conor + live = yay!

I saw Bright Eyes! This is not my video, but easily the best, most appropriate closing song.

 

the itching continues...!

I have a pretty awesome (glow in the dark) boyfriend.



And a pretty cool cow-skinned cat.



And I seriously regret not buying this lovely pair.

it's whatever

I've been listening to way too much American Analog Set. This song does it for me.



Yesterday was Valentine's Day. It was pretty weird serving couples late night coffee all night. Also pretty depressing since most were dressed up, coming in after their fancy dinners. To make things a bit worse, my coworker was brooding, telling me he was going to probably die alone and never meet anyone. I guess he really wants to get married and time is "running out."

But all in all I had a pretty awesome day. I didn't pass out in any of my classes. Juvana gave me a cookie (which, I guess, is less gay than what I've said to her lately-- "What can I say, I have a thing for cute white boys!" "I'm not a cute white boy. :("). Dan surprised me at work with shrimp flavored stuff, then beat me in Mario Kart.

I've been reading a lot of E.E. Cummings as it's probably right around that time and season. This is my favorite poem at the moment.

maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach (to play one day)

and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles,and

milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;

and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and

may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.

For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it’s always ourselves we find in the sea.

I am terrible and conclusions so I'll end with this: I really can't wait for spring break. Hibernation, here I come!

i feel strange.

So uh, trip might be postponed till early June. Why? Because I have to get my wisdoms removed... and it's costing me an arm and a leg. Will have to wait for my tax return (but because I'm filing on my own [yeah I do my own taxes] I won't get the money until mid-March or so, maybe later, the internet says April, so we'll see). It's okay. This is going to be great. If anything, it means that a) I can really actually plan a vacation versus a one week stint on the big dark continent, b) I won't have to worry about winter clothes, which I really didn't want to have to buy.

But still, really bummed about the whole thing. I'm still thinking about taking spring break off and going to a neighbor island. I need a break. Or something...

I've been listening to a lot of noise/math rock lately. I feel so unsettled and for some reason it's soothing. I'm pretty sure I'm completely losing my mind, 'cause this video in particular makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.



And uh, just for fun, here's a picture of my cat. Being ridiculous.



The strangest thing happened today. I was feeling really sick and awful and my cat suddenly ran over and so I picked him up and laid with him for a bit, then he got up and sat on my head and started pawing my head. It was like a cranium massage! I've never felt more soothed. Animals are amazing. Regardless, I felt better instantly. I'm glad he's alive and better to make me feel better! Yay!

(re-reading that made me aware of how crazy I am beginning to sound.)

Oh, and hi new visitors. I'm sorry there isn't much here to read... but hey! I welcome you. Or something. xoxoxox!!

pretty much

one of the prettiest videos i've seen in a while (hahahahaha)... but i gotta say i'm really liking this album.

oh hello 2011

Sixteen days into the new year and I can honestly say it's going to be the best yet. So far so good. This entire post is Mercury Bar related, so while it may appear that I live there (okay let's be honest, I kind of do), this isn't all I've been up to. It's just all I've photographed.

Before the new year Chaz finally made an appearance outside of Mychal's house and joined Juvana, Matt, and I for a Deadbeats show. They're such a cute family.



Then I went to the Mercury Christmas party in a dress and heels! The funny thing about this is that I was actually going to wear my usual jeans and a tshirt when I saw Tracy Chan's facebook status about looking snazzy. Threw on a dress I bought four years ago and have never worn. Felt pretty festive!



I wish I could find a photo of Juvana and I during our trivia question. "Who is gayer--" "ARISA." God damn. So quick witted. I love that girl.

Then there was the NYE Party. Normally for New Years I hang out with my mom. She almost always has tickets to some touristy event and doesn't want to go it alone, so she usually makes me go with her. I'm fine with this because I don't really get the whole hype around getting fucked up and partying, but this year my mom wanted to check out the Cecilio and Kapono show and it wasn't really my idea of an ideal way to bring in the new year. Luckily I was able to get out of that event at around 930p and made my way to Mercury (Jesus it's like I live there) for their NYE Event. I really wanted to go because a) I've missed like a million wizard sticks events and I want to be a wizard so bad! and b) I really couldn't think of too many other places I would have rather had been at.



