Down the Rabbit Hole

Christmas

2009-12-26T09:35:00.003-06:00

It was a little strange to not be back home at my parents house in Sacramento for Christmas. But not too strange since my immediate family is currently visiting me in GDL for two weeks! :)

For Christmas Eve/Christmas we went to local markets in Tonala and Tlaquepaque, had a nice lunch in Tlaquepaque, ate dinner at my apartment and opened gifts on Christmas days. Here are a few snapshots which capture our holiday:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

When it Rains, it POURS...

2009-12-16T19:28:00.003-06:00

A random thunderstorm decided to strike GDL and Zapopan early this evening. This storm brought me back to when I first arrived in GDL to rainy season in July. Almost every evening around 7 p.m., one would be able to see the flashes of light across the sky. About thirty minutes later, the storm would hit. Correction, the storm began to POUR down huge raindrops. For some reason, the irrigation system and construction of streets were built funky where all the streets end up looking somewhat like rivers. All of the drains would be blocked up, and the rain pours down so fast that it is almost impossible for the rain to clear the streets as fast as it comes down. Streets flooded, cars stuck, and stranded pedestrians would be the typical sight along the drenched streets of Zapopan throughout the night. By morning, the storm normally would have cleared and the streets would be practically dry with just a look of morning dew or fog.

Oddly enough, the exact same thing is occurring as I type. I began to see flashes of light about an hour ago. I always have to wonder to myself whether this flash is a spotlight or an incoming storm. Rarely does any sound accompany the light until about five minutes before it hits. Then, BAM!!! Right now it sounds like there is a waterfall flowing into my apartment swimming pool. About every twenty or thirty seconds the lightning rumbles and there is a flash across the sky. Also, the louder the rumble or gargle of thunder, the harder the rain is about to hit. I can't believe I'm actually going to say this BUT I'm going to miss the rain in GDL. It's actually quite amazing -- when you're not in it.

Sayulita

2009-12-16T18:57:00.003-06:00

School is finally out and all I want to do is sleep. Being back in school for the past five and a half months, taking five courses in Spanish, and student teaching has led me to feel utterly exhausted in the end. I am definitely looking forward to the next month which will consist of a weekend trip to Acapulco, my family visiting for Christmas, NYE in Cancun and studying for a week in Playa del Carmen before jetting back to the States.

This last weekend I bussed on over to Sayulita - a beach town about an hour North of Vallarta. The town is fairly small, surrounded by hills, and consists primarily of a main plaza surrounded by little restaurants, bars and stores. From here, the beach is only about a block and a half away from the main plaza. All in all, it's basically a small surf town wiht a little bay full of surfers, beachfront restaurants, sand and abundant sun.

We rented a house for the four nights which only ended up being $60 a night total! Located up in the hills and about a ten minute walk slightly uphill from the plaza, the house is quaint split between being outdoors and indoors. The dining room and kitchen were all open to the outside. The only parts actually indoors were the two bedrooms and one bath.

What did I do all weekend? I typically woke up at 9, went down to town for breakfast, walked to the beach, layed out for a few hours, went back into town for a little shopping, hiked back up to the house, showered and changed, walked back to town for dinner, and tried to be in bed by 11 each night. Although it is high season along the beaches, Sayulita is more of a sleepy surfer town. However, I did feel like I was in the US vs. Mexico with Americans overpopulating the streets.

Would I ever go back? Most likely not. It is worth seeing for a little getaway and relaxing weekender, but will not likely be putting Sayulita on my list of places to visit again.

Rating: 7/10

Practicas en GDL

2009-12-07T10:14:00.000-06:00

Last month was pretty crazy and jam packed with “Practicas Intensivas" (student teaching). This basically means that I had to teach at least six different lessons (English, Math, Science, Art, PE and Spanish) each week. For the most part, my students behaved fairly well – listened to directions, worked on the task at hand, etc.

But here’s the kicker…

One Monday I showed up to realize the class was behind one lesson so the Spanish lesson/reading I had planned would have to be pushed off until Thursday. I explained to the teacher, she understood and then asked if I could instruct the last two pages of the current lesson. Although I wasn’t quite prepared, I obliged and continued on. Once this was done, she pulled me aside and asked if I had any other lessons planned for the day. I didn’t, but she told me she wasn’t feeling well and asked if I could take over. I of course agreed, but little did I know she meant literally take over so she could go home. I asked her what she wanted me to do with the kids and her response was whatever I would like.

So she left me for the day with my 33 little rascals. I don’t know if it was because it was a Monday, but my kids were out of control. Jumping on the desks, crying left and right, choking eachother and punching eachother in their stomachs. Their attention span would last for about 10 minutes before I would have to change the activity. However, the main problem is the teacher has never established formal rules. She let's the kids fight and cry giving the excuse, "It happens," or "It's not my responsibility." Nevertheless, I was utterly exhausted by the time the bell rang.

The next day I was absolutely dreading going to the elementary school. Sure enough, my teacher never showed up nor did they have a sub ready for the class. I went up to the principal, informed her that the teacher never came and that I needed the key to the cabinet with all the classroom materials. Without hesitation, she handed me the key and I was on my “merry” way.

This day went a little smoother thanks to PE and getting a little bit of their energy out of their system. I think I was also a little more mentally prepared to have them all on my own too. I had come to class in mind with a few back up activities just in case. I was also able to gauge my time a little better and have somewhat of an idea what to do based on what we did the day before. Now not to say that my day went perfectly smoothly without any hitting, jumping on desks, throwing pencils into the fan or crying because I took coloring books away from them during math time. The most intriguing point for me was when I read a story outloud to the class. Although they had read the story as a class the day before, I knew they probably didn’t comprehend or here the whole story and decided to be the storyteller. Seeing their sparkly wide eyed faces in awe of the story at hand reminded me that these are still little kids. They are entertained by some of the simplest things and although sometimes I want to scold them for behavior, they are still only 7-8 years old.

Turns out the teacher did not show up ALL WEEK. On Thursday, I was asked why I did not come on Wednesday because they needed me. Feeling under the weather on Friday, I knew I would not be able to teach all day if this was the case again. Sure enough, the teacher never showed up but I informed the principal I would have to leave after one hour due to food poisoning. She said it would be fine but asked if any of my colleagues could teach the class. OR if any of my professors were around and could take over. This alone made me realize even more so that we are being used and they are taking advantage of us being at the school. I told her no and went home.

All in all, a stressful and exhausting week. Writing this only makes me want to take a nap.

Los Collarines - The Neck Braces

2009-12-06T10:06:00.002-06:00

An interesting observation made by almost every person in the intercambio program is that there is an odd amount of people who constantly walk around with neck braces. For some odd reason it seems that almost every day we see someone who has a neck brace on either at school, the supermarket, on the bus, in the pharmacy, or even while on a leisure stroll. The most predominant weekend was after the “Puente” (three-day weekend). It seemed as if the number of people multiplied and I could not step outside of my classroom without seeing at least one person with a neck brace. The best is when you see two people both with neck braces, engaging in a conversation.

With this in mind, this past weekend I had the honor of attending a “Fiesta de los collarines.” Every person in attendance had to wear a neck brace. It was more of a way of embracing the fact that everyone wears them and making fun of the issue at the same time. The party was a hit and I even decorated mine to read, “VIVA MEXICO.” My friend Ismael on the other hand wrote on his, “PINCHE CAMION.”

Good times as always.

Observaciones

2009-10-25T19:20:00.003-06:00

Since I arrived in GDL back in July, a few things have definitely stuck out as surprising, hilarious, or interesting:

* The teens and like all wear Ed Hardy, Abercrombie, American Eagle and Hollister
* Same color outfits are considered OK (purple pants with a purple shirt with purple shoes with a purple hairband, earrings, and belt)
* It's considered socially acceptable for men/boys to whistle, yell, chant or say things to girls as they pass by to acknowledge they think the girls/woman are good-looking
* Limes and salsa/hot sauce go with everything
* Practically EVERYONE has a significant other. A lot of the times guys claim they have a girlfriend, but not to worry. I guess a lot more "open relationships"
* People stare A LOT
* Some clubs are incredibly hard to get into. Bouncers will point and say, "you, but not you (to a friend)
* When in doubt and you're hungry, you know that you will stumble upon a fruit cart or taco stand sooner rather than later
* Despite prior warnings, the girls dress exactly like the girls in the states do when going out
* Beer is cheaper than water
* People always want to know your last name so they can look you up on Facebook
* Jeans w/o butt pockets are a big hit here (think back to Britney Spears "I love rock n' roll" time w/hip hugging low rider jeans sans pockets
* Songs guaranteed to be played at bars and clubs are: "I've got a feeling..." "Sex on Fire," "When you were young" "I know you want me"
* All the cover bands sing Cold Play and Kings of Leon

Just a few for now. I'm sure by the end of my journey I will be listing off similar items which I miss about Mexico.

HOORAY!

2009-09-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

No fever, no cough, no symptoms whatsoever of having the flu and dengue this past week, I'm off to Los Angeles for the weekend and Oaxaca for the week!

One of my friends from college, Michelle, is getting married this weekend in Malibu. I'm so excited to be reunited with good friends and be with Michelle on her special day. Don't worry, mom and dad. I will abstain from drinking alcohol putting myself at risk of getting a relapse.

BON VOYAGE!!

Influenza

2009-09-21T20:12:00.002-05:00

Pulling up to the next hospital is a different story all on its own. I asked the security guard how to get to the emergency area for adults. He quickly picked up my accent and commented I'm not from here. He asked if I had the flu, I nodded, and he pointed me in the right direction. After turning the final corner, I stood dead in my tracks. Looking into an open outdoor space of about 100 people coughing, wearing masks, bloodshot eyes and crying babies, I felt like I was in a movie. I had no idea how much of an issue the flu and Dengue was in Guadalajara. I was suddenly thankful of the horrid mask I too had to wear. Who knew what all of these people were sick with standing around me. All I knew was I wanted to get in the office, get my medicine, and get out FAST.

I pushed my way through the crowd with numerous, "Disculpe," and "Perdon," until I finally got to the main room. There was a small table with two 20-something y/o "nurses" or "helpers" sitting at the table and giving out numbers (currently at 110 for adults and 46 for pediatrics). I waited in a line of three people for about 20 minutes before it was finally my turn. I took a seat at the table, asked if they spoke English (which of course they did not), handed them my lab results and doctor's note, then waited... and waited... and waited. About 30 minutes later of sitting in the same chair directly in front of them, while they tended to other patients, I finally asked the male if there was something I needed to do. Or what the next step would be. He told me he needed to fill out a form with my information and diagnostics. OK...

Granted, I let it slide for about 1 hour of just sitting in the chair. Looking around me and listening to the people coming up to the table, I convinced myself there were people who were in much more dire need of help than I was. A mother was cradling her 6 month old wailing baby with a huge mask over her face. Another mother carried her 10 year old child through the waiting room asking for help. Who was I to take away help from these people?

One hour later I looked at the female "nurse" and asked if I was waiting to be helped or if I needed to take a number. She told me I did not need a number and that there is a lot going on. Thirty minutes later, I felt tears begin to stroll down my cheek. Again, this was a very emotional day for me. I was sick, I was fighting to understand medical jargon and explain my condition to others, stuck in a room with sick people (not good for a hypochondriac like myself), and all I wanted was to get my medicine and get OUT!!!

Luckily, the tears worked. The nurse took my file and began to ask my for data. With relief, I gave all my info and they took my temperature. I knew it was bad when the nurse read the thermometer, looked at me with her eyes almost popping out of her head. I wanted to say, "That's right! I'm sick! And you have been making me sit here for over an hour!!" Instead, I sat like a lady and gave a concerned look (I had a temp of 40 C which is about 104 F). She turned to her colleague and whispered something in his ear. They both then tried to act out taking a pill and rubbed their stomachs. I probably should've told them I do actually understand Spanish, but the charades things was kinda humorous. I told them I had not taken anything up until this point because I was there specifically to get medicine. They handed me two pills and told me to take them immediately. The nurse told me the doctor would be with me in a minute (yeah right).

Next issue at hand would be taking these two pills. I knew it would help bring down my fever. The dilemma was that I have a really big problem with swallowing pills. It takes me about ten minutes to force even one down. I excused myself to the bathroom, which was located in the main building about 200 yds away), and took the pills in a bathroom stall. Upon return to the infected area, I bypassed the crowd, went straight to the office again and sat on the floor. I was EXHAUSTED. All I wanted was to go to sleep and I was trying to fight my fever which was hard to do in an unairconditioned room filled with other ill individuals. I decided to pull the really sick card again. I stood up, leaned against the wall, and started to fall asleep.

The male "helper" looked at me, took my form, walked into the doctors office and placed it directly on her desk. SUCCESS!! Finally, after an hour and a half I would be next up! Of course they were out of the medicine the other doctor requested. After a quick 10 minute check up, the new doctor signed a form, handed me a pack of meds, told me I am not allowed to leave my apartment for five days since I'm contagious and sent me on my merry way.

Today is day four of my apartment "quarantine". The whole thing ended up being for the best since I'm not allowed to leave my apartment and all I do is rest. The last four days have consisted of me being in and out of consciousness with a few movies in between. Tomorrow is my last and final day of having to be kept inside and forgetting what fresh air or the sun feels like.

And today... well today is the first day where I actually almost feel normal again. I hardly have a cough, I'm not as exhausted and I have a lot more energy.

