Paradise Revealed

New Travel Blog

2011-04-14T23:17:00.000-10:00

Please check out my new travel/life blog called Me, My Pack & I. It will document my experiences as I travel through Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere.

Life Update

2011-01-13T07:36:00.006-10:00

Yes, I realize I haven't posted anything in almost two months but a lot's been going on. Quick updates on life:

1. Been driving to work for two months and as predicted it is not fun anymore. Yesterday it took two hours to get from Kapolei to downtown because of the horrid rain. This morning I decided to leave a half hour early since I ended up being a half hour late to work yesterday. Today it only took an hour to get to work so now I'm an hour early. *sigh*

2. Found out that bonuses are not being distributed till the end of February. This throws a wrench in my plans as I had hoped to quit work at that time. Now I must debate whether to give two weeks and quit mid-month or stick it out the entire month of March. This will mean trying to wrap things up in April and leaving in May.

3. Started planning my trip using low-cost carriers with an estimated timeline of an April departure. Interestingly enough, I can get to Europe cheaper this way with more cities to visit on the way. However, with the bonus situation thrown in, I'll have to revise my itinerary. Instead of doing three months in Europe before heading to New Zealand, I may go straight to NZ and hit Europe after my year there.

4. I've been contemplating whether or not to do a separate blog for my travels while maintaining this personal blog. In reality, I don't think I'll have time to update both (case in point the length between this post and the last). And once I hit the road, traveling will literally take over my life and it will become personal. Thus, I could theoretically just continue on with this one. However, after all the stuff I've written here, I think I'd prefer to keep this away from any co-workers that may want to follow my travels. Decisions, decisions. On top of that, I've been researching how to do a proper blog with a custom domain name and host. It all seems so complicated to set up though. And what about when updates are needed?

5. I have been refraining from making any clothing and shoe purchases, which was a bit difficult during all the holiday sales. I did, however, buy some clothes to be used on the trip for super cheap. I've also received some things for the trip through my Secret Santa gift exchange. No one knows I'm going but apparently it was meant to be since I got a sporty water-resistent watch and an entire first aid kit. My uncle also sent me a small faux-Swiss Army knife and an NZ guidebook. Scored a free water bottle from my sister-in-law.

6. One of the biggest hurdles for traveling is deciding what kinds of electronics to bring. My sister gave me a Sony Bloggie point-and-shoot/video camera that I've been trying out. But I may have her return it and put that money toward an iPod Touch. I think they have the same basic functions except the iPod Touch can get a wifi connection so I can check email or book hostels with it. That should be convenient.

7. This weekend I'm headed to the Big Island for a girls-only weekend with my best friend. We haven't been there for several years so it should be fun just to kick back and relax. Unfortunately, the weather has been very crappy these past few days so I hope it gets better. We wanted to hike down to see the lava, see the waterfalls on the east side, drive up to Mauna Kea and see the stars (and snow, which I hear is falling) and hike down Pololu lookout to check out the little beach there. I'm not sure if the Mauna Kea trip is allowed with rental cars though.

8. There have been some major changes at work. And no, I don't mean that the light bulb finally went on and the new girl is actually a functioning person. What I do mean is that we had a big blow out and now our boss isn't our boss any more. We report directly to the VP (as does he) and he isn't involved as much in our daily activity. The VP and president were supposed to talk to him a couple weeks ago but several people go sick and it's been postponed a number of times. Overall, I think this is a good change but, as mentioned above, the new girl still isn't pulling her weight. It's going to take work to have this department functioning as a "team," which is the main goal. Either way though, I'm so over it. I'm over her. I'm over the departmental issues with our (ex)boss. I'm over the politics. I'm over the favortism. I'm over it all.

Suburbia, U.S.A.

2010-10-25T21:56:00.001-10:00

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.

Moving to Kapolei

2010-10-14T19:45:00.003-10:00

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?

Leave Your Drama At Home

2010-09-30T18:48:00.003-10:00

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.

Manuscript Update: 2011 Fall ETA

2010-09-29T22:32:00.004-10:00

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.

Beauty and the Beast

2010-09-24T19:50:00.003-10:00

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.

One Team, One Dream . . . or Not!

2010-09-15T21:36:00.006-10:00

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.

Manuscript Stuck in Production Hell

2010-09-06T12:08:00.006-10:00

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.

Livemocha Reboot

2010-08-29T22:47:00.003-10:00

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

2010-08-29T10:18:00.000-10:00

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.

Travel Vaccines - Tetanus and Hepatitis A

2010-08-19T20:43:00.004-10:00

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.

Eagle Creek Thrive 75L Women's Travel Pack

2010-08-12T21:43:00.005-10:00

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.

Generation Gap

2010-08-06T23:20:00.004-10:00

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.

Movie Theater Etiquette

2010-08-01T21:27:00.002-10:00

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.

Movie Overload: Predators and Inception

2010-07-25T22:38:00.003-10:00

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.

New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Approved

2010-07-21T07:29:00.003-10:00

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

New Zealand Working Holiday Visa Submitted

2010-07-18T16:41:00.003-10:00

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.

One Rotton Egg Can Ruin An Entire Company

2010-07-10T13:39:00.004-10:00

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.

Work Sucks But Not For Long

2010-07-07T22:38:00.005-10:00

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.

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

2010-06-30T21:20:00.005-10:00

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.

Augie T Performs At Coral Creek

2010-06-24T20:42:00.005-10:00

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!

Making The Grade

2010-06-21T17:31:00.009-10:00

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.

Voice From The Past

2010-06-15T17:34:00.003-10:00

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.

All Blacks Make Haka Hot

2010-06-10T00:47:00.001-10:00

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!

Celeb Alert: Daniel Dae Kim

2010-06-08T21:13:00.005-10:00

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.

Kochi, Kochi, Koo

2010-06-06T19:53:00.005-10:00

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.

Go Jump Off A Bridge

2010-06-01T20:28:00.005-10:00

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?

Ah, the Innocence of Youth

2010-05-30T11:22:00.004-10:00

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?

Disgruntled Much?

2010-05-26T21:28:00.000-10:00

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?

Corporate Jumps on the YouTube Bandwagon

2010-05-18T20:24:00.004-10:00

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.

1990s Music & Memories

2010-05-10T20:48:00.006-10:00

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.

Heart-to-Heart with the Boss

2010-05-04T17:52:00.006-10:00

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.

Eek, a Phone Interview

2010-04-27T06:28:00.004-10:00

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.

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

2010-04-20T18:43:00.003-10:00

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.

Jobby Job Update

2010-04-18T20:14:00.002-10:00

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.

Enka Resurgence?

2010-04-10T14:36:00.005-10:00

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.

Where Have All The Buskers Gone?

2010-04-09T22:07:00.003-10:00

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.

Life Update

2010-04-03T22:33:00.011-10:00

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.

Obnoxious Moviegoers

2010-03-27T22:37:00.003-10:00

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.

You've Got A Cute . . .

2010-03-22T17:40:00.005-10:00

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?

2010 Honolulu Festival Photos & Video

2010-03-15T18:16:00.006-10:00

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.

2010 Honolulu Festival

2010-03-14T21:47:00.004-10:00

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.

One Step Closer To The Big 3-0

2010-03-10T22:17:00.004-10:00

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?

Carry-O-Key Party

2010-03-07T21:36:00.004-10:00

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.

Tax Time

2010-03-06T22:51:00.004-10:00

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.

Tsunami Coming

2010-02-27T06:45:00.003-10:00

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.

Dream A Little Dream

2010-02-19T07:58:00.005-10:00

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?

Blasts From The Past

2010-02-10T19:36:00.003-10:00

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

2010-02-10T17:52:00.004-10:00

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.

Watch Out Jake!

2010-02-09T21:25:00.003-10:00

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.

Just A Quickie

2010-02-03T22:39:00.005-10:00

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.

Visian ICL Follow Up - Again

2010-01-26T20:51:00.005-10:00

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

2010-01-26T20:34:00.006-10:00

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.

