the Nipple in Nippon...

she's out there, somewhere...

2009-07-06T10:50:00.004-07:00

2009-02-25T13:27:00.001-08:00

Danny Catt: Adventure/Wildlife Photographer

2008-12-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

2008-08-23T18:29:00.001-07:00

wow.

an update seems long overdue, and seeing as how i'm once again back behind a desk, sitting at a computer for most of the day (at least for now), i may as well get on with it.

and so...

after 2 years, 6 Junior High schools, 3 Elementary schools, 3 countries, 13 flights, 3 supervisors, -8 kilograms, 2 cultural festivals, 4 sports festivals, 2 SummerSonics, 5 Islands, 3 flat tires, a couple thousand kids, a few hundred t-shirts, and 1 Mountain...

...it ends.

goodbye Japan, thank you for the past two years...i'll never forget my time in "magical" Moriguchi.

so, what's next???

2008-06-30T06:42:00.006-07:00

The first time i saw her... - Monday, June 30 2008

...i was on the Shinkansen(bullet train) heading to Osaka from Tokyo nearly 2 years ago. i'd heard about her from just about everyone in Japan so it seemed appropriate that i should at least take a glimpse...and that was it.

it would be a few months later before i gazed out the window at her a second time...even less of a "feeling" than the first time. but still, something must've stayed with me b/c i'd be back for a closer look no more than a month later, this time while playing guitar on a beach...

So now i've finally decided to get up close and personal w/ her once and for all so i can be done with it before i leave Japan.

YES, that's right...i'm talking about HER:

Fuji-san.

The Plan:
Ascend from Fujinomiya 5th station via Fujinomiya Trail ===> Summit(South) ==(around the crater)==> Summit(North) ===> Descend to Kawaguchiko 5th station via Yoshidaguchi Trail

i have no worries about getting UP the mountain...that's not the problem. it's once i'm at the top of the Fujinomiya trail that the uncertainty begins.

from there, navigating my way across the circumference of the crater to the top of the Yoshidaguchi Trail, that's what worries me a little. it'll be pitch black probably since i hope to get to the other side of the summit during the night to catch the sunrise (can't see sunrise from the other side), and it'll probably be pretty cold. that, plus everywhere i looked online i could only find information about people going up/down the same side/trail (mostly the Yoshidaguchi), and no real/detailed maps of the actual crater, which i sorta FORGOT i'd have to travel around if i'm going to descend via the Yoshidaguchi as planned. but nyeh, i'm sure it'll be fiiine...=P

so just today, i cut out the best "map" of the crater i could find from a flyer i just happened to see in the train station...

so once i get to the top (Left circle), just stay right and go straight right? looks easy enough...

since i'm like most "bakka" dudes who like to mess around w/ gear (and b/c i really shouldn't have had that coffee after dinner, can't sleep...), here's what's going in my pack for the climb up (minus the shorts/sandals/t-shirt/light jacket i'll be wearing on the way there). it may look like a bit much since it's all laid out, but it fits quite nicely into a small/medium pack(25L?):

(for the Gearheads, i can break it down n list all this crap if requested.)

alright, enough of that. FINAL preparations...

every explorer/vagabond needs a good hat right?

Check!

Energy for the climb...

Double-...no, Triple-check!!

Alright Fuji-san, dozo...

Bring it on!

Matta ne, Lee Sensei will be back (hopefully!) soon...

2007-12-06T02:30:00.001-08:00

the Sins of the Stomache... - Thursday, December 6 2007

pretty sure it's been a record time since my last post, but i've just been so lazy...and too many things happening to take in and contemplate all at once...so yeah. but that's not what i'm talking about right now. all of you who are hoping for a lengthy, detailed/interesting update about crazy kids and other adventures of mine here in Moriguchi...sorry. all i'm jotting down here is a sort of "milestone" (at least i think it is).

let me get to the point...

i can't remember the last time i ate a chip. no, not fries (for any of you British folks), the baked/crispy/flakey potato snacks that come in vacuum-sealed plastic bags. yeah, those things. Doritos, Lays, Old Dutch, Miss Vickie's, Pringles, etc...

now i'm not a health freak, i've just always tried to eat sensibly while allowing myself (very) occasional junkfood binge. well, there's no shortage of junkfood here in Japan, but i haven't been able to find a lot of chips/snack foods readily available all the time. that's probably half the reason why we eat them as often as we do anyway; just b/c they're "there". right in front of the cash register at the supermarket, in a handy vending machine outside the office, etc.

i probably haven't eaten a bag of chips for a good 6 months, just b/c they're just not anywhere that catches my eye when i go grocery shopping, they're stashed away in some middle aisle on the bottom shelf or something. but TODAY...oh something in my tummy just craved for the crispy, savory taste of some chips. and i caved.

i bought 2 bags.

mmmm, they're not as good as chips in Canada i think, not as crunchy, but they'll do for now...

itadakimasu!

2007-08-15T04:16:00.000-07:00

still kickin'...Wednesday, August 15 2007

wow, over a month since my last post eh? seems i've almost given up on this place...haha, almost. so many thoughts, changes, reflections, good things, not-so-good things (but thankfully no "bad" things, at least i think not...), episodes, quirky stories...blablabla...i must be really getting old. or, just lazy.

let's see what i can remember from the past little while:

BK came to visit (first time we've chilled in a bloody decade!) that was cool, BQ came to visit not long after that, then i took off to Vietnam to meet Bert. saw Saigon, Dalat, Nha Trang, Da Nang, and Hoi An before coming "home" for 1 more week of school to end off 4 months "enlightening" minds at Daiyon JHS. my goodbye speech went fairly well i think...my final words were something like "study hard, but don't forget to take time to have fun; eat meat, and don't forget to eat bananas!"

mom came to visit just after that ended too; good time to catch up, took a nice little trip to Nagasaki, Hiroshima, and Miyajima too. what else...welcomed to 2 new Aussie JETs to our "hood". they'll love this place in no time i'm sure. oh right, and i just went to this little concert on Sunday...a little gig they have every year in Osaka known as Summer Sonic. my line-up: Gym Class Heroes, 30 Seconds to Mars, Gwen Stefani, Avril Lavigne, Goo Goo Dolls, Ellegarden, Travis.

uhh...i'd put more pics up but i'm lazy. this is all you'll get for now:

Me: dammit! knew i should've brought Yurika...(Miyajima - August 2007)

p.s. Yurika's my guitar.

2007-07-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

i'm baack...

(well, sort of.)

2007-06-12T23:23:00.000-07:00

take a break...Wednesday, June 13 2007

i was drinking some cold tea in the staff room this afternoon when i looked out the window onto the sidewalk; i saw a little girl riding, "teetering" along the sidewalk while her mother (presumably) walked along behind her pushing her own separate unicycle.

yes, that's right.

unicycle.

what kind of whacky town is this anyway? where you have grown men dressed up as watermelon, and kids riding unicycles through the streets?!

i like this place.

2007-05-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

the funny thing about Japan... - Saturday, May 19 2007

sometimes, it's best to just not ask questions and accept the fact that you'll never quite understand why people here do the things that they do:

2007-05-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

makes you wonder... - Tuesday, May 8 2007

gee, the things i do for fun sometimes =P

2007-05-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

Remembering - Wednesday, May 2 2007

it's been one year since that night.

i hopped on my bike after a swim at the pool, and rode through the falling darkness as the light faded. chased my shadow across the city from West to East, so i could see you. i played music by your bedside that night, for what would be the last time. i eventually ended up at home later, after a detour to find some solitude in the darkness. but even then, i couldn't sleep. not before i let it out.

a song for Grandma:

goodbye, we've said farewell
time flies, i know it all too well

goodbye, i know you've gone home
and i won't cry, because i know you're not alone

i close my eyes and see you once again
the Saviour's hand is resting, on your head

i understand,
i know it's not the end
it's just a little holiday,
until the day i see you once again...

your smile, in my heart i'll always treasure
these memories, they stay with me forever

you're resting now, in a place that knows no sorrow
your faith has healed you know,
that's how i face tomorrow

i thank you for the years you cared for me
and i rest in knowing that,
your spirit's free

i understand,
i know it's not the end
it's just a little holiday,
until the day i see you once again...

i know one day i'll see you once again

i understand

~05/02/2006

Love always.

2007-04-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

Decisions - Sunday, April 15 2007

so today, i was in a place where decisions are made every day. life-altering decisions that affect our every-day lives.

i came along two enticing and attractive choices.

i had to make a seldom necessary, but very important decision. it wasn't the easy type; where you could just take the lesser of two evils, or the kind where the consequences are forgettable either.

no. this was a biggie.

dammit, which one to pick?!?

finally after much contemplation (of course)...i made what i think, was the right decision.

i walked away.

with both.

itadakemasu!

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

i'm baaack... - Saturday, April 7 2007

oiy..."home" at last. just a note to mark my return from 9 days scouring Honshu which included:

-good times catching up w/ people
-conversations w/ drunken Nihonjins under the cherry blossoms
-wandering through a bamboo grove on a mountain-side
-a search for the legendary "himitsu bakko"
-playing guitar on Miho beach while looking up at Mount Fuji

...and then some. i also received an inspiring book; finished it, and exchanged it for another one.

i'm sure i've learned a lot while being on this trip; conversations, time spent alone, time spent absorbing/marveling over the landscape/culture...but my brain hasn't told me how to say it yet.

one thing i do know though; i'm developing a killer grip from hauling Yurika around with me all over the place.

why couldn't i have learned to play something small and light, like a flute? O_o

2007-03-03T23:34:00.000-08:00

Sashiburi... - Saturday, March 3 2007

whoa...someone needs to update eh?

nyeh, maybe later. just another dated pic for now:

(Spending the night at Yokohama Harbour - January 1, 2007)

going to Church tomorrow. should be interesting.

on a sidenote: this is something totally unrelated to Nihon, but it's pretty sweet so i thought i'd share.

the moral of the story?

4 strings is all you really need.

(oh, and "sashiburi" is Osaka-ben (slang) for 'long-time-no-see'. just so you know.)

2007-02-14T23:02:00.000-08:00

this is for anyone who didn't believe the last post about Mayumi (yes, she has a name) letting me touch her monkey:

(he's from Thailand, and his name's Kai.)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2007-02-07T04:43:00.000-08:00

From Tokyo... - Wednesday, February 7 2007

she let me touch her monkey.

2007-01-29T06:17:00.001-08:00

stalled... - Monday, January 29 2007

uuyy, many thoughts/"stuffs" that i'd like to write about, but Time...

hard to find, it is... O_o

eh, it'll come sooner or later. but in the meantime, back in the "real" world...

...my fascination with garbage cans continues. as of Sunday, i'm proud to be the owner of this vessel that Oscar himself would be happy to call home.

more visitors in a week. this time i need to figure out some sort of arrangement that will avoid me having to sleep like this again:

let's hope...

2007-01-10T22:09:00.000-08:00

Chasing Cars... - Wednesday, January 10 2006

after 2 weeks of spontaneous holiday travelling, it feels a little weird not having ridden a train in 3 days.

(Nagoya)

broadcasting to resume shortly...

(Yokohama)

2007-01-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

mEtcha tsukareta... - Wednesday, January 3 2006

the last 10 days have been another whirlwind, come and gone. geographics: Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Nagoya, and Yokohama. wow, Osaka actually feels a bit more like "home" now.

i hope i'll be able to write down some thoughts about my impressions of these places and "happenings" eventually, but right now my fridge is in dire need of replenishment. that, and i also need to water my flowers.

yes, i have flowers.

a farwell gift from my school. they smell nice.

alright, i need to get a move on. only a few days left before i'll have an entirely new bunch of nihon gakusei to deal w/ so i'd best use them to recover. blogging will just have to wait.

ok fine, i can't resist. just ONE pic (as a preview), and only b/c she's cute:

Kevin Costner had his "Dances with Wolves"...
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...and i had my "Dances with Deer"
(Nara, Dec. 26 2006)

coming soon: Homeless for the Holidays

ja ne...

*Edit: crap...i threw these pics together weeks ago, but i forgot about 'em. guess it's better late than never, but just a little chronological review of the past little while here in Japan:

a Chotto Review

2006-12-28T17:53:00.000-08:00

*sigh* yes, i miss you too...

...ssssSEEEFUTJAI!!!

2006-12-25T05:36:00.001-08:00

And so this is Christmas... - Monday, December 25 2006

i'll let my words be few for now. just know that this Christmas Eve is not one i'll soon forget, if ever. luckily, we live in the digital age so these pictures can do the talking for now. i'll explain later.

maybe. =P

[*click below]

Merry Christmas.

2006-12-17T04:03:00.000-08:00

just in time... - Sunday, December 17 2006

bah...lack of energy = lack of posts. BUT, i've always got time for the Starlight Republic. here's the newest ballad, just in time to give you warm fuzzies for the Christmas season: Need Forever.

enjoy.

(Christmas shoppers in Umeda)

Merry Christmas everyone!

2006-12-03T00:06:00.000-08:00

Murderous intent, and the COOLEST hat on earth - Saturday, December 2 2006

ok...seems like the Midnight Karaoke Man has gotten a second wind or something.

after finding out who he was, my first method was tossing up garbage. but after a while, i thought i'd need to be more direct since it didn't seem to make any difference. he either didn't get it, or is just such an idiot that he doesn't care. so, i stuck a banana peel in his mailbox outside. i found out the bakka doesn't even lock it! just leaves the combo dial on the last number. i thought that worked b/c the singing stopped for a while, but now i'm thinking it was just coincidental b/c it came back. so finally some time over a month ago i got so fed up one night that i went upstairs, pounded on his door and popped open his door's mailslot to yell the only insulting japanese words i knew: "bakka! urasai!" (pretty lame, means like: idiot and you're noisy). i swear he must be wearing headphones or something...there's no way he wouldn't hear me otherwise. i rang his doorbell, kicked the door...arghghg!! nothing. he was either ignoring me, or honestly didn't hear. i popped open his mail collector (box hanging off the inside of the door to catch slips that get put in through the slot) though, just so at least he'd know someone had done been there.

(this would be so terrible if it ends up that he's some sort of mentally retarded dude in there living w/ his mom or something...and singing at night is like his only solace/comfort. i would feel like such a complete ass. the lowliest scum to have ever walked the earth...)

but COME ON, i've considered that and what are the chances???? he's a MORON people! and on top of that...a coward if he's noticed someone's got complaints, but doesn't want to talk about it. i don't mind you practicing(God knows you need it)...and i know the walls are thin (i can even hear people snoring sometimes)...but not in the twilight hours please, and honestly if you're going to belt it out at least do it in the shower or something?? i'm a reasonable man; i'd write him a letter or something, invite him down for sushi and tea, have a chat. but no, i can't write Japanese (i'll just draw a visual death threat w/ a big "X" sign over a picture of someone singing), and it seems he's not interested in talking when i knock on his door...because he can't hear the knocking over the sound of his bloody tone-deaf voice! yes.

so that pounding on the door episode seemed to do the trick b/c he's been quiet for almost a month now, but some time last week he started crooning again. at first it was pretty quiet and not every day so i let it go...but the volume's been steadily increasing, and the other night(Wednesday?) it was like 0300 and i woke up. i was lying there wondering "what the...why'd i just wake up?" after a few seconds of silence, sure enough jap rap could be heard through the paper thin walls. dammit...it's like he's so irritating that even if i don't consciously hear him, my amphibious-ears are still disturbed enough to wake me up! i was pissed. u know the drill...

out on the balcony and toss up an orange...no dice. not wanting to waste anymore fruit i tried an empty can, plastic bottle, and some expired tomatoe juice. the last 2 missed actlly, and fell down to the 1st floor after clattering loudly off the neighbouring rooftop. yeesh...i was starting to feel bad for the other neighbours since i was causing some disturbance...and the damn singer (who is actin clueless of course) is still going at it with absolutely no clue (either that, or just out of plain rudeness) that i want to DESTROY him. ok, after a split-second of insanity i calmed myself down:

*deep breath* "ok...you're half-asleep, your aim is bad. don't try hookshots off the balcony anymore. you're just missing and littering poor #101's balcony with garbage. fruit is expensive too. don't waste it. now this is what you're gonna do: eggs are cheaper than fruit, and messier. and be more direct, don't make it hard on yourself. go straight to the source."

aah, much better. so i grab the tamago and go upstairs...buzz the doorbell, do the whole mailslot bit again...no answer. arggh!! that's it...WHAM! eggs fly. goodnight, thank you very much.

i was tired, i figured leaving him that mess would be enough to let him know something was up. that's gotta be THE most obvious thing i've done so far (other than the mailslot yelling). i mean; the banging on the ceiling...ok maybe he just thought of it as random noise. the garbage on his balcony? oh well maybe he just thinks he has magic seagull visitors who bring him treasures from the sea. the banana peel in his mailbox? ah, just a random prank...but this time i was confident buddy would be getting the message.

but guess what?

i don't think the idiot's left his apartment since that night! i heard his neighbour across the hall comment on the eggs loudly on thursday morning as i heard him leave for work, so when i came home from school that day i walked up to take a look...everything was still there! yolks on the ground right in front of the opening crack, broken eggshells still uncrushed, and all that other messy egg stuff smeared on the door. huh...maybe he just wore himself out singing? he'll come around sooner or later i thought.

today is Saturday. here's what his front door STILL looks like:

oh you can't stay in there forever bakka...those eggs will start smelling. if it comes to that, then you'll hear all about it from your neighbour.

seriously though...what sort of character is this guy? tone-deaf a capella singer by night...and doesn't leave the house for days on end? i've caught glimpses of everyone else who lives in the building (its only got 5 units) except him. i'll keep an eye out. in the meantime, maybe i'll think about enrolling in a Japanese anger-management class. =P

ok. that was just some ranting/venting i needed to do. thank you. on with some more entertaining business...

for some reason i've begun acquiring a number of interesting hats here in Japan. i started off with these bargains that i found at the 100yen(100yen=$1CDN) shop:

(thought this was cool b/c it makes my head look like a hacky sack...)

(so i bought 2!)

then there was this one, a total Jap-Indiana Jones hat. for 500yen? c'mon i had to:

(kev, if i hear Brokeback one more time...)

(and of course: new country, new Nipple! it only makes sense.)

but, not even the new Nipple hat from Nippon can compare to this hat i just got today at a cool shop in Kyoto called Octopus Army. oh my, when students see me flying down the streets on my granny bike, with my wooden sandals clanging on the pedals...THIS is what will be on my noggin:
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Sugoi!
(and i don't even have to worry about it flying off while cruising either...it's got chin straps!)

oh, and i did something for the first time in a long while today too. felt good.

after finishing up my Christmas shopping today, i was trying to find my way back to the train station so i stopped to ask these 2 guys who worked at this big-chain shoe store called "Step" (equivalent of something like Footlocker i'd say). they were out there doing their thing waving a big sign, screaming "irrashi moshi!!" etc... and one of 'em was even wearing a santa suit. turns out santa had pretty decent eigo, so after pointing me in the right direction i said thanks...and just as i was walking away i turned around and gave him a great Canadian "Merry Christmas!"

k, enough.

sayonara...

(isn't this just SO cool??? =P)

2006-11-26T02:32:00.000-08:00

barely keeping up... - Saturday, Nov. 25 2006

things've been a lil hectic since coming back from my Okinawan Holiday.

2 weeks ago: a trip to K-town w/ the school & a historical tour of Mori-G (yes, the Hood has a history)

2 weekends ago: vball tournament in Hirakata City, PTA event(tamaire)

Last week: JET mid-year seminar in Abiko, trip to Ame-mura to see if i could spot any freaks (didn't really see any, guess i was the only one =P)

...and (today) a nice scenic afternoon in the historic city of Uji in Kyoto w/ 4 ladies.

i was totally unaware that i'd be playing nihon gigolo today. they told me it was going to be an English study-group, (i had worksheets n discussion questions all prepped n everything!) but when i met up w/ my contact from the BOE at the train station this morning @ 1100 she tells me things are going to be "slightly" different.

i was a bit choked at first; i thought this discussion group would only last for an hour or 2 then i'd be free the rest of the day, but as it turned out they'd decided to go on a "field trip"...and the plan was to practice their english by conversing with me in a casual atmosphere. great. i was preparing myself for a looong afternoon...we were meeting the rest of the group (3 other ladies) in Uji (2nd largest city in Kyoto prefecture), the location for the day.

i'll admit though, i lucked out. the day turned out to be very interesting and they PAID for everything; train fare, admissions, lunch, snack/dessert...their way of showing gratitude for my taking the time to help them practice their English i guess. but yeah...i totally feel like i'm the one who got the good end of this bargain. a walk through the park w/ a bunch of cougars to "watch the changing colours of autumn leaves" doesn't exactly sound thrilling to me...but it was pretty nice actually.

2 of them just got their licenses as English-speaking tour guides, so they were able to tell me a lot of information about the sites/buildings and stuff; history of Phoenix hall, the city of Uji's connections to the famous Tale of Genji, and other info that helped make things that much more interesting. many of the things we saw are from the Heian Period (which was the last division of classical Jap history: 794-1185)...meaning the stuff we saw was really, really old. sure some of it's been restored, and replicas were reinstalled so that the originals could be put into the museum but still, this is like THOUSAND-year-old stuff. that's crazy when i think about it...i don't think i've ever seen stuff that old before. i mean sure, stuff i saw in Europe and whatever was great; classical, famous, blablabla...but even all that renaissance stuff is only hundreds of years old...babies compared to this stuff.

and those leaves by themselves really are worth seeing. just wish they would've told me we'd be going here earlier so i would've brought my camera...(although maybe if she'd told me about the "trip" she had planned i would've declined haha)...but i had my ketai camera which is better than nothing.

ok here's some shots from today. resolution's crap, but u get the idea:

first things first:

"light" lunch w/ the ladies after arriving in Uji (no nikku! =( but it was still tasty)

the Uji River

(one of its many crossings)

Phoenix Hall...

this thing is old...

building's layout is in the shape of a Phoenix too...

and those crazy ass leaves...these pictures don't do them justice

(lol, oh you know i just HAD to ring that bell...)

some dessert for my "services"...

and there you have it. one day in Kyoto, 4 ladies served, all-expenses paid, and my stomach satisfied.

now THAT's BIG nihon pimpin':

(where mah b*#$hes at???)

2006-11-07T22:51:00.000-08:00

quick Re-cap... - Tuesday, November 7 2006

the past 5.5 days are a blurrr but from what i do remember, Okinawa was kick-ass. i`ll just leave you with the run-down for now:
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Nov. 1: evening arrival, dinner, drinks, meet the Okinawan JET crew

Nov. 2: shopping around the city, yakinikku dinner, izakaya after

Nov. 3: Shurijo Castle, Matsuri (festival), Hokka Hokka dinner

Nov. 4: Inaugural scuba dive, breakfast gyros, GOOD Mexican dinner, sunset from the cliffs

Nov. 5: Okinawa aquarium, Turtle beach, another sunset, and my 1st steak in Japan

Nov. 6: last-minute shopping for omiyage, made a dash for the airport through rush-hour to catch our 1710 flight, land @ 1900, climb on the bus back to the "Guch" and we`re feasting on ramen by 2015
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it was strange getting back into Mori-G and feeling like it was "home"...and pleasant too. not that Okinawa was a bad place (far from it), but it just suddenly made me realize how "comfortable" life seems to be once you manage to settle yourself into a groove. blegh...ANYway, it was an awesome trip.

but it's good to be back.

(post script)

i was gonna leave it at that for today, but D just sent me this hiLARious clip that i must share.

background: after us guys blazed through the indoor exhibits on Sunday at the Okinawa Aquarium, we decided to take a breather out on the grass while we waited for the girls to catch up. T & D were content w/ laying on the grass, and i was too, until i saw this:

remember what happened the last time i saw a "worthy" tree?
( . )

nice big tree + ( . ) = >=P

we're always asking our students what their shumi (hobbies) are to help them practice their English in class, maybe we should turn this into some sort of instructional video:

gotta love digicams.

alright, that's it for now. going to "Korea town" for a field-trip w/ the ni-nen-sei (2nd year) students tomorrow. there's gonna be kimchi everywhere. too bad i don't like it. but i hear the koreans do a good yakinikku, we'll have to find out. =P

sayonara from the Guch...

2006-10-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Photobarf... - Wednesday, October 25 2006

crap...it bothers me when i finally find time/energy to blog and my mind's too fatigued to spit out anything i'd consider worth reading. ah well, that's what photos are for i suppose. let's just go w/ the most recent events.

Junky & Tina stopped by "l'hotel Raphael" in Mori-G for the weekend.

enjoy:

(Arrival - Saturday night)

first things first: dessert!

mischief-makers reunited @ the Hemp Bar

a chillin' rooftop in Mori-G

some late night yakitori

(Sunday - more adventures...)

soba breakfast

cruising in the hood is good...look what i picked up?

it just keeps getting better...

geeks in Osaka

the famous takoyaki(octopus balls), almost too hot to handle

2 of Japan's current "hot commodities"

slow food? that is unacceptable

tataki at my fingertips...now that's what i'm talkin' about

(...insert comment here...)

and finally, sake & Kobe beef...on the floor.

twas a good weekend indeed.

