summer's been great so far. here's what's been happening...
Vegas!!
okay, not exactly the most wild summer trip to vegas...
Chris calls me:
Chris: yo Me: yo Chris: ...i got in an accident on the way to vegas...
so i drove up to vegas to help him out (along with his auntie and family friend). wasn't bad or anything cuz i was planning on going to vegas to visit my parents anyways.
so when i get there and i quickly realize something...chris' company doesn't really speak english... basically, the next couple days were those three speaking thai among themselves and me just nodding my head & smiling. is that what a foreign exchange student feels like?
anyways, it was still fun showing 'em around town.
"roar."
Thank you Mr. Burglar...
i'd like to take a moment to thank the fuckers that broke into my parents house and stole my mom's jewelry and shit. because of you cocksuckers my parents are planning on selling that pleasant little house...and move into a brand-spankin' new luxury condo!!!
the new place is still under construction but is set to be liveable by May of next year.
COM 100: Public Speaking
god i love summer school. its just so much more chill than the rest of the year. and even better, i have some really kick ass teachers this quarter.
the classes i'm taking are classes that i've been putting off for the past 5 years because -- public speaking, u.s. history 201 and bio lab. i hate all of those with a passion...but when you have kick ass teachers like i do, i almost wish i took these classes a long time ago.
check out my communications professor, peter lee. the first day of class he tells us how its hard to (quantitatively) measure confidence; but his special way was with toilet paper.
Beginning of Public Speaking Class:
Peter Lee: ok, i want you to tear of a piece of toilet paper. if you're confident i want you to take about 3-5 squares of toilet paper. if you're not as confident, take 6-7. if you're not confident at all, take more.
After everyone has toilet paper:
Peter Lee: okay, now that everyone has toilet paper, i want each of you to stand up and tell me about yourselves. the more toilet paper you have, the longer you talk. go!!
one of my buddies warned me he was gonna do this a couple weeks ahead of time, so i cheated and only pulled 3 squares. so what did i say about myself?
My introduction:
Mel: hey everyone, my name is mel. i'm an e-business major and i'm starting my 6th year here. Mel: i was raised in saudi arabia and....ummm... Mel: (say something, damnit, just say something!!!) Mel: i'm not wearing any underwear. Mel:
the professor was laughing hard, which was good because it just shows how laid-back he is compared to those old school, strict professors that i just hate (and fail miserably).
i think the best introduction was the asian dude that went last.
Asian Dude: hey my name is Asian Dude: i'm from Asian Dude: ...that's it. Professor: nice try. you got more toilet paper than that, keep going. Asian Dude: ummmmmmmmmm Professor: just tell us one more thing about yourself Asian Dude: Professor: i don't care, man, just tell me a lie. Asian Dude: ok, i think you're cool.
this is gonna be a fun class, i just know it.
History 201: United States History
i hate feminists. they bitch about wanting to be treated equally as men yet you never see them say anything when they get free shit for showing a little cleavage. if men have to pay to get into clubs, shouldn't women too? especially since they should be "treated equally as men" or whatever.
but there are a couple feminists that i actually really like -- isabelle from berkley and dr. lamphier, my history professor this quarter.
dr. lamphier is like a feminist version of conan or something. she just has this uncanny ability to make history fun to learn...and then she has those random tangents to keep us entertained. like the first day of class, she was explaining how the two different aspects of history is like the two different aspects of love -- the dating phase and the commitment phase.
basically, in the dating phase you hear all the things that you want to hear; all the pleasant things. in the commitment phase you get the whole truth. although the whole truth might not be as pleasant as we'd like it to be (like in the dating phase), its still important to ultimately know the whole truth.
after elaborating on that, she went off on a tangent for a bit...
Dr. Lamphier: i remember the exact moment i realized that i was in the commitment phase. Dr. Lamphier: my husband (boyfriend at the time) and i pulled over to an arco to fill up on gas. Dr. Lamphier: as he got out of the car, he rips this HUUUUUUGE fart. Dr. Lamphier: of course i'm completely disgusted but he closes the door behind him and just starts laughing. Dr. Lamphier: it was that exact moment that i realized the romantic days were over....but i still loved him.
i know i'm just gonna love this class.
