Since it's been a while, and since it's been an up and down month, it's no more appropriate for me to announce this here than where I've already let people know. Grace and I will be getting married soon! I was very anxious to propose to her, given that I'd felt it was right from the start, and the look on her face from the proposal and gift were priceless enough for me to be infinitely happy.
I'd say that I'm very lucky to have met a girl like Grace and to be able to spend the last four years with her. So much so, that I'm ready to spend the rest of our lives together. I like to think that my parents and grandparents have been an inspiration for me to see and understand what true love is, but it's more compelling when you can experience it first-hand. Perhaps only than was I able to understand what this type of commitment means and what hard work it takes to make it to this point.
Even so, it's never felt truly difficult. Grace has been my constant joy for the four years (almost!) that we've been together. I've been able to experience new things, learned so much, and grow with her for every day of it, and for that, I'm ever grateful.
So now we begin an adventurous new path towards what will be one heck of a day and, more importantly, an amazing new life together.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Reflections
One year ago today...
I managed to get out a little earlier than usual and celebrate a little with my dearest. We had a late dinner at Michi (which was good) and ended up spending the rest of the night feeling a bit under the weather from some suspect scallops. Much fun.
Five years ago today...
I was living in the San Gabriel Valley and working near Norwalk by this time last year and a had a very small party at my place. We bought Togo's, sat, and caught up with each other before cleaning up. Would you believe the majority of my friends were still living in the city of Angels?
Ten Years ago today...
An age milestone was reached. We were all entering our senior year and I pretty much did nothing. No, wait. Some friends of mine had a surprise party where I ended up meeting some of my old friends who had supposedly started college already. Oh, and one of my friends baked me a sugarless chocolate cake. Yay.
Twenty years ago today...
I thought it was a big birthday moment for me and I was officially a "big kid." I'm positive that my parents had a little something for me and my sister at home and Nintendo was on my mind.
Ah... nostalgia.
I managed to get out a little earlier than usual and celebrate a little with my dearest. We had a late dinner at Michi (which was good) and ended up spending the rest of the night feeling a bit under the weather from some suspect scallops. Much fun.
Five years ago today...
I was living in the San Gabriel Valley and working near Norwalk by this time last year and a had a very small party at my place. We bought Togo's, sat, and caught up with each other before cleaning up. Would you believe the majority of my friends were still living in the city of Angels?
Ten Years ago today...
An age milestone was reached. We were all entering our senior year and I pretty much did nothing. No, wait. Some friends of mine had a surprise party where I ended up meeting some of my old friends who had supposedly started college already. Oh, and one of my friends baked me a sugarless chocolate cake. Yay.
Twenty years ago today...
I thought it was a big birthday moment for me and I was officially a "big kid." I'm positive that my parents had a little something for me and my sister at home and Nintendo was on my mind.
Ah... nostalgia.
Another Day Older
It's only fitting that I can post this. I may be another year older, but my brain still thinks it's "young."
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Most of the time, I prefer to keep this little zone of my life private. Even if the tone of the blog has been very open within the last couple of years, it's still difficult to talk about certain things, especially given recent events.
There are certain undeniable facts of life you have to face within your life, and while confronting them is inevitable, it doesn't make it any more unexpected.
There are certain undeniable facts of life you have to face within your life, and while confronting them is inevitable, it doesn't make it any more unexpected.
Friday, September 08, 2006
SFO
We made it to the City early on Sunday morning for a jam-packed day of tourist-ish-ness-ess-ness. As you all might know, no day is complete without a healthy breakfast, so G and I decided to go whole hog and take in our first meal of the day at Mama's. Hoo boy, this place was so hyped that one wouldn't believe people would wake up early enough on a Sunday morning to stand in line for waffles. Thing is, they don't just serve waffles there. On the contrary, when the specials of the day include dungeness crab and shrimp omelets, you know something special is going down. You can read the full yelp about it here.
From there, we hopped on the Stockton Bus (no. 30) down to Union Square for some mid-morning shop-o-rama madness. Since H & M wasn't open for another half an hour, we hopped on by the local coffee joint for a light drink and sit. You do tend to notice that coffee is an accessory these days. All the City hipsters with a cup in their hand while perusing the racks at H & M made this quite clear in the sense that even though they were carrying mounds of clothes in one hand and a cup in the other, they somehow managed to rifle through all sorts of goodness during their time in the store. It was almost ridiculous.
Anyhow, our whirlwind continued as we hopped on the Judah for some time in the Haight. The bohemian district of Haight-Ashbury happens to be one of my favorite sites in the city. While the creativity flows from some stores and while there are some great finds on the street, you will get harrassed for change by several people looking for spares. I didn't mind much since I was too busy either taking pictures or salivating through the aisles of Amoeba Music.
