Au for Audventure

Perpetually jetlagged

2006-08-28T23:56:00.001-07:00

Arr. I used to joke that I was jetlagged since birth. It's not funny anymore. Why did I party last Friday ... now I can't adjust again.

Welllll, I don't have plans for September except LA but I'm gonna be gone again the rest of the year. Oct: Japan and China, Nov: Munich, Prague (maybe get a Salzburg vacation), Dec: London, Switzerland, Vienna.

I get some perks though - I'm just 7,000 miles away from 1K status (100,000 miles in 1 year) which would put me at the highest echelons of United's frequent flyers. I've been getting business class upgrades recently and that really helps during 14-24 hour flights. Now if I could just sleep when I'm actually home and not working...

I should see my doctor and ask for sleeping pills.

Toots, Ron, I'm in LA this weekend - seeya :).

Peace out

2006-08-24T04:35:00.000-07:00

I should pool a list of things to do while I wake out my seemingly-monthly post-travel jetlags. I've been up and dumb since 1:30 this morning and there are no signs of letting up anytime soon. It doesn't help that I've been processing many things in my head too.

Well, let's see. I just came back from Taiwan if you didn't know. I was there for a weeklong business trip visiting 6 different cities. It was so hot and humid there and on top of that I had to wear a suit and tie all the time. Nevertheless, I tried to find ways of having fun by taking lots of pictures.

During the first weekend, I met two cute girls in Taipei's Carnegie's club (a franchise of the one we went to in HK two months ago). This one girl wanted to have lunch with me the following weekend and sent me perhaps 50 text messages. I got annoyed and moved on. During the next weekend, I had a lay over in Hong Kong so I visited our usual watering hole in Lan Kwai Fong to release the canned heat in my heels. Within minutes of entering the club, this really cute girl approached me and took me to the dance floor. After a while, she introduced me to her 5 other friends; they thought I was Taiwanese for some reason. At one time they were all dancing with me and I thought wow, I really like Asia! Around 130am, I just went back to Causeway Bay because it was getting way too hot.

Tonight I've been thinking a lot about my new job too - I've been promoted. I really don't know what to expect but I hope this will work out well. Then I also thought about my mom and her current bout of manic-depression. Sigh, these things are quite contagious, and I hope I don't get snowballed into it. I've also been thinking about my future marital status. I don't know if I want to enter into a relationship - period. I play too much, rarely have the time and I've grown pessimistic of couples.

Now that I've splayed out my thoughts, it may be time for another attempt to fall asleep. Goodnight cruel world.

Here we go again

2006-08-12T01:05:00.000-07:00

What time zone is that on my computer? Is it really 1am PST? Funny, it just seemed like 8 am a couple hours ago ... have I been working that long in the plane? Gosh I didn't sleep again.

"kudasai... itarakimas...ni-ju ichi" Oh yeah, I was just in Japan 3 weeks ago. Now I'm back. Back to the same Starbucks Japan, trying to get a grip of my sanity.

It'll be like this the next 6 days in Taiwan and Hong Kong. It will feel like deja vu mixed with some small talk from a distant stranger. Walk right side left, left side right. I think I'm going to throw up.

Somebody save me.

The unexpected

2006-08-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, I spent time fixing up my room and storing away my suitcases because I know I won't be traveling again until November. Just right when I started settling down to the PST time zone, my boss tells me this morning, "You're going to Taiwan this Friday." I smile and say, "That's great."

So yes, I'll be off to Taiwan and Hong Kong (again). Suitcase, suits, passport, electronics all ready. I can actually get ready for an international trip within 30 minutes now; that's how streamlined my packing process is already.

I'll post about my sister's wedding maybe tonight. I have a draft, I just have to complete it. Also, I'm beginning to wonder about my triathlon training with all these travels. I'll have to figure out how I can bike in Taiwan... (Tony, hope to see you!)

Tokyo

2006-07-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

"It was nice to meet you. I'd take a picture with you but it's going to be crowded soon in 2 seconds…” Then the subway doors opened and I walked out briskly towards the street exit. I didn't look back; I didn’t want to show that I’ll miss it so much. But just before I reached the stairs I lingered a little until I saw the subway from my peripheral vision, moving again, faster and faster. I waited until it was a blur before I stepped towards the platform, faced the whoosh and waved goodbye. Thus, I was able to express and not get seen.

Tokyo is my last international business related trip this year. It hasn’t been days yet since I’ve been back but I’m already having withdrawal syndromes. Every month this year I’ve traveled so getting back into the rhythm of things will take a while.

Tokyo is home to the gaudy and the traditional, the $17 breakfasts and $1 sushis, the sensei and the senseless. My 8 day trip to Tokyo was an amalgam of extremes - never have I found more expensive basic necessities nor met more honest and genuinely hospitable people in my life.

Perhaps, the highlight of my trip was meeting my high school classmates whom I haven't seen in 8 years. It was a blast. Now that I've counted, I just slept 6 hours while I was with them for 3 days. We started off our Saturday morning by venturing to Tsukiji, the largest fish market in Tokyo. While we never made it to the 4am auctions, we still got to eat the newly arrived fish for breakfast. I had the freshest maguro (tuna) sushi I have ever had in my life! I also ate the "squilla" sushi that resembled pumba's grub – both slimy and crunchy!

Afterwards, we went back to my hotel and saw the most attractive piece of red metal on my city block. We took pictures with it but the police won't let us climb it all the way.

We then took the subway to the Imperial gardens and to the Akihabara electronics district where I almost bought a used digital Rebel for $450. Akihabara is a thriving testament that Tokyo is the mecca of electronics, useful and frivolous notwithstanding. Solar powered plant anyone?

Then we went clubbing. Considering that I didn't really sleep the night before because of excessive clubbing also, it was quite a feat staying up til the next day. My eyes were bloodshot; everyone on the plane avoided staring at me. Yay for shots and beers and endless crazy dancing.

Til the next adventure folks... this weekend is my sister's wedding. Au revoir.

The Calendar

2006-07-13T23:50:00.000-07:00

Has your calendar ever been so packed that you actually cover up the day itself? Just 12 hours ago I realized that I am flying out to Tokyo tomorrow, er today. I'm up to my neck in to-do lists but I actually like it that way since I feel like I'm more efficient when I always am on the go. I'm a masochist, I confess.

But can I deal with that until 2009? My graduate classes in Stanford don't wrap up until then and work is becoming more routine and less challenging. I had to shake up my life a bit for some needed refreshening. Traveling won't do that for me anymore since traveling has become routine for me too. Writing as well.

Thus the triathlon. I started training for it and the plan I am following details down to the second the exact things I have to do in my workouts. But I will be working out 7 days a week to get ready for all three sports. What now that I'm losing a day going to Japan?

Nah, I will keep up with it. I want the challenge; I need it. I want to experience for myself what Albert Camus said, "In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer."

New Things

2006-07-10T22:45:00.001-07:00

I like it how I have a July celebration every year - it allows me to do another set of resolutions.

Well, time to freshen up a bit my life's direction, motivations, and of course my blog.

First up, triathlon. 15 weeks to go!

2006 and Jesus

2006-07-06T22:54:00.000-07:00

Let's flash back to my past blog entries from Xanga:

Written October 25, 2004 (has it been that long?) - I've done everything except the X's, but for 10 I did learn how to ski and snowboard...