Max and Sarah in white trash outfits with their wizard sticks. Glenn's is in the back on the counter. Next to the Guy Fawkes mask is a ticket from the City and County of Honolulu. I guess Drew is going to be in court come February.



Me and Sarah with our wizard sticks.

Then there was this past Friday. Sometime earlier this week Andrew (the owner of Merc) sent me a text if I was going to stop by on Friday. "What's going on?" "Black Lipps are playing." Initially, I thought that it was a hoax-- that the misspelling was intentional and it was some cover band. But no, it was just a type-o, and if it wasn't for Juvana asking me if I was going I probably would have missed out on this show.







Maybe when I develop the roll in my camera I'll have better photos.

Between all this bar madness I've been at home or working. Semester just started back up and I've been swamped with reading. Things to look forward to: No class tomorrow (yay!), 7yr anniversary party, Packers vs Bears game next Sunday, Jon's going away party, lots of ramen in between. Sixteen glorious days so far; It almost feels like a dream.

mental note

This song is kind of really amazing.



First day of the Spring semester in less than 24 hours! I think I need a drink...

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES

News!!!

1) I'm going back to typing properly and blah blah. Not so much grammatically. But who gives a fuck!

2) I'm buying a new bike! I decided I actually want THIS bike (the Trek Atwood!) but alas, they do not have it in Hawaii. I tried contacting the bike shop that stocks Trek bikes but they haven't returned my emails or calls. I'm hopeful!



3) My original SF trip might turn into a Seattle trip, mostly because I don't know anyone in San Francisco, especially blood related, and because the farther up I go the more people I know! It's my first time on the mainland so I'm sooooo stoked! If enough people can't spend time with me I might go up to Vancouver for a day. Either way, this should be fun!

4) Spring semester starts next week. Money is on its way. I feel like the beginning of this year has been filled with a lot of great fortune and great friends. I'm really looking forward to the next few months. I feel like plans are finally rolling along and I'm beginning to feel satisfied with where I am in life.

Want to know the best part of everything? My transportation expense is going to drop dramatically because I can finally get a UPass again! MY LIFE!



p.s. I'm making seafood paella this week for my mom. Photos to come!

food pix spam

so after having a smartphone for over a month i finally set up my email services. initially it's been annoying as 90% of the emails i get to my gmail account are web exclusive sales newsletters, so having to delete them manually off my phone has been a pain. the bright side and real reason i set it up was because now i have the ability to email all the photos i take and post them here! yay!

over the last few weeks i've been eating at home a lot. mostly because i've been home a lot working on papers and i've been trying to save money.



bento. grilled salmon, rice + chirimen sansho/wakame, bell pepper and corn, fish cake, grape tomatoes and lettuce, and kiriboshi daikon!



sukiyaki in the comfort of my own home!

thanksgiving isn't a really big deal in my family. culturally speaking, i suppose that makes sense. my dad would always prepare the traditional thanksgiving meal (although on occations he'd make a ham instead of turkey, but that's a story for another time) but my mom would always be utterly disgusted. i realize now that it's not so much the food itself that she hated, but the idea of eating so excessively. she doesn't appreciate or understand gluttony and thus hates this holiday.

we made it a point to spend some kind of quality time together. we ate at zippys before i had to go to work.



my oxtail soup.




mom and her turkey. not so appetizing. tastes just like how it looks.



i went to tsunamis on friday for my coworker's birthday party. i forgot what it was like to be in a really azn room. the last time i've been to a place like this was back in 2007 when i went to xylohs with a friend of mine on a near weekly basis. anyway, tsunamis brought back a lot of those memories of feeling out of place but i totally embraced it. the food was miraculous. in this photo i'm eating their pork cutlet. it had a horseradish mayo dipping sauce which was nice but unusual. i also had some of the poke which was delicious, and my friends were saying the hamburger was really good. they need a better beer selection.

i've been on a real downtempo fix which is weird because a) i kind of really hate DJs b) i hate the repetitiveness. but i discovered jon kennedy and my opinion has been transformed.



there's a few other artists i've been listening to a lot of as of late. thanks, last.fm.

man...

this video just broke my american heart, hahaha.

shazaaaam!

so at work they play "the lovecats" by the cure and it's pretty much my favorite song right now.