YouTube is the Greatest Thing Ever

2010-01-25T23:23:00.004-10:00

I do not even know what we all did before the invention of YouTube. I mean seriously, I've been watching videos for over three hours now. And it's not like I'm bouncing around from one stupid video to the next. I searched a specific topic (ie. JET) and found some very cool and informative vids out there by current JETs. Amazing, simply amazing.

The info that is shared through these vids are so engaging and as a viewer you're able to learn so much. The visual nature of it all grabs your attention, even when the video editing skills aren't the greatest. Most people are still able to get the main point across. For someone like me, who is searching for info, it's awesome.

I like how there are so many perspectives on something generic like "living in Japan" or "teaching in Japan." I'm finding all the videos really helpful, especially the ones from the newbies (the people who went over in 2009). They've been there for about six months now and should be settling in. They'll have the best perspectives of the country. My favorite vids are the ones about their hometowns. It's nice to see the different locales where JETs are placed. Some look like fairly large cities. Other that I've seen are totally in the inaka (country).

As I watch these videos, I'm kind of getting anxious about not hearing about the USA interviews. The list of people selected to get interviews is supposed to be posted in late January. Um, it's late January and there's been nothing. I cannot refrain from doing a daily check of the JET website, just in case the list is there. Hmm, now that I think about it, seeing the list posted would be useless to me. I don't carry my ID number around so even if the list was live I wouldn't know if I was on or not. I better start carrying that list around.

Kung Hee Fat Choy

2010-01-24T21:02:00.012-10:00

Kung Hee Fat Choy! Or, Happy New Year! Chinese New Year 2010 is just around the corner, and Elle and I went to Chinatown for the kick off weekend. We headed to the Chinese Cultural Plaza for the food mostly, but we also took in some cultural presentations.

Here's the view from the second floor overlooking the stage and the people. When we first arrived, I thought it looked pretty dead. However, by around 8 p.m. the place was pretty packed.

There were a handful of crafts booths throughout the Plaza. They were selling toys for the kids, jewelry, Year of the Tiger t-shirts and other trinkets.

One booth was selling these little lion replicas.

Another had these lion heads on display. Pretty neat stuff.

Here's the main event . . . the FOOD! It all looked really good. This was the vegetarian food vendor. I think it was run by a Buddhist temple, but I'm not completely sure.

The ladies making jin dui (a fried pastry with different types of filling) really looked like they knew what they were doing. I love the one with coconut inside, even though I normally don't like coconut. There's something about the crunchy, chewy shell that makes it so ono!

On stage, there were many types of performers. There were Chinese opera groups, children's choirs, tai chi performers, kung fu demonstrators and lion dance troupes. The lion dance guys were pretty cool. They came with their own little drum section.

Hunt For Big Surf

2010-01-18T22:11:00.008-10:00

Today's mission was to drive around the island to look at the big surf on the North Shore. It was supposed to be on its way down, so today was the last day to catch it.

The day started off looking bad with tons of clouds, but by about 1 p.m. the blue skies appeared. Here we're headed toward Haleiwa. Look at that sky people! Wow, this is why we live in Hawaii.

Lots of trees along the side of the road and no retouching the blueness of the sky. Spectacular no?

Here's the view toward Waialua and Camp Erdman.

After Haleiwa, the land opened up and there were some ranches with grazing horses. There was quite a bit of traffic on the road. I guess other people had the same idea as us.

Just past Waimea, I saw this cool-looking van. Apparently Vishnu has some influence on the surf?

Somewhere along the road we pulled over to take a peek at the surf. It wasn't exactly huge but big enough that it was causing traffic.

There were high surf warnings out and even yellow tape preventing pedestrians from going onto the beach. Obviously not everyone listened to this.

The surf looked choppy and we didn't see anyone out there.

Continuing along our round-the-island journey, we approached Chocolate (Kahana) Beach. It didn't look to chocolately today so I suppose that means it hasn't rained in a while.

Here's the turn right before Crouching Lion. Despite living on Oahu my entire life, I still have yet to visit this place. It seems very peaceful since it's in the middle of nowhere.

We made it all the way to Kuuloa Ranch area. Here's the view of the mountain range towering over the ranch. Again, the sky is just as it was. No tampering with Photoshop. Simply lovely.

And here's the famous Chinaman's Hat. We saw a couple of people out in the water fishing but no kayakers today.

As we headed closer toward town, we crossed paths with Rabbit Island. By this time, it was getting a little bit later and the blueness of the sky was fading.

All in all it was a nice change of pace and a great way to spend the day off from work.

Another Reason Why I Love Country Music

2010-01-17T22:37:00.005-10:00

Here's another reason why I love country music. It's all about the sad love songs, the heartache and heart break. Can anything get better (or worse, depending on your point of view) than this? Lee Ann Womack's voice is just so haunting and the lyrics are so bittersweet but honest. Country music is about real life and real people. It's not about the bling, private jets or flashy clothes. It's simply about love. Sometimes things turn out good. Other times they don't.

Visian ICL Procedure Follow Up

2010-01-13T20:55:00.004-10:00

Yesterday was the big day - a month since my last visit to the eye doctor. If all tests came out okay, my doctor would do an in-office procedure to fix the residual issues I have after my Visian ICL procedure. The main problem is that I have about one diopter refraction in both eyes post-Visian surgery because of some astigmatism. My vision was so bad before that the astigmatism was mild in comparison and didn't really make a difference in whether I saw things clear or blurry. Now that my vision is corrected, the astigmatism is apparent.

When I got to the office I underwent about 30 minutes of testing on about four different machines. All the readings were consistent with my previous visit, so I was cleared to do the in-office procedure. I don't even know what this procedure is called. However, I have to say it was pretty quick and fairly painless. It was quite freaky though, but that's a separate issue.

Basically some numbing eye drops were put in both eyes and some clamps were used to keep my eyelids from closing. Then the doctor used a pen and some type of intrument to mark my eyes for the incisions he was going to make. After marking and double checking the marks, he went ahead and apparently made a tiny cut in each eye.

The entire process was just bizarre. It honestly felt like he made more than one incision per eye, but when I asked about it afterward they said only one in each eye. I couldn't feel anything for the most part except for the pressure on my eyeball. I had my chin and forehead resting against a machine and was looking at a light the entire time with my eyes wide open. It was so much easier to do during the Visian procedure, but I guess I was drugged up and on my back during that one as opposed to sitting upright in a chair.

Anyway, my eyes felt a little scratchy after the procedure and were sensitive to light. I was given a bottle of drops and am doing one drop per eye twice a day for the next five days. Today when I got to work I noticed that I could read some things on my computer that were blurry yesterday. Quite amazing really.

I'm supposed to go back for a follow up in two weeks. I sincerely hope this is the last of it. I don't really want any more complications. But I guess even with all this extra stuff going on with my eyes, the Visian ICL procedure was worth it. Also, despite all the trouble and weird issues that I developed, my doctor has been very good about everything. I'm sure he's tired of seeing me as much as I'm tired of going in for all the follow ups. I think I'd definitely recommend for others to look into this procedure and see if it's right for them. Now that I've had all these problems throughout the process, everyone else's experience should be problem free. I've gotta be the one in one thousand who experience them. Everyone else might as well go for it now.

JCCH New Year's Ohana Festival

2010-01-10T14:48:00.014-10:00

Despite the rain, hundreds of people showed up for the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii's New Year's Ohana Festival held at the cultural center and Moiliili Field today. The place was very, very crowded as people enjoyed the cultural activities, children's education area, food booths, gift shop and performances.

There was a free shuttle moving people between UH's parking structure and the cultural center.

The year of the tiger was celebrated with displays of good luck charms and other items for sale.

Community cultural groups performed for the crowd at the center's courtyard.

Inside there were many cultural crafts . . .

. . . showcasing the handicrafts of many artisans.

There were instructional tables for you to try your hand at caligraphy . . .

. . . and bonsai exhibitions.

Across the street at Moiliili Field, people strolled through food and craft booths.

There were bouncers for the kids . . .

. . . and a taiko performance.

Community Classes

2010-01-08T21:23:00.005-10:00

I decided that I needed to get out more in 2010 and what better way to do that than to take some classes in the community. I looked through the adult ed classes offered through some of the nearby schools as well as activities offered through the City and County of Honolulu Parks and Recreations and decided on ukulele lessons.

