Saturday, December 22, 2012

what i would've tweeted: YVR - ICN

- 11:40 hours long flight to seoul, korea. oh boy, my ass.

- spacious economy class cabin is spacious, yo!

- and really good selection of inflight movies too! first movie: ted. he came back to life!! he's jesus!!

- we are seating next to this really nice korean guy. he's from edmonton too. he asked, "how come there are lots filipinos in millwoods?"

- 10 minutes into the flight...boom! turbulence.

- dang! i forgot how much food they serve here! and delicious too! seriously, not too bad for plane food.

- already on my third glass of wine.

- no whiny kids on this flight so... this is a bit awkward. i got nothing to complain about. hehe.

- aaron tveit was on premium rush??

- i'm probably late on the bandwagon but....premium rush was so good!!

- 4:23 hrs til seoul.

- patabaing baboy - fattening pig

- oh my sister is cracking me up like eggs for some benedict.

- michelle's take on the flight attendants: "ate, they look like princesses. i want to take one home!"

- celeste and jesse forever!!!!!!

- you got everything i need. you're like a medicine to me.

- 5 mins til land time! breathe. ass. breathe!

- kowreeyaaa!!


Saturday, November 17, 2012

edinburgh and me

i really enjoyed my time in edinburgh....despite the weather. but that's edinburgh for you. crazy pouring rain when we got there from munich. we had to walk a very steep "hill" onto the royal mile with our extra heavy backpacks on...in POURING rain. myself and jodie felt immensely miserable. but once we reached out hostel, the amazing view of edinburgh castle welcomed us. the view from our room? george heriots' school. so nice to look at specially at night.

it's a city that is very rich in history. duh? it's a very old city. i love listening to stories, specially legends and folklore, from and about the medieval times. lots of craziness and gore back then.

every trip changes you. mostly, for the better. that's why i encourage people to travel. try something new, see something amazing, learn something foreign, understand better, adapt, and meet wonderful people along the way.

watching the sunset up on calton hill was really a blessing. it was relaxing up there. my original plan was to go up arthur's seat but my poor tired legs...oh well.

oh oh and i also tried some haggis. soooo delicious! haggis' main ingredients are sheep's heart, liver, and lungs. man, i wish i had more. now every time i see a flock of sheep, i count to myself "haggis....haggis.....haggis..."





Sunday, October 21, 2012

munich and me

what an amazing small town atmosphere in munich. it is VERY different from berlin. berlin has that new york city feel to it. munich? not even close and i didn't say that in a demeaning way. munich...or shall we say bavaria is much cleaner, older population, and much less crime rate. let's say 4 berlin pickpockets to 1 bavarian pickpocket. i felt very safe in munich.

went on a free walking tour sponsored by our hostel. but you know how it is with those free walking tours. you have to tip. if you don't tip, you're an asshole. our tour guide was ozzie....best tour guide ever! i felt i became very much of a local after the tour. a non-german speaking local at that. ozzie did not just showed us the landmarks of munich. he informed us about the history, the birth of the nazi party, the positive significance of adolf hitler, difference between berlin and munich, economy, their clean water, and how much bavarians love their beer.

i really enjoyed our time in hofbrauhaus. shared a table with a bunch of good people - fellow travelers. the advantage of missing oktoberfest is the beer price. so yeah we definitely enjoyed that. oh by the way, hofbrauhaus was where the nazi party had their first meeting.

every trip changes you. mostly, for the better. that's why i encourage people to travel. try something new, see something amazing, learn something foreign, understand better, adapt, and meet wonderful people along the way.

munich is a city that embraces its identity. bavarians live among the history, not in history.

münchen mag dich!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

prague and me

prague is rich with in-your-face beauty. all you have to do is look around. the history between the old town and new town and the story of its people's faith is pretty amazing to learn about.