If you couldn't believe it then, we traveled from deep in the heart of the city back out to the peninsula coast for a visit to the Ferry building and the Ferry Market. Surprising as the new renovations were, the little restaurants and such were reason enough to want a return visit in the near future. Reminiscent of Chelsea Market, but nowhere near as expansive, the Ferry Market has all sorts of specialty stores and even one notable restaurant (in the form of the Slanted Door) with enough wares to goggle many pairs of eyes. Even though we didn't get to check out the Cowgirl Creamery, our bags were full of some fresh Acme Bread for the ride home.
We made one more stop before finally heading out for the night, a trip to the Olive Bar. The venue is a small wine bar in the Tenderloin, which isn't exactly the nicest area, but the bar itself is a neat little find. It's cozy and the food itself is decent enough, but it probably could use a bit more pep in the kitchen area. Even so, it was a nice end to the evening.
We took off, but there's always the promise of coming back. It's my home away from home, trips like this just remind me that I've been away for too long.
Oh, and peep the rest of the set here.
From there, we hopped on the Stockton Bus (no. 30) down to Union Square for some mid-morning shop-o-rama madness. Since H & M wasn't open for another half an hour, we hopped on by the local coffee joint for a light drink and sit. You do tend to notice that coffee is an accessory these days. All the City hipsters with a cup in their hand while perusing the racks at H & M made this quite clear in the sense that even though they were carrying mounds of clothes in one hand and a cup in the other, they somehow managed to rifle through all sorts of goodness during their time in the store. It was almost ridiculous.
Anyhow, our whirlwind continued as we hopped on the Judah for some time in the Haight. The bohemian district of Haight-Ashbury happens to be one of my favorite sites in the city. While the creativity flows from some stores and while there are some great finds on the street, you will get harrassed for change by several people looking for spares. I didn't mind much since I was too busy either taking pictures or salivating through the aisles of Amoeba Music.
If you couldn't believe it then, we traveled from deep in the heart of the city back out to the peninsula coast for a visit to the Ferry building and the Ferry Market. Surprising as the new renovations were, the little restaurants and such were reason enough to want a return visit in the near future. Reminiscent of Chelsea Market, but nowhere near as expansive, the Ferry Market has all sorts of specialty stores and even one notable restaurant (in the form of the Slanted Door) with enough wares to goggle many pairs of eyes. Even though we didn't get to check out the Cowgirl Creamery, our bags were full of some fresh Acme Bread for the ride home.
We made one more stop before finally heading out for the night, a trip to the Olive Bar. The venue is a small wine bar in the Tenderloin, which isn't exactly the nicest area, but the bar itself is a neat little find. It's cozy and the food itself is decent enough, but it probably could use a bit more pep in the kitchen area. Even so, it was a nice end to the evening.
We took off, but there's always the promise of coming back. It's my home away from home, trips like this just remind me that I've been away for too long.
Oh, and peep the rest of the set here.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Labor Day Nuptials
Labor Day.
Three-day weekends seem to be few and far between since most of our floating vacations are smashed together during the holiday season (which is in itself, awesome), so whenever we do get the chance, it's nice to use them to their fullest extent. Having already been invited to a wedding for that Saturday afternoon and evening, and since it was up north, we managed to make a vacation out of it.
Firstly, the wedding.
I want to give a nice congratulations out to the happy couple on the occasion of their matrimony. Like most weddings, it was beautiful and emotional. We, of course, dined on a great Chinese dinner with so many trimmings, we had to be rolled out in wheelbarrows. The thing that I enjoy about weddings besides the celebration itself, is reconnecting with old friends and maybe even relatives. As evidenced by my sister's wedding, it can be stressful at times, but more than anything, it's way too much fun.
We were treated to a candy bar, which was empty in no time, and even some mood lighting when the Sunnyvale area was hit by a region-wide blackout. Everyone took it in stride, however, and we socialized a bit more given the extra down time.
Still, with all the excitement, we were able to squeeze in yet another trip to the City the following day...
Friday, September 01, 2006
Best Seat in the House
One of my all-time favorite discs from my early days of collecting music has to be the Chili Peppers masterpiece, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Ever since I first heard what has to be one of the greatest Rock albums of our lives, I've been a fan of this band from beginning to end. Fascinatingly enough, I've never actually seen them perform live, mostly because their overwhelming popularity leads to rapid sell-outs. Lucky me, this time around I was able to get tickets to their first night at the Forum.
Well, what really sweetened the deal was their opening act, The Mars Volta.
For the uninitiated, there was a burgeoning group of the early decade by the name of At the Drive-In that was hailed as the next big thing. What happens most often in these situations is either tremendous legendary status or implosion.
They opted for the latter.