My New Pet
chin says i should name it "melvin" because he eats everything. i'm not so sure about that though because my venus fly trap is bolemic or something...the picky little fucker spits up the flies i feed him.
Randoms
driving around and exploring the OC is fun.
the owner of my favorite hawaiian restaurant knows me now.
goal for summer: master the belly flop.
had my first visit to Marie Calendars
must figure out how to prevent chaffed nipples when i boogie board.
april says i should just rub vaseline on my nipples.
// i'm tired as hell so i'll just make this quick...
Last Week
aced my accounting final. no more class on mondays, wednesdays or fridays. just a couple more weeks of projects and then...summer school.
Got Sick / An Epiphany
remember my new years resolution for 2005? to stop eating off the floor? well, in the past i used to get sick every month. if i didn't one month, i'd get sick twice the next month. no joke, ask alan & james...i'd always be sick when they did their monthly visits. anyways, ever since my new years resolution, 5 months and 19 days later...i got sick for the first time this year. something to tell your kids...
Kainoa's 2nd Birthday / My First Trip to Disneyland
got there @ 11:30am, stayed there til closing, a little bit past 10pm.
had my first funnel cake evar. oh, the heaven of mountain whipped cream...oh, the hell of lactose intolerance...
first ride we did was buzz lightyear. i kinda sucked the first time around.
my cousins shop too damn much. spent A LOT of time at the gift store.
tower of terror was pretty tight. note to self: when on one of these free-falling type rides, grab your handle bars for safety...not the penises of the guys next to you...
soarin' california was a ride. actually got my weakass all motion-sick.
strips, dips & chips are
i think i have a new fetish...the disneyland block party girls. (my camera was too slow and too weaksauce to keep up with all the hot performers. i only managed to get this one)
i can just see it now...
Mel's New Fantasy:
Mel: come on, baby. you know how i like it. Mel: put on that disney costume and to the locomotion again. Mel:
star (wars) tour is hella old. the little orientation/safety video has a chinese dude with a turqoise polo shirt, brown aviater sunglasses, a blue trucker hat and dinky green umbro shorts. the ride was aight. its just funny seeing how "futuristic" looked in the eyes of people in the 70s.
indiana jones was a fun ride. the only gay part was this freakin' eager beaver indian chick that kept cutting in front of people in line. seriously, this chick cut in front of 10 people, including us. its all good though, karma bit her in the ass when the lines split up...she ended up in the slow-as-hell line while we ended up in the fast lane.
note to self: when going down that final drop of the log ride on splash mountain, lifting up your shirt to expose your manbreasts to the in-action-camera while the person behind you squeezes your nipples is considered as a "safety violation." they will delete the photo and refuse to sell it to you after the ride.
note to self: the heaviest person should NEVER sit at the front of the log ride.
haven't updated in a long ass time, mainly cuz nothing exciting has been happening these past few weeks. here's a few randoms to show you that i'm still alive:
i won a 3 day, 2 night trip for two to just about anywhere in the states. there's all these wierd ass conditions and stipulations on it...which make it a lot less appealing. i don't think my hand counts as a person, so technically i'm single. ended up giving it to my parents.
Deland - Chapters. He's a friend of mine from cerritos and this is his first R&B album. its on sale @ tower records in lakewood and long beach. most of his success is in asia, which is pretty . i actually went out and bought his cd...instead of being the cheap ass and downloading it from limewire pro...
school is doing aight. i have some really cool teachers that are actually passionate about teaching. that makes learning so much more meaningful. oh yeah, i just found out that they chopped off 18 units from my major. that's a full quarter that i don't have to take!! well, at my pace its more like 2 quarters. that puts me in perfect schedule to graduate spring '06!!! yes, i'm actually gonna graduate!!!
impulse buy of the moment....an ipod shuffle. i fuckin' love the thing. yes, i already have a 20gb ipod right now but i wanted something smaller and lighter for when i go to the gym. and i wanted to have music with me when i chill at the bitch without being paranoid of losing/breaking my original $300 ipod. so cute and tiny...i named it Pecker.
met another guy that's born on march 20th.
cousin Joel and Ira had a baby shower for their future son, Marco de Guzman. he's gonna be the third addition to the next generation of scarfers in the family. anyways, there was this one game where they put melted chocolate bars in diapers and you had to guess which candy bar was which. is it wrong that i wanted to eat the chocolate right out of the diaper??
