royblogboy

if life were a giant skit

2010-07-27T01:47:00.000-07:00

This would be it

it wasn't rachel

2010-05-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

Most people if they really learn to look into their own hearts would know that they do want and want acutely something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never keep their promise. The longings which arise in us when we first fall in love or first think of some foreign country or first take up some subject that excites us are longings which no marriage, no travel, no learning can ever really satisfy. I am not speaking of what would ordinarily be called unsuccessful marriages or failures of holidays and so on. I'm speaking of the very best possible ones. There is always something we have grasped at. There's always something in that first moment of longing but fades away in the reality. The spouse may be a good spouse. The scenery has been excellent. It turned out to be a good job. But it's evaded us. In the morning it's always Leah.

-C.S. Lewis

pause

2010-04-12T01:12:00.001-07:00

The swimming pool is flooding. The tiles on the roof are trying desperately to hold on. Yea, this rain is made out of the really good stuff. The kind of rain that doesn't sound like it'll stop anytime soon.

Thank you God, for being this thirst-quencher.

definition

2009-11-11T02:20:00.000-08:00

It's just an absolutely fantastic feeling to know what you have to do. Because there's a timer that rings: it's time to move -- you kiss your I'm sorry I shouldn't have overstayed my welcome goodbyes, and say your I'm sorry I was so late hellos.

Hello. I'm sorry I was so late.

hope for it

2009-10-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

adage for the ages

2009-10-10T23:47:00.000-07:00

Dream big.

"Deep enough to dream in brilliant colors I have never seen" - Chris Rice

a must watch

2009-09-13T00:36:00.000-07:00

Especially if you've grown numb to everyday statistics.

"... the problem for me was not ignorance-- it was preconceived ideas."

e.e. #12: finding that elusive white hair and plucking it out

2009-08-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

I don't get white hairs often enough to develop a standard procedure for pulling them out. Not like I have for biting fingernails (I fail miserably at pulling splinters). So I find myself fumbling around in my bangs - because they always appear there for some reason - with the level of dexterity one would expect from using said fingernail-type, or say, a pair of short chopsticks.

So it's nice that when I'm sloppily combing through my hair, that annoying white strand sometimes gives away its location with nowhere to hide. I have to really hold my breath so as not to mess up the only chance I'll have for at least another few days. One quizzical look later, I pluck it from my life and go on about my day, feeling really good for all of about five seconds. Five great seconds.

If it were possible that all the stress behind that white hair was plucked right along with it, wouldn't that be a wonderful thing. But that would be cheating, I suppose.

e.e. #11: moving walkways at the airport

2009-08-18T23:37:00.000-07:00

How can you not enjoy moving twice as fast while walking at the same pace? I also like to look over the other side of the banister and pretend-race with those who've chosen to trudge down the path less automated for reasons I can't understand. Human conveyor belts are fun.

Pretend-race... does not sound healthy at all..

e.e. #10: learning about how a song came to be

2009-08-06T02:20:00.000-07:00

As the story goes. Gwenyth Paltrow's father had died suddenly from complications resulting from pneumonia. Gwenyth, inconsolable, returns from the hospital, completely covered in tears. And Chris doesn't know what else to do but to ask her, desperately, "What can I do, please tell me what I can do for you." She looks up at him and pleads very simply, "Just hold me. Because you're the only thing that can fix me right now."

Chris Martin wrote "Fix You" the very next day. And so it came to be not only one of the most highly acclaimed rock ballads of all time, but a personal anthem to so many of us for as long as we need it.

breaking it down

2009-07-29T23:36:00.000-07:00

The level of intensity in this scene from "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is right up there with what happens in the end in "Best of the Best" and the screaming-into-Albert's-Abyss scene in "Garden State." I scoffed at most parts in the movie because of the storyline's shameless parallelisms to "Forrest Gump" (that's what happens when you use the same writer for both movies), but this scene alone did it for me.

I still believe that there is a reason behind everything that happens. But we often fail to realize that we also give reason, regardless of the size of the role we play, to everything that happens too.

e.e. #9: when the line gets really long soon after you show up

2009-07-20T23:49:00.000-07:00

Could be at a sandwich shop, post office, or a grocery store. The really cool thing being that within a mere few minutes from the time you stood in line to check out groceries, a long line has already formed behind you.. as if you had something to do with it. To be fair, you should first breathe a 'whew-I-JUST-beat-the-rush' sigh of relief and acknowledge that you lucked out from spending any additional minutes waiting in line. But it's still fun to entertain the thought that you - and only you - may have caused this absolutely meaningless, yet amusing, phenomenon to happen.

Same deal when a restaurant fills up right after you get seated. So entertain those thoughts away! Because we've all wished we were superhuman in one way or another. Even if the superpower may be super-lame.

(still makes you super though.)

e.e. #8: when the arcade game is already half-paid for

2009-07-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

One of my personal favorites. That instead of paying full price to play "Marvel vs. Capcom," air hockey or that mini basketball hoops game, you realize the guy who played before you either: a) accidentally put in another quarter or two when he/she wasn't supposed to, or b) basically ran out of change to play another game. But God bless you!!

And if you don't play arcade games, imagine a kind of glee that's similar to pulling up to a parking meter with just enough minutes left for you to run into the bank and make that deposit.

Seriously, a quarter can still go a long way.

gravity

2009-07-12T23:24:00.000-07:00

e.e. #7: when you get truck drivers to honk the horn

2009-07-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

Rewind to childhood. You're going on a field trip with your class. The big yellow school bus is clamoring down the freeway to get to that museum. After having pressed your noses against the windows for some time in search of a big rig, a few of you simultaneously spot one, which is about to pass by real soon...

And, showtime! Many of you four-eyed (but wide-eyed), metal-mouthed (but hugely grinning) kids have now gotten up on your knees on the seats, insomuch as to ensure that the truck driver can clearly see you signaling frantically with flimsy arms, PULL THE HORN!! And most times, he'll happily oblige and make the truck give out a deafening bellow to everyone's delight, as kids scream and hi-five each other for having made this rolling beast come to life.

Aaaand... back to pressing your noses against the windows.

