October 25, 2010

Suburbia, U.S.A.

I am now fully transitioned from by urban one-bedroom apartment to a three-bedroom, two bath suburban home with my brother and his family. The only thing missing is the dog or cat (although, we apparently have some fish that seem to be multiplying).

Living with other people again is a bit weird. I'm used to just stripping, hopping in the shower and then meandering back to my bedroom to figure out what I'm going to wear. Now I have to figure all that stuff out before heading to the bathroom. It's like living with my parents or dorming at college again. But, at least I don't need to bring a shower caddy and wear slippers to the bathroom anymore.

Over the weekend, I moved the rest of my stuff to Kapolei with the help of my dad and brother. Even after downsizing by a considerable amount (in my opinion), I still have a ton of stuff. Some of it is still out in the living room, but I've managed to squeeze everything into my new bedroom. As I slowly begin to unpack, I find myself questioning my own sanity. I mean, does one person really need ten pairs of sweats/workout pants? That seems entirely ridiculous, especially when the person in question doesn't even work out! Also, despite donating and tossing about 15 pairs of shoes, I seem to still have another 15 pairs to boot. This is really the epitome of American excess, don't you think?

On Sunday, my dad and I scoured my old place and I can tell you I haven't worked that hard in ages. We only got about three quarters of the way through, but my body was waving the white flag by the end of the day. Not surprisingly, cleaning dirt and grime off of jalousies is no easy task. I highly recommend against that type of window treatment if you have the choice. We're planning to go back this weekend to finish up the job and turn in the keys. Hopefully after all the cleaning I'll get my full deposit back. That'll really help add to the round-the-world trip slush fund.

This morning I made my first early-morning commute after not having driven in the long distance traffic for over six years. It was interesting. I left at 6:30 a.m. and made it in an hour by taking a special route that a friend of mine suggested. I'll try it again tomorrow but will take the regular route and see how much faster/slower it'll be. So far, it's not as bad as I thought it'd be. Of course, this is still a novelty and will surely wear off with time. Check back in a month and I'll be a raging maniac.

October 14, 2010

Moving to Kapolei

I have been busy the past few weeks prepping my move out to Kapolei. After more than three years of living on my own just minutes from work, I'm trading it in for the sake of saving some money. I'll be living with my brother and his family rent free until I leave for my world traveling adventures in 2011.

My stuff is half packed and my couch and computer desk are gone courtesy of Craigslist. I've made several trips to some non-profits in the area who will be benefiting from linens, towels, dishes and other kitchenware.

Moving does have its perks as I am forced to really minimize all my worldly possessions to fit into one room. Surprisingly, it hasn't been as tough as I thought. I guess I'm not that attached to things. Still, I do have a lot of junk that I need to wade through and decide if they stay or go.

Maybe living out of a backpack for a year won't be as difficult as I thought?

September 30, 2010

Leave Your Drama At Home

Oh boy, lately there's just been hella drama going on in the work place. Orders have been screwed up; money has been spent haphazardly; fingers are being pointed every which way. Yeah, it's like that.

I gotta say though that I'm proud of how I'm dealing with it all - like water off a duck's back. Don't ask, don't tell. Curiosity killed the cat. I got a million of these. Basically, I'm doing the dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge move from Dodgeball. By avoiding involvement, I keep my sanity. Y'all know how nuts my "new" co-worker is, and yes, people are still calling this chick new after a full year. Where in the hell does on-the-job training last a year? Oh wait, apparently at my work place.

The most honest-to-goodness, inspiring and truthful quote I heard recently was: Be careful of stupid people. They can really kill your business. OMG, this quote has a living, breathing example of itself and she works with me! I really thought I had a handle on what stupid was, but oh how wrong I was. I never knew stupid till now.

The most annoying part is that I don't think she even knows she's stupid. She doesn't realize that stupid things are coming out every time she opens her mouth. She has no self-awareness at all. Even when people joke about her lack of common sense, it goes right over her head.

At least if she were a conniving bitch, who twisted things around to get her way, I could respect her for her ambition. But I think the girl is too stupid for even that. She plays all helpless and hopeless and people respond. This kills me! They either pity her a crap ton and do her job for her; think she's a retard and do her job for her; or are simply efficient human beings and can't wait for her to do it so they do her job for her. Unreal man. Unreal.

September 29, 2010

Manuscript Update: 2011 Fall ETA

I got a call from my publisher's VP of Creative and was told that they found an illustrator. I won't say who it is though, because who the hell knows if it's for real this time. We all remember what happened last time.

Anyway, they wanted to confirm that I was still interested in publishing my kids book with them. As I mentioned before, my contract ends at the end of the year so they need to update it (again). Once I agreed to this, they were going to contact the illustrator to confirm.

God, I hope this is happening because I've waited over three years now. I know exactly how long it takes to produce a book and it's not three years. But whatever . . . if I've waited this long, then fall 2011 isn't that far off. Yes, apparently it'll take another year to publish and get it out on the market. By then I will probably be in New Zealand having the time of my life. I'll need the extra cash influx so maybe this is working out for the best.

My fingers are crossed for this illustrator. I think this illustrator does some amazing stuff and will add so much to the story. This illustrator was, and still is, my first choice. Let's hope for the best.

September 24, 2010

Beauty and the Beast

I was lucky enough to get some free tickets to the performance of Beauty and the Beast at the Blaisdell Concert Hall. It was an excellent show, even if there were some awfully cheesy parts.

All the main actors had really wonderful singing voices. Belle's voice was crystal clear. She wore some gorgeous costumes too. The beast was pretty well outfitted too, and the transformation from beast to prince was pretty cool. However, his constant roaring was a bit much for me. I kinda sat there like, "Really? That's what you're going to do?" The actor playing Gaston was so good.

What stole the show were the large set pieces that involved the entire cast. My favorite number was "Be Our Guest." The choreography was great; costumes just sparkled. Even the set for this number was amazing.

Speaking of sets, I sat there in awe of all the things they could do. I cannot even remember how many times the set decorations changed. It was cool how a slight change in lighting or a twist of a house could create an entirely new environment. So cool!

I definitely recommend this show, especially if you have kids. I didn't really notice an overwhelming number of them at my show. But, a lot of the slapstick humor and comedy routines were definitely targeted at them.

My friends and I found parking on the road (score!) so I didn't have to drop any dough on parking. While the auditorium was fairly full, I did see many empty seats. I went midweek though, so I'm sure the weekend showings are packed.

September 15, 2010

One Team, One Dream . . . or Not!

This has been an interesting week so far. I've been in three separate meetings to discuss the status of our department and the cohesiveness . . . or lack thereof. As I consider myself a short-timer (shh, don't tell them that), I figured I had nothing to lose but to tell the truth wholeheartedly. Only time will tell if my comments were accepted and implemented.

It's difficult to discuss work-related problems and find solutions when one of the main problems is the department manager. It's twice as hard to do that when said manager is sitting in the meeting as well, which was the case in our first meeting on Monday.

Interestingly enough, I was able to get most of my thoughts out there in spite of this. Again, since my outlook is one of months rather than years, I don't think I have a problem talking about these things. Also, I'm usually perfectly blunt about most things anyway. During this meeting though, other issues came to light that I weren't expecting. I should have known better though.

Our newest addition, who is coming up on her one-year anniversary, pulled out all the "pity me" stops. Oh boo hoo is what I say. She's complaining about being overwhelmed. She's complaining about not getting support. She's complaining about not knowing what to do. She can barely turn on her computer much less do real work. It annoys me that she's even on staff because we could've done everything without her and heard less complaining about it. What annoys me even more is that I've already told our manager that she's basically drowning in her obvious deficiencies, and he just continues to let her drown. WTF kind of manager is that really?

My second meeting involved our HR person pulling me into a quick follow up meeting. Apparently good and bad news travels fast in this company. He spouted off the predictable stuff about how this is a good company even if there are a few bumps every now and then; that we all need to be open to change; that change doesn't happen overnight; and how there aren't a lot of marketing jobs out there right now. You know what dude? Get real! For the three years I've been here, nothing has changed when it comes to our manager. He is literally the huge elephant in the middle of the room that no one wants to admit is there. Oh, supposedly everyone knows "how he is," but no one does anything to help us. Yes, I admit that it is our choice to work in his department. But if the management knows the situation, why did it take three years for them to do anything about it if they really cared about the well being of their employees?

