postcards

new blog

2007-10-09T00:41:00.000-07:00

hey, i've just defected to wordpress. my new blog is called hungryghosts. i think a new blog is in order since my travels (during my self-declared year off) are coming to an end. just one more trip coming in november. it wasn't a very informative blog anyway, in regards to traveling.

click --> hungryghosts for new blog

can't fucking sleep

2007-10-05T01:47:00.000-07:00

i have the urge to go on walks sometimes late at night. i don't know what it is about the nightfall that incites me to roam the empty streets of my neighborhood. perhaps precisely because they are empty. perhaps because they provide a circuitous escape from the confines of my house, an exchange of the dust resting on my window sill for the free-floating speckles of dirt that have yet to vex it. perhaps more accurately so, to stretch the legs of ideas that run rampant in my mind, that like the dust, vex it. let them run their course so i may lay them, and myself, to rest.

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goodnight

wanderlust

2007-09-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

it's time.

sleepy eyes

2007-09-20T02:47:00.001-07:00

thomas and i finally recorded another song together, this time with the aid of our wonderful friend, evita. i wrote this song for my godson, kai. just remember, i am not a singer.

on a side note, if you or a friend are in need of someone to dp for your film, then you should contact evita huang at eq.huang@gmail.com.

nessy ft. evita huang - "sleepy eyes" mp3

holy fuck! wolf parade @ the glass house

2007-09-17T23:13:00.000-07:00

thomas, alicia, and i went to pomona to see wolf parade on saturday night. opening for them was holy fuck, an electronic music outfit who's set felt like watching a jam session among friends. the performance was disengaging save for, as thomas put it, the "arena drumming" of holy fuck's percussionist. each song so closely resembled the next that the experience was borderline forgettable. be that as it may, we were there to see wolf parade. and, despite playing a handful of new songs from the forthcoming album, they did not disappoint.

guitarist dan boeckner, looking as though he would keel over at any moment, was a personal favorite from the show. raw and impassioned, his performance was strikingly emotionally violent, a great compliment to his singing style. the decided highlight of the show was their encore performance which included the song "i'll believe in anything".

good times.

bumbershoot '07

2007-09-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

i just ate my first meal since i left seattle, which means two things: i'm happy, and i'm ready to blog about the 37th annual bumbershoot music and arts festival, days 1 and 3.

Ted Leo + the Pharmacists Best Live Show
holy shit. holy shit! i had to wait until the end of day 3 to see the wonder that is Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. if this was the only show i saw at bumbershoot, it would have been well worth the trip (70 hours there and back). they kicked off their set with "me and mia" and played three more songs seamlessly before finally stopping to re-tune their guitars and surely, to catch their collective breath. they expended more energy in those four songs alone than most other bands do in an entire set. their performance was flawless in every sense of the word: from song choice and execution to in-between-song banter. leo and the band charismatically handled random demands of his fiercely loyal fans such as: 1) stuffing down a slice of bread mid-set; 2) an overzealous fans request that he father his children; 3) another fans request that Leo and touring guitarist James Canty have a shredding battle. (for responses, see end of post)
after exhausting every song they knew with new bassist Marty Violence, Ted Leo came out by his lonesome to play "dancing in the dark" amidst calls for an encore. amazing. i wish i had heard of ted leo + the pharmacists earlier. more so, i wish ted leo was my friend...
Honorable Mentions: Tokyo Police Club, The Lashes, Menomena, Rodrigo y Gabriela

Lupe Fiasco Biggest Disappointment
sigh. i like lupe fiasco. really, i do. but i had some problems with his show, the first of which led to failure as much as it set him up for success. he hyped up the show and laid an egg. when you're only given an hour to rock a show, i'd like to hear less talk and more songs. but when he was rapping or singing (badly), the songs were shortened a bit and chopped up, presumably to allow for crowd participation. maybe this is too harsh. hard to please a crowd that's only really there to see a little group known as the wu-tang clan. but you'd have to ask someone else. i went to see ted leo.
Honorable Mention: The Shins (their music doesn't translate well to a live show)

Graham Wright (keyboardist, Tokyo Police Club)
Ben Clark (singer, The Lashes)
Best Single Performances By Someone Not Named Ted Leo (Tie)
Wright gets mentioned her solely on the strength of his work on the tambourine, rather than the keyboard. he absolutely wailed on that tambourine, head and shoulders tilted back facing the sky. classic. Ben Clark's energy was also something to behold. theatrics such as calling a news network mid-set and throwing streamers and cans of funny string at set's end come to mind. good times.

Favorites Quotes
"ay lupe, ay lupe, ay lupe" - Lupe Fiasco

"kimberly, i have a breaking news story for you. look outside your window! the lashes are playing! the lashes are playing!" - Ben Clark

(with hispanic accents)
"let's play some. . .fuckin' floyd." - Rodrigo

"fuckin' guitars man." - Gabriela

last, but not least, compliments of Ted Leo
(incredulously) "what, you want me to father your children?"

(portmanteau) "you don't want me to eat this (holding up slice of bread). not only do you have spet .. . not only do you have sweat and spit coming down on you, you don't want to add this to the mix."

"people, we need to shred together."

"thanks for coming guys. fuck you space needle."

"the days were as long as we thought them right"

2007-08-30T01:16:00.000-07:00

so this is a new song that thomas and i recorded just a few hours ago. this is the result of our first truly productive jam session. for the time being, we're recording under the name nessy.

enjoy!

nessy - "the days were as long as we thought them right" mp3

escape from orange county

2007-08-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

san francisco? seattle? chicago? anyone?

just call me 'the godfather'

2007-08-10T01:01:00.000-07:00

this just in: i'm going to be the godfather of my cousin susette's baby.

i introduce to you, kai.

speak plainly

2007-08-06T01:49:00.000-07:00

speak plainly, what would you do if you knew you were gonna die?
and not in some distant future, but in the cold hollow of tomorrow

parental control

2007-08-02T22:31:00.001-07:00

my mom is watching parental control on mtv, and she's liking it. . . .

what a funny world.

anyway, has anyone seen the (i'm assuming) new t-mobile commercial? that family is playing mahjongg. craaaaazy. i want to play.

czech flexipass

2007-07-31T15:42:00.001-07:00

i was just rummaging through my bag and i happened upon my unused czech flexipass.

it hurts a little to see it blank.

More Pictures of Spain

2007-07-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

please keep in mind that i was using a disposable camera. and, i suck at taking pictures, in general. click here to go there.

ethnic wars

2007-07-25T00:41:00.000-07:00

my cousin got me horribly drunk last friday. over the span of thirty minutes, i would ingest the following not in the listed order:

- two irish car bombs;
- two shots of tequila, one patron, one cuervo;
- two shots of vodka, grey goose;
- two kamikazes.

good times. but really, bad.

eurotrip reflections: part II

2007-07-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

hi, all. i am currently sitting in the living room of my cousin's soon-to-be late apartment, which means, i'm in oakland. back to where this whole trip started and a fitting place to pen part II.

i feel comfortable here, being around people that i know and love. during my travels, and afterwards as well, i've grown accustomed to calling every place and no place home. "home" has undergone a redefinition for me. "home" used to mean the house you grew up in, gradually expanding to the surrounding area or city. and generally, you grew up with your family--a mother, a father, a brother or sister. . .. but even then that word, "family," becomes redefined, say when you go off to college and live with strangers who you grow so close to that you cannot think of any other word to describe your relationship. then you begin to travel, to displace yourself, alienate yourself to everything you once knew. slowly, because perhaps your quiet and a bit shy, you make acquaintances, which evolve into friends, into family. . and once this relationship is formed, any sense of loneliness is destroyed. and yes, the land is foreign, the language, nearly impenetrable, but you've got your family with you, and families are supposed to give you the base to explore and to reach out of yourself, right?
so you explore. you talk to more people, manage to understand them a little. you meet other travelers, find that they are interesting. find that they are so kind, and what more, to a virtual stranger, some person supposedly from california that they've met only a half hour ago. maybe i will not get to know them well enough, or spend enough time with them to feel that i can call them "family," but i feel a basic pull to call them my brother or sister, as corny as that sounds. when you've encountered the human capacity for goodness, it gives you hope inspite of our disheartening capacity for evil. i feel connected, to everything and to everyone. every place is my home because every person is potentially my family. and no place is my home because, again as corny as it sounds, i belong to the world. and to you friend, those i've made and those i've yet to meet, i love you. i'll only say it once.

no i'm not drunk or on drugs.

yes, transformers is gratuitous fun. watch it at your local theater today.

