Welcome To My Life

The end of the Blogging chapter.

2008-04-02T15:24:00.000-07:00

Its been a good run, but with all the stuff currently going on in my life, I just don't have time to upkeep this stuff anymore. I still plan on writing about my travels and everything, just not on blogger anymore. I think Picasa is and will be a better medium for me to share my stories since people (including myself) usually skip to the pictures anyhow. With short summaries and extended captions,

[10.31.2007 to 11.03.2007] -- Mountain Biking | SEMA Show

2007-12-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

10/31/2007: Biking in Bootleg Canyon (Boulder City, NV).From the website: "Bootleg Canyon Mountain Bike Park is an extensive network of World Class Downhill and Cross Country mountain bike trails located in Boulder City, Nevada. The area has been visited by riders from as far away as Japan and Germany and has been written up in magazines around the world. The International Mountain Bike

[10.21.2007 to 10.29.2007] -- 广州, 中國

2007-11-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

My trip back to China ended up being a short, one week jaunt - but even so, it was certainly a welcome change from the daily grind. Although Guangzhou isn't exactly a tourist mecca, it certainly was interesting from a cultural/social/economic perspective. The amount of development and population in China is mind-boggling! And to think, that the "largest mass migration of human beings" is expected

[10.12.2007 to 10.14.2007] -- Anniversary #6: Two Harbors, Catalina

2007-11-13T21:57:00.001-08:00

Just so you know, that 6 is NOT a typo. It sounds crazy, but I think I'm happier now than I've ever been! You would think its counter-intuitive on some levels, though its probably just part of this whole 'maturity' thing; the very thing that I still don't know how to handle because I still think of myself as a kid most of the time haha. But whatever, I shall say this much: I'm an incredibly lucky

[10.03.2007] -- Wednesday Night Cooking

2007-10-27T03:13:00.000-07:00

**Time to do some catching up.... excuse the lazy commentary hehe. At least I added captions to all the albums; I'm almooooost caught up!** Photos from our somewhat-weekly cookathon. On the menu this week was spinach, eggplant, ground turkey, and Italian sausage stuffed pasta shells in a creamy tomato sauce and it was deeeeeeelicious! I must've used that word at least 100x throughout the night,

[09.21.2007 to 09.23.2007] -- SF Dragonboat Tournament

2007-10-27T01:46:00.000-07:00

**Time to do some catching up.... excuse the lazy commentary hehe. At least I added captions to all the albums!** My first 'real' dragonboat race! It was definitely a whirlwind trip, but we made the most of it from the start. A condensed recap:9/21 Friday730pm: Nancy and Sylvia pick us up at SFO.830pm: Dinner #1 at Chevy's.10pm: Dinner #2 in the Tenderloin with Jam9/22 Saturday6am - 4pm:

[09.15.2007] -- Nike Run | Hit | Remix

2007-10-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

**Time to do some catching up.... excuse the lazy commentary hehe. At least I added captions to all the albums!**Nike's annual 90s Hip-hop themed 5-mile run in Downtown LA. Featuring performances by En Vogue, Naughty by Nature, The Sugarhill Gang, Blue Cantrell, and MC Hammer. Its a sad fact that all these artists bring back fond memories for me, while my little brother seems to think they wer "

[09.01.2007 to 09.09.2007] -- Allen Visits

2007-10-25T03:17:00.000-07:00

**Time to do some catching up.... excuse the lazy commentary hehe. At least I added captions to all the albums!**Ironically, a few weeks after visiting Allen in NYC, he returns the favor by coming back to Socal! We certainly made the most of the week and saw a ton of old friends, combined with a ton of activities..... whew. It was certainly an extremely busy (but fun) week.Part 1of2: Biking, San

[08.06.2007 to 08.12.2007] -- Fairfax | Roadtrip

2007-10-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

**Time to do some catching up.... excuse the lazy commentary hehe. At least I added captions to all the albums!**I had a total of 48 hours in Los Angeles to recuperate from Europe and hang out at Winnie's bday party, before packing up my bags yet again. This time, I was off to Fairfax, VA for a weeklong training course out at our main research offices. Training usually means sitting in class all

[07.31.2007 to 08.03.2007] -- Helsinki, Finland | Talinn, Estonia

2007-09-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

**Time to do some catching up.... excuse the lazy commentary hehe. At least I added captions to all the albums!**The final stop on my little stint through Scandinavia. Visible in both the architecture of the buildings and various parts of the city, Helsinki has its own unique feel; a product of both Swedish and Russian influences in its past. We didn't really end up spending too much time here,

[07.28.2007 to 07.30.2007] -- Stockholm, Sweden

2007-09-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

**Time to do some catching up.... excuse the lazy commentary hehe. At least I added captions to all the albums!**My favorite big city of the entire trip! Stockholm embodies such a seamless blend of not only the rich remnants of its old history, but also a thoroughly modern side that is ever efficient. All this wrapped up in a small enough package to cover with just a few days time, and its not

