Since the last one

It seemed short for a minute but now that it's in my thoughts, I can't remember the last thing I posted. Of course, I can just check, but what is the fun in that. I remember the moments I thought were worthy of post that never materialized. There was my fridge DIY when I perfectly covered all the rust stains on the façade using white contact paper. There was a moment when I woke up with my ipod playing a song, and I thought, "hmm, this is a fine moment." Then the strong glare of the sun made it's harsh way through my perfectly rested pupils to give it a shock, a shock worthy of the squint you make when lemon juice gets in your eye. Then my consciousness realized I am at the beach, I had forgotten where I was. It's wonderful when the goodness creeps up because the brain farted, and life is all things chill over and under, the way it's supposed to be. There was also the 2 two weeks I took off and enjoyed north shore Oahu, Maui and Kauai with my sister, nephews, brother in law and several close friends. We went up Mt Haleakala which we called 'cloud mountain' where I broke my glasses trying to take jumping pictures above the clouds. "I'm so high, my shoes are scraping the sky" as John Legend puts it. But in my case, my shoes scraped my source of clear vision - semi sad, but it was time for new spectacles anyway. I embarked on finding the perfect frames and settled on what I call my Foa glasses. It looks like it might be Koa but it's really acetate so it's fake. Hence, Foa.

I suppose what I should spend my time on should be my most recent trip back to Chi. It was great. The hustle, the bustle, the people, the style, the sky scrapers, the different atmosphere. At the end of it all, it was a trip - just that and it was conclusive. As much as I miss it all and sometimes seek it all, I think I would miss and seek Hawaii more. But back to it all, the vacation, I actually finally went up the Sears Tower (formerly but always will be). Another moment of #suchgreatheights and I have pics to show for it.

Pics below are of Joe looking above all of Chillinois. There is my dog Jethro, who is 8 yrs young but still acts like he is a 6 month old puppy. God bless Jethro, perfect symbol of fidelity, I have not seen him for over a year but in fidelity dog years, which must be the exact opposite of dog years, it's like he never skipped a beat. Still there, still my habebe, still Jethro. There is the Chicago Ave. stop of the CTA Brown Line.

The El Train was cool, it gave me the proper urban fix that I had been craving. Hiking and snapping pics all over the urban jungle was a good one week trade off of the tropical, beachy-ness of Hawaii. Key word, one week

To the left, below is a view of the skyline from the Millenium Park gardens. Below, middle is the sunset looking over the flatland called the Midwest, I caught a helicopter flying by the edge of my frame. And the last one are more buildings, for every mountain ridges and craters I have here in Hawaii there is an equivalent sky scraper in Chicago.

And so it is, the annual homecoming trip, all done and got my fix. Now I'm back in paradise.

As it turns out

As it turns out, It's middle of February and I am sitting outside facing a tiki torch oil lamp, decked in a polo shirt, khakis and brown loafers. Sitting to my right is some chick browsing youtube, watching what seems to be a singing competition. And now my laptop battery is on the halfway mark, ehhhh. I guess it's bout time to just write..

I wish I was back in school. I just realized that I miss it. The pressure, the camaraderie, the learning. I want to get smarter. I remember when I used to complain so much about projects and I psyche myself out thinking that I'm gonna fail, but I never did. Now I am sitting here thinking what else I can do to not fail at this 'having a meaningful job in Hawaii' thing...or at least some traction. How can I gain more traction so that I can get out of the slow lane and get to the fast one? Slow seems to be the story as of late.

I should lead the way to a more light-hearted writing. The beach is frickin gorgeous, as always and forever will be. I've been taking photos and making them into e-postcards recently. Some turned out to be dope.

Check out the rest of them here at my hipster page.

PoPoMoPo

Trying to get my wannabe art on. =)

Making sense of it all

I quit smoking for the 2nd time three days ago. I am in the midst of an existential crisis. Misery at it's finest form, triggered by the indifferent lungs and the battle between the idealistic mind and the selfish body.

I'm experiencing the difficulty in working towards the ideal while being comfortable in the meantime. True for everything; the creative reward, the financial alleviation, the cessation of a habit which masks the mind with quick spurts of unbridled relief. There is one flaw in the system: the very tool used to forget is also the same tool that shackles. My diligence is going through rigorous testing. My deepest frustrations lie in waiting.