Spotted Mosquitoes

2009-09-21T19:29:00.000-05:00

After turning the final corner, I stood dead in my tracks. Looking into an open outdoor space of about 100 people coughing, wearing masks, bloodshot eyes and crying babies, I felt like I was in a movie. I had no idea how much of an issue the flu and Dengue were in Guadalajara. I was suddenly thankful of the horrid mask I too had to wear. Who knew what all of these people were sick with standing around me. All I knew was I wanted to get in the office, get my medicine, and get out FAST.

Rewind...
Wednesday morning: I woke up to a weird ache on my lower back. After close examination in the mirror and with the help of two friends, we decided it was either a rash or a bite. The rash was raised, swollen and red, yet I had absolutely no idea where it came from. It was so big and painful there was no way I could simply forget bumping into something, being burned by a candle, or drunkenly injuring myself without knowing. All options were out of the question. This odd rash simply "appeared." I let it be and boggled my brain the next two days about where it could have possibly come from...

Thursday: I began to develop a cough and my muscles began to feel sore. I didn't think this was too out of the ordinary due to my weak immune system and the fact of about 50% of my class being sick with something.

Friday: Went to school utterly exhausted. I thought this was because I went out three nights in a row with friends. Although, I did not drink too much any of the nights so maybe it was just exhaustion. I began to think... Wow, turning 26 does feel a lot different. My poor body can't take it anymore. On the walk home from school, I explained to Gabi how every muscle in my body ached. How my eyes seemed like they were burning and had an ache all on its own. I got home at 11:30 a.m. and slept until 4:30 p.m. After waking up to eat something and find out what my friends were doing, I crawled back into bed around 7 p.m. and did not wake up until the next morning at about 9:30 a.m.!!

Saturday: Sick, sick, and more sick. I decided I should probably go to the doctor to get checked out for Dengue Fever (a fever people get from mosquitoes carrying the illness which causes aches, burning eyes, exhaustion, lack of hunger, etc.). My good ol roommie accompanied me to the emergency room where they proceeded to do a blood test and cotton swab swipe of my nose. We were informed to come back in at least 2 hours for the lab results. Of course on the way home, the hospital called and said they needed another test since the cotton swab test had too much mucus on it! So, three rounds and back at the hospital, I waived my doctor down, who looked at me and said, "I have bad news... come here."

WHOA WHOA WHOA!! First off, you do not tell a sick patient, "I have bad news." Do you know how many crazy things went through my head? I thought they were going to say I have cancer or something!

Diagnostics showed I apparently have Dengue Fever and the Flu. Right now there are six types of different flus floating around in the Zapopan area alone. The nasty rash I noticed Wednesday morning, however, was the mosquito bite of a Dengue Fever carrier. So of course, I of all people get two different types of illnesses, both attributed with fevers, at the same time!

The first sign of Dengue is an odd rash on lower extremities (check). Next up are symptoms which include dry cough, headaches, pain in the eyes, exhaustion, lack of hunger, and body aches (check, check, check, check, check, and check). During my chat with the doctor, after joking around about being the "special patient" with not one but two flues, I let out a few coughs. All of the doctors gave my doctor "the look." She came back to me with a surgical mask in hand, looked me dead in the eyes and said, "I'm sorry. Please don't hate me, but you have to wear this for the next five days." ACK!! Of course I started crying (there was a lot of emotion going on during the day. I think it was from being exhausted, feverish and sick). After filling out a bunch of forms and getting some medicine, my doctor told me I would now have to go to another hospital to get some type of a transfusion/medicine. Who knows, a lot gets lost in translation.

My doctor escorted me outside and asked a valet guy to give me a hand so the taxi driver would not up the charge for being a foreigner. The gimmick ended up being him telling the driver I just had surgery and couldn't talk. This way he would never know I was from the States! The drive ended up being a lot of gestures, nods and shakes. Interesting...

The next hospital visit is a story all on it's own.

Another One Bites the Dust - Monica and Spike

2009-09-20T13:51:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm at that age where it seems like everyone around me is getting engaged/married. A HUGE CONGRATS to Monica and Matt who are recently engaged within the past 24 hours!!

So happy for the two of you and wishing you the best of luck!

p.s. it was actually Spike's idea to incorporate a top 10 list every week into my blog. Too bad I've slowly nodded off on all the updates.

I'm in LOVE...

2009-09-02T20:07:00.000-05:00

With my new school!!! Long story short, my group had to change schools since our previous one already had an English teacher and we are required to teach one hour of English every week. So this morning while we were at school at the university everyone was pretty nervous we were going to have the same situation where the teachers questioned why we were there, complained they didn't have time for us, and didn't want to help us.

This new school is also two bus rides away except for it seems a lot closer than the last one. It's still located in my Zapopan "hood" and probably takes 45 minutes max. We arrived a bit early so we grabbed a few tacos and strawberry cheesecake at two places across the street from the school. Shortly after we arrived at the school, the principal came up to us and welcomed each and every one of us. Then we were each taken to our new classrooms which we will be in through December.

Luckily, I'm still in my favorite grade (second) and I only have 34 kids which is more than a 10 person difference than my previous 46! The teacher carried on with her lesson and absolutely blew me away. Here was a teacher which took one comment from one of her students about having 6 dogs and 2 cats and turns it around into a full out math situation for 2 hrs! She had control of the class, the children were respectful, they didn't run up to the teacher and interrupt her nor did they ask to go to the restroom every 5 minutes.

Half way through I began to think it was too good to be true. When were the kids going to get so bored they would start playing loudly, scream or stand on their desks? When was the teacher going to stop teaching and gossip about her kids in front of them about the multiple learning disabilities and personal lives? When was the teacher going to tell me that I'm wasting my time and should go home?

Never - Such a sigh of relief. When the school bell rang, I walked out smiling, hugging and my hands were shaking out of shock and complete happiness. Then the principal approached me in the play area and asked me to come with her to her office. I began to think, ut oh, what did I do wrong? Then, I walked in and she handed me a little box with flan! Although this school still lacks some resources, they are 110% change in the positive realm. So happy to be there and can't wait for the next 3.5 months.

Next week I am teaching Art, PE, English and Math each for one hour. My first actual lessons in front of the classroom, all of which are going to be in Spanish. I also volunteered yesterday to take on an additional class to teach one hour of English each week. So instead of having to only teach my second graders, I will now also be teaching a third grade class how to speak English. Super nervous and still creating the lesson plans. Hopefully it'll all go over smoothly.

Side note: When I first sat down in my class, I heard a whistle, looked over from where it was coming from and realized it was towards me. About 10 minutes later, the same little seven year old boy walked over and gave me candy with a wink. The rest of the class time he spent either staring at me or at my legs. They definitely start the whole flirting and wooing thing early down here!

Guanajuato

2009-09-02T09:11:00.000-05:00

Hello there beautiful town of different colorful buildings and cobblestone streets. Located about 3.5 hours away on a bus from Guadalajara, I made the trek to Guanajuato with six friends in my program two weeks ago to this quaint little town.

Isolated between a few "mountains" or hills, lays the town of Guanajuato. When we first arrived, we wandered around trying to find a place which would be able to accommodate such a large group for the weekend. We ended staying right near al centro at the Hostal Companero which had a dorm room with six bunk beds. Short one bed, Alex volunteered to sleep on the floor because he's "done it so many times and had worse." Alrighty, we all got settled in and then headed out to wander around the city and grab a bite to eat.

We ended up chowing down at a restaurant called Van Gough, only about a 5-10 minute walk away from our hostal located right in the main square. Mariachi bands circled the restaurants and played occasionally as we ate some of the local foods. After our delicious meal, we wandered around town to have a greater understanding of our surroundings. Exhausted from a long day, we went back to our hostal early and called it a night.

Saturday... a full jam packed Saturday. First we ate breakfast at a cute little place called Calipso. The food was decent and more Americanized. Then we were off to tour the city and see all it offered.

First off... the University. On the way to one of the museums, we stumbled across the local University. Knowing that our program was considering taking place in Guanajuato, we all looked up the huge stairs leading up to the main entrance in awe. After taking a mental picture, we then kept going to the house where artist Diego Rivera was born. The house included original furniture and collections of art amongst one of the three or four stories of multiple houses converted into one.

From here, we made our way to find Callejon del Beso. The story goes that two star crossed young lovers (think Romeo & Juliet) met their fatal end in the little alleyway. Legend has it that you must kiss your loved one on the third step or receive bad luck/fatal end to your love affair. After a quick pic with the girls, we trekked across town and uphill to check out the mummies. They are naturally mummified due to the soil content, temperature and humidity (I think). Some of it was creepy and other parts were cool. Just take it for what it is and I think it's enjoyable.

Afterwards, we ate and got ready for the night. Since it was one of our member's bday, Alex, we all attended a free modern dance and folklorico show put on by these girls we met at breakfast from NY. The performance was pretty impressive - displaying mainly the two types of dancing.

On Sunday, we ate brunch and took the funicular up to El Pipila before making our way back to GDL. Talk about a panoramic view:

Tequila

2009-08-31T23:15:00.000-05:00

I am definitely falling behind in updating my blog on all of my latest adventures and experiences here in Mexico. Now has come the time where I am slowly going to begin to summarize a few key points of my stay and travels. First up, TEQUILA...

While my parents were still here, we took a trip to the town of Tequila with IMAC, an intensive study abroad school located in Guadalajara. In total, the group only ended up being five students (the three of us included) and the driver. We took a large van to Tequila, which was a pleasant drive overlooking the countryside and mountain after mountain covered in blue agave (a.k.a. tequila plant). We visited two distilleries (one family owned and one more corporate and fancy). To sum it up simply, tequila tasting is just like wine tasting... minus all the wine. The agave plants covered the hills and even resembled vineyards in Sonoma at times. Two shots and a thumbs up to the tour from IMAC.

For my bday, I went back to Tequila with three friends in my program. Except this time we took the "Tequila Express" train to the town. What I was told was going to happen was all you can drink on the train, tours of distilleries, tastings, lunch, mariachi and folklorico dancing. Well... it was basically all true except for the tours and tastings. On the way to Tequila on the train, they gave us chicharrones to munch on and pre-made beverages in a can which included Tequila. A little suspicious...

Then we got to the distillery and walked around with a guided tour. Where in which the coolest part ended up being the original distillery built in the 1800's basically in a cave. Then we were led to an open area where we ate lunch from a buffet and watched the dancing and mariachi band. Afterwards, they boarded us back on the bus to go back on the train to head home.

In the end... I would recommend the Tequila Express for people and families who want to see all of it (music, tequila, food) in one day. I felt that the smaller and more personal guide was more bang for your buck and a memorable experience. Especially after I had such an amazing time with my parents and IMAC.

**Side note: The big plus about Tequila Express was that they kept giving the four of us more tequila on the way back. Annnd it ended up being more personalized with a private dance party once all of the other patrons got off the train. If this was included in a daily program, it would be a little more fun.

Bucket List for Mexico

2009-08-30T23:27:00.001-05:00

It's that time again! When I first arrived in Guadalajara, I scribbled out a few things I knew I would have to do before leaving. I'm only in Guadalajara till December so I created once again a new and shiny bucket list a.k.a. GDL "Fun List."

It's pretty rough, but here's what I have so far:
* Attend at least one Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling with the really "cool" masks)
* Attend a few partidos (UAG and Chivas)
* Torros
* Zip lining through trees
* Tequila Express
* Oaxaca
* Ride bicycles in downtown GDL
* Salsa Dancing

All and any suggestions are more than welcome!

Day One: Student Teaching

2009-08-24T19:35:00.001-05:00

Earlier this week, I started my first day at the school I will be student teaching at in GDL through December. I ended up having my friend Gabi with me the entire time the first day since administration was still figuring out placement for her classroom of first graders. Lucky us got to sit in on the first day of school for 45 students, where they drew pictures and discussed what they did during vacation and wrote from 1-100 and backwards on graph paper. First impression is that the kids, teacher and staff seem awesome.

However, there are definitely differences in the classroom which I immediately noticed. First off, every kid showed up with about four rolls of toilet paper and antibacterial soap! Also, some of the kids have to sit three to a desk (short table) since there is not enough room to just do two to a desk. The rules were not gone over on the first day and there was complete disorder during the entire three days I observed. When I spoke to the English teacher about the students' current level, he told me they are a strong group even at 45. He also said a classroom with 45 students in Mexico is considered normal and that I should check out the 5th grade class with 51 students!! Holy mackerel!

So I begin actually instructing in a week and a half. I'm supposed to start off with one hour of an English lesson and then there's a week in September where I will have to teach an hour of Art, PE and Math to the kids. The only thing that makes me nervous is controlling all of the kids at once. There is hardly any order in the classroom as is, with about five of them coming up every few minutes saying, "Maestra! Maestra! Puedo ir al bano??!!?!?"

Deep, even, breaths...

Tapalpa

2009-08-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

I spent this past Saturday and Sunday with two friends, Patty and Alex, in the town of Tapalpa located in the mountains outside of GDL. After a 3.5 hour bus ride, we arrived in the white washed and red tile roofed puebla with cobblestoned streets. Walking through the main plaza seemed almost too surreal. Not a single car allowed on the main street, vendors lined up and down selling the freshest fruits and meats, and almost complete silence. Coming from the crazy bustling city of GDL, I could already tell that Tapalpa was going to be a nice break from the big city.