Hey, this still works.

e.e. #6: seeing your shadow under a full moon

2009-07-07T00:20:00.000-07:00

On a night like this one. Such is the mystery of seeing your shadow without the familiar feeling of warm sunlight resting on your back.

And trust me -- you'll have more than enough moonlight to make silly shadow puppets of rabbits, birds and crocodiles to your heart's content, until your heart's content.

e.e. #5: when someone gets your name wrong but you play along anyway

2009-07-06T01:31:00.000-07:00

During my church's VBS a few weekends ago, this little rambunctious 6-year-old girl named Esther had a minor bout with cognitive dissonance. "Roger" was what she decidedly named me. Though we all wore name badges, it didn't help the situation that she most likely couldn't read well, or maybe she just read the "R-O" part of my name badge and automatically assumed the rest of my name, like an eager Hangman player would.

I corrected her at least three times before giving up. She would scream "ROGER!! HEY, ROGER!!!" from across the playground, until I would finally look up after realizing she was calling for me. Funny little girl.

Hey, if you ever decide to call me something different, keep yelling at me.

e.e. #4: the fireworks you see while driving on the freeway

2009-07-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

Oops, and how can I forget this one. Illegal in the United States, most likely. But you still silently thank the rogue who had the tenacity to ignite the Roman candles, M-80's, and (insert illegal firework here) to give us drivers a little treat as we travel home, free of charge.

Happy 4th.

(Thanks Knotts, thanks Disneyland, for the freeway shows you give year-round.)

e.e. #3: smiley face fireworks

2009-07-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

It's really a pyrotechnic marvel. I remember the first time I saw one. It was around six years ago, when a bunch of us went to Fisherman's Wharf to watch the 4th of July fireworks display over the San Francisco Bay. I was completely floored. How do you form a perfectly shaped smiley face - with the dotted eyes, smile and everything to be all proportional to each other - by chucking a canister hundreds of feet into the sky and blowing it up!

Whenever I watch a parade of fireworks now, the smileys are the ones I wait for. Because a fireworks show isn't really complete without a few gigantic, oddly-oriented smiley faces in the sky, smiling at you and you smiling back.

But the upside-down ones make me laugh.

(taken last year during the Macy's fireworks show in New York)

e.e. #2: when the light turns green as you're rolling to a traffic light

2009-06-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

Driving a stick-shift, I can't tell express how much of a treat this is -- not needing to shift out of gear or use my brakes, but having the pleasure of coasting sraight through.

Or, as you're entering the on-ramp to the freeway, you switch over to the empty lane because lo and behold, there's already a car in the other lane that was patiently waiting for the light to turn green. And you time it just perfectly so that as you're accelerating up the on-ramp, the light changes, seemingly for you.

I must really hate using my brakes.

e.e. #1: When the song you're listening to on the drive home ends as soon as you pull into the driveway

2009-06-29T23:54:00.000-07:00

Which is your cue to hit the power button to make that the last song you hear this night.

raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

2009-06-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

I think my most favorite blog to read on the web is 1000 Awesome Things. What an absolute genius of a blog. And while this blogger steadily marches through a thousand different awesome things to share with the world, I'd like to join this cause by occassionally adding to his list with things that personally bring me joy.

And to not be a complete copycat of 1000 Awesome Things (though these ARE awesome too), I see them more as the "easter eggs of life" for lack of a better, less corny term... but will henceforth refer to them as such.

It's maybe not so much the eight hours of sound sleep that you get, but it's the abrupt awakening at 5am and relishing the fact that you have a few more hours of sleep left. Or the lollipop you get at the end of a doctor's visit. Or the balloon that's still tied to your wrist long after the carnival has gone home. These are the kind of whispers I hear.

So. Let's see how this goes.

optima dies, prima fugit

2009-06-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

Andy, I'm stealing this from you and never giving it back.

"Optima dies... prima fugit"
(The best days are the first to flee.)

-- Virgil

today marks the summer solstice

2009-06-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

Today will be the longest day we'll have this year... and in certain respects, it already has been.

jaw dropping

2009-05-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

Loved how it ends.

Galactic Center of Milky Way Rises over Texas from William Castleman on Vimeo.

eavesdropping

2009-05-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

The smiley story of the day.

After announcing that we had safely landed in Los Angeles, the pilot of the plane must've forgotten to flip the switch to the PA system. I continued reading my book until I heard the same voice, only hushed and affectionate this time, coming from the ceiling speakers. I put my book down, along with a few curious others who also paused in what were doing at the moment, as we all strained, shamelessly, to listen to this homesick voice speaking to the person on the other line:

"... Hi honey... yes, we landed safely... (murmurs) I'll be home in an hour.. (murmurs) ... don't wait up... can't wait to see you.. (laughter)... I love you. Can't wait to see you."

It was all so simple. As we filed out of the plane, I threw a smile over to the pilot for having given us all, without even realizing, a candid reminder of the good life.

should the sun not rise tomorrow

2009-05-10T20:41:00.003-07:00

Polaris. The North Star. Contrary to popular belief, it's not the brightest star in the sky. Not even close. It's actually really, really easy to miss because it's so nondescript. And there are hundreds of thousands in the sky more beautiful, more magnificent... all fighting for your attention.

But it's the only star in the sky that never moves, never shifts. Unwavering. Persistent. Steady. Faithful.

It will guide you home.

for what it's worth

2009-04-05T20:12:00.005-07:00

For the past year of my life: thank you, new york city.

citilights - Sean McClowry

they're building higher
oh, the skyline looks so pretty from this rooftop
and the walk I take from home to my train stop is fine with me
and music plays
there are dancers on the stage next to the fountain
and statues that remind us of our fathers
so long ago

in this city, we are walking next to millions
in this city, we are walking next to nations
though the city life inspires me, it's hard to see
my name in lights while others fade away

over the river
there are pieces of the past I knew from textbooks
and we separate the boundaries from our neighbors
they're tearing down
and it's a race to get the real estate investment
'cause the land of opportunity's expensive
so hard to be here

oh, look around
on the corner of the street next to cathedrals
there's a colony of men who sleep on sidewalks
outside
it's never equal
and the children are too young to know such sadness
if we mourn with those who mourn it makes a difference
for friends in need

what we need, what we have.

