Monday, August 18, 2008

Nicole's Birthday Camping Trip @ Idylwild

It has been a loooong time since my last post. I lost some motivation after the Japan segment...thought my material wouldn't be as exciting, but now back on the grind. I gotta make the best of whatever. My life ain't super exciting, but hey, gotta keep the blog rolling.

Anyways, this is from a couple week's ago for Nicole Birthday up in Idylwild, camping with my folks' church group, one crazy, food-fun-loving people. First time we've camped in a while, Chiharu, Maiko, Miho, and Oreo's first time in the wild. Not much went down, no alcohol, ouch. Worth making it out for Nicole's 18th though, we gotta make it as special as we could. Peep:




Mother & Child...aawwww.



Oreo to the rescue!



The delicious cake all the way from Arcadia...props to Chichan!
Dorks.
Filipinos sure know how to make a pot-luck...gained madd weight.
The Men
The Females
Burfday Girl!
MMmmm...Lobster balls...bomb.

SKANK!


I think this was a horney pine cone, it was dripping madd sap...or pine cone juice...sticky icky!



Suicide Rock? naw, we couldn't find it, so we claimed this spot...makes us wanna commit suicide.


One of the church people was washing her hand with a water bottle into the bushes near our camp site, and BAM! This rattle snake just made her piss her pants.
White people freak out first...all the time.
Just a baby...
This mo-fo, we found on the dirt path just kickin' it in the heat. Lucky for him, Krystal was kind enough to nickname him...she named him "Skank," not like the dirty hoes in Home Gardens, but her hybrid name of a Snake and Lizard? Anyways, the locals didn't appreciate her yelling out SKANK! SKANK! Like brother, like little sister: obnoxious.

Monday, August 11, 2008

いただきます!

Chiharu's cooking is bomb to say the least, and unlike the other junk food I eat on the daily, at work especially, it's refreshing to eat some wholesome, healthy food once in a while to clear my clogged bowels. I say everyone should learn to cook and stop being lazy ass Americans. Now I realize what the cause of obescity is in America, it's cause we're lazy and people like Alberto's are out to get our lazy, dunk asses. So grab a cookbook, or search the web for some recipes. I guarantee, there's way better food than in the Value Menu.
Chicken Mussel Vegetable Stirfry
Okra and Bonito flakes
Bottom Line: Simple, easy, bomb as hell.

さよならラブちゃん!

There's a point in time when we grow very attached to our cars, we nickname them, we label them, we drive them into walls, etc. In the end, when it's about time to let them go, we then realize the true personal value of it. Your car becomes your friend, your partner in crime, your companion. I can't imagine all the times I had with my 91 Honda Accord, a.k.a. The White Beast, when he never failed to get me places safely especially when I'm ripped. Good memories. As for Chichan, she's gotta let her RAV4 (ラブちゃん) go, her first love in Cali. Put some good mileage on her and countless times has gone road tripping from Vegas to Santa Barbara. Farewell RAV4!
You are SO sexy...

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Last Moments in Japan @ 鹿児島

Damn! Already?! My final post for this year's epic adventure in Japan, done? Aw, well it's gotta end sooner or later. Anyways, we spent the rest of our evening after Sakurajima attending the Matsuri Festival in Tenmonkan. They do it up huge out here, way bigger, better than the ones in Downtown L.A. Little Tokyo, pshh...nothing but anime nerds there. The whole atmosphere is filled with the sizzle of what a summer night should feel like. The mixed rhythms, the crowded walkways, the heat from the grilles and fryers, youth is in madd effect. A variety of performances square off the crowd, from b-boys/b-girls, studio dancers, punk rockers, rapper, skaters, the whole street scene was heavy. Moms, dads, brothers, and sisters, old and young, gathered this night, all participating in the same activities, grubbing out, sharing moments watching hanabi. Being able to experience such an event is a life story, and an unforgettable last moment and impression I had in Japan. Let's get on with the show...

French Dogs
Peep that grub! Mmm...try NOT being on a diet during the festival.
Watching the fireworks, they make it big out here.
Catch yourself of goldfish, take it home, eat on the spot, flush it...whatever.
Something to lure the kiddies...

So proper.
Forgot her cell phone at the pad.
Old workplace.
Real men own dragons.

For 30 yen you can grab one of the best tasting chocolate treats - Black Thunder!




My last morning view of Tenmonkan. Somany things went down here, alot of it I don't remember and alot of it I will never forget. Good times.
My last grub of Ramen, damn too bad it sucked...and the cook was a dickface.
More Tenmonkan...
...gonna miss this.
Some of Chiharu's old friends
...and Jason!
”チョーリス!”

The Japanese Girl's Daily Grind.
Before night fall...
...assembled back with Mama, for one last time to eat her delicious meal.
A few surprise guests came out for a farewell.
Awesome, just when I though I would never be able to "onsen" anymore, I was blessed with the Kagoshima airport had a foot bath for one last time before departure.
...and Jason.
Gotta get one of these in my house.



Well, I guess this is how the trip ended. I knew months before I would even go to Japan, that I would have the hardest time adjusting to the California lifestyle again, and yes, yes I did. Seperation anxiety from the people, the places, my friends, the food, and offcourse the All-you-can-drink. The month dragged out in the beginning, but for the last few days went by so fast, and I really wanted to stay longer, even forever. I'm glad I was able to do a lot of things and visit a lot of famous places, even if I sacrificed every bit of energy just to do or see it, it was worth it. I left a lot of good people there, I met some new faces, made new relationships, made myself feel at home, got really drunk, basically everything on my checklist was checked off and some more items were added on as a bonus. Besides the uncomfortable humidity and rain, Japan is still one hella of a vacation spot. In the meanwhile, just gotta save up enough to go back and do some more havoc. Signing off my Japan trip sucks.
おつかれさま!

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