The Inspirational Letter

The joys of snail mail :) ... Today I received a letter in the mail from my sponsor child in Thailand. She drew this wonderful picture on the back of the letter and I thought it would be nice to share the picture with you. Ami is 8 years old and lives in Mueang Na. Her father is a farmer so some of the questions that she asks are in relation to farming.

In any case, it was so inspiring to receive this letter. I was overjoyed when I opened it and was so glad that it came at a time where I needed a little push to finish my homework :)

I really want to write more, but I have this pounding headache because of my sore throat, ugh!

Soap!

IMG CREDIT: http://shellypark.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/dove1.jpg

I was wondering the other day in the shower, why did they decide to make the soap bar in a curved shaped and who thought of this great idea??? It's so wonderful how the soap bar seems to fit to your body and it's amazing that someone would even comprehend this idea. With something so simple, you can find something so amazing out of it! So the next time you take your shower, thank the person that invented soap and the one who redefined it to the curved shape we see in Dove and other brands today!

Hollywood Style!

Check it out, it's my co-worker's son in one of his commercials!!

Commercial

I remember when he was born!

For those who know, it's Kyle, Mr. Mustard's son!

Enjoy!

Feeling Naked

I know the feeling of the expression, "feeling naked without ..." As most of you know, I never leave home without a camera and this time, I had my Canon Powershot with me. Well, I went to Disneyland to watch Kristen perform, so I brought my camera with me and since it shoots HD, I only brougth the powershot. Anyways, after forgetting my SD card at home because I was downloading pictures, I purcahsed a replacement in Disneyland and you can only guess what the pricetag on that was :) ... after eating, we hit Buzz Lightyear right before heading to the performance. Since I had Makoa on my lap, I only had one hand free and was taking pictures and video inside the ride. However, as we put our guns away, I heard my camera fall and it wasn't in the cart! Unfortunately, they couldn't get it when I asked and it took them into almost 3 to get it back to me. To make a long story short, I didn't shoot her performance on my camera and got it back just before we left the park. At least I got it back. In any case, I felt naked without it :T ... here are some shots on the day :) Enjoy! (BTW ... we were teaching Makoa some new poses!)

Anteater Lunch Club :)

A few Irvine alums joined together today for a lunchtime feast. We decided on a light and health menu that included caprese, a tomato ceviche salad, and Sicilian spinach pasta. In any case, I got the ingredients and we put our talents together to create our lunch!

The salad was suppose to be in a separate bowl, but being so eager to eat, I put it in my pasta bowl which is why there is only one plate in my picture.

The caprese had bread, basil, tomato and marinated mozzarella cheese. It was suppose to have olive oil and cracked pepper over the top, but I forgot :P

The salad was cherry and vine ripened tomatoes with yellow bell peppers, spinach, red onions, cilantro, avocado, dried fruits (cherries, cranberries, golden raisins, raisins), and tangerines with a ceviche dressing on top from the cookbook Nobu. There was also an option of feta or parmesan cheese for the topper!

The pasta was inspired by a combination of recipes and included marinated sun-dried tomatoes, marinated roasted peppers, mushrooms, spinach, almonds, basil, parsley, parmesan cheese, and of course garlic, pepper, and vegetable broth cooked with white wine. For the noodles I used a spinach linguini that was delicious. It was topped with pesto chicken and/or prosciutto. I failed and forgot to include red pepper :(

Paired with sparkling cider, this meal ended up being a wonderful and light afternoon treat!

There will definitely be reunions of the Anteater Lunch Club :)

The Business of Businesses and the Suits They Wear

I came across an article today that made me think that businesses and the idea of legal suits have simply come too far. It's no wonder that our society is in trouble. With all the threats of legal suits and all the protections to businesses who in some cases have shown that their top dogs are in the business to pad their pockets rather than to pad the pockets of their employees or to help the general population disgust me.