X 1) Be in shape physically by Summer of 2005. (It happened 2006)
2) Master an individual sport (heavily contingent on the presence of an activity partner)
3) Learn Basic Greek
4) Learn Basic Mandarin Chinese
X 5) Take the FCC Licensing for Radio Ham Operators
6) Learn guitar/piano
7) Review and master relevant course material from college
8) Study for my GRE, improve my writing skills and increase my vocabulary
X 9) Learn how to race professionally
X 10) Skydive and bungee-jump, learn skiing and snow-boarding.
11) Learn how to cook gourmet food for my visitors...

Written July 7, 2005

July 7, 2000, I met this old lady at the bus stop and through her message I knew God existed. 2001, the computers in the lab I worked at got reformatted by a virus, and somehow God calls me to become a professor and a missionary. 2002, I am in southern Philippines for a mission trip, and guess what, on July 7, I witnessed the miracle of belief happen in another person. 2003, I joined a Catholic group. I eased into a group of believers that were outside my stereotype box. I also threw away the box. 2004, July 7, I was underwater (scuba diving not drowning), praying for my upcoming interview with Intel. On the same day, I received an email from Agilent and the rest is history. My soul learned about believing faith. 2005, I was considering quitting Agilent because they offered substantial exit packages for everyone eligible so we can downsize gracefully.

But God told me to stay and I learned about faithfulness.

2006, I have traveled around the world and saw God's heart for it. Now I steer my life towards his heart.

Things fall into place. Not too long ago I was unsure of my career path, now I have a clearer vision of the next five years. Back in 2004 I weighed in at 240 lbs, 26% body fat, now I tip at 184 lbs, 15% body fat, am leaner and more adaptive. There was a time when I budgeted money to pay off loans, now I budget to save for the future. I don't know if I am more mature but now I will be more precise and realistic with my goals:

1) Participate in a Sprint Triathlon.
2) Learn 200 new Chinese characters, write to and converse with Chinese employees.
3) Write 20,000 words for my "creative writing endeavor".

To be achieved on or before 07/07/07.

They're challenging enough to shake things up; they're in line with my long term goals; and they're bound to be fun. Light my fire,

.

@ the top of this mountain

2006-07-04T23:19:00.000-07:00

I think I've been resting too much on my laurels. There's barely any improvement in my character, physique and efficiency over the past few months. And my motivation levels have dropped a lot. Have I grown lazy and complacent? Is this the after effect of biological clock shaking?

I will have to do something about this. I am not motivated to workout as much anymore, am not driven to perform 110%, oh and a lot more... I have two reasons - 1) I've reached the top of my current mountain, and had time to enjoy the views, now it's time to move on to the next. 2) There are things I have to fix between me and God.

I like shaking things up once in a while. I'll start drafting another set of goals for 2007. Expect my annual July 7 entry in a couple of days.

RAWR!

2006-06-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my whirlwind trip to Asia. In two weeks I fly again to Tokyo.

I'll postpone postings for a while until I get a suitable body equilibrium. I'm thinking of just starting a webpage altogether since there are very few visitors here.

I'll be back chop chop!

logging from Penang

2006-06-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

I'm in Penang Malaysia; the week is almost over. On Saturday I'll fly to Singapore, go clubbing for the rest of the night there, then fly to Japan on Sunday morning and then head back to SF.

The past 2 weeks went by like a blur. In Hong Kong we taught and talked from 8am-6pm, had group activities til 9pm and then we partied until 4am. Pics here. Each morning we waged wars against the beeping maching. I'm happy to say that I actually woke up everyday!

In Hong Kong, I shopped for clothes and bought a real Tag Heuer watch upon my bosses' insistence to get my first bling bling. Well, okay I like it a lot too. :)

Then on Friday, I left Hong Kong to visit the Philippines, traveled 400 km in 2 days, met my 90 year old grandpa who's sick, met my high school classmates (to stock up on gossip and stupidity), met my dad for Father's day, and met my aunt to drop off stuff.

On Sunday, I flew to Singapore to meet my high school classmates - we went to watch a play about migrant workers which became our dinner discussion topic. We post-analyzed while eating rice and duck.

Monday morning I flew to Penang for work and that afternoon I went straight to work to give a presentation. The rest of the week, I've been meeting my project team here, but you know, compared to the other places I've been to the past weeks my work pace is much slower here. I actually get leisure time and moments to reflect on my life as I look at the fabulous view of Penang from my balcony.

I realized that a lot of small things "lined up" for me and my career. I keep on thanking God for it; I can't help but keep asking What now? There are so many possibilities, but I figured I'd just keep plugging in my best, keep raising the bar and then just revel as His plans unfold.

late bloomer

2006-06-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

So I was in a dance club last night in San Francisco til 1am and I didn't get back home til 230am. Let's just say I'm getting ready for my Hong Kong trip pre jet lag =P.

I never imagined I'd like clubbing; I've surprised my college friends because they never really thought that I would be the party goer. What can I say, I just love dancing. =) On the dance floors across Paris, Barcelona, Sydney, SF and LA, I've gotten many different complements that make me feel more comfortable about myself. There's more benefits to clubbing than just 4 hour cardio marathons =P. Now I'm really looking forward to tackling Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan the next few weeks, especially since I know someone from each of those countries! I'm excited :).

P.S. The pic was taken when my European co-workers were in SF two weeks ago. More pics here.

So Sick

2006-05-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

No not of love songs. This weekend, I had the worst attack of allergies in my life. Or maybe they're not allergies at all. I took Claritin but that wasn't enough to drain my runny nose. One night, I felt like I had runny nose and I just let it drip since I was tired of wiping it away (plus I ran out of Kleenex). Then I tasted rust and I realized I was dripping blood. One bloody hell of a night it was.

But anyway, this weekend, my friends helped me move my huge TV, couch and mattress to my new place. Then we went biking for a good 15 miles or so around town. Then on Monday, we ran the golden gate bridge again, like we did exactly 1 year ago. This time I didn't stop at all :) 3.4 miles in probably 40 minutes. This time, I was the one waiting at the end of the bridge - a definite change from last year!

I got Leuth to do the thumbs up too.

To adjust or not to

2006-05-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

Foosball and poker during my last week in my apt.

There are only very few people who read this blog and I don't know if I want to keep it that way anymore. Google pages will allow me to make my own webpage again and I've toyed with the idea... hmm.

Last weeked, I partied too much since my European co-workers came over to visit. Add to them some guys from Brazil and the US and we had the world cup in my apt. As a result, I never quite adjusted to the PST time zone. I just received my next itinerary from June 8-24: SF- Tokyo- HongKong- Philippines- Hong Kong- Singapore- Penang, Malaysia- Kuala Lumpur- SF. Should I even get adjusted to the time zone? Well at least I get to visit the Philippines for a weekend.

24 hours and explore

2006-05-14T05:02:00.000-07:00

I can now enjoy a new city and consider it "checked" within 24 hours. Any longer than that, I get homesicklikeness, the feeling where I just want to leave and go somewhere else. Today, I'm so homesicklike; my flight to SF got canceled because we hit a bird. Yeah. The 747 was about to take off when we hit a pelican followed abruptly by the pilot hitting the brakes so hard while announcing to the panic of everyone "Remain in your seats, remain in your seats!" I thought I was finally getting into a real adventure, but alas not quite the one I imagined. Now here I am in a hotel close to the airport but miles from the city centre thinking about what I could have done with the day. But hey it could've been worse, at least I'm booked at a 4 star hotel tonight.