"Little Boy Blue because he was broke."
we had room selection for the village the other week. i finally got into an apartment with chin & jp, which has been the original plan since last summer. unfortunately some cockmaster named matt took the room that i wanted, so i'm stuck with the piece of shit shoebox sized room that faces the train tracks. i can just hear it now: CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! CHOOOOOO CHOOOOOOOO!!!!! CHOOOO CHOOOO CHOOOOOOOO!!!!! ah well, i know matt from the dorms and he's cool...and its damn good to be living with friends instead random dudes.
i've been on call for jury duty all this week. its wednesday now and they haven't called me in. being summoned for jury duty is ...but jury duty in COMPTON is a whole 'nother story. to all you non-cali people, i'm sure you've heard of compton, ca...its the hardcore, ghetto ass place that all of the rappers rap about...
anyways, that's all for now.
Songs of the Moment
The Starting Line - Bedroom Talk
Mariah Carey - We Belong Together
Rob Thomas - Streetcorner Symphony
Backstreet Boys - Never Gone (unreleased album but downloadable)
man, its been a while since i've really posted...mainly cuz nothing special has happened in the past three weeks. its just been the same 'ol stuff...school, basketball, volleyball, and website stuff. its been pretty gaysauce lately cuz i'm stuck with night classes, so in the day time i can't hang out with anyone cuz everyone's at class...and the only time they are free is when i'm at class. next thing i know its 10pm and everyone's getting settled in for the night.
its been hard trying to find things to keep me busy/entertained late at night, especially since i go to bed at 5am everyday. i've been downloading and watching shows like oc, point pleasant, american idol, desperate housewives (omfg eva longoria is so ), lost, numb3rs, and joey. and after all of that when i have nothing else to do, i'm reading four books at the same time...which is really wierd because i never read books for fun.
Sayonara, Hanayame Sun...
the biggest event that's happened in the past three weeks is the closing down of my favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant, hanayame sun (hano's for short). even though its only been 2 years since i was introduced to it, in all seriousness it feels like i'm saying goodbye to a good friend.
hano's was the first place i tried sushi. and it was also my restaurant of choice during the summer of 2003, when i'd go there seriously 3-4 times a week. i could just walk in there, double nod, and get my food because i was such a regular customer.
this restaurant has been here for at least 20 years...you can tell because there's all these signed pictures and thank you letters from high school kids in the 80's posted on the wall. its a real tiny place -- just six tables -- but there's always people in there. its just one of those few great little places that everyone knows and loves.
// more pics in my personal gallery
rose, her bf and i went to hano's for lunch today. one of the very few times in my life that i actually ate my food slowly so i could savor it one last time. i got my usual: yakitori chicken with extra sauce (see the pic above?) and a half-order of california rolls.
after lunch, the owner told us to come back @ 8, right when he closes up shop for the last time. we couldn't say no.
we got there around 7:50, and there were about 10 other kids (our age) that were there, including janet, anne, kit, cousin raynell, and ray. it was cool cuz it was just a buncha kids that grew up on this food, chillin in the restaurant for one last time.
the owner, who was obviously holding back his tears, offered us the decorations as souvenirs. i took the big 'ol picture of the yakitori chicken entree, and got it autographed too. (i'll post the other pics later)
sayonara, hanayame sun. thanks for all the good times.