Once we found a decently priced place to stay ($400 pesos among the three of us), we took a little rest and headed out on a little venture. First off… food. Patty and Alex ate at one of the local taco stands lined up on the side of the church. Once all of the tummies were full, we began our trek to Las Piedrotas (The Rocks) outside of Tapalpa. After about an hour walk uphill, we finally arrived at the plateau of the mountain to see… big rocks. Definitely anti-climatic, but we hung out on the rocks and took a few pics before our descent back into the city. After eating an early dinner, we sat in the main plaza and watched all of the families hang out, play with their kids, watch the fireworks above the church and listen to some music. This city is definitely a smaller town with zero to none nightlife. However, it was a great change of scene. Once we ate our churros in the plaza, we decided we should probably head back to our place to play cards and go to sleep early (around 10 p.m.).

After nine hours of sleep, we woke up to shower in our freezing cold water, check out of our hotel, and had breakfast at a nearby restaurant where we enjoyed hot cakes and chilaquiles. Next up on our itinerary was to get to the nearby waterfalls. We wandered around town trying to find Jesus Ruiz, a guy the locals told us to find by the church for a tour and ride to the falls. To no avail, we ended up back in the plaza asking for more exact directions on how to find him. Turns out he works in the funeral home across the church. But of course, how could we not know that! Welp, he was going to charge us $200 MXN each for a five hour tour. Although it sounded tempting, we definitely didn’t have five hours to spare nor the money to blow on the tour. So we ended up taking a taxi to the falls.

Originally we had asked for a one way fare, but after realizing how far away we would be and that it would be primarily uphill on the way back, the taxi driver agreed that he would come back to take us back into town. The drive there was absolutely beautiful. Green pastures, farm animals, small mountains and a little bit of an overcast. The trail down to the falls was almost completely downhill with muddy rocks. I knew this was going to be a problem for me going back to the top since I was already out of breath going down. When we finally arrived at the “falls” we were all a little stunned, yet not surprised. The falls were a merely 100 ft. Just like the rocks… anticlimactic. We all realized there HAD to be another waterfall nearby. Taking a small little trail, we then came across the actual waterfall. It wasn’t the biggest waterfall I had ever seen, but I guess it was worth the hike down to see muddy falls.

After about 30 minutes of hanging out on the rocks by the falls, we decided to make our way back up. I KNEW this was going to be an issue since I was already a little shaky and dehydrated. Sure enough, about 50 steps up I was already done. This ended up being an issue hiking all the way up and stopping about every 25 steps up since I was wheezing and out of breath. With a deadly combination of high altitude, being out of shape, and breathing issues, it probably wasn’t the best idea to do this hike or any hike for that matter. Patty and Alex were great friends who constantly waited for me, coached me through breathing issues and hiked with my backpack. I did make it to the top… eventually after about 45 minutes. And the rest of the day is just a sweaty blur. Just kidding.

Once we got back into town, we went to a restaurant to eat a little queso fundido, sopas and tacos. Patty and I also ordered their infamous “Ponche” which is an alcohol infused fruit drink made with guyaba or pomegranate. It ended up being absolutely delicious and we each ended up buying a bottle, a merely 60 pesos, to take home.

A few hikes, yummy meals, and a sweaty 30 hours later, we boarded back onto the bus and headed back to GDL, home sweet home.

My Assignment

2009-08-21T15:05:00.000-05:00

Today everyone in class received the grade level and school they would be working at during the next five months. I sat in anticipation hoping the professor would say my name for a nearby school and a second grade classroom as one group was given their assignment. Then, finally I heard my name on a list and realized I would be in the second grade classroom based on the order she read off the names.

I immediately did two quick little arm pumps in the air and "quietly" said with a huge smile, "YESSSS! oops, I mean...." So, in three days I will finally be in a classroom where I will be observing and student teaching in Spanish through December. The school is located two bus rides away which looks like it will take at least one hour one way based on the map. No complaints from me though. I have my favorite grade and I don't have to take a bus all the way out to Tlaquepaque (about 1.5 hours away on bus) like other peers do.

Now comes the time of figuring out what to wear on the first day of school.

Bday Shout 081509

2009-08-15T10:32:00.000-05:00

A very special bday shout out to a woman we all know and love all too well, LOLA!

During the past year, my grandma Lola has been featured quite a few times on this blog. She is known to be feisty, opinionated, outspoken, and "right" all the time. She is a woman full of wit and classy quotes we all have learned to love. She is also my grandmother whom I love dearly and couldn't imagine being who I am without her.

Unfortunately she had her latest spute being in the hospital for about a week last week. She's still fighting and kicking along the way. I'm only hoping that she'll remain out of the hospital and will look 10 times better than when I last saw her. Get well soon and...

Happy 77th Birthday, Lola!

Traveling Machine

2009-08-13T20:55:00.000-05:00

I have one week off between semesters from Sept. 25 - Oct. 4 and am now in the process of booking flights to maximize my time off from school.

Here's the lowdown:
I will be in Mexico for a total of seven months and the stamp customs gave me is only good for a six month stay. This in mind, I need to check back into the states and return at some point during my six month period. Originally, I had no clue what I was going to do and thought it was going to be a waste of money. However...

One of my gf's from college, Michelle, just so happens to be getting married on Sept. 26th!! So now I'm waiting to hear back from my professor on whether or not we have finals on Thursday or Friday because I may be in LA even earlier than I previously thought. I'm extremely excited to be back in the states for a quick breath of clean air, clean streets, and clean water. Actually, come to think of it, LA slightly lacks the clean air and clean water part, but you get the idea.

So here's my tentative itinerary:
Thursday, Sept. 24: Fly out of GDL to LAX
Saturday, Sept. 26: Michelle's wedding in Malibu
Sunday, Sept. 27: Brunch and continuation of celebrating Michelle's new marriage
Monday, Sept. 28: Fly out of LAX to OAXACA
Tuesday, Sept. 29 - Oct. 3: Check out Oaxaca and the outlining areas
Sunday, Oct. 4: Fly out of OAX to GDL
Monday, Oct. 5: First day of Fall Semester at Autonoma

And tomorrow I'm headed to Guanajuato for a weekender with six other friends from my program. Whew! Ready, set, GO!

Bday Shout 081009

2009-08-10T18:49:00.000-05:00

Today is my 26th birthday.

Not quite sure how I feel about turning 26 since I always looked at it as so much older when I was younger. I had an amazing weekend hanging out with friends, going out to anthros, and jumping on the tequila train to Tequila. However, now that it's the actual day of my bday, I'm sadly stuck indoors working on homework ALL DAY. I'm hoping to finish up within one hour so that I can at least grab one glass of wine to celebrate.

One thing which did brighten my day was all the Facebook love I've received from my family and friends. Last night I came home from going out after Tequila feeling pretty down about turning 26. I must admit that at first I wanted to delete the bday notification in the first place.

After coming home from school and facing a couple hours of homework full steam ahead, I signed on to FB to see about 40 new bday messages. Since then, seems like I've received about one new message every five minutes. I'm pretty amazed with the power of social networking, Internet, and connections.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see an album created by my dad, a new FB member. He created an album consisting of about 30 pics from when I was kid. If anything, this made me happy, sad, and wishing I could be home for my bday with my family. This was undoubtedly the first moment during my entire trip where I even vaguely wished I were home. It's all so bittersweet.

On that note, happy bday to me. Thank you to all of the friends and family for sending me amazing bday wishes!

Besitos...

School's NOT OUT for Summer

2009-08-06T07:02:00.000-05:00

I have been lacking on updating my blog due to the overabundance amount of school and homework I've had in the past three weeks. My classes consist of 20 students, all of which are in my same program and are from California. Every morning, Monday through Friday, my classes begin bright and early at 8 a.m. Depending on the day, I may take anywhere from two to three classes which are ALL IN SPANISH. Trust me, I am definitely not bilingual... YET.

I understand the gist of majority of my classes, but I definitely get caught up on phrases or words which completely stump me. I swear one of my teachers talks without even pausing or taking a breath!!

So, long story short... after school, I eat a big lunch, take a 15 minute power nap and get down to the grind with my homework. Majority of my homework consists of a few hours of readings in Spanish on theory and discipline and anywhere from 30 minutes - 5 hours of writing!!

But don't worry. I'm still finding time to squeeze in a bit of leisure time with salsa classes twice a week and going out at least once a week.

Bday Shout Out 080109 - BROTHER

2009-08-01T20:07:00.000-05:00

A huge bday shout out to my favorite (and only) brother, PHILIP!! It's kind of weird being out of the country and not there for his birthday, so I'm hoping all of my shout outs via my blog, FB, and phone will suffice.

Brother, thanks for letting me call you brother. Thanks for always giving me what I wanted and letting me win when we were kids. Thanks for letting me bite you in the stomach and not getting mad at me when we were playing crocodiles. Thanks for tutoring me endlessly in Calculus for hours and hours. Thanks for being annoying when you drink. And THANK YOU for your secret indulgence and love for Gossip Girl and The Hills(oops).

HAPPY 29TH BIRTHDAY, SPILL-BOB!

The Cure to a Hangover

2009-07-27T20:48:00.000-05:00

After a Friday night filled with attending my first University futbol game, a special on beers, and going out with classmates afterwards, I was not quite feeling up to par Saturday morning/night. During dinner, people kept asking what was wrong with me. I finally revealed that I had a "resaca." About 15 minutes later, here's what happened...

THE CURE TO A MEXICAN HANGOVER

Quick Update

2009-07-22T12:05:00.000-05:00

As you can imagine, things have been insane during my first two weeks in Mexico. Landing in Puerto Vallarta with my family, spending five days along the water, onward to Guadalajara (where we took part in an intensive language program for one week), seeing ALL the sites of GDL with my parents, and finally starting school at Autonoma ayer...

I will definitely be posting about all of my excursions (the jungle where Predator was filmed, a secluded island off the cost of PV, tequila tasting in Tequila, and much more) fairly soon. Unfortunately I have been slacking on electronic contact because the host family I´m currently living with is charging per person each month for Internet AND making us pay for our own toilet paper! So... I´m probably going to cave soon and pay the $100 pesos, but I still think I´m getting nickel and dimed by the senora. That being said, beginning today I am going to begin to wander around con mi companera to find a fully furnished, decently priced apartment near the university. The downfall of getting an apartment is that we´ll have to fend for ourselves and do all the cooking and cleaning. Living in the Zapopan area of Guadalajara is also further away from actual "city life", but since we have class EVERY MORNING at 8 a.m., it´s kind of a necessity to be close to campus. However, I think I´ll feel a lot more comfortable and independent if we actually find a place.

Wish me luck!!

Puerto Vallarta - beaches, tequila and discotecas

2009-07-13T16:35:00.000-05:00

I finally arrived in Guadalajara with my parents this past Sunday! We're staying with a host family for one week and taking Spanish classes at an intensive study abroad program here for a week before they leave me off on my own.

Prior to Guadalajara, we were in sunny, rainy, humid, tropical, and mosquito infested Puerto Vallarta for five days. I can proudly say that I now have a slight tan and had my share of tequila and Paloma's (a drink with lime juice and tequila) while I was in Vallarta.

During our stay in Vallarta, we took a "Predator" tour which took us to a tequila distillery and the tropics where the movie starring our governator was filmed. The tequila distillery was pretty cool, checking out all of the different steps in creating tequila and tasting about 5 different types (including almond, coffee with cinnamon, and regular). They also taught us how to check whether or not the tequila has too much water or sugar in the bottle based on the amount of bubbles! Pretty crazy.

After the tequila tour, we had a HUGE lunch and headed down to las cascadas (waterfalls/cascasdes between huge rocks). Philip decided to join locals and take the leap. My parents and I on the otherhand took the safe route and stayed up in the restaurant.

Aside from the humidity and 12 mosquito bites, Vallarta was an all around amazing trip. Pics to follow once I get Internet on my computer...

Bon Voyage!

2009-07-08T10:28:00.000-05:00

The time is finally here - Mexico. I'm currently sitting at SMF with my family waiting to board my flight to Puerto Vallarta. We will be in Puerto Vallarta sipping margaritas on the beach and tequila tasting for the next five days. Then, we are saying goodbye to my brother and jetting off to Guadalajara.

Known as "The City of Roses," home of the mariachi, located in the state of Jalisco, not too far from the town of Tequila (yes, they invented tequila), will be my home for the next six months.

On that note, I'd like to say, "Nos vemos" with a quick video primarily of my friend Mia dancing on Cinco de Mayo...

Viva Mexico!

Bday Shout 060309

2009-06-05T14:27:00.000-05:00

Due to a series of recent events (i.e. moving out of San Francisco, taking online classes, finals, and working PT), I have failed to update my blog on a continuous basis. With majority of the chaos finally coming to a close, I will be making an effort to update my blog once again. I am also planning on updating Down the Rabbit Hole while in Mexico instead of sending out mass e-mails to my family and friends. So if you want in on the loop, adventures, and tribulations down South, you may want to check back regularly beginning in July. On with the bdays...

I figured a bday shout for my mom is the best reason to jumpstart my blog once again. So, happy belated birthday, mom!! I hope you had a great day and find some time to veg out and relax the weekend. Love you!