Tonight at the bar, I was chatting with some of the other stranded travelers. There's Rachel who is now working with the government as a foreign service employee and there's Joe who is a real estate broker visiting his children in Au. The topic of where home-home was came up and all of us couldn't decide where home was/is anymore. We defined it as the place where you feel at home and with that criteria, sadly for me it's no longer the Philippines, but it's San Francisco or Los Angeles.

Which led me to think about my recent naturalization - did I betray the Philippines now that I'm a US citizen? In a way I did. But does that make me any more criminal than the others who left it too? The way I see it, I just have a different role now. I still want to help out sure, but for now I actually see myself more as a global citizen having seen so much of the world, unavoidably feeling responsible for it.

Someday, I wish to understand the collective and distinctive attributes of humans. Will it really matter whose citizen you are anymore? Don't we all fight to afford the same rights and privileges to live? Oh, what I would do to take those rights and privileges to the ends of this world... but for now let me just take a picture.

Greetings from Manly Beach, Australia. Named because this man was there :)

The past weekend and next

2006-05-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

This was the longest birthday I ever had. Started celebrating last weekend, and then everyday til yesterday since Thursday night. Clubbing, dinners, wine tasting and mountain biking. Wow, thanks to all you guys :-).

Meanwhile, preparation for Australia is now on turbo.

1. May 6: San Francisco - Sydney
2. May 8: Arrive Sydney
3. May 9: Sydney - Canberra
4. May 11: Canberra - Sydney
5. May 11: Sydney - Adelaide
6. May 13: Adelaide - Sydney
7. May 13: Sydney - San Francisco

After this trip I can fly to London and back for free with my frequent flyer miles - crazy!

Australia

2006-04-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

Just got back from LA for my mom's birthday, cousin's birthday and my pre-birthday celebration with some panget people (Archinas, I had more chips!).

Guess what, when I thought I would not be traveling during May, here comes one of my co-workers, "Do you want to go to Australia in two weeks?" "Sure!" I have to present a paper in his stead. It’s technical enough to exercise my brain; it’s short enough to learn in a week; and I’m going to an exotic enough place to experience an adventure! Thanks God, you know what I really love doing! You’re the best!

Running forward

2006-04-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

I ran around Spring Lake and Howarth Park yesterday - around 4 miles total. I'm rediscovering the freedom of running outside the gym. I may do it again today.

I think I can get close to my birthday goal of 180 lbs, 15% fat. Now I'm at 187 lbs, 15% - 16% body fat depending on the time of day I weigh in. Realistically, I can shoot for 185 lbs, 15% bf, 180lbs by June.

Ah, numbers numbers. On to other goals, I started planning the rest of this year and here's a short list of what I have in store:

1) Take up French and Chinese more seriously. Take French at the JC.
2) Get ready to become a board member of a radio station, donig management and planning.
3) Learn more about wines and fine dining.
4) Continue to be physically fit.
5) Continue writing an hour each day for my "book".
6) Start looking for a new place to buy or rent.
7) Repair and grow my relationship with God.

Sigh, #7 stabs at my heart.

Those Magnets

2006-04-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

Venezia

2006-04-17T14:58:00.000-07:00

I walk past the pianist who passsionately pressed her chords into melody. The violinist, bassist and accordionist joined in one by one, together trumpeting a joyful symphony that hinted of optimism, brisk action, and unbridled youth in its prime. I then pass white-gloved waiters on my way to the busy Piazza San Marco square where people fed hundreds of unwieldy birds. I joined in the chaos for a while. In the middle of the square I still heard the music, which was about to reach its conclusion so I slowly turned myself around full circle, in sync with the distant symphony that lifted my soul with its buoyant chords, as if to suggest that yes, there are a lot of things in store for the future. Then the end; applause; legions of birds fly.

I visited Venice the day after I arrived in Florence. The train from Florence dropped me and my aunt off at one end of Venice. To get to the Piazza San Marco, we had to pay for a water taxi or walk for 30 minutes. Of course we opted for the scenic route. We walked through narrow alleys and countless canals, all filled with confusing directions to the Pza. San Marco. As I passed through numerous stores that sold masks, Murano glass and other souvenirs, I started looking for my own souvenir. I wanted a magnet made up of murano glass that had “Venice” etched on it. The first few stores my aunt and I went to said it was an impossible find. Then by the tenth store, the shopkeepers said they’ve seen them before but somewhere closer to the P. San Marco. So we kept walking. As we neared the square, we’ve probably visited 20-30 stores to no avail. I was about to give up and lower my standards to find more suitable magnets when I realized that it’s the same thing with women. I decided that I won’t lower my standards just to find a woman that could suit me. I didn’t give up on that magnet. After I made that decision to God and to myself, the very next store I visited had a whole selection of these magnets! I lent a sigh of relief, at least my standards weren’t crazy. But after that store, I never found another store that sold anything remotely like what I was looking for. My aunt and I even went to the Murano island itself to look for them! So I realized my own lesson – never lower your standard when it comes to important life matters. Because chances are, those standards were pronounced to you by God, and He has something special in store for you. You know, like your perfect magnet.

We eventually got to the P. San Marco, and it was just bustling with life. Musicians serenaded us and birds were just everywhere! They’re probably the most fed birds in Italy. They’re aggressive too. After that, my aunt and I sailed for Murano island where we watched glass blowing demos. We took lots of pictures at the main island too and had lunch at one of the cafes. On our way back, we stopped by the magnet store and no matter how high they priced it, I was more than willing to pay for it. Just like my future bride. When she comes, I will surely pay dearly for her.

Moulin Rouge

2006-04-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

Visited it during my last trip to Paris.

I'm back!

2006-04-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, that was a great trip. Even if it was work related, I was with younger people all the time so I was always invigorated. I only slept 3-4 hours a day but I surely bonded with the European folks. I love Europe =(. I say that with a pout because I'm having withdrawal syndromes right now. I feel like I don't belong here like I'm supposed to be at a bar or something.

Oh well... that's why I'm gonna start blogging to let the bad air out. pfft. The first few days, I hung out in Paris, eating crepes, duck, escargots. We went to Montmarte (church on a hill), watched a mime show (picture above) and got my caricature at Sacre Coeur (it didn't look like me at all). I also took a picture of Moulin Rouge.

During the week, we were at Euro Disney about 20 km outside of Paris. Our company couldn't find a hotel big enough to house all our seminars and the whole European team. I didn't really explore Disney since I didn't like the whole kid thing, but I'll give them credit for having a Planet Hollywood and a discotheque on site which we frequented every single night.

The thing I love about Europe is that people love to dance. I even danced with one of our VPs. Also, the whole European field loves to dance. It was deja vu to my high school days when we got all crazy whenever there was a dance night.

