Boc on the road ... Adventures in the West Coast!!

Someday..

2011-09-29T01:12:00.003-04:00

Wow, I'm embarrassed.. of how long it's been since I've posted something on this site.. I'm pretty certain I have probably lost all my readers, not sure if I even had any, by now but it's all good.. I still have stuff to say and I don't mind saying it to the ether that is this site..

So last month I became an official Sinner.. yep, that's my new married name.. I still live in LA and my husband is still in Europe.. I wonder when we will ever live under one roof... someday

I always find myself asking my newly married friends how marriage life is treating them.. they all respond in the positive.. It dawned on me that I ask this question because I have yet to begin my own married life.. like I said, someday..

But it's great, I must say.. to have JP in my life.. I feel real blessed that I met a guy who possesses the qualities that I lack in my own.. to marriage life, I await thee..

Closure...New Beginnings...

2011-06-30T00:50:00.007-04:00

I wish I had a camera with me all the time.. Yesterday I was standing outside my work building looking at what I have to say were some of the most beautiful cloud formations.. the sky looked like a perfect still painting.. but it was only when I focused my eyes closely that I could how much the clouds were moving.

So I haven't blogged in quite some time.. mainly because my life have been a one big mess. All the uncertainties plaguing me made me such a miserable and unhappy person. What am I going to do? Where I am going to live? These two questions - haunting!

Well, it seems all the months of stress and more stress end.. it took me a year (or more) but I am almost there..

Buddha Board

2011-03-30T03:34:00.008-04:00

Over the weekend, while at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, I purchased my very first Buddha board.. I've seen these boards before and have occasionally dabbled in some obscure drawings but this time I decided to purchase one for myself.. I think it comes at a poignant time in my life.. this reminder of living in the moment...

For the past few months I had the privilege to have two of my closest friends stay with me here in LA.. at first I thought of three girls living in a Jr. bedroom apartment would be a clear recipe for disaster ... but to my surprise I have to say, it's been the best months of my life since moving here..

The truth of the matter is this... me.. my friends.. us .. now.. here.. will this ever happen again? will the three of us ever be able to have this time where we can enjoy living under the same roof in our mid-30s laughing, eating, watching, playing, talking throughout the wee hours of the night everyday... the truth of the matter is ... no.. most likely never again.. not like this..

It's not often I catch myself realizing the finiteness of time.. usually I am too busy with the day to day living to really appreciate that this day will never happen again once it has passed.. it could be maddening thinking about all the wasted time in one's life... the missed opportunities, the people in our lives we take for granted, words and actions you could have said and done.. too many of these have passed through my head.. but I have no choice but to just let them go and hope that I don't succumb to the same illusory ideology, that there's always next time...

Living in the moment... these few words have been the source of some of my greatest pleasures and torments...

To Time...

Why? Not now...

2011-02-16T01:37:00.004-05:00

My life in this coast has been bearable for the past couple of months due to the arrival of my dear friends...if it weren't for them, I don't know how much longer I could have lasted here.. which brings me to my concerns, what the heck am I going to do when they leave?!!!

Often times I try to rationalize why certain things happen in my life.. I suppose my innate nature for reason and meaning. It has been exactly a year ago that I first called Los Angeles my new home.. and everyday for the past 365 days there was never a moment when the question, "why" did not cross my mind.. One can go crazy trying to find meaning in something that is not meant to be found now... for the time being, I try to enjoy the precious moments with my friends.. my co-workers, whom I have come to like very much... the weather, can't beat it... and of course, the stars...

From Drop Box

Tinashé - Saved // Out 5th Sept

2010-12-21T23:34:00.001-05:00

Digging it...

Creativity...

2010-11-11T23:04:00.005-05:00

Every time I peruse the Etsy sight I can't help but wonder, will there be a time when we will no longer step outside our homes to get what we need? of course, my mind then wanders to the thought of how the real estate market would then just plummet with all the commercial real estate vacancy.. I see that already in Los Angeles.. you go down Sunset Blvd and it seems like every other store is for rent.. back to my point.. I can spend a whole day, or even a whole week looking through etsy and finding all these adorable and creative things that people have made... and then I step outside my home and I see all the commercial mass produced crap in the stores and I go back to feeling uninspired. How do things so shitty make its way to the masses? This goes beyond retail.. 3 words: Freddy got fingered... Shouldn't there be a point when a person should just stop and be like "what the hell are we doing?!" Ugh! Obviously not...

Anyhoot, when I see creative no-names getting their stuff out there through sites like Etsy, a little dash of hope sparks my cynical heart.. no more waiting for that day hoping for a big name company or a studio to come and recognize your potential.. you want to make art, you make it and release it yourself! Power to the people!!

Courtesy of : BeanTownHandmade

Luckiest girl.....

2010-11-10T03:32:00.006-05:00

It is way past my bedtime yet I feel the need to write this entry on love... yes, love..

Tonight I recall a late evening in the summer of 2008.. I was sitting up in my bed in the middle of the night in total and complete anguish.. I remember looking up at the ceiling with tears profusely rolling down my face as I cried and pleaded for the pain in my heart to stop.. stop completely as if through divine intervention I would cease to feel anything at all... this was the first time ever I made such a plea as a result of a gravely wounded heart.. I was madly deeply unequivocally in love with a man.. he was my soul mate..the man I would one day start a family with and grow old together... I had never loved a man so much and adored someone as much as I did he..... unfortunately, "us" was not meant to be.. so my heart broke and broke.. until I had enough and I left...

Present Day - In two weeks I will be saying "yes" to the man that will be my future husband. A man that I met during my travels.. till this day I believe that this man was a gift from God sent to me to pick up the pieces of what was my broken heart.. God had answered my prayers with a man that showered me with love and tenderness when I had nothing .. no job, no direction, no home, no hope.. just me broken and in pain..

I feel like I have lived a life or two over within the past 3 years.. Since then I have reconciled with the man that broke my heart .. we continue our friendship the way we left off.. as soul mates.. nothing more and nothing less.. for the longest time I struggled with the knowledge that in one person was my soul mate and another my rock... how does one reconcile such a thing? you don't... and so this is my entry for tonight..

Pain blinded me to recognize what truly existed before my eyes... love... beyond form and matter.. time and space..

There exists a love between a husband and a wife... a bond that runs deeper and farther as you live your life with the other.. There exists a love between a soul and another soul... a bond that cannot be broken even if you were to never to see the other again.. I am lucky that I have both such loves in my life..(soul mates I have 2) .. truly lucky.

Turmoil....

2010-10-30T01:32:00.003-04:00

My poor boyfriend... He deals with all the craziness that goes on in my head... My boyfriend is the epitome of Mr. Stable. Me... I use to be Mrs. Stable.. until one day I realized that my life.. it ceased to have meaning.. I lost track of it all.. what was and is truly important in any of this dot period that is my life in this time and in this space. so I decided to go awaken my soul... only to later find that I missed the stability of having a job and a steady income and a steady place to call home.. I came back.. prematurely.. and now, I feel the pains of all this... My soul is half awake.. and it taunts me at night that this is not my life.. I find myself constantly discontent with everything that surrounds me.. and I can't help but wonder when did I become such a complainer? I feel like that is all I ever do these days in this city to my boyfriend to my friends... my poor boyfriend.. I am blessed for his patience.. he keeps asking me.. "what is it that you want?!" Answer: Nothing, Everything...

I shall post this entry as a reminder to myself one day that this was all part of my life's journey.. and when the day comes when I have found peace with my life, I shall remember this road I took and all the scorching gravel I laid my feet upon to find my way home...

Not COOL!!!!..

2010-10-11T23:03:00.003-04:00

I received a link to a fabulous short on Youtube the other day. I was engulfed in watching this video on my blackberry as I stepped unto the bus to head to work. (yes, I am still taking the bus to work) As I sat in the front of the bus enjoying my video I could sense the presence of the "eyes" upon me. The "eyes" it seems came from a bag lady sitting across from me. She kept staring and mumbling to herself. *mumble mumble mumble* As my enjoyable short film came to an end I quietly put my blackberry away and enjoyed the remaining 2 mins on the bus. In the corner of my eye I can sense that the "eyes" remained and the now I could hear the mumblings getting louder and louder. The bag lady starts rummaging through one of her bags when she suddenly takes out her disposable camera and to my surprise/horror starts taking photos of me. *Flash Flash*

Shane: EXCUSE ME!!! What are you doing?

Bag Lady: You know what you did wrong!! (no kidding in a friggin creepy voice)

Shane: WHAT THE?!?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! Can you STOP taking my picture lady?!

Bag Lady: No, I've seen you before on the bus with your *technology*. I'm going to take your picture and display it at the public library. Pictures of all you *technology* obsessed people!

Shane: STOP taking my picture! NOW!

Bag Lady: Why?? are you ashamed? You know what you did wrong!!

Shane: You better stop before I come over there and crack your head open and eat your brains with my chopsticks!

Okay, I didn't say the last line but the thought of going to her and grabbing her disposable camera and ripping the film like I was Sean Penn did cross my mind.

I must say.. is this how it feels to have your right to privacy violated? I'm sure this bag lady's technology rant/threat pales in comparison to let's say, getting caught naked in bed with your nanny .. but still.. I felt so friggin violated!!! and the worst part... for being "technology obsessed" ??? are you friggin kidding me?? ME?? the girl with a barely working phone, tv void, iphone/pod void, the list goes on void technologically UNsavy provincial accused of being technology obsessed?! I think that's the part that pissed me off the most!

Grrrr!!! Lurking cameras are officially banned in my book!!!!

The death of me....

2010-10-06T23:08:00.004-04:00

Los Angeles... what is it about this city that makes me want to do nothing?! Is it the lack of a car? I don't think so.. even if I had a car there is nowhere in this city that I want to go..maybe to get a massage but I can literally walk there.. It's so sad.. I have lost my desire to go out.. It's official.. this city is killing my soul!!!

I recently returned from a 2 week trip to Europe.. ahhh.. Europe.. what is it about Europe that makes me want to do everything?!

Lately I find myself occupied by the thoughts of a house, a garden and a dog. I have begun dreaming about my soon to be life as a married woman. Of the house with the beautiful garden that we will live in.. and the dog(s) that I have been longing for for so long....and, of course, my future husband and his adoring tenderness. For someone like me to think of these things rather than my career ambitions, I can't help but wonder.. has Los Angeles killed my spirits of being a business woman?