2009-03-29T22:46:00.003-07:00

It is a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people. But the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma. At the center of all religions is Karma. You know, what you put out comes back at you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth... every action is met by an equal or an opposite one... and yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that... Love interrupts... the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I have done a lot of stupid stuff. I would be in trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge... it doesn't erase my mistakes. I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.

-Bono, lead singer of U2

many the miles

2009-03-27T01:28:00.000-07:00

My mind has been running a lot lately. So I decided to keep up with it.

Central Park is a runner's dream. There's an amazing lake/reservoir there called the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, where a soft dirt jogging path circles around it about one and a half miles. I've been there all hours of the day, but my absolute favorite time is dusk -- our sun's final exhale that soaks all the colors from the sunset with a deep blue as if a flood had broken into the sky. I can't help but think: this happens every single day.

Within minutes, everything's gone. You could watch this performance a thousand times but never notice it leaving the stage. As we should.

Then you begin to notice the bright reflections of lit buildings, even stars, on the lake itself. I'll have to quote Forrest here because he put it best: "...it was so clear, Jenny, it looked like there were two skies, one on top of the other." And most times, I'll jog to a stop, climb up onto the metal railing and be quiet. I wonder if others do too.

This is one of the more honest things I know about life.

27 on 27

2009-02-26T23:59:00.004-08:00

As a kid, I remember that I couldn't wait to turn twenty-seven. For the same simplistic reason why most people chose the day they were born on as their favorite number, I did too. It was during that period when kids were making a conscious effort in establishing what their favorites were, so that in the event someone asked, we'd be ready with a quick answer and a modest explanation for: numbers, colors (red, because it starts with an 'r' and shares the same amount of characters as my name), ice cream (rainbow sherbet) and ninja turtle (rafael.. 'r' again AND for his red bandana!). Note: Narcissism was forgivable at that age.

Evidently, it never once appeared as one of my lottery numbers or roulette picks. But if you're as hopeless as I am, you stick with them and hope it comes around the next time.

Except this time, someone else did the choosing for me and gave me an age that I'm not quite ready for. I feel like I should have made a bigger dent in life by now. I guess the reality is that we're going to continue to complain every single year until one day, we realize that we'd give up an arm and leg to be [insert age here] again.

So I'll give it a shot. A butterfly landed on my finger, and quite respectfully, I will try to squeeze every moment out of this.

life is too serious

2009-02-05T18:42:00.005-08:00

So lighten up dude.

www.1000awesomethings.com

cant get out of bed today

2009-01-27T23:40:00.001-08:00

zero nine

2009-01-03T15:36:00.009-08:00

At first glance, 2009 is setting up to be a nondescript year. The elections are finally done with. No Olympics of any kind, nor any other significant world sporting events for that matter. As usual, work and school will resume on Monday, and as usual, the sun will rise. Nondescriptly.

Those who look forward to waking up each morning would disagree.

I can't say that I'm there yet. I don't remember the last time I looked back on a year, contently folded my hands and concluded, "You know, this was a great year." Assessing life at the end of the week? Sure, I'll be able to point to a few good ones. But yearly? No way. At least not yet. We are a very forgetful species. And as a result, we're not as thankful as we ought to be.

I think I need to never lose sight of the small, seemingly-trivial things that happen in my life. Because when you add them all up, shouldn't it explain the unrecognizable, unpredictable places we'll be at in five, ten, twenty years from now? That it's usually the small things that bring definition to the big things that happen in our lives. During the years of puberty, no one wakes up one morning and freaks out because they're suddenly five inches taller. It's never like that. It's because of the unseen, daily stretches of growth that occurs on the atomic level... and maybe we've forgotten to give enough credence to the small decisions we make everyday.

I could only summarize all this blabber with this. In the simple yet poignant words said by Brenden Foster, when asked about what he thought were the best things in life, his immediate reply: "Just having one."

Happy new year.

feeling just like

2008-12-15T22:47:00.001-08:00

chill out, wind

2008-12-07T23:06:00.002-08:00

Gonna have to buy that comforter sooner than later.

entertaining angels

2008-11-24T21:57:00.001-08:00

you know..

2008-11-23T23:53:00.001-08:00

If you were a gmail theme, you'd be Summer Ocean.

inhale

2008-11-11T22:47:00.006-08:00

There's something indescribably satisfying about being able to see your own breath when it's cold enough. Like 15 degrees cold. Even when I'm currently in the middle of Nowhere, North Dakota.

It's unbelievable how our bodies work. I see my breath and realize that a split-second ago, it used to be something else. Sure, a childish way of describing the Krebs cycle, respiration, etc.. but still. How effortlessly we breathe in this unseen but necessary purity and paradoxically transform it into a kind of poison, the somber truth being that without any of this taking place, we'd be dead.

Hah. Is the parallelism I'm going with that obvious?

The Unseen will keep us alive and kicking.. even hoping.

Exhale.

pull

2008-11-10T00:03:00.006-08:00

From xkcd:

today

2008-11-04T22:56:00.008-08:00

For our generation, this is like watching a man step foot on the moon. This day is that enormous.

And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

-Barack Obama

Proud to be an American.

it's really autumn when..

2008-10-05T21:23:00.004-07:00

... you see the scarves and gloves come out in full swing.

Let the season really begin.

kite

2008-09-16T20:37:00.007-07:00

From our friends at xkcd:

It's easy to regret the awkward conversations, but hard to regret the ones you didn't have

i hate it when this happens

2008-09-08T10:12:00.003-07:00

groan

2008-08-13T22:05:00.002-07:00

Okay, let's lay off the AC for a little while, shall we?!

living my favorite book

2008-08-06T22:24:00.003-07:00

Patiently waiting for my connecting flight in philly back to new york.

I tried, but I ended up surrendering to what turned out to be an utterly disgusting mushroom and swiss burger. Washed down that horrible taste with the rest of my watered-down soda while shaking my head in disappointment. I can still taste the semi-cooked mushrooms. Philadelphia = the philly cheesesteak. What was I thinking??