Thursday night, we went to Paris for dinner and drinks. My co-worker P and I had several beers on empty stomachs before we left Disney so in the middle of the 40-minute train ride we couldn't hold our bladders anymore. We had to go and our French co-worker X just didn't understand us. At the stop, P and I ran out of the station, found a random street and p'd. We were laughing so hard because we tried to avoid the p from touching our shoes while drawing demarcation lines to mark our territories. We laughed so hard at how ridiculous the whole situation was, to the point where I had cramps while p'ing! So I had this awkward p'ing position holding my thing and my cramping stomach, which of course triggered another laugh. P and I laughed and p'd for a good 2 minutes while X swayed his head in laughing disapproval. P, X and I then took the train back to Paris again, then we went to an Italian resto, had food and shots, then headed to another bar, had more drinks then headed back to Disney. Since it was a ritual now, this p'ing thing, we p'd twice on 2 monuments before we headed home. Our territories were all marked. Once we got back to Disney, P and I headed to the discotheque to meet the other guys, and X headed back to his room since he hasn't slept for 2 days. Around 130am, P left and I went on partying til they closed around 3. A couple hours later, I had to open the conference room at 7, set up and get ready to talk for another 6-8 hours. Long tiring day.

That Friday evening, I went back to Paris again, this time with the local French guys. They took me to a gypsy bar. It was really gypsyish. I missed my train and had to sleep at one of the local's apartment. I woke up the next morning to head to another party in the countryside where we played betanque, badminton, had barbecue and anise. It was such a good time. I had to leave to catch my train back to Disney around midnight. I packed my stuff, woke up at 6am to catch my flight out to Barcelona right when I was getting acclimated and used to speaking French.

The whole trip was so surreal yet now so validated by how much I miss Paris. Someday, I want to live there. Je'm Paris.

Blah blah

2006-03-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

Go Bruins!!! Final Four baby!

I won't be able to see the game this Saturday - bummer - but thank God for internet! I'll use my phone to fish for news while I'm abroad.

My mom called me asking me to go back to the Philippines with her this May for a cousin's wedding and to buy a barong for my sister's wedding. We're swinging by Singapore too. I dunno if I should go. I'll spend more time in the air than on ground that weekend.

Regarding birthdays, I'm realizing that I can't reach my goal of 180 lbs by April 30. Boo. I've been going to the gym and working out more intensely to remove my baby fat but it takes so long to burn!!! I think I've gained a lot of muscle though.

See you later, I'll be gone til April 12. Au revoir!

Let's travel the southern hemisphere...

2006-03-23T17:32:00.000-08:00

According to this map, I've been to 14 countries... none of which are in the southern hemisphere! That should change - pretty soon if you'll join me :).

create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands

The Weekend & Beyond

2006-03-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we went snowboarding / skiing near Tahoe to celebrate a friend's birthday. There was fresh powder everywhere! So even if I fell face-flat or butt-first, I loved it. I skied two weeks ago and survived it so I had a lot of confidence picking up snowboarding again. It was my second time after 1.5 years and I was amazed that I didn't fall too much :-) I got lost though and ended up at the base of another mountain. They ended up looking for me for hours hehe. Next year, I'll try to get better at snowboarding (and directions) and go every weekend that I can.

This past weekend, I also found out that Stanford rejected my application to their PhD program. Now, it's clear that I'll just continue working and finish an MS remotely, if ever. We'll see how that will pan out over the next few years.

After some thought, I want to buy my own place. Since I won't be going to school full-time anymore, I might as well get settled. Now the question is where and what - condo, townhouse or single home? I better start saving more aggressively this year; my goal is to buy next year.

Ah, the future is an open highway once again.

"Are you bipolar?"

2006-03-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

My roommate asked me that a couple of months ago. He's the one who sees me day-to-day so it shocked me when he asked that. It was 11:59 pm on a Friday night and I was scrubbing the kitchen sink after vacuuming the whole apartment and doing all my laundry (sounds more obsessive compulsive to me). I asked him why he thought that and he told me of my manic moments (partying for 3 days without sleep, excessive spending sprees, and phenomenal energy) and my depressed moments (thought of executing suicide a year ago). I have / had all the symptoms listed here .

I've been thinking about his comment more last night when I felt like partying in San Francisco after having dinner with the guys. I feel like I'm going to get depressed again, going through the exact same feeling I had two years ago. Wow, I have a 1 year cycle. If I am bipolar, I sure have enjoyed it thus far - hehe! Better go skydiving before I get depressed again...

I wonder how long I will stay alive.

Random pic from India:

Next trip!

2006-03-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

I booked my tickets for Paris and Barcelona. I emailed some people in Paris and they're so excited to have me and my colleagues. This will be very fun and tiring! I can already imagine losing my voice after the 10th presentation, 2-4 hr sleeps, but oh well. After Paris, my colleagues will fly back to SFO while I will fly to Barcelona. I chose it over Berlin and Switzerland because it's friendlier and more suited for young'ns. I'm so excited about Barcelona that I can't work! With the world-famous Discotheque club right in front of my hotel (it's a clubbing street) and the Mediterranean sea just a 5-minute walk away, you'd have to be senile to not get stimulated! Barcelona, Barcelona, here I come!

Rome 2

2006-03-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

I woke up excited to wolf down the breakfast buffet. They had endless supply of prosciutto, sausages, cheeses, breads, juice, milk, water, fruits and coffee! Whew! Good thing their hotel (pic1) didn't have surveillance cameras… Actually, I don't think those would have slowed me down anyway.

I walked out of the hotel bright and early, carrying nothing but a water bottle, a map and some perishables from the buffet table on my backpack. I took the subway and man, there were so many people waiting! By the time it came, the crowd swelled up so much that I didn’t even have to walk in- the wave of people just pushed me right inside. My senses got numbed (olfactory included) that I didn’t even notice that I was being robbed! Just before I was about to exit, my camera pouch was open and this guy had his finger twirled around my digicam strap ready to pull it out. I gave him my most menacing stare, which wasn’t much I’m sure I looked like Jollibee – but still he backed off. He could have stabbed me, but oh well, he didn’t!

As I walked out of the station, I passed this gelateria (pic2) with the most desirable gelatos I’ve ever seen. Without hesitation, I snagged my after-breakfast appetizer. Moving on, I reached the Spanish steps (pic3), one of the most popular tourist places in Rome. They had mimes there, and the streets were lined with the latest Italian moda. Buses were plastered with Armani and Gucci ads, store shops displayed the most expensive wares. I saw two Maserati Quattrotorpes, one even backed up by an S-class Benz. A lot of people shopped, and I just had to experience it too so I entered Diesel, Puma and another gelateria.

I decided to just walk all the way back to my hotel, besides, I was only carrying a half-filled water bottle. I carried way too many valuable pictures to risk my camera getting stolen. I passed Piazza Navona (pic4), the Pantheon (pic5), the Trevi fountain (pic6) and other touristy spots. I forgot their names already; all I cared to memorize were gelato flavors… I had pizza with the locals near the Trevi fountain around dinner time then headed back to my hotel. On my way back I entered another gelateria. Then I slept.

I did the whole breakfast-hogging thing again in the morning and headed out for the Vatican (pic7). It was a 2 mile walk but the sights were well worth it. I passed the Castel San’t Angelo, a former fort, and I took pictures of art students sketching by the river (pic8). At the St. Peter’s square, the crowd started gathering since the pope was going to give a service that morning. Since it was still 2 hours away, I went to the Sistine Chapel (this entry's pic). It was visual overload! The floor, walls and ceilings were covered in art! But… The highlight was my illegal shot of the Sistine chapel painting (email me for this one). It didn’t even occur to me until I started looking at postcards being sold that THAT was the ceiling that had the Adam touching God frame! Had I known, I would’ve zoomed in =P.

