Take me to your daisies.

Day 2: Hollywood Swangin'

I love the smell of hot coffee in the morning. Waking up is always surprisingly pleasant at Skyview Terrace. There's always something to do, something to eat or laugh about or enjoy. My sister-in-law was fixing up English muffins and mom was brewing some coffee. Too bad they ran out of the Jamaican coffee that brother brought back from his honeymoon, that was really good. Have you ever tried Jamaican coffee? I'll make some for you, just for you. Someday.

After I showered and washed up, I sat down at the table. Dad was on the laptop and brother was watching TV; I don't remember what the show was about. We ate up and went to my favorite sandwich joint in the world: PORTO'S! I love Cubanos. I could eat Porto's every day for the rest of my life for breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner, dinner, dessert, supper, and midnight-snack and never get sick of it. I ordered a pan con lechon, or a slow-roasted pork sandwich as Americans would say. Pork: Yay or nay? There are so many things about you that I would just love to find out. We also ordered a potato ball, a fried banana, an apple turnover, a fruit-cracker-cocktail sort of thing, and a big slice of chocolate cake. I never even got to eat that cake! Dudeee, what a drag.

Once we were done, we split up. Mom and dad headed to Long Beach to visit Aunt Bea while my siblings and I hit the malls. I REMEMBERED TO BRING THE CAMERA THIS TIME. Drove up to Glendale like we usually do and stopped by the Galleria and Americana at Brand. It was daytime, so the crepe booths weren't open. BUMMER. I spent about an hour in XXI trying on jeans and a jacket, and I swear to God that was one of the nicest stores I've ever been in. I'm taking you there whenever we have a chance to get out of town. I felt so encumbered having the D200 around my neck all the time, but I dealt with it. Picked up a pair of jeans and a jacket for $60. The poor gentleman next to me was buying clothes for his daughter and they had just finished scanning everything when he pulled out a couple of $20 bills; they told him that the line he was in was for debit or credit only.

H&M afterwards. Nothing of interest, really, and it didn't have as nice of a selection as the one on Hollywood and Vineland. I headed out and met my brother at the fountain. Directly in front of us was a Cheesecake Factory, and he informed me that I had JUST missed Nicole Richie walking into it. Said I probably scared her off with my camera. Pfft. As if I would want to take pictures of her. But I actually do wish I had seen her! Do you like Nicole Richie? I never really found a reason to ask you that until now. Remind me to ask, the next time we speak. We left Americana finally and headed to Westminster Mall ("Are you kidding me?!") to meet up with my sister and her boyfriend.

I walked around the mall as everyone crowded around the pet store. The mall seemed to have gotten a lot smaller since I had last been there, and a lot emptier. There was a children's fashion show in the middle of the mall and a decent-sized gathering of people around it. I bet you could win a fashion show or two, anyday. It was pretty cool actually, that never happens in San Jose. Nobody here cares about other people, they just want to shop and buy stuff. The kids were really adorable! I really can't wait until I become a parent, but that's still a long ways away. My feet were growing weary because I must have walked around the entire mall four times before everyone else finished, but I did manage to snag a pair of Levi 520s from Pac-Sun for $15. On clearance and the last pair in my size, not to mention that you can't find 520s anywhere else. "That's a whattabargain!"

We met up with my parents around 7 that night at a Vietnamese restaurant, Nhu Y. Ask me if you really want to know how to pronounce that, haha! I'll teach you it though, I'm sure you can get it, no problem. It literally means "Just how you like it", although I guess you can call it "Have it your way!". No, it's not a Vietnamese Burger King. Our plate of grilled fish came out and my brother and sister were appalled. The fish was MUCH bigger the last time we ate at this restaurant. I didn't mind, I don't like fish that much anyways. My dad ordered venison (that's deer) and goat curry. Gross? Not even! Wish I had a plate of that right now.

After about an hour, we finished eating dinner. You know what that means! Everyone took out their fancy touch-screen phones and starting looking up dessert places...AGAIN. We found a Yogurtland across the street from CSULB and decided to head there. I'm definitely taking you there. And to CSULB, the campus is gorgeous. The place was HOPPIN', but I'll be damned if it wasn't the best yogurt I've ever had. I loaded up my cup with five different flavors; I think it was strawberry, pistachio, taro, green tea, and mocha. Something like that. Can't forget the toppings though, so I headed over to the little trays and got a claw-full of coconut, peanuts, brownies, and of course, chocolate syrup. $3.18 for all of that, and it was a BIG cup. Whattabargain!