Made my way to the restroom. Took care of business, headed over to the sink, never noticing the other three women in the room with me until the heaviness of their prolonged stares caused me to slowly lift my eyes, meet their priceless expressions through the mirror, and realize that

There was a boy in the girl's bathroom, and that was friggin me.

Bradley Chalkers would have been proud. You Louis Sachar fans know what I'm talkin about.

2008-07-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Truth is so obscure in these times and falsehood so established, that unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.

-Blaise Pascal

two things to laugh about

2008-07-09T19:43:00.001-07:00

a must-watch

2008-06-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

Where the hell is matt?

Gurgaon, India is the best.

the shortest night

2008-06-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I danced with strangers whom I will never come across again, to the playful banter of a brass band unyielding amongst drops of rain transforming.

Things are as they should.

the longest day

2008-06-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

Today marks this year's summer solstice, the northern hemisphere's longest day of the year during which we receive the most sunlight and when the sun lingers as long as it possibly could.

I shouldn't overstay my welcome either.

All winter we got carried
Away over on the rooftops
Let's get married

All summer we just hurried
So come over, just be patient, and don't worry
So come over, just be patient, and don't worry
And don't worry

No I don't wanna battle from beginning to end
I don't want a cycle of recycled revenge
I don't wanna follow Death and all his friends

And in the end
We lie awake, and we dream of making our escape

Coldplay - "Death & All His Friends"

ny state of mind

2008-06-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

It's been exactly three weeks since I arrived. Unsurprisingly, it feels much, much shorter than that. Time really has no sense here, this urban bermuda, teasing us with these silly trains and cars in yellow so that we might think we have what it takes to figure out the system. Factor in the social mindset which states that by being punctual actually meant that you were "almost late," hardly anyone wins. Cat's game.

Anyway, I think it's time that I put some of my musings about the city onto paper before my brain explodes (or forgets, whichever comes first):

My timing couldn't have been any more perfect to have come in the worst possible season. Due to the intense humidity, I might have to start wearing deodorant for the first time in my life.

Mexican and Korean food (at least in Manhattan) are crap. Everything else, fantastic.

Working from home has been nice, what can I say?

I don't think I'll ever willingly set foot in Times Square ever again.

Before rushing out the door, I always check for my iPod before my keys. And...

...it's been suffocating not being able to sing outrageously to a song like I did within the comfortable confines of my car. Sing like no one's listening - yea right, try doing that in a packed subway train. The streets are a little more reasonable.

There is so much beauty and inspiration here.

But so much pain, kept silent and hardly shared.

I saw a kid fall asleep in her mother's arms in the subway today. The kid actually had the most peaceful smile as she slept. Certain moments are by invitation-only, and this particular one happened to be for me. It blew me away.

Despite Manhattan being one of the most densely populated regions in the world, I'm beginning to understand the loneliness behind it all.

Whenever I'm in an unfamiliar place, I've still been instinctively gauging the sun's position in the sky or the north star before reading street signs to determine what direction I'm facing. I've gotten pretty squinty-eyed as a result.

It's a strange feeling to hear the lonesome sound of my cheering for the Lakers in sports bars that are mostly New England-fan ridden. Odd, I usually had someone to high-five. This must be what a Clippers fan feels like back in California.

It's true - you can find anything and everything you want here.

Everything you need? I suppose only time will tell. Let's hope it doesn't settle for punctuality.

under the table and dreaming

2008-05-20T00:31:00.000-07:00

Dear New York City,

Don't let me go until you say so.

Very truly,

Your wide-eyed,

rubber-necking,

forever faithful,

front-seat passenger.

my belated

2008-05-07T21:17:00.001-07:00

Hey now, it'll sting only for a little while.

Take your kite out and let it dance.

But only for a little while.

So wrap our injured flesh around you
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy
Perfect Son of God.

political edumacation

2008-01-03T23:04:00.001-08:00

Election Day is comin soon. So learn a little bit about the candidates and see which one closely aligns to your principles -- take the test. Take it, I say!

the christmas truce

2007-12-26T15:06:00.000-08:00

(taken from snopes.com)

"SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT"

During World War I, in the winter of 1914, on the battlefields of Flanders, one of the most unusual events in all of human history took place. The Germans had been in a fierce battle with the British and French. Both sides were dug in, safe in muddy, man-made trenches six to eight feet deep that seemed to stretch forever.

All of a sudden, German troops began to put small Christmas trees, lit with candles, outside of their trenches. Then, they began to sing songs. Across the way, in the "no man's land" between them, came songs from the British and French troops. Incredibly, many of the Germans, who had worked in England before the war, were able to speak good enough English to propose a "Christmas" truce.

The British and French troops, all along the miles of trenches, accepted. In a few places, allied troops fired at the Germans as they climbed out of their trenches. But the Germans were persistent and Christmas would be celebrated even under the threat of impending death.

According to Stanley Weintraub, who wrote about this event in his book, Silent Night, "signboards arose up and down the trenches in a variety of shapes. They were usually in English, or - from the Germans - in fractured English. Rightly, the Germans assumed that the other side could not read traditional gothic lettering, and that few English understood spoken German. 'YOU NO FIGHT, WE NO FIGHT' was the most frequently employed German message. Some British units improvised 'MERRY CHRISTMAS' banners and waited for a response. More placards on both sides popped up."

A spontaneous truce resulted. Soldiers left their trenches, meeting in the middle to shake hands. The first order of business was to bury the dead who had been previously unreachable because of the conflict. Then, they exchanged gifts. Chocolate cake, cognac, postcards, newspapers, tobacco. In a few places, along the trenches, soldiers exchanged rifles for soccer balls and began to play games.

It didn't last forever. In fact, some of the generals didn't like it at all and commanded their troops to resume shooting at each other. After all, they were in a war. Soldiers eventually did resume shooting at each other. But only after, in a number of cases, a few days of wasting rounds of ammunition shooting at stars in the sky instead of soldiers in the opposing army across the field.