eurotrip reflections: part I

2007-07-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

for as long as i can remember, europe has been a popular post-graduate destination. i was never smitten with the prospect of backpacking through various foreign countries until my third year, and it wasn't until the end of that year did i consider it a venture i must undertake. some go as a last hurrah before starting that job (or career) we loathe; some go before beginning even more extensive education; others still arrive in europe fresh from quitting a job they can no longer tolerate; lastly, there are those who simply don't know what comes next. perhaps this group of people are "trying to find themselves." of course there are many other reasons not listed here; however, these were the most common that were told to me.
if you had to peg me in one of these holes, i'd fit most neatly in that latter group, with an exception. yes, i did tell people that i was "trying to find myself," but i already know who i am. what this trip allowed for was time to come to terms with what i want and the reality of successfully obtaining that ideal. i say ideal because reality and ideas will never completely resemble each other, and my ideas (at least) usually lack the thorns that snag you along the way. i'll elaborate more on this later.
so far, this post has been all sound and fury. just build-up. the first thing i'd like to tell you about concerns basic necessities: food, water, a place to sleep, a restroom for evacuative purposes, a place to shower. i believe this is as basic as you can get in the society that i know.
when backpacking, these become the most important things. "oh wow, la sagrada familia! are we going to eat now?" "that's a really good french restaurant you say? but does it have a free bathroom?" and in light of how weak the american dollar is right now, green colors almost every decision.
with regards to food, i agree whole-heartedly with victor. upon my return, i commented to victor how much less i ate (victor can appreciate this; if you see him, feed him please. but no pork, he's supposed to be a vegetarian) in europe, but how much healthier i feel. when you live in a large chinese-filipino family that shows their love through the amount of food they offer (and expect you to eat), you tend to eat more than any one (or two) person needs to. strangely, we don't get sick of eating as much as we do, but that's for another blog. but anyway, victor's comment (more or less) was "yeah, europe has it right. you appreciate food more when the portions are smaller. " another thing that i've been trying to do is to chew my food. so important. (hey you, i hope you are remembering to do this).
as expensive as europe is now, water is still reasonably priced. and, oh, how good water does taste. after foolishly walking two hours from a bus station to the area where the hostels are with twenty, thirty, pounds on your back, i'd say water is damn well the most delicious thing in this world. it's a little bit of all right. when i didn't have a place to sleep in vienna, i slept in the park. not because it was the park, or because the bench i chose was comfortable (which it was), but because there was water nearby. so what i guess i'm confessing to you all is, i'm a water addict.
i could go on about those other basic necessities, but the point of it all is that you don't need much. stripped of your comfy couch and TV, your mattress with clean sheets, your nearby fast-food restaurant with the one-dollar size upgrade. . . you realize how little you really need. and hopefully, you appreciate, and continue to appreciate long after the fact, just how precious having a place to rest your head for the night is.

i've just touched the tip of the iceberg, but for the sake of time and motivation (on both our ends), i'll stop here and post part II, possibly III in the next few days. cheers.

Sevilla and Interlaken

2007-07-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

new pictures posted. click here.

i smell of europe. or maybe i just haven't showered in three days. . . .

2007-07-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

hey guys, it's been awhile. if i haven't told you already (and i probably haven't), i'm back in sunny southern California. i arrived around seven in the pm on wednesday. there's so much to tell, so much to say. for the sake of chronological order, and just keeping everything straight and organized in my head, i'll just pick up from where i left off. leaving como. . .

from como, i made my way to interlaken, a small town in south central switzerland. previously, i wanted to avoid switzerland altogether because of its notoriety as an expensive country. for example, for half an hour use of internet, one place charged 12 swiss francs. that's about ten dollars. ridiculous. despite the steep the prices, it hardly detracted from the natural beauty that surrounded me. beautiful mountains, some perennially snow-capped, absolutely pristine lakes and rivers, canyons carved out by glaciers, dozens of waterfalls whichever direction you may turn. . ..
this is an adventurer's paradise. by this point, i already knew that i'd be going home early, so i splurged a little on one of the countless activities offered. i went canyoning in nearby grimsel. the activity involves repelling down a 150 ft. rock face, plunging into 50 degree water from heights ranging 10 to 20 feet high, ziplining and then plunging yet again into ice-cold water, and lastly, using the ultra-smooth rocks as natural slides to, you guessed it, re-enter the welcoming arms of that delightfully unheated water. seriously, good times. before i knew it, i was clamoring to be the first one to jump off the ledge.
i also met some cool people. three guys from illinois and missouri, respectively, and a girl from california. the three guys joked that california is probably empty right now. we all left for europe.
later on, i hiked 18km with those three guys (mike, steve, and chris) to see the largest accessible waterfall in all of europe. mike and i didn't actually get to see it; once we saw the 11 sf entrance free, our faces read, "f*ck this."
after interlaken, i went to vienna. after failing to find an open bed at two hostels, i decided to leave my backpack in a locker located at the train station, and just stay up all night "before sunset" style minus the girl. i saw some pretty cool stuff, but i got really tired. so, i found a nice, well-lit bench in stadtpark, and slept there for a few hours. i really liked what little i saw of vienna. it's a shame i had to leave the next day. i'm definitely going back to properly see eastern europe and italy. i'm thinking around february or march next year. but, until then, southeast asia is coming up next.
that's all for now. eurotrip reflections pending further. . . reflecting. . . .

stay tuned.

leaving como

2007-07-04T22:57:00.000-07:00

i feel so much more energetic that i will write complete sentences today. i will be leaving como shortly for interlaken. hmmm, that's all for now.

so tired.

2007-07-03T01:41:00.000-07:00

overnight train from lisbon to madrid. one day in madrid. overnight train to barcelona. one night in barcelona. overnight train to milan. . .

so very tired. and so over budget, which means i won't be in milan for much longer. florence, eastern europe, or london?

homesick like crazy. the five weeks have caught up to me. typing in short, incomplete sentences for full effect. plus, this keyboard sucks and sleep has been a luxury this past week.

mmm i just want food. and my guitar. thomas, j.mar, we need to jam. it's time.

from lagos to lisbon

2007-06-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

hey guys,
i´m in lisbon now. i spent a night in lagos, a beach city in the south of portugal. pretty, scenic, and touristy as hell, a night was more than enough to spend in lagos. so far, i´ve spend most of this day walking around downtown lisbon. anyway, i am hungry and i want to listen to some live fado. until next time kids. . .

another update

2007-06-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

hey guys,

i´m in sevilla, staying at the oasis backpackers´hostel. spain´s been fantastic so far. yesterday i saw the alhambra in granada and today i saw the real alcazar in sevilla. both ridiculously beautiful. alicante was nice, but outside of their festival (which luckily so happened to be taking place while i was there), it was a bit of a disappointment.

after sevilla, i plan on going to lagos. sadly, i have to cut short my time in spain. i still need to see italy, czech republic, hungary, and austria. i´ll stop by germany and ireland if i have time, although i doubt it. anyway, thats all for now. hope everyone is doing well.

what, were adults now?

2007-06-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

congratulations to all 2007 college graduates, especially from UC Irvine.

zot. zot.

(one of) God´s gift to mankind

2007-06-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

barcelona. this place is great. this whole country is great. ok, so i´ve only been here for two days. blame it on the water. right now i´m at my hostel and some live flamenco music is about to make love to my auditory system. . .

sorry, awkward moment.

i feel compelled to write a bit more than i have of late for a couple of reasons. one, the awesome-ness of barcelona and spain, in general, has already been mentioned. the other reason is the iminent departure of my travel buddies from the old world, and back to cozy(?) san francisco. it´s saddening, and to those i´ve written letters, or will be writing letters to, you´ll be reading more about it. in response to this sort of mini depression, i spent a considerable amount of time planning my destinations for approximately the next two weeks. if all goes to plan, barcelona will give way to valencia, to alicante, to granada, to sevilla, and to cordoba, all in southern spain; then to toledo and madrid in central spain. next, to santiago de compostela and vigo in northwestern spain, followed by a trip to portugal with stops in braga, porto, coimbra, and lisbon. from there i hope to catch a flight to rome.

here´s to this plan actually working. ::raising imaginary glass of sangria::

traveling is tiring, but the music is playing and all i want to do is listen. more on that later.
hasta luego. (my spanish is so out of practice, i´m not sure if that was an appropriate time to use that phrase. me dumb)

update

2007-06-12T04:58:00.000-07:00

today is my last day in amsterdam. tomorrow, barcelona.

greetings! from amsterdam

2007-06-09T05:23:00.000-07:00

so i left paris this morning. i am now in amsterdam. yesterday i went to the eiffel tower, arc de triomphe, and champs-elysees during the day and night. pictures will be posted later.

the eiffel tower and the louvre, oh my!