Terrible I know.. It seems I am blaming this city for EVERYTHING... even for my thoughts of the white picket fence.. Yet!! Yet, not an ounce of regret for packing my bags and coming here.. it was what I needed at that time.. now that the time has passed .. what is next...

Happiest Place on Earth...

2010-08-26T01:54:00.004-04:00

I feel like a revolving door. I believe today is the first day in months that I am able to sit alone in my apartment in silence. No guests to entertain, no Disneyland for the 4th consecutive week... geez louize...

So I never thought that I, Shane Boc, would ever be a fan of the mouse.. that is Mickey.. well, not really a fan of Mickey but a fan of what Mickey stands for.. I have met so many Disney fanatics since I have been here.. all of them adults.. I always thought that Disney was a child's world.. that parents and adults were more like coerced participants and observers. But on the contrary... its amazing to see people of every age be swept away by the magic of Disney.

Last night I met a man from Ethiopia. He had picked us up from the hotel to drive us to the airport. While coming home we spoke about family, career, and of course, Disney. He shared his dream of wanting to bring Disney to Africa. "It's just too expensive but still, children in my home country all know and love Disney". "Someday... " His comments reminded me of the gospel. How growing up I wanted to make it my life's mission to bring the gospel to the unreached people. Now, I find myself bringing my guests to Disneyland on a Sunday..but ironically with no guilt. Why? because in the end, the essence of what it is that I want to bring still remains..

Observations and Reflections....

2010-06-21T00:12:00.008-04:00

When the topic of drivers license comes up in a conversation most Angelinos still cannot grasp that I am living in Los Angeles without a drivers license. It's true, I don't blame them. Driving here is as common and essential as the subways and buses of new york city. Nonetheless, I am surviving.. I still don't find the need to have one. Yes, there are times when I wish I could get somewhere "faster" but at the end I always get to my destination.. and in the time spent somewhere between, I sit on the public transit and I just observe.. and reflect..

#1 Man with the Box

A man carrying a large box came on the bus with his friend the other day. I immediately noticed his fashion forward attire complimenting his tall slim frame. His hat tamed his dark curls and the rim slightly covered his eyes while only exposing his fabulous cheekbones and beautiful lips. He sat in front of me with his friend and I continued on with my occasional observations. What seemed at first a pretty stylish attire slowly began to unravel one butt cheek at a time. First of all, like most men who wear skinny jeans, they are able to pull off skinny jeans not only due to their skinny legs but also their lack of an actual ass. So when this guy's no ass butt crack slowly appeared in front of me I began to cringe.. Then it was his hands.. I thought I talked a lot with my hands but this guy made me look like an amputee. He was probably one of the most dramatic homosexuals I have seen ever! He could not sit still on the seat. His hands, arms, no ass ass, legs, they were all flying everywhere while he told his "oh my god its sooo important I'm going to die" story to his overly stoic and unamused friend. Due to his over exertion during his story telling, the man obviously started to perspire. So there he went, first taking off his jacket to expose his lanky arms and bird cage chest.. then it was his hat.. oh the hat!! the image of his dark luscious curls quickly vanished and was replaced by the crisco oil dressing that was his hair. The inside of the hat was discolored from all the grease and sweat.. The man began to brush his fingers through the crisco oil over and over and over and over again while taking a few moments out to collect his dander, sut, and all the hair falling out.. My god, I wanted to vomit..

He continued on with his story, his hair, his butt cheek while opening the lid to the large box. Inside the box - vintage everything.. vintage purses, vintage scarves, vintage belts, vintage shoes... every item had a label.. it looked like he just ransacked a salvation army.. the man continued rummaging through the box. He finally found a pair of black leather vintage shoes. Unfortunately, these shoes were true to its description as they both had enormous holes on the soles.. The man proceeded to take off his own shoes exposing his deathly stained green stripped socks with his unclipped toenails punching through the multiple holes of the fabric.. my nose started to twitch.. the smell.. oh my gosh the smell!!! He took off his shoes and replaced it with the new shoes leaking the smell of his socks and feet through the holes of the soles.. I was about to vomit..

what started off as a sight of beauty ended as a journey of disillusionment and physical torment. I felt like I had stared at a beautiful painting too long.. and slowly began to see all the cracks and imperfections.. but the truth is the cracks and imperfections existed all along, I was just blinded by all the surface of things.. these moments of forced observations and reflections remind me that I need to stop looking at the surface and observe further..

#2 The old man with the thunderous voice

To be continued..

2010-05-26T16:17:00.007-04:00

How is it that I can come down with a flu-like virus here in sunny california and not during the dead cold of winter in the state of new york?! ummm.. craziness!!

Speaking of New York, I had a little taste of brooklyn over the weekend when The National came to play at the Wiltern! Fortunately I was able to get tix at the last minute.. It was nice.. to hear Matt Berninger's baritonic (is that even a word??) voice again.. Good times!

On a side note, what is up with Angelino's obsession with food trucks?! I went to an outdoor music festival over the weekend in Silver lake.. present at this festival were trucks after trucks after trucks of food!!! Every time a food truck comes to the Disney building there is a mass email to the entire building. For real?? I think the food truck people in NYC get a bad rep! They should all come to LA where they can be superstars!!

Mr. Baritone..

A Serious Man...

2010-05-24T13:46:00.003-04:00

So now it's going on 3 months since I have been here.. this new city that I call home. For the past several months I have been busy basking in the pleasant weather and enjoying the company of my dear friends. However, hidden underneath the daily distractions of my life, a question keeps lurking in my head over and over, "why am I really here??".

This reminds me of the movie - A Serious Man. The main character is an ordinary man having a life crisis. He wants balance in his life once again and consults with three rabbis in trying to understand meaning in life or perhaps the world. The first rabbi, young and least experienced, tries to give him a reason - look at the bright side. The second rabbi, a bit more senior, tells a story with no answer to the central mystery of the story. It leaves the man more frustrated than before. The last rabbi, the most senior and respected, doesn't even take a moment to meet with the man despite his several attempts. The last rabbi's few words spoken throughout the entire movie is to the son of the man who had just completed his bar mitzvah. In his chambers the rabbi tells the boy to just lead a good life. Although the problems of the main character eventually subsides, the movie ends with an ominous tornado heading straight towards the town.

At times I feel like the young rabbi - always trying to give and find a logical answer to the questions that plague me. But the second rabbi tells us that there are no answers to the mysteries while the last rabbi tells us its not worth even spending your time racking your brains over, why? because at the end a tornado is coming that will wipe out everything else in comparison.

As such, sometime I wonder, why even ask why? Just do. Just try to live a good life. It's that simple.

For your mental consideration:

Youthlike...

2010-05-07T12:49:00.005-04:00

Last night I had a dream that I returned to my high school. I remember walking down the empty corridor full of small lockers and old yet familiar classrooms. I came upon a door. I opened it and before me I saw a field full of teenage students.. on the left was a group of cheerleaders practicing their routine .. they blended with the group of athletes practicing their throws across the field.. on the right was a group of students neither athletes nor cheerleaders but in movement nonetheless.. there was so much life at every turn of my head... the life was so youthful.. so happy.. so innocent..

I suddenly felt a void in my heart as wide and deep as the universe.. I wanted to cry but I refrained because I knew I would never stop.

Instead I woke up.

2010-05-03T18:57:00.006-04:00

Ever since finishing Siddhartha, I have eagerly sought the work of other Hermann Hesse's writings. Currently, I am reading the pages of Demian. Although it was already on my Hesse list, I escalated obtaining this book because it came highly recommended by JP.

I remember one of the last exhibitions I saw before leaving NYC was Carl Jung's Red Book at the Rubin Museum. Coincidentally, Hesse was a good friend of Jung and Jung's psychology is certainly an evident theme in the story of Demian. This constant search for one's unconscious self has been something that I have been battling with for quite some time.. I never really communicated these thoughts out loud when I was younger.. perhaps in fear that it was not allowed in the Chrisitan faith.. My thoughts resided often alone within the confines of my own silence. When it really began, I do not know. Perhaps when I first picked up one of the books by Heidegger at Strands many years ago. Or perhaps when I first started questionning about what it is that I believe.. or perhaps when my college boyfriend would spend hours talking about space and time.. or perhaps when I first decided to become a believer 20 years ago. Regardless, it appears that religion, spirituality, knowing, truth, whatever one may call it has been something that has consistently paralled to my existence for as long as I can remember. With that said, when I come across philosophers, poets and writers, who touch upon this topic with such clarity in their work, I cannot help but feel comforted knowing that this journey, albeit a looong and lonely one, has been walked many times before..

" ... The bird fights its way out of the egg. The egg is the world. Who would be born must first destroy a world..."

Danke Hesse!

Back and Sand...

2010-04-29T16:47:00.002-04:00

This weekend was rudely interrupted with a minor accident of my back.. Looking back it was pretty cliche : old age + shower = Shane pulling her back and being immobilized for the next 3 days.. Fortunately, my friends came over and nursed me into semi-decent shape.. Nonetheless, this whole experience reminded me that dammit - I'm getting old!!!!!! Pulled back at my age? Are you kidding me?!

Fortunately, the week progressed better. My friend from NYC was in town. We decided to meet up for dinner in Santa Monica. Sad to say, this was the first time I was on the beach since I moved here. It was nice.. the beach at night.. I should go more often..

San Fran... cont'd..

2010-04-21T02:51:00.007-04:00

Woman and Water

Tree and Woman

Woman and Umbrella

Ball and Man

Good ole SF!!!

2010-04-12T19:50:00.002-04:00

So... here I am.. in good ole San Fran Cisco sitting at a local cafe plugged in doing my work while enjoying the laid back kinda life that is passing me by outside.... our hotel happens to be in union square/financial district.. yet.. I find it to be quite relaxed here.. even in the financial district.. is this normal? I thought there was no such thing as relaxed and finance in the same breath..

the past few days of exploring this city has been like a breath of fresh air. Well, with the exception of being forced to a 6:30 am meditation session.. who the heck gets up at 6:30 am while on holiday??! Well.. fortunately/unfortunately, one of my dearest friend happens to be that person.. I was pretty much forced/guilted into choosing between meditation at a nearby buddhist center or yoga! I opted for meditation.. it's much less strenous..physically at least.. but at the end it really wasn't since I had to friggin wake up so early!! In the end, it was all good.. it was quite rejuventaing in fact.. to meditate so early in the morning.. I guess this is how my mom feels everytime she goes to morning prayer at 5:30 am..

