lost in california

Chris

2007-06-30T16:38:00.001-07:00

A quick five days

We had a good time with our friend Chris who I talked about in the last post. Some of what we did included going to Mex for an afternoon, hanging out in LA for a while, checking out an Angels game, having a little Wii session with some friends, and just hanging out for the rest of the time. It was really great to catch up with Chris and I must admit that he wasn't quite ready to go home for these three reasons. So five days later Chris has now gone back to Japan and then will be on his way home to Australia before long. We hope that Chris will come back soon and maybe even come and live here in LA so we'll keep our fingers crossed until then!

As for the rest of our week, here are some random photos!

Tijuana, mate!

2007-06-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

So we made a run for the border.

And spent the afternoon in TJ.

With our good mate Chris from the land down under who is currently living and working in the land of the rising sun. He just came by for a quick visit... Bienvenidos a Mexico y Los Estados Unidos!

Mi chinita bonita.

Store vendor with a moustachio fantastico.

Dancing chicas y chicos.

Mi esposa drinking "squash" at Sanborns.

Fun trinkets that sort of reminded us of this in Taiwan.

And the same meal as the last time, enchiladas de mole. ¡¡Que yummy!!

More to come with our adventures with Chris later. Until then, have a good day, mate!

Coco

2007-06-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

Pulling the plug on TV (reference to the last post) and general busyness in life kept us, as one friend put it, "unplugged," from the world of blogging for over two months now! So for those of you left who might give reading this blog one more chance--hi, how are you? Nice to see you again--here is the latest and the greatest in the world of Cory and Farah.

Man's best friend and one happy addition to our family, Coco!

She is one sweet and playful dog and we love having her around. Waking up at 5:30 in the morning to take her out to go potty and the many other responsibilities that come with dog ownership are well worth her company, not to mention how owning a dog is in many ways parental training grounds! Don't get too excited about that last comment though! About Coco, she is an eleven month-old Maltese-Terrier and came to us from a very loving home that could no longer take care of her. It's been an adjustment for us all as I'm sure that Coco misses her family and all, but after almost two weeks together and two dog training books later (I highly recommend this one: Good Owners, Great Dogs, we're one happy family of three.

Here, Coco is pulling apart a toy that Grandma got for her. She sure likes to chew (but not on furniture, thankfully)!

By the way, did I mention that Coco is already house-broken?! :)
What a good girl!!!

And here are some pics from the past couple of months:

A brief visit with my brother Ryan just before Mother's Day. Pic taken by Eric for Mother's Day present. And yes, there is a story behind the bubbles...

And speaking of Eric, here he his!

Hilary, a friend of ours I've been teaching Japanese for a couple of months or so. She is really coming along and for me, it's been great to be speaking Japanese again... ヒラリー、ちゃんと勉強してるか？:)

Last but not least, our two favorite road warriors. My parents are on a crazy 6,000 mile road trip right now and are blogging along the way but I'm not sure if I can add a link without their permission. I'll keep you posted on that...

And for now it's back to taking care of Coco and doing my best to be a good dad and a good husband. Come on, Coco. Let's go potty!

Cory and Farah Unplugged

2007-03-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

For some time now I have been frustrated with the undeniable lack of productivity in my life which uninhibitedly shows up in all aspects--work life, home life, relationships, communication between family and friends, personal health, personal growth, and the list goes on. Having said that, with so many things to do how is it that I have so much time to devote to television? Is TV that good? What does TV have to offer me anyway? Am I a better person for watching it so much? Does TV add to our lives as a couple? Are we using our time as best as we could be? These are some of many questions I have been pondering for months.

Between work and school and all of the other stuff that happens in the middle, Farah and I have conflicting schedules that give us very little quality time together, not to mention the fact that we are always tired. I am not complaining about the busyness of life, although a break every now and then would be nice, but I am more concerned with how we are using the time that we have away from our obligations at work and school. Just how do we improve ourselves, grow closer as a couple, and relax and enjoy life? One easy observation: TV is not the answer. So yes, it's time to turn off the noise, decrease the static, and realize that we are missing out on so much. Really, there is so much more to life than being a telehubby!

Two weeks later
As tempting as it was, shot-putting our TV set off the balcony was not an option, nor was canceling our crappy cable subscription, so we decided to unplug ourselves from TV for a week just to see what would happen. And what happened? Well, for starters, we enjoyed dinner without back-to-back episodes of Law & Order, we allowed Jack Bauer to save the planet on his own, and let Randy, Paula, Simon and the rest of America decide who to idolize. The Simpsons, Seinfeld, and our other television friends were fine without us, and most importantly, we were fine without them. Reality television versus reality, this week it was reality that won our attention. We talked more than we have in a long time, spending quality time together, and got a lot of work done this week and the last. We have to give ourselves credit as being creative people capable of finding something more worthwhile than a picture box that plugs into the wall. Farah would probably say that I have helped cook, clean, and tend to her needs more than I have in a long time, which is really best said as: the both of us are much less distracted/ more focused in general.

It's easy to fall in a rut and it's easy to form bad habits. We see some areas for improvement in how we use our time and so far not watching TV has been a great thing for us. As time goes by surely we will watch TV but only on a limited and monitored basis. No more channel surfing or sitting in front of the TV to relax, because the reality of the situation tells us that TV is not synonymous with relaxation. Entertaining it is but conducive to growth it is not.

I leave you with a few television quotes:

"Television has proved that people will look at anything rather than each other." ~Ann Landers

"I find television to be very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go in the other room and read a book." ~Groucho Marx

"Television: chewing gum for the eyes." ~Frank Lloyd Wright

"Television has changed a child from an irresistible force to an immovable object." ~Author Unknown

"Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home." ~David Frost

"Ninety-eight percent of American homes have TV sets, which means the people in the other 2% have to generate their own sex and violence." ~Attributed to Gene Baylos

"If you read a lot of books, you're considered well-read. But if you watch a lot of TV, you're not considered well-viewed." ~Lily Tomlin

"Television! Teacher, mother, secret lover." ~Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

Family Week

2007-02-26T17:23:00.000-08:00

Farah's parents were in town the last eight days and we were all so happy to see them and spend time with them... Here's a few pics from our family portrait session held between trips to the mall, Vegas, and Palm Springs. :)

So does Farah look more like her Dad?

Or does she take after her Mom?

The entire family minus one sister who stayed back in Taiwan.

Sharon.

Effie.

And Sharon and Farah behind the scenes, disrupting our shoot but looking cute. ;)

Here's to good times with family.
Happy Chinese New Year!

www.corylundquist.com

2007-02-23T18:12:00.000-08:00

After more than a month of life away from mi blogo neglectedo, I thought that now would be a good time to step out of the woodworks for a quick dose of shameless self-promotion. Like always, I apologize for what seems like me falling off of the face of the planet and not keeping in touch as I should. Life has been really busy with family stuff, work, work, and work, and my in-laws being in town from Taiwan. Ah, I'm so glad that it's Friday!

So anyway, to all of you, I would like to announce and unveil my photography website, www.corylundquist.com, which I hope that you can visit and enjoy, and maybe even pass along to your friends and family who might be interested in hiring me for some work. :) About the site, I'll be honest in saying that the focus of my site is broader than I would like it to be, but the truth is that at this point I don't have one particular focus group other than, put simply, people with photo projects--couples, families, actors, musicians, libraries, community colleges, etc... This will all be worked out in time and I suspect that the focus of the site will narrow as I find my place in the creative world. Lately, I've been working on several exciting photography and web design projects that have been taking up a lot of my time but it's been a good ride. I'm thankful for all of the opportunities that have come my way and I thank you for all of your encouragement over the years.
You have all motivated me so much.

Well, in case you forgot what we look like, here are a couple of recent pics:

As random as usual

AND

Clarinetist and aspiring actor, Marco.
(for some reason, photos appear to be washed out when viewed in Firefox on my Mac, which I assure you they are not; but the same problem does not exist in Safari. Does anybody know what the problem might be? Tyson? Eric? Bueller?)