When I got back to St. Peter’s square, it was just packed to the gates! I caught the last few moments of the service on video! With my other hand, I took a lot of pictures on my other digicam. I was very happy with my pictures. I was so glad it didn’t rain because everyone said it would. The Vatican was my last tourist spot, so I started walking back to my hotel to get ready to leave. I grabbed a quick lunch, took the 64 back to the Termini station and boarded my train to Florence. When I sat down and the train started moving, it started raining. I offered a short prayer of thanks for everything before I fell asleep.

Sketchers in front of Castel San Angelo

2006-03-08T09:19:00.000-08:00

Vatican

2006-03-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

Trevi Fountain

2006-03-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Pantheon

2006-03-08T09:16:00.000-08:00

Piazza Navona

2006-03-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

The Spanish Steps

2006-03-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

The gelatos!

2006-03-08T09:13:00.001-08:00

My hotel

2006-03-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles

2006-03-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

This past week I was in LA for work. Fast and fancy cars abounded, and it set the tone for my trip. It was quite exhausting really, dressing up and running at full speed, giving 24 presentations during the week and night prowling til early morning everyday. I liked it really, because I never wanted to be alone to face my demons. My international trips during the past 3 months have helped me avoid my problems, so when I heard Neo's song: Love songs remind me of what used to be, so why can't I turn off the radio? I found myself singing along with it, hits too close to home. I'm moving on but I'm still holding back a little, perhaps I'm just a little too hopeful.

So that's that. Onto happier notes, I got to meet my long-time friends in LA and it was great hanging with them. We swapped jokes and stories over sushi, wine, and other Filipino foodies. I also skied for the first time with my sisters, and didn't fall as much as I thought I would. I like skiing more than snowboarding (I'm getting old). Also, after one more trip to LA, I'll be going back for my sister's marriage and I'll be sending her off in lieu of my dad. I feel very old!

Anyway, I'm now preparing for my next trip, Paris. I just booked my hotel and flights and I'm thinking of visiting Switzerland or Germany afterwards for my 3-day vacation. I'm excited! (!!)

Stay tuned for the Rome2 update. I'll try to post more pictures, just be sure to comment!

Chronicles of India

2006-02-24T13:02:00.000-08:00

India is amazing. Its streets, driving habits, traffic, weather, and people are very similar to Manila. Everyone spoke English; everything was spicy; all the ingredients were present to make me feel at home.

Paradox of expression as it is, I wasn't really "at home" at all. I was barely at the hotel, getting out at 8 and getting back around 12 since we always traveled - 7 flights in 8 days - yay for my frequent flier points, nay for my sleeping habits.

But of all the "chalo" moments of my trip, I will always remember my trip to Taj Mahal. I didn't get awe-struck when I saw it, but when we left I was mesmerized. So much effort and precision! It simply is a physical manifestation of loudly expressed devotion.

At 35,000 ft

2006-02-03T03:57:00.000-08:00

I'm somewhere over Switzerland right now according to the interactive map on the plane. I'm blogging from a plane! I just had to, hehe. I've been up since 4am last Friday in California. That day, I took off for Frankfurt Germany around 2pm. Since taking off, I've slept 1-2 hours and saw a full day cycle (day-night) in 10 hours. It's 11 am Germany time, around 3 am CA time and it's bright outside so no matter how much I want to, I couldn't sleep anyway. By the time I arrive in India it'll be 12 midnight there, 12 nn CA time and I think I will be exhausted and will have a very good sleep. If everything goes well. I'm already foreseeing a lost in translation scenario.

During the flight from SF to Frankfurt, I couldn't sleep because I was thinking too much. I listened to my ipod which flooded me with old memories and reminded me of what is now new. My long distance courtship is over. Have you ever experienced both relief and pain?

For now, India is my focus. I have a huge job to do there. Do think good thoughts for me regarding that one.

Alright, gotta go since they're serving whatever meal it is now... I already lost track. =P

Blog about nothing

2006-01-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

So. I'm a little preoccupied with my India trip. I still have to run through my presentation to myself this afternoon and with some colleagues tomorrow. Tonight I'm gonna start packing my stuff. I've got my suits dry cleaned and my shirts boxed up for wrinkle-free travel (props to my dry cleaners); I checked out the international company phone, sent my presentations for publication, and my equipment for shipment. I'm excited!

On to my 2006 goals, I hope I can exercise while I'm in India. I don't want to lose track of my goal for April 30, 2006: 15% body fat and 180 lbs. I'm at 17.5% and 195 lbs right now, on track for a 5 lb/ month loss, which is now harder because I'm reaching plateaus. But I'm resolute on this goal.

I also plan on taking up French language and cultural lessons more seriously. I'm going back to Paris in April and I plan on being more inured when I get there. I'm buying this cook book to learn how to whip up French dishes and pair them with wine. Given the time that I have and the money that I can spare, I'm planning on investing on basic French cookware. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about.

Ok, that's it for my nothingness post of today? I'll try to finish my Europe travels too and come up with the chronicles India.

To end with something graphic, here's a pic of a 45-Euro French version of fish and chips.

Speed

2006-01-16T17:03:00.000-08:00

I'm beginning to see how fast my life has become. I've barely recovered from jet lag and sickness when I'll be traveling internationally again to India. Many things to do, but I'm excited!

Reach Bangalore on Feb 4.
6th. Travel around Bangalore for work.
7th morning fly to Hyderabad.
7th & 8th. Travel around Hyderabad for work.
8th evening- fly to Delhi.
9th & 10th – Travel around Delhi for work.
11th Agra, Taj Mahal (the only chance to relax)
12th, 3am, leave from Delhi
12th, 7am, arrive Frankfurt, Germany. Explore Frankfurt for 4 hours.
12th 2pm, leave Germany
12th 4pm, arrive SFO.

In 1 day, I'll be in 3 cities in 3 continents. Catch my brake light if you can ;-P

Rome 1

2006-01-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

I landed at the Rome Fiumicino airport at 10 am on Monday, 10/10/2005. I tried to call my hotel to ask them how to get there, but instead I got a recorded message in Italian, providing no information in English (or Tagalog) whatsoever of how lost visitors who have no maps could get there without flagging a taxi. I just consumed my last Euro for that call so I walked over to the money exchanger and did what I had to do - rob them. Just kidding. While the attendant counted my money slowly, she remarked something in Italian to her co-workers that made them laugh. I felt self-conscious for a second, but realized quickly that they're just probably admiring my astonishingly good looks. I proceeded to run my fingers through my locks. . .

As I left the money exchanger, my self-assured, lion-hearted swagger slowly returned to the normal overweight-characteristic left-right-whimper stride that has always cursed me since adolescence. As I started walking down the unimaginably long aisle with my 45-lb duffel bag and my 20-lb backpack, I made a mental note: enough of this backpacking look, next time, must use rolling luggage! Within a few minutes, I was doing the suffering-march.

I deduced that since everyone took the train to the Roma Termini station, I might as well join the ride. The ride could save my back another 30 years of service and save my face for 30 minutes. I arrived at Roma Termini station, but when I saw how long the tunnels were... well you know. Anyway, minutes later, I got hold of a map, finally, and located the tiny street where my hotel was located. I walked up to Information and asked the best way to get there. The lady advised bus 215, so I made sure not to look for that. As I trudged through the sun to get to the bus stations, not only did I find out that I was supposed to board bus 64, but also nobody wrote or understood English! It was through my savior and lord Jesus Christ (Praise the Lord!) that I found a nice couple who volunteered to tell me when I had to get off, through gesticulations of course.