Okay, must head back to work.. will update photos in my next entry..

So close...

2010-04-07T16:40:00.002-04:00

Great thing about living so close to work.. I can come home and take a lunch nap.

2010-03-31T23:25:00.002-04:00

Now that I have a desk chair in my apartment I feel a whole lot better!! Right now I have two laptops set up in my cozy little office space.. yes, two.. one for my blogging and the other for work. I have completely underestimated the amount of "work" I would be doing in my new position. When I arrive in the morning I grab my coffee and jump into a meeting or a call. My stomach starts to growl and that's because it's already 2:00 pm!! What the freakin hell?! I guess it's better than waiting for the minutes to pass by but still.. what the freakin hell?? will this be another one of those jobs when you blink your eye and it's like 10 years later?!

So in a few weeks I will be back in NYC!! I must confess that this is the first time I have ever felt homesick.. when I mean homesick I mean I miss NYC!! There is nothing like the big apple man..! I miss the people hoarding the streets.. in LA there is no one on the streets.. a handful of pedestrians.. a handful of bikers.. ugh!! the streets of LA are lonely.. I will live it up in the big apple even if it's for a few days!!

Oh the good old days with Ben in NYC... ;)

Checking In....

2010-03-29T00:45:00.002-04:00

Finding the time to post an entry these days has been a battle.. work is busy but I'm not complaining.. why? because I actually enjoy what I am doing and I enjoy the people I work with. The company is fun and relaxed.. fortunately, this allows the work day to fly by.. but once I get home, that's a whole different story.

My apartment is still lifeless. I spent the day today buying a chair and assembling it. Yes, that was the highlight of my day. I am very happy that I have a desk chair. I can finally set up my computer and blog (among other things).

Tomorrow I am starting my flex hours. I have yet to wrap my mind around the fact that it has been less than a month of employment and I am already working from home once a week. Perhaps I can move to Europe and still keep my job! ;) Did I mention that I like my new job?!

Yesterday, I went to a farm to pick some strawberries. During the tour we had the opportunity to taste fresh vegetables.. My gosh I didn't know spinach can taste soooo friggin good.. it was sweet and crunchy and I suddenly just wanted to say adios to beef from that instant on! But, of course, all highs must eventually rejoin the realm of reason - in this case, korean bbq!! This talk of food is making me hungry. It's been a long day .. time to go relax.

Google Sub??

2010-03-03T21:32:00.002-05:00

I feel like I'm working at Google.. the office space in my department is situated in what appears to look like a one big industrial loft.. coupled with, we get unlimited beverages and starbucks coffee.. if only we can get those bouncing balls to sit on during the day... and, of course, the massage stations..

Yesterday I received my refridgerator.. yes, refridgerator.. one might wonder why it took me this long to get one.. well, it appears in Los Angeles most apartments do not come with a fridge.. WTH you say? yeah, EXACTLY!!! Anyways, I'm done scratching my head over this no-fridge thing .. now I need to focus on how to stock up my fridge with yummies.. the past few days have been torture with no food to go to when I get home.. I missed my mom's home cooking.. speaking of home cooking, it's a drag that there is no korean restaurants around here.. WTH??!? This is LA dammit!

West Coast Baby!!!!!

2010-03-02T21:45:00.002-05:00

I still can't wrap my arms around the fact that when I step outside every morning the weather is just perfect!!! Since it is their "winter" season, it is apparently very "cold" here right now.. well, if this is considered cold then sign me up baby!!

Needless to say, I am quickly getting use to all this west coast style of living.. or perhaps its my new job.. overall, life seems to be really laid back here and if anything, I feel like the only one strung out from my New York lifestyle..

A moment of observation....

2010-02-22T17:19:00.002-05:00

I like Switzerland. I first liked Lusanne until I went to Geneva and thought Geneva was better.. but then I went to Zurich and I concluded Zurich was the best of the three cities we visited... Zurich is fun, clean, hip, old, new.. although, there were a few unusual observations I feel compelled to mention:

1. Intermission - While watching Ghost Writer in one of the theaters in Zurich, I experienced my very first movie intermission. Actually, I never even knew that there were such things.. but yes, right in the smack middle of the film, during what appeared to be one of the most random scenes, the film just stopped! Stopped, the lights turned on and everyone started to exit.. what the freakin heck?! talk about breaking the flow of a movie.. We found out the following day that this is quite common in Zurich.. or even perhaps in Switzerland.. how odd!

2. Expensive - Switzerland is expensive!!! Our sushi lunch that consisted of edamame and a few rolls came out to a whopping $100! What the freakin heck?!?!

3. H&M - The Swiss love their H&M. It's like starbucks.. it's on every corner! In the main shopping square in the city, I found two (2) H&Ms on the SAME BLOCK!

4. Smoking - It's been a long time since I sat in an ash tray. Yes, smoking is allowed everywhere.

5. Pets - I still can't wrap my arms around the fact that I'm staring at a boston terrier while eating my spaghetti carbonara. It appears pets are allowed to dine along their human counterparts in restaurants throughout the country. Surprisingly, all the dogs that I saw in the restaurants were extremely well-behaved.. perhaps they are just use to this.. but I, on the other hand, was still puzzled.

Okay, I'm sure there are a few more observations worth mentioning but these are just a few off the top of my head. Nevertheless, I would like to return to Switzerland.. the Swiss are clean and freakin organized! I like it!

Oh, I'm sure I don't have to mention about the watches.. ahhh.. too many freakin tic tocs!!

Paris.. feed me

2010-02-12T16:32:00.002-05:00

I have heard from several different people that as they grow older they find themselves craving rice everyday. Of course, I had my share of rice attacks during my travels.. but that was nothing compared to my mom`s need for korean food during this trip.. her appetite for korean food was out of control. it started in brussels and it continued to paris.. she started to get so desperate she would stop and ask anyone on the street that looked remotely asian if they knew of a korean restaurant in the area.. her desperation was at its peak when she would peep into grocery stores and dry cleaners for any sign of koreans... we quickly found out that koreans in paris do not run groceries and dry cleaners.. but, of course, that didnt stop my mom from hoping. I found this all very amusing.. my mom...with me in paris.. in search of kimchi and rice..

I am happy to report that we eventually found a korean restaurant.. surprisingly, it was right down the block from our hotel. I should have taken a photo of my mom when she swallowed her first scoop of seafood tofu soup.. she looked like a women who had finally arrived to her destination after a very long journey..

Europe in Winter...

2010-02-10T16:27:00.003-05:00

Im writing this entry on a Mac pc with european keyboard..its tough!

Im in Paris and its snowing outside.. there is a nice parisian cafe outside the hotel and I was tempted to make my way over for a night cap.. thats tea and biscuits in parka language.. but then the thought of battling the snow dissuaded my lazy bum.. its been a long day. We took a bus from brussels to paris this morning.. the bus was suppose to depart at 9:30 am.. in brussels that means noon.. we finally arrived to paris and the weather was nice and brisk.. now where in the world did this snow come from??

while in brussels I visited the Margritte museum.. sometimes I wonder if its because of Margritte I keep including brussels in my european excursions.. I was so delighted when the museum finally opened last year.. the little side corner of his work displayed in the museum of moderne art in bruxelles did not serve justice.. I hope to post photos of me and rene shortly..

In the meantime... I shall get some tea..

Procrastination...

2010-02-02T12:21:00.005-05:00

As always, I leave everything to the last minute.. will this habit of mine ever change? I am leaving for Europe this Friday right after work.. I will be returning on the 22nd only to depart for LA on the 23rd... It still mind-boggles me that I have not packed for ANYTHING!!! Not for Europe, not for LA = Nada!! I think I am in denial! That or I am pushing the limits of my procrastination... I must get some sick satisfaction out of tight schedules.. it's like back in 2008.. my last day of work at Citi was on the 5th and I jumped on a plane the next morning for my travels..

On a side note, I find myself reflecting about relationships these days.. perhaps because I will not be seeing the regular faces of my life for the next few years.. I thought of all the people that have come and gone throughout my life .. and then thought of all the things I was suppose to do but never ended up doing.. like seeing my last boss from Citigroup for lunch, buying birthday gifts for like 10 people, taking my nieces to the planetarium, sending my writing to friends, meeting up with my old co-workers.. etc. etc.. the list goes on.. I just always assumed I would take care of them in my own time.. but it appears that time has already passed me by.. I suppose these are the regrets that result from this wretched habit called procrastination.. Of course, I am an optimist and I truly believe deep down I will eventually do everything that I am suppose to do for the people that have done so back to me.. but would that matter when things have already been forgotten...

I shall reflect some more as I look forward to my trip to Geneva..

Switzerland in Winter...

Awareness...

2010-01-28T16:13:00.005-05:00

So... as I count down the days to my departure, I find myself reflecting on the following thoughts:

1. Belongings - I have not a lot of such. As I commence my packing list I have come to the conclusion that I just don't have a lot of things worth taking.. It appears at this point, I will just be hopping on a plane (versus cross country drive) and checking in just one luggage bag full of books, some clothes, and a little bit of misc. items... I can't seem to wrap myself around this... how could I, in my 30+ years of existence, only accumulated one bag worth of real belongings? Have I truly amassed nothing worth of value throughout my days? or have I just come to the realization that most of the things that we do amass in our lives are really of no true value worth taking on your journey..

2. Friends - I have not a lot of such. As I count down the days before I will cease looking at the many recognizable faces, I couldn't help but wonder which faces I will truly miss seeing. It quickly dawned on me, not a whole lot. Have I really amassed no true friends throughout my days? or have I also just come to the realization that true friends are as sparse as the bag of belongings you find yourself taking on your journey.

3. Too Much Alcohol - Nothing good can come out of it!!

So little time...

2010-01-27T14:59:00.002-05:00

Everything is moving so fast it seems... My move to Los Angeles has still not registered in my mind... perhaps when I finally get a place to live it will hit me.. speaking of which, apartment shopping is a drag when you're not there to actually look at the apartment.. thank god Jen is there to be my eyes and ears.. I thought of just finding a nice loft space to rent but now, since it appears so many people are already "booked" to come stay with me throughout the year, I am considering renting a 2 bedroom.. visitor peer pressure!

So, my last official day in the east coast is next Friday.. once I finish work I will be jumping on a plane to Frankfurt.. my mom has decided to accompany me this time for a "mother-daughter" europe trip.. this should be interesting! I will update photos as often as I can..