We all went our separate ways home after that. The rest of the night was relatively uneventful as it was getting late and my sister-in-law had work the next morning, so we just spent some family time together watching TV. It's funny how the simplest things can bring a family that much closer, even if it nobody seems to notice.

Day 2 was done with. The only downside? I missed you even more. Day 3 to come soon.





P.S. I wrecked a rogue today. Three times. The poor little gnome was helpless against Fairie Fire and my Pounce Bleed + Shred combos. Have a nice day, buddy!

Nostalgia.

quiatchon (2:20:12 AM): it just seems like a fling.

quiatchon (2:22:12 AM): girl's are more confusing than a 20x20 rubik's cube
quiatchon (2:22:36 AM): only when we get 20 points in our subtetly talents
quiatchon (2:22:40 AM): will we be able to understand them
quiatchon (2:22:52 AM): but that won't happen if there aren't any monsters spawning on this damn planet.

Wow! No pun intended, but this really takes me back, back to better days before I had quit WoW. ShS/Sub was THE best rogue spec and Rogue + Priest/Druid teams were insanely OP. I couldn't find any good Druids because the Rogues took them all! /sigh. Good times, Denkou, good times. I'll be returning to WoW this summer; until then, just sit tight.

Quiatchon really does speak the truth, though. That's three girls and counting that I've been just another benchwarmer for, starting since way back when, still in early 2008. The word "fling" always came with a rather negative connotation in my eyes, but to actually see it put to use in analyzing my situations, well, that was a kick to the chest. But truthfully, perhaps he was right, for we always started our novels but never finished writing them. I honestly and sincerely hope that that wasn't what I was to you (all of you!), just another fling to keep you entertained as you were picking up the pieces and rearranging your own puzzles.

Just a small intermission for now. Details about Day 2 of my trip are coming tomorrow. Deuces until then.






Oh, and I really, really, really miss WoW. I think I was born to MT things...I mean, hey, aren't my initials proof enough?

'Cause I still got my soul.

^ I think that sums it up pretty well.

Day 1: Skyview Terrace

Skyview Terrace truly is a beautiful place. I've already grown quite accustomed to the decor and ambiance of the humble apartment despite only having resided there for about a week. I think I left one of my socks in the bathroom. Sorry, brother!

I awoke at around eight in the morning. Valentine's Day, and grandma's birthday. Happy belated for a second time, I love you. The morning passed slowly; the sizzling of over-easy eggs began to fade and the sound of car doors slamming shut seemed muffled. To some, it was a day to love. To me, it was a day to leave it all behind. I washed up, ate my eggs, and got in the car.

The sun was shining down in full force, which I think contributed to my airy mood that morning. After a week of rollercoasters, the last thing I wanted to do was stay in this God-forsaken town. Speeding down the 5, my earphones blaring, I let the beats lull me to sleep.

We arrived around 3, and my brother and sister-in-law took my mom and I to a local Mexican grocery store to pick up some vegetables. I swear, you'll find the cleanest, nicest, most considerate & overall chill Mexicans ever in Burbank. Not to be stereotypical, but I was thoroughly impressed. Stopped by the local Hows (that's like the So.Cal equivalent of Lunardi's, for your noggin!) to grab some fresas, and headed on home.

My sister & her boyfriend arrived at the apartment around 7. HOLY COW is he tall. Gotta love the dude though. Piled into the car once again and rolled over to Japantown, LA. I WISH I BROUGHT THE CAMERA I WISH I BROUGHT THE CAMERA I WISH I BROUGHT THE CAMERA. It really is a beautiful place. I wish you could have been there. Yeah, you. You would have liked it. We stepped into a small Japanese mall and settled into a real cozy yet authentic joint; Honda-ya, or something. I forgot what it was called. Tempura is the best thing ever devised and Japanese rice is so much better tasting (and more nutritious!) than Vietnamese rice. We ordered some Yakitori as well, and I had some grilled beef tongue. Guess I did get some action on Valentine's Day after all, huh?

So after about 5 minutes of phone-browsing for local desserteries (I envy you guys and your touch-screen phones) we found a small mom&pop type store nearby that sold mochi. If you've never had it, you really need to. They ran out of strawberry, and green tea, but the almond and cafe latte flavors were more than satisfying. You would have loved that, too. After eating, we saw a small general-purpose store; kind of like Daiso, but way fresher. I made my way over to the collection of manga and anime DVDs in the corner as the rest of the family looked at ridiculous kitchen items. After a good half an hour we went across the way to a small frozen yogurt store and fed our cravings even more.