The bus barely left the station when I realized how beautiful Rome was. The ubiquitous fountains, the buildings of various shades of yellow, gold and brown, and the cobblestone-lined avenues! But you must know that the devil himself followed me. As the bus rocked along, my face fell smack on an Italian arm pit, as if the devil pushed my head onto it. The Italian body odor is a little bit more raw (can I say hairier?) than the French version and definitely not shy and subdued like the American! I could almost see the E. coli bacteria colony floating in the air and multiplying on my nose. I muttered a muted “sorry!” to the stranger and a screaming one to myself. But I digress. When the kind couple I befriended advised me that my stop was coming up, I delightedly said, “Thank you, I mean merci, este grazie.” I would have won best actor in the Academy Awards for speaking 4 languages in a role (or roll).

Now that I left hell, I was happy to walk again, never minding the stones on my back. I got to my lodging - hallelujah! – and it was snucked in between many monuments, midway from the Colosseum and the Spanish steps. After taking a shower and a quick nap, I set off on my adventure to take night pictures of Rome.

I walked to the relatively youngest monument, the Il Vittoriano, built in the 1800s. I also went to the Piazza Venezia beside my hotel, and took pictures of the Roman Forum, circa 600 B.C. But the highlight of my day was taking pictures of and around the Colosseum. I took day pictures of Roman soldiers posing for interested tourists, international couples romancing and strolling, traveling junkies cartwheeling on the grass, and other day-to-day characteristic moments. I went up to this remote location to take my night pictures and was surprised to find a couple there from my zip code! What a small world. As the darkness rolled in and my stomach began to complain of hunger, I took a moment to reflect how old the Colosseum was. I mean, it just stood there for more than a thousand years! I did my best to capture its silent beauty, if not for my benefit, at least to commemorate its longevity. I took several angles of it, and when I was finally satisfied with my shots, I called it a night. It was a very long day, so when I looked at my map I was glad to see that my hotel was only 500 meters away.

New Beginnings

2006-01-05T08:04:00.000-08:00

How do you describe the very beginning of things? Some describe them precisely, like the start of Olympic sprints at t=0s. Sometimes they couldn’t even be defined like relationships that blossom - “they just happened.” When this New Year started, I was in Manila Bay, watching the fireworks spectacle that unfolded in the sky. I tried to capture the moments through video and photographs, but deep inside me I was filled with wonder and at the same time reflection of where in the future my past would take me, and how my future will uncover the past. I was caught in my dilemma that while I entered the New Year precisely at 12am on January 1, I straddled the past and the future as if they just happened. How then do I define the beginning of three new things?

First off, I have a high school friend that I’ve come to like more over the past few years. We exchanged emails, and over the years I started liking her more than just a friend. I told her this when I went back to the Philippines, making it clear that my gift giving, and words of affirmation are meant to go beyond the common bounds of friendship. She asked me, why and how I liked her, and as I tried to rack my brain for processes, lists and priorities, the most coherent answer I mustered up was that “God led me to you.” Imagine, I searched for partners here in America and I kept comparing them to her, 10,000 miles away. God must have done it. I told her I’ll be courting her, to get to know her more, if that was fine. She wanted to give it a try too, but given where we are both in our lives – she in medical school, I to go back to graduate school - I pray for much wisdom and passion. I actually used up my first calling card last night, indicating the beginning of something new in my life. It will be a lot of trial and error, but if it is truly God’s doing, we will see it through.

I also finished my applications to graduate schools. I am strongly lead to go back full-time to pursue my PhD degree starting September this year. I am excited by the prospect but also a bit daunted by the uncertainties. While medical school and law school have set curricula, PhD’s are completely student-driven. The best I can say is that I’ll wait for the acceptance letters first, then I’ll think about this new beginning again later.

Lastly, as I closed the past year, I also confirmed that I have moved on with my past. Moving out of the house gave me a better perspective because when I saw my dad’s new wife(?), half-brother and half-sister in the Philippines, I was completely fine. I can’t say that it’s the beginning of new things between us, because for all I know, I have forgiven much in the past already. Forgiveness is decided at a specific time, but also reoccurs in the future, depending how the past haunts it back. Therefore, it’s not a causal event; and it’s a beginning that’s quite hard to describe.

This quite sums it up. I would like to post another entry about my Philippines trip but there are still some entries from my Europe trip I have to post. I’m quite behind.

London and Cambridge

2005-12-07T11:43:00.000-08:00

It was a Friday night and I was so tired. The conference just ended the day before and I did a final tour of Paris, visiting the Louvre, the George Pompidou centre and the Arc de Triomphe for the last time. I was about to keel over after braving the rush hour subway traffic to get to the Paris Charles de Gaule Airport with all my luggages, through 3 security checkpoints, at 9 pm, when Luftansa announced that my flight to London was delayed by an hour. Since my brain was on multi-tasker mode the whole week, it immediately made a flashing to-do list ranked by priority: 1. Get another espresso. 2-10 revolved around accomplishing # 1.

The mess in Paris was a glimpse of how my London stay would be. I arrived at London Gatwick by midnight and my poor host, Junjun, hadn't eaten dinner yet so we went out to eat first before going home. I had barely closed my eyes at 3am when I opened them again at 8 to catch the London duck tour. What, that was 5 hours already?

Junjun and I got to London in time for the last duck tour. Our tour guide was an extremely talented comedian, and he managed to wake me up. He squeezed in information about the Buckingham palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and other monuments in between his jokes. After the land tour, the mobile cruised along the River and we all got a glimpse of London from the water. The water was dirty.

After the duck tour, Jun and I walked over to the London Eye, this gigantic ferris wheel that took 30 minutes to go around 360 degrees. After that, we whisked off to catch the 2pm showing of Les Miserables. It just so happened to be its 20th year anniversary that day so the cast was phenomenal. By the end, even I was mesmerized and emotionally involved. I will always remember distinctly hearing sniffling and sobbing in between the arias.

Jun and I then entered a pub to watch the football game between England and (?), and England won. We had a beer or two, then we went back to Jun's apartment to get ready to go clubbing but we were so tired that we just decided to stay at home.

We slept for 6 hours before waking up to drive up to Cambridge to visit Nette. I hadn't seen her in 6 years, and it was my first time seeing her again with her husband, JP. All four of us went punting and it wasn't easy. You had to balance yourself standing up at the back of the boat while trying to push forward by using a massive and heavy stick. It was already difficult pushing the boat, let alone navigating it in the right direction. We apologized for the many foreseen collisions that we didn't know how to avoid. We certainly deserved the Sunday lamb roast for a reward. Over tender lamb and caramel cakes we swapped stories and caught up with our lives.

Nette, Jun and I proceeded to King's chapel to listen to the world-famous King's choir. The first two minutes, I was transported to music heaven, but for those that followed, I was taken to sleep heaven. What can I do if I didn't understand a word they were singing? My brain prioritzed sleep over music and it was so.

Jun and I then took Nette to her church where she sang. At the end of the service, I knew that the day was over and I may not see Nette for a very long time again. Jun and I drove back to London to have dinner with his family before calling it a weekend.