Once I get back from Europe in the last week of February, I will then jump on a plane with my limited belongings for LA. So for all my friends and family - it's been fantabulous!!! Feel free to ring ring if you happen to be in the hood.. most likely I will have a bedroom for you! ;)

Hugs.

For Madmen Only...........

2010-01-13T12:33:00.001-05:00

So during my preliminary preparation for the roadtrip last month I decided to go online and conduct a search for "traveling circus freak show". Why I ever thought I could find one during my trip was beyond me. Wishful thinking I suppose.

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today. It could be a result of past people in my life popping up in my dreams the other night. Either way, I suddenly thought of traveling circus freak shows, and how I have always preferred the nineteenth and early twentieth century rather than the present.

So now I'm a bonafide Hesse fan. I have ventured to my next book, Steppenwolf. In one chapter, Hesse writes how his main character, Steppenwolf, passes by a small theater with the following sign: "Not for Everyone".... "For Madmen Only"... I swear I think my heart pumped up a hundred notch with aching morbid curiosity... The hidden chambers of my sick brain suddenly swung open with unleashing fantasies and ideas of what could be in this theater.. Okay, I have not yet reached far enough in the book to find out more.. but for now, the thoughts of "Not for everyone, for madmen only" keeps ringing in my ear... Gosh, I wish things like that existed today.. perhaps they do.. I don't know..

My friend asked me last night whether I have been to this bar that is hidden behind some phone booth in a hotdog joint!?! Apparently, you enter the phone booth and then you call some number and give them your name.. a few moments later, apparently this back door opens and you are able to enter into this hidden room... I then vaguely recalled reading about this place in some magazine.. but I had no desire to go to such a place.. perhaps I would have when I was younger but now, like all the other pretentious "hidden" joints in and around the city, the mystique only lasts for so long...

why? because in the end, its all about the money man! You can make it a secret or "exclusive" only for so long before having to open the floodgates of wanna be starfuckers and weekend jersey girls (and boys) to get inside.. meanwhile, the fact of the matter is, every star has probably made their way in and is off to the next big cheap thrill.. never to set foot into the phone booth ever again..

What's my point?! where is the exclusivity anymore?! can a theater that is open for madmen only really be out there? a place where no matter how little the patronage inside may be, you still won't let the sanemen in?! Okay, its highly unlikely I, too, would ever be able to set my foot in such a place either but that's not the point.. I can at least be like the Steppenwolf and take a glimpse from the outside and have my less than mad brain take it from there..

too much info, not enough mystery... oh well.. off I am.

In the meantime, happy thoughts.

Chaos...

2009-12-30T14:15:00.002-05:00

I am sooooo happy that 2009 is winding down. Looking back, I found it to be quite unfulfilling this 2009.

Last night I stayed up into the wee hours of the night reading Hesse's Siddhartha. How wonderful it was, I thought. So much so that I wanted to jump out of bed and start a new day..a new life.. 2010, I wish for much better awakening in my soul.

Happy New Year!

High Blood Pressure

2009-12-14T12:58:00.002-05:00

It appears I have high blood pressure. I first thought it was a mistake but after 4 tries, my blood pressure consistently measured at "oh my god, I'm too young for high blood pressure" high.. could it be from all the tension that has been amassing near and around my neck? no, that's perhaps the result of high blood pressure.. could it be from the sleepless nights of staring at the ceiling wondering 'what the heck am I doing' thoughts? or could it be the lack of exercise and salty food I consume everyday? Well, perhaps its all of the above. Either way, I need to stop it all!

My co-worker told me today that he was going to quit smoking.. "Why all of a sudden?" I asked.. "Chest pains!", he responded. Ahhh... yes... the chest pains.. Well, my yellow light was the high blood pressure... I'm glad we both stopped at the yellow before seeing the red.

ahhhh....

2009-12-11T12:54:00.002-05:00

It's so bloody cold outside!! I think I had my first official teeth freeze moment while attempting to talk on the phone..

The Invisible Man...

2009-12-10T13:38:00.006-05:00

I recently read an interview by Chinese artist, Liu Bolin, I found quite moving. An artist that has been dubbed as the "The Invisible Man", Bolin spends up to 10 hours to completely paint himself and disappear in his surrounding... a camouflage..

how amazing it would be to just melt through the walls..

Bolin:

“In my photography, historical statues, costumes and architecture become symbols of that which confines us,”... “I am expressing the desire to break through these structures. I portray subjects that seem to disappear into these structures and become transparent. The subject is released from social constructs and he is free.”

I find these words to be beautiful. I think what he does in his art is amazing. But really, I am most moved by what he stands for as a human being, wanting nothing more than just to be free..

Old (Hair) days...

2009-12-09T15:18:00.003-05:00

So as 2009 slowly winds down in the next few weeks, I am feeling a bit nostalgic.. It all started when I came across this old photo from my photo gallery. Believe it or not, this was taken just last year. I was a bit taken aback since I don't look like this anymore. When I say, like this, I mean FEMININE! haha. Perhaps its my short haircut. I asked JP if he prefers me with short hair or long hair. He opted for short. I was bit relieved since the thought of looking like this again will be dreadful for me. It represents the time in my life when I was falling down a bottomless pit. I was unhappy (despite the contrary in the photo), lost, broken, and desperate to get the hell out of here. As soon as I left the country, I chopped my hair, met my love, and have slowly tried to put back the pieces of meaning in my life.

It's funny how things turn around sometimes. 2010 is going to be a great year, I know it! I hope the same for you too! Hugs..

Nothingness is Somethingness...

2009-11-19T17:54:00.005-05:00

I often find myself struggling to write something in this blog, especially since I have so much to say but can't find anything to say at all. I think my brain is speeding at a rate where my body can't keep up. This may explain why I have noticed an increasing amount of typos in my writing, or even why it's difficult for me to look back and recall what it is I exactly did, experienced, sensed during my travels. Perhaps its sensory overload.. or perhaps not..

One of my many fleeting thoughts from my recent roadtrip was the following:

Nothingness is somethingness

Driving through Texas, Arizona and New Mexico one cannot help but notice the perpetual scenary of the enormous landscape of our country. After awhile the only thing I noticed changing were the clouds. A thought then suddenly popped up in my mind - what a waste of land. If I could, I would use this land for something, anything, even if its putting a fake Prada shop in the smack middle of nothing (Oh wait, somebody already did that).

When we arrived to Marfa we met a man working at the local thrift shop. He spoke about his story of how he and his wife ended up in Marfa. He continued to share his stories of all the films (and his side gig as an extra in these films) that were shot in the area, including P.T. Anderson's There Will Be Blood. Apparently, Daniel Day Lewis is a "very pleasant man". During his story, I asked the naive question of "Why?" Why are these films shot in Marfa and the surrounding areas? Why here? The man then responded, "because its the only place left in the country that looks exactly the same as it did 100 years ago." Suddenly I felt a bit convicted from all my previous thoughts of how this vast land was such a waste and that it should be used for something. Well, it is..I guess. For me, now, I realize it probably serves more function than what I could possibly ever ask from it.

And for all those times I complained about how I need to go to Cuba before the 'western civilization' comes in and "pollutes" it with their high rise buildings and a starbucks in every corner. Geez louize!

Post Roadtrip

2009-11-16T00:31:00.001-05:00

So we finally made it to Marfa. I must say, it was pretty darn cool.

West Coast

2009-11-06T00:02:00.002-05:00

So here I am in Los Angeles again. It took only about 10 trips here to make me finally admit: I can see why people like California. Ahh.. I admit it.. there is something to be said about palm trees and good weather.. Today I was a total tourist. I jumped on the Hollywood Tour bus and took cheezy photos of things I can't even admit to online. Ugh!

So now we are off to Las Vegas and then straight to Marfa, Tx baby!!

Road Trip..............

2009-11-01T15:16:00.002-05:00

It's a bit ambitious I must admit, but hey, why not?!

I'm flying to the west coast next week for some R&R and of course, ROAD TRIP!!!! I love road trips. They are the bestest ~ especially, when you're not the one driving... muahaha.

Okay, a quick "why I love road trips" list:

1. Open road - Need I say more
2. Hidden treasures - little towns, cute shops, crazy locals
3. Landscape - Kodak moments
4. Music - Shane's all time favorite music compilations ON REPEAT
5. Pit Stops - Reason to eat fast food without feeling too guilty
6. Bonding moments - Awwww
7. Escape - Anywhere but here or there

Soooo, the itinerary is looking something like this:

1. California
2. Nevada
3. Arizona
4. Texas
5. Utah
6. New Mexico

I will be in the land of sun and burritos. Good times.

I hope to update this site during my roadside excursions. Until next time..

Roadtrip wonders!

2009-10-28T18:15:00.003-04:00

So.. I am finalizing the itinerary for my roadtrip next week. With all the different places I have always wanted to visit in the U.S. on the very top of my list is a small town in Texas known as Marfa. Best known as a hidden art haven for artists including the Donald Judd (his foundation is out there), Marfa is also known for their "mysterious lights". Also knowns as "Marfa ghost lights", people have reported since the 1800s that they have seen "glowing basketball sized spheres floating above the ground, or sometimes high in the air." Ranging in various colors including yellow, green, and red, it seems they often appear in pairs or groups... ummm. Bizarre!! Okay, there are many reasons to go to Marfa in my opinion... art, ghost lights, supernatural energy, Prada.. yes, Prada!

(Prada Marfa)

Discipline ...

2009-10-22T14:18:00.002-04:00

or the lack thereof... has been my downfall in life... well that and some other things, which I rather not divulge in this blog. With that said, I'm giving myself a deadline.. I swear.. this time... it's all or nothing!!!

Trips.. so hard?

2009-10-19T13:26:00.002-04:00

When did organizing a short trip within the states get this difficult? I think I took less time organizing my travels overseas last year. One thing I know for certain, I'm itching to get out of town.. even if it's to the west coast!

On some side news, I am delighted to include a few of my friend's new blogspots on this site. It's so nice to see friends blog about something.. Not that I don't speak with them often but still, there's just something different about spilling your guts in writing rather than in person. Both equally acceptable and encouraged in my book, of course.

So my mom is thinking of going on a volunteer trip to Guatemala. First off, I am delighted whenever she tells me she is planning on volunteering somewhere other than her kitchen. It's encouraging to see that someone at my mom's tender age of ---- is still out and about and trying to do some good in this world. Maybe there's hope for me when I'm her age! Well, second thought is I always have this urge to jump on a plane and "escort" her to her volunteering locations. This time, she will be flying into Guatemala City. I can do that. I will fly in with her and then make my way alone to Lake Atitlan again. Did I mention I would love to go back to Lake Atitlan? Perhaps, this time going alone will be better for me. I need to be alone for a bit.. Life is too loud these days.