I'm borrowing my sister-in-law's ukulele for the classes. I cannot believe she gave me her Kamaka! I don't think it'll help improve my playing though LOL I have also shanghaied my friend Elle into coming along with me so this should be pretty fun. There may be up to 20 students in the class, but I hope it's smaller. We need to register tomorrow for the class.

I am also considering a self-defense class for women. I figure it might come in handy one day, right? You never know what kind of creep is lurking in the shadows. I'm not sure what they'll teach in this class though so I plan to ask about it when we register for the ukulele class.

Since I may be doing these two classes I decided to cut back on my hours at JCCH. I'll need the time to practice the ukulele, watch movies and update my movie blog and try to update this blog.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T10:23:00.003-10:00

Happy New Year people! Hope you had a very safe New Year's Eve last night. Just thought I'd post a quick video of my New Year celebration. This is how we do it up in the 808.

So sorry about the wobbly camera work. The thing was so big it was freaking me out. I kept backing up because I was afraid one of the firecrackers were going to fly into my eyes!

This wonderful display of money going up in smoke is courtesy of my sister's neighbor/friend. They apparently do it up big every year. Hope they have the best of luck after all of that!

Ringing in 2010

2009-12-31T15:30:00.005-10:00

In just a few hours, it'll officially be the year 2010. Can you believe it? It's no lie that the older you are, the faster time seems to fly. I remember thinking my summer breaks were ions and school would never come. Now, entire years are flashing right before my eyes.

I don't usually make resolutions for the new year. Why willingly create a situation where I'll disappoint myself? LOL If anything, I'll try to get back on track with my Bucket List. I've let it slip these past few months as life just seemed to overwhelm me. I'll work harder at achieving some of these goals.

Anyone make any resolutions for 2010? Be creative. We all know we could all stand to lose a few pounds or eat healthier. What about something off-the-wall? Climb Mount Everest? Surf a gigantic wavce? Eat Rocky Mountain oysters?

Look Back On Life

2009-12-20T23:06:00.000-10:00

Driving home today I saw this young, teen couple walking down the street. They must've been around 18 years old and looked so happy and in love. I remember being that age and this time of year would've been the first winter break of my freshman year in college. I laughed to myself because I remember that first semester was pretty turbulent in terms of school, life and love. Some days I'd swear I was about to die of unhappiness. Other days were the best times of my life. It's weird how emotional you are when you're young.

Back in the day I remember crying a lot more than I do now. I remember feeling like I was so in love but that my heart was broken into a million pieces. I remember thinking no one's ever felt this way before and that if it hurt this bad it must be love. Real original, right? LOL

I remember telling myself that awful saying, "If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it's yours forever. If it dosen't, then it was never meant to be." I constantly told this to myself because I thought I was being the bigger person. I thought this was what you did when you truly loved someone - you let them be who they were meant to be even if, in the end, their life didn't include you.

But looking back on it now, I think I was just scared. I was scared to really love someone, to lose control and let fate take its course. I told myself it was better for him if I let him go because our paths never seemed to match each others. It always seemed as if I were a minute too slow or he was a few steps behind. I was unwilling to get off my path and try his for a while and vice versa. So, I told myself that maybe some day we'd sync up and it'd work out but today just wasn't the day. So in the end I let him go.

Several years after college I actually found his profile on one of those social media networks. I wasn't purposely looking for him. (I'm not that insane.) I was just clicking on friends of friends of friends and came across a familiar handle. He would always use very peculiar and unique nicknames and this one caught my eye.

After clicking on the profile, a photo confirmed that it was indeed him. He looked the same as I remembered, except older and more muscular. I was so shocked to see him (sort of) after all this time, I just about had a panic attack. His profile summary said he was married, but this wasn't too surprising. We were, after all, in our early 20s by then. It was also about this time that I was reconnecting with other friends via this social media network so I sent a quick note to see how he was doing.

After several notes back and forth he called me from Iraq, where he was currently stationed. This was around Thanksgiving and his birthday, and it was just really weird to hear his voice after so long. I can't say that I actually recognized it, but it did feel familiar to me somehow. Even though we were just catching up with each other's lives, it felt as though we'd never lost contact. It was interesting in a Twilight Zone kind of way.

We talked a bit about the old days and stuff that had happened. It did my ego good to hear that he'd never forgotten about me and had even tried to locate me a couple years after we lost touch. We said we'd definitely keep in touch this time and contact each other if we were ever in the area. He said he'd call me when he got back to the States. But, of course, this never happened and we simply slipped away from each other again. (This entire thing is terribly romantic in that British, Jane Austen/Emily Bronte kind of way, isn't it?) Anyway, thinking about it now, these couple of phone calls were probably a good way to close that chapter of my life.

All of this seems like an entire lifetime ago. Back then I used to obsess about it. Now it rarely comes to my mind. At times like these when I do think about him, I wonder what he's up to and hope he's doing well. I guess there's something to be said about that awful saying after all. If it doesn't come back, it's not meant to be. And at this point in my life, I can honestly say that I'm content with that.

Vision Update

2009-12-20T21:38:00.005-10:00

I went for a follow up last Tuesday to check out the pressure in my left eye. Apparently it's finally about normal. After some testing and whatnot, the doc said that my vision is off by only one diopter for each eye. They both are also plagued with slight astigmatism.

The good news is that this will not require Lasik to fix and can be done in the office. He said for me to come back in a month and re-check my eyes. If everything is stable and consistent, we'll go ahead and do the procedure that same day. Upon healing, it should clear up the last bit of nearsightedness that I have. I can't wait.

This is great news! However, I suppose this means that I'll have to put off the shark dive I was planning to do with a friend in January. Hopefully she understands. Maybe we'll go sometime in the spring? My eyes should've healed by then, right?

Christ, Another Cold!

2009-12-15T20:22:00.003-10:00

I'm sick again and don't want to talk about it. Every time I alter my sleep schedule, I somehow get sick within the next couple of days. That's a horrible immune system I have. I've got the stuffy nose and sneezing going on. I'm also getting chills off and on. I really hope it's not the flu. I didn't get a flu shot.

. . . And I'm Back

2009-12-11T16:00:00.005-10:00

Just returned home from my Vegas jaunt this morning - 3:30 a.m. this morning to be exact. I was supposed to arrive at 12:15 p.m. yesterday, but our plane had some kind of mechanical failure light pop on. We were midway down the runway when the pilot put on the breaks. Thought it'd only take an hour to check out, but they ended up sending us back to a hotel to wait it out. Because of this, I'd say there are about 200 people tired out of their minds today.

While many people would love an extra day in Vegas, it'd be a lot better if they'd known ahead of time. Many of the people, who must've been older than God, pulled all-nighters on Wednesday since we had a 5 a.m. call time. This turned out bad since we were stuck in vegas for another 12 hours or so.

At the hotel, we were given meal vouchers so at least the food was free. But how many times can you really eat a buffet? The flight home was long and made longer when we didn't lift off till about an hour after scheduled. This time, in the new plane, a door light wouldn't come on. They had to call in the maintenance people to fix it.

Despite this, I had a nice time in Vegas. I got to go shopping and see Jersey Boys at the Palazzo. We tried to see the Platters, Coasters and Marvelettes, but the show got canceled. This is the second time I've been in Vegas and haven't gotten to see this show. It must be a sign. I ate at Olive Garden (yum!) and saw some hotels. I got in some gambling time and wouldn't have lost so much if we left on time. But since we were delayed 12 hours, I ended up putting a bunch of money back into the slots. Damn it!

The weather was a nippy 30-40 degrees the entire time we were there. I think after the first day we became immune to the cold. After a while it just felt nice and not OMG freezing. We were able to walk around in capris and a long-sleeved shirt with a light jacket. A positive thing about arriving in Honolulu at 2 a.m. is that the temperature was 74 degrees. If we'd arrived at noon as scheduled, we probably would've fainted from the 80-degree heat.