[07.26.2007 to 07.28.2007] -- WWR | In Transit | Bergen

2007-09-27T15:43:00.000-07:00

**Time to do some catching up.... excuse the lazy commentary hehe. At least I added captions to all the albums!**White-water rafting down the Jostedal River (Class III). Not much white-water, but absolutely stunning views. Unfortunately the amateur doing the photography forgot to bring his spare battery so we only got pics of half the trip.... d'oh!This is a collection of random pictures taken

[07.24.2007 to 07.25.2007] -- The Nærøyfjorden | Nigardsbreen Glacier, Norway

2007-09-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

**Time to do some catching up.... excuse the lazy commentary hehe. At least I added captions to all the albums!**The Nærøyfjorden is a narrow, scenic branch of the much larger Sognefjorden, which is the deepest and longest fjord in Norway. This particular branch is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is generally considered one of the best examples of fjords in Norway. Absolutely

[07.22.2007] -- Biking the Rallarvegen, Flåm, Norway

2007-09-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

**Time to do some catching up.... excuse the lazy commentary hehe. At least I added captions to all the albums!**The Rallarvegen was originally built as a supply road for the initial construction of the Oslo-Bergen train line. I took the train up to Finse - the highest station in Norway - and rode the 35 miles back down to base camp in Flåm. I had thought it was going to a fairly easy ride, being

[07.20.2007 to 07.21.2007] -- Oslo, Norway

2007-09-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

**Time to do some catching up.... excuse the lazy commentary hehe**Arrival and orientation in Norway's capital. I didn't spend a whole lot of time here because big cities don't generally interest me... the more of them I see, the more similar they seem to me. Oslo wasn't much more than a pit stop for me to rest on my way to more interesting stuff way out in the boonies. This whole solo thing is

[06.30.2007] -- Chicago

2007-09-27T14:52:00.000-07:00

**Time to do some catching up.... excuse the lazy commentary hehe**Our Broadway weekend continues with dinner at Maggiano's followed by Chicago at the OC Performing Arts Center. I'm not gonna lie, I dozed off in the first half of the show... butttt I did the same when we watched The Phantom of the Opera, and I still ended up enjoying both after a little catnap hehe.

[06.29.2007] -- Yellow Face

2007-09-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

**Time to do some catching up.... excuse the lazy commentary hehe** The night began with dinner at Orochon Ramen, where we all witnessed Claire destroying the Special #2 and earning herself a place on wall of fame. Dinner was followed up with "Yellowface" - the latest production from David Henry Hwang - at the Mark Taper Forum (Downtown LA) and Italian yogurt in Jtown.

[06.16.2007] -- Davin's Graduation

2007-08-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

You know you're getting old when you start wondering how in the world your baby brother is already done with college. Its so cliche, but I really do feel like it was just yesterday I was moving into the dorms myself! Sigh..... time flies, whether or not you're ready for it. I suppose I'll eventually get used to this whole responsibility as an adult thing, at some point anyway. Much like my crazy

[06.10.2007] -- Dodgeball | Ozomatli Concert

2007-08-16T19:53:00.000-07:00

I might not have quite gotten past the dry-heaving stage from the night before at Joseph's, but I sure as heck did not feel anywhere near 100% the next morning. I woke up with a throbbing headache and yet another reminder why I don't go out drinking that often.... I still have no idea how you crazy kids can go at hard like this 2-3x a week! Nonetheless, Krax and I were up in the morning and off

[06.09.2007] -- Birthday #2 @ Joseph's Cafe

2007-08-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

Unlike Birthday #1 on the charter, this was one was stress-free and alllllll about having a good time. I purposely held it at a place like Joseph's so that there would be NO worrying about people getting to/from dinner. NO worrying about parking. NO worrying about lines. Nothing. It was simply friends, drinks, and some crazy, crazy fun. The best things in life are the simple ones! There's also

[06.03.2007] -- Fishing Charter in Dana Point (Bday #1)

2007-08-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

Tired, exhausted, pooped.... just straight out dead-tired, but extremely happy that everything worked out in the end. Given the sheer number of unknowns and concerns I had going into this, its somewhat of a miracle that it all ended up working itself out. This is definitely one of the most ambitious events I've ever put together with over 30 people getting together to charter a boat of our own.

