Hi everyone. Apologies for the lack of posts. I really haven't been any good at keeping you all up to date recently. One of my New Year's Resolutions definitely is to be much better at updating (hopefully I'll get a new digi cam to help facilitate that goal). In any case, I've had a pretty eventful past month or so. Finals were ridiculously stressful and I'm extremely grateful not only for surviving, but doing much better than could've been expected! Apple Pasadena then let me go home for Christmas so I went back for 10 awesome days (technically 8 since two were spent in Osaka, Japan). After some valuable family time and getting to see many old friends, I'm now back in Pasadena (and subsequently the good, old Apple store) just in time for the New Year! I'm also here in time for tomorrow's Rose Parade (hopefully I can catch the Punahou Marching Band in action). Enough talk, here are some pics from the aforementioned activities:
Let's start things off during Finals. Darren got commissioned as a 2/LT in the Air Force and, fortunately for us all, will be stationed right here in LA! Hopefully he enjoys training and makes it back intact (and with a new tC in tow). After getting worked by the BME 513 final, I made my way to Darren's commissioning ceremony. Although I missed the main program, I got there for cake and champagne (as shown in the pic). Oddly, Darren's last name was still left on one of the slices so I got a hold of that piece (woo hoo). How exciting!
After finals, Darren, Priscilla, Brandon & I celebrated by going down to Bar Celona in Pasadena. For those of you who missed seeing some food pictures, here you are! The Salmon & Broccolini dish was quite tasty even if it wasn't all that filling.
Dessert from Bar Celona was a strawberry & banana crepe with chocolate hazelnut sauce. Also tasty.
Back in warm Honolulu, I had the privelege of hanging out with everyone's favorite East Coast Corporate Banker: Phil. We (L->R: Phil, Traci, Noelle, Me - Part of Brandon's head can be seen peeking out behind Noelle's) walked around Waikiki one night and here's the pic to prove it. We were feeling particularly Christmas-y so we caught this pic outside the Sheraton Moana Surfrider (where, by the way, the Tiffany's has not been for many years...apparently).
I'm quite pleased that I also managed to visit the beach. Here we are at Makapu'u (Phil, Kevin, Traci, Noelle & myself). Kevin might look a little sad because he just got disrespected in a round of beach football. Your's truly - "Ocho Cinco" - apologizes for any long term psychological damage which might've occurred.
Finally, here's a pic from Xmas Day (after an awesome buffet at Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch & Crab). I found this little license plate thing in the wondrous aisles of the Iwilei K-Mart.
So, I'm not really one for lists but I feel somewhat inspired to put up a few more New Year's resolutions. We'll see in a year's time if any progress was made. Here goes:
1)More frequent blogging (+more pics)
2)More trips: Hawaii or International (wishful thinking?)
3)Become a better rock climber (new hobby)
4)See my friends/family more often (that means YOU)
5)Graduate & get a job I don't hate! (it's time)
So, there you have it. I know there are tons more pics that I'll eventually post, once I actually get a hold of them, so just sit tight. Have a Happy New Year (in other words, Gung Hee Fat Choy), take care (don't let your leg get hit by fireworks) and see you in 2007!
Hey folks. Just a quick update since it's exam season. I went to the car show this evening w/Darren, Priscilla & Josh and had an awesome time. I even met a Kiwi mechanic who was at the show with Morgan Motor Cars (http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk). Anyhow, I thought I'd let you all know that no updates will be on the way till after all my work is done (Dec 12 to be precise). Please accept this single picture of me behind the wheel of a 2007 Porsche Boxster S (yes, those are my jeans in the bottom of the pic) as a bit of a preview of things to come (also expect higher quality pics since I'll be leaching them off of Josh from his digi cam). Take care everyone and best of luck to those of you who are still in school!
So, the end of classes for the Fall semester calls for a mini update. I didn't have a digi cam handy over the Thanksgiving period but I had a great time with Josh's family down in the San Diego area (where it was sunny and generally much nicer than LA). As expected, the Apple Store Pasadena was extremely busy and I imagine it's not gonna get any better from here until Xmas. On that note, here are a few pics for you all to enjoy:
So, I managed to find Tamarillos (aka tree tomatoes) at Gelson's market in the exotic fruits section. They were true NZ tamarillos to boot (the same can't be said, unfortunately, for the feijoas). Since I hadn't had one in a while, I picked one up, sliced it open and had it for a snack (w/a bit of salt) late one night. I completely forgot how they tasted. It was quite tart and I think it wasn't quite ripe enough. But it was good to have a taste of something from my childhood (granddad still grows them in his garden). Hopefully some NZ feijoas will make it up here cuz I'm dying to have some of those....