Lake Atitlan

Sheep...

2009-09-30T10:33:00.007-04:00

okay, now that my traveling adventures have wind down I suppose I will continue this blogspot as a (gasp) regular blog! I will blog about the randomness that are my thoughts beginning with this one:

So during my uneventful commute to the city this morning, I spotted a hot blond chic on a gigantic billboard right before entering the Lincoln Tunnel. I first thought to myself - 'hey, shouldn't her breasts be bigger?' I mean, it was a Guess ad after all. But whatever - continuing on, I noticed the corset that she was wearing in the ad and I remembered wanting to buy one quite similar for some time now. Maybe I should buy that one I thought, but then I immediately snapped out of my daze - umm NO! it's Guess and I am not a fan of Guess clothing. My thoughts then transported me back to Luxembourg where I noticed that Guess was guess what - HOT - there! ??? ummm.. WHY?? I don't know.. but it is.. they love the Guess purses, which quite frankly in my opinion SUCKS and is just a bad knockoff of knockoff designs. With that said, I then remembered the time when I visited a local Auschon supermarket (think mini-Walmart) in Luxembourg.. There, to my absolute shock I found - friggin Balenciaga dress shirts for 39 euros right next to the toilet paper aisle! Balenciaga and toilet paper??? ummm.. HOW??

So for the rest of my commute through the Lincoln Tunnel I couldn't help but feel moranic by the sheer reminder that man, we're just a flock of clueless sheep herded by the tyrannous rod called Marketing!!! Well, I will be the first to admit that I often fall victim to the deceit of the fashion industry. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a love-hate relationship with fashion. I hate the industry for all the pretentious bullshit that it is.. I mean, don't come off as if your shits the bomb when you know it's friggin going for 39 euros at an overseas supermarket. COME ON PEOPLE!! Of course at the same time, when I see beautiful fabric assembled together to look like a piece of art I feel like selling my kidneys just to have it. Ugh!! The conflict within me.

Anyways, this blog entry is about sheep. As much as I can appreciate fashion art, I cannot tolerate being a sheep. I'm going to friggin take off that Giant City Stardust Balenciaga purse from my checklist dammit - today!!

Startdust - It was nice knowing you!

Seattle....

2009-09-03T12:11:00.003-04:00

A city that has eluded me for quite some time.. My numerous failed attempts of making it to this city has baffled me for too long. If I can make it to Durban, South Africa twice then I can friggin make it to Seattle dammit! Besides, it's a nonstop flight! This will be my last attempt for this year. If I don't jump on a plane and make it to Seattle in the next two weeks - I am banning that city FOREVER!!

Okay, not forever ever.

Resume da life..

2009-08-19T10:02:00.002-04:00

Hearing travel plans of others makes me all nostalgic inside. I know I have done my share over the year but still, I can't help but to want to silently scream out "I'm coming with you!!" One friend is leaving for Macchu Picchu today. Another friend is leaving for an Alaskan cruise next week. Another friend is shortly starting his walk across America adventure next month. My cousin is doing South America right now.. Me?? I'm write this short blog at my new job. sniff.

Home...

2009-08-11T14:50:00.004-04:00

So it's been almost a year since I started my little Boc on the Road adventures. How time flies I must say. I have come to realize that time is all so relative in my life. While I am in the moment, I am IN the moment. But once passed, it seems already a life time ago. There are times when I worry whether I will remember much at all.

For today, I remember Berlin. I think it has been my most favorite city thus far. If I could, I would make that my new residence.

Ever since I have returned all I have been told is that I don't belong here anymore. It's true, it seems pandora's box has opened. As one close friend put it, "you are back home but you left your heart in Europe." I knew this would happen someday. Perhaps it was the reason why I have been longing to be on the road for so long. Home is no longer home to me. I wonder how long I will continue to walk around like an empty shell. Or does time ultimately fill the void. We shall see.

For now, dear friends I consider home. (Eva is missing - oh, she's behind the camera)

Return...

2009-07-31T17:11:00.002-04:00

It was sweet while it lasted.. I am back home now.. to this awful weather and murky skies. I miss being away. I miss my routine. I miss the sweetness of seeing your other come home from work.

Hair trauma.....

2009-07-16T08:53:00.005-04:00

Last night I spent in agony watching a film crew set up and shoot a 2 minute scene of a movie. What started off as a nice gesture by JP for a friend to be an extra in a movie turned into an all night affair. Im talking we got home at 3:00 am. The actual shoot took 4 hours and then another 3 hours of post celebrations. The director, who apparently is quite famous in Luxembourg, seemed absolutely directionless the entire night. Okay, I might be bitter here since his "direction" led to a 4 hour wait for everyone. Did I mention this was a 2 minute scene?? But really, this guy was a piece of work. He told JP his hair was too modern for this period piece. He instructed JP to go downstairs and see the hair and makeup crew. According to JP, he went down and literally got shoved into a chair where an overly anxious barber with clippers in hand was awaiting his next victim. I decided to rush downstairs to see what was going on only to find JP's hair already splattered all over the floor. I wanted to cry. HE'S AN EXTRA IN A FRIGGIN MOVIE!!!! AN EXTRA!! AN EXTRA!! A FRIGGIN EXTRA THAT IS NOT EVEN GETTING PAID FOR HIS TIME AND SERVICES!!! The best part of this all, is that when JP came back up from his hair massacre, the idiot director gives him a hat to wear as part of his costume. WTF???????!!!!!!!!!!! A HAT?????????? My mouth literally fell to the floor. You make an extra cut his hair that he's been growing for awhile for a 2 minute scene where he needs to wear a hat??? I swear.. this whole experience turned me off to filmmaking!!! Okay, not really but it turned me off to people who can't direct properly. I can go on and vent more but I will stop. Need to take my honey to the hair dressers.

On a brighter note, this piece is called Leaving by Anthony Mccall. If I could, I would get this in my house. I swear. When you want to run away and disappear into solitude where walls are erected by an invisible dimension of light this is the place to go. I will retreat here again at least mentally from last night's debacle.

Dread....

2009-07-15T09:48:00.002-04:00

Ugh!! I find myself dreading the thought of returning to the states.. I dread the chaos that will be home and the incessant noise that will clog my thoughts as soon as it begins all over again. If not for my nieces that I miss terribly and the promises that I have to fulfill, I would remain here in the silence much much longer.

Camera heaven..

2009-07-12T08:14:00.004-04:00

It would only be fitting that some things in life are given and taken away. I knew that I went a little overboard buying cameras here. I have a total of 5 new ones now. It is why I am not surprised that the universe would take away at least one from me. In this case, its my original digital camera that I bought straight from Akihabara in Tokyo last year. You know, the one I actually NEED to take photos and post them on my blog. haha. Anyways. My digital is now in camera heaven. Unfortunately, I will not be able to post any up-to-date photos until I get myself a new digital. Until then, here is one that JP took of me at 6:00 am. We were getting ready to drive north to one of the flea markets. I look like death - nerd glasses still on - but at least my new Lomo Diana F looks cute.

Only in Europe

2009-07-07T09:35:00.006-04:00

can I be a total groupie and not feel totally embarrassed about it. LOL.

It reminded me of the time I met Jonas Mekas in Luxembourg. I remember going to an art show that he was hosting in NYC just to hear him speak. Unfortunately, I was unable to stay long enough to meet him at the show. But then, out of all places, I wind up meeting him at his film screening here in Luxembourg. Fast forward to the other night, I have attempted and failed several times to see Mars Volta live. Ever since my eyes first spotted Cedric and Omar at the Sundance Film Festival a few years back I had a growing curiousity about these two. Who are these guys?? Whats up with the hair? How do they make retro and goth look so good? I recall totally digging their look so much that I even took a snap shot of them. It was only after a while that I found out that that these two mystery guys in my photo were musicians from a hard rock band called the Mars Volta.

When I found out that the Mars Volta would be performing right here in Luxembourg in a small club I was overjoyed.. Of course, I assumed we would be like the only ppl at the show. To my surprise, the place was packed and we were suddenly packed in like sardines. When the music started I suddenly felt like a pebble stuck in a friggin crazy Luxembourgish mosh pit with overly huge men too overly huge to be moshing there overly huge bodies against a not so amused Korean girl. But I wont complain, why? bc Mars Volta friggin ROCK!!!! I was first fascinated by Cedric´s freakishly cryptic look and his perfect body spaz sequences but the real deal is Omar Rodriguez-Lopez on the guitar. Omar is the man! The last time I remember seeing a guitarist make my ass clinch was Benjamin Curtis performing First Wave Intact when he was part of The Secret Machines. Well, Im adding Mars Volta to my "Im going to check them out whenever they´re nearby" list! Their performance was solid and watching the unbelievably frail Omar tear that guitar apart is just sublime.

Madness...

2009-07-06T09:05:00.003-04:00

Okay, enough is enough. Im obsessed with buying old cameras. Okay, its true that I buy them at ridiculously low prices but still, I am running out of luggage space from all my flea market excursions in Europe. Once again, yesterday we commenced our flea market madness at 6:00 a.m. This time, we drove to Belgium. What was suppose to be two massive flea markets in one day turned into 3 massive flea market in one day when we decided to stop at Alon for a drink. As soon as we arrived, to our surprise, ANOTHER flea market. I can tell you that walking around in these markets for hours and hours under the scorching sun is madness! Yeah, we love every minute of it but still its absolute madness!

Of course, somehow I ended up buying another camera. This time it was a Canon AE-1 in absolute mint condition sold basically for nothing by a clueless offspring of a photographer.. After the purchase was done, we decided to get an extra lens for the camera for a couple of euros when suddenly the sister of the clueless offspring appeared out of nowhere to stop her clueless brother from the sale. She immediately took over and demanded the proper price for the lens. hahha.. if we were only a minute faster in the offer.

On the road home, we spotted something that looked a bit odd:

(how is this a gas station???)

Fire in the Sky...

2009-07-03T09:26:00.008-04:00

Happy 4th of July to my family and friends back home!! I hope the weather is suitable for some nice bbq and fireworks. Fortunately, I was able to celebrate Luxembourg´s version of July 4th last month. Known as the National Holiday, I was told that folks from nearby countries would travel to Luxembourg on this particular holiday and participate in some massive celebration activities. To my surprise, my girlfriend from Tokyo who just happen to be in Germany with her fiance was also driving to Luxembourg for the celebration. What are the chances that I would meet up with an old friend here. It was like meeting Jonas Mekas in Luxembourg.