Pack It Up, Pack It In

2009-12-05T21:21:00.006-10:00

Well, not exactly House of Pain, but I'm packed and ready for Vegas. Megabucks, here I come! I think I've definitely overpacked though. The weather in Vegas is supposed to range from the 30s to 50s so compared to Hawaii, this is freezing! I packed a gazillion sweaters and jackets, tights and pants. I'm only in Vegas for about 4 days but I have about a week or more worth of clothes. I don't know if the weather will be super cold so I also have some thinner pieces, in case layering is enough. I don't know how mainland folks can live this way. Must be nice for shoppers.

Vegas Vacation

2009-12-03T23:55:00.007-10:00

Is it sad that all I care about is not being at work? The count down to vacation isn't about the traveling. It's simply about not having to work. With that in mind, I only have one more day before I can relax into my vacation.

I don't fly out till Sunday and still have to do some laundry and pack. It's going to be freezing up there - probably in the 50s during the day and 30s at night. Good thing I picked up a thick jacket in preparation for Japan. At least if I don't get into JET, I'll still have made use of the thing.

I've got a tentative itinerary for the trip that is packed with shows and tours. The first night my BFF and I plan on going to the Plaza Hotel & Casino, which is just around the corner from where we're staying at the Cal. Depending on how fast we can get there from the airport, we wanted to catch Rat Pack is Back. Yes, we'll be the youngest ones there but who cares? It's the faux Rat Pack! Who could pass that up?

On Monday night, my sister and nieces fly in and we're planning to do a Haunted Vegas Tour that includes a seance. The reviews I read were mostly positive. I don't know if my younger niece will be down with the seance though. It might just freak her out.

Tuesday is Jersey Boys night for me and my BFF. My sister will be at a work function and my nieces will be on their own. Afterwards, the plan is to go clubbing. Know of any good spots we should hit up? We wanted to check out Minus 5 Ice Lounge at Mandalay.

On Wednesday, my sister and nieces are going to Criss Angel. I'm skipping that and will have a free couple of hours. Wonder if I can hit the Megabucks during that time? It only takes a minute, right?

We fly out on an 8 a.m. flight on Thursday. Because of this, we'll probably pull an all-nighter and just gamble or hang out. No sense sleeping for a couple hours when we need to be up early anyway. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep on the plane ride home.

777

2009-11-29T22:28:00.002-10:00

I cannot wait to go to Vegas for an extended Girl's Night Out. I'm going with my sister, BFF and nieces. We leave in only one week. Thank goodness.

Despite the Thanksgiving holiday, I still feel quite disgruntled about work. In the past, this has indicated that it is time for me to search for new opportunities in the job market. However, since I've applied for JET all I can do is wait. And the wait is killing me.

Other JET applicants are probably stressing about getting into JET. I'm not really feeling that stress. My anxiety is just waiting to hear back either way so I know if I should start looking for another job or not. I can't very well apply to other places at this point because it'll screw things up if I get into JET.

Thus, my eagerness for a trip to Vegas is really just a diversion of the inevitable waiting. I can only hope to win millions of dollars, which would allow me to quit my job. What a dream that would be.

The Cash Register Monster

2009-11-28T16:37:00.005-10:00

I don't think of myself as a dumb person. In fact, I think I come in above average in the smarts department. But for some reason, I cannot, for the life of me, remember how to use the cash register at the JCCH. It's like the thing turns into a monster whenever I come face to face with it.

Honestly, there are so many buttons I feel about 80 years old and unable to cope with technology. But, even that's not true because some of the other volunteers probably are 80 and can work the thing just fine.

I blame it on the instant gratification generation from which I come. When someone shows me how to do it, I can do it just fine. But when I come back a week later, I have completely forgotten how to work it. It doesn't help that I only volunteer once a week and sometimes do not even have any customers to help. Then, when I do have to ring someone up there ends up being a line of people who want to cash out at the same time. Jesus!

This is why I never, ever worked a retail job in my life. This is ridiculous. At least the JCCH customers usually aren't demanding. They're mostly old people so they have all the time in the world. If I had to work at a mall, especially during the holidays, I might just give myself a heart attack from the stress.

I used to think my greatest fear was public speaking. Right about now, I would gladly stand up in front of 100 people and talk about global warming rather than use the darn cash register again.

Black Cloud Friday

2009-11-22T18:57:00.006-10:00

Where was I this Black Friday? If your first guess is standing in line, holding my pee and waiting for the Best Buy people to pass out numbers to get in . . . you're wrong. If your second guess is sitting in a lawn chair sipping on a Jamba Juice outside of some handbag store . . . you're still wrong, but I truly wish you were right. So where the hell was I? Ah, but of course. I was at work. Thus begins what I will now being calling Black Cloud Friday.

Is it seriously necessary to be in the office the day after Thanksgiving unless you work a retail job? I think not. I mean, unless you're in the heart of all the madness, there's no reason you need to be at work. Instead, you should be up to your neck in deals and cursing that you only have one body with which to stand in line.

So in order to silently protest my dissatisfaction with the system, I browsed the web all day and refrained from doing too much work. I mean, seriously . . . it so was not necessary to come in today.

I can only hope to hit the effin' Megabucks when I go to Vegas in two weeks. If I do, I'm never coming back to work again. Take that puppy as a lump sum and don't look back.

Technology Makes People Stupid

2009-11-21T14:03:00.007-10:00

The following conversation occurred at Ward Theatre last night at a showing of Planet 51. This is why technology is making people stupid.

Stars of this performance: group of about eight 7-year-old girls, a mother and a father.

Mom: "Okay, so we have two Sprites . . . one fruit punch . . ."
Girl 1: "I want a Sprite too!"
Mom: "Girl 1, I counted you already."
Girl 2: "Me too."
Mom: "Girl 2, you want a Sprite or a fruit punch?"
Girl 2: "Sprite."

- More of the same -
- Dad waiting for orders -

Mom: "So, we've got three Sprites, two fruit punches. Girl 7, you said you wanted a fruit punch?"
Girl 7: "No, I wanted water."
Mom: "Ok you can have a water."
Girl 4: "I want water too."

- More of the same -
- Dad only hears a high-pitched buzzing -

Mom: "Alright, raise your hand if you want Sprite?"

- Pause while counting -

Mom: "Who wants water?"

- Pause while counting -

Mom: "And what about fruit punch?"

- Pause while counting -

Mom: "Dad, can you get four Sprites, three waters and a fruit punch?"

- Dad shakes himself awake -

Dad: "Sure, four Sprites, three waters and a fruit punch?"

Mom: "Yes."

- Dad walks down stairs -
- Dad turns back to Mom -

Dad: "Four Sprites, three waters and a fruit punch, right?"

Mom: "Yeah, do you want me to text it?"

Dad: "Yeah, text me."

- Dad continues down stairs -

Community Service - Meals On Wheels

2009-11-21T13:12:00.003-10:00

I just got back from our company's community service project. We volunteered to deliver healthy meals to seniors in Lanakila Pacific's Meals On Wheels program and had a great turnout of staff and their family. We covered 16 routes, which enabled all regular volunteers to take the day off. Like most events it was quite stressful especially in the morning. However, overall I think we did well and made a good showing.

One let down was that we discovered one of our routes was done incorrectly. This really rained on our parade, not to mention left seniors without vital nutrition. The seniors were not given the appropriate amounts of food and drink because this particular group did not follow the delivery guidelines established by Lanakila and reinforced by the community service project committee.

Why must there always be that one person in a group who tends to ignore all rules and do things his/her own way. It's such a shame, especially when people painstakingly plan things out to make the event run smoothly. I'm not really sure what causes these people to be this way? It's probably just the American upbringing in general that establishes independence and an almost overwhelming self-confidence. Unfortunately, this actually inhibits group work because it results in too many leaders.

To successfully orchestrate an event, it takes time and organization. When you have a loose cannon in your midst, it's difficult to keep things on a steady course. People should realize that there's a time and place to set your mark as an individual and that this trait is not always beneficial. Sometimes being a little humble and more docile generates better results.

Waiting Game

2009-11-19T22:44:00.007-10:00

I've been so busy this week that I forgot to check whether or not my JET application made it to D.C. Finally got around to checking tonight and it arrived safely on Monday afternoon. Priority Mail was apparently enough to get it there in time. I was not going to pay a minimum of $17.50 to go Express Mail. If that were the case, I could've done FedEx or UPS. Crazy!

