Beach Bum Network

I was reading an article about Henk Rogers, who license the game Tetris for Nintendo.  It was one of my all-time favorite video games.  I nomally don’t like playing video games, but Tetris is different.  It was the game of the 80′s, a brain-game, building block elimination to advance to the next level, testing your hand-eye coordination and quick-thinking strategy and logical skills.  I played it with my brothers and beat them up to level 16, it had a shooting rocket at the end.  Besides Tetris, Henk started up Blue Planet Foundation in Hawaii, an organization to “end carbon-based fuel usage, become clean, green energy self-sufficient, become more self-powered, and drive electric vehicles.”  He’s about “innovation and repair and organizing situations until they’re optimal.”  Kinda like Tetris, “problems fall into his consciousness to be flipped around, fit together and-poof!-made to disappear.”

Thinking about my own life at the moment, things have been chaotic and thrown off course, again.  It’s mainly work, or lack of it.  Our jobs are where we spend 30%+ of our day.  The % of people who actually love what they do is probably < 5%.  (F)unemployment, as some people refer to, can be daunting but could be the best thing to happen.  It also helps to have a positive outlook on it.  With the time off to shift focus and gears, I’m actually working towards self-employment and volunteering for things I’ve been meaning to do.  Stealing my mentor’s word, “back-burner projects”.  Stay tuned to find out what’s cooking

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I went to volunteer with Surfrider Foundation today, http://surfrider.org/oahu.  They’re a “non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves, and beaches.  The Oahu Chapter’s mission is to improve water quality, maintain beach and ocean access, and assure responsible development on the island of Oahu.”  I love volunteering, it’s something I do because I love giving back to the community.  It is the right thing to do.  Karma.  For the love of humanity, for the love of the beach, in respect of the aina (land).

It was a gorgeous sunny day at Waimanalo Bay.  We are so very blessed that the earthquakes and tsunami didn’t touch the beautiful white sands and crystal clear waters of this area.  We are also blessed that there are volunteers and groups like Surfrider who really make an effort to put on events, raise awareness, and do good on their part.  Once a month the group organizes beach clean ups around the island.  I’m doing my part, are you?

As the world knows, Japan was struck with a newly measured 9.0 magnitude earthquake, this comes just a few months after the 7.1 magnitude Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand.  Being from California, I lived through many earthquakes, including the big Quake of ’89, also known as The Loma Prieta Earthquake or the World Series Earthquake. On October 17, 1989 at 5:04pm, just 5 days after my 11th birthday, a 6.9 earthquake shook the grounds underneath me as I was waiting for Chinese school to start.  It felt like someone pulled the carpet from underneath, as the ground shook and rolled for about 15 seconds.  Most of the students like myself were young and never experienced an earthquake nor were taught anything about it.  So we all ran for the door.  Lucky I lived only a mile from school and was able to get to home quick.  I can’t even imagine what the people of Christchurch, NZ and Sendai, Japan are going through right now.  I can only pray and hope for them to overcome these tragic times.  I donated to the Red Cross, and I hope you will too.  www.redcross.org

There was a Sand Castle building contest at Kailua Beach today, but the short drive from town took soo long.  First I drove in the wrong direction, instead of heading to H-1 West to the Pali Hwy, I went towards H-1 East, doh!  Then experienced major mid-day traffic at the Kapahulu/Kapiolani freeway entrance.  There was also road work on Nuuanu, oy.  Thank goodness I had my iPod tunes rockin’ in the car…it’ll be an enjoyable cruise.

Drove around to find parking and had to circle again.  I got lucky as this guy was leaving and gave me his spot, sweet!  The beach was pretty packed with tourists, I guess they were all here to see the sand castles.  Here’s pictures of all the ones built.  I really liked the “Buddha Hanging Loose” and “Slumdog Brazilionaires”.  Which one’s got your vote?

Sometimes how we are and how we express ourselves (online) is different.  I wouldn’t say I’m drastically different, but a friend once told me my “online self” is my avatar, someone who’s adventurous / takes risks / alive / social, and when you see me and really know me, I’m “reserved”.  Is it signs of being bipolar?  Hmm, maybe it’s just the Libra trait of trying to find the balance in life o_O.