Well, gotta run! Hope that you're all doing well. Take care.

Little bit of this, little bit of that.

2007-01-18T06:46:00.000-08:00

David and Nicole

Kevin and Anna

Farah, the knitter

Zak

powered by music

2007-01-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

Zak, a really cool guy and super-talented musician, currently working on a
project called The Rising Connection. This pic influenced by Negra Modelo,
Bartles and James, and plenty more on New Year's Eve...

And Tyson Wright. Here are some pics from the day before yesterday.

The dog she always wanted... and still wants

2006-12-31T10:48:00.000-08:00

Cheers, Tyson.

2006-12-30T12:42:00.000-08:00

Just shy of eleven years in the making, my good friend Tyson Wright has just put out his new instrumental rock album, The Difference Engine. You can check out Tyson's music on www.tysonwright.com or by visiting his myspace page and the album is for sale online here. I should also mention that not only is Tyson a kick-ass rocker but he has great taste in photographers... I mean, I did the photography for his album and Eric did the album design. It was fun being able to contribute to the project. Congratulations, my friend, and here is to the great accomplishment and success of your album!

The day the album came out. Tyson like I've never seen him before.

Rockin' it.

Cheers to you, amigo!

www.tysonwright.com

Ink Done

2006-12-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

Today, I took a little midday break from work and went along with my uncle to get some fresh ink at Classic Tattoo Parlor in Fullerton. It was cool to hang out and see Brett get the tattoo that he's been talking about for a while. Part of his tattoo included kanji so one of the reasons that I accompanied him, other than to hang out and take a few pics, was to make sure that they got it right! How many times have you seen some random dude with a tattoo that is supposed to say one thing yet says another?! Well, unless you can read kanji then maybe not all that often, but believe me, it happens all the time... But anyway, it was fun to hang out in the tattoo shop and see how things are done. Honestly, seeing Brett in that chair made me want to get some ink of my own.
So the question is, did I or didn't I?

Sharon and Steven

2006-12-11T22:08:00.000-08:00

Post No. 76

2006-12-08T22:29:00.000-08:00

New photo techniques and complete randomness.

Don't read into this one too much.

Your vision may become impaired like mine.

flash.

flashlight.

a lens and a lens and a lens.

a fake macro shot.

three extra cents for you.

our PC tree.

a warning.

portrait of a friend.

a friend who can...

do this!!

And here's to Dan for starting a blog!

Locke, California

2006-11-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

Locke, California is the only town in the US built exclusively by the Chinese for the Chinese and remains the last standing rural Chinatown in the United States. Situated in the southern agricultural region of Sacramento County, it is a true gem of a town, rich in cultural heritage, and rightfully belongs to the National Register of Historic Places. Here are some pics from our quick stop in Locke while on the way home from Thanksgiving in Sacramento:

In Isleton, California, birthplace of Pat Morita aka Mr. Miyagi from the movie Karate Kid, birds of a feather really do flock together! This was a great find while driving through the Sacramento River delta region. See if you can count how many there are! ;)

T-Day

2006-11-24T18:25:00.000-08:00

Some pics of the family from Thanksgiving:

Farah and Sharon

2006-11-13T18:11:00.000-08:00

It is true, as somebody recently commented on my blog, that my words (here on the blog) have gotten less and less. And this will remain true until perhaps the next blog post; there is a blog post brewing inside of me in response to this article from Anti-whitey Weekly, I mean, OC Weekly, coming soon... maybe! Until then, here are some pics of Farah and Sharon from over the weekend. Let me know if any of you out there are interested in some model shots. Gracias!

Good Morning, California!

2006-11-08T07:20:00.000-08:00

After a while, crocodile...

2006-10-29T10:31:00.000-08:00

At a place called home

We recently discovered

Roof access

A night view of the city two floors up from our park view

City lights with my new tripod.

Just chillin'.

Getting ready for Halloween. (CLICK for larger image)

Week after week, it's the same stuff.

Back and forth, around and around.

I wish that I had more to say

But I really don't.

So keep watch.

Stay cool.

And don't forget about this pic of my brother!
I had to repost this because he recently deleted his blog...
The Internet just wouldn't be the same without it, right!
Hey, Ryan! Hope that blogless life is all that you hoped it would be.

Take care, everyone! BYE for now.

birthday week

2006-10-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

Tijuana 09.30

2006-10-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

Check out Eric's post for more pics from our day in TJ.

this week in photos

2006-09-29T23:55:00.000-07:00

The start of my week every week.

Damn. I'm going to be thirty soon.

Here I am.

In focus.

The sexiest lamp ever made.

Heard that before.

Better left unsaid.

Unnatural flow.

That's this week in photos, folks!

change

2006-09-20T12:47:00.000-07:00

An offer that I could not refuse came knocking on my door and I found myself back in a familiar place earlier this week. Paths that crossed one year ago merged once again and I am presented with a set of new challenges and new opportunities, not to mention a major boost to my self-confidence. This is just what I needed. Sorry to keep things so vague at the moment but that's the way it has to be for now... I'll fill you in on the details sometime soon. This is just a quick post while I'm on my lunch break... Peace!

Nothing

2006-09-09T20:54:00.000-07:00

I've been an on-looker in the blog community for the past couple of weeks and the truth is that I haven't been motivated to post anything, or maybe it's just that I have been feeling like I don't have a lot to talk about online... While on the subject though, to all my friends and family, sorry for being lame at answering emails, phone calls, and leaving comments on blogs, etc.. I'm guilty as charged.

This is where I have been spending A LOT of my time this past week, building a website for my dad's custom cabinet business. It was my first time designing a "real website" from scratch for, well, I guess I can say, a client, and I was glad to be able to include a lot of my photography and ideas into the design. It's basic but that's all you need for a cabinet shop. I sure hope that the site helps showcase my dad's woodworking skills and ultimately leads to some good business for him. He is located in Orange County and is incredibly talented. If any of you are interested, I'm sure that we can arrange for some kind of discount if you are a blogger buddy of mine... or maybe we can trade some woodwork for, let's say, a day out on a chartered fishing boat in San Diego! Just kidding, Elaine. (Here is a plug for Elaine's husband who captains a 20 foot fishing boat. Contact Elaine if you want to go fishing with your buddies!) :) Anyway, check out the site and email me with suggestions if you have them. I'm still working on it but it's getting close to being done for now (now means today).

What hasn't changed is that I'm still "trying" to eat healthy and it's not working.

Yesterday was the first time in what feels like a really long time that Farah and I even left the apartment. So much has been going on since moving here; trying to get things situated and balance time between work and all that needs to be done at home is, I guess, what has made us into such homebodies. So what did we do? We walked down the street and back!

The most beautiful part of the day is Farah.

Farah and the sunset.

When the sun drops to a certain point it casts the coolest shadows through our living room blinds and it gives off really nice light for taking photos.

Speaking of which, is there anybody out there that needs some photos taken? Bands? Married couples? Pets? I really have to start working with people other than Farah and myself, you know, to get out of the comfort zone. Let me know!

It just occurred to me that what I'm writing has nothing to do with the pictures above. Oh, well. Very few people are reading this anyway!

Here's to a happy week of change. Something new is on the horizon. I can feel it.

Santa Ana

2006-08-25T12:08:00.001-07:00

From one place

To another.

¡Estamos in Santa Ana!

We're enjoying the view.
(more apartment pics later)

Relaxing a bit.

Checking things out.

Enjoying each other's company.

Loving the Mexican markets.
(SUPER CHEAP FRUITS & VEGETABLES)

SOME RANDOM SHOTS

At that, we should be caught up for the moment. It's been a long couple of weeks with packing, unpacking, packing and unpacking again--the joys of moving. We have a long way to go until we are fully settled in but for now things are going well. We have cable and we have the Internet so we should be able to get back into the groove of things sometime soon! That's it for now.

Socal Again

2006-07-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

So we left Sacramento.

Said our good-bye's.

And made our 9th trip to Socal this year.
(Farah in rear view mirror)

Much will be missed up north.