In this article, a girl essential try to trademark her charity McFest, a charity raising money for the special olympics after a few years of successful fundraising (approximately 30,000). In any case, to make a long story short (since you can read the article at AOL), McDonalds objected because it had "Mc" in it. If she was a business trying to make money in the fast food business, I might have concerns, however, the reality is, she seemed to have no intention of moving into McDonalds territory. To me, it's just ridiculous and is now a reason that for the time being, I'm boycotting McDonalds. Why support the money-hungry franchise when I could be supporting a mom-and-pop shop down the street who has better food anyways.

The government really needs to find to regulate how much control businesses have and to try and have them put restrictions on law suits, that financially ruin people, businesses (including the ones trying to protect themselves) and even the government. There's got to be a better way. An example you ask?

#1 - An insurance company sued when a meal carrier slipped on a patch of ice on an 81-year old's driveway.

#2 - A musician was sued for including a track of music on his CD with no words or lyrics since it was similar to another work by another artist.

#3 - A woman sued when two girls baked cookies and as a nice gesture delivered them to neighbors. The woman won.

The three examples are extreme, but I wouldn't say they are uncommon. Maybe I'm seeing things from a skewed perspective and you may see things differently, that's fine! You have a right to your opinion. I'm just stating my disgust for the situations that were addressed in this article.

In any case, just watch what you do or you might end up in a similar state!

Pay It Forward & Haiti

I revisit the points I made in a previous blog about the idea of paying it forward. If not in this blog, it was in my previous blog. The discussion centered around the movie Pay It Forward where a young student has the idea that if everyone helps a "X" number of people, then it would be beneficial to the world. In his case, I think the number was 3. While in the movie pay it forward, the random act of kindness was not planned or for any particular reason, we all have an opportunity to pay it forward. While the chances of someone in Haiti benefiting us in terms of economics or material wealth is minimal, the spiritual and emotional rewards will be beyond belief. While the concept of pay it forward believes that nothing should be expected in return for your good deed, I believe it is inevitable that you will be rewarded.

As you can see, the city is in ruins (video), the people in disbelieve (pictures) and the longer we wait, the higher the likelihood that even greater troubles lurk on the horizon. You can always donate directly to one of these organizations such as the American Red Cross, CARE, Oxfam, World Vision among others by checking out the link: http://www.networkforgood.org/?source=AOL&cmpgn=DOT. I would google the actual website of the organizations when donating so you can donate to the organization directly.

So let's do our own part and donate what we can, whether, food, clothing, supplies, money or simply your time, whether in volunteering, prayer or in your thoughts! Donations do not always have to be physical.

In any case, when this disaster has come and gone, remember this concept and idea, that if you pay it forward, maybe it's true that simply one person can change the lives of so many people. Not only will you feel rewarded by helping someone else, the chances of someone being there to help you will increase when you need the assistance. My guess is, this is a good time to start.

rain

pitter patter
the rain is a fall'n
people scatter

the shelter is flooded
the sun's in hibernation
it's mudded

water knee deep
rivers flowin' down the street
violently

the light flashes
from up above, the thunder
two warriors clashin'

someone's asking
when's this all gonna end?
it's my understandin'

mother nature's fury
unleashed in an instant
solve it in a hurry

no rain, no rainbows
soon the sun will shine again
when the rain goes

continue on your day
forgetting about your problems
headin' on our way

jason
1/21/10, 11:41am

when the sun disappears, the test of what and how much we can endure takes place and it is in the toughest of times that we discover just how prepared we are for the largest obstacles that we must surmount ahead, for this is but a molehill in comparison to the mountains that await us on our path to greatness.

who am i?

i went to new york this past weekend and while i was there i visited the m&m factory store in times square. while in there, i ventured to the m&m "determine what mood you are in" machine that tells you what m&m you are most like. the people before me got great colors ... pink, teal, and yellow. however, when i stepped up to the plate, not only did i get questions ... in the end, the machine had declared me a ... crispy rainbow m&m?!?!?! #@&*#! what? ... not only did this moment leave me at a loss for words, i was left standing at a crossroads wondering what was ahead for me. choosing to sit down, i placed both elbows on my knees with my face in my palm ... simply in shock from being referred to as someone with the mood of a crispy rainbow m&m.