"into the sea, you and me, all these years and no one heard."

i saw the dead kennedys this past weekend. it was alright! but i was reminded how much i hate the loft and hate most guys at punk shows. too many military brats. too many biker-esque jerks. too long of a line for beer.

besides this, life has reached a sluggish routined pace and i can't help but feel stagnant and dull. i've been at home less and spending less but doing less. when i am here at home i'm playing fallout, which is hard because my TV screen is so old and crappy and so the graphics don't look nearly as they should. so i end up reading. right now i'm reading Brick Lane by Monica Ali. it's pretty good! i liked the movie.



i'm kind of really in love with the guy that plays karim. it's so bad! maybe this is fate. haha!

~~~

a song about breaking up.

being ~healthy~

so my mom wants to try this whole eating better, save the planet, blah blah lifestyle. which is fine by me, don't get me wrong. but one of things she's been doing is cutting rice out of her diet (she doesn't eat it at dinner anymore) and cutting out meat/seafood/chicken from her diet. essentially just veggies ALL THE TIME.

i don't really dig it. it's mostly the lack of starch that bugs me. i love rice! potatos! noodles! bread! everything! i cannot let these things go as easily as i have let go of beefy-ness. but that's alright. i made this yesterday and it was really good. "tandoori tofu." i got the recipe from this site called eCurry. it's a veg website and everything looks super good. i wonder what kind of camera she uses.

anyway this morning i ate fried chicken from zippys with goma sauce all over. i have this new insane love for everything sesame. it's probably going to be horribly unhealthy for me in the long run since it's really high in phytic acid.

i should ~fill~ this void but i won't. because i can't.

motivation.

now that the lake's in place where the dead sea used to be... it seems that i'm ceasing to be in the season of the old me.

p.s.

my current guilty pleasure.

memories don't go away

i remember everyday.

tonight

it's a superchunk/pizza/xavier renegade angel kind of night. fuck yeah.



decided to take a break from my seclusion and make an appearance tonight at anna's. hopeful that it will be a smashing fun time.

"sometimes, arisa, you're just crazy."

so i've gotten at least five shades darker in the last two days thanks to biking. i can also tell my bum is less jiggle! this is amazing. who knew exercise could do this? i sure as hell didn't!

my appetite has grown substantially. it might have to do with the fact that i have been overworking my body. seriously. looking back on it, no, going out and drinking after working doubles was a bad idea. no wonder i looked/felt so terrible. my skin is finally starting to recover and i am so happy!

starbucks food is actually not that bad. i had a roasted tomato and mozzarella panini for breakfast today and it was ah-ma-zing! a bit oily, though, but nothing a napkin and a bit of dabbing can't cure. i'm actually a little sad because i won't be closing at all this weekend. i open throughout and am unsure if i'll be able to haul my ass to work at the ungodly hour of 345AM. wish me luck.

this song is kind of my favorite stephen malkmus song of all time.



anyway, my coworkers have become substantially nicer. mostly due to the fact that i haven't worked with the one i mentioned previously. the downside is that none of them really know how to train people. it's kind of a constant "wait, you don't know how to make that?" i'm sorry... i didn't get any formal step-by-step on drink making. been kind of winging it since day one (literally).

this week looks like it should be fun. and i'm getting my film from this past weekend developed (finally). hip hip!

just a funny

look at my ipod's top plays.

pretty killer, eh?

p.s. i just downloaded the goo goo dolls discography! don't hate.