Category: Life

Nothing in this world that’s worth having comes easy

Looking back at everything that happened in the past 10 years after leaving Hong Kong, I can’t say that I have been giving my best at everything. I know on many occasions I could have tried harder, but didn’t simply because I never seek perfection. To others, I’ve accomplished a lot (learned English, Spanish, and French for one, studied in Spain, France and now working in CR for another) but to me, these aren’t really “big” accomplishments. To be clear, this is about “things” not “people” because nobody’s perfect (except for Shakira the love of my LIFE). Anyway, the point is, there is still so much that I wanna do and I know that if I put my mind to it, anything is possible. Yes, it was hard adjusting to life in the US when I was 13, it was never so much about me trying but more of being forced to learn by the environment. So, this year, let’s try harder.

P.S. My friend and I were talking earlier this morning and just like last year we did another New Year resolution thing. Three resolutions with a twist: the third one is to be picked for by each other. So, for my friend Shaun, he said to lose weight and get better grades. The one that I picked for him is to leave San Diego for at least 2-3 weeks during the summer (because he’s been there all his life). As for me, the first is to save up money and the second is to be very advanced in Spanish, I want to say near-native. The third one that my friend picked for me was to party with him. (Truth be told I’ve known him for 6-7 years but we’ve only hung out twice). He’s one of my best friends though…es extraño. So, yeah.

Year in review: 2008

United Press International: Lost stories
IMDB: STARmeter
IMDB: MOVIEmeter
Empireonline: 50 movies that defined the year
National Geographic: Top 10 photos
National Geographic: Top 10 stories
National Geographic: Top 10 archaeology finds
Yahoo!: 2008 year in review
Slam Online: 2008 year in review

I figured I’d write this now because tonight is party night! So, Happy New Year! May all your wishes come true! Be safe, take care, don’t get too drunk…(hypocrite!)

A picture is worth a thousand words…


Brasilito

Originally uploaded by Drickalick

Sometimes…depends on the picture.

We can only see a picture, maybe use a little bit of imagination to feel what it is like, however, it’s not the real thing. The smell, the sound, the atmosphere, and of course the mood and the moment.

The point is, my friend Andy and I went to Guanacaste to spend Christmas instead of staying in boring San Jose. It was one of the most relaxing trips I took in a while. Just chilling on the beach, getting some sun, enjoying the smell of salt water in the air accompanied by the sound of waves. Good times.

We left on the 22nd and went to Playas del Coco towards northern Guanacaste. We thought it was going to be a nice beach but we were disappointed…so we only spent a night there. The next day we took the bus and went to Brasilito, which is a little down south. Definitely my favorite place thus far. The place we stayed at was cheap so we ended up spending two nights there. Brasilito is surrounded by resorts with Playa Flamingo being the most famous. Right next to Brasilito beach lies Playa Conchal (Shells beach). Part of the beach is formed basically by seashells. Further down the beach shells become sands. The beach was so relaxing. So, we spent Christmas there. Had a great meal on Christmas Eve (we can only afford one). Watched the Lakers-Celtics game on Christmas day at a bar at Flamingo. Ate dinner then chilled.

The next day we got up early to go to Montezuma…the guidebook that we had was pretty outdated so it was plenty of improvising. We took the bus from Brasilito to Santa Cruz, then changed bus from Santa Cruz to Nicoya, then Nicoya to Playa Naranjo. By the time we got there, we were exhausted. To get to Montezuma we still had to take a ferry from Naranjo to Puntarenas then another ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera only then could we take the bus to Montezuma. We decided that it wasn’t worth the trouble…our money was running low and we didn’t want to go back to San Jose broke. So, we ended up staying in Puntarenas and left for San Jose the next day.

Despite all the traveling, it was definitely a great trip. I got darker again…which will fade away soon enough. It was a much-needed vacation from working too much. Anyhow, I got a lot of time to think on this trip and Andy and I had some great conversations. All I need is pretty much one more trip to Quepos, Manuel Antonio, or even Tortuguero or Montezuma and my travels in Costa Rica will be fulfilled…and then it’s time to move on.

Que Dios te bendiga!

Will I ever stay?

The answer is a very simple no. I’ve asked myself countless times. Traveling and moving always come first. I can see myself settling down but I just can’t get around to actually doing it. I hate leaving things behind I do, but once I’m in a new place all those things don’t seem to matter as much. I have my health, my memories, and my experiences with me…what more do I need? I really don’t care about a lot of stuff, not that they aren’t important, I just, well, don’t care.