Anyway, I guess at this point there's nothing more to do but wait. I am hoping the time between now and the interviews will go fairly quickly. I am really getting fed up with work and am looking forward to a vacation soon. I dream of leaving for some European jaunt and never coming back. I may just need to settle for a quick trip to Vegas with my sis. I waiting to hear whether or not my BFF can go with us.

Baby Steps

2009-11-16T22:10:00.003-10:00

Yesterday I met with my student for our first tutoring session. Apparently, she was under the impression that we were to meet at 4 p.m. We were really supposed to meet between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. It was a bit awkward but not too bad.

My student was accompanied by her friend and her friend's son. I think that was completely distracting but will let it go for the first several sessions. I want to see how she reacts to studying and learning first before I start implementing rules and regulations.

During the session, my student was easily distracted by her surroundings. However, it seemed like she was determined to learn so that's definitely a good sign. She seems to know and be capable of reading more than she lets on. I think this is because her friend is with her. She is too dependent on this friend to really take charge of her life. I guess this is something we'll need to work on.

For the first session, I think it went quite well. I am still not sure what kinds of disabilities my student possesses. It's hard to tell at this point . . . not that I'm qualified to diagnose any. One thing that is obvious is her ADHD. I think she might have some other disabilities as well that will probably become more obvious the more I get to know her. For now we're taking baby steps, and that's all that I can ask of her.

End of Scene Unseen Podcast

2009-11-14T17:33:00.004-10:00

My favorite movie podcast just announced that they'll be wrapping up their show and will only be doing the blog. I don't even read their blog! It's not the same as hearing them on the podcast. The podcast I'm referring to is called Scene Unseen with Chris and Jimmy. WTF?!?! I'm at a loss for words.

These guys are hilarious and totally on it when it comes to the film world. I've watched a ton of great movies because of the DVD pick part of their show. I'm so sad to hear that they're quitting. Damn it! Every time I get into a tv show or whatever it ends up getting canceled. This really sucks.

Thanks, But No Thanks

2009-11-13T20:33:00.004-10:00

I finally got a reply to my manuscript submission. Unfortunately, it was a TNT letter - thanks but no thanks. Well, I guess that should really be TBNT, but we called it a TNT letter at my old job. It looks like a form letter but at least the editor signed it herself and didn't just say from "the editor." It says that the manuscript was well written. However, due to the economy the publisher is being extremely selective with what they print. I guess you can pretty much use the economy as a reason for anything these days.

Oh well. I guess it was worth a try. I didn't feel confident in this plot anyway. It's not as smooth as my last one. Speaking of my last manuscript, I haven't heard anything about when it'll get published or what the status is on this. I wonder if they're just holding on it because of "the economy too?" I mean, I already signed the contract for that one . . . twice. It's kind of irritating actually. But what can you do? I have other things to deal with at the moment so it'll just sit there till it gets the green light.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

2009-11-12T19:23:00.003-10:00

I did it. I dropped my JET application in the mail today. It should make it to DC next week. That's plenty of time to make the Nov. 24 deadline.

I'm not sure if they'll consider me. I think my essay came out okay, especially after I got some help with it. I wonder how many applicants there'll be from Hawaii? I guess that's hard to predict. I'd anticipate there'd be more this year because of the way things are going in the economy.

I don't have my hopes up. I can pretty much take it or leave it. I guess that's not a good thing to say but it's true. I have a stable job so even if I don't get in I'll still have something to fall back on. It's different for recent college grads without jobs. Still, I'd love the opportunity to go to Japan. It would be a killer experience.

I plan to still do some research on the country and get more acquainted with it just in case I do get selected. I'm definitely not looking forward to the interview, but I'm sure no one is. We'll see how it goes I guess.

You Learn Something New Every Day

2009-11-08T21:06:00.003-10:00

After speaking with the volunteer coordinator at Hawaii Literacy, I decided to request for another student. Since I would really like to begin tutoring and do not really appreciate being stood up for the past two sessions, I decided to give up on my first student. He apparently doesn't want to devote the time to learn to read. This is fine with me.

I was given a new student and met her today for the first time. This should be interesting. She seems very enthusiastic about learning but has a short attention span. She's easily distracted and zones out a lot. I suppose this will be good training for JET as kids are probably very similiar.

We arranged to meet up once a week since we don't live near each other. I hope we're able to have a longer meeting since it's only once a week. However, we'll have to test out her ADHD thing. Maybe she won't be able to focus that long. I'm not sure exactly what's going on with her as far as any learning disabilities. She has a difficult time pronouncing words and even forming thoughts sometimes. I don't know if she was in any kind of accident previously or if this is just biological. We'll see how it goes.

Visian ICL - Update

2009-11-03T17:55:00.007-10:00

I went in for another of many follow-up visits today, and because it's been about a month since I posted an update, I figured I should say something.

I've been going in about every two weeks to get my eyes checked. The pressure in my left eye is apparently still higher than my doctor would like. Every time I go in, it's pretty much the same story. I don't see 20/20 and my pressure is slightly high. At this point, I'm only using eye drops in the left eye. The right eye is normal I guess.

Two weeks ago, the doctor took some scans and measurements of my eyes so he could take it up to a conference. He was going to show his buds and get their opinion. Today he told me that his friend from Phoenix, who has won some kind of award for doing over 1,000 Visian ICL surgeries, said that he's only had one case like me in his 1,000 patients. This is good and bad news. It's good because at least I'm not the first to experience these weird pressure problems. It's bad because, hey, I wanted to be special LOL

The plan of action after talking with other doctors is to let the eye settle itself down on its own (The other option would be to remove the lens and try a size down). I've got another appointment scheduled in six weeks to reassess things.

Interestingly enough, my doctor told me that some of his colleagues (or perhaps the Staar people who make the Visian ICL lens) said he should talk to me because of what I'm saying on this blog. Wow, who knew I had lurkers on this blog!! Maybe I should start tracking visitors and things? Anyway, the point is that it was surprising that a large company like Staar would even give a second thought to a lil' ol' blog like this. I guess that's one of the real benefits/dangers of the internet, right? People have instant access to it whenever they want it. Ah, the beauty of it all.

He Ain't Got No Respect

2009-11-02T19:20:00.005-10:00

I just got back from what was supposed to be a tutoring lesson. My student didn't show up . . . again! He didn't even call to cancel.

To this I say, EFF THIS!

Shortly after I post this update I will be emailing the volunteer coordinator to let her know I would like to take her up on the offer to get a new student. Obviously this jerk off doesn't give a rat's ass about anything but himself.

Sure, there are tons of people in the world that are like this you might say. The true irony is that this guy is supposed to be a minister/reverend/man of faith. Psh, anyway. Apparently that doesn't make a difference.

Oh, and I just wanted to add that a less secure person would take this as a slight against them. However, I figure it's his loss and not mine. You can only help someone who wants to be helped.

Being an Educator Sucks

2009-11-02T17:38:00.005-10:00

I'm getting a bit disenchanted with this whole tutoring business. I've met my student once in a get-to-know-you sit down and once for an official "tutoring" sesssion. You can't even consider it tutoring because of how he wants to learn. It's basically memorization on his part and human dictionary on mine.

The last three scheduled sessions didn't happen at all, and I'm about to end this relationship if nothing changes. The first time he skipped out was because he got a job for the day. This is an acceptable excuse in my opinion.

The next time he missed our tutoring day was because he had to help his cousin. I have no clue what they were doing and didn't ask. This was a less acceptable but still legit excuse for missing the session.

The most recent time he failed to even call to let me know he couldn't make it. I waited at our meeting location for about half an hour before giving up. I called and left him a message informing him I was leaving and to call and confirm if he would make the following session.

Shortly thereafter, he called me and mumbled something. I have no idea what he said and asked him to repeat it. On the second go-round, I think I caught something about marital problems. Before I could process it, the line went dead. I called back thinking we just got cut off, but he didn't answer. WTF?!?!