OH! i almost forgot...i am indebted to this visit b/c it was during this time that i was finally able to identify the Mysterious (and highly friggin annoying) Midnight Karaoke Man.

about 2-3 weeks after moving in here, i started noticing a faint (at first) voice that would pierce the air nearly every other night at about 2300. no music/tv accompanying it though, just a voice. in Japanese. uttering anything from serenades/ballads to "speedy" songs that sounded like weak Japanese rap.

it was tolerable (even amusing) at first, but you gotta understand...this guy just BELTS it sometimes...and he keeps on going. and going. sometimes i'll fall asleep to him crooning at midnight...and i'll wake up at 0400 and he'd still be at it.

i've been trying to find out who the baka is...i'd assumed he was below me somewhere b/c that's where the sound seemed to come from, but there were other people below me who i knew weren't singing so i figured he was from a nearby building, and despite my ears being able to hear his banshee voice so perfectly...i couldn't get a location.

that is, until now. >=]

seing as how they were the first overnight visitors at "l'hotel Raphael", i warned my 2 guests about the MKM, and they were highly anticipating his performance. sure enough, on their second night here he delivered...and more importantly, we found out where he lives.

the bastard lives DIRECTLY above me. #302!!

i had an empty pop bottle that i had saved on my balcony JUST FOR HIM, so i launched it up right away after we ID'd him after perusing my balcony during a midnight serenade. if you look closely you can actually SEE his shadow moving on the neighbouring building's wall as he sings.

i swear, this dude must be wearing headphones or something; my aluminum can made all this clanging/clattering as it bounced off his balcony, off the glass door, off the railing (and almost falling back down) and finally onto his balcony floor...and all it accomplished was a few seconds of silence before he started singing again.

so we went back inside and nailed the ceiling a few times...buddy stops for a bit, runs to check his door (he probably couldn't hear but felt the knocking and thought someone was visiting. probably a "fan")...closes it and resumes his bellowing.

it'd been a long day and i had no time to do anything else, but the important thing is that i know who my enemy is. that's written in some important book right? "know thy enemy"...or something like that. right? yeah...so whether i just keep on tossing up bottles every time i hear him screeching at night (and hopefully he'll get the idea when he notices a small pile forming), or it comes to me going up and knocking and coming face-to-face w/ this cacophonical cheeseball...at least i have a target. muahahahaha...that makes me feel good.

ok, he's not singing tonight. better take this opportunity and get a good night's sleep.

sayonara...

2006-10-17T01:18:00.000-07:00

Finally... - Monday, October 16 2006

for those who're wondering what life in Mori-G is like/might wanna come visit/just don't really give a rat's ass but are bored and need to kill time at work...you finally get to see my place. with no previous JET tennant at this place; it was start from scratch...

some pics i took at the start while testing out my then-new camera phone:

empty.

(i bought the yoga ball so i wouldn't have to eat on the ground.)

seems like it took me forever to find a decently priced "regular" table and chair...why do these people love sitting on the floor so much?! O_o

so, rather than do a typical/boring show n tell, i thought why not make this slightly more interesting. how? ok, just work with me here...let's say...pretend you are...a ninja. oh c'mon...it'll be fun! i promise.

now, prepare to:

Enter the ( . )'s Lair...

(didja do it?)

what?!

"Are you not entertained?!!"

fine.

got a short video clip/tour of the place to kicking around too, i'll add it some other time.

oh yes, and this is my ketai:

the Samsung 804ss. i'm a techno-phobe so obviously i wasn't looking for the fanciest phone out there w/ all the bells n whistles...this one cost like ~$15CDN on a contract.

looks a lot like the Razr if you ask me, and yes i got the orange one. it was either that or the black, and although i liked the "basic" black better at first...it was just plain flat-black and something about being in Japan seemed to sway me towards getting the metallic/copper-orange. this way i won't have to worry about not being able to see/find it at night. =P

2006-10-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

quick notes:

Thursday, October 12 2006: biked to school in the rain, without my umbrella. i'd left it at school the previous day. showed up soggy and wet. very nice.

Friday, October 13 2006: found a little gem w/ some of the Kempo crew on Friday night. rooftop bar/patio less than 10minutes from my place: the "Hemp Bar". great place to just lounge and relax after a long week. must take pictures next time.

Saturday, October 14 2006: finally had to say goodbye to $9 haircuts. this treasure troll mop is getting out of control so i got up early and headed to one of the 20 hair salons in town to get it over with. the guy spoke better English than i expected, but despite that and my feeble efforts to communicate i had to watch in fear as my hair was transformed before my very eyes: first to look like a Beckham wannabe, then an early-90's Fresh Prince, and Astro Boy, before we finally managed to get me looking presentable. *whew* students would've had a field-day if Lee sensei showed up on Monday looking like a pineapple!

that whole ordeal cost me 3150yen. ~$30CDN! good grief.

good news though, afterwards i headed down to Umeda and found a cool shirt.

a Hello Kitty shirt.

yes, Hello Kitty. and, AND...it's PINK.

i'm not joking. it is cool.

(hey, i had a flashback and thought i still looked like David Beckham when i bought it ok?)

ah yes, and another random thought:

the unthinkable has happened...i'm finally starting to watch Anime.

why?

because ppl have advised me that it'll aid in my attempt to learn more Japanese. i don't know why all the CS/Computer dudes watch it, i guess it makes them feel more mature to be watching "sophisticated" cartoons. =P

but yes, i've started watching some "Naruto" and it's pretty cool.

(basically about some goofy kid who wants to become a ninja)

anyone have any other shows to suggest? i tried Gundam and Dragonball, but those just seem to drag on and ooon...no patience for those. and no, not "Bleach"...someone already suggested that, but i read the synopsis and it's about ghosts and such, and ghosts will creep me out and keep me up at night, so no scary ones please.

pics of my apartment/habitat to come soon...

2006-10-05T05:49:00.000-07:00

random - Thursday, October 5 2006

quickly, here's some random amusement while i procrastinate on making a "real" post once again:

1) here's a clip Tyson got of this sudden rainstorm that came out of "goddamn NOwhere" when we were biking around town checking out grocery stores back in August...

(hit just as we were leaving our second heist...*ahem*...i mean, supermarket.)

2) was passing through a cd shop in Osaka when this caught my attention:

almost sounded interesting enough for me to buy...

...almost.

maybe if i come across "Slap of Beef" i'll have to give 'em a listen.

3) now THIS is how you know the Japanese are a technologically advanced nation:

2L of beer from a vending machine.

we can't even buy 2 litres of POP in Canadian ones!

4) and finally, you know how we have those Canadian ads for the Red Cross blood donor services where you hear some touching monologue/story on the radio...with some sappy background music, and they end the whole thing off with their snappy tag line: "Blood...it's in you to give."?

know what i'm talking about?

well, while i commend the advertiser's use of emotional/psychological appeal in calling the public to support this noble effort, it does seem to be sort of a roundabout way of saying "we need hemoglobin!"

now i admit their customs and "politeness" can be a bit trying/frustrating at times, but in this respect(donating blood) the Japanese are much more "to-the-point" than we are:

sign on the back of a mobile donor unit (a big bus in the middle of the street in Osaka)

o yeah, and if there's a sudden emergency or extremely urgent need for blood somewhere, the whole unit goes Gundam-style and turns into this tricked out mobile suit to transport blood asap:

no, not really.

k, i should sleep. gonna be a full day tomorrow; it's our school's Cultural Festival. among other things, i'll be playing tenor sax with the band.

Oyasumi...

2006-09-30T22:21:00.000-07:00

from the Archives... - Saturday, September 30 2006

k, better post something before i forget. here's some notes/pics from back in late August when we (the Osaka JETs) were causing mayhem in Rinku Town...

Rinku Town: a little holiday w/in a "holiday" here in Japan. we`re here at the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute in Kansai, near the southern end of Osaka prefecture (the Keihan train stop right before Kansai airport along the coast).

supposed to be here for 2 days of Japanese language training, but this place feels like more of a resort (w/o the all-inclusive good food though). we get 24hr internet access, free rental bicycles to cruise around town, a beach 5 min. away, and a big ass outlet mall (run by the same company that opened up those Premium outlets in Tulalip, WA) close by as well. take those surroundings, throw in a few izakayas AND the hotel`s err...i mean school`s free karaoke/piano/guitar room and we definitely have a nice little retreat going on.

very thankful for the piano and the guitar (just an old electric piano and a ratty old tak, but better than nothing)...loved it for mellowing out. music keeps me sane.

just barely.
=P

this little getaway was definitely refreshing, a nice little "oasis" for our group of 30-40 Osaka Prefecture JETs still weary from Tokyo Orientation, and just beginning to tackle the challenges of setting up shop locally in our own individual cities. it was a good time to just reconnect, chill, and "try" to work on our Japanese.

ok, some pics...

(the view from my room)

(this one's mine)

white pebble beach

the perfect setting for some ruckus:

(Tyson unloading some ammo)

here, D catches me being the "responsible" one:

"uhh guys, are we being legal here? i think this might be wrong..."

5 minutes later...

"...Sugoi!"

(don't worry, this was all legal...fireworks AND alcohol on the beach. now what could go wrong with that? =P)

seriously though, it's like a local past-time.

a tipsy Rob;

(taking a picture of me, taking a picture of him, taking a picture of me, taking a...)

a few from our Gaijin Biker gang

chillin' with some locals

my midnight piano retreat

beach sunrise, after an all-nighter on the 2nd night:

Farewell Rinku Town...

...we'll be back.

2006-09-28T13:21:00.000-07:00

chotto matte... - Thursday, September 28 2006

i know my next post was supposed to be about my apartment...but i haven't gotten around to that yet. all the same though, it's that time of year again and i dunno, i just thought it'd be appropriate to write at least something, no matter how pointless. so i'm just gonna let my thoughts run-on for a moment:

yeesh...Japan. who'd have thought? it's been great so far; people are friendly, work-situation is good, students are eager to learn, it just feels like there's so much i've been given the potential and opportunity to do here. in light of all this though, i don't think i could call this home. but then again, where have i really called "home" in the past few years? Vancouver is still at the top of my list in terms of cities to live/work/play in; family is there of course, friends, my roots, all surrounded by a beautiful city and nature with abundant entertainment (and food!) but what of the future? does it lie in Vancouver, or...?

they say opportunity only knocks once, but what if you have more than one door?

i just wonder how long it'll be until i finally stop feeling like a transient...

ok, thanks for listening. the least i can do is post some pics...but oh what to post? ah, i know...everyone's gotta love turtles. it's been less than 2 months, but i've already started a small collection of these excellent amphibians to help myself feel more surrounded by my own species:

my first Japanese friend:

(this guy doubled as a pillow for the first little while when i had absolutely no furniture)

some sort of container:

(they guard thumbtacks for the time-being)

funky patch i picked up @ a funky store in Osaka called Fool & the Hermit:

(haven't found something cool enough to sew it onto just yet)

Candle-holder:

(for when i have those romantic dinners with...)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

(...myself)

another interesting hand-carved wooden tray:

(shell comes off to reveal hidden treasure!)

and of course, i can't forget my super-deal of a sweat-towel:

(everyone's gotta have one of these in order to survive an Osaka summer)

haaai...so now i`m older, a little bit lighter, feeling a lot fatter, and slightly more of an international amphibian.

ok.

have fun kids,

and stay away from orange marmalade.

until next time...

2006-09-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

*blogger-barf* - Monday, September 25 2006

whoa, thought it'd been a while since it feels so busy here, but i guess it's only a week since my last post. arggh...wish i had the time/energy to make a decent post to fill in the blanks, but that won't happen for a while. ah well, people really just want pictures/eye-candy anyway right?

fine.

as promised, here's a bunch:

Summer Sonic 2006 @ the Osaka WTC

didn't get to see every single act we wanted (Nelly Furtado switched her showtimes last-minute, missed Linkin Park etc...) but we did end up getting our money's worth i think with:

the All-American Rejects
Fallout Boy
the Kooks
the Arctic Monkeys
Fort Minor
DJ Shadow
Tool
Massive Attack

also, here's some clips i was able to nab:
(since i'm cool, now that i finally have a camera phone =P)

the All-American Rejects:

Fallout Boy:

the Arctic Monkeys:

some drum action from Fort Minor:

and a short funky clip of DJ Shadow:

not too bad for my First real rock concert eh?

next time: an update on my ghetto ass apato...

2006-09-16T23:50:00.000-07:00

a clip from Magical Moriguchi - Saturday, September 16 2006

(note: here's where i'll post about random everyday stuff, for updates on teaching/school stuff check the Training Log)

too lazy to write much...a tiring day and a blown rear tire are to blame.

the heat was suffocating at times during my first week here, and b/c i heard a/c costs an arm and a leg i decided to just head outside and chill on the streets for the first few nights when it got too hot...get to know the city streets at night, grab some iced coffee here n there...and i came to realize that every night i'd hear some chimes coming from the center of downtown every night at a certain time. 2200 to be exact.

so, one Tuesday night i had my camera w/ me and thought i'd capture the moment:

next time: pics/video from SummerSonic 2006 in Osaka!

2006-09-16T02:24:00.000-07:00

crazy...i FINALLY have internet.

let's start at the beginning (or at least as far back in this whirlwind as i can remember) prior to departure:

Sunday, July 30 - church, lunch @ home and a long ass nap...then Youth Leaders Appreciation dinner @ P. Dan's @ 1800, then video games & farewell cake @ Caleb's @ 2030. a prologue to some consecutive dining out:

Monday, July 31 - was in all day packing, decided i needed a good run to wake me up/clear my head. that was real nice. then back to organizing clothes/supplies/stubborn thoughts going through my head...then dinner @ the Sandbar in Granville Island. those in attendance: Cat, JY, DC (the "darkness" himself!), Cy, Dylan, Wally.

drank some wine (even though i often don't, and don't even like cabernet) just so SOMEone wouldn't feel like an alcoholic for ordering a bottle all to herself...even if she did drink the entire thing save for the one glass that i had.

Tuesday, August 1 - late dinner @ Stella's on the Drive w/ my favourite nurse Helene. good times catching up, sharing travel stories and pictures, future aspirations etc...all accompanied by good food and drink.

Wednesday, August 2 - got an Alibi? spent the day wandering Commercial Drive for eats, shopping etc...time well spent. alas, despite my already bursting luggage at home, i had to buy one more t-shirt. but this was no ordinary 't' so i just had to get it. it's like the Ying to the Yang, the other half of an inside joke if you will.

one last dinner w/ VCBC ppl @ the Alibi Room. good times...all around.

Thursday, August 3 - lunch didn't happen b/c mr. Erock is a turd. mulled around my luggage for a bit...then decided to go for a good run again. that was nice. last minute haircut, then @ 1815: time for dinner w/ some family (uncles, aunts, grandpa) @ HYK. good stuff. prbbly won't get good chinese food like this for quite a while so that was nice. then off for coffee n catchup w/ ms. Wu, and had banker JY swing by w/ my Yen. ahh the Bank of JY...where you always get better than the best exchange rate.

Friday, August 4th - don't remember because i didn't jot down notes. i was probably just stressing out trying to pack/cram stuff in last minutes...and oh YES, had my laptop DIE on me at the last possible moment and stayed up till friggin 3am w/ pops reinstalling XP. yeah, way to go Microsoft.

DEPARTURE - Saturday, August 5th

and so...after barely 2 hours of sleep due to computer problems (and last-minute jitters i suppose) i hauled my ass off to YVR bright n early to catch the JET plane. checked in luggage w/o a problem, then it was just killing time in the food court till i had to board. of course, there's the farewell shop w/ mom n pops:

and thanks to all the rest who came out to bid their brain-damaged friend a bon voyage.

and so it has finally come to pass, i've left the beautiful Pacific Northwest...

whooo...and that's all i have energy for at the time-being. it's been a crazy week, and i just got back from Shorinji kempo. after going out for some biru and snacks @ an izakaya w/ Maki sensei, some sempai (our seniors) and my other fellow Canadian JETs. yes, i've decided i need a good way to exercise and kempo twice a week on Monday & Friday nights is pretty cool. it also doesn't hurt that Maki sensei lets us gaijin come for FREE too i guess...=P

got tons to write about on Osaka, settling in, excursions etc...but that'll have to wait. i'm just psyched that i finally got the net going so i can post some pics. and that's just what i'll do:

Tokyo (Shinjuku area)

August 6-9: Orientation @ Tokyo's Keio Plaza Hotel

along the riverbank in Kyoto (about an hour(?) North of Moriguchi-shi by train)

flaming torches on the hillside in Kyoto (Daimonji Festival)

sunrise from the beach in Rinkutown (about 2 hours(?) South by train)

and of course...i have to include something mildly amusing to congratulate those who had the patience to bear w/ my rambling and read all of this crap. but i promise you it's worth it...guess who i saw on the train the other day?

it's none other than the godfather of SOUL himself, in the flesh and in Nippon...

the JAPANESE James Brown:

i kid you not, i was totally cracking up when i saw this guy. i was by myself so it was kinda hard to be conspicuous since my phone camera makes this annoying beeping sound that i don't know how to shut off, and i was concentrating on trying to wipe the stupid grin off my face so he wouldn't notice. kinda hard when you're sitting directly across from someone, but still...this was Gold. he even took out a little sweat towel n did the whole dabbing-the-forehead bit n everything! like seriously, this dude was kakui.

k, i need some sleep...

Two Teasers

2006-08-29T04:42:00.000-07:00

ok, here's a taste of:

Kyoto...

and the Moon in Mori-G...

(from my balcony)

that's it for now...

i think i will wear a Fundoshi for my inaugural school visit with the principal on Friday.

2006-08-28T00:42:00.000-07:00

Halle - Looooo JAH!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen...I have a chair in my apaato.

a real live, four-legged, standard height (none of this leg-less ``backpad`` on the ground b+llsh+t) sOFt and Comfy CHAIR.

pictures of this fabulous new addition and more will be coming soon. we just signed up for YahooBB internet today in Umeda...and according to our lovely engrish-speaking salesperson Emi it should only take these snails a MONTH to get us online. O_o

stay tuned...

2006-08-22T00:43:00.000-07:00

Coming `atcha from Kyoto... - Tuesday, August 22 2006

communication is at an all-time low...still haven`t received my ALIEN registration card yet in the mail (we need it to sign up for Internet accounts) so i`m still feeling a bit disconnected, but that`s ok. after all...i am an Alien!

checked out a festival in Kyoto called Daijimon (some thing for honoring ancestors) last Saturday. basically tons of people come out to Kyoto along the riverbanks to see big kanji characters of fire lit up by people holding torches on the mountainsides (kinda like our Symphony of Fire, except no music. just as crowded/crazy around town though). after that the subways/trains were just mad rammed so we decided to stick it out around town and wound up finding some falafel place run by an extremely anti-Bush/anti-american Israeli guy. my kinda place! a few days of work here n there (just going into the Board of Education for some `meetings` again) and some bumming around the city and not much else has been going on.

the weather`s finally been cooling down a bit (i still have to sleep w/ the ac on though. if i don`t, i wake up at 4am with my neck/back soaking wet...blegh..nasty) so today i decided to hop on the Keihan train line today and zip up North to Kyoto. when we were up there for the festival we didn`t really get a chance to see the city too much since we came up for the evening only, so i thought i`d check it out on my own. lots of older/historical sites here...temples etc...i keep forgetting to bring a USB stick along with me and the comp here at the cafe has free USB slots...but oh well, you guys don`t come here just for the eye candy right? you actually CARE about what i have to say. right?

uuhh...right.

sorry, i`ll try to remember the pictures next time. =P

i`d go into detail and try to describe my apartment and the city etc...but i`ll let the pictures do the talking later hopefully.

some quick observations/questions i have after nearly 2 weeks of being in my town:

1. too many Japanese guys pluck their eyebrows

2. my Japanese really sucks. most conversations when i walk into a store go something like this:

Japanese person: ohiyo gozaimsu! dozo blabalbalbabla...(good morning/hi! please...)

Me: arigato...err...sumimasen, nihongo wakarimasen (thanks...sorry, i don`t speak japanese)

(cue excessive grinning and nodding)

then, depending on the language level of the other person we either just exchange smiles and hand motions then continue about our business...or it could go like today in Kyoto where the girl spoke `chotto eeigo` (little english) and we talked about where i come from, and tat2s...and THEN more of the smiling/nodding etc...

3. japanese food SEEMS like a good deal/cheap when you order, but then when they bring you the plate it`s like a fraction of what the picture shows! they should really have a spot in the menu that says pictures are shown at a 1:100 ratio O_o

4. i`ve learned how to pass for a Japanese (if i keep my mouth shut). i went and got myself these ￥780 (about $7.80) `assassin` glasses, a funky striped tank top (￥390!) and sported my camo cut-offs, flipflops and a scruffy goatee into town...it worked like a charm!

5. beware the grannies riding their `mama-chachi` bicycles (the ones w/ the curvy handlebars and front/rear baskets) who zigzag around town while TEXTING on their cellphones! i haven`t had a crash yet, but it`s been pretty close!

6. Japanese girls wear WAY too much makeup

7. Itadakimasu! you always say this before you eat when sitting down to a meal with a group of people. heck, it`s so much fun i sometimes feel like saying it when i eat by myself at McDonald`s...but then i get funny looks...

8. always carry an umbrella. last week me n the 2 other guy JETs here in Moriguchi got caught in a tropical rainstorm (passing typhoon shower?) while doing a grocery run. there were 4 stores en route and at store number 3 we were just loading up our rides w/ groceries when out of bloody nowhere the floodgates opened up and started to giv`er! we waited for about 10minutes inside the store hoping it`d pass but it didn`t look good so i asked the kawaii chikku cashier for some extra plastic bags to stick our valuables in and we kamikazied it down the street through the puddles/torrential rain to checkpoint number 4. should`ve seen the funny looks we got from people as we walked into the produce section of the last store sopping wet. ahh...never a dull moment in Mori-G.

ok, time`s up.

gonna be heading down South tomorrow to Rinkutown for a JET conference from Wed-Fri. more free hotel rooms...which means no more sleeping on the floor!

Ja ne...

2006-08-12T23:45:00.000-07:00

still alive

i'll keep this quick.

computer's messed, no local internet access yet, but it's been crazy non-stop full-day excursions for the past 6 days:

Monday/Tuesday - Tokyo arrival/orientation
Wednesday - off to Osaka Prefecture via Shinkansen (bullet train)==>then to Moriguchi City, meet other Mori-G JETs
Thursday - Official ceremony w/ Superintendent
Friday - Off to Osaka City: Yodabashi Camera (this place dwarfs Best Buy/Future Shop), and another shopping metropolis in Namba
Saturday - OSAKA for SUMMERSONIC 2006 (bands we saw: All American Rejects, Fallout Boy, the Kooks, Arctic Monkeys, Fort Minor, DJ Shadow, Tool, Massive Attack

signing off from the 'hood'...this is quite the place to be...

but don't worry, know that i still miss you all out here in Mori-G.

2006-08-05T02:58:00.000-07:00

Prepare to ~~Launch~~ Crash... - Friday, August 4 2006

there once was a turtle; just slowly plodding along, minding his own business while moving along the road of life. then the path kind of curved and wandered over towards the ocean, and so the turtle began walking along the sea shore, enjoying the view. then one day he got nudged into the water, unexpectedly, but he maintained his composure and felt his way about the choppy waters until he started feeling comfortable. a little more time and now he's finally swimming out to sea...about to make his way across the Pacific to Japan for a spectacular crash-landing on the shores of Osaka.

now waaaitaminute...
!O_o!
(how in the world did this happen?!)

not too long ago, this same turtle also crash-landed in Waterloo *dazed and confused* as well...so although this whole Journey to Japan is something new; the feeling isn't quite. in the former episode, despite the initial shock and concern about entering new territory on the East coast, the experience was indeed positive; one that was both physically and spiritually refreshing.

so i guess this time around it's not so new; coming out of one experience and waking up in a completely different place...like waking up from a dream and finding yourself in another world almost. i think i will look forward to becoming a veteran of these "crash-landing" experiences. actually, this seems to be a pattern in this life of mine, so i don't think i have a choice. these next 12 months are probably gonna be crazy...i just don't know it yet. =P

i know this guy's a bit of a weirdo, but this song is cool. i think i know a bit more now about how poor old Major Tom feels as he drifts:

"...saw the lightning flash, now i hear the rolling thunder... gotta keep my head above the water now, life is moving fast..."

2006-07-28T23:27:00.000-07:00

< One week...

and so it comes...Nipplehead is going to Nippon.

looking around the chaos that is my room right now, i can honestly say that this is turning out to be a "slightly" bigger deal than i had thought it was going to be 6 months ago. now if i were just planning on going to travel/play for a year it wouldn't be so bad...(just huck in some clothes and go), but now i've gotta think about dress code while i work there (meaning i'll have to make room for some *gasP* DRESS shoes/pants/shirts?!)..."Omiyage" (gifts/souvenirs to give out), athletic/outdoor gear (for when i swim to Okinawa & bike Mt. Fuji) and i'll be packing clothes for 4 seasons and not just one or two like how it was when i shipped out to 'Loo. i need to buy some more underwear.

i think it wasn't till after Saturday night's little gathering @ NU that it finally started to sink in; not so much that i'll be gone for a year, but that i've got less than 2 weeks left here. quite a bit i still wanna do, people to see, things to take care of...

and here i am blogging eh? right. back to work.

i'll leave behind some eye candy from last week's late dinner/drinks @ Nu in False Creek:

thank you to all for your Nippular support!
(click >HERE< for the rest)

Postscript:

i was never that good at science in school, always more of an arts/english dude. i guess that could explain a lot...

come up to meet you, tell you i'm sorry,
you don't know how lovely you are

i had to find you, tell you i need you,
tell you i'll set you apart

tell me your secrets and ask me your questions,
oh lets go back to the start

running in circles, coming in tales,
heads are a science apart

nobody said it was easy, it's such a shame for us to part
nobody said it was easy, no-one ever said it would be this hard
oh take me back to the start

i was just guessing in numbers and figures,
pulling the puzzles apart

questions of science, science and progress,
do not speak as loud as my heart

tell me you love me, come back and haunt me,
oh and i rush to the start

running in circles, chasing our tales,
coming back as we are

nobody said it was easy, oh it's such a shame for us to part
nobody said it was easy, no-one ever said it would be so hard
oh take me back to the start

The Scientist - Coldplay

2006-07-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

it was a frenzy to the finish...but i'm FINALLY done my stint here in the Apprentice Office @ BCIT. some notes from the past little while:

Wedding Season - Saturday, July 15 2006

E&J's wedding, this Saturday it was. i bought my first tie for it b/c i was to be an usher, and i think ushers ought to be presentable. ok well, it's not exactly my very first tie...i've had others, but since this is the first one i bought for myself.

that doesn't have Dino...or any other other cartoon animals on it. so i guess that makes it my first real "adult" tie.

i don't know which sounds better/worse:

"my suit is so cheap that it cost the same as my tie!"
or
"my tie is so expensive that it cost the same as my entire suit!"

take whichever one you please, both are true. =P

Congratulations Joyce & Eric!

my fragile memory makes it a bit harder to retain a lot of the funny sh*t that happens at random these days, but here are a few notable recent conversations:

(while roasting marshmallows, and apparently each other @ camp)
Cywa: hey dude, you got a stick?
Eltro: yeah, but it's kinda short...