This is it, though, making this work is the only option for the sanity. Diverting my finances to the more justified necessities, working towards my security is the thought that currently weighs me. The creative, the finances, and the All Things Chill are the three strands. they have to be strengthened and braided tightly. I have my fingers crossed perfectly .

One Day.

hmmm. Let's do this!

dunno why? there seems to be an imaginary switch between feeling inspired to blog and laziness. This just is...both an extension and platform for creativity that somehow, sometimes, manages to have it's rightful entity. I can already feel it extending. After all, what's a screwdriver without a screw but just a tool...and sometimes I find screw drivers oddly entertaining, especially when it's done with Tropicana and fine, fine vodka. But like I said...dunno why? However, if you wanna walk with me here i'd appreciate the company...

Now on to using this platform. Yesterday be chill, all things relax, all things wonderful - except for those damn red ants. I caught me this picture of a wave breaking against a tiny man-made sand extrusion. Right was the time and the shutter was fast.

I kinda wanna watch Midnight in Paris, just to see Owen play Woody.
















After a while it really just becomes repetitive to talk about how this was great and that was my day. The truth is this really was great. You get people jumping off rocks, a bright full, protractor-esque Roy G. Biv, a random puppy comes by to chill and get her pet on... It's kinda hard to say not to repeatedly say how awesome this is.

Light conversations with myself, or as I call it nowadays, ctrl+t-ing my brain. If you're not in the know, that's 'free transform' in Photoshop. Listening to my Ipod and barely and getting engulfed in stories with melodies. Even listening to my room mates banter on who gets shotgun and who's gonna teach who a lesson can be mildly amusing.

Lastly, happy birthday to my dear sis Jaunice. More power to you!

MemDay530

I totally did not expect this event to be anywhere near reflective, figuratively speaking. There's something about the gathering and the lanterns and the high emotional presentation of this event that made it enlightening. Maybe it was the stunning visual spread which the event created that plucked a cord somewhere. The lights were glistening and organically forming random non-patterns - it moved me. I started thinking about my grandma at first, the one I knew well...then I thought about my other grandma even though I can't remember her...and then it just kept rolling onto my two grandfathers, one I never got to meet and the other I never got to know well. Never have I experienced Memorial Day this way, really the way it is meant to be observed.










I flicker searched lantern ceremony today and befriended folks who posted photos from the event...one of which found a photo of her floating lantern on my photostream. Hundreds and maybe thousands of floating lanterns, and hers happened to be one of the very few that I had photographed. Purely kismet connection made, kinda put a happy tingle on my day.

I was sorta intimidated at first. So many profesh photogs all steaked out in three feet of water and there I was in the middle of it with my good 'ol nikkormat. But then really when the whole experience of shooting takes over it doesn't  matter because I lost myself in the frame. Endless number of compositions created looking through that viewfinder since the getgo and I was as comfortable as anyone out there. In fact, I think I might've been the only bad ass one who shot in full manual and unwinded and reloaded a film while being halfway submerged in the sea....and my Nikkormat takes wonderful photos.

This pic to the left was taken right at sunset shortly before the lanterns floated...Don't let me be misunderstood though, I still want fancy camera with a fancy lens, much fancier than the D3000 I currently own, whose light meter is doing all sorts of discombobulated metering. If you feel like looking at more check out the rest of my MemDay530 photos here, some of which are taken by my Pentax waterproof cam, too.

All text, just type

Sun rash still on my skin but I can't help it I like the beach a lot. I've been watching this heavy duty paper towel deteriorate the past four months, the one I stuck in between a crack on the wall in the garden where I smoke at night. All weathered but still there, very compact and strong, just sitting idle - i need to take a photograph of it.

I can't wait until the end of June, Weeds will be back on. Nancy Botwin should run for something, cause she's good at getting away with things. If I had half her luck I would be just as reckless. But then again she lives in the world of Showtime and I live in the world of real time. It's kind of amazing how much that show evolved since the first season, I wonder how my life would be different in six seasons?