2007-06-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

today i went to the louvre. there's too much to see. i haven't seen the eiffel tower up close yet, but i did see it from the pantheon. its sort of magical how these architectural feats kind of pop up once you 'round a corner. the jardin de luxembourg is nice; great for people watching and umm, watching the mating of pigeons. . .

anyway, expect fewer posts and really, anything of substance. i'll be using it mostly to update where i am. give me your addresses because i want to write a letter and/or send a postcard to you. yes, you. 10 hayes, expect another letter.

lastly, my british friend finally sent me the picture. i look awkward. its me at portobello market, near notting hill.

greetings! from paris

2007-06-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

all i will say is that i am in paris and its good times. au revoir. for now.

greetings! from edinburgh

2007-05-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

i woke up early this morning to catch a bus to king's cross train station. friendly advice: keep your all-day bus passes from the previous day; the drivers don't check or seem to care. i was disappointed that i chose to leave today for edinburgh because it was sunny in london. anyway, traffic was bad and i nearly missed my train. once on board, i enjoyed the scenic countryside, and later, some of the cliffs of scotland. i can't stress how beautiful this place is. edinburgh, with its brick-layed streets, has an inviting and almost small town atmosphere--i would be amiss to call it a city.

after finding my hostel, i walked around a bit. i stopped by the national gallery of scotland and the literary museum, which is devoted entirely to robert burns, robert louis stevenson, and sir walter scott. i stopped by edinburgh castle and admired from afar. i preferred not to spend eleven pounds on admission alone.

so this post isn't any better from the last. a thought did occur to me while walking around this "city" and the two museums--what would my masterpiece be? corniness aside, the gorgeous buildings, the enormous paintings, the literary works. . . it makes one wonder what, if any, truly great or memorable thing will spring from our ripe minds?

again, i had more to say, such as expounding on how much more i prefer scotland to london, how living on a budget while traveling in a cold country has given me a little more perspective on how it would suck to be homeless. this made me think of a question posed to me and my fellow high school students in our ethics class: would you give money to a homeless person if you had good reason to believe that it'd be nothing more than an empty bottle? i've tried to give whatever loose change i had while i was hawaii, not giving a thought about it. now that i'm here, i'd imagine that i would want money for alcohol (if i were homeless). it'd keep me warm, help me fall asleep, and just maybe, i'd forget my circumstances. granted, this is purely a short term remedy of sorts and i'm sure there are many more questions to think of.

i also wanted to talk about how great it is to stay in hostels, but i suppose i could provide a better opinion of hostel life closer to the end of the trip . before i go, i need your input. on sunday, june 3, i 'll have one day left to use on my britrail pass. because sundays are shitty days to take the tube in terms of productivity , should i. . .

1) go to liverpool;
2) go to oxford (i could possibly stop by oxford on the way back from liverpool, i forget tho)
3) go to cambridge;
4) go to bath.

i eagerly await your responses.

blonde redhead

2007-05-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

so it's pretty damn cold here. it's difficult to type because my hands are partially frozen. it's been a pretty fun past 24 hours or so. i forget if i mentioned it in my last post, but i moved from leinster inn hostel to hyde park hostel, which is less than a mile away. it made all the difference. hyde park hostel is cheaper than the former, and the atmosphere is infinitely better. i made two new friends, filipino girls from the bay area named skylar and stephanie. today we went to a free blonde redhead concert that took place in the cafe/bar of the tottenham court rd. location of fopp record store. an intimate setting for an awesome show. the story really takes place at 7:30 am when we crawled out of bed to get the necessary wristbands to attend the show. since i've had some travel companions, i've actually been eating. usually i take full advantage of the complimentary breakfasts--eat my fill then take the bread for lunch and dinner. but yes, blonde redhead. highlight of the day. again, there's so much to say but i have consistently been overwhelmed since arriving. with that, i leave you with a promise that the next post will be better. cheers.

musings, random thoughts

2007-05-27T07:42:00.001-07:00

i figured out the subway system; they call it "the tube." i am excited about that. riding the tube made me feel like i was in new york. in fact, the more time i spend here, the more i feel like i'm in new york. london has that same vibe and energy. i feel strange at times; london's past seamlessly co-exists with the present. old school charm with modern flavor. british people dress well. what i mean is, they wear clothes that fit them properly. you'll find no bare asses here, to you're liking, or dismay.

i finally saw the london bridge. eh. its dwarfed in size and splendor by its relative, the tower bridge. even more impressive still is the made for pedestrians millenium bridge. in lieu of wires and arched supports, this decidely silver colored bridge is supported by long metal polls joined at various points. this bridge leads to the tate modern museum, located on the southern bank of the river thames. tate is dedicated solely to modern art. the museum itself looks foreboding, due to its behemoth size (it's seven stories tall) and uniform tan color (yes, in this case, tan is foreboding). once inside, there is a huge expansive space with a carousel and a hands-on display for kids. the display is comprised of large scale everyday household items such as campbell's soup cans or brillo soap pads. it reminded me of grade school when my classmates and i were assigned similar projects. the modern art, itself, is fantastic. if it weren't for the huge crowds, i would have spent more time there.

london is nice, but i'm getting a bit tired of it. on tuesday, i'm going to edinburgh. excited!

my imaginary band will be called ness, or the late greats. hopefully these names are not taken.

i swear i had more insightful things to say, but i can't remember what they are. here's stating the obvious: london is effing expensive.

day two

2007-05-26T10:49:00.000-07:00

finally a good day. the airline found my bag and i now have it sitting in my room. i can shower and brush my teeth now. exciting! i've certainly been in a foul mood the last 24+ hours. nothign like a good shower to clean that right up. also, just when i was feeling quite lonely and misplaced, i made a couple of friends. the first, a fellower backpacker who will be traveling for nine months. he is crazy. the other, a native londoner (can i say that?). he showed me around, especially portobello market which turned out to be a stones throw away from my hostel. things are looking up.

disaster! at the aiport

2007-05-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

i don't have much time, so this'll be a short one.
my parents took me to the aiport. the bravery was there. got on the plane. usually fall right asleep but i couldn't sleep at all. i think i've been awake for 24 hours now. flight was good. airport sucks. they misplaced my bag so i'm extra gross tonight. walked around london. i am so tired. and hungry. i will get food soon. oh yeah, dad, i lost the camera. no joke. don't know what happened. ::shrugs:: westminster abbey is really nice. when i first saw it, the most inspiring and insightful description that came to mind was, "wow, it's so pointy." this keyboard is weird. they switched the places of these two things: @ and ". anyway, there's so much more to say. oh well.

this is allen and these are his things

2007-05-23T00:29:00.000-07:00

in a magazine simply called "Good Magazine," a small section is devoted to a globetrotter and his or her personal belongings. so, i thought i'd kindly "rip" their idea and feature myself in all my narcissistic glory. i meant to publish this post early in my travels but i kept putting it aside for whatever reason. without further ado, i give you . . .er. . . .myself.. .

: person

This is Allen

Name Allen Sin
Age 21
Location Buena Park, Irvine
Birthplace Artesia
Occupation Globetrotter For Hire
(couldn't think of anything better)

All In A Spending life savings to

Day's Work experience new places. That part is

easy. Convincing my parents that
I'm going nowhere is another post.
These days I spend too much time
with myself and my thoughts, resulting
with this type of post and restless sleep.

Finding At this very moment, it's Miles Davis.

Inspiration I'm listening to Bitches Brew, and it's good.
Really good. Anyway, without getting into
the thick of it, here is a list, because, you
know, we're all list whores:
mama & papa, gabby, michelle, priscilla,
jennifer, uncle vinny, thomas, victor
great, amazing human beings.

Feeding Oh goodness. We all know my unadulterated
Inspiration love affair with food. My last meal was a
combination of Sam Woo food and homemade
deliciousness that is my father's cooking. I
recently discovered a Mexican restaurant with
Gabby called La Barca de Jalisco. Mmmmmm.

Wish List This is a whole post on its own. For now, i'll just
say, a kick-ass eurotrip followed by an equally
kick-ass philippines trip. Oh, and also, I hope to not become a gypsy in italy. My hopes are only
wishes.

...and these are his things

in the actual magazine, not only would the picture
be better, some of the items are numbered and
commented on by the featured person. i'm lazy
and hardly computer-savvy, so i'll just mention
some of my items and talk about them. black REI
bag compliment of victor. no frills, same thrills.
dust and conscience, a book of poetry from jeremy.
craig thompson's carnet de voyage, from thomas.
a pair of great travel resources, thanks to gabby, billy,
and jess. what shouldn't you leave home without? no,
it's not your american express card! it should be your
iPod, moleskin notebook, and flask. contributor of
contents of flask shall go nameless, but i kindly thank
you for the maker's mark. lastly, there is a small stack
of envelopes. send me your addresses so i can write
you a letter! at least, a postcard.

obituary

2007-05-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

brown checkered slip-on vans

November 24, 2004 - May 8, 2007Brown checkered slip-on vans passed away late last night. Succumbed to injuries sustained during futbol sessions and hiking treks, which had forced retirement a week earlier. Will be remembered for their dependability and comfort. Survived by black high-top chucks. It was two years, five months, and two weeks old.

home

2007-05-08T22:55:00.001-07:00

home has such a sobering effect. just when you think you're flying, you realize your feet are planted on the ground, albeit a bit unsteady.

there's certainly no place like home.

quotable

2007-05-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

my mom: "you suck, not the phone."

on my comments regarding the loss of phone numbers and my frustration with my unfamiliarity using an old/new phone.

mmmmmm

2007-05-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

while running back from ala moana beach park. . ..

sign reads: ICE COLD BEER!

i lick my lips.