(during dinner, discussing "usher" duties for the wedding)
Vince: ok, you ushers have to walk the grandma's down the aisle.
Jon: ummm, how do you "walk" a grandma?
Me: slowly.
should really resurrect the Quote Wall. maybe i'll start one in Moriguchi.

Unwritten - Sunday, July 16 2006

woke up to the sound of my radio this morning. song playing was one i usually ignore, but for some reason this morning (maybe b/c it was quiet, i was tired, and only my subconscious was awake?) i actually listened long enough to hear/consider the lyrics for the first time...and they seemed to sit quite well with me. normally when i hear this song on the radio (it's been getting a lot of airtime) i just kinda tune it out or switch stations; it's r&b/dance-ish and the melody just isn't very "attractive" to me...but the words (esp. the chorus) are actually quite representative of my thoughts as i start preparing for this next adventure:

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield

it was nice, just lying there first thing in the morning and listening to this sort of "message" coming from the airwaves. so, that kinda set the tone for my day.

FOOD Day! - Wednesday, July 19 2006

the "A-team" decided to have (another) food day to send off their Turtle-loving-Tattooed-Triathlete. so of course, as a tribute to myself, they made sure the food was healthy: jalapeno poppers, a bucket of KFC, spring rolls, fried wontons, artichoke dip... basically all deep fried goodness. i also got an unexpected gift:

it's soooo cool! i was like "whoa..."

my supervisor saw it in a store one day and bought it. said it had my name all over it. AND to top it all off they busted out a TMNT ice cream cake! chocolate cookie crunch goodness...

Tat2s & Memories... - Thursday, July 20 2006

co-worker went n got her very first tat2 at lunch. brave girl, i'm very proud of her. it's of a small design she drew herself; a heart w/ a crown on it (just a little bigger than a Toonie), on her inside wrist from Mirella's. when she mentioned Mirella's it brought back memories...i rmmbr it as the 1st tat2 parlour i ever saw:

in gr. 1-3 when i used to take the school bus to school out to Coquitlam, we always had to get onto Hwy 1 via the Grandview Highway/Boundary Road ramp, and i'll always remember seeing that neon sign on the street corner as we turned: Mirella's Touch of Class tattoos. yup, nice tiny little shop, next to the lawnmower repair shop...both still in business after all these years.

coincidentally, today is when i booked myself in for my final Session before Japan as well. just a shorter one (~1.5 hours), but that's an entry for another time.

the End, and the Prologue... - Friday, July 21 2006

today was my last day. can hardly believe it...it's been almost exactly one year since i first walked through the doors of SW1-2140 and joined the "A-team" (A for Apprentice). One year from the day my co-workers first saw this peculiar looking guy sitting in their midst; eating his sandwiches and taking up all the room in the staff fridge with his "mega" lunches. =P

official goodbye rituals were done on Wednesday, but people still stopped by to say bye and wish me well...which was unexpected and nice at the same time. one co-worker was telling me stories of how he had a stint in Tokyo/Yokohama when he was younger. he's an older guy; said he used to be a performer w/ a troupe, went there to perform with a group that was assembled especially for some sort of arts festival...and aside from being an actor/singer his "claim to fame" (as he put it) was that he played the Musical Saw. musical saw?! i've seen that before i think, but seriously that totally came out of nowhere. the dude's the currently a student financial aid advisor in our office; supposedly a position that requires sound judgement and someone with a good head on their shoulders right? and here we have a guy who once ran away and joined the circus. LOL, gotta love the irony.

more details about Japan have finally started trickling into my Inbox:

Flight: Aug. 5th - Depart YVR @ 1300 ==> Aug. 6th 1510 Arrive @ Narita
Accommodation:
- 24m(squared)
- 1 bedroom + kitchen room
- equipment: electicity, gas, water & hot water supply, bathroom, toilet, A/C, refrigerator (hope it's a big one), washing machine
-4 minute walk fromthe Keihan Moriguchishi Station
-7 minute walk from the Subway Moriguchi Station

2 weeks.

"No one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in
No one else, no one else, can speak the words on your lips..."

2006-07-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

Nature Calls - Saturday/Sunday, July 8-9 2006

good weekend getaway to "Cult Ass" Lake.

(more on the Training Log)

likely my last camping trip before Nippon. it's coming down to the wire, i feel the pressure slowly building as the date fast approaches....
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nyeh =P who am i kiddin'? still procrastinating.

*notes: saw Superman Returns on Friday, didn't really know what to expect other than the fact that i thought Brandon Routh wouldn't make a good Superman. i was partly correct in that i still have a hard time seeing him as the Superman...but i find i really like him as a Clark Kent. i think he does a good job as the mild-mannered reporter, and even w/ the homage paid to the Reeve movies (w/ the mirroring Lois & Clark scenes) i think he really made the role his own. discussed similarities betw. Supes and JC afterwards w/ MEF, and one that i don't rmmbr being mentioned that i thought of recently was the fact that it was a woman again (nurse) who found the empty "tomb". just another factoid.

had my first crack (or pop) at making balloon animals Saturday.

i suck.

*more Cultus Pics

<4 weeks and counting...

2006-07-07T15:22:00.000-07:00

~*hocus pocus*~, days go by...
for those at work who see me everyday i think it's hard to tell, but the past few weeks it feels like i've been under some magical spell...

is it the sun?
was it the fun?
or is it something else...?
well whatever it is, my mind now resembles mush from overusage. departure for Japan is less than a month away now...(where did the time go?)...and yet there just doesn't seem to be much excitement/anxiety sinking in about this new adventure. when i was waiting 3 months ago i figured my mind would be on thoughts of Japan; excited about what i'll eat, where i'll live, where to visit and what to do...but in reality...nyeh, it's not so much like that at all.

~*keep my focus*~, i must try...
oh i'm sure i'll feel it eventually, once i get on the plane perhaps...but for now at least, (hmmm, how to describe...) i just can't help feeling a bit like this:

(truly worth 1000 words!)

still, in a sense everything is moving along fine; got contacted by the school there, been corresponding via email w/ the current/returning JETs about living conditions, dress code etc...stuff seems to be lining up quite well.

i worry about all that i don't want to leave behind...but i guess this is my newest test of faith...to leave matters in the hands of Someone much more capable and infinitely wiser than i.

"how did this happen...
this dream, come true?
i'm holding my breath now,
until
i wake up..."

(from Falling into Space - March 2005)

hmmm...imagine if i fell asleep here, and and then found myself waking up in Japan.

that'd be kinda funny.

wouldn't it?

*Random: wow. today is like, the first time i've worn pants to work in over a month.

2006-06-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Scattered - Tuesday, June 27 2006

another Session. short one, just under 2 hours; filling in details, articulating everything to fine tune, but always eventful. our conversation covered random topics such as:

a)my pitiful ability to hold/use chopsticks properly (we ordered takeout sushi),

b)the idiocy of the municipal police (4 hicks got pulled over for apparently no reason right in front of the shop, first by one cop who looked like he was 18, then not one, but TWO other cruisers came by for "backup" as they searched/questioned and basically just harassed the 4 occupants & wasted a whole lot of time/tax dollars), to more significant matters such as

c)religion (Christianity in particular) and abstinence...and to round it out,

d)why i really need to buck up and attend a Joe Satriani concert.

i somehow got my cali roll for free due to a mix-up w/ the delivery dude, and "Donatello" managed to make $60 @ the Dutchman's on a detour while picking up samosas.

*random: saw this movie a while ago on TV: Angel Eyes. thought it had a very unique/interesting storyline (for an American flick). despite what some may say/think about j-Lo these days, i quite liked it. jim caviezel (the Passion of the Christ, Count of Monte Cristo) was good in it too. i don't watch many movies, but i'd recommend this one if you're looking for something "interesting".

what to do

when it feels like your hands

are behind your back and tied?

...

be thankful that your feet are free,

and walk

by faith.

Moriguchi-shi

2006-06-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

next stop for the ( . ):

(it's somewhere there, i don't think there's a dot for it, but i hear it's close to Kyoto)

Moriguchi is a city in Osaka Prefecture. apparently, it is the "sister-city" to New Westminster (whatever that means?).

JET preparation seminar was this past Sunday, a full day of speakers/workshops. just basically a good way to start filling in a lot of the blanks i have about this whole ordeal; what it'll be like, what to expect, how to prepare etc, as well as a good way to network/meet ppl who are going/have gone. now i hate this whole "networking/schmoozing" business, this element of the corporate world was a total turn-off for me, but Sunday's meeting was ok i guess. had a reception afterwards @ LK Dining Lounge in Yaletown (free food!).

so i'm finally starting to get a bit more excited about Japan, but at the same time a little more nervous too, as i begin to see all the work/details to be done/sorted out, as well as other non-JET related "odds and ends" that i need to take care of in about a month and a half...oh, and did i mention i'm still working F/T till July 21st? O_o

here's a thought: Theme music

music was always an integral part of life for me, and given that, i'm not surprised to find that in the past i've associated certain events/stages of life w/ songs that convey/express the emotions felt at the time. this is a generalization of course; meaning the certain tone/mood of the song wasn't the way i felt the ENTIRE time i was in a certain place (i.e. i didn't ALWAYS feel happy/sad, melancholic/pumped up), but it does conjure up memorable experiences from when i was there, and anytime i hear that song again it brings my thoughts back to the place where i sorta just decided...y'know what, this fits. kinda like how certain cartoon/movie characters have their theme songs. i'm not saying I have a theme song =P, just that certain chapters/events in my life do. examples:

WATERLOO - 100 Years (Five for Fighting)
i first heard this track sampled while watching Smallville on my laptop, while munching on a delicious homemade meal (par chef Raphael) in my basement apartment @ 395 Hell-hole street during my 2nd year @ UW. i really liked the basic piano melody...just sort of ambling along the way, not rushed, not really going anywhere, just enjoying the scenery.

after obtaining a copy of the song, i would often find myself listening to it as i journeyed through the 'Loo; whether i was walking to/about/from campus, biking through downtown/through the snow alongside the highway, or finding my way home deliriously through the night after a boring night of class...i found the song just...very soothing. it helped me think/meditate on just being there @ UW, soaking up the essence of being a (poor and hungry =P) student.

the emotions/memories from my years @ UW will probably stay w/ me for the rest of my life (barring any future brain injuries/amnesia =P), and whenever i hear that song i'll remember the warm glow of amber street lights reflecting off the cold snow at night, and the crunch of the snow beneath my feet as i walked along...staring at the road ahead as my breath turned to mist before my eyes, floating up into the cool night air:

Hong Kong - Wake me Up When September Ends (Green Day)
this was just one of the handful of english songs i had on rotation w/ me as i set out for HK/China in February of 2005. it was a relatively new song back then (American Idiot had just come out i think), and aside from me being able to connect w/ it b/c i happen to be a September baby (yeah i'm egocentric like that sometimes), i just liked the whole "lonely" mood of the song. even though i was lucky enough to be shown around by family and friends during the trip, being a solitary traveler is kinda nice, esp. at the end of a long/busy day. you learn to treasure your quiet time, use it to reflect and just refresh your mind so you can relax and have energy for the next 24hours.

one of the main places where i stayed was @ Uncle Tyrone's apartment on Eastern HK Island (Sau Kei Wan). the complex was situated on top of some hills, and i loved the fact that in about 5min. i could walk down out of the buildings, through the bus station, hop a fence and there i could find a spot to sit and just chill on the hillside overlooking the sparkling night lights of the city. okokok yes, i know i know; hold the cheese mr. Lee, but seriously...after a long/busy/noisy day, enjoying some fresh air and solitude with the (still) noisy city sounds muffled from my perch on the hillside...that was some much needed mental rest. i'd spend probably about 15-20min. there just sitting, surveying the city lights, and listening to music. it was like i had my own HUGE private balcony. this song stuck w/ me for whatever reason, and it's now come to represent that image/view from that particular perch on the hillside:

so, i wonder what the theme music for this next "episode" in life will be? some hauntingly meditative shakuhachi melody? a mystically exotic koto/shamisen harmony? or maybe an intense, powerful taiko rhythm...? it'll be interesting to see what influences me over there, but i'm sure something will strike a chord (ignore the punjabi).

there is something on my mind, and possibly much to leave behind.

i let it slip...

but, at the least, it's off my ~~chest~~ shell.

the cat has left the hat.

*random: i've been fighting off the intoxicating smell of nail polish in the office lately. all the ladies seem to think the sunny weather is an appropriate excuse to decorate their toes during the day.

O_o

personally, i prefer to paint mine in the fall.

2006-06-10T01:20:00.000-07:00

a True Story - June 2 2006

*listen...

one night, i sat

down at a piano with my thoughts

(Don't panic)
on something beautiful.

i started playing;

just simple n.o.t.e.s ,

(Don't be alarmed)
c-h-o-r-d-s . then,

unexpectedly i saw that

(Something's gotta give)
something beautiful appear

before my eyes.

and, i kept playing:

(Something's gonna give)
this is what came

out...

(Soon)

-(inspired)-

2006-06-03T01:04:00.000-07:00

talk to me - Friday, June 2 2006

aah...the warm weather's shrunken back a bit, but carefree summer days loungin' at the beach are near. i kinda miss those endless summer nights hanging out, random fun (even the occasional hooliganism), seems like so long ago...

it's hard to find time/energy after work to enjoy what's out there; open water swims, biking through trails, hiking up the Grind, just to BE OUT THERE, wherever. i guess another part of it is not having someone readily available to do stuff w/ too; what w/ ppl so busy these days, plus not everyone really wants to do the same things. hmmmm, that gets me thinking...

i wonder what it is that attracts 2 people to each other? there are many theories i've heard/come across: physical attraction, common interests, perceived compatibility etc. but what makes 2 people just seem to "click"? i don't know for sure, but i think at least one thing that seems essential is that they should be able to talk. not just meaningless banter either, but the kind you actually enjoy.

it doesn't have to be thought-provoking/ground-breaking philosophy all the time...i mean, we could talk about "nothing" even...just so long as it's genuine, sincere conversation that facilitates sharing and the desire to get to know the other person more. some ppl i talk to are pretty "uninteresting"...and ok maybe it all depends on the circumstances/situation in which the conversation takes place...but still, i think it means a lot to me that we can just "talk".

words w/o action are meaningless when talking about getting things done/setting examples (this i Believe), but when it comes to two people getting to know each other i think conversation matters just as much as(if not more than) what they physically "do". they could go on dates, fill their time together w/ activity and entertainment etc. but at the end of the day; when the wine is gone, the music stops, the stage is empty, and the sun has set...will we still manage to have something interesting to say to one another? i hope so.

Talk is not cheap.

welp, that's all the seriousness i have in me for now. until next time...

(congratulations if you were nosey enough to read this =P) on the flip-side, there's the kind of connection you can have w/ someone where words are not necessary at all (i'm not talking wild hormones/monkey sex); you just get that spark when you look at them and you feel like you can just sit and stare at each other in silence for the longest time and walk away feeling like it was a great conversation. of course this comes w/ time and usu. AFTER a lot of talking has already taken place and you truly know/trust each other. like my grandparents did...the greatest example; my grandpa sitting for hours on end by my dying grandma's bedside, not saying a word, occasionally holding her hand and just sitting there to be w/ her. now there's Love in action. but that's a thought for next time...

2006-05-20T00:07:00.000-07:00

"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
as long as I'm living
my baby you'll be."

-Robert Munsch

I remember having this book read to me in pre-school, and reading it again in elementary school. Containing only around 70 words (most of them repeated), it starts with illustrations of a mother whispering that verse while tenderly cradling her newborn child. It continues as the infant learns the mischievous ways of a toddler, moves on to sketches of teen life, with the child eventually becoming an adult. All the while, the loving mother is never far away; always helping, always caring. The final drawing shows the middle-aged "infant" gently holding his frail and dying mother. Their roles now reversed, he speaks those same words as he watches her near the end. Such simple words, yet it humbles me that i haven't truly felt their meaning until now:

"I'll love you forever,

I'll like you for always,

as long as I'm living

my baby you'll be."

...we love you grandma.

RIP May 2, 2006

2006-05-06T20:53:00.000-07:00

Full Circle (sessions 13 & 14) - May 6 & 22 2006

all the way back to the area first inked, it's been untouched for nearly 10 years. (O_o did i really just say that?! a bloody DECADE it's been?? oiy...)
i guess it's kinda cool to see we're finally filling in the last piece of the puzzle now. seems ironic how it was the first part to be lined, but ends up as the last part to be shaded/detailed. not sure if they always plan it out like that, but it is what it is. makes me wonder what other aspects of life are like that?

(for those who know the story) :

"So the last will be first, and the first will be
last."
- Matthew 20:16

first to be created, last to be fulfilled? i dunno, just seemed like an interesting paradox...

nyeh...ah well, so that's how it is. decided not to go full out black for this section b/c the detail would be lost. rather, the scales are shaded in a similar fashion as the koi and had the black mixed in w/ shades of gray. i like it. gives it the dual-character effect; not good/not bad...but in the end I know who i am.

got scolded today too...they can tell i've been out in the sun too much. unbeknownst to me, the ink can oxidize in the sun (even though it's not direct, i'm not THAT stupid)...but yeah, the slightest amount (especiall on fresh/relatively new ink) has consequences. some of the fresh blues show signs of fading...got a lot of "tsk tsk-ing" for that. hahaha, i was very remorseful, i'll try my best to not let it happen again. i just need to have someone w/ me to help slather on the SPF 500000 and it'll be all gude.

Session 13 went for about 3 hours, and 14 was cut short of a full day @ about 2.5 dude thinks we can just about finish it in 2 more sessions; one long one, and then a short one to touch-up/finalize any bits and pieces. i dunno, i'm a pretty picky bugger so i dunno if that'll be enough...but we'll see.

still, progress is coming along nicely. capped off the bottom part, touched up details on the left, darkened in the background on the right, and created more depth in the middle. from what i can see, the right needs to be capped off still, and from there on it's pretty much just finishing touches (and my pickiness) that'll keep it from being complete. another 4 hours before i head off to Japan should do it!

until next time...

2006-04-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

i'm back.

Sounding Off... - Sunday, April 16 2006

it was a loong day today...but there was productivity! headed over to Dirty Gook's "studio" home after church @ 1430, jammed/recorded till like 2100. aside from a brief walk about Yaletown for a coffee break, we pretty much played for the entire time. he'd just started writing something 20min. before i showed up, and we've nearly finalized it, save one or 2 corny lines that we need to scrap. it's pretty cool; composing by oneself is fun, but having another instrument/musician to bounce ideas off is a great catalyst. makes ideas ripen so much faster if you've got the right mix.

so, after recording a few sample tracks, he suggests/insists that i finally record one of my own compositions. i'm kinda timid when it comes to recording/sharing my own stuff, mainly b/c i guess i'm just not used to it, and i'm not particularly fond of my own singing voice. but today i finally agreed. i mean, we're not pro at all, but that's part of the fun.

the "equipment" at his place is basically a 386 comp w/ a shareware version of ProTools (that freezes every so often) on it, a tiny voice mic., add to that the "boy band" mic from L&M that he got on Boxing Day, and a big tower speaker that looks like it came from a dumpster, and you've got Ghettofabulous Recording studios. this makes for low expectations. PERFECT.

so, after 2 takes, i've finally got my very own rough CD copy of my first guitar track:

Simplified Romance
(written March 2005)
after listening to it when i got home, i can conclude a few things: my tempo starts off way too fast (this is prbbly a common newbie mistake; the song is so familiar that i start too fast b/c i think it's boring if i sing it regular pace), i need to learn how to time my breathing properly, and i sing WAAY too quietly. i don't know how to project. i mean, even w/ the mic and everything my soundwaves were pretty sad. ProTools has a track monitor that visually displays the audio recordings w/ graphics that look similar to a heart rate monitor; big spikes and stuff when there's sound. mine looks like a flatliner. O_o

oh well, it sounded half decent, and Gook cranked up the track volume as best he could w/ studio magic, and voila. it really doesn't sound that bad...(if you overlook the rushing, the slight pitch fluctuations, and the part where i forget some of the lyrics)...i think Simon Cowell would be pretty impressed. =P

at least it's given me something to evaulate and build on. maybe one day, SOME day, i'll be satisfied enough to share it here publicly. just not anytime soon.

speaking of songs...

...my supervisor's getting married this summer, and since the office is 95% female there's been all the regular "girl-talk" that goes along w/ weddings. today in particular though, the topic of choosing music came up (wedding songs, 1st dance song, etc.), and people were asking around and throwing out suggestions for lovey-dovey/romantic songs. then it kinda dawned on me that when i started to think about it...i was drawing a blank. i was trying to recall a recent/current song from the love/romantic genre and i couldn't!

for myself; a person who used to listen to those kind of love ballads/serenades a lot, this seemed kinda weird but it got me thinking...

"why don't we sing love songs to each other anymore?"

i guess it's to be expected, i don't exactly have someone poised to be my "object of affection" right now, it's been quite a while.

how much does the music you listen to reflect where you are/what you're feeling during this particular period in your life? right now i'm pretty sordid, a whole mishmash of whatever; from rock to new age, hip hop to classical, instrumental to emo/punk...but if i had to find a common thread i would say it's basically anything that allows me to think/reflect, or makes me think.

FFwD...

Crazy kids...Friday, April 21 2006

played a bunch of wacky games w/ the kids tonight. lucky the numbers weren't too bad; 2 teams of 20. brought a whack of props from home to help integrate a mini-lesson on the Armour of God.

good thing i've gotta lotta junk lying around in my room, i had enough pieces of "armour" for both teams. 2 each of the: "Belt of Truth", "Breastplate of Righteousness" (safety vests), "Shield of Faith" (exclusive cardboard edition, made by sarah), "Helmet of Salvation" (my mountain biking lids), and the "Sword of the Spirit" (light sabers!).

Tax Free - Saturday, April 22 2006

shopping in the States @ the Outlets in Tulalip (just north of Seattle). bumped into grace n dugan @ the duty free shop, the place where everyone goes to try and jump the line @ the border. prbbly saved about 20min. wait time. found some decent deals, loaded up and headed back. @ the border we declared about $300 worth of goods betw. the 4 of us...and the dude in the line-up told us to head in and pay our taxes. O_o sooo in we went...and...the old dude at the desk decided to let us off. =)

i'm not sure how much we would've had to pay, but for whatever reason (maybe he felt lazy, didn't wanna do the paperwork), he said we could go. bonus!

Inaugural Sun Run - Sunday, April 23 2006

finished my 1st Vancouver Sun Run today. check the Training Log for a more detailed account. bunch of us walked down to Denman for lunch @ Mongolian Grill afterwards, finished up in time to grab some rays on the beach before watching Helene get baptized right there along the shores of English Bay in one of Coastal Church's baptismal services.

i've never been to an outdoor baptism before, so it was pretty cool. again, the gorgeous weather was totally accommodating for the occassion.

finally, around 1600ish...walked up Robson to the Burrard Skytrain & made my way home. i'd been on my feet for pretty much all day since 0730 and they were KILLING me...

mui flew home from UNBC today, she'll hang around for a week before going back up for Spring term.

man, time seems to be flying by so fast...it's almost MAY...a few more months, and it'll be waking up in JAPAN O_o

*random*

i dreamed a dream...

...and a very weird dream it was. even more peculiar is the fact that i remember it too. ppl have told me that we all dream, some just don't remember their dreams long enough afterwards, and therefore don't think they've dreamt anything. that'd be me. i usu. just konk out and wake up the next morning, and if someone were to ask me what i dreamt i'd say nothing.

but last night it was something strange. i don't really have a full recollection of what it was, but i just have this image in my head of this scene that took place:

me, sitting on something couch-like...could've been in a living room watching tv, a theatre, a car...something, but not an office/dining room chair. i was with someone else, a certain girl, and there may/may not have been other people around, but i can't remember. the girl (who will remain anonymous) was seated on my left, and (here's the weird part), the whole time we were sitting there she was biting my arm.

now it wasn't like she was trying to EAT it or anything, no blood/gore, but she just had a nice clamp on my arm w/ her teeth, and was just content to be sitting there like that. kinda like holding hands, but instead she's holding my arm w/ her mouth. weird. i rmmbr i was a little curious in the dream as to why she was doing this, but still calm. there was no "whoaa! freak! get off!!" reaction, but more like the "uhh...what're u doing?" look w/ the "Rock" eyebrow (u all know what look i'm talking about =P). and her response (a bit muffled as she was talking while still half-biting onto my arm; "it tastes good!" think of it like a dog holding onto it's fetch toy or something, they're not biting/chewing it like a rawhide bone, but remain happy just holding it in their mouths.

any dream interpreters out there?

2006-04-11T23:29:00.000-07:00

Capital Unrest - Tuesday, April 11 2006

...i woke up in the wee hours of the morning today...not quite sure where i was or what time it was; what i had to do, where i had to be...and then i figured out it was tuesday morning. i remembered what i'd done the night before and that i was going to work today...and then i went back to sleep.

there was a period of time where that happened quite frequently, but it's been a while since it last did. it makes me wonder why...maybe i'm finally getting excited about going to Japan for JET? i hadn't really thought much about it since i received my letter, but i think it's slowly starting to sink in...(yeah, i'm kinda dense like that =P)

the full extent of it probably still won't register on me until i find out exactly where my placement is (rural or urban), but i've been reading articles/notes/"good to know" stuff from the 2006 JET Handbook online and that's helped increase my enthusiasm a bit.

i start wondering where i'll end up...

"will i be up in the North on Hokkaido? where it's cold and snowy? or swimming in the tropical waters down in Okinawa? or maybe island hopping in Kyushu? how bout chilling in Yokohama, perusing shops of local skin artians?"

still, no matter where i end up, i'm sure i'll have no problem getting into all sorts of ~~trouble~~ adventure. i find it funny though, that one of my mom's first responses when i told her i was going to Japan was this:

me: woohoo! i'm going to Japan!

ma: really? oh...do they have the death penalty over there?

O_o

hey, what are mothers for?