Language - Pirate

2009-04-29T18:00:00.000-05:00

One of my friends on FB posted on her status about Pirate talk being available as a language for the site:

Lizzie Keenan
1) Scroll to the bottom of your Facebook page. 2) On the bottom left corner, click English: US. 3) When the language selection appears, click English: Pirate. 4) Enjoy48 shots 'o rum ago

Let me tell you, I'm not sure if I'm ever going to switch it back. This is pretty funny and entertaining. Adds a little "umph" to my addiction.

Beerfest Recap

2009-04-29T10:30:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday, I attended San Francisco's Beerfest at Fort Mason for the second time. As always, the beer poured endlessly for three hours, the crowds were drunken, the random cheers continued to roar, and everyone had a pretty awesome time.

One surprise of the evening was the Sierra Nevada guy remembering me and my friend, Kim, from last year. Not only did he hook us up again with t-shirts, but he also snuck us a few (six to be exact) additional bottled beers after the festival was over. Did I mention that he remembered my full name? Yeah, a little bit creepy and stalkerish.

The two downfalls I noticed from the festivities this year were the lack of food and claustrophobic shoulder to shoulder crowds. I'm not sure if it's because I was definitely slightly more sober and aware at Beerfest this year and noticed these two minor mishaps, or if I am accurately depicting the difference in a subpar crowd and lack of food.

Would I go again? Most definitely! Who can say no to three hours of tasting 100's of different beers, [maybe] tasting a few appetizers from local SF joints, and enjoying the craziness my friends and I create. Cheers and drink up!

Check me out - Lola

2009-04-28T23:12:00.000-05:00

Today my grandma, Lola, spent a decent amount of money on new clothes at Marshall's and loves throwing on a fashion show, as any female would.

While studying in the living room, my grandma came out of her room, lifted her shirt, slapped her stomach and said, “Look at my new pants.” She was so excited she could not stop smiling and decided to try on and show me the other two pants she bought in different colors.

After asking her why her tan pajama pants were so short, she replied with, “Well… it’s the style now.” I was soooo close to saying, “High waters are back in fashion?” But I decided she would not get the joke or sarcasm.

One pair of pants, the white capri's with a fashionable belt (pic to the left), were actually pretty cute for her style. Sadly, after realizing that the zipper was broken in her new black pair, she told me she's going to return it and buy a new pair with pinstripes. She also said the pockets in the black pants are great for going to the casino and saving her money and kleenex. :)

Mad props to Lola for changing up her wardrobe!

Bucket List Update: Wave Organ and Baker Beach

2009-04-28T10:30:00.000-05:00

Check out the wave organ in the Marina: The wave organ is located right past the Marina yacht club. You have walk out onto this little peninsula and down a couple of steps until you hit the wave organ. Being at a little point, the organ had decent views of the City, Marina, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate bridge. Other than that, I was not too impressed with the organ. Although the organs were built with the idea of sound being created by wavelike motions, the tide was too low while I was there for the organs to make any sound. If the tide was higher, MAYBE I would have heard a little bit of sound, but it seemed unlikely since the few organs I looked at seemed to be stuffed with barnacles. Still kinda cool to check out and worth the bucket list of fun.

Play bocce ball at Baker Beach: Although I've been to Baker Beach before, I have never actually had a chance to play bocce while visiting the beach. This beach is tucked right between the Presidio and Sea Cliff which makes it an ideal little quiet spot in the big city. Despite the nudes the closer to the bridge you get, this beach is always beautiful and a perfect little getaway. Aside from the Golden Gate bridge off to one side, you never really feel like you're in SF. As always, an amazing beach and a must see for SF on a sunny day.

Oh Baby, Baby

2009-04-27T19:43:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday, I went with a few friends to the Circus in Oakland. If you're a fan of B.S., you understand that I attended the Britney concert! The four people I've always wanted to see in concert are Britney, JT, Madonna and Michael Jackson. I bought Britney tickets for my 21st birthday a few years ago, but of course that was the tour she ended up cancelling due to a "knee injury." So you can imagine how excited I was last Wednesday to finally see her perform.

The concert as a whole was amazing. Completely worth the amount of money I spent on nosebleed seats with a few just as excited friends. Since her latest album is titled, "Circus," in between songs she had a few performers from an actual circus entertain the crowd. From the Pussycat Dolls opening number, to elaborate costumes and routines, to Brit busting out her infamous/timeless tunes, I had a fantastic evening.

Bucket List Update

2009-04-20T23:36:00.000-05:00

During the past two weeks I have successfully completed about half of my bucket list! More to come later, but here's a quick little video of me and Kim on a GoCar tour passing by Baker Beach.

Bday Shout 040909

2009-04-10T01:36:00.000-05:00

A HUGE bday shout to my friend, Kimbo Louie! She started celebrating her day with a few shots and margaritas at Tres Agaves. Continued on to the Giants game, 21st Amendment, Zeki's and Ambassador.

Happy bday, Kimbo!!!!! Hope your beernoculars are on with pride.

Bad Habit

2009-04-08T12:52:00.000-05:00

I saw this "Smokers Pole" the other day outside of one of my neighborhood corner markets. There are two holes which I'm assuming are for smokers to put their sticks, but there was also smoke coming out of the pole. It made me think of a person and their lungs filling up with a ton of smoke.

I don't know what you think, but this pole was pretty humorous at the time and seemed to be pointless. People kept walking by and staring at the pole with confused expressions.

SF Bucket List

2009-04-06T13:05:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. The term "Bucket List" means I'm about to kick the bucket, but I'm actually referring to the fact that I'm kicking the bucket out from under SF in two months! I've lived in SF for about two years and realized I have not taken advantage of the City and done many touristy things. With this in mind, I created a list that I call "Bucket" and refer to as SF "Fun" List for friends who oppose the original title. The list basically consists of tasks, landmarks, or silly things I would like to do in SF before I move out May 31st.

I've included the current list of tasks from my Bucket/Fun List below. All and any suggestions for additional tasks are more than welcome.

Wave organ

Concrete slides (Seward St)

Twin peaks

Hike Mt. Tam (from beach and back)

Baker Beach

Find the beer garden + hike

Bike ride across GG Bridge

California Academy of Science

Visit Grace Cathedral

Irish Coffee at Buena Vista Cafe

Ghost Tour of Pac Heights

Vampire Tour of Nob Hill

Brunch at Top of the Mark

Brunch at Lime

Brunch at Sam’s

Coit Tower

Lunch at the Cliff House and check out Sutro Baths

Walk through Chinatown

Rent a GoCar (self explanatory)

Bustin' Moves

2009-04-03T09:49:00.000-06:00

I apologize for completely slacking and not updating the blog often during the past couple of weeks. Filling out applications, going through a group interview in Spanish, and taking the ridiculous CSET with only a week and a half to study all in the month of March, you can imagine how crazy things have been lately.

Well, now everything is done. I am still waiting to receive the "official" word that I have been accepted into the program, but I have received the unofficial official word from a professor so I'm beginning to get ready for my trip studying and student teaching abroad in Guadalajara.

I have two months to get all of my papers organized, take two online prerequisite courses, become certified in adult and child CPR, take a Spanish refresher course, move out of my SF apartment, and fly down to Guadalajara by July 19! Phew. Still a ton to do and I know that I will be in Mexico before I even know it.

I am incredibly excited to have such an amazing opportunity and am looking forward to the trip/program immensely. I guess Down the Rabbit Hole will now focus on my crazy everyday life in Guadalajara come July. I am absolutely certain that I will come across silly, shocking, and life changing experiences while I am abroad.

Salud!

Awwwwk

2009-04-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

When in awkward situations, I have a slight tendency to make the situation even more awkward. The other day I skimmed my "Groups" on Facebook and noticed that I joined an "Awkward..." group back in college. I can't believe I've always hated, yet equally loved, awkward situations.

The description reads: "This group is for anyone who often finds themselves in awkward situations, conversations, or circumstances. This group is also for anyone who believes awkwardness defines their life, or anyone who finds awkward situations entertaining."

Awesome.

Luck o the Irish

2009-03-17T11:22:00.000-06:00

Happy St. Patty's Day to all! I can't believe that it has already been four years to the day since I was in Ireland for St. Patty's Day. While I was abroad, Ireland was one of my favorite countries to visit. Filled with extremely friendly people, an accent, love for beer, and green everywhere, who wouldn't love the country?

I met up with my friend in Dublin for one crazy weekend. We quickly made friends with locals and tourists and hit up the town. Turns out that at the time, Ireland had just started celebrating the holiday with a huge parade, day off, etc. Apparently the holiday was built up to be more of an American holiday...

Here are two pics from the crazy day of drinking Guinness all day and sporting Leprechaun hats. As they say in Ireland, Slainte!

Oooooh Lola

2009-03-12T14:44:00.000-06:00

Quick study break with a little light humor.

Lola has been spending all week with her cousin and her family since I'm pretty tied up with all of this crazy studying. On Monday, when I was getting her ready to go out the door and onto her cousin's house, I grabbed her hat and gloves off the chair to put on. When I picked up her gloves, I felt something hard hidden inside. I looked at Lola and asked what was there. She grabbed the gloves out of my hand and angrily said, "Give me those!" I chuckled, apologized, and asked again if she could put on her gloves since it was cold outside. While I was trying to explain to her how cold it was outside, Lola stormed off as fast as she could with her walker towards the front door. Her response to my request was, "Go back to studying! Leave me alone. I'm leaving for a week so that you can study. Mind your own business and go back to studying." Another interesting fact about Lola is that she never likes to be put on the spot and gets frustrated when she doesn't know something or when you try to call her out on something.

Welp, it turns out that she was hoarding a knife in her gloves! She took the knife from the dining room table and was going to bring the knife with her "just in case." Also to "protect herself from evil." Interesting. Oh Lola...

UPDATE 031209 at 8:39 p.m.: Went to dinner with my mom tonight who revealed that Lola DID NOT hide a knife in her gloves. My mom spoke to Lola's cousin about whether or not she found the knife, but it turns out the hard object ended up being a plastic spatula so that she could scratch her back! Lola decided to "lie for her life" and agreed that she took a knife so that she would not get in trouble for scratching her back and leaving scratch marks. What gets me is the elaborate excuse she gave my mom about protecting herself and not wanting to see the demons late at night. Stop while you're ahead, Lola.

Caffeine is NOT my friend

2009-03-11T20:10:00.000-06:00

I spent six hours today studying at Starbucks and ended up seeing what I drank come back up again. I know, pretty disgusting and most likely TMI (Too Much Information). Since I'm allergic to caffeine, I should've known better and only ordered one cup of coffee. Buzz, negativo.

In my defense, I woke up in such a daze this morning and was still exhausted this afternoon that I convinced myself I needed the extra dosage and cup. Well everyone, I am now laying on my couch at home feeling like I am going to vomit (again), with every strand of my hair smelling like Starbucks making me relive the horrible afternoon.

Guaranteed I will be getting coffee or tea again tomorrow. It's cutting down to the final two days before this H-E-double hockey sticks is over.

Back to studying and reteaching myself life science, earth science and history. BLAH.

Nerd

2009-03-11T12:42:00.000-06:00

This week has been a long and what seems to be a never-ending study session. I'm not planning on posting this week with all of the cramming and chaos I have to do within the last 72 hours.

I have a group interview on Friday in Spanish for a teaching credential program I applied to with six months in Guadalajara. I also have the CSET to take on Saturday which is making my brain turn to mush. The CSET is basically a test that every teacher must take and covers almost everything you could have possibly learned from K-12th grade. The test is comprehensive covering subjects such as History, Life Science, Geometry and Visual and Performing Arts. While studying I discovered that I am a true self-proclaimed nerd and enjoy the math section the most! The subject I used to hate I now find fun and am happy when I figure out little problems.

In a nutshell, I've only had two weeks to prep and am on overload. I can't wait for Saturday at 1 p.m. when all of this is over.

Hasta luego!

Amtrak - Crapshoot

2009-03-09T11:58:00.000-06:00

This past weekend I took Amtrak round trip from Sac to SF. While waiting to board the train in Sac, a twenty-something y/o girl asked if the train in front of us was for SF. After telling her it was, I assumed our conversation would be over. Boy, oh boy was I wrong. She proceeded to ask me little questions such as, "Where are you getting off?" and "Do you have a taxi phone number for when I get to Emeryville?" The shocker was when she asserted, "I am going to sit next to you."

This caught me by surprise because there were maybe five people waiting to get on the train. Being sick, I was not exactly in the mood to chit chat or sit next to somebody on a train only carrying five people. I told her that my plan was to sleep the entire trip and that I would not be the best company. She said she understood, but her personality was to sit next to me. Hmm...

So I got onto the train, picked two seats and put my luggage in one of the seats to make it clear she would not be sitting next to me. She chuckled and took the seat across the aisle from me. After about five minutes I fell asleep, but every time I woke up or glanced over she was staring right at me! A little creepy.

I generally enjoy taking Amtrak for the quick hour and forty minute ride from Sac to SF. Sometimes I'm lucky and get a seat to myself, or sometimes I get stuck sitting next to a chill person. This time I was not so lucky. Seems like Amtrak is a crapshoot. You could be lucky or you could be miserable.

Rumor...?

2009-03-04T19:22:00.000-06:00

Rumor has it that someone will be at Club MIX tonight in Sacramento. I'm trying to figure out all the details, but I will most likely be posting it at the bar hoping to "randomly" run into the guy.