It’s another start to a new year in the lunar calendar.  It’s also another new year being away from my family.  This is the 3rd Lunar New Year that I’ve spent in Hawaii by myself.  In 2009 I was in Maui, in 2010 and 2011 here in Oahu.  Sigh…the choices I make in life.  Can’t believe the years are adding up!

I remember being home, my eyes would get watery and nasal congested from smelling the incense burning for days (Ancestor Worship beliefs of my parents and their parents).  But the smell of food that mom makes for the occasion –  shark fin soup, egg rolls, fried chicken, fried sweet potatoes, sticky rice, roast pig, and a whole lotta yummy special occasion eats – makes my mouth water.  Major spring housecleaning, big family meals, incense burning, food offerings, wearing new clothes, collecting red envelopes, celebrating being a year older, being with family, the new years memories…how I miss it.

New year brings new everything.  Every day should be that way!  I’m blessed and thankful for the basics of life, family, friends (near and far), good health, conscience, morals, integrity, and positive attitude.

恭喜發財 (Gung Hay Fat Choy) Wishing You Prosperity and Wealth!

This is actually yesterday’s event but since it’s 1/11/11, I’ll make it an entry.  

Another epic day of bike riding partial way around the island on my Blue Steel beach cruiser.  The day started slow as I thought I had flat tires, I had to get a pump.  I called my friend for help and he suggested I go to a local bike store and ask them for air and remember to smile, haha.  Trying to be self-sufficient as always, I just went to buy a portable pump instead.  Continuing my plans of heading to Kahala to see the Sony Opens’ golfers practice.  I don’t have a clue about golf, just curious to see what the event’s all about and looking for celebrities .  I checked in and started walking around taking photos.  As I walked and snapped, a voice calls to me asking if I wanted a ride.  I looked and it was an older guy on a golf cart.  It reminded me of when I was in Maui with my hostel friend Alexandria.  We walked from Napili to Ka’anapali heading to snorkel, and two guys offered us a ride.  We ended up getting free surf lessons and free drinks at the tiki bar, it was such an awesome day.  Back to the present, I took the guy’s offer to ride along in the golf cart, he needed to put decal stickers on the carts so I had to earn my rider’s pass.  It took less than 5 mins and we were done.  It ended up being a Hummer golf cart, street legal btw.  As he drove me around the humongous golf course to see the different holes and trying to figure out which celebrity golfer was where, he talked story to me about golf, where he grew up, went to school, where he’s retiring, he’s worked on production sets for Hawaii 5-0 and Off The Map, and more.  Such a sweet older guy.  As we drove past other security and club workers, he introduced me to them and they were friendly and funny.  They were also envious of the Hummer golf cart we were in and kept asking to trade or go for a ride, hehe.  Life is full of randomness, and randomness is life .

Hawaiians live in paradise but some of them don’t think that way cause they’ve never left the island.  In order to really live and experience, one must leave and see for themselves.  After that, then they would really appreciate living in paradise and calling it Home.  Many people travel TO Hawaii, return, and end up staying…that is MY experience.

da Beach Bum life!

Another 2 weeks back in the Bay, feels nostalgic each time.  Going home to familiar faces and places, yet it’s short-lived excitement and feelings, and then it’s time to go and move on…again.

Time Travel: weather always seems so cold like I’m going back to winter when it’s suppose to be mid-summer there.  It actually ended up at 100+ degrees when I left, whoa!

Time to Travel: luckily I already booked my flight to SF to be in my close college friend’s wedding or else I don’t think I could have gotten that time off easily, and 2 weeks at that.  A downfall of being a newbie on the job, not a whole lot of seniority nor say in the workplace.

Time from Travel: coming back home to Honolulu…does it really feel like home?  Quite a few events kinda shaken and turned me.  I moved here for myself, but now things happening back in CA makes me question, it’s not always about me…

Time and Travel: Life is too short.  You only live once.  Just do it.  As you grow older, you’ll find the only things you regret are the things you didn’t do.  Where’s the next destination?!