[06.02.2007] -- Jon's Graduation

2007-08-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

After 4 long, arduous years of schooling, training, testing, and putting up with all that other crap that all med students face, we celebrated the culmination of all that effort today at graduation. I must say that I have a newfound respect for doctors after witnessing, first-hand, all the sacrifices that they endure to get through all their schooling. I think we've all heard about it before, but

[05.27.2007] -- Half Dome

2007-06-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

All the preparation, all the planning, all of the hype for Yosemite up until the point we left, ultimately lead up to today: the day we make the hike to the top of Half Dome! The trip, by the numbers:17 :miles round-trip12 :hours total time4000'+ :elevation gain8862'* :maximum elevation achieved (*less for the peeps like me who avoided the cables)3 :Heinekens

[05.26.2007] -- Yosemite Falls | Rainbow Pool | Glacier Point

2007-06-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

I love almost everything about camping. The people. The camaraderie. The food. The fun. But even after all these years, sleeping is still somewhat of a struggle... the ground isn't exactly the most comfortable thing. Throw in some crazy snoring from the guy who wouldn't wake up no matter how much I tried to shake him (sorry dude haha), it'd be a bit of understatement to say that the night wasn't

[05.25.2007 to 05.28.2007] -- Yosemite!!

2007-06-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

As it has been for the past few years, Memorial Day weekend again played host to our now sorta-annual camping trip. I've been to Yosemite a total of 3 times now, and I have to say that each time I've come has been better than the last. The tremendous size of the park makes for new adventures each time we've come, which makes for a unique and different experience for every visit. This trip was no

[05.11.2007 to 05.13.2007] -- Weekend: Kims of Comedy | O's Party | Mother's Day

2007-06-07T15:23:00.001-07:00

Currently WatchingThe Kims of ComedyBy Bobby Lee, Kevin Shea, Steve Byrne, Dr. Ken Jeongsee relatedSaturday started off with dboat practice in the morning, followed by the requisite nap and then it was off to the comedy show. Winnie had actually seen the show on DVD before and thats how I first heard about it. As it turns out, tonight's gig was their biggest yet and the Wiltern was nearly at

[05.05.2007] -- Hiking Hondo Canyon

2007-06-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

With Yosemite just a few weeks away, we took some time this weekend to go out to do a little training in preparation for our upcoming Half Dome hike. I actually found this trail outlined on www.localhikes.com and it turned out to be perfect for training. It wasn't the longest one at about 5.0 miles round trip, but it was all uphill the whole way through. I really wish I had my bike on the way

[05.04.2007] -- UCLA Spring Sing

2007-06-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

I've said it before, and after this year's fine performance, I'll say it again: you just can't buy this much entertainment for $12! In the day and age of the $10 movie ticket, Spring Sing has to rank way up there -perhaps, on the top- of a short list of "fun things to do that won't break the bank." We're talking 3 hours of gut-busting laughs, decent talent (not as good as years past), glimpses of

[04.22.2007] -- My First Dragonboat Tournament

2007-06-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

After a pretty wild night at J-Lounge, I managed to get a whopping 3 hours to sleep off the fun before dragging my carcass out of bed and down to Long Beach for my very first dragonboat torunament. Don't know what dragonboating is? No worries, Wikipedia to the rescue with a somewhat lengthy primer. The short version: 20 paddlers arranged in 2 columns x 10 rows + 1 steering guy + 1 calling guy.

[04.21.2007] -- Lynn's 25th Bday @ J-Lounge

2007-06-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

Currently ReadingThe House of God: The Classic Novel of Life and Death in an American HospitalBy Samuel Shemsee relatedBeing this far behind on the entries means one thing is for certain: more pictures, and less words. Perfect! For most of yas haha.... anyway J-Lounge sucks for all of the following reasons:They automatically add 18% tip to every bar tab. Now I don't mind the 18%,

[04.08.2007] -- Getty Villa

2007-06-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

Up bright and early again the next morning, I dragged my tired carcass from the OC all the way up to Pacific Palisades to get a glimpse of the Getty Villa. I didn't really know a lot about this place before getting the tickets, except that 1) its free and 2) you have to reserve them a month in advance. It seemed surprising that this was such a popular site to visit, but I guess with so many

[04.06.2007] -- Weekend of Biking | Dboat | Isabel's Birthday

2007-06-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

Currently WatchingBabel [Blu-ray]By Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Mohamed Akhzam, Peter Wightsee relatedIs it April already? It just seems like yesterday we were celebrating 2007 and the next thing you know, its more than a third through the year! Work life and having a regular schedule goes a long way towards making time fly by... busy weekends don't hurt either, and this weekend was

[03.29.2007 to 04.01.2007] -- Whistler Revisited

2007-06-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

Currently GamingTom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double AgentBy UBI Softsee relatedAfter last month's epic trip to Whistler, I knew it was only a matter of time before we decided to return - but little did I know it would be so soon. The timing worked itself out rather well, and though I had to deal with usual gamut of last-minute flakiness, wacky snow conditions, canceled flights, and

[02.22.2007 to 02.25.2007] -- Snowboarding @ WhistlerBlackcomb

2007-06-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

"Its a small world" - that is, until you glance at an atlas. I stole this cool little tool off of Eric's MySpace page and figured it'd be useful for keeping track of not only where I've been thus far, but also where I want to go in the future. The site is kinda crappy and slow with all the ads, but hey, its hard to complain when its being provided free of charge. I love GoogleMaps! I'll probably