Someone once asked me: Will you ever stay…for love? The simple answer would be again, no. Nevertheless, people tend to follow these yes or no questions with…why? Well, simply because my desire to travel is stronger than any other feelings I might have. ‘Pero el amor es el sentimiento mas fuerte que los demás’. Sure, I agree with that, and I’ve come very close to compromising but somehow, the thought of traveling and seeing the rest of the world comes out on top. I would give it a shot, I have been giving it a shot, but it’s just not happening. ‘All you need is love’, not me. ‘Love can withstand anything’, perhaps. If that’s true then love can wait (I am kind of in love).

I’m generalizing though…there are so many circumstances and I’m about to contradict myself by quoting Spider-Man: ‘Sometimes, to do what’s right, we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams.’ Truth be told this quote is definitely one of my favs. If my family needs me to stay, then yeah, I’m willing to give up my dreams, but if they “want” me to stay, then maybe. Now I’m gonna quote House: ‘You can’t always get what you want’, and now I’m gonna quote Into the Wild: ‘When you want something in life, you just gotta reach out and grab it’. On the surface, these seem like contradictions, but really, they go hand in hand. Think about it…no really, think about it! I’m not about to explain. Hmm, my wifey was just on tv with her music video”Suerte”.

All in all, take what has meaning, and leave the rest behind.

17 days

Only 17 days left in the year. Weird how time always flies by.

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening. A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland. Christmas carols are so awesome. Back in the Fall of 2005, I took Chorus at UH Hilo and basically, the whole semester we were practicing for a Christmas concert performance. All day and night Christmas songs were stuck in my head, and it wasn’t the melody part because I sang bass, so it was mostly harmonies. The concert was a lot of fun though I have to admit. No snow for Christmas this year, it’s not even that cold.

It’s gonna be my first Christmas away from home. Sad and excited. Sad for not spending it with my family, excited for we’re probably going to Nicaragua! Christmas is definitely the most wonderful time of the year, and my favorite as well. The best Christmas that I’ve had was when I was 7 or 8. This was back in Hong Kong. I remember it was just my family and me. We went out for dinner, and my parents bought my sister and me lights of some sort. We saw all the Christmas decorations on the Skylines.

It was just one of those memories.

I was with my friend in downtown San Jose the other day and this guy came up to us selling some earrings that he made. He said it was okay if we didn’t buy any but just let him explain himself and such. Anyway, turns out that he’s been traveling and selling these for four years. He made them himself with a small plier and copper wires, just bending and twisting and viola. It was really cool. He was a really cool guy, very friendly. He made me a peace/love sign and Diana a star ring. So awesome.

One more week of work then vacation time! Can’t wait.

Hurray for a sunny Saturday!

It was a beautiful morning. It’s still very sunny right now, which is very fortunate because it’s been raining non-stop for the past 2 weeks. The breeze under the Costa Rican sun reminds me of summer in Hawai’i and California. Summer is coming! What is it about a sunny day that takes all the worries and stresses away?

Christmas is right around the corner. This Christmas is going to be my first Christmas away from home. It’s going to be FUN! All the plans are still up in the air but I’m definitely not staying in San Jose. The atmosphere is different here. For the past month or so Christmas decorations were already put up by Ticos, which made sense since most of the population here are Catholic. Cristo de Sabanilla is right up the street from the house. It’s going to be interesting going to mass here (even though I’m not really Catholic nor Christian nor do I associate myself with a certain religion), it’s always good to experience a different kind of, let’s just say, religion. It expands our worldview. It’s important to have knowledge about everything, even things that are not interesting to us. Damn, that sounds cheesy. Ah well. Just felt like putting something on.

Jeff Corwin is awesome.

Check out this article which gives a slight glimpse of memory recall.

Beware of thoughts that come in the night

They aren’t turned properly; they come in askew, free of sense and restriction, deriving from the most remote of sources. ~ William Trogdon

La mayoría de estos pensamientos en la noche son deprimidos. Es extraño, es oscuro, es triste. Es difícil entender porque no sabe de donde vienen estos pensamientos. Por eso muchas de las conversaciones que ocurren son profundos. Hay algo trata con la oscuridad. Bueno, cuando está despejado y enfocado el mente, especialmente durante la noche (aún dentro de un sueño), el subconsciente tiene más espacio para funciona. Estos pensamientos son suprimidos por el consciente durante el día (por lo general). No sé que quiero decir exactamente porque estoy cansado. Pues, tengo que trabajar mañana, voy a dormirme. 