::raising imaginary glass::

here's to ice cold beer.

water and electronic devices don't mix? who knew this and didn't tell me

2007-05-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

so i tried to get to mokoli'i island anyway. this was on sunday.

i found out that the ocean depth between the island and the beach is four feet in some spots and eight feet in others. consistent with all the beaches i've seen here, the ocean floor is rocky rather than sandy. i subjected my shoes to yet another beating, this time watery, and tried walking to the island.

in my first attempt, i took about eighty steps and then turned back. after thinking it over for a few minutes, i tried once more. because i wanted to take pictures in the event i did reach the island and perhaps write a bit, i brought along my backpack containing my camera and notebook. i also brought my cell phone just in case i got stuck on the island and needed to get help. i split these and other things between two ziplock plastic bags. more on this later.

i was less than half the distance away from the island when i finally lost my nerve. the water was up to my neck and the waves were getting a bit too big for my liking. upon reaching the beach, i discovered that the ziplock bag containing my cell phone, camera, and notebook had filled with water. apparently, there was a hole in it. the other bag was fine. mom, if you are reading this, my cell phone is not working right now so you might have a problem getting a hold of me by phone. anyway, my camera, at least, is working again. unfortunately, i couldn't take pictures of the north shore later in the same day. a small blemish on a pretty good weekend.

the north shore, in my opinion, is the best thing about oahu. i was tired of taking the bus, so i decided to walk from hale'iwa to shark's cove and sunset beach. along the way, two guys pull their truck over and yell, "hey bra, do you want a ride?" i quickly cross the street and tell them where i'm headed. "we're headed to waimea bay. we can take you as far as there." so i hopped onto the flatbed and soon we were on our way. a short while later, we were at waimea bay. i hopped off, and as i was about to thank them, the driver says, "hey bra, have fun. i'd give you some beer but we already drank it! ::both guys laugh:: "i'd help also help you out with some (insert hawaiian word for girls, starts with a p, no not that one) if i could too. ::both guys laugh again:: take care. be safe." and just like that they were gone and i was off to shark's cove, laughing. that was my first real encounter with the famed hawaii friendliness. good times.

yesterday, i went surfing at waikiki. ridiculously crowded. my pride got the best of me and i rented a shortboard instead of a longboard. with the waves that i saw that day, i would have been better off with a longboard. waikiki was so calm that at one point i waited at least half an hour for a wave to come. but when they do come, the waves don't fall apart like in socal. i was more of a spectator than a surfer. it was too crowded for me to feel comfortable to try anything. i pissed off another surfer when, i guess to him, i got in his way. a**hole. despite a rather uneventful outing, it was nice to be on a board again. andre, if you are reading, we need to go surfing when i get back. tell ryan young.

i feel content with the time i've spent here.

quick shoutout: happy 21st to jomay!

i am bored

2007-04-28T02:45:00.000-07:00

i've been in honolulu for over a month now. apparently, its long enough to no longer be mistaken for a tourist. just the other day people were asking me for directions; more importantly, i was able to help them. a month is also more than enough time for me to realize that i would never want to live here. maybe visit for a week at most, but never to set up shop indefinitely. the weather is nice, but overrated. give me california weather any day of the week. it never gets cold here, which i don't like. oh, and the rain. the rain! i like the rain, but here, it could rain if there isn't a cloud in the sky. or, it could begin raining in the blink of an eye and be gone the next moment.

hiking was a nice diversion. i did so much research on possible trails to hike. geez, it's all i've been really posting about. but, i'm tired of hiking here. the only trails left that still interest me are ones that i've recently convinced myself i shouldn't do. graveyard, crouching lion, kaheliki. .. these are the three most dangerous trails on the island, from least to most. wouldn't you think a trail named graveyard would be the most dangerous? i was caught up with this idea of hiking all three of these, but soon came to my senses. i'd be going alone without the proper gear or necessary experience. not a good mix. then there's mokolii island, 0.3 miles off the shore of kualoa beach. it's better known as chinaman's hat, dubbed so because of the island's shape. i would swim the distance, but i don't think i'm strong enough. currents are so much stronger in hawaii than i'm used to, and plus, there's the chance of getting stung by a portugese man-of-war which are known to drift into the windward side of the island. i'd kayak but the rental place is too far. i don't have a car to use and the bus certainly won't let me bring along a kayak. the trail that i am perhaps the most smitten with is the haiku stairs, also known as the stairway to heaven. how wouldn't you be at least a little interested in where this trail actually goes? what would you see once you reached the top? these stairs were built by the US army, or navy, i forget, to reach a lookout point. the problem: it is currently illegal to access the stairway. its been caught up in a feud between the neighborhood and local government. basically, the neighborhood wants the stairway closed, vaguely citing issues of privacy or something like that. i've long entertained the idea of hopping on an early bus before the break of dawn (thereby avoiding any local residents who may see me) and just jumping whatever fence i may meet. i don't know if i have the nerve to do it.

besides hiking, i gladly quit my job and worked my last shift. finally met cool people at work but most of them work crazy amounts of hours and attend school. i was able to go to a dinner hosted by a co-worker. had some paella, supplied the wine for some sangria, and watched monty python and the holy grail. . . but that's all. i doubt i'll see them anymore since i no longer work at the cheese nor have any desire to return to waikiki.

i was able to catch the last day off the hawaiian independent film festival. i watched eagle vs. shark. if you like napolean dynamite, you'll like this movie. it's an oddball love story with more emotional depth than nd. i thought it was more enjoyable, actually. i really haven't done much else of late; there are a couple of places i've been meaning to visit, mostly places in downtown. earlier, i went to jazz minds art and cafe. its the only place in hawaii that has live jazz on a weekly basis. i first noticed the place when i walked home from work. tonight i had a chance to go. i've never felt more out of place since i was at an ozomatli concert with thomas. i think i was the youngest person at jazz minds. the interior was nice enough. paintings covered a good amount of the walls and the floor, with couches. the spacifics were the band of the night; they functioned mostly to provide ambience rather than put on a show. seph 1, the lead singer, was more of a slam poet. rockin a rasta cap, his voice had more than a passing similarity to bebot of black eyed peas. i was hopeful for the night but ended up leaving early, bored. i am determined to spend the rest of my days at the north shore and on the beach.

almost hiked out

2007-04-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

i used up my monthly space on flickr, so here are a few of my favorite photos of the past week. since the last post, i've been able to hike three trails. another day was spoiled by a foolish hope that rain would not fall. i was less than a mile from maunawili falls trailhead when, within a minute of the first raindrop, i was thoroughly soaked. good times.

so instead of hiking maunawili falls, i took a bus to the eastern side of the island. i arrived at sea life park. this picture is from the beach across from the park, near makapu'u. there were a lot of black rocks and small tidepools. there were also a lot black crabs sensitive to my presence. they quickly side pedaled away. unfortunately, no pictures of them.

on another day, i went to hike kaau crater valley trail. the trailhead, like others i have encountered, is located in residential area. unlike the others, this one had a fence with a "no trespassing" sign to greet any and all hikers. what's great is that directly to the left of this sign is an oft-used path that leads right around the fence. the trail itself follows two pipelines up and away from waiomao stream; one still in use, and the other so rusted and weather-beaten that the pipe looks like the cracked bark of a tree. also, the further you went up the trail, the more apparent that the trail was not regularly used. i felt a bit molested by the vegetation, and was glad that i had worn jeans. the trail is also deceiving. the vegetation hides the fact that the trail is quite narrow, and in some parts, non-existent. as usual, the trail was slick as well. i almost fell off a few times to certain injury; luckily, i grabbed plants firmly rooted in the ground. after just an hour of slipping and sliding along a lonely forest-encrouched trail, i headed back.

the day i hiked koko crater was by far the highlight of my hawaii trip. called kohelepelepe by the hawaiians, the trail sports 1,106 steps to the top. the majority of the trail follows an unused railroad track. this was the most gut-wrenching rise of any trail that i've hiked. the view was more than worth it. from the top, i hiked along the narrow windward rim. this trail was much more dangerous as it involved some four-point climbing along a wind-battered ridge. the trail descended into the botanical garden inside the crater. from there i hiked past the hawaii kai golf course to the beach. following the beach, and then kalanianaole highway, i made my way to the halona blowhole and the amazingly beautiful beach next to it. after stopping for a swim, i hiked to hanauma bay. such a fulfilling day. along the way i finally got that tan. when the next month comes, i'll post more pictures.

the last hike i went on was the judd memorial trail. the attraction of this trail is this natural swimming pool called jackass ginger, complete with a rope for those who have an inner tarzan. i intended to take the plunge, but i needed to clear at least nine feet to safely enter the pool from the rope. i reluctantly thought the better of it after a few minutes and paid for my idling with several mosquito bites. the forest, itself, is beautiful. the trail forked so many times that i soon didn't care where any of them lead. i called it quits soon after seeing the pool.

there are about five more trails that i really want to hike. let's see if i actually do. i'm getting a little homesick. hawaii shouldn't be experienced alone. at least i can look forward to my last day of work tonight. i am excited.