i mean ... i know i am a different because i am such a beautiful and stunning guy with wonderful hair that turns heads and breaks heart (for those that do not know me, please be sure that you are hearing the sarcasm at this point) ... *cuing the sarcasm* ... however, a crispy rainbow m&m?!?!? do those even exist? so does that mean i don't even exist? is it good that i am original? or bad that i am off-the-wall?

like most guys, one of my goals in life is to find that companion who compliments me the best. well in my search for the perfect woman, i may have just figured out why the quest has been so difficult. do i even know who i am? if that's the case, how can i find my perfect companion if i don't even know who i am?!?! am i spirited or simply boring? am i extreme or extremely reserved? am i athletic? or simply fat? am i intelligent or dumb like a rock? am i open or do i close people off? do i appeal to people or do i turn them off? am i a romantic or do i just play one on tv? so many questions and absolute zero answers, except for, i am like a crispy rainbow m&m.

i guess the world is filled with so many perplexing questions such as why the earth is round? how do birds know when to migrate? what is the secret to reaching her soul? and now, why am i like a crispy rainbow m&m?

please, no answers to this, i already know you my friends and the types of crazy, offending, and ridiculous responses you would think of. just think ... a crispy rainbow m&m, really??

until another day ...

if not us

if not us ...

if we weren't meant for eternity
if in union we were not meant
i'd hope that someone like you
is with whom in eternity i went

the qualities you posses
both within and without
are far superior than any i have met
and i say that, without a single doubt

your passions and your energy
and all that you possess
to find someone equivalent
would be the ultimate test

the interest that you show in all
the things that i truly love
the similar love and compassion
you have for the One above

the words you find to uplift me
when i fall down into the pits
and when a piece of me is missing
you're the piece that seems to fit

a simple smile can light the darkest
of nights that i may come across
and you serve as my compass
when i seem to be ever so lost

to say you were so perfect
a lie i may have told
but to say you're perfect for me
i'd say, you got me sold

if i would have my picking
it'd be you i'd have forever by my side
as i know that for an eternity
we'd have an awesome ride

yet if that is not our destiny
and in union we could not exist
all the qualities that you posses
would be on my checklist

jason
1/19/10, 10:43pm

unpredictable roads

unpredictable roads

sometimes the road you travel
is unpredictable in many ways
as the places you're headed tomorrow
are different than they were today

while you can't always control
what lies beyond your reach
you'll know there are many lessons
in which life is trying to teach

as heartbreaking as losing a companion
someone who's trust was within your own
at times your road diverges
because it's time for you've outgrown

while salvaging may be a choice
only so much weight may your shoulders bare
and for you to be asked to carry all this
would be simply and utterly unfair

so think, can i move on from this place?
is it my time to explore what's beyond?
as you may find you'll easily move on
and of new things you'll seem to grow fond

see the direction in which your path leads you
maybe one day, you'll return to this place
however, don't look back on the past
rather, look to the future that you're about to face

jason
1/19/10, 10:26pm

advice for a friend :)

The European Venture

(Images from Various Sources on Google Images)

What do you think a wonderful one to two week long trip to Europe would look like?? How would this sound???

