Ocean City, Maryland and Fenwick Island, Delaware
June 30-July 7, 2006

Photostory: A Week at the Beach

(Originally written and cross-posted in the Den of Angels and Zone of Zen forums on July 27, 2006)

Here's a first-person account of how a doll (a 1/6 scale Asian ball-jointed doll known as a Soom Mini-Gem Uyoo) spent a week full of fun and frolic in two towns located in two different states (Ocean City, Maryland and Fenwick Island, Delaware). Click on any of the photos to see a larger version open in a new window.

Arrival Day

This sign confirms the fact that I'm in Ocean City, Maryland, where I'm going to spend a week at the beach.

After spending a few hours of traveling on the road, I'm totally tired. I'll just rest here on a bed in this condo where I'm staying at for the week.

I got bored with laying around doing nothing after a while so I decided to do some preliminary exploration before the sun goes down. Ocean City is loaded with shops all up and down the main drag (Coastal Highway), such as this place that sells legal Cuban cigars.

Coastal Highway is also loaded with oceanfront condominiums, many of which were built in the late 1970's and 1980's. Before these large condos were built, there used to be smaller cottages and apartment buildings along the coastline that people could rent for a week but these buildings were razed in order to make way for these condos.

Day 1

Well I attempted to swim in the Atlantic Ocean but I keep on getting knocked over by the waves every time I do so. I got sand everywhere, even inside my ball joints!

I am sick and tired of getting covered with salt water and sand so I'm going to dress in street clothes and check out some of the miniature golf courses in town. These are the most elaborate mini golf courses I've ever seen. Ocean City has several of them and each one has a different theme, such as vikings, pirates, archeology, dinosaurs, Polynesia, Africa, and more! It's too bad that I'm too small to hold a golf club because these miniature golf courses look like they would be fun to play on.

Day 2

Today is a new day. I think if I just sit still, I should be able to withstand the ocean waves and still enjoy the cool water as a nice contrast to the hot sun that's shining off my resin skin.

Aaaahhh! Here comes a nice calm wave as it washes over my body and...

HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

You know, this swimming in the ocean is for the birds--especially the seagulls.

I've had enough of the beach for today. I'm going to put some street clothes on and explore this town some more. I'm learning a lot about Ocean City, such as the fact that marlin fishing is such a big sport in this area that the town leaders even erected this cool-looking steel statue of a marlin.

Here I am standing in front of the arch that welcomes everyone to the Boardwalk, which is the next most prominent attraction about Ocean City besides the beach.

The Boardwalk is loaded with shops, restaurants, video arcades, museums, and amusement park rides. The shops sell all kinds of stuff from t-shirts to this window full of lovely jewelry. It's too bad they are all too big for me. (**sigh!**)

The Boardwalk is filled with eye candy, such as this giant sand sculpture behind me.

Check out the details of this sand sculpture. They are amazing! All this was created by one man whose main goal is to simply spread the word of God and Jesus Christ through his talent as a sculptor. He puts so much work into his sculpture, even though his work will eventually be worn down by the wind and rain.

Located near the giant sand sculpture is some more artistic eye candy of a different sort. The Ocean Gallery sells paintings, posters, and photographs of all kinds of different subjects ranging from celebrities to landscapes to historic events to wildlife. Some are print copies of pieces done by world renowned artists and photographers while others are original paintings and photographs that were done by up-and-coming artists/photographers. Many people visit the Ocean Gallery just to see the massive amount of decorations that have been placed on the outside of the building. One could spend several hours just looking at the exterior decorations, which take up every nook and cranny of the outside walls and even the rooftop.

If all that isn't enough, the owners of the Ocean Gallery also own two cars that they've decorated and they park those cars right next to the side of the Ocean Gallery building. The car that's directly behind me is decorated like the Batmobile in Batman while the other car next to the Batmobile has a beach theme, complete with a replica of a sand castle on the rooftop and a few dancing hula girl dolls that are usually displayed on the car dashboard but they are displayed on the rooftop instead.