Playlist Phun: Part Deux

2007-04-17T21:25:00.001-07:00

my iPod arrived today. in celebration of this momentous occasion, here is playlist phun. i wanted to do an "island edition," but i haven't found much music here worth mentioning. the radio stations still regularly play "genie in a bottle" and almost every other song has a reggae influence, so 90% of the music sounds the same. there is also a radio station dedicated to spinning "jawaiian music." eh.

kohomua - be mine
this is the one song that i heard every single time i turned on a radio. and i like it.

tokyo police club - citizens of tomorrow
this song really should have been included in the last list. it's incredibly catchy, and like all their songs, it's a short, adrenaline-rushed ride.

be your own pet - adventurers
speaking of adrenaline, have you heard of be your own pet? their deut album was almost seamless, full of raw, playful energy and with a spoonful of attitude to boot. i actually don't have this song with me, but it's been stuck in my head lately.

albums i am excited about (but have yet to hear):

the arcade fire - neon bible
their debut album is epic. i've heard over and over how they are the best live band. period. let's go see them!

lcd soundsystem - sounds of silver
i expect nothing less than good times.

in addition to the arcade fire, i also want to see be your own pet live. i also hope to see daft punk in france. anyway, that's all for now.

quick shoutout: happy birthday to billy!

Zen and the Art of Cheesecake Preparation

2007-04-16T04:28:00.000-07:00

. . . . and on the first day, cheesecake was prepared, and God did not think it was good. . . . . .

Cutting Cakes
'To free an individual slice, cut through the patty paper with a knife. Continue the cut through the crust.'
OK. This should be easy enough. At least Kim (my trainer) made it look easy. [grabs a knife; cutting soon feels like sawing; after unexpected resistance, looks satisfied that the job was done]

'Rock the knife side to side to free the slice before pulling it out.'
Oh sh*t. I think I cut into the neighboring piece of cheesecake. I'll just cover it up. It doesn't look that bad anyway.

'Insert the knife under the freed sice and gently pull the slice out.'
The moment of truth. Will I or won't I get this piece of cheesecake out. [struggles; patty paper appears to still be partially intact; continues to pry; appears successful] Crap! Part of the piece is still lodged in there.

Kim: "Just get the neighboring slice. It should be easier to get."

Hmmm. Slightly Easier. Now for. . .

Cake Placement
'When placing cakes, the back of the slice or the heel, is placed all the way to the end of the oval plate against the rim."
[slowly and carefully approaches plate with the slice precariously perched atop the blade] Phew. I don't know how that didn't fall when I turned around. Ok, just gently bring the slice down. . . . [slice falls on its side onto the plate, partially smashing the delicate top] Nooooooooooo. [tickets begin to pile up; the other bakers roll their eyes; the servers begin to sigh]

Kim: "We'll work on this later. Just whip for now."

Whipped Cream Placement
"The whipped cream at the tip of a full slice must meet the cheesecake (not cover it) and reach just above the height of the slice. Place another dollop at the heel end, on top of the cheesecake."
OK. No problem. I was doing this earlier. Although there wasn't a rush. .. [begins to whip using machine]

Kim: "No, don't whip like that. Just let it fall. Don't go up and down."

Sigh. [removes whip; starts over] All right. That looks good. [brings over to counter for servers to take when. . .] Aynako! [dolllop of whip falls onto its side; starts over again]

This. Job. Sucks. A handbook for this job should read: zen-like patience necessary.

Cheesecake Factory Employee By Profession, Adventurer By Calling

2007-04-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

now that i've had a chance to rest, i can relate the past day's events. thursday was certainly the most physically taxing since i last played soccer. i planned to start the day relatively early so i could fit a hike in before i had work later that night. i had my eyes set on manoa falls, a 1 1/2 mile hike. by stupidity, i misread directions to the falls, which mentioned the University of Hawaii-Manoa. the trailhead began at the end of manoa rd, so i assumed that if went to UH, i would find manoa rd and just follow it to its end. however, once i arrived at the campus, i grew suspicious of my ill conceived sense of direction and went to the closest library. there i would discover that manoa rd did not run along at any side of the campus; also, the trailhead was three miles away. so, at 10 am, i set out for manoa falls. as for the UH campus. . . after one hundred years of existence, the campus vibe was virtually non-existent. i suppose the fact that students can take classes at their local community college and earn university credit without ever having to step foot on the university campus has somewhat affected the atmosphere. then again, it is hawaii. i doubt that the majority come to hawaii to immerse themselves in study.

about forty-five minutes later of jogging and walking, i reached the trailhead. my shirt, damp with sweat; my spirits, as high as ever. i was met by a lush forest and a trail (which, for the most part ran parallel to a stream) consisting of leaves, rocks of various shapes and sizes, and softened dirt. it had rained the night before and the day's low-hanging clouds threatened to unleash another bout.

needless to say, the forest was beautiful. filled with bamboo trees, banyan trees, and moss covered trees that i later learned is a current pest problem for the forest. they grow quickly and they look nice, but according to the parking attendant, they have no productive use beyond 25 or 30 years. plus, their shallow root system is apt to give way during storms.

after about twenty minutes, i reached the falls. the water level was low, so the gush was fairly small, but nevertheless a sight to behold. from 150 feet high above, water fell into a small pool below. it would have been nice to take a dip into the pool. biological impurities. what can you do?

it was a short hike; i had not my fill. where most everyone would have turned back once seeing the falls, i continued onto aihualama trail, its trailhead inconspicuously located next to manoa falls. not knowing where it would lead, i followed the trail, markedly rockier and muddier than the trail beore it. as i went, the sound of rushing water gave way to a calm; graced by intermittent sounds of chattering birds, disturbed by the pounding of my heart. at first i thought the trail would wrap around manoa valley but it soon became apparent that this would be an upward trek. i began to wonder if i should turn back. i had seen some footprints on the trail headed in my present direction which appeared to be fresh. however, i was not sure how long ago those tracks were made, let alone if other people would be coming back in my direction. anyway, what do i know about tracking? i even came upon a fallen bamboo stem that seemed to say "turn back." but i didn't want to regret not seeing what would be on the other side, if there was another side at all.

sure enough, i met two guys along the way. from them i learned i was about another good thirty minutes from reaching the lookout point. i would reach a fork in the road and a sign would direct me to another trail and to the lookout point. it was a ways, they said, but worth the effort.

my momentarily uplifted spirits were soon dampened by the promise, rather than threat, of rain. i was ill prepared for the extended hike (i ran out of water and had to eat my partially smashed banana), as well as for rain and ensuing muddy trails. my torn canvas slip-ons were never meant to negotiate slippery terrain and muddy waters. despite the conditions, i decided to maintain my running pace, muddy waters be damned. it paid off.

shirt drenched through and through. jeans muddied and wet half way from the bottom up. shoes caked in mud and beyond recognition. sweat and rain indiscernably running down my brow. at exactly noon, i reached the. . .

. . . . and i saw this view. ...

the picture does it no justice. further to the right, you can see the ocean. and all around is endless green and mountains. the hike to this lookout and the trek back would encapsulate my yet-to-be finished day. a rise to spectacular heights followed by a seemingly endless fall into drudgery that is meaningless labor at the cheesecake factory. what a day.

more pictures on flickr.

picture update

2007-04-12T01:26:00.000-07:00

i finally uploaded a bunch of pictures onto my flickr website which can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7235007@N02

the most recent pictures are of diamond head crater. i went there this morning. it was packed with tourists. it can't be helped. i was a little annoyed; its one thing to wear poor footwear such as my torn up checkered vans. its another story if you're wearing slippers, or heels(!) as some people did. you can read more about diamond head state monument here:
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/sites_to_see/diamond_head.htm

the aloha tower pictures and iolani palace pictures are from monday. i was really disappointed with aloha tower. another tourist trap. the neighboring marketplace isn't interesting either. you can read more about aloha tower here:
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/sites_to_see/aloha_tower.htm

basically, if you want to read about any of the hawaiian islands, just go to hawaiiweb.com. or you could wikipedia it, of course.

so i decided that i need a new camera. but, i also want an ipod. lets put it to a vote.
canon powershot S3 IS
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/S3IS/S3ISA.HTM
or
canon powershot A630
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/A630/A630A.HTM)

vs. 30GB black iPod.

please vote! no hanging chads here. and its not a presidential election, so i expect high voter turnout.

quick shoutout: happy belated birthday to victor!

tired and not buzzed

2007-04-10T04:04:00.000-07:00

oh drinking buddy, where art thou?

honolulu's chinatown

2007-04-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

right now, i am sitting in a kitchen in honolulu tower. well, not just any kitchen. it's my uncle emil's kitchen, whom i am now staying with. i moved from jamie's place on friday morning, having decided that staying with my uncle would be best. honolulu tower is located next to chinatown and is a bit closer to work. about an hour's walk away.

today i helped my uncle with some chores at tin hau temple where he volunteers. finally, i remembered to take pictures.

that's my uncle at the bottom of the stairs. afterwards, i walked around chinatown.

pictured left is a japanese buddhist temple. the picture to the right is self explanatory. sadly, this picture is more interesting than the stream itself.

and also within the vicinity is the local gambling spot. i was originally informed that the gamblers played mahjong. closer inspection proved otherwise.

dominoes and cards. these were the games of choice. this guy in the black hat will, moments later, down the rest of his canned iced cappucino, and promptly slam down his tile, following suit. certainly seemed like a seasoned gambler. my wallet suddenly feels overexposed, tucked away in my daypack. even if they did play mahjong, i wouldn't have played. mama don't raise no fool. although there was that one time. . .