Well, I have to say that the National Day firework display here in Luxembourg has got to be one of the best firework shows I have seen in a looooong time... this is coming from a person not particularly crazy about them to begin with. I was able to capture a few moments of the 20+ min show on my camera. Hopefully I will be able to download soon.. until then, Happy Independence and enjoy the loong weekend USA!

The Family of Man.. and Woman..

2009-06-29T08:26:00.004-04:00

It was nice to have my cousin come visit for a few days. It was a nice reminder of home. We took a train north of the country to visit The Family of Man exhibition at Chàteau de Clervaux. It was great that this reknown photo exhibition finally retired here in Luxembourg. There were some great photos exhibited in this 500+ exhibition. I particularly felt sentimental of this one from Bert Hardy.

Having YS here gave us incentive for another road trip. This time for a shopping trip to Maastricht, Netherlands. The shopping at Maastricht reminded me of 34th street in Manhattan. Ahhh.. Still, I love road trips. I love exploring.

Good times with my cuz.

Car nuts...

2009-06-24T04:30:00.004-04:00

In the wacky world of irony it would only be fitting that I should wind up with a car nut. Considering that at age 32 I am still void of a valid drivers license and was never interested in cars (or driving) to begin with I find it quite amusing that JP is a classic car nut! He attends tours all over Europe and this time around I happen to be his co-pilot on a tour here in Luxembourg. It was my second time in his old timer and this time I felt a bit more relaxed being in the passenger seat still void of an airbag and seat belt. Accompanied by an entourage of MG classic car nuts from all over Europe we toured the country side of Luxembourg for about 4 hours. To my surprise the tour was actually quite entertaining. Given the responsibility of guiding us to safe passage through corn fields and small villages I was an "excellent" co-pilot! (although told by a biased individual)

This whole experience with cars and car enthusiasts has slightly peaked my own interest in automobiles. Namely, I have found a car for the first time that would warrant my interest in obtaining a drivers license. It was a car that even I stopped and stared while in Paris. Of course, JP spotted it like a mile away and even insisted that I snap photos. The car is perfectly adorable and a classic. It will be mine someday. But for now, here is a photo that was taken in a friend´s car during the tour. The fine details of this car are nuts... So is the poser behind the wheel!

Matchbox..

2009-06-22T05:10:00.004-04:00

It´s not often you find someone who is a flea market junkie like yourself. Fortunately, JP and I are on the same page when it comes to antique flea markets. WE LOVE THEM!! Yesterday we woke up at the crack of dawn to head to a market in Diekirch. We were there before all the vendors even arrived. It appears that 6:00 am is the best time to get the best items for the best prices. Case in point: 2 polaroid cameras for 5 euros. Yeah! One of my favorite first purchases was a container full of old vintage matchboxes. The woman selling this must have collected them for most of her life only to have it disappear in 2 minutes for 15 euros. If my ticket stub collection I have collected for over twenty years was ever gone I think I would feel its gap. Especially if it was gone in 2 minutes for only 15 euros. What was the point of collecting in the first place?!

Anyhoot, to my new matchboxes (just some of them):

Random Summer Evening...

2009-06-19T08:16:00.005-04:00

The other night we decided to go for a drive after work to the largest lake in the country. The weather was perfect to take out JP`s old timer and take it for a spin through the winding roads and vast fields of Northern Luxembourg. It was lovely. I had never driven in a classic car before so the concept of no seat belt and no airbag required a lot getting use to. For a moment, fear gripped me similarly to when we were returning from Basel on German highways - NO SPEED LIMITS!! I remember my silent cries of panic when we hit over 150 mph. I´m not a fan of speed. I prefer granny driving and speed limits and seat belts and airbags and living past 32.

Fortunately, we arrived safely to the lake. JP immediately went in for a dip while I relaxed watching the sun calmly set over the lake. It was beautiful and a perfect relaxation for a Wednesday evening. On our way back we decided to go off the beaten path and stop by an old pub in a small farming village. "What are the chances they will ever have someone from New York in their pub?", JP commented. True. They probably never had a tourist walk through their doors. I suddenly appreciated the moment so much more. There are people that we were meant to meet and then there are people we randomly meet by our random acts.. or is nothing ever really random at all.

I hope these summer nights will take their time passing us by. There is so much more to explore on the road.

(Meant beauty)

(Random beauty)

Artd Out...

2009-06-15T04:24:00.004-04:00

I read somewhere that Art Basel was the Olymipcs of the International Art World. I have been to many galleries and art fairs over the years but I must concur - Art Basel takes the cake. After 6 long hours of viewing art pieces - one after the other after the other after the other and so on in a labyrinth of endless white dividers.. I came to some realizations:

1. "Oh crap, I thought I did that side of the building!"
2. "What?? there are other floors??"
3. "What other building?"

By evening, we were completely Artd Out. No more! My eyes cannot take them. My brain could not process them. My legs were screaming for rest. The fact that Brad Pitt was wondering these same floors just a few days earlier no longer mattered a bit. I was done with Art Basel. It was fun while my legs lasted.

Perhaps next time, I will bring sneakers, some power bars and $1 million bucks like someone else.

From Art Basel, with love.

Twilight...

2009-06-10T04:23:00.007-04:00

Im still trying to get use to the summer nights in Europe. I think this is the closest I have been to experiencing `White Nights` although Im sure this is nothing compared to the real thing. Well, one things for sure, I like it!

Luxembourg outside at 10:06 PM:

On a side note, on an ever expanding mission for my blog I have added a new Followers feature to my blogspot (on the right). Feel free to join and follow this site publically or privately. Toodles.

On the Road to Bastogne...

2009-06-07T14:18:00.003-04:00

On our way to Bastogne, Belgium I met a sheep named Michael. I truly believe he was a dog in his past life. He acted like a loyal pup always by your side wanting to be petted. Even when we were leaving he saw us across the field and came dashing over just to say goodbye. Is this for real I thought? Ive never met such a friendly sheep before in my life. Oh, and when his eyes met a local canine taking a stroll - I swear it was love at first sight!!!

Belgium, I love belgium beer!

The Rice Man Cometh..

2009-06-06T14:28:00.004-04:00

Bye bye Paris. Hola Luxembourg - again!

I spent the day today window shopping and buying baby clothes for my new baby niece. Around 5 pm I was attacked - by the rice man. I found the nearest Chinese restaurant and agreed to a chinese buffet for 13 euros. Although my quick round of the buffet table surely guaranteed that this would be the worst chinese dinner I would ever have, I was desperate for rice. Needless to say, I feel bad for Luxembourgish people that think Chinese food really tastes like this. It doesnt!! It shouldn`t!!! This is wrong on every culinary level!!

2 hours later - My stomach is still making weird noises.

Lazy Days of Summer...

2009-06-05T11:23:00.005-04:00

Paris is beautiful! The weather has been superb since I arrived. The past few days I have indulged in every cliche tourist activity possible. My legs are killing me and I have a slight sunburn on my cheecks. Nevertheless, it was fabulous spending my lazy afternoons shopping and snacking on my 20th croissant. Following the footsteps of Sartre we decided to stopped by Les Deux Magots for some tea. While enjoying my drink and participating in the endless people watching I thought about my life back home. How when I return there will be a new member in my family. The summer will almost be over and it will be a whole year since I left my last job. How I will need to finally make a career decision and commit to it full force. How life may no longer be as simple and relaxing as a lazy stroll along Champs-Elysees on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon.

Peek-a-boo!

2009-06-03T04:31:00.001-04:00

Greetings from Paris! Shane has been doing a little peek-a-booing!!!

On the Road...

2009-05-24T14:11:00.006-04:00

I took this photo of my two friends walking ahead of me somewhere in the landscape of Iceland. I loved the image. I wondered how long before they would disappear beyond the horizon.

So I have decided to relinquish my job post for the time being and return to the road. It was a tough decision to let go of a paycheck (once again) but I know this is the right path for me. There is still so much to see beyond the horizon. This summer I will be touring Europe. My two week trip has now turned into two months. I will continuously post my sightseeing adventures on this site. See you when I get back!

Red Light District... aka Terminal 5

2009-05-22T09:45:00.002-04:00

Stars in the night...

2009-05-12T21:39:00.005-04:00

When I use to look at airplanes in the sky I was never the one that wanted to be in one. This was mostly due to my innate fear of flying. My fears were exacerbated after 9/11. I would be lying if all my travels have cured my fear of flying. It has not, I still feel anxiety right before take off and before landing. Nevertheless, now, whenever I see a blinking light moving slowly through the evening sky, my heart sinks and I wish that was me up there.

Speaking of night time, I'm feeling nostalgic tonight. I looked up at the sky this evening and noticed only a handful of stars gracing the dark canvas. How disappointing. My thoughts immediately went to the spring of 2005 when one evening I looked up and my heart wanted to explode with the thousands of stars that appeared close enough to pick off from the sky. I was in Cato Ridge, South Africa. I think life was much simpler back then.

I miss flying. I miss the beauty of Africa.

Cato Ridge, South Africa

Last Hurrah!!

2009-05-11T10:49:00.002-04:00

Okay, not my last.. but it might be awhile before I can "get away" like this without counting my vacation days. I will be rejoining the workforce society in a month. But before I return to the grind of making a living, I decided I will do some living On The Road before then. So my mission is as follows:

Length: 2 1/2 weeks

Places: Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, Heidelberg, Trier, Prague, Paris, and Luxembourg.

I hope to visit all of these cities in my short time span. If not, I suppose I will just have to go back.

Lazy Weekends..

2009-04-26T22:02:00.002-04:00

Husband and Wife

2009-04-26T21:59:00.001-04:00

Pitchfork

2009-04-15T21:13:00.002-04:00

Every time I think I am on the right path another road magically appears and I realize that I never left this labyrinth.

I am grateful for the pitchforks in my life. They make life more exciting and terrifying at the same time. Too many roads, one choice, make it count!

City of B-Love

2009-04-11T23:35:00.005-04:00

I'm not sure how one can get lost going to Philadelphia .. but somehow we managed to find ourselves being the suckers to do exactly just that. It took us 4 1/2 hours to finally arrive to Geno's for some cheesesteak. But then again, I flew 6 hours to go see The Secret Machines in concert. Oh the things we do in life to feed the need...