for me, it's quite hard to imagine that the city was walled and had a moat. the catholicism that people practice there is still very present. i got to attend mass at the beautiful st. nicholas church right in the heart of old town square. thank god (see what i did there? hehe) they read the bible verses in english as well and not just in czech. quite an experience for me since i never bothered to attend catholic masses at all. the church was very solemn. it was different.

we met four fellow edmontonians (unusual, i know.) on our castle tour. after the tour, we all decided to go up the petrin tower together. as if we are not already captivated enough by prague, eh? the view from up there was amazing. the sun was setting too so it's double amazing.

every trip changes you. mostly, for the better. that's why i encourage people to travel. try something new, see something amazing, learn something foreign, understand better, adapt, and meet wonderful people along the way.

on our second day there, i woke up early so i could enjoy a much less tourist infested charles bridge. got all the shots i wanted, enjoyed looking at every statue, and properly rubbed st. john of nepomuk's statue and made a wish. it was fantastic!

prague is very cheap....if you have euros, dollars, and pounds. i made $80 CDN last for 2.5 days...souvenir shopping included. truth fact: in praha, beer is cheaper than water. i really wish i had room in my backpack so i could've bought more stuff there.

unfortunately, i didn't go to plzen due to time constraints. look up plzen and you'll know why i wanted to go there so bad. czech food is delicious too. i didn't have goulash but their version of roast beef and potatoes was darn good! "celebrated" canadian thanksgiving in prague too. jodie and myself had chicken kebabs and fruit beers. chicken...turkey...same difference.

for way more than the second time, i am very grateful for a rad and loving family, amazing friends who doesn't require much, and being able to see and experience the rest of the world first hand. it's very humbling from where i am standing.

(belated) happy thanksgiving!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

berlin and me

berlin - so much history to take in. good and bad parts of history...its history. but if it weren't for the past, the city will never ever be what it is today. the bullet marks on every building tells a story.

every trip changes you. mostly, for the better. that's why i encourage people to travel. try something new, see something amazing, learn something foreign, understand better, adapt, and meet wonderful people along the way.

went to tour the sachsenhausen concentration camp in orianenberg. we all know about the nazi history but we never knew enough. the game changer really is when you visit a concentration camp. brutal.

got to meet a bunch of good people at our hostel too. most of them are staying in berlin for 2 weeks to a month...or more. fun vagabonds. lots of aussie backpackers too.

there are too many to see and experience in berlin. museum square alone...oh man, i loved that area. the dome church, specially. i highly recommend visiting this place. the architecture, inside and out, is just breathtaking. also, wilhelm's body is kept in the crypt. so eerie down there with all the different royal coffins.

definitely going to visit berlin again. four days isn't close to being enough. really. i now have a better understanding of why travelers love berlin.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

amsterdam and me

every trip changes you. mostly, for the better. that's why i encourage people to travel. try something new, see something amazing, learn something foreign, understand better, adapt, and meet wonderful people along the way.

my take away from amsterdam is definitely the locals. it is an amazing city, yes, no doubt about that. but the locals are definitely something else. they are incredibly friendly to their visitors. visitors pick up on it right away so there's a quick mutual respect right there. pick pockets? pfft. give me a break. there are pick pockets everywhere.

as far as sight seeing goes, i think i saw everything that i wanted to see. funny that the comments i got on social media we're mostly about going to red light district and coffeeshoping. but then there's me, figuring out where the begijnhof is, the oude kerk, nieuwe kerk, rembrandtplein, anne frank house, vondelpark, koninklijk paleis, etc.

there is absolutely a ton more about amsterdam than girls in the window and flying high as a kite. amsterdam is a very beautiful city!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

finger wag

i am not a soccer expert. nor am i that big of a soccer fan. however, i do enjoy cheering for the canadian women's team. mostly during the olympics....coz of reasons of patriotism. and christine sinclair (she's darn amazing). bandwagoning? pfft. you probably missed the memo.....everyone is allowed to hop on whatever wagon during the olympics!!