2006-04-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

I've got Mail!! - Thursday, April 6 2006

today as i walked into the house after a long day at work, i saw an 8x10 package lying face down on the floor in front of the mail slot! my heart starts beating faster...i drop my bag and jacket on the floor and walk over. with a shaky hand, i slowly pick it up (feeling it to see whether it's "thick" or not)...feels thick to me! almost giddy w/ anticipation i turn it over to see where it's from...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

...doh! bloody bank.

damn u TD.

the Pessimist - Friday, April 7 2006

yesterday was a tease, so when i walked in and saw another envelope lying there on the floor today after work i wasn't quite as excited. but then i got a bit closer, and as soon as i could see the word "Consulate" on the envelope i knew this was it! it wasn't a package this time, just a normal legal-sized envelope...does that mean it's bad news? hmmm...my friend told me it'd be good news if it was thick. but just exactly what counts as "thick"?

ok cut the bs, so i rip it open. it's upside down, bunch of papers all folded together, fumbled around trying to find the front page to get a damn answer...finally got it, and i had to re-read it and read all the way down to the bottom JUST to make sure i didn't misinterpret anything...and.....so???

i'm in.

now hold on, i'm still not doing the dance of joy yet however, because i have to submit my reply, as well as a complete Medical Certificate (meaning i have to book an appt w/ the doc and get a complete physical done) to the Consulate by May 1st. if that all goes well, then they'll have to find an organization to sign me to, they'll let me know where/what by June, and THEN (as long as everyone's cool and they don't cut the budget or cancel last minute) i'd be good to leave 1st week of August.

i don't consider myself a pessimist, but i'm just telling myself not to be too gung-ho about it yet b/c if i've learned anything in life so far it is to expect the unexpected. this doesn't mean i live my life in fear and paranoia, but i just think it's good to be prepared for any kind of surprises.

so if my reply letter gets lost in the mail, or if my doctor fudges up on the exam, or if the school they send me to goes out of business in July, or even if they actually sent me the wrong reply...i'll deal w/ it.

hehe, don't worry/think of this as the beginning of a self-fulfilling prophecy, i guess i'm just a turd sometimes. =P i really AM happy and glad that i got the response that i did, and i thank God that the waiting time seriously just flew by like nothing. that and the fact that my BCIT contract goes till the end of June, giving me a month to relax/prepare, this couldn't be more perfect. so just wait; when this ( . ) has both feet firmly planted on Nippon soil, THEN we do the Dance of Joy!

but neway, for now at least, i'm as "in" as it gets!

2006-04-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

the suspense... - Wednesday, April 5 2006

...is killing me! JET says response letters were mailed out on April 1, so i should hear the answer any day now.

i don't know why, but the period of time from my interview until now just flew by. i thought that month would be the one where i'd be the most impatient/anxious, but i guess i was lucky enough to have other things like the UBC tri & Session 12 to look forward to, which helped the time pass quick.

but now i think i'm esp. nervous b/c 1) i really couldn't get a read on how the interview went, and 2) if i don't get it...i don't exactly have a backup plan yet. O_o

i've gone through the possible scenarios in my mind too, tried imagining/imitating the emotions i'd feel if i got accepted or rejected, wondered what kind of reaction i'd have either way...i wonder if it'll feel weird; having all the days spent waiting fly by, and then right when i open that envelope and read the verdict...time stands still.

i figure if it's a "Yes" the time between then and the July departure will fly by as well, but if it's a "No"...time at work will pass by drearily @ a sluggish pace. i think the worst would be the "Maybe" response, which would mean i'm on the list of "Alternates" meaning you're on stand-by just in case some people turn down the offer. i think that would totally suck...i'd rather just get a "No" and be able to move on from there instead of having that glimmer of hope and having to put stuff on hold for another few months "just in case"...

sucks. kinda like trying to decide if you should say 'yes' and agree to go out w/ someone that's made it pretty obvious she digs you even though you're not that into her, while at the same time wondering about someone else who you haven't really gotten a chance to know yet but feel strangely attracted to...whether or not to risk making a move because...

ah but yes, i digress.

all this jabber is meaningless really. just stuff to keep me occupied as i watch the days go by...twiddling my thumbs away here in the office as i patiently wait to hear my fate...

i've some art & philosophy to leave behind today:

"Many cultures attach sacred meaning to the bloom of the lotus flower. In addition to its symbolism and mythology, its exquisite beauty transcends all cultures. As the only plant to fruit and flower simultaneously and emerge from the depths of the muddy waters, it symbolizes the manisfestation of the universal Buddha Nature or Christ Consciousness inherent in all of creation.

The behavior of the lotus is metaphoric to the potential of human nature. Through most life experiences, especially those that test our strength and spiritual beliefs, we are given the opportunity to learn and hopefully understand more about the universe and ourselves. In darkness, beauty emerges into light and reveals that life is indeed remarkable."

l o t u s

purity and beauty in the midst of adversity...

:additional info:

2006-03-23T22:02:00.000-08:00

whoaa, it's been a while hasn't it? training & recovery has taken up much of my time i guess. my energy is slowly making it's way back to the keyboard...

some notes:

monkey business - Sunday, March 12 2006

went for Vince's (aka Usher)bday dinner last night @ Taylor's Crossing in North Van. 1/4 century...damn we're getting old. he's a pretty fun drunk though.

got up early this morning for church, had to play guitar. my hamstrings & calves were still sore from yesterday's triathlon. see the training log for a more detailed account (whenever i get around to writing it).

saw this documentary on the Knoweldge Network during dinner on Jane Goodall. i've heard of her, but didn't know anything about her in particular other than she was like a female Tarzan. well, that's just the beginning. she's quite the admiralable/inspiring woman. it was called "Chimps on the Edge", about chimpanzees going extinct in Tanzania. i actually think she was quite pretty when she was young, but then she started looking like a chimp.

sadistic meditation - Wednesday, March 14 2006

still sitting on pins & needles now as i wait for a response from the JET Programme. the tri was a good distraction, as was yesterday's session. #12 i believe it was, and a good 2.5 hours straight time too. started coloring the lilies, the koi, more water...it's coming along. there's a new girl there, April, who's only been around for a month but she's friggin' hilarious. like monkey high on helium & drunk on bubonic bananas, that flashes it's nipple.

i feel pain is a great way to get in tune with the body; a tool to truly separate and create awareness of the different realms of body and mind. i know i probably sound like a sadist freak, but hear me out.

to effectively endure pain is not to ignore it, but to feel it; recognize it, meditate on it, and let your body completely absorb it. i readily admit that i don't know anything about the teachings of zen/yoga or whatever crap (even though i think to myself this might prbbly be what that stuff sounds like), so this is just my interpretation/observation of my personal reaction(s) & tolerance to the process.

instead of gritting my teeth and trying to divert my attention away from what's actually happening, i focus instead on the actual movements; trying to visualize the tool and differentiate exactly what parts of the process are being worked out. of course, it's a bit tiring to "focus" for hours on end, so obviously i tend to let my mind wander every now and then; distracting myself w/ whatever music is playing in the background or TV (last time they put Russel Peters on TV, a BAD idea), eavesdropping on the other room, or laughing @ April's hijinx.

breathing is also important; taking deep, slow breaths, that allow you to relax the body. i've seen people faint and it's almost always due to hyperventilation/shallow breathing. i guess that's a natural instinct for some when they get scared/uncomfortable, and...

ok this is getting boring now. for most ppl, this topic probably got boring right after they figured out i wasn't talking about what they thought i'd be referring to after they read "session". so i digress...

today is "hump day", and the days are thankfully going by pretty quick. it'll soon be April before i know what hit me.

Friday, March 17 2006

both manager & supervisor were gone today, leaving only us unsupervised monkeys in the office. time to order pizza & pop, woohoo! speaking of monkeys...our kids joined w/ the older kids tonight as part of the 26hour Spring Break event @ the church which started 0900 this morning & goes till 1100 tomorrow. they watched this video on a father/son team called Team Hoyt. damn...after seeing these guys in action, now i HAVE to do at least 1 Ironman in this lifetime. it only makes sense. better make it before i'm 30 though...

one final thought:

i love the latest series of Mastercard commercials w/ the zamboni dude, just makes you feel so happy for the guy! couldn't find a vid link, or even a picture of it though. this'll have to do:

2006-03-03T12:33:00.000-08:00

segregation - Friday, March 3 2006

ok, finally decided to make use of the Xanga blog. X <--that will be where i keep record of training/exercise stuff, and this place will be for all the other random muck that goes through my brain on a regular basis.

no time to think up anything substantial today, but i'll put in a plug for the UBC Triathlon/Duathlon i'll be attempting (attempt is the key word here) next Saturday, March 11:

Heat #6, 1250 start.

you should go.

do it!

2006-01-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

52min.~10km - Sunday, January 29 2006

7 of us ran the Richmond ditch/dyke route after lunch today (powered by Pho). 10km in just over 50min. pretty nasty weather for it too; rain (at times heavy), hard gravel (tried to run on the grass as much as possible), and a pesky headwind on the way back after the 5km turnaround point. all in all though, pretty good run. i just hope i don't get sick tomorrow. O_o

dinner & dissonance - Tuesday, January 31 2006

omg, that was a close one. witnessed some horrendous old chinaman karaoke/dancing/performing @ this restaurant in Richmond tonight. why Mr. Fung chose this venue, i'm not totally sure, but something tells me perhaps he misses HK a little too much already. well ok, so in truth his friend's family owns the place so that's why, and we were in our own little area, boxed away from the "festivities", but man oh man, even from the parking lot before i got inside; when i heard harsh oriental harmonies being belted out over a system, i couldn't help cracking up and wondering who was on stage. to my relief, it wasn't anyone i knew. i'd have had to shoot them. i just threw a dumpling at the guy on the keyboard.

i wish... - Tuesday, February 7 2006

wow, during dinner i caught a bit of some documentary about this biologist & his team doing field research on black sea turtles. i'm looking at what these guys do for "work": go to exotic beaches, chill on a boat, hang out in flip flops/swimming trunks all day, go scuba diving??? dang...i really should've paid more attention during Bio class.

Now Playing... - Thursday, February 9 2006

the new Curious George movie comes out in theatres tomorrow. although i totally hold the dude in the highest regard (i consider him one of my role models!), i'm still prepared to be disappointed by the film. the drawings first of all; retro CG kicks ass. i'm not sure why they thought he needed a new "look", but it just doesn't work for me. nyeh...what can you do?

now aside from the fact that we both love climbing trees, i must admit that George & I have quite a bit more in common than i thought:

(click the pic to get the full story)

2006-01-28T13:52:00.000-08:00

Friday, January 27 2006

mailed out a birthday card to my sponsor kid in Uganda this morning on my way to work. his 14th birthday's coming up on February 8th, so hopefully it gets there in time.

speaking of birthdays, it's someone else's birthday today too.

went to chill @ the alibi room tonight since Mr. Fung's back in town from HK for Chinese NY...wow, can't believe it's already been a year since that trip. time for another one please. i just might get the chance too; my JET interview's set for Feb. 22nd. coincidentally, that's the same date i have to go settle something in court. good thing the interview's in the morning & court's in the afternoon. at first i was pissed, but actually it just means i only have to take one day off of work instead of two, so it works out. plus, since i'll be wearing a *gasp* suit & tie to my interview, i might as well leave it on for the judge. wonderful. i think they'd take me more seriously in a suit rather than in my regular apparel.

Chinese New Year is here. uncle just got in from HK this morning for dinner @ my grandparent's place tonight. should be good.

hmmm...come to think of it, i never did finish my HK Journals did i? left off on Day XXI or something like that i think...so i guess i should finish that off some time soon since it's been a year. but not now. i am hungry. let me go into the bamboo jungle and find some food to eat:

i leave you with "The One I Love" by R.E.M.

2006-01-22T20:05:00.000-08:00

it's Friday the 13th!!! - Friday, January 13 2006

(posted Sunday, January 22 2006. yes, i'm a little bit tardy...)

for whatever reason, people in the office had a few brief moments of TV Show Nostalgia today. more specifically, kids TV shows. some of the shows mentioned:

-Today's Special
-Mr. Dress-up (someone thought he was still putting out new episodes?! RIP mr. coombs)
-the Polka Dot Door
-the Friendly Giant
-and last but not least...Sesame Street

Curious George should've been right up there too, but the little dude's name didn't come up.

(*warning: contemplation ahead)

work's been steadily busy since term startup...i'll leave it at that. i could go into describing all the large and little things that make it ugly, but that'd be boring. basically, the more i'm here, the more i feel like i'm meant to do something so much......"more". not saying that this csr/registration stuff is so 'below' me or anything, no. i respect the people that do this work and acknowledge their importance, but i think i'm finally starting to understand that all the education/experiences/trials i've gone through have been preparing me for a career that should be a little.....different. i see all the posts i've held here @ BCIT as valuable training, a place for me to earn my "boy scout badge" in administrative skills...(and for that i'm thankful)...but i know there's gotta be something more.

i think i can actually feel my brain rotting away sometimes...even amidst the multi-tasking (getting calls, collecting fees, managing waitlists, registering apprentices, advising students, etc.)...it gets mundane. i look back to even just a year ago when i thought to myself: "hey, this aint so bad, i could do this for a while: just turn my brain off @ work, collect decent pay, as long as i have enough time to do what i like in my off-time it's all good...". i reasoned that as long as the job was "bearable", funded my hobbies/pursuits, that would be good enough. well, it hasn't even been a full year yet and already i'm here whining about wanting more. part of the problem lies in the fact that it is just that: a job. a job is not a career. i need something that requires more creativity. imagination.

considering i spend 40 out of about 80 waking hours from Monday to Friday here; that really doesn't leave enough time outside of work to do what i really enjoy doing. sure, i know i won't be able to have a career as a musician (too lazy), a movie star (too ugly/short), a cook (i'd eat all my ingredients), or even a triathlete (have you ever SEEN a chinese triathlete?)...but my point is, i need to be doing something i'm passionate about. something i really like. yes, i know i should've figured this out way back when...but i was immature, flippant, and was too busy having what i called 'fun'. where am i going with this?? not sure...i'm thinking i might be looking at some more schooling. not necessarily post-grad studies, but something more along the lines of developing the interests/skills that i already have; refining them from raw talents/interests into tools that are marketable and usable in the working world. whether it'd be taking my tourism/marketing diploma to the next level and working towards becoming some sort of travel sales/writer/promoter, or pursuing my interests in education/counselling either at home or abroad, whatever it is, i know i'd better do it soon. i still have a hard time remembering that there are many people out there who are willing to open doors for me just b/c i have this piece of *&#! from UW...but i guess it makes sense. i mean, if i was standing in front of a door, face-to-face with someone holding a big, expensive, reeking piece of nauseating bloody academic $#!*...i'd open the door and shove him through as quickly as possible too.

(ok, now i'm just ranting)

i know i don't think i deserve a 'dream' job. in fact, i think one could say i'd been a bit of a fool and squandered a lot of opportunities for success. if i'd only been a bit more serious, less careless and short-sighted, i might've saved myself a lot of time. but then i wouldn't be me. =P

alright, enough of this sh*t. here's some overdue clips from the Holidays:

my 2 cousins:

(i hope raph didn't buy us socks again...)

well, almost. this guy looks like he was made out of last year's socks

it was a very "Paul Frank" Christmas this year:

grandma was so amused by pink "Julius"

(so this is what passes as "cute" nowadays??)

me n mui:

(this shirt is for all those who say we don't look related)

coming up next...

Happy Chinese New Year!

*random: i spend a lot of my day sifting through lots of names, and one looked kinda cool: Broc. for a second...i thought

"what if i named my kid that? that's a pretty cool name: Broc. sounds rugged."

then i thought about it a little more...

"Broc. Lee. Broc Lee?? o dear god! my poor offspring..."

back to the drawing board. O_o

2006-01-03T16:28:00.000-08:00

quick! before it's too late and i forget:

Remembering 2005 - New beginnings...

first off...the "curse" is gone! i didn't mention it earlier (didn't want to jinx myself before 2005 was officially done with), but now that we've moved on to 2006 for real, i can breathe a sigh of relief. after a very peculiar string of annual accidents:

2002: winter motorcycle accident/brain injury/amnesia
2003: some dude driving a huge truck has a heart attack while driving, resulting in a nasty head-on collision (with me of course)
2004: some idiot T-bones me with his car as i'm biking across the street in 'Loo in front of the HMV, sends me flying off my 2-wheeler yet again

...2005 was finally the year in which nothing happened! of course i don't mean that literally, just in the sense that nothing particularly bizarre/disastrous happened. that's not to say 2005 wasn't a year in which nothing was accomplished or enjoyed though. here's what comes to mind off the top of my head...

-return to Vancouver (December 23, 2004)
-BDB got "lost" on Cypress Mountain while snowboarding (January)
-HK/China trip (February 3 - March 1)
-redeemed my free HMY trip for a visit to 'Loo (March 28 - April 3)
-VanTat expo, finished Stages 4 through 10
-entered into the world of Triathlon, and finished my first one on September 10 (alive)
-continued bouncing my way through BCIT - including stints in Student Records, the School of Construction & Apprentice Services
-3rd place finish in Tier I of the Pacific Christian Volleyball League (Team VCBC)
-3 weddings, 1 funeral
-finally got that damn degree in the mail
-started helping out w/ Elim Fellowship Youth group (Grades 6 & 7)
-applied for JET, received notification of interview coming up in February 2006

last but not least, just as the year came to a close, the flood of good news just kept pouring in. not 2, not 3, but 4 engagements snuck themselves in during the last 60 days of the year. three friends from 'Loo, and one of my oldest buddies from back in grade school have all officially taken themselves off the market. two of them even proposed on the same day too! craziness.

holiday pics/highlights are on their way, but for now...

the future awaits.

shall we?

*p.s. aside from New Beginnings, i have a feeling this year will also be filled with something else: giant fruit.

don't say i didn't warn you.

2006-01-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

although the time passes, and wounds have softened,
those gone before us, will never be forgotten.

RIP Trey
01/01/2005

2005-12-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

doot di doo...wasting away the last work day of the year here in the office. someone called in sick, so now there are three. these boxes of chocolate are bad for me.

too lazy to post pictures from christmas stuff right now, i'll leave that for next year.

some melancholy...

Christmas time has come and gone...

a merry winter - gifts and food, forgotten laughter
a Fatal error - Kills the mood, Destroys the moment

tears come after

...and here we are, both still.

all alone.

S | R

12.27.96

2005-12-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

whoaa ok this stuff is pretty back-logged. only jotted most of this stuff down for myself b/c it was worth noting, probably won't be much here that's of interest to anyone else except for the last 2 entries:

pssst... - Sunday, November 20 2005

mom started knitting a baby blanket today. is this some sort of subtle hint?? =P

Tri's for 2006 - Tuesday, November 22 2005

oooh...i'm excited for the new year already! was checking out TriBC's tentative 2006 schedule at work and i've got my eye on some events:

-March 11, 2006 = UBC Triathlon
-May 22, 2006 = North Shore Spring Triathlon
-June 18, 2006 = Desert Sprint Triathlon

this is a cool song by "Ivan the Croatian": Vancouver Canucks!
http://www.cfox.com/shows/audio_archive.cfm?rem=19889&jor=19889&var=mid#midday

Friday, November 25 2005

let my guard down this week: pizza for snack on monday & thursday.

today it was a hot dog...and then i had a bag of nachos. and then i had lunch. O_o

Tuesday, November 29 2005

whoaa this is cool. i just found this out today:

i) go to http://www.bcit.ca
ii) click on "Contacts" at the top of the page
iii) type in "Raphael" and then do a search
iv) what do you get??

ME!

that's right, i'm cool now...=P

Sudoku - Wednesday, November 30 2005

mom n her teacher friends all seem to be obsessed w/ this new daily puzzle thing that comes in newspapers called "Sudoku". those crazy nips and their mind games...although i think it'd probably be a good thing for me to do once in a while, kinda like a workout for my brain. *ouch* it hurts already. O_o

the Point of No Return - Thursday, December 1 2005

the decision is final. the process has begun and there's no turning back: C O L O R

i was still a little hesitant, mainly concerned with the resilience of colour over time, especially given my active lifestyle. sticking w/ black and gray is somewhat "classic" and has it's advantages, but colour brings a certain life and energy to the piece that just can't be matched by fine lines and shading alone. still, i'm very wary about not overdoing it as i don't want some ugly rainbow-like effect, but rather, i want a darker tone overall; using thick black and shaded areas to bring out lighter coloured details; and bold, black background elements that will contrast with sparingly used brighter colors to create a stunning effect.

long road ahead.

"t" is for transliteration - Tuesday, December 20 2005

hmmm...got some spare time at work, so here's the latest that i've come up with in the search for the correct transcription of my name in its original language:

רְפָאֵל

hebrew is written horizontally from right to left, and from what i understand the alphabet symbols above(from r-l) are known as: Res, Pe, Alef, and Lamed.

until now, i'd only known the consonants but not the vowels. i knew a vowel system existed, but i just didn't know how it worked. the small markings that resemble dots and dashes underneath the first three characters (remember, right to left!) symbolize different phonetic vowels.

i think this transcription is in modern Hebrew though, and ideally i hope to be able to find one in Biblical Hebrew, which may prove a bit hard to find. i'm just glad i took basic linguistics @ UW when i was there, so that i at least have some idea of what the hell phonemes, vocables and fricatives are when trying to research a language.

tune in next time for tales from the Apocrypha and the Book of Tobit...

(whoaa, i feel like Indiana Jones or something...)

2005-12-19T20:50:00.000-08:00

News Flash - Monday, December 19 2005

it's been busy lately, hence the lack of blogging. nothing TOO too significant has happened lately (i think...o yeah, i watched Narnia yesterday. that was kinda cool), other than the regular hustle & bustle that regularly comes along with this time of year. i think the only thing worth mentioning right now is the fact that today's work-day (Monday) seemed to fly by nicely. it kinda went like this:

0715(or somewhere around there) - open my eyes, find myself in bed. it's dark outside. can't remember what day (or what time of day) it is for a few seconds...start trying to remember what i did yesterday, "was there a weekend? do i have to wake up for work?"...and slowly i am able to come to the conclusion that it is indeed monday...

0830 - walk through the door to the office in the nick of time...and remember that the manager's on vacation till thursday. *score!*

1030 - it's been a busy morning, lots of phonecalls, damn apprentices wanting to reschedule/change dates for school...O_o time for my first 15...

1045 - we get cake! it's a co-workers birthday, she turns 29 today, so we all get to have cake. it's a nice big blackforest cake. you know, the one w/ chocolate, cherries, and whipped cream? *nice!*

1300-1400 - lunchtime. everything's closed, campus is dead. grab an issue of DOSE to read, eat my sandwich(es), yogurt, drink and take a nap.

1500 - i'm sitting at my desk, wondering if it's time for lunch yet...and then it hits me that it's already 3 and i've already eaten my lunch AND taken my nap! O_o?? i'm so out of it...so i decide i need to eat the last piece of that blackforest cake. mmm...

...and then just like magic, it was 1630! woohoo! to end off, what do i find sitting in the mail when i get home? a letter from JET. uh oh...the website said they wouldn't be notifying people whether or not they got interviews until FEBRUARY, so what the heck could this be? *drumroll*...i rip it open...and !BAM! i got me an interview!

*whew*

so this means despite my disgusting-looking passport photo, they thought i was worth interviewing. passport photos are already bad enough, but after i photocopied it for the application, i was seriously thinking they're gonna think i'm some sort of terrorist. i look uber-dark, plus i'm wearing a stupid t-shirt and my earrings w/ my messy hair. didn't really care at the time b/c i didn't think i'd use it to apply for anything important, guess i was wrong. but nonetheless, the powers that be from Nippon wanna see the Nipple, so wish me luck!

i leave you w/ a pic of the toy i'm donating for the Christmas toy drive at work:

someone's gonna be one lucky ass kid this Christmas!

2005-11-26T14:40:00.000-08:00

finally...a new episode:

>!ABDUCTION!<

2005-11-16T23:57:00.000-08:00

wow...it's been a while again. errr...ok quick re-cap:

freebies - Saturday, October 22 2005
-won FREE tix from CFML, went w/ Erock to the BC Lions game vs. Winnipeg (Lions win! 41-1)
-Cat & Mish's bday @ Plaza afterwards:

(the "turtle death grip"!)
-some good times n free booze.

Thursday, October 27 2005
mom n pops didn't eel like cooking last night (wednesday) so we had dinner by T&T, and i'd just told myself that i'd stop eating pizza so often @ school & abstain from all fast/junk food (chips/burgers etc...) for November, since December would be full of Christmas gluttony...

so i get home and what's for dinner? pizza by Panago. O_o there's no escape!

(fast forward)

no escape - Tuesday, November 1 2005
remember that no "pizza/junk food" vow for November? well i didn't. !doh!first thing i did during my 1030 break @ work today: grab a nice big slice of pizza. only realize what i've done when i'm taking my last bite...tsk tsk. and then mom had to go and buy a big box of Toffifee, and it was just sitting there on the kitchen table when i got home so i had to go and have one. oh alright, not one...some. yeesh...the belly is stronger than the brain. O_o

Mama's Day - Monday, November 7 2005
whew...almost forgot it was ma's bday today! i keep thinking it's the 9th, but good thing it came up a few days ago n i was reminded! so i bought her some flowers on my way home from work. i rmmbr her telling me when i was very little that daisies were her favourit flower. good thing too, daisies are cheap! =P but still, i picked the prettiest daisies i could find:

uncles/aunts came over for dinner, n my dad's sister and my great aunt were both in town from HK too:

(this was the aunt that brought me to China back in February while i was on my HK Trip, and this is the great aunt that's vegetarian, like 80-something, still lives on her own, n cooked me a whole vegetarian dinner when i went to visit her in Kowloon)

JET's go... - Wednesday, November 9 2005
-sent off my JET application tonight...express...we'll see what awaits...

Thursday, November 10 2005
-so busy @ work today. man, i really don't feel like going to the gym today...but i plan on not going all of next week, and i didn't run yesterday afternoon, so i'm going to make myself go. stupid conscience.

i hurt myself, today... - Friday, November 11 2005
-Remembrance Day. wow, it's been 3 years already since that day. i almost forgot, kinda ironic seeing as how i chose this day on purpose so i wouldn't forget.
-session 9 today, about 2 hours. filled in a lot of shading, started bringing out the darker tones in the background...really seeing the traditional style/motif starting to come out. the morning was kinda gloomy; wet and gray, kinda cold so the skin felt a tiny bit more sensitive i think, this time the soundtrack started w/ Johnny Cash, and when i heard the familiar classic "Hurt", the setting couldn't have been any more appropriate. what a way to start off the long weekend...
-picked up the James Blunt cd afterwards, not bad, got some catchy tunes, but doesn't seem to have too much variety. ah well, he's good at what he does.