I left London at 6am on Monday to catch my flight to Rome. Indeed, my London trip way so hectic, I didn't even have time to pen a single word in my journal about it. But just as you remember pleasant memories for a long time, many details of the trip remain fresh as if I just left.

The year that was.

2005-12-01T15:08:00.000-08:00

I will be a month early in writing my end of the year update. I think the past 11 months had enough happenings already that could justify such a post. There are those I longed for and others I denied.

This year rounded up my first year at work. I love the perks, the responsibilities, my team and my products. I know I have idealism on my side and maybe I will eventually get pessimistic, but for now I accept everything as a gift. One of my biggest joys was writing a paper and presenting it at a conference in Paris. It was my first time in Europe and I thoroughly enjoyed it. For 2006, I’m set up for more travel opportunities- I’m grateful.

This year, I achieved several goals I set for 2005, the biggest of which was weight loss. I lost 40 lbs. I wanted to look younger because everyone kept on thinking I was 6-8 years older. I also wanted to feel more energetic. I haven’t arrived at my end goal, but I learned that discipline is always good, and a healthy lifestyle is worth sweating for.

I faced many demons this year too, those from my past, my psyche, my family and my friends. I lost ground on many of them, and as a result my life will never be the same. But what I will take out is a deeper understanding of grace. Grace that is free, unearned and resurrects the dead. I died a hundred deaths this year yet I’m still alive.

And lastly, there is romance. All my life I’ve been very cautious to the point of inaction, but now I know that it is a man’s role to pursue. I think it’s about time that my knowledge develop into action.

As good as 2005 was, I leave it behind in anticipation for 2006.

how am I doing?

2005-11-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

I'm here in LA for Thanksgiving, and I had the time to update. I left my apartment in Sta Rosa at 7:07pm and arrived in LA at 4:04am. I slept at a rest station for 45 mins, took 2 additional stops through 430 miles of bumper-bumper midnight traffic. I ain't looking forward to the return trip.

I originally intended my next post to be about London and Cambridge but I slacked. Next time I travel, I'll write the entries while I'm in the actual city.

Work has been great, sometimes hectic. I am doing a lot of marketing extracurricular tasks on top of my regular job. Needless to say, I'll be travelling a lot (15 cities, 7 countries) for the next six months. More places to talk about, I guess.

Paris

2005-10-31T11:21:00.000-08:00

“Excusez moi.” I’ve heard that phrase before. This time around though, it's not spoken facetiously to sound sophisticated or gay. There was no hint of humor in it, just an urgency to get through. I looked back at the French lady and stepped aside. It then struck me that I was an outsider now, even before the plane left America. I expected that feeling to hit me much later. Excusez moi, parles vous Anglais? Merci boucoup. Au revoir. That’s about all the French I could remember. Memoirize moir French phrazez!! I took out my French phrase guide, put my carry-on baggage in the overhead bin, sat down, buckled up, memorized.

I went to Paris to attend the European Microwave Conference. It’s our biggest European event each year, and accordingly, 3 levels of management (2 shy of CEO) attended and they were all on the plane with me. It’s funny how as we went down the aisle, one by one we got to our seats in pecking order. Needless to say, I was 3 rows shy of the tail. I attended because I was going to deliver a workshop based on a paper I wrote. I also participated in a worldwide product premier there, one of Agilent’s most significant product launches since the product targets a completely new market segment. All of us had hectic schedules – workshops, booth duties, press releases, VIP visits and media interviews. For such a big event, I wore my French blue shirt, my French cuffs, and my French accent. Guess which was my faux pas?

The night before my presentation, I only slept 2 hours because of jet lag. I was tired but restless, and the expensive, tiny French hotel room made me feel more agitated. When the sun finally rolled out, I prayed that my lack of sleep was just a dream. As I dressed up, I prayed about my breakfast not messing up my suit. In the subway, I prayed that all my equipment would work as I tightened my grip on the railing. I thought about everything that day – except for being calm. My co-workers and I got to the conference center and I just ran on adrenaline; I also sweated like a pig. When it was finally time to deliver my workshop, I got so scared during the first 3 minutes that I stuttered. Come on, you’ve prepared 3 months for this… God, help me…Soon enough, things fell into place, and I delivered the rest of my slides with excitement and confidence. The Product Marketing manager even sat through half of it and during the break he gave me such a huge compliment that made me more confident for the rest of the workshop. When I finished, I heard the audience clap and then and there I knew – I really like teaching. As the audience left, I collected the evaluation forms, smiled since they evaluated positively, then I put away my equipment, got out of the conference center, sat down on one of the benches, unbuttoned my French cuffs, looked at the sky, and prayed. So this is what You had in store huh? I feel so drained, but it’s definitely worth it. I stared at the sky until it got dark.

The rest of the week went by with me doing demos on the new product we launched. I got to talk with professors (even saw a UCLA professor I knew), students, competitors, managers and presidents of companies. I enjoyed it thoroughly; the experience reminded me of evangelizing at UCLA. The days were really busy, so when nightfall came we celebrated it away.

Every night my colleagues and I just literally step out of our hotel into the night life since my hotel was along the Rue de Champs Elysses, the watering hole of Paris’ trendiest. Amble a little, you can buy 100% alcohol with anise. Walk a block and you can get jiggy wit the Parisian clubbers. Walk yet another block and you’re at the Arc de Triomphe. The male and female fashionistas of Paris filled the avenue, donned in designer clothing, strutting like ramp models. Their confidence was visible, like a huge mark on their faces. I didn’t see a single overweight Parisian. It was also hard to find one who didn’t smoke. Apparently, my co-workers being English and German were used to this sight so their focus was elsewhere, “Dinner at Bastille?” My eyes were still following these Parisian women, “Yeah, sure, whatever.” We took the subway to get to Bastille.

All my French dinners were superb. My German co-worker has such a refined palate that each time we went out I’d ask him for a recommendation and he’d order a dinner-wine combination that matched my taste spot on. From ducks, rabbits and snails to crème brulees and crepes, Cabernets and brandies to vodka sorbets with mint, Parisian food is enough reason for me to welcome obesity again. When I thought I could guess how they cooked a dish, I was always mistaken as I took a second bite. And a third…

When the conference was finally over, I walked around Paris. There are many memories I plan to keep alive. The way the royal blue roofs projected elegance, the red awnings that hinted of romance, the glittering River Seine that witnessed generations of wars, and became subject and setting of thousands of stories, the rich history invisibly engraved onto buttresses, churches and monuments, the roundabouts that depicted the convoluted and seemingly arbitrary French culture, the ubiquitous cafes and crepe stands where the French watched the world go by, and of course, the French people, both in and out of romance.

Stay tuned for London, Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa and Chianti.

Two off the list

2005-09-09T23:44:00.000-07:00

As a way to incorporate variety and spice into my life, I created a "life's to-do list" which I posted on my former blog. I won't repost it, but needless to say, I checked one item off last Monday - running the Golden Gate Bridge back and forth. I thought it was a short bridge (1.7 mi across), but man, it was quite long =P. I haven't run a long time so it was good exercise to finish the whole 3.4 mi. I used to run the UCLA perimeter (3.7 mi chockful of hills), but those were during my active days. I'm just trying to keep my body as young as possible by assimilating various activities as hobbies - running being the neglected one.