For a few precious moments there was peace on earth good will toward men. All because the focus was on Christmas. Happens every time. There's something about Christmas that changes people. It happened over 2000 years ago in a little town called Bethlehem. It's been happening over and over again down through the years of time.

This week, Lord willing, it will happen again.

speed kills

2007-12-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

I just learned how to fold my shirts in TWO seconds, and now I feel so EMPOWERED!

www.fold-your-shirt.com

muy cansado

2007-12-10T10:08:00.001-08:00

Just got back last night. There's simply so many pictures and personal thoughts to sort through at the moment. Also, very reluctantly reinstating myself back into the American life again. Did it always move this quickly?

Petén, Guatemala.

hello leo

2007-11-17T12:53:00.000-08:00

Don't forget!

rose-colored glasses

2007-11-15T02:20:00.000-08:00

One of my earliest memories I had growing up was during one of the summers me and my family went camping. I was about six or seven. I had just gotten one of those off-the-shelf fishing rods from a cheap convenience store, and up until then, I had never touched a fishing rod before, let alone know how to operate one. There was a little lake right beside our campsite, and as bright-eyed kids do, I eagerly ran over to test out my rod and catch some fish.

And as overzealous, ill-prepared kids do, I struggled. I just couldn't figure out how to cast the line. I barely figured out how to attach one of those shiny hooks to the other end. So I just pulled on the line until I created enough slack, grabbed the line by the hook and threw it as far as I could... which turned out to be in the shallow waters ten feet from shore. So I stood, waiting and hoping for the tide to pull the line further out. But of course, that time never came, so I had to reel the line in and throw it out as far as my skinny arms would let me.

I turned around and saw that my dad was behind me the entire time, watching me struggle but never interrupting me to take over. But just before the wave of embarrassment had a chance to settle in, he began clapping his hands and hollering with approval. And he came over and joined me. I understand now more than ever that kids' needs can be simple -- love and encouragement. Basking in that feeling -- whatever it is you call it -- when you know someone is proud of you, has no words. And for reasons unknown, he felt so proud in that moment, and I felt it. Still.

I've yet to catch my first fish and that's okay. Because there's a kind of memory that clings hard enough to remind you that it was once real, and that it was once good.

simple things

2007-11-03T23:41:00.001-07:00

A homemade dinner, board games and a nerf gun war can easily top most Saturday nights, no matter how old you are.

Thanks for having us over, cindy and paul!

trick or treat, give me something good to eat

2007-11-02T00:36:00.000-07:00

into the wild

2007-10-29T01:23:00.000-07:00

I've been on quite a movie binge recently.

Happiness is real only when shared. --Chris Supertramp, Into the Wild

This movie solidified my convictions about going to Alaska even more. One day!

p.s. There are very few things that taste better than cold pizza at 2am.

blah.

2007-10-22T01:48:00.000-07:00

Went to the Cal-UCLA game on Sat. Don't really feel like talking about it except that immediately after the game, I got a slew of phone calls and text messages from people I talked trash to for weeks now. That was really jacked up.

National championship hopes down the drain. Still doesn't change the fact that Cal is still the best team in the Pac-10, although our record doesn't show it. Sigh.

From PostSecret... this one made me laugh because it's so innocent.

As a child on my aunt and uncle's farm, I fed a chicken nugget to a chicken. I still feel guilty about it.

Hahah. I would too.

gone baby gone

2007-10-20T01:09:00.000-07:00

I just watched "Gone Baby Gone" and now I'm distressed. I can't remember the last time a movie wrestled so much with my morals.

Ben Affleck, who would have guessed.. you're much better off as a director. Just leave the Daredevil outfit in the closet.

because it's friday

2007-10-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you put Star Wars, a trumpet, a dance routine and a deaf ear all in the mix:

Oh yea! Plus a winning attitude.

coffee at 1am

2007-10-10T01:21:00.000-07:00

They say that when a door closes, another one opens to you. But to tell you the truth, I don't think that it's even about searching for open doors anymore.

Continuing with the cheesy metaphor -- should these doors never open again, would I manage to find contentment as a man should, or fluster as a child would?

I... I don't know.

I'll have to sleep on this one. Maybe it won't matter by morning. But I'm never that lucky.

Oh, love wash over a multitude of things

Love wash over a multitude of things

Make us whole.

-Sara Groves

second the best

2007-10-08T10:45:00.001-07:00

I had to take a screenshot of the latest NCAA polls just to enjoy Cal's highest ranking since 1951. And to also commemorate one of the biggest, if not the biggest, upsets in college football history.. USC losing at home to the 41 pt. underdog, Stanfuuurd. Oh, and UCLA losing to Notre Dame. Lots of newsflashes this weekend.

mahalo, come again

2007-09-27T22:58:00.000-07:00

Back from my "business trip" to Kauai. ;) Hahah. Some random thoughts/observations I had throughout the week:

I won't dare describe the sunsets.
Hawaiians are the nicest people you'll ever meet.
Kauai is the wettest place on earth. It's fun running for cover when the sun's out shining so brightly only moments before.
There are roosters and chickens everywhere. Strutting around the roads, on people's lawns, even in the dense forests. They're like the pigeons of Hawaii.
Hawaiians end their sentences with an inquisitive "yeah?" a lot of the time.
People wear Hawaiian shirts to work. And their typical work day ends around 4pm.
I befriended a nice owner of a souvenir shop who turned out to be korean. When asked about my marital status, she got angry when I told her that I still unmarried. She gave me a fifty percent discount off of everything, and she also threw in a shell necklace for free. Connections!
The sushi is really bad. Their cooked fish delicacies are excellent.
It's really fun saying "mahalo" to people. I absent-mindedly said it on a couple occasions when I should have said "aloha," but Hawaiians are probably used to ignorant tourists by now.
A rainbow's end really exists! Optical illusion, light refraction.. call it what you want, but it was twenty feet away from me. This wasn't like the time in third grade when I thought I found a four-leaf clover.
I found a product called "Donkey Balls" at the local market. I really regret not buying it.

belief

2007-09-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Not completely sure what compelled me to write this.

A recent string of events, revealing conversations, and even my dreams have led me to believe that life was fighting to get my attention. And now I've reached a point where there's nothing else I can do but listen. Here are some of the things I'm hearing.

