I <3 SF

SF is beautiful.

Mathilde and I hiked hiked hiked til we got to the ocean.
Oh water, I will miss thee!

On a more tragic note, I finished Midnight's Children on the plane.

In other words, I must now abandon that fabulous novel to a lucky hotel maid.
But maybe that will reduce the weight of my suitcase, which was 20 pounds over the "free" limit!!

hapa

Stole mom's hapa cds! They will be a hit in China. lol

Party tonight! goodbye goodbye goodbye to childhood friends.

MUST finish Midnight's Children!

crepes

ate plenty plenty today. luigi's with tyler. it made up for the mean used bookstore dude who refused to buy any of my books. :P

then volcano crepes with the girls!
bananas, nutella, raspberry sauce & ice cream
SO sweet :)



tomorrow:
last round of golf for two years!!

library

Tomorrow's the day I find out if I'll have a future of worth to return to in two years. If I bomb the GRE, I will build a career as a Peace Corps volunteer. Oh, I'm kidding.
I'm over at UHH, letting my numb, frozen butt become reacquainted with the library.... but ahhh I am WAY too distracted to study. All I can think about is how much I need to get done before I leave for China.
SIX days, baby!

GRE

Took a practice test today.
My score got worse. What the hell? It could be because I got even dumber, if that's possible. Or it could also be because there's absolutely no peace in this house. TOO MUCH NOISE.
This misery will be over by Tuesday. Then I can get Rosetta Stoned. :)

edamame rice

Edamame Rice

4-1/2 cups raw rice
1 bag (16 ounces) shelled, frozen edamame (soybeans)
1 bottle (7.05 ounces) Shirakiku nametake (Japanese seasoned mushrooms)
1 bottle (1.7 to 1.8 ounces) ochazuke wakame (Japanese rice seasoning)

Cook rice.

About 10 minutes before rice is done, cook edamame according to package directions, but do not chill in ice water.

Place cooked rice in large bowl. Add edamame, nametake and ochazuke wakame; toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 10.

Approximate nutritional analysis, per serving: 390 calories, 4 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, no cholesterol, 820 mg sodium, 75 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 13 g protein.

vanity 2

mole above nose still missing.
gash with crusted blood, stitches, large band-aid on face still there! and they will remain there for the wedding. haha!

vanity

band-aid on face.

shame, shame, shame! FML, LOL

poop

Brandy & I stealthy entered the Marriott to lounge on their section of A-Bay. We had a great time reclining alongside sunburnt tourists and pretending to be rich! The hotel and beach were beautiful, but also quite disgusting. I'm not just saying that because everything, including our presence, seemed so artificial and rehearsed. You see, on the way back to the car, as we climbed the carpeted staircase that leads to the glorious lobby, the bellhops warned us of The Shit. Each of the last few steps boasted a droplet of doodoo, and then on the landing, BAM! A pile of crap. The irony sent us giggling. Who would do such a thing? A subversive anticapitalist? A jealous local like myself? A spoiled tourist whose money allows him to relieve himself wherever suits him? A baby with ample ammunition? Whoever you are, I applaud you for having the balls to poop on the plush carpet of a five-star hotel. Oh, I'm kidding. LMAO!!


a fancy mirror at the Marriott


Queen K

the Garden

Went to watch The Garden this weekend at the Palace.
It's about how the LA city gov't fucked over the South Central Farmers. By the end, my face was covered by hot, angry tears. Fuck corruption!

Here's a synopsis from the movie's website:

The fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles is the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community.

But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis.

The Garden follows the plight of the farmers, from the tilled soil of this urban farm to the polished marble of City Hall. Mostly immigrants from Latin America, from countries where they feared for their lives if they were to speak out, we watch them organize, fight back, and demand answers:

Why was the land sold to a wealthy developer for millions less than fair-market value? Why was the transaction done in a closed-door session of the LA City Council? Why has it never been made public?

And the powers-that-be have the same response: “The garden is wonderful, but there is nothing more we can do.”

If everyone told you nothing more could be done, would you give up?

* * *

The Garden has the pulse of verité with the narrative pull of fiction, telling the story of the country’s largest urban farm, backroom deals, land developers, green politics, money, poverty, power, and racial discord. The film explores and exposes the fault lines in American society and raises crucial and challenging questions about liberty, equality, and justice for the poorest and most vulnerable among us.

War/No More Trouble

War/No More Trouble

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kaulana na pua

I was looking for a YouTube video of Sudden Rush's hip-hop-infused version of Kaulana Na Pua, my favorite protest song. It carries a strong and heavy message, but to a deceivingly light beat. I couldn't find it, but I did come across this video of Elijah, my lovely "Hati," singing at this year's Polyfest. Everytime he opens his mouth to sing I can't help but feel SO honored to be his friend. And that's Chelae dancing in front! :)



Speaking of protests, today is the 20th anniversary of the t_s protests. I'll pretend I'm in China, and I'll try my best to resist saying anything more about it.... although there's an interesting article in the NYT......

The Human Eye

"Wherever I turn these days, I'm looking, as from the corner of my eye, for a certain kind of poetry whose balance of dread and beauty is equal to the chaotic negations that pursue us. Amid profiteering language, commoditizing of intimate emotions, and public misery, I want poems that embody -- make into flesh -- another principle. A complex, dialogic, coherent poetry to dissolve both complacency and despair."

- Adrienne Rich, preface to Thomas Avena, Dream of Order

new camera

Since my old camera has a broken screen and grains of sand jammed into its crevices, I splurged and got a new one, Nikon this time. Tested it today on the drive home, then at Brandy's during our collage session. We're making a scrapbook for Giezel to take with her to optometry school!

hook it!

Oopsies, I told Kyle no on the weekend Kona trip. It saddens me that I had to turn down a beach run, but I really want to spend as much time as I can with the fam-bam.


Other news: I officially declare the freak out session OVER.

Now it's time for some cardio kickboxing, followed by some salsa and Coronas!

FML

Oh God. I don't know how to teach.
NO experience whatsoever.
Tutoring two students at a time does not equal teaching experience.
Oh God. :(

On the upside, I had a very pleasant dream about the Peace Corps last night, which is very encouraging for someone who rarely dreams. It had to do with my host family, which I can't remember anything about other than that I liked them a lot! :)

sudden rush

Not doing much today. Going to the gym as soon as Dad returns with the truck. Then perhaps an attempt to study for the GRE at some cafe. Most likely Starbucks, as that is the only option besides Kope Kope, which smells like butt. And then, perhaps a trip to the store to buy like, TEN deodorants and some sun screen. Right now I'm reading Love in a Time of Cholera and listening to the Hiilawe remix, the only Sudden Rush song I can find.

My appreciation for Sudden Rush has been thoroughly revived thanks to the Malcolm X International Worker's Day event at UH. I went to support Porakan and Ben, my after-class beer buddies, who were going to speak out against sweatshops. While we were sitting on the green steps half listening to the MANY other speeches by local activists, I spotted Sudden Rush cruising under a tree, and instantly felt as if I had turned into an adolescent. OMG YOU GUYS, Sudden Rush is here! SWEEEEEET! Ew, I can just hear myself. Anyway, after a few more speeches, Keala and his crew finally emerged from the grassy backdrop and busted out their Hawaiian-rap remixes. The sounds of my youth!

Ohh but WTF, iTunes doesn't have any of their albums!
Wattup wit dat?
I guess it's a sign that I should clean my room. Maybe I'll uncover some of their songs from last decade.

I am on a mission stuff my iPod with Hawaiian music before I leave! Especially the stuff from 5-10 years ago!


Oh! I just noticed the date. Exactly ONE more month til China!