I'm thinking that it could be true since all of the rumors were true about the Bachelor. However, this rumor is from word spreading on FB. I'll take my chances. After all, a few weeks ago the Governator was there on a random Wednesday night.

Wish me luck!

UPDATE 5:27 p.m.: N'Sync's Bye, Bye, Bye just played randomly on my iTunes as soon as I published this post. I definitely believe in signs...

UPDATE 03.05.09: My brother and I ended up staying at club MiX for about three hours. About an hour into our glass of wine, the club started playing JT's DVD of one of his tours. My brother and I were thinking no way is this a coincidence. I then ran into my friend Autumn's sister, Jessica, who said when she first walked in around 8 p.m., they played two of JT's songs back to back. Coincidence? I still was not convinced.

We finally met a couple who validated the rumor because they knew the club owner and head of security. They also said that JT's people called MiX's people and asked to reserve a section because he would be making an appearance. The head of security motioned to us the VIP section they saved for JT, but he ended up being a no show. According to the head of security, when they receive head's up notices like this, it's usually a 50-50 chance the celebrity will actually show up.

Until next time...

The Bachelor - Final Rose Ceremony and ATFR

2009-03-03T12:13:00.000-06:00

Last night's episode consisted of the final rose and after the final rose ceremony. It was pretty dramatic and annoying so I'm going to throw a few Lola-isms in to lighten the mood.

Recap
Two girls left, Molly (the career-oriented one who sparkles) and Melissa (family-oriented individual). So the main part of the episode is the same as always. The two remaining women meet Jason’s family where they drill each girl. After being introduced the girls also have individual romantic dates with Jason in New Zealand. The two main parts about the individual dates were that Melissa let Jason know that her parents have agreed to talk to him and get to know him. And Molly’s date consisted of giving each other massages back at her suite. To this scene, Lola looked at me and said, “I bet they are doing sex already.” OK, yes it was also cute when Molly created a scrapbook for Jason of her time on the Bachelor…

After the dates and while Jason is deliberating who he will finally choose, DeAnna (the bachelorette who broke Jason's heart) makes an appearance. She lets him know that she made a mistake choosing the wild card (Jesse) and steered away from what she wanted (Jason). Her advice to Jason is that he needs to make that he looks further and not the fun, wild side. She also suggests, don’t follow your heart, but lead it.

Rose Ceremony
Molly’s the first girl up and is very excited because she thinks she is going to be engaged after the rose ceremony. She walks down to Jason who says something along the lines of, “Every time you look at me with those eyes, you have me… you are amazing person in every way possible. Absolutely stunning and amazing. And I don’t know how I could ever let you go… but I have to. I never wanted to say goodbye to you. I wish I had good reasons, but I’m in love with somebody else. I’m so sorry.”

Molly responds with, “I guess that I just don’t understand. I think that you’ve made a mistake… a big one.” He rebuttals and tries putting her at ease by admitting, “Everything was real. I started falling in love with you very early on. Always know that.”

After he escorts Molly out, Jason breaks down and can’t stop crying. He finally pulls himself together and explains to the camera, “Her and I have this amazing chemistry and I was falling for her from very early on and she will end up with someone who loves her just as much as she loves him. Right now, I do not have any doubts about putting that ring on Melissa.”

Lola’s reaction: “Geez. I thought she was the one. She has such a beautiful dress and she’s been kissing him so many times. I bet they sleep together too. She’s easy… When I was in high school I had so many admirers. I never went with a man if I was not interested.”

And then Melissa makes her descent. Jason smiles and tells her, “You make me happier than I’ve been in my whole life… I’m completely in love with you.” She gets teary, jumps up and down hugging him. “So there’s one more thing Melissa, I love you. Will you make me the happiest man?” In shock she turns her back to Jason and asks, “Can you give me one second? AHHHHHH! You want to marry me?” She then turns back around and admits, “I would love to marry you.” He spins her around and says, “I love you, I love you, I love you. With all my heart.”

Happy ending, right? Well not so fast…

After the final rose episode
Unlike the normal after the final rose episode which consists of a live audience, this episode only consisted of the two last women, Jason and Chris. Jason tells Chris that since the show ended, things have been different between him and Melissa and he does not think they are right for each other. He reveals that, “As soon as she [Molly] left, I felt like a huge piece of me was gone. That made me a better person that made me alive.” He then proceeds to tell Chris that he mistake and wants to break up with Melissa to ask Molly if she’ll give him a second chance.

Then walks out Melissa. Jason turns to her and says, “We’ve been talking a lot lately and we’ve been talking about how things are different… we spent the holidays together and to me it seemed like the chemistry started changing… we’re not right for each other.” In shock, Melissa says, “I don’t know what you want me to say… I thought things were perfect. I do not see how you can sit there and do what you said to me…and the second you start having doubts, not talking to me about it.”

Feeling sorry for Melissa, Lola rationalizes the situation by saying, “It’s too bad. If you sleep with him, you are the loser.” Then at the shot of Jason’s face she claims, “You are crazy.”

Under her breath, Melissa quietly says, “You’re such a bastard.” She continues with, “Why did you put a ring on my finger?” He explains, “Because in that day, in that experience I wanted to give you everything.” Broken-hearted Melissa argues, “To me, getting a ring and finding that person was a once in a lifetime thing for me. And you took it from me. You took it. I wish more than anything on that day you would’ve let me go. I’m so mad at you. Don’t call me. Don’t talk to me anymore. Leave me alone, please. Thank you.” And with that, she storms off stage.

Next up, Molly. After watching a recap of her on the Bachelor, Molly explains to Chris that, “I still get weak in the knees when I watch and see him.” She reveals that she has dreamed about him showing up on her doorstep telling her he made a mistake. But that if that did happen, there would be a lot of questions before she would take him back.

After the commercial break, Jason comes on stage and tells Molly, “I was hoping that we could have a shot. Go for coffee or drinks and see where things…” Molly looks back and forth between Jason and Chris seeming like she’s in utter shock. Lola yells at the TV, “Say no and have him end up with nothing!”

She kisses Jason and says, “I think we can see where things go. This is something I dreamt of, but never expected to hear.”

With that, Jason and Molly walk off stage hand in hand. Lola is sitting next to me upset not quite sure of what she’s seeing and yells, “SAY NO! KICK HIM OUT!”

Synopsis

Well, it looks like all of the rumors in the blogosphere were correct. Jason did propose to Melissa, but dumped her to ask for Molly back. Now the question is whether or not this was plotted by the producers from the beginning and if Jason was really in on it the whole time. Either way, Jason has some issues. I can't believe that he would hurt Melissa like he did. Even if he was being truthful and just "finally realized" he made a mistake, he cannot go back and forth. I give Jason and Molly six months max after all of the publicity and media events die down.

They also hinted during the women tell all episode that Jillian would be the next bachelorette. I understand that this is because Melissa is back with her ex-boyfriend, but I do not think that I will be able to sit through hours of annoying Jillian on dates. Will you be boycotting or watching?

Numero Once (Eleven)

2009-02-25T10:00:00.000-06:00

Case at Hand: My friend Hilary recently had botox done on her "number eleven" for strictly preventative measures. In the pic to the right, she was trying her hardest to squeeze her eyebrows together to form the 11. (Her visual that the botox is actual working).

Theory: Hilary believes that by having botox done in areas where she most likely will have lines in the future, she will be able to prevent them all together.

My question to Hilary: What difference does it make if she gets botox now or 10-15 years from now? If the lines are not already there, wouldn't it make sense to just get the botox when she begins to see the wrinkles? I guess I'm thinking that she could save money and wait till it actually becomes an issue since she will have to continue having botox done a few times a year.

Side effects: With botox still being considered a fairly new treatment, it seems too early to tell what the possible long term side effects may be.

Other: If you ever run into Hilary, ask to see her number eleven. She will proudly show you how her skin does not move or wrinkle. :)

Self Defense

2009-02-24T10:31:00.000-06:00

Last week we had a little girls night slash happy hour in Sacramento at Club Mix, a new hot spot in Sac. Two interesting things happened while we were there:

1) The Governator was sitting literally 20 feet away from us at an outdoor table around a fire pit. It looked like he was with a bunch of lobbyists or something. Consensus? He is fairly short and I wish I had asked to take a pic with him since the place was pretty empty. Missed my shot!

2) My friend Rhianna showed up with a knife in her pocket. Her husband gave her the knife to protect herself since he wouldn't be there to protect her! Man, oh man!

Knowing Rhianna, if anything did happen to her, the knife would probably get turned against her. Not sure if this is the brightest idea, but it was pretty funny when she showed up and revealed her secret. She could probably get arrested for concealing a weapon.

All in all, the girls night ended up being a very interesting night.

The Bachelor - Week 8: Women Tell All

2009-02-24T00:58:00.000-06:00

Ok, to be quite honest, I'm not a big fan of the Women Tell All episode. I never have been and doubt that I ever will. It's mainly a recap of the whole season, a few bloopers and a few girls gabbing it up and getting upset with the Bachelor. I'm not going to use the same format as normal or do a complete recap of the episode because it was, how can I put it lightly, BORING.

Bloopers or funny moments included:
** During the golf date with Molly, Jason had to give his pants to Molly since she lost. Didn't exactly turn out how he initially thought.
** During the date with Molly at his house (the camping date), Jason created a little rap for her
** Naomi smells her arm pits a lot
** Melissa runs away from the camera after a bee gets close to her face
** AND Jason fell off of a horse

Funny quote: Jason revealed that,“We get ten to eleven hours to enjoy each other [during fantasy suite time]." Uh huh.

** America's favorite couple, Trista and Ryan, made a brief cameo to update all of their fans. They are still married, have an 18 month old son and are expecting a baby girl in a few months! :)

** This episode also spent about 15 minutes going over how a group of girls from the Bachelor met with the DeAnna's boys and went on a trip to Colorado. They coupled off and the twosomes are: Holly and Jesse, Graham and Amanda, Noelle and Fred. Interesting...

** Jillian was pulled to the couch for a little Q&A where claims that she actually fell in love with Jason and that he broke her heart. Chris asks Jillian if she would be willing to do the bachelorette and she says she would. Ugh. Not sure if I would watch that season. I can only do so much with the Canadian-isms.

** The last ten minutes consist of a recap of Melissa and Molly. In the end, Jason claims that he is, “very happy right now.”

Spoiler Alert: Aside from not being a fan of the Women Tell All episode, last week Jenny posted on her blog a HUGE spoiler alert. I am now a little upset and waiting for the final episode. If the rumor is true, I am NOT fan of Jason or the show anymore. Read at your own risk.

Side note: ABC is looking for the next bachelor… I’m thinking of nominating my brother. Muahaha.

Dancing Machine

2009-02-18T09:00:00.000-06:00

Watching the below video of Ely Kim dancing during 100 days, to 100 songs, in 100 locations, of 100 dances is a great way to wake up in the morning. I personally love his cat shirt in #15. Can't wait till this gets picked up more. Utterly AMAZING.

BOOMBOX from Ely Kim on Vimeo.

More Words of Wisdom from Lola

2009-02-17T18:19:00.000-06:00

An occupational physical therapist (PT) stopped by today to check on Lola. When she first walked in, I informed her that Lola has not been doing all of the necessary exercises. She has a tendency to say she's too tired and that she doesn't have to play with the silly putty. The PT said it would be fine, but had to grab something out of her car and would be back.

While she was out, Lola peeked around the corner to the front door to make sure the PT was gone. She looked at me, pointed to the silly putty, and said, "Don't tell her about that [silly putty]." I blew it and let her know I already did. She shook her head in anger and screamed, "What did I tell you about lying!?!?!?"

Later on during the session, Lola started digging into the PT's personal life asking if she had kids, how old they were and if they were married. After telling us that she has a 24 year old son who is married to an older woman, Lola was silent for about 30 seconds before saying, "It's OK. As long as she can reproduce, it's OK."

Did I mention she was hysterical last night after telling me that I looked like a maharajah with a towel on my head? The woman could not stop laughing. The things she gets away with never fail to shock me.

The Bachelor - Week 7

2009-02-17T12:52:00.000-06:00

A few curve balls were thrown for the previews of the upcoming few weeks, but last night’s episode was easily predicted. Onward to the summary…

Recap: The last three ladies have overnight dates with Jason in beautiful New Zealand.

The first lucky lady is Jillian, who Jason says he wants the passion to step up between the two of them. “Romance was in the air” when Jillian and Jason go on a helicopter ride over New Zealand. The chopper lands on a picturesque ledge overlooking a ravine and lake. Jillian reveals to Jason that she’s looking for someone who is her best friend, but Jason tells producers that they may be exactly that and not much more. They both emphasize “friends” a lot during the beginning of their date. A few metaphors are used to describe their date such as comparing their relationship to being on “the edge of a cliff.” They proceed to have a romantic dinner at a winery where she completely opens up and tells him that she’s falling for him. He gives her the invite to spend the night and of course she accepts. While at the suite, Jason reveals to producers that his family would love Jillian more than anybody. On a side note, what was with the steamy music while they were in the hot tub??!!? The whole scene in the hot tub made it a little awkward to watch with my grandma as she kept saying “Allah!”