so after half an hour, i had seen honolulu's chinatown. by far the smallest (about two blocks by three blocks) i've ever seen, and dead to boot. i am told that its on an upswing, which doesn't say all that much.

thomas! you didn't tell me you owned a building in chinatown! ok so ends this post.

disclaimer: this post is going to look weird once i publish it. i blame it on the new laptop i am using. yes, it's entirely its fault.

a night as a beach bum

2007-04-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

i slept on the beach on monday night.

i finished my first shift sometime past midnight and decided to walk around waikiki and make my bed on its beaches. i went to the ABC convenience store right across from work. think a step up from a 7-eleven or am/pm. there are so many of these stores on kalakaua ave that i wouldn't be surprised if starbucks owned them. i didn't find anything interesting in the store, though it did have an alarming amount of alcohol with a fairly good selection. on my way out, i noticed a girl working there with the lightest shade of brown eyes i'd ever seen. i thought she was pretty. i just might have to go back there. who knows? people need slippers. and to talk to pretty girls.

i wandered about on kuhio ave, parallel to kalakaua. there i found a 7-eleven and seedier looking folks. most of the homeless people seemed to sleep on kalakaua. at 7-eleven i bought my bus pass, useless until the morning. the buses going east had stopped their routes since six in the afternoon. i returned to the beach and walked up it, not knowing where else to go. i'm not particularly fond of waikiki, but being by myself in a new place , you tend to cling to the familiar. although, it was my first time actually on the sand.

on the way, i saw various couples dotting the beach, huddled close together. just off the shore on the jetty, a couple was doing the dirty, or knockin' boots, if you prefer. a guy sitting on a bench noticed as well and was beside himself. i continued on to a part of the beach that had fewer street lamps and made myself comfortable. once prostrate, i felt the grains of sand, cold against my back. i heard faint music coming from a bar on the corner just across the street. louder still, was the wax and wane of the waves, like intermittent cracks of thunder. in a rather cold hawaiian night, i bundled up as best i could. as i drifted off to sleep, i thought of how i was like a ghost that night, drifting among empty buildings and empty streets, among couples seduced by the hawaiian air, among the homeless who, i imagine, want at least a good night of sleep. i thought this until i drifted into a cold, dreamless sleep of my own.

Hawai'i, Bland? Noooooooo. It's just a state of mind.

2007-04-01T02:08:00.000-07:00

the utter blandness of the past week has rendered me speechless. that's not to say i'm not enjoying my time in lovely honolulu. the weather is the usual pitch of eighty and the traffic, slow as ever. most of my time has been spent sleeping; i've officially fallen into the island lull. what a siren. conscious moments find me on the balcony either playing my guitar or reading. i recently finished keroauc's on the road and picked up sartre's, nausea. however, due to a sudden influx of guests, i've since moved to a new room with a less interesting view. definite upgrade in mattress.

and here i am, talking about mattresses. as though i haven't had the best shave (not shaved) ice ever at waiola bakery and shave ice. or gone to sandy's beach, or up makapu'u trail, both gorgeous locations. the unfortunate thing is that these experiences have been too few and far between. add a lump of sickness (now over) to the mix and the time in between seems eternal. the recovery time did allow me to think about how to solve another problem: getting up and down the daunting one mile hill jamie lives on, and generally, just getting around honolulu. let's just say, inflating some tires on a bike and purchasing a bus pass is in order.

in spite of my "anti carpe diem-like" days since spent, today was pretty interesting. i went to a farmer's market and tasted the best honey ever. i also started my new job at the cheesecake factory in waikiki, which reminds me-- i did sneak a few trips into waikiki where i played several games of chess with a harmless, innocent looking Filipino man from Boracay, no less, named Rudy who proceeded to beat me quite precisely. then i watched some british bloke named dave get beaten even worse. it was fun.

on a side note: i've frequented waikiki enough to declare that i don't like it. its riddled with tourists and features a beach replenished with sand from some other location. with that said, i'll be there at least three times a week to work.

continuing on, after the training session ended, we were fed exceptionally well. we had our fill of two appetizers, four entrees, and three cheesecakes. can you say fat-ass? afterwards, i took the bus (for the first time in honolulu) with the intention of returning to that God-forsaken hill. i ended up getting onto the wrong bus and eventually returned to my point of origin. i did get to talk to some local girl whose name i can't spell, let alone pronounce. she expressed disdain for waikiki and the term of "paradise" that is so freely attached to it. later on, after having gotten off the wrong bus and while waiting for the right one, two people approached me asking if i was interested in working for hollister at the ala moana mall. i just thought it was weird that people were walking around, discriminately or indiscriminately, looking for other people to offer a job. to say the least, it was random. and, there looks to be more exciting things to come. stay tuned.

wishing & thinking & hoping & praying. ..

2007-03-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

i need my surfboard. . . . .

Welcome to Paradise: Jaywalkers Not Welcome

2007-03-23T04:15:00.000-07:00

since graduating, i've visited manhattan and the bay area. now, i am in honolulu.

manhattan, in my memory, was vibrant. there was an unmistakable pace which you get caught up in. this is best illustrated in the endless amount of pedestrians dotting each and every sidewalk. in manhattan, people do not stop for cars; cars stop for people (lest they pave the streets with human roadkill). the color of the traffic light, nor the onslaught of taxi cabs, contributed little to dictating the flow of pedestrian traffic. everything is go, go go. in manhattan, i witnessed the manifestation of the phrase, "power in numbers."

oakland and sf also had distinct vibes. there clearly was fewer human traffic; less people rushing from one place to the next. i felt time was being taken to sit down, maybe to read a book.

honolulu, in comparison, is the epitome of "stopping to smell the roses." i don't sense any urgency. returning to the pedestrian example, people in honolulu wait for the crosswalk signal. while the title of this post is exaggerated, it feels as though jaywalking is foreign to this place. as a result, i feel less comfortable jaywalking. this isn't to say that it's bad, but it irritates (trivial, i know) me that i feel compelled to wait. but it did cross my mind; why am i in such a rush? where is it that i'm really going? why am i actively trying to go nowhere as quickly as possible?

on a side note, sometimes i feel like i'm in the philippines. there are enough filipinos here to convince me of it. a couple of key differences though: the humidity in honolulu is nowhere near as stifling as found in the philippines, and poverty in honolulu, isn't as prominent, or heartbreaking, for that matter. with that said, who wants to go to the philippines?! :: i raise my hand ::

in short, i'm adjusting to the pace of life in honolulu. and while my legs have rebelled against it, physically slowing down has brought up some interesting questions to ponder. such is the nature of my journey. wish me luck.

Aloha Hawai'i

2007-03-21T02:11:00.000-07:00

i'm in hawai'i! freggin hawai'i! the next week will be spent continually realizing where i am. it was a bit sad to leave oakland, but there's nothing like a nice hawai'ian beach to make such emotions disappear.

a few things i learned while in the bay area:
- good tequila is meant to be sipped
- a great nickname for tequila is 'cactus juice'
- the appropriate usage of 'hella'

there are many other things i learned that are much more important, but i'll leave the list as is.
also, innumerable thanks to all family and friends in the bay area. i'm forever in debt.
and so, the third leg of my travels begins (i didn't get a chance to write about new york; visited the empire state earlier in the year). time to learn pidgin. my goal: unite pidgin and the term 'hella' into one easy language.

Playlist Phun

2007-03-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

priscilla asked me to make a playlist for her. i recently finished compiling the songs. since there are too many songs to list here (57 in all), here are some of my current and perennial favorites:

cansei de ser sexy - i wanna be your jlo
in portuguese, the group's name means "tired of being sexy." according to a wikipedia article, beyonce allegedly made this statement. "Lead singer Lovefoxxx declared it was a stupid thing to say, and christened the band with the phrase." group name aside, this song is so fun and so catchy. it'll have you declaring "i wanna be your j.lo" throughout the day.

do make say think - the universe!
simply awesome.

frog eyes - bushels
if you like the vocal stylings of say, an isaac brock or spencer krug, you may like carey mercer of frog eyes. mercer sings with such urgency and yearning that you can't help but listen.

los campesinos! - you! me! dancing!
getting hassled by your boss? get your ass kicked by that test? contracted some sort of venereal disease from that lady of the evening? feeling down in general? well i've got a cure-all. sort of. this welsh band will pick you up and get you dancing, even if you can't dance a singe step.

yeah yeah yeahs - maps
there are only a handful of songs that i would dare to call perfect. "maps" more than qualifies. everything is pitch perfect in this song, with gentle drums and a sparse guitar part slowly reeling you in. and once karen o softly declares that "they don't love you like i love you," whose heart wouldn't break?

My Day Out To Stanford

2007-03-18T23:53:00.000-07:00

it sucked. . . .

some words and images that came to mind:
sterile
manicured hands

i walked around the campus and later, palo alto. i must say (sorry rajiv), that this place is boring. i wouldn't want to live here. i wouldn't want to go to school at stanford, especially when uc berkeley is right across the bridge. i thought this was going to be a dull day until i left stanford and met up with my auntie margaret and uncle roy in pacifica.

they had just finished moving into their new place. complete with a breathtaking view of the pacific ocean. they later took me and victor to a view point where hang gliders jump off of. this point also had an amazing view of the pacific ocean. it used to be a missile testing spot. below, we could see surfers waiting for the next good wave. i had one of those moments where, say, the disappointments of a day out to stanford, are rendered inconsequential, and i can't help but smile. i didn't take any pictures; you'll have to experience it yourself.