I added spice to the day towards the end. I stood on the ledge and started jumping up and down while my friend took photos. Then he joined me. We timed the camera and amidst gawking older spectators, we flew, karate-chopped, and "jumped" the bridge. People thought we were suicidal because my friend actually fell off the ledge. Good thing he's a wall climber.

The above picture could now be crossed off my to-do list as well.

Next thing to tackle on the list: Learn American History.

A Pithy Update

2005-08-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

I've devoted the past few nights to reading. I've laughed myself to sleep because of David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day and man, his profoundly witty prose is genius :). I also finished The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night and it was written from the perspective of an autistic. The author is obsessive compulsive like me so I related a lot. =P The style is delightfully airy and heartfelt. I also finished The Time Traveller's Wife and though the premise is ingenuous and the prose very elegant, I struggled to finish it just because it didn't have the suspense that sustains. Lastly, I'm switching between The Hundred Years of Solitude and The World is Flat for those nights when I want to get more meat from my readings.

My readings constitute the highlight of my day. I love how the laconic remarks and platitudes metamorphize into effigies, how they unearth the mines of subconsciously planted desires, and how their evanescent nature bring about such a unmistakable clarity albeit temporal. My soul traverses stars in the night. But afterwards it goes downhill until the morning when I pick it up from the nadir.

Like an analgesic that invisibly circulates around my body, I can’t shake off the feeling that my life is becoming desultory. I can't explain it. It's a mix of euphoria and loneliness, victory and regret, love and indifference. All I have left now are the words in between.

Do you read this blog?

2005-08-16T17:41:00.000-07:00

Anyway, I shut down my Xanga because blogging on it became a morning habit that took an hour each morning. Now, at least if I blog, it's after work.... But I gotta decide now which blog to settle down to - this, livejournal or a new Xanga.

Where do my thoughts go nowadays? I'm trying to find my dream. I looked back at my college journals; I saw that there was a passion inside me that motivated me each morning to function well above my norm. I saw it in my cursives, jotted schedules, to-do lists, and ah... prayers.

I do pine for the days when I've hitched my wagon on God's dreams and not mine. I miss being on a higher plane altogether. Hopefully my temporary blogging silence will quiet my restless soul.

East Coast Trip

2005-06-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

The East Coast trip (Boston - NY - Princeton - WashDC)

(I didn't realize that I had this as a draft and never published it!)

While taking many pictures and solitary walks, I was able to see through to my tastes and motivations. It was a good trip.

For the first 4 days, Phil and I only got 10 hours of sleep (and most were accidental), but we decided to slow down since we were getting sick.

Boston (Day 0-2)

Boston has its charm, but I don't think it's enough to entice me. (Although it's been my thawing longing to move to the East Coast for graduate school because of the different weather, scenery and convenient access to most places without using a car.) You can't get that in California!

When we arrived, I tagged Phil along to fulfill an appointment with a prof at harvard who did research on self-assembling electronics. It turns out to be different from what I want to do. So after that, we went walking around Harvard... and it wasn’t a very beautiful campus. Too dirty for me.

Phil and I visited two friends from ucla who are now at mit doing their phd. Mit is too intense for me. Can you believe that it takes 8-9 yrs on average to get your PhD (starting with MS)! That scared me.

Then Phil, I, Kevin and Hsu just walked around Boston, Cambridge and drove to Lexington and to Thoreau’s Lake, where Thoreau was inspired to write many a-word, a-noun, a-predicate, etc.
Before leaving for NY, we took a Duck tour that took us around Boston… I took some interesting pictures along the way. Then at 10:30pm, we boarded a bus towards Chinatown, NY. The plan was to sleep. Define “plan” for us please.

New York (Day 3-5)

On the way to NY from Boston, I definitely had a stimulating conversation with Phil about our futures. We were both in the same boat (or bus), thinking about quitting our jobs to go back to school. But we had one difference though - I still liked my job.

Anyway, by the time we got to NY, it was 4am and I didn't sleep. We were butt-ugly-tired. The past 72+ hours, we’ve been awake for 62+ hours and most of those hours were energy consuming.

We went to Chinatown, had chow mein at 4am, then walked up 20+blocks to get to our hotel (which was beside the Empire State Building btw, for dirt cheap $80/night! – through hotels.com) then we’re told that our room doesn’t open until 3pm. So… we sat down at the lobby, then next thing I knew someone was waking me up “You can’t sleep here”… Sigh … we kept walking around NY, us two smelly un-showered backpacking asian ucla alumni. We visited Madison Square Garden, walked up to Times Square, MTV, Radio City, NBC studios, ESPN etc etc. We finally decided to walk back toward our hotel around noon. Phil and I saw this park and Phil just dozed off for an hour, while I read my novel and took pictures of people!

We slept for 3 hours in the hotel. Then off for dinner and the empire state building! We also walked around Times Square to take night pictures… and have my caricature taken!

Got back at midnight and slept for 8 hours. I just remembered I haven’t slept that well since I left work 3 or 4 days ago. Then I started feeling sick. Uh-oh.

We had breakfast at this Korean mini-grocery in front of our hotel (we were in K-town btw). Man, they served great breakfast there. Then off we went to see the statue of liberty, and we managed to take good pictures. One of which, started a crazy trend among everyone… Everyone wanted her to stand on their hand as well.

We walked along Wall St towards Ground Zero.

Then that night we crashed at Phil’s friend’s place in New Jersey. Then the following day, Phil and I went to Central Park, I dropped off my stuff at my hotel and parted ways . He was flying back to LA while I was getting on with the rest of my trip.

I woke up like a prisoner at 4am. I promptly checked out for my train ride to Princeton.

Princeton, NJ (day 6-7)

Yes, my trip to the East Coast was filled with visiting different schools. I really had to see the school first before applying because if I end up going all the way to PhD, I might as well like living there!

I liked Princeton and it seems like a good choice for graduate school. They have one professor who's the leader in his field, Organic Electronics. I got a tour of their labs and man... they're well equipped! I also chatted with a prof doing Molecular Bio electronics. Interesting, but not so much for me.

Princeton’s campus didn’t strike me as beautiful until I saw it as a whole. I walked around and took snippets of Gothic Architecture.

I liked the small-town feel of Princeton, with long-standing coffee shops lining the streets and all. The people were kind too, and the cute 23-yo Japanese waitress at the sushi restaurant took a liking to me. Wow, everything was going well for me at Princeton. Even my hotel was top notch!

Washington, DC (day 8-10)

I left Princeton happy. I boarded the Amtrak towards Washington DC to meet up with Patrick, a buddy from Santa Rosa. I stayed at his apartment, thank God, and while he was at work, I walked up and down the Mall and got a picture of the White House. It was cloudy so my pictures were so-so.

That night, I took Patrick bar-hopping. His area is so young, I’m jealous!

The next day, we went to Georgetown, walked across the Potomac River and just chatted and caught up. That night I took the bus to Dulles International airport since no buses go there at 5am. My flight back to Oakland was at 6. I never stayed overnight in an airport. It was really cold. Nonetheless, I finished two novels while waiting.

Once I boarded the plane, I closed my eyes and the next thing I saw was Oakland. I was very hungry.

2005-05-16T00:53:00.000-07:00

Stanford Visit 1

You can also visit me at www.xanga.com/ayoumali

2005-05-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

Philippines Trip 2004

First Post!

2005-01-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

It's my first post, woot!