Mary May - Sunday, November 13 2005
that's the tentative name for the new song me n Johnnypaper have lined up next for recording. i like it a lot better than the 1st one we did, which wasn't bad, but this one's just more my style. spent a good couple hours playing around w/ it after church, killed some time in the mall (*shudder* it's already starting to get that "christmas crowded" feel to it...) afterwards...n that's about it.

close call - Tuesday, November 15 2005
remember that aunt and great aunt are in town from HK? well, great aunt's a vegetarian so a bunch of us went to this vegetarian restaurant in Richmond. vegetarian!!?? i almost died. but i didn't. interesting thought came to mind though; why is it that while a lot of regular restaurants (even fastfood places) have vegetarian alternatives (veggie burgers etc.), vegetarian restaurants don't consider their carnivorous consumers and offer some alternatives to the oily/floury/starchy/greasy morsels they pass off as "meat"? injustice i say!

remember to eat fruit...

2005-11-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

If you love turtles you must to do this:

>Adopt< a sea turtle!

2005-10-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

whooo, been gone for too long. ok here we go...

Happy Un-Birthday to ME - Sunday, September 25 2005

another year older...almost. the 1st birthday in 3 years where i've been back in my home habitat, feels good to be back. dinner (w/ dessert of course) @ Coal Harbour.

ninja turtle snacks & fancy chocolates, woohoo! am i easy to please or what? oh yes, and of course the trademark "man-purses" lol, no pics though.

thanks for coming out people!
(click HERE for dinner pics courtesy of dan the paparazzi man)

the REAL deal - Wednesday, September 28 2005

finally...24. yuck. zat iz dizgusting...oh well. BCIT's annual fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis was on today: originally started out as Shinerama, but somewhere along the line during the past 2-3 years they decided to stop shining shoes for dontations, and instead created something they called the "Amazing Race" (probably inspired by the TV Show), in which teams of students gather pledges and compete in a bunch of crazy stunts/events. they asked for staff volunteers so i went; got a free t-shirt, 2 hours out of the office, and a free lunch. can you say birthday bonus? at night, just a quiet night chilling @ Buck's w/ K-mart, Wally n JY. 24. that's 4x6, 3x8, 2x12...the first step into the *gasp* MID-twenties!! O_o

afterwards, finally finished my most recent idea on the guitar: "Falling (Into Space)". decided to put up a list so i can keep track. check out "my music factory" in the margin to get a glimpse of the emissions of my mind...maybe one day i'll listen do dirty gook and finally get some of 'em recorded at his buddy's studio. maybe.

September Rain came down today,
but that's ok, it feels like May...

looks like the pain is here to stay,
would you like to feel some other way?

just breathe a little, lift your face,
and feel the soft September Rain...

Freaky Friday - Friday, September 30 2005

work was ok, department bought me a belated birthday cake. that was nice. headed to gook's place at night to listen to the final version of the song we recorded a few weeks ago: Morning Star (i think that's what he calls it). met his friend jo (our singer) she's pretty cool, next time we can all jam when i remember to bring my keys. the song's got 2 versions; i prefer the cleaner sounding one just cuz i don't know all that technical mumbojumbo and you can hear the distinction between all the parts better on that one, but there's a "ballsier" version w/ more fx n stuff that gook likes, but that's cool too i guess.

Lesson of the Day: prepare for the unexpected.

idiot me backed into some rail/short metal pole in this tiny parking lot, little nudge cracked the rear bumper. not cool. if it was a beater car that i called my own then i'd just duct tape it n call it a battle scar, but no. damn the amount that it'll probably cost to fix it could've been another day long session, or half a round-trip ticket to asia, or a new Warlock electric guitar, or...ok yeah. no sense making it worse. i guess the lesson learned is that you have to prepare for unexpected expenses (although of course it's best to avoid them at all costs!) when saving/planning how to use money. this sucks, but it'd suck more if it was the second time.

hey, i'm allowed to be an moron once a year right? at least...=P

Sticky Rice Sensei - Saturday, October 1 2005

slept all day, managed to crawl out of bed long enough to send in an online application for a BCIT job posting: Timetabler. sounds boring, but nyeh, something to do. something to help pay for that damn bumper too...lol, yeah it still hurts. *just a bit*

i was the young jedi chef today as i got pops to show me how to prepare his famous sticky rice for a potluck tonight...mmm...next time i'm gonna take pictures. it'll be fabulous.

let's test my memory for ingredients:
-soak/dice/shred: dried scallops, chinese mushrooms, chinese sausage, dried shrimp, fresh shrimp, green onion stalks, garlic
-soak "pearl" sticky rice

...and that's where bdb's memory capacity runs out. all i know is that the final step is E-A-T. that's good enough.

Thanksgiving @ Tom's - Sunday, October 9 2005

thanksgiving dinner @ Tom(aka Willy Wonka)'s tonight w/: not one, but TWO turkeys, w/ 2 different kinds of stuffing, a juicy roast, bazillion kinds of potatoes, loved those little pieces of bread w/ brie, pear, & balsamic drizzled on top, stuffed mushroom caps, what else was there....too much to list...oooh, n that spoonful of cookie dough ice cream i had. mmm, that finished it off just right. that ali-goose was nasty though. saw a bunch of the old crew for the first time in a while, took the chance to start collecting some pics for the tat gallery. lemme know if you want me to send you a shot (don't wanna post anything that could be used as "evidence") =P.

these will suffice for now though:

running in the rain - Monday, October 10 2005

was planning on biking out to the track n then running some laps, but the rain looked kinda nasty so i decided to keep the bike inside. i still wanted some exercise badly though, especially after last night's massive dinner, and though it was a bit too wet for a ride, it looked ok for a run. so, put on a hat, tucked my mp3 player underneath a track jacket n off i went...

kinda relaxing to run in the rain actually, nice misty gray all around, cool wind on my face as made my away along the route, pretty quiet out along the streets today, a nice haze all around...felt therapeutic.

drove grandparents back to their apartment after thanksgiving dinner @ home tonight, and afterwards i decided to step in to the neighbourhood safeway to pick up some milk. felt nice driving around the old neighbourhood once again kinda...seems like everytime i did it before, it was only during christmas time when i was back home for the holidays...now the setting was a dark, not so cold night, steady showers, medium traffic b/c it's Fall. just so nostalgic, seeing the place that i recognize but kind of don't...the old sushi place where i had my first california roll as a kid...in the spot right next to where my old family doctor used to have his office, but not anymore. the same old london drugs in the same spot but renovated, same coffee shop, new sign w/ a new name and probably new owners. another familiar sushi joint across the street where this girl i knew from back in highschool worked when i last saw her, wonder if she still does?

you can cut off a branch, but the root never dies,
you can put on a mask and try to disguise...

but you know in the end, there's now way to hide,
this is our story, the truth never lies.

In Control - Thursday, October 13 2005

watching a Russel Peters standup-comedy routine while playing w/ sharp objects = ultimate test of physical restraint/mental control. heck, i was only LISTENING for most of the time and i was already dying...just b/c i've seen it before and i can imagine the dude's hilarious facial expressions...oh man, that was tough.

some retarded lady kept phoning the shop asking for directions while i was there, and each time they explained and re-explained directions she kept calling back every 5 minutes from somewhere just past where she should've turned/stopped...one of the new guys finally gets so fed up he tells her he's gonna stand outside on the sidewalk to make sure she doesn't miss it, so the rest of 'em (incl. rick) decide they want to...no, have to see who in the world could be so incredibly dumb. so you got three big mean-looking guys all standing on the sidewalk in front of the store looking out for her car so that there'd be no way in hell she'd miss the place...so she finally arrives...and she's a *bit* tipsy. surprise, surprise...and to top it off, after the new guy does her work for her, she's got no cash on her! tsk tsk...live n learn Joe...so she left her purse as a sign of good faith that she'd come back and pay tomorrow. that's assuming it's actually her purse...O_o

a tale of three taiko...

reunion - Saturday, October 15 2005

met up w/ PT (he's in town for some Alliance Church conference or something) and a few other waterloo alumni (old & new) for dessert/coffee @ Sweet Obsession on the West Side. good to see PT again and hear what new diabolical scheme he's hatching...apparently there's video evidence of a certain talk now that i must find a way to get hold of hahaha =P
______________________________________________________

well, that's it for now. interview tomorrow morning @ 0900. here goes nothin...

2005-10-03T22:35:00.000-07:00

Uncle J. - Monday, October 3 2005

went to see Uncle Jason @ Royal Columbian Hospital after dinner tonight. first time i've seen him since his terrible accident earlier this year. it's been almost four months since he's been in hospital.

a quick summary of what happened: he was fixing up stuff around his house and he fell from a +10-foot high ladder, onto a porcelain tile floor. his wife was in another part of the house at the time, and was only aware of the fall because of the loud crashing noise the ladder must've made. there was no cry for help, no time to yell; all she heard was a *thud* and when she got there all she saw was the fallen ladder and her husband in a crumpled heap on the floor...with a growing pool of red slowly spreading out across the floor from his head.

this was on saturday morning, June 18. the day before Father's Day.

a little history:

ever since i was born, uncle Jason, his wife Brenda, and later on their son Jesse, have all been good family friends of ours. always the "goofy tough guy"...i still remember the times my parents would drop me n my sister off to play at his house/farm after church sometimes. he had a son too, a few years younger than us, and he'd take us out on tractor rides around the fields (i remember how he'd let me steer once in a while), we'd rummage through stuff in the "spooky" old barn, i learned that chicken sh*t smells a LOT worse than cow/horse sh*t...lots of good memories.

originally from Cheung Chau (one of the islands surrounding HK, famous for seafood and dragonboating) he was a crazy fisherman too. i remember when my dad would take me along on fishing trips w/ uncle J and other people, and how uncle J always managed to be the noisiest/most obnoxious one...even if we weren't in the same boat! always doing crazy stuff haha, and he liked hunting too. i think i have a shell-casing or two that he let me have (or i swiped...can't remember =P). it was thanks to uncle J and a few other guys that i was able to have my first taste of venison at some dinner when i was a kid too. they must've had a successful hunting trip that day b/c they decided to have a dinner at someone's place that night, n all the parents brought their kids too. mmm...i still remember that deer meat. i think i got a nosebleed that night b/c i ate too much of it though...lol.

i still remember going to him and auntie Brenda's wedding.

our families were neighbours for a little while too before they moved out to Surrey; a carpenter/handyman by trade, uncle J. built his family's own house just down the street and across the block from the house i grew up in. i was too young to be of much help at the time, but when we did go over he'd let me do little odds and ends like hammer in nails, clear up building scraps, break stuff, shooting things with his nail gun...hahaha, just so many good childhood memories...

although i hadn't seen him up until tonight, i was kept aware of his condition and progress through regular emails/my parents and their friends:

the first few days after the initial accident were the scariest. the immediate news at first was just that he'd "had a fall", but then word came from my mom after she went to the hospital that same day to be with auntie Brenda that it wasn't good, and that it was much worse than a "fall" and that the doctors were scrambling to control the bleeding/swelling to keep him alive. i remember praying for him that very day in our house at that moment in the living room.

the following days were a rollercoaster of slightly hopeful news of the situation being "under control" and morbid news of the doctors having done their best. uncle J's immediate family and relatives were starting to fly in from other countries to be by his side.

after drilling multiple holes and trying different methods to control the swelling in his brain the doctors had basically run out of options and the family was told that they were going to slowly take him off life support as the doctors saw that they were no longer making progress, and that any chance of recovery was remote, and even if there was to be a turn of events, the amount of neurological and physical damage was substantial enough to suggest that Jason didn't have much chance of ever being more than comatose.

this is an email i received on the evening of June 20:

<"Hello Everybody,

Please pass this to everybody you know who is available to pray and
pray about this yourselves. Another CT scan was performed today and
it showed that Jason's condition has gotten worse, to the point where
the doctors will no longer help him anymore and they are basically
waiting for him to pass away. Please pray for Jason as hard as you
can and that God will heal Jason.">

at this point the doctors had done all they could, medical science and technology could do nothing more to save him. this story could have ended here, but it doesn't.

what i saw tonight was really nothing short of a miracle. we walked in and saw him lying on his hospital bed in the far right corner of the room with his head turned towards the right facing the corner. as i approched he seemed to be asleep, but when i got closer i could clearly see his eyes directed at us, and they followed as we walked to his bedside. he looked like the entire left side of his skull was missing, it basically looked like a deflated basketball. yet his eyes were intensely alert; always focusing on something, not just "zoned out". you could tell that he knew who we were and why we were there. he could move his left leg up and down, he'd respond to a thumbs up, and he even nodded is head when my mom asked him if he recognized me. he was very much alert, although probably very tired from visitors throughout the day and having gone through another operation just a few days ago. before leaving we all prayed for him, holding onto his left hand as we did. he followed us out with his gaze, and he waved goodbye as we left.

now despite all the positive stuff, we all still have to remember that he's only just come out of the valley and there's still a long, hard road of recovery ahead. on the bright side though, i know he isn't going to have to walk that road alone.

i'm praying for you uncle J.

2005-09-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

One Step Closer... - Saturday, September 17 2005

one step closer to what you might ask? to being a turtle. that's right, a real live turtle. no, i didn't dye myself green, or learn ninjitsu overnight...i didn't even go out n buy a red mask/headband. but i got myself the one thing that ANY turtle (regardless of them being teenage, mutant OR ninja) must have: a shell. this was long overdue, but better late than never right? schweet...

after taking a prolonged break while training for the tri, it was good to get back to business and get in another 2-3 hour session. it's finally starting to look like one single complete work of art now, and not just 2 or 3 separate pieces. very happy w/ what's going on so far, i can see all the ideas both old and new working together nicely, just hope we don't run out of space if i suddenly think of other elements...but no everything that i wanted to be there is pretty much there. the only other thing that i might want to include is some representation/symbols using the taiko drum:

i'm imagining 3 separate locations, much smaller scale, but i gotta do a bit more research on that though before i decide, as well as figure out where the heck to fit them! =P

after the day's business was done, it was time to log some more time @ ghettofabulous studios for the evening where we laid down the framework for a few songs, powered by some Subway and "limeade".

finally, made a brief trip down to Hapa to chill w/ JB, willy wonka & Maverick before deciding to call it a night, and head home to scrub my new shell.

the end.

2005-09-11T20:39:00.000-07:00

mission accomplished

still waiting for official time-chip results & more event photos to be posted, and i think i'm gonna wanna write a fairly lengthy description (from what i can remember) of my first tri. for now, here's a view of the transition (for switching from swim-to-bike & bike-to-run) area:

2005-09-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

next stop...Buntzen Lake - Tuesday, September 6 2005

depletion done. ok, so maybe not done very well (couldn't continue exercising to maximize glycogen-depletion b/c i was sick, plus being away @ camp the food wasn't exactly low-carb)...but now it's time to carbo-load!

for those that don't know, carbo-loading's something that endurance athletes do to try n maximize their performance on race-day. basically the way it works is that about 7 days before the race, u start lowering your carb intake (to deplete your body's carbohydrate/glycogen stores), as well as continue moderate exercise which will further deplete your body's fuel tank. the idea behind continuing to exercise while decreasing your energy supply is that your body will start to store more glycogen (some sort of carb) than it normally would to compensate for the lowered amounts that you're feeding it.

then, the final 3 days before your race you're supposed to do little to no exercise, and load up on your carbs. unfortunately, this doesn't mean eating pizza, fettucini alfredo, n a lot more of what i thought was good stuff. pasta is good, but they say no creamy stuff (damn!); more like dry pasta w/ a tiny bit of tomato sauce n a bit of parmesan =(. *sigh* "compact" carbohydrates are good too, b/c they won't take up so much intestinal space (i.e. jams, juices, sports drinks). and, now that you're body's been "tricked" into storing more glycogen than normal b/c of the depletion stage, you'll be able to "overload" your fuel tank so your glycogen levels can be optimal for race day.

i just raided Superstore for supplies tonight after going for a final swim @ Bonsor, think i'll put up a list of what i'll be munching on after the whole thing's over for interest's sake.

so neway yeah...going on a "diet" was hard, but i think this portion of the process (the pigging-out portion) should be almost completely natural to me. only thing that may bring tears to my eyes is that i gotta lower my intake of meats, fatty stuffs, n all the other delicious things that make life worth living. =(...but no matter.

ok, so that's it; 3 days to go. if you can crawl out of bed on saturday morning, come !watch! my first (and possibly my final) tri. =P weather will hold up hopefully, and it's an awesome venue. some helpful links:

Race Day Schedule
(i'll hopefully be there before 0800, the half-tri race starts @ 0930. the event expo w/ booths, food n exhibitors opens @ 0800 so u prbbly could show up anytime after that.)

Driving Directions

see you @ the finish line!

(i hope...=P)

2005-08-31T21:51:00.000-07:00

a quick update...Wednesday, August 31 2005

piece of advice: triathlon training and a f/t job do not go well together. add a stubborn fever and a throat infection into the equation and well, you're an idiot.

ladies and gentlemen...i believe i may have re-defined idiot.

long story short, i thought i was getting better, modified the training to be less intense, but still somehow managed to get sick again. not as bad as before i suppose, 37.5C instead of 39.5 (for now), but this sucks. no matter, i've been keeping some notes on training progress over the past few weeks, but i'll post 'em later when i have time/energy. i was basically feeling "ok" on the road to recovery when i went for a 30min. trail run @ Central Park after work on Monday evening, n when i got home it was just all downhill...aching, fever, etc... o yeah, n did i mention? i'm going camping in Washington over the Labour Day long weekend. lovely...

and as if me getting nasty sick a week before race day wasn't convenient enough for adding suspense to this triathlon tale...they just recovered the body of missing diver Erik Bezur; a 24-year-old Olympic hopeful from N. Vancouver (may he RIP), from Coquitlam's Buntzen Lake at 4pm on Monday. yes, that's the same Buntzen lake the triathlon will be held at...now that's kinda spooky.

for now, Clavulin is my drug of choice, and i'm more determined than ever to get well enough to just do this bad ass of a triathlon n get it over with! it's crunch time...

2005-08-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

more tales of stupidity... - Tuesday, August 9 2005

so, the past few days i've been an idiot showing utter disregard for the stress limits of the body. what else is new?

mind over matter: the "Starbuck's Loop" - Saturday, August 6 2005

big Brick #1: reaally didn't feel like doing any exercise this morning, woke up feeling some aches n pains from the last few days. so when i asked myself if i wanted to follow through w/ my plan to try out what i've dubbed the "Starbuck's Loop", i hesitated. my arms were sore from the gym, my hamstrings ached from running/biking, and my boobs hurt cuz, well...u know =P.

BUT,

after a bowl of cereal, a cha-siu-bao, n a bit of stretching, i stuck to the plan n headed out just after 1000.

man, i hope to God that this route that i'm training on is harder than the actual race course b/c if it isn't...uuy i'm in trouble. the "Starbuck's Loop" got it's name from the fact that i decided to measure the distance with the car's odometer when i drove out to Buck's one night from my house. it's a relatively quiet route w/ minimal traffic, and some pretty challenging climbs/inclines. well, ok mr. Armstrong would probably think they're nothing, but challenging for me at least! here's directions if anyone wants to try it:

*Start: bottom of Royal Oak Ave. where it intersects w/ SE Marine Drive
-take the scenic route going West along SE Marine Drive (relatively flat, slight-moderate inclines)
-turn Right heading North up Matheson Cres. (big incline)
-then Left on Champlain, which winds & turns into Tyne St at around 54th Ave. (moderate incline)

*1/3 Mark: this is around the 5km mark where i'd usually turn left n head down the block to Buck's, but not this time...

-keep going till you hit 49th Ave, turn Right n head East until Boundary Rd (relatively flat, slight incline)
-turn Right n go south down until Rumble St. (slight-moderate decline)
-make a Left onto Rumble n head East until Royal Oak Ave. (mostly flat, slight incline)
-Right on Royal Oak Ave. back down the hill to where i started/home. (big decline)

*Final Lap: ok so you basically repeat the first third of the Loop again, but this time instead of going straight @ Tyne & 54th Ave, make a left...

-keep going West till you hit Rupert St. (slight decline)
-make a Right on Rupert n head North until 49th Ave/Killarney CC Track (flat)

...and yeah, so that's about 15km. ditch the bike at the side of the track, drink some water n get moving. a 5km run divided by 400m of track means...12.5 laps right? woohoo! mad math skillz...

so yeah i'm glad i made myself do it. gives me an idea of what it's like to have your motor running over an extended period of time, since all of my workouts up to this point have only been 25 minutes at most. weather was decent too; kinda overcast so it wasn't too hot, but still kinda sunny. the bike route's challenging too, w/ the hard climbs coming in the first and final thirds of the loop, which forces me to push hard so that i'll (hopefully) know what it's like to pace myself and have enough energy leftover to finish strong.

of course, there's still a long way to go, plus i haven't even tried doing the swim first (haven't been swimming for a few weeks actually O_o), i eased up during the run and walked half of my 7th lap, and if for some reason the car's odometer isn't very accurate and this "15km" route is actually only 10km? i'm toast! but let's think positive...whooosaaa...

alright, so here's the time to beat when i try n do this all over again next week:
Overall Brick Time (15km/5km) - 1:34:17

now, for some nutrition. mmmm, time to raid the fridge...

sidelined...again - Sunday, August 7 2005

dammit! this is retarded...but somehow, i guess i should've seen this coming. yesterday's brick must've taken a little too much out of me, and i swear i must've woke up like 3 times this morning (at 0730, 0800, and 0830), drinking a big glass of water each time, then waking up to piss 30min. later, then back to bed; only to repeat the process again 30min. later... got that weak/sick feeling along w/ the "uh oh..." voice in the back of my mind too. same sore throat feeling as a few weeks ago (minus the cough), and that "tingling-body" sensation you get when you feel like you have a fever coming on. i already declined going out last night too, slept early, drank lots of water - hence the frequent urination (yeah, you like that word don't you? lemme use it again: frequent)

boy this really sucks. must've been b/c i didn't full recover from the previous cold/flu, so when i started exercising again my immune system probably just caved in again. yeesh...so, i did the sane thing for a change this time, and didn't do the Grind as planned. in fact, i'm reluctantly thinking of shutting it down for the next 3 days if i have to, and maybe seeing the doctor again if things don't get any better. took my temperature before dinner n it showed a "slight" fever, but i hope i can do w/o seeing the doc if that feeling goes away after a good night's rest & some softcore drugs. if not, then i guess i'll have to visit the doc to get the good stuff.

at least pops was good enough to pity me n make me some "healthy" dinner:

corn soup & chicken caesar salad. =P

i am Hot - Monday, August 8 2005

-throbbing headache at work, headrushes each time i got up
-took my temperature when i got home after work: 39.5C

ok. i need a doctor now. O_o
---------------------
...so yeah. took the afternoon off work today (tuesday) to see the doc, told him what was up, n he said i might have mono. what?! mono?! he told me they sometimes call that the "kissing disease". what?! who've i been kissing that i should know about? but then he tells me that's just a nickname, and that i could've possibly gotten it from just about anywhere, esp. from eating out & if a food handler had it. ok...so then he did a throat swab sample, then sent me off to the lab for a blood test.

here's the deal: there is no possibility of good news. it's either a) the mono virus; in which case he says the effects are extreme fatigue (great), and that it could last anywhere from a week or 2 to 6 months. 6 months?!! bloody hell! and he said there'd be no medication to prescribe for that, just have to let my body fight it. great.

OR

behind door #2...could be b) a bacteria; in which case he'll prescribe another anti-biotic. he says there's 3 kinds that can work: biaxin, tetracycline, and clavilin(sp?). he gave me biaxin last time (so that's out), tetracycline's out b/c apparently he's got it on record that i'm allergic to it, so i guess if it comes down to it it's clavilin.

so, now that i'm home from going straight to the lab after the doc's n letting the lady w/ the chin stubble and a name tag that said "okilinia" poke me in the arm 3 times before getting a "good vein" to draw out a couple viles of blood, i've come up w/ 2 contingency plans so that i'm ready for whatever news the doc calls me w/ when he gets the results in 2 business days:

i)virus: load up on echinacea & vitamin C. hope that it'll only last 2 weeks, or if not, prepare to do the tri on drugs.

ii)bacteria: hope that clavilin's cheap.

*random rant: everyone must be aware of all those new "energy" drinks being advertised everywhere these days right? u got the oldies: Gatorade, Powerade, Trek...at least those were more sports-oriented. but now you have these new guys like "Shark", "Red Bull", and "Molson Kick", etc... now it's all fine n dandy how ppl wanna have more "energy" n all, but seriously what kind of morons do they take us for? the thing that bugs me the most is the line in one of the ads for "Molson Kick". they say something like: "...with guarana, a natural source of caffeine." ???? i thought caffeine wasn't all that good for your body anyways (not that you can't have a little tea/coffee/whatever), but what bloody difference does it make if it's natural?! these drinks are giving ppl high doses of sugar/caffeine/whatever to boost their "energy" levels, but honestly how healthy is that? and if it's a given that too much caffeine is a bad thing, why the hell would i care if it's from a "natural" source or not? that's kinda like saying: "hey, a punch in the face instead of being hit by a machine; wow! a 'natural' source of pain!!"

chumps.

2005-08-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

whoaa...it's been a while. so, what's been going on? hmm...i think i took some notes, but let's ask "somebody":

(*"somebody" is used as a term referring to a person/entity/group, not being limited to or indicating the same person/entity/group in each instance.)
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somebody spent some time in jail...

(#s: 17 arrests, 6 full patch members, 5 days in lock-down, 1 man at large)
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somebody took their last trip to Cultus Lake as a Bachelor...

(#s: 11 guys, 6 sea-doos, 1 keg pale ale, 1 speed boat, 1 tube & tow rope, 1 pair granny panties, 1 training bra, 1 trailer trash tee, and 13lbs of MEAT)
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somebody spent a lot of time sitting in this chair...