I'm at DJ Tanner's house and she's trying to get in my pants!

2007-03-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

hey guys, its me again. it's been awhile so i decided to write two separate posts.
so heeeeeeeeerrrrrrreeee we go!

in terms of food, the last six days can be summed up as first-time experiences and "the best ever." i had el salvadorean for the first time at a place called "panchitas." delicious. i also had chiku ice cream for the first time at a place called "the bombay ice creamery." according to the
store clerk, chiku is a tropical fruit indigenous to bangladesh. this, too, was delicious. the following day (saturday), i had the best latte ever at this small coffee shop called "blue bottle cafe" and the best boba ever at some place in Oakland's Chinatown. later on, i had the best garlic cheese fries ever at some place in North Beach and had "Zachary's" Chicago-style pizza. also good. heavy on the tomato sauce for you tomato lovers out there. you know who you are. apparently, it is sacrilegious to visit the bay area and not try the deep dish goodness that is "Zachary's" pizza. i recommend it.

now, one would think, "wow, that's so much good food allen. there certainly can't be anything else food related to speak of." oh, how wrong one would be. the following day, we went to a thai temple(!) and had thai food(!). ok, it wasn't the best thai food i've ever had. it certainly was good. the sheer novelty of it was much more interesting, although i had imagined monks dressed in robes cooking large woks over roaring fires. this wasn't the case. i did have a very delicious dessert--roti, fried with condensed milk. i can't stress how good it was. later that day, we went to "Barney's," home of the best curly fries i've ever had. their burgers aren't half bad either. actually, they're amazing.

yesterday, i went out to dinner with priscilla, victor and my godbrother, Jowell.

hmm, i wonder what kind of water jowell was drinking. . .

we ate at a place called "Cha Cha Cha" in the Haight-Ashbury District. home to the town's best sangria. good, but not the best that i've had. later that night, we went to a bar and had irish coffees at "buena vista." baileys = magic. 'nuff said. lastly, today i had pizza from "arizmendi," a bakery that also serves pizza and coffee. it turns out, on top of good coffee, great scones, muffins and various baked goods, "arizmendi" also serves great pizza. the interesting thing about this pizza is the tomato sauce--or lack thereof. i'm sure you tomato haters out there are rejoicing. you know who you are.

now a brief pause for liberty and freedom.

funny how the American Flag is blowing in the wind with Alcatraz in the background.
good times!

"so, allen. you've obviously done a lot of eating. have you done anything else besides that? " of course i have! i've gone to the haight-ashbury district, played basketball with a guy simply named "Coo(l)" ("l" is optional), went to Moe's Books and City Lights (both great book shops), played mah jong 'till 4 in the am, hung out with my cousin, Neil, in sf, ate "Blondie's" pizza (more eating was inevitable), visited the Presidio, photographed the Palace of Fine Arts, listened to the clanking of ropes upon the sails of boats docked at Fort Mason, took in the view from Coit tower (american flag and alcatraz), went to alamo square park and saw uncle jesse's old stomping grounds, swam through sf Chinatown's people and various aromas, read about Kerouac at the "beach" near Ghiradelli Square where people did laps in the bay, and went to a clothing store called "azalea" in hayes valley which had hired a "jeans expert" just for the day. the in-betweens consisted of much walking and subsequent foot discomfort, conversations about the mundane and the personal. oh and yes, there was a concert.

Do Make Say Think performed on march 9th at Slim's in downtown sf with the Berg Sans Nipple kicking off the show. nevermind about the Nipple band. i was there for DMST. an instrumental band from Canada, DMST is eight highly talented musicians based in toronto, canada. two drummers, a saxophonist, a violinist, a brass instrument guy, two guitarists and a bass player. this would change over the course of the show as the guitarists and/or the bass player, etc. would switch instruments.

i thought the show was amazing. in my very limited concert experience, this was by far the best concert i've ever been to. again, take this with a grain of salt. after a few songs, it was clear DMST had some sort of formula for their songs. while one might have found DMST's set, and overall sound, lacking in variety or experimentation, i enjoyed the slow starts and epic rises of their songs. i liked how some of the songs would, in a sense, offer, several different melodies or musical ideas. personally, at DMST's best, the band created truly awesome moments, where the music gave me pause to reflect or to take me like a wave among soaring riffs. yes, at times their music was predictable, but i was never disappointed. and no, the smoke from the two guys who were lighting up next to me during the show did not affect my opinion of the show.

i didn't really talk about dj tanner. probably should have. so priscilla made me realize that dj tanner, aka candace cameron is kirk cameron's little sister. weird! remember when she was a crazy witch in boy meets world? anyone?

anyway, thats all for this post. the next one will come soon.

quickshout out: congratulations to all people who have or will quit diedrichs. its about time.
also, good luck to all those preparing for finals week. may your brains become sponges that never leak, your pencils swift, your well deserved slumber, sweet.

tired and buzzed

2007-03-14T00:17:00.000-07:00

no blogging tonight.

that's just dumb.

Rail Passes, Ethiopian Food, and More

2007-03-09T01:02:00.000-08:00

what has two thumbs and just bought his eurail passes?

this guy.
it's going down, folks. its going down.

see how pretty they are?

as you can see, i finally bought my eurail passes. so many choices. i settled on a britrail pass, a czech republic pass, a chunnel pass, and a eurail global youth flexi pass. randomly, while in the process of purchasing these passes, i saw a customer from where i worked pass by the sta travel agency. a short while later i saw my freshman year humanities core discussion leader. i also saw a former high school classmate later in the day. naturally, i did not say hi to any of the aforementioned persons. sometimes things do not need to be revisited.

in my last post, i failed to mention that i watched "The Last King of Scotland," featuring Forest Whitaker and the guy who played Mr. Tumnus in "The Chronicles of Narnia." intense movie. sad. great performance by Forest. strange, that the author of the book on which the movie is based on, would create a fictional character (Mr. Tumnus) to witness Idi Amin's countless atrocities. another amazing (but off topic) point; how brilliant is it to serve beer at a theater AND have couches. i'd say downright genius. orange county should embrace this model for all future movie theaters. moving on with the randomness.. . .

i have now been in oakland for three consecutive days. initially, i didn't care much for oakland, but it's starting to grow on me. this isn't a place you'd usually want to be in, unless, of course, you are from here, have family in the area, or in the mood to be hassled by the po-po . jk. i imagine that's why one would want to leave oakland. anyway i appreciate how much more culturally diverse oakland is in comparison to orange county in general. there are so many great places to eat. for instance, i had an Ethiopian dinner earlier tonight at a place called Cafe Colucci. delicious. they did a great job of combining "exotic spices and fresh herbs . .. to create flavors that make food a delight in Ethiopia," at least as far as i could tell. the staple of Ethiopian food is injera. its a grain that is baked and then flattened. you can enjoy it by itself or use it to scoop up servings of various Ethiopian edibles. my favorite of those edibles is called shouro fitfit (i think). shouro fitfit consists of chickpea powder, onion, tomato, jalapeno, and olive oil. in a word, delicious.

i have also been without the use of a car for almost two weeks now. i can't say that i miss it all that much. yes, i did rely on my aunt and uncle to take me to the BART station early on. however, once in a city with reliable public transportation, that point becomes moot. the subways were one of the things i really liked about new york. there's something nice about being amongst people going to and from destinations. you come face to face with life, whereas the suburban sprawl indicative of the familiar parts of the OC (to me) only fed a growing sense of alienation. at least in oakland, you see a wider range of life; from the man going to his presumably steady job to the homeless man wandering the streets. in my ever-rising number of trips to berkeley, i've grown accustomed to seeing the same homeless man--a gray haired, dread locked man with specks of white (beard included), wearing a face darkened and leathered by the sun, sporting the same tattered jeans which appeared to be treated with moths--wandering Telegraph Ave. i've also grown accustomed to the usual cast of homeless persons, usually in groups of two or more, complete with a dog and six-string guitar, seated at different spots of the sidewalk upon each visit to Telegraph Ave. while these various people contribute to the atmosphere and color of UC Berkeley and the city, in general, they force me to think of, for example, things taught to me while at UC Irvine. personally, it's difficult for me to digest concepts of causes or reasons for crime and poverty living in a city so strategically planned as to discourage the formation of any groups and human connections, criminal in nature or otherwise; a city with a police force whose main concerns are to dole out traffic-related citations, break up parties at 11pm(!), and to transport homeless persons to neighboring cities. wtf.

there were many reasons why i wanted to start my trip in the bay area. one specific reason is that my cousins priscilla and jen live up here. i feel that by placing myself in the right environment with amazing and intelligent people, i am effectively exposed to different viewpoints and beliefs. i (hopefully) become more conscious of different lifestyles and the underlying beliefs that produce such decisions. in essence, i'm attempting to burst the bubble that i've grown accustomed to.

another thing that i've been mulling about lately is religion and existence. while i was in UC Berkeley's campus, two students approached me. one of the two asked if he could ask me a few questions, ranging from what i thought are the biggest problems in the world, to if i believed in God. his name was myung jin, a half korean-half italian guy born and raised in brazil. he was speaking on behalf of the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP). Basically, a long winded acronym for the college level branch of the Unification Church. (hmm that was equally long winded).

ok it's 4:15 in the am and my eyes grow weary. the short of this last topic is that i used to firmly believe in the existence of God. i used to believe that the existence of God, or at least of the existence of something after this life, was necessary for this life to have any meaning. these days, i'm not certain that there is a God, nor do i think that it would be a terrible thing if God did not exist. i think if God did existed, he would exist in each of us. anyway, this is a condensed milk version of my thoughts on God. please, tell me all your thoughts on God, cause i want to knoooow.

p.s. comments are now possible to make on the posts. sorry to those who had to create an account.