Random Stuff
phoebe's car died in a fire...literaly....sucks for her...
went to my first frat party...totally hated it...what can i say, i'm a small town kid that enjoys kickbacks
watched the new will smith movie, Hitch. i'm gonna watch it again
Songs of the Moment
Next to You by Corey Andrew
Jerk it Out by Caesars Palace (aka iPod shuffle theme song)
Twisted (Sexual Healing Remix) by Keith Sweat
Woo Hoo by The 5,6,7,8's (aka that really addicting Vonage ad jingle)
"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, (like healing a serious illness), all of your thoughts break their bonds, your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be." -- Patanjali
its that time of the year again... last year's lent thing was a complete failure for me...i believe it was to do something new & different everyday...it went great for the first week or so, and then drama stuck and that thing was the very last thing on my mind.so what should i give up this year?? :hmm: this one's tough...let's see...
diet? well, i've already last 25 lbs and counting...
no more "shampoo" (aka shibby)? well, i've just about quit that because it doesn't mix well with my pills...
quit cutting class? i haven't ditched class in 7 months...
i'm sorry man, i'm not gonna put myself thru that...as far as i'm concerned, punching the clown is part of the system...i have no desire to fuck up the system. besides, i'm lowering my risk of prostate cancer!!
aight, i'm gonna do the semi-casual catholic thing and just give up meat on fridays...i know that you're supposed to do that anyways, but i've really cleaned up my act anyways.
Papa Bear had Surgery
last weekend my pops had surgery to remove some cancerous stuff from his leg (again). everything's fine though...he just got discharged from the hospital last night and he's up & walking around just fine.
Random Stuff
got an A on my FRL exam. and i never get A's on exams!!!
i'm officially a regular customer @ Salo Salo Grill. "the usual?"
never again will i have a grilled stuft chicken enchilada @ taco bell...three words...endless taco shits...
i might go to the phillipines with my dad and/or the blakes!!
papa found out about my visits to the doctor regarding my ADD.
Songs of the Moment
Lovers and Friends by Usher, Ludacris & Lil' John (although Ludacris & Lil' Johns parts are a little :ugh:)
California (Hip-Hop Remix) by Akia
When dealing with people, let us remember that we are not dealing with creatures of logic. We are dealing with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudices and motivated by pride and vanity.
I went to the Boat (a kick-ass thai restaurant) yesterday with Melissa (Le). I'm a regular there and the waiters thought I was on a date so they hooked us up with some free boba smoothies. And last time, when I went with Phoebe, they hooked me up with extra fried rice. The guys there always hook me up cuz I've probably been their best customer since I bring in everyone I know to the place. Anyways, it got me thinking...how many people have I taken to the Boat? Well, off the top of my head...
Alan, Angela, Anthony, April, Augustus, Bojo, Cathy, Chain, Chris, Colin, Craig, Cristina, Dan, Danny (Baller), Darwin, Elisa, Jackie, James, John, Joyce, Josh M, Karen, Kristy, Laura, Melissa G, Melissa Le, Mike Holt, Mom & Dad, Mr. & Mrs. Blake, Phoebe, Rachel, Rainee, Rich, Ron, Rose, Ryan, Sam (CPP), Suey, Thomas, Travis
That's 43 if I've counted correctly...hit me up if I forgot ya or someone else...
ok, so i got this letter from cal poly...and well...i got kicked out...
spring quarter really f'ed me up and got me down to academic probation...and then i fucked it up again by getting another F during summer quarter. i did get a B+ in my other class, but in terms of GPA, a B+ and an F just put me a bit deeper in the hole...
i'm allowed to stick around for the rest of the quarter...but after this quarter, i'm out...i'm not exactly sure if i'm out indefinitely or just for two quarters...but either way, its not something i'm proud about...
Good News
if i can ace all my classes this quarter, i can file for an appeal and get back in.
More Good News
i might have attention deficet disorder and/or dyslexia. ok, that's not exactly good news, haha, but its something that can help me in my appeal.
i've mentioned this to a few people, and some of them looked at me like i'm faking my possible diagnosis......i'm serious about this. this was something i wanted to look into a while ago but i was just never got around to actually getting tested.
i got a hold of a Preliminary Learning Disability Screening Questionaire from the Disabled Students Center...its kinda funny...check it out:
When following directions to an unfamiliar place, I easily get lost.
I look to Thomas Edison for inspiration. when asked if he felt discouraged about failying 1073 times before inventing the lightbulb, he said, "I did not fail 1,073 times. I found 1,073 ways not to do it." i know now that programming is not for me...so now i'm gonna look into Customer Relations Management in e-Business.