The final meeting was with our vice president, which was probably only due to the fact that I told the HR person that we can't really say much with our manager in the meeting. This meeting was a bit more free flowing and cleared the air about how things are run under our manager. Of course, our VP already knew a lot of it, but now we've given him details. I have to admit that it was very good to get it off my chest, even though I'm not at all confident that anything will change. But hell, what can it hurt right? After all, I'm a short-timer.

September 6, 2010

Manuscript Stuck in Production Hell

I called my publisher to get an update on my manuscript. It's been three years total after all, and I haven't heard back from them since I submitted their requested changes in April.

I was told that all the manuscripts are backed up because they've slowed down production due to the bad economy. I'm not sure if I can believe that or not. I was told that they are now starting to release some books and are working their way through the backlog. If my book is three years old, how many others are before me?

It's quite infuriating to say the least. I was told that my manuscript was given to two illustrators, but they both turned it down. I'm not sure if that means they read it and didn't like it or they did sketches and the publisher didn't like it. I was told that if I could hunt around for my own illustrator it might help to speed the process along. WTF? I might as well go the independent route if I want to do that.

My contract ends in December so I'll need to decide what I want to do at that point. I'm able to either renew the contract and hope they get to it sometime in my lifetime or submit the manuscript to another publisher that may or may not want to print it. At this point, I'm leaning toward the second option. I mean, I used to work for these people and they don't really give a rat's ass about helping me in any way. I have to hunt them down to get an update. No one even answers my emails. I might as well see what strangers have to say about it.

August 29, 2010

Livemocha Reboot

Over a year ago, I found this awesome language site called Livemocha and signed up to take Italian and Japanese. Since then I've continued on and off (although more off than on) and have picked it up again this weekend.

I've now signed myself up for French and Swedish in addition to Italian and Japanese. Originally I thought French might be good to learn since I'd be able to practice with my friend Lan, who took it in college. However, after completing the first lesson I realize that it might just be too hard to do. I don't think my mouth and tongue can do what the French language is asking them to do. I mean, just how do you get those sounds to work at the back of your throat? I'll keep trying but at this point it's pretty hopeless.

I came upon Swedish kind of by accident. I was talking about Livemocha to a fellow JCCH volunteer yesterday and she said I should try a Germanic-based language like German, Swedish, Norwegian, etc. because this is what English is based on. I don't know if she's right or wrong about this, but I signed up for Swedish and am liking it so far. The sentence structure is similar to English (unlike Japanese). Plus the melodic way the words are pronounced sound kind of cool.

I don't know how much use I'll get out of learning Swedish as compared with something like French or Spanish (which I thought about taking as well). But I figure I'll probably get as much use out of Japanese as Swedish since both seem to be isolated to their own countries.

For now, I'll try to keep up with all four new languages and see how they go. At least I don't need to learn new alphabets for three out of the four of them. On the other hand, at least you pronounce all the sounds in Japanese. The other languages seem to use all these crazy diacritical marks that change the vowel sounds I'm familiar with into something totally different. Ack!

Vote for IZ

I got this forwarded to me and thought I'd pass it along. Apparently NASA is letting the public vote for wakeup songs that will be played during the final missions of the space shuttle program. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's "Over the Rainbow" is on the ballot and current number eight out of 40.

He's a long way from number one but with everyone's help we can make him top the charts. I should add that all of the songs are former wakeup songs. They've already been there, done that. But still, it's like a hana hou right?

As far as I can tell, you can vote more than once. I've already tried about 10 times and the total number of votes keeps increasing. Either it's logging my votes or someone else is voting at the same time as me. Win-win either way.

August 19, 2010

Travel Vaccines - Tetanus and Hepatitis A

I'm one of those people who avoid doctors like the plague and haven't been to one in a long time. Prior to getting a physical last year to clear me for the Visian ICL surgery, I probably hadn't been to a doctor since high school. Yeah, it's been that long.

But since I really want to travel, I figured I better get going with these shots as some need multiple doses in order to be effective. I've also got to do this while I'm still employed, because who wants to pay full price for these expensive vaccinations and visits?

I made an appointment and went in to Queens Medical Center's Travel and Immunization Clinic on Tuesday for a consultation. They have a person there who specializes in overseas travel, which is rare in Hawaii. I think the only other place is Straub Clinic & Hospital. Because my friend just came back from Africa and China, I went with her referral to Queens even though Straub is just minutes from my work place.

After a brief consultation, I decided to get the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) and Hepatitis A vaccination. I've already got my Hepatits B done. I've never liked needles, but I have to say that these shots weren't all that painful. I'm not sure if it's due to the fact that the person administering the shots was good or if my childhood memories were just blown all out of proportion. Anyhow, they didn't hurt too bad . . . or so I thought.

On Wednesday, when I woke up in the morning I noticed that my right arm was a little stiff. The nurse had warned me that the Hep A shot would feel as though someone punched you in the arm, but it was the Tdap arm that was throbbing. When I got home after work that day I had to take an Advil. I even fell asleep while waiting for a friend to call me for dinner!

Now, two days after the shot my Tdap arm is still killing me, and I've got this huge pink welt on my arm. I think the medicine is slowly spreading throughout my arm. It doesn't help that I've got sensitive skin so the inflamed area is probably larger than normal. I'm still dead tired, although this could also be due to work as we're extremely busy this week planning for a company retreat. When I got home from work today, I actually felt like going to sleep at 4:00 in the afternoon. I got chills (another side effect of the shot), which I found ironic since it was so damn hot outside. All in all, these shots suck.

The nurse gave me some literature on shots to prevent rabies, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis and yellow fever. It's hard to decide which ones to take though (and if I really need them) because my travel plans are so wide open at this point. I'd rather be safe than sorry so I might end up getting all the vaccinations I can get in case I change my mind and really do want to visit Egypt or Thailand.

Oh, and my exit strategy at work has been revised due to my shot schedule. I definitely have to stay through February now as I need to do a second dose of Hep A six months from now. March would be the earliest I could travel.

August 12, 2010

Eagle Creek Thrive 75L Women's Travel Pack



Today I made my first major purchase toward my traveling adventure: an Eagle Creek Thrive 75L Women's Travel Pack. I found it on the REI website on closeout, which made it 50 percent off. It is the 2009 model, but a deal's a deal.

It's hard to buy it sight unseen, but I think it should be alright. Eagle Creek seems to be a very reliable brand according to all the reviews I've read. And, out here in Hawaii, we don't have a lot of outdoors-type stores from which to choose. Sports Authority can only get you so far, and I've already checked them out. They have more hiking bags than these travel bags. I wanted to be sure that it came with zippers that could lock rather than the drawstring closure top.

The model I got comes with a main pack and a day pack that zips on and off it. It's like getting two bags for one. One of the dilemmas I was mulling over was the idea of only traveling with carry-on luggage. This way I'd avoid the check-luggage fees and would always know where my stuff was. It would never get lost by the airlines. But, in the end, my desire to have adequate space won out. This pack is supposed to have quite a bit of room and be more than sufficient to travel around the world. I'll have to try it out once it arrives in a week. If all else fails, I can purchase packing cubes to organize my stuff.

August 6, 2010

Generation Gap

Tonight I swung by the McCully Shopping Center Taco Bell for dinner at around 8 p.m. and was shocked at all the traffic in the parking lot. What was going on? When I finally got into the lot, I saw that there was absolutely nothing happening. There were just a ton of kids hanging out and double parking their cars.

You know you're getting old when your first thought is: don't you have anything better to do? (I almost added the 'bah humbug' but managed to refrain this time). I mean, what's so good about loitering in front of a 7-Eleven? Obviously, because of all the traffic, these kids have cars, so why not cruise Waikiki or anywhere else? Why clog up a strip mall? I find that really retarded.

However, once I managed to maneuver around the rice rockets (yes, the kids were mostly Asian driving dropped Honda Civics and the like) I realized that I used to be one of these kids. Of course, we didn't just take up space at a shopping center. We usually went to someone's house. But the key problem is the same: all dressed up with no where to go and nothing to do.

Remember those days when it took a majority decision to do anything? When people didn't want to make a suggestion that others might not like so they didn't say anything at all? When you could squeeze at least seven people into a compact car? When hanging out in front of 7-Eleven till 2 a.m. was a night well spent? When it'd take longer to get ready than to actually go out?

God, I'm getting old.

August 1, 2010

Movie Theater Etiquette

I went to see the 2:00 p.m. show of Salt with my sister today at Ward Theatre and had one of the most annoying experiences. A man sat next to me and proceeded to stake claim on the armrest between us. Let me just say that my sister and I got to the theater about 30 minutes early and were happily sitting there the entire time. This guy shows up 10 minutes before it starts, plops down the armrest on his far side and then monopolizes both. The bastard! I felt like elbowing him in the head on "accident" just to get him to move. That is such bad movie theater etiquette!