If you walk just a few blocks further down the Boardwalk, you'll come across this magnificent display of flying kites that are anchored down in the sand and they fly up in the sky both day and night (a floodlight shines on them at night). This display is located in front of a store called The Kite Loft, which sells kites (of course!), flags, windcatchers, and pinwheels. If flying things in the wind are not your thing, The Kite Loft also sells board games, keychains, toys, and all kinds of novelty items that is geared towards all ages.

Day 3

Now THIS is the way to enjoy the beach. By laying out in the sunshine in my swimsuit, I don't have to worry about getting knocked over by the waves and I can still see and hear the ocean nearby.

As much as I love Ocean City, there is so much stimulation that there are times when I need to just get away to a quieter location. The northern part of Ocean City ends right at the Delaware state line and once you cross it, you're in a town called Fenwick Island (which takes its name from the long island where the resort towns of Ocean City, Fenwick Island, Bethany Beach, and Rehoboth Beach are located). Fenwick Island is much quieter than Ocean City yet there is plenty of things to see and shops to visit. (The cool thing about Delaware is that the state does not charge any kind of sales tax at all. In essence, the entire state is duty-free shopping.)

Fenwick Island is a small town compared to Ocean City but it has its own unique spots. This large complex behind me is a combination store and museum that's known as Sea Shell City. The lower level is a store that sells all kinds of sea shells from all over the world as well as hermit crabs (yes, you can adopt them as pets), tons of novelty items and toys. The upper level is the Discover Sea Shipwreck Museum, which consists of items that were retrieved from actual shipwrecks.

Here I am on a boat outside Sea Shell City. It's too bad that I'm too small to actually ride this thing. It's frustrating that I can't reach the handlebars. (**sigh!**)

The upper level of Sea Shell City houses the Discover Sea Shipwreck Museum, which contains artifacts from real shipwrecks. Check out the pottery behind me that has pieces of coral that grew around and through the china.

According to the sign, this may or may not be an actual mummified mermaid.

The thing I love about this museum is that many of the exhibits are placed at such a low level that it's the right size for me to stand up on the floor and look through the window at the various shipwrecked artifacts.

I bought myself a nice conch shell from Sea Shell City. I was told that when you hold the shell to your ear, you can hear the ocean. Wow, I can hear those waves inside that shell!

Day 4

Here's another day to lay on the beach and soak in the sun rays.

Now that I'm done with laying on the beach, I think I'll check out the Boardwalk once again. Here I am in one of the many bike cars that one could rent for riding around on the Boardwalk early in the morning. (During the summer season, bicycles are permitted on the Boardwalk only in the morning before noon.)

Here I am standing next to the largest fish that was ever caught off the coast of Ocean City.

Here I am on the Boardwalk!

Right behind me is the Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum, which has all kinds of oddities (such as artwork made from dryer lint) and is distinguished on the outside by a giant shark that seems to protrude right through the building.

Window shopping on the Boardwalk can be so much fun! I love those bikinis, even if they are all way too big to fit me.

On the Boardwalk and down some side streets, you can find all kinds of artwork, such as these seagull statues.

The Boardwalk is loaded with video arcades featuring all kinds of video games ranging from classic 1970s and 1980s games (like Donkey Kong and Space Invaders) to the hottest games today. Here are some guys playing on a Pump It Up machine, which is a dancing game that was imported from South Korea just like me!

The Boardwalk has all kinds of rides, such as the ever-popular Haunted House.

Here's a carousel that was originally built back in the early 1900's. It contains the usual horses but it also contains other kinds of animals that are less common on a typical merry-go-round, such as giraffes, ostriches, and roosters.

The Boardwalk is great but after being there for a while, I get an urge to go to somewhere more quiet. So I decided to head over to Fenwick Island and check out some more places, such as the walkway of this shopping center.

Here's a really cool mural that's painted on the side of one of the stores.

One of the tallest attractions in Fenwick Island is the Fenwick Island Lighthouse. It was originally built for the benefit of the ships who were traveling in both the Atlantic Ocean and Assawoman Bay. The lighthouse has been decommissioned a long time ago but it is still lit up at night.