...and on a whole 'nother note...
Really, Really Bad News
Uncle Rolly passed away. ever since he was diagnosed, and with his worsening condition over the months, we all knew this was coming...but still, its a damn hard pill to swallow.
everytime i think about it, i cry...not necessarily because its the 3rd loss in my family in under a year (yes, Pube counts as family)...i cry for my auntie and my cousins, raynell & rose. i mean, i've gotten into some pretty big fights with my dad...but all of that seems so insignifcant to what raynell & rose are going through...i dunno what would happen if i lost my dad...especially at a young age...
Thinking Postively
my family has such a tight bond...and i'm so proud of it. like when jamie passed away, we were all worried for cristina and kainoa...especially since cristina is paralyzed from the waist down...
"Ohana means family; family means no one gets left behind."
but this amazing little thing that hawaiian's call "ohana" is so strong with us...you guys might've heard me when i bitch about going to my family get-togethers...cuz i always end up meeting a bagillion aunties & uncles that i never knew existed...i'm realizing now that this is a huge blessing -- there's always someone (usually several someones) around that'll support whoever...
kinda like the amish...if one of 'em has a house that burns down, the whole town comes together and builds a new one...
so yeah, its kinda like we're amish...except we're darker skinned, almond eyed, flat nosed and allowed to watch porn on hbo television...
"Ohana means family; family means no one gets left behind." - Lilo, from Lilo & Stich
Man, things have been slow on this site...probably because of several reasons. I'm finding myself going out a lot more and visiting people (esp in the dorms) now that school has started. Classes are pretty cool...I finally have some good teachers that have a teaching style that's compatible with me.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are definitely the best days...Astronomy, Basketball and Volleyball. Even though Astronomy is an 8am class, the stuff actually keeps me awake because this was my first passion when I was a kid. BBall and VBall are always cool...I finally got my buddy Pavel to enroll in the classes, and we play awesome together on the court. For volleyball, I've gotten a shit load better...probably cuz I was playing beach volleyball with Josh the whole summer. I'm also actually spiking the shit out of the ball on the men's nets...probably cuz I've lost weight since being traumatized by Super Size Me.
Food for Thought
Oh yeah, that's another thing...I'm actually doing really good with my eating..I've seriously cut down on the greasy fast food...no more burgers...eating more chicken and rice but in smaller portions...and no more eating after 6. I haven't weighed myself yet but I can definitely see my toes now the difference. Today was my cheat day but I realized that cheat day isn't even fun anymore...its just straight up gross. I actually had a difficult time downing one double-double (double cheeseburger)...it was really wierd but at least in a good way. Its kinda like that one summer in Saudi when Zizi had an all-girls fancy dinner party...I dressed up as a girl and got in...and when I was eating, all the girls jokingly gave me crap for my "eating like an animal" tendencies...that actually traumatized me so now my appettite gets psychologically surpressed when I eat around (most) girls.
Ohana
Oh yeah, a little update on my uncle...he's doing absolutely terrible. He has like zero energy...has to be spoon-fed...no energy to talk and can barely open his eyes because light is painful...omg, its just so painful to see him like this...and the really painful part is seeing Rose (my cousin, his daughter) trying to deal with this...I can't even imagine what its like for her...
One thing I'm really proud of is how all of my family and relatives are helping out anyway possible...when he was in the hospital, there was ALWAYS someone there beside his bed...and every weekend, there's always a family get-together..."Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind."
More Random Stuff:
Web Cams are fun...
Watch Shaun of the Dead...its funny as balls.
Free food @ Webb...I actually went back to Webb with fellow classmate, Stan, and got some free country fried chicken steak (chicken country fried steak? fried country chicken steak? chicken fried country steak?? )
My JustBBall.com was selected as the Site of the Month for theadminzone.com...()...I'll post my interview here when it's published this November.
Song of the Moment: Smile by Tamia
PL: we might have our share of fights here and there...there might be moments when you just absolutely piss me off...but at the end of the day, I care about you...and I'll always be here for you.
Random Quote of the Moment: if you don't like anal sex, you must be gay... at the irony.