Why do all good things come to an end…?

Flames to dust, lovers to friends, why do all good things come to an end? –> Great song by Nelly Furtado.

My good friend Andrew is leaving to go back to Atlanta in the next 8 hours or so. We had a great farewell party for him and also mixed with a birthday party for Julia and I. Bidding goodbye is the hardest thing to do. Time doesn’t really have much to do with how good a friendship is. It’s all in the moment. I’ve made great friends from knowing them for only a weekend, a month, a semester, to friends I’ve known since I was little. It’s all about connections, common grounds, and always a little bit of fate. When we think about how small this world really is, it’s destined, in a way, that certain people cross paths. Two people from different corners of the world with completely different backgrounds end up doing the same thing in the same place at the same time.

This world of ours is definitely a wonder. I mean, I never thought I would be here in Costa Rica teaching English. How did I end up here? What if things were different? What if I never moved to the US? I always try to imagine what it would be like. Maybe in another parallel universe, there’s another me that never left Hong Kong. Speaking of the universe, check this article out.

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is I’ve bid a lot of goodbyes. I’ve been to 2 different elementary schools, 2 different middle schools, and three different universities. Some of the friends I completely lost contact with, others are scattered all over the world. It’s probable but unlikely that I’ll see many of them again. With the new age of the internet and social networks, keeping in touch is very easy, but different. Sure, we know how our friends are doing, what they’re up to, etc. but it’s different when we actually hang out with them, go out, have fun, and whatnot.

It’s sad to say goodbye, but we have to keep moving on. Just remember all the good times and bad, all the tears and joy, ups and downs. Treasure the memories and experiences that define you. Use it as strength to continue on with life. That’s how I always feel. Feels like I’ve been here forever, but it’s only been a month. Next thing you know, it’s time to leave. At first, it’s sad, then you feel glad to have made all these friends, and after you’re optimistic about encountering them again, and in the blink of an eye, you’re taking deep breaths and looking ahead, looking out the plane window or bus or whatever kind of transportation remembering all the incidents and such. Then smiling, then eyes get watery, then the guy/girl sitting next to you starts to eye you like you’re loco. That’s how it always is, for me anyway.

With that, this entry has come to an end. I’m heading to bed…it’s 6 in the damn morning…damn.

A trip down memory lane

I came across some cartoon theme songs that I remember listening to and watching growing up.

Link here

It’s in Chinese, Cantonese to be exact. These aren’t just some random cartoon songs, each one of them has meanings that guided our generation basically. It related to us and still does. Back in elementary school, I remember getting out of school, going home, and watching these cartoons. I dare say most of us watched and know all of these. Every day, cartoons first, then homework (maybe), for us boys we go down to the park after to play soccer and whatnot. That’s where you learn your swear words and such. Back then in Hong Kong, there were many neighborhoods, and most of them were, and still are, “estates” or “courts”. Each of them has a park, a market, and a mall. These neighborhoods are equivalent to barrios (en español). We were defined by the town or the area in which the neighborhood is (much like East Coast vs West Coast, or even area codes). Anyway, listening to these songs brings back many sentimientos and images en mi mente. 

My time frame of my childhood is basically stuck in the 90s because in 99 I left for the US. It’s interesting because I remember many times at home with mi amigos and the TV would be on a Chinese channel. I understood everything, but mi amigos, nada. This Chinese culture side that I have I rarely use or share, it only pops up occasionally in conversations, and most of the time I end up having to explain a lot. 

It’s weird cause I only have a few really good Chinese friends in Hawaii and a few in Hong Kong. That’s pretty much it. At one point in my life (high school I think), I avoided anything and everything relating to Chinese culture. I was resisting it and didn’t want to have anything to do with it. It didn’t make sense to me at the time, but now, of course, it does. Like every kid with a new toy, I despised the old ones because they’re old and they ain’t cool. Not until college did I appreciate how old and deep this culture is.

On another note, it’s Halloween tomorrow. One day where we can dress up as anything and no one would care; one day where we can pretend to be someone else; one day where we don’t have to be ourselves (Unless you’re an actor or actress). Time goes by fast around this time, Halloween then Thanksgiving, and before you know it it’s Christmas and New Year’s. Actually, this year will be the first time I’m spending Christmas and New Year away from home. Gotta plan something.

So, go trick or treating, watch some horror movies, eat some pumpkin pie, and carve some pumpkins on this All Hallows Eve.