Day 5

Another day, another round of lying on the beach.

While Ocean City provides a lot of things to do, there are times when I just want to hang out and chill out in the condo. It's nice to be lazy while you're on vacation with nothing else to do other than to play endless rounds of my favorite video game.

Day 6

Okay, I got so immersed in playing on the Nintendo DS that I ended up staying up all night. Well, I couldn't get back to sleep after killing all the bad guys so I decided to just get out at 6 a.m. and do some early morning exploration.

There are people who live in Ocean City all year round. The permanent residents tend to live on the Assawoman Bay side of Ocean City while the hotels and rented condos take up the Atlantic Ocean side. These houses on First Street are among the oldest buildings in Ocean City.

Ocean City is known as being a resort town yet, surprisingly, there is a tiny industrial area that's located close to the Assawoman Bay side. I'm standing in front of George Bert Cropper, Inc., which manufactures and ships concrete.

Many people tend to rent bikes or bike carts to ride around on the Boardwalk early in the morning.

Here I am standing right next to what the locals call "The Esskay Clock" (in honor of the local hot dog company, which sponsors that clock).

Here are some large reproductions of souvenir postcards from the late 1800s-early 1900s.

I think I'll end my early start of the day with another round of laying around in the sunshine.

Day 7

Today is my last full day in Ocean City and I intend to let each minute count before I have to leave. Today is the last day I get to enjoy lying around on the beach in the bright sunshine.

I decided to go to the Boardwalk one last time, except this time I decided to do so at night, when everything is lit up. There seems to be a different vibe on the Boardwalk at night, where people are in a party mood.

Even the merchandise looks different and more vibrant at night.

The video arcades on the Boardwalk are a very popular spot to hang around at night.

Departure Day

Today is the day that I have to pack up and go back home. I always hate it when a fun trip ends. Oh well, I have no other choice but to take Route 50 across the bridge to the Maryland mainland and head home. Here's one interesting fact about Route 50, it's a cross-country road that starts at Ocean City and this sign tells you how far you have to go to reach the end in Sacramento, California.

I am sad about leaving Ocean City but at least I still have my conch shell with me. Every time I have an urge to remember what Ocean City was like, all I have to do is put the shell up to my ear and hear the ocean.

The Making of "A Week at the Beach"Photostory

(Originally written on July 29, 2006)

I originally decided to do a travelogue photostory when I found this entry that was written by Aimee, who's both The Den of Angels forum moderator and a regular columnist for Haute Doll magazine. Last month I did my first travelogue photostory featuring my Orient Doll Ji (which is now archived on my own website) and I posted it on a few doll forums, including The Den of Angels. I got some good response to it, even though it didn't get as much attention as I would've like. (That's the problem with The Den of Angels these days. That forum has gotten so popular that you can make a post that will quickly sink off the front page of a particular forum section.)

I was satisfied with the results of the first photostory so while I was making preparations for the trip to Ocean City, I decided to do a follow-up. However, since I intended to take a few beach shots, I was paranoid about using Ji again because I was afraid that I would easily lose the doll on the sand or, worse, she would get swept away in the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, I wanted to take a few beach pictures that were inspired by Sports Illustrated magazine's annual swimsuit issue and Ji's body is too childish for the sexy poses that I envisioned. So I chose to use my Soom Mini-Gem Uyoo. She is taller than Ji so she would be much harder to misplace on the beach, she has a sexy body that's perfect for a swimsuit, and she is still small enough to pack in my suitcase and carry around in my purse.

The Ocean City photostory was more challenging than the New York one because 1) I was shooting over a seven-day period while I only had one day to shoot the New York story, 2) the beach photos didn't turn out the way that I planned, 3) I had a less-than-pleasant interaction with some of the locals regarding my doll, and 4) I had to sift through tons of photos in order to get a coherent photostory that wouldn't run so long that people would find it boring and redundant after a while.

As for the shooting over the seven-day period, at first it was fun shooting photos of my doll but by the end of the week it grew tedious to the point where I became tired of it and I found myself thinking that I would enjoy my vacation more if I didn't have this doll with me to take photos of.