This leads me to my top five list of most hated movie theater behaviors. Let me know if you agree or disagree.

1. The wailing baby and the stubborn parent who refuses to take the brat out of the room - I mean seriously, if I wanted to hear a crying kid I'd have one of my own. Yes, I understand that you paid to see this movie just like I did, but no one told you to bring the baby.

2. The pre-teen/teenaged crowd who constantly text throughout the film, especially if they're seated in front of me - The phones these days with their fancy touch screens are as bright as the North Star. They should be banned from the theaters because they simply ruin the atmosphere. The only light allowed in the room should be the three-story high movie screen.

3. The egomaniacs who think they're too important to turn their phones off - Unless you're waiting to hear the test results for the cure to cancer, are the phone-a-friend on Who Wants to be a Millionaire or a suicide bomber, you do not need to have your phone on.

4. The obnoxious chair kickers - You know who you are! Don't even tell me you have restless leg syndrome.

5. The loud mouths without a clue - Stop asking questions throughout the film. It's annoying to those around you, including the people you came with. No, that isn't the same person. Yes, the main character just changed his clothes. It's a bomb. She's undercover. They're the crooks.

July 25, 2010

Movie Overload: Predators and Inception

This weekend I had a great time at the movies. On Saturday night, I saw Predators, starring Adrien Brody. The movie had its flaws but was a fun time overall. I thought casting Brody as the lead in an action flick was pretty ballsy. The last movie I saw him in was The Brothers Bloom, and this is such a departure from that role. He doesn't seem the guns blazing, leading man type, but he's mostly changed my mind after Predators.

Tonight I watched Leonardo DiCaprio work his magic in Inception. This movie is like whoa. It's deeper than deep and is one that you'll need to see more than once to fully understand it. I like how it takes you to a different world and opens your mind up to all the possibilities. It plays with reality and fantasy in a way that is similar to The Matrix.

I'm hoping to watch Despicable Me tomorrow night with some co-workers. I hear good things about it, however, it's not Pixar. Still, the trailer looks funny and I hear the 3D is pretty awesome. We'll see how it goes.

July 21, 2010

New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Approved

Just a quickie before I head off to work . . .

I checked my email just now and was happily surprised to find a new message from the New Zealand immigration people: "We are pleased to advise that your application under the Working Holiday Scheme has been approved."

Awesome!

It actually only took about two days. I sent it in on Sunday night (Hawaii time), and they apparently sent the approval email Tuesday night (Hawaii time). That was really efficient of them.

I'm supposed to go log in to the site and print out some approval paperwork, but I think I'll do it from work. Ironic, huh? Well, they do have a better printer than me. LOL

July 18, 2010

New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Submitted

I did it. I submitted my online application for the New Zealand working holiday visa (WHV) today. Since they're a day ahead, it's officially July 19th instead of July 18th.

The application questions themselves weren't too hard to fill out. There were a lot of yes/no questions, and you had to fill in your identifying information. I'm not sure if it's this easy for all countries though and can only vouch for U.S. applicants.

The NZ immigration website is kind of confusing though. First, you need to register a username and password, which is fairly easy. Next, you need to log in, which again is very straightforward. However, once inside their system actually finding the link to apply for the WHV was another story. I had to click a bunch of things before I stumbled upon it. There wasn't a link that said "Apply Here" or something obvious like that.

Other than that, things were easy peasy. I've heard that approval can come as quickly as a few days. I think the site said a few weeks. We'll see how it goes.

July 10, 2010

One Rotton Egg Can Ruin An Entire Company

Today's experience volunteering at the Japanese Cultural Center sucked, to put it mildly. On a day that should've been fun (since it was an exhibit opening), it was instead extremely off putting.

First of all, the set up for the day was hectic because they had two separate events prior to the actual opening. The first was a special movie screening, which started at 8:30. Then, there was the annual membership meeting, which started at 10:30. The exhibit opening ceremony was scheduled at 11:30.

With so much going on you'd think they'd have everything set up and with people knowing what they were supposed to do. Instead, when I arrived at 10:00 for my normal shift, no one was even there at the front, and no one briefed us volunteers as we started to arrive. There was no instruction whatsoever. The only thing left for us was a memo with times and descriptions of events . . . and it was buried beneath all this other crap on the front desk.

A few minutes before the group at the movies exited, one of the JCC executives marched over to the three of us at the front desk (all volunteers mind you) and proceeded to rudely ask us why there were so many people wandering around the exhibit. How should we know? They could be attending any of today's three events. No instructions were given to question each person gestapo style or make them walk through an airport body scanner.

She then instructed us to take the registration list for the movie and pass out a CD to each person. When we said ok and didn't move, she became even more irritable and told us to go around the front and be more proactive with them. Well, if she had said, stand by the door and ask them on their way out, we would have done so. Apparently clarity is not her forte or else she believes people can or should read her mind.

One of the other volunteers and I went and stood in front of the doors (blocking the walkway) and stood waiting for these moviegoers. Well, apparently most of them already had a CD, which was given out in the theater. Ten minutes later the exec comes back and states the obvious with a shrug. WTF lady?!?!

This woman epitomizes the kind of rotten egg that can ruin an entire company. Just because you're stressed out doesn't mean you should take it out on others, especially those who are here giving their time freely. We're not receiving one cent from you to volunteer here, and you're lucky we choose to work for your organization and not the numerous other worthy nonprofits out there. To be so rude and ungrateful is unforgivable, and it gives the entire company a bad reputation. If you're looking for someone to reprimand and verbally abuse, take a look at your staff. They're the ones who are completely unorganized, and they're the ones on your payroll.

July 7, 2010

Work Sucks But Not For Long

I know. It's already a week into July and I'm slacking with the blogging. I don't really have a good excuse though. Laziness would be the honest answer. Being extremely tired throughout the day but wide awake when I need to sleep is another. Is this how insomnia starts?

Work has been really tough this week. The company is doing ridiculous things and expecting us to make everything happen. We're definitely overworked. I'm starting to feel the stress as events start piling up. None have even happened yet so they seem to be backlogged and overlapping.

I am so over this kind of lifestyle. Why would people choose to live this way? No wonder people are dropping dead of heart attacks. I'm so ready to stress out about different things, like what extreme sport I should try next or how to find a cheaper hostel. I am so ready for a life of traveling.

With that said, I still have not started the Working Holiday Visa application process yet. I'm thinking I'll begin this weekend and see how far I get. I'm not sure what type of information I'll need to provide. In some cases, you'll need to see a doctor to verify your health. I hope I'm not one of those lucky peeps as you know how much I dislike the white coats.

Even though I haven't been blogging and haven't applied for the Visa yet, I can boast that I've continued my NZ homework. I've been reading up on all these different websites to help myself transition from a life in the U.S. to a life in NZ.

I must admit though that this is still causing a bit of stress. I find myself hopping from one topic to the next and never really deciding what I'm going to do. I'll start by researching NZ banks to find the one with the least amount of fees. Then I'll get sidetracked into looking for credit cards with minimum fees. The next thing I know I'm reading up about WWOOFing and Help Exchange, two different programs where you trade a couple hours of work for free accommodations and sometimes food too.

Apparently we Americans freak out about too much. We just need to do it and things will be alright. I guess it's called trust, but I'm a suspicious gal to start off with so that's not helping matters much. Add that to my somewhat Type A personality and you've got yourself a stress party.

One thing I've decided is not to take that month-long vacation to test the waters. Why waste the money for airfare and a tour? I might as well just go over there and see how things turn out. If I don't like it, I can always get a flight home.

So, the new plan is to hightail it out of here in early 2011. I've been checking one-way flights and they range from about $600 -$1000+ depending on when you fly. I can't go too early as it's peak tourist season (aka summertime in the southern hemi). I'd like to avoid a lot of the crowds so I'm looking at late February or early March. I figure people will be on their way out at that time. However, as my research continues this could change.

June 30, 2010

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I've busy with my massive research project on New Zealand, working holidays and round-the-world traveling. However, I'm not sure this is a very effective way for me to go about this whole adventure.

As some of you know, I lean more toward a type A personality than a type B personality. Because of this, I continue to have this need to as prepared as possible. While other people would just buy a ticket and go, I am stressing out just from researching a potential trip.