The second date was with Molly and he takes her to see the “best view of New Zealand” which consists of a bridge where they bungee jump. After the jump, Molly asks him a list of questions so that she feels comfortable accepting a proposal and knowing all the little details about him. I thought this part was pretty cute and necessary to get to know each other. She leaves the last question for later… Once again, Jason tells the camera that he can picture Molly as a wife, but he needs her to open up to him. After the list of questions, Jason calls her and her family out about not being so touchy feely or close during her hometown visit. Blah, blah, blah. While at dinner, of course she tells him that she’s falling in love with and hands him the last question which is an invite for him to spend the night with her in her hotel room. It was a cute little twist since she already spent the night at his place. He finally felt “loved.” Ooooh man. Curve ball. Really wanted to let her know how much he appreciated her opening up so they go into the hot tub?

The last, but not least, date was with Melissa . In the beginning of the episode, Jason explains how he is falling for Melissa, but she reminds him of DeAnna and his ex. Wut Woah! I noticed that he even runs up to her the same way he runs to Ty. The date starts off with a little trip on Winston Churchill’s boat for a cruise then off to hot pools, OF COURSE. While tubing, they bring up her parents and the difficulty it’s causing on their relationship. Melissa covers it up by saying she wanted them to see how happy he makes her. After tubing it, they went to a classy dinner of just the two of them (and a bunch of camera guys). And drum roll please, she tells him that she’s in love with him which is received with a big kiss from Jason. Any doubts that he had about her are gone.

The teaser into the rose ceremony is Chris explaining that it would be the, “most dramatic departure of the season.” NOT QUITE. I definitely saw this one coming. Can you guess who gets the boot?

Rose Ceremony: Before the rose ceremony, each girl made a personal video for Jason where Molly and Melissa repeat that they love him. While he’s debating in the deliberation room, Jason breaks down into tears. During the rose ceremony he tells them he’s falling for all three of them, but will be breaking one of their hearts tonight.
#1. Melissa
#2. Molly

Jason walks Jillian out and tells her that he thinks their lives are a little bit different than he first thought. For the exact reason he was explaining earlier, he saw them going down the path of friendship, not husband and wife. Goodbye mustard and ketchup, hello Dallas Cowboy cheerleader!

Next few episodes teaser: Highlights of the “most dramatic finale of bachelor history” with the return of DeAnna. However, next week’s episode is the reunion episode and after the finale we also have the after the rose ceremony. Producers have built it up to be some secret that has affected the lives of those involved. Hmm…

SPOILER ALERT? I did a quick search online and it looks like, yes, Jason proposes to Melissa in the end. The twist? She breaks up with him and goes back to her ex-boyfriend. Could it be? Is Jason so unlucky in love that not even ABC could find him a perfect match?

Wedded Bliss - Eric and Susana

2009-02-16T18:41:00.000-06:00

On February 7th I attended the first of many weddings to come in 2009. Eric (my cousin) and Susana were married at City Hall on Friday, February 6, and had a beautiful get together in Oakland with family on Saturday.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Guadalajara

2009-02-16T18:30:00.000-06:00

This Wednesday, I have an interview for a teaching credential program in Guadalajara. I think it sounds like an amazing opportunity I'm just a little hesitant about my Spanish-speaking level since I would be taking classes at the University in Spanish. I would be living in Guadalajara from June to December, attending classes and actually student teaching in an elementary class from October to December!

This has built up in my head to the point where I actually had a somewhat nightmare about the interview last weekend. I had a dream that I walked into the interview and it was entirely in Spanish. The only two words I knew in the grammar section of the interview were "hola" and "gracias." I woke up extremely frustrated and disappointed that I freaked out during my "interview."

Well, hopefully Wednesday will be a much different story. Just in case, for the next two days I'm going to be listening to Spanish courses online. Wish me luck!

End of an Era

2009-02-11T18:19:00.001-06:00

If you're a San Francisco resident, does the above scene look familiar? You may recognize the street or the church in the background, but this probably looks like any other race/marathon in SF.

Look closely and you'll notice a few costumes, balloons and even naked people. Known as one of the most famous events of San Francisco, Bay to Breakers is a race for runners and people looking to dress up, have fun and possibly throw back a few beers here and there.

For the past 98 years, San Francisco has been the home to the annual Bay to Breakers which is notorious for the crazy costumes, large themed floats and even public nudity and urination. Yes, sounds a little gross, but it's an amazing event that every person should experience at one point or another.

Earlier today, ING announced that they would be enforcing new safety measures and an alcohol policy to the annual Bay to Breakers in San Francisco including:
Zero tolerance policy on alcohol. Anyone openly drinking alcohol or displaying public drunkenness will be subject to fines and prosecution.
All wheeled objects and floats are prohibited. Inappropriate equipment on the streets is dangerous and can prevent runners and walkers from completing the race in a timely manner.
Leave no footprint. Additional dumpsters will be placed along the course for trash.

Will banning alcohol and floats really keep all of the liberal free-spirited San Franciscans away? How would the police actually regulate thousands of people in the street? Yes, public urination and trash is absurd and needs to be controlled, but it feels like these new regulations take out a lot of the fun involved with B2B. With a lot of the chaos being alcohol induced, you would not experience SF in its entirety without a 70 year old naked man running past a couple of policemen or a line up of Elvis impersonators urinating on a fence. Are the new rules going to stick? Is this the end of an era?

I checked out the official ING Bay to Breakers Facebook page where most people seemed to be outraged by the new policies. Here are two of my favorite wall posts:

Jon Schwartz wrote at 3:47pm Hey ING! Great call. Way to ruin the number one greatest day of the year. You just gave me huge motivation to boycott everything related to your irrelevant company. Fix this mistake or plan to pay the consequences of a wrath so fierce, so strong, so unbounded. A cold future lies ahead for you my friend, a cold cold future. SO very cold!

Berkeley Kauffman (Santa Cruz, CA) wrote at 1:54pm PPS- And may I point out that "you" are not 98 years old. Bay to Breakers died in some board room at some point after it's 97th birthday.

***

Sign the petition and join the fight against the new rules and regulations here.

Or join the boycott group on Facebook.

Life in Sactown III - Pick up Lines

2009-02-11T11:15:00.000-06:00

While out with a couple of girlfriends last weekend, a guy approached my friend Marina and handed her a napkin:

Soon after, a different guy came up and yanked the napkin from her, tossing it to the ground. Marina asked if she knew him and he replied, "No, but you will in five minutes."

Sacramento guys are so classy. Whatever happened to chivalry?

Here's a pic of the guy who originally handed Marina the napkin.

We made fun of him for his acid washed tapered jeans and Letterman sweater. Of course he ended up being originally from LA.

Bday Shouts 021009

2009-02-10T20:24:00.000-06:00

Today marks my half birthday! I am officially 25.5 years old today and have been eating cake during each meal to celebrate. For this momentous occassion, I decided to post a half photo of my face with Obama reaching past my head to shake someone's hand. This pic was taken before he announced he would be running for President at Ruby Skye in SF.

Now to work. February seems to be a big month for my close friends as far as birthdays. Here's a big w00t to Aiko, Chris, Caitlin and Paps! Happy birthday, friends!

And a very special bday shout to my cousin, Cristiano. He's turning 14 later this week. w00h00!

Life in Sactown II UPDATE

2009-02-10T20:07:00.000-06:00

All of the squirrels have been captured and I can now sleep in my bedroom at home in peace. Here's a quick and slightly blurry video I took of the last squirrel. At one point the little bugger startled me and made me chuckle after realizing there was no way he was going to attack.

The Bachelor - Week 6

2009-02-10T19:39:00.000-06:00

This is the episode where he “sees himself spending the rest of his life” with each girl. Questions and doubts with Naomi – get rid of her!

Recap: Jason visits Jillian in Canada where she takes him to a winery in a volcano and reveals that her mom was diagnosed with depression. Jason then meets her family where her mom reads a poem she wrote (yes, I got a little choked up. I hate being such a sap). Her mom proceeds to ask Jason a few questions and good ol Granny showed up and gave Jason a pair of boxers with the Canadian red leaf. Overall, pleasant welcoming family and they seemed to all get along fairly well.

Molly meets Jason at the country club in Grand Rapids, Michigan where they take in a little golfing and then off to meet the parents. The mom was a little goof ball and had him put on a silly hat and draw a picture of Molly of his favorite moment from the whole experience. She kind of reminded me of my mom in a way.

The next hometown visit was with Naomi where her mom explains to Jason to, “be one with the hula hoop.” Naomi’s mom is of course trippy and very hippie. She decides to bag up a dove she hit with her car and asks Jason to give the eulogy for “Rosie” the dove. Jason explains to the camera, "Today I learned that Hector [Naomi's dad] loves Jesus.” Bahahaha. To be completely honest, I wasn’t really paying attention to this family visit since I don’t really care that much about Naomi.

The last visit was with Melissa in Texas where she gave Jason a gift for his son, a tooth fairy box. She reveals to Jason that her family does not want to meet him in such a public setting and will be meeting her best friends. After seeing Melissa interact with her friends' kids, he explains to the camera that it is, “a gift for somebody to be that comfortable with kids.” Her closest friends don’t know anything about her parents which puts up a flag for Jason. Afterwards, they went back to her place for a glass of wine and he tried digging for info. about her family. She claims that she is, "110% in love with Jason."

Rose Ceremony: As always, this rose ceremony is the "toughest decision" for Jason yet…
#1 – Molly
#2 - Jillian
#3 – Melissa

Jason's rationalization for giving Naomi the boot is that he thinks they are in different places. Oh man, talk about an experience of a horrible rejection.. national television. Although I have watched the Bachelor time and time again, it just now hit me how embarrassing it would be to cry on national TV. Knowing me, I would be bawling.

Next episode: Romantic overnight dates in New Zealand. It also looks a little juicy in about two weeks when DeAnna pops back up. I don’t think that she asks for him to choose her, but why the heck does she need to get in the middle?

Best cheesy line from last night: “The winery is beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as Jill.”

Bday Shout 020409

2009-02-04T11:22:00.000-06:00

Happy 5th bday, Facebook! Five years ago the addiction was created for a few colleges. I can proudly say that I was a member almost from the get thanks to my friend, Lisa. We were studying for finals and she told me about this site that was ten times better than MySpace. The only catch was that not every single college was available yet. I think my first friends were from UCLA and Michigan. This little social networking site has now expanded to one of the largest internationally!

I'm still looking for a pic of me five years ago to put up as my profile pic for the day. Back in 04 they didn't have albums set up so my archive doesn't go back that far.

Mashable also posted a quick blurb about the bday and FB offering free virtual gifts to users today to celebrate. Check out the blurb and info. here.

Lie for Your Life

2009-02-03T19:26:00.001-06:00

As mentioned before, my grandma Lola is quite a crack up. She has a lot of classic one liners and we just have to laugh it off because she's old. Unfortunately, she became quite ill prior to Thanksgiving and is now living with my parents. I lucked out [sarcasm] because I am now the temporary primary caregiver for her on weekdays and back to my apartment in SF on the weekends.

A few classic quotes since I started taking care of her:

Lola to me: "Where did you get your freckles from?"
Me: "I've had them since I was little from being in the sun too much."
Lola: "Oh... I don't like. You should wear cover up to hide them. They're not very pretty."

Lola to me: "You look more like your dad. [pause] Except you're not white."

Lola to a doctor at Kaiser: "This is my angel granddaughter. She's 25, graduated from UCLA and single." wink, wink

Another classic Lola story occurred during dinner last night. We were talking about how she lied to some people in her Couples for Christ group who wanted to visit at 8 a.m. earlier that day. She told me that she told them they could not come so early because I would be getting her ready for the day and busy cleaning/making breakfast. Although this is accurate, my mom revealed the truth since she was sitting next to Lola during the phone conversation. Lola had actually told them that nurses and a physical therapist were coming by and that she would be busy all day! The underlying truth is she’s very worried about how she looks and does not want anyone to see her unless it’s family.

After her secret was revealed, below is the convo between Lola and my mom:

Lola: "You call tell a lie to protect yourself. When you are accused by the government that you killed someone, you can lie."
Mom: "But what if you killed somebody?"
Lola: "That’s it. You lie. You lie to protect yourself. "

Slightly skewed on what’s right and wrong, but you can’t blame the old woman.

The Bachelor - Week 5

2009-02-02T21:44:00.001-06:00

I had a dream Saturday night that I was on the Bachelor and Jason chose me! Also, Melissa was super mean to me so I'm thinking it's a sign that she's getting the boot in tonight's episode. We shall see...

UPDATE 10:30 p.m.:
Recap: The five remaining girls fly out to Seattle for two one on one dates and one group date with Jason. Melissa receives the first note for a one on one date called, “Let’s hit the town in style.” As Jason’s getting ready for his romantic evening with Melissa, Ty throws a little fit and doesn’t want Jason to leave for the night. (BTW, Ty he has a cool blue car bed). Jason calls Melissa to see if it’s OK if she just comes over and hangs out with him and Ty. She goes over to his house and talks to him about her family and how she’s the outgoing “black sheep.”

Stephanie, Jillian and Molly get the group date called, “Open your heart because love is on the air.” They take a ferry tour around Seattle. Jason leads Stephanie up to the captain so that she can steer the boat and for a little personall time. They discuss a comparison of their kids and how they could easily mesh the two families together. I think her super tight face and squeaky voice bother me the most. However, my mom thinks that he’s going to choose Stephanie because she’s the mom of the group and knows what he’s going through.