But we'll be back up for a visit really soon.

In the meantime, it's great to be back in Socal again, the very place that we started off one year ago. Right now and up until we move into our brand-new, never-lived-in-before apartment on the 15th, we're staying in Rowland Heights with family. And for those of you who don't already know, our new place is located in Santa Ana in a very cool area called the Artist's Village.

It's refreshing to see familiar faces again.

And to be so close to the beach!

Thanks to these two we were able to make a very unexpected day trip to Catalina Island.

So our first weekend in Socal wasn't so bad after all.

We rented a golf cart and drove all around.

All the time wishing that we had a pimped-out golf cart like this one.
(We also spotted a golf cart with spinners. I kid you not!)

It was nice.

Just as Catalina always is.

Exactly what the doctor ordered--a little rest and relaxation.

Thank you so much, Dad and Leslie.

And here's to the start of a new adventure!

Instrumental Rock Star

2006-07-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

So you wanna be a rock star? Tyson does. Actually, Tyson is. He is an extremely talented musician, extraordinary human being and one of the most intelligent, sincere and caring individuals I know. He is an all around great guy and I consider myself lucky to have him as a friend. (And ladies, he's single!!) So anyway, Tyson is coming out with an album, The Difference Engine, that should be available in late summer and here are some of the photos from the album shoot, some of which are obviously just for fun.

For the record, Tyson hates this picture. He says that he has a "big, goofy grin" but Farah and I completely disagree. It may not be an album cover photo but it's definitely a good one of him smiling. What do you think?

Two Weeks Notice

2006-07-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

Eight and a half months ago we packed up all of our belongings and came to Sacramento. Fresh back from Japan, we set out to try something new and see if a change of environment could possibly be what we were looking for. It may be that the difference between Japan and Rowland Heights was not enough to make us feel like we were back home, or perhaps it was just us wanting to continue in our travels and reconnect with family members in Northern California.

Full of hope and anticipation we made our way up north. Soon after, we discovered how much we liked living in a city where everything was within walking distance--work, restaurants, bars, and loads of coffee shops. We met some really great people and enjoyed our times with family. Weekend trips here and there and exploring Midtown and the surrounding areas always kept us busy. But somewhere along the way, whether it be the cold and rainy winter season or the hellish heat of the summer, we lost our way in Sacramento. We love the area and love our friends and family, but it wasn't until our most recent trip to Southern California that things just clicked for us: we don't belong in Sacramento.

A fork in the road has presented itself once again and we have decided to take a new path. At the end of the month we'll be on our way back to Southern California to start something new again. We put a lot of careful thought and consideration into this; leaving Sacramento was not an easy choice but we feel like it is the right decision for us right now. We're sorry to say good-bye to the convenience of being close to family members and the good friends we have made but it wouldn't be right for us to stay here for the wrong reasons. We need to go where we are driven. Home is where the heart is and right now our hearts are elsewhere. Sacramento is a great city and there is so much that we love about it. We will miss our family and our friends dearly. We are sorry to go so soon but at the same time we very much look forward to something new.

Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be busy packing and making arrangements for the trip down south. But we’ll be sure to make the most of our time left in Sactown, spending as much time as we can with friends and family and maybe even have some last-minute adventures. There will be plenty of time to reflect and enjoy our last two weeks in Northern California. For now, I will leave it at this.

Smalltown America

2006-07-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

Happy belated 4th of July! We spent the day in Foresthill, which is 48 miles north of Sacramento as the crow flies which feels even further north if you are one of us city folk! The parents have lived there for several years now and they seem to really enjoy the peace and quiet that Foresthill has to offer. With a population of only 6,000, Foresthill truly is a secluded and beautiful place to live (retire). Everytime we go there we are amazed to see deer running around in their front yard and the beauty of it all. Up until recently there was no sign of corporate America in Foresthill but much to our surprise Subway is moving in. In some ways this may be the beginning of the end for local businesses and they may also be in danger of losing the old America feel of the town which is really quite unfortunate. Let's hope for the best though...

This year was no different in that the annual 4th of July parade took place in the town center just off of Foresthill Road. What seemed like the entire town of Foresthill, all 6,002 of us gathered to watch the patriotic parade which included the boyscouts, Daughters of America, local vendors, Harley Davidson biker dudes, cowboys, war veterans, and lots and lots of people who came from out of the woodworks for a day in the city. Getting a taste of life in smalltown America was a great way to celebrate the 4th and as always it was good to spend time with family.
Here are some pics of the parade:

Quick Favor

2006-07-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

If it's not too much to ask, please don't use my car for target practice!

Norcal Beaches

2006-06-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Dan and Ulysses lead the way to Point Reyes National Seashore. We quickly discovered that being 2.5 hours northwest of Sacramento meant that it was about thirty degrees cooler. At first it was a bit chilly but it was easy to forget the cold because it was beautiful and just so nice to be away (how many times have I said this lately?!). And while I'm on the subject, it sure was nice to have a break from the hellish weather we've been having in El Capital lately. It's going to be over 100 degrees for the next four or five days which is lovely! Maybe we'll have to take another trip to the coast this weekend! So we checked out the lighthouse and hung out there for a while and then made our way to Bear Valley Trail. After lunch we went on an 8.4 mile trek to the beach. Luckily it was a pretty much flat and easy walk, not too strenuous on the body. This all happened, of course, one year to the day after climbing Fuji--kind of a cool thing to do one year later, I guess. (actually it's only been eleven months! oops!) It's sort of like an annual tradition to remind myself that I am extremely out of shape! ;) Well, we all had fun together and it was great to get out with the guys. Here are some pics.

As of late

2006-06-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

Wife is beautiful.

There have been some fun moments in the last couple of weeks. For whatever reason, it seems like we have been a lot more social lately. Maybe it's the weather.

I've seen a lot more of Dan as well.

Dan is cool.

And so is this guy but he makes drinks that do this to people.

When he is not bartending he is a master swordsman.
Sensei, is this the way to hold a sword?

Bikers.

Playing around with my new flash.

Old trick, new face. Crappy photo!
Working with artificial light will take some getting used to...

Lastly, this is what I look like under the instruction of Billy Blanks--working hard to change some bad habits I've developed over the past two or three years. In the end it's not Farah's amazing cooking skills and all of the boba tea and watered-down beer that I drink, it all comes down to poor choices! I know what I have to do... And I'll say it while you think it: "Damn! You got fat!!" ;)

Target

2006-06-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

There are so many agendas out there. This week, it was “Let’s get Cory back to church.” A phone conversation with a friend from the past caused me to reflect on the superficial world I was once a part of. Constantly carrying with me an invitation to church on the tip of my tongue and looking for opportunities to share the good news—this is the world I once knew. It was us and them. I was safe and comfortable, sheltered from the outside world, and driven by ulterior motives, the agenda. This old friend of mine, rather than take the time to reconnect and reestablish relationship, fired away at the target I carry with me: backslidden-Christian. I cannot blame him for I once would have done the same; I do realize that the intentions here are good to a certain extent. But this experience reminded me of a time in my life that I made people projects and rushed into sharing my faith without really valuing relationship—the person. This week, I reflected upon “the old me” versus “the new me” and got a taste of what it was like to be targeted. I’m thankful for the opportunity to think and rethink a lot of my personal beliefs, life decisions, and the way that I want to relate to people. Interesting conversation came about and I expect to do some more thinking on the subject as I process my thoughts. I am a work in progress even today.

Is this what you see?

Am I a target? Am I a project?

Who do you think I am?

You too, buddy.

?

Thanks to Dan for helping me out.

UPDATE 6/16: Much of what I said here is open to interpretation especially to those who do not know me or at one time did. Keep in mind that this is an expression of some things that are going on in my life. Please do not take offense. I ask that rather than coming to conclusions on your own, by all means, ask me to clarify and I will. I prefer the direct approach. Enough said. Thank you.

Eyes on LA

2006-06-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Spending the weekend in LA made us realize how much we miss life in Socal.
There was just something different about this time...