One half of my industrial design friends in Hawaii left last November to move to San Francisco. I found out last week that he recently just moved to Kansas after less than 6months at SF. Got a job at Coleman designing camping equipments. I reckon that's the kind of job people would move to Kansas for. Despite the tornadoes and endless even land, he's doing something he loves to do...and I presume getting paid damn well for it. Eric, Hawaii misses you, and I am sure you miss Hawaii too, but my hat's off to you for getting the job you want. Keep on keeping on.

Here's for you people, from our good friend, Jack Johnson...

In times like these
In times like those
What will be will be
And so it goes
And it always goes on and on...
On and on it goes

One half of my room mates just got back from Kauai. I just picked him up from the airPT. He can't say enough good things about his adventures over there, and I can't wait to share similar or better adventures when some buddies and I go to Kauai next year. So you people best make it to the islands, you know who you be.

Holy coo coo ca choo Mrs Robinson. My nights are so fast, next thing you know it's eleven o'clock and from then on it's eight hours or less before I wake up. I can actually push it now for half an hour since I bought my vw wabbit. Me likey it much, but damn over four bucks per gallon on gas is way past too much.

I should shower. Peace

Epic Maui Wowee

Tryna Sleep

I'm summoning the keyboard to speak to me because I'm not sure what to type. Sometimes I read, sometimes I draw, sometimes I photoshop, but right now I'm typing cause the clock be so slow. My mind is against sleeping until it's the absolute last second before the clock tips over to less than eight hrs of rest. Then the imaginary count starts...7:59, 58, 57, dot dot dot. At around the 6:30 mark I would go for a Nyquil or Benadryl run, or if I am not feeling frugal and wanna be all natural then I would get Melatonin. The 6:30 mark is the 'now or never' moment because when I get back I would still have 6hrs to knock the eff out. After all, the potency of them things maxes out after four hrs - so my rise and shine moment the following day might still go smooth.

SMOOTH, so overrated. Life is good and all, but if I can only sand paper life, you know the 800 grit fine kind, mine would be a lot smoother. I lurve sanding. The repetition of the motions along with some light mind work makes it therapeutic. I can only imagine doing that right now while listening to my 90's alternative radio on Pandora...whoa I feel calm. Sometimes I think about sanding my teeth too just to see if any yellow stain will rub off. Hahaha but I aint that dumb.

Me also has an imaginary mind scale. And right now I am weighing whether I should stop by Ross dress for less after work tomorrow and buy some draws cause I really do not feel like doing laundry. I dug around my whole room except for the hamper to find me some fresh draws. It was a success, probably the finest achievement of my day, and that's saying a lot because I finally finished the presentation booklet that I have been working on at the office for the last two weeks.

I read somewhere that when you do other things for long periods of time on the bed, your body would not know when it's actually time to sleep. As much as I adore this laptop bed tray, when I lay down for actual sleep my body is still thinking blog or Photoshop or Wikipedia. The body is a slave to the mind, and why doesn't sleeplessness occur when the sun is out. It's always harder to do things when you're suppose to.

Fin de semana

♪ ♫ I believe in the sand beneath my toes,
The beach gives a feeling, An earthy feeling,
I believe in the faith that grows ♪ ♫ ...

Semi-charmed Life – Third Eye Blind

Busy Saturday, lazy sunday. Yesterday I was everywhere, including getting beat up the waves at Makapu'u Beach. I'm finally getting used to the Mon-Friday office schedule..Good 'ol friend Nyquil sometimes helps me ktfo. Friday night starts off with the pau hana dinner and sunday ends chill.

 Funny it's been almost a year since I packed up and moved away, but some things don't change. Like when I turn on the shower I still jump to avoid the first few seconds of the running water thinking it's gonna be cold. I must look funny jumping to get out of the shower's way. I try to keep my composure when I rinse in public after swimming at the beach but ever so slightly I still flinch at the thought of freezing water hitting my skin. At this point it's instinctive.

 I signed on to my old hotmail account today since forever. Lo and behold my spam folder has 1121 mails. That number is also my birthday. I was just gonna delete the account but but thought maybe this was a sign not to.

I want to drive. This week is probably gonna be the week that I will join everybody else who owes money. I really really wanna drive. I went with Steph to Kailua and she test drove a car. She's found hers and now I'm jealous that I haven't found mine. Btw, she was wearing really cool shades.