I expressed my concerns today when I spoke to the volunteer cooridnator. She said to give it one more try and report back to her whether or not he showed. She also encouraged me to tell him to use the workbook rather than just memorizing his material. If he didn't want to use the workbook, she thought it was of no use for him to be in the program. Should he decide not to use the book, she would probably need to talk to him again. She said she would also try to find another student for me as it is not fulfilling on my end if all I am was a human dictionary.

I'm supposed to meet him tonight so we'll see if he even shows up. The coordinator talked to him and he said he was supposed to meet me tonight. At least he knows the schedule.

YouTubing the Night Away

2009-11-02T01:15:00.003-10:00

Why am I up at 1:15 a.m. when I have to go to work in several hours? Well, at first it started out as well-intentioned research for JET. I was watching videos made by a girl (intro2the1) who has been in Japan on JET for over a year now. She's got a channel called Dear Life Japan, and it's pretty insightful stuff about basic things in Japan. I like that it's not only about her school life. She also covers issues in real life, cultural differences and even societal topics like abortion and suicide. It's really good stuff.

Now, for about the past hour or so, I've been listening to David Choi's videos. The boy can sing man. Gotta support the Asian talents out there, right? I came across this video he made of his grandparents and uncle singing a Korean folk song. I have no clue what they're saying, but they sound good to me. They are so cute, especially his grandmother. Here's the video:

Halloween 2009 in Waikiki

2009-10-31T22:50:00.017-10:00

I just got back from cruisin' the streets of Waikiki to get a glimpse at cool Halloween costumes. I'm sad to report that there wasn't a lot of originality out there. Most of the stuff I saw was store-bought crap that wasn't very original.

This year there seemed to be some very popular costumes. Must've been on sale somewhere yeah? The costumes seen most frequently for 2009 are:
1. Mickey and/or Minnie Mouse
2. Sexy fairies
3. Prisoners
4. Guys in drag

There were also a lot of bees and pirates too, so I guess they get honorable mention.

The cutest costume goes to this little kid in a cop outfit (Click on the photos to enlarge). His parents were dressed up as his prisoners. Now ain't that the truth? LOL

A really cool costume was of the Egyptian god Anubis. I'm pretty sure it was bought and not made though. Awesome costume either way.

I also saw a vacationing Jack, a vengeful Ronald and a box of fries enjoying a night on the town.

Another theme tonight was matching couples. Not the most original idea in the world but still popular. Here's Mario and Luigi, Mario and the Princess and Superman and Wonder Woman. Yes, Superman is definitely checking out Wonder Woman's rack.

In addition to all the general chaos that is Halloween in Waiks, the street performers and religious freaks were out in force. There was a guy who made a glass ball float with some kind of Criss Angel-ish action, a group of Hare Krishna-like folks singing and banging on drums and the Jesus freaks spouting off about the damnation of the world. Pretty typical for a Halloween night.

One of the funniest costumes I came across was two guys wearing a Saturday Night Live "Dick in a Box" costume. I've seen this done before, but it's still a good laugh. Here's the SNL video and below it is the Halloween picture. What makes this funnier is that there's a guy who cut in front of me while I was trying to take the photo. It looks like he's checking out the packages, if you know what I mean LOL

Overall, this was a very eventful night. Lots of fun was had. Lots of walking was done. Good times people, good times.

Back To School Blues

2009-10-26T00:39:00.004-10:00

I feel like I'm back in college and have a paper to write that's due in the morning but continue to put it off. I promised myself that I'd work on my statement of purpose for my JET application today. However, I didn't get started till about 10:30 p.m. tonight, and I'm still working it out as I type this.

While procrastination was a motivating factor, it's not like I was a complete slacker today. I did work on the JET application itself and updated some of the information. Some of the questions are tricky and I'm not sure where certain information should be entered. I'll still need to review it before turning it in.

Getting back to the statement of purpose . . . It's only a two-page essay about why you want to do JET, what you bring to the table and why they should pick you. You'd think it'd be simple, but it's not. On one hand, I feel like I don't have enough space to write all the things I need to write. On the other hand, I feel like I'm rambling on and on about things that don't really connect with each other. Definitely need to work on the transitions.

I have to get through at least draft one of this thing because time is ticking down. I'm still waiting for one letter of reference to come in, so I have a bit of time. I'd like to get through with this as soon as possible and move on with my life. There's no use stressing over this application, you know? Just submit it and see what happens.

Bucket List - Week 28 Update

2009-10-21T21:16:00.004-10:00

Yup, I admit I've been slacking on this Bucket List. Here's my update:

Bucket List #1
Hopefully no news means good news.

Bucket List #26
I just might do this (but in a negative way). It will probably invovle a world of hurt for someone else. See the latest post about the new girl.

Bucket List #32
Found two pennies bringing me $999.83 closer to my goal. LOL!

Bucket List #55
I have no idea how many books I need to read to catch up on this one, but I've just had no time. The whole tutoring and volunteering thing is consuming my life. I'm even falling behind on my movie blog. It's a tough life I lead. Haha! I'll get back on this at some point.

Bucket List #59
I'll try this in Japan, should I be fortunate enough to go there via JET.

Bucket List #89
Tried this during of my tutoring classes. It's hard. I'll need to practice a lot.

The New Girl - Part 2

2009-10-20T21:02:00.006-10:00

I've been working with the new girl and slowly trying to transition some of my job duties to her. However, it is clear at this point that this will definitely be a challenge. I hope it isn't insurmountable, but I'm not even sure what the odds are at this point.

Is it a generation gap or just a personality flaw? The newbie is unable to focus on simple things, and in my opinion, has some form of ADHD. Either that or I have a walking, talking Valley girl on my hands. Thought that was just a Hollywood stereotype, did ya? So did I. The newbie just loves to talk and talk about all kinds of random crap. This is what a fricken liberal arts education does to people. They know a lot of useless facts but are uncapable of dealing in a work environment. Suuuure, they bullshit with the best of them but are completely incapable of getting work done . . . correctly I might add. Done correctly.

I never knew before today just how great and awesome traits like efficiency and common sense are. I've never really worked with anyone lacking these traits and don't really know how to deal with it. Sure, the new girl is a recent college graduate with limited work experience, but seriously? Seriously? How much brain power does it take to count a bunch of things and put them nicely back into a box? It would seem self-explanatory to me that if you're doing inventory you'd want to keep things nice and tidy for when you need to pull the items out in a pinch. What's the sense of counting thousands of items when you're just going to dump them back in a box and not keep track of them?

Another example of the idiocy I have to deal with ( just so you don't think I'm being unbelievably harsh) is the fact that it doesn't even dawn on her that when you're placing address labels onto an envelope, the labels should probably be straight and not tilted in a 45 degree angle. I mean, must something like this be part of the instructions given to her? "Attach one label to the envelope by placing it in the exact center of the envelope. Make sure it is parallel with the bottom edge of the envelope. Then insert a newsletter into the envelope and stack them all nicely in a box so you can take it to the mailroom." Is this the intelligence coming out of colleges these days? Seriously?

I had to talk to our manager today and bring up these and many other issues. The guy himself is a fool so I'm not sure how he is going to approach this. I plan on being very direct with the new girl from now on. I don't care if I come across as condescending. You need to prove to me that you're not an idiot before I talk to you as an adult and use words with more than two syllables.

Having to deal with this girl on a daily basis as well as our big, fat dummy of a boss might just be my undoing. I better concentrate and do this JET application to the best of my abilities. I don't think I can handle much more of anything in the current work environment.

Tutoring Update - Face-to-Face with Student

2009-10-15T20:52:00.005-10:00

I met my student tonight at Liliha McDonald's. He was running late because of the bus and called several times to let me know. I appreciated that a lot.

Prior to meeting him, I was a little anxious and intimidated especially since he is an ex-con (according to the Hawaii Literacy people). When we did meet, I have to admit that he does look a little indimidating. As with all stereotypes of ex-cons, he's got tattoos on his arms and is pretty built. In my over-active imagination I could picture him snapping someone in two. However, he is also a reverend, which I am sure is not a stereotype of people who have been in jail. Giving in to my suspicious and cynical nature, I just Googled him and found him in a picture on the website of a church. Apparently he really is an ex-con preacher.