After the ferry ride, Jason takes the three ladies to a radio show where he is interviewed while the ladies are stuck in a soundproof room. A quick Q&A reveals: His most amazing date = with Stephanie for her daughter’s birthday and the best kisser is Molly. The DJ's test him with a blindfolded kissing game where of course he guesses everyone right. After the radio show, they go back to the hotel for dinner and drinks. He ends up taking Jillian aside to ask what’s up and Molly aside for a walk outside.

And Naomi, my second least favorite girl, gets the second one on one date called, “Don’t look down you might fall… in love.” They end up taking a private plane ride across Seattle. Of course she feels like she’s on cloud nine. All of the girls always feel like they’re on cloud nine and that they’re the one going to marry Jason. Then they go to a sporting goods store for a little rock climbing. After a little kissy face and talking about their aspirations and where they see themselves in ten years, blah blah...

Rose Ceremony: Jason pulls Naomi aside to ask if she’s really ready for his lifestyle. Of course she claims she's ready.

#1 – Jillian
#2 – Melissa
#3 – Molly
#4 - After a long pause, he chooses Naomi.

This tearful ceremony has everyone crying with Jason explaining to Stephanie, “You are the most amazing person I’ve ever met… You are a beautiful person outside and in. I’m so glad to have met you.” He walks her out and claims that the spark wasn’t there for the two of them.

A Few Takeaways:
His shirt is off in every episode
Chris Harrison always says that it’s the most emotional/best rose ceremony ever
He’s very touchy feely with “Mel”
He brushes hair out of the girls’ faces quite often

Synopsis of my final four (SPOILER ALERT): Two of my four, Melissa and Jillian, are still solid and in the running to win Jason’s heart. My detective self did a quick sweep online tonight trying to figure out who the final girl would be. A lot of the blogs are surprisingly pointing to Melissa based on a pinky ring! Check it out.

Top Ten Privacy Settings for FB Users

2009-02-02T13:24:00.000-06:00

If you're like me, a Facebook addict or "avid user", you probably already figured how to change all of the privacy settings on your profile. Starting an account in college has made it slightly difficult to include both colleagues and clients as FB friends, but there are settings you can change to make things easier (i.e. Limited Profile and blocking photos, etc.) Today, AllFacebook posted step-by-step privacy instructions every user (especially professional) should use.

1. Use Your Friend Lists
2. Remove Yourself From Facebook Search Results
3. Remove Yourself From Google
4. Avoid the Infamous Photo/Video Tag Mistake
5. Protect Your Albums
6. Prevent Stories From Showing up in Your Friends' News Feeds
7. Protect Against Published Application Stories
8. Make Your Contact Information Private
9. Avoid Embarrassing Wall Posts
10. Keep Your Friendships Private

Check out the complete post on AllFacebook: The Unofficial Facebook Blog

Life in Sactown II

2009-01-28T22:46:00.001-06:00

Staying at my parents house means that I get to sleep in my old bedroom. (I lucked out and they have not converted my room to a gym or storage space YET). During the summer I was constantly woken up to some thrashing noise above my head. In August, my dad caught an entire family of raccoons and released them along the Sacramento River.

It is now January and I'm still waking up to thrashing above my head early in the morning. Turns out this time around a family of squirrels have made our attic their little escape from the cold winter nights!

Tonight my dad happily announced that he caught a squirrel after attempting to capture them for a few weeks now. His trick was to super glue peanuts down onto the trigger so that they would actually set it off and stay in the trap. He then told me that it's shivering and he's not sure if it's going to live through the night. I chuckled because I thought he was kidding... Apparently not. He's really worried that it might die and will be releasing it along the river tonight with hope that it will run up into a tree for the night.

What is with all of these little critters nesting in our attic?

UPDATE 012909: Per PLW's request, a few pics of the little critter before my dad took him to the river. Squirrel, squirrel, shake your bushy tail.

Bday Shouts 012709

2009-01-28T12:00:00.000-06:00

Apologies for falling behind on posts since I started to take care of my grandma. Here's a shout out to all of those important bdays I missed during the last month or so: My Uncle Larry, Brewskie, Arielle, Annemarie and most of all my dad.

Happy belated bdays ya'll!

The Bachelor - Week 4

2009-01-27T16:21:00.000-06:00

I’ve decided to do a brief recap of the Bachelor each week since I have money on the line in a friendly pool (see chart below). My top four are: Lauren, Melissa, Nikki and Jillian. Of course two of my four were cut last night. ACK.

Recap (SPOILER ALERT): The show started off with the ladies having to make up and perform a song for Jason. Although Lauren was the most in tune, he ended up choosing Molly. The two of them spent a romantic evening at his home eating dinner, s’mores, making out and spending the night in a tent! They definitely have a lot of chemistry, or as Jason would say, “her eyes sparkle.” Of course… she got the rose and will be sticking around for at least another week.

The next morning all of the girls were incredibly jealous of Molly who was fully dressed in Jason’s clothes and bragging about how she was sleep deprived. The group date tested the ladies’ acting skills on the set of General Hospital. Of all the girls, Melissa definitely had the most difficult time watching the other ladies during the individual “kissing” scenes. At the wrap party all of the ladies were having issues from earlier in the day and all of the kissing scenes / visible connections with Jason and the other women. Naomi won the rose on the group date after a little one on one time which included tears making out with him. (He really does kiss all the girls). I was a little surprised that he did not choose Lauren after she basically gave him the ultimatum and said she would be pissed if he did not give her the rose… sike!

Stephanie and Nikki had the two on one date titled “Let’s dance the night away.” One girl would be going home and the other would be staying. That being said… Jason surprised Stephanie and Nikki with two beautiful gowns for their evening. The night started off with waltz dance lessons. Very awkward having the three of them around… stepping in on the dancing. It was a duel to the bitter end to win the rose. He gave the rose to Stephanie who has the “heart of gold.”

Poor Nikki. She was on my final four list, but I had a feeling from the get that she would get the boot since she’s so uptight and not into spontaneity. To be the girl chosen on the two girl date, you always have to open up to the person and prove that you belong… not Nikki’s forte. However, she did receive the first impression rose on night two. In the end, he chose Stephanie. Yes, they have a stronger connection, but I also think he likes the fact that she’s a mom and that’s why he’s keeping her around.

Rose Ceremony: Jason does not end up giving out the final rose because he does not picture himself with any of them!! WHAAAT. Surprising little twist, but ultimately he’s there to find someone he wants to marry. Jason claimed he does not want to lead any of them on so he does not give it to Lauren, Megan or Shannon. Wow.

A few takeaways on individual ladies:
Shannon – scary stalker. “The first night I met Jason, it was definitely love at first sight.” Also bothers me that her upper lip never moves when she talks.
Jillian – playing it cool and on the back burner
Megan – bitter woman. Yes she’s a mom, but not feeling a strong connection.
Melissa – finally getting hooked on Jason. Is this just because she wants to win the reality TV show? Very cute, “I can only practice Melissa Mesnick in my head so many times.”
Lauren – too bossy and not personable. Took the wrong approach too far and got axed.

Synopsis of my final four: They gave me a headache last night. Nikki and Lauren got the boot, Lauren was being the bossy/annoying/fake girl, Jillian did not stand out and Melissa was the only one who made me proud.

Until next week!

One, Two, ChaCha CHA

2009-01-23T13:17:00.001-06:00

A few months ago a friend of my brother's introduced me to the wonderful tool called ChaCha - a conversational, fun, and easy to use. Simply ask your question like you are talking to a smart friend and ChaCha’s advanced technology instantly routes it to the most knowledgeable person on that topic in our Guide community. Your answer is then returned to your phone as a text message within a few minutes.

It's basically an application similar to Google searches that you may do straight from your mobile phone. Ask ChaCha any question or concern you may have and minutes later ChaCha will send you a response. Whether you need to know the final score of a big game, weather forecast or more technical question, ChaCha will always be there for you.

Chris, my brother's friend, texts ChaCha often and recently sent the following about a bar in San Francisco called R bar:

And good 'ol ChaCha (a she according to Chris) responded with:

Downside - According to their Web site, ChaCha asks to limit your questions to four every 72 hours in order to prevent overload.

Life in Sactown

2009-01-22T14:19:00.000-06:00

For the past week I have been back in Sacramento taking care of my grandmother. She was recently released from a two plus month stint in the hospital and needs a lot of taking care of while she recovers. Taking care of her can be a lot of work with multiple medications and diabetes to regulate, but I've also begun to notice the little and great things about Sacramento such as...

A fifteen minute drive to the closest winery in Clarksburg

Free tastings at local wineries including Bogle, Carvalho, Todd Taylor and Scribner Bend

Corona buckets filled with limes hanging above the Corona boxes

AND

Banana stands in check out aisles

It is good to be home every now and then, but it's also nice to know that Tahoe (skiing) and SF (my home and big city) are only an hour and a half away.

America's Song

2009-01-21T18:54:00.000-06:00

Very cool song/video featuring David Foster, will.i.am, Faith Hill, Bono, Seal and Mary J. Blige. The images capture the election night and touching moments during the past year of America and Obama.

Top Ten: Inauguration Day

2009-01-21T17:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was an emotional and memorable day for many. I broke down a list of my top ten memorable moments from the inauguration day not necessarily in order.

10. Malia and Sasha’s age appropriate, trendy and adorable outfits for their father’s special day
9. Mr. President dancing to his high school’s band during the parade
8. Emotional dance during the Youth Inaugural Ball – You could feel / see the affection and love between the couple
7. The inaugural address – somber and confident words from a powerful man to a hopeful country and world… "a man whose father, less than 60 years ago, might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before [us] to take a most sacred oath."
6. SF residents transforming BUSH street signs to OBAMA
5. The President and First Lady walking out of their car down Pennsylvania Avenue earlier than expected
4. The band playing Hail to the Chief as Obama walked into a room – gave me chills every time
3. Obama and Biden waving farewell to Bush from the White House – annnd he’s out!
2. Beyonce serenading the Obama’s first dance at the Inaugural Neighborhood Ball

1. Obama being sworn in as the 44th President of the United States to Lincoln’s bible

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T23:09:00.001-06:00

I've included below a couple of my favorite pictures and quotes from Obama's inauguration. Today was definitely a day we will all remember and be able to tell future generations how America is finally ready for change.

And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more...

Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

So Long Bush St.

2009-01-20T17:55:00.000-06:00

Although the measure in November to rename a sewage plant after George W. Bush did not end up passing, SF residents still found a way to belittle Bush by transforming all "Bush St" street signs into "OBAMA." Awesome.

For more pics, check out this SF Gate blog.

The Techie President

2009-01-20T14:01:00.000-06:00

A lot of critics claim Obama's success may be due to his visibility on the Internet throughout his campaign. Once Obama was sworn into office earlier today, changes were made not only between President's residing in the White House, but also online to the official White House Web site as well as the profile for @thewhitehouse on Twitter.

The official White House Web site now:
and earlier this morning:

The updated Twitter profile for "The head of the Executive Branch":

Back in November, CNN provided viewers with a hologram image during election coverage. Today they provided images with a touch screen TV and a satellite Geo Eye image of "ant-like" people at the Mall during the inauguration. You can zoom in on the photo directly from their site for a larger view.

I'm interested to see what's next as far as our President and media advancing in technology and becoming more tapped into social media and the Web 2.0 world.

Witnessing History

2009-01-19T18:59:00.000-06:00

The U.S. seems to be filled with excitement for our rock star President-elect's inauguration tomorrow night. As always, Obama pleased and moved millions with his speech at the Lincoln Memorial Center yesterday. I've included the video and a couple excerpts from his speech below.

It is the same thing that gave me hope from the day we began this campaign for the presidency nearly two years ago; a belief that if we could just recognize ourselves in one another and bring everyone together - Democrats, Republicans, and Independents; Latino, Asian, and Native American; black and white, gay and straight, disabled and not - then not only would we restore hope and opportunity in places that yearned for both, but maybe, just maybe, we might perfect our union in the process.

There is no doubt that our road will be long. That our climb will be steep. But never forget that the true character of our nation is revealed not during times of comfort and ease, but by the right we do when the moment is hard. I ask you to help me reveal that character once more, and together, we can carry forward as one nation, and one people, the legacy of our forefathers that we celebrate today.

DUNZO

2009-01-19T16:37:00.000-06:00

A lot of people are celebrating Bush's last day in office today. This is the end of a horrible presidency and hopefully the beginning of positive change for our country.

Play Hard to Get

2009-01-15T10:00:00.000-06:00

How can a normal girl not be excited to see the movie He's Just Not That Into You? From watching the trailer and teasers, the movie seems light-hearted and all around entertaining.

Based on a book, the movie will most likely be different sections and more of a memoir from different women and their dating experiences. With this in mind, the movie will most likely be Love Actuallyish with an all star cast consisting of Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Ben Affleck and Scarlett Johansen.

I believe that every person will be able to relate to the movie. The best thing I heard from my guy friend were the rules about calling a girl after first getting her phone number. The underlying questions / considerations for the guy are to 1) wait a standard two to three days before calling, 2) if you're really into the girl hold off for the three days 3) only ask her out for drinks so you don't get stuck buying dinner and in an awkward conversation (I guess this applies to both sexes).

It's also hilarious when people "SpySpace" on MySpace or stalk others on FB to figure out the details of their most current love interest. Or when you have to practice / rehearse what you're going to say when you call the person.

That being said, everyone can relate to the upcoming movie. You know where to find me on February 6... the movie theatre. Holler!