the cookie

it's like taking out the cramberry
and leaving all the rest
as a missing piece of the recipe
keeps it from becoming best

jt adds a special flavor
one that is thoroughly enjoyed
and adjusting to a partial
is not easily employed

yet while the actual piece is missing
i figure I can imagine in its place
remember all its goodness
that could never be erased

knowing all the good times
that the missing was able to provide
as it was always willing to be apart
always ready for the ride

and while this missing piece
will keep this cookie from becoming whole
taking from its essence
its energy and its soul

i'll remember how much it mattered
never forgetting the original taste
and knowing never to take for granted
or to let anything go to waste

i'll cherish all the pieces
knowing one may come up lost
and I'll know the incompletness
and the satisfaction that will be lost

i hope this missing ingredient
will find its way back to the bowl
as this large chuck of the cookie
is what keeps it from being whole

jason
1/18/10, 11:48pm

illusions of reality

illusions of reality

flowing hair
a scent of perfume
eye-catching attention
when she enters the room

a radiating smile
a glisten in her eye
an aura so amazing
like a sweet lullaby

movement so graceful
and energy galore
and all that is in her
making her shine even more

a heart so compassionate
her words just like gold
mysterious in ways
so much still left untold

in dreams only came
yet today, this is real
like illusions in vanishing
only moments revealed

with her departure
a piece of me went too
and i'll only be whole
when i once again find you

jason
1/18/10, 10:57pm

Interesting but Appealing

I always wonder how people come up with the fashion ideas that they do, however, sometimes, these items simply have that look to them that make them appealing, eye-catching, and ultimately a must-have.

While some designs borderline on tacky, when I start to search for things to add to my wardrobe, I look for original, yet practical. Not being a fashion guru at all, it's always hard to decide what to consider to add to my wardrobe or not and I always have the "oops" purchases that you regret so much after you get what you purchased. Then there are the, "where in the h*ll am I going to wear this" purchases that are cool, yet are clothes that you have no use for.

In any case, my latest additions are choices for the "original" side of my closet that will be worn less frequently, but can be used to be that eye-grabber unexpected item from deep within my LARGE wardrobe of clothes. It would be much easier if I had a better sense of fashion, but I guess, I just don't have that love for fashion or for shopping for that matter. I just like to browse through the internet for things that look cool, whether clothes, electronics, or what not.

Whether you like them or not, I welcome your comments, haha!

(Photos courtesy of Japan Street)

Adventures in New York: Day 3

After getting to sleep late, the 7am wake up call was not well received, however, we were up and out the door a little after 8 to head to West Village to hit up Gray Dog for breakfast, Zagat's Best Coffee in 2006 :) ... of course, I didn't get coffee, haha ...

We then ventured back to Chinatown and SoHo to simply enjoy the stores and deals offered. I amazingly came back with nothing, but still enjoyed the experience. We ended at the street vendor and now we are finishing packing in order to catch the Super Shuttle back to JFK! 

Unless I have amazing stories from the airport, which I may, I say farwell to you for this chapter in my New York adventures. I will see you again New York March 13-20, 2010! :)

Jason :)

New York

the city of lights

let the fun begin

no worries, no troubles

in this city i'm in

never they be sleepin'

all hours of day and night

as the glow of times square

shines, oh so bright

the taxis are hailed

the subways, perfecto!

always providin' the ride

where ever ya'll need to go

the shopping, one of a kind

the food, oh so "de-lish"

as the city continues to awe me

placing me in a state of bliss

the vender carts so dreamy

pizza & cheesecake, want a slice?

the musicals entertain

central park, oh so nice

the friends that we meet

such kind hearted souls

creating so many memories

that help make me whole

and soon, it'll all be over

just like a 40-meter dash

here today, gone tomorrow

it's so quickly to pass

yet all that ya'll engraved

on my soul and my heart

have ensured that these memories

i'll never be apart

as the night glow remains

and the people keep bussling

as new york is a city

for which i'll always have lovin'

jason

4:05am, 1/16/2010

something lame at the wee hours of the day as i can't sleep :) ...

Book Release Date - February 1st

Hey!

I've been working on finishing my poetry book and I think I'm almost ready for the plunge! Although my poetry is not the best and Hallmarkish, I'm glad that I can piece it together for a book that others can enjoy! Visit http://wutanabe.blogspot.com (some links) or http://www.wutanabe.com/links/art/literary.html to read some of the pieces being included ... 