The night before Thanksgiving, I went to the Clippers v. Sonics at the Staples Center with Carie. It was my first time there and I was quite amazed at how much larger the place is in comparison to how it looks on the telly. It was a great game too (if you're a Seattle fan). Now that the Staples Center has been checked off the list, hopefully I can catch a game at the newly opened Galen Center. I'd like to see where some of my tuition money has gone...
(Yet again, I'm waiting for one more pic from Carie)
Anyways, I can't wait for my actual winter break to start so that I can head home and just take it easy. Grad school isn't what I expected it to be, so it's been a pretty tough semester. [In case I haven't mentioned to you, I was expecting something different from my undergraduate experience. Something more enriching, interactive, interesting and new. Instead, it's just been like another, slightly more intensive senior year. At this point, I'll be happy to just make it through the year and walk away with another piece of paper. I hope some of the classes I've selected in the Spring can help to change my point of view.] Lots of work at Apple Pasadena as well as some quality exam studying time should be going on in the near future. Feel free to drop by if you'd like to keep me company. On that note, peace out and take care everyone. Hope to see many of you soon.
Hey there folks. Sorry for the lack of posts. It's just indicative of how busy I've been with school & work (or, in other words, how boring I've been). Anyways, here are a few pics that I've accumulated recently and would like to share with you.
First up, a pic of all the cousins in the family. From L->R, Top->Bottom: Me & Taran, Caitlin, Jorden, Callum & Brittany, Ayden & Joshua. (Missing: Deryck).
So he doesn't feel too left out, here's a pic of my bro. He went to the Senior Halloween Dance dressed as an Eagle Scout. I can't belive he fit those pants...
Dinner at Lawry's. Again (well, last time was about 2 yrs ago). This time, with Brad, Jazell & Brad's friends from high school (Isabel & Helen). A couple more pics will be posted when they finally make their way to me.
Finally, a pic from the Pasadena store. We aren't supposed to sell things out of this section so the guys in the back decided to really hammer the point home by making a fake crime scene. They did an incredibly convincing job. The outline is of one of my managers who lay on the ground while being outlined by stickers.
Yup, so that's all for now. Two big exams coming up on monday should make for a rough day. Afterwards, there'll be Thanksgiving coming up (and, as the post title alludes...it's not coming nearly as quickly as I'd like it to). No real plans that weekend except for work. I bet it'll be pretty hectic. A few peeps will be in town and hopefully I won't get tied down by the store for too long so that I can get a chance to see them all. Anyways, I hope you all are doing well. Take care and Go the All Blacks!!! (They're playing France tomorrow night...on Armistice Day - Veteran's Day for us Yanks).
So, that little trip I went on was to NZ. I had a lot of good fun with my family and that weekend was easily the best in a LONG time (though, it's not really fair since being in NZ is an automatic advantage). The time away was bittersweet though because of the uselessness of the airlines. My brother & I were both unable to get onto the flights we were supposed to because they didn't have seats. In my case, they did have the seats but because of weight restrictions (too much cargo), they couldn't fill the seats with passengers. On attempt two, my brother actually came to LA so that we could both try the same flight. I actually got a confirmed ticket so I was sweet, but Deryck wasn't able to get on because it turned out there were about 60 people trying to get onto about 25 seats (and he wasn't high up enough on the list). So, I got to go and he didn't. That was pretty crappy because we haven't been in NZ together in over 4 years. I think I was still taller than him back then too...
My apologies for the rant, but that flight down to Auckland was really, really bad in the sense that my bro wasn't on it and I was sandwiched between too large guys and we were jostling for space/legroom for the duration of the flight. Enough of that, here are some pics. There aren't many b/c I was only able to get a few w/my camera phone (my digi cam is defunct) and the rest of the pics need to be emailed to me from other family members.
Caitlin & Brittany drawing on the table in Coffee Queens (my aunty's coffee shop) while waiting dinner. We threw a birthday for my Aussie cousins at the shop outside of business hours. It was basically and excuse to get everyone together, have dinner and watch rugby on the 42" Plasma.
A glorious sunday afternoon for rugby here at North Harbour Stadium. Too bad Harbour (my team) got dealt to by Otago (my 2nd team...since I studied town there for a semester). I did get some autographs from a few of the players afterwards. The team did well this year by winning the Ranfurly Shield (a sweet trophy) but they just couldn't win when I was there in person. What a shame.
Finally, a pic from Auckland Airport at around 4:30 am. It's never too early for a PC to lock up and display the infamous BSOD (blue screen of death). The former IT guy in me couldn't resist taking the pic...