The passing of time. It's incredible what it can do to a person. A lot of hurt can be eventually forgotten. It just so happens that the valuable lessons we've learned and once swore to live by can be forgotten just as easily. Hence the reason why we continue making the same mistakes over and over again. Well, your friends love you anyway. You learn to crawl again, or maybe you're able to hit the ground running. In either case, life moves forward.

But I'm beginning to see that the older we get, the more the scenery changes and as things fade to gray, how necessary it's becoming to believe in something that doesn't. Change, that is. To believe in something that's always been there, always familiar, always accepting. Always. Best friends, lovers, family... they all come pretty close. But even then, you're left with a quiet desire that remains to be fulfilled.

And then, maybe on some idle afternoon, that desire just wakes up completely and doesn't leave you be. At first, you entertain this desire with silly questions, which quickly grows in all seriousness before you know it. After a while, it's not even about seeking the answers anymore. It evolved into a self-defense mechanism. You realize that you've ironically wrapped yourself with these questions to protect you from the answers you don't want to hear.

I believe the light is faithful enough to eventually break through any cover we place over ourselves. And the warmth it brings could feel strange at first, even discomforting to a degree, but soon you'll begin to wonder how you were ever without it. Breakthrough.

The question I ask myself is, could I live the rest of my life without feeling the assurances that christians are supposed to have? I'm not even talking about a life-lasting search for inexplicable joy and happiness. The truth is all I want. I'm willing to wrestle with it. And the way I understand it now.. joy, happiness, and an unwavering peace will soon follow. Give me the assurances.

Trying is never easy. Letting go can be impossible. At the end of the day, I might have failed miserably. Heck, even before I step out the door. But because He never changes, I swear I hope this is true, it's enough reason to keep going. I'm trying, God. For I know that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, and I believe the best is still yet to come.

I'm still listening. So please, speak up.

funkdefied

2007-09-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

I went to a weekend getaway in san diego with paul, roach and butch. I think I spent most of my time playing around with GarageBand on paul's macbook. Here's a love song I composed for him. I'm calling it, Ode to Funk:

So fun. Time to really consider getting a macbook. And a harmonica.

random

2007-09-03T16:53:00.001-07:00

I noticed that my vacuum cleaner hums in the key of F#.

human tetris

2007-08-28T23:43:00.000-07:00

run that by me again?

2007-08-28T16:06:00.000-07:00

Understand the following sentence? Yea, sentence. Take the time to wrap your minds around this beauty:

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

*equivalent to: Bison from upstate New York who are intimidated by other bison in their community also happen to intimidate other bison in their community.

So cool!

a blonde moment

2007-08-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

I opened up a new pair of contacts today. It was way overdue, since I have biweekly disposable contacts but I manage to stretch them out to a month or longer. I routinely popped one into each eye, then hurried out the door to church.

Throughout the entire day, I noticed that I was experiencing blurred vision in my left eye. I've tried using rewetting drops and readjusting the position of the contact with my finger, in hopes of ridding whatever it was that was clouding my vision, but to no avail. I even tried yawning constantly, thinking that my natural tears would have a better vantage point of flushing out the problem. No luck.

The day is now ending. I just took out my contacts earlier than usual because the blurriness was giving me a headache. Out came two contacts from my left eye, the old one and the new one. I must have made the decision to crack open the new case in midst of putting on my contacts.

A sad "d'oh" from my mouth soon followed.

all you need is love

2007-08-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

Congratulations paul and tammy... I envy you guys.

there's so much more.

2007-08-10T23:26:00.000-07:00

Blindfolds removed. This is what happens when you decide to let go. Someone catches you, then lifts you higher than what you're really worth.

answer me this.

2007-08-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

Borrowed from a friend's blog:

"Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?" -Evan Almighty.

I think there just has to be more to life than treading water, going with the current, kicking furiously just to stay afloat. I want there to be mornings where I wake up and just feel thankful to be alive. Just once.

montreal

2007-07-31T21:24:00.001-07:00

Good times. Beautiful shot. But paul is nowhere to be seen. Wait a minute.. there he is! How many of him are there?!

*answer: five

Yes, I know. I didn't have that much else to do.

b&w

2007-07-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

For the first time,
this song finally makes sense.

I guess certain things will only reveal their true meaning
and purpose in due time. Trying to understand now
is just a chasing after the wind

which could
never be
caught.

they call her sara b

2007-07-15T23:44:00.000-07:00

Sigh. I could listen to her all day. And I regret not getting her autograph when I had the chance at the Hotel Cafe, because she's gonna get huge.

Get her latest album, pretty please.

the landlord

2007-04-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

I'm SO lucky not to have dealt with these types of landlords in college...

speak the truth

2007-03-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

Putting Kobe in perspective

By Jemele Hill
Page 2

Kobe Bryant is better than Michael Jordan.

Not more successful.

Hasn't had a bigger economic impact.

Hasn't won more MVPs.

Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

Kobe Bryant did something Michael Jordan never
did -- score 50-plus in four consecutive games.

Hasn't won more titles.

But he's a better player.

Kobe can do everything Michael did, and even a few things Michael couldn't do.

Kobe is just as good a defender. His killer instinct is just as pronounced. He can shoot, finish and explode. And just like Jordan, the more he's pissed off, the more unstoppable he is.

At the very least, Kobe's scoring spree over the last week should put to rest any lingering doubts that he's the best player in the NBA. Yes, better than Steve Nash, who is the best point guard, but not the lethal force that Kobe is. Yes, better than Dwyane Wade, who is certainly closer to the Kobe-Jordan level than LeBron James, but D-Wade's game is not as polished as Kobe's.

Kobe's streak of four straight 50-points-plus games is something none of those players can do, and it's something that hasn't been done since Wilt Chamberlain, who had an NBA-record seven straight 50-point games. Truthfully, Kobe should have tacked another 50 on Golden State on Sunday night.

Of course, the idea that Kobe is better than Jordan -- or even the best player in this league -- is as repugnant to some folks as a rectal exam. Even though Kobe has proven himself under pressure countless times, he gets the A-Rod treatment.