I will give more details as they are available. :)

Enjoy!

Jason :)

Adventures in New York

Day 1 ... Everything went pretty smoothly in preparing as I got everything packed nicely and headed to Long Beach to pick up Christian. Christian has been super excited to visit the East Coast and I think it was cool that I would be traveling around with a YouTube star ... boy was I wrong ... haha jkjk ... before heading off, Thien-Nam, Christian and I hit up a taqueria in Long Beach (DELICIOUS!) before heading to the airport where the process of boarding was pretty painless ... early and able to relax, I was able to grade some papers, while Christian finished his video before heading to New York ... NinjaDrops: The One Where He Goes to New York ... 

On the plane there was a small super loud group on the plane that was funny at first, however, annoying after five to six hours in the plane. I even think that they made our plane late in landing at JFK! We arrive almost an hour late and because of it, hit an extra hour of traffic going to New York, sucks! Running late, we checked in our bags and headed down to South Ferry (where we went girl hunting, haha) to see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, walked up through Wall Street, over to the World Trade Center, over to Chinatown/SoHo for lunch, up to Washington Square where we ran into 'Toya, one of Christian's friends, over to Greenwich Village and back to the hotel to change for the musical! After eating delicious ramen at Sapporo, we headed to watch "In the Heights," which was super awesome!

The story really touched upon a lot of things that made me think of the importance of home and where we come from. It made me think about the intentions of parents, relatives, and friends, the discovery of true love, the battle for your dreams, and the connection with where you grew up that may never be broken. I think the events surrounding abuela were sad, however, I understand how it made people realize that although there may be so many things that one may want to do, sometimes, the sacrifices are necessary to take a less significant position, that may not bring monetary or material wealth, as much as it will the wealth of friends, family and others who will unconditionally love and support one another! So amazing!

After the musical we ran down to the Empire State Building for a look from the top and headed back to grab a midnight snack from the street vendors ~ chicken/lamb over rice, yum!! After working on my pictures, I passed out on the couch at about 2/3am to wake up late finding out that we had not set a wake up call ~ doh!

In the morning, our plans to get breakfast and tickets to a musical were destroyed by our late wake up, but did not destroy our plans for a fun-filled day. We headed through Central Park and took the ultimate tour of the park where we shot scenes for the YouTube special that will be airing soon! I myself am planning a response to the video, which will probably be, The Making of the One in New York ... lame eh??

The best was when Christian danced up a hill and two runners came down the hill and I said, "sorry my friend is crazy," and he said, "he's like Jiminy Cricket on crack!" LoL ... he was actually doing the Simba dance from Lion King, which was fun! After looking around at people at the park, we hit the MET, walked back down to the Apple Store where Christian recorded NinjaDrops - The One from the 5th Avenue Apple Store, hit St. Patrick's Cathedral, to Rockefeller Center, then back to the hotel. From there, we went back to SoHo to go to Muji and Uniqlo, then headed over to dinner at Morimoto's where we had dinner! We were suppose to have dinner with others, but we just had a good dinner of Chirashi, Surf & Turf, and sorbet to finish it off! Yum! Of course, Christian got his fruity drink, what a girl! 

We headed to Junior's for some dessert with the other Christian, Evan, Kerin and In-Ho. Yum! From strawberry cheesecake, to strawberry shortcake cheesecake, to regular cheesecake to my fruit cup, haha! We then hit the Hershey factory, where we rode the ferris wheel at Toys 'R Us, hit the Hershey factory for some chocolate and then to Times Square where five of us, because In-Ho had left, got on the Times Square video board!!! ... 30' of me, amazing! (JK) ... after meeting Spiderman and throwing my spider web at him, we headed to Union Station where we shot some clips before headed our separate ways ... 

Tomorrow is a new day and a new blog. I guess there is a lot of events I didn't include here, however, the main idea is, so far, so good! A lot of activities and a lot of fun!