Yup. A "sweet as" trip that wasn't as "sweet as" as it could've been (not a typo). Hopefully I'll get a few more pics up when I get them. Until then, I guess it's back to boring school & work. Come add some excitement to my life and visit me in Pasadena or while I'm working at the Pasadena Apple Store. I implore you! On that note, I leave you with 2 bonus images from last night's NZ Music Awards. Bic & Brooke are awesome. That is all.
So I got a fair amount of feedback in regards to the previous pic. Let me just update you all on the progress of that:
This depicts growth after 5 weeks of non-shaving. How fascinating. Those of you who weren't too keen on the idea will be happy to note that I actually shaved after taking this pic. There endeth the experiment. It was fun while it lasted.
In any case, I'm not in LA right now (as some of you may know). More on that in the next post... Stay tuned!
Hey folks! It's been a while so I thought it might not be a bad idea to keep you guys posted on how things are going here in Sunny Pasadena. School & work have kept me pretty busy so I haven't really had much free time to do anything noteworthy, but here are a few pics to give you all a peek at what I have had time to do. Here goes...
Here we are on the last Friday before the first week of school! Brenton, Me & Allan doing what we do best: getting free food. This wonderful Carribean BBQ was courtesy of the Annenberg School of Communication. Cheers!
If you remember the picture of my empty room (a couple posts back), let me tell you that it is a little less sad now compared to before. I now have a bed (thanks Aunty Maria). You may wonder why I mention this when there is a picture of White fish, veges & fries. The reason is that Brandon was kind enough to come and help me move the bed from Agoura Hills to Pasadena. On the return trip, we stopped by Sherman Oaks to hang out & catch dinner with Carie at the Marmalade Cafe. And that is where the picture is from. Oh, Brandon, you're welcome for the food...
The moving action didn't stop that day. The next weekend, Carie needed help moving out of her place so, in exchange for some man power, we (Brandon, Paul & I) were treated to breakfast (at 4pm in the afternoon) at Jinky's. The above is a picture of the spinach, zucchini & egg white sandwich with Jinky potatoes. It's never too late for breakfast food...
Later that evening, I saw this creature crawling around in my hallway. I'm not even sure what it is. Anyone know?
So, in addition to Yuto, Josh and myself, we have another tenant in the house...Sophie. Ain't she cute?
And, to commemorate my very first Sam's Club run and finally having some food to prepare at home, I post my dinner from that night: romaine lettuce, tomatoes, turkey & parmesan cheese salad (onion vinaigrette not yet poured). It was truly one of the tastiest salads I've ever had...
Last but not least, here's a pic of my latest project: facial hair growth. It's creeping up to 3 weeks of growth and, as my manager commented, is sort of in the middle stage of growth beyond stubble but before anything respectable. Feedback?
Also, this past friday, I had a very pleasant lunch with Mr. Chun at Shaab in Old Town. We were both thoroughly surprised by how busy they were during lunch and we had to settle for sushi (unfortunately missing out on shabu shabu) in the interest of time. I didn't know sushi could be so filling! We both agreed that a return trip for the shabu shabu is a must!
Okey dokes, that more or less takes you up through to the present. I've also received a few Apple related goodies over the past couple of days. If any of you guys swing by Pasadena, I can show you the following: 1) New work shirt in line with the ad campaign for the "remastered nanos." 2) Business cards with my name on them. Exciting! 3) A certificate & pin showing that I have achieved Apple Product Professional status. I'm oh so proud! On that note, I bid you all adieu. Have a pleasant evening (day for those of you in other time zones) and stay tuned for the next update!
So, thanks to Carie, I have FINALLY received the picture that I've been waiting (two weeks) for! Cheers Carie! Here it is!
Bic & I at the Largo on August 15. Awesome show. Great company. Good times.
How are you all doing this fine summer afternoon? As most of you probably know, I'm back in So Cal to settle in the week before school. Quite a bit is going on so here's a brief little update for you. I don't have internet at the house so I'm actually blogging to you all from the Pasadena Apple Store (where I'll be working part time - come visit if you can). Anyways, here goes...
Here's a pic of the house I'm living in and sharing w/Josh & Yuto. It's quite spacious inside and there's an historic (old) feel to the place since it was built back in the early 1900's.
Here are a couple of pics of my room. It's pretty unremarkable at the moment but at least I'm unpacked!
Next to the kitchen, there's a door that leads to the basement. To be quite honest, it looks pretty creepy down there. I doubt I'll be going down there too often...
Last, but certainly not least, Josh, Brandon, Carie & I went over to the Largo yesterday evening to see Bic Runga play a beautiful acoustic set. She is such an amazing live performer! I had the fortune of meeting Bic after the show and getting my CD signed. I also got a pic but I'm currently waiting for Carie to send that along. I must say, what a great start to the year!