Eric took the Lin Sisters (and Steven) and myself to Little Ethiopia for a nice lunch on Sunday.

It was as good as usual and I think that the first-timers enjoyed it as well.

Eric taught us that it is customary in Ethiopian culture to feed your loved ones first
before you take a bite. So just as he tried to feed me...

I said, "Sick balls, Chopper!" Just kidding. But I had to fit that in somehow!
(It was kind of scary when these dogs came running at me though.
I thought that one of them might actually be Chopper.)

The police and Venice Beach, it just wouldn't be the same without them.

Kids, don't try this at home.

Who wears these T-shirts anyway?! This one is definitely my favorite.

There is always somebody looking.

But sometimes it's just a jar of mayo staring at you! ;)

Thanks for the great weekend, everybody!

Life, it is.

2006-05-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

The Neptune Society took good care of Grandpa and the family he left behind.

A windy and rough morning it was beyond the lighthouse in San Pedro.

Words cannot describe.

A dozen yellow roses and white carnations we lay to rest in the ocean.
You will never be forgotten, Grandpa.
We love you.

Rest in peace.

one of those weeks

2006-05-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

So we've been just hanging out lately.

Hoping that the doctors figure out what's going on with Ryan.

Otherwise, we are totally enjoying the new season.

No more rain and flowers everywhere.

A change of scenery with a touch of color.

Farmer's Market is cool.

It happens every Wednesday in Cesar Chavez Park.

It can be pricey but fun to walk around at least.

A sleeping duck.

And somebody besides me who needs to wash their car!

One kind of cool thing happening in Sactown tomorrow.

The Deftones will be playing a free show in Cesar Chavez Park at five o'clock and, besides the fact that it is a free show, the cool thing is that I only have to cross the street to be there!! UPDATE: There are a bunch of trucks lined up on the street unloading gear and setting up for tonight. I can hear the band doing sound checks right now--it's so distracting to be at my desk(on my break) working!!!

P.S. If you haven't already, be sure to check out Eric's amazing photos from his recent trip to Mexico.

Tower Bridge

2006-05-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

The Early Bird

2006-05-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

Tommy

2006-05-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

Noah waited.

And so did we.

Some of us fell asleep while...

Others of us (including me) filled up this entire trash can with crap from Starbucks, McDonalds, and the junk food machine.

We waited until...

We heard a sound...

... And saw a picture...

Of a new baby boy named Thomas!

Congratulations, Ryan and Jenny!!

A proud Grandmother and Great-Grandmother.

Uncle Cory.

And Auntie Fa-fa.

It's our pleasure to finally meet you, Tommy!

Immigrant Nation

2006-05-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

evandalism

2006-04-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

The Tower Bridge is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Sacramento and as of late has become a victim of vandalism, or in this case, what I'd like to call evandalism--you know what I'm talking about. It's not hard to guess who might be responsible for this but I will be one to say that it needs to stop right away. Please do not spread your message on a landmark! On so many levels this is just wrong and does not sit well with me at all. I'm not here to bash Christianity. I do recognize that it is not a religion that stuck the "Jesus is Lord" and "Hallelujah" stickers to the Tower Bridge and surrounding area but most likely a group of young, naive kids out to do "good." Good deeds and effectiveness, well, that's definitely something that is open to interpretation but from my perspective I cannot get past the weirdness of it all. "Jesus is Lord" and "The Prince of Peace is Lord" stickers all over the place--that's just weird!!! ;) For the record, if the message were of political nature or a local band advertising themselves I would feel no different (so please no religious debates on my blog.) Bottom line, public property is not to be destructed. Thank you very much.

So taking a step back from the heaviness of the topic, everybody does react differently to things like this and I must say that my reaction included a lot of laughter and wondering what the hell these people were thinking. Vandals for Jesus? Hmm... So anyway, enjoy the message and feel free to share your thoughts.

By the way, the cost of painting the Tower Bridge is estimated at $3.5 million.

Farewell

2006-04-28T06:53:00.000-07:00

Bad news. My thumb isn't as green as I thought it was. I went from this to a shriveled up plant in just two weeks. I thought that this time would be different because I watered the damn thing and made sure it got a nice spot in the sun whenever it needed it but things are not looking so good... Oh, well.

So I met a duck (or a goose?).

I walked around McKinley Park with a juicer and...

a swinger!

A new baby is...

on his way.

We can't wait to meet you, Thomas. Please come soon!

two o'clock

2006-04-22T00:12:00.000-07:00

Don't miss out.

in heat

2006-04-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Our State Capital is...

getting hot!

I mean, just like they said it would and all...
(it's our first summer up here)

My only concern is that if it's this hot now...

What's it going to be like in August?!?

Well, I guess that there are plenty of other things to complain about so I'll just stuff a sock in it and deal with the heat for now.
And in the meantime I'll be glad that...

My sweet grandmother is coming up tomorrow for a visit.

That's about it for now.

金土日

2006-04-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

A pleasantly-scented surprise that made Friday good.

Fatherhood celebrated.

The world turned and we were reminded that...

Taiwan and Thailand are not the same.
Don't forget. Thanks.

And have yourself a great week. Cheers!

This Week Revisted

2006-04-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

Finally, a day without rain.

A long overdue party.

A clean shave.

Rice showers.

Time to play with water.

And a message.

Clean Shaven

2006-04-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

spring colors

2006-04-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

So, what are your predictions for the spring?

Extra Ordinary

2006-03-26T10:54:00.000-08:00

This week

Somebody special had a birthday.

It rained a lot.

We longed for the spring.

More offers to buy priceless memories filled our mailbox.

Farah performed her nightly ritual, the legs up the wall pose, to keep her legs from becoming "raddish legs." It must be an Asian thing... Actually, she already has them...

My wallet got caught again.

I saw a wall.

And I reparked our baby blue Sentra to avoid a parking ticket.

Cruisin' Midtown

2006-03-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been cruisin' through Midtown on my bike after work (whenever it hasn't been raining) to get a little exercise and to get to know the area a little better. Most rides fall between thirty and forty-five minutes long and depend mainly on two things: how much energy I have and how much sunlight is left at the end of the day. So far, I've discovered the nice and nicer pockets of Midtown, some cool places to shop and eat, neighborhoods to die for, lots and lots of bars, and a handful of places that you'ld have to pay me to go back again... well, maybe not that bad. But I didn't make as many stops to take photos in the rougher areas if that is any kind of an indicator. Midtown alleys are decorated with every color of spray paint imaginable and people seem to like leaving their names and some not-so-nice names on cars, trees, signs, and fences--whatever stands in their way, I guess. All in all, riding through the surrounding neighborhoods and getting a taste of life in Sactown has been a very pleasant experience, something that I look forward to every day. Here are a few quick shots of some of the things that caught my eye while cruising around.

Cory Dynamite

2006-03-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I picked up the Napoleon Dynamite talking doll for a whopping $2.64, one for me and one for Ryan, and Eric got in on the action too. Normally I wouldn't buy something like this because, one, I am not a big fan of the movie and, two, I just don't buy stuff like this. But when we saw that it was on sale for 80% off and that when you press the red button little Napoleon talks (eighteen movie quotes), I mean, who could pass that up?

So I had some fun taking some portrait shots of Napoleon. And I challenged Eric to a shoot off, so to speak, to see who could come up with the best portrait shot. For some reason, he didn't feel motivated to take photos of Napoleon but instead he worked on a way to create a new, improved Napoleon himself: Cory Dynamite!!!
Pretty sweet, huh?

"Just follow your heart. That's what I do."

Missing Japan

2006-03-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

It seems that Farah and I are both beginning to miss certain aspects of life in Japan and some of our more negative thoughts and impressions are beginning to fade away, but still do rest beneath the surface--we just need more time. Contrary to common misconception, life abroad is not always a happy-go-lucky extended vacation, yet a genuine encounter with a different way of life that will challenge all that you know. When you live it, breath it, and eat it every day, you will find things, simply put, that you like and dislike. I don't hate Japan. I love-hate Japan! It's quite complicated so don't ask. And before I get anymore sidetracked let me get to the point of this blog post: we miss Japan! I was thumbing through some old Japan photos and thought that I would put together a mini photo collage of some of the things that remain warm, happy memories of life in Japan. Here we go.