Despite our long day of driving in continuous circles, I enjoyed Philly... and the green boots..

Cherry Blossom Season...

2009-04-11T23:10:00.003-04:00

It's that time of the year again.. Last time I was in DC I remember driving around in circles looking for parking.. It left a bad taste in my mouth.. This time I was able to find what I was looking for quite easily:

Passing by...

2009-03-13T15:30:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure where the time went since my last entry. Perhaps I was focused too much on being a great tour guide for JP during his trip to NYC. I was busy with many important tourist attractions like visiting my favorite balls...

Nevertheless, I missed my deadline for the next travel article submission which I'm totally bummed about. Hopefully next next issue should I ever get my lazy butt to start thinking creatively again.

Today the thought crossed my mind that I have been void of all work related disciplines for the past several months. Although it was dreadful for me to get into the office by 9:00 am (or something like that) every morning I still made it relatively on time to work for the past umph years. But now, waking up anytime before 11:00 am is an ordeal! Is this a sign that I cannot go back to work?? Am I not ready? I'm not ready - that's for sure. I'm beginning to enjoy my lazy days of doing the little everyday pleasures in life. I still love to work and want to work but not in the conventional 9-5 type of thing.. more like a 11 to whenever schedule. 11:00 am to 1:00 am.. that's cool! This only means that I must go into business for myself, where most of my work occurs at night! (whoa, that sounds shady!)

Travel Article.. Part I

2009-02-06T12:11:00.004-05:00

It's out! My first travel article is published in this month's issue of Audrey Magazine. My next article for the next issue is due this Friday. I'm happy to be able to write about my travel experiences but my gosh, deadlines = dreary days of winter..

The Wall...

2009-02-03T12:13:00.003-05:00

I remember taking this photo in South Africa. Sometimes I feel like how I first felt when I peeped through this hole and saw the wall.

Freaky thing..

2009-01-27T01:02:00.006-05:00

There are some things that we are just so naturally good at that it's actually kind of freaky. I've discovered what that "freaky thing" is in my own life - PLANNING. I'm a planner. I'm not just a planner, I'm a SERIOUS PLANNER. In my freshman year in college I planned out my entire course schedules for my freshman year up until my senior year. I just had to know what courses I would be taking four years from now. My childhood friend reminded me recently that I use to do this even when I was in high school. I was the officially 'secretary/planner' for the group. It seems nothing has changed since junior high. I'm still the same obsessive planner.

JP is coming to visit me next month. Even before he confirmed the dates I already had a full itinerary drafted and ready to go. I attempted to make all the restaurant reservations but most wouldn't take my reservations two months in advance. Lol.. My hand written itinerary has been sitting on my dresser for over three weeks now. Today I decided to finally transfer my notes and email the draft over to JP for his review. It was when I started typing the itinerary I suddenly stopped. It hit me: THIS IS CRAZY!!! After he looks at this itinerary he's going to conclude that I'm officially crazy!! The only thing missing are the time slots for us to take a piss. Although I'm sure I would have put that in if I had more room on the paper. (okay, just kidding)

Typically this is something that I would want to chillax... it's border line obsessive but I just can't stop once I start. It's the actual act of planning that excites me.. the thinking, researching, organizing, writing, etc. etc. These pre-steps provide enough satisfaction that something I don't even need to follow through with the execution of the plan. Just planning is enough.. Hence, why the thought of going into event planning often crossed my mind.

Sometimes I wonder why it's so hard for some of us to make a living off of something that we genuinely love to do.

If life was .... like this man's sunday afternoon..

(Seoul, Korea)

Decisions...

2009-01-25T14:49:00.002-05:00

I am now certain that my uncertain future was a major cause of my chronic insomnia these past few weeks, among other thoughts.. It's wild the things that creep up in the middle of the night when the rest of the world is dreaming.. My friend, who recently returned from spending some time in a buddhist monestary, told me about the sleeping schedules of monks. Basicslly, they go to bed at 9:00 pm and wake up at 3:00 am everyday. I thought to myself how wonderful that would be if I can do that in my own life.. now that I think about it, most of my verbal regrets uttered have occured between 10:00 pm to 1:00 am... I think I lose a little bit more common sense during those hours.. haha anyways, so why not try this new sleeping schedule out. I may fail miserably but it doesn't hurt to try..

with that said, finally some guidance is being bestowed upon me to make certain my uncertain future.. it just required faith and patience.. two areas of practice that I now know need more practicing in my life.

Possibilities...

2009-01-20T23:19:00.002-05:00

Watching the inauguration coverage of our nation's 44th President today, I felt a little hopeful of all the possibilities that exist out there for those who hold steadfast to their dreams. Of course, the reality is that some of us may never live to become or do what we dream and hope for in our lives... but it's okay, sometimes what we dream is not what was meant to be.. we were meant for something else.. another place in this world perhaps.. and that could be all the more wonderful as well.

Lately I find myself struggling with what I want and what I know should be good for me.. The logical prudent choices stand right before me but my eyes are wandering to every different possible way that they can... if I can't find answers in such simplicity, I question whether I will ever reach such a gnosis of life at all..

My travel blog is morphing into more of a personal blog.. I hope you don't mind.. Until my next destination.. I shall blah blah blah..

Ramblings in the New Year...

2009-01-14T20:02:00.009-05:00

I can't believe it's only 13 days into the new year. Somehow it feels much longer...

I have not made any specific new year resolutions for 2009. I don't even remember my resolutions for 2008, let alone accomplish them. Therefore, I have decided to take on a new motto: Go with the flow....

I am trying new things for 2009. First off, I finally decided to join the rest of society and set up a Facebook account. I tend to be terribly behind when it comes to these types of things.. oh well.

Profile pic: (converse, sidewalk, moschino, crazy night in the west village)

Next up, a friend recommended the works of Tabatha from Sheer Genius, who happens to have a salon in Ridgewood, NJ. I need a new do. My do from Berlin has metamorphosized to something beyond my control. I actually caught the first season of Sheer Genius and remember Tabatha's work on the show. I hope that she will be able to create something new for my portfolio of evolving hairdos.

A little tremble..

2009-01-09T14:51:00.004-05:00

The last time I was in Los Angeles I was in a different state of mind.. It was when I first had my ephiphany that I should leave my job and travel. My life since then has been just that.

My state of mind this time around is not as drastic.. No ephiphanies.. just a massive exchange of crazy ideas of what I think I should be doing when I return home.. Oddly, just like my last trip to Luxembourg, I have been indoors more than out. I think yesterday was the first day I stepped outside while the sun was still out.. It was refreshing. I couldn't help but think of the days of my youth when I would go away to church retreats. Although, I'm not sure how I connected walking in Los Angeles on a brisk sunny day with a church retreat, but still..

My afternoons in LA have been occupied by sleeping, eating, napping and a Rocky marathon. Saturday afternoon we ended up staying in all day for Rocky I-IV. The sad part is I think this was my third or fourth Rocky marathon. Rocky I is the best.. it draws me in all the time and then I'm totally hooked for parts 2-4 because I'm still perplexed how Sly Stallone was able to write and create such a classic film like Rocky 1.

The highlight of my trip was my very first earthquake last night. Well, it wasn't a serious one but still, the first. We had just finished admiring Jason Statham's 10-pack abs in Death Race when suddenly everything trembled. It was only for a second or two but it was enough for me to declare it as my "very first earthquake". I can't imagine people here experiencing this on a regular basis. I can't imagine how it would be if it was more than just this second tremble but instead the walls were caving in... ahhhhh!! I suddenly miss Luxembourg.

2009!!!

2009-01-03T01:56:00.014-05:00

There was a brief moment of sadness when the clock struck midnight. I should have been relieved really but, nonetheless, I still linger whenever there is change.

New York City was freezing cold on New Year's Eve. I stayed in with friends obsessing over our new toy (and recording friend's obsessing over our new toy).

The next day I jumped on the plane for some warmth. So here I am today, in Los Angeles, epitomizing the definition of couch potato. I have been in my pjs all morning, day, evening. (Even when we went out to buy groceries) Nothing makes me happier these days than to bum around in the company of loved ones..

(Jen in bed)

Welcome 2009!

Whoa... 2008!!

2008-12-27T12:28:00.006-05:00

I don't think I have had this much drama in one year than the last 10 years combined.

1. The year started lousy from a breakup on New Years Day.
2. The next 3+ months I spent in misery and regretted the break up.
3. Went on a trip to Egypt and became mystified with life
4. Sold my condo and suddenly found myself completely homeless
5. Went on a trip to LA and had an epiphany
6. Quit my job and suddenly became unemployed
7. Had a mini pre mid-life crisis
8. Embarked on a solo mission adventure semi-across the world to find myself
9. Still searching for answers but realized that living and loving are bodacious enough
10. Found a new love, who has given me new hope for 2009.

Whoa.. 2008!! Thank God it's over!

Luxembourg Luxembourg

2008-12-22T20:59:00.008-05:00

My first real memory of Luxembourg (or at least the word) was in college when I was listening to the Morrissey song, Ask. I loved how Morrissey sang "to a buck-toothed girl in Luxembourg, Ask me Ask me Ask me". Then the lyrics Ask me Ask me Ask me would play over and over again for about 30 minutes in my head until I would have to go bang my head against the wall. It was this cruel maddening of lyrics that left an indelible mark of this place call "Luxembourg" and the buck-toothed girl.

Well, I haven't met any buck-toothed chics but I surely do love Luxembourg. My first time in Luxembourg Jonas Mekas happened to be there to present one of his old films. After first meeting Jonas a couple of years ago at a Guggenheim event, I formed a semi-crush and wanted to see him in person again... or better yet just to hear him talk again.. Who would have thought I would end up meeting him in Luxembourg. He had a Q&A session after the film and once again, his wisdom and frailty made me choke up.. I hope to someday still be this in love with life even at his age.

I returned to Luxembourg this month and the more I visit the more I feel at home. I find myself wanting to be more domesticated, which is absolutely nuts for those who know me... but it's true.. is this what happens when you're at peace in your life and with the people/special person around you? I dunno...

(it's a blur but it's true, Shane in an apron)

Just Another Day in the Life of .....

2008-12-19T21:11:00.001-05:00

Today I saw....

2008-12-17T07:44:00.001-05:00

Today on the street I found...