So that's everything for the moment. Hopefully I'll get some furniture in my room and we'll also get some internet at the house. Until then, don't expect too many updates until I start spending more time on campus or at the Apple Store. On that note, take care everyone!
Since it's been pretty darn hot this summer in Hawaii (and much of the rest of the Earth...go see An Inconvenient Truth if you haven't already), I'd like to offer this extremely helpful word of advice: Go enjoy some shave ice!!!
This here is the legit Waiola's (meaning it's on Waiola St...not like that other pretender). Dishing out tasty icy treats to island folk since ages ago...
Truly sweet as! Lychee on the left, Mango on the right, mochi balls underneath. Lychee & Mango get two thumbs up, but I must say that I prefer the sweet, vanilla-y taste of ice cream to the somewhat bland, though nicely textured, mochi.
Anyways, these are both pics from today's excursion. In addition to Waiola's, Darren & I covered stops as varied as Satellite City Hall, the NEX, Ala Moana & Cutter Mazda (to test drive a 3 - happy to report, it was a sweet car). In any case, I just thought I'd offer up a quick post. I can count the days I've got left here in the islands on one hand so I better start savoring the things a bit more (even though I've got work every day from now till sunday). I'll do my best to soak up as much as I can in the time I've got and hopefully I can put some pics up to share that with you all. On that note, peace out and take care!
The pic probably speaks for itself.
Source: Pixelbomb.com via Gizmodo.com
My iWeb Demonstration Site (Click here)
So, those cool kids over at Apple decided to give me a .Mac account* as one of my benefits. I figured I might as well use the thing, in conjunction with the iWeb program that came with my new MacBook (White if you must know), to make a cool little page that showcases what it can do. The following site literally took less than a minute to make and publish. Ahh, gotta love the simplicity of Apple. I particularly enjoy the video that I posted over there and I encourage you all to check it out (it relates to the title of this post). For those of you not in the know, L&P is a soda made in NZ. It also happens to be the best soda in the world. I guess things are just so quiet over here that I'm resorting to relatively boring posts such as this one. Please bear with me as work has been keeping me pretty busy, so I haven't had the time to put up posts with content as captivating as my (mis)adventures in NZ (feel free to relive those adventures by visiting the 2005 Archives-over there on the left). On that note, take care everyone and go visit that iWeb site of mine!!!
*If you are curious as to what .Mac and iWeb are, please come visit me at the Apple Store Ala Moana and I'd be happy to explain! Cheers!
My apologies to everyone since I've recently been busy getting over a cold and then with work at the Apple Store. This has been an unusually slow June filled only with a handful of leisurely diversions. Since my digi cam has been acting up (it's probably time for a new one), I haven't got any pics of this month's activities. So, posts will come as I get pics from friends. Anyways, thanks to Paul, here are a few pics from my antics with a certain group of tourists who dropped by for a visit...
This Chevy HHR was the sweet (rental) ride that they cruised around the island in.
We set out to try and go around the island as far as we could before the sunset. First stop was Hanauma Bay.
So, here are the tourists (and their part time guide): Steven, Daniel, Carie, Me & Paul. We only had a short time at Hanauma Bay because we needed to be in and out of the lot within 15 minutes in order to get our parking refund...
Next stop on the whirlwind tour was the blow hole. Here, we were afforded a beautiful view of Sandy Beach.
On the way 'round the eastern tip of Oahu, we decided to stop to do the Makapu'u lighthouse hike. After a brisk hike to the top, we took this picture at the lookout.
From the lookout, we had a great view of the Makapu'u lighthouse and the deep, blue Pacific Ocean.
After passing through, Waimanalo, we stopped at Kailua beach for a bit of relaxation in the (setting) sun. Me, Carie & Paul just lounged on the beach while Daniel & Steven frolicked in the ocean and wrote each other's name in the sand (well, that's what it looked like from our vantage point).
Ah, Kailua...definitely one of my favourite beaches...
So, we didn't make it all the way around the island that day before the sunset. So, we went back town side to have dinner instead. Because showering, etc. took so long, many places were closed. Bubba Gumps was still open for business so we grabbed dinner here before going next door to the Mai Tai bar.
A picture from another evening, we had dinner the next night at Cheeseburgers in Paradise and here's Carie with one of those cocktail umbrellas.
The other big event of the month was the return of Phil to the islands. So, we had to get the old gang together for some fun. I'm still waiting on the pics but I'll put up a post as soon as possible. Until then, I'll be holding it down at the Ala Moana Apple store (everyday except M & W) so stop by for a visit if you've got the time!
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