Kaiten-zushi was one of our favorite places to go for cheap eats. Sushi and cheap--two words that never appear in the same sentence here in the US, but it is just that. And if I may add, it's pretty darn good, too!

And how can I talk about missing Japan without mentioning tatami? There will always be a special place in my heart for tatami.

The US seems to be a good couple of years (at the very least) behind the cell phone technology in Japan and possibly the rest of the world. I miss the high-tech phones and being able to send an unlimited amount of email/ text-messages. And most of all, I think that I miss cell phone plans that don't charge me for incoming calls and round up to the nearest minute! In Japan, 1:03 minutes of talk time is just that, whereas in the US, 1:03 of talk time is billed as two minutes. You tell me which is better.

Funny English also finds a place on my list. It's not hard to find grammatical errors or just totally random, outlandish things written in English, especially in advertising. After all, English is cool, or so they seem to think so. I found this one in an English conversation book at the school I was teaching at. What do you think? Humor is always a great tool for teaching in the classroom... I guess.

And then there are the elementary school children. So cute!

No matter where you go, kids always try to be in the center. Japanese kids are no different than the rest--they want the attention just as much as we do! The kids would always attack me when I brought out the camera and I love how the girl in this pic is totally covering up her classmate's face with her peace sign.

Kids are just so sweet and innocent.

I don't think that the same applies to my friends in Japan but I definitely do miss them. This is Uji finding a new way to use his chopsticks. What an interesting guy he was...

Not to sound too geeky--we're not gamers or anything like that--but we spent a lot of time playing PS2 in the winter when it was too cold to go out. It was that and movies that helped us survive the cold. (Notice that there are no pics of snow-covered streets...)

Having so much time together to explore the city (and take pics up our noses) and see and experience new things was so nice. There was always something new and exciting to discover...

Smiling ear to ear, Farah loved her shopping!

We also miss riding bikes, believe it or not. With bikes there is no traffic, riding is a great source of exercise, and when you live in the city and everything is right there, then why not? Farah rode a bike with a basket and I rode one with a broken seat and pedal that would always fall off.

There are plenty of things that we miss but most of all it is the people. I wish that Japan was close enough so that we could make a road trip or just drop by for a visit every now and then to see all of the people we left behind but it's just not that easy. In time, our paths will cross again and we will see all of our beloved friends, and until then, we have our memories!

Calling All Cowboys...

2006-03-06T23:23:00.000-08:00

I need a favor! I'm putting together a slideshow for my grandfather's memorial service on Saturday and I need some country music to go along with the pics. I'm looking for something done by a male vocalist with funeral-appropriate lyrics (touching but not overwhelmingly sad or depressing). So if there are any country music fans out there or if you just happen to know of some good tracks that might work, PLEASE let me know. Anything to point me in the right direction will help. Thank you much in advance.

Life is Good.

2006-02-27T20:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a long couple of weeks but there are still plenty of reasons to smile because...

Life is beautiful.

And so is my wife! This week is our first wedding anniversary!!! It's amazing how fast time has gone by. I only hope that the second year is as good as the first.
(this pic was taken exactly one year ago on our way home from filing loads of paperwork at the US Embassy in Tokyo paving the way for us to be able to get married in Japan)

We are surrounded by good people.

And good brothers. Ryan and I have spent a lot of time together lately due to family circumstances and it's been really good to connect.

And there is always hope for the future. We are so looking forward to meeting you, Thomas.

Last Saturday

2006-02-27T20:23:00.000-08:00

In loving memory of my grandfather.
1929 - 2006

love

2006-02-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

To my beautiful wife.

Midtown Crows

2006-02-12T16:19:00.000-08:00

Every day in Midtown at approximately 5:30 hundreds of crows gather in the trees directly above my parked car to get a clear vantage point of potential targets, one of which usually ends up being my car! Argh! It is from here that they shit their way around the city and do whatever else it is that crows do. So while my poor car is painted with a fresh coat of milky-white excrement, crows flock by the dozens and begin to fill the trees branch by branch until the trees have room for no more. At an early stage it usually looks something like this:

And before you know it there are too many to count and the sky is filled with crows coming in for a landing. While I sat waiting for the crows to arrive/ depart many people passed by and asked me about the crows and exactly what I was doing there; I must have looked out of place or something just sitting there with a camera. And one of the more humorous comments that I got came from a British guy. He said, "Do you speak crow?" I thought that it was kind of funny, especially with the British accent, but you probably would have had to be there... Yeah.

For whatever reason, the crows usually wait until it's a bit darker before they make their impressive lift off for the next set of trees. So there I was just waiting to get my shot of the crows and meanwhile, the crows cawed by the hundreds, which is always something that draws people out of their homes and businesses in the neighborhood. It can get pretty loud. (It might be difficult to see how many crows there actually are up there but if you consider that there are no leaves in these trees right now and how many black dots you see, it's kind of a lot.)

So finally, after waiting for nearly twenty minutes the crows were all cleared for take off. You always know when they are about to take off because they get really loud. After a good ten seconds of ear-splitting caws, camera focused in on subject and trigger finger set to shoot, I was ready but not for what followed.

Splatter. Splatter. Splatter. I thought to myself, "Oh, shit!" I mean, literally, that's what was happening. They began to take off and release their ammunition. It started out kind of far away but I soon realized that trouble was coming my way and it was time for me to fly out of there myself. I ran in the direction of our house, which was naturally the flight path of the crows, and I could hear the sound of the bombs going off behind me. Splat. Splat. Splat. It wasn't long before I felt something on my arm. I was hit.

In the end, I didn't get the shot of all of the crows taking off in unison and my car and I became victims of target practice, but hey, it's not the first time that something like this has happened, right? It's 5:54 and I can hear the crows outside. It's getting pretty loud so that means that I had better go and move my wood project out of the backyard!!! Bird crap and wet stain do not mix!

Happy Birthday!

2006-02-05T20:52:00.000-08:00

Today is my camera's birthday. I bought it exactly one year ago today and in that year I have somehow managed to take 15, 845 photos, which amounts to an average of 43.4 shots per day! So happy birthday, my camera! It's been a fun year in which a lot has happened, most of which I have been careful to document in photos. I look forward to learning more about how to be a better photographer in the years to come, so here's to a second great year of love & adventure, and taking photos!

OJ did it.

2006-01-31T21:11:00.000-08:00

23 oranges did it and they did it real good. After twisting my wrist fifty-six times tonight, it's only a matter of time before I am officially diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Juicing is hard work. Sixty minutes hard work!

One hour plus fixty-six halves of oranges gave us just under a gallon.

And after all that hard work, guess who stopped by for a drink?! How's that fresh-squeezed OJ taste there, Farah? Pretty good, huh? And that's what makes it all worthwhile! But one thing is for sure--I won't be juicing again any time soon!!

Chinese New Year

2006-01-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year, everybody! It's the year of the dog and Farah and I are celebrating by having some dog... I mean, friends and family over for a little party tonight. The house is decorated with dragons, lanterns, and lots of red. We'll be handing out red envelopes and are trying to stay as authentic as we can but the fact that I am making sushi doesn't really help our cause. Better sushi than hamburgers though, right! It's all about having a good time with your friends anyway! Well, I need to go start chopping vegetables in the kitchen so that we have food to serve our guests tonight, otherwise, they might be eating hamburgers!