The more I scour the web for information, the more I feel I am sinking under all that information. Yet, I cannot seem to stop myself from learning more. What's worse is that I hop from one topic to the next and never find a definite answer for anything. My mind is just buzzing with activity and before I know it, it's past midnight every night and I'm nowhere nearer my goal.

Each search just seems to creates more and more questions. What's the best credit and debit cards to use? Which financial institution has the least amount of fees involved with currency conversions and transaction fees? Should I open a bank in NZ when I get there? How do I go about setting up a NZ tax ID number? What's WWOOFing all about? How safe is it? Which mode of transporation should I use - public bus, backpacker bus, rental car or purchase a used car? What's the deal with travel insurance? How do you get covered for stuff like skydiving? How do you get work? Is it easy? What kind of work is available?

The questions are endless. I've started posting some questions on a New Zealand backpacker message boards and most of the advice is the same old Nike saying, "Just do it!" At some point I think I'll just be so overwhelmed with my researching that I'll end up just doing it out of frustration. The other info I'm getting through this site is pretty helpful though, and it calms my nerves because it proves other people have already done it so I'm not exactly blazing any new trails. The fear comes from the unknown, which is pretty normal, so I just need to jump this one hurdle and be done with it.

June 24, 2010

Augie T Performs At Coral Creek

Last night I enjoyed a comedy show starring Augie Tulba at the Coral Creek Golf Course in Ewa Beach. The show kicked off with two of his friends, but they weren't too great. I guess that's why they're not the headliners.

Apparently Augie and company have been doing Coral Creek for several weeks now. He's using the shows to try out new material to prepare for a big gig at Hawaii Theatre. The show tickets are going for only $10, which is pretty awesome. It's not a fancy place, but it's perfect for a night out in the middle of the week. Since it's out in Ewa, it's good for all the Westsiders so they don't need to come into town.

For town folks, he's also doing Thursdays at The Ranch House on Kapahulu Avenue. I don't know if the price is still $10, so you should definitely give them a call. I never even heard of this place until now. Google works wonders though, and now I might want to check them out for their food. Looks ono.

Here's a clip of Augie's comedy. I think his stuff from last night was way funnier!

June 21, 2010

Making The Grade

It's that time of year again, when all the employees at work get reviewed. The positives and negatives of the past year are expounded upon and management tells you whether or not you made the grade. However, unlike when we were all in school, passing and failing now involves monetary compensation.

For some, I suppose, this is a huge motivator. It drives them to do better, be better. The idea that they may be compensated for their efforts with a raise (significant or otherwise) compels them to stay late at work, volunteer for projects, kiss up to the boss, backstab their co-workers and all the other types of civilized trench warfare that happens in a corporate setting.

For others, like me, it doesn't do much. I mean, yeah I like getting raises (who doesn't?), but I definitely will not compromise my principles for money. And I'm not saying I've got these high and mighty philosophies about life. Oh no, on the contrary, it's the simple things that I refuse to give up for the sake of money.

For instance, on every review I've ever received at every job I've ever had, there has been one consistent improvement that I can work on. This modification has been described in many ways, but what it comes down to is attitude. Apparently I have a bad attitude. Shocking no?

But here's the thing - at every job I've ever worked at my reviews say I also get along with everyone and work well in groups. Now how is it possible that I have a bad attitude when people apparently like me? They volunteer to assist at my events and go out of the way to help me out when I need it?

Can it be that my "bad attitude" is only perceived by the person doing the reviewing? Is this because most of my bosses didn't know how to manage their staff and had no concept of what we did? Or is it just my bad attitude rearing its ugly head again?

This bad attitude has consistently been a ding on my report card and may or may not have resulted in my receiving smaller raises throughout the years. Now, many people would say this is an easy fix. Just give management what they want - a happy, smiling "yes" (wo)man. By discarding the perceived bad attitude when in the presence of those doing the grading, I can simulate a vast improvement come next year's review.

To those people I say, "Hell, to the NO!" To those people I say, "Have you no soul?"

There are some things more important in this world than getting a raise or promotion. There are some things, no matter how small, that are worth fighting for. I refuse to give up who I am just to make my bosses happy or make things easier for them. I'd rather quit than sell out and conform to their idea of perfection. If my refusal to comply with corporate brainwashing prevents me from getting raises, well so be it.

June 15, 2010

Voice From The Past

Yesterday I got a shocking call from a voice from the past. My old co-worker D-Rob called me (on my work number too, which was more surprising) to say what's up, catch up and ask about another co-worker's number. We spent 10 minutes catching up on each other's lives. It was all so very nice, just like old times.

It's interesting how random people are put together in some of the worst situations ever and find solace in one another. It's some kind of self-preservation technique that's left over from our caveman days, I think.

D-Rob and a bunch of my other old co-workers somehow managed to find ourselves at a place quite like hell on Earth. Go figure huh? Some of the nicest, smartest people ever were all lured into a toxic sludge of a workplace. While some of the lucky (and smart) ones didn't hang around for long, several of us stuck it out for a couple of years before getting out of Dodge. During those troubled time, we managed to forge a mean bond. Even three years later with zero contact between us, yesterday's phone call with D-Rob was like the old days when we'd trade jokes at each other's desks.

June 10, 2010

All Blacks Make Haka Hot

As you know, I've been doing my due diligence and Googling for info on New Zealand to prep for a potential vacay there. I'm still undecided whether I want to backpack it on my own or join a small-group tour that's a cross between adventure and budget. I'm leaning toward the tour, even though this vacay is supposed to simulate what it'd be like to be on the road alone.

Most of the tours I'm looking at treat you to a traditional Maori dinner and the videos I've seen of these things look like the Maori version of a luau. Instead of doing hula, they do the haka. My YouTubing research quickly led from these tours to haka done by various sports teams. The majority of the videos are of the All Blacks, a Kiwi rugby team. I don't know if they're the only team that does the haka or even if they're the only team in NZ. I don't know anything about rugby, but once I started watching the videos I couldn't stop.

There seems to be a variety of different haka, but the most common is the one that starts off, "Ka mate, Ka mate, Ka ora Ka ora." This is the one with which I'm familiar (and I assume most other people are as well). It bothered me that I didn't know the words beyond those first few lines. I think it's mostly because the chants are shouted and the words are never distinct enough to understand. Even after watching several videos, I still couldn't get the words down. I finally had to Wikipedia them and read the words while listening to YouTube. Who knows if Wikipedia is even accurate though.



Watching the various videos of the All Blacks, I noticed that these rugby guys are pretty hot . . . even with the ugly, macho-man faces they're making (or is it because of that?). The guys, of course, are all fit and muscular and they're yelling at the top of their lungs as I imagine the cavemen of old used to. And yet, despite all the movement and progress gained through women's lib, I still find their behavior oddly sexy. I mean, there's something to be said about the masculinity, agility and dare I say virility that these guys exude while doing this haka. Their intensity and focus is both intimidating and alluring. It's kinda like looking into the eyes of a wildcat.



And just so you know, I still can't get the words to the haka right. But I'm going to keep trying . . . you know, for educational and cultural exchange purposes and all! LOL!

June 8, 2010

Celeb Alert: Daniel Dae Kim


I forgot to mention that on Sunday, I thought I spotted Daniel Dae Kim (aka Jin from Lost) outside of the Ward Avenue Sports Authority. I can't be 100% certain because I was passing by in a truck and he was walking toward the entrance. However, after looking a numerous pix of him online I'm about 90% sure it was him.

All I could see was a profile view of his face and that he was wearing a blue t-shirt. Couldn't see below about chest level. He was alone and headed toward the sporting goods giant. You know how people sometimes say stars look better or worse in person? Kim looked the same as he does on the show. I gotta admit though that I only watched a couple episodes back in season one. I didn't follow it much after that.

June 6, 2010

Kochi, Kochi, Koo

Last night I hung out at Kochi Restaurant and Lounge with some people from work to celebrate and bid a fond farewell to one of our nearest and dearest co-workers. Our friend Jen, who just graduated from Chaminade University with a Master's in Counseling Psychology, will be staring a new adventure on the island of Maui. She applied for and got a job at Kamehameha Schools - Maui Campus. Her husband also earned his Master's degree (in Secondary Ed I believe) from Chaminade and will be looking for work on the Valley Isle too.

So bringing it back to last night . . . . It was the first office party I've been to at this job (even though I've been working there for three years now). It was definitely an interesting mix of people. Some people were obvious choices to invite because they're fun kids to be around. Others who showed up had me scratching my head going "huh?" I didn't take them to be party people, and sure enough they didn't disappoint. Some of the conversation was awkward to say the least as no one really knew what to say to them. At one point, I thought one or two of these peeps fell asleep in the corner. But hey, who am I to say whether or not they should attend these things. I'm a newbie.