yadda yadda yadda...too many issues to discuss with what went down during the match and post-match. FIFA said they're going to investigate further after the olympics. as much as i love CanWNT, tancredi should get suspended for this:




it's clearly NOT an accident. the ref didn't see it. otherwise, tancs could've gotten a red card. good sweet baby j! she played that game with extra roughness! i've never seen her play like that ever! i kept on yelling at the tv, telling her to calm her tits. anyways, yeah now maybe canada really deserved to lose that match after all. because of that very unsportsmanlike conduct? hell yeah. pfft. go ahead, hate me for going against canada on this one. i don't care. a good fan appreciates. a great fan wags his or her finger at her team when something is not right. boom!

speaking of red (yellow) card... during the men's tennis finals against roger federer and andy murray, somebody asked me if the umpire gave roger a yellow card coz there's a yellow indication next to his name on the board. i first LOLed and then my heart went "awww he doesn't know that that was just an indication for who is serving. cute." there are no yellow or red cards in tennis. no. just amazing racquet and verbal abuse.



Monday, June 25, 2012

and so it begins (again)...

now that i'm done freaking out, i can tell you guys what happened.

i napped right away when i got home from work. woke up at 6:15. jumped then ran for the bathroom. i thought it's already morning. it's 6:15 PM. PEEEE EMMM! phew!

i thought i was already late for work. no. honestly, the first thing that came to me was "i'm missing milos' (raonic) match!" but it's ok now. i'm here here.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

credit

read an article earlier entitled "beauty is what's behind your next raise." it's written by paul sullivan for metro news.

he started with: "when maria sharapova won the french open on saturday. it was another victory for the beautiful people."

then he went on explaining that good looks give you an upper hand at pretty much anything. i agree with that on some level. it's a sad reality. but to credit sharapova's good looks for her successful run at roland garros? for being back at #1? wtf, dude?! you don't win tennis matches for having good looks as if your opponent is going to lose because he can't see the ball coming because of your tremendously glowing clear face.

give the girl props for regaining her confidence in her skills. she's been playing some fantastic tennis these past few months. that's why she won the french open. that's why she's back at being #1.

don't credit her good looks. those are for sponsorship stuff.

Monday, May 21, 2012

house series finale

that was a really good ending to the series. it's fictional but yeah i'd love to have a friendship much like house and wilson's. fake your death so you and your dying bestfriend can spend the remaining 5 months of his life together. i mean, come on!

also, everyone came back...except for cuddy. it's nice that everybody else is at peace with their lives at the end. it really is a good ending to a very smart and very much well loved 8 year old tv show.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

the human lady

the tony winner and multi-nominated at that human lady.

i've experienced laura benanti again last night! this time it's at the fairmont hotel in san francisco. the last time i saw her perform was three years ago in gypsy on broadway.

laura is, as per always, AMAZING! amazing! she sang her favorites and shared a lot of interesting stories in between songs. amazing! she also performed an original laura benanti...ukelele and all. something about bird turds, pick pockets, and being your own star. did i tell you she's amazing?

hanging back after the show = best decision ever! i got to meet her!!!! yes, i went a bit cray. i was a nightmare. i introduced myself and then she said "yeah i recognize you from twitter" me: "no way. are you serious?" laura: "yeah in those tiny avatar things." OMFFFG!!! *cue head explosion* then she hugged me and then our faces touched. took pictures and then more hugging and cheeks touching. and then my lady parts imploded. crazy! yeah i know? i guess she's super extra healthy now that it transformed her into this huggy person that she is now. but hey, i'm complaining. hug me all you want. take me home, i don't care.

she also smells perfectly delicious like a fucking meadow. yes, i complimented her smell. isn't that what normal people do? she had to run coz she has to be up at four in the morning. she was very apologetic about it. i can't get over how SUPER nice she is. and if you ask my friend katie, laura is in love with me. teefuckinghee!!

yeah that's right, you just read how i fangirl-ed over laura benanti. and you won't be reimbursed for your time. bwahahaha!