Feeling Kind of Fruity

2006-01-21T17:10:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again. Grapefruit season! And how lucky we are to have scored a bunch of grapefruit--30 to be exact--from some guy who didn't want all of his grapefruit to go to waste. Before the ground beneath his grapefruit tree became completely covered with fruit that would never be eaten, and before you can say, "Man, what a waste that would be," I replied to his post on Craigslist under free stuff. He sent me his address and an invitation to pick fruit this afternoon and we were there in a flash. So it's time to bust out the juicer and shochu and make some Grapefruit Sour Cocktails（グレープフルーツサワー）, which are freshly-squeezed, do-it-yourself cocktails--one of my favorites from the days in Japan. It's a fun drink and looks like this (before you add it to the glass):

Free stuff is cool! Speaking of which, somebody gave us a car (yes, a real one) today!!! I'll post something about that later though. Things are looking up, I suppose. It just goes to show you that when all kinds of bad stuff is happening, you never know what is waiting for you around the corner. There just might be a bag of fruit and a car! ha

屎人

2006-01-18T22:54:00.000-08:00

At approximately 12:34 in the morning I was reminded of the perfect word to describe the all too many unfortunate events that have cropped up lately. Sairan (屎人). It's a Taiwanese word comprised of two characters: shit (屎) and person (人). And the meaning is exactly that, shit person! This is a term used to describe a person who has "shit" happening to them all the time; hence, shit person. And I think that this is a pretty good word to describe me lately--the car window, cell phone incident, and now this door knob thing! Oh, that's what I have to explain to you.

So I got up for a quick trip to the bathroom at 12:34 last night (early this morning, actually) and I reached for the bedroom door and of all the unexpected things that could have happened, with no other explanation other than I am a sairan, the door knob fell off! Just like that, I turned the knob and it fell to the floor. It may not sound like a big deal but it is, because without it I was locked in the bedroom! I just wanted to go pee and get back to counting sheep. Why, oh, why does this shit happen to me?!

Without tools and a bladder that was ready to explode, my attempt to somehow reattach the knob was simply not working. Taking the hinges off the door with a pair of scissors, swiping a credit card through to somehow unjam the door, and trying everything else that one can think of doing in the middle of the night didn't move the door an inch. So to make a long story short, I had to climb out of my bedroom window in the rain--not a safe thing to do because it's pretty high up and all wet outside--and go over to the property manager's place--barefoot and in my PJ's. I did eventually get the door unlocked but not without a fight with the property manager. That, I will not talk about here. It was ugly and I am trying to forget that it even happened. A late night it was last night!

When they say that shit happens, they aren't kidding. I'm really tired of being a sairan. I could really use a stroke of luck here. Only so many bad things can happen before something good comes along, right? Now is the time for something good!!!

DISCLAIMER: (1) sairan is not a nice word so don't use it. (2) sorry for using so much harsh language tonight. (3) and, as self-deprecating as I may sound in this blog, that is not the case at all. Okay? So just laugh with me if you will! How about some knob jokes? Oh, and no animals were hurt in the creation of this blog! ha

Can You Hear Me Now?

2006-01-12T22:34:00.000-08:00

Today's advice: be sure to check your pockets before you do a load of wash. You never know what might be hiding deep down inside! Yes, I did it. I washed my cell phone along with my shirts, pants, and underwear. All came clean and shine like never before but for some reason my phone doesn't seem to be working! I can't imagine why. So, folks, I will be without a cell phone for a short while. Fortunately, forty minutes submerged in soapy water wasn't enough to ruin the chip inside of my phone; so as soon as I get my hands on a new phone, I'll be able to plug it in and use it right away. In fact, I will be doing that from time to time with Farah's phone so that I can check my messages! It's amazing how this technology works. Anyway, if you need to reach me, you can either call me on Farah's phone or send me an email. And hey, if anybody has any old phones that can house my chip, I would love to talk with you about working something out! Friends, don't forget to check your pockets!!!

Fa la la la late!

2006-01-10T22:09:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, January 10th, 9:12 P.M.

Is it just me or does it seem a little late in the season to have the tree still up at the Capitol Building? Either Arnold is really enjoying the view from his office, the tree guy is still on vacation, or they are really pushing this holiday tree thing!! Here's to a belated Happy Christmas!

(Thanks for the tripod, Eric. What a difference it makes to shoot steady!)

Ill Shooting

2006-01-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

My brother gave me the nickname Ralph after I blew chunks at work the other day and had to come home early. Thank you, Ryan. Actually, I got a kick out of it when he asked our friend to greet me the following day with, "Ryan asked me to say hi to Ralph!" Good times!

So there I was, suffering on the couch with an upset stomach and a terrible headache, just waiting for the Advil to kick in or fall asleep, whichever came first. And in all of my pain and discomfort, I boiled up my all-time favorite bar snack, edamame, thinking that it would somehow help me feel better. Protein is good for you, right? Despite the fact that I was feeling pretty bad and not in the mood for anything but some peaceful shuteye, I brought out the camera to snap a couple quick shots of my protein fix.

I thought to myself, "Why is it that I am able to find the strength within to take a couple of quick shots of edamame while I am too sick to work?" And if you think this is bad, try remembering to take your camera with you on the way to the hospital to get your finger reattached! Yes, my finger fell to the floor after a freak accident a couple of years back while living in Japan. I kid you not. Did I panic? No, not really. I told myself that I needed to remain calm so that I could communicate with the EMT guys and the doctors so that I could handle this situation. So after putting my finger in a rice bowl full of ice, and thinking, “Holy sh*t. That’s my finger!,” I thought, "Never before was there a better Kodak moment in my life. I'm going to photograph this!" So I grabbed my camera with my still fully-intact hand and walked out the door with my finger on ice…. and in some serious pain too!

I don’t know if any of you want to see the images from that evening along with my recovery process but for those of you with tough tummies and enjoy stuff like this—I know you’re out there—go ahead and click on FINGER.

Also, there was the time that Farah and I climbed Mt. Fuji and although I hate to even admit it, I got a little sick just as we made it to the top of the mountain. It was a combination of being really out of shape and the fact that we hiked all night long that brought out the “Ralph” in me again. The Japanese say that you are wise to climb Fuji once and a fool to do it ever again, and at the top of the mountain it all made sense to me. I would never again set foot on this wretched mountain, but was I wise for doing it? I don’t know. But I would be damned to hike all the way up Mt. Fuji to not have photographs to prove it. I got my sorry ass up and shot the hell out of the morning sun as it rose above the clouds to greet us…. And then I collapsed! Haha

It was a perfectly clear day which made for a spectacular sunrise. It's a hit or miss with the weather and Fuji. They always tell you to take rain gear and prepare for the worst. Luckily for us, we could not have asked for better weather (It was freezing though)! Here are some pics:

So what was this blog all about anyway? Oh, yeah. I like taking pictures all of the time!

Almost Shattered Christmas

2005-12-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

Christmas started out like no other Christmas before. We planned to leave for SoCal at four in the AM because Farah's boss wanted to keep the restaurant open until the regular closing time, 2AM--what could we do--but it later dawned on him that people don't come in for Chinese food at one in the morning on Christmas Eve! Gee, I didn't see that coming! So the plan was for Farah to hitch a ride home from a co-worker after work because I needed all the sleep I could get before driving in the wee hours of the morning. Farah was to shower up and do all that a girl needs to do to get ready for a trip, and in the meantime, I would wake up at around 3:30 to pack up the car so we could leave by four o'clock. But we had a minor complication. The restaurant closed early--no surprise there--and Farah came home at 2:00. The co-worker who was kind enough to drop her off turned to Farah and instead of wishing her a Merry Christmas as Farah stepped out of the car, she said, "Oh, no! Farah, your car window is broken!"

Shit!

Our box on wheels did not even stand a chance parked out in front of our house beneath the crow-infested, now leafless trees. Some A-hole decided that it would be a good idea to bust out our window to wish us a Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas to you, too, buddy! It almost would have been better if this person actually stole something from the car, that way, it would have been almost justifiable, as if there was a motive besides just breaking glass. (By the way, there was nothing inside of the car anyway, well, unless you want to count a 24-pack of Aquafina) But no, the doors were not even unlocked. Somebody just wanted to break a window and continue on their way to having a jolly holiday. And to this person, there are only two words that I'd like to say to you and they are not thank you.