By the way, it was my first time at Kochi's and it was pretty nice. The server was cool and the vibe was relaxed. It was like partying at someone's house almost. They had some tv screens running ESPN and they lowered the lights and raised the volume of the music to make it seem semi-clubbish.

It was interesting to see people's personalities once they got some liquor into their systems. Some got a bit rowdy, but it was all in good fun. Everyone was drinking soju, a Korean alcohol similar to vodka. It was mixed in with some lemons so it tasted like lemonade. You could barely even taste the liquor. Not bad.

All the office gossip and political rumors started free-flowing out of people's mouths. I learned a lot about the going's on at work that I never bothered to listen to until now. The rumblings from the peanut gallery weren't very positive, and it's got me thinking I need to jump from the sinking ship before it's too late. Some of the stories were very revealing about people's characters. Some were outright shocking. I'm thinking I may need to ramp up my plans and get my act together to decide what I'm going to do with myself.

June 1, 2010

Go Jump Off A Bridge

Honey, maybe I just might! And why stop there? Why not a plane as well?

I spent a lot of time yesterday looking into different options for a vacation to New Zealand. Yeah, I know it's rather sudden. It's not someplace I've mentioned here much (unlike Italy *sigh*). But all my previous research has pointed to NZ as a backpacker-friendly locale. There's a lot of young people who travel there so it should be easy enough to make friends while traveling alone.

Yes, undoubtably I'll need to go it on my own as my friends have various issues that aren't likely to be resolved before I completely implode. So, in order to relieve my own inner anxiety and escape the doldrums that is my every day life, I'd like to plan a solo adventure.

Since it'll be my first time traveling alone, I figured why not go big? NZ is the home of all extreme sports and I couldn't possibly go any bigger than that. So, I've been skimming through websites about various tour companies, transportation and lodging options and of course extreme fun by means of skydiving, bungee jumping, white water rafting, hiking and even zorbing.

I'm debating whether to do the true backpacker thing and plan my own trip and bounce from hostel to hostel while enjoying the sights and activities or hooking up with a tour group. The good thing about going to NZ is that most of the tours are focused on active things so it's likely that the crowd will be younger and not your typical tour group. Still it'd be nice to just bum around on my own a bit too.

Anyone ever been to New Zealand? Any tips?

May 30, 2010

Ah, the Innocence of Youth

Yesterday, while volunteering at JCCH, I spoke to another volunteer about her college plans. You see, she graduates from high school next week Saturday and is excited about her future. I vaguely remember feeling that same euphoria all those years ago. It was nice to bask in it again, if only for a half hour or so.

Anyway, she's going to OSU and talked endlessly about her hopes and what she expects college to be like. She talked about her worries about getting a roommate she'd like and the craziness that is dorm life. She pondered what there'd be to do since the campus is pretty much in the sticks. She said she wanted to get her driver's license before she left, just in case she'd be able to drive someone's car.

As she talked, I suddenly realized how long it's been since I've had that same feeling of wonder. At that point in life, there are endless possibilities out there for you. You don't quite know where your life will end up, but you're totally willing to see what happens. In fact, you rush toward your destiny with an impatience that others may view as reckless abandon. But to you, there's just no point in letting life happen to you. You'd prefer to interact with it, to embrace it. You grasp for that gold ring, hope things end well and leap with a faith that'll get you through even the worst.

When was the last time you lived with such fervor? When was the last time you walked toward the unknown, both eyes gleaming with anticipation? If you're like me, it's been a while. Stuck in your cubicles in a life-sucking void pretty much kills all of those feelings. Fighting against that bullshit bureaucracy that somehow has enveloped your entire life can be draining to say the least. When the hell did this become your life and why didn't you notice it before now?

I'm not saying to go jump off a cliff so you can feel that excitement again. I'm not saying to let go of all that you've become in order to reclaim your lost youth. I'm definitely not saying that. But what I am saying is why not still dabble in the amazing? Why not take risks that make you feel alive but won't necessarily kill you - at least not literally? Yes, you're older and wiser than you were before . . . but you're also probably a bit more well off, financially speaking, and can finally afford to do all those blue-sky dreams you rambled off when you were a broke college student.

The sad thing is that many of us are unlikely to do those things we planned while in some kind of drunken stupor. Even though we now have the time (be it just two weeks of vacation or not) and money, the inclination does not seem to be there. The youthful innocence we held only a few years ago has become just another casualty in life (along with eating cereal three meals a day and watching 24-hour marathons of your favorite sitcom). But why did we let it slip away so easily? Why do we continue to let it? Why not reinvigorate it and actually make things happen? What are we afraid of?

May 26, 2010

Disgruntled Much?

Lately I've realized that I'm becoming a lot more disgruntled at work. Most times I'm just there to punch the clock and don't have my heart and soul in the work. (Well, that's a bit deceptive because it implies that my heart and soul were once involved in the job when they really weren't.) I feel a lot more disconnected and find myself easily irritated by random things and people. Before I was able to dismiss or ignore them, but now I find that they just really bug me.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do about it. Besides actually landing a job in San Francisco, I don't think I want to find another job in town. Aside from these irritating events/people, my job provides very good benefits, I'm making enough to live and save a little and it's about a five-minute drive from my house. A girl can't complain about that especially when jobs are so scarce these days.

But despite all this, there's a growing restlessness inside me. One theory is that I've put off my quarterlife crisis for a few years and now it's just busting the door down and shouting to be heard. I don't really buy this though, because I swear I already had my quarterlife crisis (albeit a bit early) the semester before I graduated from college.

Another theory is that this disgruntled attitude has been fermenting ever since I walked through the door. Unlike other jobs where your expectations aren't dashed until several years later, this job doused my hopes after the first week or two. Apparently "enduring" isn't going to be enough anymore.

A third theory, which may be the most truthful of all, is that I'm just a product of my generation. I am not satisfied with an unfulfilling job where there is no communication, collaboration or creativity. I'm not satisfied with simpling doing my part and not being able to make a difference. I don't believe in the self-sacrificing, team-building B.S. that is pushed down our throats when management continues to be self-serving mercenaries. I don't like the top-down style of management and the conformity that is disguised by sprinkles of independence.

All of that is well and good, but now what should I do? For about as long as I've been toying with the idea of moving to San Francisco, another idea has been freestyling it throughout my brain. I've always thought it was completely unrealistic, but who's to say what is or isn't realistic? Society would have you believe only in convention and the normal hum-drum life. But what's "normal" these days anyway?

So this semi-crazy, vaguely irresponsible yet possibly thrilling and life-altering idea that's been passing in and out of my consciousness for about two years now is this: quit my job and travel full time. I don't even know how this is possible without using up my entire savings account. But dare I even think that it might just be worth it? After all, money is only money and can be made as quickly as it can be used.

With this idea constantly resurfacing (especially after bad days at work), I've continually looked for ways to make this happen, even as I tell myself that it's completely nuts. I keep reading blogs about people who have taken a career break and extended vacations. I keep trying to track down and assess how realistic their route, budget and travel distance are. I keep wondering if I couldn't just replicate this myself.

Could I really do this?

May 18, 2010

Corporate Jumps on the YouTube Bandwagon

There's no avoiding it. My company is jumping on the YouTube bandwagon, which means that I'm writing scripts and casting actors from our current pool of staff members to create some kind of viral uprising.

Has Corporate even considered whether this is an effective means to reach our customers? Has anyone analyzed the ROI on this project? It doesn't seem likely. They just want to use today's social media (Twitter and Facebook are just around the corner) for the sake of using it.

So now we're embarking on unnecessary journey with no real map to getting where we need to go. It feels as futile as a uncovering a map for buried treasure and immediately hiring a ship to take me there.

The retarded thing is that Corporate doesn't want to use the media as it is fundamentally intended. The best part about all this web 2.0 stuff is that there's instantaneous feedback from your audience. You get to interact with them immediately rather than attach a note to a pidgeon's leg. However, it doesn't seem like Corporate wants any kind of feedback. They want to continue the old school method of shouting the loudest in order to be heard.

While we are using the current resources available to us, we are not using it wisely. I think we'll just end up abandoning this project halfway through. We'll do a couple videos and then people will lose interest because there's always something better just beyond the horizon. What a waste of time.

May 10, 2010

1990s Music & Memories

Ever since I commented on this World Wide Ed blog, I've been clicking around YouTube listening to all the music from that era. I suppose despite my old soul and love for all genres of music, the 1990s were my growing up years.