From the debris of an old group sprang two very different parts of an old whole, Sparta and The Mars Volta. Sparta, being a bit more of a straightforward rock band is a solid group, but comparatively, they lack the progressive nature of TMV (which is what I like most about TMV in the first place). TMV's two albums function almost on an experimental level, but underneath an eccentric mixture of jazz, rock, funk, and otherwise astrological psychadelia, you find an extremely unique and compelling musical construct. It defies explanation only in that their an intensely progressive group with very specific artistic aspirations (which, no doubt, led to the split).
So I was pumped to see both of these acts, when else would I get an opportunity like this? It was also very special since RHCP happen to be from the city of Angels and as a matter of fact, are huge fans of the Lakers. I was looking forward to this so much so, that the realization that the "COL 10" on my ticket was in the upper section was a bitter pill to swallow.
Despite having most of TMV's opening ruined by foul ticket bitterness, they killed their set. Mostly focusing on their new album, Amputechture, and a couple of songs from their sophomore effort, the set was a continuous aural assault. I wish, very much, that they'd played more music from De-loused in the Comatorium, but I think it's a lot to ask from a band who's constantly looking forward to look back. A very surprising addition to their sound was actually a saxophonist! This only means I can anticipate their latest much more than I had before.
After a short wait, RHCP made their way onstage. They opened with a solid jam session with Flea and John Frusciante vamping the funk until Anthony Kiedes joined them to break out with "Can't Stop." From this moment on, I knew it was going to be a set filled with crowd-pleasers. If that opening number wasn't enough, they blasted through some very old songs, "Me and My Friends" to their latest hits from Stadium Arcadium. My favorite moment had to be when John Frusciante broke out into an impromptu version of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow." Classic.
I could have been disappointed that they never played "Under the Bridge" (which I was expecting as an encore), but it was a really impassioned performance all-around. Anthony Kiedes leapt around the stage like a mad punk jumping jack, Flea's head must be missing some vertabra, and every time John Frusciante let fly on a solo, I swore I could see smoke billowing from his fingers. Even Chad Smith broke into the act with a solid solo opening up several songs.
The best thing about the show is what I love about the band in the first place. RHCP always plays some great melodic songs that make me smile. It's inspiring to me that while they have had shake-ups and transitions, this band can keep plugging away and enjoy every second of it.
I can't say it's the best show I've seen all year, but it's very close.
Well, what really sweetened the deal was their opening act, The Mars Volta.
For the uninitiated, there was a burgeoning group of the early decade by the name of At the Drive-In that was hailed as the next big thing. What happens most often in these situations is either tremendous legendary status or implosion.
They opted for the latter.
From the debris of an old group sprang two very different parts of an old whole, Sparta and The Mars Volta. Sparta, being a bit more of a straightforward rock band is a solid group, but comparatively, they lack the progressive nature of TMV (which is what I like most about TMV in the first place). TMV's two albums function almost on an experimental level, but underneath an eccentric mixture of jazz, rock, funk, and otherwise astrological psychadelia, you find an extremely unique and compelling musical construct. It defies explanation only in that their an intensely progressive group with very specific artistic aspirations (which, no doubt, led to the split).
So I was pumped to see both of these acts, when else would I get an opportunity like this? It was also very special since RHCP happen to be from the city of Angels and as a matter of fact, are huge fans of the Lakers. I was looking forward to this so much so, that the realization that the "COL 10" on my ticket was in the upper section was a bitter pill to swallow.
Despite having most of TMV's opening ruined by foul ticket bitterness, they killed their set. Mostly focusing on their new album, Amputechture, and a couple of songs from their sophomore effort, the set was a continuous aural assault. I wish, very much, that they'd played more music from De-loused in the Comatorium, but I think it's a lot to ask from a band who's constantly looking forward to look back. A very surprising addition to their sound was actually a saxophonist! This only means I can anticipate their latest much more than I had before.
After a short wait, RHCP made their way onstage. They opened with a solid jam session with Flea and John Frusciante vamping the funk until Anthony Kiedes joined them to break out with "Can't Stop." From this moment on, I knew it was going to be a set filled with crowd-pleasers. If that opening number wasn't enough, they blasted through some very old songs, "Me and My Friends" to their latest hits from Stadium Arcadium. My favorite moment had to be when John Frusciante broke out into an impromptu version of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow." Classic.
I could have been disappointed that they never played "Under the Bridge" (which I was expecting as an encore), but it was a really impassioned performance all-around. Anthony Kiedes leapt around the stage like a mad punk jumping jack, Flea's head must be missing some vertabra, and every time John Frusciante let fly on a solo, I swore I could see smoke billowing from his fingers. Even Chad Smith broke into the act with a solid solo opening up several songs.
The best thing about the show is what I love about the band in the first place. RHCP always plays some great melodic songs that make me smile. It's inspiring to me that while they have had shake-ups and transitions, this band can keep plugging away and enjoy every second of it.
I can't say it's the best show I've seen all year, but it's very close.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
