Monday, December 7, 2009
(Originally posted on Facebook)
As you saw from my last note, the end of November brought me some bad luck, specifically in the realm of bicycle tires. If one looks hard enough, one might find balance in the universe around them. I looked, and saw the balance of my luck tip in the other direction with the start of December. If this trend of awesome keeps up, this month is gonna be legen—wait for it—dary!
Tuesday, December 1st
Kahala Beach
What better way to spend the first of December in Hawai’i than at a beach? During the waning hours of my work shift that Tuesday, I got a text from Juvana that read, “Brit and i are coming to meet you at kahala mall so you better be ready to hang out with us fool” (yeah, she’s gangsta like that). When my shift ended, I got a call:
“We’re going to Kahala Beach. Meet us at Wet Seal.”
“I don’t have my bathing suit.”
“So what? We’re going straight there.”
“But—”
“—No, we’re going straight there.”
And we did.
Now the beach was rocky and there were no waves, but there was still great weather and beautiful views. The best aspect of that adventure, though, was that it was completely impromptu. . . and that, sir, is awesome.
Thursday, December 3rd
Part of Thomas (France), Akos (Hungary), and Yuri (Japan), making sushi.
Following the theme of impromptu activities, my roommates and I rearranged the furniture in our living room. Rearranging furniture may sound like a chore, but as Jake knows, it can be a great experience. Besides breaking the monotony of everyday living and allowing creativity to flow, moving furniture around a room is, above all else, a great bonding experience to have with roommates. It started with Mose vacuuming, asking us to move chairs out of the way. We started moving tables, too. Then the couch. Then others came home and BOOM, the whole living room was rearranged! And just in time, too, because—
and here comes Thursday awesomeness, part II
—our friends came over with the ingredients for a sushi dinner! Yuri (from Japan) and Jenny (from Germany) are in an English class with my roommate Akos (from Hungary). They’ve come over to cook before, and it always results in a United Nations-type feast. I have another roommate from France (Thomas), and one who spent half his life in China (Peter). With Mose (from Hawai’i) and me (from California) at the table, the conversations are always interesting, hilarious, and comprised of many accents. The are, in short, awesome.
Friday, December 4th
I need to find this girl. She goes to Cal, seems to have studied abroad, could possibly be from Hawai’i, and obviously has Cal spirit.
I went to the movie theaters with Thomas, Akos, and some friends. I saw 2012 (6/10) andBrothers (8/10) (OK, I confess, I movie-hopped. It’s against my cine-morals, but my friends sneaked into Planet 51, which I never want to see, while Brothers, which I really wanted to see, started as soon as we got out of the first film. I had no choice). My bike—which is pimped out with a basket adorned with a Cal sticker—was locked up outside one of the nearby Starbucks. When I returned to my bike, I found this message scrawled on a napkin left in my basket: “I go to Cal and have been out of the U.S.A. for 3 months. Seeing your sticker made me SO happy. Have a wonderful night! GO BEARS!!” This napkin is tangible proof of the camaraderie of the extended Cal family and the warmth of Cal Spirit. Though the elusiveness of the note’s author is mildly frustrating, her note is nothing short of awesome.
Saturday, December 5th
There seem to be other Mighty 4 events in other cities in the US and Canada. Check it out!
Bored and disappointed by the Bears’ tragic, season-ending loss to the Huskies, I called my friend Ingrid to see what she was up to. Of course, she was doing something random and cool: she was at UH watching a b-boy competition! I met up with her later and, for the first time, witnessed skilled breakdancers. Live! The closest I got to watching live breakdancing was seeing my middle school peers attempt the Worm at a school dance. This was much, much better. I saw three-person crews battle it out, the final eight whittled down to one dominant group. The best part, though, was that after each fantastic showdown of oneupmanship, the music ended and all members of the battling crews gave each other hugs and props. No matter how high the stakes, the bond over a shared passion outshone any possible conflicts. I’m sorry I couldn’t share any pictures, I didn’t bring my camera. But believe me, it was awesome.
Future Awesomeness
How can this month get any better? Well, for starters, my cousin Avery comes back in a couple days. I’ve absconded her friends while she’s been away, I think it’s time I share.
What else does December bring? That’s right, holidays! I will always love those.
Speaking of holidays, I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS! Yes, I’ve missed San Francisco and Berkeley a lot, and while I’m in no rush to see Livermore again, I miss all my friends and family there. I’ll be in the Bay Area between the 23rd and the 30th, so if you’re around, give me a call! I’m returning to O’ahu just in time for New Year’s.
Thanks for reading. Tomorrow, I will upload the pictures I took at Pearl Harbor today (the 68th anniversary of the attack). Look out for that photo album! (Photo album on Facebook)
—
It’s Roxy time!
At Macy’s with Brit and Juvana, I found a large poster of famous Roxy model Jarah Mariano (you’ve seen her before). This is one step closer to meeting Jarah in person!
Young Man Went East 