday, Jan 8, 2010 1:38PM / Members only
By Jason Yeh
My attempt at having a Zen-like work space
Did you look back at 2009, and wonder where it all went or how fast it had flown by? Do you remember the key events in 2009 that made that year spectacular? Wouldn’t it be great if you could just flip through a photo-album of 365 pictures, which encapsulates your 2009 via visual imagery?
It’s been a long while since my last post, and I thought I’d stir things up a little bit by introducing a new project that I’ve been having a lot of fun with - “Project 365″. Essentially, I take one picture a day, of whatever happens to inspire, bewilder, or interest me. The goal is to chronicle an entire year through pictures and take 365 consecutive photos. To keep me motivated, I’m going to develop a photo album for each completed month, which will serve as monthly milestones. Hopefully through this process, I’ll learn to look at the world through a different lens, and notice things that I’ve failed to appreciate, as well as vastly improve my photography skills.
We live in such a fast-paced world, that we often forget what is truly beautiful or important, even if it’s right in front of us. Whether it’s a plant on your workspace, your cat or dog, the drive down to work, the walk around your school or neighborhood, your family, or significant other, do we take the time to really stop and appreciate all that is good around us? Even though it is cliche, how often do we really ask ourselves, “what am I grateful for?” Who are the people in my life that I love and love me? Is it really possible to see the beauty of people and things around us without a pause button in life? Whether or not it is possible, I hope that with “Project 365″, that my camera can help me wield this godly power to pause the events in my life, so that I can truly see and appreciate people and things for who and what they are. Just food for thought, but maybe we would all be happier if we took a minute each day, to pause our own world.
Thank you to my friends, shout-outs to Sharon Zhen, who inspired me to take on this project, and Ginger Lau for encouraging me and giving me the idea to start blogging again.
Follow along on my daily pictorial journey by visiting my Project 365 page.
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One-on-one Interview with DJ Iron Chef
Friday, Mar 20, 2009 8:27AM / Members only
Share and Enjoy:People at EDAW: Jason Yeh Hong Kong economic planner spins off in many directions. by Jody Brown
03/01/2009Jason Yeh is a part of EDAW Hong Kong’s Economics Team. He conducts feasibility analyses for a wide range of projects, from urban regeneration schemes to tourism developments. 
How do you relax?
One of the challenges I have is I don’t relax enough – I’m always on the go, trying to figure out what’s next – the next activity to get involved in, the next skill to learn, the next person I’d like to meet, the next outing in Hong Kong, the next restaurant to try, or the next country to explore.
On the other hand, it’s especially important to regenerate and renew, so we can go back into the world with a burst of energy. One of my favorite authors, Robin Sharma, calls this “Strategic Refueling,” i.e. being brilliant in your outer life is a cycle of being out there and playing your best, and then pulling back from the noise, so you can refuel and recharge your mind, body and soul.
One of my best practices before I leave the door to go out into the world is I meditate for about 10 minutes accompanied with breathing exercises and envision what my day will be like. Living in the rapid-fire pace of life in Hong Kong, it becomes ever more important to stop doing and going, so we can think about what we’re doing and where we’re going. Thus, spending a mere 10 minutes in silent contemplation helps me to pull back from the noise of day-to-day life and focus on what is really important. This exercise empowers me with an incredible level of focus and purpose to my day.
Another relaxing activity is getting a regular massage, about once every two weeks.
Lastly, but certainly not least, exercise, exercise exercise: I can’t think of a more naturally-inducing, stress-relieving relaxant than exercise. According to Brain Rules author and developmental molecular biologist, John Medina, “exercise boosts brain power.” Frankly, I believe it just makes me feel happier, focused and energized. I love playing Basketball and Badminton; why run on a treadmill when you can not only get a cardio workout but also interact and build camaraderie and friendships with people and teammates.
What do you like to do in your free time?
- Playing competitive basketball in the South China Basketball League
- Disk-jockeying club parties on a monthly basis in Hong Kong under the alias of DJ Iron Chef
- Taking photographs as an amateur photographer and an avid member of the Hong Kong Photography Club
- Pretending I’m a food critic and trying out different Hong Kong restaurants (collecting restaurant business cards of recommended restaurants)
- Traveling the world.
What is the funniest and/or strangest thing that has happened to you whilst working in the profession?
I’ve never won anything significant in my life, based on a prized drawing or lucky draw contest, so it came as a shock to me, during the Annual Spring Dinner back in February 2008, when Sean Chiao announced my name as the lucky-draw grand-prize winner of a brand-new i-Mac.
Who (living or dead) would you most like to have dinner with and why?
Hands down, Anthony Bourdain, the irreverent author, chef and host of “No Reservations,” where he’s a traveling food critic, experiencing the culinary delights of the world, while hosts within the local country treat Bourdain to local cuisine and culture of their respective home country. He has the neatest job in the world; in fact, he’s living my dream. I’d love to sit down with Bourdain over dinner to pick his brain and learn more about how he got to where he is today.
To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
Although I’ve cut back considerably, I usually don’t mind spending an extravagant amount of money on a quality dining experience. This same philosophy carries over towards traveling too; although I’m budget conscious, I wouldn’t think twice about spending more money to do more, see more and experience more. Money is replaceable, but travel memories and experiences are for a lifetime.
What is your idea of earthly paradise?
While I currently enjoy living in the dense urban metropolis of Hong Kong, where everything is so interconnected and transportation is convenient, in the future, I’d like to experience living on a vast open plantation, farmland, forest or a vineyard. I love the great outdoors, fresh air, and the luxury to be able to look up towards the sky at night and see stars. In addition, it would be wonderful to have a private lake that affords me the opportunity to take a daily row out with my canoe. Add in feel-good music, delectable food, and great company in family and friends, and paradise can’t be any more perfect.
What is your favorite feat of architecture, landscape design, urban or environmental planning, or engineering in the world and why?
Angkor Wat – the panoramic view of this monstrosity of a temple is simply breathtaking - I felt like I was transported back 1,000 years to view this cultural relic of Cambodia. It’s fascinating how well-preserved Angkor Wat is despite its age and all the tourists. It was almost an out-of-world experience; the best part of it was scaling up and down the dangerously steep steps of the temple.
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- DJ Iron Chef...
- Occupation: DJ , Photographer , Chef
- Gender: Male
- Total visits: 10,155
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