Kobe can't please anyone. And it doesn't help that most people suffer from revisionist history when it comes to Jordan, forgetting that he was just as poor a teammate and a ball hog and that he ran off coach Doug Collins like Kobe ran off Phil Jackson the first time.

In fact, you could argue that Jordan was even worse. Far as we know, Kobe hasn't jacked up any of his teammates the way Jordan punched out Steve Kerr and Will Perdue at practice.

Kobe will never be forgiven for Shaq's departure, but you're delusional if you think Jordan wouldn't have had any ego issues playing alongside a player with Shaq's star power.

The best-player argument shouldn't be determined by personal dislike. But if you want to take it there, fine. Jordan was hardly the ideal husband, but only the tabloids were brave enough to venture into his personal life. And what about those gambling issues? If Jordan's life had been covered like Kobe's, we would have an entirely different opinion of His Airness.

Besides a different level of media scrutiny, there was definitely a difference in the level of competition during Jordan's heyday compared to now.

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

We ask you to step back and take an objective look. Isn't Kobe the best player in the NBA?

Yesterday's NBA player certainly was more fundamentally sound, but there's no question that today's player is bigger, stronger and faster. When Jordan played, he was a singular force that could not be equaled. Jordan was guarded by the likes of John Starks and Joe Dumars, who were fine players but weren't nearly as skilled or physically imposing as LeBron, D-Wade, Tracy McGrady or even Vince Carter.

The NBA is tougher now.

Kobe, like Michael, is surrounded with mediocre to below-average talent, and Phoenix, Dallas and San Antonio are all better than the Utah, Portland and the Charles Barkley-led Phoenix team that Michael met in the NBA Finals.

Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson and Patrick Ewing will be among the best centers ever, but none of them affected the league the way Shaq and Tim Duncan have. There are two two-time MVPs in Kobe's own conference (Duncan, Nash), which is a problem Jordan never faced during his championship runs. Seven-footers weren't launching 3s back then. Magic Johnson and the Lakers were on a downward spiral, and the Pistons were on their last legs. It was Michael and everyone else. That's not the case for Kobe.

The shame of it is that Kobe might finish his career without a MVP, even though his ability can be compared only to that of Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. All this time we've been looking for a player who is better than Jordan, but most of us can't get beyond whether we like or dislike Kobe as a person to recognize his contributions to the game.

Ultimately the MVP award will go to either Nash or Dirk Nowitzki, who are deserving this season, but neither are as good as Kobe. Dallas and Phoenix are strong enough to make the playoffs without their stars. The Lakers, however, are a lottery team without Kobe.

Now that's a valuable player.

Jemele Hill, a Page 2 columnist and writer for ESPN The Magazine, can be reached at jemeleespn@gmail.com.

shiny quarter

2007-03-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

Thanks y'all. =)

hey now, you're an all-star

2007-02-24T02:15:00.000-08:00

So coooool. =)

hello february

2007-02-11T21:23:00.000-08:00

I get so much pleasure from figuring out riffs.

San Diego is an awesome town. Feeding paul's addiction to video games was not. Neither was his covert operation with andy on the macbook via vidchat.

Weekends exist so that you can eat mexican food at 3am.

I'm a type of person who when hearing a good song for the first time, replays it over and over until it's beaten and dead. I've been listening to Switchfoot's "Yesterdays" for the past three hours. And I'm still not done.

Life goes on. It's a gangsta's paradise.

show and tell

2007-01-24T23:59:00.000-08:00

I have a pet fish.

His name is Dirty.

Dirty is dirty because I tend to wait until the last possible minute to clean his fish bowl. When the water turns a milky, foggy color, I know it's time.

Dirty doesn't mind waiting that long. He is a trooper.

In no way does he take after his owner. I'm actually very clean.

He seems to prefer the acoustic guitar over the wail of an electric guitar. He's mellow like that.

Dirty is surprisingly smart. He recognizes the little red-capped container as fish food. Whenever I place it close enough to the bowl, he immediately turns to it and stares. Who says that fish could only recollect the last seven seconds?

He's brilliant red... my favorite color.

I love Dirty.

viva

2007-01-24T00:31:00.000-08:00

What a crazy two weeks of non-stop conferences in LA and Vegas. Of course, there was no escaping the customary donations at the blackjack tables, but celine dion, endless alaskan crab legs and the best (and free) waterworks show second only to Fantasmic left a great taste in my mouth.

"My Heart Will Go On" still doesn't make me cringe. I hope I don't have issues.

garden state

2007-01-13T20:05:00.000-08:00

I've added screaming into an echoing abyss/canyon/ravine to my list of things-to-do. The feeling must be incredible.

This is your one opportunity to do something that no one has ever done before and that no one will copy throughout human existence. And if nothing else, you will be remembered as the one guy who ever did this. This one thing.

the most beautiful guitar I have ever seen

2007-01-07T17:16:00.000-08:00

I have searched far and wide for a picture of this vintage strat ever since I first laid eyes on it last year. The man himself must've read my mind. Thank you JM.

Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful.

'06

2006-12-31T21:06:00.000-08:00

Benefit #172 to having a blog: that you're able to refer back to your previous posts when writing about the current year in review. Many of those entries were pretty meaningless, even plain stupid, but I'm sure thankful that I've immortalized them through this blog regardless.

Extracting my wisdom teeth. Kobe's 81. My very inconsistently-updated song-of-the-weeks. Taking a chance. Revisiting berk. Finally getting my diplomas. Uncovering so much talent in indie music. Promethean sunsets. Celebrating with those who got married (angie & jude, cindy & paul, annette & abe) and those who've promised to (paul & tammy, gene & esther, linda & jomo, haejin & kevin). Aegon. Job promotion. Hanging out with my new fish. Shows & concerts. Places that I could cross of the list (denver, philly, jersey, new york, d.c., florida, north carolina, virginia). Griffiths. A full year without dad.