(#s: 6 bills, approx. 5 hours, over 2 separate days)
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and this past week (after recovering from the summer flu), somebody managed to get back on track...

(#s: 75min. of running @ approx. 400m/2min, 24km biking, 7 days)

a little bit over a month left before the tri which means i need to; keep cranking up the training intensity (w/o killing myself) for the next 2 weeks, then back off and just do moderate stuff, figure out what bike i'm gonna be using, get back into the pool in 3 weeks, and make sure i carbo-load properly in 5 weeks, a few days before the race.

piece of cake right?

mmm...cake...

well, that's about it for now. o yeah, got to chill w/ somebody who came back from Japan, n said farewell to another somebody who left for China too...but i got no pics O_o . work is kinda boring but that's ok, i can't complain; at least i'm making money.

training goals for next week:
-1st attempt at a big brick on Saturday (15km bike followed immediately by 5km run)
-Grouse Grind on Sunday
-Monday/Wednesday/Friday: 25min. run during lunch
-Tuesday/Thursday: 5 mile bike during lunch

hmm...for next week, i think it's safe to say:

"SOMEbody gonna get hurt...real bad..."

O_o

2005-07-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

burnout... - Tuesday, July 19 2005

feeling generally pretty crappy these days, and for once i'm glad my morning job is deadly boring; i basically sit in front of a computer and stare at the screen, waiting for work to pop-up at me from the real-time database...work that's rarely been there so far b/c of the summer. it started out as a nagging cough last week, but lately it's been getting worse, n i started feeling worse, so i took my temperature the other day and; slight fever @ 38C i think, so despite me not having full extended health coverage nemore, i reluctantly made an appointment to see the doctor. =( this time, i may actually have to pay for my drugs!!

guess it might be the temperature, too much time spent out in the sun/training. think it might've started off w/ those 2 days of swimming 2 weekends ago, plus the bricks i did almost every other day for the past week. the workouts are getting tougher, i'm pushing myself further, and i'm honestly getting a little more anxious about how well i'll do in the actual race. i mean, i haven't really been able to do a real "trial run" b/c i haven't found the time/space, but my conservative guess-timate puts me near the bottom of the pack in terms of finish times (based on results of previous triathlons w/ identical distances). really don't wanna overtrain though, that'd be nasty...to work hard n get all psyched up for it...n then only to get sick and have ur fitness level deteriorate just before the big day n then bomb it? not cool. <2 hours. that's my goal for now, seeing as how i've got the swim down at approximately 22min. and the run coming in at somewhere near the 25min. mark, add in possibly a 60min. bike leg, and then another few minutes to compensate for fatigue...so yeah under 2 hours. hopefully that might change as i get a bit more confident when i try n "peak" my training in August, but for now i think my body needs to take a week off (at least) n try to recover to full strength before starting it up again.

in other news...as fate would have it, my appointment was unexpectedly cancelled again today. i was pretty pissed when i heard, but after i thought about it, i shouldn't be. i'm friggin sick over here n pushing a fever, not exactly the best physical condition to be in for something like that, plus it'll give me a bigger window of time to get back into the pool to train, so i guess it worked out for the best. besides, spending a couple hours sitting around w/ your shirt off is definitely not the best way to get better if your sick. i just hope buddy gets his act together so i can hopefully finish off this piece before i'm friggin' 30 or something...yeesh. O_o

o yeah, i really wanna learn how to play drums too. been trying to use bobo as my practice pad:

"c'mon...1 + 2 +..."
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"...+ 1 + 2 + 3..."
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hmmm...i don't think she appreciates the drumroll massage...

(*psst: "i need drugs!")

2005-07-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

check it:

DQ Commercial

2005-07-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

training's a beach... - Sunday, July 10 2005

things worked out nicely this weekend; had JB's housewarming dinner/party thing w/ tons of food on Saturday night...so it was a good thing the weather was nice enough to head out to the big pool @ Kits Beach right beforehand n try out the 750m distance to prep for September. this baby's the largest outdoor pool in the world (i think) @ approx. 130m, so i guess this is the closest thing to swimming in open water that i can try before taking on Buntzen Lake. did 6 lengths, still felt ok afterwards so i took a quick break in the sun before doing it all over again. both times clocked in at just over 21min. i hope that's good enough, cuz it'll have to be!

after working up a good appetite, headed over to JB's new downtown apartment, pretty nice setup. ate some disgusting amounts lasagna, pineapple-ham, roast beef, mashed potatoes, veggies...oh...n of course mr. tom (my hero) comes through w/ the crazy ass designer dessert: "raspberry crisp". of all days...yeesh, wish i'd have brought the camera. ah well, there were plenty of flashes coming from elsewhere so i hope i'll eventually get to see some of the candid moments. damn...seeing friends move into new places really gets my needs/wants/priorities all mixed up; bike/car/place...all pending on me landing a more secure job of course. uuyy...

so sunday morning after church...bbq in the park. burgers, hot dogs, potatoe salad...uy...on top of the food that's still digesting in my stomache from last night...o boy, good thing it was sunny today so i could go back to the beach/pool one more time. did the first 6 same as yesterday, climbed out n squeezed my new shoes on (these wicked trail running shoes i got the other day for just $50 on sale from Sport Mart!) n tried to "run" immediately after the swim. i found out it's kinda hard to run when you don't really have any idea where you're going, n even though i figured i'd just run in a straight line for 10min. then turn around n head back, it doesn't help when there's ppl in your way everywhere you turn, n the seawall route was blocked off for some stupid festival that just so happened to be there this weekend. great. uyy...so yeah, wound up running around who knows where, just glad i didn't get lost n found my way back to the pool after about +20min. was planning to do another 6 but was just too tired...n hungry. n i had to pee. so that was that.

this was the last swim for prbbly at least a month, so back to running...and we'll see how the biking goes. don't think i've ever biked 15km before, maybe give it a try next week? we shall see...

o yeah, i just so happened to get a certain piece of paper in the mail near the end of June.

check out:

the Graduate

2005-07-07T18:38:00.000-07:00

it's been a while...but nnyyeh, feeling lazy. dn't wna typ 2 mch. think i may have just passed my own death sentence today - officially signed up for the XTC Vancouver Off-road triathlon. just the half-XTC though, so it should be quick n painless. O_o

the route:

750m swim/15km mountain bike/5km trail run.

new (to me) song to learn on guitar i just heard the other day by Theory of a Deadman:

...aaah, Santa Monica.

maybe i should go back someday...see if the wildlife has evolved any. =P

2005-06-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

~~RED~~ GREEN ALERT!!! - Friday, June 24 2005

herbie's missing!! no, not that stupid car that stupid lindsay lohan pretends to drive, herbie the tortoise!!

(Full article)

i didn't do it.

2005-06-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

( . ) on the move...

swimming
-saturday: 3x10 lengths (750m total)
-monday: 5x10 lengths (1250m total)
-thursday: 3x15 lengths (1125m total)

running
-friday: 20min. road (approx 3.5km total)
-wednesday: 20min. track (4km total)

eating
-sunday: bbq dinner (1 smokie, 1 burger, numerous ribs/wings, misc. fruits & salad, 3 slices strawberry cheesecake)
-tuesday: dinner @ West (some weird funky appetizer, awesome beef tenderloin entree, and desserts)

post-training notes: right shoulder's sore, legs are dead...but stomache just keeps going n going, n going... =P

neway it's a gloomy, wet friday afternoon, but the work week's over! gonna meet up w/ Lorna n Peebs for some dessert later on tonight (mmm...more cake...), but only after some more ink. bring on the pain... >=]

*edit: a phrase people commonly use to express their annoyance at something/someone is that they "get under their skin". i find it interesting then, that it is the exact opposite for me; the fact that someone was not able to "get under my skin" today, that has me just a little pissed off. O_o go figure...

2005-06-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

random bits... - Sunday, June 12 2005

1. *fact: work is disgusting

2. *observation: running doesn't seem to be as bad as it first was anymore. so i wussed out of signing up for the triathlon this past Victoria Day long-weekend, but i've made up my mind n here's the deal: if i can clock 5km in under 22min. (running) by July 1st...that seals my fate. gotta sign up for either the Vancouver Triathlon or the XTC Off-Road one. no excuses. (uyyy...O_o hope i don't regret this)

3. *thought: food drives me crazy, but music keeps me sane. therefore - i must be a very well-balanced individual...
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(don't you agree?)

2005-06-04T23:38:00.000-07:00

dirrrty busy past lil while @ work...high season in Student Records, sucks to be me; billion things to do at once, ppl pulling you in 5 diff. directions, not so much fun.

Saturday, May 28 2005

Tat2 Show @ the Empire Landmark on Robson st. cool contests (best flash art, grey, full color, worst tat, etc.) international artists. prbbly the most HA's i've seen in one place at one time (all sober too). no pictures though, didn't see anyone else snapping shots except the reporters, so i wasn't gonna go n rock the boat. i usually wouldn't care, but this boat's an exception.

got hungry walkin' back up through downtown afterwards, had to get a whopper - which meant i needed some exercise after. so, b/c the sun was blazing (+30 degrees!) i headed down to kits. place was packed, swimming in that +125m pool was great, good practice for triathlon swims. exhausted.

what a waste - Friday, June 3 2005

it's pretty challenging starting work in a new environment, being a minority in ethnicity, gender, as well as age. you work hard to gain respect starting from the bottom up...and for the past month i believe i've been displaying the correct amount of willingness to learn/humility, combined with a strategic level of assertiveness to show my colleagues that i am every bit as capable and industrious (if not even more efficient) as they are. it felt great then when they began seeing me as an equal; a true co-worker and a completely capable, mature, individual in the workplace. they were seeing a lot of potential in me to do great things for the company...alas, all that changed when our supervisor brought donuts to the office today.

that image that i had worked so hard to impress upon them; the picture of nobility, level-headedness and sound judgement that was my reputation, was completely thrown out the window when they walked in that morning by my desk near the front door of the office...only to see a trail of spotted white powder on the carpet, leading up to my chair, where i sat, greedily shoving a jelly donut into my face, powdered-sugar all over my cheeks n nose...just lovely. great. i went from "model-employee", to "savage DNS (donut-sucking slob)". u blew it dude. that donut better have been worth it.

ooh...but it was...

Friday, June 3 2005

one must be thankful for good friends around the globe. it is an honour and a blessing to know that there are those both near and far who are proud to call themselves comrades, and vice-versa. i received a token of friendship today from the other side of the country...nothing big or fancy, just a lil something that has brightened my day. thanks dudes. hey, after all...
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...what are friends for?

(and no, you are not mistaken. the sai is indeed probing my probiscus!)

2005-05-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

there doesn't seem to be a whole lot happening that i can remember lately. bloody job is kicking my ass...O_o

spontaneity - Saturday, May 21 2005

wrestled w/ my guitar strings today...and lost. dammit, i change these things like maybe once a year. i really should try n write down how to do it so i don't have to start again from scratch each time. O_o

so, b/c i was such a genius, i forgot to leave some slack in the string before i started winding 'em up, and subsequently snapped the G-string (that wasn't intentional btw). so, seeing as how i was going out neway, i decided to take a slight detour & dropped by downtown to pick up some new strings.

the 50% off books were calling out to me, n i picked up an intermediate flute book. hey, we got an old flute sitting at home that my sister used to play when she was in like grade 5 n it's just rotting away, so i figure why not try n learn right? yeh...so i grabbed my strings, my flute book, then went n sat in the sun n had some 99-cent pizza on Seymour st.

then i went home n had gi-normous mushrooms for dinner:
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they were huge
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...must be "magic"...
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...or mutant?

they were gigantically delicious. now if only we'd had steak to match!

Sunday, May 22 2005

visited dirty gook's new apartment in Yaletown; studio-living doesn't seem so bad, looks like an interesting investment opportunity too. after checking out the place (mostly the kitchen) & downing 3 mini-pizzas we got down to business n started jamming away; him on his guitar, n me pounding out some riffs on the keyboard n filling in some 2nd guitar every now n then. went through some good ideas, then went to the local Blenz for a break afterwards (to see if we might catch a glimpse of the local "wildlife" he keeps telling me about). lofts/studios eh? hmmm...something to think about...

as for my flute-playing progress, i'm proud to say i've managed to spit out a C+ scale, frere jacques, silent night, and some chinese folk song. not bad for just a few hours! and for those that think the flute's a "sissy/girly" instrument, don't judge before you've tried it. my left thumb's still killing me from holding that thing up, n my right shoulder all cramped too! O_o

superheroes @ Rona - Monday (Victoria Day), May 23 2005

crappy weather, guess it's a good thing i didn't sign up for that triathlon over on the North Shore today. ah well, more time to train. went for a swim @ Bonsor, haven't gone in a while so i thought i should try out 750m in a pool n try to estimate how i'd do in the opening leg of a sprint triathlon. both good & bad conclusions: seemed to cover the distance faster than i thought i would, but it was a lot more tiring than i thought it'd be. sooo, this means....?? (i need to swim more) O_o

summer finally decided to show it's face in the late afternoon, helped pop go to Rona to pick up 24 garden logs for the backyard project they've been working on. so i'm wearing my $10 Batman shirt when we pull into the parking lot @ Rona; and we bumped into Superman, and Batgirl while we were there. what a small universe...

*random: ma always told me not to play with my food...
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...but i just never listen. =P

2005-05-19T00:40:00.000-07:00

had to make note of this story i came across on Tuesday May 17's National Post:

'Piano man' mystery stumps U.K.
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Nameless stranger
will not talk,
only plays piano
_____________

By David Sapsted

LONDON - British police are trying to identify a man found wandering on a beach five weeks ago who has not spoken a word but who turns out to be a piano virtuoso.

Officials at the Medway Maritime Hospital said the man has not spoken since being found soaking wet in the southeastern Kent coastal town of Sheerness, dressed in an expensive black suit and tie.

He is in his twenties or early thirties, slim with short brown hair and about 6-foot.

After failing to elicit any details from the patient, who has shown signs of being nervous around, hospital employees gave him a pen and paper, hoping he would write his name. But instead, he drew a flag of Sweden and detailed pictures of a grand piano, showing not only the keys but also the intricate inner workings.

When staff took him to a piano in the hospital chapel, he played expertly for two hours and, since, has written music and staged recitals lasting up to four hours.

"I am not knowledgeable about classical music but I could tell he was pretty good," said Michael Camp, a social worker in Medway's emergency department.

The hospital's staff have taken to helping the stranger, quickly nicknamed "the piano man," to compose more pieces as efforts continue to determine his identity.

A spokeswoman for the West Kent National Health Service Trust would not confirm reports that he has played sections of Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, although she said he had staged a "beautiful" performance.

"There was nobody he was with skilled enough to recognize the music, they just knew it was classical music and played very well," the spokeswoman said yesterday.

"He's not talking at all," she said. "He's very frightened. He's drawing, but not to communicate. We are ware that he is a very vulnerable man and we would be putting him in a dangerous situation if we let him go."

Interpreters from Poland, Latvia and Lithuania were brought in to see if he was from Eastern Europe, and possibly an asylum seeker, but no one has been able to get him to talk. Despite the fact he drew a Swedish flag, police believe the man is probably English.

The hospital made an appeal for help from the British public on Sunday through the national service for missing persons, and released a photo showing a tall, thin man in his twenties or early thirties, with closely cropped blond hair and hunched shoulders.

"The Missing Persons Helpline has been inundated with calls. It's a fantastic response," Mr. Camp said later.

"A name has been given of a possible person from the Sussex area. I haven't been able to phone the person that phoned in to check it out."

He added: "We had one of these before, from the local area, and it sounded promising but...people start to think 'It might be this person that we know' and it doesn't quite materialize. We'll just have to wait and see."

Some callers said they thought they had seen the mystery man play at concert halls throughout Europe, prompting police to begin contacting orchestras to see if they can identify him.

"He has been playing the piano to a very high quality for up to four hours at a time and staff say it is a real pleasure to hear it. But we still have no idea who he is because he is not speaking," said Ramana Venkiah, manager of the psychiatric unit.

The man is now being held in a mental health unit in north Kent, which has no piano, until a full assessment has been carried out.

"There is no doubt that this man is extremely distressed and depressed. He has started crying over the last week or so. It may be that some sort of trauma has made him like this," Mr. Camp said.

"I cannot get within a yard of him without him becoming very anxious. Yet at the piano he comes alive. I can stand close to him and he is oblivious. It is extraordinary. The first time we took him down to the piano he played for several hours, non-stop."

The case has drawn comparisons with the Oscar-winning 1996 movie Shine, which tells the story of acclaimed Australian pianist David Helfgott who suffered a nervous breakdown while playing.

The Daily Telegraph, with files from news services

is that friggin crazy or what? i swear; real life is definitely stranger than fiction...

2005-05-17T20:08:00.000-07:00

finally, some more of...

:the HK Journals:

DAY XX: Lantau Island, Stanley Coast (Southern HK Island) - Thursday, February 24

1100: wake, Starbuck’s for breakfast in HK. 39HKD for a chicken salad sandwich + coffee of the day

1130: bus over towards the East to JUSCO (mall), walk around till 1315 n meet up w/ UT
- take a long MTR ride to Tung Chung, then hop on a bus to go to Lantau Island to check out the big Buddha statue

- normally this statue’s big enough that you can see it from over a mile away, but today it was so foggy that I could barely see it even when I was standing right at the foot of the monument. it’s on top of a long stairway, on the peak of a little hill, n only when the wind blew the fog away was I able to see it. It’s pretty friggin’ huge though:

1735: afterwards, took the bus back to Tung Chung station, grabbed a snack @ this place that reminded me of the Bread Garden

1900: get back to the Causeway Bay area, hop on a public minibus (#40) n head to “Stanley Market” (Chek Chue) on the southern side of HK Island.
- it’s a quieter area, some expensive housing, lots of foreign investment & large HK companies pay good coin to house employees over on this side of the island
- usually some good shopping here too supposedly, but stuff’s closed by the time we get there

2030: dinner @ “Chilli & Spice” Thai restaurant
- place reminds me a bit of White Rock, pretty touristy, has a strip right along the beach, quite a few foreigners

2200: back @ UT’s in Sau Kei Wan, drink some soup that Aunt Winnie made for me, check email, etc…

2245: head home on 2A bus.

End of Day XX
(Full Album)

DAY XXI: Veggie Dinner in Choi Hung & Bloody Expensive Sashimi - Friday, February 25

Morning: had to call mom’s friend Aunt Barbara about setting something up for this Saturday, they want me to volunteer @ some awards ceremony or something??
- tells me she’s gonna get her younger daughter’s friend Tiffany to meet up w/ me tomorrow @ the MTR station n bring me to the ceremony, where they’ll give me instructions on what to do. O_o (sounds like a setup!!)

1225: on my own, managed to find my way to “runner street” (this place on the Kowloon side where the whole street is full of stores that sell all kinds of runners. funny thing is, I hear all the stores are owned by only 3 guys. ahh, they must be the “footwear tycoons”)

1300: so dazed from seeing so many shoes…everything looks the same. These hongers are crazy! finally bought the shoes I was looking for, start looking for food.

1345: grab lunch in Langham Place mall @ “Café Coral” (this place is about as common as Tim Horton’s is in Ontario I guess) for 25HKD

1530: home for a nap.
- Tiffany calls to touch base n arrange a time to meet tomorrow morning @ the MTR. She just graduated from some University in the states (California?), but she still sounds pretty honger to me.
- Last minute: Aunt Yu Ming calls later on, wants to take me to see some relative tonight. This lady who basically acted as her, my dad’s older brother, n my dad’s guardian/mom for a large part of their childhood when the family had to separate; with the 3 older siblings moving to HK w/ this lady, n their parents staying behind in China to take care of the 5 younger children.

1845: MTR to Choi Hung stn to meet up w/ aunt, visit “Grandma #2”
- this lady’s one tough cookie; she’s in her 80’s, lives on her own, still very energetic, eats vegetarian.
- She made us vegetarian dinner…I was starving so bad…but politely ate everything set in front of me, and she said my earrings were “pretty” O_o

2015: after visiting, head back home on my own, make a pit stop @ McD’s (I needed meat!!)

2140: met up w/ Junky n Angel, they took me to some sushi place that’s sposed to be really good.
- I don’t normally eat sashimi much at all, but I made an exception since they said this place was really well known n that movie stars n other rich folk would go there. It didn’t look fancy at all; just a tiny shop in the side of a building, the size of a large kitchen, stools, plain tables, n just a transparent tarp covering the entrance!
- Pretty crazy though…we just sat down @ the bar, n the chef dude just starts talking to us n making us stuff, whatever he feels like. Junky says he goes here around 2x/week, so that’s why he’s familiar I guess, but yeh…scallops, sea urchin, salmon, tuna, eel, octopus, all the good stuff, plus some other stuff that I had no clue about…we ordered some cooked stuff too, but most of it was raw
- Now although it was good…I still wasn’t really full b/c like I said, raw isn’t really my thing, but I thought hey I’m on vacation so I’ll try it. Junky had told me before we went in that the place was “a little bit expensive”, so I thought alright, prbbly like $20-30CDN/person. That’s more than all-you-can-eat prices here, but I thought ok it’s worth it to try something new. The actual bill for the 3 of us? $1300 HKD!!! That’s over $200CDN?!?! Man…that was a cool experience, but I’m never going there again…lol

0000: meet up w/ Colin, took him up to Junky’s bar, had a few drinks, chilled.

0130: home, shower, crash.

End of Day XXI
(Full Album)

...only a few more days left. stay tuned...

2005-05-16T22:10:00.000-07:00

hiatus - Monday, May 16 2005

work's been kinda nuts. too tired to think too much/write coherently...no energy for the weekly update. a few things stick out that are worth mentioning, but the words aren't coming.

i'll only mention 2 things for now:

i) finally become mobile last week, picked up a cheap n (hopefully) sturdy phone - motorola v180:

&

ii) bobo picked up a new habit:

more later, i hope...

2005-05-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

Mid-life Crisis - Sunday, May 1 2005

no, not my mid-life crisis, but a certain seefutjai celebrated a milestone today: 42 human years! so about 6 years ago, a lil mutt (or 'international' dog i've been told) came into this world. shortly after that, i came home one night to find this same lil mutt squirming about in a cardboard box on the kitchen floor.

(the early years)

6 years have passed by so fast...

we learned to love and appreciate (and occasionally smack) this little beast.

so what did she do to celebrate?

"just leave me alone."

maybe i've hit some sort of mid-life milestone too. well, not b/c i'm feeling that old, but b/c i get these weird ideas out of nowhere sometimes. like for whatever reason, the idea of doing a triathlon came to mind (kinda like the lime coke). i immediately hopped around the internet lookin' for some events in the region, n some of 'em seem pretty crazy. no way i'm doing the "full" distance ones, but then again the super-beginner ones sound real cheesy. I mean: "Almost my First Triathlon"? i'd feel like such a wuss after that...sounds almost as dumb as something like "Almost my First Buffet". yeesh...

so neway, it was kinda hard to find events that were a)not too far away (i.e. still in the Lower Mainland) or b)not too hardcore (i.e. Penticton Ironman). but after some time, i found 2 promising looking ones:

either the

XTC Off-road Triathlon

or the...

Vancouver Triathlon.

both have regular distance events which would probably kill me, but they also have sprint distances which look doable (750m swim/20km bike/5km run). pretty sure i'll be quite hungry afterwards...better bring along a backpack full of food to be safe.

Chinaman in Disguise - Monday, May 2 2005

gloomy weather today, that's ok. could've been worse. i could've had the day off. funny thing happened; co-worker asked what my last name was, explaining that a few weeks ago the supervisor had sent out a memo to let everyone know that i'd be joining the team, but had left out my last name b/c for some reason she didn't know it. so last week they'd been silently trying to figure out what ethnicity i was. ok, i mean they knew i wasn't white, or black, but other than the obvious she told me they couldn't really be sure of anything. there were the usual guesses (flip, vietnamese, malaysian, some sort of mix...) but this was the first time i'd ever heard someone think i was south american! South American?! i don't even know what the heck a south american looks like...would that be like some kinda mexican? or an Inca? i remember learning about those dudes in elementary school (inca dinca doo...) but yeah i told 'em it's just plain 'ol "Lee" (not fernandez, or delgado, or ubungan, or nguyen or tran...) and i'm just a plain 'ol chinaman.

oh, and some other co-worker sent out this email quiz thingy...it's pretty trippy. do it:

At the end of this message, you are asked a question.
>>
>>
>> Answer it immediately. Don't stop and think about it.
>>
>>
>>
>> Just say the first thing that pops into your mind.
>>
>>
>>
>> This is a fun "test"... AND kind of spooky at the same time!
>>Give it a try, then e-mail it around and you'll see how many
>>people you know fall into the same percentage as you. Be sure to
>>put in the subject line if you are among the 98% or the 2%. You'll
>>understand what that means after you finish taking the "test".
>>
>>
>>
>> Now... just follow the instructions as quickly as possible.
>>Do not go to the next calculation before you have finished the
>>previous one. You do not ever need to write or remember the
>>answers, just do it using your mind.
>>
>>
>>
>> You'll be surprised.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Start:
>>
>>
>>
>> How much is:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 15 + 6
>>
>>
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>>
>>

>>
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>> 3 + 56
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>>

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>> 89 + 2
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>>

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>> 12 + 53
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>> 75 + 26
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>>
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>> 25 + 52
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>
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>> 63 + 32
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I know! Calculations are hard work, but it's nearly over..
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Come on, one more...
>>
>>
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>>
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>> 123 + 5
>>
>>
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>>
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>>
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>> QUICK! THINK ABOUT A COLOR AND A TOOL!
>>
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>>

>>
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>>
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>> Scroll further to the bottom...
>>
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>>
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>> A bit more...
>>
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>>

>>
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>>
>>
>> You just thought about a red hammer, didn't you?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> If this is not your answer, you are among 2% of people who
>>have a different, if not abnormal, mind.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 98% of the folks would answer a red hammer while doing this
>>exercise.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> If you do not believe this, pass it around and you'll see.

so what were you? 98% or 2%? i gotta say though: after sending this to my parents n my sister...our whole friggin' family's weird! we had: green hammer, blue hammer, yellow hammer...and the 4th (my pops)...didn't even think to answer the question!! he just read it n continued scrolling, then at the bottom asked "what's so special about a red hammer??" priceless. =P

Office Space - Tuesday, May 3 2004

witnessed my first "office cat-fight" today. well, not exactly your hair-pulling, nail-scratching cat-fight; more like a heated argument. but still, it was pretty awkward to have 2 ladies getting petty with each other and bickering 10 feet away from you in an open office space. i just tried to find something to keep myself busy (like staring blankly at the computer screen, folding/stuffing envelopes, date stamping documents...), but yeah it lasted for a good 5 minutes before they headed into the supervisor's office to duke it out with my supervisor as a "referee". office politics...nasty stuff.