Oak-town

2007-03-07T02:05:00.000-08:00

today i made the move from antioch to oakland. however, there isn't much to relate since the last post. i watched reno 911: miami with my cousins neil and bryant. my first thought following the movie was "I immediately regret this decision." oh well. it happens.

that was saturday. on sunday, i played futbol with my friends/adopted cousins, Victor and Jeremy. it was the first match i've played in about eight years. its now wednesday and i am still hurting. it was so worth it though. its the greatest game in the world. yes, i said it. greatest.

that's all i have for now. in the meantime, i'll leave you with these pictures.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7235007@N02/
this is a link to pictures of jen's new house in santa clara.
in the future, i will upload most of my pictures on flickr.

left to right: victor, priscilla, and jen. right now, i am staying at victor and priscilla's place. p and jen are sisters. i wanted to put a picture of priscilla on an "important business call," but it was too dark.
also, listen to jen sing at
myspace.com/sleeprwave

left to right: auntie maricel, bryant, justin, uncle vincent
we're celebrating bryant's 15th bday. it's times like these that i feel old. i remember bryant and justin when they were still in diapers.

here's a better picture of bryant. of course, i am not referring to their dog, rusty. when i first met rusty a year ago, he seemed depressed, was overweight, and slept most of the time. these days, he's still overweight and sleeps most of the time, but he seems much happier. he begs for food better than jonas.

My Visit To Berkeley: A Short Story Told In Pictures

2007-03-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

I decided that I wanted to go to UC Berkeley today. So, I went with my
Uncle to downtown Oakland (where he works) and took the BART from there.

I waited for the train.

Half an hour later, I was in Berkeley. I walked quickly across the campus and happened upon Telegraph Ave. I explored this famed street. Sadly, I only took a few pictures while on the street. I don't enjoy feeling like a tourist.

Ah. Amoeba Music. Littered with music waiting to be discovered. However, I did not peruse its aisles, or Rasputin's either. Alas, a budget--thorn to my side, friend to my pocket.

Part of a mural on the side of the Amoeba Music building. Berkeley in its hay days.

I, too, want Pluto to be a planet again.

A painting one the side of a tattoo parlor. 'Tattoo' is actually written above the scary looking man beast, but the sun is blocking it out. Would you get a tattoo? I just might. Haha, jk mom, dad. But really, what if I did get one? It's not like you guys would disown me right? Right?
But back to the story. . .

I soon returned to the campus.

I found a seat in lower Sproul Court. This is a picture of The Bear's Lair,
a student restaurant. Someone once told me that UC Berkeley female students
weren't pretty. After my visit, I must disagree.

So, it turned out the French Kicks were playing in Sproul court. No, they
aren't French, and no, they aren't mooning us either. This performance was
part of a free concert series held each Friday. I wish UC Irvine put on more
free concerts for us. Oh well. I listened to them for a bit (www.myspace.com/french kicks)
then left to explore the rest of the campus.

I went to the University Library. It was beautiful. I swear, if UCI had places
half as nice as Berkeley does, I would have studied so much more. "I'd like to
to go here for grad school," I thought to myself. Hmm . ..

This is the view from the lawn behind the library. There were students
tossing around a frisbee and countless others just sitting around and reading.
The weather was nice, so I followed suit.

This was the book that I read. I recommend it.

After reading a few chapters, I continued walking around the campus.

"To Rescue For Human Society The Native Values Of Rural Life."
This is etched at the top of the building. While wondering about this quotation,
I came upon . .. .

. . .. . a squirrel. I shall call him Sid. Sid the Squirrel scurried up to me,
apparently in an attempt to befriend me. Perhaps to further improve
human-squirrel relations? However. . .

. .. . Sid the Squirrel thought the better of it and left.
Sid was too quick.

Afterward this close encounter, I headed back to downtown Oakland.
Thus ends my brief visit to Berkeley. I'm sure there will be more visits to come.
It was "hella" fun.

The End.

Sunnyvale and beyond

2007-03-01T22:05:00.000-08:00

yesterday i met up with Jennifer, my super cool cousin/half sister. her mom and my mom used to be identical twin sisters (oddly enough, they don't look alike anymore). i took the BART down to fremont where Jen picked me up.

on a side note: i like riding in trains. its a great time to people-watch, read or listen to music.

anyway, we went back to Jen's apartment in Sunnyvale, littered with boxes in preparation of her and her boyfriend, move to Santa Clara. she cooked some delicious vegetarian food that leads me to believe that i can lead a vegetarian lifestyle. not that i want to. more on food later.

Jen had told me the night before about an opportunity to volunteer at the Cinequest Film Festival, the "first major annual independent film festival held after the Academy Awards" according to wikipedia. so, dressed in black (the volunteer dress code, i guess), we headed to downtown San Jose not knowing what we would be doing. to say the least, the festival was disorganized. jen and i had to locate merchandise being sold during the festival. we ended up passing out program guides to movie-goers and trying on the apparel we were trying to sell. following the movie, we worked "security" at the after party (we checked people for passes). what a thankless job. at least we got to watch a free movie. the movie was called "The Namesake," directed by Mira Nair. Jen and i agreed that we liked the movie (despite speaker problems that reoccurred during the movie), but we wouldn't watch it again. it left us wanting to know what parts of the book that the movie was based on were left out. all in all, it was a fun experience. the night ended with the obligatory search for food (we are slaves to our appetites). we settled with denny's because bill of fare, a restaurant that serves rice with spam(!) and eggs was closed.

the next day, i saw jen and josh's new place in Santa Clara. such a nice place with lots of natural light. moving is cause for celebration. which means, it's time to have a party(!). after seeing the new place, jen took me to "human" (hunan, the sign looks like human) gourmet. we pretty much ate like Cheng's do. you guys know what i mean. and like the gluttons that we are, we talked about food while we ate it. how delicious it is. how jen can eat a whole pot of soup by herself in one sitting. how it is a bit ridiculous to give up meat. one of the things jen and i always talk about whenever we see each other is, if you could only eat five meals for a month, what would you choose? the question varies slightly each time. i chose my dad's soup as one meal, my dad's steamed egg, napa cabbage, mushroom, and ground pork dish as another, dim sum as another meal, mackerel and tuna sashimi, dragon rolls and spicy tuna rolls as my fourth meal, and my last meal being either carne asada french fries or some other mexican food.

what would your five be? think wisely. i'm feeling hungry... .

Greetings! from the bay area

2007-02-26T10:25:00.000-08:00

hey guys. its allen. hope you are all doing well. its been raining up here. its so cold that i woke this morning and thought i was still in that northwood place icebox. we arrived in antioch on midnight of the 25th. the drive up was fun. my uncle dazzled (read: sedated) me with his knowledge about current political issues. but really, it was fun watching him get worked up over liberals and al gore, etc. my uncle vinny (vincent), what a funny guy. i was watching a peter, bjorn, and john music video, and well, the following exchange took place.

My Uncle Vinny: is that the band you're going to see?
Me: No, but I like them. They're from Sweden.
My Uncle Vinny: (makes a sour beer face) Sweden? Man, if there's a war, they would be the first ones to get killed.
Me: (incredulous look) What? Why? Because they're neutral?
My Uncle Vinny: Yes. They suck. (laughs)

Now, my uncle on Canada.

Me: Well, maybe you'll like this band. They're called Do Make Say Think. They're a jam band.
My Uncle Vinny: Where are they from?
Me: Toronto, I think.
My Uncle Vinny: Toronto? (pauses for thought, then realizes). Oh, Canada? (reappearance of the sour beer face) They're all broke back mountain.
Me: What?! You could say the same thing about the Philippines.
My Uncle Vinny: Yeah, but Canada, there's more.

these are but a few gems from my uncle vinny. good times. they're probably funnier if you were to hear it in person. anyway, i haven't done all that much yet. watched a lot of kung fu movies. i've concluded, donnie yen is the shit (see: Dragon Tiger Gate, Seven Swords).

quick shoutout of the day: Congratulations to my cousin, Justin, and his St. Ignatius Basketball team. Champions of the CYO Basketball, eighth grade level.

that's all for now. i promise there will be pictures posted in the near future. take care.