With three hours of sleep and a window that fell to the ground when I opened the door, our trip to SoCal wasn't looking like it was going to happen. So what do you do when it's now three o'clock in the morning on Christmas Day and you have a busted-out window and are supposed to be leaving for a 400 mile drive in just one hour? The answer is: after scratching your head and kicking yourself in the pants for not having duct tape in your toolbox, you call your nearest, most reliable friend.

Dan, how can we ever thank you? Dan was equipped with what we were not--cardboard and packing tape. And Dan was kind enough to not just lend us the supplies but to actually come over and help us put together a make-shift window, all this, I remind you, at three o'clock in the morning on Christmas day. This, ladies and gentlemen, is friendship.

Despite the frustration and inconvenience of the situation, we didn't want to let the actions of some jackass to ruin our Christmas; with just three hours of sleep, a one hour delay and a damn good window made of cardboard and tape, we decided to go for it. We left at 5:10 and in record time found ourselves on my grandparent's porch only five hours and twenty minutes later. And thanks to Dan for all of his help, we were able to go down south after all.

Ladies in Pink

2005-12-21T21:40:00.000-08:00

My Mom came over tonight and the three of us went out to dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants, Jack's Urban Eats, which is a casual & tasty place to eat. It was nice to have her company and to be able to visit. She showed up and that's when Farah and my Mom discovered that they were dressed in almost identical outfits. They look kind of like twins, huh?

Or maybe not...

And since moms never come over empty-handed and because my Mom is super cool, she brought us a little something. Check out our new mini xB to match our real xB! Cool, huh?!

Lately...

2005-12-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've written anything so here goes a quick update for the last couple of weeks:

Warm Bed

It's been cold. Really cold. Farah and I have been struggling to adjust, or climatize ourselves as somebody might say (*inside joke* the guy in the middle), to the weather in Sacramento since it's now winter and freezing at night! (Keep in mind that we come from a much warmer place than all of you Norcal folk) And on top of that, our place doesn't get much sunlight so that it stays kind of shivery throughout the day, which we are hoping will be an advantage in the summer, but for now, we have to concentrate on making it through the winter! Piling on the blankets night after night and sleeping between the painfully cold sheets only got us through the beginning of December; we just couldn't take it any longer. So we did a little make-over on our bed and got ourselves a new down comforter and flannel sheets, which are keeping us nice and toasty at night! What a difference it makes to not have to bundle up in multiple layers of clothing and keep from moving so that you don't touch any unwarmed part of the sheets. And yes, the bump beneath the comforter in the picture is Farah. Sleep tight, baby!

B-ball

On a very cool note, we were able to do something that came completely unexpected. Thanks to Dan (in his Halloween costume), we got to go check out a Kings game a couple of weeks back. It was the first time for both of us to see an NBA game, which I have to admit, was pretty exciting (even from the nosebleed section). We had a great time at the game and I think that we both feel a little more at home now in Sacramento. Thank you so much, Dan. You've been so good to us! I hope that we can return the favor someday...

"Go Kings!"
"Which ones are the Kings again? The red or the white?"

Foresthill

Also, we had a nice visit with the parents in Foresthill last week. It had been a while since we went up there (and that's why Cory got lost on the way) so it was great to visit. M&D have done so much work on the house that it looks amazing. Hopefully we'll be back again soon for some more R&R, bacon burgers, and Direct TV!!

The City

I tagged along with Dan and Ulysses(sp?) for their annual Chritmas outing to San Francisco and it was so much fun! We started out the day taking swigs of Jack and... I mean, by having dim sum in China Town at Four Seas Restaurant, which is beautifully-decorated and simply exquisite! The dim sum was fabulous and Chinese tea mixed with Jack... I mean, the tea was also very good. We then hung out at Union Square and slowly made our way to North Beach, and had coffee and the best cheesecake that I've ever had at Cafe Greco, I think. Don't quote me on that though. I do know where it is in case anybody wants me to take them there (Eric y Brenda?). The two words that best describe our day in SF are: unconstrained and relaxed. And that is just what the doctor ordered to get me away from my routine schedule. I have been feeling kind of "Lost in California," unmotivated and uninspired lately--I won't go into it too much--so it was nice to get away from it all and experience something with a hint of excitement. I only wish that Farah could have joined us. We ended the night with a perfect dinner at Fog City Diner and some drinkies at Oreilly's Irish Pub. So thank you for the good times, Dan and Ullysses.

Well, that's about all the time I have for an update today. I'll try to post something more in the next couple of days...

Our PC Holiday Tree

2005-12-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

Whether you are a letter carrier, parking enforcer, admin officer, liquid recoating specialist, or perhaps a flight attendant, and even if you are aurally, optically, horizontally, or of all things, folicularily challenged, or comb-free, respectively, it doesn’t matter. If you are a negative saver, nasally repetitive, thermally incompatible, athletically biased, socially misaligned, or god forbid, motivationally deficient, it still does not matter. From the domestic engineer to the utensil sanitizer, from the sanitation engineer to the involuntarily leisured, little people and Canine Americans alike all know that a Christmas tree is not a "Holiday Tree" but a Christmas tree!!

p.s. I could say a lot more on this subject but I don't want to get too worked-up tonight. I just want to call a Christmas tree a Christmas tree without being offensive. By the way,Ryan & Jenny, thank you so much for the tree! We love it!

Ready to Leaf

2005-11-23T14:25:00.000-08:00

So long as our box on wheels can make it through the massive pile of leaves on the street, in just five minutes we'll be on our way to Southern California. We're so excited to see friends and family that we left behind. We wish you all a happy Thanksgiving! BYE for now~

Pizza Place

2005-11-16T18:24:00.000-08:00

We ate at this local pizza place the other day and we took our two leftover slices home in this box. Do you notice anything about the box?

Where are you, Jimmy?

2005-11-13T00:03:00.000-08:00

Has anyone seen Jimmy? All six people that I know in Sacramento are out of town tonight (in SF) and Farah is at her job. So it's me and this lost cat, Jimmy, who are feeling kind of off-course and lonely tonight, or if I am to be completely honest, I should say not just tonight. I really want to meet some people in Sacramento but it's proven to be a not-so-easy task. I mean, where do you make friends when you're done with school, married, and living in a new town? Seriously, how do we go about meeting cool people with similar interests? We'ld really like to meet people who like the things that we like: travel, language, photography, music, and just plain hanging out. And Farah would love to make some friends--Taiwanese, Japanese, American, whatever--just girls that she can hang with. She really needs to have that outlet because it's gotta be really hard to be with me all of the time!

So what do we do? Do we place an ad in the local paper saying, "Hey, we want some friends," or "Married couple looking for open-minded, cool people to kick it with on the weekends," or what? I think that being surrounded by so many friends when we were in Japan--never a dull moment and always something to do--spoiled us in so many ways, because it's really not that easy now, is it?! Ah!!! But you know, we have to be thankful for what we have and hopeful for what we have not. Right? There are many people who have gone out of there way to welcome us to Sacramento, and to them we truly are grateful. Thanks to Tyson and Dan, especially. You guys are great. It's just that when you are the only people that I know here and you are all out of town, and the wife is working... it just kind of sucks!

So if you have any advice or comments for us, hey, we're open to anything that you might have to say. And for now, it's back to searching for Jimmy the lost cat! haha

What the duck?

2005-11-12T21:12:00.000-08:00

It may be that Farah and I are the only ones in Sacramento who have not seen a duck with a do and that we are so easily ammused, because today we found just that--a duck with a Junichiro Koizumi (the Prime Minister of Japan) haircut! Isn't this the most funny-looking duck ever? It's certainly worth a couple of laughs and I sort of feel bad for it being the odd duck in the pond, but I have to wonder, in my lack of duck knowledge and experience, if this is what the duck is supposed to look like or if it some kind of defect? Or is this what Sacramento water does to your head? What's up with the do???

What's going on?

2005-11-04T07:33:00.000-08:00

My links have dissappeared from my blog and on Internet Explorer, my profile rests at the bottom right of the page, which is about a mile down from here. Anybody up for the journey? What's going on? Is this a result of something I did or am I being punished for not posting enough? I'd be glad to write in the code for the second time but not if the same thing is going to happen again... And as you can see from the picture above, I'm ready to bust some caps in yo' arse! Watch out!