By the way, I did in fact purposely act as if I did not know Christian :P ... TOURIST! At least his friends were nice :) and was a good wing man. LoL

Videos coming soon!!

Heading East

After a long period of waiting, it's finally time to head to New York. The job I was working on was completed and mailed two weeks ago, so there will be no worries on the trip! Hooray!

I guess it will be nice to get away and enjoy the time just relaxing and not worrying about much more than how to get from one place to another and where to eat :D .... the food, the food is something I will be looking forward to, for sure!

I'll be posting from NY, so I guess I will talk to you soon!

A Great Day

It's a pretty great day :)

Other than the fact that I am sore from working out, it means that I am working out :)

I made a good decision in buying the cheaper car stereo :)

I just received word that someone is coming back home next week :)

And of course, the Clippers beat the Lakers 102-91!

YAHOO!

Here's to great days!

Jason

A Fresh New Start?

PHOTO: The Bocalans & Myself at Christmas 2009 (Self-Portrait)

I doubt that 2010 is a fresh new start, nor is any other year, as it's just a promise that is bound to be broke, at least 8/10 times :) ... in fact, it took me all but 2 hours to break one of my resolutions and another 20 to break all of my resolutions - what will power, wouldn't you say?

I think what I need is a weekly resolution. I need to create my stepping stones and take my resolution one stepping stone at a time so that I may reach my ultimate goal. I think the reason people give in and fall short of reaching their resolutions is that they make a big goal that has no path to get to it! Like any goal, similar to what I tell my students when we do goal setting, if you set a high goal with no way to get there, you're setting yourself up for failure.

So let's call this weekend, my Mardi Gras of sorts! I had my fun. I broke my resolutions. I endulged myself. Now, it's time to get serious.

Tomorrow I run. Tomorrow I save. Tomorrow I carpe diem. Tomorrow I continue to clean and get organized. How? One step at a time :) ... As for tonight, it's my last hurrah :) ... tomorrow's a brand new day :D

In any case, thanks to everyone who made 2009 such a special year. I've met new friends who I hope to know for a lifetime. I experienced new things. I went to new places. I had my ups and my downs. But all in all, I can't complain. I saw friends get married. Others graduate. I've been stressed. I ran in 12-16" of snow. I became a student again. I cleaned my room again. And just had a great time. Here's to 2010!

the right plot

the right plot

the environment in which you place yourself
will determine the amount that you grow
as the nutrients provided in the soil
will determine how strong one becomes below

how strong the roots beneath you develop
takes the nourishment from the earth
as it must be providing what's required
the attention that you are worth

while some plots may be sufficient
keeping you growing, ensuring you survive
ask yourself if another plot is awaiting
with greater things that it could provide

don't be satisfied with the minimum
allow yourself nothing but the best
as you deserve to have amazing fruits for your labor
in an environment that is nothing but the best

jason
1/3/09, 3:42am

if you ever feel that the place you are in is not sufficient for you, ask yourself if there is something better out there for you, as often cases there is if you just work to seek it out! i'm not saying to simply leaving something if you don't think it's working for you, but don't allow yourself to be caught into something that you merely accept, ensure that you are in the right place that will allow you to grow and thrive as you deserve nothing but the best. no matter what, i'll be here to provide you with water that is the essence of your growth.

Shop-a-Holic

Tales of a shop-a-holic ...
Unlike some shop-a-holics you might know, my spending is not limited to clothing. Electronics are my source of my shopping fetish :( ... my new year's resolution starting at midnight tonight is to cut my spending by A WHOLE LOT! :) ... I need to save money and fast and it's not working the way I'm doing it ...

While I spent the money, I might as well show you some of the things I bought :) ...

In any case, next time I tell you I'm going shopping or simply to the store, remind me of my new year resolution, would ya? It would help me out a lot to keep myself in check :)

Happy New Years!