*Random: this dude's crazy name had so many letters it didn't fit in the electronic forms on the database - Balakrishnan Subramanian (23 letters). O_o

in other news...gotta go in for some computer skills testing tomorrow, then gotta wake up disgustingly early for my thursday morning interview out in Surrey (for a job that i'm not even sure i want...), then i have another interview next thursday for a f/t position w/ BCIT. uy...life doesn't seem to be slowing down, so i'd better try n keep up...

Mobile Office - Wednesday, May 4 2005

Uncle Tyrone's leaving tomorrow morning, so we had a final big dinner tonight...which meant i had to get my ass home right after work, which means i had to go do my exercise during my lunch break. uuyy...don't think i'll be going back to the gym during lunch; too many cougars! it's like half the registration/admissions department in there! on another note; i wonder if the cardio machines there display miles or kms? i'm hoping they're miles for my sake...b/c if it took me that long to run 2.6km, i'll be toast in a triathlon! O_o

after the run, had a quick shower n read an interesting article from the National Post during lunch:

Fireman suddenly coherent after nine years of brain damage
By Robert D. McFadden

A former Buffalo, N.Y., firefighter who apparently suffered brain damage in a 1955 fire and has since been virtually silent and nearly blind has undergone an unexplained recovery, awakening suddenly on Saturday and asking for his wife.
"How long have I been gone?"
a puzzled Donald Herbert, 44, asked in a 14-hour marathon of hugs, kisses, reunions and conversations with his wife, four sons, other relatives and old firefighter comrades.
"We told him almost 10 years and he said, 'Holy Cow!'" Simon Manka, the man's uncle, recalled. "He thought it had been three months."
In a news conference on Monday at Father Baker Manor, a nursing home in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park where Mr. Herbert has been a patient for seven years, Mr. Manka said his nephew abruptly returned to life Saturday and "began to speak after nine-and-a-half-years of silence."
Pending medical tests, Mr. Manka said, the prospects of Mr. Herbert's recovery are unkown. "However, we can tell you he did recognize several family members and friends and did call them by name."
It happened out of the blue on Saturday morning, a nursing home employee said.
"I want to talk to my wife," Mr. Herbert was quoted as saying. A staff member called his wife, Linda, but it was his youngest son, 13-year-old Nicholas, who picked up the phone and began speaking.
"That can't be," Mr. Herbert said. "He's just a baby. He can't talk."
Nicholas was indeed a toddler when Mr. Herbert rushed into a burning apartment building in Buffalo on the morning of Dec. 29, 1995. He wore a breathing mask against heavy smoke and was searching the attic for victims when the roof collapsed.
Buried under flaming debris, the man was knocked unconscious and, according to reports at the time, went six minutes without oxygen before other firefighters pulled him free. They carried him out of a window and down a ladder. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Mr. Herbert, who had rescued two adults and two small children in a 1990 fire and had many citations for bravery, had severe head trauma as well as prolonged oxygen deprivation and remained in a coma for two-and-a-half months.
Meanwhile, his wife and four sons received an avalanche of cards and letters as the community rallied around them. Fellow firefighters helped with the boys, with shopping, with money.
Linda Herbert never stopped caring for her husband. Although a decade has passed, she still regularly brought the boys to his bedside, usually several times a week, said Thomas Burton, a family friend who represented her in a personal-injury lawsuit.
"It's been a ritual, sad as it is, since the horrible injuries this fireman had," Mr. Burton said.
While Mr. Herbert regained consciousness in 1996, his speech was slurred, he was unable to eat without help, he was confined to a bed or wheelchair and his vision was reduced to a series of blurs. Doctors said they had found no damage to the optic nerves, but the part of the brain that controls vision appeared to have been damaged.
Moreover, Mr. Herbert's memory was almost nonexistent. He could not say how old he was or what his job had been. He seemed unable to recognize family members and friends, and firefighting comrades had become virtual strangers.
On Saturday, as word of Mr. Herbert's progress spread, a stream of visitors arrived at Father Baker Manor for reunions with a man who had seemed lost to them.
For a stretch of 14 hours, Mr. Manka said, Mr. Herbert spoke with people and asked questions, especially about his sons: Donny, now 24, Thomas, 23, both in graduate school, Patrick 21, a college student, and Nicholas, a schoolboy. He wouldn't go to sleep," said Mrs. Herbert's mother, Mary Blake. "He stayed up all night talking to his sons."
Mr. Manka, a lawyer, said in a telephone interview his nephew's apparent recovery struck everyone as amazing. "He was completely different," he said. "He was asking questions, and he'd recognize a voice."
Patrick Coghlan was the lieutenant in charge of Mr. Herbert's rescue squad on the night of the roof collapse. On Sunday, he said, Mr. Herbert recognized the voices of his comrades and, while he could not see them, identified members of his old crew.
"We have no idea how it happened," Ms. Blake said. "There are more people praying for this young man, so it's all in God's hands. Even if we had him for just one day, we'd be eternally grateful."
While relatives remain cautious about the man's progress, members of Buffalo's religious community are murmuring his awakening may be a miracle. A movement is afoot to make Father Nelson Baker of nearby Lackawanna a saint, and some people have suggested Mr. Herbert's sudden ability to speak could be part of the process.
"This may be the first step in a long journey," Mr. Burton said. "It's Earth-shaking what took place. We don't want to make more or less of it than what it should be, but you can't change what everybody saw this last weekend."
(New York Times, with files from Mary Vallis, National Post)

things seem more interesting when you can relate in some way or another; guess the same goes for people too.

Thursday, May 5 2005

bloody nice weather today. woke up at friggin 0645, drove pops to work @ 0715, drove about 45min. to get to the edge of Surrey-Cloverdale n found the interview place. grabbed a quick bite @ IHOP - i got scammed! i just wanted a quick, cheap breakfast so i ordered one of the toonie meals: 2 sausage, stack 'o pankcakes for $2. that's not a bad deal, buti was in such a rush that when i sat down n the waitress asked if i wanted some juice i said sure. i should've known better n just asked for water, but it's hard to think straight on an empty stomach. big mistake. the bill comes: food-$2, oj-$2.68!!! yeesh...

o yeah, the interview was ok too.

so yeah i get back to the office around 1130, find out my contract's been extended for another 2 weeks. cool.

on another Random note: mom unintentionally (so she claims) stole someone's groceries today. i came home n saw a bag of weird stuff on the table, stuff that she normally wouldn't buy, n asked what it was for. she said she must've grabbed an extra bag of stuff when she was bagging/collecting her stuff at the checkout. good news is; neither her nor the other person noticed anything, so she didn't know she'd made off w/ the goods until she got home, and that extra bag of stuff had these giant "haw flakes" (type of chinese candy) in 'em...i love those things, haven't had 'em for quite a while. bad news is; too bad that person wasn't buying meat. apart from the haw flakes, there was nothing else good in the bag. =(

but...those giant haw flakes alone were enough to induce some retardedness:

the Flake

Friday, May 6 2005

nothin' much to talk about on a Friday at the office...everyone just wants to go home for the weekend. however, around 1345, i just got an uncontrollable urge all of a sudden (almost out of nowhere!)...i tried to resist, but my will was too weak, and i leapt at the first opportunity that arrived...and ran to the building next door n bought a bag of chips n an oh henry bar. dammitt...this "triathlon-training" isn't starting out so good...

oh well, to end the week on a positive note, caught sight of an ad today in the Georgia Straight for:

going on @ the Empire Landmark hotel on Robson, May 27-29

it's the 2nd year for this event, i remember them hyping it up all last summer when i was working at the BCIT Downtown campus b/c it was the first one ever, but i couldn't make it for whatever reason, but this year it looks like i'll be free. anyone interested? click the poster for more info.

annddd...that's the kinda week it's been.

2005-04-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Ass-kicked... - Monday, April 25 2005

man...this new position they got me doing @ BCIT in Student Records is pretty killer...basically 2 people's jobs merged into one. it's busy season too since it's the end of the term, ppl are requesting transcripts/marks/updates left n right...i've got phonecalls comin' out my ass...yeesh. the only upside is that the day doesn't drag on i guess...O_o nyeh...only the first day. hopefully it gets better.

Cougar Country - Tuesday, April 26, 2005

there's good news, and then there's some bad news. good news is; today things started to make a little bit more sense, i have a slightly better understanding of what my tasks are, how to do them efficiently, and that although transcripts are very touchy/delicate business, "fatal" mistakes aren't (usually) undoable. or at least i think i'm getting the hang of things...if i screwed stuff up today i'll know tomorrow morning. O_o

ok, so the bad news...

being the only guy in the department is going to prove quite interesting. i'm working in cougar country! lol (ok it's not that bad)...but yeah the fun's already starting. the gossip, the "girl-talk" (did you know they have something called speed-dry nail polish?!!), and one lady (the one who's training me) told me her daughter asked if i was a ninja turtle. yes, she asked if i was green & had a sword. funny thing is, i just so happened to be wearing a very green shirt today too. O_o

but, aside from being compared to a mutated amphibian, and nearly passing out due to the intoxicating fumes of potent cosmetics...i survived. being busy does help the day go back quick though, 0830-1630 flies by pretty quick, and it's great that it's so sunny these days too. even got a chance to just lie on the grass n nap for 20min. during lunch. aah...beautiful Vancouver weather.

but then after lunch, back to work. didn't even have the energy to finish what i wanted to do @ the gym after work. ended up only finishing 4 of the 6 things i'd planned on doing before i decided to pack it up n head home for some dinner.

BDB Strikes Again!! - Wednesday, April 27 2005

work was ok, steady, but definitely not slow.

nearly stole the boss's apple on the way home from work today. not intentionally of course! i knew i'd brought an apple to work that day, n i usu. put my lunch in the fridge @ the back of the department. i ate my sandwich n stuff @ lunch, planned on eating the apple on the busride home. so @ 1630 i go back to the fridge n look @ the spot where i'd put my lunch, expecting to find my apple there...*gone*! i naturally assumed someone else must've eaten/taken it by accident, cuz i saw another one on the shelf below it. (a much nicer, BIGGER one!) not hesitating for an instant, i snatched it out of the fridge n figured that was that. what a good deal; the apple i'd brought was a small red one (had some bug-bite holes or whatever in it too), not a very "delicious" looking piece of fruit...but now it had been replaced w/ a juicy fuji apple! i was delighted...until i went back to grab my bag before i left, and as i opened it up i saw: my diminutive apple. i'd never even put it in the fridge in the first place.

with a downcast expression & a heavy heart, i trudged back to the fridge to return the treasure that i'd wrongfully claimed. (see, i have morals) as i passed by my supervisor's open office door along the way i let her know i was "this" close to eating someone's apple by mistake. her eyes light up immediately: "you're not talking about MY beautiful FUJI apple are you?" O_o

*whew* that was close.

well, so at least we got a laugh out of it...but the ride home wasn't nearly as pleasant as it could've been; for some reason, my original apple was neither red nor delicious anymore...it just looked brown & bitter. >=[

Foot in Mouth disease - Thursday, April 28 2005

k, for my memory purposes only, someone @ work unintentionally made some retarded remark (not insulting, but pretty stupid) and managed to embarrass herself in front of me n another co-worker. it was directed at me, and the only response required to trigger the ensuing 3rd party-laughter and cause the speaker to blush was a raised eyebrow/quirky look from me. i wasn't offended, just stupified at how retarded some people can be. no details here. it's too weird.

gym after work, went home to find a message asking if can make it in for an interview next week regarding that management trainee position i (reluctantly) applied for last week. hrrm...here goes nothin'...

*Sidenote: o yeah, guess who got "ass-punched" today?

poor girl, just minding her own business...
.
.
.
.
.

when all of a sudden...
.
.
.
.
.

ass-punch!!

de Quest for Coke, you nut... - Friday, April 29 2005

whew, TGIF for real...this work week was nasty. but it's funny how the strangest little thing can make it all better; i was just sitting in the basement on my comp, my back facing the TV which my sis was watching...n all of a sudden i hear a delicate guitar tune being finger-picked in the background, then a soft yet steady tapping for a few seconds...then some syncopated knocking kicks in...intrigued, i turn around to see a Coke commercial in mid-air...

"you put de lime in de coke, you nut n drink 'em both together..."

i'm captivated. i'm sold. not only do i now have to go n try this new "Coke w/ Lime", but i can't get the tune out of my head! i instantly had to go n see the commercial online (it's still on repeat as i blog...), i love it! my sister gives me one of those "damn, you're weird..." looks and informs me that this ad has actually been running for a while. hey, so i don't watch tv much ok? yes, i'm easily amused.

it is now 2255 on a friday night. i've had a long day, didn't feel like going out n doing much, but now i have the irresistible urge to take the 10min. walk up Royal Oak Ave. and see if 7-11 carries this "Coke, with lime". do i give in? it doesn't even take 5 minutes of contemplation before i'm out the door, walkin' up the hill humming the tune of the commercial in my strange little head. n hey...i'm not even a Coke fan! guess this proves that advertising can work...

and just in case you haven't been lucky enough to have seen the ad already, you can check it out here: "Coke, You Nut" it's great...

2005-04-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

here we go; another week...

Monday, April 18 2005

0730: wake to the sweet sounds of a snoring seefutjai >=[ uy...

0820: drop off pops @ work, head to work @ BCIT

0855: need my caffeine O_o...stumble into the office.
- co-worker lady's feeling chatty this morning, going on n on about her sons, one of whom is an astro-physicist @ CalTech in the states (sure sounds impressive, to me anwyway)
- day's pretty slack, not much going on @ either of the 3 centres...

1330: meet up for lunch w/ a friend on campus (more specifically; a girl w/ an "interesting" middle name). i'll leave it at that.

1500: time to lock up, security sends some 80-year old guy down to the NE1 Test Centre to lock up, buddy can't even find the right key to lock the cabinets/doors, yeesh...the geezer's talkative too; jabbers on about how he used to work up North, chasing culprits in the snow...yaddayadda...(sorry grandpa, any other day i'd be interested, but it's Monday n i'm tired).

1530-1700: gym. felt really tired for some reason, just not motivated, ended up not finishing n just lying on the field/track outside for a few minutes soaking up the gorgeous sunshine. aah...
- picked up pops from work, then back home. found a message for me on the answering machine, some dude from Absolute Recruitment (an agency based in Toronto/Sauga/Vancouver) seems interested in my resume. guess i'll call buddy back tomorrow...

2025: *whew*!! near emergency!! was just relaxing after dinner, talkin' to my sis on msn n letting her have a lil dose of "Bobo Live" (she misses the seefutjai...i can empathize)...so i put the dog down n i'm just chilling in my basement, playing/singing that Howie Day song (Collide) when all of a sudden; i feel bottom of my guitar slip out from underneath my arm...O_o!!! the shoulder strap must've gotten twisted & the lil notch @ that end probably slipped off of the brass nob...uyy...but luckily my turtle (ninja turtle) reflexes kicked in, n i managed to save it...whew. that was a close one.

Tuesday, April 19 2005

called the dude back from Absolute Recruitment back, set up an interview for tomorrow @ 1100. says the position's for some "fairly new, funky company..." in the internet-marketing biz...hmmm...so they're "funky"? is that supposed to mean i don't have to take out the earrings tomorrow? haha, but i think i will just because. i don't have time to get a haircut though...i guess this "messy mop" will have to do...

finally finished doing my taxes (i think), hope i did 'em right. did some laundry, went for a run, (gorgeous day outside btw) n just lounged around w/ bobo for most of the day:

uncle Tyrone's just flew into town earlier today. gonna be here for a while visiting grandma n stuff so that's cool...maybe i'll get a chance to show him around if i'm free.

Choices - Wednesday, April 20 2005

interview downtown @ absolute recruitment; interviewer was some australian dude (so that's why he sounded a lil funny on the phone). think he took a liking to me after what seemed like 5 minutes, brought his boss in (a girl, not australian) n the 3 of us started discussing whether i'd be interested in a management trainee position. from what it sounds like; it's very competitive, sales/performance-oriented, fast-paced, and could be very lucrative if i play my cards right. exactly the type of job that i thought i was no longer interested in.

i mean, 2-3 years back i would've jumped at this opportunity, i didn't mind being a workaholic or putting in endless hours to get the job done, provided i'd receive a profitable outcome. i wanted something fast-paced, "exciting". i wanted my job to be the way i wanted my life to be (b/c back then life=work=money pretty much), 9-5 paper-pusher was definitely not appealing...but now i seem to be at a point where i see work as a mere form of sustenance, just something to pay the bills & fund my own personal pursuits. be it travel, adventure/sports, motorcycling, music, etc...

i guess what i'm saying is that i don't exactly dread the idea of working a "regular 9-5" job b/c 1)i tend to be the type of person who somehow finds a way to entertain myself while doing even the most mundane of tasks anyway, so being bored @ work isn't really a concern; and 2)i envision myself (hopefully) having enough stuff going on outside of work to keep me fulfilled in terms of adventure/excitement/activity. i think i dig the kind of job where i work comfortably @ my own pace (which seems to be a lot faster than that of most of my co-workers to begin with), one where i can go take a walk when i feel like it, where i can do some private research on the side, write a few chords/verses down here n there, something that keeps me busy, but not too busy.

with a job where i have to endlessly compete and bend over backwards & let the work spill into overtime/late nights & weekends, i don't see myself having the freedom to just "leave work, at work", being able to leave all my worries about work at the workplace and then be able to go crazy and do whatever it is i'll be doing outside of work, w/o my thoughts drifting back to what's going to happen on monday when that client calls, or what's going to happen with cutbacks b/c we didn't get that big account, etc...

blablabla...k this is getting too long. just thought it interesting today that this opportunity should come up during my interview. i'd actually gotten the call from them regarding a different job, but after looking @ my resume again & talking w/ me briefly, they thought i'd be a better candidate for this other position. maybe b/c i'd been trained to say all the right things, throw in all the right buzz-words, or maybe b/c we seemed to be on the same level in terms of personality/ambitions etc...they even asked me straight out: "are you the type of person that likes money?" lol, at the time i answered positively, but inside i was thinking "err...yeah, but enough's enough..." seriously, money is not a huge motivator. don't get me wrong, i have expectations/goals, but i don't think i need a 6-figure salary & a Porsche to make me happy. (a ducati & an aprilia would be plenty =P)

anyway...didn't i say this was getting too long? yeesh...but yeh, in the end i thought what the heck, i'll give it a try. so i consented to going ahead w/ the next step. i mean, it's not like i'm even getting a job offer so what's to lose? at this point i'm just taking whatever i can from whatever experience i get, and learning from it as i go along until i stumble across something that sticks.

somebody once told me that in today's workplace it's almost like we're all working for ourselves. for example, i'd say i work at bcit, for myself. that approach appeals to me; the job i do (working for whatever company) doesn't become who i am, or what i "do". i'm not a "promotions specialist", or "director of communications", or "marketing manager"...they'd just be what i do to support who i actually am. that is; a slightly deranged, endlessly hungry, pain-loving, meat-munching, adventure-seeking, "wildlife" safari-ing, thick-skulled, sometimes insensitive, always imaginative, unfortunately oblivious, and slightly quirky...individual.

*SidenotE* - saw some of the girls for the first time in a while @ buck's tonight, and Cat's pricey/"trendy"/china-village-woman-looking leather shoes (that look like the kind michael jackson wears, except with tassels. =P)

A.I.B. (Allergy Induced Binge) - Thursday, April 21 2005

-called absolute recruitment, agreed to go ahead w/ the application for the position
-went for a run, got home...then !BAM! allergy attack! crazy sneezing, stuffy nose, not cool.
-so damn hungry, such a shame all that exercise was wasted in one afternoon: one toasted turkey sandwich (cucumbers, turkey breast, mayo, honey mustard, cheese), one can Chunky Soup (New England Clam Chowder), one Sensation bar (ice cream, smothered in decadent chocolate & nuts), one grape fruit (topped w/ lots of sugar), 3-5 Starburst candies, one cup Nestle Strawberry Cheesecake flavoured ice cream...and all this between lunch & dinner, where i did nothing more than continue my miserable sneezing and blowing of the nose, try to sleep (but couldn't b/c of the sneezing), and go online. yeesh...what a waste of a beautiful day.

on a sidenote, 2 interesting sites i came across:
hitchhikersmovie.com; official site for the movie based on Douglas Adams' novel:

"the most astonishing adventure in the universe begins...when the world ends."

not bad for an attention-grabber eh? release date: april 29 2005. gotta check that one out...

n this guy's cool too:

Little Ninjai.

i rmmbr seeing the first short like years ago, but forgot who showed it to me, n never really kept up with it. watched 1-4, i'll leave the rest till later, but it's pretty cool.

1500: got a call from BCIT HR lady, they need someone for Friday morning in the Disabilities Resource Centre, & they're giving me a new contract for the next 2 weeks (at least) in Student Records. cool...

Friday, April 22 2005

-woke up ridiculously early (0730) to get to work @ 0800, logged a few hours, went to the gym, had lunch, then back home
-finally got around to calling in n booking my next few appointments, yeesh...gonna have to wait till June & July before getting any more work done. somebody gonna get hurt...
-other than that...hrrm...me thinks this was a pretty boring day...o wait, yeah; family went out for dinner. it was good.

Return of the Rat - Saturday, April 23 2005

-lil sister flew in from Prince George today @ 1305. picked her up n was going to go for some sushi @ samurai, but the place was packed so went for dim sum instead. greeeease...
-home n then napped for a bit...
-o yeah, the "rat": no real rodents here, just that mui's born in the year of the rat that's all.

1st Food Orgy of the Season - Sunday, April 24 2005

1500-1800: got a much needed haircut, rushed like mad to make my mango pudding to bring to dinner tonight, booked it to the gym for a bit, back home to pick up the half-chilled mango mess & order 1 large bbq chicken pizza...

2300: oh man...so stuffed. don't wanna go to work tomorrow. but it was a good night. had bbq/potluck/bday dinner @ Tom's house tonight. there was salmon, homemade burgers, hotdogs, chicken, mashed potatoes, pasta, spring rolls, sangria, pizza (i brought), salad, mushroom caps, mango pudding (i made), etc...quite the abundant feast. i'll hate myself when i see the new flap of flab around my waist tomorrow morning...but that's not important for now...at the moment i'm quite content; the mango pudding was well received, and there was plenty of meat. my only regret...i forgot to bring my camera!! to take pictures, of the food!! but no matter, such treasured memories will live on inside of me...well, literally at least for another few hours they will, until they've been "processed" & "disposed". *sigh*...hopefully i'll remember next time. O_o

was gonna post more HK Journals, but too tired. next time...

2005-04-17T18:34:00.000-07:00

_______ & the Chocolate Factory - Tuesday, April 12 2005

-work @ BCIT, 2 hours turned into 6
-worked in the Disabilities Resource Center; basically office "monkey work" (reception, filing, some marking, computer stuff), test assistance/reading
-so they called me last night n told me to come in for 2 hours, ended up keeping me for 6 so that's cool, and halfway through the day they ask if i can come in for 4 hours for the next 2 days (wednesday/thursday), and i have friday booked in the TLM already. cool...
-went for a run after, tired myself out, then dinner, then Smallville, then 90% finished this song i started writing on Sunday
-found out my buddy's working in a CHOCOLATE FACTORY!!! he used to be a pastry chef, working under a world-renowned guy named Thomas Haas @ the Metropolitan Hotel in DT Vancouver, but the dude left the hotel n opened a chocolate factory n my buddy went along with him. sweet! next time i see him, i'm calling him Willy Wonka...

Wednesday, April 13 2005

-dumbass HR lady accidentally called in another worker to do the exam today, so both of us were there this morning @ 0800 with only one student taking an exam. but no matter...
-the other guy got to do the exam (which is good b/c it was super boring...) n i got to do a whole bunch of other office-monkey business (filing, shredding, couriering, etc...), & instead of the original 0800-1200, i got to work till 1430
-and on top of it all, they want me back for the full day 2mrrw: 0830-1630. huh...funny how things sometimes work out...
-bumped into mr. yeo on my way off campus tonight too, haven't seen that dude in a few years; he's takin' the Btech financial mgt program, was supposed to finish next term, but he's takin 2 months off to go to Europe instead. good choice...
-mmm...good dinner tonight. parents must've been in a "cooking mood"...

...a plentiful dinner for 3.

Thursday, April 14 2005

uuyyy...O_o haven't been sleeping well, not b/c i can't fall asleep, but this stupid lil black seefutjai keeps waking me up...

-read exams all day: 0830-1030 in the welding shop to this dude Wyatt
-bumped into an old co-worker from Future Shop, almost didn't recognize him but he recognized me
-seems he's been pretty productive: heading up the local BCIT chapter of "LOT" (Leaders of Tomorrow), some sort of organization that helps IT/Computer geeks network n hook up w/ contacts in the industry
-he's also been into cooking, helped train ppl @ the restaurant adjacent to the downtown VPL: the Fox & Fiddle, lived & worked in NY for a while too, cool...
-99% finished this song i started writing on Sunday night. i only say 99% b/c i haven't done a rough recording, so i still forget how the melody goes every once in a while so each time i run through it the tune varies slightly here n there...but close enough!

the Floater - Friday, April 15 2005

-last day of the week @ BCIT: filled in the "floater" position that rotates between the 3 different computerized Test Centres on campus
-basically take over each of the centres when people go on break; so 20 minutes here, then walk to the next one, another 30-40 minutes, then the 3rd, then start over again taking over for lunch hours...
-pretty mundane/boring job, wouldn't wanna do this long-term
-off @ 1500, work out for a bit, pick up pops from work @ 1720, grab some early dinner @ 1800
-stayed home most of the night, headed out to buck's around 2200, then ended off @ Earls for a snack n some beers w/ mr. lam n mr. siu, n finally back home to crash @ 0230.

let the weekend begin...