Those were the days when summer vacation lasted an eternity. It was when somehow, seemingly overnight, a guy you've known since hanabata days became something more. It's when you rocked different colored slouchy socks, hairsprayed the living hell out of your bangs to make the perfect wave and had to get your jeans ripped just so. It was when you had your first crush and first kiss. It's when you watched Beverly Hills 90210 and Party of Five religiously and listened to stuff like this:



or this:



Is it completely sad that I know all the words to both songs? Wait, don't bother answering that.

It's not that I think this music is the epitome of discerning tastes. In fact, I competely admit that it's not. There is a ton of music (even in this era) that is way better than this pop candy. However, it is the music that most reminds me of my childhood.

When I hear this music, I think of how young and innocent we all were back then. Even the lyrics to these songs are so naive . . . or is that just the cynicism I've developed over the years?

Listening to this stuff makes me realize how sterile today's music is. There's no emotion, even from the emo crowd. You can't feel the same angst that you could in the '90s. The R&B songs were the best back then. Despite being sorta mass produced, at least they still seemed like they had a soul. Once the boy bands of the late '90s gained popularity, there was no stopping the slide into mediocre and then lodging in just plain horrible.

Can it be possible that I'm already having flashbacks and reminiscing at my age? LOL These slo jams really take me back.

May 4, 2010

Heart-to-Heart with the Boss

My boss pulled me into his office today for a heart-to-heart about my future with the company. Did I see myself getting into management and supervising people? What types of projects did I see myself doing?

I debated whether or not to tell him I was interested in moving to the mainland, and in the end, I went with the truth. I'm not sure if that'll affect things at work from here on out. However, because I know the company is definitely growing, I didn't want to hinder any progress by being groomed for the next rung in the ladder when I didn't really see myself staying for long. I told him I wanted to move to San Francisco. I had to fib a little by saying it was a recent decision and I haven't really looked into it. I got back on the path of righteousness by saying that I wasn't looking anywhere else locally so it'd basically be SF or bust.

He, of course, asked why I wanted to move and if I had family up there. He also asked if there was anything he could do. He didn't come right out and mention a raise and neither did I. He did thank me for my candor, which I suppose most people wouldn't have at this point. Still, it's kind of awkward I guess. I told him I wasn't moving unless I could find a job.

We'll see how things turn out at work - whether he will focus more time on the department or if our VP will pull me into a meeting. I'm sure my boss will need to tell him of my plans. Maybe they'll throw some big bucks around and try to convince me to stay?

I told my boss that I didn't see myself staying in our field as it wasn't a dream industry of mine. Because of this, I didn't really see myself managing anyone because to be a supervisor you need to be passionate about what you're doing. I'm definitely not passionate enough about the industry to put up with the political wheeling and dealing at the top. That right there could've been a career killer, but I'm not too worried.

By the way, I didn't get a call back from the phone interview place. Instead, I got a TNT (Thanks, but No Thanks) email and they said they'd keep my resume on file. I guess it's back to skimming the job listings to see if there's anything out there for me. I wasn't too surprised, and I definitely wasn't crushed. It's all a learning experience at this point.

April 27, 2010

Eek, a Phone Interview

Just got off the phone with one of the company's I applied to in San Francisco. I haven't interviewed anywhere for about three years and never for a mainland company. It was scary and intense. I'm not sure how it went.

Despite practicing interview questions the past two nights, I still felt unprepared. It was almost as if their questions weren't on my list. Of course some weren't, but even the ones that were seemed difficult to answer.

I'm not too confident about this job opportunity. I felt like I was repeating myself throughout the interview. Maybe the HR rep was purposely asking similar questions to see if she would get a different answer? Or maybe I was just rambling. In any case, she said she would get back to candidates who made it to the next round by Friday.

Part of me is quaking in my shoes. Another part of me doesn't really care. Is that bad? I feel like this would be a great opportunity to move up to San Francisco, but I also feel like it can't be that simple. Nothing is ever that simple.

Guess there's nothing more to do but wait and see.

April 20, 2010

Not Only am I Sick of Work, I'm Sick of being Sick

I'm sick . . . again. This sucks. I've got the runny nose and sneezing down to a science at this point. Medicine doesn't seem to be helping but hopefully sleep will do the trick. Last night I hit the sack at 7 p.m. thinking I'd just take a nap. Nope, zonked out till the next morning and only woke up a couple times to check the clock.

April 18, 2010

Jobby Job Update

Last week Thursday I received an email from one of the places I'd applied to in San Francisco. Apparently I've made it to the next level, which involves a writing test. I'm thoroughly shocked that they're consideing my out-of-state self. But who cares what their reasoning is. I'm jumping on the opportunity.

I ended up doing a draft of the writing sample on Friday and have not looked at it since then. I'll probably revisit it tomorrow after work. It's due at 10 a.m. on Wednesday so I'll probably just email it over on Monday night.

According to their email, they'll review the piece and get back to people in a week. I assume if they contact you, that means you're on to level three of the whole application process.

April 10, 2010

Enka Resurgence?

No matter what I do, I cannot reconcile this voice with this singer. It is completely mind blowing - in an extremely good way!



Jero, aka Jerome White Jr., is from Pittsburgh but is pretty much taking the enka world by storm. He was influenced by his late grandmother, a native Japanese who married an American serviceman during the war, and began singing enka at a very young age.



When you close your eyes, you're transported back to the '40s with this style of music. The fact that it's coming out of an African American man who is less than 30 years old is truly wonderful. It makes you realize that music and culture can definitely transgress time and space. I love that Jero remains true to his upbringing (in an urban American setting) through his clothing choices, yet he is still able to perform in the traditional manner for which Japan is famous.

April 9, 2010

Where Have All The Buskers Gone?

Tonight I ventured into Waikiki for the first time in a long time and had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory with my friend and old co-worker JC. We got there around 6:30 and had to wait about 45 minutes. I don't understand how this is possible. The restaurant has been here for years and there's still a wait?

Another reason why having to wait 45 minutes baffled me is because after dinner we walked a couple blocks of Waikiki and wandered around the International Marketplace. The place was empty! In the three block stretch, I swear there were only about eight buskers doing there thing. Where did they all go?

I remember a time when there would be two, three silver men. Tonight, only a gold man was out there. There were two musicians - one was a steel drum player, the other had an entire drum kit set up. There were about three spray paint or portrait artists spread down the road.

But the busker with the largest crowd? It was one guy with a black gym bag of basketballs and a bottle of water. This one guy was commanding an audience of about 75 people! Seriously. What was the draw? It was a one-many Globetrotters exhibition. From what I could tell, he wouldn't make the cut with the trotters, but I guess he beat out the drummers and artists.

April 3, 2010

Life Update

Not a lot has been going on that's out of the ordinary so I guess I'll just break it down for ya:

- Got a nifty, new hair cut and color on Thursday since I got off early. I went to Salon Tiffany at McCully Shopping Center for the first time. The guy, Jay, layered the hell outta my hair, which actually turned out nice. I let him do whatever as long as it wasn't too, too short. Because it's so layered (bold layers is what he called it), it's super light and bouncy. Guess there's a first for everything, right? Total for the new hair was 95 clams plus an extra 20 for tip. Not bad.

- Started applying for jobs in San Francisco this past week. I think I've applied to about four so far using the same resume and just slightly altering the cover letters. We'll see what happens. I'm not too confident that I'll get any call backs since I'm applying from out of state. However, at least there are writing jobs opening up. I haven't seen any like these in a while (like before I was seriously thinking of moving). I even applied to a real publishing company, but that was for an assistant publicist job. Still, I'd take it just to get into a national publishing house. I'm not real sure how much pay it'd offer though.

- Speaking of publishers, I followed up on my manuscript submission - from three damn years ago! Apparently, they are finally ready to move ahead on it. Geezus, it's only a kid's book man! What's the problem? Anyway, they sent it back to me with all these changes. I'll incorporate most of them, but I'm going to ask them about removing all the place names I've got in the story. They want to delete stuff like Kapiolani Park, Paki Park, etc., which I guess will make it more univeral and therefore more marketable. However, when I wrote this thing it was pretty much based out of my grandma's old place and I'd like to see that it stays that way. I'll have to contact them on Monday and ask about it. I mean, who cares if the tourist don't know where these places are. Locals - well, at least those who grew up in Kapahulu - will.