RIP - Townie

2009-01-14T17:48:00.000-06:00

Right when I begin to think that there are some good people left in our society (i.e. Katie's wallet being returned completely intact), I receive the following text from my friend, Hilary: "Ok! I love you. Oh yeah, our bikes were stolen at Jolley's house. I tried to get it covered by my insurance but no bueno!"

I immediately called her back in response to the odd text. Turns out that my bike was stolen from another friend's backyard in midtown Sacramento last week!

Back in Spring of 2007, I debated long and hard on whether or not to purchase a new or used beach cruiser. I finally settled on a brand new aqua blue Electra Townie with white flowers. The catch was that not only did the bike have hand AND foot breaks, but it also had three gears! Sadly I have probably only ridden the bike for a total of 5 months.

I am infuriated that someone stole my bike, but I guess I saw it coming. I even told my brother last week that I should probably go by to pick it up and ride it home to another area of Sacramento. Bullocks!

Lessons learned: Buy a used bike next time to save money and do not leave it locked up in someone else's backyard for an extended amount of time.

Although not my bike, this is the closest online pic I could find. Picture it like the below with white flowers on the body. RIP, bike.

EVIL

2009-01-09T16:24:00.000-06:00

While home for Christmas, I woke up one morning to a jar filled with an unusual looking substance on the kitchen counter. As I got closer to the jar I noticed that it was my worse nightmare - a jar of homemade pickles! What the heck. My family knows that I have an odd fear of pickles and here was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in our kitchen.

Luckily nobody was home because I let out an aggravated groan and left the kitchen. A few days later I brought up the p issue with my parents.

My mom said that it was a gift from one of her parents at school. Who gives homemade pickles to people for Christmas? Odd.

My parents also thought it was funny to leave it out for me. Thanks, guys.

Another One Bites the Dust - Erin

2009-01-07T15:04:00.000-06:00

Found out that my cousin, Erin, in Maryland is engaged! Her now fiance proposed on December 28th and she of course accepted! I knew something was up when my uncle wrote my family an e-mail about how he suspected that they would be engaged soon. I should have put the pieces together and realized that Lucas probably asked for her hand in marriage.

On another note, great news for the newly engaged. I get to fly back out East for the third year in a row and catch up with the family and possibly friends in the D.C. area. wOOt!

The wedding date is set for March 27, 2010 and I'm still waiting for the details about the proposal and wedding. I knew I should have bought the "Wedding Planning for Dummies" book... HA!

Boas, skulls and teddy bears, OH MY!

2009-01-07T12:37:00.000-06:00

While at Coffee Bean yesterday, a homeless man pushing a cart passed by my window. I noticed that he had a teddy bear, plastic skull, ornaments and a big green boa attached to the cart. This caused me to wonder why he needs them and what the heck he uses the items for.

If you could only have five products in your life, what would they be?

Cha Ching!

2009-01-06T14:05:00.000-06:00

Rumors have been buzzing that Apple would announce at Macworld this week DRM-free music and an increase in the price of iTunes. Today at approximately 10:30 a.m. the rumor became an actual fact. Now instead of paying 99 cents per hit song, you may be having to pay $1.29! Yes, the increase is a slight damper on my parade, but I understand the need for the jump due to the decrease in actual album sales. In case you still want to stick to the standard price, you can always check out Amazon and Rhapsody for digital music.

LA Times blog - 10:30 a.m.: Oh yeah, one more thing. After six years of offering music for 99 cents via the iTunes store, Apple now will offer music at a variety of prices -- something the music labels have been advocating for years. Songs will sell for 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29 depending on demand. In another development, the entire iTunes music catalog will be offered DRM-free. Starting today, about 6 million tracks will be offered without the anti-copying software restrictions. By the end of the first quarter, Apple says, all 10 million songs in the catalog will be DRM-free.

Mashable explains why this is a good change: So who are these changes good for? For one, the record labels, which stand to make more money on releases from expensive, top 40-type artists. Meanwhile, as I wrote last night, the drop in prices is good for consumers whose musical tastes fall more into the long tail of iTunes’ huge music catalog. But, for the millions of people who fuel downloads of iTunes’ most popular tracks, this change marks a 30% price increase, which, adds up to a lot of money on an annual basis.

I Heart SF

2009-01-05T11:05:00.000-06:00

San Francisco is one of my favorite cities in the world (up there with Brugge, Lagos, Cinque Terre and Sevilla). Here are a few pics which give an idea of what I see on a weekly, if not daily, basis.

Amazing rooftop views of the City.
Grace Cathedral in Nob Hill one block away from my apartment.

Union Square and Macy's during Christmas.

All Wii Want For Christmas...

2009-01-04T16:36:00.000-06:00

If you have a few minutes to spare (nine minutes to be exact), the below video captures 50 kids excited to open a Nintendo Wii for Christmas. Some of them are pretty funny and others a little frightening. The kids range from fainting to even crying after unwrapping the big white box.

My favorite quote is from the second kid when he says, "Santa must be real if they can’t find it in the stores, than he must’ve made it."

50 kids happy to get a Nintendo Wii for Christmas - watch more gamer videos

Video Games

2009-01-03T12:12:00.000-06:00

Adios 2008!

2009-01-01T23:17:00.000-06:00

Last night I said "adios" to 2008 at a party at my apartment here in San Francisco. The party was a hit and we are all still trying to recover from the crazy night.

A few highlights from New Year's Eve:
Ratio of guys to girls was 10 to 1
Drinking beer out of wine glasses
Multiple keg stands
DJ and dance party in the living room
Super excited when Colin and Emily arrived since I forgot they were coming
Finally meeting neighbors
Putting shorts on so I could do a keg stand
Cutting to the front of all bathroom lines
The amazing paper chains being a hit

Downfalls:
Becoming distracted and forgetting that I put shorts on to do a keg stand
Katie's wallet stolen out of her purse
Forgetting that I put a bottle of Grey Goose in the ice chest
Still suffering from the aftermath 12 hours later

I had a decent 2008, but I am excited for all the changes and exciting adventures ahead of me in 2009...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

dance party in the living room

keg stands in the kitchen

happiness with friends and champagne

UPDATE 1/4/2009: A friendly neighbor found Katie's wallet and returned it completely intact. Hooray!

Hittin' the Slopes

2008-12-30T10:00:00.000-06:00

Today I'm going skiing with my mom and brother up in Tahoe. The weather should be gorgeous - clear skies and fresh powder.

Here's a little throwback photo of my family at Heavenly in 1995. I think my parents still wear the same outfits and NO I DO NOT still wear the same pink and purple sunglasses.

Movie Review: Valkyrie

2008-12-29T23:47:00.001-06:00

Checked out Valkyrie today with my brother out in Natomas. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Tom Cruise, but was hating the movie after about 15 minutes. The movie has an amazing cast, plot, etc., but I couldn't get over the fact that I knew Hitler would live. I walked out of the theater with a headache from stressing about a failed plot and deaths of conspirators from the moment the film started. Arrrg... still have a headache thinking about it.

Recommendation: Worth watching, but wait till it comes out on video.

Summary from The Internet Movie Database (IMDB): At the height of WW2, a group of high-ranking German officers hatched a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, and seize power of the military command in order to end the war. The operation was codenamed "Valkyrie", for the emergency plan that was meant to be used in case of a revolt against the Nazi government. This plan had been modified by the conspirators to ensure their success, but for various reasons the plot failed when finally carried out on 20 July 1944.

Home for the Holidays

2008-12-26T15:10:00.001-06:00

My uncle is staying with us in Sacramento for a few days and we have definitely had our share of laughs.

On his roommate drinking a lot of milk: "I told him to just buy his own cow at the amount he drinks. Make sure he's fully loaded. And that the cow eats a S**tload of grass."

On my mom's Spanish Christmas music: "Sounds like we're in a Japanese elevator."

On his buttcrack hanging out of his pants: "Someone yelled at me while I was on the job the other week. The guy looked over from across the way and yelled, 'SAY NO TO CRACK!'"

Coming home to my uncle making orange juice: "I made some orange juice! I couldn't find anything so I put it in this (motions to a glass vase filled with OJ)".

Top Ten: Christmas Movies

2008-12-24T15:32:00.000-06:00

In the spirit of Christmas, this week's top ten is based on my favorite Christmas movies ranging from animated, to claymation, to classic black and white films. Each film has a special place in my heart and memory of Christmas.

10. A Charlie Brown Christmas

9. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

8. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas

7. A Christmas Carol

6. Miracle on 34th Street

5. Elf

4. White Christmas

3. Love Actually

2. It's A Wonderful Life

1. A Christmas Story

Filipino Food

2008-12-23T17:22:00.000-06:00

Today I am helping my mom prep lumpia for Christmas Eve with the family. Lumpia is basically a Filipino eggroll except for it's ten times more delicious!

I'm also thinking of attempting to cook my grandmother's pancit (similar to chow mein, but with rice noodles) since she is sick in the hospital and will not be able to make the dish this year. Cheers to yummy food!

Bday Shouts - 122308

2008-12-23T16:28:00.000-06:00

Prez elect in shape

2008-12-22T13:40:00.000-06:00

Check out our President elect in Hawaii for the holidays. Good to know that even though he is insanely busy he still has time to not only vacation, but keep his body in shape.

Cab Driver Convo

2008-12-22T01:42:00.000-06:00

After dropping friends off at their hotel in the Tenderloin, I noticed two scary looking chicas on the corner. I asked the cabbie, "Are there a lot of prostitutes around here?" He shook his head and said, "No, not really... those four girls are normal. Those two women (motioning to the scary girls we just passed) are men, not women."

Doesn't that still mean that they're prostitutes?

A Night of Bowling and Fans

2008-12-21T15:13:00.000-06:00

Last night I went to Presidio Bowling Lanes in the Presidio for my friend Liz's bday. Unfortunately I was no where near getting a turkey the entire night and I ended up being stronger with my left hand and closing my eyes vs. actually trying!

During the two hours of bowlfantastic, I ran into one of my blog fans, Spike. He gave me a few tips on what I should do to make my blog more compelling and is a huge fan of the blog and the name. Thanks for the advice, Spike!

Fugly Xmas Sweater Party

2008-12-21T14:51:00.001-06:00

The party was officially a success complete with the paper chains, paper snowflakes, spiked cider, spiked hot chocolate and platefuls of cookies! Thanks everyone for getting in the holiday spirit! Some friends (Carly, Philip and Evan) even made their own sweaters for the event. Below are a couple pics from the night.

Another One Bites the Dust - Lauren

2008-12-20T13:33:00.001-06:00

One aspect of being in my mid-twenties is that I am at the age where a lot of people are getting married. Just yesterday my friend Lauren commented on an earlier blog post between my friends Ana and Danny in a fight and her saying that the only peace treaty would be an engagement ring.

Lauren has been dating her boyfriend Jason for a few years now and has been going through the same ultimatum/waiting period for an engagement ring. Well guess what? As of last night they are now engaged. Here is what she calls "Princess Sparkle." Congrats you guys!!!

Annnnnnnd another one bites the dust.

Sock it to me

2008-12-19T17:19:00.001-06:00

With the current event of shoes being thrown at George W., here's a pretty funny site where you too can have a chance of hitting him. Careful though, he has great ducking skills/reflexes!

Lovers Quarrel

2008-12-19T16:11:00.001-06:00

My friend Ana has been dating her boyfriend for a few years and gave him an ultimatum as far as an engagement. Yesterday they got in a fight and texted each other the following:

Ana's boyfriend: Should I bring home flowers?

Ana: No, you should bring home a ring!!

Once back at the house together, Danny handed Ana flowers and said, "Sorry, they didn't have any rings at Whole Foods." LOVE THEM!!

Preparation

2008-12-17T18:55:00.000-06:00

This year I've decided to throw a Fugly Xmas Sweater Party at my place with friends from college, home and SF. All week I've been prepping by decorating the apartment with themed items from home and cutting paper to make paper chains. One of my friends even had her classroom make paper snowflakes today which will eventually hang from my bare walls on Friday.

A lot to do with such little time. A few of my friends are coming over to my place early to help me cook and make a few concoctions. Wish me luck!

Checklist for the party:
Cookies
Spiked Apple Cider
Spiked Hot Chocolate
Paper Snowflakes
Paper Chains
String and hang Ornaments

p.s. I KNOW about the "Stuff White People Like" latest entry on Monday. I heart themed parties and when else would everyone get to wear those amazing Christmas sweaters?!?

Top Ten: Christmas Songs

2008-12-17T16:51:00.000-06:00

When I think Christmas songs I originally think of my childhood growing up to the classic Christmas tunes sung by Andy Williams and the Carpenters. I always light up when I hear one of their songs, but here's a list of other favorites:

10. Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano
9. Here Comes Santa Claus - Gene Autry
8. Snoopy's Christmas - The Royal Guardsman
7. Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer - ??
6. Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry
5. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Jimmy Boyd
4. The Chipmunk Song - The Chipmunks
3. Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
2. White Christmas - Bing Crosby
1. All I Want for Christmas (Is You) - Mariah Carey

Honorable Mentions:
Merry Christmas Darling - Carpenters
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland
It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
Let it Snow

Buddy and Papa Elf Cancel Christmas

2008-12-16T18:03:00.000-06:00

Amusing: Apple Announces Last Year of Christmas

So much for getting an iPod! :)