Monday, May 7, 2012

hands on a hardbody

where do i start? this show is really well done. i didn't think i'd love it more so than i expected. if you're a broadway freak, you'll realize how "star studded" this little show is:

hunter foster (little shop of horrors, urinetown, sutton foster's brother) allison case (hair revival)
keith carradine (hair, follies, martha plimpton's dad)
jon rua (in the heights)
david larsen (american idiot)
jay armstrong johnson (catch me if you can, a chorus line)
kathleen monteleone (legally blonde)
william youmans (wicked)
keala settle, scott wakefield, dale soules, connie ray, jim newman, mary gordon murray, jacob trent.

it's very moving to watch these actors go into characters and take us elsewhere. different characters who believed that this particular truck would solve anything and everything that's missing in their lives. amanda green's (high fidelity, bring it on) lyrics are just superbo! every song takes us much deeper into EACH character....even the guy on the sidelines. my favorite songs would definitely have to be i'm gone, burn that bridge, joy of the lord, keep your hands on it, and stronger.

hunter foster is my favorite. he made me tear up. his stache made me do it. i hated his character at the beginning of the show. then deeper into the second act, we were introduced to benny perkins' (hunter foster) soul. i also love keala settle's voice. her soprano is flawless. and her character? she played norma. the christian church goer who has so much faith in her beliefs.

sometimes, we lose focus on what we are set out to do because of the things and people that REALLY matter to us. we give up big things for our love ones and weigh what's important at the end of the day.

"if you want something, keep your hands on it. if you love someone, keep your hands on them."

Thursday, May 3, 2012

layover

in san francisco right now. 3.5 hours layover. en route to orange county.

i saw viola davis about a beer ago. she fine.

there's nobody gawkable here from where i'm sitting. four tables away is a group of old folks with money clips. they are congregating and drinking bloody marys. hmmm....maybe if i walk around, the possibility of eye boning somebody might occur.

what? i don't give a shit. i'm not from here. and it's a thursday.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

turning zombienissa

the ever athletic and flexible me managed to miss a step over the weekend. i went home limping and in pain.

sprained right ankle and a wounded left hand. scratched. deeply scartched (oxymoronic, i know). you can see flesh. i used said hand to prevent my head from hitting the ground or anything hard (not dick).

and now it appears that i'm turning into a zombie. if i did turn into one, i'd like to eat bret mckenzie and jemaine clement's kiwi brains. why? youtube why.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

look, ma! i met an (e)GO(t).

he's been nominated for a tony award multiple times. however, he is not the biggest fan of it (tonys). they never let him win and he hates the politics that surround it.

he is an almost EGOT because he has won a grammy and an oscar...multiple times.

stephen schwartz yo! the genius behind wicked, pippin, godspell, and the baker's wife to name a few. he also wrote music for the prince of egypt, enchanted, the hunchback of notre dame, and more.

ever had that feeling when somebody bigger than you unexpected becomes human? yeah like that. never have i imagined meeting him at the US open. but that's exactly what happened to mm's summer 2010.


the wizard and i

Monday, March 12, 2012

electricity!

edmonton's 2012-2013 broadway season was just announced last week. it will include mary poppins (july), rock of ages (november), and billy elliot (march 2013).

their 2011-2012 season will be closing later this month with blue man group. you bet your ron swanson, i'm going.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Monday, March 5, 2012

late night at the symphony

got to experience the edmonton symphony orchestra (again. much better seats though) on friday night. they played classic movie scores from the original planet of the apes, aliens, body heat, the gershwins' "but not for me" from the musical girl crazy. that song was also used in movies such as manhattan, four wedding and a funeral, and when harry met sally.





my favorite among the songs they performed that is john williams' score for "catch me if you can." listening to it being played live is beyond superb. don't get me wrong, the planet of the apes orchestration is amazing too. it's just that i connect more to catch me if you can than i did with the others. 