Anyway, it has been a while since I've written anything because things have been kind of busy with houseguests and life itself, really. The day after Eric and Brenda returned to SoCal, Farah's friend, Stefanie, came for a quick two-day visit. Then after that, Sharon and Steven came for a three night visit and we gave them a brief tour of Sactown and went to San Francisco, otherwise known as "The City" in this neck of the woods, of course. I think that we'll forever be driving people back and forth to SF when we have visitors because the place is so damn cool! We went to "The City" and basically did all of the same stuff that we did last time but ended up spending a lot more time at Fishermen's Wharf, only because Sharon had the stomach for eating two crabs all by herself!!! I was amazed to see her eat so much in one sitting, but then again, she comes from the Lin Family--I should know better! It was really nice to see everybody again though. I think that it made us miss Southern California a little more, and being able to get together with friends and family so easily....

Since the past three weekends have been power-packed adventures, this weekend definitely needs to be low-key and full of rest. We'll try to catch up on some R&R and see what's new at Blockbuster. We'll see though...

Eric and Brenda

2005-10-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

Our friends, Eric and Brenda, visited over the weekend and man, was it good to see them! We kept ourselves busy--actually, maybe a little too busy--checking out Sacramento and then hanging out in San Francisco all day Sunday. Strolling around Midtown, chasing squirrels at the Capital Building, and walking out on the Golden Gate Bridge were all very cool things to do, but the best thing of all for us was to see them. We're so thankful to have friends like Eric and Brenda and that it worked out for us to see them so soon after moving to Sacramento. Thanks for coming up, guys! We had a really nice time with you!!!

The Bathroom Window

2005-10-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

For first-time visitors to my granparent's home, the bathroom window is just plain creepy, and I suppose that remains a true statement for the rest of us as well. Between the two bathrooms upstairs lays this window that is obviously some kind of an architectural fluke; light from the adjacent bathroom shines in through this fogged window in the otherwise windowless bathroom. And don't get me wrong, it's nice to have light, of course, but light also has the tendency to reflect or shadow certain objects. When both bathrooms are occupied, you'll see something like this:

Ewww! It's a silhouette of a person. "Can that person see me?" "Wait a second, I recognize who that is." "Are they peeing?" "Oh, my god. Did they just get out of the shower? He/ she is naked!" Yes, these are only some of the things you might think when using the upstairs bathrooms.

So, Farah and I decided to have a little fun and did this:

And now a look from the other side:

Is it just us or is this window, perhaps, a little misplaced?

I don't know about you but this just freaks me out!

Back On-line!

2005-10-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

We're finally back on-line (and with cable TV) as of this morning, and I posted some pics of our new place on my site for those of you who are interested in seeing what everything looks like. I can't say much now because I'm pressed for time; Farah has me going to the store to buy bamboo and some other funky stuff for dinner tonight while she is at work. Yes, she got a job!! I will explain more as soon as I can. We're having a friend over for dinner tonight so I have to take care of some things before Farah gets home.... Gotta go!! BYE for now. :)

9:30

2005-09-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

We're all packed and ready to go! Amazingly, we got all of our stuff into the moving truck but only with the help of my good friend, Eric. Man, thanks so much! We couldn't have done it without you. So we're leaving at 9:30 and will get there whenever we get there (It's 8:16 now). With the big truck being as big as it is, who knows how long it will take; I don't think that we'll arrive any sooner than six in the evening. It should be a very long and HOT ride and we'll be ready to relax by the time we get there. I'm kind of sweating over only nine miles per gallon and not being able to use the AC but that's all part of moving, I guess. One thing for sure is that it'll be good to be able to start something new! Moving forward, right!

Anyway, to all of my friends who come and visit this site, as you can probably imagine, things have been very busy lately and I haven't been able to post many photos or write much. But as soon as things settle down in about a week or so--knock on wood--and assuming that we establish our Internet connection as promised, things should be back to normal. OK, Mizuha!!?? haha

Hey, wish us a safe trip up. Once again, thanks so much to Eric (and Brenda) for all of your help. We'll see everybody up north soon!!!!!

The Sky

2005-09-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

The sky has been really pretty lately as fall has arrived. Ironically, although the seasons have changed and we should be on our way to having brisk and cool weather, it seems to have gotten warmer. But don't take that as a complaint because we always welcome warmer weather, especially in our last week of living in Southern California. Anyway, here are some of my reflections in the sky this week.

Our House

2005-09-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick shot of our new apartment. The landlord just called and told me that it's ours and that we can move in on the first of the month!!! We're so excited! What do you think?

new pad

2005-09-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

One day of searching was all it took for us to find our new home! Yes, oh, yes! After going up and down the streets of Midtown--getting totally lost on the ONE WAY streets the entire way--and calling place after place, we found our sweet spot on I Street, which was actually right where we wanted to be. It's a great, little Victorian-style home that has been very well taken care of over the years, and is close to just about everything--restaurants, bars, cool art exhibits, and best of all, a lesbian cafe in the throwing distance of a rock! I kid you not! And starting the first of October, it's all ours!!! We're so excited to get in there and get started with our lives in Sactown! We'll try to take some pics to give all of you an idea of what it looks like. And hey, we have enough room for visitors so come, come, come!

Sacramento, Here we come!!

2005-09-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, we're driving up north to look for an apartment so let's hope that, one, we get there safely, and two, that we can find a nice (and affordable) place to live! We'll keep our fingers crossed and enjoy our new ride! Wish us luck, OK! :)

Since coming back...

2005-09-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

These are the few diaries that I wrote on my old site since coming back:

Thursday, September 1st

We bought a new car today, Scion xB, in silver! It's our first new car and we're SOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!

Wednesday, August 31st

Hisashiburi! It's been a super long time since I've written anything on here--twenty-nine days to be exact, but who's counting--and I'm not sure how I can possibly recap the events of this last month without first writing a novel, but here we go:

Our August:

1. It's good to be home and away from Japan!!! Life back home is pretty much where we left it, again, proof that the world does not revolve around us, and trying to get back on our feet and get the ball rolling again has been, to say the least, interesting and very challenging! First of all, our biggest news: we decided to move to Sacramento (Northern California) and hopefully that will happen sometime in next couple of weeks!! Everything sort of depends on when we are able to buy the car that we have our eyes on, the Scion xB, which is out of stock at the dealership right now and has to be found and ordered. It's a cool, boxy and affordable ride that we both like, and it's so Japanese! Actually, let me restate that: about us liking the xB, I have to say that Farah likes it second best, next to the Honda Element but for now, this is what makes the most sense for us as a young, married couple. Am I right? Don't answer that unless it's a YES, okay! :)

2. It's so greeeeeat to be surrounded by family and friends again!!

3. We went lots of places and did lots of things this month, such as: horseback riding, a very cool and relaxing trip to Bass Lake and Yosemite with Eric and Brenda, we met lots of really nice people in Sacramento, we went to the beach several times, hung out with my Dad and Leslie quite a few times too, and FINALLY we got to see Noah! Also, one of the really cool things about going to Sacramento was that we got to see Ryan and Jenny and get reaquainted with them. Both Farah and I are looking forward to getting to spend lots of time with them because we've never really had the chance to hang out much and bond... You know what I mean, right?!

So anyway, that's the story for now. We are doing well and although quite busy, we are really happy with the way that things are going... well, there are lots of complications--red tape up the ass--with Farah's new status as a permanent resident and all but we won't go into all of that. All is well!

p.s. I've been a bit of a slacker when it comes to email lately partly because we have been busy and mostly due to the fact that we don't have a computer right now! That's just another thing that we have to take care of... Hang in there, friends! I'll email back soon... (Just to name of few of the neglectees, Chris, Mizuha, Tez, Yuki, and Ito-san, I'm so sorry!! I'll be in touch really soon!)

Monday, August 2nd

It's so good to be back!!!!!!!!!!!!