As for the beach photos themselves, I took them on the morning on the first day of the trip. There are usually fewer people on the beach in the morning so I was able to take a bunch of photos all at once. I brought two doll swimsuits with me (they were both originally made for Barbie and they were both sold together in the same package for $2 from K-B Toys) and I first took photos of Uyoo sunning herself on the beach (using a cheap folded-up bandanna that I bought for $1 at Target to simulate a beach towel) wearing the different outfits.

Then came the fun part. I thought it would be cool to see my doll posing in the water a la the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. But it became a disaster when I attempted to take photos as the waves came and they would knock the doll over. I tried several times and the doll could not hold her pose when the waves came up on the shore. After a while, I became afraid that the waves would sweep a $200 doll out to sea and I gave up. As a result, the scenes of the doll trying to take a dip in the ocean were far more comical than I originally intended.

In addition, I had to deal with the sand that got in her joints and her wig after she got knocked over by the waves. I managed to get most of the sand grains out of her joints using tissue and I shook the sand out her wig on the balcony of the condo. The downside is that her face and body blush became faded after her encounter with the ocean and a small portion of paint was chipped away from her eyebrows. (At least her resin shell didn't sustain any kind of damage.) I knew that salt water and sand can be a corrosive combination (the paint have to be replaced on buildings very frequently because the salt air tends to make the paint peel much faster than a building that's located further inland) but I didn't expect it to affect my doll like it did after spending an hour on the beach early in the morning.

I didn't take any more beach photos after that first day because I didn't want to risk exposing the doll to any further damage or even potential loss. (I became paranoid that the ocean would swept her away and I would never see her again.) But I managed to get enough photos on that first day to simulate Uyoo spending every day on the beach that week.

As for other people's negative reactions, I got more of them whenever I did photoshoots over the Delaware state line in the town of Fenwick Island. The people in Ocean City basically ignored me whenever I took my doll photos. As for Fenwick Island, there were two less-than-pleasant comments--both of them from older guys. When I was taking a photo of the doll in the courtyard of a local shopping center, one old guy sneered at me and sarcastially said, "Is THAT really a good photo that you took?" I immediately took the doll and left.

The second incident happened when I was doing some web surfing on the laptop at a local bar (which had Wi-Fi access) when, on impulse, I thought about taking a photo of Uyoo on the laptop to make it look like she was "surfing the Internet." When I tried, my camera acted up, mainly because I needed to recharge the battery. So I decided to just pack up the laptop and head back to the condo when some skinny old guy wearing a cowboy hat with no shirt (so I saw his wrinkled bony chest and his tattoos) came up to me and sarcastially sneered, "What is that doll you have?" By that point I already had the doll in my purse so I just said, "I don't have any doll" and walked past him. (Fortunately I did get some photos of Uyoo "surfing" on the laptop at a lovely Internet cafe in Fenwick Island with no hassles but they ended up being cut from the photostory at the last minute.)

As for the amount of photos that I took, I ended up with 350 photos by the time I returned from Ocean City. I took a lot of photos without the doll so I initially sifted out the non-doll photos. By that point, I had 181 photos. There was no way in hell I was going to use all 181 photos because with all the shrinking, cropping, and optimizing, it would've been very time-consuming for me and it would've tested the patience and interest of anyone reading a doll photostory with 181 photos. So I did some weeding out and I initially came to 101 photos, which was more manageable but it was still too long for something that was going to be posted on a doll forum. So I had to make some hard decisions and I ended up taking out photos that I thought were good but I had to reluctantly delete them in order to keep the photostory at a reasonable length. I finally managed to cut it down to 75 photos. Below are a few outtakes that almost made it to the photostory but I ended up cutting it at the very last minute because they didn't really fit in with the flow of the photostory.

While I don't regret trying to do such an ambitious photostory, I feel that I've bitten off more than I could chew. I'm generally pleased with the results but I don't think I will attempt another seven-day photostory again unless someone offers me money to do one.

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