- The new (relatively speaking) girl at work is absolutely killing me. She really eff'd up this past week but apparently there will be no reprimands going on. I don't know how many chances my boss is willing to give her. The fact that he has different standards for her than me and my co-worker is ridiculous. I've already vented to one of the HR assistants, but she advised me to take it up the chain and go to my boss' boss. She said not everyone is naturally a boss so they may need some tutoring themselves. Whatever. I don't think it'll change anything. I figure if he wants to let her eff things up again, let him. Why should I save him from himself? I'll just put my blinders on and keep clip-clopping along like the worn-out, old workhorse that I am. What irritates me is that we have had so many extra-hours events lately that the two holidays we just had (Kuhio Day and Good Friday) almost seem like they're not there. They're making up for the time we had to work extra. Sometimes working in marketing really sucks. Well, no. Working in marketing sucks when you don't like the two of the three people in your department.

- I haven't read anything worthy of mention lately, despite having read a ton of books lately. Basically I got hooked on a series by Suzanne Brockmann and have just been devouring it. I haven't really had a chance to read anything of substance (although I did attempt to read some Jane Austen but just never got around to it). The books are what I'd call suspense romances, if that even makes sense. They feature a team of Navy SEALS who kick butt and fall in love. Yeah, it's stretching it but whatevers. Just let me live in my fantasy why don't you? I like the series because it's not only about all that lovey dovey crap. The characters seem real (in the completely exaggerated way that romance novels portray them LOL) with their good and bad points. They are faced with obstacles in love and battle and must find ways to overcome them. Although some may say that love and battle are one and the same, in this instance I'm referring to battle against terrorism.

March 27, 2010

Obnoxious Moviegoers

I just came home from watching Cop Out at Regal Theatres Dole Cannery with my parents. Since the movie has been out for a while, there were only about 10 of us in a theater that could probably hold well over 400 people.

What are the odds that of the seven other people there tonight, one would have to be an obnoxious moviegoer? Apparently, the odds are pretty good. One row in front of us about five seats to the left was the most obnoxious man I've encountered in a long time.

First of all, he's one of those damn people who talk in a booming voice all the time. I could hear his pre-movie conversation loud and clear. When the previews started, he proceeded to comment on every single one of them. It was like listening to the audio commentary on a DVD.

Then, during the movie this guy thought he was so clever with all his side comments and observations. He even blessed us by repeat some of the film's jokes. It was like watching another film just listening to him.

While the movie was pretty funny, there was no need to laugh at every single joke (or perceived joke) yet our movie friend did just that. Tracy Morgan was on his game in this movie, but this guy was seriously over doing it with the yukking around.

Was he just in a tremendously happy mood or was he trying to be an ass on purpose? It's hard to tell.

March 22, 2010

You've Got A Cute . . .

WARNING: Any male readers may want to turn away at this point in the blog. I'm going to get into girly topics. You've been warned.

=======

Most females I know would be happy to be on the receiving end of a statement like, "You've got a cute . . ." no matter what is being complimented nor who is doing the complimenting.

For instance:

"You've got a cute purse."

or

"You've got a cute dog."

or

"You've got a cute smile."

or even

"You've got a cute butt."

But today I got the oddest compliment of all . . .

"You've got a cute cervix."

[See male readers. I told you to turn back at the start of this thing.]

First of all, isn't that the oddest thing you've ever heard or what? Secondly, can a cervix even be cute? I mean, to be honest, I don't even know what one looks like so I guess I can't really be a good judge of cervixes, but that's not a body part that I naturally think of when I think of "cute."

So, obviously I went to the OB/GYN today and got the engine overhauled. Not only did my doc check to make sure the headlights were working, she looked under the hood as well. After a bit of poking around to make sure none of the wires were crossed and that all the lines were clear, she sat back and made the crack about a cute cervix.

To make matters even weirder, I guess the place I go to is a teaching hospital/clinic. My doc had a med student with her and this is who she was really speaking to when she made the cervix comment. Of course, the med student didn't answer her (she was probably as shocked as I to hear about a cute cervix) so maybe the doc was just thinking aloud.

So anyone else had any weird experiences in the doctor's office?

March 15, 2010

2010 Honolulu Festival Photos & Video

Here are the pictures I took at this weekend's Honolulu Festival. I didn't end up staying too long even though it was my first time there. I was surprised at how empty the place was and am not too sure what the cause was. Lack of advertising? Decrease in tourism? Who knows.



















March 14, 2010

2010 Honolulu Festival

Yesterday I was able to check out the 2010 Honolulu Festival at the convetion center. Haven't had time to download the pictures and video that I shot, but I'll try to do that tomorrow.

It was the first time I attended this little cultural sharing event, and I found it interesting. People from all over came to share their customs through song, dance, film and demonstrations. I was totally hoping there'd be tons of food booths. However, I was disappointed in that aspect.

While there, I caught a few performances on the inner and outer stages, cruised through the craft tables and watched the movie Hula Girls. The movie was awesome and my review can be found at Movie Addicts Club. I wanted to stay for the second movie, Departures, but I didn't really have time. I'm still planning to watch it via Netflix though and will definitely post a review.

March 10, 2010

One Step Closer To The Big 3-0

Tomorrow, sometime around dinner time, I will officially turn 29 years old. At that point in time, the count down begins to the big 3-0. Yes, I realize I still have all of my 29th year to live, but really who cares about that?

I don't know if it's a big deal for most dudes, but I'm pretty sure it's a big deal for most girls to turn 30. When that day comes (a year and a day from now) my plan is to cheer (Whoo hoo, 30 is officially an adult!) and cry (Boo hoo, 30 is officially the death of childhood!) at the same time.

In the meantime, I intend to ignore the fact that 30 is creeping up on me. I plan to shove my fingers in my ears and sing "la, la, la, la, la" so that I do not remind myself that I have yet to accomplish all the things that my 10-year-old self set out to do by age 20. 'Cause really, who needs that kind of pressure anyway?

I hope to enjoy year 29 as much as I have the previous 28 years. I will not consider how old I've gotten (or how fat). Nor will I ponder how much longer I have to live on this Earth (or how many more year's I'll have to keep working. That's even more depressing than thinking about death).

Instead, I will take each day as it comes and hope for the best . . . like a knock on the door from Publisher's Clearinghouse or meeting my very own billionaire sugar daddy in line at McDonalds. Aren't those quite possibly the best things to hope for?

March 7, 2010

Carry-O-Key Party

I just got home from a work karaoke party celebrating the promotion of my new VP. I sorta had no choice whether or not I could go. You know, it's one of those things. You gotta show face and at least stay for the food.

Surprisingly I ended up staying for the entire shindig . . . and actually sang some songs. It's a miracle that I sang in front of all these strangers (VP's family and friends) and the folks from work, including the executive VP. Pretty much all the work people that came have really great voices. We were joking that having a good singing voice was part of the pre-reqs for upper management.

My boss came to this party too, but my other two co-workers didn't show up. One always has church things to do on Sundays. I'm not sure what the other's excuse will be. My boss, of course, didn't sing any songs. Kinda like a stick in the mud that way. Half the time it looked like he was sleeping (I seriously think his eyes were closed). Why would you come if you don't participate and engage with other people?

Worst of all, my boss even tried to finalize some things for tomorrow's morning event. However, I brushed him off with a shrug because it's not my event and I'm not responsible for how it goes. If he was worried about it, he should address these concerns to my co-worker, who is running this project. Bascially I'm just an extra pair of hands to help out tomorrow. She said she didn't need anything and I'm taking her word for it, even if I feel like all hell will break loose tomorrow.

March 6, 2010

Tax Time

I started getting my stuff together to do my taxes today. I usually file through Turbo Tax since I don't have a lot of deductions to make. I've gotta figure out how much I can throw into my Roth IRA this year. I also have to figure out whether I should roll over the funds in my Traditional IRA to my Roth IRA. I guess it's better to do it now while I'm in a lower tax bracket. Still, it's just extra work that I don't know if I want to deal with. Hopefully I'll get a refund at the end of all this torture.

February 27, 2010

Tsunami Coming

It's 15 till 7 a.m. and I've been up for about a half hour. There's a tsunami headed for Hawaii around mid-morning due to an earthquake in Chile. My brother called and told me. I didn't hear any warning sirens, although he said it went off around 6 a.m.

As usual, dumb people are calling KSSK to ask for advice about whether or not to attend certain events. Dude, just make a decision on your own instead of tying up the lines for people with real information (ie. traffic accidents, gas stations tha ran out of gas, or whatever).

I'm supposed to volunteer at JCCH today but I emailed them to cancel. My library books are also due today so I wonder how that'll work. I don't plan on driving there to return them all. At work we have a disaster plan in place, yet I haven't received any calls at this point. If they expect me to come in, they're crazy.