they had a guest saxophonist. ashu. he's very talented and shows emotion in every part of every piece. i'm a fan of musicians who can take you on another level with their performance. they drift you into their aura of passion and just leave you amazed by their talent.


oh right yeah.


i also got to meet william eddins briefly. the conductor, yes.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

something about the wind

the wind can't blow in the same direction for each of us. if it (wind) leads us off track from where we want to go, we will always have that option of going back to our "manual." someone you trust and believe in. god...higher power...friend...therapist...what have you.

from my christian pov, our relationship with god varies. yes, there are plenty of laws. crazy laws. if you focus on that, you'll lose focus on far more important things. try not to align yourself with other people's christianity. i did that before and i was unhappy. your faith is your faith. we can't go on forcing people to stay on the same faith course that we are in. savour the freedom of having whatever kind of relationship that you wish to have with your god. it's between you and him. not between you and him and your susan blackwell. remember though, at the end of the day, only YOU can answer for yourself.

that's living, i guess.

Friday, March 2, 2012

in progress

i want to get to that chapter where i can only absolutely see people.

not religion. not race. not colour. not jobs. not sexual preferences. not money. not talent. not sizes.

just people.

working on it.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

acceptable

happy leap day on a hump day! what a superb day to make awkward sexual advances and get away with it.

or get away with tit.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

stop that

today, i taught my church youth about the power of standing up yourself to your elders. there was an obvious issue that happened simultaneously during our youth program this afternoon.

the youth department is probably the most crucial part of my church's structure. there's a lot of action and planning and involvement that has to happen. getting the teenagers to participate is always on top of my list. it's hard but i always try to give them my best. i always stand up for them no matter what. never have i kicked their opinions aside so i could push mine on them.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

IWCAB

valentine's day is a holiday invented by the hallmark people....or some other capitalist back in the days of yore. 

this local radio host won't stop talking about men being nice to their women on vday and getting surprising presents and stuff. more importantly, she pointed out how she feels terribly sorry for all the singles out there. how they won't contribute anything to the post-vday conversations at work. how things must be hard for them to have their co-workers gush about their men. 

Thursday, February 9, 2012

FRIENDS trivia time

i'll be hosting a FRIENDS trivia game on twitter every thursday night at 8 PST/9 MST via @quizwithFRIENDS.

game rules and scoring:

- always @reply your answers to @quizwithFRIENDS. otherwise, it wouldn't count.

- once the next question has already been tweeted, answers to the previous one will no longer count. or even when the answer has already been announced. (duh??)

- game will go on for an hour. 15 questions. minimum of 3 minutes between questions.

- 1 pt if you answer correctly.
2 pts if you're the first to answer
correctly.

let's play!!! #FRIENDStrivia follow @quizwithFRIENDS on twitter.

Monday, February 6, 2012

family

"family is family. whether it's the one you start out with...the one that you end up with...or the family that you gain along the way." -- gloria, modern family

these are only a few of the ones my family gained along the way.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

move

i didn't realize i'd care as much as i do at this moment. trust me, i've accepted that the time will eventually come. i guess...i guess...i didn't really prepare myself for when it actually becomes official. which is now. that unfortunate feeling of disconnection that that person is no longer part of what you've always known as far back as when you learned how to walk. yes, that. it's upon me.

no hatred. no, no.

just more love and acceptance.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Sunday, January 1, 2012

new nuevo nouveau

oh my dear dear 2011, what a blast of a year you have been!

if i were to bullet every lesson, fun, sadness, poetry, life, love, music, adventure, heartache, acceptance, tear, death, forgiveness, honesty, prose, meekness, food, laughter, purchase, scream, travel, snore, fart, birthday, shot, pitcher, phone call, new friend, new family, friends becoming family, late night and early morning....man, it might take me half of 2012 to finish thoroughly.

no adjective will ever fit how i feel about my 2011 being my 2011. i wouldn't have it any other way. really.

from my home to yours, i wish you a bounty of love, laughter, and all around prosperity! here's to an amazing 2012! cheers!