Anyway, I also learned that this guy is a former boxer. He said he is a former state champ and now trains other people. He is currently training a 16-year-old girl, who is really good. It's hard to picture a minister and a boxer in the same person, but apprantly they do exist.

We talked for a little over an hour and agreed to meet Mondays and Fridays at 6:30 p.m. He wants to learn to read his minister's manual so he can perform his baptisms, weddings and funerals better. I'm not quite sure how one becomes a minster without being able to read well. But, I suppose God has his chosen people or whatever. I was happy that he didn't go all preachy on me. I think it's enough to be reading his manual. I really don't need to be converted too.

This Sunday is my last tutor class. We're supposed to discuss our meeting with our student. I wonder who other people were assigned. I'm not sure how I feel about tutoring my dude yet. We'll see how things go. On one hand, you can't really hold someone's prior actions or physical appearance against him/her. On the other, it takes a lot for people to change their lives and turn them around. All I can say is, we'll see.

Three Rivers & NCIS: L.A. Review

2009-10-13T20:56:00.005-10:00

So I remember seeing the commericals for this new Alex O'Loughlin show called Three Rivers, but I have only been able to check it out tonight by watching it online. The appeal, of course, is O'Loughlin. He's definitely still hot and sexy despite his previous show Moonlight being canceled. Still, I think he was hotter as a vampire. It must've been all that pale skin and dark clothing.

In his current show, he's a transplant doctor named Andy. I'm halfway through the first episode now and find that it's difficult to relate to the characters. I'm not sure I can get onboard with another hospital drama, despite O'Loughlin's hotness. There seems to be less medical stuff than Grey's. He also doesn't really act like a doctor because his bedside manner is so soft. There's not a lot of medical stuff and more hand holding.

I've also watched the first three episodes of the new NCIS: Los Angeles. I can't really say I'm a big fan of the show, even with the studly help of LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell. It just doesn't vibe as well with me as the original NCIS does.

Maybe the characters aren't quirky enough? Maybe they're just not interesting? Even the missions they go on do not seem as exciting. There isn't a lot of medical stuff in this show either. The original show features Ducky, the M.E., in every show. You see the morgue with a body on the metal table in every show. There was perhaps one body on the slab in L.A. They don't really do autopsies, which I find weird, but they do psycho-analyze because the have a shrink on staff.

Both new shows do one thing right, which is to definitely play up the advanced technology. They both have that cool touchscreen action going on. Throwing images from one screen to the next is awesome. They project images on glass walls and are still able to interact with the data. It's all pretty cool.

I'll give each of these series a couple more viewings, but I have a feeling this is it for Three Rivers and NCIS: Los Angeles. Gotta go with the tried and true.

Tutoring Update - Contacted the Student

2009-10-13T17:59:00.004-10:00

I contacted my student today, who was assigned to me by Hawaii Literacy. We agreed to meet at McDonalds on Thursday night to get to know each other. We'll see how it goes. The student is an older guy so I'm not sure how he'll react to a younger person tutoring him. I'm not sure this is a right fit, but I'll go in with an open mind and see what happens.

While I'm not at liberty to discuss him at length, I have to admit that I don't really know much about him at this point. I was told that he is an ordained minister and is interested in learning to read the Bible. I'm not sure how he can be a minister and not know how to read. I'll have to ask him about it. He has had some drug issues in the past so I hope they are resolved. I was also told that he has other health problems.

I'm a little intimidated about meeting him, but I guess it should be okay. I don't really feel confident about being a tutor after only four days of training. It all seems so unprofessional. How can you let an untrained person take control of someone else's education? I know we're just helping them to read, but it still seems pretty weird that we're not trained.

JET Orientation

2009-10-08T21:22:00.003-10:00

For weeks now I've been mumbling about this JET Programme thing and haven't really explained it much. Since I just went to this Q&A session tonight, I figured I might as well get into it now.

JET is basically a government-sponsored program that recruits English-speaking people to teach English in Japan. They connect applicants with schools, boards of education or prefectures that are looking to hire an assistant language teacher to help their English language teachers in the classroom. The contract is usually a year and you're able to renew up to about five years.

The application process is pretty extensive and used as a way to weed people out. After tonight's orientation, this fact has been confirmed. The essay portion is also an important part used to get through the masses. At the Q&A session, we had a brief intro to the program and watched a video with testimony as to how great the program and experience is.

We were also able to ask three former JETs about their experiences in Japan. Two were stationed in Okinawa and the other one was in Sendai. They didn't really enlighten me much as I've already done some initial research online. They were mostly positive about everything and encouraged us to apply. I guess you wouldn't really want anyone but cheerleaders talking to potential applicants though, right?

Some interesting facts I learned tonight: There were 81 complete applications from Hawaii to be an assistant langauge teacher (ALT). This position makes up over 90 percent of all applicants. There is another position called coordinator for international relations (CIR), but you really need to know your Japanese as you'll be working within the government. Of the 81 people, 48 were interviewed and 22 were selected to go to Japan. That's pretty stiff odds. About 60 percent of the total applicants got to the interview section and about 27 percent actually went.

At this point I'm neither encouraged nor discouraged to apply. I think I'll go ahead with it and see what happens. I really need to work on my essay since I haven't even started yet. I also need to update my resume so I can send it over to the people I have asked to write my letters of reference. You need two of those. I also need to research Japan a bit more and get a better feel of locations and where I'd like to be placed. The location request may or may not be given to you.

The New Girl

2009-10-02T21:45:00.002-10:00

We've finally hired a third person for our department at work. Yesterday was her first official day, but today was her first official day with us. She's a recent college grad who went to school on the mainland and has returned home. She went to a small East coast school and majored in poli sci. Interesting.

My first impression of her is that she's quite outspoken and enthusiastic about the job, which is good. Hopefully she'll bring a bit of much needed balance to our department. Her youthful zeal will hopefully allay the growing tension between us and our boss. She seems to be very bright, but I'm not sure how much longevity she'll have in this position. She has also applied at various other jobs, which in my opinion are a lot more free and fun than ours. She's applied for and declined a teaching position in Taiwan. She's also getting ready to take some kind of foreign service test. Both of those are definitely more fun than our job. We'll see how it goes.

Eye Pressure Normal - For Now

2009-09-29T20:17:00.004-10:00

I went in today for a follow-up visit after the drama and trauma that was yesterday. I'm happy to report that my eye pressure is normal. I'm to continue various eye drops but have been instructed to slowly cut them off after the next couple of days. I have another follow-up appointment next week to see how things are.

While not 20/20, my vision is better than it was yesterday. My left eye is definitely in better shape despite still being a little red. Both eyes feel normal - or as normal as they have been since the surgery. I'm hoping over the next few weeks they'll heal up and kick it up to 20/20.

The doctor said that apparently I'm a special case. While all these things could happen, they've never happened to him before and I'm the first. Wow, lucky me. I asked him whether my vision would get better as they healed. He said this was possible, but it's hard to predict since my pressure keeps going up and down. Normally these little anomalies wouldn't bother other people so much. However, I seem to react very quickly to inconsistencies like the little flap of epithelials closing the iridotomy. He said we'll have to wait and see how my eyes heal up before determining what to do next.

All I can say is that I'm glad I'm not blind! It felt like touch and go for a while there, especially looking at my left eye in the mirror yesterday morning. Spooky man! I hope my eyes heal better than they have been in the next several weeks. How am I ever to go shark diving if my eyes don't heal?

Visian ICL Update

2009-09-28T14:05:00.005-10:00

Man, last week was pretty bad in terms of post-Visian surgery. I was experiencing minor headaches on the left side of my head as well as seeing stars in my left eye whenever I'd stand up from a seated position or sit up from a prone position. I found it difficult to look at the computer or read paperwork for long periods of time. My vision would become blurry.

On Friday I called up the doctor's office and asked to move my appointment up from Oct. 2. They scheduled me for Sept. 30. After work, my vision got really bad and it seemed like a gauzy curtain had fallen over my left eye. I could still see but things were obscured by this whiteness. However, when I woke up on Saturday things were fine.