Other than that, I guess it's a sit and wait situation. I'm not in the evac zone, and considering that my family is out in Kapolei and Ewa Beach, it's probably not a good idea that I drive all the way over there. They might be in lower ground than I am, and I do have all these buildings blocking me from the ocean.

February 19, 2010

Dream A Little Dream

Is it weird to dream about people you haven't seen in years? Last night I had a dream about someone I haven't seen since my freshman year of college.

But the thing is, the dream was in real time. I was my current age. I looked like I do now, not like I did then. (Although maybe it was really a nightmare since I'd give anything to be as skinny as I was just out of high school.)

The dream was pretty vivid and the setting was a house I lived in while in high school, which is three locations ago if you count dorming for a year in college. I haven't even been back to that house for at least five years, probably more. I don't remember exactly when we moved out of that place.

What do you suppose it means, to dream about someone from your past? Is it some kind of premonition? Is is nostalgia manifesting itself when you're most likely to let it in? Is it your subconscious taking a tally of your life, then and now? Is it just reliving your history?

February 10, 2010

Blasts From The Past

Ever since 2010 began, I've been running into people from my past. Some experiences are more welcome than others but all are equally surprising. It's one thing if you live in a small town and run into people while standing in the checkout line at the grocery store. However, since I graduating from college, I've seen less and less people from back in the day.

People move. They change up their hobbies. They're interested in different things. All of these are valid reasons for not seeing the same old people over and over again. But, like I said, in 2010 I've met up with (in person and virtually) more people in the past two months than in the past five or more years.

So it didn't surprise me that when I checked out my Facebook account today (which I use primarily to play games on) and found a friend request from Mr. Bad Timing. This time around I didn't go all hyperventilating or immediately have a panic attack. In fact, I'm proud to say, I didn't even react.

Does that mean I'm just so old that all my feelings have withered up and died? Or that I've become an emotionless black hole? Either way, nada. Nothing stirred inside. Just about the only thing that crossed my mind was why he'd add me as a friend at this point? Maybe he's one of those friend collectors? It's not like he sent me a message or something to say wassup. I suppose at this point in life it doesn't really matter. I'm not planning to message him at all. This time he initiated contact so it's up to him to send the first message (if that even happens at all).

Sometimes life is just a little too interesting for my tastes. I guess I'll wait and see what goes down. I must admit though that I was too curious not to check out his profile. As I have nothing on my profile, he can't really learn anything about my life by just glancing at it. On the other hand, he has filled out his profile a bit and has some photos up. Don't know if he's still married, but apparently he's got three kids already. Jesus H. Christ. All I can say is bullet dodged LOL

Eyeball Update

I went in for my follow up visit today. It appears that my eyeballs are doing well. They're slowly healing and my vision is better than my last visit. It's gotta be around 20/20 at this point. There seems to be no need for Lasik, which is nice. My pressure is still a little high, but I guess it's within the normal range. I'm supposed to continue with the one drop per day thing till the next visit.

From my perspective, my vision seems to be the same as last time, but all the fancy machines say otherwise. I guess I must be used to it or the correction is so slight that mentally I can't perceive it. When testing my eyes individually, my left eye seems to see clearer. However, this has always been the case because I think the astigmatism in my right eye is worse.

Overall, I'm totally happy with the results of the Visian ICL surgery despite all the prolonged issues I've been having. I'm still amazed that I can wake up in the middle of the night and look over and see my clock. It's like whoa. I don't even remember when I was able to do this last without squinting. Technology is pretty darn cool.

February 9, 2010

Watch Out Jake!

Jake Shimabukuro better watch his back. There's a class of more than 20 ukulele students (many of whom are 60+ years old) who are about to reach out and snag his jobs.

Last night I attended my first ukulele class. As I was anticipating, most of the adult students were retired. I mean really, other than them who really has the time to take these non-credit-type classes? Besides my friend Elle and I, there was only one other girl that was younger than 30.

However, the group seemed very welcoming and eager to learn how to play the ukulele. At least we have that in common. A few people were taking the class again because they enjoyed it so much and needed the extra help.

For my part, I liked the first class. I thought that 2-1/2 hours of class would end up dragging, but I was wrong. The time flew by! The instructor seems very personable and knowledgable. He taught us four cords - C, C7, F, G7 - and we played a bunch of songs and sang already. That totally surprised me. I think the curve is pretty high with this class as many people were able to play without much help. I'm really looking forward to the next class. Too bad it's only once a week.

February 3, 2010

Just A Quickie

Not much going on lately, but I just wanted to check in to make sure y'all knew I wasn't dead.

I'm looking forward to catching Dear John this weekend with my friend JC because she and I both love us some Channing Tatum. Planning to ball my eyes out though as I'm thinking it might be a little bittersweet? It's based on a Nicholas Sparks book and isn't there always something to cry about in his books/movies? Maybe I should go with waterproof mascara for this little outing of ours?

Other than that . . . well, I've been in new employee training class at work. No, I didn't get a new job. But, I'm sitting in on these new hire classes to get some ideas for newsletter articles. I'm running low on topics and my brain is too tired to think creatively. I'm hoping a quick review on everything will rejuvenate me. Also, it's just one way to get away from my desk and be with other people.

I'm still contemplating this and any other job. I mean, it'd be nice to quit and travel until the money dries up but that takes some guts. If I don't have the balls to do that, then I guess I could just take an extended vacation (one to two months maybe?) to travel around Europe or something. Or, I can save that money and pack up for San Francisco, hope I can get a job there and use the cash as reserves until I can find a job. Tough decisions.

January 26, 2010

Visian ICL Follow Up - Again

Today I went in for a two-week follow up visit after my second procedure. I heard the doc and his assistant say the procedure's name today, but I've forgotten it already. They used some acronym for it anyway, so it wasn't really the real name.

Anyhow, my vision seems to have improved quite a bit. But the pressure in my left eye is still messed up a bit. It's high again. The right eye is a-okay from a pressure standpoint but it's a bit blurrier than the left one (when tested separately). I may need to do a quick Lasik operation even after all of this to get it right.

This quickie procedure is dragging on and on. I've just gotta be the special one, right? Still, I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm basically an anomaly and the doc has no real medical reason as to why the pressure is messed up. He said it's probably genetic and so I'm having a reaction. There are no plans to remove the lenses at this point though (which is very good to hear). Again, we play the waiting game.

I forgot to ask about any precautions regarding diving under water. However, since I'm going in again in two weeks I can ask at that point. It's probably not a good idea at this point to do the shark dive with JC. I might need to tell her that I can't go and that she should find another friend. Damn it! I really wanted to do that.

Bad News - No Japan For Me

I just checked the USA JET website and am sad to report that I wasn't selected for an interview. *frown* Ah well, at least I tried. At this point, I'm not too bummed about it because I wasn't one of those people who were betting everything on it. I was hoping I'd at least get an interview, but I suppose it wasn't in the cards for me. At least I still have a job right?

A special thanks goes out to everyone who helped with the application and for writing reference letters. I'm sure they were wonderful. I guess this was probably a bad year to apply since there were a record number of applicants (more than 5,300). However, that's what happens when you do this kind of stuff on a whim. If I had given living abroad more serious thought, I would have applied years ago. Then again, I probably didn't have this wanderlust going on back then so traveling didn't even come to mind.

Now that I know I didn't make it, I can concentrate on other things. I am still seriously contemplating spending a couple months backpacking through Australia and New Zealand with Elle. She and I will probably have a good time just getting lost.

I have also read an entire blog written by a local guy who did a cycling tour through NZ and is backpacking it through Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It's a guy named Dug, who seems to be from Maui, and his blog is called Rompingground. He's already been gone for over a year. Amazing! While I definitely cannot live up to his long-distance biking, the WWOOFing sounds pretty interesting and a good way to learn about a foreign country and really get to know its people.

Now, I know what you guys are thinking. And yes, I am definitely a city girl (which is why I love San Francisco so much). But I think I can kick it in the backwoods as long as I'm doing something interesting like milking cows or herding sheep. I'm not sure about clearing the land as Dug did, but I'm game to at least give it a try.

So I guess the main point is that my future is wide open. (I was getting a little stressed out as Elle and I would talk about Australia and NZ but couldn't really do much because everything hinged on a reply from JET.) I plan to reevaluate the next year or so of my life and see what direction life will take me. Moving up to San Francisco is still a possibility, but I don't think I can do it without a job. That'd take some cojones that I do not have right now.