Once upon a time, I took the ushering in of the new year very seriously. I would will myself to stay up until the clock hit midnight, watch all the festivities on tv and even record them onto VHS so that I could look back on them one day as an old man. I would crawl back into bed when I couldn't stay awake any longer, but continue to have my own quiet celebrations as I eagerly dreamed of all the good that the new year has to offer. Then life reared its ugly head at many of us, spawning yet another new generation of eternal pessimists.

On the surface, many of these seemingly trivial events from this past year may give reason to believe that my year just came and left through the back door unnoticed. Instead, 2006 was a very trying year, as I'm sure it was for many.

By the same token, these events really doesn't do myself any justice in announcing the type of person I am today. Despite the laundry list of things that's happened, it's the unmentionables that's shaped me most. My family whom I love. My friends who couldn't be any more available and supportive. And God, with whom I've painfully wrestled for months, yet He continued to provide in spite of all my questions. Maybe all the answers haven't been dispensed yet, but He's given me a sufficient amount of peace to cope with that.

Have I grown more mature this year? Incrementally, I'm sure, but an improvement nonetheless. Has my outlook on life changed? Definitely better as I fall back to the basic truths. It doesn't matter if I'm the biggest screw-up or one who's always stayed within the lines. His grace redeems you way beyond what you're really worth.

I'm not a big fan of posting bible verses, but this one stood out in particular during Sung's message today (from Mark chap. 9):

"...but if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.
"'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

What awaits for me in the new year? One thing's for certain: no more if's, woulda's, coulda's, and shoulda's. The lessons I've learned in '06 are coming with me.

Here's to a hopeful '07.

merry christmas

2006-12-25T23:50:00.000-08:00

A little sarah for your christmas.

Sarah McLachlan - Wintersong

go bears!

2006-12-12T12:31:00.000-08:00

(courtesy of larry hwu)

N.C.A.A. Psyop

Published: December 10, 2006

In March, the University of California at Berkeley men’s basketball team played its final home game against the University of Southern California, whose team was led by its star guard, Gabe Pruitt. Pruitt was in the midst of a terrific year for U.S.C., averaging about 17 points a game, and for Cal, as the U.C. Berkeley team is known, the game was a must-win if it was to get a bid to the N.C.A.A. tournament. Cal needed to figure out a way to keep Pruitt from having another monster outing.

The solution to how to neutralize Pruitt came not from a game plan of X’s and O’s but from military-style psychological operations. In the week leading up to the game, members of Cal’s Rally Committee, who earlier obtained Pruitt’s Instant Messenger screen name, created an I.M. account for a fictional U.C.L.A. coed named Victoria. “Victoria” began flirting with Pruitt, sending him photos of herself (pictures of a very attractive woman that the Cal students had taken off the Internet) and telling him that she and her friends wanted to party with him and his teammates back in L.A. after the game against Cal. Pruitt responded in kind, writing, “You look like you have a very fit body” and “Now I want to c u so bad,” and eventually giving her his phone number and agreeing to get together when he returned from the game.

On game day, when Pruitt went to the foul line for the first time, Cal students began chanting: “Victoria! Victoria!” and reciting Pruitt’s phone number. Pruitt, a 79 percent free-throw shooter on the season, missed both shots and had one of his worst games of the year, shooting 3 for 13 from the field. Cal won the game by 11 points and went on to the N.C.A.A. tournament.

After the loss, Pruitt said of the Psyop tactic: “I’ve never seen anything like that, that big. It’s up there.” He then added, “My dad got a kick out of it, but he kind of told me to be careful.”

hahahahhah. sigh.

2006-12-07T19:54:00.000-08:00

As an addendum to my previous post, this one sums it up pretty well.

simple pleasures

2006-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Captivated by the lighted trees all over downtown disney. Soaking in the tunes of a jazz trio as I loaf around outside on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Gleefully playing mario kart DS against other enthusiasts, hoping that you cross the finish line without getting slammed by a red shell, or even worse, the blue shell.

These are quiet reminders of all that is good and meaningful in the world.

hope

2006-11-15T23:08:00.000-08:00

He never lets go. He just won't.

shaq who?

2006-11-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVE the way how Andrew Bynum hustles on the floor. He's quick, has good hands, makes his free throws, and brings energy to the entire team. When (yes, when) we make playoffs this season, look to him to be one of the main reasons why.

And I couldn't ask for a better introduction to LA Kings hockey than watching a game in which they tied the Minnesota Wild late in the third period, sending it to sudden-death overtime, but they just couldn't get it done in the sudden-death shootout. I just couldn't help but think that they could have won had they used the Flying V or the knucklepuck. I know, wrong team. Hockey at Staples Center was surprisingly fun nonetheless.. thanks butch!

cindy & paul's wedding

2006-10-30T21:08:00.001-08:00

indescribable

2006-10-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

I will see you face-to-face one day.

Time lapse movie of an aurora display over British Columbia, Canada.

new york

2006-10-19T00:46:00.000-07:00

Had a fun weekend in ny before I headed down to nj for business. Thanks mr. ku for housing me and for sacrificing yourself to sleep upon on a makeshift bubble-wrap mattress for two straight nights. Here's some moments.

One of the courses at the Otto. I can now proudly say that I've tried and tasted oyster and anchovy pizza, although I simply couldn't finish it. The TMNT would be sorely disappointed.

Washington Park. We waited for over a half an hour watching these street performers go through their song-and-dance just to see their final act, but it's hard to say if it was worth the wait. The guy in the red shirt on the far right actually jumps over the five people who are lined up in the middle.

What me and giancarlo had at Pamba's steakhouse that night. Sadly, this turned out to be one steak that kicked my ass. A huge red apple encased in a glass box hangs outside the 24/7 Apple store. Gorgeous.

Me, billy, andy at a diner. It's friggin 7am. We would proceed to wake up at 3pm the following day.

Me and andy slept on the air mattress while billy, being the rugged beast that he is, slept upon strips of bubble wrap.

Ground Zero.

Somewhere in the financial district.

Katz's Deli. Omg. This place is incredible for their pastrami sandwiches.

Outside of Katz's. And.. we definitely got our quarter's worth out of that horse. Yes, the bar was crowded at the time.

You're a good town new york. However, you ruined my sleeping schedule for the next two weeks.