Yesterday after my Hawaii Literacy class, I got home to the same situation. At this point I was pretty freaked out, and of course, started to think about the worst. My headache was back and my eye felt like it was going to pop out. I immediately went to sleep thinking it might be strained somehow and just needed rest. As the night progressed, I decided I'd call the doctor in the morning and see if he could look at it. When I woke up around 5 a.m. though, I saw that my eye was extremely red and the cloudiness was worse!

I panicked and called my dad to see if he could drive me to the hospital since I couldn't really see out of my left eye. I then called the doctor's office, which of course was closed. I called the physician's exchange number, which is an answering service. The rep called me back and told me the doctor said to come in when the office opened at 9 a.m. What the eff man?!?!

So my dad and I waited till about 8:30 a.m. and went into the office. After explaining what happened to the technician, she checked my vision and eye pressure. Next the doctor came in and looked at my eye. He said that because the iris has many layers of cells, he thinks one layer was not cleared out thoroughly and was flapping to and fro blocking the iridotomy (a hole on the outer edge of the iris that allows fluid to flow between the different parts of the eye). When I read, it seems like the flap would close up, causing a build up in pressure. This led to seeing stars and headaches.

After numbing my eye, the doctor tried to clear the pathway with a needle (I assume. I didn't actually see it coming to my eye). I suppose that didn't work well enough for him so we went over to the Surgical Suites and he used a machine to redo the iridotomy. It was basically one of those machines where you stick your chin on the platform and forehead against the bar, then look straight ahead. He aligned the laser, which I could see was a red grid-like thing, and zapped. The zap was really quick but I did feel it. He said afterward that it probably wasn't the laser I was feeling. It was probably the release of all the pressure in my eye.

We went back to his office and he checked out my eye again. He got another needle and made sure the laser got all the extra cells. He upped the number of times I need to do my drops, then retested my eye pressure and vision. I could immediately start to feel my eye getting better. He said the pressure dropped pretty dramatically since it was taken several minutes before. I could also see more of the eye chart after the zap.

Now, about four hours after coming home, my vision is definitely back to normal and clear. My eye aches a little when I move it around but I guess that's from the laser zap. The white part of my eye is still red from the stress I suppose. He said it'd go away eventually. I felt a little nauseated when I got home so I haven't eaten anything. I should be starving as I only had lunch and a Jamba Juice on Sunday and a third of a bagel this morning, but somehow I don't have an appetite. Yes, very odd indeed.

Hopefully this is the last of my adventures with this Visian thing. I didn't go to work today but will probably go in tomorrow. I have a follow-up appointment at 9:45 a.m. It's a wonder that of all the people out there, I'd be the one to experience these issues with Visian. While it's theoretically possible, why does it have to be me?

Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii Orientation

2009-09-24T10:59:00.001-10:00

Last Saturday I went over to the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii and had a brief interview and tour. The girl I met with basically asked questions about my background, interests and motives for volunteering. Then she showed me around the gallery and the behind-the-scenes areas. I start volunteering this Saturday and opted to stay the entire day.

When I first faxed my volunteer application form to them, I was surprised because they called back within minutes. Perhaps that's not all too surprising in this economy though. Another interesting thing is that they asked me to bring my resume for their records. I found that very strange - like it was an interview for a real job or something. Are volunteer requests always handled this way?

I'm curious to see what kind of work they give me. On my form, I checked off numerous departments in which I'd like to help. One of the categories was to be a docent at their exhibit. I gotta say that I'm not really keen on doing that. However, I figured it was the best way for me to learn the historical and cultural aspects quickly and thoroughly. If I'm expected to regurgitate this info to visitors, I've gotta know my stuff.

My main reason for wanting to volunteer at JCCH is to learn about the historical and cultural part of the Japanese American experience in Hawaii. I want to apply to teach English in Japan through the JET Programme, and it'd be interesting to compare local Japanese customs to traditional Japanese customs. I'm sure there are many things that are similar but a lot more things that are different.

Bucket List - Week 24 Update

2009-09-23T22:48:00.003-10:00

I've been so preoccupied about the Visian surgery that I failed to post some updates on my Bucket List. Here's a real quickie.

Bucket List #10
A friend invited me to go shark diving with her out of Haleiwa. While those sharks aren't great whites, I'm sure it'll be just as fun. I need to wait for my eyes to heal up a bit before exposing them to the underwater pressure of going diving. Oh, and the diving will be within a cage so it shouldn't be too bad.

Bucket List #16
I can officially cross this one off as I'm actually volunteering at two places. The first one is Hawaii Literacy. The second one, which I still need to post my thoughts about, is Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii.

Bucket List #55
I'm WAY behind on this one. I think I still need to read a book for August and September. I blame it on the eye surgeries. LOL

Shaolin Warriors, Blaisdell Concert Hall

2009-09-23T22:33:00.003-10:00

I just got back from the opening night of the Shaolin Warriors performance at the Blaisdell Concert Hall. The show started at 7:30 p.m. and ran till about 9:30 p.m. There was a 15 minute intermission at about the halfway point.

Overall, I thought the show as interesting but not terribly original. If you've seen a kung fu-like performance by Chinese acrobats before, it'll probably be okay if you skip this show. While there were moments that were extremely jaw-dropping, those moments were few and far between. There was a lot of focus on the technical elements and not enough tricks.

I realize that the form and function of their martial art is a very important aspect of learning the artform. However, as a layperson, I found it to be quite boring. Give me the showmanship and the "wow" factor. It could just be that I'm from the YouTube generation, but I found myself thinking that I could be at home and have watched this entire performance condensed to a nine minute video and be perfectly happy. All the good stuff would've been captured in a video clip and the acrobatics would've been just as good . . . or maybe even better. Oh well, it was a good experience anyway.

Post Op - Eye 2, Day 3

2009-09-19T15:33:00.005-10:00

It's been three days since I had surgery on my right eye and my vision is clearing up little by little. It's still blurry and is no where near 20/20. My left eye is now also getting blurry too. I'm not sure if that's to compensate for the right eye or not.

At my follow-up visit to the doc's on Thursday, he said to give it a while and see what happens. Swelling of the eye and residue left over from the surgery could be causing the lack of clarity. So far I don't think that's the problem.

While I can definitely see much better than pre-surgery, the clarity is not as good as I'd like. I'm not sure what else to do about it. I'm still putting in various eye drops three times a day. As far as physical pain or discomfort, there is none. Every once in a while I do feel like there's something in my eye (like dust or even like there's a contact in there) so I know my eyes are still healing. They said you'll feel this way for a while after surgery.

I really do hope that my eyes get better. At the follow up, my left eye's vision went from being 20/20 to about 20/30, which sucks. The high pressure in both eyes did return to normal though, however, I was seeing more clear with the pressure up in my left eye than I am now that it's normal. It's really bizarre. I'm not scheduled to go back in till Oct. 2, so hopefully thing will get better during the next two weeks.

Visian ICL Surgery - Eye 2

2009-09-16T18:18:00.003-10:00

Today I went in to get my right eye done. It was basically the same procedure, except this time I had a better grasp of what was going on around me since I could see through my left eye. There weren't many patients today so I got done about 30-45 minutes early. I ended up going home to wait for my follow up appointment instead of staying at the office.

At the follow up, the doc said that the pressure in my right eye was a bit high. Same deal as my left eye. They also had me read from the screen and again my vision was at about 20/80. The only difference that I could tell between my right and left eyes post-op is that my right eyelid felt a bit fat. I'm not sure why it was swollen at all, but now it feels alright. I'm supposed to go back tomorrow at 10 a.m. so hopefully things are still going well.

After the check up, I came home and took a nap. Last time I didn't really feel tired, but this time I did. Could be old age LOL I slept for about three hours and would've tried for more except I could hear kids playing outside and I was hungry.

At this point, several hours post-op, I still can't see the words I'm typing out of my right eye. It seems that my left eye recovered faster than this. The doc said that it could be because my body's not pushing out the viscous fluid they need to use to insert the lens as quickly. Because there's still fluid in there, it could be causing the blurriness. We'll see how tonight goes though. My eye is still dilated and huge so I'm typing in the dark but the screen is still pretty bright. Other than that, things are going fine.