Sister & her boyfriend headed back to LB while the rest of us headed home. At 11:30 P.M., brother asks if anyone wants to go to Wal-mart. Are you serious? We take a 30-minute to Santa Clarita to a SUPER Wal-mart. I've never been in one before, but they're open 24 hours a day. One of these days, I'm going to take you to one, as stupid as that sounds. The place was enormous, easily bigger than a football field. You couldn't even see to the opposite wall from one side of the building. Because we came in "after-hours", most of the workers were busy restocking their inventory and taking down all the Valentine's Day displays. I swear, there were more workers in that one Super Wal-mart than there are in all of Eastridge. Dad wandered off by himself as usual and mom spent most of her time chasing him down, so I, being half-asleep and ready to collapse on the floor, walk around dully throughout the food section. $6.97 for a bag of frozen chicken wings? You gotta be kidding me. I passed by my brother at least a dozen times but both of us were way too tired to say anything to each other. After at least 10 laps around the damn place (that's more than 2 miles of walking, and pardon my language) we finally head home. We saw a couple walking in. "Are they insane?!" Hah, I love my mom.

You won't believe how fast I fell asleep that night, for as soon as the apartment door swung open, I was already on that couch and ready to catch some Zs. And I really, really missed you. A lot.

Day two coming up. My brother saw Nicole Richie. Too bad I missed it!

Happy belated.

Been gone for awhile, but I'd like to wish a happy belated Valentine's Day to all you lovers out there. Don't let her down, fellas. And ladies, don't go blind now. You know what I mean!

I'll blog about the trip after I unwind. I hate traffic. A snowstorm blew through the Grapevine last night and it was absolutely beautiful. Oh, and I got home in time to watch 24. Thanks for driving, dad.

So right now's not a good time for me. Get at me for the complete low-down. Deuces until then.

Oh, and happy belated birthday, grandma. Thank you for raising me right. I love you. <3

Mirror.

I've learned that nothing is for sure, even if they say it is, and I've had to learn that the hard way. Appointments, grades, love and fortune, friendships and passions will all fade in time. The past couple of days have been tough. People have talked behind closed doors and I know that they'll continue whether I'm here or not; the fact that we as humans crave for conflict belittles my faith in the good of the commonfolk.

At times like this, I ask myself why I even try anymore when I am surrounded by people who don't. At times, I feel as if I'm the only one seeking truth and moral righteousness in a world of malice and ill-intent, as if I'm the only one seeking to better myself rather than to influence others. There are moments in which I stop and stare, taking the time to wonder, "Why?" Is it because I want to prove myself better than them? Or because I'm trying to be different?

The realization hit me today that this is just how I am, how I was raised and how my heart & soul operates. My parents have blessed me not in the things that they give to me, but in the ways that they taught me how to give. Father showed me the importance of being earnest, work hard 'till you die and push the limits of the known. I took that to heart, this year more than ever. And mama taught me what it means to feel, to delight in your successes and to reflect on your shortcomings, to never cry unless somebody dies. She taught me that with the fire comes rain, and joy wouldn't feel so good if it wasn't for pain.

So for nearly seventeen years I've lived under a pair of hands, one to pull me back and one to let me go. For as long as I can remember, I wondered why I've been restrained when I should have been pushed, and why I was set free when I should have been held. To this day, I still haven't found the answer to that. I wish I knew, but something tells me that I never will. Yet still I stay thankful for these hands, as mysterious as they may be, for without their guidance, God knows where or who I would be today. I've been told never to let my morality get in the way of doing what's right, even if it means taking the high road, because when lose your heart that means you lose yourself. Time wasted is time lost, and I'm playing for keeps.

They say that love alone makes a home, and a man without a home can't make it on his own. So meet me at the crossroads. Anywhere you wanna go, I'll take you there.

Burn.

February has proven itself to be a hectic month so far. Hands dry, a bruise on my arm, a slip in my pocket and a smile on my face seems to paint the perfect picture.

It seems as if the portrait is nearly ready to be hung on the wall, yet rather than depicting a ravishing duo, it reveals a young man by his lonesome, a compilation of letters laid out on the desk behind him. Yet this image of sadness is accented by the man's smiling face, a radiant glow blanketing himself and those around him.

For through the doubt and the dim he has stood strong. His validity has been renewed; his reason to smile, clear.


I am that man.