2008-12-16T11:09:00.001-05:00

Lounge Reviews

2008-12-11T17:04:00.008-05:00

I use to think that arriving to airports 2-3 hours in advance was a waste of time. I would always find myself waiting in the waiting lounge for a good hour at least before boarding flight. I thought to myself, why??? What's the point? I can still make it on time even if I arrived about 1 1/2 before scheduled departure. Sometimes even an hour.. Yes, it's better to be safe than sorry I know.. I learned the hard way one time when my pre- 1 1/2 hour arrival for an international flight never happened. It was too late and there were about 200 people ahead of me on line.

My outlook on airport arrivals have changed since then. I no longer think it's a waste to come 2-3 hours in advance to an airport. Actually, sometimes I prefer it. This is all to the thanks of Continental Elite Access!! All my travels coupled with my Chase Account (yes, I'm a Chase member despite my long tenure with its competitor) have awarded me this new status. As a result, I am able to cut lines and get to the ultimate desired destination quicker. What is the desired destination of any airport?? Yep, the Members Only Lounge aka Presidential Suite! It is here that I indulge in all the complimentary food and drinks and then kick back on the comfy seats. Yes, the Presidential Suite! :) All of a sudden flying seems a tad bit more bearable.

Of course admission to these lounges are complimentary with any first class ticket but I like to indulge in the fact that my hard work (of collecting miles) have paid off without having to spend thousands on one first class ticket. With that said, I am here at the Presidential Suite right now as I write this entry awaiting for my boarding call to Luxembourg. It quickly hit me that this lounge is much different than the lounge in CDG/Paris. Why?? Why does CDG have sandwiches and pastries and this place only has packaged cheese and crackers??!! This makes me wonder about the other Continental lounges all over the world. Perhaps I shall start a grading system of all the CO members lounges. I shall start with this one.

Newark, NJ
Continental Presidential Suite Lounge

DECOR: B+
Positive: Plenty of comfortable seats. Individual working stations. Separate tv room. Friendly customer service.
Negative: No view

FOOD: D
Positive: PACKAGED NUTELLA!!!
Negative: Limited choice of food. Packaged cheese.

DRINKS: B+
Positive: Complimentary first shelf
Negative: Only half and half cream for coffee. Very limited tea selection.

OVERALL: C+

Brief Interruption...

2008-12-10T13:31:00.003-05:00

MBAR = Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson's Buriedfed was one of my most exciting new songs for 2008.. he's posted some new tracks on his myspace page from his next album and my gosh I cannot stop listening to Summer of Fear Part 2. I want to eat it. Can you eat up music when it's so good?! I always tell my nieces that I want to eat them (because they're so friggin cute!) As a sign for my affection now they argue who will be eaten first.

Esther: Can you eat me first?
Shane: Of course dear, I'll have you for entree.
Anna: What about me??
Shane: Honey, I'm going to have you for dessert!
Anna: Yeah!

Soooo.....

2008-12-04T14:12:00.002-05:00

After being home for a couple of weeks and getting over my little/big viral infection, I am ready to be on the road again.. well, sort of.. I have sadly realized that my body just cannot take the backpack lifestyle anymore.. I'm ashamed to admit it but now I only long for plush pillows and room service. I feel defeated in some way that my big adventures of making it in the wilderness have been cut short due to the malfunction of my feeble body and commercial desires of my heart. Sniff.

But the show must go on! My trips will not be as long as before and I will not jump around like I did in South America. I will go, stay, relax, explore, play and love.. :)

I have decided to return to Luxembourg to do the above mentioned.. even if it is for a short period of time... Hopefully I will have better and more interesting photos to display this time. Perhaps capture the little finer things in life.. Perhaps.

Thanksgiving...

2008-11-27T10:30:00.002-05:00

Looking back the past few months of my life I can't help but to be thankful for the countless blessings I received.. to everything I have seen, to all the dangers I missed, to everyone that I met, for the memories... I am thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Toll

2008-11-21T11:39:00.002-05:00

The past several months of traveling have finally taken a toll on my body... I have been immobile for the past week, finally recovering today. Now I know why people travel like this when they are younger and not at my age. haha

Nevertheless, I see clearly now why this was all meant to be.

Blissssss

2008-11-14T16:37:00.002-05:00

Can one week of pure bliss just wash away all the crap that amassed over the past few years of my life?

Crazy, I know....

2008-11-10T12:08:00.003-05:00

My time in Bruxelles seemed like one big experiment in beer drinking. Im not a huge fan of alcohol but I am a fan of some newly discovered beers. In particular, the Kriek and the Pecheresse.. Belgiums are very serious about their beers. Each beer comes with matching glasses to heighten the taste.. like wine. For a terrible drinker like myself they all would have tasted pretty grand in any glass.

Bruxelles certainly had its good points.. like food. We went to get some mussels and devoured a massive bowl in 5 minutes. Of course then there are the frites with the endless toppings. Im sure the chocolate would have been splendid should I have tried any... not really a fan.

Sooo.. my next destination was suppose to be Paris but my little side detour to Luxembourg has completely altered my plans. Schedules never seem to go as planned when one has no schedules.

Luxembourg is a charming little city. The day we arrived JP and I ended up going out and meeting his friends to watch Quantum Solace. I suddenly felt right at home. The thought of going to Paris seemed dreadful all of a sudden.. Crazy, I know. So no Paris.. Hello Luxembourg...

Bruxelles Cont'd....

2008-11-08T14:26:00.007-05:00

Bruxelles has been a charming experience thus far. I was fortunate to not only have Val show me around the city the first day but then Jean Paul drove from Luxembourg to be my personal French speaking tour guide for the weekend. Sweet. Besides the fact that he is a walking encyclopedia, it's super nice to have a person that can speak the three languages of Belgium - French, Dutch and German.

Today we decided to take a stroll through the city and do our favorite weekend activity - scavenger hunting at the local flea market. This flea market was the real deal. It was probably one of the largest outdoor markets I have been to and watching the hunters hunt satisfied my shopping needs.

Hanging out with my buddies:

JP rummaging through old cassette tapes:

After the flea market we stopped by the Modern Museum of Art. The exhibition we wanted to see was 8 floors below ground.. kooky! When the elevator doors opened I was surprised to see chairs.. in the elevator... perfectly lined up for our lazy butts to sit. Sweet.

Goodbye Amsterdam... Hello Bruxelles

2008-11-05T21:32:00.008-05:00

I arrived yesterday to Bruxelles. As soon as I arrived I met up with Val, who was sweet enough to have me crash at her charming place in the center of town. The highlight of my evening:

On a side note, although I have posted a few photos from Amsterdam I found myself not taking many during my stay there. I blame it on the cold weather. I was too cold to take out my camera. haha.

Walking around in Amsterdam is quite an adventure. Unlike NYC where I only look out for cars and the occasional biker when crossing the street, there, it's cars, trams, bikers and mopeds. There are more bikers (bicycle I mean) than trams, more trams than cars, more cars than mopeds.. but enough of all to make me look both ways like 10 times before making it across the street. Scary!!!

U.S.A.

2008-11-05T03:13:00.000-05:00

I feel new hope for the country...

Land of Tulips Cont'd..

2008-11-04T05:43:00.006-05:00

Woooo... the weather is so much more splendid this morning. I think I shall go look at some windmills today.

I always find it a bit of a habit whenever I am in a new city I tend to do the following:

1. Search for a cinema and catch a film or two
2. Attend a classical music performance (not Rock surprisingly)
3. Go shopping at an antique flea market
4. Get a massage
5. Eat a bagel

Of course assuming that they are available. It was hard to find a bagel in Ica.

I have been searching for Stroopwafles since I arrived here. The last time I was in Ams I stocked up an entire box (that contained like 8 boxes inside) before returning to the states. For some bizarre reason I cannot find it. Where am I??? Why can't I find it??!!! I need it like a smoker needs his munchies. Please email me your orders if you want one..and assuming I find bulk.

Well, for more important news: ELECTION DAY!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I feel like this being here and not home today...

Land of Tulips

2008-11-03T11:11:00.004-05:00

The last time I was suppose to be in Amsterdam I missed my flight while my friend was already boarded awaiting my arrival. The thought crossed my mind last night as I rushed to the airport an hour before departure time is it just not meant to be for me and the land of tulips? Well... sometimes when you want something really bad, failure is not an option. You just need to roll up your sleeves and make it happen. That or present your Continental Elite Access card and cut the line.

So here I am.. in Amsterdam.. recovering from yet another night of insomnia. My hopes of literally living out of a bag has turned against me this time. I am unprepared for the chilly weather here. It's so cold that I have added yet another layer of clothing making me probably the most unstylish traveler in Amsterdam..

Yikes. My computer is low on battery. Will revert as soon as I find a converter.(another thing I forgot to pack among other necessities.)

Ramblings continued...

2008-10-28T01:25:00.009-04:00

I don't remember much of Ecuador.. well, perhaps since I breezed through that country faster than the others. I have to say though that the traditional Ecuadorian women on my way to Cuenca were by far the most fantastically dressed folks I saw in South America. Dressed typically in hand-woven skirts, dark fedoras and long shawls, they were too cool for school! (mean that seriously) My only regret is that I didn't take any photos of these women.. I was busy admiring to take out my camera. I found this photo online and thought her face was just beautiful. Not quite the too cool for school attire that I wanted to share but who cares when you have a face like this .

Lima.. eeek!!! I don't think I will visit Lima ever again. The car traffic, the human traffic, the bland colors painted all over the city, I stayed for 2 nights and immediatley left for Ica. I would like to believe that I missed the better part of Lima somewhere but I highly doubt it.

The only reason why people go to Ica is to go to Huacachina (the "oasis" of the Americas) Yes, it's worth it and so is the sandbuggying. My sunglasses went flying off my face during the ride. I thought it was lost forever somewhere in the vast sand dunes... but nothing is lost forever when it is meant to be found. After staying in Huacachina for two nights I checked into a hotel in Ica for an anticipated one night. This hotel was suppose to be one of the best in town but when I arrived I felt like I was transported back in time. The lobby was decorated straight from a 60s catalogue yet they blasted music from the 80s all day and night. I felt confused and nostalgic at the same time. I loved every minute of staying in that hotel and kept hanging out in the lobby near the sound system to soak up this most definite eerie feeling that I couldn't shake. Although.. I'm sure the sight of an Asian girl pacing the lobby and touching all the furniture only to occasionally stop and paste her ear to the boom box as she started to mouth the words to Love Bites by Def Leppard was probably eerie in itself for the staff.

Okay, this post is long. I shall cease my ramblings for now.