:the HK Journals:

DAY XVII: Holm Glad Secondary - Monday, February 21 2005

0915: wake, MTR to Kwun Tong to meet up w/ mom’s old friends/colleagues

1030: meet up w/ uncle Patrick (Lai), principal of Holm Glad Secondary
- shows me around the school, talk for a bit about whatever; future opportunities, government, NET program, the time long ago when he visited us in Vancouver (I had no recollection whatsoever O_o)
- walked around/observed some classes, met the staff, etc…
- principals must make pretty good coin, the dude drops me off @ the MTR station afterwards when it’s time for me to go…in his S-Class!

1245: meet up w/ Junk @ Kwun Tong station
- takes me to some secluded shopping district in the area where we’re in: Eastern Kowloon side of HK: this place sold lots of athletic/sports gear. Basically looks like a run-down old warehouse/office building from the outside, but once inside you see it’s like an outlet-style place (kinda like a Winners?)
- 10 floors; we start at the top n work our way down. Damn…shoes, shorts, tech tops, track jackets/pants, sweats, u name it, they had it… too bad a lot of the stuff they were selling I didn’t have need for/already had so it would’ve been wasteful to buy anyway even though it was pretty cheap…but I still got 1 or 2 things for dirt cheap

1415: lunch, hop over to Fa Yuen st., more shopping
- met up w/ Angel, the 3 of us have some Nam food for dinner
- Colin’s right when he tells me they don’t do Viet food that well here, it’s been “hongerized”, Pho just doesn’t cut it out here…but I guess it’s what the honkies like?

- on my own after dinner, finally got some leisure/down time to myself and no need to rush so I took the 2A bus (scenic route instead of the MTR) East on HK Island back to Sai Wan Ho to go back to UT’s place (my “home base”) where I unloaded some stuff, grabbed some boxers/socks etc…then hit the road again.
- Nice warm night, so I decided to walk back Westwards to the apartment (in North Point), passed through a mall, bought a shirt, had some HK McD’s again (gooood McChicken!), explored a bit of the neighbourhood in North Point, snacked…

2300: back home, crash

End of Day XVII
(Full Album)

DAY XVIII: Crunch Time (Exploring in Kowloon & Causeway Bay) - Tuesday, February 22 2005

1230: wake up late, got the day to myself
*To Do’s: visit Dad’s older brother, see a few more friends, visit mom’s younger brother
- after a bit of planning/scheduling, head out for brunch @ Espresso Café across the street: veggie soup, turkey sandwich. Not bad…
- MTR to Prince Edward Station (North side of Kowloon mainland side, across the ocean), Prince Edward’s at the northernmost end of Nathan Road (a main road leading down south to Tsim Sha Tsui)
- Mom calls while I’m walking, asks me what I’m up to, suggests I try n buy a suit. I’m sposed to buy a suit here? Apparently they’re pretty cheap, I saw some selling for real cheap in China (same price as an expensive t-shirt in Canada), but didn’t think them worth getting. But today, after some further thought, I decided heck why not; if I’m gonna need one for work n stuff some day (not a nice one, just a suit to trash/work with), why pay more than I have to?
- So I come across some shop, find a decent looking one, get the pants measured, haggle for a bit, bring the price down from 600HKD to 400HKD (about 67CDN), done.

- Meet up w/ Andrew @ TST station, check out the Tom Lee Music store there, saw some HK TV star testing out tenor saxes inside…
- Got a recommendation to try some place out for lunch from Junky over the phone, said they have this signature: tomato, beef & egg instant noodle stuff for pretty cheap
- Hard to find though, he gave us directions over the phone, n basically we got to this tiny door in the back of some narrow plaza filled w/ random stores, and narrow stairs leading downwards. Me n Andrew r thinking we took a wrong turn, n when we look at the run-down sign over the door (in Chinese), he tells me it says the door & the stairs lead down to some nightclub. So I call the Junk back n tell him where we are, saying we think we’re lost, n then he says no, we’re headed in the right direction.
- So I look at Andrew n he’s like O_o…but whatever, I’m hungry. So down we go, more corridors, n then finally down the hall, around the corner, we made it! Mmm…it was pretty good.
- Walk around TST some more, then take the ferry back across the ocean (it’s cheaper than the MTR) to Wan Chai, then head back home

1845-2000: nap…or at least I was planning on napping for that long, until Uncle Jeremy (mom’s little brother) woke me up n said to meet him @1945 in Causeway Bay for some steak dinner. Mmm…

1945: meet UJ for some beef
- after dinner, chilled w/ UJ for a bit, then headed off on my own, walked from Causeway Bay back to Fortress Hill
- plan for tomorrow: swim @ Kowloon Park, Jam @ Kit’s, meet 4 dinner w/ Dad’s brother @ 1900, confirm flight home!

0045: crash

End of Day XVIII
(Full Album)

DAY XIX: More Relatives - Wednesday, February 23 2005

1130: confirm flight, go for breakfast @ another café across the street; Bon Appetit
- MTR to TST, see some other movie star (don’t know his name, but he’s always some bad guy in those triad movies)
- Swim @ Kowloon Park w/ Junky, walk, meet up w/ Angel, have lunch @ some Taiwanese place
- Walk Harbour Centre, ferry back across the ocean

1730-1830: home for a nap

1845: MTR to Tseung Kwan O (Eastern Kowloon side) to meet Dad’s older bro n his family, check out their place for a bit, meet my cousins for the first time, then out to dinner @ Chiu Chow House. Pretty nice place, good food…

2230: back home. Still awake, went out for a walk, explored the parking lots behind the buildings, walked along the edges by the water. Parking lots in HK aren’t quite as boring as Canadian ones are, although they don’t sound like much, but there’s usually something to see. The whole stretch of pavement is right up against the harbour, so in effect, it’s kinda like walking along the Seawall @ Stanley Park in DT Vancouver, except w/o the trees =P

- walked over to this other area w/ stairs that lead up a mountainside/hill, have a look around, take in the scenery…
- 5 days left: Thursday – am w/ UT, pm w/ Clarence, Friday – JUSCO(?), meet up w/ Colin, Saturday: Uncle Patrick’s family, grandma’s sister, Sunday – Church, UW ppl, Monday – Pack
- while sitting up on the mountain, some lyrics came into my head:

mere existence, is not why I’m here…
pain of death, is not what I fear…
so what’s left, I’m holding my breath…

it’s you, you’re the reason I’m here,
only you, are worthy of fear,
and what’s more, you’ve opened the door…

to a life beyond all expectation,
a new hope that is found in redemption,
so I wait for you, to reveal my new direction…

- dunno what it is, but I love these places of solitude/meditation, they’re good for this sorta stuff I guess. Didn’t really have a tune/melody to set these words to (yet), but maybe something’ll come of em…

0012: crash

End of Day XIX
(Full Album)

2005-04-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

employee for a (1/2)day - Tuesday, April 5 2005

0855: got called in for a half day's work @ BCIT

1030-1430: worked in the TLM Test Centre in NE1 for Trades (Power Engineering, Piping, Machinery, etc...)

1445: hit the gym afterwards since i was already there

Wednesday, April 6 2005

1200: go for a jog: 10min. walk up the hill, run 10min. East, run 10min. West, 10min. walk down the hill
-can't rmmbr what else happened, blogger was down so i couldn't record it

Thursday, April 7 2005

1400: went to gym @ Bonsor; right before i headed out decided to check email - got 2 emails about my resume posted on workopolis.com, both want interviews. cool.
-just as i was reading the emails, phone rings n it's from one of the companies that emailed me: allegis group canada, some recruiting company. booked a phone interview w/ for monday afternoon.
-gym @ Bonsor, grabbed a snack @ Metro, picked up a cheap pair of flip flops (wishful thinking, dreaming of the beach)

cutting ~~meat~~ grass - Friday, April 8 2005

1100: get a call from bcit asking if i can cover the same position i did on tuesday for the 11, 15, 18. i'm ok for the 15 & 18, but i can't do the 11th cuz i've already booked the phone interview for that time slot. uy....O_o ah well.

1205: do the jog again. hmm...hopefully i can keep this up like 2/3 times a week, that'd be good

1305: beautiful sunny day, soo...i help pops mow the lawn.

2245: meet up w/ mr. vuong n dudu to go catch Sin City w/ some other ppl, but the theatre's pretty packed so we walk to the theatre next door n catch Sahara instead. not a bad flick, good action, kinda funny, decent entertainment.

0045: stop in for a post-movie/midnight snack @ Boston Pizza, just eat n chill for a bit...

0300: crash.

barber shop - Saturday, April 9 2005

-bobo gets a haircut:

-help pops dig up holes in the yard n plant the 2 trees they bought a few weeks ago
-think about it: $29.99 for a whole tree?? your very own living, growing, fruit-bearing tree?? what a deal...

Monday, April 11 2005
hmmm, let's see...got a call to invigilate & administer some kinda interactive test tomorrow morning @ BCIT, somethin technical/computerish O_o sucks cuz it's only 2hrs of work, but nyeh...i live close enough to make it worthwhile. what else...phone interview w/ Allegis Group today went pretty well i think, should hear from them w/in a week...got 2 days of work coming up in the TLM Test Center @ BCIT on the 15th & 18th...yeh...that's all that's worth remembering for now i guess. ahh yes -

:the HK Journals: are back:

DAY XIV: Swim, Shop, Share - Friday, February 18

1000: wake, first good, long sleep in a while. Head back East on HK Island to Sau Kei Wan to Uncle Tyrone’s; forgot some stuff.
- went for some much needed exercise, swam @ this pool in Morrison Park. Nice Olympic-sized pool, water was warm though…O_o
- Junky takes me shopping @ all these lil shops along Johnston Road, they got lotsa sample stuff, back-door factory stuff, etc…really cheap. Think I bought like 5 items. I’d originally thought it’d be better to pack more stuff with me, that way I wouldn’t be tempted to buy more b/c I’d already have what I needed, but w/ stuff this cheap…it’s like, it’d be a waste if I didn’t buy it, cuz if I end up buying it back in Canada it’d just be like double/triple the price! Uy…so much for the “no shopping” ideal. Found these wicked sais too, wanted to buy ‘em so bad, but decided not to. =(

1745: Junky n Angel bought some stuff too, so the 3 of us stop by the bar in Wan Chai to unload some of our bags, then take the MTR north (across the ocean) over to Prince Edward Station for some more shopping along Fa Yuen St. etc…

1900: finally talk to Colin on the phone, tell him we’ll hook up for dinner. Junky takes us to this Korean bbq place…mmmm…good food, n my first taste of raw beef…
- went for dessert later…ooohh…it was good, kinda sad cuz I didn’t have the camera w/ me to capture the moment…nyeh….ah well…
- finally went home after a while, chilled in the 5th floor suite w/ the Junk, got to talk n catch up, reminisce a bit…about all the mischief we got into when he was back in B.C., surprisingly he remembers it a lot more about it than I do. He’s reminding me of things I did that I had totally forgotten about after the accident, lol, but I guess that’s a good thing. A lot of them aren’t things worth remembering anyway. Said he can tell I’ve changed quite a bit since the accident, even after having seen me for only a few days out here.
- Just shared about how life’s been these past 4-5 years, school, family, relationships, goals, tells me about his “work” too as a model. I call it “work” b/c it’s like this: he gets paid to go on wicked trips to Thailand, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, etc…for “work”. He showed me these pictures from this one shoot he did on some island called Saipan! Friggin gorgeous place: white sandy beaches, green mountains, sapphire blue water…aah…that’s gotta be my next vacation spot.

0300: crash.

End of Day XIV
(Full Album)

DAY XV: Lamma Island - Saturday, February 19

1100: wake, got a call from mom reminding me to call her friend Uncle Patrick (this principal dude of some school in Kwun Tong she wants me to meet), so I call him, arrange to visit him at his school on Monday. Back to sleep

1200: finally get up, get up, and true to my “old man” nature, go downstairs to the fruit stand n buy 3 plums for $10.

1230: walk into some place for breakfast, can’t read the menu cuz it’s all in Chinese but I ask for something w/ meat AND veggies. Waitress gives me a funny look n then nods. I look down as she walks away…damn, still got that stuff on my thumb from China! O_o
- just sitting there when my food came, I all of a sudden just started thinking to myself, and felt so overwhelmed with gratitude at the chance to just be here. Not just the fact that I was in HK, but just to be there; sitting, eating a hot meal…to think that at this same time 3 years ago I was hobbling around the hallways of VGH attached to an IV pole I decided to name Tracy. Hmm…I wonder where that pole is now?
- Back home after walking around for a bit, bored so I finally figure out Uncle Chung’s complicated DVD/Home Theatre setup n watch the latest Steven Chow (creator/star of Shaolin Soccer) flick:

Kung Fu Hustle

1430: got a call from Auntie Helen (Junky’s mom), her, Uncle Chung, n a few friends are going for a short trip over to Lamma Island, invites me to come along. Junky’s gotta see a director about a soft drink commercial, so he’ll meet up w/ us there for dinner later.

1530: meet them @ the Star Ferry terminal on HK Island n catch a 20min. ferry ride to Lamma Island:

- lots of fresh seafood for sale, had some hot dessert tofu & fresh pineapple before walking around the island. Beautiful place, lotsa tourists come here, bet it’s even nice in summer…o yeah! Did you know Chow Yun Fat is originally from Lamma Island? Yeah, we walked by an elementary school that he donated a whole whack of money to…

1810: after basically walking the island from East to West, we end off at some marketplace/touristy area. I take off on my own for a bit, and find Junky who comes on his own while the rest of the “older folks” go sit down @ the restaurant: Tai Hing.

1900: sit down to dinner prepared by owner of the restaurant; their friend who’s a wicked chef: fried shrimp balls, “elite” sweet n sour pork, some rare type of fish, n a whole whack of other stuff…mmm…oh me oh my, what a dinner!

- afterwards, take one of their boats over to Cheung Chau island, where they’re originally from
- these islands are the paradise that I totally need after spending a few weeks in noisy, stuffy HK: less dense, less polluted, they don’t even have cars on these islands! Everyone walks/rides bicycles, even cops! The only gas-powered vehicle is this tiny van that’s used as an ambulance. Ahh…peace n quiet
- checked out their house in Cheung Chau: Auntie Helen’s very proud of it, it’s been her project for like 2 years. It’s amazing, like totally out of a magazine! Crazy fireplaces, white marble floors everywhere, mirrored stainless steel doors, designer everything…crazy…I didn’t even feel like I should take pictures cuz it was too nice…
- chilled in Junky’s room for a bit, checked out his crazy gadgets (u know how hongers love gadgets), he’s got one of those big ass horns u see people in Australia use, u know, those big ones that have to rest on the floor, n u blow it n it makes this crazy weird low-pitched “boing-y” sound?? Yeah, one of those…
0200: walk out to the edge of the island for some late night snack food…

0330: crash.

End of DAY XV
(Full Album)

DAY XVI – Cheung Chau Island & Desserts - Sunday, February 20

1015: wake up. Grab a snack in the market, and then head to church.
- service was in Chinese so I didn’t retain too much, but there was one hymn that caught my attention: “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” written by Thomas A. Dorsey. Liked the lyrics & the tune (downloaded it after I got back to Vancouver actually, n it turns out it’s been performed by Elvis??)
- went for some lunch afterwards, then visit Junky’s Grandparents (Uncle Chung’s parents)
- they haven’t seen me in a looong time. They know my parents too when they lived in Canada for a while, n Junky’s grandpa is a crazy fisherman (all Cheung Chau ppl are crazy fishermen) so he used to go to Canada all the time n go fishing in the Queen Charlotte Islands. It was good to see them again
- flipped through a lotta old pictures n stuff @ Grandma & Grandpa Wong’s place, even saw a few that I remembered

1300: alright, time for some adventure. Junky takes me on a walking tour of his childhood stomping grounds:

- Cheung Chau ppl also happen to be well known as Dragon boat Racers. They’re among the best in HK
- Went to this spot by the sea called “Cheung Po Tsai” cave; a big tourist attraction now. Back in the day, there used to be a pirate (a Chinese pirate?!) called Cheung Po Tsai, n the cave is supposedly where he stashed his loot.
- Took a ferry as a quick shortcut to the other side of the island where we walked up to the top of this hill that’s pretty much the “top” of the island where you get a good view of Cheung Chau. The island’s actually shaped kinda like a dumbbell, skinny in the middle, w/ 2 larger land masses on either end

1530: get back to the house for dinner, Auntie Helen’s cooking!
- tired from the walk, us boys crash in the living room in front of the TV for a “20” minute nap, turns out to be an hour O_o uy…

1935: after dinner, rush to catch the ferry back to HK Island, get picked up by Angel @ the terminal

2000: drop off bags @ apartment, head off to Tsing Yee for some signature dessert: Yeung Jee Gum Low (fresh mango, milk, juice, tapioca, fruit pulp)

- you can get this dessert at other places, but according to the locals, the street vendors have the best stuff, and they only come out @ night
- after that, start driving East to some other place called “Lucky Dessert”
- took a wrong turn, went into some unauthorized area (unintentionally) & got stopped by some security guards. No big deal, except they wanted to fine us for “trespassing”, so I tell Junky not to give ‘em ne info/sign the form that they gave him (which would’ve resulted in him admitting fault & possibly being fined up to $5000HKD)
- security dorks wouldn’t let us go, since we refused to show ID they call the cops…yeesh…dumb honger cops…

- after about a 30min. holdup, finally got outta there (takes too long to explain/type, but we didn’t end up paying anything), get to the dessert place n get some more sugar…

1130: get home, shower, plan out the next few days, crash.

End of DAY XVI
(Full Album)

*whew* k, gotta get some sleep...work @ 0830 tomorrow... O_o

2005-04-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

alright, got a bit of spare time so let's do a quick recap of last week:

:a lil eastern exposure:

Harmony Airways: Round II - Monday, March 28 2005

got to the airport on time, during check-in i wanted to keep my one suitcase as a carry-on, but the guy was anal n said it had to be checked in. haai...ah well, the flight left on time at least.

YVR 1102PST - 1830EST YYZ (landed 25min. early)

got my luggage, called mike to let him know i arrived (using the quarters i got from returning loose luggage carts)

1945: mike arrives, head to wendy's/tim's for a quick snack, then head over to "scarberia"

2100: get to Richard's house where the Seagram alumni have their weekly "24" viewing, just chilled n relaxed for a few hours
- head back to North York, drop off bags at the apartment n head downstairs to some place across the street: Owl of Minerva. 24hr Korean restaurant that opened a few months ago, pretty good. mak had the pork n potato soup, n i had me a nice big plate of bulgogi...mmm...
- nice warm belly, got in a couple episodes of Cowboy Bebop, n crashed @ 0330

WingDings - Tuesday, March 29 2005

0630: mike wakes me up so i could catch the sun coming up over smoggy TO from his balcony:

nice...then back to bed.

1130: wake for real, brunch @ Asian Legend w/ mak's mom & grandma, then took the subway down to Bloor st.
- walked around Yorkville area, nice neighbourhood, then down to Queen St. where CityTV was, caught P. Diddy arriving to the screams and shrieks of his groupies
- visited G @ his office, made dinner plans, then kept on walking down to Lakeshore (south end of TO which overlooks Lake Ontario?)

2000: me n mike meet up w/ G & his buddy Nelson n go for wings @ The Wheat Sheaf: 4 guys = 100 wings for $30. that was dirrrty...
- then back to the condo, played some pool, n caught a few more episodes of Bebop before crashing @ 0130

Wanderings - Wednesday, March 30 2005

1300: wake, breakfast @ home, went w/ Mike to run errands over in Richmond Hill
- back home, chill till around 1600 when mike has to go out

1600-1900: head out on my own, walk South on Yonge till somewhere past Sheppard
- check out a nearby tat2 shop, some malls, North York city hall, street stores, etc...
- stop for coffee @ 2nd Cup, took in the city...

1930: meet back @ Mike's, head out n grab a panzerotto for dinner, more walking, check out Empress Walk (i think mak's really trying to get me to notice the wildlife around here, despite my claims of having already been "distracted" for the time-being =P)
- grab a drink, talked for a bit, then get a hold of brother Tobias (Toby)...
- head over to Toby's place, shoot some pool, chill, then back home...

Sesame Street Reunion - Thursday, March 31 2005

- wake up late again, breakfast, then off to the Ambassadors for Christ (AFC) office to pick up Yu-Ling (big bird). snuffaluffagus & big bird are reunited!
- these 2 decide to bring me to Fairview to go "shopping" (*ahem...yeh), meet up w/ Wayne there too, decided to grab Pirates of the Caribbean & Any Given Thursday dvd's from HMV for $15 each. nyeh...seemed like a good deal.

1830ish: take big bird back to his nest, then head back to mike's to pack up stuff n head to Waterloo for the night

2000ish: roads start to look familiar, it's Waterlooo...
- got to CIF just as the hockey team was coming outside and celebrating after a 6-0 victory (over an all girl's team of course), then headed for the 252 Westcourt house
- get to Westcourt just in time for a nice meaty dinner...
- good food, good times. crash @ 0400

a Day for Fools - Friday, April 1 2005

0830: wake up n try to give mike yung a wakeup call like requested so he could get to class on time by throwing his slippers in his face (dunno if it worked), then back to sleep

1300: wake up for real this time, head to school for breakfast (that's kinda sad now that i think about it), work out @ PAC one last time from 1400-1500
- head home, nap again, then just chill

1800-1900: head to the Plaza for dinner w/ Mike Yung, JT & Lorna, then off to the term's last CCF afterwards

2300-0200: about 15 of us went to chill/cook/eat @ GC afterwards (thx alex!), good times cooking, eating, talking...
- walked back towards Westcourt w/ John Hui after, came across CCFers packing up hockey in the SC Parking lot, got back to l'hotel Westcourt, then finally crashed @ 0510

all good things... - Saturday, April 2 2005

1300: wake, mak makes some instant noodles for breakfast, w/ frozen veggies & ham leftover from grad dinner...mmm...Westcourt cuisine.

1500: meet up w/ my old housemate Sam, go over to Starbuck's to chill n catch up for a bit, then check out his place @ the "Lesturrr House", then head back to WC where we catch the 3rd part of the former 395 Hazel St. Trio: M.O.D., doing laundry in the basement.
- had a good time just talking/catching up w/ them, stopped by nearby MOD's place after to borrow his guitar afterwards too. uy...it's starting to snow again! they tell me it was all sunny last week up until now...(just found out about the Pope today too)

2000ish: one last greasy dinner @ Montana's w/ a bunch of ppl. got the chicken n rib combo, split the Mile High Mud Pie w/ mak afterwards...mmm...mud pie...
- drop by Dooly's n shoot a few racks before heading back to WC where a bunch of ppl have already congregated...

by now, most of us are pretty tired/worn out; sitting around chatting, zoning out, spacing out, and some just passing out. either way, there's always opportunities for mischief. whether it's beautifying the sleeping mr. yung:

...or listening to alexis try & explain his insights into the infinitely mind-boggling mysteries of the universe that lie right before our very eyes in everyday objects...it's times like these that i'm sure i'll miss the most. this one's for you dude:
(if you're ever feeling lost in life, you gotta talk to this guy. he'll show you where to look. =P)

crash @ 0200. oh no wait! daylight savings!! make that 0300. uy...O_o

...come to an end. - Sunday, April 3 2005

0930: wake up to go to KWCAC service, final thing to do before i head back west. uyy...it snowed pretty bad overnight too. starting to feel a lil (just a bit, given my track record) nervous about catching my flight
- grab some pie for breakfast after service, head back to WC to grab luggage n it's off to the airport
- along the way, see a jack-knifed semi on the westbound (whew!) side of the 401, drove by an accident that caused a small holdup on our side (eastbound), but got to YYZ w/ plenty of time to spare
- had one last drink @ William's w/ mak after checking in my bags, then said our farewells n boarded what should be my last flight out of TO for quite a while...

2005-03-28T00:50:00.000-08:00

home improvement - Thursday, March 24 2005

Retro Windows came to upgrade the house; got 10 new windows installed, double-glazed this time, and w/ screen covers so the bugs won't be able to feast freely on my blood this summer (*whew*)

went grocery shopping afterwards @ Superstore w/ mom, saw the funniest thing: green onions were on sale - 2 bunches for 96cents. some cheapass european lady took 3 bunches, and decided to take one apart and stuff it into the other ones so she could get 3 for the price of 2. for shame! and i thought only we asians did stuff like that...O_o

Good Friday, March 25 2005

went to service in the morning @ VCBC, then went to chill w/ magz so we walked around South Granville where i bought a book about food (of course) instead of a motorcycle mag. it's a cool book though! i bought it mainly b/c of the photography, n plus it was on super sale: $19.99, down from $50.00!

went for a snack @ coffee cow on Main st. after, dropped her off, then went home for a nap, then gym, then home again, then picked up some sushi for a late dinner cuz nobody felt like cooking, then, i can't remember anymore...

Saturday, March 26 2005

wake up, spend most of early afternoon @ Ikea w/ parents choosing & buying a kitchen cabinet, home, went for a jog, then napped before grandma's bday dinner in Richmond, then over to lombardo's to sit in & have some dessert @ Mr. Gee's bday dinner. just chilled @ earls after; some drinks, more snacking

2345: back home, start (attempt to start) organizing/packing stuff for TO on monday

Easter Sunday, March 27 2005

0930-1145: went to baptismal service @ VCBC, saw tracy n 6 others get dunked, then back home to pack for TO real quick...

1500-1715: packed up my guitar n keyboard n headed over to Don's place to jam n figure out a few more songs, this is starting to get interesting. i think we'll have a seriously decent sounding album when we get through w/ this...in my humble opinion at least.

1815: picked up a card n a cake @ Safeway, picked up Carol n Tracy n headed over to Melanie's house for a lil Easter gathering/dinner w/ a bunch of other ppl, pretty fun. played some games, ate some meat, more chillin, ate some dessert, more games...

2230: dropped off the girls, headed for one last cup of caffeine to help get me through the night before i head off in the morning...aah

back in a week...